Chapter 182: The Standpoint and Responsibility of Humanity
'These spoiled brats are actually agonizing over the aesthetics of their Ultimate level forms. They have absolutely no idea how lucky they are.'
While Mimi chattered away, desperately trying to convey the absolute necessity of beauty and strength coexisting to a very confused Palmon, BlackGatomon watched from the sidelines. A quiet scoff escaped her throat.
digivolution was the ultimate dream for any Digimon. It was the absolute pinnacle of their existence.
Including her own.
digivolution meant a future.
Back in the dark days, what was the point of her crawling through the dirt, struggling to survive under Etemon's tyrannical command? Aside from wanting to protect the few companions she held dear, every drop of blood and sweat had been shed to fight for this impossibly rare chance to evolve.
Of course, she had realized far too late that Etemon was merely stringing them along with empty promises.
Now, thanks entirely to Mizuki's intervention, she had finally grasped that coveted power. Yet, watching the DigiDestined and their partners achieve these miraculous milestones so effortlessly—and then complain about the results—stirred a bitter cocktail of envy and resentment in her chest.
A heavy footstep sounded to her right. BlackAgumon had materialized beside her, his dark scales absorbing the dim light of the cavern.
"Given the prerequisite of possessing the ability to grow stronger, it is only natural to pursue superior conditions," BlackAgumon rumbled, his deep voice carrying a strange calmness. He tilted his head, sizing up his feline companion. "Or rather, compared to the elegant form of LadyDevimon, would you prefer to turn into a hulking brute like the rest of us?"
Hearing his dry teasing, BlackGatomon paused.
It was true. While the Ultimate level forms of BlackAgumon and the others were undeniably devastating in battle, their massive, monstrous bodies lacked subtlety. LadyDevimon, possessing a humanoid silhouette, offered far more versatility and convenience in almost any given situation.
More, her own aesthetic preferences leaned heavily toward LadyDevimon's dark, gothic elegance.
But BlackAgumon was not just talking about appearances. The underlying weight of his words hung in the air between them.
'Is this idiot trying to remind me?'she thought, her claws twitching.'Reminding me that I now possess the exact same conditions as these DigiDestined partners. That there is no longer any need to dwell on the miserable past...'A complex swirl of emotion flashed through her feline eyes as she looked up at the dark reptile.'Tsk. I made this big oaf worry about me again.'
Ever since he had achieved his own Ultimate level, BlackAgumon had quietly taken on the role of a silent guardian, constantly watching over their little ragtag group of survivors. Even she had benefited from his unspoken care more times than she cared to admit.
She acknowledged his kindness in her heart, but her pride refused to let it show on her face.
"Hmph. Mind your own business," she snapped, her tone dripping with practiced arrogance.
Without looking back, she flicked her tail and strutted toward the group of children.
BlackAgumon merely let out a low, rumbling chuckle. He was far too accustomed to his colleague's prickly defense mechanisms to take offense. Like a patient older brother, he retreated to the shadows of the corner, silently keeping watch over his family.
Meanwhile, BlackGatomon came to a halt beside Angewomon, the radiant angel having just stabilized her newly acquired Ultimate level form.
Staring up at the blindingly bright Digimon who now towered over her, a fierce, competitive fire ignited in BlackGatomon's eyes. The dark data within her core surged in response. Her small feline body began to blur, enveloped in a swirling vortex of abyssal energy as she shifted into her own Ultimate state.
BlackGatomon Digivolve to... LadyDevimon.
The moment the oppressive, dark aura materialized beside her, Angewomon felt an instinctive flare of disgust. As a Holy-species Digimon born of pure light, her very code rejected the concentrated darkness radiating from the newcomer. Her wings twitched, ready to strike. However, remembering the unique circumstances and the dark angel's actual personality, Angewomon forced her rational mind to suppress her basic instincts.
"LadyDevimon," Angewomon greeted, her voice tight but controlled.
"I hate to interrupt your touching little reunion," LadyDevimon drawled, her lips curling into a mocking smirk as she gestured toward the massive, sealed gate looming in the distance. "But have you all forgotten that we have much more pressing matters at hand? Myotismon is waiting."
She shifted her gaze to the red-haired boy hunched over his laptop. "Didn't that brat named Izzy spell it out? He finished analyzing the stone table, but he is too terrified of uncertain variables to actually open the thing."
"In that case, why not force Myotismon to take the initiative and open the gate from his side?" LadyDevimon suggested, her crimson eyes gleaming with dark amusement. "You can use that opportunity to observe the exact mechanism from a safe distance. Wouldn't that be absolutely perfect?"
Without waiting for an answer, she snapped her long, clawed fingers and pointed toward the pitch-black shadows behind her.
