Chapter 150: This Is My Escape Route
Leomon's sudden appearance in the clearing was far from a mere coincidence. Every step he took had been calculated, driven by a lingering suspicion.
Gatomon's previous warnings echoed in his mind, serving as a constant, nagging reminder. If BlackGatomon truly possessed the potential to become a vital ally in the impending war against Myotismon, her true nature had to be verified. Thus, the noble beast warrior had taken to the shadows, tracking her every move in absolute secrecy.
Her allegiances were a murky gray. Before he could comfortably entrust his back to her, he needed obvious proof of her character. It was the exact same cautious protocol he had employed when he first encountered Gatomon—trust, but verify from a hidden vantage point.
Yet, his stealthy observation had yielded a disturbing sight. From the dense foliage, Leomon had watched BlackGatomon ruthlessly strike down ShogunGekomon, sending the massive amphibian crashing into the dirt. Whether she intended to drag the fallen lord back to Myotismon's castle as a mindless slave was irrelevant. The sheer cruelty of the act—wantonly bullying those weaker than herself—ignited a fiery, righteous anger in Leomon's chest. It was an offense his warrior's code simply could not tolerate.
The breaking point came a moment later. Seeing the trembling Gekomon and the frantic Otamamon seemingly held hostage by the dark feline and her shadowy subordinates, Leomon's restraint snapped. His powerful leg muscles coiled, and he launched himself from the underbrush, landing heavily between the terrified amphibians and their supposed tormentor.
"You naturally evil BlackGatomon!" Leomon roared, his deep voice shaking the surrounding leaves. He drew his sword, the blade gleaming under the canopy's filtered light. "I will personally strike you down!"
Standing alone against a pack of BlackGatomon, especially when their leader possessed the terrifying, latent power of a LadyDevimon, was practically a death sentence for a mere Champion-level Digimon. It was a reckless, almost suicidal gamble.
However, for Leomon, the mathematics of survival meant nothing. This was never a question of whether he could secure a victory. It was a matter of absolute duty. He had to protect the innocent.
, he was no longer the same warrior who had first stepped onto these shores. He was not incapable of reaching the Ultimate level!
A blinding, golden light erupted from Leomon's core, tearing through the forest's gloom. The grueling trials across the Server Continent, the countless brushes with death, and the unyielding desire to protect had finally pushed him past his limits. He had touched the threshold of true strength.
Heavy, metallic clanks echoed through the clearing as a layer of thick, high-tech armor rapidly materialized over his expanding physique.
[Leomon Super Digivolve to...]
Thick exhaust pipes vented scorching steam. Massive turbines locked onto his arms and legs, spinning up with a deafening, high-pitched whine.
[...Grapleomon!]
"Roar!!!"
A shockwave of pure, kinetic energy blasted outward as the digivolution finalized. The aura radiating from Grapleomon skyrocketed, twisting the very air around him into a hazy mirage of heat and power.
BlackGatomon stared blankly at the heavily armored, fiercely righteous beast roaring in front of her. Her left eyelid twitched. Once. Twice.
'Okay, fine,'she thought, her tail flicking in deep annoyance.'I'm not exactly a saint. And yes, I absolutely have ulterior motives for helping these swamp dwellers.' That much was true. But for the love of the Digital World, could this muscle-brained idiot at least figure out the actual context before going on a holy crusade?
BlackGatomon slapped a paw over her face and let out a long, exhausted sigh.
Behind her, the Gekomon and Otamamon frantically waved their webbed hands, stepping forward to clear up the massive misunderstanding. Before they could squeak out a single word, BlackGatomon shot her arm out, barring their path.
"BlackGatomon?!" the lead Gekomon croaked in confusion.
"Forget it. Keep your mouths shut," she muttered, her golden eyes narrowing as she sized up the newly evolved Grapleomon. "Let me handle this meathead. It just so happens I want to test exactly how much strength he's hiding under all that flashy new armor."
