Chapter 19: In the Days We Were Together, Were You Happy?
The battle was over.
Yet, the atmosphere remained heavy, the air thick with an oppressive silence. The sky, still choked with dark clouds, seemed to be a perfect mirror of the shadows clinging to LadyDevimon's heart.
She stared down at Mizuki's right leg, which was bent at a sickening, unnatural angle, almost completely mangled. A wave of self-reproach washed over her, so potent it felt like poison. Her teeth sank into her lower lip, her face a mask of anguish and regret.
"It's all my fault..." she whispered, her voice cracking. "If I had just been a little stronger, Mizu, you wouldn't have—!"
The more she thought, the clearer the pattern became. It had always been this way, right from the very beginning. He was the one taking care of her, both physically and emotionally. He had shielded her, protected her with a careful care she had never known.
And what had she done for him?
What had she truly given in return?
Aside from their first encounter—a moment that might, if she was being generous, count as saving his life—had she contributed anything at all?
In fact, if it weren't for her, Mizuki would never have confronted Devimon in the first place. Things would never have escalated to this point. When she looked at it that way, a horrifying thought took root in her mind.
'Maybe... I should never have appeared by his side at all.'
The thought was a shard of ice in her heart. Just as it began to spread its chill, she felt a soft, warm touch against her cheek.
She froze, her crimson eyes widening. Reflected in them was the face of the young man cradled in her arms.
"Mizu...?"
His eyes were as clear as they had always been. Even in a world shrouded by darkness, they shone with the steady, brilliant light of a morning star. It was as if he could see straight through her, into the spiraling turmoil of her thoughts.
"LadyDevimon," Mizuki said, his voice a gentle murmur. "In the days we've spent together, have you been happy?"
The question cut through her despair.
"Yes!"
She didn't know why he was asking, not really, but she nodded with a fierce, unhesitating certainty. It was his arrival that had transformed her once-confused existence into something so vibrant, so full of color.
"—I feel the same way."
Hearing her reply, Mizuki smiled. It wasn't a grand, dramatic gesture, but the gentle curve of his lips conveyed a quiet warmth, a deep sense of contentment that was utterly genuine. This wasn't a platitude; it was a truth spoken from the very depths of his soul.
"Even if you forget why you cried, the traces left by your tears will always remain," he said softly, his gaze distant for a moment. "I still remember, even now, how bleak my life was before I came to this world."
"Those days... I couldn't see a single ray of light. I could only force a smile, pretend to be optimistic, but inside... I was completely hollow. Just thinking about it is suffocating."
LadyDevimon listened, a strange sense of recognition dawning within her. It was as if he was describing another version of herself. Unable to see the path forward, unsure of how to proceed, all she could do was put on a facade of diligence and strength. But in reality, her body and soul were already covered in scars.
As she was lost in her own memories, Mizuki's voice pulled her back.
"But all of that ended when I came to this world—or rather, when I met you."
A faint smile touched his lips as he recalled the past. "To be honest, when I faced that Kuwagamon, I was ready to give up. It was thanks to you that this new life, one I'd fought so hard to get, was able to continue."
He paused, letting the weight of his words settle. "At first, standing up to Devimon for you... it was purely about repaying that debt. But as we spent more time together, all those seemingly insignificant daily routines, the small details of our life... they unknowingly filled a space in my heart I never knew was empty. They became incredibly important to me."
"That's why I can say this with absolute certainty now—the void is gone. I think... I think I've finally found true happiness." His eyes met hers again, clear and unwavering. "That's why I fought Devimon, no matter the cost. It wasn't just for you. It was for me, too. It was to protect this happiness we share."
He raised his hand again, his fingers gently stroking her cheek. "Even if we could turn back time, the past that has become a memory won't change. So, don't think those thoughts anymore. Don't let my efforts, and your own, be for nothing."
He held her gaze. "Okay?"
'We live in the present,'his eyes seemed to say.'We can't let ourselves be tripped up by the failures of the past.'
At that moment, Mizuki's words were like the first rays of dawn, piercing through the gloom that had enveloped LadyDevimon's heart and scattering the shadows. She gazed at the young man in her arms, and the conflict on her face slowly melted away, replaced by a serene calm.
Then, a flicker of something else appeared in her expression—a mix of affection and helpless exasperation.
"You really are... it's impossible to hide anything from you, Mizu..."
"Well, you do wear everything on your face," Mizuki teased, playfully gesturing toward her. "But I have a feeling you're actually quite happy right now."
"I'm not happy at all."
The familiar, deadpan reply.
