Chapter 210: A Sense of Déjà Vu
Magnamon had already lost his chance to prove his mettle as a true powerhouse. Yet, there was no time for anyone to mourn his abrupt defeat. The battlefield offered no reprieve, for the next entity to descend upon them was the high-dimensional anomaly itself—the Eater.
"This monster's regenerative capabilities have drastically increased!" Dynasmon shouted, his voice laced with wary tension as he banked sharply to evade a flurry of the Eater's strikes. The grotesque tentacles thrashing through the air had been cleanly severed just moments prior, yet they had already regenerated, writhing with renewed, sickening vitality.
"Is it because it devoured Examon's data?" Kentaurosmon asked, his armored hooves striking the invisible air as he sized up the colossal, yet-to-dissipate remains of the Dragon Emperor. "This sort of thing is truly no laughing matter... although I suppose I am hardly human myself."
[Bifrost!]
Unleashing a barrage of searing, super-heated arrows from his sacred crossbow toward the Eater's core, Kentaurosmon called out to his surrounding compatriots. "Everyone, strike it all at once! Even if we cannot completely crush this anomaly, we must not allow the old man's corpse to suffer further desecration."
Spurred by Kentaurosmon's rallying cry, the remaining Royal Knights—Omnimon, Crusadermon, and Dynasmon—synchronized their assault, each preparing to unleash their most devastating techniques.
Omnimon took the vanguard.
[Garuru Cannon!]
Under his silent, unyielding gaze, a terrifying vortex of sub-zero freezing energy rapidly gathered at the muzzle of his wolf-shaped arm. The glacial blast poured out without a shred of reservation, freezing the very moisture in the air.
Capitalizing on the moment the enemy's movements were hindered by the ice, Crusadermon lunged forward. He slammed his carefully designed impact shield directly into the frozen mass with tremendous force.
[DNA Disintegrator!]
The sheer kinetic shockwave generated by the technique, even without being executed at point-blank range, carried enough destructive momentum to pulverize everything caught within its forward trajectory.
Finally, there was Dynasmon. He had been quietly accumulating a massive reservoir of power from the very beginning of the skirmish. Seeing that his companions had flawlessly carved out the perfect opening, Dynasmon unleashed his ultimate technique without holding anything back.
Dynasmon converted the entirety of his internal energy into multiple colossal, ethereal dragon auras. The glowing wyverns roared silently as they converged around the Eater, their overlapping flight paths rapidly manifesting a violent vortex of pure destructive force.
Once the energy reached its absolute zenith, the spiraling dragon spirits, radiating an aura of total annihilation, crashed into the high-dimensional entity simultaneously. This was Dynasmon's most devastating strike.
[Dragon's Roar!]
The resulting explosion erupted with a blinding flash. The ambient temperature triggered by the blast was said to instantly rival the scorching core of a star, incinerating everything in its immediate vicinity. It was a final finishing move in every conceivable sense of the word.
The shockwave rippled across the digital landscape, leaving a momentary silence in its wake. Was it finally over?
Belle narrowed her eyes slightly as she peered through the dissipating smoke. She watched as the lingering remains of the Dragon Emperor's colossal form completely dissolved into floating data particles, utterly erased by the combined onslaught of the three Royal Knights.
'An attack of that magnitude...'Belle thought, her crimson gaze sharp and assessing.'I doubt even I could walk away unscathed if I were caught in the epicenter.'Her expression tightened.'And yet... I can still feel that abomination's presence.'
As if to validate her grim suspicion, a towering, grotesque figure suddenly burst forth from the center of the superheated blast zone. Though its pale, twisted body bore severe scorch marks and sections of its outer shell appeared partially melted by the stellar heat, the entity clearly retained its basic mobility.
"Is this your true form? Eater!" Dynasmon ground his teeth, his gauntleted fists clenching tight as he stared intently at the colossal shadow hovering in the sky.
He was not the only one unnerved. Crusadermon, Omnimon, and the others nearby all wore exceptionally grim expressions as they took in the sight.
The Eater floating above them had taken on a form largely derived from the data of the fallen Dragon Emperor, Examon. However, compared to the majestic, impressive posture of the true Dragon Emperor, this simulated mockery exuded a sickening sense of wrongness. Every jagged edge and writhing appendage radiated a deeply unsettling, ill-omened aura.
