Hazard Grand Order

"WHAT?! WHO?! HOW?!" Romani's screech echoed through the air, his hands clutching his head in absolute disbelief. "A Divine Spirit?! That should be IMPOSSIBLE! It takes absurd amounts of magical energy to summon even a fragment of a Divine Spirit, and yet Takato somehow did it on his FIRST TRY?!"

Bazett, standing with her arms crossed, glanced at the frantic doctor. "I don't appreciate being called 'impossible.'"

Romani, ignoring her, continued, "And let's not even talk about the fact that he somehow summoned a Phantasmal Dragon as a familiar! Dragons are at the absolute apex of Mystery! Even a hatchling like that shouldn't be able to exist here in this age unless…" He paled. "Unless Takato himself is an anomaly beyond the laws of Magecraft—"

Takato, who had been trying to calm him down for the past two minutes, finally gave up and turned away with an exhausted sigh. "Let's just… ignore him for now."

Bazett, seeming to agree, nodded and refocused on Takato.

The young Tamer, however, was too busy staring at her with stars in his eyes. "This is so COOL!" Takato practically beamed, looking up at Bazett with pure admiration. "Standing alongside a hero from the past—it's just like the fantasy novels I love reading!"

Gigimon, now comfortably perched on Takato's head, let out a derpy smile as he felt warm and comfy on top of Takato's head, his little tail wiggling excitedly. Fou, still on Takato's right shoulder, glared daggers at the tiny Digimon, clearly displeased that someone else was hogging Takato's attention.

Bazett, who had been trying to maintain a professional air, felt a light blush creep onto her face. She cleared her throat, shifting slightly. "Ahem. I appreciate the enthusiasm, but… I'm not really a hero from the past."

Takato blinked, his awe not diminishing. "You're not?" She shook her head. "No, I'm using a god's authority to be considered a Heroic Spirit."

Takato still looked at her like she was the coolest person ever.

Bazett quickly shook off her embarrassment, regaining her composure. "Right, back to the situation. What happened before I was summoned?"

Takato straightened, his expression becoming serious. "Chaldea, the organization I was working with, was attacked. There was an explosion, and the next thing I knew, I woke up here."

Bazett listened carefully, nodding along. When Takato finished explaining, she folded her arms, her gaze sharpening. "I understand. Then our objectives are clear— we need to retrieve the Holy Grail and find whoever is responsible for the attack on Chaldea."

Takato frowned. "Wait—you think someone caused the explosion on purpose?"

Bazett nodded. "The Moonlit World—the world of Magi—does not follow the same moral compass as common society. There is a high probability that a rogue Magus orchestrated this."

Takato's eyes darkened for a second, but then he clenched his fists and stood tall. "If that's true, then it's my duty to bring them to justice."

Bazett smiled slightly, pleased with his resolve. "Good answer."

Bazett's gaze finally shifted to Gigimon, who was still happily sitting on Takato's head. "So, about your 'Phantasmal Dragon.' How did you manage to summon a hatchling like that as a familiar?"

Takato chuckled, gently lifting Gigimon into his arms. "He's not a familiar. He's my partner."

Bazett raised an eyebrow. "Partner?"

Takato nodded. "I'm a Digimon Tamer. Gigimon may look small now, but he's from the Digital World, and we've been partners since I was ten."

Bazett processed that information carefully, then gave a small nod. "I see. While I'm glad you trust me enough to tell me that information, let me give you some advice."

Takato tilted his head. "Advice?"

Bazett's expression turned serious. "From now on, keep as many cards close to your chest as possible when dealing with Magi. The more they know about your Mysteries, the more power they have over you."

Takato frowned. "You mean I shouldn't trust anyone?"

Bazett shook her head. "Trust should be earned. I have no intention of betraying you, but others may not be so kind. The Moonlit World operates on power and secrecy."

Takato bit his lip but nodded. "I'll be careful."

Bazett smiled slightly at his maturity. "Good. Now, seeing how new you are to this world, once we finish this Singularity, I'll teach you the basics of Magecraft."

Takato's eyes widened. "You will?!"

