A world where the Eves are cooks trying to fight against the evil Vampire lord Tsubaki, risen due to the mechanisms of one Saint-Germain, with the help of their Servamps by traveling all around the land in search for the best recipes to satiate his hunger. They work together with various allies and friends, ranging from Mahiru's boyfriend, Watanuki Sakuya, and his partner in crime, Li Mingwang, to Mahiru's birth father, Taishi Touma, and his adoptive son (making him Mahiru's older brother), Tsurugi.

However, this world, the thirteenth world that the Anomalice have entered, may hold the key to an undiscovered truth about the Fragmented Codes of Melancholy and Hubris; one not even Mona Artemision knows of. The key... may lie in the hands of the mastermind of the AU; Saint-Germain, the Servamp of Hubris...

What's happened to Ragnarökmon and DP-Leviathan? And what happened between Aesopia and Pascatmon in the distant past, not to mention how did Yuga get involved with Pascatmon during the Keketmon crisis? All answers shall be given in due time, dear readers... all truths shall be unveiled as the journey of the Dimension Keepers continues...

The keyword is simply... "Fragment"...

"He just up and disappeared?!" Never had Areum felt this confused in all her years. "Doesn't that mean Aesopia saved him?!" What did this mean for them, then? As if stuff wasn't already confusing, this just had to twist everything up into a bigger enigma!

Sandayuu looked very lost about this as well. "How did the egg disappear along with him? Did another portal open up while you were distracted or...?"

"About that... We found this when looking around," Gangsan said while showing a piece of crushed mistletoe. "Does mistletoe have any significance to you guys?"

"Well, Mona always did love mistletoe. She said that it gave her a sense of happiness. Would even weave crowns of em for us. Back then, the Codes had made her immune to poison so we would pick the plants together. Rag... Rag always loved those crowns," Guilmon X said with a nostalgic tint in her tone. "I did too."

"She would risk appearing with her Vessel just to pick him up, I see... She must be quite the gentle person," Irratio mused.

"She was! She and Acheel doted over us all like we were their babies!" Ludomon said while plopping himself onto Guilmon X's legs, allowing her to nuzzle him as she hugged him from behind. "Exhibit A, right here!"

"You saw who her Vessel was, though, right?" Wuliang asked the newest addition to the group. "Could you tell us who it was?"

Irratio paused, and closed their eyes as they tried to recall the face they had seen.

Yet...

"I... I actually am not sure myself..." They suddenly admitted. "I do not recognise the person."

"So it's someone you don't know?" Jinpei tilted his head, his ahoge drooping downwards to form a question mark.

"It's someone not from the world I represent," They clarified. "But I can tell that they've been an Anomalice for as long as... more than ten years ago. They were barely born when they became one. You'll have to find their representative Kwami to be able to identify them."

"Definitely not mine," Shiift agreed.

Connex nodded. "S-Same here."

"Not mine either," Tiggan confirmed.

Phoonix shook their head.

Areum frowned. "So it's not a person from Nexomon, TLCN, Ghost Game (thank goodness for that, really), Owl House and Monster Farm. That... Does not narrow it down much."

"Well..." Irratio sighed. "If anything, I can tell you this; this person is also an artificial Anomalice... Just like Mona Artemision. Their signature is similar to hers in that aspect. I could... I could barely even read them as a Rightfater."

"... Hang on, what did you say?" Onyx paused. "You could barely read them as a Rightfater?"

They nodded. "Their signature had been so overtaken by the Codes to the point they truly seemed like a glitch. The cloak they wear managed to slow the process, thankfully, but all I can remember are those eyes..."

They shuddered slightly, remembering the fear that had coursed through their veins seeing those eyes glow beneath that hood.

"I also can't stop thinking about... About DP-Leviathan," Daun then spoke up. "He seemed to have become an Anomalice the same way Félix-hyung and Philip-hyung did but... Something about it just felt wrong."

Gangsan nodded. "It was pretty similar when we were battling, but then when Ragnarökmon... Died... He lost it. Like, really lost it. It was like he had lost everything that made him a Rightfater..."

"Is getting more power... The cost of being an Anomalice? Of succumbing to the Codes? If... If Pascatmon had won, had managed to kill Haneul and get the Codes for herself...?" Winnie paled. She knew that everyone not from the Ghost Game world had agreed not to interfere with the final showdown that day, but if it had gone wrong, just a little bit...

What world would they be living in now?

"I'm glad we stepped in that day to prevent it, then," Gangsan said with a sigh.

"Why DID you step in back then? I thought you guys were busy with your own thing back then," Wuliang then asked while looking over. His reddish blue eyes seemed curious.

Here, Solarmon was the one who answered in her usual way. "I thought it was a bad idea to not help out. And since the Youkai Heroes could fight in a Digital Field, it felt like a good idea instead of dragging Wuliang over. Plus, we were just doing some patrols here and there."

Jinpei looked at her with confusion. He clearly remembered that they had been dealing with some issues in their timeline. "What do you mean, Solarmon? We weren't patrolling. We had to get rid of Enra-sensei back then, remember?"

She paused. "... Oh. Right."

"Solarmon, are you okay?" Gangsan looked concerned for her partner. "You've been acting really weird since the year began."

"It's nothing, Gangsan," she reassured, well, tried to, at least. "I guess I just got my memory mixed up. That's all."

Everyone shared a confused look, but Wuliang had a suspicion about this behaviour. He had always wondered why her aura seemed off. As if something was holding her back... as if something had sealed her off in that form... It was like how Ichita-san had been held back by his own logic; the same barriers were present, only reinforced.

Philip was the one who cut through it all with a sigh as he closed his notebook, deciding to finally ask the question he and Félix had been wondering about. "I must inquire, though. Just who is Pascatmon? You have been bringing up her name multiple times and it is quite perplexing."

"Oh, erm, yeah, she's like this totally crazy lady who hurt so many people just because she got rejected," Jinpei said.

The two only looked more confused, and Xrosmon even bluntly said, "I'm very lost."

Jinpei blushed, his hand rubbing his arm. He hadn't meant to confuse them more...

"What he means is that Pascatmon is the one who we came from," Coronamon clarified with a sigh. "Acheel, Jalter, me, LostValkyri, and Rag... we were all evolutions that came from her partnership with Mona, borne of souls that escaped the destruction of our verses due to the actions of Proximamon and Nirvanamon. One for each world, and then some. Rag, for example, came from a crossover world of TLCN and Appmon."

