I barely had time to react before a wall of muscle and fur slammed into me.
There was no warning. Just pure, unrelenting force.
I didn't even get the chance to activate my copper form.
Then—IMPACT.
Pain. Pure, bone-rattling pain.
The world exploded into dust and shattered concrete as I crashed through the first wall. Then the second. Then the third. Each collision sent a fresh wave of agony through my body, bones rattling like dice in a cup. My vision blurred as the last wall finally stopped my momentum, and the entire structure came down on top of me.
For a moment—blackness.
Then, pain.
So much pain.
I sucked in a sharp breath, and my ribs screamed in protest. My entire body ached, but at least I was still breathing. That was something.
More rubble shifted above me. Heavy chunks of cement and steel beams pinned me down, their crushing weight pressing against my body. My arms were trapped, my legs immobile.
If the Behemoth decided to charge again, I'd be dead before I could even move.
I needed to get up.
I snapped back to reality with a sharp inhale, my lungs burning, my ribs screaming in protest. Everything hurt. My mind reeled from the force of the attack, but I could already feel the familiar pulse of my ring of fortification working in overdrive to keep me from falling apart.
The familiar pulse of my ring of fortification spread through my body, working in overdrive to mend my injuries. My ribs stopped screaming. My head stopped spinning.
That was all I needed.
With a deep breath, I activated copper mode. The moment I activated it, a rush of metallic strength coursed through me. My nerves dulled, my bones hardened, my body became unyielding. The lingering pain in my ribs faded into the background, replaced by a cool, calculated resolve.
Dark plates of obsidian-black metal wove themselves around my body, fitting like a second skin. Light, durable, and built for speed. I flexed my fingers, feeling the armor's cool weight settle over me.
Thirty seconds. That's how long I'd been down.
With a growl, I braced myself—and burst out of the rubble.
Concrete and dust exploded in all directions as I emerged, landing in a crouch on the cracked pavement. Across the street, the Behemoth—thirty feet of muscle, fur, and primal fury—whipped its massive head around to face me.
Its burning golden eyes locked onto mine.
It took my survival as a challenge.
Good.
I was more than ready to accept.
I stayed still, studying the Behemoth as it huffed out thick clouds of hot breath, its broad chest rising and falling like a bellows. It was like staring at a living mountain of power, each muscle in its body coiled and waiting to unleash devastation. It spread its forelegs wide and tried to make itself look bigger.
Then I saw them—gill-like slits along the sides of its thick neck.
That was it.
The fin-like tail, the massive size, the way its body seemed built for both land and water.
My stomach tightened. If it made it to the river, I was done. I couldn't let that happen.
We began to circle each other, moving in slow, deliberate steps, like two predators testing the waters. Neither of us wanted to make the first move—but one of us would.
Each of us testing the other, waiting for a sign of weakness. A tell. A mistake.
Neither of us wanted to be the first to strike—but one of us would.
I saw the way the Behemoth squared its stance, its claws digging into the asphalt.
A half-second later, the Behemoth lunged.
It crossed thirty feet in an instant, a blur of muscle and death barreling toward me.
But I was ready.
I dropped low, sliding underneath its massive frame, feeling the rush of air and heat as it soared above me. My throat warmed with dark flames pulsing in it, and as we passed each other, I roared—
"Fire God Slayer Art: Fire God's Bellow!"
A torrent of black fire exploded from my mouth, engulfing the Behemoth's underbelly. The force of the blast sent the beast skidding across the pavement, crashing into a half-destroyed building.
I rolled to my feet, heart pounding. That should've done something.
But as the dust cleared, the Behemoth rose almost instantly.
Barely singed.
My gut twisted.
Just days ago, that attack melted through Kaufman's titanium wall like wax. But this thing? It shrugged it off like it was nothing.
The realization barely had time to sink in before the Behemoth was on me again.
I jumped, aiming to leap over it.
It had learned.
Mid-charge, it twisted its body, and before I could react, its massive tail slammed into me with the force of a goddamn freight train.
BOOM.