The children strained their eyes. The cavern was incredibly dim, but they could just barely make out a colossal, shifting silhouette chained within the darkness. It was a Digimon of truly nightmarish proportions.
"Anyway, we are going to toss this piece of trash through to Myotismon's side," LadyDevimon stated casually.
Izzy's eyes lit up with realization. "That is brilliant. No problem at all! If I can personally witness Myotismon's method of activating the dimensional gate, I can map the data flow and minimize all potential risks."
Mimi raised a hand, her face scrunching up in confusion. "Um, wait. If we can just get Myotismon to open the door, wouldn't it be way easier if we just sneaked in right behind him while it is open?"
Izzy shook his head, his fingers flying across his keyboard. "It is theoretically possible, Mimi, but we cannot guarantee that the Myotismon on the other side hasn't set up countermeasures."
He paused, adjusting his posture. "Think about it. When he actively opens the gate, his entire focus will be locked onto this specific coordinate. If he notices foreign data crossing the threshold and disrupts the passage while we are inside, we could be violently exiled into the dimensional void."
"And if that happens," Izzy added grimly, "no one can predict where, or when, we will end up."
All the color drained from Mimi's face. She clutched her chest, her breath hitching.
"Being exiled to some creepy void in another dimension? No way! I absolutely do not want that!" She frantically waved her hands. "Let's just stick to your plan, Izzy-senpai!"
Seeing Mimi practically vibrating with fear, Izzy offered a weak, awkward smile.
The truth was, being exiled was merely his most optimistic guess. If a spatial collapse occurred while they were in transit, being thrown into an unknown world would actually be a miraculous stroke of luck compared to being shredded into raw data by dimensional turbulence.
Naturally, to prevent Mimi from having a full-blown panic attack, Izzy decided to keep that particular detail to himself.
As Izzy and Mimi finalized the logistics, Joe Kido quietly separated himself from the group. His footsteps were heavy as he approached LadyDevimon.
The dark angel glanced down at the oldest child, a flicker of mild curiosity breaking her usual haughty expression.
In LadyDevimon's brutal assessment of the DigiDestined, the boy standing before her was undoubtedly the most unremarkable of the bunch. Her entire impression of Joe Kido could be summed up in a single phrase: dead weight. He was just a body making up the numbers.
So, seeing this perpetually nervous boy actively seeking her out piqued her interest.
"Hello, LadyDevimon. May I ask you a question?" Joe asked, his voice tight.
"...Go ahead. What could you possibly want to ask me?"
Under her piercing, crimson gaze, Joe took a deep, shuddering breath. The familiar cowardice still clung to his posture, but he forced his hands to stop shaking. He forced himself to look her in the eye.
"You just said you were sending a Digimon over to Myotismon's side."
"That is correct. I did say that," LadyDevimon nodded, making absolutely no effort to conceal her actions. "To put it plainly, this is a mutual transaction between Myotismon and myself."
She inspected her razor-sharp claws. "I handle certain tasks for him, and in exchange, I exploit the connection to gather vital intelligence on this side of the gate."
Joe's eyes widened, the implications crashing down on him. His hands curled into tight fists, his knuckles turning white. The fear in his eyes was rapidly being swallowed by a rising tide of horror and anger.
"In that case... doesn't that mean our world has already been flooded with those vicious monsters you sent over?!"
"Correct."
LadyDevimon narrowed her eyes, studying the sudden shift in the boy's demeanor.
"Knowing Myotismon's preferred methods, and considering the sheer volume of savage Digimon I have exported to his location, he has likely turned your precious Human World into an absolute slaughterhouse by now."
She leaned forward, her dark aura pressing down on him. "So? Are you trying to place the blame on me?"
Joe gritted his teeth, refusing to step back.
"If you are, then go right ahead," she continued, her tone entirely devoid of guilt. "I will not offer a single word of rebuttal. After all, the moment I made this choice, I fully accepted the weight of the consequences."
Joe stood frozen, completely silenced by her unapologetic, matter-of-fact confession.
Sensing the dangerous shift in the atmosphere, Gomamon scrambled forward, placing his small, furry body protectively in front of his partner's legs.
The rest of the children had gone entirely quiet. The realization of what Joe was asking had finally dawned on them.
LadyDevimon's calculated actions had undoubtedly treated their home, their families, as acceptable collateral damage.
But could they truly condemn her for it?
From the perspective of a human whose world was currently being invaded, she was an accessory to mass destruction.
But logically, the true mastermind was Myotismon. LadyDevimon was merely a convenient tool in his grand design. If she had refused, Myotismon would have simply found another desperate Digimon to do his dirty work.
