Chapter 181: The Ultimate Form and a Happy Dilemma
"Izzy, tell us, what should we do now?"
The children's discussion had briefly drifted off course, but the pressing reality of their situation quickly pulled them back. Dust motes danced in the dim light of the underground chamber as Izzy led the group back to the massive stone table—the very mechanism designed to open the gate to their world.
"Everyone, after running a few more analytical models on the stone table's architecture, I have a solid grasp of how it operates." Izzy tapped the screen of his laptop, then pointed toward the ancient, weathered star patterns etched to the left of the central nine-square grid.
"First, we have to look at the meanings represented by these star patterns. If you arrange them from smallest to largest, they perfectly correspond to the evolutionary stages: Rookie level, Champion level, and Ultimate level."
He moved his finger upward, tracing the grooves in the cold stone. "As for the three distinct crests located above the grid—the lion, the monkey, and the archer—they correspond to Leomon, Etemon, and Centarumon, respectively."
Taichi leaned over the table, his brow furrowing in thought. "Wait. Leomon, Etemon, and Centarumon... In other words, Vaccine type, Virus type, and Data type?"
Hearing this, Izzy's eyes lit up. He shot Taichi a bright, approving smile. "Exactly. You hit the nail on the head. As expected of Taichi."
Taichi rubbed his nose, a wide grin spreading across his face. "Hehe. It's nothing much."
Sora stepped up beside him, her gaze sweeping over the complex carvings. "So, if I'm following this right, what we need to do next is find specific items that represent these Digimon attributes to serve as keys? Something to physically unlock the gate?"
Mimi leaned in close, her bright eyes scanning the grid. "Looking at the shape of these slots, the items wouldn't happen to be stone tablets or... maybe cards, would they?"
Izzy looked at Mimi. He gave a slow nod, but then immediately shook his head.
Mimi blinked, tilting her head to the side. "Izzy-senpai, what is that supposed to mean? Nodding and then shaking your head?"
Izzy closed his laptop halfway, resting his hands on the lid. "Mimi, I nodded because your line of thinking isn't wrong. The original keys designed to open this gate are indeed physical objects, likely cards."
"Then why did you shake your head right after?"
"Because of something Mizuki told us." Izzy's expression grew serious as he recalled the older boy's exact phrasing. 'This world is a world of data, and the most fundamental essence of data is the arrangement of zeroes and ones.'
Taichi's eyes widened as the realization hit him. "I get it! In other words, we don't actually need the physical cards at all. As long as we can import the exact same type of data into the table, we can trick the system into opening the gate!"
Izzy beamed, clearly thrilled that his friend was keeping up. "Precisely. And actually, we don't even need a massive amount of it. According to my structural analysis, this stone table's processing capacity cannot carry a heavy data load anyway. Meaning, we only need a tiny fragment of the correct data, and that will be enough to trigger the mechanism."
"Is that so... We understand now."
"As expected of you, Izzy! You've solved another impossible problem."
"I knew you could do it, Izzy-senpai!"
Surrounded by the cheerful praise of his friends, Izzy rubbed the back of his neck, a faint flush warming his cheeks. He cleared his throat, quickly adjusting his posture to hide his bashfulness.
"Since we have a working theory on how to open the gate, we need to act quickly."
"I can't wait to go back to our original world!"
"Right, right! I miss Mom and Dad so much."
"Once we get back, I'm definitely going to sleep in my own bed for a whole week!"
"Exactly! And eat real food, and play video games!"
Taichi watched his friends celebrate, a relieved smile on his lips. He opened his mouth to join the cheering, but a shift in the peripheral shadows caught his attention. Izzy was standing off to the side, his laptop clutched tightly to his chest, his lips pressed into a thin, grim line.
Taichi's smile faded. He stepped away from the celebrating group and approached the younger boy. "What's wrong?"
"...Taichi."
"Your face is completely serious. Is there something else we haven't figured out yet?"
Under Taichi's sharp, concerned gaze, Izzy pursed his lips and slowly shook his head. "I'm fine. I just... I can't shake this feeling. Hasn't all of this been a little too smooth?"
Taichi's posture stiffened. "Do you mean you're worried Myotismon left some kind of trap in the gate's programming?"
"Exactly. Digimon have a unique, innate advantage when it comes to manipulating data. Even with my equipment, I cannot guarantee with absolute certainty that this system hasn't been tampered with."
"If that is the case, why don't we see what Myotismon actually did first, and then figure out how to dismantle it?"
A flippant, casual voice echoed from the dark corridor, slicing through the children's conversation.
The DigiDestined instantly dropped into defensive stances, their Digimon partners stepping in front of them with bared teeth and glowing claws. Only BlackAgumon remained completely relaxed, casually leaning against a stone pillar.
"Are you back?" BlackAgumon called out, his tone lazy. "Looking at you, it seems your little hunting trip yielded quite a good harvest."
"BlackGatomon."
Following BlackAgumon's greeting, the sleek, dark feline figure of BlackGatomon padded smoothly out of the heavy shadows.
