Chapter Thirteen: The Sea Dragon Beast

"The Black Fang Beast has evolved?!" Mimi gazed in disbelief at the Loretta Beast behind Qin Fei, astonished that the fluffy little black ball had transformed into such a figure.

The other children also showed looks of surprise. After evolving, the Black Fang Beast's style differed greatly from theirs; they all had insect, wood, or bird Digimon, while the Loretta Beast resembled a human child.

"If Digimon are a form of life, then it's not surprising they can evolve into all kinds of shapes," Koushiro mused, propping his chin thoughtfully as he regarded the Digimon nearby. "Just like Earth's ecosystem, the process of evolution could reasonably produce humanoid Digimon. What's truly remarkable is how they change into new forms. That's something I can't quite grasp yet. Perhaps they're not carbon-based life forms? So, what elements make up Digimon bodies..."

Qin Fei admired Koushiro's genius—how could a boy not even ten years old grasp concepts that confound many adults? Even with the soul of an adult and the advantage of crossing worlds, Qin Fei found Koushiro's computer skills awe-inspiring.

One day, he’d even design a feature allowing Digimon to freely enter and exit electronic devices through a laptop connection.

If that’s not genius, what is?

"Maybe I should see if I can get along with Koushiro. He might help me design a portable device for carrying Digimon in the future," Qin Fei thought silently, his gaze toward Koushiro growing much more fervent.

Suddenly, Koushiro shivered, as if feeling the gaze of someone with less than pure intentions.

"Forget Digimon for a moment. I'm starving!" Mimi complained, noticing that everyone was so caught up in conversation they’d almost forgotten dinner.

"Right, right! We’ve been walking all day, everyone’s hungry. At least with Qin Fei’s emergency food and compressed biscuits, we can hold out for a while," Joe agreed cheerfully, and began emptying his backpack.

"No, I suggest we save these," Yamato stepped forward, halting Joe’s attempt to distribute food.

"We don’t know how long we’ll be here. If all we eat is emergency rations, they won’t last for many days. I think we should look for local food first," Yamato said, glancing around to see if others agreed.

"I also think we should save them," Sora chimed in, supporting Yamato’s idea. "These emergency foods have long shelf lives, don’t spoil easily, and are convenient to carry. Eating them last is the best decision." She gestured toward the lake. "And there’s plenty of food nearby. If we don’t eat it, it’ll spoil quickly. We don’t have much food to spare, and since we won’t stay here long, the next place might have nothing edible. We should waste as little as possible now."

After Sora’s analysis, the children all agreed to save the emergency food.

"Ah! I don’t want to eat grilled fish. It’s scaly and fishy, the innards taste bitter, and there are so many bones..." Though Mimi complained, she eventually joined the others in searching for local food.

...

By evening, Tai and Yamato had a minor disagreement, apparently over Gabumon’s fur. But the issue ended for now when Tai volunteered for the first night watch.

Qin Fei was second.

"Qin Fei, don’t you want to sleep in the train car? The seats are much more comfortable than outdoors, and you’ll need rest for your shift," the group asked, puzzled by Qin Fei’s refusal to go onto the island. Why sleep at the cold, barren lakeshore instead of the soft sleeper seats?

"Should I tell them that a Seadramon lives on the island? According to the story, they even wake it up," Qin Fei muttered inwardly. But, not wanting to interfere with Gabumon’s evolution to Garurumon, he kept his reasoning to himself.

"I couldn’t sleep, so I just wanted to look around. The night sky is beautiful. You all go ahead and rest; don’t worry about me."

"Qin Fei, don’t wander off alone. It’s dangerous!" Mimi called out anxiously, her gaze lingering on Qin Fei since earlier.

"Why not take the night watch with Tai? At least you could look out for each other and stay warm by the fire," Sora suggested with concern.

"Watch with Tai? They probably don’t realize that the most dangerous place is right there," Qin Fei thought, recalling the scene in the animation where Tai accidentally burned Seadramon’s tail. He refused without hesitation.

"..."

"What a strange person," Yamato said, watching Qin Fei on the shore, unwilling to go onto the island. Losing any sleepiness, Yamato glanced at his sleeping brother Takeru and left the train car.

He came to the lakeside, gazing at the dark waters, deep in thought.

"So it’s you, Yamato. Why aren’t you sleeping?" Tai’s voice sounded behind him.

"I can’t sleep," Yamato replied without turning.

"Sorry about earlier," Tai said, full of apology.

"...Actually, I was at fault too, but that’s just how I am... That’s probably why Takeru prefers spending time with you," Yamato shook his head, still feeling a bit lost and frustrated.

"You and Takeru are...?" Tai ventured, curious.

"We’re brothers, but our parents are divorced..."

"No wonder..."

Before Tai could ask more, Yamato ran off, head down.

...

Watching Tai and Yamato from afar, Qin Fei couldn’t hear their conversation, but guessed most of it.

"Loretta Beast, can you sense anything beneath this lake?" Qin Fei suddenly asked.

Loretta Beast paused, then closed his eyes to perceive.

"..."

"It’s faint—I almost overlooked it," Loretta Beast said after a moment, waiting for Qin Fei’s confirmation.

"Seems I was right..." Qin Fei nodded. "I can’t make a move in the lake."

"You don’t have to," Qin Fei replied, folding his hands behind his head and lying back, admiring the star-filled sky of the Digital World—a privilege few could ever experience.

"That prey belongs to Gabumon and Yamato..."

Loretta Beast nodded and sat beside Qin Fei.

A mellow, familiar harmonica tune drifted through the air. Qin Fei closed his eyes, listening. Yamato’s musical talent was as remarkable as ever.

Gradually, night deepened. The campfire before Tai crackled, burning the branches.

Tai poked at the wood, trying to make the fire blaze brighter.

Suddenly, a glowing red stick snapped with a sharp crack, splintering and shooting upward, finally landing with a hot ember on what looked like a giant red leaf.

"It’s coming!" Loretta Beast, lying beside Qin Fei, suddenly rose, staring intently at the lake.

The once calm surface now churned with violent waves.

"Wha—what’s happening?" The children, startled from their sleep, cried out.

The island trembled as if something terrible had been awakened.