Chapter 155: Taking an Oath

"Is Yggdrasil watching?"

Qin Fei asked casually as he ate the food on his plate.

BanchouLeomon's body jerked, and he looked at Qin Fei with a mixture of shock and suspicion. However, he quickly suppressed his astonishment, gazed at the gradually fading sunset, and asked with a feigned casual tone, "How much do you know?"

"A lot. More than anyone else."

"......"

BanchouLeomon fell silent, but soon, a faint sense of amusement seemed to wash over him.

"I promised to take you to see Yggdrasil. Sometimes, a man has to risk his life to fight for the things he wants to protect."

Looking at BanchouLeomon's open-minded expression, Qin Fei felt a deep sense of respect.

Inside that body was the soul of Masaru's father, Suguru Daimon. He had persisted to this extreme for a somewhat impractical dream, to the extent that even his physical body had been seized by Yggdrasil.

Logically speaking, he should harbor the deepest hatred for the Digital World and Yggdrasil, yet he had consistently maintained a fierce and unwavering love for all Digimon.

"Masaru... how is he?"

BanchouLeomon reined in his smile and asked with a touch of melancholy.

"He misses his father terribly. If we hadn't stopped him, he'd probably be running around everywhere searching for the Host Computer Yggdrasil right now."

"Hahaha, that sounds just like him."

Hearing Qin Fei's explanation, a rare expression of tenderness surfaced on BanchouLeomon's face, much like a father's deep affection for his son.

"I also thank you for being able to hold him back. That brat has always been far too reckless, ever since he was a kid..."

Qin Fei glanced at BanchouLeomon, whose brow carried a hint of bitterness. Even though his son was right before his eyes, father and son could not acknowledge each other. This must have been his greatest regret.

Furthermore, whether Suguru Daimon's soul residing within BanchouLeomon could survive after leading Qin Fei and the others to Yggdrasil remained an unknown.

After all, Masaru's father still had his original physical body held hostage by Yggdrasil as a bargaining chip.

"I just hope Masaru won't let down my efforts, hahaha..."

With that, BanchouLeomon stood up, cast a poignant glance toward the direction where Marcus was sleeping as if stirred by deep emotion, and then strode away from the banquet.

Just as he was about to disappear into the distance, he said to Qin Fei, "Tomorrow, I will wait for you here."

"......"

"Qin Fei, was it you who called BanchouLeomon over?"

Yoshino walked over curiously, watching BanchouLeomon's figure leap down from the balcony, and just in case, echoed the soft tone Qin Fei had used earlier.

Qin Fei shook his head and replied, "He sought us out on his own."

"So, does he really know where Yggdrasil is?"

Thomas asked with a puzzled expression as well. He always felt there was some untold secret between Qin Fei and BanchouLeomon, much like how cautiously they had conversed earlier, as if terrified of being overheard by someone.

Qin Fei smiled and nodded.

"Then what did you talk about with him just now that made him agree so easily to take us to the God of the Digital World, Yggdrasil?"

Yoshino's feminine curiosity seemed to be thoroughly ignited.

"It's a secret."

Qin Fei didn't even glance at her as he shoved the final bite of food into his mouth.

"Tsk, like I care."

Yoshino returned to her seat with an unamused look, though the mysterious exchange between Qin Fei and BanchouLeomon still left her burning with curiosity.

She would simply have to wait until tomorrow for the truth to be revealed.

As night fell, mindful of the fact that BanchouLeomon would guide them to meet the World Tree Yggdrasil the next day, Yoshino and Thomas each took their Digimon partners and retired early.

Qin Fei also returned to his own room.

However, he had no mind to sleep. Instead, he placed three Digivices before him.

Following the fusion and evolution of Lolo and BlackDorumon, the Digivice and the Ark Machine had separated once again.

Influenced by the power of the Burst Digisoul, the fifth-generation Digivice had evolved into a Burst Digivice. Does this mean Venusmon will also have the opportunity to evolve into its Burst Mode in the future?

With this thought, a faint sense of anticipation stirred within Qin Fei.

"If I use the Digisoul to make Lolo and the others evolve, logically speaking, is there also a possibility for them to reach Burst Mode? If so, their strength would definitely be raised to an even higher level!"

Qin Fei thought with a surge of excitement, but remembering that Lolo was still restricted to evolving only into the Perfect level with no sign of reaching the Ultimate level, his enthusiasm quickly dampened.

Moreover, that Perfect level form wasn't even something he had designed, but rather an accidental, divergent evolution.

This made Qin Fei feel even more discouraged.

According to theory, Loretta_mon should evolve from Anger Tiger Holy Maiden Mon into the Perfect level, and then further into the Ultimate level.

However, everything had deviated from the path at this point. In fact, the divergent evolution, Dragon Cavalry Queenmon, far outstripped the strength of the "correctly" evolved Anger Tiger Holy Maiden Mon.

This gave Qin Fei the lingering sensation that he had strayed down the wrong path.

"Next time, I'll let Anger Tiger Holy Maiden Mon fight all the way through and see what happens. Maybe that will allow her to correctly evolve into the Perfect level I designed."

Qin Fei rubbed his chin in distress, wondering if forcing her evolutionary path back "on track" meant he was being too rigid. Queenmon was already quite good, and Qin Fei was actually very satisfied with her.

"Qin Fei..."

At that moment, Lolo walked over with a hesitant expression.

"What's wrong?"

Hearing her tentative voice, Qin Fei looked back at her with an apologetic gaze.

"I'm a little scared......"

"......"

Qin Fei's expression froze, and he quickly understood what she was afraid of.

"Every time I evolve, I forget everything I've done, whether it's the fighting or you... I've said it before, I really hate that feeling......"

"I'm sorry......"

Qin Fei felt somewhat in the wrong as well. The enemies he had encountered recently were simply too powerful, making it difficult for the Champion-level Anger Tiger Holy Maiden Mon to handle them alone, so he had continuously forced her to evolve into Queenmon, who felt almost like an entirely different personality.

He had always understood that Lolo disliked that method of evolution.

She wished that whether after evolution or during battle, she could remain entirely herself.

Yet during this period, aside from physical exhaustion, there was not a shred of her own self left in the process.

"Next battle... can you let me try it myself? I believe I can do it. I love to fight, I love looking at you while I'm fighting, and I love having memories that I can recall every single moment..."

Qin Fei: "......"

Stashing the other two Digivices on the table into his pocket, Qin Fei picked up Lolo's Ark Machine and fell into deep thought.

The opponent they faced next time might very well be another powerful Royal Knight. Given Anger Tiger Holy Maiden Mon's evolutionary line, that could become extremely dangerous.

"Lolo, then promise me one thing."

Qin Fei stroked the Ark Digivice in his hand and looked earnestly into Lolo's delicate and beautiful face.

Lolo gazed back at him with equal seriousness. The black bandage covering her eyes could not conceal her fervent and eager gaze.

"If we encounter genuine danger, do not push yourself. Win or lose, victory or defeat, you are what matters most to me."

"Even if it puts the world in danger?"

Lolo suddenly raised her head to look at Qin Fei, wanting to know his answer.

"Even if I am the one placed in danger, you must protect yourself first."

"......"

Lolo smiled. Raising her palm, she suddenly declared, "I swear on everything I am as Lorettamon, I will never let my master fall into danger, even if I have to risk my all!" (To be continued)