Chapter 26: The Ultimate-Level Sentinel, Andromon!
Factory City. As one of the few truly modern industrial zones on File Island, it was a place of humming machinery and cold steel. Not only was it guarded by the formidable Ultimate-level Digimon, Andromon, but it was also rumored to conceal a deep secret deep within its metallic heart.
For Mizuki, this place was a perfect convergence of his goals. Even if he hadn't been seeking a powerful opponent to test their limits, the mystery buried within the factory was more than enough to make the journey worthwhile.
Of course, this wasn't his only destination. His gaze was also set upon the ancient ruins that dotted another part of the island.
Like the factory, those ruins were also protected by a guardian.
'But a Champion-level Centaurmon...'Mizuki mused, a thoughtful frown creasing his brow.'Compared to an Ultimate like Andromon, the difference in power is staggering.'He shook his head, a wry smile touching his lips.'Then again, who knows? Perhaps even a Champion can hide unexpected strength.'
"Mizu?" His quiet murmur drew LadyDevimon's attention. She tilted her head, her crimson eyes, usually sharp and imperious, softening as they focused on him.
Meeting her questioning gaze, Mizuki simply offered a reassuring smile and shook his head, deftly changing the subject. "It's nothing. Just thinking aloud." He gestured towards the sprawling complex below them. "More, let's head down. We've arrived."
"Mm." With a soft hum of assent, LadyDevimon gently angled her descent, landing them both silently on the cold, paved ground.
"Mizu, is this where the Ultimate-level Digimon you spoke of is hiding?" LadyDevimon asked, her gaze sweeping across the towering, windowless buildings. Her senses were already on high alert, searching for the entity Mizuki had described.
"If nothing has changed, Andromon should be here," Mizuki confirmed, his own eyes scanning their surroundings with keen interest.
The unmanned factory was a marvel of eerie efficiency. Conveyor belts snaked between structures, robotic arms performed complex tasks with rhythmic precision, and the air thrummed with the low hum of automated power. There wasn't a single living soul in sight.
'If this were back on Earth,'Mizuki thought,'a place like this would be the stuff of urban legends.'
"LadyDevimon, can you pinpoint his location?"
In the story he remembered, Andromon had been trapped and corrupted by a Black Gear, stuck within a massive piece of machinery. But Mizuki knew his very presence on this island was a butterfly effect, rippling through the world and changing events. He couldn't rely on old knowledge. He had to rely on his partner.
Hearing his request, LadyDevimon's demeanor immediately brightened. She lifted her chin, a proud and happy glint in her eyes. "Of course, Mizu. Just watch me."
With that, she drew upon the well of darkness within her. Power swirled around her hands, not with the explosive intent of a direct attack, but with a focused, pulsing energy.
"Darkness Wave!"
Unlike the devastating swarm she had unleashed against NeoDevimon, the shadowy bats that coalesced from the energy were different. They were smaller, quieter, and imbued with a new purpose.
"Reconnaissance," she commanded, her voice a low whisper that carried an obvious authority. "Go. Find Andromon for Mizu."
With a silent, collective beat of their ethereal wings, the swarm of dark bats dispersed, fanning out in every direction. They flowed like a river of shadow, seeping into every vent, doorway, and crevice of the vast factory complex.
Mizuki watched, a look of genuine surprise and admiration dawning on his face. "That's incredible, LadyDevimon," he said, his voice filled with sincere praise. "To adapt your ultimate attack for reconnaissance... that's brilliant."
"Eh-hehe, it was nothing, really."
In the face of his praise, the cold, mature facade she usually wore melted away completely. A faint blush dusted her pale cheeks, and she averted her gaze, a stark contrast to her usual imperious demeanor. She was like a different person, a shy young woman who nervously toyed with a lock of her long, silver hair.
"It was what you told me yesterday, Mizu," she admitted softly. "About the basic theory of zeroes and ones... it gave me an idea. I tried rewriting the data for Darkness Wave, and... I didn't expect it to actually work."
"Even so, you're the one who did it. You're amazing, LadyDevimon," Mizuki insisted, his heart swelling with pride.
He was truly impressed. In a single night, she had not only grasped the concept he'd explained but had already begun her own research and achieved a significant breakthrough.