The hit sent me flying. The world spun violently, my stomach twisting as I tumbled through the air. My ears rang as I saw the ground rushing up to meet me—
A thunderous CRACK echoed through the night as I slammed into another building, smashing through the concrete with brutal force. The wall caved in, rubble cascading around me as I tumbled through wreckage.
I groaned as I pushed myself up from the rubble, my body aching from the last impact. The Behemoth had tossed me aside like I was nothing—like I wasn't even worth considering as a threat.
Even with copper mode active and my Black Knife armor absorbing some of the damage, I could still feel the strain on my body. I could only imagine how bad it would have been if I didn't have my Ring of Fortification working overtime to heal me.
But I didn't have the luxury of time to assess my injuries.
This wasn't just about me.
I looked around the battlefield—M-Town's cracked roads, collapsing buildings, and flickering streetlights painting an eerie scene of devastation. The infrastructure here was already fragile—this fight would only make it worse.
Right now, I was lucky. This area was mostly deserted.
But if this monster got past me and into the denser parts of the city? It would be a massacre.
I clenched my fists. I can't hold back anymore.
If I hesitated even for a second, this thing would tear the city apart.
I took a deep breath, then slammed my fingers over my heart.
The No Pain Technique.
It was a technique I had rolled this a while back, something I had never thought I'd actually need. A desperate measure, a gamble—but right now, it was my only option.
I took a deep breath and pressed down.
Hard.
A sharp, burning sensation shot through my body, like a jolt of electricity traveling through my veins. For a split second, it felt like my heart was going to stop.
Then—
Everything went quiet.
I let out a slow breath.
And then I realized—the pain was gone.
It wasn't just dulled. It wasn't muted. It was gone.
The aching in my ribs? The soreness in my muscles? The lingering sting of Behemoth's last attack?
Gone.
I rolled my shoulders. My movements felt lighter, more fluid—like I had shed a hundred pounds of dead weight.
This is insane.
I flexed my fingers, clenched and unclenched my fists, testing my range of motion. Everything worked fine. My limbs weren't sluggish, my reactions weren't delayed. It was like my body had been reset to perfect condition—except, of course, I knew that wasn't true.
My injuries were still there.
I just couldn't feel them.
It was eerie, in a way. I slammed my fist against my armored chest, hard enough that it should have hurt. Nothing. Not even a dull throb.
I shoved my palm into a jagged piece of broken concrete, just to be sure. My skin split open, blood trickling down my fingers—
But there was no pain.
I could see the injury, but my brain wasn't registering it.
This technique didn't make me invincible. It didn't heal me—it just cut off my body's ability to process pain.
In other words—I could still die.
If my ribs were broken, they were still broken. If my organs were damaged, they were still damaged. If I overexerted myself, my body would still collapse.
The difference?
I wouldn't feel it happening.
A double-edged sword.
But in a fight like this?
It was exactly what I needed.
I locked eyes with the Behemoth, a cold grin spreading across my face.
I wasn't holding back anymore.
I kicked off the ground, launching myself forward at full speed—
No pain. No limits. No mercy.
With pain no longer an obstacle, my mind was razor-sharp, my focus honed to a singular point—bringing the Behemoth down.
The ground trembled as the massive creature stomped toward me, muscles rippling beneath its thick, dark hide. Its piercing yellow eyes locked onto me, filled with the same predatory hunger as before. But this time?
I was the hunter.
I flexed my fingers, feeling the power of Fire God Slaying Magic crackling at my fingertips. But I couldn't just rely on flames. My last attack barely scratched it. The Behemoth had shrugged off Fire God's Bellow like it was nothing.
Fire alone wouldn't work.
I needed something stronger.
Something colder.
I stretched out my arm, pulling in energy—not heat, but its opposite. My magic twisted and shifted, the whirling fire in my palm flickering into a shimmering frost-blue hue. The air around my hand grew frigid, and a sharp chill spread across my fingers. The very ground beneath me froze over, ice creeping outward in jagged, crystalline patterns.
I had used this hybrid variation of my magic before, but never against something of this size and durability.
I took in a breath, steadying myself.
And then—
"Ice-Fire God Slaying Art—Frostbound Wrath!"
