Chapter 87: I Will Deal With Those Naturally Evil Little Devils Myself
"As expected. Just as I thought..."
Mizuki withdrew his hands, his eyes narrowing as he analyzed the residual data clinging to his two companions. He had quickly detected the creeping abnormality hidden deep within their digital cores.
At first glance, Mizuki had assumed this was merely residual data corruption bleeding over from the Dark Network. If he had not maintained a strict, careful focus during his diagnostic check, he might have completely overlooked this insidious fragment of code.
Noticing the slight, troubled furrow of Mizuki's brow, MetalGreymon (Blue) shifted his massive weight. A heavy sense of foreboding settled over the cyborg dinosaur.
"Lord Mizuki, our bodies—"
"Ah, there is indeed something unfavorable lurking in there," Mizuki interrupted smoothly, his tone calm and reassuring. "But you can rest assured. I will take care of it."
"No, that is not what I meant." MetalGreymon (Blue) shook his massive, cybernetic head, the metal plating grinding loudly.
Before the giant Digimon could finish his thought, the lithe, dark figure of LadyDevimon cut in, her crimson eyes fixed intensely on the human youth.
"Compared to us, the most important priority should be Lord Mizuki!" she insisted, her voice tight with concern. "If helping us will cause negative effects on your body, then perhaps—"
"Enough. Stop talking and be quiet."
Mizuki rolled his eyes at LadyDevimon, who had tried to step closer but found her path firmly blocked by Belle. "I have said it before. You are all my companions."
He offered a faint, gentle smile that stood in stark contrast to the dark, oppressive environment around them. "Since you are my companions, how could I possibly leave you in danger?"
"Lord Mizuki..." LadyDevimon murmured, her dark wings twitching.
As Mizuki firmed his resolve, his Digi-Soul flared to life. The radiant Light of the Heart poured from his hands, shining ever brighter, casting a warm, golden glow that pushed back the suffocating gloom of the surrounding wasteland.
Standing quietly to the side, BlackGatomon watched the brilliant display. Her feline eyes widened as the sheer purity of the energy washed over the area. Finally, she understood.
It was this exact, unwavering light that had previously dragged them out of endless madness and suffering. Only by deeply experiencing the suffocating despair of corruption could they truly comprehend the overwhelming preciousness of this salvation. It was a beacon of hope in a world designed to crush it.
Initially, BlackGatomon had just been drifting along, her thoughts heavily influenced by LadyDevimon's impassioned speeches. But now, witnessing this selfless act firsthand, BlackGatomon truly placed Mizuki on a pedestal of absolute reverence within her heart.
It echoed the exact topic Greymon and the others had discussed earlier—in this cruel, unforgiving Digital World, even the smallest act of genuine kindness was an very useful treasure. And what they were currently facing was not just a small act; it was the very embodiment of kindness and gentleness itself.
Consequently, the gaze BlackGatomon directed at Mizuki began to shift, growing increasingly... well... identical to the fanatical devotion constantly displayed by a certain LadyDevimon.
LadyDevimon blinked, sensing the shift in the feline's aura. '?'
Mizuki, completely oblivious to BlackGatomon's deep internal revelation, remained entirely focused on his task.
Nearly ten minutes had passed since he first began channeling his Digi-Soul into MetalGreymon (Blue) and LadyDevimon. Throughout this grueling duration, his consciousness and raw willpower waged a silent, vicious war against the malicious hidden danger entrenched within the two Digimon's bodies. He carefully isolated the corrupted data, rewriting and purging the viral anomalies thread by thread.
Watching him strain, Belle's hands clenched into fists. Several times, she considered tapping into her own unstable Ancient Species authority to forcefully intervene and ease Mizuki's burden. Yet, she forcefully swallowed the urge, her mind echoing the stubborn, protective words Mizuki had spoken earlier. She trusted him.
Another agonizing ten minutes crawled by.
Just as Belle's patience was fraying to its absolute limit, Mizuki finally reacted.
With a sharp exhale, he abruptly withdrew his hands. The golden light of his Digi-Soul flickered and faded into the air. Instantly, the color drained from his face, and his body swayed dangerously, his knees buckling under the sudden wave of exhaustion.
Before any of the massive Digimon could even twitch, Belle reverted to her true form in a blur of motion, her arms wrapping securely around Mizuki to catch his falling body.
"Mizu!" she cried out, holding him tight.
"Lord Mizuki!?" LadyDevimon gasped, stepping forward.
"Lord Mizuki, what is wrong?" MetalGreymon (Blue) rumbled, his single organic eye wide with alarm.
SkullGreymon rattled his massive skeletal frame. "As expected, were you injured? Damn it, it is all our fault—"
"Hey, do not overthink things."
Looking up at the circle of extremely worried, terrifyingly powerful Digimon looming over him, Mizuki adjusted his ragged breathing and offered a helpless, dry smile.
"I am just a little tired, that is all."
He leaned slightly against Belle, waving a hand dismissively. "Indeed, after consecutively helping so many companions complete their digivolution, and then having to forcibly dismantle a Demon Lord's countermeasures... the drain on my spiritual energy is quite extraordinary."
Saying this, Mizuki shrugged, raising a hand to stop LadyDevimon and MetalGreymon (Blue) before they could drown him in words of guilt.
"I already told you, I just feel a bit fatigued. Instead of worrying about me, why don't you focus more on your current condition?" He tapped his temple. "After all, both your bodies and your lives belong to yourselves—"
"No! Lord Mizuki, I have already stated this before!" LadyDevimon interrupted fiercely, her voice trembling with absolute conviction. "My life, my power, my everything belongs to you! From the exact moment you saved me, my mind was already made up!"
