Chapter 89: A Disgraceful Display
A rhythmic, melodic chant drifted through the heavy fog of sleep.
Bad luck, bad luck, bad luck...
"..."
Mizuki shifted, his consciousness slowly clawing its way up from the depths of exhaustion. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes, blinking against the ambient light. Before his vision could even fully focus, a soft, familiar voice brushed against his ear.
"Mizu, are you awake?"
"Is that... Bel?" Mizuki mumbled. He let out a long, jaw-cracking yawn, his muscles protesting slightly as he stretched. "So you have been watching over me this whole time... Sorry for the trouble."
"Do not be sad." A gentle hand brushed through his hair. "Do we really need to say such formal things between us?"
Mizuki blinked his eyes fully open. Belle knelt beside him, currently maintaining her mature, commanding leader form. Yet, despite her tall stature and imposing aura, a distinct, childish pout puffed out her cheeks. The sheer contrast between her intimidating appearance and her petulant expression gave her an incredibly endearing charm.
A faint smile touched Mizuki's lips. "Sorry, sorry. It was just a subconscious reaction."
He pushed himself up, sliding smoothly out of her protective embrace. His boots touched the ground. "How is everyone holding up? Have you all been waiting long?"
"Not at all."
As Mizuki stepped away, a fleeting shadow of regret passed through Belle's eyes. She missed his warmth already. A moment later, massive black wings erupted from her back, sweeping forward to completely envelop her tall figure.
Dark feathers scattered into the air, dissolving into raw data. When the wings pulled back, Belle had reverted to her petite, childlike appearance. She skipped forward with practiced ease, immediately wrapping her small arms around one of Mizuki's hands and hugging it tight against her side.
Amused by her clingy, adorable reaction, Mizuki reached over with his free hand and gently patted her head.
"Mizu, you really did not sleep for very long," Belle murmured, leaning into his touch. "Honestly, I was worried you had not gotten enough rest..."
Hearing the genuine anxiety lacing her words, Mizuki offered a reassuring smile. "On the contrary, I feel completely refreshed." He paused, his tone softening. "That is entirely thanks to your warm embrace, Bel."
"Really?!"
Belle's head snapped up, her eyes sparkling with sudden, intense excitement. "If that is true, then Mizu can sleep on me however he wants from now on!"
"No... wait, that sounds—"
A cold drop of sweat slid down the back of Mizuki's neck. He knew perfectly well that Belle possessed a pure, childlike innocence and meant absolutely nothing inappropriate by her phrasing. Still, the sheer implications of those words made his heart skip a beat.
Catching his sudden hesitation, the bright spark in Belle's eyes extinguished. Her shoulders slumped, and she looked down at her boots. "Am I... still causing trouble for Mizu?"
"No, no, no, absolutely not!"
Throwing caution to the wind, Mizuki immediately scrambled to comfort her, waving his free hand frantically. "There is zero trouble! In fact, if we are being completely honest here, I am the one constantly causing trouble for you."
Whether it was because they had gone through similar routines before, or simply due to her straightforward nature, Belle's gloomy aura vanished the second Mizuki validated her. She beamed, squeezing his arm tighter.
Before they could continue their banter, a sharp, familiar voice cut through the air.
"Your Excellency Mizuki! You have awakened?!"
Heavy footsteps rushed closer. "This is truly a glorious moment! We have all been sick with worry over your condition—"
"Is that LadyDevimon?"
Mizuki turned toward the approaching figure. Seeing the tall, dark-clad fallen angel Digimon hurrying toward him, he offered a casual, friendly smile and nodded in greeting.
That simple, everyday gesture proved entirely too much for her.
LadyDevimon's boots tangled together. She let out a choked gasp, pitching forward and nearly face-planting directly into the dirt.
"LadyDevimon?!" Mizuki stepped forward, alarmed.
"No! Please, pay no attention to my clumsiness, Your Excellency Mizuki!" LadyDevimon scrambled upright, her pale cheeks flushed dark. "I just... I simply cannot suppress this overflowing loyalty in my chest!"
