Chapter 153: An Opportunity
Dust settled over the uneven ground. Despite the chaotic skirmishes that had plagued their journey, the pieces were finally falling into place just as BlackGatomon had calculated. The brief shadow of frustration that had clouded her mind evaporated, quickly replaced by the sharp, capable edge that defined her every move.
"Gatomon," she began, her tone measured and cool. "I will concede this much. I do want to see Myotismon erased from the board. However, you need to understand one absolute rule. We cannot rush this process."
Gatomon narrowed her large blue eyes, her tail flicking in a slow, steady rhythm. "BlackGatomon, what exactly does that mean?"
"It means exactly what it sounds like." BlackGatomon met the probing stare with a casual shrug of her dark shoulders. "You served under Myotismon for a long time. You should know the rumors, shouldn't you? About crossing over to the Human World."
Gatomon's ears twitched. A slight frown creased her forehead as she looked away. "This... I have caught whispers in the castle corridors. But those were just—"
"Just what?" BlackGatomon leaned in, her golden eyes glinting. "A lie? A ghost story?"
She watched the uncertainty ripple across Gatomon's face, and a theatrical sigh escaped her lips. "I originally thought a veteran like you would hold some high-level intelligence that I lacked. But looking at you now, it seems that was just wishful thinking on my part."
"Wh-What are you talking about!" Gatomon snapped, her defensive posture flaring up. But the fire died almost instantly. Her aloof facade crumbled, replaced by a heavy sense of frustration and a deep, burning shame that colored her cheeks. "Myotismon never trusted me! Or rather, he never trusts anyone at all. It is completely normal that I was kept in the dark!"
Watching the white feline scramble to justify herself, BlackGatomon hid a sly, triumphant smile behind her paw. Had she finally scored a point against her counterpart?
She quickly dismissed the fleeting surge of pride. In truth, she had fully anticipated that Gatomon would be locked out of the core secrets. She felt no regret over the situation. Gatomon's current predicament stemmed entirely from an information asymmetry between them. As long as BlackGatomon fed her the right pieces of the puzzle, she knew Gatomon's sheer experience and tactical mind would formulate a foolproof method to execute the vampire lord.
And her assumption proved entirely correct.
"Is that rumor actually true?" Gatomon asked, her voice dropping to a serious register after absorbing BlackGatomon's subsequent intelligence briefing. She paced a tight circle, her expression deeply troubled. "I never imagined Myotismon actually controlled a functioning gate to the Real World. Is this why you insisted on not rushing our attack?"
"Exactly. If he has an immediate escape route, cornering him becomes infinitely more complicated."
Leomon, who had been standing silently by the rock face, let out a low, rumbling growl. His stoic face twisted into a scowl. Myotismon was an Undead Ultimate-level Digimon. Killing him was already a monumental task given his terrifying, unfathomable strength. Now, learning the monster possessed a literal backdoor to the Human World made the situation dire.
Leomon's massive hands curled into tight fists, his leather gloves creaking under the intense strain. 'Damn it. I am still too weak. If only I could master the true power of an Ultimate... No, even that wouldn't be enough. I need to digivolve to the Mega level. I have been far too complacent.'
While the lion beast silently berated himself, Wizardmon adjusted his ragged cloak. His hidden gaze drifted back toward the path they had just traveled. "So, BlackGatomon. Is that why you sought out the Fungus Lord? To stockpile power?"
"Oh?" BlackGatomon arched a dark eyebrow, turning her full attention to the spellcaster. "What brings you to that conclusion?"
Wizardmon held her gaze, his voice calm and methodical. "Simple logic. Given Myotismon's raw power and the hidden trump cards he holds, defeating him requires an overwhelming force. If digivolving to the Mega level is currently out of reach, gathering a massive coalition of Ultimate-level Digimon is a highly effective alternative."
"Interesting." BlackGatomon tapped her chin, a smirk playing on her lips. She threw a sideways glance at Gatomon. "Well, look at that. You actually have someone with a functioning brain on your team."