"..."
Compared to the fiercely outspoken fallen angel, MetalGreymon (Blue) appeared much more composed and reserved. However, judging by the burning intensity in his eyes, the cyborg dinosaur's thoughts aligned perfectly with LadyDevimon's fanaticism.
Mizuki, who had already tried and failed to persuade these two out of their absolute servitude multiple times, could only sigh and reluctantly steer the topic forward.
"Fine. You really are a couple of exasperating individuals." He shook his head, a fond glint in his eyes. "Your bodies are completely fine now. The hidden dangers planted inside your cores by the mastermind have been entirely eradicated."
In response, LadyDevimon tilted her head, a smug, entirely expected smile curving her dark lips. "Isn't that obvious? With Lord Mizuki taking action, there naturally wouldn't be any problems!"
"More, Lord Mizuki," MetalGreymon (Blue) rumbled, narrowing his eyes slightly as a heavy, oppressive aura leaked from his massive frame. "We want to know exactly who is behind all of this."
Hearing this, Belle, who was still supporting Mizuki's weight, recalled a specific title Mizuki had muttered earlier.
"Mizu, are you talking about the Demon Lord?" she asked, her brow furrowing. "But wasn't he supposed to have been destroyed by us back on File Island?"
"About that—" Mizuki averted his gaze, shaking his head regretfully at his partner. "The Demon Lord on File Island is not the same entity I am talking about now."
He straightened up slightly, his expression turning serious. "In terms of both methods and raw power, this Demon Lord—the one who left behind the Dark Network—is undoubtedly vastly stronger than the Devimon we faced on File Island."
Mizuki's eyes darkened as he pieced the puzzle together. "I even suspect that Devimon's Black Gears might simply be one of the hidden, fragmented pieces left behind by this true Demon Lord. Taking advantage of the cosmic clash between Apocalymon and Homeostasis... this Demon Lord really has the nerve to pull something like this in the shadows..."
"?"
As Mizuki and Belle conversed, MetalGreymon (Blue) and LadyDevimon listened intently to the entire exchange. However, their expressions quickly morphed into masks of utter confusion. They were completely baffled by the sheer scale of Mizuki's words.
What Demon Lord? What Devimon?
What in the world were Apocalymon and Homeostasis?
As for File Island... they vaguely knew of the location, but Black Gears? What were those?
Just as the two Digimon were drowning in a sea of confusion, a violent, rumbling sound suddenly erupted from deep beneath everyone's feet.
Immediately following the tremor, the earth cracked open violently. Dirt and shattered rock flew into the air as a terrifying figure drilled its way out from the underground depths!
"You hateful brats! How dare you steal the digivolution Key that Lord Devimon told me to hide!"
The creature spun its massive drill, kicking up a cloud of dust. "Now I have finally found you! You inherently evil thieves, I, Drimogemon, shall personally—"
However, before the furious Drimogemon could finish his grand declaration, the dust settled. The mole Digimon suddenly froze, acutely aware of several massive, suffocating shadows falling over him.
He slowly looked up.
MetalGreymon (Blue) lowered his massive, metallic snout, his single eye glowing ominously. "Drimogemon, is that right?"
LadyDevimon flexed her elongated, clawed fingers, a sadistic smile playing on her lips. "If I heard correctly—"
SkullGreymon leaned down, his massive ribcage rattling as hollow, ghostly flames flickered in his eye sockets. "Did you just call us hateful brats?"
MetalGreymon cracked his cybernetic knuckles, his heavy armor grinding. "If you do not mind, could you explain that to us properly?"
The rest of the heavily armed, terrifyingly evolved Digimon closed the circle, their eyes locked onto the tiny intruder. "Let us have a nice, long chat, Drimogemon."
In the blink of an eye, Drimogemon found himself completely walled in by a massive swarm of apex predators. Leading the charge were several oddly shaped, nightmarish behemoths (LadyDevimon: Wait, who are you calling oddly shaped?!).
The psychological impact of such a kind and friendly welcoming committee was absolutely immense. The sheer, concentrated terror radiating from the group was so overwhelming that it actually caused Drimogemon's brain—which had been heavily clouded and controlled by the Black Gear—to clear up considerably out of pure survival instinct.
Mizuki blinked, a dry, amused smirk touching his lips. "Oh~ Isn't this the Drimogemon that was hiding in the undersea cavern? I didn't expect this fellow to actually chase us all the way here..."
Belle glanced at the trembling mole. "Mizu, what should we do? Should we destroy it?"
"Uh... that shouldn't be necessary. After all, it is just a pitiful creature being controlled by Devimon." Mizuki shook his head, his tone laced with mild pity. "Just help it remove the Black Gear embedded in its back and—"
Before Mizuki could even finish his sentence, he watched in deadpan silence as SkullGreymon casually reached down and lifted the paralyzed Drimogemon up by the scruff of its neck, holding it out like a cheap plastic figurine.
At the same time, the skeletal giant used a single, massive bone claw to delicately pinch the spinning Black Gear on Drimogemon's back, plucking it out with a sickeningly wet pop.
Pop~ ♪
Drimogemon's eyes rolled back. "Ah♦!"
Mizuki: "..."
He stared at the twitching mole Digimon, then at the towering undead dinosaur holding it.
Well. As long as the result was good, that was all that mattered.
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