A roaring blast of ice and frost erupted from my palm, streaking toward the Behemoth like a howling winter storm. The moment it made contact, a deafening crack echoed through the empty streets.
The Behemoth snarled in confusion, its massive forelimbs suddenly coated in a thick layer of frost. Glacial tendrils spread rapidly, creeping up its muscled arms like living chains. The once jet-black hide of the beast became pale blue, glistening under the moonlight. The Behemoth stumbled, shaking its arms violently, but the ice held firm.
Its movements became sluggish.
It let out a frustrated roar, swinging its colossal arms to break free. But the moment it smashed one fist against the pavement, the frozen limb cracked—huge shards of ice breaking off like shattered glass.
It was working.
My eyes narrowed.
Ice was its weakness.
I clenched my fist and gathered even more magic, the cold air around me condensing into a sharp, frostbitten aura. The flames of my God Slaying Magic burned blue-white, colder than death itself.
I wouldn't waste this opening.
I leaped forward, spinning mid-air, gathering magic at my fingertips—
"Ice-Fire God Slaying Art—Blizzard Fang!"
With a fierce swing, I released a surging crescent wave of howling frost, jagged spears of ice twisting violently in its wake.
The moment it collided with the Behemoth, the effect was immediate.
A raging ice storm erupted around the beast, swallowing it whole in a maelstrom of frost and snow. The sheer force of the attack sent waves of frozen wind rushing outward, coating everything within a twenty-foot radius in solid ice.
The Behemoth let out a strangled roar, its body now almost completely encased in a frozen prison. Ice spread across its torso, its muscular form locked beneath thick layers of jagged frost.
For the first time—it stopped moving.
A heavy silence fell over the battlefield.
I exhaled, my breath visible in the suddenly frigid air.
I had done it.
I had immobilized the Behemoth.
I could feel my chest rising and falling—even without pain, I knew I was exhausted. That had taken a lot out of me.
But it was worth it.
I took a single step forward, staring at the frozen monster before me.
Now was my chance.
I had to finish this before it broke free.
But then—
A deep, guttural rumbling filled the air.
The ice surrounding the Behemoth's body shuddered.
My eyes widened.
No. No, no, no—
Before I could react, the ice cracked—
And in a single deafening explosion of raw power, the Behemoth shattered free from its frozen prison.
A heavy silence hung in the air, broken only by the distant sound of ice cracking under its own weight.
The Behemoth was still, its colossal form encased in a thick shell of glistening frost, the frozen remains of my most powerful Ice-Fire God Slaying techniques. Every inch of its muscular frame had been trapped beneath jagged layers of solid ice, its breath no longer visible, its yellow eyes hidden behind a thin veil of frost.
For a moment, I dared to believe.
For a moment, I thought I had won.
But then—
A deep, guttural rumble shook the air.
I stiffened.
The ice around the Behemoth's neck twitched.
Then its chest heaved.
And then—
Crack.
A thin fissure splintered across its frozen hide.
Crack. Crack. Crack.
One after another, deep fractures raced across the ice, a network of jagged veins spreading outwards like shattered glass.
I barely had time to react before—
BOOM!
The world exploded.
A deafening shockwave of force and heat erupted from the Behemoth's body, blasting outward in every direction. The sheer power of it sent me stumbling back, my boots skidding against the cracked pavement as an inferno of steam and raw magic engulfed the battlefield. The frozen earth around me melted in an instant, turning into a boiling swamp of molten ice and stone.
And then—I saw it.
Emerging from the dissipating mist, standing in the center of its own destruction—
The Behemoth.
But not as it was before.
No.
It had changed.
Its once jet-black hide now pulsed with an eerie crimson glow, as if its veins had turned to liquid fire. Thick plumes of steam hissed from its skin, the remnants of its own body heat burning away the frost that had imprisoned it.
And it was bigger.
Much, much bigger.
The Behemoth's shoulders had broadened, its claws extended, and its already massive form had grown nearly twice its original size.
Its eyes, once dull and beast-like, now blazed with a savage intelligence, burning golden-red with an intensity that sent a shiver down my spine.
I swallowed.
It wasn't just angry.
It had evolved.
