Chapter 163: It's Normal for Older People to Have Some Quirks, Right?
"G—a—l—l—a—n—t—m—o—n!"
"Are you making fun of me?"
Setting aside the little Dorumon—who had somehow managed to leave a thoroughly bizarre impression on these mighty Mega-level entities—WarGreymon X was, at his core, a deeply upright and honorable Digimon.
But honorable did not necessarily mean patient. His temper was notoriously explosive, especially when dealing with an opponent who had repeatedly and unapologetically shoved their ultimate attacks right in his face during their previous clashes.
So, after finally settling things with MetalGarurumon X, he stomped straight over to Gallantmon, the heat radiating from his Chrome Digizoid armor as he glared up at the holy knight.
"Gallantmon, what exactly are you trying to pull?!"
Compared to WarGreymon X's burning displeasure, Gallantmon simply looked exasperated. Facing the dragon warrior's fierce glare, the Royal Knight shook his head gently, his cape swaying with the motion before he spoke in a slow, measured tone.
"Could you perhaps let me finish speaking?" Gallantmon asked. "Haste makes waste. Sometimes, the harder you rush forward, the more likely you are to end up taking the long way around."
"I don't have the time or the patience to play riddles with you!" WarGreymon X snapped, his claws scraping against the ground as he shoved past the knight in a fit of pique. "If taking the long way around is my shortcut, then so be it!"
But before he could take another step away, Gallantmon's deep, echoing voice stopped him in his tracks.
"The flow of time in this specific zone operates differently from the outside world."
"The ratio is roughly one day out there to one month in here." Gallantmon paused, letting the weight of that revelation sink in. "Now... can you calm down?"
Hearing those words, WarGreymon X froze. He slowly turned his head back, the silence stretching between them for a long, awkward moment.
"Why didn't you just say that earlier?" WarGreymon X muttered, his tone completely deflated.
"You were too impatient to listen," Gallantmon replied, utterly noncommittal.
Off to the side, watching this entire exchange unfold, Belle—currently resting in her diminutive, doll-like BeelStarmon form—leaned in close to Mizuki's ear.
"Mizu, Mizu," she whispered, her breath tickling his neck. "Even though Gallantmon sounds super serious... why do I get the feeling he just wants to act mysterious to look cool? Sister Mimi told me about this once. Isn't this what humans call... chuunibyo?"
"Ahem. You really shouldn't say things like that out loud," Mizuki scolded mildly, coughing into his fist before playfully slapping a hand over Belle's mouth. His eyes, however, danced with pure mischief.
"Gallantmon is a mighty Mega-level Digimon and a revered Royal Knight," Mizuki continued, his voice perfectly pitched to carry. "The sheer length of time he has lived is far beyond our mortal comprehension. And as everyone knows, when elderly people live for that long, it's perfectly normal for them to develop some eccentric quirks to pass the time. We need to be understanding of the elderly."
Mizuki and Belle immediately dissolved into a fit of muffled giggles, whispering back and forth.
Gallantmon stood perfectly still.
Hearing the blatant mockery coming from behind him, a very distinct, cartoonish cross-shaped anger vein seemed to manifest right on the back of his pristine helmet.
"If you have any grievances regarding my conduct," Gallantmon said, his tone dangerously gentle and heavily suppressed, "feel free to raise them directly with Yggdrasil."
He slowly turned his head to look at the duo. "And there is no need to whisper. I can hear every single word you are saying."
Mizuki flinched.
Belle flinched.
Moving with terrifying synchronization, the boy and his Digimon immediately slapped their hands over each other's mouths, their eyes wide. It was a flawless display of shared brain cells, proving they were entirely on the same wavelength.
Satisfied with his warning, Gallantmon turned his attention back to WarGreymon X.
"You should have already witnessed the sheer strength of my close friend, Omnimon, correct?"
'That transition was incredibly forced,' WarGreymon X thought dryly. Still, he possessed enough situational awareness to read the room. He was a veteran Mega-level Digimon, not an idiot. He nodded honestly, acknowledging the question.
Seeing that WarGreymon X had returned to a serious mindset, Gallantmon nodded with satisfaction.
"Regarding what I said earlier about the method to increase your strength, the answer lies right here."
As Gallantmon spoke, he pointed a gauntleted finger at WarGreymon X, and then shifted it toward the nearby MetalGarurumon X.
"Since your individual strength is currently insufficient, why not perform a DNA Digivolution?"
"My close friend, Omnimon, was originally born from the fusion of a WarGreymon and a MetalGarurumon." Gallantmon lowered his hand, his gaze sweeping over the two X-Antibody carriers. "However, due to the unique nature of the Royal Knights, my friend has possessed a singular consciousness from the very beginning."
"But the two of you are different. The power guided by two distinct hearts—hearts that have endured immense hardships and finally achieved perfect synchronization—is by no means as simple as one plus one equaling two."
"Not to mention," Gallantmon added, his voice dropping to a serious register, "you both carry the deep blessing of the X-Antibody."
Hearing Gallantmon's proposal, WarGreymon X and MetalGarurumon X simultaneously pointed at themselves, and then at each other in sheer disbelief.
"Us? DNA Digivolve into Omnimon?"
Gallantmon nodded, tilting his head slightly. "Is there a problem?"
"...No. Gallantmon, you are overestimating us."
After a brief, heavy silence, it wasn't WarGreymon X who answered, but MetalGarurumon X. His metallic voice was grounded and entirely pragmatic.
"It is true that, theoretically speaking, we possess the correct data to DNA Digivolve into Omnimon."
"But that is strictly in theory."
WarGreymon X shook his head, a helpless sigh escaping his jaws. "How punishingly difficult Omnimon's evolutionary path is... I think as his close friend, you should know that far better than we do."
"Throughout history, countless WarGreymons and MetalGarurumons have been born into this world. But out of all of them, how many have actually managed to reach that impossible step?"
Listening to their exchange, Mizuki couldn't help but nod in silent agreement.
It was true. Even though Omnimon was not a strictly unique, one-of-a-kind entity in the multiverse, achieving that specific digivolution was a statistical nightmare. Even without the excessive interference of the Host Computer responsible for managing the Digital World, it was incredibly rare for multiple Omnimons to exist simultaneously in a single reality.
At this point, Gallantmon spoke up again, his tone unwavering. "Under normal circumstances, you would be entirely correct."
"However, Yggdrasil is not one to speak recklessly. The catalyst—the miracle—required to break this current deadlock has already arrived."
With those words, Gallantmon shifted his gaze entirely, his glowing visor locking directly onto Mizuki standing a short distance away.
Mizuki blinked.
He looked to his left. He looked to his right. Finding absolutely no one else behind him, he slowly pointed a finger at his own chest, a question mark practically floating above his head.
"Exactly," Gallantmon confirmed.
The towering Royal Knight stepped forward, closing the distance until he stood directly in front of the human boy.
"Human from another world, let us bypass the pleasantries and get straight to the point."
"You need to find a way back to your home, and Yggdrasil needs a method to shatter this deadlock. Since our goals align and there is absolutely no conflict of interest, why not cooperate?"
"I see..." Mizuki murmured, nodding slowly as the pieces clicked into place. He understood exactly what Gallantmon was implying.
However, before Mizuki could ask for the specific details of this proposed cooperation, a furious voice shattered the tense atmosphere.
"I won't allow it!"
"I will never, ever agree to such a thing!!!"
Belle practically screamed the words, throwing her small arms wide as she stepped fiercely in front of Mizuki, shielding him from the towering knight.
At that moment, the absolute attention of every single Digimon present fell entirely upon her.
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