Chapter 213: Reason
Just as Dynasmon had deduced, the only reason the grotesque, dragon-type Eater had managed to survive his devastating finishing move earlier was by using the colossal mass of Examon's residual data as a makeshift shield.
Now that it had lost that overwhelming source of protection, it was entirely exposed. Facing the full, unbridled wrath of Dynasmon's ultimate strike a second time, the only fate awaiting the abomination was absolute eradication.
"It's finally over..."
Watching the blinding light fade and the last writhing traces of the Eater's remains crumble into gray, lifeless ash under the searing heat, Kentaurosmon let out a heavy sigh of relief. The tension bled from his armored frame.
Honestly, the centaur knight would much rather face someone like Belle—even with her terrifying, rule-bending authority—than fight another Eater. Those white, amorphous monstrosities were a pure, biological counter to their very existence as data-based lifeforms. Fighting them felt less like a battle and more like trying to outrun a plague.
However—
Withdrawing his gaze from the scorched crater of the battlefield, Kentaurosmon shifted his attention back toward Mizuki.
The battle with the Eater had concluded, but he hadn't forgotten the original purpose of their expedition. Even though they had just fought side-by-side to eliminate a mutual threat, it did not change the cold, hard fact that their factions were diametrically opposed.
So, what was the next move?
Across the ruined landscape, noticing Kentaurosmon's lingering gaze, Dynasmon and his comrade exchanged a heavy, knowing look. Without a word, the two armored giants turned and silently positioned themselves at the sides of Mizuki and Belle, a clear display of their current allegiance.
Watching his two former colleagues actively standing against the Royal Knights, Kentaurosmon remained silent for a long moment. He then turned his visored gaze toward the towering figure of Omnimon standing nearby.
"So, Omnimon, what do you say?" Kentaurosmon asked, his grip tightening slightly on his crossbow. "Are we going to continue fighting?"
Omnimon: "..."
Facing the question, the leader of the Royal Knights did not speak. The white-armored warrior merely stood like a statue, the tattered edges of his cape fluttering in the hot wind. He silently gazed toward Mizuki's group, choosing neither to raise his weapons nor to order a retreat.
Those deep, glowing eyes beneath his horned helmet made it entirely impossible for anyone to discern his current thoughts.
Kentaurosmon didn't seem to mind Omnimon's stoic silence. He simply lowered his weapon a fraction and muttered to himself, his tone laced with exhaustion and complaint. "A lot of things really happened today..."
He shook his head, the metal of his armor clinking softly. "Not to mention that stubborn fool Gallantmon... I never expected the old man to actually die in this expedition."
His gaze drifted back to the ashes of the Eater. "And to think there was actually that kind of eerie, parasitic thing lurking inside his body. Is it really called... an Eater? Did Examon even know that such a horror was festering inside him?"
"And where did that thing even come from, anyway?" Kentaurosmon scratched the side of his helmet, his voice dropping to a frustrated growl. "I just feel like the mysteries are piling up by the second, and Lord Yggdrasill hasn't given us a single clear directive. What is supposed to happen to us now?"
As Kentaurosmon vented his frustrations about their grim situation, Magnamon heard every single word.
As a die-hard, uncompromising loyalist to Yggdrasill, the golden-armored knight was absolutely livid. His eyes burned with zealous fury, and he desperately wanted to scream in protest against Kentaurosmon's passive, questioning behavior.
But unfortunately for him, he remained heavily restricted by Belle's oppressive ability. Magnamon couldn't force a single syllable past his locked jaw. All he could do was glare daggers at his comrade, silently conveying his seething outrage through a pair of furious eyes.
Naturally, Kentaurosmon didn't pay the golden knight's silent tantrum any mind.
While Kentaurosmon waited for Omnimon to finally make a decision, Mizuki's party was having a quiet exchange of their own.
"Your Excellency Mizuki, are you alright?"
Seeing Mizuki sway on his feet, his steps dangerously unsteady, Dynasmon instinctively stepped forward, reaching out to support the human. His comrade moved to do the same. Although the difference in their physical sizes was massive, for Mega-level Digimon of their elite caliber, compressing their own data to adjust their size was a trivial matter.
