Okhema's Cloud-Stone Bazaar.
"Shouldn't we get moving? We've already been in Okhema for nearly two days…"
Digi-Na and Phainon stood shoulder-to-shoulder, arms overflowing with trinkets, helplessly watching Little Corruption and Cyrene up ahead.
Right now the two were happily weaving between the stalls.
"Look, Little Corruption—this one's so cute!"
Cyrene turned toward a stall displaying several baby Chimeras.
She spotted a pink one with big, adorable eyes!
Nestled beside it was a violet-blue baby Chimera.
Their colors matched the two girls perfectly!
"Lemme see… ♬"
Little Corruption turned at the call, brightened, and hurried over to scoop the pink Chimera into her arms.
The one the same color as Mother Ely is so adorable!
Cyrene blinked at the sight, gazing longingly at the pink Chimera.
Weren't we supposed to take the ones that match us?
The violet-blue Chimera watched its companion get lifted and turned tear-filled eyes on Cyrene.
Its silent plea was easy to read: Don't separate us.
"You two have excellent taste, young ladies—they're the brightest of the litter."
The stall owner gave them a warm smile.
"Sir, how much for these two little darlings?"
Cyrene cuddled the violet-blue one and looked up to ask.
The owner merely shook his head with a smile and waved it off.
"No charge—they clearly like you. Take them."
"Really? Thank you~♬"
Little Corruption perched the pink Chimera atop her head, beaming.
Behind them, Digi-Na and Phainon watched the fully-fledged 'tourist mode' pair with dark expressions.
When only Cyrene was along, the journey had moved at a decent pace.
But two days ago the Group Owner dumped Little Corruption on them… and the two girls had been chaos ever since. Under that resentful stare, Cyrene and Little Corruption walked over hugging their Chimeras.
"Can we leave now…?"
Data flashed across Digi-Na's sunglasses, and the armfuls of souvenirs vanished in an instant.
"Any longer and Kyoko will come looking for us with backup!"
"Relax—on this world I hold absolute advantage! ♬"
Little Corruption toyed with the Chimera on her head, tone light and playful.
As the Herrscher of Corruption, the moment she arrived she'd sunk her virus deep into Amphoreus's core system.
She knew the planet's condition better than anyone.
Though she couldn't seize total control in an instant…
…two days had passed, and Amphoreus was already shaping into her likeness~♬
So against Lykourgos and Iron Tomb… she had zero fear!
Field buff plus hard counter—any questions?
"Fine, fine—let's all just slack off and play tourist."
Digi-Na sighed in resignation and gave up completely.
Just then—
「Guests from afar, please come to the Cloud-Stone Celestial Palace for a talk.」
A gentle, refined woman's voice rippled through the air; the four exchanged glances, then turned toward the palace.
"That voice…"
Phainon paused, gazing nostalgically at the palace.
"It's Aglaea—current leader of the Chrysos Heirs, the one who restarted the Fire-Chasing journey alongside Professor Tipa."
"Oh~ the demigod who returned the Flame of 'Romance'! ♬"
"You know her?"
Phainon looked at Little Corruption in surprise.
"In Amphoreus, nothing escapes my notice~♬"
She gave Phainon a playful wink and tapped her lips with a mysterious smile.
Digi-Na merely shrugged; the virus girl knowing things didn't surprise her.
If she wanted, she could pull every byte of this world herself.
Let alone this data-virus life-form.
"Let's go meet the demigoddess."
Digi-Na tapped her sunglasses; a private nav-arrow appeared only for the four of them.
Following it, they quickly reached the Cloud-Stone Celestial Palace via a hidden path.
"Even with the infinite possibilities of the Digital World, a view like this is rare…"
Digi-Na looked around in awe.
They stood atop a cloud-wrapped peak; on every surrounding summit towered lofty structures.
A rainbow bridge stretched through the mist.
To their left, a four-armed giant with golden blood and a colossal sphere on his back gazed down silently upon Okhema.
"Let's stream it—let the others see too."
After savoring the sight, Digi-Na opened a group live-feed.
Instantly, pop-ups announced several members joining.
When she saw Herrscher of Flamescion Na's "my legs are jelly," her mouth twitched.
As if she didn't know what that meant!
She ended up jelly-legged all the time thanks to Angewomon and LadyDevimon—pridefully so!
There were kids in the chat—how dare she say something so crude!
Then the next message from Phoenix made Digi-Na's face flush.
Ahem… so she got beaten up… "Why are you blushing?"
Phainon gave Digi-Na a puzzled look.
It wasn't hot; on the contrary, the gentle breeze felt refreshing.
"Ah-ha… let's go, can't keep Aglaea waiting…"
Flustered, Digi-Na laughed awkwardly and walked toward the gate's water-curtain.
???
Little Corruption and the Chimera tilted their heads in sync, watching Digi-Na's hurried back.
Was the white-haired copy of Mother thinking something weird?
For a second, strange data-emotions had leaked from her… but unable to puzzle it out, Little Corruption dropped it.
"Let's go~♬"
With that, she tugged Cyrene's hand and skipped after Digi-Na.
Phainon glanced back at Kephale with the Dawn Machine, then followed.
Passing through the water-curtain, they entered a grand, classical bathhouse.
Digi-Na eyed the Greek-style décor and the flowing water feature that seemed to serve as reception.
"So the Cloud-Stone Celestial Palace is one gigantic bath."
Seeing it beat reading raw world-data any day.
"Guests from afar, you're quite right—this is a grand bathhouse."
A blue-haired woman stepped from the reception desk and smiled.
"Where's Aglaea?"
Phainon asked gently, her expression warm.
After two days' rest, her spirit had settled; no longer the icy detachment of two days prior.
And within her had condensed what Digi-Na called a digicore.
Not just her—nearly every life-form in Amphoreus now bore one.
"Lady Aglaea awaits in the innermost Heroic Bath."
The blue-haired woman stepped aside and gracefully gestured them onward.
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