Chapter 19: During the days we were together, did you feel happy?
The deafening roar of combat had finally ceased, leaving behind a suffocating silence. Ash and corrupted data drifted through the stagnant air. Above them, the sky remained choked with bruised, heavy clouds, casting a gloomy pallor over the ruined landscape—a perfect mirror to the tempest raging inside LadyDevimon's chest.
She knelt in the scorched earth, her crimson eyes locked onto Mizuki's right leg. The limb was mangled, twisted at a sickening, unnatural angle. A shudder wracked her slender frame. Her sharp fangs dug so deeply into her lower lip that a bead of dark digital blood welled up.
"It is all my fault..." Her voice trembled, cracking under the weight of her guilt. "If only I were stronger, Mizu. You wouldn't have..."
Her clawed hands hovered over his broken body, terrified that even a gentle touch might shatter him further. Memories flooded her mind, bitter and relentless. From the very moment their paths crossed, it had always been like this. He was the one bleeding for her. He was the one shielding her, anchoring her fractured mind, and carefully guiding her through the darkness.
And what had she offered in return?
Aside from their chaotic first encounter—a messy clash that barely qualified as saving his life—what had she actually contributed?
The realization gnawed at her core like a virus. If she had not been there, Mizuki would never have drawn Devimon's ire. He would not be lying in the dirt, his body broken and battered beyond recognition. A chilling thought coiled around her heart, whispering venom into her ears.
'Perhaps... I should never have appeared by his side at all.'
Just as the suffocating despair threatened to swallow her whole, a faint warmth brushed against her pale cheek. She flinched, her breath catching in her throat. Slowly, she lowered her gaze. Reflected in her tear-filled crimson eyes was the battered, bruised face of the young man resting in her lap. His hand, trembling and stained with dirt, was gently cupping her face.
"Mizu...?"
Despite the agony radiating from his shattered leg, Mizuki's eyes remained impossibly clear. In this bleak, corrupted wasteland, his gaze cut through the gloom like the first ray of dawn. He looked at her with a quiet, knowing expression, reading the self-loathing etched into her features with effortless ease.
"LadyDevimon," Mizuki rasped, his voice barely a whisper, yet steady. "During the days we have spent together... have you felt happy?"
Her breath hitched. The question caught her entirely off guard.
"Yes!" she blurted out, her voice raw and desperate. She nodded vigorously, her silver hair whipping around her shoulders. She did not understand why he would ask such a thing now, but the answer was an absolute certainty. Before him, her existence had been a blur of confusion and survival. It was Mizuki who had painted her gray world with vibrant, obvious color.
A soft, breathy chuckle escaped Mizuki's lips, followed by a wince as the movement jostled his ribs. "Regarding that... I feel the exact same way."
The edges of his mouth curled upward into a gentle, unburdened smile. It was not a grand, theatrical expression, but the quiet, deep warmth radiating from his face spoke volumes. It was a truth pulled directly from the depths of his soul.
His thumb weakly brushed a stray tear from her cheek. "Even if you eventually forget the exact reason why you cried, the tracks left by the tears will always remain." His gaze drifted upward, staring past the dark clouds into a distant memory. "Even now, I still remember how utterly bleak my life was before I woke up in this world. Those endless days where I couldn't find a single ray of light. I forced myself to smile, forced myself to play the optimist, but inside... I was entirely hollow. Just thinking about that suffocating emptiness makes my chest tight."
LadyDevimon sat in stunned silence, her claws gently curling into the fabric of his torn shirt. A deep sense of familiarity washed over her. As she listened to the steady, quiet rhythm of his heartbeat, she realized he was describing a mirror image of her own past. She, too, had wandered blindly, unable to see the road ahead, forcing a facade of ruthless strength just to survive another day. Beneath that hardened exterior, her data had been riddled with invisible, bleeding scars.
Mizuki's voice pulled her back from the abyss of her memories. "But all of that stopped the moment I arrived here. Or, more accurately... the moment I met you." He shifted slightly, gritting his teeth against a spike of pain, before his faint smile returned. "To be completely honest, when I was staring down that Kuwagamon back then, I was practically ready to throw in the towel. I thought my second chance was already over."
He looked back into her crimson eyes, his expression softening entirely. "Thanks to you, this new life I had so painstakingly been given was allowed to continue. I won't lie—when I first decided to stand against Devimon for you, it was purely out of a stubborn desire to repay that debt." He paused, taking a slow, shallow breath. "But as the days turned into weeks, as we fought, rested, and simply existed together... those seemingly insignificant daily routines began to change me. The quiet moments. The little details of our shared life. Without me even realizing it, you carved out an irreplaceable space in my heart."
His hand slipped from her cheek, resting heavily over his own chest. "Because of that, I can say this with absolute certainty. The void inside me is gone. I have finally found genuine happiness." His eyes hardened with a fierce, unbreakable conviction. "That is exactly why I fought Devimon, regardless of the cost to my own body. I didn't just do it for you. I did it for myself. I did it to protect the happiness we share."