"The harvest was decent enough, I suppose," BlackGatomon replied, her tail flicking behind her. "However, it still cannot compare to yours."
Her glowing eyes swept past BlackAgumon, landing squarely on the tense group of children. A sharp, fanged smile curved her lips. "Long time no see. Although I would like to say that, we actually haven't been apart for very long at all. In any case, it is a pleasure to meet you properly, DigiDestined."
"Gazimon!"
Recognizing the dark feline as the very same Gazimon who had pledged her absolute loyalty to Mizuki, the children exhaled collective breaths of relief. Their tense shoulders dropped.
"It is BlackGatomon now," she corrected, shooting them a mild glare. "'Gazimon' is a thing of the past."
She turned her head, gesturing toward the pitch-black corridor behind her with a flick of her ear. Immediately, several small figures, completely draped in heavy, ragged cloaks, shuffled into the dim light of the chamber.
Before the children could voice their confusion, BlackGatomon turned her attention to one of the shortest cloaked figures. "Your intuition was correct. The DigiDestined have indeed come here. Now, go. Confirm your suspicion."
Under the bewildered gazes of the children, the petite, cloaked figure took a hesitant step forward. Then, with growing resolve, the figure walked straight past the group—heading directly toward Kari.
Seeing the unknown entity approaching his little sister, Taichi's instincts flared. He and Agumon immediately stepped in front of Kari, forming a physical barricade.
But a small, gentle hand tugged at the back of Taichi's shirt.
"Onii-chan, Agumon. Don't worry."
Taichi glanced back. Kari was looking at the approaching figure, her large eyes calm and clear. "I can vaguely feel it. She has no ill will toward me."
Although Kari was one of the two youngest children present, she possessed a quiet, steady maturity that often surpassed even the older kids. Hearing the absolute certainty in her soft voice, Taichi felt the tight knot in his chest loosen just a fraction.
But his eyes remained locked on the cloaked figure, tracking every millimeter of its movement. "Alright. Since you say so..."
"Thank you, Onii-chan. And you too, Agumon."
Flashing them a sweet, reassuring smile, Kari stepped out from behind her brother's protective shadow and walked toward the mysterious figure.
However, before the two could close the distance, the shadows pooling at Kari's feet suddenly boiled.
Three distinct, spectral shapes erupted from the darkness with a chilling hiss.
The petite Digimon flinched back. "?!"
"Unidentified entity! You are not permitted to approach Miss Kari!"
"Right, right! Stay back!"
"Hiss!"
Three Phantomon—Da Bai, Er Bai, and Xiao Bai—floated menacingly between Kari and the stranger, their scythes gleaming in the dim light.
The petite Digimon stared at the ghostly bodyguards, briefly stunned by their sudden appearance. But she quickly regained her composure. Raising her paws, she gently pushed down the arms of her own cloaked companions who had stepped forward to defend her.
Slowly, she reached up and pulled back her heavy hood.
A feline face, strikingly similar to BlackGatomon's but pure white with bright, expressive blue eyes, was revealed.
"Let me introduce myself," she said, her voice trembling slightly. "I am Gatomon. I have no ill will toward the DigiDestined. I just... I just want to confirm some things."
"..."
"..."
"..."
The three Phantomon exchanged bewildered glances. Faced with Gatomon's pure, innocent appearance and lack of killing intent, the spectral guards hovered in place, unsure of how to proceed.
Taking advantage of their hesitation, Kari stepped right through their floating ranks.
"Da Bai, Er Bai, Xiao Bai, please don't worry," Kari said softly. "She won't hurt me. And what she said goes for me, too. I also want to confirm... confirm some things."
Kari stepped completely past the protective circle of the Phantomon. Under Gatomon's complex gaze—a swirling mix of hesitation, deep-seated timidity, and a desperate, fragile anticipation—the young girl reached out her small hand.
"Hello, Gatomon. I am Kari Kamiya."
Kari's voice was incredibly soft. The gentle cadence of her words radiated the exact same feeling as her soul—a pure, warming light that illuminated the dark without ever blinding the eyes. "May I ask... are you my Digimon?"
Staring at the girl standing before her, Gatomon felt a sudden, violent shift in her mind. The thick, suffocating fog that had clouded her memories for years began to tear apart. The blurred, fragmented images sharpened into crystal clarity.
Before being captured and beaten into submission by Myotismon, she had been waiting. She had been waiting for someone so very important.
'Why? How could I... how could I have forgotten such an important thing?'
Tears welled up in Gatomon's bright blue eyes, spilling over her white fur. Looking at Kari's extended hand, she raised her own trembling paw, reaching out until soft white pads met warm human skin. She gripped Kari's hand tightly.
"Yes. That's right." Gatomon's voice broke into a sob. "Kari... I am your Digimon!"
She bowed her head, her shoulders shaking violently. "I'm sorry! It's all my fault for selfishly forgetting my mission. I've let you suffer all this way. I left you alone!"
"No, not at all." Kari dropped to her knees. Without a second thought, she pulled the weeping Digimon straight into her arms, burying her face in Gatomon's soft fur. "Thanks to Onii-chan and the others, I've been doing alright. It's you who suffered. I should be the one apologizing to you."
