Chapter 186: The Legacy of the Sun and Moon
Deep within the oppressive, gothic architecture of Myotismon's castle, a formidable army had gathered. The air was thick with residual dark data, but the atmosphere was far from one of despair. Instead, it was charged with a fanatical, burning energy.
LadyDevimon stood at the forefront, her tattered dark wings casting long shadows over the assembled ranks of BlackGatomon and Labramon. BlackAgumon watched from the sidelines, his golden eyes glinting in the dim light. He had already briefed LadyDevimon on the situation: Mizuki was concealing his identity, stepping through the dimensional gate into another world.
Now, she was doing what she did best—rallying the troops.
"Darkness... has destroyed our home," LadyDevimon's voice echoed through the cavernous hall, smooth as velvet yet carrying a razor-sharp edge.
She swept her crimson gaze across the sea of faces. The BlackGatomon and Labramon stared back, enraptured. Her slender, clawed hands curled into tight fists at her sides.
"My noble kin have been reduced to refugees, scattered and broken by a tyrant's ambition." She paused, letting the heavy words sink into the cold stone walls. "But darkness cannot destroy our will!"
"Because the sacred Lord Mizuki connects the minds of every Digimon!" Her voice rose, echoing with absolute conviction. "He allows us to stand united—even in the absolute depths of despair!"
At the mention of that name, the atmosphere ignited. A fierce, almost blinding light sparked in the eyes of the gathered dark-attribute Digimon. They might not have fully grasped the poetic nuances of Big Sister's speech, but the moment Mizuki was invoked, logic took a back seat to pure, unadulterated zeal.
"Today, we shall reclaim our salvation!" LadyDevimon raised a clawed hand toward the vaulted ceiling. "Head toward the direction where our glory lies! Brothers and sisters, for Lord Mizuki!"
"Ohhhhhhh!!!" The deafening roar of dozens of Digimon shook the castle foundations.
Standing a short distance away, Tai leaned against a crumbling stone pillar, watching the spectacle with wide eyes. He rubbed the back of his neck, a wry smile tugging at his lips. "How should I put it? That group is... really fanatical."
Beside him, Izzy didn't even look up from his glowing screen, taking the display of absolute devotion entirely in stride. "It makes perfect sense. After all, Mizuki is just that kind of existence." Izzy adjusted his stance, his expression softening. "His gentleness always manages to strike the softest part of people's hearts, usually when they least expect it."
Tai let out a quiet breath, the memories of their past battles and Mizuki's unwavering support flashing through his mind. "...That's true," he murmured, nodding in quiet agreement.
The heavy thud of footsteps drew Tai's attention back to the courtyard. BlackAgumon approached LadyDevimon, flanked by a small entourage. Among them were two imposing Dobermon, their sleek, dark coats bristling with nervous energy.
LadyDevimon turned, her dark lips curving into a slight smirk. She arched an elegant eyebrow. "It's you guys. Is something the matter?"
Before BlackAgumon could open his jaw, one of the Dobermon stepped forward, lowering its head respectfully. "Big Sister, we want to go to the Human World with you."
"That's right!" the second Dobermon chimed in, tail stiff. "We can be of help too! We won't hold you back!"
LadyDevimon's smirk faded into a thoughtful silence. She studied the two Champion-level hounds. These weren't just random soldiers; they were the two Labramon who had originally traveled by her side through the harshest parts of the Digital World. After swearing their absolute loyalty to Mizuki, his Digi-Soul had granted them the power to evolve into their current forms.
She remembered their flawless coordination, the way they had perfectly ambushed enemy patrols together. BlackAgumon, standing nearby, suddenly felt an inexplicable phantom headache at the memory of those so-called ambushes. She knew full well that despite being only Champion-level, their tactical cooperation made them far more valuable than most Ultimate-level brutes.
Yet, her gaze hardened. "You two stay behind."
"But Big Sister, we—"
"I know you can help me." LadyDevimon cut them off, her tone leaving no room for argument. A fierce, protective light shone in her crimson eyes. "But compared to the Real World, this world needs you more."
Her expression softened just a fraction, and a teasing lilt returned to her voice. "After all, those other guys are all just big, clumsy brutes."
BlackAgumon let out a long, helpless sigh, his shoulders slumping.
Behind him, a scarred Agumon—the one carrying the volatile data of MetalGreymon—glared at a heavily armored Monochromon, who harbored the destructive potential of SkullGreymon.
"She was definitely talking about you, right?" the Agumon muttered, crossing his stubby arms.
"No, no, no," the Monochromon snorted, a puff of smoke escaping his snout. "She was clearly talking about you!"
Watching the two heavy-hitters bicker like squabbling children, the two Dobermon exchanged uncertain glances. The chaotic dynamic of the rear guard was concerning, to say the least.
Finally, the hounds looked back at LadyDevimon and bowed their heads in unison.
"Alright, Big Sister."
"We promise you. We'll stay." The lead Dobermon looked up, his eyes filled with fierce loyalty. "But you must be very careful over there by yourself."
