Chapter 172: Let's Talk About the Past (Just Kidding)
Judging by Gallantmon's flustered behavior, the administrator of this world—the former Lord Yggdrasil—was far from the aloof, emotionless deity everyone assumed. In fact, the sovereign seemed unexpectedly human.
Mizuki had already suspected as much. Earlier, when the Royal Knight mentioned that Lord Yggdrasil had deliberately severed the connection between the two worlds simply to prevent fragile humans from being caught in the crossfire of Digimon battles, the underlying compassion had been obvious. Gallantmon's current reaction only cemented that theory.
The crimson-armored knight stiffened. Realizing his momentary lapse in composure, Gallantmon quickly cleared his throat, the metallic sound echoing slightly within the quiet space. He straightened his posture, pulling the mantle of his solemn, authoritative persona back over his shoulders.
"Alright, the hour grows late." His voice was deep and measured once more. "You two should head back and rest."
Mizuki leaned back, a faint, knowing smile playing on his lips. "If you do not plan on resting yourself, why don't you tell me your story?" he countered, his tone light but pressing. "After all, I have already shared quite a bit about us. Reciprocity is a virtue, wouldn't you agree?"
Despite the imposing helm and the rigid stance, Gallantmon's facade was cracking. The archaic, overly formal cadence he usually adopted had completely vanished from his speech, exposing the flustered knight beneath the armor. He was merely putting up a brave front.
"Our past? Do you mean Mizu's story? Oh, that is simple!"
Belle chimed in, her eyes lighting up instantly. Clearly, the young Digimon was still far too naive to the nuances of adult deflection. The moment Gallantmon tossed out a topic that caught her interest, her attention snapped away from the knight's embarrassment, neatly providing him with an escape route.
"As Mizu's partner, absolutely no human or Digimon understands him better than I do!" Belle declared proudly. She puffed out her chest, her hands waving in grand, theatrical gestures to emphasize her point.
Yet, despite her enthusiasm, she paused. She turned her bright gaze toward Mizuki, silently asking for his blessing. She would never share his secrets without his explicit permission.
Mizuki let out a soft chuckle. "It is fine, Belle." He offered her an encouraging nod. "Since Sir Gallantmon is so eager to know, go ahead and tell him. It is not exactly a dark, guarded secret anyway." He raised a brow, a flicker of genuine amusement dancing in his eyes as he watched his partner. "To be honest, I am quite curious to hear exactly how you view our past."
"Mhm! In that case, leave it all to me!"
Having secured his approval, Belle stood a little taller. She cleared her throat with exaggerated importance, basking in the full attention of a Royal Knight.
"There is just so much to say about Mizu," she began, her voice dropping into a surprisingly serious, dramatic register. "To give you a truly intuitive understanding of the man he is, I will start by quoting a very special introduction from one of our companions."
Mizuki blinked. A sudden, cold prickle of foreboding washed over him. He recognized that specific posture. He recognized that theatrical gleam in her eye. Before he could even open his mouth to stop her, Belle's voice rang out across the quiet space, booming with the practiced cadence of a seasoned orator.
"The total collapse of the Digital World's structure and order is imminent!" she proclaimed, throwing her arms wide. "For all Digimon who wish to escape this terrible plight and seek a better, brighter life, Mizuki is your ultimate safe harbor!"
Mizuki stared at her, utterly bewildered.
Gallantmon tilted his helmeted head, equally lost.
"To protect our fellow Digimon from the insidious harm of the dark forces, Mizuki has done more than any supposed leader upon this land!" Belle continued, her voice rising with impassioned fervor. She clenched her fists, her expression one of righteous fury. "No matter how the ignorant masses slander him, Mizuki will continue to strive tirelessly for the absolute best interests of all Digimon!"
She took a dramatic step forward, her eyes blazing with revolutionary zeal. "As the brilliant new dawn of the Digital World, he has personally led the Digimon to reclaim their stolen territories and achieve glorious national unity! We will continue to grow! We will use our decisive actions to strike back at those black sheep who only know how to make sarcastic remarks and refuse to walk the path of justice with us!"
Completely swept up in the rising tide of her own emotions, Belle marched right up to the towering Royal Knight. With a swift, completely unhesitating motion, she reached out and snatched the Holy Lance Gram right out of Gallantmon's armored grip.