Kari tightened her embrace, her own tears soaking into Gatomon's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Gatomon. I'm so late."
"No... not at all."
Listening to Kari's gentle, forgiving words, Gatomon's final emotional barriers shattered. The tough, ruthless exterior she had built to survive Myotismon's cruelty melted away, leaving only the devoted partner she was always meant to be. She buried her face in Kari's chest and wailed.
Yet, amidst the tears, a deep warmth spread through her data. All the torture, the endless beatings, the suffocating grievances she had endured—none of it was meaningless anymore. The cold, oppressive haze that had shrouded her heart for years was utterly swept clean by the radiant light pouring from Kari's soul.
As that thought settled into Gatomon's core, her body suddenly erupted with a blinding, brilliant light.
The sheer intensity of the illumination forced the shadows to retreat, completely dispersing the oppressive darkness of the underground chamber. Under the shocked gazes of everyone present, Gatomon's small form began to expand rapidly within the pillar of light.
"Taichi! Gatomon is—" Agumon gasped, instinctively tugging at the hem of Taichi's shirt.
"Yes, Agumon." Taichi nodded, his eyes reflecting the brilliant glow. A deep sense of relief and immense pride washed over his face as he watched his little sister. "Gatomon is about to Super Digivolve. I knew Kari could do it."
As if responding to Taichi's absolute faith, the pillar of light enveloping Gatomon shattered into a shower of pure white feathers. Her new, magnificent Ultimate level form descended gracefully before the awe-struck group.
Gatomon Super Digivolve—
Angewomon!
Eight angelic wings stretched out, catching the ambient light. A holy visor covered her eyes, and a gentle, divine aura radiated from her every movement.
"I've... digivolved?"
Looking down at her new hands, feeling the massive, holy power surging through her data veins, Angewomon's voice trembled with overwhelming joy.
"Congratulations, Gatomon," Kari said, looking up at her partner with a bright, teary smile.
Angewomon shook her head, her eight wings fluttering softly as she knelt before the young girl. "No. This is all thanks to you, Kari. Without you, without your light, I would never have been able to reach this step." She placed a hand over her heart. "Thank you, Kari."
Watching the miraculous digivolution from a few paces away, Sora let out a long, wistful sigh.
"Thinking about it, this doesn't actually seem like such a strange thing," Sora murmured, a mix of awe and melancholy in her voice. "After all, out of everyone here—besides Taichi and Izzy—Kari-chan is the most proficient at drawing out the Light of the Heart. Even without a physical crest, she can trigger an Ultimate digivolution. Honestly, it would be weirder if she couldn't."
Speaking of crests...
Sora's hand instinctively drifted to her chest, her fingers brushing against her collarbone. The Crest of Love that belonged to her was currently resting quietly inside her Digivice.
Perhaps sensing the heavy turmoil in its master's heart, the Crest of Love emitted a faint, pulsing glow from her pocket.
"If it's Sora, it will definitely be no problem!"
Biyomon's cheerful, unwavering voice chirped from right beside her leg.
Sora looked down at her partner's bright, confident eyes. She remained silent for a long moment, a bitter, helpless smile tugging at the corners of her lips as complex emotions churned in her chest.
"You really have a lot of confidence in me, don't you..."
"Of course! Because Sora has always been a very loving person!" Biyomon declared, puffing out her feathery chest.
While Sora wrestled with the heavy burden of her own self-doubt, Mimi was caught in a completely different kind of dilemma on the other side of the room.
However, unlike Sora's deep-seated emotional distress, Mimi's current crisis was a bit more... superficial.
"Ultimate level... Angewomon is just so incredibly beautiful," Mimi whined, her eyes sparkling with pure envy as she stared at the angelic Digimon.
"Mimi..." Palmon tugged at her partner's skirt. "If it's Mimi, you can do it too, right?"
Palmon looked up with hopeful eyes. Just as she said, Mimi's pure, unadulterated sincerity meant she had almost pushed Palmon to the Ultimate level even before finding her physical crest. Now that she had the Crest of Sincerity in her possession, there were zero technical obstacles left.
However—
"Being able to do it is one thing..." Mimi muttered, suddenly dropping to her knees and snatching Palmon into a tight, suffocating hug. "But I'm still so worried!"
"Worried about what?" Palmon squeaked.
"Palmon, you're already a big, spiky dummy when you digivolve to your Champion level! If you turn into a Super Big Dummy after reaching the Ultimate level, what am I supposed to do?!"
"But... but after reaching the Ultimate level, won't I become super strong?" Palmon protested, struggling weakly against Mimi's vice-like grip.
"While that is technically true, I am a girl! Is there a problem with wanting my partner to be pretty and cute?!" Mimi wailed. She grabbed Palmon by the shoulders and started shaking her back and forth in a frantic panic. "Why can't you be an angel too?!"
"Ugh... I can't understand your logic at all..."
Trapped in Mimi's frantic grip, Palmon's head bobbed back and forth, her eyes rolling into dizzy spirals as the world spun around her.
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