“The tracker was destroyed,” Ceno informed his comrades. “She finally figured it out.”

On the floor, the Shadow Virus groaned in pain. Deformed red pixels weakly fluttered into the air. Ceno grimaced at the sight of the virus, and the sight of the monster who hosted it. 

Slowly, with shaking hands, the Shadow Virus pushed himself up onto his hands and knees. His one recognizable eye was glassy, widening as he took in his surroundings.

“Good morning, Nikolai,” Ceno said, folding his arms. 

The Shadow Virus tried to stand, but Zvezda hit him with a burst of lightning. He collapsed to the ground, shuddering uncontrollably. 

“W-what’s happening?” the Shadow Virus choked out as soon as he could speak. His voice was a ragged rasp. He could hardly remember the events of the previous night. He disjointedly recalled waking up here in a similar fashion, to the presence of Ceno and a girl with a deranged smile. 

Ceno smiled. “Don’t you remember? We’ve brought you here to help you.” He and Iyanna exchanged a glance, and Iyanna pixelated. Ceno ran a hand through his hair, making it stick up. “We’re going to drive the virus out of you.”

The Shadow Virus’s eyes narrowed. He did not trust Ceno. There was nothing helpful, nothing benevolent about Ceno. There had to be another reason for this, but his brain was too fried to reason properly. What had happened to him? He recalled blinding lights, burrowing pixels, brutal flashes of pain, and the smug faces of the Digitized, taunting him, uttering words he could not hear through the screaming in his ears. 

“Help the virus up,” Ceno nodded to Zvezda. With a vacant smile, she levitated the Shadow Virus up off the floor, then dropped him abruptly. He landed hard on his feet. His knees immediately buckled, but she held him in place with a collection of blazing white pixels. Panic boiled in his blood. That was the girl with the demonic grin, the one who had so deeply delighted in tormenting him. He wanted to launch himself across the room and attack her, but his body felt limp and useless, as if he no longer had control of his muscles. His strength was spent. He had never felt closer to death. But the virus still burned away within him, energized and eager, just waiting to be unleashed. 

Ceno stepped closer to the Shadow Virus. The Shadow Virus surveyed him coolly for a second. Then he drew upon the only power he had left, and pixelated.

He thrust his arms forward. Jagged red lines of crackling power hit Ceno full-force. Ceno crashed to the ground, shuddering uncontrollably. The Shadow Virus whirled around, unintentionally dragging virus-riddled lines of light across the small dark room, sending up sparks and carving corruption into the walls. He directed a burning mass of red pixels toward Zvezda, but she glitched and sent another searing blast of electricity from her outstretched palms, neutralizing and disintegrating them all. The Shadow Virus stumbled, feeling the demon stir in him, threatening to take over. Pixelating had been a mistake. He was going to lose control. A hideous pain filled him as the virus burned, no longer in harmony with his own desires. He crashed back onto his knees, struggling for control over his limbs.

Iyanna helped Ceno up. He was trembling, pale, turning to pixels. A digitized growl emanated from his throat as he stared the Shadow Virus down.

“Zvez?” Ceno barked, tearing his eyes away from the convulsing monster on the floor. “You know what to do.”

She nodded and floated closer, with a carefree expression on her translucent face.

“This is going to hurt,” Ceno informed the shuddering, gasping Shadow Virus.

-

Eva knew exactly where to go. She let the error woven through her be her guide, latching onto the energies of the Digitized and following their trail. Her digital form knew the way, even when the human parts of her didn’t. 

She’d waited far too long to go after the Shadow Virus, overcome by fear. Was he still alive? Would she be too late to save him? A million uncertainties crowded her mind, but she had made her decision. Maybe she couldn’t take on all three Digitized. Maybe she would fail, and be killed along with him. But she had to at least try. 

She almost started laughing, as she navigated the crowded city streets. She had thought of the Shadow Virus as her hero fro the moment they met. Now it was about to be the other way around.