"That's why we're not too surprised by his partnership with DP-Leviathan. In his world, Leviathan, Minerva and he were siblings," Guilmon X continued.

Ludomon shrunk into his green soldier outfit a bit, slumping as he added, "But it still sucks that he's gone... I'm sure that Mona wouldn't take him back when he would be in danger of being hurt, so where could he be...?"

"And to make matters worse, we can't get updates about Mona or her Vessel's condition! The last I remember is Apophi telling me that the Codes were spreading fast," Guilmon X frowned, looking all the more frustrated.

Félix paused slightly, but his hand reached out and rubbed the top of her head, making her sigh in relief while plopping her snout unceremoniously on his lap.

He definitely stiffened up. He wasn't used to physical contact outside his family, but looking at her more, he couldn't help but get the vibe of an elderly puppy just wanting comfort...

He let out a quiet huff, getting up slowly and saying, "Move front a few, if you don't mind."

Ludomon and Guilmon X promptly gave him twin lost looks, taken aback by his words.

He held back the desire to facepalm. Dear Queen of England, save him! "I would just to join the-"

He paused. What was the right word? The hug? The cuddle? The huddle?

He eventually settled for "the koala huddle."

The sheer quiet in the room was unrivaled. Everyone actively stared at Félix with nothing but confusion in their heads.

But it was WULIANG who broke the silence with a huge, hearty laugh. "K-K-Koala huddle?!"

Pleco just flopped onto his belly, roaring with laughter. "OH MY DRAGOD!"

Jinpei snorted loudly and the rest even gave smiles as Sandayuu explained to the confused British that the word was "cuddle pile", which caused him to flare up. He covered his face with his palms, red threatening to overtake his entire face.

Belos just patted him sympathetically as he too sat down on the ground and pulled his friend down with a gentle tug of his suit, although he did muse to himself, It's not a herd pile? He had seen sheep huddle in this way before when he was still Oberon Papillon, so was it not the correct term? Modern terminology was truly perplexing!

Winnie snorted a bit at their faces, and decided to offer them some solace. "When I first saw the cuddle pile, I thought it was a strategy to kill someone by strangling them to death. It took me a while to learn that was not the case."

The two paused. 

"Why would it be such a thing?" Belos looked at Winnie, even more perplexed by her wording. 

Félix stared at her as well. That was not a normal response, was it? 

The blue-haired girl immediately coughed and looked away. She hadn't meant to-

Onyx covered for her right away. "Win did not have a good childhood, so a lot of things were pretty new to her as well."

"What kind of childhood?" Belos didn't beat around the bush here. 

She adjusted her glasses, fumbling inwardly for an explanation, for anything, that could explain it without-

"Yes... that's the right place, Winston! Keep pushing! Keep pressing down until no life remains!"

"Y-Yes... Mother..."

She shivered, and Beisan immediately nuzzled her while Emeruda sat on her other shoulder, shaking his head at the new additions who didn't know her past. Best not to ask about it. Winnie would divulge in her own time. 

The two immediately shared a glance. That was not normal, they assumed. Still, they could not force anything out of her, and it did seem like a painful part of her life, so who were they to judge?

"Forgive me for being direct. You do not have to divulge right this moment," Belos hurried to clarify. 

Onyx simply gave him the stink eye. As much as she wanted to believe that he had turned a new leaf... she couldn't stop being wary of him. People with bad childhoods could turn out better than he had. Win proved it more than anyone. 

(Those people, they hurt her mom, tortured her, treated her horribly, and they also did the same to her best friend. 

She remembered meeting Winnie in the Youkai Watch Hackers AU. The world outside of their multiverse. How the haunted orbs spoke of the same things, if not worse, her mom had experienced under the Diggorys...)

Belos felt Guilmon X rest her head onto his shoulder, those yellow orbs conveying warmth, comfort and understanding above all. 

(She had seen it, after all. A world where Belos was good. Him shielding a child, her, as Odalia Blight stabbed a sword through his gut, screaming that everyone should bow down to her. 

A crazed woman killing the man who protected her, shielded her when she was nothing but a copy of the real Gus Porter. A grimwalker whose brother, Hunter, died to Odalia as well.)

He couldn't stop the smile on his face, and Félix joined in as he leaned on Belos' other shoulder, hand idly patting Ludomon's head, who was feeding Tiggan some sandwiches. Meanwhile, Irratio munched on a strawberry shortcake and Phoonix had some sakura mochi that Onyx had bought in her timeline with Coronamon carrying both of them on his head.

A pretty wholesome scene. One that Jinpei watched with envy, even as he kept an eye on Sandayuu, who was now playing with Connex and Shiift, his happy laughter the only thing keeping his lips up.

Why did nothing make sense anymore? The reveal that Anomalice were people hurt by the system. Sandayuu getting hurt because he couldn't stop being selfish. If he hadn't skipped out on work maybe he would be safe...!

He bit his lip. He was an idiot. That he knew well enough. He could improvise in battle, he could fight people off, but emotions?

Emotions were a mess he didn't know how to rap his way out of. His feelings for Sandayuu.

And yet emotions were the only things he could rely on. He didn't have logic, didn't have what others believed to be logic. How he saw things didn't match up with theirs.

(He remembers the insults, the jeers. They call him a loser, an idiot who doesn't get what others say. Sandayuu is the only one who cared. He helped Jinpei connect with others. He's who he is today because Sandayuu came into his life.

Yet wouldn't Sandayuu leave one day as well? Who would want to babysit someone like Jinpei? He didn't want to be a burden to others anymore...)

Sandayuu watched Jinpei with a sad frown. He knew the body language, knew him through and through.

(He knows Jinpei pushes himself the hardest because of his neurodiversity. He doesn't want that. He wants Jinpei to know that he doesn't have to be book smart. He just has to be him.

What would it take for Jinpei to finally accept who he is? To accept the parts he refuses to even look at? To realise he has things others don't that are so precious to the team? The same way he saw something in Sandayuu when he invited him in, that day when everything started?

How long ago has that been...? It feels like another lifetime altogether...

Sandayuu wants to help. He's managed to help but what is it worth if Jinpei is still struggling?)

[Hiuliyoull watches with more curiosity. He's the only one among the Keepers who is not an Anomalice, yet he is also the only one able to initiate Kwami unification when it should not be possible. Those Kwamis... People just assumed they could unify but they were not supposed to. So what did it say... About Sandayuu?

They want to know more about him, so they watch him and the outsider.]

The sound of a notification rang out through the base, making them pause as Winnie opened her phone up. "Looks like we have another interruption."

