Chapter 49: The True DigiMaster

"Digital Fusion? Master Hua, it seems your family has truly produced a genius." On the spectator’s platform, Feng Xiaosong gazed at Hua Feihua and her Spirit Beast in the arena, genuinely surprised this time.

Previously, the Spirit Beast’s performance was commendable, but that was merely a testament to the Hua family’s prowess, not particularly related to their direct daughter—after all, they were famed for their Spirit Beasts. To have cultivated a Spirit Beast to such a level was only to be expected. But now, this direct descendant of the Hua family had displayed Digital Fusion.

If the previous battle was merely between the Spirit Beast and Agumon, now the contest had become far from fair. Agumon's opponent was no longer just a Spirit Beast—Hua Feihua herself must now be counted as well.

Digital Fusion was a combat technique that could only be grasped when a human and a digital beast shared an extraordinary bond. A Tamer who mastered Digital Fusion could be considered a true Digital Tamer. From that moment, the digital beast could draw upon the digital energy within the Tamer’s body to strengthen itself, not just rely on distant commands.

“Haha! To receive praise from Master Feng is my daughter’s honor,” Hua Mantian replied, his face adorned with a broad and cheerful smile.

Normally, only those who reached the elite rank of Digital Tamer could master Digital Fusion, using it to enhance their beast’s combat power. This type of Digital Fusion was a kind of feedback phenomenon, a gift imparted when the digital beast had grown strong enough, and its essence lay in the beast’s teaching.

But the Digital Fusion Hua Feihua now performed originated from herself.

One was mastered independently, the other a feedback from the beast; both could channel the Tamer’s digital energy to aid their beast in battle. However, a Digital Fusion mastered by the human allowed for a much higher degree of control and application of digital energy than that bestowed by the beast.

Moreover, considering Hua Feihua had been a Digital Tamer for less than a year, Feng Xiaosong had every reason to call her a genius.

“What’s going on?” Zhao Jie’s eyes widened as he watched the digital energy from Hua Feihua flow onto the Spirit Beast. With this renewed power, the Spirit Beast was once again brimming with vitality.

“You don’t even know about Digital Fusion? How ignorant,” Hua Feihua sneered, casting a sidelong glance at Zhao Jie.

Indeed, Zhao Jie had no idea. His mentor, Li Ping, had only helped Agumon practice mobile casting in the final days—they had never touched upon this subject. In truth, Li Ping himself had only mastered Digital Fusion through Ogremon’s feedback. As for mastering Digital Fusion during the beast’s growth phase, he could only admit his ignorance.

“Spirit Beast, go! Finish off that annoying Agumon.”

Swish!

Under Digital Fusion, every aspect of the Spirit Beast was enhanced. Earthen spears shot forth once more—faster and more relentless than before—striking toward Agumon.

“What’s happening? Did that Spirit Beast take some kind of supplement?” Some spectators, seeing the Spirit Beast’s sudden surge in strength, were baffled yet awed.

Boom! Bang!

Caught off guard, Agumon’s arm was pierced by an earthen spear, the force pinning it directly to the arena floor.

“It’s over!” Many sighed at the scene; the gap between the two was simply too great. The miracle had finally come to an end.

Zhao Jie looked at Agumon in the arena. He wanted to mobilize the digital energy coiled between his brows, but no matter how hard he tried, the power refused to surge forth.

“Have we lost?” Agumon was pinned to the ground, all hope seemingly lost. Now, only a concession from Zhao Jie would end the match.

Spirit Beast raised two walls of earth around Agumon, slowly closing in to crush him.

“Still not conceding?” Hua Feihua glanced at Zhao Jie, her voice indifferent.

“I con—” Zhao Jie, under everyone’s gaze, raised his hand, about to admit defeat, when he suddenly froze.

He saw Agumon staring at him with wide eyes—eyes that conveyed only one message: I don’t want to lose!

“Then it’s you, Botamon. I’ll be counting on you from now on.” The words he’d once spoken to Botamon echoed in his heart.

What was the true relationship between him and Agumon, he wondered? Were they partners? Or merely trainer and beast, as Peng Wei had said?

“I understand now.” Recalling every moment with Agumon, a smile appeared on Zhao Jie’s face. He locked eyes with Agumon.

“Is he crazy? Still refusing to concede?” Hua Feihua found Zhao Jie’s smile incomprehensible. Agumon could no longer move—stubbornness would only bring him more pain in the end.

“Agumon!”

The obsession in his heart faded. All this time, he had thought only of Agumon evolving into Greymon, MetalGreymon, WarGreymon—those classic evolutionary paths. But this wasn’t a game, nor was it a cartoon! Agumon was a living being, and whatever path it took, it would always be his Agumon.

Swish!

In that moment of clarity, the digital energy that had been blocked finally burst from his brow, surging toward Agumon.

“How can this be?!”

The moment the digital energy erupted from Zhao Jie’s forehead, Feng Xiaosong, Hua Mantian, and several elite Tamers in the audience all shot to their feet.

Digital Fusion!

Right there in the arena, that boy had completed Digital Fusion. He had nearly conceded, and yet, in a matter of seconds, he achieved Digital Fusion.

Was Digital Fusion really that simple?

A wondrous sensation bloomed in Zhao Jie’s heart as his digital energy fused with Agumon’s. Now, their minds were as one. With Zhao Jie’s energy, Agumon revived anew.

“Roar!”

With his uninjured hand, Agumon wrenched out the earthen spear. Digital energy surged through him, his wound healing at a visible rate.

Baby Flame.

Whoosh.

The fireball erupted, a wave of heat shredding the earthen walls closing in.

All of this happened in just two seconds, so quickly that neither Spirit Beast nor Hua Feihua could react.

The person who, moments ago, hadn’t even known what Digital Fusion was, now performed it in the next breath.

Recalling the earlier photo incident, Hua Feihua felt she’d been tricked once again.

“Now, let’s begin anew!” Agumon’s eyes burned with fierce light as he faced the Spirit Beast in the distance.

PS: Please recommend, please recommend! I’m bowing to all the esteemed readers out there!