The sparring platform still shimmered faintly with the remnants of Daiki's battle. Steam rose from the scorched stone, but the air was quiet now—filled only with the breathless hush of the DigiDestined watching. Raikomaru, small compared to the towering Daiki and the other champions, walked toward the platform with his tail crackling softly behind him.
Piximon floated in place, still and unreadable.
Naruto had just begun to rise from his seat when he felt the tug—small but firm. Raiko's paw had grabbed his cloak.
"…Don't," Raiko said quietly. "Not yet."
Naruto turned, blinking. "What's wrong?"
Raiko looked up at him, electric blue eyes shining with something fierce and steady.
"Let me go."
"…Huh?"
"I want to fight him. On my own."
Naruto hesitated. The others turned, startled by the bold request. Sora and Matt exchanged surprised glances. Tai leaned forward, his bowl of half-eaten rice forgotten.
"I know I'm not a Champion. I know I'm not evolved," Raikomaru said, voice low but clear. "But I'm your partner, Naruto. Even if you're not a human… even if it's different for us… I want to show them that I'm worth standing beside."
He looked down, paws clenched. "Watching the others, I—I wanted that too. Someone who believes in me. Who fights with me. Who doesn't look down on me because I'm small, or because I'm not flashy."
Naruto softened.
Raiko continued. "I've always looked up to you. Not because you're strong—but because you never give up. So let me show you I can be that too."
A beat of silence.
Then Naruto grinned.
"Raiko… You little rascal."
He crouched down, placed a hand on Raiko's head, and let a gentle current of chakra flow into him—a warm, supportive hum.
"You're already stronger than you know. Go knock him off that cloud."
Raiko gave a sharp nod, static dancing in the fur on his ears. He bounded forward onto the sparring stage, tail flicking, sparks trailing behind him with each step.
From across the field, Piximon hovered silently.
"An Elecmon, hm?" Piximon said, voice even. "No evolution. No human tamer. Only your will to fight."
Raiko lowered into a stance, fur bristling, his ears twitching as electricity charged at his paws.
"Is that supposed to scare me?" he said with a crooked grin. "Because I've got something better than evolution."
Piximon's eyes narrowed. "Oh?"
Raiko's voice echoed across the platform. "I've got Naruto Uzumaki believing in me!"
Naruto stood tall from the sidelines, arms crossed and smiling wide. "Damn right, partner."
The others couldn't help but cheer softly, even TK and Mimi now sitting up with looks of surprise and awe.
As lightning crackled around Raikomaru, and Piximon raised his spear, the atmosphere thickened with energy.
Tiny though he was, Raikomaru stood like a warrior.
A flash of power sparked from his tail as the match began.
Piximon vs. Raikomaru – The Underdog's Roar
The moment the match began, Raikomaru surged forward in a blur of red lightning. The cloak of the Nine-Tails rippled around his small form—like a living flame of chakra crackling with fury and purpose.
Piximon, watching him with calm eyes, raised his golden spear.
Raikomaru leapt, chakra arms unfurling like whips behind him. One struck toward Piximon's right side while his tail crackled and fired a bolt of lightning dead ahead. The red chakra hand curved in midair like a serpent, but Piximon twisted elegantly, the spear slicing through both the bolt and the chakra arm in one motion.
CRACK—!
Raikomaru landed, rolled, and immediately fired another shot. Two bolts. Then three. Each time the spear deflected them with impossible grace. Piximon wasn't even trying to hurt him—he was dancing, floating like a storm in perfect control.
"Come, Elecmon," Piximon said evenly. "You have strength. Show me your will."
Raikomaru snarled, eyes wild, and pushed more chakra into his tails. Red tendrils extended behind him—he used them like vines, latching onto stones on the battlefield and swinging himself in an arc to get behind Piximon. Then he struck, claw wreathed in crackling electricity.
Piximon turned his head—and that was enough.
WHAM—!
Raikomaru was slammed into the platform by the shaft of the spear, pain exploding through his side. He gasped, but the cloak cushioned most of it. He flipped back up—still fighting.
The cloak flexed again—his chakra hands trying to catch Piximon mid-teleport, but Piximon vanished with a flicker of wind and reappeared behind him.
ZAP!
Fairy Lightning struck his back.
Raikomaru screamed.
He rolled forward, firing lightning from his tails blindly—raw arcs of blue fury ripping across the field—but Piximon weaved through them, untouchable.
His movements became slower.
His breath came in pants.
The boost was ten times... but even so, a Champion was twice that strong. And Piximon, even holding back, was a veteran of battle.
Raikomaru stood, panting, shoulders shaking.
He looked up—right at Naruto.
His partner. His tamer. The one who gave him this chance.
"…Sorry," Raikomaru whispered. "I thought I could… but I'm just…"
His ears drooped. "I'm still just a small, stupid Digimon."
