A place of darkness. A place where no light penetrated.

　All that entered the eye was the color black, and if not for Unchained being there, it might not even be recognized as a "place" at all. Devoid of data, its very status as a space within this world was ambiguous in and of itself.

"I should be used to it by now, but the darkness here always gets to me."

　Unchained conjured up some light. Countless particles of green began to float through the air and brighten the area. But in this empty place, the only thing illuminated was the outline of Unchained's own body.

　It was a space within both Lacuna and the Garden, yet at the same time neither. It was the gap that filled the space between all the data that drifted across the net. Unchained accordingly gave it the makeshift nickname of "the Void."

"I am not human. I am not human. I am not human... No, I am just the same old me."

　Unchained often visited the Void when they wanted to be alone.
It kind of reminded them of themself.
They were neither male.
Nor female.
They were neither grown.
Nor still a child.
Unchained was a mass of data in human form. An entity that simply happened to be born from the systems at work in the game known as Digimon Liberator. They were not human.
A digital being but not a Digimon—that was what Unchained loathed most about themself.
Having been made to remember that fact once again, Unchained had come here to be alone, and sulk a little.

"*Sigh*... It's unbecoming to wallow in my feelings like this."

　When in the Void, Unchained would reflect on the awkward circumstances they found themself in.
Being a special advisor to the debugging team required Unchained to interact with people often, and ever since their appointment to the role, it had only seemed to become all the more common for them to get struck by emotion.
...It was honestly quite difficult.

　Every single person on the debugging team was so "good." Some were funny, others kind, or stylish, or cute, or cheerful, but they all possessed big hearts and cared for others. It didn't take long for Unchained to understand how good-natured they all were.
However, being around those sorts of people for so long had blurred the lines of Unchained's own self-perception.

　"Maybe I might be human after all...?"

　But no, they weren't. They would never be human. And they would never be a Digimon. It was this straddling of the gray area in between that made Unchained begin to waver. To waver in their commitment to their goal.
Sometimes they caught themself conceding that it might not be so bad not to change anything.
And when they did, they came here to the Void to recompose themself.

"Well, there's not exactly any getting around it..."

　It was like Unchained was trying to convince themself that they were only on the team because they had to be.
That no matter the regret, they had to keep on pushing forward. They were prepared for all the hurt that achieving their goals would bring. It was unavoidable.
None of their human teammates' could be blamed in the slightest for the melancholy that once again plagued Unchained. Wallowing like this was simply their tendency.
If they were honest with themself, they liked—nay, even found it fun—to chat to the other members of the debugging team... They wished they could hang out more.

"It always felt good...to talk to those guys."

　Altea.
As an autonomous AI created by Yao Qinglan, he's similar to Unchained on the one hand, but completely different on the other. Having learned about people from other people, the more-human-than-humans Altea knew exactly how to interpret, consider, and act upon whatever Unchained said.
It was a skill that made it possible for him to sometimes pick up things in Unchained's mind that even they were not aware of, and made it fun and easy for them to talk.
It was just a shame about his terrible jokes. But they loved that about him, too.

　Suzune Kazuki.
The spouse of the lead developer of Digimon Liberator, Keisuke Kazuki. She was brought up in an affluent household and despite marrying into the moderately well-off Kazuki family, took on a role in the group to help out with the family finances.
She was probably the sharpest mind on the debugging team and seemed to be getting more and more distant with Unchained these days. Perhaps she suspected something.
Still, it didn't matter what she thought because Unchained couldn't help but like the clever woman.

　Ryutaro Williams.
He loves Digimon and his passion shone through as soon as you started talking to him. His unquestioning faith in people had backfired on him more than once in the past and it hurt Unchained to know that there was likely more pain in store for him in the future. But that faith was the reason Unchained loved him. Just talking to someone who loves Digimon as much as they did put Unchained at ease.

　Winr.
Unchained had heard the stories of Winr's unideal home life, but perhaps because the boy was so shy, they had never spoken. Not even once.
However, whether borne out of pity or sadness, Unchained held a degree of compassion for him.
His reserved nature and hard-working attitude despite his youth resonated with them.

　Yuuki.
She was a strange girl who could make friends with anyone. From the moment she joined the debugging team she wouldn't shut up about her dream of "becoming friends with all Digimon," but, lo and behold, she seemed to be inching ever closer to making it come true day by day. And she never doubted anyone. That's how she was able to get so close to so many people and why they chose to open up to her. At times the things that come out of her mouth are unintelligible, but that was all part of her charm.
Unchained was yet another who had opened their heart to her.

　But it wasn't as if those were the only people that Unchained liked.
It was everyone else on the debugging team, too, and in fact all those who played Digimon Liberator and interacted with Digital Monster content.

　...And that's why Unchained wanted to put them to the test. Was that cruelty?

　Each and every player was a complex individual with their own ambiguities when it came to their sense of justice, the policies they lived by, their pride, and their dreams. However, all were united in their love for spending time with Digimon. None of that was going to mesh well with what Unchained had planned, and that was what made it all the more fascinating.

　If Digimon turned against them, how would the players feel?
Would they stick to their beliefs?

　There was one person that Unchained knew was different. A person who had previously taken an interest in them.
A hard-hearted person who didn't believe co-existence with Digimon was possible. He had told Unchained all about his ideals and even "given" Unchained his former partner Digimon.

