Chapter 166: Dorugamon, Charging Into the Fray
"Dorumon Digivolve to—!"
Mizuki blinked, his attention snapping toward the sudden surge of data. "Hmm?"
Catching the violent fluctuation of digital energy out of the corner of his eye, Mizuki acted almost entirely on muscle memory. He unclipped his small, unassuming handbag—the Dragon Shield—and gave it a sharp, practiced flick. With a rapid cascade of shifting polygons, the bag elongated, its structure snapping effortlessly into the sleek, polished neck and body of an electric guitar.
[BGM Start—]
His fingers struck the strings, sending a heavy, electrifying riff tearing through the air. Fueled by Mizuki's musical accompaniment and the sheer weight of their bond, Dorumon's small frame became engulfed in a blinding pillar of digital light.
Within that radiant cocoon, her anatomy rapidly warped and expanded. Her previously light purple pelt darkened into a rich, midnight blue. A thick, luxurious ring of white fur erupted around her neck, mimicking a heavy winter muffler. Broad, leathery wings tore free from her shoulder blades, stretching wide, while the claws on her four limbs elongated into razor-sharp, metallic talons that gouged the earth beneath her.
"Dorumon Digivolve to—!"
"Dorugamon!"
The moment the blinding light shattered, a shockwave of raw, untamed energy blasted outward. The aura radiating from Dorugamon's massive, feral frame far exceeded the standard parameters of a Champion-level. Had the other Digimon present not witnessed the direct transition, they would have easily mistaken her towering, oppressive presence for that of an Ultimate-level threat.
"Is this the potential Mizu mentioned?" Belle murmured. She hovered near the edge of the clearing, her clear eyes tracking the newly evolved beast with intense curiosity.
Driven by that very curiosity, Belle's irises glowed faintly as she tapped into her unique authority, initiating a deep scan of Dorugamon's core data.
[Target: Dorugamon]
[Level: Champion]
[Type: Beast Dragon]
[Attribute: Data]
[Profile: Possessing the 'Dramon'qualities of both beast and dragon, she is a heavyweight, ferocious Beast Dragon Digimon that most flee from at the mere sight of her shadow. In battle, she exhibits the savage ferocity of a wild beast, yet retains the high intellect of a dragon. Under normal circumstances, she remains surprisingly docile. Bearing an'Interface'on her forehead, she is speculated to be an evolutionary line of the'Prototype Digimon.']
"Interface?" Belle tilted her head, her gaze locking onto the strange, emerald-like crystal embedded directly into the center of Dorugamon's forehead. "'Prototype Digimon'? What does that mean? Mizu, do you know?"
Mizuki, who had been absolutely shredding on his guitar to keep the digivolution theme going, immediately muted the strings with his palm upon hearing her question.
Coincidentally, the exact second the epic background music cut out, Dorugamon—who was still flexing her claws and basking in the intoxicating rush of her new Champion-level power—didn't even get the chance to let out a triumphant roar.
BOOM.
A blinding beam of holy energy slammed into her side. Before she could even process the attack, Gallantmon's Final Elysion sent her massive, heavyweight body rocketing across the training ground like a skipped stone.
Gallantmon lowered his massive shield, his tone dripping with cheerful, sadistic approval. "Evolved, have you? Very good! This makes you significantly more durable!"
Dorugamon dragged herself out of a smoking crater, spitting dirt. "[Censored string of highly aggressive, unrefined Digimon profanity]!"
It is often said that the joys and sorrows of the world are not shared. This universal truth applied not just to humanity, but to Digimon as well.
"Dorugamon, do not let fear cloud your heart!" Gallantmon's booming voice echoed across the field. "Charge right into the Final Elysion!"
"I swear to Yggdrasil," Dorugamon snarled, her fangs bared as she scrambled desperately to evade another incoming blast of holy light, "once I reach the Mega level, I am going to make you pay! Aaaaaah!"
While Dorugamon was being mercilessly battered from pillar to post in a state of immense grief and indignation, Mizuki casually leaned against his guitar, perfectly content to discuss 'Prototype Digimon' with Belle.
"To be honest, I don't know the absolute specifics of that era either," Mizuki admitted, watching a stray energy bolt scorch the grass a few feet away. "But taken literally, a 'Prototype Digimon' should be exactly what it sounds like—the original test model for a certain classification of Digimon. The very first unit."
He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "If that theory holds up, then the infinite possibilities and great potential hidden within her code would perfectly explain how she can evolve to such an absurd stage."
"But then again," he added, gesturing vaguely toward the chaotic battlefield, "theoretically speaking, every Digimon possesses infinite possibilities. The fundamental essence of Digimon—and even the fabric of this Digital World itself—is just an endlessly shifting arrangement of zeroes and ones."
"In other words, it all comes down to Mesh digivolution. Individual differences between species are merely a matter of how wide their potential scale can stretch."
Speaking of Mesh digivolution...