"Don't be ridiculous." LadyDevimon let out a rich, melodic laugh. She leaned down, her terrifying crimson claws gently patting the spiked heads of the two hounds. "What could possibly happen to me? On the contrary, you guys need to be far more vigilant while I'm away."
She straightened up, her gaze sweeping over the dark horizon visible through the ruined castle walls. "Considering the time flow between the two worlds has become abnormal again, I have no idea how long it will take to return. Until then, I'm counting on you for everything."
As she spoke, her crimson eyes shifted, locking deliberately onto BlackAgumon.
BlackAgumon didn't say a word. He simply met her gaze and gave a single, firm nod.
That silent exchange carried the weight of a thousand spoken promises. Seeing the quiet resolve in her old rival's eyes, the corners of LadyDevimon's mouth curled into a genuine, satisfied smile. With him holding the line, she could finally leave with peace of mind.
She turned to leave, her dark wings unfurling.
"Wait!"
A small, purple figure shot out from the dense shadows of the corridor, skidding to a halt on the stone floor.
Impmon.
A short distance away, Angewomon's eyes narrowed. The holy Digimon's eight radiant wings shifted slightly, her hands twitching toward her celestial bow. But seeing LadyDevimon's completely unfazed reaction to the little demon's sudden appearance, Angewomon forced her muscles to relax, suppressing the innate, burning urge to purge the dark-attribute intruder.
Impmon, entirely oblivious to the holy arrow that had nearly ended her life, panted heavily. She stared up at the towering fallen angel. Perhaps it was because Gatomon's digivolution had changed her so drastically, or perhaps Impmon was simply too focused on her own burning agenda to care about the intimidation factor.
"BlackGatomon—no, LadyDevimon!" Impmon shouted, her small fists clenched. "You're going to deal with that guy, Myotismon, right? Take me with you!"
LadyDevimon slowly looked the little squirt up and down. Her slender, metallic claws twitched, tapping rhythmically against her thigh. "Are you sure about this?"
"Don't underestimate me!" Impmon bared her fangs, a spark of dark fire flickering at her fingertips. "Even though I'm just a Rookie, I—"
LadyDevimon gently shook her head, cutting off the fiery declaration. "Impmon, you've misunderstood me."
She knelt slightly, bringing herself closer to Impmon's eye level. "I am not underestimating you. In fact, I highly respect your intellect." She gestured lazily over her shoulder toward BlackAgumon and the bickering brutes behind him. "Precisely because of that intellect, I don't want you to come with us."
Impmon blinked, the dark fire fizzling out. "Uh..."
BlackAgumon's jaw dropped slightly. "..."
A vein pulsed faintly on BlackAgumon's temple. He was getting incredibly tired of LadyDevimon taking every available opportunity to mock their intelligence. Yet, as he glanced back at his Agumon subordinate—who was currently trying to headbutt the Monochromon's armored shell—he had to face the grim reality. His colleagues were simple-minded, and that was putting it politely.
Defeated by facts, BlackAgumon merely massaged his temples and sighed.
Impmon, meanwhile, processed the backhanded compliment. Realizing she wasn't being dismissed out of weakness, the tense set of her shoulders relaxed.
But the relief was fleeting. After a long moment of heavy silence, the little demon shook her head, her green eyes burning with a stubborn light.
"LadyDevimon, you might be right about them needing brains here," Impmon said, her voice dropping to a serious, raspy whisper. "But I feel that compared to staying behind, I'm better suited for being near Myotismon."
LadyDevimon's eyes narrowed dangerously. "...Tell me exactly what you're thinking."
"Myotismon will definitely notice you crossing through the dimensional gate," Impmon explained, her mind racing, laying out the tactical reality. "Given his paranoid personality, he'll become even more cautious. He'll hide in the shadows. You might not be able to catch him in the open."
Impmon took a step forward, jabbing a thumb at her own chest. "But I... I can be your undercover agent!"
As she spoke, a faint tremor betrayed the lingering terror Myotismon still commanded over her. But that deep-seated fear was rapidly being swallowed by something much stronger: raw determination and a burning, hateful resentment. She was desperate to use this dangerous gambit to sever the chains of her past, to finally bid farewell to the weak, cowering version of herself.
LadyDevimon studied the trembling, defiant little Digimon. She pursed her dark lips, her mind calculating the risks.
Logically, this was a terrible idea. Impmon was one of the few genuinely sharp tactical minds among their ragtag group of companions. Risking her in an espionage mission against a Mega-level threat was reckless.
But as she looked into Impmon's eyes—eyes blazing with an unshakeable, desperate resolve—LadyDevimon saw a reflection of her own past struggles.
The heavy silence stretched, filled only by the distant crackle of dark energy.
Finally, LadyDevimon let out a soft breath and nodded.
"Since you've made up your mind, I won't say anything more to stop you." She reached out, her sharp claw gently resting on Impmon's shoulder. "In short, be careful. You must focus on your own safety above the mission. Understood?"
Hearing the genuine care beneath the fallen angel's cold exterior, Impmon's breath hitched. She nodded fiercely, a brilliant, fierce light igniting in her green eyes.
At this moment, standing in the heart of enemy territory, she had never felt so full of power.
[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!]