Chapter 104: Gatomon's Confusion
Myotismon left.
The heavy, oppressive echo of his boots finally faded down the spiraling stone corridor. Only when she was absolutely certain he was out of sight did Gatomon allow her rigid posture to slacken. Her fur bristled as she exhaled a long, shuddering breath, finally shedding the mask of cold obedience. She bared her fangs at the empty doorway, her azure eyes flashing with unadulterated loathing.
This survival instinct was a bitter lesson carved into her data through countless torments. In this suffocating world shrouded in perpetual darkness, she had learned to bury her indomitable spirit. Only by hiding her fangs and swallowing her pride could she carve out a fleeting moment of respite in Myotismon's domain.
She curled her small paws into tight fists. 'Why was I even born into this world?'
A fragmented image flickered in her mind. A distant, hazy memory. Something warm. Something she couldn't afford to forget, no matter how much the darkness tried to erase it.
Just as Gatomon was lost in her silent pondering, a ragged, cloaked figure materialized quietly behind her.
"Gatomon? What's wrong? You don't look so good."
The sudden voice made her flinch. "...Wizardmon?"
She turned, glaring at the wandering magic-user with clear displeasure. "Didn't I tell you not to disturb me when I'm thinking?" she snapped, her tone sharper than intended.
"...Sorry. I was just a little worried," Wizardmon replied, his voice muffled beneath his heavy collar. He shifted awkwardly, his staff tapping lightly against the stone floor, clearly flustered by her sudden hostility.
Watching his dull, almost clumsy reaction, Gatomon's irritation melted into a helpless sigh. She relaxed her stance. This Digimon had been saved by her in a chance encounter a long time ago. Ever since that day, Wizardmon had shadowed her steps, quietly determined to repay his life debt through unwavering loyalty.
Looking at him now, she had to admit a quiet truth: in this dreary, blood-chilling castle, he was her only remaining friend. The only soul she could actually converse with.
"Lately, you've been spacing out more than usual," Wizardmon noted, his glowing eyes filled with quiet concern. "I was worried Myotismon had been tormenting you again."
"...No." Gatomon shook her head, subconsciously rubbing her oversized, clawed gloves together. "I just... I don't know why. I have this strange feeling." She looked down at her paws. "It's as if something incredibly important has finally appeared in this world."
"Something important?" Wizardmon tilted his head, his brow furrowing beneath his wide-brimmed hat. "I remember you mentioning once that you were waiting for someone. Could it be that this person has finally shown up?"
"Waiting for... someone?"
The words struck a chord deep within her core. The hazy warmth in her memories flared to life, pulling sharply at her chest. 'Am I... waiting for someone?'
A sudden ache pierced her skull. Gatomon gasped, her legs giving out as she sank to her knees, clutching her head.
"Gatomon!" Wizardmon rushed forward, dropping his staff to support her weight.
"Wizardmon... I... I can't remember," she trembled, her voice tight with frustration. "It should be something so important. But it's been too long. The memories are buried too deep."
Wizardmon held her steady, thinking seriously for a long moment before speaking softly. "How about this, Gatomon? You could try going back to the place where you were first born. Perhaps returning to your roots will help untangle those memories."
"Where I was born?" Gatomon forced herself to breathe, the pain slowly receding. She stood up, brushing off her knees. "Alright... I'll find the time to go back and look." She cast a disdainful glance toward the corridor. "That tyrant Myotismon is in a frantic rush lately. I don't know what's wrong with him, but it means he shouldn't have the time to bother me for a while."
"Hmm. In that case, I'll go with you," Wizardmon offered immediately.
"...Whatever, you busybody," Gatomon muttered, turning her head away with a classic, stubborn pout. But the faint twitch of her tail betrayed her relief.
Miles away, as the first golden rays of morning sunlight breached the horizon, the sleeping earth began to awaken.
Pi! Pi! Pi!
A strange, rhythmic chirping echoed through the air. The Digimon stirred, groaning as they slowly opened their eyes, still half-lost in dreams of data and battles.
But the moment their vision cleared, sleep vanished entirely.
"What... what is this place?" Agumon stammered, his jaw dropping. The honest reptile, who harbored the fierce data of MetalGreymon, rubbed his eyes in sheer disbelief.
Gone were the endless dunes of scorching sand. Instead, they were surrounded by a vibrant, lush jungle. Towering trees formed a thick canopy overhead, and the air was thick with the scent of damp earth and blooming flora.
"Were we ambushed? Transported somewhere else in our sleep?" Monochromon growled, his heavy armored body shifting into a defensive stance. His eyes darted around the foliage, looking entirely ready to trigger his dark digivolution into SkullGreymon at the slightest provocation.
Before panic could set in, the calm and analytical voice of BlackAgumon cut through the tension. "Calm down. We are still in the desert zone." The dark variant, carrying the dormant power of a blue MetalGreymon, pointed a claw through a gap in the dense trees. "Look over there. The Pyramid."
