Chapter 26: The Ultimate Level Powerhouse, Andromon!
Factory City. Standing as one of the rare modern, industrialized zones on File Island, it boasted the protection of a formidable Ultimate level Digimon: Andromon. Yet, beyond its metallic guardian, the sprawling, mechanized complex harbored an unknown secret buried deep within its core.
Honestly, even if he hadn't come here looking for a sparring partner to test their limits, the hidden mysteries of this automated fortress alone made the trip entirely worthwhile for Mizuki.
Mizuki's secondary objective on File Island was the ancient ruins. Much like the factory district, those decaying stone structures were watched over by a dedicated guardian. However, compared to the sheer destructive output of an Ultimate level like Andromon, the Champion level Centarumon stationed at the ruins felt a bit underwhelming.
A soft chuckle escaped Mizuki's lips as he shook his head. "But who knows?" he murmured, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Maybe our centaur friend is hiding some unexpected tricks up his sleeve."
"Mizu?" The quiet murmur caught LadyDevimon's attention. She glanced down at the boy in her arms, the wind whipping past her dark, tattered wings.
Meeting her questioning crimson gaze, Mizuki offered a dismissive smile. "It's nothing. Just feeling a little nostalgic." He patted her arm gently, gesturing toward the metallic sprawl below. "More, let's head down. We've finally arrived at the factory district."
"Mm." With a graceful sweep of her wings, LadyDevimon adjusted her trajectory. She descended smoothly, her boots touching the cold steel plating of the factory floor before she gently set Mizuki down.
"Mizu, is that Ultimate level Digimon you mentioned hiding around here?" LadyDevimon scanned the towering metallic structures and churning smokestacks, her eyes narrowing as she searched for the entity her partner had described.
"Assuming no unexpected plot twists, Andromon should definitely be here." Mizuki mirrored her actions, taking in the surreal environment.
Conveyor belts hummed, gears ground together in perfect synchronization, and robotic arms assembled parts with flawless precision—all without a single worker in sight. Back in his old world, a fully operational, unmanned ghost factory like this would be the prime subject of a late-night urban legend.
"Can you track his location?" Mizuki asked. In the original timeline he remembered, Andromon had been trapped inside the massive gears of this very facility. But Mizuki knew better than to rely purely on old knowledge. His mere presence in this world was a butterfly effect that had already derailed the original script. He turned his expectant gaze toward his partner.
Hearing his request, LadyDevimon immediately perked up. A proud, almost smug smile curved her lips as she lifted her chin. "Of course. That's no problem at all, Mizu. Just watch me."
Dark energy flared around her slender form, coalescing into a dense, suffocating aura. She raised her hands, channeling the raw power of the abyss, and unleashed her signature technique.
"Darkness Wave!"
But this time, the manifestation was entirely different from the chaotic barrage she had used against NeoDevimon. The swarm of screeching, shadowy bats that materialized from her aura didn't surge forward to destroy. Instead, they hovered in a disciplined cloud, awaiting a new directive.
"Reconnaissance mode," she commanded softly, her eyes glowing. "Go. Find Andromon for Mizu!"
A chorus of high-pitched, echoing screeches answered her as the shadowy familiars scattered. The colony of dark bats fragmented into dozens of smaller groups, darting into ventilation shafts, weaving through grinding gears, and sweeping across the sprawling assembly lines.
Mizuki watched the display with genuine surprise, his eyes widening in admiration. "Not bad at all, LadyDevimon," he praised, a grin spreading across his face. "You actually figured out how to repurpose a purely offensive skill into a wide-area tracking network."
"Hehe, it wasn't that hard." Basking in his praise, the terrifying dark angel suddenly displayed a demeanor entirely at odds with her usual cold, mature aesthetic. Acting more like a bashful teenager, she twirled a strand of her pale blonde hair around her clawed finger. "I only thought of it because of what you mentioned yesterday, Mizu."
"You talked about the basic binary theory of zeroes and ones. I used that inspiration to try and rewrite the core data structure of my Darkness Wave." She giggled softly. "I honestly didn't expect the modification to work so perfectly on the first try."
"Even so, that makes you incredibly amazing," Mizuki said warmly.
Internally, his mind was racing. He hadn't anticipated that in just a single night, she would not only grasp the abstract concept of data manipulation but actively apply it to her own combat algorithms with such success. It was a stark reminder that Digimon possessed a terrifying, innate advantage over humans when it came to processing and rewriting raw data.
'No wonder hackers in those other timelines managed to exploit them so easily,' Mizuki mused, a fleeting trace of nostalgia softening his gaze.
He had always joked about having "Digimon anime PTSD" thanks to the controversial narrative choices of the second season back on Earth. But his obsession hadn't stopped at the shows. He had devoured the expanded lore, the manga, and the video games. The thought of hackers weaponizing Digimon data was pulled straight from his memories of the Cyber Sleuth and Hacker's Memory games.