She stood rigidly at attention, hastily wiping away a suspicious droplet leaking from the corner of her mouth. Whether it was excess data or literal drool, Mizuki decided it was safer not to ask.
Regaining her composure, LadyDevimon took a reverent step forward. "More, Your Excellency Mizuki, I have acquired something that belongs to you."
Under Mizuki's slightly bewildered gaze, LadyDevimon raised both hands, carefully presenting a small, pink, metallic object shaped like a tag.
"This is..."
Mizuki stared at the engraved pattern on the metallic surface, his eyes widening in genuine surprise.
Beside him, Belle tilted her head, inspecting the object. "Is that not the pattern belonging to that human girl?" She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Mizu, I believe her name was Sora, correct?"
"Yes," Mizuki murmured, reaching out. "This is the Crest of Love."
The absolute second Mizuki's fingertips brushed the cold metal, the dormant Crest flared to life. A brilliant, warm pink light erupted from the engraved symbol, casting a soft glow over their faces.
Mizuki froze, staring at the radiant light spilling across his palm.
"Your Excellency Mizuki?!" LadyDevimon panicked, taking a defensive stance. "Is it cursed?! Could it be a trap?!"
"Wait, calm down. Do not panic."
Seeing LadyDevimon practically ready to launch a dark energy attack at the tiny piece of metal, Mizuki quickly raised his voice to appease her. His calm tone acted like a switch, instantly settling her chaotic battle aura.
Mizuki sighed internally. She had already evolved into a terrifying, Ultimate-level LadyDevimon, yet she still reacted to every minor surprise like a skittish, overprotective cat.
Giving the deeply embarrassed fallen angel a helpless look, Mizuki directed his attention back to the glowing Crest resting in his hand.
"LadyDevimon, you still remember the DigiDestined, correct?"
"Are you referring to those annoying brats—" LadyDevimon caught herself under Mizuki's steady gaze. "Ah, I mean, are you referring to Your Excellency Mizuki's esteemed companions?"
She nodded firmly, though the blank look in her eyes betrayed her completely. She did not remember a single detail about those children. Her entire mental processing capacity was currently occupied by thoughts of His Excellency Mizuki.
'...'
Feeling a distinct chill crawl up his spine from the intense, starry-eyed look LadyDevimon was giving him, Mizuki forced himself to ignore it. He steadied his breathing and continued his explanation.
"This specific Crest of Love belongs to the girl among that group. Her name is Sora Takenouchi."
"Is that so?" LadyDevimon nodded, pretending to absorb this vital information. Then, she frowned, pointing a sharp claw at the glowing object. "But, Your Excellency Mizuki, if this item truly belongs to that human girl, why is it reacting so strongly to your touch?"
"To answer that, we need to discuss the concept of the Light of the Heart."
"The Light of the Heart?"
The sound of their conversation had begun to draw a crowd. MetalGreymon (Blue) and a large host of other Digimon slowly shuffled into the clearing. They had clearly realized Mizuki was awake and figured Big Sister Belle would not chase them away for disturbing his rest anymore.
Mizuki scanned the gathering crowd. Interestingly, the regular Vaccine-attribute MetalGreymon was nowhere to be seen. He must be off handling some other task. Pushing that minor curiosity aside, Mizuki raised his voice so the entire group could hear.
"Although human beings do not possess the same terrifying physical strength or destructive capabilities as Digimon, the raw emotions and willpower housed within their hearts can generate an incredibly potent energy."
Mizuki held the glowing Crest up for all to see. "This energy is what I call the Light of the Heart. It is the exact same power I use to help you all achieve digivolution."
He tapped the pink metal. "As for this Crest, it is merely a physical catalyst. A tool designed to draw out and channel that internal Light of the Heart. Do you understand what I mean?"
Staring at the soft pink glow illuminating Mizuki's face, LadyDevimon and the surrounding Digimon nodded in collective realization.
