Chapter 52: Clash of Wills
"So, would anyone care to explain? What exactly is going on here?"
Standing in the shaded woods just outside the Village of Beginnings, Taichi planted his hands on his hips and stared down his companions. A heavy sigh escaped his lips, his expression a perfect portrait of exasperation.
"Kari followed us because she was worried about me. That makes sense. But what about the rest of you?"
"Me... well, I was worried about Kari." Izzy scratched the back of his neck, offering a sheepish, apologetic smile. "After all, Taichi, you did ask me to keep an eye on her."
Taichi slowly nodded, conceding the point.
Before the silence could stretch, Mimi eagerly raised her hand, bouncing slightly on her heels. "I was just a little curious about what Izzy was sneaking off to do, you know~" She leaned over, bumping her shoulder against her partner. "He was acting so incredibly mysterious earlier. It was totally suspicious, wasn't it?"
Mimi and Palmon exchanged a conspiratorial giggle. "Right, Palmon~?"
"Mm-hmm!" the plant Digimon agreed brightly.
Izzy blinked behind his laptop case. "Mysterious? Me?"
"Uh-huh~" Mimi hummed, nodding emphatically.
"I... probably wasn't~" Izzy muttered. Recalling his own frantic tip-toeing from earlier, he subconsciously glanced down at Tentomon. The insect Digimon gave him a slow, affirmative nod. Defeated, Izzy buried his face in his hands.
One by one, Joe, Takeru, and Sora stepped forward to offer their own flimsy excuses. Matt remained leaning against a tree, arms crossed and entirely silent, but Taichi didn't need to ask. One look at Takeru standing nearby was enough to guess the older brother's motive.
"But seriously," Taichi groaned, running a hand through his wild hair. "Sora is one thing, but Senior Joe, how did you end up being such a massive worrywart too~?"
Hearing the teasing lilt in Taichi's voice, Sora's eyebrow twitched. She crossed her arms, a dangerously sweet half-smile forming on her lips. "What exactly do you mean, 'Sora is one thing'? Do you see me as some nagging old lady who just loves hovering over everyone?"
"It's mom!" Biyomon chirped happily from the sidelines.
"Biyomon, you—!" Sora whipped around, her heart sinking in helpless defeat as she tried to shush her overly honest partner.
Taking advantage of the distraction, Joe puffed out his chest, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "I am your senior! Isn't it perfectly normal for a senior to worry about the well-being of his juniors?"
"Ugh~"
Taichi groaned again, scratching his head in genuine annoyance. Realizing he was outmatched by sheer numbers, he shifted his gaze toward Mizuki, who had been quietly watching the entire circus unfold from the edge of the clearing.
"Mizuki, I guess we have to call it off for today."
"Call it off? Why?" Mizuki blinked, his dark eyes shifting from Taichi to the gathered crowd. A faint, knowing smile touched his lips. "Isn't it better to have everyone join in?"
"Eh?! Are you serious?!"
Before Mizuki could even process Taichi's shocked outburst, Sora tilted her head, her earlier annoyance replaced by sharp suspicion. "What... are you two talking about?"
Izzy tapped his chin, his analytical mind already connecting the dots. "It should be about training."
"Training? Like the kind we usually do?" Mimi tilted her head, thoroughly confused. "If it's just normal training, why did you have to sneak away from everyone?"
Takeru's eyes suddenly lit up, practically sparkling with childish wonder. "Could it be... are you secretly teaching him from ancient martial arts manuals?!"
Mizuki's mouth twitched. The gentle, composed smile he usually wore cracked into an expression of deep helplessness. Is that wuxia joke really still going around?
"Mizuki, don't just stand there, say something!" Taichi urged, waving his hands frantically.
"Say something? Like what? Do you want me to persuade them to leave?" Mizuki turned his head, his gaze locking onto Taichi's. The amusement vanished from his eyes, replaced by a quiet, unyielding gravity. "But have you ever stopped to consider that, eventually, they will have to face all of this too?"
"I—" Taichi's jaw snapped shut. The words died in his throat.
The cryptic exchange only deepened the frustration rippling through the group.
"What kind of training requires you two to act like secret agents?" Sora demanded, stepping forward.