"The very scenario I feared most has come to pass," Kentaurosmon muttered, his grip tightening on his weapon. "The Eater possesses the innate characteristics of endless proliferation and the erosion of network space. In other words, if it is allowed to consume a Digimon's core data, it can use that foundation to perfectly reconstruct the original host's combat power..."
Observing the twisted monstrosity looming high in the sky, Mizuki did not hesitate. He decisively tapped into his innate Digi-Soul, channeling his willpower into a tangible force.
Simultaneously, the airborne Eater launched a retaliatory strike against the Royal Knights. Although its corrupted silhouette heavily resembled a giant dragon, its primary method of attack remained the horrifying, monochromatic tentacles that erupted and spread outward from its core.
The entity's ravenous hunger was terrifyingly obvious. It clearly desired far more than just Examon's residual data; it wanted to consume the remaining Royal Knights, and ultimately, devour the entire world.
"This is bad. Dynasmon just expended a massive amount of energy on his ultimate technique; his current physical state is far from optimal!"
Watching the bladed tentacles sweep toward them at breakneck speed, Kentaurosmon's immediate instinct was to dash forward and pull Dynasmon out of the line of fire.
However, to his deep surprise, a warm, restorative light suddenly flared across Dynasmon's armored body. Amidst his own visible astonishment, Dynasmon decisively flared his wings, dodging the incoming tentacle barrage with a burst of speed that matched his absolute peak condition.
The sight caught Kentaurosmon completely off guard. According to all past combat experience, a Royal Knight who had just unleashed their most taxing finishing move should invariably suffer a temporary drop in stamina and combat effectiveness. How had he recovered his strength so instantaneously?
Could it be...
Shifting his gaze across the chaotic battlefield, Kentaurosmon quickly located Mizuki. "Mizu..."
"I am fine, do not worry about me," Mizuki called out, his voice steady despite the chaos.
Mizuki was currently being carried securely in Belle's arms. The Eater's attack range was simply too vast and erratic; relying solely on his own human agility to evade the dimensional strikes would have been a fatal miscalculation.
"I just need a moment to catch my breath, and I will be fully recovered," Mizuki added, casting a quick glance in Dynasmon's direction. Seeing that the Royal Knight had fully regained his mobility and was safely out of harm's way, a wave of relief washed over him.
'On a battlefield of this apocalyptic scale, direct combat is beyond me. All I can do is provide tactical support,'Mizuki thought to himself.'I need to play my role perfectly and ensure I do not become a burden to my partners.'With that pragmatic mindset, Mizuki silently deactivated and stowed his primary weapon. He did, however, maintain the manifestation of his defensive shield. In a life-or-death scenario, the heavy barrier forged from BryweLudramon's data would still offer a crucial layer of protection.'That human youth is actually capable of such a feat?'Kentaurosmon marveled internally, his eyes tracking Mizuki's glowing aura.'To directly and instantaneously restore a Royal Knight's stamina to its peak... this sort of ability is truly...'
"Incredible," Kentaurosmon murmured aloud.
Shaking off his momentary awe, Kentaurosmon did not neglect his duties. He launched another volley of rapid-fire strikes at the Eater while gracefully weaving through the air. As his attacks struck the enemy's pale hide with pinpoint accuracy, a brief flash of helplessness crossed Kentaurosmon's eyes.
'The kinetic force behind my shots has noticeably decreased,'he realized grimly.'Is it a side effect of the energy I expended to regenerate my arms earlier?'His armored grip tightened.'This is truly terrible news. If I cannot pierce its armor—huh?'Just as doubt began to creep into his mind, Kentaurosmon suddenly felt a deep, surging warmth flood through his entire digital core. The mysterious force not only instantaneously replenished the vast reserves of energy he had previously exhausted, but it also carried a soothing, gentle frequency that calmed his frayed, battle-tense nerves.'He is even supporting me...'
Realizing exactly where the restorative light had come from, Kentaurosmon gripped his sacred crossbow with renewed, unyielding vigor. With a confident battle cry, he launched himself forward, initiating a ferociously renewed assault on the colossal enemy.
As the warm energy continued to pulse through his veins, Kentaurosmon could not help but feel a deep sense of déjà vu.
This absolute, unwavering support... It felt exactly like standing in the presence of King Drasil from an age long past.
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