"Mizu, move!"
LadyDevimon's frantic scream shattered his train of thought.
Before his brain could even process the warning, her arms wrapped tightly around his waist. She yanked him off his feet, her dark wings snapping open as she violently launched them to the side.
A fraction of a second later, a blinding flash of energy detonated exactly where Mizuki had been standing. The shockwave tore through the steel plating, sending molten shrapnel and a cloud of scorched dust billowing into the air.
"That blast..." Mizuki coughed, waving the smoke away as he regained his footing. "Andromon?"
"That's right, Mizu," LadyDevimon hissed, her crimson eyes locking onto the dissipating smoke. "We found him."
Stepping out of her protective embrace, Mizuki followed her gaze down the metallic corridor.
Standing at the far end of the walkway was a towering, imposing figure. Almost half of its body was heavily modified with crude, utilitarian cybernetics, leaving only patches of pale, organic flesh exposed beneath the thick steel armor. Its single, glowing optical sensor was locked dead onto them.
It was the exact target Mizuki had come all this way to find. The Ultimate level cyborg. Andromon.
"What do you think? Does he look like he's in the mood to talk?" Mizuki asked, his tone dropping its previous warmth, replaced by a sharp, calculating edge.
The cyborg remained completely silent, the hum of its internal generators rising in pitch as it raised its right arm.
"Guess not," Mizuki muttered, his Digi-Soul flaring to life. "In that case... LadyDevimon, prepare for battle!"
"Understood!" she declared, her aura exploding outward.
In perfect synchronization with her battle cry, Andromon's mechanical right arm began to rotate. The gears shrieked as the limb spun at blinding speeds, generating a crackling, high-voltage energy blade. With a heavy, mechanical thrust, he fired the crescent of lethal plasma straight at them.
It was one of the cyborg's signature techniques.
"Spiral Sword!"
Facing the incoming wave of destructive energy, LadyDevimon didn't flinch. She channeled her dark data into her elongated claws, the shadows solidifying into a wicked, jagged blade of pure abyssal energy. She lunged forward, swinging the dark weapon to meet the plasma attack head-on.
"Demon Blade!"
BOOM!
The collision of light and darkness triggered a massive shockwave. The sheer kinetic force of the impact shattered the surrounding windows, sending a rain of glass cascading down onto the factory floor.
While she successfully neutralized the incoming strike, LadyDevimon landed with a heavy skid, her boots sparking against the metal grating. She glanced down at her manifested weapon, her crimson eyes widening in shock.
A web of jagged cracks had spider-webbed across the surface of her Demon Blade.
During her brutal deathmatch with NeoDevimon the day before, her blade had been completely shattered. Afterward, she hadn't just repaired it with ambient data; she had actively reinforced its structural integrity, compressing the dark energy based on Mizuki's strategic suggestions.
Right now, her Demon Blade was exponentially harder and sharper than it had ever been. Yet, even with those upgrades, a single, casual clash with Andromon's signature attack had nearly fractured it again.
'Damn it, is this the sheer power of the Ultimate level Mizu warned me about?' LadyDevimon cursed inwardly, her grip tightening on the fracturing hilt.
She locked her gaze onto the towering cyborg, a deep frown creasing her pale features. At first glance, the silent, mechanical Andromon didn't exude the same suffocating, malicious aura of terror that Devimon or NeoDevimon possessed. He was just a machine.
But as she studied his posture, she realized the truth. Beneath that rigid, unassuming exterior lay a terrifying, unshakeable stability. He was like a mountain of iron—immovable, precise, and completely devoid of wasted movement.
'An enemy who doesn't feel fear, anger, or fatigue...'LadyDevimon thought, her muscles coiling like a spring.'In a drawn-out fight, he's far more dangerous than an arrogant show-off like Devimon.'That single exchange had given her all the data she needed. Engaging Andromon in a contest of raw, head-on physical strength was suicide. His output was simply on another level.'If I can't overpower him...'she calculated, her eyes narrowing.'Then what about speed?'
The moment the thought crystallized, LadyDevimon exploded into motion. She flared her tattered wings, using the powerful downdraft to propel herself into the air. Her already incredible agility was pushed to its absolute limit, turning her into a blur of black leather and pale skin as she ricocheted off the factory walls.
Andromon tracked her with his optical sensor, his heavy, mechanical joints whirring as he tried to adjust his aim. But his heavily armored frame was built for durability and power, not evasion. He was too slow. Every time he raised his arm to fire, his target had already vanished into the shadows, leaving him unable to lock on for an effective counterattack.
Finally, as the cyborg's heavy torso swiveled just a fraction of a second too late, LadyDevimon found her opening. She materialized directly in his blind spot, hovering high above him with dark energy boiling around her outstretched hands.
Without a shred of hesitation, she unleashed her full power.
"Darkness Wave!"
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