Chapter 197: Happy New Year
"That guy Examon really is reckless..."
Watching the cataclysmic battle unfolding high in the stratosphere, Kentaurosmon let the words slip, his tone deceptively casual.
Hearing this, Omnimon remained enveloped in a heavy silence. The wind howled past his pristine white armor before he finally, slowly, spoke. "It is all to execute the absolute orders of Lord Yggdrasil."
"Yes, everything is for Lord Yggdrasil." Kentaurosmon let out a soft, almost mocking exhale. "Whether it was how Bagramon and the others were treated back then, or how Gallantmon is being treated right now... it is all for Lord Yggdrasil."
Listening to the six-legged knight's lament, Omnimon offered no rebuttal. He merely turned his head, his cold, blue eyes resting quietly on his comrade.
Catching the weight of that gaze, Kentaurosmon gave a faint, cynical smile and shook his head.
"Don't look at me like that, Omnimon."
"Indeed, it is exactly as you think. I do not entirely approve of everything Lord Yggdrasil is doing."
"But similarly, I do not possess a heart as unyielding as yours or Examon's. Nor do I have the sheer, stubborn qualities of Bagramon or Gallantmon... though I suppose he goes by ChaosGallantmon now."
As Kentaurosmon spoke, the apocalyptic image of the dark knight clashing with the Dragon Emperor high above reflected in his visor.
"I simply lack the courage they have to stand up and rebel."
"ultimately, I am just a guy who goes with the flow. In this current, unforgiving environment, all I can do is look out for myself."
At this point, a self-deprecating chuckle escaped Kentaurosmon's throat.
Look out for himself?
Could one truly just look out for oneself?
In a cosmic gamble where survival was the ultimate prize, failing to stand on the winning side guaranteed only one outcome: absolute deletion.
Shaking off the grim thought, Kentaurosmon turned his massive, armored frame and prepared to gallop across the sky in the opposite direction.
Seeing this, the usually stoic Omnimon couldn't help but speak up. "Kentaurosmon, where are you going? Our mission—"
"The mission isn't finished? I know that, obviously. But Examon is already here. There is nothing left for us to do."
Kentaurosmon glanced back over his shoulder. "Remember what I just said? I am a guy who goes with the flow. Naturally, I have my own code of conduct."
"As for you—"
"Omnimon."
Kentaurosmon fixed the fusion knight with a deep, piercing look. "Just go do what you need to do."
"You might think I am being overly sentimental, but as a former colleague, I still feel obligated to advise you."
"Indecision and escapism will not solve a single problem. Do not deceive your own heart."
With those final words hanging in the air, Kentaurosmon hoisted his sacred shield and shot off into the distance without looking back, leaving Omnimon standing alone in the suffocating silence.
Meanwhile, after a grueling period of buffering his core data, WarGreymon X slowly pushed through the residual atmospheric pressure left by Examon's overwhelming descent. His golden armor was scorched, but his fighting spirit burned hotter than ever.
Looking up at the colossal crimson dragon trading devastating blows with ChaosGallantmon, the dragonkin warrior's instincts flared. He immediately ignited his thrusters, intending to carve a path straight into the fray to assist.
However, before he could clear the lower cloud layer, a blinding streak of light intercepted his trajectory. Kentaurosmon materialized directly in his path, blocking the ascent.
"Kentaurosmon... get out of my way! I do not have the time to entertain you right now!"
WarGreymon X didn't hesitate. He lunged forward, his Dramon Killers tearing through the air with a vicious, metallic shriek, aiming straight for the centaur's chest.
Kentaurosmon didn't even flinch. He casually raised his massive shield, completely halting WarGreymon X's ferocious assault with a deafening shockwave that rippled outward.
"I am sorry, but letting you pass is the one thing I cannot do," Kentaurosmon replied, his tone infuriatingly calm.
"Kentaurosmon, what exactly is your game here?!"
Seeing his physical strike easily repelled, WarGreymon X decisively shifted tactics. He threw his arms wide, spreading his five fingers. The surrounding atmosphere superheated instantly as a massive sphere of high-density solar energy began to condense above his head, expanding at a terrifying rate.
"You refuse to fight me seriously, yet you refuse to let me pass."
"Are you just playing with us?!"
[Terra Force]!
[Odin's Breath]!
Though WarGreymon X channeled his ultimate technique with blinding speed, he was still a fraction of a second too slow against the sheer velocity of the six-legged knight.
Before the miniature sun could be hurled, a sweeping, absolute-zero blizzard erupted from Kentaurosmon's shield. The sheer force of the freezing tempest slammed into WarGreymon X, blowing him backward through the sky.