Coronamon looked concerned while getting up. "If it's in the order I think it is, then DysMonarch is our opponent."

"DysMonarch? As in Uju's Fragmented Spirit Evolution?" Gangsan paled. She didn't like that mon or Nervosamon, and especially not ShatteredHopemon....

"They're not the type of opponent to take lightly." Solarmon whirred her gears. "We should be careful..."

"We'll figure that out after we learn what world they're in right no- Win?" Onyx looked at her while Phoonix settled down on her head.

Winnie gulped slightly. "It's SVP-172156, on September 20, 2016, when they're having their final battle against Tsubaki...."

"Something else is happening, is it not?" Belos understood the look on her face. It had fear and confusion.

Her fingers shook a bit. This was something she had not expected altogether.

She took a deep breath.

"Yeah... The interference is happening not because of an Anomalice... The interference is... Is SAINT-GERMAINE, THE CREATOR OF SERVAMPS, becoming a Servamp and attacking the Eves."

W-W-What?!

But the timeline didn't have anything about Saint-Germain being involved in the story! Why was he suddenly appearing?...

Why was he back?

The main members got up right away, getting serious upon understanding what was going on now.

"Félix, you, Belos, Sandayuu and Wuliang stay here!" Areum said. "The Kwamis and Digimon stay put as well!"

"W-What are you talking about?!" Jackjack demanded with a scowl. "Why is Wuliang not allowed to-"

"We'll explain after! Right now, stay in here and monitor the energy! Only veterans are allowed on this mission right now!"

Code Blue was now in effect.

"Code Blue... The only other time that happened was due to Haavik..." Gangsan scowled.

"Wait, wait, what IS a Code Blue...?" Sandayuu asked.

"It's..."

Onyx's words made everyone, even the Digimon pale drastically.

"It's when a Rightfater is the reason behind an interference and could potentially lead to the creation of a Forbidden Verse... "

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

~~ September 20, 2016 ~~

"Misono, I need some cabbage!" Mahiru yelled while chopping up some carrots, tossing them into a bowl and placing them on the conveyor belt.

Angela grabbed the bowl and threw it into the soup pot, giving it to Tetsu who immediately began washing the dirty dishes. "Let's keep this pace up!"

Licht scoffed, but poured out some sauce onto the bowl he was holding and passed it into Hyde. "BakaHyde!"

"Gotcha, Licht-tan!" The Servamp jumped over the other people who were scrambling around and served it up onto the table, where the great vampire lord himself, Tsubaki, was slurping down more food while his Sub-classes continued eating. "We're doing great, guys! It's working!"

The plan to get Tsubaki to calm down by remembering his past, the happy parts of his childhood, before someone messed his brain up and turned him into the fearsome vampire lord, was finally bearing fruit!

Mikuni added the pasta he had boiled into the soup before Misono dipped a spoon in and put it to his lips.

"Is it good?" Mikuni asked his brother. The purple-haired Eve noted the slight presence of trepidation in his tone, and couldn't help the tease. "Why so worried, Niisan? You're usually much more confident."

"I mean it!" He pouted, but there was a touch of insecurity that made Misono realise he was worried. This WAS their final fight. With this, Tsubaki would either destroy everything or... Or be saved.

Misono frowned. He hadn't meant to be insensitive. "Niisan..."

He sighed. "We can, no, we WILL make it. Niisan, we WILL save Tsubaki. I promise."

Because he knew that Mikuni had history with Tsubaki. The older Servamp had been so kind to him when the Alicein household had kicked him out. Gave him a home. It was why he had been working with him when Mahiru, Misono, Tetsu and Licht had begun their journey to stop his reign of terror through food. Each connected to food differently.

(Angela was the first to join the group. She was loud but fit in as a kitchen hand. She was enthusiastic and was great with her Servamp.

Then Niccolo joined up. He assigned everyone their roles. Their garde manger may be shy, but he could cook up wicked dishes, the second in command to their group.

Finally, Mikuni came to the light, realising the truth. That Tsubaki was not evil. That he wasn't evil. He realised that they could have a happy ending. That there was another way to get revenge.

A simple four-letter word; L I V E.

Live a good life, helping others.

Just because his childhood was ****Ed up didn't mean his future was the same way. All he had to do was believe in a better life. He could do this.

It took a while to get them to mesh together, but their new sous chef did not disappoint.

All seven Eves against the 8th Servamp. Finally, it was time to help him remember who he was before Saint-Germaine turned him into...)

Mikuni smiled softly. "Thank you, my baby brother..."

Despite the sincerity in his tone, Misono flared up in embarrassment. "N-NIISAN!"

The blonde grinned, feeling relieved at the familiar reaction. Things really had changed for the better between them. "I'll be back, Mikuni. I promise."

"I know you will." This pasta soup was the final blow. It was the only way to save Tsubaki and dispel the darkness in him, allowing who he was before to finally resurface and reclaim his humanity.

Mikuni felt it fitting that he was the one to land it.

After all... What better way to repay the man who helped him so much than cooking him some food?

That was why he felt obligated to serve it up himself.

He took off his apron, gripping the tray carefully. He refused to mess this up. Not when they could lose a kind person to the darkness.

No matter what... It all ended here.

Stepping out of the kitchen, he moved towards the biggest table, where a man in a yukata and black sunglasses sat with a smile.

Who is Coming.

Or rather, Tsubaki.

The Servamp of Melancholy, who was feeling the opposite of the emotion he was meant to embody.

This final bowl... It spoke of warmth. His darkness was about to be flushed out once and for all.

Setting it down on the table, Mikuni smiled as he held the tray to his chest. "Please... Bon appetit."

Please... Come back to the light, Tsubaki.

The black-haired Servamp smiled. He took the bowl and set it delicately on the white-clothed table, picking up his soup spoon.

He used it to stir the soup, watching the mist waft off the bowl, but paused as he realised something. 

Why was he not eating?

Perhaps... He was scared of the light.

Mikuni knew that feeling. He too had once feared the light, but after Misono snapped him to his senses, he came to realise the light wasn't that scary.

He set down the tray on the table and sat in front of him. "It's not scary, you know? So many people are waiting for you on the other side. It's just you now, Tsubaki..."

"I..."

"It's time. To return to the light. All it takes is a bite. To remember. To take back what that ***** Saint-Germaine did to you," Mikuni pleaded, holding his hand out to him.

"Mikuni..."

"It's not scary. You're not alone. We're here with you. So... Time to... Remember, Tsubaki," He said with a teary smile.