"I have a really bad feeling about this..." Mimi muttered, taking a half-step behind Palmon.
"It really is secret martial arts, isn't it!" Takeru cheered.
"I told you, I don't know martial arts, little Takeru," Mizuki sighed. He gave the youngest boy a brief, exasperated glance before turning on his heel. He walked straight toward the scarred patch of earth where he and Taichi had been standing moments before the interruption.
Taichi watched Mizuki's back for a long moment. He let out a breath, his shoulders dropping as he turned back to his friends. "I don't even know how to describe this to you guys." His lips curled into a fierce, determined grin. "Rather than explaining, it's better to just show you!"
"Taichi, are you ready?" Mizuki's voice rang out from across the clearing, sharp and clear.
"Oh! Coming!"
Waving a hand over his shoulder, Taichi gave his companions one last, lingering look. Then, without looking back, he broke into a dead sprint toward Mizuki.
The group exchanged bewildered glances, silently agreeing to stay rooted to their spots. They needed to see exactly what these two were hiding.
But within seconds, their confusion was violently overwritten by absolute shock.
"Agumon! Let's go!" Taichi roared.
As his boots slammed into the dirt, a brilliant, blinding light erupted from his chest. The crest of the sun blazed through his shirt, projecting a radiant, burning pattern into the air.
"Oh!!! I feel Taichi's power!" Agumon roared, his reptilian eyes narrowing as he matched Taichi's frantic pace. The air around them began to warp with intense heat. "Power is boiling! Soul is burning!"
Agumon leaped into the air, his voice echoing like thunder. "Now we are—invincible!!!"
Agumon Digivolve to... Greymon!
The transformation was explosive. With every heavy, earth-shaking step the newly evolved Greymon took, the ground fractured beneath his claws. But unlike the standard digivolutions the children had witnessed before, the blinding pillar of data enveloping the dinosaur did not dissipate.
He was still growing.
Across the battlefield, Angewomon hovered gracefully at Mizuki's side. Without a word of warning, she drew back her bowstring, aiming directly at the towering beast.
"Holy Arrow!"
The arrow snapped forward, tearing through the air with a piercing, high-pitched shriek.
Facing the lethal projectile, Greymon didn't flinch. He swung his massive arm, and the residual evolutionary light clinging to his claws whipped outward like a solid tether of energy, violently swatting the holy arrow aside. The deflected energy surged back, wrapping around Greymon's left arm and rapidly condensing into cold, gleaming steel.
"Could this be—" Izzy gasped, his eyes widening as a memory flashed through his mind.
He remembered the strange, lingering light he had seen radiating from Taichi's partner right after their grueling battle with the Devimon, Dante. Izzy had assumed it was just the residual glow of Greymon devolving from exhaustion.
But looking at the scene unfolding before him, Greymon wasn't devolving.
He was ascending.
"Ultimate Level!" Izzy shouted, his voice cracking. "Taichi's Agumon can already Digivolve to the Ultimate Level!"
"What?!" the group screamed in unison.
Jaws dropped. Eyes widened in absolute disbelief. Only Kari stood perfectly still, a serene, incredibly proud smile blooming on her face. That's right~ This is my big brother.
A deafening roar shattered the canopy. Greymon launched himself toward Angewomon, who had ascended higher into the sky. The metallic modifications spread like a virus across his data—his cranium encased in heavy armor, his chest reinforced with missile silos, his tail tipped with a lethal blade.
Finally, with the violent tearing of data, a pair of ragged, purple wings ripped free from his back, blotting out the sun.
Greymon Super Digivolve to... MetalGreymon!
As the colossal cyborg touched down, the sheer atmospheric pressure of his existence forced the children to take a step back. The sunlight glinted menacingly off his Chrome Digizoid plating, casting long, terrifying shadows over the forest floor.
"This is... Agumon's Ultimate Level..." Izzy whispered, completely mesmerized.
"MetalGreymon..." Sora breathed, her hands trembling slightly.
"Angewomon! Come fight me!" MetalGreymon roared, his voice a deep, mechanical grinding that shook the leaves from the trees.