'After all...'A sharp, calculating glint flashed in her feline eyes.'I need to know if this guy is actually worth recruiting. If he's going to be an ally in my upcoming plans, he better be able to pull his own weight.'
The moment the thought settled, a suffocating aura of pure darkness erupted from BlackGatomon's small frame. Shadows pooled beneath her feet, spiraling upward to form a massive, blooming lotus of jet-black energy. From within the dark petals, a tall, terrifyingly elegant silhouette began to take shape, her ghostly figure radiating an oppressive chill.
[BlackGatomon Super Digivolve to...]
The shadows shattered like glass.
[...LadyDevimon!]
LadyDevimon hovered above the ground, her tattered black wings shifting lazily. A cruel, mocking smirk played on her pale lips as she raised a slender hand, provocatively crooking her clawed index finger at the armored beast.
"Come on then, hero," LadyDevimon purred, her voice dripping with dark amusement. "Let me see what you're really capable of!"
Despite the blatant provocation, Grapleomon did not blindly charge. His combat instincts, honed through endless battles, kept his temper firmly in check. He planted his heavy boots into the dirt and observed the fallen angel in grim silence.
'Just as I suspected...'
He could feel the crushing weight of her presence. Compared to his newly acquired form, LadyDevimon's dark aura was incredibly dense, refined through countless slaughters. It was the aura of a veteran Ultimate.
In stark contrast, while Grapleomon's own energy flared outward in wild, intimidating bursts, he knew the bitter truth. His power was leaking. He had only just breached the Ultimate level; his digital core hadn't fully adapted to the massive strain of the turbine armor. He couldn't maintain this state for a prolonged war of attrition.
His golden eyes locked onto his target. 'I have to end this quickly!'
The moment the strategy formed, Grapleomon moved. The heavy turbines mounted on his arms and legs shrieked to life, rotating at a blinding, high-speed blur. The sheer torque tore the ground beneath him to shreds as he launched himself forward like a fired artillery shell.
"[Lion Beast Wave Slash!]" he roared, throwing a devastating, energy-wreathed punch aimed straight for her chest.
"...Interesting," LadyDevimon murmured.
Though she wore a mask of absolute disdain, her crimson eyes tracked his explosive speed with deadly focus. She wasn't foolish enough to underestimate the raw, kinetic force bearing down on her. Sensing the razor-sharp pressure of his incoming fist, she decisively gathered a dense concentration of dark energy into her elongated claws, shaping it into a vicious, crackling blade of pure malice.
"[Demon Sword!]"
'A blade of darkness, huh...'Grapleomon's mind raced as the lethal strike closed the distance.'If I were fighting any other Ultimate, that concentrated piercing power would be a nightmare to deal with. But against LadyDevimon specifically...'
Watching the dark, magical blade slice through the air toward his neck, Grapleomon's pupils shrank to pinpricks. Relying entirely on his battle-hardened reflexes, he forcibly aborted his forward momentum. His swinging fist instantly snapped into a new trajectory, parrying the strike with the heavy metal casing of his forearm turbine!
"What!?"
Sparks showered the clearing as metal ground against dark magic. A genuine flash of shock broke through LadyDevimon's arrogant facade. He had deflected her lethal counter with terrifying precision.
Before she could retract her arm, Grapleomon's deep, booming voice echoed right in front of her face.
"Your strike is swift and fierce, I'll give you that!" he barked, his muscles bulging as he pushed her blade aside. "But your method of attack is entirely too direct! You put everything into the thrust, leaving yourself absolutely no room to maneuver. And what is too rigid is easily broken!"
He stepped into her guard, his presence overwhelming.
"Use your body to feel the weight of your sins!" Grapleomon roared. "This is for the weak ones you bullied!"
