Luna and Rika entered the open grassland with an air of composed detachment, their steps silent and calculated. The scene before them was serene—a picturesque field of vibrant green, with the gentle rustling of the wind through the tall grass and the soft scent of wildflowers carried on the breeze. It was the sort of place one might imagine hosting a picnic or an afternoon of peaceful reflection. But for these two, this was a battlefield.
Their target stood in the middle of the field—a Violet Elecmon, its nine tails swishing lazily behind it as it watched them with sharp red eyes. Its dark blue-violet fur, adorned with yellow markings, gave it an air of menace despite its small stature. It crouched low to the ground, ears twitching as it sized up the two intruders. Luna and Rika showed no reaction to its aggressive posture.
Violet Elecmon wasn't a particularly evil Digimon in the grand scheme of things. It didn't destroy villages or spread chaos like Keramon or Dracmon. However, it had a cruel streak—its pranks often escalated to permanent injury or even death. It was known to run in gangs with similarly crooked Digimon, often following Etemon, a chaotic and unpredictable Ultimate-level Digimon. The fact that it dared to associate with such a powerful figure spoke to its courage—or recklessness—and its potential strength.
Despite its reputation, Luna and Rika remained unimpressed. They approached with calm, steady steps, their faces betraying no hint of emotion. Unlike Takato and the others, these two were cold and efficient, perfectly suited for missions like this. Yeong, had no doubts about their ability to handle such a target. In fact, she trusted them more than anyone else for situations requiring precision and decisiveness.
Rika came from a lineage where pragmatism reigned supreme. Her family's roots as assassins gave her a natural talent for compartmentalizing emotions, especially when it came to combat. Killing was a necessity, a means to an end, and it was something she could do without hesitation—provided her target wasn't a friend or loved one. Her piercing violet eyes scanned the Violet Elecmon as if it were nothing more than an obstacle to be removed.
Luna, by contrast, was a natural-born killer. Her species was designed to handle the smaller, less significant problems plaguing the Royal Knights and their King. With a low emotional range and a mind wired for combat, she was perfectly suited for extermination tasks like this. While she was capable of developing emotions over time, she rarely let them interfere with her duties. Only her loyalty to her master, Rika, could potentially waver her resolve—but even that would take extreme circumstances.
Yeong had run countless simulations in her mind, evaluating her team's limits and strengths. Among them, Rika and Luna were by far the most emotionally and mentally stable in high-pressure scenarios. The duo's cold precision and lack of emotional attachment to their targets made them perfect for missions others might struggle with. Yeong had no doubts about their ability to handle the low-level tests currently on the table—nothing about these evaluations would challenge Rika's resolve or Luna's instinctual efficiency.
However, the thought of a true test, one that could push even Rika to her breaking point, lingered in Yeong's mind. It wasn't something she could create artificially. Crafting a situation where Rika had to fight against a loved one or someone she deeply cared for would be not only unethical but borderline sadistic. Such a test would force Rika to confront the darkest aspect of her role as a tamer—choosing between her duty and her heart.
Yeong shook her head at the very idea. No, that wasn't an option. It wasn't just cruel; it was outright wrong. If she ever dared to implement such a scenario, the consequences would be severe—not only for the emotional well-being of her team but for her own career. She would be fired without question, and rightfully so.
And yet, deep down, Yeong knew that the Digital World was unpredictable. It didn't follow a script or abide by moral boundaries. She had seen tamers lose themselves to despair when faced with situations beyond their control. The worst-case scenario was always lurking in the shadows—a loved one, whether through deception, corruption, or coercion, becoming the enemy.
It was the nightmare scenario for any tamer. In such moments, hesitation could mean death, not just for the tamer but for their entire team. Most tamers who found themselves in that position were forced to make a devastating choice: to kill someone they loved or die themselves, holding back when they shouldn't.
Yeong sighed, her hands tightening into fists. She hated the thought of any of her team members being put into such a position. Rika was strong, but even strength had limits when emotions were involved. Luna, with her natural detachment, might fare better, but even she wasn't immune to the bonds she shared with her tamer.
For now, Yeong pushed the thought aside. The simulations could wait, and so could the hypothetical worst-case scenarios.
Rika stood calmly in the open grassland as Luna remained by her side, the breeze brushing past them. She glanced at her digivice, assessing the target. Level 20. It wasn't anything extraordinary—a wild Violet Elecmon known for its destructive pranks. Its cruelty set it apart from the usual playful nature of Elecmon, but it still didn't pose a significant challenge. The data logged about this digimon made it clear: it was a nuisance, one that needed to be eliminated.
Rika sighed inwardly. The mission wasn't about thrill or strategy—it was routine maintenance. Wild digimon like this often ran unchecked, following instincts rather than reason. They lacked the refinement of city-dwelling digimon, who, through time and survival, became stronger and more civilized.
