Chapter 98: I Have General MetalGreymon, Capable of Slaying Mega-Level Monsters!
"Lord Mizuki!"
"Lord Mizuki!"
"Lord Mizuki!"
Mizuki's voice faded into the night air, but the echoes of his song lingered. The atmosphere in the clearing had reached an absolute fever pitch. Even under the oppressive canopy of the dark digital night, the sheer excitement radiating from the gathered Digimon cut through the gloom like a beacon.
But no matter how captivating a melody was, the final note always had to drop.
Slowly, the final chords of Mizuki's rendition of 'Savior' drifted into silence.
The crowd, however, refused to quiet down. The Digimon roared, stomping their feet and waving their claws, desperate for the concert to continue.
"Lord Mizuki, please! Just one more song!"
"I can't live without your voice! I feel like my data is going to devolve straight back into a Tapirmon!"
"Oh, please! If Lord Mizuki is willing to sing just one more track, I would do anything!"
Initially, their devotion to Mizuki had been rooted entirely in loyalty and respect for his strength. Now, after experiencing the sheer emotional weight of his performance, their admiration had evolved into genuine idol worship.
"Eh, really?"
Mizuki blinked, genuinely taken aback by the deafening wall of cheers. He stood on the makeshift stage, scratching the back of his head with a slightly awkward smile. He hadn't expected a simple song to whip a crowd of battle-hardened digital monsters into such a frenzy.
Despite his sharp tactical mind and the heavy burdens he carried, he was still, at his core, a teenager. His soul might have been tempered by past tragedies, but moments like this brought out the pure, unadulterated youth he had been given a second chance to enjoy.
Before Mizuki could figure out how to politely decline or offer an encore, a raucous shout shattered the rhythmic chanting from the crowd below.
"Lord Mizuki! How about a deal?" The voice slurred slightly, dripping with liquid courage. "As long as you're willing to sing one more song, I'll go up there and take on Big Sister Belle right here, right now!"
Silence crashed over the clearing.
The surrounding Digimon froze. Expressions of absolute horror, mixed with a tiny, morbid sliver of admiration, painted their faces.
The reason for their terror was simple. Ever since Belle had casually confirmed her status as a Mega-level powerhouse, the news had spread through the entire camp like wildfire, largely thanks to a certain MetalGreymon's inability to keep a secret.
Heads swiveled as the crowd desperately searched for the suicidal fool who had just issued the challenge.
The crowd parted, revealing the source of the voice.
It was a heavily intoxicated BlackGatomon.
Dark data swirled around her form as she casually shifted, reverting to her Ultimate-level state. LadyDevimon stood tall, swaying slightly on her feet, a smug grin plastered across her pale face.
The moment the crowd exposed the challenger, Belle's eyes narrowed. A dangerous, icy glint flashed in her gaze as she locked onto the dark fallen angel.
Very well. So it was this nuisance.
However, the killing intent radiating from Belle had absolutely nothing to do with the challenge itself. It was entirely focused on the choice of words.
'I told you not to call me Big Sister!'Belle's inner monologue screamed, though her face remained a mask of serene calm.'I despise that title! Are your audio receptors completely fried?!'
LadyDevimon, completely oblivious to the specific reason behind the Mega-level Digimon's rising fury, assumed her provocation had landed perfectly. She flipped her dark hair and continued her drunken boasting.
"How can Lord Mizuki's wonderful music not be accompanied by some proper entertainment?" LadyDevimon gestured grandly. "I may lack talent, but I am more than willing to step up and challenge Big Sister Belle! I will gladly serve as the opening act for Lord Mizuki, and give everyone a show they will never forget!"
Belle's eye twitched. 'She called me Big Sister again...'
"Uh... I don't think that's—"
Mizuki looked at the clearly inebriated LadyDevimon. He opened his mouth to defuse the situation, fully intending to say he would just sing the song without needing anyone to get beaten to a pulp.
