Tai pulled a spherical device from his pack and hurled it at Centarumon.
"Boom!"
With a thunderous bang, the kids opened their eyes to see the thing Tai had thrown unfolding into a transparent barrier that blocked Centarumon's attack.
Centarumon missed with his first shot; the single eye on his face flashed red as he readied another. Tai tightened his grip on the shield in his hands, bracing for the next blast.
"Tai!" a voice called out.
The kids turned—their Digimon had made it back.
"Great!"
"We're saved!"
"Agumon, go for its legs!" Tai ordered at once.
"Tentomon, let's hit it together!"
"Pepper Breath!"
"Super Shocker!"
The two Rookie-level Digimon fired off their signature attacks—but jets of air flared from Centarumon's back, and in a blink it vanished from where it stood, leaving both attacks to tear into empty space.
When it reappeared, it was already in Agumon's face. Centarumon stomped forward; one kick slammed Agumon into the wall. The cannon on his right hand swung toward Tentomon.
"Agumon!" Tai shouted, fear spiking. At the same time, another thought flashed through his mind: "So fast." He hadn't even seen Centarumon's movement path.
"Spiral Twister!"
Biyomon's attack struck Centarumon's right hand, knocking his aim off so the shot only grazed past Tentomon.
All seven Rookie partners began attacking in turn, but Centarumon's speed was frightening. Time after time he slipped their blows with high-speed bursts.
"In that case—Digivolve, Agumon!"
As Tai spoke, the Digivice on his belt blazed with light. It shot into Agumon, who shone the same way.
In an instant, Agumon swelled within the light—Greymon crashed down, massive and roaring.
"We're going too, Gabumon," Matt said to his partner.
Gabumon nodded. Light erupted from Matt's Digivice, wrapped Gabumon—and in a heartbeat, the blue-gray wolf Garurumon stood in his place.
Two Champions against one—this wouldn't take long.
Centarumon's movement speed was incredible, but his agility couldn't match Garurumon's close-quarters prowess. In tight spaces, that raw speed gave him almost no edge.
And the fight wasn't in an open field; the cramped ruin hemmed him in even more.
Garurumon tackled him to the ground. "Nova Blast!" Greymon's fire detonated across Centarumon's back. A Black Gear tore free from behind Centarumon's upper torso, shot into the air, and shattered to dust before it could get far.
"How could this happen…?" Centarumon groaned as he got to his feet, dazed.
"Are you back to normal?" Mimi stepped up and asked.
"I'm sorry. I was controlled by a Black Gear and couldn't move my body the way I wanted," Centarumon said, apologizing to Mimi and the others. "That is…" His gaze dipped toward the Digivice clipped to the strap of Mimi's bag.
"You know something?" Izzy asked, seeing that their opponent didn't seem hostile anymore.
"Since you bear the legendary Digivice, you must be the DigiDestined," Centarumon said.
"'DigiDestined'?"—a term unfamiliar to everyone except Tai.
"Could you tell us everything you know?" Sora asked him.
"Of course," Centarumon replied, and started into the labyrinth.
To Izzy's surprise, Centarumon knew the maze like the back of his hand. Not a single trap triggered as he led them along. Soon they reached its heart—a chamber whose wall bore a huge bas-relief of a Digivice.
"This is the Digivice program within the Holy Plan. I'm here to guard these ruins."
Hearing that, the kids all took out their own Digivices.
"The Holy Plan's Digivice program?" Izzy studied his device, still unable to see what was so "holy" about something that looked like an alarm clock.
"It is the sacred Digital program fated to guide this world into the light and away from darkness," Centarumon explained.
"I don't really get it, but having it is a good thing, right?" Mimi asked.
"Yes. The Holy Plan's Digivice program has the power to make Digimon evolve," Centarumon said.
"Mind if I ask something, Centarumon?" Tai suddenly spoke up.
"What is it?"
"That line you said—about guiding the world to the light—where did you hear it?"
"It's an old rumor that's been around since long ago."
"If this is the Holy Plan's Digivice program, are there other programs within the Holy Plan besides the Digivice?" Tai pressed.
"I don't know. I was only told to guard the Digivice program. Whether there are other sacred programs beyond it, I can't say," Centarumon answered.
Tai lowered his head in thought. "Ours are the Holy Plan's Digivice program. In the second series, the new kids' devices were the D-3 Digivices, and their partners used the ancient Armor Digivolution. That must be another program within the Holy Plan. As Azulongmon says: 'Armor Digivolution is the ancient evolution used when normal evolution is sealed.' Looks like Armor Digivolution was a contingency for when the 'No Evolution' will descends. But before that will arrived, the first group of summoned kids already finished their mission, so the second group ended up using it."
Even so, the Holy Plan wasn't as almighty as legend. If it were, then after beating Apocalymon there wouldn't have been that later device—the D-Power (D-Arc).
"Hold on," Matt said. "Are you saying this Holy Plan's Digivice program is what summoned us here?"
"Yes. You are the DigiDestined. With you and the power of the Digivice, you can defeat the forces of darkness."
"Forces of darkness?" T.K. asked, puzzled.
"On this island's Infinity Mountain dwells the evil Devimon. On File Island, no one can stand against him. Only the DigiDestined can defeat him."
"Feels like we're doing something grand," Sora murmured.
"If our mission is to defeat Devimon, then… once we beat him, do we all get to go home?" Joe asked, full of hope.
"I don't know. Maybe," Centarumon said. Joe's shoulders slumped, his hope collapsing.
Centarumon didn't know much more. A "guardian" was still just a gatekeeper; no one tells the gatekeeper the real secrets.
"Can we just not fight?" Mimi said—she'd never liked fighting, same as in the original tale.
"If we don't fight, none of us are going home," Tai said, stepping forward.
"I miss Mom," T.K. muttered, dejected.
"I want to go home too," Mimi said.
"But if Devimon's that strong, how are we supposed to beat him?" Matt asked.
"Probably by evolving. If everyone can evolve, we can beat him," Agumon said.
Patamon lowered his head; right now he was the only one who couldn't evolve. T.K. wilted a little too.
"That's just your guess. Don't dump the responsibility on T.K. and Patamon," Matt snapped, protective as always when he saw his brother getting upset.
"I'm sorry," Agumon said, bowing his head.
"Agumon didn't mean it—and he didn't single anyone out. He just offered a way to beat Devimon. Why are you always picking on us?" Tai shot back.
"If he was wrong, shouldn't he apologize?"
"What part of that was wrong?"
Seeing the two about to go at it again, everyone rushed to pull them apart.
"Children, you must stand together if you're going to defeat the darkness," Centarumon said, breaking the silence.
They said goodbye to the guardian and set out again—only now they knew exactly who the enemy was.