The Behemoth's dorsal fin flared, spreading wide like a battle standard, the edges glowing with a molten hue. Its caudal fin whipped back and forth, the ground beneath it cracking from the sheer force of its movements.
And then—it roared.
Not just a roar—an earthquake made of sound.
The very air shook, a pressure wave blasting outward with the force of a bomb. The buildings around us rattled violently, windows shattering under the sheer volume of its cry.
I gritted my teeth, throwing up an arm to shield my face from the incoming debris.
And that was when I saw it.
The Behemoth wasn't just roaring.
It was growing.
Right before my eyes, its muscles expanded, its bones stretched, the ground groaning beneath its increasing weight. Its crimson glow intensified, its blood literally boiling with power. The heat coming off of it was immense, distorting the air like a mirage.
It was using the same biological heat response it had in the wild.
Just like a territorial male engaged in a turf war, the Behemoth's body overheated, its blood burning hotter and hotter, forcing itself into a state of heightened aggression.
This wasn't just evolution.
This was a full-blown rampage.
I barely had time to process the implications before—
It charged.
Faster than before. Stronger than before.
A crimson blur of muscle and fury, tens of thousands of pounds of raw force bearing down on me like an avalanche of flesh.
I had only a split second to react—
And this time, I wasn't fast enough.
Its massive horns slammed into me like a battering ram, the impact so powerful it felt like a freight train had just plowed straight through my ribs.
I felt my body bend backward unnaturally, my armor splintering apart like brittle glass.
The next thing I knew, I was airborne—hurtling through the sky, spinning wildly before crashing into the concrete remains of a half-destroyed building.
The world went dark for a second.
I barely had time to register what had happened before the Behemoth was on me again.
Its massive foot slammed down on my chest, pinning me to the crumbling pavement with a force that made my lungs scream for air.
I couldn't move.
I couldn't even breathe.
And then—
Above me, the Behemoth reared its head back, the deep crimson glow in its throat growing brighter. A swirling mass of burning magic crackled between its massive fangs, a sphere of raw annihilation, its heat so intense that the ground around us began to blacken and crack.
It was charging up a blast.
A killing blow.
I tried to move—tried to force my arms, my legs, anything to obey me, but my body was sluggish, unresponsive. My fortification ring was still working, dulling the worst of the damage, but the impact, the repeated blows, the sheer brutality of the fight had finally taken its toll.
And then—
A sudden flash of light.
A familiar beeping sound.
A voice—small but fierce.
"Nobody bullies my partner, you ugly lizard!"
My eyes shot open just in time to see a streak of red and blue electricity shoot past me.
And standing behind the Behemoth—
Elecmon.
The next thing I knew, a streak of red and blue lightning shot past me, slamming into the Behemoth's side like a thunderbolt crashing down from the heavens.
The Behemoth's glowing throat snapped shut in surprise. Its massive head jerked to the side, the blast it had been charging fizzling out, dispersing in a harmless burst of sparks and crackling energy.
The pressure on my chest lifted, just slightly—enough for me to gasp in a ragged breath
I blinked, disoriented. My brain barely processed what I was seeing.
He wasn't supposed to be here.
I had kept him in the Digivice for a reason.
He was too small, too weak to fight something like the Behemoth.
And yet—here he was.
His fur bristled, red and blue arcs of electricity dancing between his pointed ears. His normally playful eyes were hard, burning with determination as he stared up at the Behemoth—an opponent hundreds of times his size.
I tried to speak.
"Elecmon—get back!"
But I didn't even get the full sentence out before the Behemoth snapped out of its momentary daze—and it was pissed.
With a low, rumbling growl, it whipped its tail around, sending a shockwave of displaced air across the battlefield.
And then—it moved.
Fast.
Its massive claws dug into the ground, muscles bunching as it turned and lashed out, its enormous tail swinging like a wrecking ball straight toward Elecmon.
Elecmon's ears twitched.
He reacted instantly.
With a burst of static, he jumped, flipping backwards just in time to avoid the deadly swipe.
The Behemoth's tail smashed into the pavement where he had been standing, the force of the impact sending cracks spiderwebbing outward, debris exploding into the air.
But Elecmon didn't slow down.
