From the darkness emerged a figure wearing a pointed wizard's hat, holding a magic staff.
Seeing him appear, Gatomon wasn't particularly surprised, though her tone was noticeably unfriendly.
"What are you doing here at this time, Wizardmon?"
Wizardmon—a Data-type, Champion-level Demon Man Digimon who, true to his name, possessed magical power. He was a wizard in training, aspiring to become a great sorcerer.
His appearance was exactly what one might expect from literary depictions of wizards: a pointed hat, staff in hand, face concealed beneath a scarf, exuding a mysterious air.
Hearing Gatomon's blunt question, Wizardmon's voice carried a hint of a smile.
"Nothing much. I was just concerned about my friend, so I came to check on you—that's all…"
Gatomon's eyes immediately drooped. Friend?
She almost retorted, telling him to stop pretending they were close, but the words died in the little tsundere cat's mouth.
"…Don't flatter yourself. Just mind your own business. I don't need others worrying about me."
Her tone was chilly and awkward, but at least she hadn't denied the term "friend." For Wizardmon, that was progress enough.
"In any case, I've already got a rough idea of your mission," Wizardmon continued. "You're dealing with that strange Greymon from File Island—the one who calls himself 'Zero,' right?"
Hearing this, Gatomon couldn't help but respond, "If we're talking about strange, then aren't you even weirder?"
"Haha, true enough. I suppose, by comparison, I'm also a suspicious character with mysterious origins. Let's set that aside for now…"
Wizardmon laughed it off casually, before his tone suddenly shifted:
"But that Zero's strength is something else. I secretly observed him a little earlier, and, how to put it…"
Wizardmon, possessing powerful magic, could move undetected thanks to his cloaking barrier, and had once attempted to secretly observe Zero. Yet…
"…In that instant, I thought I'd been exposed. Haha, perhaps I actually was discovered, but he chose to overlook me."
Wizardmon chuckled self-deprecatingly. At that moment, when their eyes briefly met from a dozen meters away, he had been utterly stunned by Zero's overwhelming presence.
Though it lasted only a split second, he'd clearly felt his DigiCore shudder intensely…
…Just like the first time Zero encountered Andromon and was deeply shaken by his power. This time, Wizardmon had felt something very similar.
That was the oppressive force of an apex predator at the top of the food chain. Purely in terms of intimidation, Zero even surpassed Myotismon!
Of course, that feeling lasted only an instant before Zero looked away. Though their eyes had met briefly, Wizardmon couldn't tell if Zero had actually noticed him, or if it was merely coincidence.
"In short, my personal advice is to absolutely avoid making enemies with a 'monster' like that. If you ever receive such a command or mission, please be extremely cautious."
"…"
Gatomon remained silent. Of course, she knew Zero was powerful, but how to explain it…
…During normal interactions, Zero stayed either as a Koromon or Agumon, spending most of his time acting cute.
Occasionally showing his strength in brief flashes, but during the past week, the enemies they encountered hadn't even forced Zero into Champion form.
…As for his Ultimate-level strength, would you believe it was mostly used for travel?!
A dignified Ultimate-level MetalGreymon, reduced to mere transportation—what a waste of talent!
Precisely because of this, Gatomon still didn't have a clear sense of Zero's real power, though she was at least certain of one thing:
If a direct confrontation ever broke out, she'd have absolutely no chance, probably unable even to approach before getting obliterated by his terrifying firepower.
Even though Zero was currently very friendly to her, throughout this journey, whenever they encountered Dark Army Digimon, Zero's battle style was ruthless, swift, and utterly merciless.
If her real identity was exposed…
…Just imagining that scenario made Gatomon's heart jump. Only now did she realize that she was dealing with an incredibly dangerous opponent—yet she'd unconsciously let her guard down around him until now.
"Hmm…"
Seeing her reaction, Wizardmon knew his reminder had worked. But Wizardmon's true purpose was actually something else entirely…
"It seems you've finally realized it. That's right—your attitude toward this mission has been far too relaxed. This isn't like you at all… Can you tell me why?"
"…Why indeed. I'm also looking for that reason myself."