Looking every bit like an unstoppable juggernaut, MetalGreymon lunged. Angewomon danced through the air, her six wings beating with fluid grace as she effortlessly evaded his snapping jaws. She spun, firing a rapid volley of arrows directly at his exposed back.
But MetalGreymon had anticipated the counter. He violently swung his heavy, blade-tipped tail, batting the arrows out of the sky in a shower of golden sparks.
Hiss... that actually hurt.
The holy energy scorched his tail, but instead of retreating, the sting of pain only poured gasoline on his burning fighting spirit.
"Just as Mizuki said, it's rude not to return a favor!" MetalGreymon bellowed, planting his feet into the earth. "Take this, Angewomon! Trident Arm!"
The massive metallic claw on his left arm unleashed a deafening hiss of scorching white steam. The tether snapped taut, and the heavy claw rocketed toward Angewomon with apocalyptic momentum. The sheer kinetic force behind the strike tore a vacuum through the air, threatening to rip the very space around her to shreds.
Facing the brutal attack, Angewomon's usually serene, holy visage suddenly twisted. Her eyes narrowed, flashing with genuine, unbridled anger.
"You are not allowed to imitate what little Mizu says!" she snapped, her voice echoing with divine fury.
"Eh?!" MetalGreymon blinked, his momentum faltering for a fraction of a second.
"Mizu's words—only I am allowed to imitate them!!!"
Riding the violent slipstream generated by the incoming metallic claw, Angewomon executed a flawless aerial barrel roll, dodging the strike by mere inches. She raised her hands, gathering a terrifying sphere of pink, cross-shaped energy.
"Heaven's Charm!"
She hurled the blast directly into MetalGreymon's chest.
"Roar!!!"
The holy detonation engulfed the cyborg, forcing an devastating roar of pain from his throat as he skidded backward, tearing deep trenches into the soil.
Down below, the children were paralyzed. The sheer scale and brutality of the battle playing out in the sky left them breathless. Compared to this, their previous "training" sessions with Leomon and Ogremon looked like a playground scuffle.
"Training... no, this is actual combat!" Izzy murmured, his knuckles turning white as he gripped his laptop. "This is a real fight to the death!"
"Everyone, look over there!" Takeru shrieked, pointing frantically toward the ground. "Taichi and Mizuki are fighting too!"
"What?!"
The group snapped their attention away from the sky, looking toward the edge of the clearing.
Just as Takeru said, Taichi and Mizuki were locked in a vicious, high-speed brawl. There was no holding back, no gentle sparring. Just like their Digimon above, the two boys were throwing strikes with the lethal intent of bitter enemies.
"Mizuki! Take this!" Taichi roared, his muscles coiling as he threw a devastating right hook aimed squarely at Mizuki's jaw.
Mizuki didn't even attempt to block. His eyes tracked the motion perfectly. He pivoted on his heel, letting the fist sail past his cheek by a hairsbreadth.
CRACK!
Taichi's fist slammed into the thick trunk of an ancient tree behind Mizuki, shattering the bark and sending splinters exploding into the air.
"How many times do I have to tell you? Your attacks are too direct!" Mizuki chided, his voice calm but sharp.
Capitalizing on Taichi's overextended posture, Mizuki dropped his weight and unleashed a vicious, spinning roundhouse kick directly into Taichi's exposed back.
BANG!
The moment Mizuki's shin connected with Taichi's ribs, a visible shockwave of compressed air exploded outward, kicking up a ring of dust around them.
But Taichi didn't fall. He didn't even cry out. Instead, he slowly turned his head, a wild, blood-pumping grin stretching across his face.
"Heh heh... that's exactly what I wanted!"
"What!?" Mizuki's eyes widened in rare shock as Taichi's hand shot out, clamping down on his ankle like a steel vice.
"Do you really think that after all the hell we've been through these past few days, I'd still be afraid of a little pain?" Taichi laughed, his grip tightening until Mizuki winced. The wild grin on Taichi's face grew downright feral. "Mizuki, you're way too fast. To catch you, I had to take the hit."
Taichi yanked Mizuki forward, pulling him off balance. "Now, take my headbutt!"
"Ugh—!"
CRACK!!!
