Chapter 102: Don't You Dare Imitate Other People's Speech!
That is right, the child Myotismon had targeted was none other than Mizuki.
Come to think of it, when Mizuki first laid eyes on the aristocratic vampire, he had been genuinely confused. He had only tweaked the environmental data of the surrounding area slightly. Aside from that minor terraforming, he had not done anything remotely extraordinary. So how exactly did he end up drawing the aggro of a major player like Myotismon?
Besides, the way the vampire had initially approached him, putting on the facade of a gentle, caring uncle... well, it was actually quite amusing.
Naturally, driven by his inherently mischievous nature, the black-bellied Mizuki had decided to play along. He had crafted a whole script in his head. He was going to pretend to join Myotismon's dark army, bide his time, and then casually stroll up to Tai and the others to drop a dramatic, 'I am actually an undercover agent,' just to see the looks on their faces. And of course, the grand finale would involve a spectacular backstab against Myotismon, complete with a tear-jerking, entirely fabricated villain monologue.
Unfortunately, those whimsical, trollish dreams went completely bankrupt before they even got off the ground. Myotismon had been far too impatient, flipping the metaphorical table before they could even finish their pleasantries.
The sheer ruin of his comedic masterpiece actually left Mizuki feeling rather sullen.
A flash of genuine annoyance crossed his eyes as he looked down at the vampire.
"Belle, don't be in such a rush to kill this guy." Mizuki's voice was calm, though a hint of a pout lingered in his tone. "I need to wring some information out of him first."
"Is that so? Alright then."
Belle had already drawn her weapons, her fingers itching to put a bullet straight through the vampire's forehead. Hearing Mizuki's instruction, she let out a disappointed sigh and begrudgingly holstered her dual pistols.
Meanwhile, Myotismon watched this casual exchange from the sidelines, his pale, aristocratic face twisted into an incredibly ugly scowl. He was currently in the process of repairing his severed arm. Since this temporary vessel was constructed entirely from a condensed swarm of dark bats, reattaching a limb was not a particularly difficult task. The shadows writhed and stitched themselves together, reforming his missing flesh.
No, the physical damage was not what fueled his rage. It was the sheer, unadulterated disrespect.
These two brats were openly discussing how to dispose of him right to his face!
What absolute arrogance!
Did they honestly believe they had him cornered? That lucky strike earlier was nothing more than a momentary lapse in his judgment!
Now, it was time for them to witness the true, terrifying power of the great King Myotismon!
Dark energy surged around his remaining hand. He prepared to condense his signature attack, the Bloody Stream, ready to lash them with a whip of crimson lightning. But as he channeled his power, a sudden, chilling realization washed over him.
His arms. Both of them. They were gone.
He had not felt a thing. No pain, no movement, just empty air where his limbs should have been.
No, they had not just disappeared. They had ended up in Belle's hands!
The Digimon, currently taking the appearance of a blonde loli, was casually holding his severed, bat-formed arms, gesturing with them as she chatted with the boy beside her.
"Mizuki, Mizuki, look!" Belle waved the disembodied limbs around like morbid toys. "This guy's arms really do grow back fast."
"If I remember correctly, even that Devimon guy didn't have this kind of ridiculous recovery speed, right?"
Mizuki barely spared the limbs a glance. "After all, Myotismon is an Undead-type Digimon. Possessing a high-speed regeneration ability is perfectly normal for his kind." He waved a hand dismissively. "Alright, Belle, stop holding onto those things. They're going to make your hands dirty."
"Alright then. I got it... I guess." Belle casually tossed the shadowy limbs aside, letting them dissolve into the dirt.
Watching them treat his very existence with such casual disdain, Myotismon's boiling rage unexpectedly cooled into a dead, chilling calm.
If losing his arm the first time could be chalked up to his own carelessness, this was entirely different. He had been fully on guard, gathering his dark energy, yet this blonde girl had silently and imperceptibly dismantled him again. That alone proved one terrifying fact.
The strength of the entity standing before him was far beyond what her deceptive appearance suggested.
"You..." Myotismon's voice rasped, his crimson eyes locking onto Belle. "The Digimon beside you... she is an Ultimate..."
He paused, the dark data in his mind calculating the sheer impossibility of the speed he had just witnessed.