She nodded. "I'm not a researcher-type Magus, but as an Enforcer, I specialize in combat Magecraft. And now that you're part of this world, you need to learn how to protect yourself."

Takato grinned. "That'd be amazing!"

Gigimon happily bounced in place, jumping up and down on Takato's head, while Fou glared at him from Takato's shoulder.

Meanwhile, in the background, Romani was still freaking out. "I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS. NONE OF THIS MAKES SENSE. I'M GOING TO LOSE MY MIND—"

Takato sighed. "Should we… do something about him?"

Bazett shrugged. "He'll tire himself out eventually."

Takato nodded. "Fair enough."

Romani finally took a deep breath, rubbing his temples as he forced himself to calm down. His earlier panic had drained him, but at least now he could actually focus.

"Alright," he said, regaining his composure. "Now that I'm done losing my mind… I've checked SHEBA's scans, and there are some weird signals to the north of your location. We can't pinpoint exactly what they are—SHEBA's data can't fully decipher them."

Takato perked up. "So there's a chance it's Ritsuka or Mash?"

Romani nodded. "Could be. Either way, you should check it out."

Takato exhaled, nodding. "Got it." He bent down and picked up his D-Arc, which he had left on the ground during the summoning ritual. Flipping through his card deck, he smiled in relief. "Man, I'm lucky I remembered to take my Digimon cards with me."

Bazett, standing beside him, watched with mild curiosity. "Digimon cards?"

Takato grinned. "Yep! These let me give Gigimon all sorts of abilities in battle. Speed boosts, stronger attacks, even temporary evolutions."

Bazett hummed thoughtfully. "An external form of reinforcement then. Interesting."

Before they could discuss it further, Takato turned his attention back to Romani. "Alright, Doctor, we'll head north and check it out."

Bazett immediately stepped forward. "I'll take the lead."

Takato blinked. "Huh?"

She crossed her arms, giving him a serious look. "I have the most combat experience. It would be safer if you stayed close behind me."

Takato instinctively wanted to disagree. He opened his mouth, ready to argue that he wasn't afraid of danger, that he had Gigimon, and that nothing could stand in their way.

But then—he stopped himself. Bazett wasn't saying this because she thought he was weak. She was not like his big brother who thought him to be unable to do anything alone, She was looking out for him until he could fight alongside her, she promised to make him stronger after all.

And… she had a point. Takato had never fought on his own. Outside of Biomerge Evolution, his role had always been supporting Guilmon—not engaging in direct combat himself.

Not to mention… Bazett was his partner now too. Romani had told him earlier that a Master should trust and respect their Servants. That wasn't something he should forget. Feeling a bit embarrassed, Takato rubbed the back of his neck and muttered, "…Okay. You lead the way."

Bazett nodded approvingly. "Good choice."

Suddenly, a tiny giggle came from above. "Hehe! It's fun being carried by Takato!" Takato tilted his head up to see Gigimon still perched happily on his head, his tail wagging.

The tiny red dragon tilted his head innocently. "Takato, can you carry me everywhere from now on?"

Takato paused. For a split second, he imagined the future where a fully-grown Guilmon, clinging to him, refusing to walk. A child-sized red dragon, his weight crushing him into the dirt, as he struggled to drag him forward.

A bead of nervous sweat dripped down Takato's forehead. He let out a very awkward laugh. "Uh… I'd be happy to carry you… but only when you're Gigimon."

Gigimon's ears drooped. "Awwww…"

Fou, still sitting on Takato's right shoulder, let out a pleased huff, as if happy that his perch rights weren't being challenged.

Bazett watched the interaction with mild amusement.

Romani, who had been listening in, sighed. "Alright, now that we've settled who's carrying who, can we please move out?"

Takato chuckled. "Right, right. Let's go."

And with that, their group finally set off—heading north, toward the unknown signals that awaited them.

----------------------

The city park, once a place of serenity, had been reduced to a scorched, twisted ruin. The trees stood as blackened husks, their branches skeletal and lifeless. The ground was cracked and broken, and all around them, black, bubbling mud oozed from the earth like a festering wound. The air was thick with the scent of ash, rot, and something... wrong.