Before he even touched the ground again, his body sparked, energy coiling around his form, building up—
And then—
"Super Thunder Strike!"
A massive bolt of lightning erupted from Elecmon's body, an explosive discharge of raw electricity shooting straight toward the Behemoth's face.
The attack struck dead-on, the Behemoth's entire body momentarily illuminated by the flash of blue light.
For a brief second, I felt a surge of hope—
Maybe that would be enough.
Maybe Elecmon could—
The Behemoth barely even flinched.
The glow of static flickered over its thick, armored hide for half a second—
And then dispersed.
That was all.
No damage.
Not even a burn.
The Behemoth's golden eyes narrowed, its massive nostrils flaring as it turned its full attention on Elecmon.
Oh, shit.
I saw it coming before Elecmon even had time to react.
With brutal efficiency, the Behemoth whipped around, its tail blurring through the air.
And this time, Elecmon—wasn't fast enough.
The impact sent him flying, his small body spinning uncontrollably before crashing into the rubble like a ragdoll.
"ELECMON!"
I don't even remember getting up.
One second I was on the ground—barely breathing.
The next—I was moving.
Blind rage overtook everything else.
I didn't feel my wounds.
I didn't feel my fatigue.
I only felt the fire.
Something inside me snapped, a surge of power and heat unlike anything I had ever felt before roaring to life in my core.
The Ice-Fire God Slayer flames within me—normally a controlled and balanced force—now raged like an unchecked inferno, flaring so hot that the air around me shimmered.
I clenched my fists, the heat in my core building, rising, threatening to consume me whole.
I let it.
And then—I roared.
The temperature around me dropped in an instant, frost creeping across the ground at my feet as the flames of my magic shifted.
Not red.
Not blue.
A blinding, icy white.
I stretched out my hand—
And called forth my Ice-Fire God Slaying Scythe.
A construct of pure elemental wrath.
The shaft was blackened fire turned into frozen steel, frost-covered, the handle itself radiating cold so intense that the air around it was cracking. Yet at the same time, the edges of the blade burned, icy blue flames licking along its curved form, the fire so potent it didn't even emit light—only pure, raw heat.
I launched forward, the sheer force of my movement cracking the ground beneath my feet, leaving behind a trail of frost and fire in my wake. The Behemoth barely had time to react before I was upon it, my scythe already swinging in a deadly arc.
The Behemoth reared back, but it was too slow.
The blade connected.
A devastating gash tore through its side, frostbite instantly spreading from the point of impact while the burning edge melted through its flesh, sending shards of ice and molten blood scattering in all directions.
The Behemoth roared in agony—a sound that shook the very earth beneath us.
But I wasn't done.
I twisted, spinning the scythe in my grip and bringing it down again, this time cleaving through one of its massive horns. The sheer force of the strike sent a shockwave rippling outward, cracking the air itself with the impact.
The horn snapped clean off—the massive fragment of bone slamming into the ground with a thunderous crash.
The Behemoth stumbled, blood gushing from the wound, its golden eyes wild with both rage and something else—something dangerously close to fear.
I exhaled, rolling my shoulders as the power of ice and fire continued to surge through me.
"Not so tough now, huh?" I muttered, twirling the scythe in my grip.
I jumped to lop of its head and finish it for good.
The Behemoth snarled, its rage now an inferno, burning away whatever hesitation had lingered in its massive frame.
It dug its feet into the cracked earth, muscles tensing, body surging with raw power. The air itself seemed to ripple around it. Then, with a guttural roar, the monster opened its mouth wide—and I knew what was coming.
Too late.
A searing beam of crimson energy erupted from its gaping maw, a concentrated blast of raw destruction. Before I could react, before I could even think—
BOOM!
The force of the impact obliterated the ground beneath me. My vision blurred as my body was sent hurtling through the air, crashing straight into a ruined concrete wall with a sickening CRACK. Everything spun. My mind reeled from the shock, my muscles refused to respond.
I slumped to the ground, coughing. My armor was cracked. My skin burned. I could still smell the scorched metal from my Black Knife set, still feel the lingering heat of the Behemoth's attack as the dust settled around me.
And then I saw him.