"But if that is the case, Your Excellency Mizuki, could you not simply claim this Crest for yourself?" LadyDevimon asked, her tone entirely serious. "After all, the concept of love suits Your Excellency Mizuki perfectly."
That single statement ignited a wave of passionate agreement across the clearing.
"Exactly! His Excellency Mizuki is an incredibly kind person!" a massive Tyrannomon roared in agreement, thumping its chest.
"He is not only gentle, but also incredibly strong!" an Agumon cheered, raising its claws.
"He is also very adorable..." a BlackGatomon purred, licking its paw. "And he smells absolutely delicious!"
"His Excellency Mizuki is a man who could have become a mother to me!" a massive, bone-chilling voice echoed.
"Eh?"
Mizuki's jaw dropped. He turned a look of absolute, unadulterated horror toward the towering skeletal figure of SkullGreymon.
Realizing what had just slipped out of his mouth, SkullGreymon froze. The giant undead dinosaur frantically raised its bony hands, covering its jawline while looking around as if searching for the culprit.
'It was not me!'SkullGreymon's hollow eye sockets seemed to scream.'...'Standing a few feet away, MetalGreymon (Blue) stared at the skeletal beast with an expression of deep judgment.'I always suspected you were a hypocrite,'MetalGreymon (Blue) thought, slowly taking a large step backward.'But I never expected you to be that kind of degenerate Digimon...'
The blue cyborg dinosaur continued to subtly distance itself, looking genuinely afraid that whatever embarrassing mental illness afflicted SkullGreymon might be contagious.
Mizuki cleared his throat loudly, desperately wrestling the conversation away from the edge of a cliff to save whatever tiny shred of dignity SkullGreymon had left.
"Ahem... Regardless of how well it suits me, I have no need for a physical Crest."
Mizuki lowered his hand. "Everyone, you all remember the light I manifested during our previous battles, correct?"
The Digimon nodded eagerly.
"That was the pure manifestation of my own Light of the Heart." Mizuki handed the metallic Crest of Love over to Belle, who tucked it away safely. He then raised his now-empty hand.
He closed his eyes, focusing his will. A second later, a brilliant, saturated pink aura flared to life around his fingers, identical in color and warmth to the light the Crest had just produced.
"Ultimately, this power originates from within my own soul," Mizuki explained, his voice steady and confident. "As long as one's internal conviction is strong enough, this energy can be drawn out naturally, without ever relying on an external tool."
Staring at the raw emotional power dancing across Mizuki's palm, the Digimon exchanged awed glances.
"As expected of His Excellency Mizuki!" the crowd cheered in perfect, cult-like unison.
"Alright, alright, let us put the flattery on hold for a moment."
Mizuki closed his hand, extinguishing the pink light. When he opened his eyes again, his gentle demeanor had vanished. His gaze sharpened, turning cold and calculating as he swept his eyes over the gathered crowd.
"More, I need an answer to a very specific question."
The temperature in the clearing seemed to drop.
"Where exactly did you get Sora's Crest?"
"Uh... well..."
The cheering died instantly. The gathered Digimon looked at each other in sheer panic. Then, moving with the flawless synchronization of a highly trained military unit, every single Digimon took one large step backward.
This maneuver perfectly exposed LadyDevimon, who had been too distracted staring at Mizuki to react in time, leaving her standing entirely alone at the front of the group.
Mizuki stared at her. '...'LadyDevimon stared back, realizing she had just been completely abandoned by her comrades.'...'
Trapped under Mizuki's piercing gaze, LadyDevimon slowly raised a claw to her cheek, struck a cute pose, and tilted her head.
"...Tee-hee~"
Looking at the terrifying, dark-winged Ultimate Digimon attempting to act like an innocent idol in front of him, Mizuki pressed two fingers to the bridge of his nose and let out a long, exhausted sigh.
Why did he not find this chaotic behavior strange anymore?
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