Chapter 199: Let the New Adventure Begin
A bizarre, weightless sensation washed over him—like wading through a sea of static. The young man's eyelids fluttered open. Cold, artificial light immediately assaulted his vision, forcing him to squint.
When Mizuki finally blinked away the blurriness and took in the surrounding scenery, his breath hitched.
"Where is this...?"
Sleek metallic walls, glowing holographic panels, and pristine glass corridors stretched out in front of him. After a brief moment of absolute shock at the futuristic, high-tech environment, Mizuki's survival instincts kicked in. He instantly scrambled to his knees, his eyes darting around in search of a very specific, familiar figure.
He only allowed himself to exhale when he spotted the small, white-furred form sleeping peacefully on the polished floor beside him. Confirming Belle was completely unharmed, Mizuki finally allowed his mind to process their current predicament.
One thing was certain: right before they fell asleep, they had been handling the crumbling, rusted ruins of another world. According to Gallantmon, those ruins were once a classified operational base belonging to the Steel Empire.
Given that context, waking up in a facility overflowing with hyper-advanced technology shouldn't have felt entirely out of place. Yet, the pristine condition of this corridor contradicted the ancient decay they had just been exploring.
Mizuki scratched the back of his head, letting out a heavy sigh before shaking the lingering grogginess from his thoughts.
Sitting here and agonizing over the details wouldn't yield any answers. To figure out exactly what kind of mess they had stumbled into this time, he needed to get moving.
As Mizuki slowly pushed himself up from the cold floor, the rustle of his clothing caught the attention of the sleeping Digimon. Her small ears twitched. With a slight flutter of her eyelids, the cute little white cat let out a soft yawn and opened her bright eyes.
"Mizuki...?"
"Belle, you're awake." Mizuki knelt back down, offering her a gentle, reassuring smile. "Did you sleep well?"
"Mm~ Of course." She purred, leaning into his hand. "With you by my side, how could I not sleep well?"
Belle slowly stretched her front paws forward, arching her back to work out the stiffness. "What about you, Mizuki?"
"The same for me. Thanks to you, Belle."
"Hehehe~ Is that so?" Hearing his praise, a faint blush dusted Belle's cheeks. She lifted a paw to scratch her cheek, suddenly feeling a bit bashful.
Watching her adorable, carefree demeanor, the tight knot of anxiety in Mizuki's chest regarding their unfamiliar environment began to loosen.
Meanwhile, as the last dregs of sleep faded from Belle's mind, she finally took a good look at herself. She blinked, her head tilting in utter confusion as she inspected her small paws and tail.
"Eh?" she muttered, her voice tinged with genuine bewilderment. "Why have I turned into a Gatomon?"
"I'm quite curious about that too." Mizuki studied the small feline in front of him, his brow furrowing slightly. "If I remember correctly, you were actively maintaining your BeelStarmon form right before we went to sleep."
"That's right..."
Muttering to herself, Belle immediately closed her eyes, attempting to tap into her core data to restore her towering, gun-wielding Mega form. But a split second later, her body stiffened. Her movements ground to an abrupt halt.
"Belle?" Sensing the sudden spike of panic in his partner's data, Mizuki leaned in. "What's wrong?"
"Mizuki... this is bad." Under his concerned gaze, Belle looked up, her feline eyes wide with a mix of shock and creeping fear. "I don't think... I can change back!"
"...Hm?" Mizuki's eyes narrowed slightly, processing the implication. "What exactly is going on?"
"I'm not entirely sure," Mizuki murmured, scanning the sterile corridor again. "But looking at the current situation, we seem to have been transported to a completely unfamiliar place."
"Who could have done this? Could it be Yggdrasil? Or Homeostasis?"
"I don't know, but I highly doubt it's them," Mizuki replied, his tone analytical and calm. "With our current strength, while we certainly aren't invincible, we have absolutely no problem protecting ourselves in the Digital World. I don't think either of those entities possesses the ability to forcefully relocate us and lock your evolution without us noticing."
"That's true... I suppose."
The rhythmic click of their footsteps echoed down the empty, brightly lit corridor, accompanied by their hushed voices.
Having sorted out the immediate facts of their situation, Mizuki and Belle had decided to start exploring the facility. While wandering blindly through an unknown, potentially hostile environment carried its own risks, staying rooted to one spot was simply waiting for death to find them.