Elecmon.
He was barely moving—his small body torn up, bleeding data like a ruptured dam. The once-bright light of his form flickered, his limbs twitching weakly. A cold dread settled in my chest.
"Elecmon…" I rasped, forcing myself to move. My body screamed in protest, but I didn't care. I crawled closer, my hands scraping against the broken ground as I reached for him.
He let out a weak, mewling noise, his normally bright, mischievous eyes dull with exhaustion.
"Are you okay, Elecmon?" I asked, though I already knew the answer.
He tried to speak, but only a tired whimper escaped him.
My fists clenched.
Not like this.
I sucked in a breath and glanced down at my Digivice.
Glowing.
Not just faintly—pulsing with a radiance so intense, so powerful, it was as if the very core of its existence was coming to life.
A grin, small but genuine, crept onto my face despite everything.
"Are you ready for the next step…" I murmured, lifting my Digivice.
Then I met his gaze.
"…Partner?"
Elecmon's ears perked slightly at the word. And then, despite the pain, despite the weakness overtaking him—
He roared.
Loud. Defiant.
It wasn't the cry of a creature accepting defeat.
It was the battle cry of a warrior.
I slammed my finger onto the Digivice's button.
Light exploded outward.
A radiant, golden energy engulfed Elecmon, spiraling upward in an eruption of raw power. The very air trembled, the ruins around us shaking as the glow intensified—shifting, reshaping, evolving.
The figure that emerged from the blinding radiance was no longer the small, playful Elecmon.
This was something greater.
Something mighty.
Something legendary.
The light faded, revealing the imposing form of a warrior unlike any other.
A towering beast-man, nearly eight feet tall, with a powerful, ripped physique that radiated sheer, unshakable strength. His body was covered in golden fur, his chest and arms bare except for thick black leather straps wrapped tightly around his forearms, emphasizing his muscular build. His mane—rough, wild, and untamed—framed his face, giving him the appearance of a true king.
And on his back, strapped horizontally, was his sword—a blade as large as a man's torso, its hilt wrapped in aged leather, its steel reflecting the firelight of battle.
Leomon.
His presence alone was monumental.
The air around him felt charged, as if the very earth was holding its breath, awaiting his command.
Slowly, he turned his piercing blue eyes toward me.
A different energy pulsed from him now. Gone was the goofy, carefree aura of Elecmon.
This was ferocity.
Determination.
Yet… despite the primal strength radiating from his form, something in his eyes remained familiar—a spark of camaraderie, of trust.
I didn't even realize I was staring until he extended a hand toward me.
I took it.
The sheer strength in his grip was staggering—his palm dwarfed mine, yet his touch was gentle, controlled.
As he pulled me to my feet, he grinned, revealing sharp canines.
"Let's go kick this dummy's head off," he rumbled, voice deep, powerful, and filled with confidence.
A laugh escaped me despite myself.
"Couldn't have said it better."
We both turned toward the Behemoth.
The monster had taken the moment to recover, its massive chest rising and falling as it locked its furious, golden gaze onto us.
It was ready.
So were we.
A Two-Front Assault
Leomon moved first.
His body blurred as he shot forward with inhuman speed, closing the distance in an instant. He reeled his fist back—energy coiling around his arm, pulsing with raw power—
"FIST OF THE BEAST KING!"
A massive, burning lion's head erupted from his fist, an aura of primal fury roaring through the air. The golden energy slammed into the Behemoth's throat, catching the beast by its thick, scaled neck.
The impact was catastrophic.
The Behemoth's entire body lurched backward, feet sliding across the ground as it struggled against the sheer force of Leomon's attack. The energy lion clawed at its throat, trying to wrestle it to the ground.
And then it was my turn.
My scythe materialized in my hands once more, its icy-blue flames crackling in the darkness.
I rushed forward.
Lightning-fast.
Closing the distance in a heartbeat.
With a single, vicious arc, I cleaved through its already wounded stomach—
And this time, I didn't hold back.
The blade sank deep, frost spreading rapidly from the wound, freezing the Behemoth's insides while the flames burned away its flesh.
It howled, its massive tail lashing out in desperation—
Too slow.