Gatomon bristled under the scrutinizing look, her claws extending slightly. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"I am talking about your little defection, obviously." BlackGatomon crossed her arms, leaning back on her heels. "Frankly, if you hadn't run away and just stayed by Myotismon's side, a lot of this mess would be much easier to handle right now."
A hot flush of embarrassment spread beneath Gatomon's white fur. She knew the political landscape of the castle all too well. Myotismon had taken his elite guard with him, leaving the fortress in the hands of ordinary troops managed by the veteran Deathmon. With Deathmon gone, the mantle of commander would have naturally fallen to her. Impmon? Please. As much as it might bruise the little demon's ego, Gatomon knew he was no match for her in a battle of wits or authority.
But because she had fled, Myotismon had been forced to hand the reins to BlackGatomon. And given BlackGatomon's newcomer status, the vampire lord would never entrust her with his deepest, most critical operations.
Gatomon let out a heavy, defeated breath, her shoulders slumping. "I had no way of knowing it would turn out like this. I just—"
"Relax. I am not blaming you." BlackGatomon cut her off, her tone softening in a way that caught everyone off guard. "Actually, I understand your choice perfectly."
She looked away, a rare look of genuine empathy crossing her features. "A Light-attribute Digimon forced to serve a monster like Myotismon. The unspoken horrors, the daily suffocating pressure... I can only imagine the toll it took. After being buried in the dark for so long, the moment you saw a single crack of light, a chance at real freedom... no Digimon could turn their back on that."
Gatomon stared, her jaw slightly slack. Was her dark counterpart actually... comforting her?
Wizardmon, who had stepped forward to offer his own reassurance but found himself a second too late, paused. He offered BlackGatomon a silent, deeply grateful nod.
Leomon watched the exchange, a swell of respect warming his broad chest. 'A Digimon who understands the pain of others cannot be truly evil. I knew my instincts about her were right!'
Then, the rhythmic sound of heavy grunting broke the silence. Ogremon, currently mid-push-up in the dirt, paused to wipe sweat from his brow. "Is it just me, or is BlackGatomon turning into a massive softie busybody?"
BlackGatomon's eye twitched. Silence stretched for three agonizing seconds.
She cleared her throat loudly, violently tearing her gaze away from the green goblin. 'Do not get angry. Do not get angry. Arguing with an idiot only lowers my IQ.'
"Anyway," BlackGatomon snapped back to Gatomon, her professional mask firmly back in place. "Let us skip the emotional bonding. I did not share Myotismon's secrets just to broaden your horizons."
Gatomon shook off her daze, her strategic mind clicking back into gear. "I understand. Since I am only a Champion-level, I cannot offer you much in a direct fight against him. But... I do know a critical weakness."
"Keep talking." BlackGatomon's eyes locked onto her, gleaming with predatory interest.
"It involves a Holy-species Digimon," Gatomon explained, her voice dropping to a serious whisper. "Myotismon mentioned it once in passing. He has been obsessively searching for a specific Holy-species Digimon. Based on his tone, this entity poses a lethal threat to his very existence."
"A Holy-species Digimon..." BlackGatomon rubbed her chin, her mind racing through the data. "That is a perfect entry point. If my memory serves me right, the group of human children—the DigiDestined—had a Holy-species Digimon among them."
"The DigiDestined?!" Leomon stepped forward, his stoic composure breaking into pure, unadulterated excitement. "BlackGatomon, when did you cross paths with them? Are they here on the Server Continent?"
BlackGatomon blinked, taken aback by the lion beast's sudden intensity. "Wait. You know them, Leomon?"
"Not just me. Ogremon knows them too." Leomon gestured toward the green Digimon, who was still aggressively repping out push-ups. "We both hail from File Island. Those children helped us immensely back there."
"Hey, we helped them out plenty too, you know!" Ogremon grunted, not breaking his rhythm. "Who do you think gave them all that brutal combat training?"