'It's true,'he thought,'Digimon have an innate, almost instinctual advantage over humans when it comes to manipulating data.'A flicker of nostalgia, tinged with old frustrations, passed through his mind.'No wonder hackers in the other world were always trying to exploit them...'
The memory came from his past life. While he still shuddered thinking about the narrative choices of the second season of the Digimon anime, he had devoured everything else—the manga, the supplemental materials, and especially the games. The idea of hackers using Digimon wasn't just a theory; it was the entire premise of the Cyber Sleuth games he'd loved so much.
"Mizu, move!"
LadyDevimon's sharp, sudden cry shattered his reverie.
Before his mind could even process the warning, an arm wrapped around his waist, and he was violently yanked sideways. LadyDevimon moved like a bolt of lightning, carrying him clear just as a blinding flash and a deafening roar tore through the space where they had been standing a heartbeat before.
A violent explosion sent concrete dust and metal shrapnel flying through the air!
"That blast... was that Andromon?" Mizuki asked, his ears ringing as he regained his footing.
"That's right, Mizu! We found him!"
He jumped down from LadyDevimon's arms and followed her gaze. There, at the far end of the industrial road, stood a towering figure. It was a Digimon whose body was almost entirely cybernetic, a gleaming chrome android with only small patches of organic flesh visible beneath the armor. Its cold, optical sensors were locked onto them with unnerving intensity.
It was their target: the Ultimate-level Andromon.
Mizuki narrowed his eyes, trying to gauge the android's state. "No response? Still can't communicate?" He waited a beat, receiving only a silent, hostile stare in return. "If that's the case—LadyDevimon, prepare for battle!"
"Yes!"
As LadyDevimon acknowledged the command, Andromon's right arm began to whir. It spun with increasing velocity, rotating at an impossible speed until it blurred into a disk of pure, destructive energy. This was one of its two ultimate attacks.
"Spiral Sword!"
The energy blade launched forward, slicing through the air with a high-pitched scream.
In response, LadyDevimon met the attack head-on. Her left arm morphed, dark energy solidifying and extending into a wicked, crimson-tipped spear.
"Dark Spear!"
BOOM!
The clash was titanic. A deafening crack of energy echoed through the factory as the two attacks met, erupting in a powerful explosion of light and force. LadyDevimon successfully neutralized Andromon's assault, but as the smoke cleared, she let out a sharp intake of breath.
Spiderweb fractures marred the surface of her dark spear.
She had poured a significant amount of data into repairing and reinforcing this very weapon after it had been shattered in the fight against NeoDevimon, following Mizu's advice to the letter. In terms of both hardness and sharpness, it was far superior to what it had been before.
And yet, a single clash with Andromon's ultimate attack had been enough to damage it.
"Damn it," she hissed, her eyes narrowing. "So this is the Andromon that Mizu warned me about."
She stared down her opponent, a new level of respect and caution entering her mind. At first glance, the stoic android lacked the terrifying, malevolent aura of Devimon or NeoDevimon. But a closer look revealed something far more dangerous. Beneath Andromon's unassuming exterior was the composure of a great mountain—an unshakeable, immovable stability. There was no wasted motion, no theatrical posturing, only pure, calculated power.
'An enemy like this,'she thought, her body tensing,'in its own way, it's far more terrifying than a flashy monster like Devimon.'The brief exchange had made one thing brutally clear.'A direct clash is out. His power is greater than mine.'Her mind raced, processing options.'But speed... what about speed?'
The thought had barely formed before she acted on it. With a powerful snap, she spread her tattered, demonic wings. The leathery membranes caught the air, and her already impressive agility skyrocketed. She became a blur of black and silver, a phantom darting across the battlefield.
Andromon, with its heavy, powerful frame, was built for overwhelming force, not nimble pursuit. It pivoted, its heavy feet grinding against the concrete, but she was already gone. Its next attack slammed into empty air. It was a battleship trying to track a fighter jet, and it was failing.
Finally, after a series of feints and dodges, she saw it—a fractional delay in its targeting system as it tried to predict her next move. It was the opening she needed.
Without a shred of hesitation, LadyDevimon seized the opportunity, unleashing her ultimate move once more!
"Darkness Wave!"
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