Chapter 147: A Strange Dream
War... death... The wails of sorrow had become the world's only remaining melody. Above, the sky was suffocated by a heavy, despairing shroud of shadows.
He could only watch. Rooted to the spot, he was a helpless spectator to the unfolding slaughter, entirely powerless to intervene as the tragedy played out before him.
In the next fraction of a second, a blinding, glacial flash reflected in his dilated pupils. It was the descent of a pristine blade—a greatsword swinging with an apocalyptic aura that threatened to sever the very fabric of reality.
Before the blade could finish its arc, before Mizuki could comprehend the totality of the destruction, his eyes snapped open. He jolted awake, his chest heaving as he escaped the suffocating grip of the dream.
Tracking Deathmon earlier had drained a considerable amount of his stamina. After BlackAgumon had escorted them to their guest quarters, Mizuki and Belle had immediately collapsed for a much-needed rest.
Now, the room remained exactly as quiet and dimly lit as when they had first closed their eyes. The only difference was the heavy, warm weight pressing against his side. His partner was currently clinging to his body with the relentless grip of an octopus.
They always said that having a heavy weight pressing down on your chest during sleep caused nightmares. Looking at his current predicament, it seemed that old superstition had some merit.
Mizuki let out a quiet breath, glancing down at Belle. His eyes softened with a mixture of deep affection and helpless amusement. Yet, as he gently adjusted his position, his thoughts inevitably drifted back to the visceral terror of his dream.
'I am...'
It was just a dream. It had to be. And yet, the sensory details—the scent of ash, the bone-chilling cold of the blade—were far too vivid.
It felt as though the tragedy he had just witnessed was unfolding at this very second in some forgotten corner of this world... or perhaps, playing out across the boundaries of an entirely different universe.
In the silence of the room, Mizuki closed his eyes and deliberately slowed his breathing, forcing his racing heart to settle.
Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't dwell on a mere nightmare. But his current reality was anything but normal.
He knew the original trajectory of this world. In the original Digimon timeline, Kari Kamiya often acted strangely, falling into mysterious trances because she was targeted and possessed by Homeostasis—the digital world's absolute security system.
And now, without a shadow of a doubt, the gaze of Homeostasis had locked onto him.
Mizuki didn't consider himself a mystic or a prophet, but when an ethereal entity like Homeostasis was involved, a dream was never just a dream. It was a message.
So, was that apocalyptic wasteland the future? Or was it happening right now?
If it was a glimpse of the future, was this vision meant to be a warning? A desperate plea for him to intervene?
That blinding sword... if his eyes hadn't deceived him, the design and the sheer, overwhelming holy aura belonged to only one weapon: Omnimon's sword.
In this world, the only individuals capable of bringing Omnimon into existence were Taichi Kamiya and Matt Ishida.
Recalling the absolute devastation in his dream, Mizuki slowly shook his head. The Omnimon he had seen didn't radiate the noble aura of a Guardian of Justice. Instead, the towering knight had felt cold, ruthless—a Perpetrator of mass destruction.
Could Taichi be responsible? After fighting alongside the goggle-wearing boy, Mizuki was one hundred percent certain of his character. Taichi would never sanction such a massacre.
As for Matt... true, his emotional instability in the original series left much to be desired, but the current Matt had already begun to mature, largely thanks to Mizuki's own subtle guidance.
'So, that Omnimon isn't a Digimon from this world?'
Driven by a sudden restless energy, Mizuki carefully untangled himself from Belle's grasp and slipped out of bed. He walked over to the window, his gaze drifting out into the gloom.
Through the glass, the imposing silhouette of a gothic structure loomed in the distance, rising ominously not far from their anchored cruise ship.
Myotismon's castle.
More specifically, his focus lay on what was hidden deep within its stone walls: the dimensional gate. The very threshold that bridged the Human World and the Digital World.
'If that dream really is a premonition,'Mizuki thought, his eyes narrowing at the distant spires,'does that mean I will pass through this gate and head to a world I know nothing about?'
Did they expect him to play the role of a savior?
Mizuki scoffed softly, shaking his head to clear the messy, spiraling thoughts.