Tsubaki's hands were shaking as he scooped up some pasta soup. He... He remembered this smell. He remembered how his family would smile at him. How his mother would cook this every Sunday. Even though times were tough, they were happy...

He opened his mouth... The spoon slowly moved in.

Mikuni gulped.

Everyone watched with bated breath from the kitchen. Mahiru was pale. Tetsu tapped his fingers on his arms. Angela and Licht were hanging onto each other. Niccolo bit his lips.

Only Misono was confident that this would work. He knew that they had done everything in their power to bring this all together.

Their hard work would not fail them now.

...

He took the bite.

And the exact same time the light filled the room, he felt relieved, and hopeful, and happy.

"Hehehe~ Look, who, it, is~"

W-What? That voice!!!

Tsubaki paled. With his memories now back, he... he remembered. 

"S-Saint-Germaine..." he whispered. "Mikuni, we must evacuate! NOW!"

"Wait, why?!" Mikuni looked alarmed by the sudden terror that had seized his friend. "Who is that?!"

From the shadows, long black hair billowed in the wind as a man stepped into the makeshift restaurant. Ethereal yet sinister pale grey irises, broken up like shattered glass, glowed in the darkness (a kaleidoscope of death), his pale skin covered in red splotches. 

Blood, Mikuni was quick to realise. It was human blood.

Clothed in nothing but a dirty robe that was stained with the life-sustaining substance of every living creature, the man opened his mouth wide, revealing tell-tale fangs as he smiled. 

"It has been quite a while, has it not, my dear children?" Saint-Germain...

No, Call of the Immortal, the ninth Servamp...

The newest one to boot, the Servamp of Hubris. 

His name, given to him by-

"I am Harzimierz," he said with a sinister grin. "The Servamp... of Hubris..." 

There was a ninth Servamp!?

"No... NO! YOU UTTER *******! YOU WERE NOT SUPPOSED TO RETURN!" Hugh screamed in anger. Tetsu had to hold his partner back as he shook, tears streaming down his cheeks. 

Kuro turned back into a cat, curling up onto Mahiru. He was shaking as well, the brown-haired male came to realise. In fact, ALL the Servamps were like that...! 

Just how fearsome was Saint-Germai-

Execute! 

Wild Act! 

Comet Lance!

Requiem of the Sick!

DS Galaxy and Wild Boy, one of Jinpei's other forms using Goromi, both landed hits on the Servamp, which made him stumble back with a scowl before Shrine King appeared behind him and punched him back, sending him sprawling to the ground. 

"Catastrophe D!" Gangsan commanded, allowing Mugendramon to blast at the Servamp with all her might while Tyrannical Protector and Fortune Gwisin rushed at him with their weapons. Protector swung her double-headed spear at him and Gwisin kicked his face, sending him back again before golden chains wrapped around his neck as Chalcedony Firebird did a roundhouse kick on him. 

"Woah...! Just who are they...?" Lawless asked. 

"They're really good at fighting..." Tsubaki had to admit that they were quite adept if they could push back the madman this much. 

Was it really that, or was it that he was newly formed so he wouldn't be that strong yet...?

Harzimierz panted. Wow, these people were quite proficient fighters! He could see why they were Dimension Keepers! 

Even so, a smirk formed on his face. "While I commend your strength and power, Dimension Keepers, you forget."

"Oh yeah? What did we forget?" Winnie asked with a scowl. 

However, something had clicked in for Jinpei in that sentence. The realisation was bad enough to make him pale as he brought up the question. 

"Hey, erm... How DOES he know that we're Dimension Keepers?"

Everyone's eyes widened. It hit them. 

This was not Code Blue. This was.... A Code Purple, when a Rightfater from another world forcefully interfered with a world.

"You... You're not this world's Saint-Germaine..." Gangsan stammered. 

He hummed, getting up from the ground with a smile as he said, "Maybe I am, maybe I'm not~ Who knows~ I'm not gonna give up the info that easily anyway~"

That kind of song made Winnie shiver all the more, her grip on the Bakuballs tightening. It scared the **** out of her, those tones... It scared her to death because it reminded her of her past, of what she had done under the Diggorys...

The golden chain dissipated, and Harzimierz seemed amused as he asked, "Oh? What is this, if I may ask?" 

"None of your BESICK-ness. Holy Shoot!" Coronaman said while throwing the ball of light at him. 

"Wall Rake!" Ludomon roared as he swung his rake claws at him. 

He effortlessly dodged the attacks with a smirk. "Awww, I see that someone else also attempted the trick I used to give birth to Servamps! Bringing back the dead to life, oh what a marvelous scene!"

"Bringing back the dead to life... ?! There was someone as ****Ed up as Saint-Germaine who would follow in his footsteps?!" A-Mikuni gasped.

A-Tsubaki's grip on his yukata tightened. To think that Saint-Germaine had played him thoroughly, that he had nearly brought a monster back to life...! It disgusted him. Scared him about the capabilities of this new Servamp.

"Ehhh, whatever," The Hubris Servamp shrugged. "Such boring reactions, although I am proud to say that her methods were magnificent."

"Her? You don't mean...!" Coronamon snarled, eyes burning. 

He smirked. "Oh? Why so riled up, Anomalice? Is it because you too were born from her methods?"

Why the sheer NERVE this ******* had...!

Coronamon had to be held back by Ludomon as he screamed, "Don't you ever DARE treat Pascatmon's methods like they're beautiful! She ripped everything from us! She made us her puppets and tricked an innocent woman into becoming nothing but a HUSK of her former self!" 

Even now he shuddered remembering when he saw... when Mona made him attack an entire village of Nexomon, back before they were sealed away. Those eyes, those fractured red orbs... every part of his body made to comply to her commands. 

The very same basis used in the VB Digivices, only triggered during dark evolutions... 

He shut his eyes, fists shaking. 

He remembered, of course. The pained screams. The pleas. It all hurt so much more because that was where his main counterpart had lived before his death. 

(He was a creation made to stop those like him. A Tyrant Exterminator. No will. Just a Nexomon without a soul. 

He wasn't stopped. The world burned. His creator, watching in horror as her actions doomed their world. 

Vados never had a home with Amelie anyway. She saw him as nothing but a tool. 

Ending her was both fun and horrifying...)

