Chapter 36: Am I... Calumon?!
On the other side of the Village of Beginnings, after explaining the dire situation to Mizuki, Elecmon didn't forget to inquire about his friend's journey.
Though weariness etched deep lines onto his face, the small Digimon forced himself to rally. "Mizuki, what about you two?" he asked, his voice strained but earnest. "Did you find what you were looking for on your trip? You didn't run into any danger, did you?"
"Actually, about that..." Mizuki took a moment to gather his thoughts, then recounted everything that had transpired: receiving the power boost from Andromon, the subsequent ambush by Devimon, and the tragic fate of Monzaemon in Toy Town.
At first, Elecmon's expression brightened, genuinely happy for the power Mizuki and LadyDevimon had gained. But as the tale turned to Devimon striking down Toy Town's gentle guardian, a heavy gloom settled over his features once more.
"Monzaemon... How could this happen...?"
The distance between Toy Town and the Village of Beginnings meant Elecmon hadn't seen the giant teddy bear often, but their friendship had been warm and genuine. More than that, Monzaemon had generously supplied the Village with countless toys, bringing joy to the newly hatched Digimon.
And now, such a kind soul had fallen victim to Devimon's cruelty. The more Elecmon dwelled on it, the hotter his anger burned, a furious energy that seemed to scour away the exhaustion clinging to his body.
Just as Mizuki was about to offer a word of comfort, a brilliant light suddenly erupted from Elecmon's small frame.
"What's happening to me?!"
While Elecmon stared in shock, Mizuki knew exactly what was unfolding. Before his eyes, the light enveloped Elecmon's body, which began to morph and expand at a startling rate. His familiar mammalian form stretched and reshaped, gradually taking on a humanoid silhouette.
"Elecmon, Digivolve to...!"
A new voice, clear and strong, echoed as the light faded.
"Aegiochusmon!"
Where the small Rookie had stood, there was now a Digimon with the appearance of a young boy, clad in green and white armor.
"I... I evolved!?" Elecmon—or rather, Aegiochusmon, as he was now—looked down at his new hands, then at his transformed body. The crushing fatigue was gone, replaced by a surge of overflowing power. His youthful face was a mask of pure astonishment.
"That's right, Elecmon. You've evolved," Mizuki's voice cut through his daze. "You've reached the Champion Level and become Aegiochusmon." There was an obvious note of admiration in his tone.
Elecmon had been a Rookie for a very long time, his body having long since accumulated the necessary data for evolution. Combined with the time he'd spent around the DigiDestined and their Digivices, it was only logical that a powerful emotional trigger—his righteous fury over Monzaemon's death—would provide the final push.
After all, the Digital World was a place where conviction could reshape reality.
What truly amazed Mizuki, however, was the specific evolutionary path Elecmon had taken. Aegiochusmon. A Champion-level, Vaccine-attribute, God Man Digimon. Beneath that child-like exterior lay a power that far surpassed that of an ordinary Champion. It was a lineage that could ultimately lead to Jupitermon, one of the Olympus XII and a "God King" who commanded strength on par with the most powerful Mega-level Digimon.
For a common Elecmon to access such a rare and potent evolutionary line was almost unheard of.
'Could it be related to Devimon?'Mizuki mused silently, watching Aegiochusmon clumsily adapt to his new form.'Devimon absorbed Monzaemon's data and forced his own evolution down the path of a Demon Lord. Perhaps this is the counter-balance?'Homeostasis. The great will that sought to maintain the stability of the Digital World. Ensuring a balance of power between the forces of light and darkness could certainly be considered a form of stability.'But Elecmon didn't evolve during the entire time I was gone,'Mizuki's thoughts sharpened.'It happened the moment I returned and told him the news. Is that really a coincidence?'An unsettling idea began to form in his mind.'If it's not a coincidence... could it be that because I was chosen by Homeostasis, I can unknowingly trigger evolution in other Digimon?'
The moment the thought solidified, a look of utter shock spread across Mizuki's face.
