Chapter 223: Their Respective Paths
Hearing Gallantmon X's strangely casual tone, Kentaurosmon arched a brow, a brief moment of stunned silence washing over him. It seemed his old friend's eccentric habits had flared up once again. Still, a deep relief warmed his chest. It was good to see him alive...
Just as Kentaurosmon was processing this quiet revelation, Magnamon finally snapped out of the shock of witnessing Gallantmon X's impossible resurrection. However, compared to Kentaurosmon, who was genuinely pleased to see their former comrade, Magnamon's reaction was far more volatile.
"Gallantmon! You traitor!"
The golden-armored knight's holy aura flared violently, casting harsh shadows across the ruined landscape. "I don't know how you crawled back from the dead, but since you dare to show your face before me again, I will personally—"
As Magnamon roared, he dropped into a low battle stance, gathering energy to charge directly at the crimson knight. Before he could launch himself forward, Kentaurosmon moved. His massive, armored hand clamped down on the golden knight's shoulder, hauling him back with sheer physical force.
"Magnamon, calm yourself," Kentaurosmon commanded, his voice a steady, grounding rumble. "Gallantmon just saved our lives, in case you forgot."
Magnamon struggled for a second, but Kentaurosmon's grip remained ironclad. ", look at our current state. We are in no condition to defeat him. He didn't attack us on sight; he chose to intervene on our behalf. There is a reason for that. Since that is the case, why not listen to what he actually came here to say?"
Kentaurosmon's measured logic caused Gallantmon X to nod approvingly. "As expected. I always knew you were the rational one, Kentaurosmon."
"And you, Gallantmon, that is quite enough," Kentaurosmon sighed, his grip on Magnamon loosening slightly. "Are you sure you want to keep up this strange, theatrical tone with me?"
"I... cough cough." Gallantmon X cleared his throat, dropping the act entirely. "Sigh, you are still as sharp as ever. It's frustrating."
Shaking his head with a faint, metallic chuckle, Gallantmon X reached toward his own chest. Right in front of Kentaurosmon and Magnamon, his armored digits sank into his digital core, slowly extracting a dense, glowing cluster of data.
The moment the radiant sphere appeared, the atmosphere shifted. A heavy, ancient pressure radiated from the data mass, instantly causing both Kentaurosmon and the rowdy Magnamon to freeze, their eyes widening in absolute disbelief.
"This familiar aura...!" Kentaurosmon breathed out, his stoic composure cracking.
"There is no mistake..." Magnamon whispered, the fight completely draining from his body. "It is the aura of King Drasil!"
"Regarding what I want to say to you both," Gallantmon X said quietly, holding the glowing data forward. "Let us discuss it after you have finished looking at the truth."
Gallantmon X fell silent, stepping back to leave the remaining time to his two colleagues. He turned his gaze outward, taking charge of watching over their desolate surroundings while they processed the raw information.
Several agonizing minutes passed. When Kentaurosmon and Magnamon finally finished absorbing the data, they slowly recovered from a suffocating mix of confusion and shock. Then, mirroring the exact same emotion Gallantmon X had felt upon discovering the truth, an unmatched, burning rage blossomed in their chests.
Even Kentaurosmon, whose nature was usually calm and unshakeable, was trembling with fury.
"King Drasil... was murdered?" The words tasted like ash in Kentaurosmon's mouth. "Homeostasis... that imposter actually dared to commit such an atrocity against King Drasil!"
Magnamon stared at his own golden gauntlets, his body shaking uncontrollably. As a fiercely loyal zealot of King Drasil, the revelation shattered his entire reality. Not only had he failed to be by his sovereign's side when he was needed most, but he had spent years blindly carrying out the orders of the very usurper who had slaughtered his god.
The weight of the innocent lives he had ended in the name of a false deity threatened to crush his mind. He fell to his knees, the golden armor clanking hollowly against the ground. "What have I... been doing...?" he rasped, his voice tearing at the seams.
'That kid Magnamon...' Kentaurosmon looked down at his comrade, his own heart heavy with distress.
