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Takuma understands the danger of this world. Even if the professor hadn’t seemed like a magnet for it, Fangmon’s screams stick in his mind as a warning. Don’t go near the fog.
Even knowing all this doesn’t mean he knows what to do about it. When Ryo starts to detach, muttering to himself in the corner of the classroom, all Takuma can think to do is stay with him and get him talking. He talks to Ryo as much as he can.
It doesn’t stop him and Haru from falling off the bridge.
Everyone rushes down to find him trying to drag himself into the fog, Haru standing behind him with a blank, almost bored expression. It’s only after Kunemon pulls him away that Takuma notices his ankles are completely wrong.
“I tried to keep him from getting hurt, but there was only so much I could do.” Haru says.
Takuma thinks he must be mistaken. He’s standing by completely unharmed, not even a scrape or a bruise. Maybe Ryo’s injuries are too minor for someone who just fell off a bridge, but it was probably just good luck.
Labramon is their only healer. Takuma thinks back to all the crystals he’s been picking up, filled with condensed power. He resolves that if he ever finds a healing one, it’s going on Agumon right away.
He’ll have to settle for the overflowing first aid kit.
Takuma couldn’t stand the idea of being half as mean to Agumon as Shuuji is to Lopmon. He tries his best to get them to work together, to get Shuuji to acknowledge Lopmon’s efforts. It only makes things worse.
When things go wrong again, Takuma wishes he didn’t see it coming.
Wendigomon picks Shuuji up so forcefully that even from halfway across the room Takuma can hear the crunch. As the monster raises Shuuji to his mouth, Takuma looks away. He hears the sound of Flymon rushing past, and Ryo yelling.
The sight that meets Takuma when he looks back makes him tremble with relief.
Shuuji is alive. Maybe Takuma should be worried that Ryo is standing on his barely healed ankles, or that he’s punching someone who’s leg was just broken, but Shuuji is alive and coming to his senses.
There’s still a fight to be had, Flymon is barely keeping Wendigomon at bay. It’s not over, but Takuma can rest easy knowing Agumon has a heal crystal now.
When they make it to the throne room, everyone starts running off on their own. Anxiety gnaws at his stomach, but Takuma tries to think logically. Everyone is in danger, but Kaito and Miu are directly fighting the enemy. They probably need his help the most.
He barely catches up in time to fight the Kenzoku surrounding Miu. They manage to fight them off, and everything seems fine.
Then Miu hears a voice.
She rushes off, and he and Kaito follow. The amusement park has some twists and turns, rubble from invasions and disrepair litter the ground making it difficult to keep up with someone who knows their way around. By the time they catch up with Miu, she’s over the threshold of the fog, reaching out to a shadowy figure.
Kaito pulls her out just as the Kenzoku’s trap is revealed, and in his rush they end up landing roughly on the ground. When they stand Miu is holding her wrist, but there’s no time to check if she’s okay.
They need to make it back to the others.
They spot the amusement park Kemonogami before they hear Aoi screaming for help. Between her and the professor, they’re barely keeping Saki out of the fog.
Saki lets go before Takuma can make it. The Kenzoku smashes her face into the ground, and she stops moving. “DEAD… A SHAME… NO LONGER A SACRIFICE…” The Kenzoku’s distorted voice calls.
Takuma holds Aoi back as she struggles, kicking and screaming for Saki. Takuma keeps his grip on her. He can see Floramon out of the corner of his eye, and she’s not fading. Saki is okay, but Takuma can’t do anything about it until the enemy is gone.
The Kenzoku slinks off, and he lets Aoi go. As she pulls Saki further away from the fog, Takuma catches a glimpse of her face. Saki’s nose is definitely broken, and there’s blood running down from her forehead. From his memory of camp first aid, he can guess she’s probably got a concussion.
The professor volunteers to carry her, and Aoi stays two steps behind carrying Labramon close enough to heal her as they escape into the tunnels.
Takuma doesn’t want to leave Aoi alone, especially after that mess in the library, but Labramon went after her and Saki still hasn’t woken up. Takuma needs to keep healing her. It’s only when the others start spotting signs of where she’s gone that Takuma thinks they won’t be gone long enough for Saki to get worse.
Takuma regrets not looking sooner.
When they find her he thinks Aoi is already dead. He doesn’t think her neck is broken, but it looks wrong, and her face is bleeding. She isn’t breathing. He ignores the others as they hold off Piedmon.
What do I do?
He knows without trying that Agumon won’t be able to heal her fast enough on his own. He spots Labramon nearby struggling to make her way to Aoi.
“Agumon, heal Labramon first. She can help.”
Every second is too much, but Takuma makes the right choice. When he hears Aoi start breathing again he collapses. Takuma doesn’t think he can take any more close calls.
They don’t get the time to appreciate Aoi being alive though, because Kaito makes a deal with Piedmon.
Boltboutamon is strong, but Takuma hates everything it represents. It’s a symbol of taking someone for granted. Dracmon deserved better.
When they finally chase Kaito down, he and Miu knock some sense into him. How dare he hurt Dracmon like this? If he’s really going to say Miu’s the reason he wants to be strong, strong enough to destroy anything that could hurt them, then why is he hurting people she cares about?
Kaito’s regret makes Boltboutamon change. Piedmon’s will takes over and it attacks Kaito. They manage to defeat it, and Takuma is glad to see that Dracmon makes it out.
Takuma is relieved. Kaito almost got worse than just being stabbed.
They can’t fight the master like this though. Everyone agrees to go back to the school to rest.
Takuma makes sure that he’s the last one through the portal. They all end up back in the spider lily forest, and they take a moment to breathe and plan their next steps. They aren’t ready to take on the task of bringing word of the Kemonogami to the world, not when most of them should probably be in the hospital.
The landslides end up being a blessing. They manage to move everyone to one nearby, and call for help.
The professor stays behind. He says someone needs to hide the Kemonogami, and he’s right. He stays long enough for the first round of kids to be loaded into the ambulance before he starts making his way to where he thinks he parked his car. Miyuki goes with him, refusing to be separated again despite the fact that she looks seconds away from collapsing. (Takuma isn’t sure he’s ever seen her eat. Sleep, sure, in short, quiet bursts, but never eating.)
Takuma is let out of the hospital right away. After all, he was never hurt. It’s only his thoughts that have been thrown off course.
His mind is on loop, bringing up everything he could have done to stop his friends from getting hurt. Maybe if he found them faster, fought harder, convinced them better, kept an eye on them when he was worried.
There’s nothing he can do about it now. Even if there were better choices, Takuma would never know. Maybe if he was the one hurt, he wouldn’t be getting so caught up in these thoughts.
But… he can’t help but think it’s his fault.
His mom is coming to pick him up soon. She sounded really freaked out over the phone when he told her he was at the hospital. Between everything that’s happened, and the video she’s sure to see sooner or later, Takuma makes a choice.
The least he can do is tell her the truth, so Agumon doesn’t have to hide.