, there was a twisted irony to her actions. By rounding up the most vicious, bloodthirsty predators on the Server Continent and throwing them through the dimensional gate, LadyDevimon had inadvertently brought an unmatched era of peace to this digital landmass. The only Digimon left roaming the continent were the peaceful, mild-tempered ones.
From the perspective of the Digital World, LadyDevimon was not a villain. She was a savior who had cleansed their home of its worst nightmares.
Two completely opposing truths. Two entirely different standpoints.
How would Joe Kido, the boy who constantly worried about doing the right thing, handle this impossible moral maze?
Every eye in the cavern, human and Digimon alike, locked onto the trembling boy.
The silence stretched, heavy and suffocating.
Then, Joe slowly raised his head. His eyes were burning with a raw, desperate anger, yet he forced his voice to remain steady.
"LadyDevimon. I do not intend to waste time dwelling on what has already happened."
He took a step forward, closing the distance between them. "However, that does not mean I can simply accept everything you have done."
"No matter what your reasons were, it is an absolute, obvious fact that your actions have placed my family, and my entire world, in mortal danger."
Joe planted his feet. "Therefore, I expect you to take full responsibility for the chaos you have caused!"
"Oh? You demand that I take responsibility? How fascinating."
LadyDevimon looked down at the boy. This ordinary, perpetually terrified child was actually making demands of an Ultimate level dark Digimon. She narrowed her crimson eyes, a dangerous smile playing on her lips.
"Tell me, little boy. Exactly what do you want me to do?"
"Come with us to the Real World!" Joe shouted, his voice echoing off the cavern walls. "We need your power to fix this!"
"Mending my own mistakes by offering my strength? Interesting logic." LadyDevimon chuckled, a cold, hollow sound. "Perhaps from your fragile human perspective, I am indeed a heinous monster."
"But from the perspective of a Digimon fighting to survive, I do not believe I have done a single thing wrong."
As the words left her mouth, LadyDevimon raised her hand. Her razor-sharp claws traced a cruel, jagged arc through the stagnant air. In a fraction of a second, an abyss-like, devouring aura erupted from her core, crashing over Joe Kido like a tidal wave of pure despair.
The temperature plummeted. Joe felt as though he had been violently shoved into a freezing, bottomless ocean. A primal chill shot up his spine, paralyzing his lungs.
"So," LadyDevimon whispered, her voice slicing through the oppressive dark. "If I say no... what exactly will you do about it?"
"If you refuse..."
Staring into the face of a terrifying Ultimate level predator, Joe Kido swallowed the bile rising in his throat. He fought through the paralyzing physical discomfort, forcing his trembling leg to take another step forward.
"I will use my own two hands to make you bow!"
"Gomamon, don't you dare do anything!"
The command cracked like a whip just as Gomamon's data began to surge for digivolution. The little sea creature stumbled, the glowing light fading instantly.
"Joe?" Gomamon looked up, utterly bewildered.
"Stay back," Joe ordered, his eyes never leaving LadyDevimon. "Because... she is right."
He swallowed hard. "What she did was beneficial for your world. You, as a Digimon, do not have the standing to condemn her actions."
Joe raised his fists, his entire frame shaking like a leaf in a hurricane. "This is... a responsibility I must take solely as a human!"
"Joe..."
Watching his partner stand alone against a monster, Gomamon hesitated. Then, he reached out a small claw and gently poked Joe's trembling calf.
"You know, Joe, even though you sound like you are making a lot of deep sense right now, the way your legs are vibrating is really ruining the cool factor."
"Shut up, Gomamon!"
Despite his partner completely undercutting his dramatic moment, Joe did not retreat a single inch.
"I admit it! I am terrified!" Joe yelled, his voice cracking. "But this is not a problem that can be solved just by hiding and being afraid!"
"Like I said, this is a responsibility I must shoulder as a human being!"
LadyDevimon stared at the boy. His knees were knocking together, his breathing was ragged, and sweat beaded on his forehead. Yet, looking into his eyes, she knew with absolute certainty that if she gave him a negative answer, this fragile, powerless human would actually try to punch her.
'For what?'she thought, her mind churning.'For the sake of some abstract concept of responsibility?''It really is laughable... completely absurd.''But... if it is so laughable, why can't I bring myself to laugh?'A sudden, sharp ache pierced her chest.'Ah... so that is how it is.'
Once upon a time, in a life that felt like a distant nightmare, she had been exactly like him.
Looking at Joe Kido's desperate, unyielding eyes, LadyDevimon saw a perfect reflection of her own past. She did not see the terrifying, powerful LadyDevimon of the present. She saw the weak, pathetic BlackGatomon of the past.
It had not been that long ago. How could she have almost forgotten the feeling?
Back then, despite being scared out of her mind, despite knowing she was hopelessly outmatched, her past self had still chosen to stand up and face certain death just to protect the companions cowering behind her.