"MONA ONLY WANTED A BETTER WORLD! YET SHE NEVER ONCE COMPLAINED ABOUT THE CIRCUMSTANCES SHE FOUND HERSELF IN! SHE GAVE US LOVE AND COMFORT AND SACRIFICED HERSELF TO LET US BE FREE OF THE CODES! HOW THE ****ING **** CAN YOU EVEN THINK ANYTHING FROM THAT ***** IS BEAUTIFUL?! SHE IS A ****ED UP PIECE OF **** AND SO ARE YOU, YOU PATHETIC ******* WHO'S SO UNORIGINAL HE HAS TO COPY OFF A PSYCHOPATH TO GET WHAT HE WANTS! YOU'RE A MILLION TIMES WORSE THAN GABRIEL AGRESTE, BELOS AND HAAVIK! YOU HEAR ME YOU *****?! YOU'RE JUST A PATHETIC LOSER WHO HAS TO TORTURE OTHERS TO FEEL POWERFUL AND PRIDEFUL ABOUT HIMSELF!" He screamed. He didn't care that his voice was going hoarse. All he felt was anger. Sorrow. FEAR.

He didn't want to lose his friend, his mom. The one who taught him to trust others again. The one who taught him to crack jokes. The one who reminded him, day in and day out in that ****ING seal, that he meant something. The one who stayed awake for so long while they rested. Who took the brunt of the pain when centuries later, Pascatmon destroyed the seal and forced them into those DIM cards.

Harzimierz's eyes narrowed at Miasma's words. "How dare you! How dare you claim I am pathetic! I AM THE FINAL AND MOST POWERFUL SERVAMP, CALL OF THE IMMORTAL! YOU PUNY MORTALS MEAN NOTHING IN THE LONG RUN SO GROVEL AND PLEA FOR MERC-"

He suddenly jerked. Darn it! His stupid Vessel....! "You, stay out of this! You were the one to unlock me! How dare you try to retake control!!"

Everyone shared a bewildered glance. Was this guy an Anomalice too? But he wasn't a Fragmented Code Digimon... He definitely didn't seem like someone from Mona's faction...

"Just why are you here in the first place? You're not from this world but you're disrupting it!" Jinpei demanded. 

The Servamp then chuckled, kicking his Vessel back into the subconscious as he said, "Let's just say... a little birdie got desperate. But enough about that. I'm here to have some fun."

He looked at A-Tsubaki, who was shaking while A-Mikuni stood in front of him, eyes narrowed. "Stay away from him! You've caused enough damage!"

"Have I?" Harzimierz asked lightly. "The thing you forgot, my dear little puppets, is simply that. You belong to me."

"W-What do you mean by that?!" A-Angela demanded.

He giggled, snapping his fingers. "It means, young child, that regardless of the world I'm in... I can take back control of them."

"You can't be serious! There is no w-" A-Mahiru was suddenly tackled to the ground by a black lion, spectral claws only inches away from his face while those yellow eyes gleamed with hunger. Screams of fear came from the other Eves as their Servamps attacked them in monstrous versions of their animal forms, all while the youngest (or was he the oldest?) Servamp laughed and sneered at them.

Just like.... Like THAT PERSON.

Jinpei's eyes burned. Just like Nura, this man took pleasure in others' suffering. Just like Nura, he....

HE LAUGHED WHEN OTHERS WERE SCARED.

His mind was racing. Adrenaline pumped into his brain ten times faster than usual. The sound of something just... snapping in his mind, it was there. 

That apple mark, hidden underneath his left earlobe, glowed, the black overtaking his body. A silhouette of twin nekomata tails began forming while his hair seemed to actually become cat ears. 

Make him pay. Make him hurt. 

Save them. 

Save them. 

Save the-

"It won't be easy, but what do you say? Ready to dive into the multiverse together, Aibou?"

Wait, that was his own voice!

He paused. Wasn't that when he... when he asked Sandayuu to join the Keepers?

True enough, he heard Sandayuu's voice. Quiet, but the resolute determination, that gentle but firm statement, had made Jinpei fall in love with him all the more. 

"O-Of course, Jinpei-kun. It would be my honor." 

He had told Sandayuu back then, hadn't he? That regardless of his status, he could still do something, that he could still help? He always knew Sandayuu could do better than him. He always knew that Sandayuu just needed a nudge of confidence to do what he could. While he was still recovering from the injuries dealt to him by the Kwami unification and then Gwenyth Blight, he still continued to help out. 

So.... Shouldn't the same apply to Jinpei? 

That even though he was neurodiverse, even though he had dyscalculia, being unable to count numbers and stuff, and ADHD, he could still help out? 

Where others failed, he could pick up on the slack. He had creativity and a way of thinking no one else could imagine up. He had his own ways of solving problems even if he was impulsive, reckless and stupid some days. Sandayuu understood that. He always did. 

Everyone had helped him so much. They were all displaced, unacknowledged by the main system, hated by those who knew what they were. 

Yet even in that darkness, a light shone through. 

He closed his eyes. What would have been golden slitted eyes faded away as he came to understand the one thing that had been holding him back all this time; himself. 

He couldn't help but let out a soft laugh, surprising everyone. "I... really have been an idiot, haven't I?"

"Jinpei?" Tsuchiyume looked confused by his sudden laugh. 

Harzimierz felt irritation at that. "What, pray tell me, is so funny?"

"Oh, it's nothing," he said while wiping away his tears, the black fading away. "I just can't stop laughing cause you're so unoriginal, y'know?"

The Servamp snarled. How dare he! "You dare laugh at my face?"

He opened his eyes, and smirked back as he began rapping, "Yeah, yeah, you're so lame it's, kinda sad and pathetic, cause you're just a decoy, which is real funny, yeah, come on!"

"A decoy? But for who?" Ranto didn't get it whatsoever. 

"I don't know myself the full details, but whatever it is this ain't the world we're supposed to be in," he said. "Still, we can't leave the Servamps to be controlled by this *******."

"Yeah, I agree!" Winnie used her whips to swat the feral animals off their Eves as she added, "We need to find a way to seal Harzimierz away! Fast!"

"Areum, can you track down the closest Miraculous to us or to the main worlds?" Onyx turned to the magenta-haired woman, who nodded. "I can give it a shot! But we'll definitely have our hands full here!"

"That's why we have new recruits, though," Jinpei reminded them with a smirk, which only made Areum grin in reply. "Jinpei, some days, your mad genius really shines huh?"

"What can I say? Being different ain't a bad thing, y'know. Maybe even being an Anomalice isn't that bad either." He looked back up to Harzimierz, eyes narrowed. "Which is why people like you really don't vibe with me, y'know. You make the rest of us look bad and I can't stand for that!"