Savior or whatever, it was a ridiculous notion.
There was no denying that he and Belle had grown terrifyingly strong. Together, their combined combat prowess was staggering. In gaming terms, they were stat monsters—brute-force juggernauts capable of crushing most adversaries through sheer power.
But compared to the god-like entities that truly stood at the apex of the countless Digital Worlds? There was still a massive, impossible gap. Those apex beings weren't just strong; they were mechanic breakers—glitched anomalies wielding reality-warping rules on top of their sky-high stats.
'There's still a long way to go...'Mizuki reminded himself, his expression hardening with resolve.'Whether it's for Belle's sake, or to protect this hard-won second chance at life, every step must be taken with absolute caution.'
Just as the heavy weight of his thoughts began to settle, a soft, sleepy voice drifted from the bed.
"Mizu... mm~ are you awake?"
Mizuki's serious demeanor instantly melted. He turned his head, his gaze softening as he looked at the bed. "Belle..."
Hearing her cute, groggy murmur, he walked back over.
"Good morning~ How did you sleep?" Belle chimed, stretching her arms above her head.
"...Ugh? Morning?" Mizuki chuckled, crossing his arms. "Take a look outside. It's clearly already evening~"
Ignoring his correction, Belle rubbed her tired eyes and sat up. She was completely oblivious to the state of her attire—her clothes were rumpled and slipping off her shoulders, exposing a generous amount of pale, flawless skin to the cool air of the room.
Seeing the girl's inadvertently seductive appearance, Mizuki sighed helplessly. He sat on the edge of the bed and reached out, gently pulling her collar up and smoothing out the fabric.
"You really need to work on your sleeping posture. It's absolutely terrible~" he scolded lightly, though his tone held no real bite.
"Ehehe, that's only because sleeping next to Mizu is just too comfortable," she purred, leaning into his touch.
Watching the youth carefully tidy her clothes, Belle let out a few soft, melodic giggles. Then, without warning, she threw her arms wide open.
"Mizu~"
"Huggy~"
When Mizuki paused, raising an eyebrow at her childish demand, Belle's pink cheeks immediately puffed out into an adorable pout.
"Huggy!" she repeated, her tone far more insistent as she made grabbing motions with her hands.
Mizuki didn't quite know whether to laugh or sigh.
It was a strange feeling. In her current Angewomon form, Belle's appearance was distinctly more youthful and girlish compared to the mature, dangerous allure of her BeelStarmon state. Yet, even with this softer aesthetic, she still possessed the body of a young woman slightly older than Mizuki's current physical age.
But... whatever.
A hug it is.
After all, she was his partner. Doting on her was practically in his job description.
With a quiet chuckle, Mizuki leaned forward and pulled Belle into his arms. He supported her back with one hand, and as if it were the most natural thing in the world, Belle immediately wrapped her slender legs around his waist to secure herself.
Her hands came up to cradle the back of his head, firmly pressing his face into the soft, generous hills of her chest.
"Ehehe~ I knew Mizu treats me the best~ so to speak," she hummed happily, her chin resting on top of his head.
"Loosen your grip a bit," Mizuki's muffled voice grumbled from against her collarbone. "Are you actively trying to smother me?"
It took a considerable amount of effort for him to pry his face away from her suffocating embrace. He shot her a frustrated, half-hearted glare.
In response, the angelic girl merely blinked innocently and playfully stuck out her tongue.
She opened her mouth, likely to tease him further, but the words died in her throat.
The distinct sound of heavy footsteps echoed from the corridor outside their door.
The playful atmosphere vanished in an instant. Sensing the approaching presence, Mizuki and Belle immediately locked eyes—well, as much as one could make eye contact with an Angewomon wearing a metal faceguard—and quickly separated.
A brilliant flash of digital light illuminated the dim room. In the blink of an eye, they reverted to their smaller forms—Gatomon and Zubamon.
Just as the light faded, the footsteps came to a sudden halt directly in front of their room.
A second of heavy silence passed.
Then, a crisp, deliberate knock rang out against the wooden door.
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