'This foolish boy... he is exactly the same.'
A deep, complex emotion softened the harsh crimson of her eyes.
After a long moment of silence, a decision settled in her heart. The cruel sneer vanished from her face, replaced by a very small, almost imperceptible smirk.
"Fascinating. In that case, prove it to me."
LadyDevimon raised her hand, extending her lethal claws directly toward Joe's face. "Prove to me that you actually possess the will to back up those big words."
Seeing the lethal threat, Gomamon cried out and lunged forward to intercept, only to be blocked by Joe's arm once again.
"Gomamon! I told you, leave this to me!"
Before Gomamon could protest, Joe Kido let out a guttural roar. He didn't wait to formulate a plan. He simply threw his entire body weight forward, charging directly into the dark angel's strike zone.
"LadyDevimon—!"
Facing the razor-sharp claws that could easily sever his head, Joe roared to drown out his own terror. He pulled back his violently shaking arm, locked his wrist, and threw a desperate, unyielding punch straight at her face.
THWACK.
A heavy, muffled impact echoed through the cavern.
In the next fraction of a second, Joe Kido was sent flying backward through the air, crashing hard into the dirt.
However, before the kinetic force had launched him away, his knuckles had connected. He had managed to land a solid, desperate punch squarely on LadyDevimon's cheek.
"Joe!"
As Gomamon, Taichi, and Izzy frantically sprinted over to pull the groaning boy out of the dirt, BlackAgumon slowly lumbered out of the shadows, coming to a stop beside LadyDevimon.
"Why go through the trouble of doing such a thing?" the dark reptile asked quietly.
LadyDevimon rubbed her cheek, saying nothing.
BlackAgumon didn't press the issue, his tone entirely conversational. "You have already been planning to go to that world for a long time now, haven't you?"
"...Shut up."
After a long, tense silence, LadyDevimon shot BlackAgumon a vicious, thoroughly embarrassed glare.
Ignoring the chuckling dinosaur, she turned on her heel and marched directly toward the cluster of panicked children surrounding Joe Kido.
As her towering shadow fell over them, the children froze, looking up at her with a mixture of awe, fear, and confusion. LadyDevimon frowned slightly, her gaze sweeping over the bruised boy. After a few seconds of heavy silence, she finally spoke.
"Listen well, kid. It seems your physical strength isn't quite as impressive as your mouth."
"Dammit..." Joe wheezed. Supported by Taichi and Izzy, he stubbornly dragged himself back to his feet. He raised his bruised fist, fully prepared to try and punch her a second time.
But her next words froze him completely in place.
"Pack your things. Once I have finished establishing contact with Myotismon, I will accompany you to the Human World."
She turned away, her dark wings rustling in the stagnant air. "It just so happens that my companions and I have developed a certain interest in His Excellency Mizuki's world."
With that, LadyDevimon strode off into the darkness without a single backward glance.
She left behind a group of completely bewildered children, staring at each other in stunned silence, and a very dazed Joe Kido.
"Wait... does this mean we actually..." Taichi blinked, trying to process what just happened.
"...gained LadyDevimon's support?" Izzy finished, adjusting his glasses in disbelief.
"It certainly seems that way."
"That's amazing!" Taichi cheered, pumping his fist. "With the backing of LadyDevimon and her crew, we will definitely have enough firepower to crush Myotismon!"
"You were incredibly cool just now, Joe-senpai!" Mimi gushed, clasping her hands together. "I have completely seen you in a new light!"
Hearing the sudden flood of praise from his friends, Joe stood frozen in a daze. He blinked slowly, his brain finally registering that the life-or-death confrontation was actually over.
And because his brain realized he was safe, the massive spike of adrenaline that had been flooding his system abruptly vanished.
The pain hit him like a freight train.
In the very next second, right in front of his admiring juniors, Joe collapsed into a fetal position, clutching his ribs and wailing at the top of his lungs.
"OW! OW! OW! OW! IT HURTS!"
"Joe, you are seriously ruining the mood right now," Gomamon sighed, shaking his head helplessly as he watched his partner roll around in the dirt.
"But it really, really hurts!" Joe sobbed, tears streaming down his face.
Gomamon waddled over and inspected the damage. "Let me see... Tsk, tsk, tsk. It looks like a few of your bones are cracked, Joe. LadyDevimon really did not hold back on that counter."
Kari stepped forward, a gentle, glowing light beginning to emanate from her hands. "Let me heal Big Brother Joe. I feel like my power just increased a little bit."
"Thank you, Kari—AWOO! OW! OW! OW! DON'T TOUCH IT!"
"Sigh," Gomamon muttered, burying his face in his paws. "Truly lame."
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