Bazett, leading the group, suddenly raised her hand in a stopping gesture.

Takato and Gigimon froze.

Ahead of them, the remains of a battlefield stretched out—a grim, brutal sight. Skeletons, tooth warriors, and humanoid figures coated in the same bubbling black sludge littered the ground, all of them twisted and broken, as if they had been crushed under some merciless force.

Bazett's expression hardened as she slipped into her combat stance. Her piercing gaze swept across the area, scanning the shadows where the trees still barely stood.

Gigimon, still resting on Takato's head, suddenly tensed. His little body stiffening, "A wild Digimon is nearby," he growled, his voice deeper, edged with instinctual aggression.

Takato's stomach tensed. He instantly pulled out his D-Arc, holding it in front of him as he scanned the trees, trying to pick up a reading.

Then a sound. Crying. The faint, panicked sobbing of something small and terrified, running toward them.

A moment later, a tiny, white Digimon burst from the treeline, wailing in fear. "H-HELP!!!"

Takato's eyes widened as he saw the baby Digimon, clearly at the Baby II stage, scrambling toward him in terror.

And then—two larger shadows emerged from behind it. Two Child-level Digimon, stalked forward with hunger in their glowing eyes.

Before Takato could react, Romani's screen flickered to life, his voice filled with confusion. "What the hell?! SHEBA isn't picking up anything on these things! It's reading their energy signatures, but it can't classify them at all! It's like they don't even exist in any known database!"

Bazett furrowed her brow. "SHEBA? What's that?"

Romani huffed in frustration. "Chaldea's main observation system—our most advanced magical scanning device. It should be able to identify any phantasmal creatures, spirits, or lifeforms connected to Earth's history."

Bazett narrowed her eyes. "And it can't tell you anything?"

Romani shook his head, visibly frustrated. "No! These creatures are giving off energy, but SHEBA doesn't know what it's even looking at! It's like they're an anomaly, something completely foreign, something that doesn't follow the rules of our world."

At that moment, Takato's D-Arc beeped loudly, kicking into action.

Cupidmon | Frash II | Vaccine Type:

A Small Angel Digimon that evolved from Puttimon. It likes benevolence and loves making everyone happy, contrary to when it was a Puttimon. In particular, it is referred to as the "Angel of Charity", and it specializes in bringing about feelings of "Love" in every person. It is always flying around the Digital World's skies, sprinkling love on everyone while making them feel happy. It is said that even a large Digimon with great fighting spirit will cease battling once it encounters Cupimon. Its Special Move is generating a ring of light from the protuberance on its calvaria and throwing it at the opponent (Angel Ring).

Keramon – Child Level | Virus Type :

A Rookie Digimon that evolved from Tsumemon. Its physique has gotten larger, and with its huge mouth, it can eat away at much more data than Tsumemon could. Because it eats away at more than 100 megabytes of data per second, the data is destroyed the instant it enters Keramon. Due to its extremely cheerful personality, it thinks of its destructive actions as just part of its play. Its Special Move is spewing out an exceptionally destructive bullet of light while laughing (Crazy Giggle).

Algomon – Child Level | Virus Type:

The Rookie-evolved form of Algomon. It watches over young Algomon that are consuming data, and intercepts enemies when they draw near. It attacks with its "Brute Knuckle", where it curls up the tentacles on its arms into balls and punches with them, and "Imprisonment", where it restrains the enemy with its loose tentacles.

Romani gawked at the new data displayed on Takato's D-Arc. "Wait, what—how did your Digivice just scan them?! That's way more information than SHEBA could get!"

Takato's grip tightened on his D-Arc. "Because these aren't just phantasmal creatures. They're Digimon. My D-Arc is designed to analyze them."

Bazett crossed her arms, glancing between Takato and Romani. "So, to be clear, this 'SHEBA'—which you claim is the most advanced observation system—couldn't tell you a single thing, but this boy's small, hand-held device managed to scan them immediately?"

Romani let out an exhausted sigh. "Yes. Yes, that is exactly what happened. And I am absolutely not going to think too hard about it right now because my head already hurts."