Mizuki's gaze drifted, intentionally or otherwise, toward the sleeping form of Digitamamon resting peacefully under a nearby tree.
When he had manually adjusted Digitamamon's evolutionary chain earlier, he had heavily relied on that exact principle of Mesh digivolution. He had forcefully rewritten her original, rigid pathway into a branching route that possessed a significantly higher compatibility rate for the X-Antibody.
Pulling his thoughts back to the present, Mizuki looked down at Belle. Her brow was furrowed in deep concentration.
"Got something on your mind, Belle?"
"Mizu, I was just thinking..." Belle trailed off, her eyes darting toward the distant, dust-choked crater where Dorugamon was currently being suplexed. "You mentioned that Dorugamon's potential might be greater than ours. Do you think it's directly tied to her special identity as a Prototype?"
She looked up at him, her eyes shining with a dangerous, eager light. "If there really is a connection... could I forcefully expand my own abilities by carving an 'Interface' into my own data?"
"Let me stop you right there. Absolutely not."
Seeing the reckless eagerness bubbling up in his partner, Mizuki immediately shut the idea down. His tone was gentle, but firm. "I don't doubt for a second that you have the technical skill to do it. But nobody knows what kind of catastrophic side effects tampering with an Interface might bring."
"After all, our understanding of 'Prototype Digimon' is still dangerously thin."
In the depths of Mizuki's past memories, aside from the Dorumon lineage, the only other Prototype Digimon that possessed that specific cranial Interface were the Ryudamon and Loogamon lines. It was ancient, volatile code.
Seeing the visible droop in Belle's posture, Mizuki let out a soft sigh. He slung the guitar over his shoulder and reached out, gently patting the top of her head.
"You really don't need to feel inferior to anyone, you know."
His thumb brushed affectionately against her cheek. "Belle, you are an Ancient Species. And more than that, you possess the 'Data Rewrite' ability. Your innate potential is already terrifyingly vast."
He offered a warm, reassuring smile. "Not to mention... you aren't fighting alone."
Mizuki reached down and firmly grasped Belle's hand, lacing his fingers through hers.
Feeling the steady, grounding warmth radiating from her partner, the knot of anxiety in Belle's chest instantly melted away. The minor sting of disappointment vanished, replaced by a swelling tide of affection.
"Mm~ I know." She squeezed his hand back, her lips curving into a bright, radiant smile. "We'll be together forever and ever~"
Unable to contain herself, Belle threw her arms around Mizuki's waist, burying her face against his chest.
Watching her affectionately rub her small head against him, Mizuki's eyes softened. A doting, almost helpless smile touched his lips as he wrapped his arms around her delicate frame, holding her close.
"Yeah. Forever."
Unfortunately, the tender, quiet moment between the two partners was violently interrupted by another deafening crash from the battlefield.
It was Dorugamon.
Under normal circumstances, Digivolving was a joyous occasion—a triumphant milestone in a Digimon's life.
However, the newly evolved Dorugamon hadn't even been granted a single second to enjoy her new strength before being plunged right back into the agonizing reality of being treated like Gallantmon's personal punching bag.
The sheer psychological whiplash of swinging from absolute joy to absolute despair, combined with being backed into a literal, cratered corner, deeply stimulated Dorugamon's core data. The intense emotional distress acted as a catalyst, violently dragging even more dormant potential to the surface.
Simply put—
She was about to evolve again! (Cue the voice cracking in sheer desperation).
Seeing the blinding, familiar rings of digital light begin to violently spiral around Dorugamon's battered body once more, Mizuki and Belle exchanged a quick glance. A knowing, mischievous smile spread across both their faces.
"Belle, you know what to do~"
"Mm! Mizu, I've been wanting to try this for so long!"
"Then let's hit it—"
With a smooth, practiced motion, Mizuki tossed the electric guitar over to Belle. At the exact same time, he reached behind his back and produced a professional-grade microphone out of absolutely nowhere.
Watching this bizarre, highly synchronized interaction between human and Digimon, WarGreymon X and MetalGarurumon X exchanged a deeply bewildered look from the sidelines.
"What in the world are they doing?" WarGreymon X muttered, his metallic jaw clanking slightly.
"I have no idea," MetalGarurumon X replied, his optical sensors whirring as he zoomed in on the duo. "But it looks incredibly flashy."
"Instead of just standing here, shouldn't we go over and get a closer look?"
"Suppose we should..."
However, the very second the two Mega-level juggernauts attempted to take a step forward, they instantly lost their balance and crashed face-first into the dirt with a heavy, metallic THUD.
It turned out that, in order to forcefully train their combat chemistry, Gallantmon had used a highly specialized, completely inescapable method: he had literally tied one of WarGreymon X's legs to one of MetalGarurumon X's legs.
They were trapped in a high-stakes, Mega-level three-legged race. And Gallantmon had made it abundantly clear that they would only be untied once their coordination reached absolute perfection...
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