LadyDevimon's breath hitched again, the dark miasma of guilt slowly dissolving from her aura. Seeing the dawn of understanding in her eyes, Mizuki forced his heavy arm up one last time, his knuckles brushing against her jawline.
"Even if we could rewind the clock, the past that has shaped us will not change. So, banish those foolish thoughts from your head. Do not let my efforts—and your own relentless struggle to survive—turn into nothingness. Understand?"
They were beings anchored in the present. Tripping over the ghosts of past failures would only blind them to the future they were fighting to build.
The heavy silence stretched between them, but it was no longer oppressive. His words acted as a piercing beam of sunlight, scattering the lingering shadows within her digital core. LadyDevimon gazed down at the fragile, foolishly brave human resting in her lap. The agonizing conflict twisting her features smoothed out, replaced by a deep, quiet calm. Slowly, the corners of her lips twitched upward, forming a smile that was equal parts genuine joy and utter exasperation.
"You truly are..." she murmured, her voice laced with a fond, helpless sigh. "...impossible to hide anything from, Mizu."
"Well, you make it easy. Everything is written right across your face," Mizuki teased, weakly gesturing toward her with a playful flick of his fingers. "In fact, I'd wager you're actually quite happy right now."
"I am not happy at all," she retorted instantly, her chin lifting in a familiar, haughty display of defiance.
It was her classic verbal tic—the stubborn denial she always used when her walls were breached.
Hearing that familiar, prideful tone, a massive weight finally lifted from Mizuki's chest. The storm had passed. LadyDevimon had completely resolved the suffocating turmoil threatening to consume her. He let out a quiet sigh of relief. It was incredibly fortunate he had caught the downward spiral in time. For all her terrifying power and outward ferocity, she possessed a fragile, deeply stubborn core. If he had let her stew in that guilt for much longer, untangling the knot in her heart would have been a monumental task.
Yet, as he closed his eyes and let his exhausted muscles go limp, Mizuki felt no annoyance whatsoever.
After all, wasn't this exactly what true partners were for?
————
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"The Village of Beginnings will never allow you monsters to run rampant!"
"Sparkling Thunder!"
Miles away, near the central nursery of the Village of Beginnings, chaos reigned. Electricity crackled violently through the air as Elecmon unleashed his signature attack. Bolts of jagged lightning tore across the vibrant landscape, striking out against a massive, floating swarm of ghost-like Digimon draped in tattered white cloaks.
Bakemon!
Despite their ragged appearance and overwhelming numbers, these spectral invaders were far from mere cannon fodder. Every single one of them radiated the oppressive, chilling aura of a genuine Champion-level Digimon. Under normal circumstances, Elecmon—a mere Rookie-level caretaker—alongside the handful of freshly evolved Rookie Digimon defending the nursery, would have been massacred in minutes by such a terrifying force.
The only reason the defensive line hadn't entirely collapsed was twofold. First, they had evacuated the youngest babies into the reinforced shelters the moment Mizuki's initial warning had reached them. Second, and far more, the DigiDestined had arrived to hold the vanguard.
Elecmon's frantic gaze shifted to the towering, heavily muscled behemoth standing firmly at his side.
Greymon!
The moment Taichi had witnessed the Bakemon mercilessly hunting down the defenseless Fresh and In-Training Digimon, an explosive inferno of righteous fury and raw courage had ignited within his chest. That blazing emotion surged into his Digivice, triggering Agumon's digivolution. Now, the colossal, orange-scaled dinosaur stood as an impenetrable fortress of muscle and bone, the ultimate physical manifestation of Taichi's unyielding bravery.
"Greymon! Push them back! Don't let these bastards lay another finger on the little ones!" Taichi roared, balancing effortlessly on his partner's massive shoulder, his fists clenched tight with fighting spirit.
"Leave it to me, Taichi!"
Fueled by the intense connection of their bonded hearts, Greymon felt the passionate heat radiating from his human partner. Deep within the dinosaur's throat, a blinding, white-hot light began to gather. The temperature of the surrounding air skyrocketed as the flames condensed to an unmatched, volatile extreme.
"Nova Blast!"
A colossal sphere of ultra-high-temperature hellfire erupted from Greymon's jaws. The blazing projectile tore through the sky, detonating directly in the center of the Bakemon swarm. A massive shockwave of fire swept across the battlefield, incinerating the spectral cloth and instantly reducing dozens of the ghostly invaders into fragmented streams of raw data.
Witnessing their brethren being effortlessly vaporized by the Champion-level dinosaur, the remaining Bakemon shrieked in terror. Their aggressive formation shattered as panic rippled through their ranks. Coincidentally, at that exact moment, a dark, pulsing signal echoed across the digital network—Devimon's absolute command to retreat.
