Chapter 55: Building New Possibilities — Mastemon!
The sky stretched out in a brilliant, cloudless azure, meeting the endless expanse of emerald earth. A gentle breeze swept across the plains, carrying the crisp scent of sun-baked grass and wildflowers.
The quiet melody composed by these beautiful elements gently brushed against Mizuki's ears, a soothing rhythm that washed away the lingering tension of recent days. He stood amidst the vibrant landscape, letting the warmth of the bright sun soak into his skin. In this tranquil atmosphere, time itself seemed to slow to a lazy crawl.
"Xiao Bei, do you not think we have been a little lazy lately?" Gazing out at the distant, rolling scenery, Mizuki let out a long, contented sigh. He sounded exactly like an old man thoroughly enjoying his retirement.
"Have we?"
Nyaromon, currently curled up in the crook of Mizuki's arm and enjoying his rhythmic petting, cracked open a single golden eye. "There is no such thing at all."
"We only just managed to defeat Devimon. What is wrong with resting for a little bit?" As if pouting, the small Digimon finished her sentence and deliberately burrowed her soft face deeper into the fabric of Mizuki's shirt.
"Only just managed... huh?"
Recalling the absolute devastation of that particular battle, Mizuki smiled faintly. He decided not to press the issue.
Just then, the rhythmic crunch of footsteps on grass approached from behind.
Without even turning his head, Mizuki recognized the distinct gait of the newcomers. It was Taichi's partner, Agumon, and Matt's partner, Gabumon.
It seemed Mizuki's previous harsh words had taken root. Matt had indeed undergone a noticeable shift in attitude over the past few days. As the friction between Taichi and Matt smoothed out, Agumon and Gabumon—two Digimon whose personalities naturally complemented each other—had gradually started spending more time together.
As for why they were approaching him now...
"Mizuki, Mizuki! Have you seen the big sister leader anywhere?"
"We have something really important we want to ask her!"
Agumon and Gabumon chimed in, one after the other, their voices bright and eager.
Hearing their question, Mizuki could not help but tilt his head in genuine amusement. "Big sister leader?"
"Yeah, your partner!"
"Xiao Bei?"
Connecting the dots, Mizuki cast a subtle downward glance. Tucked securely against his chest, Nyaromon had completely frozen. She was holding her breath, pressing herself as flat as physically possible against him to avoid detection.
A heartbeat later, Mizuki looked back over his shoulder, flashing the two Rookie Digimon a perfectly apologetic smile. "I am sorry, guys, but I really do not know where Xiao Bei is right now."
"Is that so?"
Staring at Mizuki's back, Gabumon and Agumon exchanged a confused glance.
Although they found it a bit strange that he refused to turn around and face them properly, the two simple-minded Digimon did not dwell on the oddity. They simply nodded in unison.
"We understand!"
"Sorry for bothering you, Mizuki!"
"Let's go check over by the river!"
With that, the heavy thud of their footsteps quickly faded into the distance as they scurried away.
"..."
After confirming the coast was entirely clear, Nyaromon finally exhaled. Her tense, rigid body went entirely limp against Mizuki's arm, a soft sigh escaping her mouth.
Seeing her thoroughly exhausted demeanor, Mizuki could not resist the urge to tease her. "Big sister leader, huh? I did not realize you had become such an impressive figure around here, Xiao Bei."
"I am not a big sister leader!"
At Mizuki's teasing tone, a furious blush spread across Nyaromon's cheeks.
"I never even thought about being a big sister leader!" she protested, her tail twitching in agitation. "Agumon and the others just decided to start calling me that on their own."
She mumbled the last part, a deep sense of helplessness flashing in her large, expressive eyes.
This entire situation stemmed directly from their previous clash with Devimon. Ever since she had systematically dismantled the enemy Digimon with overwhelming, terrifying power—all while maintaining a cold, dashingly cool demeanor—the others had unanimously crowned her with the title of 'big sister leader'.
However, it was painfully obvious that Nyaromon absolutely despised the moniker.
It made perfect sense to Mizuki.
After all, his partner was not a Digimon who inherently craved violence or dominance. Beneath the terrifying combat potential, she was gentle and innocent. She naturally placed zero value on superficial titles or the reverence of others.
To her, receiving the awe and respect of the entire group meant infinitely less than a single, quiet word of praise from Mizuki.
Watching Nyaromon constantly bury her face into his chest out of sheer embarrassment, Mizuki chuckled softly. His chest rumbled against her, and he decided to mercifully drop the subject.
"Speaking of which, how is your physical condition holding up now, Xiao Bei?" His tone shifted, the playful lilt replaced by a quiet, focused intensity. "Are you able to adapt to the second digicore yet?"
Hearing Mizuki's question, Nyaromon's shy, flustered demeanor vanished instantly. A heavy seriousness settled over her small frame.
"Mm-hmm. Mizuki, I am already fine."