However, Belle, standing faithfully as Mizuki's partner, had absolutely no intention of letting anyone else touch him. Even if these knights were currently fighting on her side, her possessive instincts flared instantly.
"I'll take care of Mizu! Dynasmon, you don't need to worry about him!" Belle's cheeks puffed out slightly in a rare display of childish jealousy. She stepped in front of the massive knight and wrapped her arms securely around Mizuki, pulling his weight against her.
"Belle, I'm fine."
Mizuki offered a weak but reassuring smile, gently patting the vigilant 'kitten' clinging to him to soothe her ruffled nerves. He then looked up at Dynasmon and his companion.
"Don't worry too much about me," Mizuki said, his voice a bit raspy but steady. "I'm not quite that fragile yet."
"But..." Dynasmon hesitated, his draconic features tight with concern.
Although Mizuki appeared to be holding it together on the surface, Dynasmon had personally experienced the sheer intensity of the battle. He knew the truth. Mizuki had been standing in the rear, continuously pumping his Digi-Soul into several Mega-level Digimon simultaneously to provide them with critical support and recovery. The sheer physical and mental pressure the human was bearing was no less than what the knights faced on the front lines.
In some respects, the burden was far greater.
Dynasmon's assessment was entirely correct. Providing direct, continuous support to Digimon using a fragile human body was essentially weaponizing the raw power of one's own heart and soul.
That power was directly tied to his mental state. Assisting several Mega-level Digimon of the Royal Knights' caliber had pushed Mizuki's spirit to the absolute brink of collapse. It was no exaggeration to say that the only reason he was still standing on his own two feet, rather than blacking out in the dirt, was his terrifying, iron-forged willpower.
I'm fine... Yes... I'm fine...
The heavy, frantic thudding of his own heartbeat echoed in his ears like a war drum.
The current situation isn't safe yet. Omnimon is still watching. I can't afford to collapse yet...
A sharp, irritating buzzing rattled inside his skull, making his vision swim.
Deep breath. That's right, just take a deep breath...
A violent wave of nausea clawed at his throat, tormenting him with every passing second. Cold sweat slicked his back, and his muscles screamed in protest.
Pain? Exhaustion? I've already tasted this a million times in the past, haven't I?
Yet, even as his vision blurred at the edges, he refused to yield. His jaw locked tight.
This level of mental exhaustion is nothing to me...
Mizuki continuously repeated these silent mantras in his head, forcing his lungs to draw in slow, measured breaths. Through sheer psychological conditioning, he managed to forcefully suppress the agonizing pressure tearing at his spirit, keeping himself anchored to reality.
Mizu...
Sensing the erratic spikes in his emotional state, Belle understood Mizuki's true condition far better than any Digimon present.
However, she didn't utter a single word of persuasion. She didn't tell him to rest or beg him to stop.
The bond between them had long since evolved past the need for superficial comfort. For Belle, who knew the meaning behind every subtle shift in his breathing and every micro-expression on his face, there was only one thing she needed to do once Mizuki had made his choice.
She just needed to support him.
She would stand as his pillar, accompanying him through the pain, just as he had always stood by her side through her darkest moments.
In the heavy silence of the battlefield, Belle subtly shifted her stance, adjusting her posture to take more of Mizuki's weight without making it obvious to the watching knights.
Feeling her movement, Mizuki consciously leaned into her embrace. He dropped the impenetrable facade he wore for the rest of the world, allowing himself to reveal his fragile, exhausted side to her without a single reservation.
They didn't need to speak to coordinate their actions.
Mizuki: "..."
Not a single word was exchanged, yet their understanding was absolute.
Belle: "..."
When had it all started?
Their eyes met for a fleeting second—a quiet collision of two lives that were originally destined to remain parallel, now hopelessly and beautifully intertwined. On the long, arduous road of their shared memories, nourished by the dew of their unbreakable bond, something truly beautiful had bloomed.
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