Chapter 70: BlackGatomon's Passionate Speech!
The blinding frenzy of digivolution finally began to subside. For nearly ten minutes, continuous streams of radiant data had illuminated the barren landscape, washing over the gathered Digimon in a stunning display of digital rebirth.
Mizuki watched as the final Agumon in the formation solidified its new form. The intense glow faded into the ambient digital atmosphere. A faint, satisfied smile touched Mizuki's lips. He gave a slow nod, quietly admiring the sheer scale of his handiwork.
Standing before him was no longer a ragtag group of stragglers, but a formidable, unified battalion. Over thirty Agumon stood shoulder-to-shoulder with an equal number of Tyrannomon, their scales gleaming with fresh, potent data. Towering slightly ahead of this reptilian infantry were four elite Champion-level commanders: BlackGatomon, a pair of fiercely loyal Dobermon, and a massive, battle-scarred Greymon.
Even on the unforgiving Server Continent, a localized military force of this caliber was nothing to scoff at. Thanks to the catastrophic structural mess left behind by Homeostasis, Mega-level Digimon were practically myths in this fractured world, and even Ultimate-level combatants were exceedingly rare. A disciplined army of Rookies and Champions was a genuine, terrifying threat.
BlackGatomon, having completed her own digivolution long before the others, suddenly stepped forward. Her sharp feline eyes scanned the newly empowered troops. Sensing the perfect dramatic timing while Mizuki was still caught up in his quiet observation, she spun around to face the ranks, her voice ringing out with startling volume.
"Listen up, everyone! I know you are all reveling in your newfound power right now, but do not forget who bestowed this miracle upon you today!"
"That is right! It is King Mizuki! It is the benevolent, magnanimous King Mizuki! He did not scorn us for our past transgressions. He did not strike us down when we foolishly stood against him! Instead, he carved out a path of hope and secured our future!"
She paced back and forth, her tail swishing with theatrical flair as she gestured toward the horizon. "You all know better than anyone that this world is overflowing with peril. The emergence of the Dark Masters and their vile forces has pushed the very structure and order of the Digital World to the brink of total collapse!"
"For any Digimon who wishes to escape this endless nightmare and seek a life of dignity, King Mizuki is your ultimate salvation. He is the safe harbor in this storm of darkness! He is the future of all Digimon! He is the sun! He is our guiding hope!"
Mizuki blinked. '...What?'
He stared blankly at the back of the impassioned feline's head. He had expected a simple expression of gratitude or perhaps a pledge of loyalty, not a full-blown, cult-like religious sermon. The sheer absurdity of the situation temporarily robbed him of his ability to speak.
Unaware, or simply uncaring, of her master's internal crisis, BlackGatomon's speech only escalated in fervor. "To protect the innocent brethren of the Digital World from the ravages of the Dark Forces, King Mizuki has done more than all the Digimon in this world combined!"
"Therefore, I demand that from this day forward, no matter what vile slander or treacherous lies you hear concerning King Mizuki, you must harden your hearts! Fortify your beliefs! Do not let yourselves be misled by the ignorant!"
"Never forget who allowed us, the lost and the broken, to achieve this glorious digivolution! From this moment on, we will continue to grow stronger. We will use our fangs, our claws, and our very lives to strike down those rotten apples who dare to speak ill of him and refuse to walk alongside us!"
"Always remember who holds the absolute power to protect you!" BlackGatomon finally paused. She planted her paws firmly on the ground and took a massive, shuddering breath. It was as if she was drawing every ounce of emotion and strength she possessed into her lungs. Then, she screamed at the top of her voice.
"King Mizuki's kindness can never be repaid!"
"Long live King Mizuki!"
Her words crashed over the assembled army like a tidal wave. The sheer fanaticism in her voice ignited a spark in the more than sixty Digimon present.
"King Mizuki's kindness can never be repaid!" roared over sixty voices in perfect, terrifying unison.
"Long live King Mizuki!"
"Long live King Mizuki!"
Mizuki stood frozen in the center of the deafening cheers. His initial shock had rapidly devolved into a deep, soul-crushing weariness. He rubbed the bridge of his nose, a deep sigh escaping his lips as he accepted his new reality as a supreme cult leader.
"Isn't this just fantastic?" Tai's voice drifted over from the sidelines, practically dripping with amusement. "Having so many Digimon recognize your greatness and willingly crown you as their supreme ruler. What a wonderful, heartwarming thing."
Mizuki turned his head. Tai was leaning against a nearby rock, sporting a sly, shit-eating grin that made Mizuki's knuckles itch with the sudden, overwhelming urge to punch the goggle-head square in the jaw.
"Are you jealous?" Mizuki shot back, his tone dangerously flat. "By all means, take the throne. The crown is yours."