Gatomon answered coldly. Even as she said it, she knew the real reason clearly in her heart.
…Is it because…of that human?
Whenever she was near Hikari, Gatomon found herself relaxing unconsciously, always feeling like there was no need for caution around her. This human always gave her a strange sense of comfort.
It had only been a mere week, yet this inexplicable comfort had almost melted away the cold-hearted nature she'd built over years in the Dark Army.
In a way, Hikari's presence frightened Gatomon far more than even Zero…
…Yes, frightened—so much so, she even felt an urge to run away.
But with her mission still incomplete, if she truly ran away from a harmless little girl, Gatomon felt she might as well slap herself dead and reincarnate in the Village of Beginnings. How could she possibly face anyone afterward?
"That's enough. I need to head back. If I'm gone too long… Hikari will worry."
Without realizing, she'd again used Hikari as her excuse to avoid the subject.
Wizardmon didn't say anything more, merely giving her a meaningful look.
"Understood. I'll continue following you secretly. If you need my help, just call…"
Leaving those words behind, he quietly melted into the darkness and vanished.
Gatomon shook her head, dispelling the messy thoughts, then returned to camp.
There, seeing her return, Taichi and Hikari warmly waved her over.
"Gatomon, you're back! Dinner's ready—come eat~"
"Nyaa~"
Completely different from her cold demeanor with Wizardmon earlier, she now wore a sweet smile, playfully dragging out her cute feline syllables as she gracefully approached.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. What's for dinner today~?"
"Grilled fish—your favorite~ We specifically cooled down your portion. Come try it~"
"Mm, thanks~"
Sure enough, neither Taichi, Hikari, nor even Zero, busy cooking nearby, seemed concerned about where she'd gone or what she'd been doing.
They all showed absolutely no suspicion, causing Gatomon to doubt herself once again:
Is there really a need to be so careful against such a defenseless group?
Chewing the grilled fish specially prepared for her, she glanced at Hikari beside her. Indeed, this girl already saw her entirely as a friend, didn't she…?
Heh, ridiculous. Friends, huh…?
Lowering her head, she quietly ate her fish, lost in thought until Zero's voice snapped her back to reality.
"Ah… what is it?"
"Well, I was thinking…" Zero decisively tossed a freshly cleaned raw fish into the air and shot out a small flame from his mouth. The fish had been raw when thrown up, yet landed perfectly grilled in his mouth…
"…Tomorrow we should arrive at Etemon's base, so… shouldn't we talk about our specific plans for then?"
Finishing his words, Zero swallowed the fish in one bite. His wild eating style made the elegantly poised Gatomon wrinkle her nose slightly.
Though silently judging him, she still seriously engaged with the topic.
"That's true. So… Zero, do you have a plan?"
Zero immediately nodded. "I've decided we'll split into two groups. I'll attack Etemon head-on, drawing his attention, while Taichi, Hikari, and you, Gatomon, use this chance to sneak into his base…and cause a bit of chaos~"
By doing so, the sabotage inside the base would inevitably distract Etemon, creating an opening for Zero.
While theoretically he didn't need such elaborate measures against Etemon, the battle would be on Etemon's home turf—who knew what tricks he might have hidden?
Any secret preparations would likely be within his base, so destroying it would neutralize potential hidden threats.
And also…
"…Besides, Etemon's base probably hides some nice loot. It'd be a shame if everything got destroyed during battle. Better to salvage some of it, right~?"
As for safety, the greatest threat was Etemon himself—which Zero would handle. The rest were just minions, nothing much to fear.
The only possible complication was Datamon, but that guy was half-dead and imprisoned by Etemon. Not particularly strong in battle either, Gatomon alone would be more than enough to handle him.
With roles assigned clearly, the basic tactics were set. Zero didn't plan anything overly complicated. Their fighting strength was limited—too many fancy maneuvers weren't feasible anyway.
"So, as planned, once we reach Etemon's base tomorrow… we'll take action and thoroughly eliminate this nuisance in one go~"
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T/N: wizardwiazrdiwiazrdwizardwizard