Hearing it, the last of the tension left Mizuki's shoulders. A wave of relief washed over him. He knew that she had completely untangled the knot in her heart. He was glad he'd noticed in time. With her personality—gentle on the surface but incredibly stubborn underneath—that dark mood could have festered, taking far more effort to resolve.
Not that he would have ever minded.
After all, isn't that what partners are for?
————
"The Village of Beginnings will not let you run rampant!"
An arc of electricity shot through the air.
[Flashing Thunder Strike!]
Near the village's central square, just before the shelter housing the Digi-Eggs, Elecmon unleashed his signature attack against a swarm of cloaked, spectral Digimon.
Phantomon.
And despite their numbers, they were no mere cannon fodder. Every single one was a genuine Champion-level threat.
Against such a force, Elecmon, a mere Rookie, stood little chance. Even with the handful of other Digimon from the village who had managed to evolve to the Rookie level, they would have been utterly overwhelmed.
The only reason they still held the line was twofold. First, they had heeded Mizuki's warning and retreated quickly. The second, and far more crucial factor, was the DigiDestined.
As if on cue, a towering figure beside Elecmon roared.
Greymon!
When Taichi had witnessed the Phantomon's brutal assault on the defenseless baby Digimon, the fire of justice and courage had blazed in his heart, triggering his partner's evolution. This massive, physically imposing form was the result.
"Greymon! Let's go! Take down all these bad guys who hurt the little ones!" Taichi yelled from his perch on Greymon's shoulder, his voice filled with fighting spirit.
"ROAR! I know!"
Fueled by the resonance of their bond and Taichi's passionate emotions, the flames gathering in Greymon's maw burned hotter than ever before.
[Mega Flame!]
A torrent of ultra-high-temperature fire erupted from the giant dinosaur's mouth, sweeping across the Phantomon ranks. In an instant, many of the spectral assassins were incinerated, their forms dissolving into streams of data. Seeing their comrades annihilated so easily, the remaining Phantomon began to hesitate, their ghostly forms flickering with uncertainty.
Right at that moment, Devimon's order to retreat was issued.
The Phantomon exchanged unseen glances before withdrawing without a second thought, melting back into the shadows from which they came. The immediate crisis that had threatened the Village of Beginnings finally dissipated.
Except, of course, for one individual who was as stubborn as a weed and just as hard to get rid of.
"Ogremon, are you still not leaving? Your comrades have already retreated!" Leomon shouted, ducking under a vicious swing of a bone club.
Ogremon, a Champion-level Virus-type Digimon, was a strange case. Though he fought for the side of darkness alongside the Phantomon, he operated by his own code. Not only had he refrained from attacking the baby Digimon, but he had even inadvertently stopped a few of his overzealous allies from going too far.
"Hmph. Leomon, those wastes aren't fit to be called my comrades," Ogremon sneered. "Attacking this village was Devimon's idea, not mine."
He braced himself, deflecting a straight punch from Leomon, though the sheer force of the blow still sent him stumbling back.
"My goal has only ever been one thing!"
A battle-hardened warrior, Ogremon recovered his balance in an instant. Seeing Leomon momentarily overextended, he launched his own signature move.
[Overlord Fist!]
"...Sigh."
Watching the ferocious, purple-black energy fist hurtle toward him, Leomon let out a weary sigh. He gathered his own power and met the attack head-on.
[Fist of the Beast King!]
The two attacks collided with a deafening crack. A powerful shockwave erupted from the point of impact, tearing through the clearing and blasting clouds of dirt and dust into the air.
Watching the fierce duel, Taichi and Greymon exchanged a look and prepared to charge in, but Elecmon quickly stopped them.
"Elecmon?!" Taichi cried out in confusion.
"Don't worry," the small guardian said, his expression complicated as he glanced toward the ongoing fight. "That one... he's not really our enemy, not in the same way. Let Leomon handle his own business."
Leomon, still locked in combat, felt a flicker of annoyance.
Elecmon turned his full attention back to Taichi. "More, we need to hurry and check on that kid, Mizuki, and LadyDevimon."
"Mizuki?"
Hearing the familiar name, a flash of determination crossed Taichi's face. "Right, I understand." He looked up at his partner. "Greymon, you still good to go?"
"Is that even a question?" Greymon boomed, his voice rumbling with power. "With you here, Taichi, I feel my power boiling and my soul burning!" Defeating so many Phantomon had given him a massive confidence boost. "Right now, I'm invincible!"
"Alright then! Let's follow Elecmon and find Mizuki!"
"ROOOAR!"
With an impassioned roar, Greymon took off, following the small, departing figure of Elecmon. Seeing their leader on the move, the rest of the DigiDestined, who had been regrouping after the battle, quickly fell in line behind him.
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