Chapter 120: Flawless Teamwork (Not)
In order to manifest a hot spring capable of washing away their accumulated exhaustion, the Chosen Children stood united. A rare, absolute determination burned in their eyes as they prepared to recreate the perfect, relaxing oasis they envisioned in their minds.
Mizuki watched their bubbling excitement from the sidelines. A faint, amused smile tugged at his lips as he rolled his shoulders and strolled over to the group.
"The specific method is very simple," he explained, his tone casual. "As long as you clearly visualize the hot spring in your mind while drawing out your respective Light of the Heart, just place your hands on me."
Exactly as he had stated earlier, Mizuki had never actually experienced a real hot spring in his past life. Thus, he voluntarily offered himself up as the 'paintbrush'for this grand endeavor, handing the creative reins over to the children—the'artists' of this masterpiece.
The group exchanged eager glances. Nodding in silent agreement, they stepped forward, surrounding him and pressing their palms firmly against his back.
"Let's start!"
"For a beautiful new world!" they cheered in unison.
A few yards away, the Digimon partners sat in a loose circle, watching the children's bizarre formation with utter bewilderment.
"What exactly are Taichi and the others doing?" Agumon asked, scratching his reptilian head.
"Is it some kind of mysterious human ritual?" Gabumon guessed, his fur-covered ears twitching.
Gomamon rubbed his chin with a flipper, his eyes narrowing in deep thought before he offered a bold theory. "It looks like they are trying to transfer their power directly into Mizuki."
"Transfer power?"
The Digimon exchanged wide-eyed looks. A collective gasp rippled through the group as a shocking realization hit them simultaneously.
"Is Mizuki going to Evolve?!" they exclaimed in unison.
"Wait, can humans even Evolve?"
Before the Digimon could debate the biological mechanics of human digivolution, a sudden, frantic clamor erupted from the huddle of children.
"Taichi-senpai! We asked for a relaxing hot spring! Not a pit of boiling magma!"
Mimi's furious shriek echoed across the clearing.
Thick, suffocating steam billowed outward. During the collective visualization process, Yagami Taichi had experienced a sudden burst of 'inspiration.' The resulting temperature of the newly formed water had skyrocketed to a terrifying, flesh-melting degree.
"I just wanted to raise the temperature a little bit!" Taichi argued, waving his hands defensively as the bubbling water hissed behind him. "That's how it feels comfortable!"
"Are you sure you just want us to be comfortable and not boil us alive?!" Mimi snapped, her hands planted firmly on her hips.
Ultimately, under the unanimous and highly vocal demands of the rest of the group, Taichi was unceremoniously booted from the visualization circle.
"Seriously, we're all comrades here. Why can't we have a little more trust?" Taichi muttered gloomily, kicking at the dirt. It was hard to tell if he was genuinely upset about being kicked out, or simply mourning the loss of his brilliant creative input.
Kari, ever the peacemaker, trotted over to her depressed older brother. She patted his arm gently. "Be a good big brother. Don't make a fuss now."
"Kari, you..." Taichi sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat.
Leaving Taichi and Kari to their sibling bonding, the remaining children refocused. But barely a minute after Taichi's exile, another disturbance shattered the peace.
Mimi stared blankly at the strange, earthy-smelling vegetation floating atop the newly generated water. Her right eyebrow twitched violently. Slowly, she turned her head to glare at the boy standing beside her.
"Joe-senpai... could you please explain what these medicinal herbs are doing in our bath?"
"Uh, well, this is..."
Pinned under Mimi's dead-eyed, murderous gaze, Joe instantly broke out in a cold sweat. He stammered, desperately trying to formulate an excuse about the health benefits of a medicinal bath.
Before he could get the words out, Mizuki's voice drifted over, dripping with dry amusement.
"Longan, Angelica Sinensis, Goji Berry, Ophiopogon Japonicus, Astragalus... Honestly, if you just tossed a raw chicken in there, you could probably stew a fantastic soup."
Joe's eyes bulged in absolute betrayal.
Before he could even protest Mizuki's merciless trolling, Mimi's patience snapped. With a sharp point of her finger, Joe was banished.
"Joe-senpai! You can go sit at the same table as Taichi-senpai!"
"Wuwuwu... Yes, ma'am."
Tears streaming down his face, Joe jogged over to where Taichi was sulking. But just as he opened his mouth to seek solidarity with his fellow exile, he noticed Kari sweetly comforting her brother. The words died in his throat.
Utterly defeated, Joe retreated to a solitary corner, radiating a pathetic, lonely aura.
A familiar, cheeky voice suddenly piped up beside him.
"Loneliness... perhaps this is just the reality of life."
