As they’re walking through the desert, the children happen across a metal box, and Koshiro identifies it as a terminal for Etemon’s network. He plugs his computer into it and accesses the information. As he’s looking around, Takeru points out an icon on the screen and asks what it is. Koshiro says it’s an email, and opens it at Taichi’s urging. It’s an SOS, and the sender says that if they rescue him, he will tell them where the Crests are hidden. The children wonder who it is.
In his trailer, Etemon is angry because he doesn’t know how to find the chosen children. The Gazimon say that they don’t know what’s wrong, but they tell Etemon there is an abnormality in the pyramid’s computer, so Etemon decides to go there.
The children are debating as they walk, wondering if it’s safe to trust the mysterious email contact. They are following his directions, and after a while find Takeru’s Crest in a stone wall. Koshiro reads off his computer that the contact will tell them where the last Crest is when he is rescued. Mimi points out that behind where Takeru’s Crest was, a square tunnel has been revealed. Covering the inside walls are the same characters that were inside Andromon’s factory and Kentarumon’s ruins. Koshiro wipes out one character, and the tunnel lights up. He explains to the others that the program here has real world effects. He adjusts another bit, and a map of the area appears in the air. Everyone is shocked, and Jo says that it’s impossible for writing on a wall to affect the world like that, because it’s not like they’re inside of a computer. After a second, Koshiro says that they don’t know that. Everyone is shocked, and he says that he thinks that this entire world is a place where data has taken physical form. Everyone else tries to wrap their heads around that, and Sora asks what they are now, if everything there is data. Koshiro says that their physical selves are probably still at the campgrounds, and right now they’re just data.
Yamato asks if the person who emailed them is made of data too, and Koshiro says he probably is. He searches the email address, and finds the location of the sender. This makes him realize something, and he then changes the flat map to a globe. He shows everyone that the networks on the Digital World and the real world line up exactly, and says that the world they’re in is only made up of data. Everyone is stunned, and Koshiro says that they are inside the internet, in a shadow world inside of their own. Takeru asks if this means they will be able to get home soon, and Yamato explains that even though they’re close to earth, they can’t get there.
Taichi says that they should go rescue the email sender now, and Koshiro runs a program that came with the email. The back wall fades away, and suddenly the tunnel looks out into a different desert, which was far away from where they were. Koshiro says that the program must have been designed to warp space. They look out of the tunnel, which on this end is the mouth of a sculpted sphinx. They see Etemon’s trailer pull up to an upside down pyramid. Etemon says he’s come to punish Nanomon and goes inside.
Later that night, Sora and Piyomon come to relieve Taichi and Agumon from their watch. As they’re going inside, Sora apologizes to Taichi, saying that they’re going through all this trouble just to get her Crest. Taichi brushes her off, saying that’s just how it ended up. She still looks unhappy, and Taichi more gently points out that if her Crest was found first, and they were trying to find someone else’s, she wouldn't be thinking this way. She realizes he’s right, and Taichi says that they’re just data now anyway, so nothing’s too serious.
In the morning, Koshiro and Sora are hanging a little behind everyone else. Koshiro comments that even though they’re data, the data is very elaborate and bulky, so anything that happens in the Digital World will probably have repercussions when they return to their real bodies. Taichi calls for them to hurry up, and they run over. Koshiro says that there are hidden passages, and Jo reminds them that the purpose of their excursion is to find the email sender and get Sora’s Crest, so they should not get into any unnecessary fights. Taichi, Sora, Koshiro, Jo, and their partners start to sneak towards the pyramid while everyone else stays behind. They arrive just as Etemon walks out. He hears a noise they make, and starts to walk over. By the time he turns the corner, though, the group have found the secret passage and gone inside. Taichi pokes his head out and quietly mocks Etemon, who senses something irritating but still doesn’t know what is there. As Taichi walks back in, Sora rebukes him for being uselessly reckless, but Taichi brushes her off.
Koshiro says that the secret passages look solid, but really have no data. As they walk down the passage, Taichi finds a portion of the wall that is somewhat transparent. Koshiro says that to the other side, the wall will appear solid. Suddenly, two Gazimon walk by in the hallway. Everyone freezes, being quiet so that the Gazimon won’t hear them. As they walk by, Taichi quickly jumps through the wall, causing everyone to gasp in fear. He kicks one of the Gazimon, then leaps back through the wall. The Gazimon get into a fight, one thinking that the other kicked him, causing Taichi to stifle his laughter on the other side of the wall. After they’re a safe distance away, Sora furiously asks Taichi why he did that, saying that if they were found out, it would be disastrous. Taichi says she worries too much, and that they’re just data now. Jo shushes them, not wanting to be heard. After a moment, they arrive at an electrified wall. Koshiro says that one section, which acts as a hidden doorway, should have only harmless data in it. He tentatively points it out, and Taichi strides through immediately, making everyone gasp again. Unaffected, Taichi sticks his head back through, telling them to hurry up.
After a short walk, they step through a wall into a large room. They see Nanomon imprisoned in two glass triangles, and wonder if he is the Digimon who sent the emails. Koshiro’s laptop screen changes to an image of Nanomon, and his fragmented voice comes through. Nanomon says that long ago he got into a fight with Etemon, and lost. Etemon took away his memories and put him in charge of monitoring the network. After a time, though, Nanomon was able to re-build himself and recover his memories. He started to tamper with some of Etemon’s information. He wants to escape, but says he needs outside help. The children again wonder if they can trust Nanomon, and he reassures them that he is also an enemy of Etemon, so they can be allies. They agree to help, and Nanomon tells them how to operate the machinery to free him.
Right before they finish, Etemon bursts in with the Gazimon from earlier, both looking slightly battered. Etemon says that they have security cameras, and the Gazimon glare at Taichi. Etemon says that he knew his network was acting strange since the children arrived at the Server, and Nanomon says that it was him. Etemon charges at Taichi, and Koshiro, and all the digimon evolve. Taichi frees Nanomon, and he throws the glass panes of his prison outwards. One hits Birdramon, pinning her against the wall and causing her to degenerate back to her Piyomon form. Nanomon says that he has no more use for the children. Etemon laughs, saying that’s how Nanomon is. Nanomon uses his Plug Bomber attack, and Etemon uses Dark Spirits to meet it. They explode upward, and the group waiting at the sphinx are alerted to the battle.
Etemon throws Nanomon against the wall, where Sora is picking up Piyomon. Nanomon grabs them both, then runs away, saying he will use their power to beat Etemon. Taichi, Koshiro and Jo run after him, and see that he’s gone through the hidden doorway in an electric wall. Taichi tries to guess where the weak point is, ignoring Koshiro telling him to wait. He says that they’re just data, so they can start over if they mess up. He walks quickly towards the wall, and Koshiro frantically cries out for Jo to stop him. Jo jumps forward and grabs Taichi, who squirms and says they don’t have time for this. Koshiro says that the way Taichi is looking at the situation is completely wrong, and if they die here, they will be dead. He says that the hidden passage is a meter to their left, but Taichi stares at it, frozen and terrified.
The wall bursts behind them, and Agumon, Tentomon, and Gomamon are sprawled on the ground at Etemon’s feet. As Etemon is about to kill the children, the roof caves in, Garurumon and Togemon drop down. Yamato is with them, and calls for everyone to run while the Digimon distract Etemon. Taichi doesn’t move, and Yamato forcibly grabs him, pulling him away. After they’ve gotten away safely, Jo and Koshiro explain what happened. Taichi is crouching on the ground, head pressed against his knees, cursing as tears run down his face.
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