The turbines on his limbs screamed, pushing their RPM to the absolute limit. Taking full advantage of LadyDevimon's wide-open stance, Grapleomon pivoted on his heel. He channeled the gyroscopic force of his armor into a devastating, high-speed spin, unleashing a relentless barrage of heavy, armor-plated kicks directly into her midsection.
"[Whirlwind Turbine Kick!]"
'...Tsk. Another one of these freaks with absurd combat experience,' LadyDevimon cursed inwardly.
Caught completely off guard by the fluid transition, she absorbed the brutal impacts. The heavy metal boots slammed into her ribs, sending sharp jolts of pain radiating through her digital core. The sheer, suffocating pressure of his technique involuntarily dragged a specific memory to the surface of her mind.
BlackAgumon. That little dark reptile was exactly the same. Whether it was his raw strength, his flawless technique, or his terrifyingly sharp combat instincts, fighting him felt like fighting a force of nature.
However—
"Don't you dare underestimate me! You bastard!" LadyDevimon shrieked, her eyes flaring crimson.
The memory of BlackAgumon brought forth another recollection: the tactical maneuvers he had used when they temporarily joined forces to fight Belle. Adapting on the fly, LadyDevimon instantly stopped trying to block Grapleomon's overwhelming combo. Instead, she went limp, allowing the kinetic force of his final spinning kick to launch her backward. She rode the shockwave, using his own strength to propel herself through the air and tear open a massive gap between them.
Grapleomon's boots skidded against the dirt as he stabilized his stance. A heavy look of gravity settled over his feline features. 'Not good!'
His unfamiliarity with his new Ultimate body had cost him. He had failed to incapacitate her during the critical window, and worse, he had allowed a ranged specialist to dictate the distance. If his tactical assessment was correct—
"Grapleomon!" LadyDevimon's triumphant, echoing voice cut through the clearing from high above. She hovered in the canopy, her dark wings spread wide against the filtered light. "I will admit, your brute strength has indeed exceeded my expectations."
A wicked, fanged smile stretched across her pale face. "But in terms of sheer intelligence, you are still leagues beneath me! This was my escape route all along!"
Dark energy violently coalesced around her slender arms, warping the space around her.
"Now, let me return the favor for that little massage you just gave me!" LadyDevimon laughed, a shrill, piercing sound, as she violently swept her hand downward.
"[Darkness Wave!]"
The shadows fractured. In an instant, a massive, screeching tide of demonic bats poured from her sleeves. The sky turned black as the swarm cascaded downward, a surging, aggressive tsunami of dark magic aimed directly at Grapleomon.
Facing the apocalyptic wave, the beast warrior didn't flinch. There was not a single trace of fear in his golden eyes. He planted his feet firmly into the earth, took a slow, measured breath, and lowered his center of gravity into a flawless martial arts stance.
Just as he began to channel the absolute maximum output of his digital core, preparing to meet her ultimate attack head-on with his own, a desperate, familiar voice suddenly tore through the chaos, reaching both of their ears.
"Hey! Both of you, wait a second!"
The voice echoed from the edge of the treeline. "This is a massive misunderstanding!"
'Wait a second?'Grapleomon's eyes narrowed fiercely.'I'll wait after I've neutralized the lethal threat trying to vaporize me!'
Though he recognized the distant shout, his battle-trance remained unbroken. His hand movements didn't stutter for a fraction of a second. The turbines mounted on his heavy gauntlets screamed, rotating past their safety limits until the metal glowed a volatile, cherry-red.
"Unlike the opening strike, this time I'm holding nothing back!" Grapleomon roared.
The next second, he drove his fist forward. The sheer, violent kinetic force of the blow shattered the sound barrier, the shockwave so intense it visibly distorted the gravity around his arm.
"[Lion Beast Wave Slash!]"
Accompanied by an devastating roar, a massive, golden lion's head made of pure energy erupted from his fist. It slammed directly into the descending tide of bats. The resulting explosion tore through the forest, completely obliterating LadyDevimon's Darkness Wave in a blinding flash of golden light...
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