Following his gaze, the group spotted the familiar, dilapidated structure of the Dark Network Pyramid looming just beyond the treeline.
"That's where we had our massive feast yesterday," BlackAgumon deduced, crossing his arms. "We weren't moved. The environment itself was altered while we slept. And considering we are completely unharmed, this was almost certainly the work of Lord Mizuki."
"Now that you mention it, that makes perfect sense..." Agumon nodded solemnly, his panic instantly evaporating. "If something completely impossible and bizarre happens, just assume Lord Mizuki did it. Then you don't have to worry about it!"
"No... why does that sound a bit off?" BlackAgumon sweatdropped.
"More, where is Lord Mizuki?!" BlackGatomon interrupted, entirely uninterested in the miraculous terraforming. Her tail lashed impatiently as she scanned the jungle, desperate to locate the figure she admired above all else. "Lord Mizuki! Lord Mizuki~!"
"Are you awake, pi? If you're awake, come over here, pi!"
The unfamiliar, high-pitched voice echoed through the trees. The Digimon exchanged wary glances before breaking into a sprint, crashing through the dense underbrush toward the source of the sound.
They burst into a spacious, sunlit clearing and froze.
There, in the center of the makeshift arena, their beloved Lord Mizuki was locked in an intense, high-speed spar with a small, round, pink Digimon wielding a long spear.
"Mizu, your attacks are far too desperate, pi!" the pink fairy-like Digimon scolded, effortlessly twirling his spear to deflect a vicious strike. "Although your combat experience is decent and your movements are incredibly flexible, you can't always rely on trading blows, pi! Battle is ultimately about survival, pi! You need to cherish your own life more, pi!"
Mizuki grinned, wiping a bead of sweat from his chin. His eyes gleamed with that familiar, mischievous trollish light. "I understand, pi!"
"Don't mimic my speech, pi!!!"
Off to the side, Belle sat cross-legged in the grass. Her eyes were closed in deep meditation, her aura pulsing softly as she focused on her internal data.
"Feel... feel the subtle changes in the data flow... pi~" Belle murmured serenely.
"I said! Stop mimicking my speech, pi!!!" the pink Digimon shrieked, his wings fluttering in pure exasperation.
From the edge of the clearing, BlackGatomon saw only one thing: a strange creature swinging a weapon at her master.
"Who the hell are you?! How dare you lay a hand on Lord Mizuki!"
Darkness erupted. Without a second of hesitation, BlackGatomon tapped into her core, her data expanding violently as she transformed straight into her Ultimate level form.
LadyDevimon tore through the clearing, her crimson eyes blazing with murderous intent.
Seeing the towering demon of darkness charging at him, the pink Digimon sighed. He swung his spear in a wide arc, catching Mizuki by the collar and casually tossing him out of the danger zone. In the very next breath, he spun around, bringing the shaft of his spear up to meet LadyDevimon's descending demonic sword.
CLANG!
A shockwave of displaced air ripped through the clearing as the two weapons collided.
"Your attacks are far too straightforward, pi~" the small Digimon critiqued, holding back the massive blade with infuriating ease. "Fighting like this, you'll easily be caught off guard by a cunning enemy, pi~ You need to be more flexible, pi!"
"All these 'pi's are getting on my nerves!" LadyDevimon snarled, pressing her weight onto the blade.
Despite the initial clash, LadyDevimon quickly analyzed the feedback from her sword. Though her strike had been skillfully parried, she didn't sense an overwhelming, crushing physical strength radiating from the small creature.
Her lips curled into a wicked, arrogant smirk. 'I can win!'
Fueled by her miscalculation, LadyDevimon kicked off the ground, brandishing her demonic sword as dark energy coiled around the blade. "I don't care who you are! Since you have the audacity to cause trouble for us, that means—" She leveled the tip of her sword at him. "You're prepared to die, right?!"
"Hehe~ You're quite confident, pi!" The pink Digimon chuckled, his grip tightening on his spear. The air around him suddenly hummed with a dense, terrifying pressure. "However, if you underestimate your opponent too much, be careful not to lose miserably, pi!"
As the final word left his lips, the ground beneath them cracked, and LadyDevimon clashed once more with the enigmatic Ultimate-level master!
[Akarin's Note:
Enjoying the story? Dropping a quick review, comment, or Power Stone means the world to me and keeps these daily updates flowing!
Want to read 50 chapters ahead or just want to help keep a shameless translator alive? (My livelihood actually depends on this, haha 😭). You can support me directly here:
(P.S. Just remove the brackets and replace the [.] with a regular dot . to use the links!)
✨ Patreon (50 Advanced Chapters): patreon[.]com/AkarinTL
☕ Ko-fi (Support / Sponsor): ko-fi[.]com/AkarinTL
🔗 All My Links: linktr[.]ee/AkarinTL
Thank you so much for reading and keeping this project alive!]