Bazett nodded slowly. "Smart choice."

Before they could react further, Keramon let out a delighted cackle, fresh blood still dripping from its jagged teeth.

One of the bodies who were covered in the black mud littering the battlefield… had fresh bite marks.

Takato's expression darkened.

Bazett remained calm, but her stance shifted subtly to more aggressive, more prepared. "From what I can tell, their threat level is minimal," she said evenly. "I can finish this in seconds."

Before she could take a step forward Gigimon growled. Then, in a single burst of light

"Gigimon, digivolve to…!

In an instant, he leaped from Takato's head, flipping in mid-air as his tiny body ignited with golden data energy.

"GUILMON!!"

The small red baby was gone, replaced by a Rookie-level beast with sharp claws, burning golden eyes, and a body crackling with restrained power.

Guilmon snarled, his claws digging into the earth as he barely held himself back from lunging forward.

Bazett's eyes flicked toward Takato. "Do you want me to handle this?"

Takato smirked. "Nah. Let Guilmon take this."

Bazett raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? While they may be weak to me, they're still powerful enough to kill an unprepared Magus."

Takato's smirk widened. "I appreciate the concern, but trust me—I've faced bigger threats than these guys since I was ten."

Bazett studied him for a moment before nodding. "Alright. But if I see you about to get hurt, I'm intervening."

Takato beamed, thrilled that for the first time in ages, someone believed in him to accomplish something and prove his worth. "Deal."

Bazett stepped back, picking up Fou and the still-trembling Cupidmon, watching carefully. "Alright, Takato. Show me what you and your Digimon can do."

Guilmon's claws flexed. His tail swayed.

Keramon and Algomon hissed in response, baring their fangs.

The moment Keramon's glowing yellow eyes locked onto Takato, its twisted grin widened.

Takato stiffened—it wasn't just looking at him. It was hungry.

Keramon snapped its jaws before launching a Crazy Giggle, a green sphere of chaotic data energy hurtling toward Guilmon with a high-pitched cackle.

With a determined expression on his face, Takato shouted, "Guilmon, go!"

Guilmon sprinted forward, his powerful legs digging into the cracked ground as he ducked beneath the blast at the last second. The energy sphere soared over him, barely grazing his head.

Instead of dodging entirely, Guilmon whipped his tail around with perfect timing, deflecting the attack mid-air.

The redirected blast slammed directly into Algomon who had been using its writhing tentacles to skitter toward Takato.

BOOM!

Algomon let out a horrific screech, shaking violently before turning its blazing red eye toward Guilmon.

Now it was angry.

Takato narrowed his eyes, analyzing the battle. "Algomon is trying to get close—Keramon is keeping its distance. Keramon must be a long-range fighter. While Algomon does best when he is melee distance."

Takato's grip tightened on his Digivice, 'Algomon is the close-range fighter of the group, and knowing one of his main attacks is all about restraining your opponent, while Keramon shooting his range attacks, it is obvious how those two operate as a team together, too bad I and Guilmon there opponent, as this simple tactic will not work on me.'

As Takato assessed the battlefield, a plan formed in his mind. He shouted, "Guilmon! Use Rock Breaker on Keramon! Keep a Pyro Sphere charged in case Algomon tries to snare you. Wait for my signal to jump as high as you can!"

Guilmon grinned savagely, nodding. His claws glowed white-hot, extending like blades. Between his sharp teeth, a crimson glow flickered, his Pyro Sphere already building up.

-Bazzet in the sidelines-

The moment Bazett took the little ones to the side, Romani's screen appeared, his expression anything but pleased. "Bazett, what are you doing? Why did you let Takato face those monsters alone? You need to go to him and protect him!"

Bazett, without even glancing at the doctor, kept her gaze locked on the battle, watching how her Master carried himself. "I see... these creatures grow fast. Just a moment ago, Gigimon looked as if he had just hatched, and now he has taken the form of a proper dragon."

Her lips curled slightly in approval as she observed Takato. "And Takato... he isn't panicking, nor is he reckless. He stands firm in the face of danger, composed and tactical. Good. It seems he has what it takes to become a fine Magus."

