Chapter 134: There's a Traitor! That Despicable Double Agent
'I am finished... This time, I am truly finished...'Phantomon dragged his battered, data-leaking form through the desolate wastelands. He did not dare pause for even a fraction of a second, his tattered crimson cloak billowing weakly behind him. He had received no treatment, his core glitching with every agonizing movement as he desperately hurried back toward Myotismon's looming castle.'I never imagined... I never could have foreseen such a terrifying existence hiding among those wretched DigiDestined.'
The memory of that encounter in the sun-scorched desert flashed through his mind, sending a violent shudder through his digital core. Beneath the deep shadows of his hood, his single glowing eye flickered with raw, unadulterated panic.
That Digimon... It possessed the absolute aura of a Holy-type, radiating the overwhelming pressure of an Ultimate level.
'For Lord Myotismon, that creature is an absolute threat! I must warn him!'
Phantomon finally crossed the threshold into the oppressive, suffocating gloom of the castle corridors. Just as he tried to steady his erratic breathing, the sharp, rhythmic click of footsteps echoed from the far end of the pitch-black hall.
Phantomon flinched. His spectral form tensed, his grip tightening around the handle of his scythe.
The forces gathered under Myotismon's banner were not bound by camaraderie. Aside from the unfortunate souls coerced into servitude, the ranks were filled entirely with naturally wicked, bloodthirsty predators. Under normal circumstances, Phantomon's status as an Ultimate level would command absolute fear. But right now? He was severely injured, his data unstable. If the other nightmare soldiers caught wind of his weakened state, those vicious opportunists would undoubtedly get dangerous ideas.
As he braced himself, a specific white figure involuntarily surfaced in his paranoid mind.
Gatomon.
Ever since Lord Myotismon departed for the human world, that insolent feline's attitude had grown increasingly ambiguous. Her insubordination had peaked when she dragged those two brawling meatheads, Leomon and Ogremon, back to the castle. From that day on, her approach to her duties had become blatantly careless, almost defiant.
Phantomon had already begun to suspect she was plotting something in the shadows.
'If that wretched cat discovers my current condition, Lord Myotismon's entire plan will be jeopardized—'
Ironically, even though Phantomon knew his severe injuries were a direct result of Myotismon withholding crucial intelligence from him, his fanatical loyalty to the vampire lord did not waver in the slightest. It was precisely this blind devotion that made Myotismon entrust him with the castle's affairs in the Digital World.
The rhythmic clicking stopped. Phantomon squinted through the gloom, finally making out the silhouette emerging from the corridor's depths.
When that pristine flash of white fully entered his vision, his phantom heart sank.
Just as he had feared. The one blocking his path was indeed Gatomon.
Gatomon stood perfectly still, her large blue eyes sweeping over Phantomon's glitching, pathetic state. She tilted her head, pondering the sight for a brief moment before a slow, mocking smirk curled the edges of her mouth.
"Phantomon," she purred, her voice dripping with false concern. "Whatever happened to you? It was supposed to be a simple mission. How did the great commander end up looking like a mangy, beaten dog?"
She took a slow, deliberate step forward. Then another.
Seeing her advance, Phantomon instinctively floated backward, putting distance between them. He forced his tone to remain as cold and authoritative as ever, masking the tremor in his voice.
"Mind your own business, Gatomon."
"Instead of sticking your nose where it does not belong, shouldn't you be working? You have an awful lot of free time on your paws."
He raised his scythe slightly, a hollow threat. "Do not forget, you have yet to complete the task Lord Myotismon assigned to you. Or do you wish to taste his punishment once again?"
Faced with Phantomon's harsh reprimand, Gatomon fell silent. For a fleeting second, the corridor was dead quiet. Then, a sharp flash of mockery lit up her face.
"Phantomon, it seems your condition really is quite poor," she noted, her tone dropping its playful edge. A cold, calculating glint replaced the amusement in her eyes. "That bastard Myotismon... he is not actually here anymore, is he?"
Phantomon's single eye widened a fraction of an inch.
"So it really is true..." Gatomon whispered, catching his momentary lapse in composure with predatory keenness.
Her suspicions had taken root the moment Wizardmon mentioned catching a glimpse of Myotismon returning to the castle in a pathetic, injured state. Shortly after, word spread that Phantomon was abruptly taking over all administrative affairs. If Myotismon was severely injured, he was either lying low in a dormant state deep within the crypts, or he had fled entirely.
Gatomon's recent careless attitude toward her tasks had been a calculated test to confirm this exact theory. At worst, she figured she would just take another beating. She had tasted his cruel whip enough times since she was a helpless kitten; one more lash would not break her.
But the punishment never came. The reality was clear: regardless of Myotismon's actual state, he was completely incapable of managing the castle right now.
And now, seeing Phantomon severely injured and leaking data...
The cold light in Gatomon's eyes sharpened into a deadly glare. This was it. This was her absolute best chance to finally escape this endless sea of misery.
Standing across from her, Phantomon finally realized the sheer gravity of the situation. His cold tone fractured, leaking genuine anger.