The massive knight froze, his gauntlet still half-open in shock. "You..." he stammered, too stunned to reclaim his legendary weapon.
Belle hefted the massive, gleaming lance high into the air, struggling slightly under its immense weight but refusing to break character. "Countless brave sons and daughters of the Digital World's defense forces are guarding the gates of our home at all times!" she shouted excitedly, waving Gram around like a promotional banner. "But they cannot stand alone! Anyone who enlists in our cause today will be rewarded with a brand new, incredibly powerful weapon!"
Gallantmon took a frantic step forward, his hands raised. "Wait, hold on a moment—!"
Mizuki simply groaned, burying his face deep into his palms. The sheer secondhand embarrassment was physically painful.
Ignoring the panicked Royal Knight, Belle pressed on, her voice reaching a fever pitch. "Radicals and dissenters want you to abandon years of hard-won peace and prosperity the very moment you hear the sound of my gunfire! They possess neither the courage nor the ability to lead Digimon to survival in a world fraught with danger!"
She slammed the butt of Gram against the ground for emphasis. "Unity is our lifeblood! However, that unity is currently facing an unmatched challenge! Mizuki will restore the absolute glory of our Digimon alliance and will never, ever bow to any dark forces!"
She pointed the tip of the Holy Lance toward the imaginary heavens. "Mizuki has tamed the chaos of humanity and wiped out absolute evil! And now, our very creator wishes to strip away everything we have built! Always remember who is the one who can protect you best!"
Finally, as her grand propaganda speech came to a close, Mizuki reached his absolute limit. He lunged forward, grabbing Belle by the collar and yanking her back before she could recruit Gallantmon into her imaginary army.
He pinched both of her cheeks, pulling and stretching the soft, squishy skin. His smile was bright, pleasant, and incredibly dangerous.
"Belle," he said, his voice dripping with forced sweetness. "Could you be a dear and tell me exactly who taught you this absolute nonsense?"
"Ugh... It wash BlackGatomon," she mumbled, her words slurring as Mizuki ruthlessly kneaded her face. Surprisingly, she did not seem to mind the punishment at all. "Mumu... Mizu, don't you like it? I thought I delivered it perfectly."
Meeting her wide, completely innocent eyes, Mizuki held his terrifying smile for a few seconds longer before finally sighing. His shoulders slumped in utter defeat. He released her cheeks.
Just then, Gallantmon's voice drifted over from the side.
"Although the method of expression is... highly unorthodox, and perhaps a bit inappropriate," the knight began, carefully retrieving his lance, "I must say, thou art quite beloved by thy Digimon."
Mizuki let out a long, exhausted sigh. He looked over at the Royal Knight, noting the way Gallantmon's broad shoulders were visibly shaking. Mizuki rolled his eyes and spread his hands in surrender.
"Just laugh if you want to."
"Pfft—" Gallantmon quickly disguised the snort as a cough. "Apologies. I just thought... the entire display was somewhat nostalgic."
The knight took a deep, steadying breath, barely managing to suppress his mirth. "That specific style of impassioned speech is actually very similar to a certain fellow from my past."
"A certain fellow from the past?" Mizuki raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued. "Could it be another Royal Knight?"
"Correct."
Faced with Mizuki's questioning gaze, Gallantmon did not hesitate to completely expose his comrade's dark history. "You are quite familiar with this fellow as well."
"I know him too?" Mizuki frowned, mentally running through the list of imposing, serious Digimon he had encountered. Suddenly, a specific white-armored figure flashed through his mind. His eyes widened in pure astonishment. "Wait. Could it be... Omnimon?!"
"Yes. It is Omnimon."
Gallantmon nodded, the amusement clear in his deep voice. "You truly cannot tell just by looking at him, can you? Do not let Omnimon's current rigid, strictly business-like demeanor fool you. In reality, he is quite the closet eccentric."
The knight chuckled, leaning on his lance. "In the past, he used to sneak around behind Lord Yggdrasil's back to organize massive promotional speeches and establish his own fan clubs. It was only after he reached the Mega level and had to seriously consider his status as a Royal Knight that he finally restrained himself."
"Omnimon, huh..." Mizuki muttered, watching the unusually talkative Gallantmon.
He pictured the aloof, terrifyingly powerful warrior of justice secretly running a fan club and handing out promotional flyers. A slow, amused smirk spread across his face.
How should he put it? Truly... you can never judge a book by its cover.
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