"No. To be able to sever my limbs without me noticing a single shift in the air... could it be... a Mega!?"
"Oh? Did you finally figure it out?"
Mizuki blinked mildly, offering a small, mocking smile. He made no attempt to deny the accusation.
"As expected of the knowledgeable King Myotismon. You catch on quick."
Myotismon let out a low, hollow chuckle. "Heh heh... To actually allow a Mega level existence to walk around in such a deceptive form... you, boy. Perhaps you are even more suited for the darkness than I am."
Realizing that escape or victory was entirely impossible against a Mega, Myotismon calmly accepted the fate of his current vessel. It hardly mattered. His true, main body was safely hidden away at his base camp. Whatever happened to this temporary construct of bats was irrelevant.
As he spoke, his physical form began to waver, turning translucent as the dark data destabilized. Hundreds of screeching black bats began to peel away from his silhouette, scattering into the night sky.
"Mizuki!" Belle called out, her grip tightening on her holsters as she looked to her partner for orders.
Mizuki narrowed his eyes, his gaze tracking the dispersing swarm. He analyzed the data signature for a brief moment before a look of realization dawned on his face.
"This is just a clone created from a bat familiar. It is not his main body." Mizuki sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, what can I say? He certainly is cautious enough."
Realizing there was no point in interrogating a dissolving puppet, Mizuki abandoned his previous plan. He gave Belle a brief nod.
The very next second, a blinding flash of energy erupted. The dense, screeching swarm of bats was instantly vaporized, wiped from existence without leaving a single trace of data behind.
Having executed the strike, Belle simply flicked her wrist, her expression entirely casual. It was as if obliterating an Ultimate-level clone was as mundane as drinking a glass of water.
"Good work, Belle."
Mizuki smiled as she bounded back over to him. He caught her easily, wrapping his arms around her as she lunged into a hug. He patted her blonde hair affectionately before shifting his gaze toward the dense, shadowy woods to their right.
"The situation here is already handled. Aren't you planning to come out yet?" Mizuki called out, his voice echoing into the trees. "At the very least, you should give me a chance to express my gratitude."
"How did you discover me, Pi?"
The moment Mizuki's words faded, the empty air at the edge of the treeline rippled like water.
A petite, highly unusual Digimon materialized from the spatial distortion. She had a perfectly spherical, fluffy pink body adorned with a pair of small white wings. Belying her cute appearance, she possessed human-like arms, beast-like clawed feet, and gripped a wickedly sharp, metallic lance in her right hand.
Without a doubt, it was the Ultimate-level fairy, Piximon.
Mizuki knew from his memories that Piximon usually lived as a strict recluse in the Desert Area of the Server Continent. Running into her here, drawn by the recent anomalies, was not entirely surprising.
"Instead of asking how I spotted you, let me say thank you first," Mizuki said, his tone softening into genuine appreciation. "Thank you for watching our backs and staying by our side, Piximon."
"What's there to thank, Pi? I didn't actually do anything to help, Pi."
Piximon hovered closer, waving her small, pink hand with a look of utter helplessness.
Originally, the fairy Digimon had been drawn out by the sudden surge of life force blooming in the barren desert. When she spotted Myotismon's dark presence closing in on a human child, she had fully intended to intervene and protect Mizuki.
However, she had never anticipated that the boy's seemingly harmless partner was actually a terrifyingly powerful Mega-level Digimon, one capable of instantly dismantling Myotismon's clone without breaking a sweat.
The sheer power gap had left Piximon in an incredibly awkward position. Jumping out to save them felt ridiculous, but staying hidden felt equally strange. She had planned to quietly slip away while they were distracted by the bats, but somehow, the boy had seen right through her camouflage.
"You little brat, when exactly did you notice me, Pi?" Piximon demanded, hovering at eye level with Mizuki.
Mizuki tapped his chin, a playful glint in his eye. "Hmm, how should I put it? I probably noticed you the very second you arrived."
"That early!? Then why didn't you call out to me, Pi! Do you think stringing me along and teasing me is fun, Pi!?"
Piximon's large eyes widened in sheer indignation. She brandished her sharp spear, jabbing it toward Mizuki in a display of exaggerated, sullen anger.