So what if he was a glitch? He was perfectly fine with that. He liked the life he had right now. Even if it was hard, he could still make time for his parents-

It hit him right there. He just had to be HIMSELF. Why was he so envious of others? Simple, because he wanted to be able to be accepted by others as much as they were. 

But the answer was just so simple. The solution was just to accept himself. Nothing more, nothing else. Trust in his strengths, work on his weaknesses, and move forward as a person. 

He wouldn't get it right all the time, and that was fine. 

He was good at improvising anyway, so why not utilize that strength?

[The next gem lights up, bright, beautiful. It makes Ren clap along to the spectrum shining in the sky, all while Centuriomon watches in stunned silence. 

Unknown to Jinpei, his mark... fades away into a white one, revealing the mark of the Shadowside world, prominently showing a purple star and a pink heart on his cheeks. 

Hiuliyoull can see it now, their hope. It makes her smile. 

Finding themselves in this world of spectral chaos... These Anomalice were truly impressive in their own way.]

"You little.... YOU LITTLE ****! YOU WILL PAY FOR LOOKING DOWN ON ME!" The Servamp roared while the animals rushed at him this time, only for a blur of fire to knock them off their feet as Coronamon slid to a stop. "Petit Prominence!"

"Thanks for the save, Miasma!" Jinpei gave him a thumbs up. 

"No WOE-rries," he answered with a cheeky smile. "After all, us jokesters gotta stick together, cause we're just STICKS in the mud, aren't we?"

He burst out laughing. "Nice one!"

"Skyla..............."

"You can't kill Coron-"

"No, actually, I don't think I will," Shiift surprised Areum as the Kwami continued, "I can sense something coming from deep within. It's the same energy that I felt when we were battling him that day. I think it's something... No, I think someone is giving them bodies. Who it is, I don't know, but that very same force can be felt here. Not to mention, Jinpei, he's overcome something within him. His Anomalice mark, his and Daun's... they're different now."

"Different?" Her eyes widened. 

"Yeah, I don't know what's changed but... I am happy for him," she admitted. "I may not like his jokes but no one should ever have to suffer as much as all you guys did. That's why... I think that this isn't our battle. We should focus on getting the Eves to safety and allow those two to do what they have to do."

"How do we even seal a Servamp away, thoug- Woah!" She barely managed to dodge A-Lawless' attack. "That was a close one!"

"I think I know!" Coronamon blasted more Holy Shoots. "I remember something from Mona's research! We can seal a Servamp off by creating a contract item OR compressing a ****ton of Djinn into the Vessel! The concept is basically to get something that will bind the Servamp into the system! I doubt Harzimierz is immune to this!"

"As if!" He scoffed. "I prepared everything to ensure that I would not have to be bound to anyone! The use of a contract item is futile! Why, the mere thought of sealing me away is preposterous!"

"But you're still a Servamp, and I highly doubt there is an exception!" Jinpei said with a smirk. The plan was forming in his head now with all the information buzzing around, connecting, pulling from his mind to figure out the solution. He was so glad that he had somehow stayed awake when his dad was going on about the different kinds of seals developed for various monsters. Most of them were still in progress but Akinori had emphasized on one concept alone; 

"The soul is still bound to flesh, and in your case, you're still bound to the Vessel who brought you out. In other words... You anchored yourself to the Vessel, so if we were to take away all your energy and use it to seal you, you would be powerless to stop us!"

One of the Arihoshi firm philosophies was a simple reminder; that energy could not be destroyed, it only turned into something else and went elsewhere. One that Jinpei himself had held to high regard as it reminded him that no matter how hard the foe was, the energy would not remain in them. Fighting against Mazera, against Ozma, he learnt how to harness energy and turn it into something else. 

The energy of emotions, when used right, brought about change in a whole new way. Jinpei knew that more than anyone. 

"I need time to set things up, so could you guys-" he looked over at the rest, only for Giromon to swat some of the Servamps away from Jinpei. 

"We've got your back, Jinpei! You and Miasma should go now! We can take care of things here!" Gwisin said as he kicked A-Kuro back. 

"Alright, stay safe, you guys!"

"We always do!" Shrine King punched A-Hugh back. "Now get going! Hurry! And make sure the Eves go with you! They're safer with you than with us!"

The two shared a glance and nodded before Jinpei slipped Earth Walker's Medal into the watch. "Henshin!"

Once the process was over, he didn't hesitate to scoop Coronamon up while looking back at the Eves. "We should be able to sever his connection to your partners through the ritual as well, but I need help for that!"

"Then let's not waste time!" A-Licht dusted himself off while the others shared a glance and nodded. No time could go to waste here. Every second counted!

With that, the group left, Jinpei's watch glowing with digital bits, as Daun's goggles had...

"I don't get it. Why are we cooped up in here?!" Jettra looked annoyed as the Bakugan ranted, "I get Sandayuu and the rest, but we've fought crazy people enough!"

Wuliang sighed. "I know, Jettra. I don't get it either."

It did feel very restrictive, he thought to himself. Maybe it was because he was still considered an outsider to the world, because he was new to everything here. Or maybe he was overthinking things, a touch too eager to prove himself.

(He knew he wasn't perfect. As good as he was, he still lost some days. He lost important battles and they hurt. He hated that he was so imperfect. Sure, his Papa had flaws but he-)

He took in a sharp breath when someone's hand touched his shoulder. "Wuliang, your phone is beeping."

He paused. "What do you mean it's beeping? I only set it to beep if there were interferences..."

"Perhaps the Code Blue they mentioned was a distraction?" Belos offered. "It may mean that a Fragmented Code Digimon is now hunting for the Miraculous while we are sitting around."

"Then we should go!" Wuliang got up right away, only for Félix to shake his head. "I think we may need to tread carefully here, guys."

"Why?" Sandayuu tilted his head, a bit surprised by his hesitation. 

"Surely they would not use the same trick twice. They may have decided not to possess someone from a nearby world to hunt for the Miraculous," he reasoned. "They have possessed people and kept said body, have they not?"

Acheel nodded. "Yeah, what about it?"

"It may be quite the stretch, but I believe they may have taken control of an object instead of a person. The chances of an object losing its Anomalice mark is quite low as it is not affected by emotions as humans or animals are," he deduced. "The radar may also not pick up on the Anomalice presence since this may mask the aura."

Glasssweeper had to hand it to him, he really knew his stuff. "That's actually really plausible. It's why most Buddy monsters have a card form; to make it easier to conceal our presence."

