Digimon Adventure: Taming the Beast of Revelation — Chapter 211

Chapter 211: Gallantmon in Action

The Land of Rebirth… or at least, that was the most fitting name for it.

Existing as one of the deepest core regions of the Digital World, this realm served as the absolute final destination for all deceased Digimon. Once a Digimon’s physical form fractured and dissipated into raw data, their most fundamental essence—their DigiCore—was guided here by the infallible laws of the world. Within this silent expanse, they would wait in a deep, dreamless slumber for the cycle of rebirth to begin anew.

However, this sacred resting place, usually veiled in absolute tranquility, had just welcomed an uninvited guest.

Is this… what death feels like?

Through a thick, disorienting haze, a small, pulsing sphere of light slowly opened its eyes—assuming a pure soul even possessed such organs to begin with.

It took several long moments for him to familiarize himself with this stripped-down state of existence. As his scattered consciousness finally coalesced, he began to survey his ethereal surroundings.

The world after death, he mused inwardly. Although this isn’t my first time visiting this realm, it is certainly the first time I’ve experienced it so directly, stripped down to a mere wisp of data.

If it weren’t for the lingering blessing of my Authority as a Royal Knight, my mind would have already dissolved. I wouldn’t even be able to maintain a cohesive thought.

But even with that protection, the overwhelming instinct to simply shut down and ‘slumber’ is eroding my awareness by the second. The light pulsed with sudden urgency. I need to move quickly!

With his resolve hardened, the small sphere of light propelled itself forward through the data streams. This fragile wisp was none other than Gallantmon—the noble Royal Knight who had supposedly died a hero’s death in battle just a short time ago.

Driven by a desperate need to uncover why Yggdrasill had suddenly descended into such terrifying abnormality, Gallantmon had turned his sights toward this very region, the absolute Source of the Digital World.

Under normal circumstances, a Royal Knight possessed the authority to access this domain. But he had openly rebelled. He was a traitor. Rashly intruding in his physical form would have instantly triggered Yggdrasill’s omnipresent vigilance, bringing down the wrath of the host computer before he could uncover a single clue.

The only way to bypass that flawless security was to slip in through the backdoor of the world’s natural laws. He had to die. It was a classic, brutal stratagem of self-sacrifice—inflicting absolute ruin upon oneself to deceive the enemy.

Drifting through a realm composed entirely of the purest, unformatted data, Gallantmon maintained a vigilant watch over his surroundings.

Everything appears normal on the surface, he analyzed, his core shifting as he scanned the flowing currents of light. Yet… there is a lingering wrongness here. A persistent sense of incongruity that I can’t quite pinpoint.

He pushed the unease aside. Focus. The priority is locating the core data of the X-Program. I can only pray this drastic gamble yields the answers we need.

Accelerating his ethereal form, Gallantmon darted deeper into the sea of rebirth.

However, in his haste, the fallen knight failed to notice a subtle shift in the environment. As he passed through a particularly dense cluster of code, a strange, dissonant rhythm rippled through the underlying data structure.

It was a glitching, jagged frequency. Slowly, grotesque entities that had absolutely no place in this sacred sanctuary began to manifest, their forms bleeding into reality like ink stains on pure white silk.

The warm, harmonious atmosphere of the rebirth cycle instantly curdled, replaced by a suffocating, unnatural stillness. It wasn’t the peace of rest; it was the absolute void of true erasure.

Oblivious to the encroaching corruption, Gallantmon pressed onward.

The silent stalkers closed the distance, their jagged forms twitching as they prepared to ambush the vulnerable DigiCore. But just before they could strike, a sudden, overwhelmingly familiar sensation washed over Gallantmon, forcing him to halt abruptly.

This is…?

The sphere of light flared. He sensed a specific stream of data drifting past him. The unique, majestic rhythm of the code instantly painted a towering, winged figure in his mind.

Examon? Gallantmon’s core trembled with recognition. Is this… your data?

A faint, almost imperceptible chuckle seemed to connect from his spirit. Heh… I knew those children would find a way to defeat you.

As the fragmented remnants of the massive Dragon Emperor drifted past, Gallantmon felt no resentment toward the one who had technically orchestrated his own demise. Instead, a deep sense of melancholy and quiet reflection settled over him.

Old friend, Gallantmon murmured into the void, this way, you can finally find your rest as well.

You always claimed that by choosing this ruthless path, you forfeited any right to sympathy… But as your former comrade-in-arms, the least I can do is offer you a proper farewell—

His internal monologue shattered. If Gallantmon possessed a physical face, his eyes would have widened in sheer, unadulterated horror.

As he analyzed the drifting code, he realized a terrifying truth: Examon’s data was hollow. It was completely missing its core essence. This wasn’t a Digimon entering the cycle of reincarnation. These were merely empty husks—lifeless remains being mechanically swept back into the core program by the world’s automated janitorial rules.

