"Hey, you two! You took forever!"
On the park's running track, Impmon complained to the late-arriving Mo Yan and Guilmon.
"Impmon, you look a lot happier than before."
Guilmon reached out a claw and poked Impmon. Not only had he keenly noticed the change in Impmon, he had also innocently blurted it out.
"Quit babbling! We're just going for a run. What are you yammering about?!"
Impmon slapped Guilmon's claw aside, looking a little flustered, and deliberately put on an impatient tone.
"What are you two waiting for? Get running!"
Seeing that Impmon wasn't ready to fully face his feelings, Mo Yan promptly stopped Guilmon from teasing him further. An electric whip also appeared in his hand.
As an unconventional evolution of KendoGarurumon, Mo Yan's Knightmon form naturally inherited the lightning and fire powers he had mastered as a Rookie, and they had grown even stronger.
Blue arcs crackled along the long whip, surging with power that made Digimon wary.
"!?" × 2
At the sight of the whip in Mo Yan's hand, Impmon and Guilmon involuntarily felt goose bumps rise on their skin, accompanied by faint prickling pains.
"A-again...?"
Impmon knew the electric whip's power all too well and couldn't help swallowing.
The next second, Impmon shot away like an arrow.
Guilmon blinked his large eyes, puzzled as to why Mo Yan had brought out a whip crackling with electricity, and why Impmon was so scared and running so fast.
A moment later, Guilmon learned why.
Crack!
With a flick of his whip, Mo Yan struck Guilmon.
Electricity coursed through him, and Guilmon began shaking uncontrollably.
"Ah... you're... going to... kill... a Digimon..."
Lying on the ground and twitching, Guilmon struggled to accuse Mo Yan.
"So, what are you waiting for?
Can't you see Impmon's already run off?"
Mo Yan flicked the whip again, sending sparks flying, and spoke to Guilmon without expression.
"!?"
Seeing Mo Yan flick the electric whip again, Guilmon sprang off the ground as though he had actually been electrocuted.
Then he tore after Impmon.
At that moment, the advantage of being a dragon-type Digimon became apparent.
Even after training under Mo Yan for so long, Impmon was still quickly caught by Guilmon.
"If you fall behind, you get the whip!"
Strolling behind Impmon and Guilmon, Mo Yan spoke with more than a little cruelty.
"Damn it, how's that big lug so fast?"
Spotting Guilmon about to catch him out of the corner of his eye, then hearing Mo Yan's words, Impmon couldn't help seething.
Who knew whether Impmon hated being short?
Or not having a pair of long legs?
But Impmon absolutely did not want to be shocked by that electric whip again.
Absolutely, positively not.
Crack!
The long whip struck the ground beside Impmon, scattering sparks and kicking up a little dust.
"!"
That terrifying sight drew out even more of Impmon's potential.
Impmon didn't want Guilmon to overtake him and leave him to experience the electric whip against his body again.
Especially since this was Guilmon's first morning run with him. That made being overtaken even harder to accept.
Having already tasted the electric whip once, Guilmon had his wild instincts roused by that threatening lash.
His pupils narrowed to slits as Guilmon unleashed the physical gifts of a dragon-type Digimon.
In that instant, Guilmon overtook Impmon and left him in the dust.
Watching Guilmon easily pass him, Impmon resisted it with every fiber of his being, but there was nothing he could do.
Crack!
The next second, the electric whip struck him with precisely measured force and current, leaving Impmon's mind blank for an instant.
His magic power circulated on its own, dispelling the paralysis caused by the electricity.
This was the first automatic use of magic power Impmon had learned through prolonged stimulation.
To hell with it. There's no way I'm losing to that big lug.
Steeling himself, Impmon prepared to use the method of stimulating his body with magic power that he had grasped during the past few days of training.
It was a method Impmon had discovered on his own while practicing fine control over his magic power, but had yet to try.
Impmon didn't know exactly what would happen if he used it.
But he was certain of one thing.
Under the influence of his magic power, his physical abilities would improve dramatically.
As for the side effects, he didn't know yet.
Dark purple magic power began surging within Impmon.
*Oh?
This is interesting.*
Mo Yan, who had been watching both Digimon's changes the whole time, immediately noticed the anomaly.
Dark purple magic power carrying a trace of demon lord power was rising from Impmon's body.
*Hmm?
Circulating it like that? Is he trying to get himself killed faster?*
Mo Yan was naturally well versed in using magic power to stimulate his body, and did so often.
But seeing Impmon's clumsy attempt, Mo Yan knew this was his first time using the method.
That was why Mo Yan thought Impmon was courting death.
One mistake from Impmon would be no different from suicide.
Still, Mo Yan wasn't worried.
After all, he had formed a Holy Ring, advancing his Angel Form even further.
As long as Impmon didn't go so far as to annihilate his DigiCore, a mere data collapse was no big deal.
Impmon's whole body seemed to swell, instantly growing a size larger.
Then, trailing a purple streak, Impmon overtook Guilmon.
"!?"
The lingering magic power, carrying demon lord power, stirred something in Guilmon's heart.
Just as Guilmon wanted to investigate, Mo Yan's electric whip arrived right on schedule.
Crack!
Bzzzt!
Electricity coursed through his entire body, bringing waves of tingling pain that left Guilmon no room to think about Impmon. He could only run with all his might.
And so, Impmon and Guilmon chased each other, repeatedly overtaking one another and repeatedly taking lashes from the electric whip.
Under the electrical stimulation of each lash, Guilmon's and Impmon's data also grew increasingly stable.
Soon, Impmon's magic power ran dry, and he collapsed on the ground.
"Well? Don't the side effects of stimulating your body with magic power feel wonderful?"
Mo Yan reached out a finger and poked Impmon's cheek, his tone distinctly teasing.
"Hiss..."
His whole body already felt as though it were being torn apart. With Mo Yan poking his cheek on top of that, even someone as stubborn as Impmon couldn't help sucking in sharp breaths.
"Get your lousy hand off me. That ice-cold gauntlet is digging into me."
Even in this state, Impmon hadn't forgotten to talk tough.
"My hand's lousy? My armor's ice-cold? You're still mouthing off when you're like this?"
Beneath his faceplate, Mo Yan smiled faintly.
"Y-you... what are you going to do?
You'll kill a Digimon!!!"
Hearing those familiar yet unfamiliar words from Mo Yan, Impmon recalled when Mo Yan had first trained his flexibility and involuntarily cried out in terror.
"Mo Yan, what are you doing!?"
At that moment, Guilmon, who had been running ahead, returned to see what had happened, only to find Mo Yan reaching both hands toward Impmon while the latter wore an utterly terrified expression.
The sight left Guilmon baffled, but also very curious.
So, under Impmon's look of utter despair, Guilmon crouched nearby to watch.
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