She shifted slightly, adjusting her weight in his arms. "After taking these past few days to adapt, my Holy power can finally handle this new digicore..."
As she spoke the words 'Holy power', a complicated, turbulent emotion flickered through her golden eyes. Her brow furrowed slightly, her expression twisting into one of deep conflict.
Mizuki understood her hesitation perfectly.
After all, it was precisely because of her innate identity as a Holy Rank Digimon that she had been ruthlessly hunted and targeted by Devimon in the first place. That traumatic experience had left a deep scar. It was entirely inevitable that she would develop a subconscious rejection toward her own Holy power.
Sensing her distress, Mizuki raised a hand, his fingers gently stroking the soft fur along her back in a slow, comforting rhythm.
A digicore—the central, vital component where a Digimon collects data and processes its very existence—was the absolute equivalent of a human heart.
Excluding a handful of incredibly rare, anomalous mutations, a Digimon typically only possessed a single digicore within its body.
However, for Belfast Beast, who had mastered the Final End Mode that allowed her to manipulate the very fabric of digital data at will, artificially constructing a second digicore was not an impossible task.
The reason she had taken such a drastic, unmatched step was simple: to exponentially increase the sheer volume of data her body could contain and process.
Just as Mizuki had observed, her subconscious trauma and deep-seated resistance to her Holy power caused her to instinctively favor her Dark attributes during digivolution and combat. Because she leaned so heavily into the shadows, whether evolving to the Ultimate or Mega level, her Dark forms were always achieved much faster and with greater stability.
Truthfully, if she had not considered the fact that her identity as a Holy Rank Digimon was the exact reason she had crossed paths with Mizuki in the first place, she might have abandoned the Light entirely.
Yet, after surviving so many life-or-death struggles by his side, she had come to a harsh but necessary realization. In this brutal world, one could never possess too much power.
Thus, she had finally chosen to officially achieve 'reconciliation' with the Light.
Following Mizuki's strategic suggestion, this newly forged digicore was not merely a vessel designed to safely contain her Holy power. It was a calculated method to shatter her natural limits and forcefully expand her own evolutionary potential.
Thinking of this complex balance, Nyaromon tilted her head up, her gaze locking onto Mizuki's face. "Mizuki, I am a little curious about something."
"Hmm?"
"If our goal is to safely carry this Light power, would it not have been better to construct this second digicore using Light data directly? Or perhaps even the most basic, neutral attribute data?" She blinked, her tail swishing thoughtfully. "Why did we specifically choose to build it out of Dark data instead?"
"Ah, about that."
Mizuki paused, his hand stilling on her back. A faint, mysterious smile touched the corners of his lips.
"Xiao Bei, before I answer your question, can you answer one for me first?" He looked down at her, his eyes sharp and clear. "How exactly do you view the concepts of 'Darkness'and'Light'?"
"Darkness and Light?"
Nyaromon blinked again, processing the question for barely a second before replying without a shred of hesitation. "Are they not exactly the same thing?"
Mizuki raised an eyebrow, silently urging her to continue.
"I know everyone always says that Darkness and Light are completely irreconcilable enemies, but I have never actually felt that way," she explained, her voice ringing with absolute, innocent conviction. "In the end, no matter what kind of attribute it has or where it comes from, as long as it is a power that can be used to protect you, Mizuki, then it is a good power!"
"Ahaha." Mizuki let out a bright, genuine laugh, the sound vibrating through his chest. "I am very happy that you can say that with such certainty."
Smiling helplessly at her sheer devotion, he resumed his affectionate stroking, his fingers tracing the curve of her ears.
Although her logic was slightly different from the philosophical answer he had anticipated, her core sentiment aligned perfectly with his own intentions.
"You are absolutely right, Xiao Bei. Darkness and Light are not nearly as opposed as the rest of the world imagines them to be."
Mizuki shifted his gaze back to the horizon, his voice taking on a calm, measured cadence.
"Darkness requires Light to establish its very existence. Without the sun, shadows cannot be cast. And Light requires Darkness to highlight its absolute brilliance. Ultimately, the two forces are inherently one and the same."
He looked back down at her, his dark pupils shining with a deep, quiet wisdom.
"Isolated Yin cannot be born, and isolated Yang cannot grow."
Nyaromon listened intently, her ears perked up, absorbing every word.
"When these two opposing forces can completely merge—when they converge in perfect, absolute harmony—they can create a miraculous power that transcends the very laws of this world."
Curiosity sparked in Nyaromon's golden eyes. "A miraculous power?"
"Exactly. Just like how your Final End Mode is a power that evolved directly from this very concept."
Mizuki nodded slowly, deciding not to keep her in suspense any longer. The air around them seemed to thicken, charged with the weight of the revelation.
"However, what I am talking about right now is another legendary existence entirely."
He smiled, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.
"Its name is Mastemon."
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