Could it be… Examon’s soul was destroyed? He can’t be reincarnated? Panic flared within the sphere of light. How is that possible? Did those children do this?

He instantly crushed the thought. No. Impossible. Mizuki and the others are fierce, but they aren’t executioners. They wouldn’t completely eradicate a soul.

Then what on earth is going on here? The data around him seemed to warp. Just what exactly happened to the outside world after I fell?!

Without warning, an unmatched, paralyzing chill pierced straight into the center of Gallantmon’s exposed core.

It was an instinct forged through centuries of relentless warfare. Even lacking a physical body, his spirit reacted autonomously. The sphere of light violently jerked to the side, narrowly evading a silent, lethal strike aimed directly at his blind spot.

Spinning around, the identity of his ambusher finally registered in his ethereal vision.

A… black and white tentacle?

No, that wasn’t accurate. Putting a safe distance between himself and the anomaly, Gallantmon observed the entity, and a wave of deep revulsion washed over him.

What in Yggdrasill’s name is that thing? he thought, his core pulsing erratically. A newly born Digimon? A rogue deletion program?

No… more, how is it maintaining a solid, physical form within the Sea of Rebirth? That violates the fundamental laws of this dimension!

Had Mizuki and his partner been present, they would have instantly recognized the grotesque, geometric monstrosity. It was an Eater—a terrifying, high-dimensional predator that fed on raw data and logic itself.

However, compared to the colossal, mutated Eater that had previously gorged itself on Examon’s essence in the physical world, this particular specimen was significantly smaller and weaker, likely a fragmented offshoot.

Here it comes again!

The Eater’s blocky, monochromatic appendages whipped through the digital ether, launching a ferocious barrage of strikes aimed straight at Gallantmon’s core.

While he had no idea what those bizarre tentacles would do upon contact, a screaming instinct warned him that being touched meant absolute erasure. Gallantmon decisively threw his weightless form into a series of evasive maneuvers, dodging the sweeping strikes by mere millimeters.

But merely fleeing and taking a beating had never been the Royal Knight’s style.

Gathering the ambient energy of his soul, he unleashed his power.

“[Final Elysion!]”

A blinding, concentrated pillar of holy light erupted from the tiny sphere. The beam slammed head-on into the Eater’s geometric body, blasting the high-dimensional predator backward in a chaotic tumble of glitching pixels.

This isn’t working, Gallantmon assessed grimly. Without my physical armor and weapons, my combat output is severely compromised.

He watched as the Eater quickly righted itself. Aside from some scorched, flickering textures, the monster was largely unharmed. The situation was rapidly deteriorating.

Worse yet, the shockwave of his attack acted like blood in the water. Drawn by the sudden spike in energy, the surrounding data streams began to distort. One by one, more of the grotesque, black-and-white Eaters slithered out of the digital fabric, surrounding him.

Just how many of these abominations have infested the Source? Gallantmon slowly backed away, his awareness tracking every twitch of the encroaching horde. No… with my current strength, I cannot possibly eliminate them all. I’ll be consumed.

Do I have a choice? I must restore my physical form here and now. The risk of alerting Yggdrasill was immense, but dying permanently to these parasites was worse. I don’t know how much of my power I can actually synthesize in this state, but hesitation means death!

He acted the very second the decision was made.

Channeling his absolute willpower, Gallantmon activated his core’s emergency restoration protocols. Instantly, a massive vortex formed around him. The ambient data of the Rebirth cycle began to violently surge toward his glowing soul.

If one were to analyze the swirling storm of code, they would realize a deep irony: the vast majority of the data fueling his resurrection was the hollowed-out, fragmented remains of Examon.

I never expected you to lend me a hand at a time like this, old friend… Gallantmon thought, feeling the immense, draconic weight of the data fusing with his core. To think that the one who orchestrated your downfall would end up being saved by your remnants… I suppose this is the true fickleness of fate.

Just as an Eater lunged forward to bite into the vulnerable vortex, a massive, gleaming lance erupted from the blinding light. The holy weapon, Gram, pierced straight through the geometric monster’s center, shattering its form into a burst of static in a single, devastating strike.

The blinding vortex dispersed, and the majestic, crimson-and-white armored figure of the Royal Knight slowly stepped out from the residual glow, his crimson cape billowing in the data currents.

“I didn’t expect the residual data left behind by that stubborn old dragon would actually allow me to fully restore my Mega level…” Gallantmon murmured, clenching his gauntlet to test his newly synthesized strength.

“Although this temporary form will likely only hold for about thirty minutes…” He raised his holy shield, Aegis, his sharp eyes sweeping over the writhing horde of Eaters. A flash of cold, absolute disdain ignited within his visor. “…For me, thirty minutes is more than enough!”

The Eaters recoiled, their forms glitching wildly as the powerful aura of the Royal Knight locked onto them.

In the silent depths of the Digital World’s core, a brutal war of extermination was about to begin.