"So if we find recent reports of objects acting weird... we may find out where DysMonarchmon is. Where they are, the Mao Mao Heroes of Pure Heart Miraculous will be there!" Wuliang understood. That was a really neat plan! 

(He was still out of his depth here, wasn't he? He learnt so much and yet this world was still an enigma to him. It frustrated him to no end; it reminded him that he wasn't of this world. That he was always going to be an outsider. 

Was it even possible for someone who wasn't born in the world to be accepted? Would he ever be accepted by this world, by anyone in the mutliverse outside of his friends...?)

Sandayuu got up and walked to the computer, looking up reports as the three and their partners followed him over. Keyboard tapping could be heard, with some occasional mouse clicking, before the blue-haired male zeroed in on one world. "Found it."

"What kind of world is THAT?" Philip leaned in, unsure about what he was seeing.

"You'll see soon enough. Let's get ready to go. We don't have much time," Wuliang said while grabbing his core deck case.

"Right." The other three nodded as with a snap of the fingers, a portal swallowed them whole.

The forest where the final  battle had taken place was huge, Jinpei had to be completely honest. He had managed to get far away enough from the battle, his feline ears sensing the sounds waning the faster he went, which was a good thing. The Eves could also access their Lead so it wasn't too heavy on them either.

Good. This ritual would take everything they had and then some. He wasn't even sure if they could pull it off- 

No. He had to believe that it would work. Even if it didn't, he could improvise. 

He looked around the clearing he was in. It was spacious but the mist that blanketed this place definitely meant that the ritual would work well. The only issue would be if Harzimierz found them while he was setting up.

In other words, he had to hurry. 

"Miasma, keep an eye out, please! The rest of you, leave the space empty!" He called out while grabbing a fallen branch. It would have to do for now. He was only doing a rough sketch for the positioning, so he didn't have to get all technical just yet. 

Using Earth Walker's roller skates, Jinpei began moving around fast, drawing a circle outlining the clearing while the Eves watched in confusion. 

"What is he doing?" A-Niccolo was surprised by his precision. A former architect himself, he couldn't help but note how confident his strokes were as he dragged the stick on the ground. 

"I don't know myself, Nicco, but we should trust him. He and his friends seem to want to help us," A-Tetsu said. 

"Yeah, that's the simple thing to do right now, isn't it?" A-Mahiru sighed. "I just hope this will get the Servamps back to normal and stop that maniac."

"So do I, Shirota. So do I," A-Misono agreed, violet eyes watching Earth Walker while he worked. 

Miasma kept his eye out, but his mind was thinking about Jinpei's words. He had seemed so confident about being able to do this, and... about trusting him, a former enemy, to have his back. Sure, he saved his butt but he had still nearly used the Miraculous...

How could Jinpei trust someone so easily? How could he put his faith so easily into someone when Miasma struggled so hard? He wasn't- He wasn't MADE to feel emotions but he did.

"Hey, Jinpei, since we still have time..." he decided to speak up, catching everyone's attention while his back was turned. "Can I ask ya something?"

"Sure, shoot away!" Earth Walker said as he finished up drawing the mark of the Lust Sin Code. He then skated to the center and began drawing out what he remembered of the two Fragmented Codes, but he seemed to be waiting, so...

"How can you trust in yourself so easily?" He asked. That confidence... it was one he himself lacked until Mona helped him. She encouraged him to like what he wanted to. Even when Amelie, when other people found it surprising that he liked puns... 

He bit back the tears threatening to break out, but his words came out as stammers regardless. "H-How can you... be so sure that I'm a good person, when I've done so many bad things? When I've killed a copy of my own home under... under Pascatmon's control?"

That made Earth Walker pause as he finished drawing the Hubris symbol. 

He hadn't known the latter part, but...

"Cause I've seen how kind you are," he answered simply. "When you were defending Aesopia, no, Mona, you were very confident in your belief in her. You seemed certain that she was a good person."

He smiled. "Even if my judgement is wrong, I would not regret putting my trust in you. As much as you've messed up, you're trying to help someone and that's an okay in my book. I think the both of us just really gotta see that we should accept ourselves the most. We are good people, and we're fighting the same fight, so why don't we work together to save these souls from being lost as your world had?"

Even without any sound, he could tell Miasma was crying, so he decided not to ask as he detransformed, getting out an ink pad, a calligraphy pen and some blank seal papers. He had said what had to be said. Hugs could wait after the fig-

"I must say, your friends were really hard to take down, but of course I easily took them down," Harzimierz's voice sounded out. The next thing he knew, Jinpei was grabbed off the ground, his neck being squeezed by the Servamp while the others scowled and rushed in, only for a hand flick to send them all flying. 

He struggled to breathe. Black spots danced in his eyes as he grabbed the gloves hanging on his belt and slipped them on, even when he knew he was losing time fast. He had to do this quick!

"C-Connex, help me c-" He coughed out blood, blood that Harzimierz gleefully ate up as his grip tightened. 

Crap this was bad! He was losing air fast! He had to-

"STAY AWAY FROM HIM, YOU *****! CORONA FLAME!" A flaming blast of fire smacked Harzimierz's cheek hard, making him drop Jinpei and stumble back, roaring in pain. 

Jinpei gasped, finally breathing again as the sun Digimon rushed over. "Jinpei, you okay?!"

He couldn't help but snort a bit at the concern. "And you were concerned... about not having a good heart."

"S-Shut up." Coronamon looked embarrassed despite the smile forming on his face. "We pun lovers ought to STICK our paths together, y'know."

"Fair enough," he said with a chuckle, getting up but almost immediately falling down. "Ow, that hurt a lot."

Coronamon frowned angrily. That little...! "I'll take him down, Jinpei. I promise you."

"You and what army?" Harzimierz mocked. "You're alllllll alone, and you're nothing but a weakling!"

"A weakling who managed to give you a burn worthy of SECOND PLACE!" He taunted right back. "I won't let you hurt others anymore, so prepare for the THIRD PLACE burns!"

(He was made to save others, to protect them. 

It was high time he stepped up to that role. 

"Amelie... I may not like you, I may never forgive you for making me play to your whims, but what you gave me... I will use it as I please. I will be me and SAVE MY FRIEND!")

(Hiuliyoull is taken aback now. What in the world...?!

A power, coming from a long-gone verse, it...!

"Use it well, my creation, my... child...")

And right there, Jinpei's watch lit up. Bright, beautiful... 

Connex immediately urged Jinpei, "S-Say the phrase! Hurry!"