"Gatomon, I strongly advise you not to entertain any foolish ideas."
"Otherwise, you know exactly how Lord Myotismon's whip feels!"
"...Enough, Phantomon." Gatomon waved a dismissive paw. "Things have already reached this point. There is no need for you to keep acting like a fox borrowing the tiger's majesty."
She raised her hands, the sharp, metallic claws on her oversized gloves catching the faint ambient light of the dark corridor.
"If that bastard Myotismon actually had the strength to punish me, he would have dragged me to the dungeons the moment I started slacking off."
She bared her fangs, a flash of deep, venomous hatred burning in her eyes. "After all, that monster has never liked the look of me."
The humiliation. The endless torture she had suffered in the dark. She had never forgotten a single second of it.
Realizing words were useless, Phantomon made a sweeping, grand gesture with his skeletal hand. Several heavy chains forged from dark data materialized from the shadows, lashing out toward Gatomon like striking vipers.
"What an ill-bred stray cat!" Phantomon hissed, his voice echoing off the stone walls. "I shall teach you the true meaning of hierarchy in Lord Myotismon's stead!"
Facing the incoming barrage of chains, Gatomon narrowed her eyes. She planted her feet, preparing to raise her claws to deflect the blow.
But before she could strike, a familiar figure suddenly blurred into her field of vision.
"I will not let you hurt Gatomon!"
"Thunder Cloud!"
"Wizardmon?!" Gatomon gasped.
A brilliant, crackling bolt of lightning erupted from the tip of Wizardmon's staff, illuminating the dreary corridor in a flash of blinding white. The electrical surge accurately struck down Phantomon's chains, shattering the dark data into harmless sparks.
But Wizardmon was not alone. Heavy, thudding footsteps echoed from behind him as two more massive Digimon stepped out of the shadows to flank Gatomon.
"Fist of the Beast King!"
"Pummel Whack!"
A blazing aura shaped like a lion's head roared down the hallway, accompanied by a devastating shockwave from a massive bone club. The combined attacks forced Phantomon to abandon his offensive and hastily throw up a defensive barrier, the impact sending him skidding backward.
"Leomon! Ogremon!" Gatomon called out, her eyes widening in surprise.
Clutching his glitching chest, Phantomon stared at the newly arrived Digimon. His spectral form violently glitched, his single eye expanding in disbelief before narrowing into a burning slit of pure malice.
"Fine... Very well!" Phantomon spat. "It is not just Gatomon. Even you three have decided to betray us?!"
"Betrayal?" Wizardmon lowered his staff, his expression hidden beneath his wide-brimmed hat, but his voice was steady and resolute. He instinctively shifted his stance, using his own body to shield Gatomon. "I have never betrayed anyone. The object of my loyalty was never Myotismon."
He gripped his staff tighter. "The one I follow has always been that kind Digimon who once saved my life."
A kind Digimon...
Hearing Wizardmon's earnest declaration, Gatomon froze. A faint, uncharacteristic flush of embarrassment dusted her cheeks as she looked away, her shoulders dropping slightly.
'This idiot...' she thought, her heart skipping a beat despite the tension.
While Gatomon tried to mask her flustered state, Leomon and Ogremon stepped forward, delivering their own responses to the enraged phantom.
"Betrayal? Hah!" Leomon crossed his muscular arms, his mane bristling with righteous energy. "I serve only fairness and justice! A tyrant like Myotismon deserves no loyalty."
Ogremon slammed his bone club against his open palm, a wicked, battle-hungry grin splitting his green face. "I do not understand all your complicated talk. For me, as long as there is a good fight to be had, I am in!"
"Dammit..." Phantomon cursed under his breath. He glared at the four Digimon blocking his path, the sheer anger in his eye almost solidifying into physical pressure.
'If I were not injured, these mere four Champion levels would be nothing but dust under my scythe!' he thought bitterly, his mind racing as he desperately calculated a way to break this fatal deadlock.
Just as the tension in the corridor reached its breaking point, a crisp, overly cheerful voice echoed through the gloom, cutting through the heavy atmosphere like a knife.
"Yo, yo, yo! Why is everyone gathered in a dreary place like this?"
The voice dripped with an unsettling, playful malice. "Are you all having a little class reunion?"
Footsteps padded softly against the stone. "If you do not mind, how about including me in the fun?"
The five Digimon instantly snapped their attention toward the source of the voice.
Slowly stepping out from the deepest shadows of the corridor was a small feline Digimon. Her silhouette was practically identical to Gatomon's, but her fur was pitch black, and her eyes gleamed with a treacherous, cunning light. Her lips curled into a jagged, unsettling smirk, her tail flicking with predatory anticipation.
"BlackGatomon..." Gatomon muttered, her claws extending fully.
Staring at the dark variant radiating an eerie, chilling aura, Leomon and Wizardmon exchanged a tense, wary glance. They both recognized the immediate danger bleeding from the newcomer.
This fellow was absolutely no saint.
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