Mizuki held up his hands in surrender, offering a helpless smile. "I couldn't help it. At first, I had to focus entirely on managing the terraforming in the forest. And right when I finally got a second to breathe, Myotismon's clone showed up to crash the party."
"...Alright."
Piximon scrutinized his face. Seeing no deceit in his relaxed expression, she lowered her lance, begrudgingly accepting the excuse.
However, before Mizuki could steer the conversation forward, a quiet, hesitant voice drifted over from his side.
"Um... Mizuki, I'm sorry..."
Belle tugged lightly at his sleeve, her eyes downcast. "Actually, I didn't discover Piximon at all... I guess."
Mizuki and Piximon both froze, turning to stare at the timid blonde girl in unison.
A second later, Piximon let out a loud, highly offended squawk.
"How could you not have noticed me, Pi!?"
The pink fairy flew right up to Belle's face, her wings buzzing furiously. "I know my stealth techniques are top-tier, and I was confident I wouldn't be easily spotted, Pi! But even your human partner noticed me! For you, a mighty Mega-level Digimon, to be completely oblivious is just completely unjustifiable, Pi!!!"
Pi pi pi!
Piximon fired off a rapid-fire barrage of scolding, her voice pitching higher with every word.
"How are you supposed to properly protect the companions by your side if you're this unobservant, Pi!? Even if you've reached the Mega level, you absolutely cannot afford to be this lazy, Pi!"
"I know, I know, please stop lecturing me, Pi..." Belle groaned, covering her ears as her head spun from the sheer volume of the fairy's nagging.
Piximon puffed out her round pink cheeks, looking deeply offended. "Don't mimic my speech, Pi!"
Watching the bizarre, comedic interaction between the ancient Mega and the tiny Ultimate, Mizuki let out an awkward, dry laugh. He stepped forward, gently placing a hand on Belle's shoulder.
"Um, Piximon, go easy on her. Actually, Belle hasn't been slacking off at all." Mizuki's voice carried a warm, protective edge. "I have always been watching her. I know exactly how hard she works."
"Mizuki..."
Hearing him step up to defend her, Belle looked up, her eyes shimmering with deep, genuine emotion. She leaned into his touch, seeking comfort from the scolding.
Piximon crossed her small arms, looking back and forth between the two of them. Her stern expression softened just a fraction.
"Hmm. Your bond is indeed much stronger than I imagined, Pi. But blindly coddling your partner isn't going to do you any favors, Pi. The Digital World is not a gentle place, Pi."
The fairy tapped her chin with the butt of her lance, falling into deep thought. After a moment, her eyes lit up, and she looked directly at Mizuki.
"How about this, Pi? If you don't mind, I can help you two train, Pi."
She twirled her lance expertly. "Although I am only an Ultimate-level Digimon, I have survived in this world for a very long time. When it comes to combat experience and using your environment, I can definitely provide some much-needed guidance, Pi."
"Are you sure that's okay?" Mizuki blinked, genuinely surprised by the offer.
Piximon was notoriously reclusive. She usually couldn't even be bothered to deal with local nuisances like Etemon, preferring to stay hidden in her desert sanctuary. Yet here she was, actively volunteering to train them.
Catching the surprise on Mizuki's face, Piximon let out a long, weary sigh.
"To be honest, I absolutely hate dealing with trouble, Pi. But with the way the world is shifting right now, I can't just keep hiding away in seclusion, Pi. At the very least, as an elder Digimon, I need to step up and help you DigiDestined shoulder some of this heavy burden, Pi."
Hearing the fairy's earnest declaration, a wave of nostalgia washed over Mizuki. Details from his past memories surfaced. In the original timeline, Piximon was one of the very few benevolent Digimon who, despite owing the children nothing, voluntarily stepped out of the shadows to train them. She had even sacrificed her own life to ensure their survival against the Dark Masters.
A soft, respectful smile touched Mizuki's lips. He stepped forward and extended his right hand toward the floating fairy.
"In that case, Piximon, we'll be in your care from now on, Pi."
"You are very welcome, Pi. After all, helping you is ultimately helping myself, Pi," Piximon replied, reaching out her tiny hand to shake his.
Their hands met, sealing the agreement. But as the handshake ended, Piximon's eyes narrowed into a fierce glare. She pointed her lance directly at Mizuki's nose.
"And you! Don't you dare imitate my speech either, Pi!!!"
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