Humans—or rather, all living things—shared a fundamental trait. As long as they drew breath, they had to keep. Even if the road ahead was shrouded in absolute darkness.
If there was any silver lining to be found in this bizarre scenario, it was the state of Belle's core data.
"Mizuki, even though I can't restore my Mega form right now... my raw power is still there, right?"
"That's right, Belle. You can rest easy."
Despite her immense strength, Belle was still prone to bouts of insecurity. As she repeatedly sought his confirmation, Mizuki showed zero signs of impatience. He maintained his usual gentle, steady tone, using his words to anchor his companion's anxious heart.
His voice acted like a soothing spring breeze, brushing away the chaotic static in Belle's mind and inadvertently washing away her lingering dread.
Gradually, the tense, fearful expression on the little cat's face smoothed out, replaced by a quiet composure. A moment later, she leaped out of Mizuki's arms, landing gracefully on the metallic floor.
"Belle?"
"Mizuki, I am your partner." She turned to face him, her chin held high. "I'm sorry for letting you see such a disgraceful, panicked side of me just now. But from this moment on, I won't repeat the same mistake!"
She spoke with absolute determination, a fierce, burning emotion swirling in her eyes. It was obvious she felt deeply ashamed of the vulnerability she had displayed over losing her Mega form.
Mizuki blinked, slightly stunned by her sudden declaration, before a soft realization dawned on him.
It wasn't strange for her to react this way. Despite her terrifying power, Belle was still, at her core, a 'child'in terms of her emotional age. Even after achieving the overwhelming might of a Mega-level Digimon and gaining a massive boost in confidence, her underlying, immature essence hadn't drastically changed. That was exactly why she had panicked so badly after'temporarily' losing access to her ultimate body.
Or rather, Mizuki thought, his gaze softening, was she just terrified that she wouldn't be able to protect me?
Looking at the small white cat trying so desperately to act tough, Mizuki's first instinct was to scoop her up and cuddle her until she forgot her worries. But he stopped himself.
A knowing glimmer flashed in his eyes. Instead of coddling her, Mizuki gave a firm nod and offered her a bright, encouraging smile.
"In that case, I'll leave it to you, Belle."
Right now, what she needed wasn't comfort. She needed his recognition.
Just as Mizuki calculated, the moment those words left his lips, the slight tremor in Belle's gaze vanished, replaced by an unbreakable resolve.
"Mm! Leave it to me, Mizuki!"
Deep down, Belle knew Mizuki was taking care of her emotional state again. It had always been like this. She had genuinely believed that after reaching the Mega level, she could finally say goodbye to her weak, helpless past self. Yet, the moment her power was restricted, she had almost reverted to that terrified little girl.
Such a version of myself... really can't—no.
She shook her head, banishing the thought. I won't allow myself to think like that anymore. Perhaps I am still immature right now. But as long as Mizuki places his trust in me, I will never shrink back.
Mizuki, I know I still have a long way to go... but please, keep watching me. I will definitely grow. I will grow into a form that will make you—and myself—truly proud.
Just as Belle solidified her silent vow, Mizuki's posture subtly shifted. He vaguely sensed a shift in the ambient air currents.
But before he could even react, Belle had already darted in front of him. Her fur bristled, and her cute, rounded face twisted into a fierce, predatory snarl.
"Mizuki, be careful!" she hissed, her claws extending. "I smell the scent of danger!"
"Ah... I know." Mizuki nodded, his gaze locking onto the sharp corner of the corridor ahead. An inexplicable light flickered in his eyes.
Under their joint vigilance, the rhythmic click of heels echoed against the metal. Two distinct figures slowly stepped out from behind the corner.
The moment Mizuki registered the faces of the newcomers, the inexplicable light in his eyes instantly morphed into deep complexity. And then, sheer, utter absurdity.
"So... what kind of development is this?" × 2
Coincidentally, the exact same muttered question escaped Mizuki and one of the strangers simultaneously.
Standing a few paces away was a petite girl with silver hair, casually blowing a bubblegum bubble. She was looking at them with blatant curiosity, her eyes constantly shifting between Mizuki and the bristling white cat.
"I thought there would be some high-level security threat ahead, but what is this?" the silver-haired girl asked, popping her gum. "A boy? And a... cat?"
She tilted her head. "But it can talk. Is it one of Herta's weird curio pets?"
