Alfred stood by his bed with a cup of red tea.
Bruce Wayne yanked the covers off abruptly.
The handsome man looked particularly annoyed from being disturbed.
He gritted his teeth and said, "...What does he want now?"
Saying goodbye to the few hours of sleep he'd managed to get, Bruce Wayne put on his Batman suit again and strode into the Batcave, his black cape trailing behind him.
In the Batcave's chair, a wet little boy was sitting, holding a cup of hot cocoa and sipping it slowly.
When Bruce walked in, the boy quickly set down the mug and wiggled his toes, hiding them in the dry slippers on the floor like a fish slipping into the water.
His fluffy golden hair was completely wet, sticking to his face and making his small, delicate face look even smaller.
It seemed like you could cover his whole face with just one hand.
His big, watery blue eyes looked even more innocent and pitiful.
Those baby-blue eyes, framed by long lashes, looked up at Batman with a tremble.
Batman's steps faltered as he approached the boy.
"What happened? Did you fall into the sea?"
He asked in a rough voice.
The boy pouted in a way that looked very pitiful, lowering his eyes and hugging Batman's arm like a small animal seeking comfort.
"I ran into some trouble. Help me, Bruce."
His voice was so shy and helpless that even the coldest person couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy.
As he spoke, his damp lips parted slightly, revealing a hint of flushed tongue.
Even this small touch of color was enough to make anyone's heart race.
Batman looked down.
His fingers pinched Soren's chin, lifting his face to look at him closely, his steel-blue eyes studying Soren as if captivated by his charming appearance.
"…What do you need help with?" Batman's voice was low.
The boy nuzzled his strong arm, saying, "I'm looking for something… Can I use your supercomputer?"
Batman released his grip on Soren's chin,
"Of course."
— Since the Joker appeared, Batman has started using the supercomputer to monitor and predict crimes.
The supercomputer in the Batcave could perform millions of calculations per second.
By entering the right programs, it could quickly produce precise results.
Soren's face lit up with joy at Batman's approval.
His eyes turned into crescent moons as he said sweetly, "I knew you're the best, B!"
Batman stayed silent.
Soren happily went to the control panel and started entering data into the computer, his fingers flying over the keyboard so fast they were almost a blur.
Millions of data streams flashed on the screen.
His eyes were fixed on the data, but as Batman's hand swooped in from behind, Soren instantly spun around to block!
In a flash, they exchanged several blows.
Batman's armored forearm struck Soren's shoulder, pinning him down on the control panel.
His voice was low and threatening: "You're not him—who are you?"
The golden-haired boy blinked, his blue eyes glowing as if he were an inorganic life form.
Soren didn't say a word but smiled at Batman.
The next moment, a burst of white light exploded, and the glow of evolution lit up the entire Batcave!
The pure white figure of Angemon broke free from Batman's hold, his golden Executor's staff appearing in his hand.
Without hesitation, he swung it directly at Batman!
Batman dodged backward, avoiding the first strike.
Then he countered with a swift side kick, engaging Angemon head-on without backing down.
The black and white figures clashed in the Batcave, fighting fiercely.
In an instant, the control panel was shattered into pieces by Angemon's staff.
A flash of anger crossed Batman's eyes.
He pressed a button on his wrist, activating the Batcave's defense systems.
The ultrasonic emitter beeped twice and whirred to life, followed by a massive swarm of black bats!
Thousands of bats flew out from the depths of the cave, like a dense, dark cloud, rushing to surround the white Angemon.
The bats that were thrown into a frenzy by the ultrasonic waves, had glowing red eyes and bared sharp teeth, swarming toward Angemon to tear at his flawless white form.
It was as if Angemon was caught in a tornado made of bats.
The ultrasonic waves momentarily slowed his movements, but in the next second, he raised his fist, and blinding light shot out in all directions.
His Heaven's Knuckle punched right through the swirling black storm!
Soren charged through the storm of bats toward Batman, continuing their fight.
Neither of them held back, and soon, the Batcave began to show signs of damage from their intense battle.
Rocks fell from the cave walls, and the entire Batcave seemed on the verge of collapse.
Batman was surprised by Angemon's true speed, strength, and endurance—far beyond what he had anticipated.
After several rounds, Batman started to lose ground.
Wounds began to appear on his body, and his speed slowed as the injuries took their toll.
Finally, when Angemon swung his Heaven's Knuckle at him again, Batman couldn't dodge in time and took a direct hit to the chest!
Batman fell.
He crashed onto the Batmobile parked in the center of the cave, his body denting the roof with the impact.
He let out a groan, blood spilling from his mouth.
Angemon hovered high above, looking down at Batman, who lay motionless on the Batmobile.
Bathed in the light from the cave's ceiling, the noon sun shone on his golden hair, and his six white wings flapped gently.
He looked like a fallen angel, descending from the heavens.
There was no trace of mercy on his face.
With a gentle flap of his wings, Soren turned away without a second thought, flying toward the exit of the Batcave.
Batman lay on his back atop the Batmobile, gasping for air.
He could feel how badly injured he was, but now wasn't the time to give up.
Like a wounded lion, he let out a low growl, clenching his fists.