A soft hand rested on his shoulder.
"What's wrong with her idea?" Belle interrupted, her voice dripping with a sickeningly sweet, honeyed tone. "I actually think this suggestion is incredibly interesting."
She stepped forward, offering a flawless, angelic smile. "Mizu, just agree to her little challenge. Coincidentally, my joints have been feeling a bit stiff. I could use a light stretch."
Despite the soft, cute cadence of her voice, every Digimon with an ounce of survival instinct took a collective step back. The air pressure around her had dropped. She was furious.
Even a Mega-level entity as supposedly gentle as Belle had her limits when it came to disrespect.
The surrounding Digimon exchanged terrified glances, completely unaware that the source of this apocalyptic rage was nothing more than a casual nickname.
Mizuki looked at Belle's terrifyingly friendly smile, then glanced at the smug, swaying LadyDevimon. He knew Belle wouldn't actually kill one of their own, but the beating would likely be severe enough to require extensive data reconstruction. He felt a moral obligation to try one last time.
"Belle, while a spar sounds fine in theory, LadyDevimon is only at the Ultimate level. Can you, a Mega, really get a decent workout out of her?"
Before Belle could formulate a response, LadyDevimon reached out and grabbed the closest bystander by the shoulder. She hauled him forward and puffed out her chest, shouting with absolute pride.
"Do not worry about that, Lord Mizuki!"
She slapped the back of her captive. "It is just a mere Mega-level, right? I have General MetalGreymon here! He is more than capable of defeating a mere Mega!"
BlackAgumon, currently resting in his Rookie form after spending the day as the blue-skinned MetalGreymon, blinked.
"?"
He pointed a claw at his own snout. 'Me? Fight a Mega? Did your audio processors glitch out?'
Up until five seconds ago, BlackAgumon had been completely lost in the lingering euphoria of Mizuki's concert. He had tuned out the entire argument, perfectly content to mind his own business.
Now, he found himself forcibly chained to the mast of LadyDevimon's sinking ship.
'LadyDevimon, you absolute lunatic!' BlackAgumon screamed internally.
He knew he was a capable fighter. He still carried the pride of his past achievements. Back when he was just a Rookie, he had taken on three Tyranomon and over thirty Tapirmon simultaneously. He had handled a battlefield littered with traps and had nearly managed to counter-kill the entire group.
But even with that impressive resume, he was not delusional. He knew the gap between an Ultimate and a Mega was an abyss. And Belle was not just any standard Mega-level Digimon. She was an anomaly.
BlackAgumon opened his jaws, fully prepared to reject this suicidal draft.
Sensing his hesitation, LadyDevimon leaned down, her dark lips brushing right next to his audio receptors.
"Hey," she whispered, her tone suddenly dropping its drunken slur, replaced by a sharp, calculating edge. "MetalGreymon, are you really going to act like a coward? If you don't even have the spine to challenge a Mega in a friendly spar, how exactly do you plan to serve Lord Mizuki when the real war starts?"
BlackAgumon froze. He shot her a deadpan glare. 'Do you honestly think I would fall for such a basic, low-level provocation?'
But as the words settled in his core... he hesitated.
LadyDevimon's logic was entirely sound.
Given Lord Mizuki's unyielding personality and his habit of attracting trouble, a collision with the Nightmare Soldiers was inevitable. The rumors were clear: the Nightmare Soldiers were commanded by terrifying Mega-level entities.
If he wanted to stand by Lord Mizuki's side, if he truly wanted to be the sword that cleared his master's path, he had to bridge that gap. He had to know what fighting a Mega felt like.
Challenging Belle right here, right now, in a controlled environment... was it really such a bad idea?
A spark ignited in BlackAgumon's golden eyes. The calm, disciplined demeanor he had cultivated since his digivolution began to crack, giving way to a familiar, burning restlessness.
The data in his core surged.
BlackAgumon was itching for a fight.
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