While Kentaurosmon felt a deep, aching sorrow, he did not share Magnamon's crushing guilt. Unlike the golden knight, whose hands were stained with the blood of the innocent, Kentaurosmon had chosen to step back and slack off in the past, much like Gallantmon. He hadn't executed the imposter's cruel purges. The only thing that truly pained him was the bitter realization that he had failed to notice King Drasil's murder in time.
"Wait, this is bad!"
Suddenly, a terrifying thought struck Kentaurosmon. He snapped his head up, looking sharply at Gallantmon X. Under the crimson knight's puzzled gaze, Kentaurosmon quickly recounted Omnimon's previous intentions, holding nothing back about their comrade's current mental state.
"What? You mean that stubborn fool Omnimon has already gone to confront the imposter!?"
Upon learning this, Gallantmon X couldn't help but clench his fists, the metal of his gauntlets groaning under the pressure. "Tsk... in this situation, how is that any different from walking right into a death trap?"
"I can't stay here, I have to go find that—"
However, the urgent words died on the tip of his tongue. Gallantmon X forced himself to stop, remembering the monumental mission he currently bore. He had to spread the hope nurtured by the true King Drasil—the true X-Program—and allow all Digimon to complete their Digivolution.
Although the entire Digital World was currently a chaotic mess because of the Eaters, Gallantmon X firmly believed that with Mizuki's leadership, combined with the assistance of powerful Digimon like Dynasmon, the survivors wouldn't face any critical danger in the short term.
But what about Omnimon...?
Gallantmon X and Omnimon were incredibly close friends. He knew better than anyone that Omnimon, whose hands were equally stained with innocent blood, had to pay the price for his blind obedience. Yet, looking at the grand scale of their current war, having one more powerful Ultimate Level combatant to fight against the Eaters was absolutely vital for the survivors. They couldn't afford to lose him.
Noticing that Gallantmon X had fallen into a conflicted silence, Kentaurosmon quickly deduced his thoughts. Without hesitation, the centaur knight stepped forward, decisively taking the burden onto his own shoulders.
"Leave Omnimon to me, Gallantmon," Kentaurosmon declared, his tone leaving no room for argument. "My speed is unmatched among our ranks. I can intercept him and bring him back before he does something irreversible. You focus on completing your mission."
Seeing Kentaurosmon's unwavering, reliable demeanor, Gallantmon X did not hesitate for long. He nodded vigorously. "Since that is the case... then I will leave him in your hands."
"But before you go," Gallantmon X added, raising his hand, "use King Drasil's X-Program to complete your Digivolution. You will need the strength."
Just as Kentaurosmon was preparing to accept the glowing X-Program, a small figure suddenly stepped in front of him.
It was Magnamon.
Compared to his eyes, which had been burning with self-righteous rage at the beginning of their encounter, Magnamon's entire body now exuded an inexplicable, suffocating dead silence. It was as if the very flame that sustained his will to live had been completely extinguished, leaving behind a cold, hollow shell.
However, both Kentaurosmon and Gallantmon X were seasoned warriors. They could clearly see that beneath that terrifying stillness, Magnamon was suppressing a dark, bottomless resolve.
Under the heavy gaze of the two Royal Knights, Magnamon spoke in a low, raspy voice, forcing out every word.
"Gallantmon... please help me complete my Digivolution as well." Magnamon slowly raised his head, his eyes devoid of their usual light. "I still have... things I must do."
He said nothing more. Although he did not explicitly state what exactly he intended to do, matters having reached this point, there was no need for words. The bloody path of redemption he intended to walk was obvious.
"...The X-Program left behind by King Drasil is right here."
Gallantmon X didn't offer empty comforts. "Just integrate it into your digital core yourself."
Following the operating method left behind by King Drasil, Gallantmon X carefully guided the two glowing programs toward his companions. As the data drifted forward, he subconsciously cast a meaningful glance at Kentaurosmon.
To this silent request to keep an eye on their broken brother, Kentaurosmon only nodded silently.
Having successfully completed the purpose of his trip, Gallantmon X did not linger a second longer. His thrusters ignited with a deafening roar, and he took flight immediately, shooting straight into the distant, fractured sky to deliver their fallen god's final hope.
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