Noticing his abrupt change in expression, LadyDevimon tilted her head. "Mizu?"
"LadyDevimon..." Mizuki's voice was faint. "I think... I might have really messed up..."
LadyDevimon blinked, completely bewildered. "???"
If his hypothesis was correct—if he was some kind of walking catalyst for evolution—then Devimon's transformation into NeoDevimon without losing his sanity suddenly made a terrifying amount of sense. It would also explain why the fallen angel was so obsessed with him, a human who wasn't even one of the "DigiDestined." Devimon was intelligent; he understood the principle of seeking advantages and avoiding risks. He must have sensed Mizuki's unique nature long ago.
The more Mizuki considered it, the more his stomach twisted into a knot.
'So I'm the one who's been power-leveling my own arch-nemesis? I'm the biggest traitor here, and I'm helping the enemy?!'His mind reeled, landing on one mortifying conclusion.'Oh god... am I Calumon?!'
He immediately shook his head, trying to physically dislodge the absurd thought. What a joke! He was a man with the ambition to punch out Ultimate-level threats with his bare hands! He was not some tiny, adorable, floating creature whose only purpose was to make others stronger!
Besides, this was all just speculation. He couldn't be sure...
As Mizuki was having his internal crisis, Aegiochusmon, having finally gotten a handle on his new body, noticed his friend shaking his head back and forth. Confused, he turned to LadyDevimon.
"What's wrong with Mizuki?"
LadyDevimon gazed at Mizuki, her expression soft and full of unwavering faith. "I don't know," she said with a gentle smile. "Maybe he's thinking about how to save the world."
As expected of LadyDevimon. Her Mizuki-filter was always on.
"Is... that so?" Aegiochusmon murmured, his eyes wide with awe.
————
"There are more and more injured Digimon..."
Looking down at the scarred little creature before her, a flash of maturity and pity that seemed out of place on her young face crossed Kari Kamiya's eyes. Over the past few days, she had grown deeply fond of these simple, earnest beings. Seeing them in such pain and distress made her own heart ache.
Fortunately, she wasn't completely helpless.
A faint, warm light began to glow in the palm of her hand. As she gently held it over the wounded Digimon, the radiance spread, and its injuries began to knit themselves closed at a rate visible to the naked eye.
The other Digimon in the makeshift infirmary watched in silence, their gazes a mixture of deep respect and desperate longing. It was as if they weren't looking at a human child, but at a saintess sent to bring light and hope into their world.
Mizuki, having been led to the area by Aegiochusmon, arrived just in time to witness this scene.
"Is this... the power of light?" he breathed, his voice filled with wonder.
"That's right," Aegiochusmon confirmed, his tone reverent. "Kari is a truly special child. I don't know how she does it, but she can channel the power of light to heal the wounded. Thanks to her, many Digimon who were on the brink of death have been saved."
Mizuki nodded, his eyes fixed on Kari's small, determined back. It made sense, he supposed. The power of light inherently possessed properties of healing and purification. More than that, the fact that Kari was the chosen vessel for Homeostasis was proof enough of her unique nature.
Still, a flicker of curiosity prompted him to ask Aegiochusmon a question. "By the way, did Kari awaken this power after seeing her brother Tai get hurt during training?"
Aegiochusmon's jaw dropped. "Eh?! How did you know that?!"
A knowing smirk touched Mizuki's lips as he shrugged.
"I knew it."
[Akarin's Note:
Enjoying the story? Dropping a quick review, comment, or Power Stone means the world to me and keeps these daily updates flowing!
Want to read 50 chapters ahead or just want to help keep a shameless translator alive? (My livelihood actually depends on this, haha 😭). You can support me directly here:
(P.S. Just remove the brackets and replace the [.] with a regular dot . to use the links!)
✨ Patreon (50 Advanced Chapters): patreon[.]com/AkarinTL
☕ Ko-fi (Support / Sponsor): ko-fi[.]com/AkarinTL
🔗 All My Links: linktr[.]ee/AkarinTL
Thank you so much for reading and keeping this project alive!]