"Humans can be such frustrating creatures. Don't you think so—"

　Unchained snapped their fingers and a figure, bathed in light yet shadowy, appeared by their side. It was like a line had been drawn down its middle, its right side was beastlike, and its left mechanical.

"—Maquinamon."

　When its name was called, several more sources of light suddenly appeared Unchained as if to answer a summons.
There had to be more than 50 of them.

　Data from the ex-partner Digimon of Unchained's associate had been "pasted" onto Maquinamon, strengthening it. As a by-product, what started out as a single Digimon was now a full-fledged type.

"Wow. Look at our team go. It seems they've found every last one of you."

　The one to release the Lacuna-adapted Maquinamon had been Unchained, of course. Then, after providing them with a little training, Unchained had set the debugging team on the hunt.
Luckily, any concerns that the team might let one slip away proved to be unfounded.
They had all performed brilliantly and caught every last Maquinamon before sending them on to Unchained.

　...And there was more.

　In Unchained's left hand, a separate sphere of light appeared, glowing a faint blue. A single Digimon was curled silently into a ball like it was asleep. Its eyes were closed.
Its long, green bug-like body had multiple legs and a pair of antennae. Right then it looked just like a grub waiting to emerge from a chrysalis.
Its name was Wormmon.
It was wandering the Obsidian Desert when it was found by a Maquinamon. Unable to acclimate to the world of Lacuna, it was on the verge of disappearing altogether.
Unchained had quickly acted to secure the Digimon themself.

"Wasn't it tough living in a world like that?"

　Unchained smiled at the Digimon, not expecting a reply.

"It's ironic, isn't it?" You guys are born in this world and should naturally have the right to live here, yet it rejects you."

　Digital Monsters couldn't survive for a long time in Lacuna. The very "environment" quickly got to work eating away at their bodies.
But no matter how much Unchained brooded over it, how they despised and despaired at the way of this world, it would not change. It could not be changed.

　...Yet Unchained was not deterred.

　A desire to see Digimon eat, breathe, battle, and live a free and simple life that felt natural drove Unchained.
They clenched their fists tightly. They would fight.

"You want the same as me, too, right? Cool Boy."

　Cool Boy.
Unchained spoke the name of another who agonized over the future of Digimon.
He was the brilliant man who first discovered Lacuna and sought to protect the Digimon there before anyone else did. Although he took a different approach to Unchained in fighting for a reality where Digimon could be free, he was a true hero and one of the few people that Unchained could trust from the bottom of their heart.

...However.

　His way was too slow. How many more Digimon's lives would be lost before his project concluded? Unchained couldn't bear to even think about it.
They had gladly gone along with Cool Boy at the beginning, but now they were angry and frustrated at the snail's pace at which things were progressing.

　...It's not like my way will save every Digimon either, though.

　Still, compared to Cool Boy's plan, Unchained's was much quicker and would help a lot more Digimon. That's what gave them the resolve to proceed, even though it meant conflicting with him.

"—Now. Let's put the sentimentality aside, shall we?"

　Unchained switched gears in front of the numerous Maquinamon.
This grand plan of theirs didn't just involve Lacuna, but the whole of Digimonkind. There was no room for half measures.

"I need your help, too, Wormmon."

　They said to the Digimon resting in the little ball of light.
It looked like the Digimon was already reaching its limit. Even if Unchained did send it to Garden, it still wouldn't have much time left. From a survival perspective there wasn't much they could do.

"You can still live."

Unchained was going to paste two sets of data: that of Maquinamon, which was made up of "new world" data, and that of the Digimon Unchained's collaborator had provided, which was now stored within Maquinamon.
This would allow Wormmon to shine at the very end of its life.

"Let's get started. I'm counting on you, Maquinamon."

　At the sound of its name, a single Maquinamon drew up close to Wormmon. Then Maquinamon's body disintegrated into a cascade of 1s and 0s and the source code began to enter the bug-like Digimon.

　—Ba-dump.

　Wormmon's body bent backward with a huge jolt as if new life had been forcefully breathed into it.
Good.
Once this Digimon was concealed inside an NPC in Lacuna, preparations would be complete.

"Maybe I should issue a warning once we're done?"

　The main objective of this phase was to cultivate the abilities of the debugging team.
To have them fall at the first hurdle would be totally unacceptable. They needed to protect this world, or the plan would be in ruins.
After all, this world would sooner or later become an ark—an ark that would take them to a distant land.
So Unchained decided to send a single message to I.D.E.A.
A simple message indicating that Lacuna was in peril.

"I'm sorry, Wormmon. I probably won't be able to take you with me. But you'll become the root of many a Digimon's salvation, so I know that I'll never forget you."

　Vowing to honor Wormmon for the rest of their life, Unchained transported the light-draped Digimon from the Void to Lacuna.

"Cool Boy. If I only had one wish, it would be for you to find it in your heart to forgive me. For gouging a piece out of this world you've created...and for everything I'm about to do from now."

　Unchained knew that Cool Boy would never hear their prayer, but they couldn't help but hope regardless.
As they tried to ignore the stabbing pain in their chest, they wondered if this was akin to the feeling that humans described as "love"?
Unchained laughed awkwardly at no one in particular.

"Now, it's about time I got started."

　This fight will decide the fate of the Digital World.

To be continued.