Naruto's eyes softened.
He'd seen this before—in himself. That aching doubt. That moment when everything tells you you're not enough. That your best wasn't good enough. That you'll never reach those heights.
But Naruto had never let it end there.
"…No, Raiko," Naruto said, stepping forward, his eyes glowing with power. "You're not done."
He clapped his hands together, forming a familiar sign.
"Transformation Jutsu—!"
A pulse of chakra surged from his fingers, flowing into Raikomaru like wildfire. The cloak rippled—
—and Raikomaru changed.
His form stretched upward.
His small body became a towering one—still crimson-furred, still with the crackling tails—but now his frame was humanoid. Two meters tall, broad-shouldered, his claws sharpened, and his tails arched like a crown of serpents behind him. His eyes blazed with electric gold.
Raikomaru looked down at his hands in awe.
"I… I'm still me… but…"
Naruto grinned. "That form's not stronger. But it's yours. It's made to fight. Now show him what it means to stand tall!"
Raikomaru bared his fangs.
"Let's finish this!"
He shot forward again—faster now with his new form's reach and balance. He caught Piximon's spear with two chakra arms and fired a concentrated bolt of lightning into the ground—using the backlash to launch himself sideways and slam a punch into Piximon's side.
Piximon skidded back, eyes flicking upward in surprise.
Raikomaru came in again, claws slicing, tails whipping. This time, he fought not like a cornered beast—but like a warrior.
Still… Piximon was a master.
The exchange grew faster—each blow Raikomaru landed was followed by three in return. The spear danced around him, striking pressure points, tripping his steps. Piximon even caught one of his lightning tails and twisted it, flinging Raiko hard into the ground.
He hit the stone with a crunch.
The cloak flickered. His arms trembled.
Piximon stood over him, spear ready—but paused.
Raikomaru tried to stand.
His knees buckled.
And yet—he still looked up.
"…Still not enough…" he whispered. "But I'm not giving up…"
Piximon's eyes softened.
"…Then this lesson has been learned well."
He lowered the spear and nodded.
Naruto rushed in and caught Raiko as the cloak fully dispersed, the transformation undone. His partner collapsed into his arms, smiling weakly.
"Did I do… okay?" Raikomaru murmured.
Naruto held him tighter.
"You were amazing."
And all around them, the others—Mimi, TK, Sora, even gruff Matt—looked on in awe, the silence filled with something heavy and powerful.
Respect.
Raikomaru had stood up.
And in doing so—he made them want to rise too.
-------------------
As the dust finally settled and Raikomaru rested in Naruto's arms, his chest rose and fell in shallow, ragged breaths. The red glow of the Nine-Tails cloak had faded, but the light in his eyes hadn't. Not completely. It was dim, uncertain—but still burning.
Naruto gently placed a hand on Raikomaru's furred head, brushing back the tufts between his long ears. He smiled, not the cocky grin most knew him for, but something softer. Warmer. Like a big brother.
"You were incredible out there," Naruto said. "You've got the guts. The spirit. You fought like a real hero."
Raikomaru blinked up at him, his voice shaky. "But I lost… so bad. Even with your power, I… I didn't stand a chance."
Naruto shook his head. "Winning and losing ain't everything, Raiko. What matters is that you stood up. You fought with everything you had. And even when it looked hopeless—you kept going."
Raikomaru's claws trembled. "You still believe in me…?"
"I do. Because I saw it," Naruto said. "That fire inside you? That never-give-up heart? That's what makes you strong. And I'm gonna help you. We'll train together—fight together. I'll teach you how to battle like a real warrior."
The small Elecmon looked down at his paws, his mind still processing everything. "But… I'm just me. This little guy. Not fast enough, not strong enough. You think… I can really become something more?"
Naruto's smile widened, pride gleaming in his eyes.
"You're not just gonna become something more," he said. "You're going to evolve into Leomon."
Raikomaru's eyes widened, pupils quivering. "L-Leomon? You mean the king of beasts? The heroic warrior everyone talks about in stories…?"
"Damn right," Naruto said, voice filled with conviction. "You're gonna be strong, noble, and proud. You'll stand tall as a protector—just like him. But even more important… you'll be you."
"But… what if I'm not worthy?" Raikomaru asked softly. "What if I can't live up to that name?"
Naruto ruffled his fur. "You already are. You're my partner. And I'm not just anyone—I'm the future Hokage. Or should I say…"
He smirked, striking a confident pose.
"Hokagemon!"
Raikomaru stared for a moment… then burst out laughing. A small, broken, but real laugh.
"Y-You're the weirdest tamer ever…"
"Yeah, but I'm your weird tamer," Naruto grinned. "And we're gonna show the whole Digital World what we're made of."
Raikomaru closed his eyes, exhaustion pulling him under—but this time, it didn't feel like failure.