Chapter 32: The Path to Power
The trip to the factory had been an obvious success for Mizuki and LadyDevimon. Their gains were substantial.
LadyDevimon had not only accumulated a wealth of combat experience but had also undergone significant internal growth, her spirit reaching a new state of perfection. As for Mizuki, he had gleaned a few more clues about the nature of his arrival in this world and, in the process, acquired a Holy Sword humming with immense, dormant power.
Though Mizuki was currently unable to draw out the full potential sealed within the blade, it remained an exceedingly formidable weapon in its own right.
"Mizu, Andromon is gone now. What's next?" LadyDevimon's voice was bright with a newfound eagerness, her crimson eyes gleaming. "Should we go find another sparring partner?"
It was clear that settling the turmoil in her heart had only sharpened her focus. The desire for battle, for the strength to protect, now burned hotter than ever.
A soft smile touched Mizuki's lips as he took in her spirited demeanor. He shook his head gently. "As much as I'd love to find a worthy opponent for you, my memories of File Island are coming up short. There's no one left who can really compare to Andromon."
He was telling the truth. Based on his knowledge of the original story, besides Andromon in the industrial zone, the only other Ultimate-level Digimon remaining on the island was Monzaemon, the fluffy tyrant of Toy Town.
But Monzaemon's combat record was… less than stellar. Compared to Andromon, who could hold his own against a Mega, Monzaemon's performance was decidedly ordinary. His most notable achievement was using a gimmicky special attack to one-shot most of the DigiDestined—a feat that notably excluded Mimi. After that, he had no impressive victories to his name and was even thoroughly pummeled by a Champion-level Togemon. The day Mizuki first learned that the big teddy bear was actually an Ultimate, he had been utterly baffled.
"There's no one left?" LadyDevimon's shoulders slumped, the excitement draining from her posture. "Then… should we head straight back to the Village of Beginnings? Or go somewhere else?"
"Let's go somewhere else," Mizuki decided after a moment of thought. "There's an ancient ruin hidden on this island, guarded by a Digimon called Centarumon. If 'The Constant' truly wants me to do something, it stands to reason It would have left another clue there."
"Are we leaving now?"
"Not just yet. There's one more thing I need to find in this factory first."
"?" A flicker of confusion crossed LadyDevimon's face, but she followed him without a word of protest as he turned and walked away.
Even with the advantage of his anime memories, it took Mizuki a considerable amount of time to locate the factory's primary energy sector. This place was less a single factory and more a sprawling, interconnected "city" of industrial complexes.
"Mizu, is there something here that caught your attention?" LadyDevimon asked, her gaze sweeping over the strange, glowing symbols that covered the walls of the massive, battery-shaped structure they had entered.
"LadyDevimon, can you feel it?" Mizuki countered, his eyes fixed on the complex patterns. "These symbols… do you sense any power coming from them?"
"Hmm… I'll try."
At Mizuki's prompting, LadyDevimon closed her eyes, extending her senses outward. As her consciousness brushed against the nearest symbol, she felt nothing. But as she continued, her awareness spreading across the walls like a silken veil, the initial nothingness gave way to a trickle, then a stream, then a rushing river of information. Her expression, hidden behind closed lids, shifted from concentration to astonishment.
"Alright, LadyDevimon, that's enough for now," Mizuki's voice cut through her trance, grounding her.
She opened her eyes, the crimson depths wide with discovery, and immediately shared what she had found. "Mizu, I sensed a massive amount of energy! These symbols… they're arrangements of data! 0s and 1s!" she exclaimed. "But it's like they've been encrypted by some advanced method, which is why they appear like this."
"Exactly." Mizuki nodded, confirming her discovery. He remembered this clearly from the anime; it was by deciphering these very codes that Izzy had managed to trigger Tentomon's Digivolution from Rookie to Champion.
If a simple laptop could process this data and trigger such a change, what would happen if he recorded these symbols directly into his own mind? His body had, after all, undergone a certain degree of digitalization since his arrival in this world.
With that thought, he turned his gaze to his partner. "LadyDevimon, can you try to memorize all the symbols in this room?"
"Memorize them?"
"That's right." A spark of insight flashed in Mizuki's eyes. "These symbols are, without a doubt, a series of codes designed to provide energy—or, to be more direct, to generate raw data. While they're encrypted, for someone with your innate talent, deciphering them shouldn't be impossible."
He leaned in slightly, his voice dropping with intensity. "If you can master these codes, you could learn to construct the data needed for Digivolution with your own power. It might even be the key to helping you master your 'Data Rewrite' ability. In the end, all of this is just the most fundamental application of data itself."
"Is that so…" A serious, determined expression settled on LadyDevimon's face as she processed his words. "In that case, I will give it my all, Mizu!"
"Good. But if you feel any discomfort, don't push yourself, okay?"
"I know~" she chirped, her serious expression melting into a sweet smile at his concern. "Thank you, Mizu."
With her resolve set, LadyDevimon focused her full attention on the glowing symbols that lined the walls. Mizuki didn't remain idle, either. He began the arduous task alongside her, committing the complex, encrypted codes to memory. They had no pens or paper, but fortunately, Mizuki was blessed with a mind that had always excelled at retention. Recording the patterns was a challenge, but not an impossible one.
Time seemed to dissolve as they worked in silent, focused effort. The minutes bled into an hour, the only sound the faint, ambient hum of the dormant facility.
It wasn't until Mizuki had successfully burned the last of the codes from the entire building into his mind that he felt it—a distinct and obvious shift within his own body.
'Just as I thought,'he mused, a thrill running through him.'My guess was right.'Even in their encrypted state, the complete set of codes was now connecting within him, acting as a passive generator, continuously feeding his body a stream of raw data.'The increase in data volume has made my physical body stronger…'
He clenched his fist, feeling a new, deeper well of strength thrumming beneath his skin. Empowered by his Digi-Soul and this new influx of data, he felt a surge of confidence. If he were to face NeoDevimon now, he was certain he could shatter that arrogant mask with a single, well-placed kick.
The thought sent a jolt of eagerness through him. He couldn't wait to put his new power to the test.
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