The Digital World thrived on a brutal cycle of consumption and growth. Digimon hunted one another for data—the building block of their existence. While many wild digimon remained feral, city digimon often attained higher levels of intelligence, strength, and societal structure. But even among the most advanced, this cycle persisted. The order of this world was woven into its very fabric, reinforced by King Drasil, the sovereign who maintained its balance. Peace was a distant dream in this world; its foundation was built on survival of the fittest.
This natural order was the very reason Rika was here. Luna needed to grow, and that meant taking down enemies and absorbing their data. For Rika, it wasn't personal—just another step in Luna's evolution, nothing more, nothing less.
The Violet Elecmon was a reflection of what made the wild digimon dangerous. It wasn't powerful, but its cunning and vicious tendencies made it a threat to others. Though a wild prankster at heart, its actions often crossed into sadistic territory, resulting in injury and even death. It didn't have grand ambitions or power like the Keramon species, but it was a predator in its own right.
Rika's thoughts briefly shifted to Keramon—a true plague upon the Digital World. Unlike most digimon, Keramon could consume the world's very fabric as data, eroding everything in its path. The most frightening part of the Keramon line wasn't its strength—it wasn't a top-tier Mega—but its abilities. It didn't just consume digimon; it consumed existence itself, threatening to unravel the Digital World's delicate balance.
Such threats rarely went unchecked. The Royal Knights, the Sakuyamon squads, and even the Digital Sovereigns like Baihumon kept such dangers at bay. These protectors ensured that wild anomalies didn't spiral into global disasters. Even so, Rika knew that the Digital World's chaos could never be fully tamed.
Digimon, like Luna, were tamer-digimon—a class created with the blessings of powerful digimon such as the Celestial Digimon (Seraphimon, Ophanimon, Cherubimon, and their kind). These beings ensured that tamer digimon were inherently stronger, granting them potential for faster digivolution with the help of their tamers and the Digivice. The Digivice itself was no ordinary tool—it was a relic infused with blessings from legendary digimon, making it a key part of their strength.
Rika's gaze returned to Luna, who was silently waiting for her command. The bond between them wasn't one of sentimentality; it was one of purpose. Both understood the necessity of this mission. For Luna, it was a step toward growing stronger and fulfilling her role as Rika's partner. For Rika, it was a means to an end—ensuring that Luna reached her potential and kept them both ahead in this harsh, unforgiving world.
She adjusted her stance, eyes narrowing on the distant form of Violet Elecmon, its nine tails flicking playfully in the air. Despite its seemingly harmless appearance, Rika knew it was a killer at heart.
"Let's finish this quickly, Luna," Rika said coldly, her voice devoid of emotion.
Luna nodded, her demeanor as calm and focused as her tamer's. This wasn't just a mission; it was survival. And in the Digital World, survival meant one thing: eliminate the weak or be eliminated.
Rika's demeanor, her calculated ruthlessness and icy resolve, reminded Naruto of someone who had been both his greatest rival and his closest companion in his past life—Sasuke Uchiha. In this new world, Rika seemed to embody the same qualities that had once defined Sasuke: an obsession with strength, a relentless drive to achieve her goals, and an undeniable connection to the darker side of their shared existence.
Naruto couldn't help but draw comparisons. If Sasuke had been born a girl, he often thought they might have ended up together. The bond they shared transcended words, a deep understanding that defied logic or labels. Sasuke had always been a part of him, an essential counterpart to his light.
Naruto loved Sasuke more than anyone else outside of his family. The connection they shared was unique, something no one else could touch. Sasuke's loyalty, though often expressed in subtle or unconventional ways, was absolute. Sasuke knew him better than anyone else ever could—his fears, his dreams, his strengths, and his weaknesses. And in his own silent way, Sasuke always acted to shield Naruto from the weight of their shared burdens.
During their journey together, Naruto had often struggled with the harsh realities of their duties as shinobi. He couldn't bring himself to act on the darker, grittier necessities of their missions. It had been Sasuke who bore those shadows, who accepted the blood on his hands to ensure Naruto's ideals remained untainted.
It wasn't one-sided, either. Naruto had risked everything for Sasuke—his reputation, his safety, even his life. And after the war, Sasuke had done more than enough to repay that love, standing by Naruto in ways that spoke louder than any words ever could.
Naruto smiled wistfully at the memory. There were moments when he had teased Sasuke about their bond, joking that it was deeper than friendship, perhaps even closer than love. Sasuke had never denied it.
Watching Rika now, her composed exterior and unflinching resolve, Naruto saw shades of Sasuke. She was the darkness to his light, the pragmatist to his idealist. And just like Sasuke, Rika's strength and obsession made her both terrifying and admirable. It was a strange comfort, knowing that even in this new world, there were people who reminded him of those he had once held dear.