Exchanging hollow, glowing glances, the surviving ghosts didn't need to be told twice. They turned and fled into the dense forests, dissolving into the shadows without a second of hesitation.
As the last of the spectral invaders vanished, the suffocating crisis that had threatened to consume the Village of Beginnings finally began to dissipate.
Except, of course, for one particularly stubborn combatant who refused to take the hint, clinging to the battlefield like a rabid tick.
"Ogremon! Are you completely deaf? Your comrades have already fled the field!"
Leomon ducked under a vicious, whistling swing of a massive bone club, the weapon shattering the trunk of a nearby tree into splinters. The bipedal lion glared fiercely at his eternal rival, his muscles tensed for the next strike.
Ogremon, a Champion-level Virus-type Digimon, bared his jagged teeth in a feral grin. Despite being aligned with the dark forces of the island, the green-skinned brute operated on a surprisingly strict, albeit twisted, personal code of honor. Unlike the cowardly Bakemon, Ogremon had zero interest in slaughtering defenseless infants. In fact, during the chaos of the raid, he had actively backhanded several of the ghosts who had strayed too close to the nursery, purely out of disgust for their lack of warrior pride.
"Gahahaha! Don't lump me in with those pathetic rags, Leomon! Those wastes of data aren't fit to lick my boots!" Ogremon spat, twirling his bone club with terrifying dexterity. "Raiding this giant daycare was entirely Devimon's boring idea. My goal has only ever been one thing—crushing you!"
Leomon lunged forward, delivering a devastating straight punch. Ogremon brought his club up to block, but the sheer kinetic force of the blow sent the green goblin skidding backward, his clawed feet tearing deep trenches into the soil.
Yet, as a battle-hardened veteran, Ogremon used the backward momentum to his advantage. Flipping through the air, he stabilized his footing and immediately channeled dark, pulsating energy into his free hand, aiming directly at Leomon's exposed chest before the lion could retract his arm.
"Fist of the Overlord!"
A massive sphere of volatile, purple-black energy rocketed across the clearing.
Leomon let out a heavy, exasperated sigh. Planting his feet firmly into the earth, he drew his right fist back to his waist, channeling his burning, righteous aura into his knuckles. The golden energy took the shape of a roaring lion's head.
"Fist of the Beast King!"
He punched forward, sending the golden projectile hurtling toward the incoming attack. The two opposing forces collided in dead center, detonating in a blinding flash of light. A concussive shockwave ripped through the clearing, uprooting grass and kicking up a massive smokescreen of dirt and debris.
Watching the fierce, devastating duel unfold, Taichi tapped Greymon's shoulder. The dinosaur growled, leaning forward, fully prepared to charge into the dust cloud and assist their feline ally.
Before they could move, Elecmon darted in front of them, throwing his paws out wide.
"Wait! Hold your fire!"
Taichi blinked in surprise. "Elecmon?! Why? We have him outnumbered!"
"Don't worry about it. That green meathead... theoretically speaking, he shouldn't really be considered an active threat to the village anymore." Elecmon cast a highly complicated, almost exasperated glance toward the dust cloud where the two rivals were currently trading brutal blows. Shaking his head, he turned his attention back to the goggled boy. "Just let Leomon handle his own mess. This is a matter of pride for him."
Somewhere in the dust cloud, Leomon narrowly dodged a club swing, a distinct question mark practically hovering over his furry head as he realized his backup had just been called off.
"More," Elecmon continued, his tone shifting to one of grave urgency, "we need to hurry and check on Mizuki and LadyDevimon. The shockwaves from their battle stopped a while ago."
"Mizuki?" Hearing his friend's name, a sharp flash of determination cut through Taichi's eyes. The adrenaline of the fight instantly gave way to deep concern. "Right. I understand."
He looked down at his massive partner. "Greymon, can you still hold up? We might need to move fast."
"Is that even a question?" Greymon rumbled, a confident, toothy grin spreading across his reptilian snout. "With you right here on my shoulder, Taichi, I can feel my power boiling! My soul is practically burning up!"
Having just obliterated a massive swarm of Champion-level enemies, the dinosaur was riding an unmatched high of adrenaline and absolute confidence. He slammed his heavy tail against the ground, the impact shaking the trees. "The current me is completely invincible!"
Taichi grinned, pointing forward with dramatic flair. "In that case, let's go! Follow Elecmon! We're bringing Mizuki back!"
"ROOOAARRR!"
Letting out a deafening, impassioned roar that echoed across the island, Greymon stomped forward, closely tailing the nimble red mammal as he sprinted into the forest.
A short distance away, the rest of the DigiDestined emerged from their defensive positions. Seeing the immediate threat neutralized and watching Taichi's retreating figure charging boldly into the unknown, they didn't hesitate. Gripping their Digivices tightly, the children and their partners quickly rallied together, rushing into the treeline to follow their fearless vanguard.
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