"Oh, no, no, no." Tai waved his hands defensively, though the grin never left his face. "I am just an ordinary elementary school student. I definitely lack the regal bearing required to handle being a king."
Under Mizuki's intensely 'kind' and murderous glare, Tai chuckled nervously and quickly scurried back to hide behind Kari.
Seeing her older brother shamelessly use her as a human shield, a heavy sigh escaped Kari's lips. A deep look of exasperation, entirely unbefitting her young age, washed over her delicate features. She patted Tai's arm with a patronizingly gentle touch.
"Be a good boy, Onii-chan. Don't cause Brother Mizuki any more trouble."
Tai winced, sucking in a sharp breath. He looked down at his little sister, a genuinely unsettled expression crossing his face. "Kari... is it just my imagination, or have you been acting more and more like Mom ever since we got to the Digital World?"
"Oh? Have I?" Kari tilted her head, meeting Tai's gaze with a sweet, innocent half-smile that somehow felt incredibly dangerous. "I wonder why that is. I am looking for the reason myself."
She paused, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "But, if I had to guess... it is probably because I finally realized that my older brother is a hopeless idiot who cannot manage a single thing without me."
Tai clutched his chest as if struck by a physical blow. "Kari... since when did you become so viciously sharp-tongued?"
Kari simply hummed a cheerful little tune, turning her face away with a happy skip.
Mizuki watched the sibling dynamic play out from the corner of his eye. He wisely chose not to comment, though he did silently wish Tai a lifetime reservation in a very comfortable orthopedic ward for his blatant sis-con tendencies. Pushing the ridiculous thought aside, he turned his attention back to the massive army currently awaiting his orders.
Led by BlackGatomon, the entire battalion stood at perfect attention. Over a hundred pairs of bright, intensely focused eyes were locked onto him, burning with absolute devotion. They were waiting for their king's command.
"You all..." Mizuki started, then stopped. He looked at BlackGatomon, then back at the crowd. A heavy sigh escaped him. The sheer, unfiltered gratitude radiating from the Digimon was overwhelming. For a brief moment, the usually composed, endlessly strategic reincarnator looked genuinely at a loss for words.
But he was nothing if not adaptable. He took a breath, letting the cool logic of a commander wash away his embarrassment. His posture straightened, his aura shifting from a weary traveler to a decisive leader.
"King Mizuki," BlackGatomon prompted, her voice crisp and professional now that the cheering had died down. "What are your orders? What should we do next?"
"First of all," Mizuki said, pointing a stern finger at the feline, "we are going to have a very long talk about that speech of yours later."
BlackGatomon merely twitched her whiskers, looking entirely unrepentant.
Mizuki shook his head and addressed the gathered forces. "Our primary objective right now is to completely secure and take over Etemon's territory."
He paced slowly in front of the ranks, his voice carrying clearly across the barren dirt. "Etemon was defeated not long ago. However, considering the massive shockwaves and the sheer destructive commotion MetalGreymon caused during that battle, the news of his fall will spread across the Server Continent like wildfire."
"Power vacuums breed chaos," Mizuki continued, his eyes narrowing. "Scavengers and rival warlords will rush in to claim this land. To prevent this entire sector from collapsing into anarchy, and to establish a fortified base against the powerful enemies we will inevitably face in the future, we must act immediately. We secure the network, we secure the resources, and we lock this territory down."
"Understood!" the army roared back, their voices echoing off the distant canyons.
Wasting no time, Mizuki pulled up a holographic projection from his Digivice. Using the detailed intelligence and network maps BlackGatomon had previously gathered, he rapidly divided the Digimon into specialized squads, assigning patrol routes, defensive perimeters, and resource-gathering objectives.
Once the newly formed army marched off to execute their orders, Mizuki finally let his shoulders drop. He turned and walked back over to where the DigiDestined were gathered.
"Sorry about that, everyone," he called out, offering a casual wave. "Did I keep you waiting long?"
"Not at all." Izzy stood up, brushing the dust from his shorts while Tentomon hovered loyally by his shoulder. "In fact, it gave us the perfect opportunity to catch our breath and finish resting."
Tai opened his mouth, ready to step forward and throw another teasing remark at the 'King', but Izzy beat him to the punch. The red-haired boy adjusted his laptop bag, his expression unusually serious.
"Mizuki," Izzy asked, his voice cutting through the relaxed atmosphere. "Are you planning to separate from us now?"
The casual smiles vanished from the faces of the other children. A sudden, heavy silence fell over the group as they turned to look at Mizuki in surprise.
Tai froze mid-step. He blinked, his mind racing to catch up with Izzy's deduction, before his eyes widened in sudden realization.
"Mizuki..." Tai started, his voice laced with sudden apprehension. "You..."
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