Romani's frustration boiled over. "Are you even listening to me, Bazett?! You need to step in and protect him. NOW!"

Just then, the small Digimon floating beside her tilted his head, one of his tiny claws resting on his lips in confusion. His golden eyes flicked between Bazett and the flickering holographic screen. "Mister, why are you angry?" he asked innocently, his voice light and curious.

Romani, who had been fully focused on arguing with Bazett, paused. His gaze shifted to the tiny angelic Digimon now trying to touch the screen—only for his small claw to pass through the hologram, causing it to flicker upon contact.

"You're one of those Digimon, right?" Romani asked, now scrutinizing the tiny creature.

Cupidmon nodded enthusiastically.

"Listen," Romani sighed, rubbing his temple. "Normally, I'd love to sit down and ask you all kinds of questions, but now is not the time. That kid over there?" He gestured toward Takato, his voice firm. "He's very important, and he needs to be protected. So, how about you help me convince this stubborn woman to actually do something, huh?"

Cupidmon, still floating, simply blinked. Then, his expression turned to one of absolute certainty as he smiled. "But why?" he asked, tilting his head again. "The Knight of Hazard is here. He can't lose."

Romani's frustration shattered into confusion. "Knight of... what?"

Cupidmon looked proud as he puffed out his little chest, his small wings flapping faster in excitement.

"The Knight of Hazard!" he repeated as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "He's the hero of the Digital World! He and his friends saved us from the D-Reaper! Everyone knows about him! My dream is to one day evolve into a brave Digimon who protects the innocent, just like him!"

For a moment, he floated higher, his tiny wings fluttering rapidly in pure admiration.

Romani, now fully stunned, had no idea how to even respond.

Bazett, however, finally spoke, cutting through the conversation with a simple, calm statement. "Relax."

Romani turned back to her, incredulous.

"Takato and Guilmon are clearly in full control of this battle," she said, her voice carrying an undeniable note of pride as she continued watching her Master and his Familiar in action.

-Back to the battle-

As Guilmon charged, Algomon shrieked, its writhing appendages flaring out in all directions. "IMPRISONMENT!"

Takato's eyes widened. "GOTCHA! GUILMON—JUMP, NOW!"

With a powerful whip of his tail, Guilmon launched himself into the air, just as Algomon's tentacles slammed into the ground where he had been a second before.

"PYRO SPHERE!" Guilmon unleashed his overcharged Pyro Sphere. The massive ball of fire tore through the air, hitting Algomon point-blank.

The Digimon let out a wailing shriek, its form melting away into red data particles before completely disintegrating.

Takato exhaled sharply. 'One down.'

Keramon let out another twisted laugh. "Crazy Giggle! Crazy Giggle! Crazy Giggle!"

The distorted data orbs bombarded Guilmon mid-air, but... Nothing happened. Guilmon didn't flinch. Didn't even react.

Keramon's twisted grin faltered.

Takato smirked. "Guilmon, let's end this. HYPER WING—ACTIVATE!" He swiped a Digi-Modify card through his D-Arc.

A golden aura flared around Guilmon's back as a pair of bright red wings erupted from his shoulders. Takato was momentarily surprised by this transformation, as the usual angelic wings were replaced by more draconic ones that seemed strangely familiar to him, though he couldn't quite recall why.

With a single beat of his wings, Guilmon rocketed forward. "ROCK BREAKER!" The sheer momentum behind his attack made him a blur.

Keramon barely had time to react before—

SLASH.

Guilmon's claws sliced through its throat like a hot knife through butter. For a moment, Keramon's head remained in place, only for it to slide clean off and fall to the floor, with the deranged smiling expression still stuck on its face. Then Its body exploded into red data particles.

Guilmon landed gracefully, his new wings folding behind him. The glowing data of their fallen enemies swirled toward him. Guilmon absorbed the remnants of his prey. Then Guilmon threw his head back and let out a victorious roar.

Takato smiled, pride swelling in his chest.

Bazett, watching from the sidelines, gave an approving nod. "Impressive. Your Digimon is a true predator."

Takato grinned. "Told you."

The battle was over.