Joe blinked, looking down at Gomamon, who had materialized out of nowhere.
"Savor the bitterness of this growth, Joe," the seal Digimon added sagely.
Joe stared in silence for a long moment before dropping to his knees and pulling his partner into a desperate, crushing hug. "Wuwuwu! Gomamon, you really are the best!"
"Joe, you're squeezing too tight!" Gomamon wheezed, flailing his flippers. "Also, you smell awful! You're all sweaty!"
"Go—ma—mon!"
Leaving Joe and Gomamon to their chaotic wrestling match, the visualization circle continued to rapidly deteriorate.
Shortly after Joe's departure, Takeru stepped up. For some inexplicable reason, while trying to provide inspiration for a warm, soothing bath, his mind wandered to ice cream. Naturally, the water instantly froze over into a pool of biting ice water.
Then came Izzy, whose hyper-logical brain somehow converted the concept of a hot spring into a thick, viscous pool of black engine oil.
Sora followed, accidentally transforming the entire hot spring pit into a perfectly manicured soccer field.
The scene devolved into absolute madness. It was a chaotic parade of disasters, with the children lining up to fail one after another.
Finally, having reached her absolute breaking point, Mimi exploded. She chased everyone away from Mizuki, her arms flailing wildly.
"Wait... why am I getting kicked out?!" Matt protested as he was shoved backward, having barely even done anything.
It was a harsh lesson that sometimes, having more people did not equate to greater strength.
Once the 'inspiration team' was aggressively downsized to just Mimi alone, the process smoothed out instantly. With Mizuki acting as the conduit, she quickly and successfully manifested a pristine, perfectly steaming hot spring pool.
Yet, looking at the beautiful result before her, Mimi stood completely still. Her face was entirely devoid of emotion, a stark contrast to the celebratory nature of her success.
Noticing her blank stare, Mizuki tilted his head. "Mimi, what's wrong? We succeeded. Why the long face?"
Silence stretched between them for nearly a full minute. Finally, Mimi slowly turned her head toward him, her eyes hollow.
"Mizuki... I'm just thinking."
"About what?"
"What exactly do you think life is?"
The sheer incompetence of her peers had driven her to the brink of an existential crisis.
Taking in her enlightened, philosophical demeanor, Mizuki pondered for a brief second before offering a simple shrug.
"Come on, Mimi. Let's just go soak in the hot spring."
The philosophical trance shattered instantly. Mimi's eyes sparkled, and she began jumping up and down with explosive excitement.
"Yay! Hot spring!!!"
Mizuki just stared at her, utterly speechless. '...'
After the first successful creation, generating a second hot spring for the boys was effortless for Mizuki.
It was a stark reminder of just how convenient the Digital World could be. As long as the data volume was sufficient and one possessed the right abilities, a simple clap of the hands could bring almost anything into existence.
However, as Mizuki casually manipulated the environment to form the second pool, he completely missed the heavy, growing look of concern in Izzy's eyes.
Standing a short distance away, the red-haired boy watched Mizuki's fluid movements.
'Mizuki is different from us...'Izzy thought, his brow furrowing deeply.'His control over data... it seems even stronger than ours.'His analytical mind began piecing together everything he had witnessed since they arrived in this world. The anomalies. The sheer, terrifying ease with which Mizuki interacted with the digital fabric of reality.'Does this mean... his body has been completely Digitized?'A cold knot formed in Izzy's stomach. He thought back to the real world. To Mizuki's pale complexion, his frailty, the severe illness that had kept him bedridden.'Considering his physical state back home... his severe illness... could it be—!'
Impossible.
The moment the terrifying hypothesis fully formed, Izzy violently rejected it. He shook his head, trying to dislodge the dark thought.
Yet, no matter how desperately he wanted to deny it, his cold, inner rationality continued to drag him toward that dreadful conclusion. If Mizuki's physical body in the real world was failing, and his digital body here was this perfectly adapted... what did that mean for his actual life?
Subconsciously, Izzy's gaze shifted toward the distant treeline, seeking out Piximon's location.
He made a silent vow. He absolutely had to find the small Digimon and confirm this theory.
If his deduction was true, then he had to find a way to help Mizuki. And above all else, he could never let Mizuki find out the truth.
If Mizuki realized the true nature of his existence here, the psychological blow could be devastating. It could trigger a catastrophic chain of negative consequences. Izzy already understood all too well how directly the human heart and emotional state influenced power in the Digital World. A mental collapse could mean literal destruction.
He had to prevent that at all costs.
'Mizuki has helped us so much,'Izzy thought, his jaw locking in determination.'Now, it's my turn to do something for him.'
Without realizing it, Izzy's hands curled into tight, trembling fists.
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