Chapter 175: Since That's the Case, Why Don't We Have a Fight?
Amidst the heavy, suffocating haze of their unconsciousness, WarGreymon X and MetalGarurumon X vaguely sensed a voice calling out to them. The tone was unexpectedly gentle. In a digital world drowning in despair and cruelty, that single voice carried a rare, flickering warmth. Desperate to hear it more clearly, the two Mega-level Digimon struggled in unison, fighting to claw their way up through the thick fog clouding their minds.
Soon, the muffled syllables sharpened into distinct words—
"Digimon~ Open your eyes, I am the Space Superman~"
A dramatic, exaggerated gasp followed. "I have brought two lives! One is mine, and the other is also mine~"
Wait, bro? What?
Jolted by sheer disbelief, WarGreymon X and MetalGarurumon X snapped their eyes open at the exact same time. Their optics whirred, adjusting to the dim light.
However, the grand, cosmic savior they half-expected was nowhere to be found. Instead, their vision focused on a painfully familiar sight. There was no Space Superman standing over them. There was only a dark-haired human boy, his lips curled into a mischievous, unapologetic grin.
"Are we—" WarGreymon X started, his deep voice rough and gravelly.
"Sorry, sorry~" Mizuki waved a hand casually, his eyes dancing with amusement. "It was just a little prank. Did I scare you?"
Still flashing that bright smile, Mizuki reached out, offering his hands to the two massive Digimon as they struggled to find their footing. He grunted, his boots digging into the cracked stone floor. It had to be said, the sheer, concentrated mass of WarGreymon X's Chrome Digizoid armor and MetalGarurumon X's mechanized chassis was no joke. Even with his Digi-Soul granting him physical strength rivaling an Ultimate-level Digimon, hauling these two armored titans upright required a serious exertion of effort. His muscles coiled tight as he finally managed to help them stabilize.
"Thank you..." MetalGarurumon X muttered, his metallic jaw clicking as he shook off the residual dizziness.
"We are..." WarGreymon X trailed off. He raised a massive, clawed gauntlet to clutch his aching head, his armored plates shifting with a heavy scrape as he tried to piece together their fragmented memories.
Mizuki tilted his head, his playful demeanor softening into something more observant. "Don't you remember? You both blacked out after taking a direct hit from Gallantmon's attack."
The reminder acted like a spark in a dark room. The memories of the overwhelming holy light, the crushing pressure of the royal knight's lance, and their own sudden failure flooded back. WarGreymon X and MetalGarurumon X stiffened. A heavy, suffocating wave of guilt washed over their features as they looked down at the human boy.
"That..." WarGreymon X began, his voice dropping an octave.
"Excellency Mizuki, I am deeply sorry," MetalGarurumon X bowed his head, his optical sensors dimming in shame.
"Me too," WarGreymon X added, his fists clenching at his sides.
"We let down your expectations," the two Mega-level Digimon rumbled in perfect, miserable unison.
Confronted by two towering, heavily armed war machines apologizing in stereo, Mizuki instinctively took a half-step back, blinking in mild surprise.
"Okay, setting aside that incredibly strange title for a moment," Mizuki said, scratching his cheek. "What exactly do you mean by letting me down?"
Under Mizuki's genuinely puzzled gaze, WarGreymon X and MetalGarurumon X exchanged a heavy, loaded glance.
"It's about our inability to achieve digivolution..." WarGreymon X finally admitted, his tone laced with frustration.
MetalGarurumon X nodded slowly. "Even though you already opened the path for us, even though you handed us the very possibilities we needed... we still failed your expectations."
"Oh. So that's what this is about." Mizuki let out a long breath, muttering softly to himself before waving his hand in a helpless, dismissive gesture. "Man, the way you two were acting, I thought it was something major."
He offered them a warm, reassuring smile. "It's fine, really. I don't mind at all."
When neither Digimon seemed to relax, Mizuki crossed his arms, his tone turning pragmatic but gentle. "Don't dwell on it. You guys have survived in this brutal world for a long time. You should know far better than I do just how impossibly difficult it is to achieve a fusion digivolution into Omnimon."
"Not to mention," Mizuki continued, tapping a finger against his chin, "you both possess the X-Antibody now. Under these circumstances, evolving into Omnimon X will result in a being of terrifying, world-shaking power. Naturally, the barrier to entry is going to be astronomically higher."
