"Target located. Let's move..."
Appearing quietly from the shadows, the boy ignored the screaming delinquent, calmly passing by him. The thug stood frozen in confusion, clearly baffled as to why an elementary-schooler would appear in a place like this.
After a brief pause, a sinister thought flashed through his mind.
I'll just leave this kid to block the monster and use this chance to—
—But before he could even act, a finger tapped his forehead softly from the darkness. Instantly, his eyes rolled back, losing focus as he slumped limply to the ground.
After all, he'd clearly seen the boy's face. If he got away and started spreading stories, things could get troublesome, so it would be necessary to slightly modify his memories later.
But now wasn't the time to deal with an ordinary passerby. From the darkness of the alleyway, another figure emerged.
LadyDevimon slowly wiped the lingering blood from the corner of her mouth with a finger. Her leisurely movements showed she had fully expected her prey to remain nearby.
"Sneaking out this late instead of resting at home isn't very good behavior for a cute little boy~."
Her scarlet eyes reflected the boy's expressionless face. Behind the boy, the figure who'd knocked out the thug emerged into view.
The moment she saw Wizardmon clearly, LadyDevimon laughed delightedly.
"It's certainly been a while. Just as I thought—you and that traitor Gatomon betrayed Myotismon-sama together!"
Though she looked drastically different, Wizardmon immediately recognized that this LadyDevimon was the evolved DemiDevimon who'd previously served under Myotismon.
They were old acquaintances, in a way. Gatomon had worked under Myotismon alongside DemiDevimon on several occasions. Back then, DemiDevimon had been too weak, continually dragging Gatomon down, and as Gatomon's friend, Wizardmon had interacted with her a few times.
DemiDevimon and Gatomon had technically been coworkers competing under Myotismon, but Gatomon had never once paid DemiDevimon any mind.
But clearly, from DemiDevimon's point of view, things were different. Being constantly overshadowed by Gatomon, and unable to rise up because of her, had left DemiDevimon burning with jealousy and resentment.
Seeing Wizardmon again naturally brought back that bitterness, though Wizardmon never took her seriously at all.
He lightly adjusted the brim of his wizard hat and replied calmly:
"That's quite the accusation. But I think 'betrayal' requires actual comradeship first. I've never considered Myotismon-sama my boss. I'm simply Gatomon's friend, nothing more."
"Hehehahaha… So, you admit you approached Myotismon-sama with ulterior motives from the beginning? Because of Gatomon, wasn't it? No wonder I always thought that brat was suspicious—turns out I was right all along~!"
"And what about you? The moment Myotismon died, you instantly gained the power of an Ultimate-level—meaning you found yourself a new master immediately, didn't you? Calling him 'Myotismon-sama' so reverently… your loyalty only runs skin-deep. In the end, you're still just someone else's dog, aren't you?"
"…"
When it came to striking at weaknesses, Wizardmon wasn't about to lose. DemiDevimon had always been skilled at twisting words, but pure verbal cruelty wasn't something she could beat Wizardmon, the intellectual, at easily.
Just as Wizardmon had said, even now with her Ultimate-level powers, she was merely Piedmon's pet, kept alive solely by his fleeting whims. One wrong move, and she'd be finished instantly.
And it had always been this way—even under Myotismon.
Though she appeared successful on the surface, it was nothing more than a shiny mask. Once torn away, the ugly truth she desperately tried to hide would be fully exposed.
And that was exactly what she hated the most.
LadyDevimon raised her right hand, gathering a crimson light in her palm.
"…Don't get the wrong idea. Right now, you're the prey, and I'm the hunter. Even if Gatomon herself stood here, I wouldn't lose to her anymore!"
As she shouted, her right hand unleashed a bloody glow that quickly transformed into a swarm of screeching bats rushing outward—
LadyDevimon's specialty, "Darkness Wave"—eerily similar to Myotismon's "Grisly Wing."
These summoned bats, formed purely from energy, surged forward aggressively, capable of stripping a human to bone in mere seconds.
The boy, who'd been silent until now, remained completely calm. He slipped a small device from his pocket.
"Wizardmon…"
"Yes, understood!"
The Digivice burst into brilliant light. Although lacking the Crest and Digimental buffs, the basic strengthening effect of the Digivice alone was formidable.
Even Leomon had once unlocked Ultimate-level potential just by basking in a Digivice's radiance.
At this moment, a subtle bond clearly connected Wizardmon and the boy.