Leomon leapt into the air, twisting his body as he brought his heel crashing down onto the Behemoth's skull with bone-shattering force.
The monster collapsed, its massive frame shaking the ground as it writhed in agony.
I dismissed my scythe—
And plunged both hands into its stomach wound.
A surge of heat exploded from within me—
"FIRE GOD'S KAGUTSUCHI!"
Flames ignited within the Behemoth's body, spreading through its insides, consuming it from within. It twisted, thrashed, its roars turning into agonized wails as its flesh blackened, cracked, and finally—
Turned to ash.
As the last remnants of the Behemoth crumbled, I staggered back, my vision swimming.
The No Pain Technique had suppressed my suffering, but now… now it was all coming back.
Crashing down.
I pressed two fingers to my chest—released the pressure point.
And then—
A tidal wave of agony consumed me.
My body buckled—
And the last thing I saw before everything faded to black—
Was Leomon catching me.
"Don't worry, partner," he murmured.
"I got you."
3rd Person POV
Leomon moved swiftly through the empty streets of Mutant Town, his heavy paws barely making a sound against the cracked pavement. AJ, still unconscious, hung limply in his arms, his body battered and burned from the battle. The air was thick with the acrid scent of scorched concrete and blood, but Leomon pressed on, his grip firm yet careful, determined to find a safe place to tend to his partner's wounds.
Behind them, the battlefield lay silent, the only remnants of the fierce struggle being the torn ground, shattered structures, and the rapidly fading embers of AJ's fire. Then, without warning, the space around the wreckage flickered.
A figure materialized as if stepping out of nothingness itself.
A gaunt man, his face sharp and pale, stood amidst the devastation. His tired, sunken eyes scanned the ruined street, taking in the destruction with a detached sort of disapproval. He wore a simple white wife-beater and suspender pants, an outfit that seemed utterly out of place in the chaos that surrounded him. A wide-brimmed hat shaded his face, though it did little to hide the neutral, almost uninterested expression he bore.
Absolon Mercator—Mister M—sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose before flicking his wrist lazily.
The effect was immediate.
The shattered pieces of rubble lifted from the ground, moving as though time itself had reversed. Splintered concrete and glass fragments reassembled, each finding its rightful place in the buildings they had fallen from. The gashes in the pavement sealed, the cracks vanishing without a trace. Blackened scorch marks faded, leaving no evidence of the fires that had raged there moments before. Everything was restored—as if the battle had never taken place.
Except for the corpse in the center of it all.
Mister M made no move to erase it. He simply stood there, staring at the lifeless husk of the Behemoth, the only sign that a great battle had been fought and won. He considered it for a moment before exhaling through his nose and shaking his head.
This was not the first time Mutant Town had been disturbed. But this… this was something different.
For the past week, things had been unusually loud. Whispers had circulated about a newcomer—a young fighter who wasn't content with the way things were, who was trying to change the status quo. Mister M had seen many like him before. Idealists, warriors, revolutionaries.
They always talked big. But they always fell short when it mattered the most.
Yet, despite his cynicism, there was something unsettlingly unique about this one.
Mister M closed his eyes and focused.
And there it was.
A strange, foreign energy still hung in the air. An unnatural sensation that tugged at the edges of reality. He had sensed it before, every time this newcomer used his power. It was unlike anything else Absolon had encountered in his long life. Even compared to his own near-limitless abilities, this was… different.
It pierced the veil between worlds.
It was not simple telekinesis. Not mere matter manipulation. Not even something as advanced as reality-warping.
No, it was as though this power reached into the unknown and brought back concepts—ideas made manifest.
Absolon didn't like that.
It was unnatural.
And he needed to know more.
Still, there was no urgency. If this newcomer was truly different, then fate would bring them together soon enough. Until then, he would let things unfold naturally. No need to force an interaction.
With a final glance at the restored street, Mister M turned on his heel and walked away, his footsteps silent despite the weight of his presence.
Moments later, the distant wail of sirens echoed through the air, accompanied by the distinct hum of approaching engines. Police vehicles, emergency responders, and a few flying figures streaked toward the scene.
The real chaos was just about to begin.