He stepped forward, his boots clicking against the stone, and firmly patted the cold, metallic arms of the two towering Digimon. "Don't put so much pressure on yourselves. I have absolute confidence in you two~"
The tension bleeding out of MetalGarurumon X was immediate; his optical sensors brightened, the rigid lines of his mechanical body softening under Mizuki's comfort. WarGreymon X, however, remained stiff. His jaw was set, his golden armor practically vibrating with unresolved frustration and lingering unwillingness.
Mizuki didn't miss a single detail. He watched the Dragon Man Digimon for a few seconds, his mind spinning through possibilities, before a sharp snap of his fingers echoed through the quiet ruins.
"How about we do this?" Mizuki suggested, his eyes gleaming with a sudden, brilliant idea. "I'll ask Gallantmon to let you two have a sparring match first. If you have any pent-up frustrations or heartfelt words you need to get off your chests, you can just beat them into each other during the fight."
It made perfect sense. For straightforward, battle-hardened creatures like Digimon, words often fell short. There was no faster, more honest way to forge an understanding than trading blows in the heat of combat.
At the mention of a fight, a dangerous, eager light ignited in WarGreymon X's eyes. The truth was, he had been harboring a quiet dissatisfaction with MetalGarurumon X's tactical approach for a while. In the past, because they operated independently and merely complemented each other from a distance, those differences had never truly clashed. But after today's forced, intimate cooperation, the friction between their fighting styles had struck flint against steel. The long-buried sparks had finally caught fire.
MetalGarurumon X, on the other hand, hesitated. While the low hum of his engines betrayed a similar eagerness to vent his frustrations, his tactical mind was already calculating the collateral damage.
"That... is it really wise for us to do this?" the cyborg wolf asked, his gaze sweeping over the ancient stone pillars and crumbling archways. "Setting our personal grievances aside, an all-out battle between two Mega-level Digimon would completely level these ruins, wouldn't it?"
"Are you seriously only worrying about property damage right now?" Mizuki tilted his head, flashing a thoroughly amused grin. "If these ruins were that fragile, the sheer ambient data of this world would have eroded them to dust centuries ago, right?"
He gestured casually toward the shadows of the vast chamber. "Besides, Gallantmon didn't just drop us here by accident. He must have his own reasons for choosing this specific location."
Right on cue, a calm, authoritative voice echoed from the deeper shadows of the hall.
"This area is an ancient fortress left behind by the Metal Empire," Gallantmon stated, stepping into the dim light. His crimson armor gleamed with an imposing, regal presence. "Its structural integrity is absolute. Not even the merciless erosion of time has managed to cause the slightest fracture in its foundations."
The Royal Knight raised a gauntleted hand. "Go ahead. Let loose without restraint."
With a crisp snap of Gallantmon's fingers, the invisible, oppressive energy that had been subtly restraining WarGreymon X and MetalGarurumon X shattered like glass.
The moment the heavy pressure vanished, the two Mega Digimon felt their digital cores surge with unrestricted power. They locked eyes for a fraction of a second before kicking off the ground, instantly putting dozens of meters of distance between them.
"In that case," WarGreymon X growled, rolling his broad shoulders as the thrusters on his back flared to life. "I'm going to enjoy a grand rampage."
"Just as well," MetalGarurumon X replied, his missile pods clicking ominously as they primed for launch. "I've been wanting to have a very thorough talk with you..."
Meeting the burning, unyielding fighting spirit in WarGreymon X's gaze, a sharp, dangerous light flared within MetalGarurumon X's optical sensors. The air between them grew heavy, crackling with the sheer density of their rising data.
However, right before the clash could officially begin, the cyborg wolf didn't forget to issue a warning to the human standing nearby.
"Excellency Mizuki, please retreat to a safe distance from the battlefield."
"Right, right! It wouldn't be good if you got caught in the crossfire," WarGreymon X added, snapping out of his battle trance just long enough to hurriedly wave Mizuki away.
Mizuki could only offer a helpless, wry smile in response. Motioning for Belle to follow, he retreated toward a raised platform of rubble that served as a makeshift spectator seat, safely out of the immediate blast zone.
He had noticed it earlier, but the interior space of these ruins was unexpectedly vast, stretching out like a cavernous underground arena. Ruins of the Metal Empire?
If his memory served him right, the Metal Empire had once been an incredibly powerful faction, pioneers of mechanized Digimon and devastating weaponry. Yet, looking at the desolate, silent stone and rusted remnants around them, it was clear that the Metal Empire of this particular digital world had perished a very long time ago.
Pushing the historical trivia to the back of his mind, Mizuki leaned forward, his full attention locking onto the two titans staring each other down in the center of the arena—
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