The girl turned to the tall, elegant woman standing beside her—a woman with striking purple hair, round sunglasses, and a dark coat draped over her shoulders. "So—is this also part of Elio's script?"
"...No."
After a brief, heavy silence, the purple-haired woman finally spoke. Her voice was incredibly soft, carrying the strange, hypnotic charm of a masterfully played piano chord.
"Elio's script did not include a scene like this."
"...So, what should we do now?" the silver-haired hacker asked, her fingers twitching as if itching for a keyboard.
Before the two women could deliberate further, a calm, polite voice cut through the tension.
"Sorry to interrupt your conversation."
Mizuki stepped slightly out from behind Belle, having fully processed the sheer ridiculousness of his current situation. He looked directly at the two strangers.
"Regarding whatever your purpose here is, we have absolutely no intention of interfering. ultimately, we are just strangers who happened to cross paths by sheer coincidence. So, if you don't mind, how about letting us leave peacefully?"
Internally, Mizuki's mind was reeling. He knew exactly who these two women were.
Even though he had spent the vast majority of his previous life confined to a hospital bed, he was deeply familiar with ACG culture. Silver Wolf. Kafka. The Stellaron Hunters.
Both of these women belonged to a massively popular game from his past life: Honkai: Star Rail. And judging by their presence on what was clearly the Herta Space Station, this was the exact timeline where the two of them were preparing to awaken the game's protagonist.
In other words... another time travel? Mizuki thought, his eye twitching. What is this? Some kind of April Fool's comedy special? Is today even April Fool's Day? I don't even have a calendar!
Fate truly was a sadistic brat who loved to tease people, always waiting for the exact moment he finally relaxed to pull a massive stunt.
Hearing his polite request, Kafka and Silver Wolf subconsciously exchanged a glance.
"What do you say?" Silver Wolf asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Let's do as he says," Kafka replied, her demeanor as effortlessly calm as ever.
"You actually believe them?"
"Believe? No. I just think there's no need to cause extra trouble." Kafka smiled faintly, her hollow, beautiful eyes reflecting Mizuki's guarded posture. "Of course, some small 'measures' will still need to be taken—"
"Listen to me—"
However, before Kafka could finish her sentence, a wall of colorful, glitching digital code violently shattered in the air between them.
Seeing the holographic data fragment like broken glass, Silver Wolf's eyes widened in genuine shock. As a master hacker, she knew exactly what had transpired in that split second.
First, Kafka had attempted to use her Spirit Whisper to effortlessly wipe the boy's memory of this encounter. But before the psychological command could even take root, that little white cat had sensed the unnatural mental intrusion and launched a vicious counterattack.
Reacting purely on instinct, Silver Wolf had immediately constructed a firewall using her Aether Editing to block the cat's assault.
But that was where the impossible happened.
Her Aether Editing—a reality-warping technique that had always been absolutely invincible—was suddenly scrambled by an alien data structure. The moment her code manifested, it was completely neutralized, rewritten from the inside out.
This feeling... did I just get hacked?!
Before Silver Wolf could process the sheer absurdity of her code being overwritten by a cat, Kafka had already engaged in her first, lightning-fast clash with Belle.
Taking advantage of the momentary separation after their initial strike, Kafka smoothly drew her submachine gun, leveling the barrel directly at Belle's head. But before she could pull the trigger, a massive, roaring dragon-headed shield materialized out of thin air behind Belle, effortlessly absorbing the kinetic impact of the incoming bullets.
At the same time, Mizuki's voice drifted over, much colder than before.
"Belle, you were a bit impulsive."
He stepped forward, the air around him humming with latent power. "However, you two seem a bit unkind, don't you think?"
Mizuki raised his hand. A sleek, seemingly ordinary parasol materialized in his grip. With a flick of his wrist, he leveled the closed tip of the parasol directly at Kafka and Silver Wolf, holding it with the precision of a master swordsman.
"Seriously, having just arrived in such an unfamiliar place, I really didn't want to cause any disputes before figuring out the situation." His eyes narrowed, a dangerous, thrilling glint replacing his previous warmth. "But, that doesn't mean I will ever fear a fight."
In the end, the essence of life was continuation. And to continue living, it was inevitable to fall into struggle.
Mizuki and Belle's new, wonderful adventure is about to—
Next issue on hiatus!!! Happy April Fool's Day~ Hehehe
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