The sickening sound of bone meeting bone echoed through the clearing. Taichi's forehead slammed squarely into Mizuki's skull. The sheer force of the close-range impact sent both boys staggering backward, clutching their heads as they retreated to opposite sides of the makeshift ring.
"Hiss~ Taichi, you maniac—" Mizuki groaned, rubbing his rapidly bruising forehead.
"How's that? I haven't just been a punching bag these past few days!" Taichi panted, his vision swimming slightly, but he still managed to flash Mizuki a triumphant 'V' sign.
"Again!" Mizuki challenged, his usual calm demeanor fracturing. Infected by Taichi's sheer, unyielding adrenaline, a fierce, competitive fire ignited in Mizuki's dark eyes. "Who's afraid of who!"
As the two boys charged at each other again, the children finally noticed the faint, ethereal glow radiating from Mizuki's chest. It wasn't a sun, but a brilliant, blooming flower-like pattern, pulsing in time with his heartbeat. The raw manifestation of his Digi-Soul.
"Actual combat..." Sora whispered, her voice trembling as she watched Taichi take another brutal blow to the shoulder just to land a punch of his own. "To become stronger... they're willing to accept serious injuries?"
Suddenly, the pieces fell into place. She understood why Taichi had tried to send them away. He didn't want them to see the price he was paying.
Taichi, you absolute idiot... Sora's breath hitched. To protect us, to protect your companions, you're willing to bleed yourself dry?
Her teeth locked together. Her fists clenched so tightly her nails bit into her palms. Deep within her chest, a warm, radiant light began to pulse. The crest of a heart burned through her clothes, projecting a brilliant pink aura into the air.
"Biyomon, let's go too!" Sora commanded, her voice ringing with absolute authority.
"Okay!"
Biyomon Digivolve to... Birdramon!
Accompanied by a piercing, majestic shriek that tore across the heavens, a massive bird wreathed in roaring crimson flames erupted from the light. Flapping her burning wings, Birdramon shot into the sky, joining the chaotic crossfire between MetalGreymon and Angewomon.
Down below, Sora didn't hesitate. She marched straight into the combat zone, stepping directly between Taichi and Mizuki.
"You two idiots, stop it right now!"
Taichi froze mid-punch, his eyes widening in panic. "Sora!? What are you doing—"
Mizuki didn't lower his guard, his eyes narrowing slightly. "If you want us to stop, Sora, do you actually have the ability to make us?"
"Heh heh~" Sora chuckled, a dark, terrifying aura radiating from her smiling face. "Oh, I'm angry."
People often let Sora's gentle, motherly demeanor fool them. But she was a girl who routinely went toe-to-toe with Taichi on the soccer field. When it came to sheer, stubborn grit, she bowed to no boy.
Before Taichi could even process the threat, Sora stepped into his guard, pivoted her hips, and drove a flawless, textbook right cross directly into his cheek.
Smack!
Taichi spun like a top, crashing into the dirt. He sat up, completely stunned, clutching his throbbing face. "Sora, you—"
"'You what'?!" Sora screamed, standing over him with her fists clenched. "Taichi, you have the guts to sneak around and beat yourself half to death in actual combat training with Mizuki, but you don't have the courage to lay a hand on me?!"
She glared down at him, her eyes shining with unshed tears of frustration. She hated how he always tried to shoulder the weight of the world alone. She hated how he treated himself like a sacrificial pawn.
Who do you think you are? Mizuki? You're just a normal kid, exactly like the rest of us! So rely on us a little more, you stubborn jerk!
Thinking of all the times he had thrown himself into danger, Sora grabbed him by the collar and pulled him up, pulling her fist back again. "Where's that fire you had when you beat me in soccer?! Show it to me!"
Mizuki stood a few feet away, his arms slowly dropping to his sides. "???"
Watching Sora violently engage Taichi in a one-on-one brawl, Mizuki's dark eyes were filled with deep, utter confusion.
Hold on... he thought, blinking slowly. I did want you all to participate in actual combat training, yes. But I didn't mean for you to jump straight into a hardcore street fight!
He looked at Sora pummeling Taichi, then up at Birdramon unleashing a volley of flaming meteors into the sky.
Also... how did I suddenly become the third wheel in my own training session? Is this reasonable???
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