"Alright! Connex, help me connect!" He yelled, the bright light just growing exponentially, like a comet in the night sky. 

Miasmamon could have sworn he saw her, smiling down at him as he grew, and reached out, "MONA!"

"Stay safe, Miasma... I will always support you, no matter what. So push forward, and WIN THIS BATTLE!"

Her warmth filled him, yet he didn't feel scared or anxious. 

This power... it proved to him that Mona COULD be saved. Even if the Codes overtook her, even if she seemed unsalvagable...

He knew that Mona would be saved. He wouldn't stand for any losses in this twisted war between the system and the glitches. He would fight... and he would save his family!

The bright light engulfed both of them as they felt their hearts connect. Their burning desire to stop this crazy Servamp...! THEY WILL USE IT AND SAVE HIS VESSEL!

CORONAMON & ARIHOSHI JIBA JINPEI

SPIRIT BIOMERGE TO!

ATARAXYSSOSMON

Ghostly black flames tried to burn away at what appeared to be a clump of mint green gems shaped like an ogre, spouting out navy blue sparks as if to emulate a horse's tail while a pair of will o wisps floated around him. Two particular protruding gems seemed almost like cat ears atop a grey helmet attached to the gem clump, orange eyes staring back at his opponent as he dusted off some smaller flames, taking a step forward. Almost like an actual human, the legs moved, the gems floating in the air before compressing themselves together. 

It was as if the gems were not glued together, as if this new creature could control his body shape at will.

The Eves gasped at this while Harzimierz stumbled in shock. How?! How was this possible?! What was going on here?!

And then. 

He began to rap. 

"Yo, yo, Yabai kurai ni sutekina pāson! (You are a cool person) Yeah! Yeah! Ore wa ISHITERU no Youkai (I am the living rock Youkai), Ataraxyssosmon, yeah, come on!" 

A-Mikuni's mouth went hanging. Did he... Did he just make a PUN using ishi (rock) and ikiteru (living)?! Of all the things...

"I... think that REALLY doesn't match the stakes here?..." A-Angela looked so lost. 

"GRRRR! YOU ABSOLUTELY WORTHLESS BRAT!" Harzimierz was well and truly pissed now. How dare he diss him by looking down at him! HE WILL PAY THOROUGHLY! 

He summoned out a blade made of lead, roaring in anger as he swung it at the Digimon, who simply dodged. "That ain't cool, y'know! Time to bring in the HEAT BEAT! Drosouling Comet!"

A comet-like dagger formed in his right hand and he stabbed the Servamp's right shoulder, with flames bursting off the wound, causing him to roar and stumble back. 

"Thanatosian Billaiow," he added, and a seal with the Melancholy Code mark formed on that dagger. His right arm suddenly slumped forward, making him roar in anger even more. How dare he, how DARE he!

"Roaring Abomination!" He yelled, forming sharp emerald claws and slashing at Harzimierz's other shoulder before a Thanatosian Billaiow formed the Lust Code mark on that shoulder. Another limb down!

"He's somehow using his attack to fuel the seal by sucking up energy from the area he's captured!" A-Misono was stunned beyond words. This creature was phenomenal!

(A Digimon of creativity and a human filled with it. Why wouldn't they match up?)

"Ata-phost!" Ataraxyssosmon threw four peridot arrows like javelins at his legs. Once they embedded themselves into his legs, he grinned, adding, "Thanatosian Billaiow!"

The arrows then became seals with the Greed, Gluttony, Wrath and Envy code marks. Harzimierz could only scream in pain as he writhed, unable to do anything against the onslaught of attacks coming at him. 

The other Servamps rushed into the clearing at that moment, eyes focused on the now threat as they tried to defend their "master", but the Digimon had something up his sleeve.

"Ao-Groan!" He lifted his entire body, the body parts separating into their small pieces, before they rained down on the Servamps AND their creator, sending them flying into trees. Their Eves let out shouts of worry as they rushed over to their partners, cradling them while they reverted back to their smaller forms. 

"Don't worry about it. A Healing Storm is coming your way now!" He said while a golden mist washed over the Servamps and their Eves, healing their injuries and returning the Servamps to their original state. "And now, Thanatosian Billaiow!"

The Pride and Sloth code marks glowed on his chest as seals formed, before one big one formed above his body; the mark of Hubris. 

Ataraxyssosmon smiled. "Eidolonic Call!"

The seals all glowed at the same time, sucking everything away from him before releasing this energy into the air while he screamed. No! No! He refused to lose here! He was invincible! He was powerful! He was HUBRIS!

"Let's get this final rap down, yeah! YSP, let's hit it!" The Digimon smiled, and Jinpei, Coronamon and Connex all connected at that moment once more. 

"REPEAPERS' GRIMM SLASH!"  A sickle formed in his hand as he swung it hard at the seal with Hubris on it. 

A loud roar was all they heard as the entire place lit up with bright light, all darkness being purged from the world and ending the Code Purple on the spot. 

(It turned out, that for all the statements about them being simple glitches in the system, they could save a world and protect it from ever returning to that dark abyss known as Forbidden Verses.)

The other Dimension Keepers arrived to the scene just as the Digimon devolved into a Gaogamon, Connex and a very knocked out Jinpei, the light dispersing to reveal nothing left of the Servamp. 

"Wow, that was... insane..." the blue Digimon admitted quietly, but looked down at Jinpei's unconscious body and smiled, nuzzling his cheeks as he said, "Well someone should probably get their WHOLE REST instead of a half rest note."

"AREUM I WILL KILL HIM!"

"You just said-"

"I CHANGED MY MIND I CAN'T STAND IT ANYMORE!"

The rest just burst out laughing as Shiift showed up, looking very pouty at Areum, who was struggling to keep a straight face despite how adorable Shiift was. 

Ranto then scooped him up. "Well, someone is definitely exhausted. We should probably head back to base and recuperate before going after the Miraculous."

"Sounds like a plan to me. I'm beat!" Onyx said with a sigh. 

Gangsan nodded in agreement just as a beep echoed from her belt, making them check their Digivice with a blink. "Wait hang on what?"

"What's wrong, Gangsan?" Tsuchiyume asked while looking over.

She looked taken aback by this development. "There's... there's no time to rest! It looks like the four have found a time distortion right under our noses!"

"What?! What are you talking about?!" Winnie demanded. 

Gangsan's next words made everyone pale as her words struck them with fear. 

"World MMPH-0961... A world where Mao Mao lost his mind and became a  villain... THAT'S the world DysMonarchmon is in right now..."