Though not originally designated by the Holy Plan like Taichi and Hikari, this boy was nonetheless a prime candidate among the remaining six Chosen Children. Had Zero and Rina not interfered, he likely would have been officially selected already. The Digivice was custom-made for Chosen Children, and so he could naturally unleash its power.
Wizardmon gathered shining energy in his staff, unleashing a bolt—Electro Squall!
Golden lightning collided violently with the swarm of bats, instantly detonating their energy bodies and sending a wave of crimson shock outward, tearing up the pavement.
Nearby streetlights twisted and shattered from the blast, their cables snapping beneath the street and sparking brilliantly.
Just one clash left half the alley destroyed and severed underground cables, plunging nearby areas into darkness.
And this was merely a tiny taste of an Ultimate-level Digimon's strength. At their strongest, those walking nuclear bombs could easily erase entire cities off the map.
LadyDevimon wasn't even specialized in raw destructive power. But if serious, turning a vast area into wasteland was still entirely within her ability.
Luckily, the unconscious delinquent had been shielded by Wizardmon and the boy, avoiding injury. LadyDevimon didn't care in the slightest, laughing coldly instead.
"Cheap magic tricks, after all. Fine then. Since the commotion's already started… there's no point in holding back anymore."
She'd kept a low profile earlier only to avoid alerting enemies, and because crossing the Real World barrier had drained her too much, she needed immediate nourishment.
But after feeding on humans these past days, she'd fully recovered. Now that someone had come knocking on her door, she'd gladly use this chance to wreak havoc.
Quickly raising her hands above her head, a crimson mist condensed rapidly between her palms.
"!"
Wizardmon instantly recognized the danger.
"Let's leave a small memento…for this city!"
As she spoke, the red mist spread rapidly, erupting into a corrosive blood-rain. The thick droplets began to eat violently into the ruined pavement, dissolving it instantly.
Besides corrosion, the bloody rain also carried a lethal plague. If allowed to spread, it would turn the surrounding area into a wasteland and unleash a deadly epidemic upon the city.
"Stop her!"
Recognizing the severity, the boy shouted urgently. Wizardmon swiftly waved his staff, sending dozens of lightning bolts crashing into the blood-mist.
But aside from scattering the fog momentarily, it did nothing to halt its spread. LadyDevimon laughed maniacally.
"Hahaha! See this? This is my power now! Human negative emotions taste truly delicious—if I'd known it was this easy to grow stronger, why would I ever have lowered myself to act obedient like some pathetic dog?!"
Her voice had twisted into madness. Wizardmon frowned deeply, noticing something strange…
But now wasn't the time for careful analysis. If LadyDevimon kept this up, disaster would engulf the city.
Suddenly, LadyDevimon's expression drastically changed.
"…Wait, this presence is—!"
Her face distorted in sudden horror.
"Damn! He got here faster than expected... Consider yourselves lucky today!"
Leaving behind that ominous parting shot, LadyDevimon instantly turned away.
Wizardmon intended to chase, but LadyDevimon's body scattered into blood-red bats, disappearing instantly.
A few seconds later, a beam of blazing light shot down from the sky, instantly incinerating the remaining bloody mist. Immediately afterward, Zero landed with Rina securely in his arms.
"Tsk, looks like she got away first. Wow, she sure made a mess here…"
Zero placed Rina down, surveying the area, immediately noticing Wizardmon and the boy.
"Oh! Wizardmon~"
Zero cheerfully waved in greeting. Wizardmon adjusted his hat awkwardly.
"Ah, it's you. No wonder she ran so decisively… And this is?"
Wizardmon glanced toward Rina. Zero smiled lightly.
"It's our patrol shift today. Taichi and the others are resting. But more importantly, who's this?"
Zero's gaze turned toward the boy standing beside Wizardmon.
The boy immediately gave a polite smile and nodded seriously.
"Koushiro Izumi… Just call me Koushiro. You must be Taichi's 'comrades,' right? Nice to meet you~"
---
T/N: OUGHHH LADYDEVIMONNNNNN LADYDEVIMONNN PLEASESEEE
bonus chaps
100 stones -> 1 chapter
200 stones -> 2 chapters
300 stones -> 3 chapters
and so on
hehe every 100 followers on either instagram or twitter is a bonus chapter...?
discord.gg/wisetl
patreon.com/wisetl
instagram: hanbaowise
twitter: WiseKingOfUruk_