BlackGatomon stared at the two rivals. 'If they are acquainted with the DigiDestined, does that mean they also know His Excellency Mizuki? Ugh. If I had just talked to them earlier, this entire operation could have been simplified. Whatever. The current board state is fine.' She firmly shelved the thought. Duty came first.
"Regarding this Holy-species Digimon," BlackGatomon continued, steering the conversation back to the tactical map. "The one traveling with the DigiDestined is certainly powerful, but I do not believe it is the specific one Myotismon fears."
"I agree," Gatomon nodded immediately. "Knowing Myotismon's paranoid nature, if the DigiDestined already possessed the exact Digimon that threatened his life, he would have launched a full-scale assault to annihilate them by now. He wouldn't be waiting."
"Exactly. However..." BlackGatomon trailed off, her eyes narrowing in deep thought.
"However what?" Gatomon pressed.
"I recall observing those children. There was one girl among them who did not have a partner."
"Kari Kamiya." Leomon supplied the name instantly, his expression turning solemn. "I remember that little girl. She was unique. She carried a Digivice, proving she was one of the chosen, yet no Digimon stood by her side. Despite that, her pure kindness and gentle spirit drew others to her." He recalled the bizarre sight of three ghostly Phantomon trailing after the sweet child like lost puppies. "A DigiDestined is never meant to walk alone."
"Precisely." BlackGatomon pointed a clawed finger in the air. "The fact that Kari Kamiya lacks a partner means only one thing: her Digimon was lost along the way. The entity Myotismon is so terrified of is almost certainly that child's missing partner. And Gatomon, instead of just 'Holy-species', perhaps 'Light-attribute' is the more accurate term?"
Gatomon's eyes widened as the pieces clicked together. "Light... Yes. That makes perfect sense. A filthy Dark-attribute sewer rat like Myotismon would naturally be terrified of pure Light—"
She froze, her mouth snapping shut as she realized exactly who she was talking to. She shot a panicked, deeply apologetic look at BlackGatomon. "Ah! I am so sorry, BlackGatomon, I did not mean to imply—"
"Relax. I do not care about such trivial things." BlackGatomon waved her paw dismissively, though she stood a little taller, her chest puffing out slightly.
She was a Dark-attribute Digimon, yes. But she was not some pathetic, groveling creature of the shadows. She was a Dark-attribute Digimon who had been bathed in the glorious, extraordinary radiance of His Excellency Mizuki! The sheer honor of it warmed her data core. She wouldn't dare associate herself with common sewer trash.
Coughing lightly to clear her head of her own smugness, BlackGatomon locked eyes with Gatomon. "You have proven your worth today, Gatomon. This Digimon Myotismon fears is the ultimate key. Whether or not it can fight alongside us is irrelevant. The mere fact that Myotismon values its destruction so highly is enough. When the time is right, we can use this Digimon as bait to draw him out, creating the perfect window to obliterate him once and for all. But first, we have to find it."
BlackGatomon stepped closer, her tone shifting into absolute command. "Gatomon, I need you to handle this."
Gatomon looked slightly distracted, her mind whirring with the implications, but she quickly snapped to attention. "You want me to track down the DigiDestined."
"Exactly. As the child's true allies, they will have a much easier time locating the missing partner than we ever could. They all originated from the Village of Beginnings, yet they never found the missing Digimon there. That proves the partner is still alive and hasn't been reformatted into a Digi-Egg. Find the children. Help them locate Kari's companion."
"Understood." Gatomon nodded firmly, her blue eyes blazing with renewed purpose. "And what will you do, BlackGatomon?"
"Me?" A sharp, dangerous smile curved BlackGatomon's lips. She cast a glance back toward the territory of the Fungus Lord. "I have my own preparations to make. While you play detective, I will be amassing an army. Once your task is complete, bring them to Myotismon's castle."
Her golden eyes flashed with cold, absolute promise. "When that day comes, it will be Myotismon's final end."
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