Chapter 205: Belle: I'm No Longer That Silly Little Me
Who was the most popular Digimon among the legendary Royal Knights?
It was a question whispered in private circles across the Digital World for ages. Some argued it was the stoic Omnimon, whose cold exterior hid a fiercely protective warmth. Others championed the gentle and righteous Gallantmon, or the boisterous, approachable Gankoomon. Even Craniamon, despite his terrifying visage, commanded a significant following due to his honest and simple-hearted nature. The debate had raged for centuries without a definitive answer.
However, if one were to ask who the least popular member of the Royal Knights was, the answer was unanimous. Most Digimon—and even the Knights themselves—would instinctively cast a sideways glance toward a certain golden-armored warrior.
Magnamon.
The reason was simple: his blind, almost fanatical devotion to Yggdrasill, coupled with a hair-trigger temper. If Yggdrasill were a pop idol in the Real World, Magnamon would be the toxic, irrational super-fan who attacked anyone breathing the same air as his obsession. And as everyone knew, irrational fanatics were universally despised.
As a veteran of the Royal Knights, Examon usually extended a degree of tolerance toward Magnamon, viewing him with the weary patience of an elder statesman. Today, however, even the colossal Dragon Emperor felt a vein throbbing in his temple. A surge of deep dissatisfaction washed over him as he stared at the scorched battlefield.
'Whose side are you even on?' Examon almost roared the words aloud.
Just a short distance away, Magnamon was currently being dangled like a golden ragdoll, used as a literal meat shield to block Examon's relentless barrage of attacks. Self-awareness was a valuable trait for any sentient being, Digimon included. Magnamon clearly possessed absolutely none.
"Not bad at all, Magnamon! You actually managed to block Examon's attack. I'm seeing you in a whole new light, desu!" Belle's teasing voice chimed through the smoke.
"Damn it! How dare you treat me like this!" Magnamon roared, his voice muffled.
He thrashed with all his might, the golden Digizoid of his armor scraping against the invisible bonds holding him captive. Despite his immense strength, he couldn't break free. The invasive virus data Belle had injected into his system was actively rewriting his own power, twisting it into clever, unbreakable shackles. Without external intervention, the golden knight was completely helpless.
'This hateful woman...'Magnamon ground his teeth, feeling the malicious code rampaging through his core.'She can continuously inject virus data into my body without pausing. Is her energy infinite?'
A cold sweat broke out beneath his armor. Across the cratered earth, Examon harbored the exact same doubts. The only reason the Dragon Emperor could sustain such a prolonged, apocalyptic battle was the unfathomable reservoir of data supporting his massive frame. Yet, the slender BeelStarmon standing before him did not possess the physical mass to store such colossal energy. How was she replenishing her reserves? Was she siphoning it from the environment, or was her data utilization rate simply that terrifyingly efficient?
Weighing the possibilities, Examon leaned toward the latter. In his vast memory, the only ability capable of infinite, instantaneous regeneration was the legendary Data Overwrite—a power he had witnessed firsthand during a sparring match with UlforceVeedramon. He focused his draconic senses, scanning the air around BeelStarmon. There were no spatial distortions, no telltale fluctuations of overwritten reality.
The absence of that specific aura set Examon's mind at ease. If she was merely relying on a hyper-efficient data utilization rate, her stamina had a limit. She would eventually run dry. And if there was one thing the Dragon Emperor never feared, it was a war of attrition.
[Pendragon's Glory!]
As the thought solidified, Examon unleashed another devastating assault. A blinding torrent of draconic energy erupted from his lance, tearing through the atmosphere straight toward Belle.
'Sorry, Magnamon,' Examon thought coldly.
"Coming again?" Belle's lips curled into a confident smirk. "Before, I might have found this much firepower a little troublesome. But now that I have this handy guy..."
She effortlessly hoisted the struggling golden knight into the path of the beam.
"I'm not lacking in defense anymore, desu! Help me out, Mr. Magnamon!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A chain of deafening explosions blossomed across Magnamon's golden armor, painting the sky in violent hues of crimson and gold. True to his reputation, the absolute defense born from the Digimental of Miracles held firm. When the smoke cleared, Magnamon's body remained entirely unscathed despite the apocalyptic force of Examon's strike. He didn't even let out a single cry of pain.
"Mm," Belle hummed, tilting her head with a playful glint in her eyes. "As Mizu would put it: 'What a tough guy. I probably won't ever forget you.'"
Magnamon glared at her, his eyes practically shooting sparks. 'If you're so capable, stop plugging my mouth with crystals, you witch!'he screamed internally, unable to voice his fury through the gag of hardened data crystals wedged beneath his helm.'By the way,'Belle mused silently, tapping her chin with a finger.'Do you even have a mouth under there?''This is called a faceplate!' Magnamon's muffled, indignant grunts seemed to convey.
Hovering in the sky above, Examon narrowed his draconian eyes. He watched Belle repeatedly use Magnamon to absorb the shockwaves, a subtle look of calculation flashing across his reptilian features.
'Originally, I was worried that this woman could replicate inherent abilities in addition to mimicking combat techniques,'Examon pondered, his grip tightening on his lance.'But looking at her current tactics, it seems she cannot.'
His logic was sound. If she possessed the power to copy abilities, she wouldn't have spent the beginning of the battle frantically dodging, nor would she need to use Magnamon as a physical shield now. It would have been infinitely simpler to just replicate his absolute defense and tank the hits herself.
While Examon formulated his grand strategy, he remained blissfully unaware that he was stepping perfectly into Belle's trap.
Spending so much time bonded to a master tactician like Mizuki had fundamentally changed her. The once simple-minded Nyaromon, who only knew how to charge forward, had evolved into a cunning, deceptive predator. She had mastered the art of concealment. While ensuring she never fell into a truly disadvantageous position, she carefully hid her true trump cards beneath layers of misdirection, all to guarantee a flawless, one-strike victory at the critical moment.
With her absolute mastery over code, Belle's ability to disguise her Data Overwrite and mask the internal generation of her energy was unmatched. To avoid triggering Examon's finely tuned instincts, she deliberately refrained from overusing her reality-bending powers. Instead, she fought exactly as he suspected—with a terrifyingly high data utilization efficiency, feeding him the exact narrative he wanted to believe.
Under these circumstances, the only entity on the battlefield capable of warning Examon and breaking the illusion was Magnamon. After all, the golden knight had personally experienced the sheer horror of Belle's bug-like plagiarism firsthand. He knew she didn't just copy moves; she could perfectly replicate inherent physical characteristics. She already possessed his top-tier defensive power.
Unfortunately for the Royal Knights, Magnamon's brain was currently clouded by a blinding haze of rage. The sheer disrespect of being used as a shield had completely short-circuited his rational thought, making him temporarily forget this crucial detail. And even if he had remembered, it would have been entirely pointless. Belle had thoughtfully, and thoroughly, sealed off every single method he had of transmitting information.
'Now, everything is ready,'Belle thought, a dark thrill coursing through her digital veins.'According to Examon's battle logic, he will focus on disarming me—separating me from my shield—while launching a fatal blow at my seemingly fragile body. Next, I just need to wait patiently for the prey to spring the trap.'
At that moment, the wind whipped through her silver hair. The eyes that stared down the colossal Dragon Emperor were no longer filled with the innocent purity of her past. In their place was an abyssal gaze, brimming with predatory depth and lethal cunning, desu.
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