The destabilized Terra Force in his hands, unable to be launched, violently detonated in mid-air, engulfing the space between them in a chaotic storm of fire and ice.
"WarGreymon X! I've got you!"
Seeing his partner being pushed back by the blast, MetalGarurumon X, who had been providing cover fire from the lower battlefield, decisively fired his thrusters. He streaked upward like a blue comet, bracing his metallic frame against WarGreymon X's back to arrest his violent recoil.
"MetalGarurumon X..." WarGreymon X grunted, stabilizing his stance.
"Focus, WarGreymon X. The Royal Knights are not opponents we can defeat by fighting recklessly on our own." The cyborg wolf's optical sensors locked onto the hovering centaur above. "To win against these monsters, we have to stand united."
"...Tsk." Seeing the dead-serious expression on MetalGarurumon X's face, WarGreymon X processed the tactical reality for a split second before clicking his tongue in begrudging agreement.
"In that case, you had better keep up with me!"
Leaving those words in his wake, WarGreymon X ignited his thrusters to maximum output, charging straight back into the freezing tempest toward Kentaurosmon. At the exact same moment, MetalGarurumon X flipped open his weapon bays, leveling his heavy Gatling gun and missile pods at the enemy.
"I am sending those exact words right back at you!"
[Terra Force]!
[Metal Storm]!
"What a tremendously troublesome bunch..."
Watching the dual onslaught of a condensed solar flare and a relentless barrage of sub-zero artillery screaming toward him, Kentaurosmon sighed. Even as he lamented his situation, his combat reflexes took over, unleashing his own ultimate technique to meet them.
[Odin's Breath]!
As the three devastating attacks collided in the high stratosphere, the resulting explosion tore the sky apart.
The cataclysmic blast wave swept downward in all directions, flattening the terrain below and violently ruffling Mizuki's hair.
He stood firmly on the ground, his head tilted upward. Under the apocalyptic reflection of the sky's fire, his pink eyes flickered with a sharp, calculating light.
"Mizu."
Looking at the unusually silent Mizuki, Belle's protective instincts flared. She immediately stepped forward, intending to shield his fragile human body behind her own. But before she could fully position herself, Mizuki reached out and gently grabbed her hand.
His grip was warm and steady. He pulled her gently to his side, ensuring they stood shoulder-to-shoulder against the roaring wind.
"That giant dragon up there, Examon..." Mizuki murmured, his eyes narrowing as he analyzed the data signatures raining down from the sky. "I can feel it. He is no less troublesome than that Omnimon."
"While he is entirely focused on fighting ChaosGallantmon, shouldn't we take the opportunity to do something?"
"Do something? Of course. Of course we have to do something."
Mizuki nodded at first, his thumb absentmindedly stroking the back of Belle's hand. But then, a slow, almost mischievous smirk crept onto his lips, and he shook his head. "However... not right now."
"ChaosGallantmon has specific things he wants to accomplish. Until he finishes setting the stage, we just need to wait and watch."
Under Belle's deeply puzzled gaze, Mizuki offered this simple explanation, leaving behind a mysterious, knowing smile that suggested he was already three steps ahead of everyone else.
Belle couldn't help but scratch her head in sheer confusion. Her dazed, adorably bewildered expression formed a stark, almost comical contrast with her dark, mature, and highly dangerous attire.
"ChaosGallantmon has his own ideas?" she asked, blinking slowly. "But look at his state—"
"Exactly," Mizuki chuckled softly, his eyes locked on the dark knight above. "This is exactly what he desires."
"...Alright. If you say so."
As they spoke, the battle high above between ChaosGallantmon and Examon had already cycled through several brutal rounds of exchanges.
However, compared to the overwhelming, high-spirited dominance he displayed at the beginning of the clash, ChaosGallantmon's aura had visibly deteriorated. His strikes were growing sluggish, his dark energy flickering erratically.
It was glaringly obvious that maintaining his Calamity Mode was consuming far too much of his core power.
In stark contrast, Examon's draconic aura remained absolutely terrifying, burning at its absolute peak without a single sign of fatigue.
To any observer, it seemed the battle was on the verge of being decisively concluded.
Yet, despite being backed into a desperate predicament, ChaosGallantmon showed absolutely no sign of panic over his impending defeat. Instead, the crimson light burning beneath his dark visor remained as brilliant and unyielding as ever.
He raised his demonic lance, pointing it squarely at the colossal dragon.
"Examon! Is this all the power you possess?!"
"Come at me again!"
Examon: "..."
Facing ChaosGallantmon's blatant provocation, the Dragon Emperor remained completely silent. But in response, the sheer ferocity of his offensive became increasingly, overwhelmingly fierce.
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