Chapter 40: Battle with the Shadow Panther

“Hello, everyone, I’m Zhao Zhe.”
“I’m Xiao Ming.”
“Now, we’re about to begin the quarterfinals of the Shashi Newcomer Cup, with Lin Feng, the leader of Group A, facing Peng Jia, the leader of Group C.”
“That’s right. Lin Feng’s Mantismon is known for its speed and fierce attacks, while Peng Jia’s Demon Foxmon is also a speed-type Digimon. This promises to be an exciting match.”
Sitting at the commentary booth, Zhao Zhe continued introducing the basic information about the two contestants, and soon the match officially began.

Mantismon versus Demon Foxmon.

As soon as the battle started, Mantismon seized the initiative. Its speed far surpassed that of Demon Foxmon, and its attack power was formidable.
Under its relentless assault, Demon Foxmon could only defend passively. In no time, it found itself in a perilous situation.

“Fox Leaf Wedge!”
Desperately breaking away from Mantismon, Demon Foxmon decisively unleashed its special move, hoping to win with it.

“Cross Slash.”
Facing Demon Foxmon’s special move, the blades on Mantismon’s arms glinted coldly, and a sword-like gleam shot forth from its arms.

Slice!

The flying leaves condensed by Fox Leaf Wedge were ruthlessly shredded by the Cross Slash. The remaining force struck Demon Foxmon, leaving a bloody mark on its arm.

“Do you want to continue?”
From the command position, Lin Feng looked toward his opponent not far away.

“I concede,” Peng Jia said, raising his hand helplessly.

Demon Foxmon might have a chance against other Digimon, but against this equally agile Mantismon, it stood no chance; suppressed in every aspect, victory was virtually impossible.

After the first match, the second followed immediately, featuring Group B’s Hu Lin against Group D’s Liang Qing.

Most believed the outcome was nearly certain. Hu Lin’s Little Demonmon was a favorite to win the cup. Although Porcupinemon was formidable, few favored it against Little Demonmon.

And as most predicted, Hu Lin advanced to the quarterfinals.

Yet the process was somewhat arduous. Porcupinemon’s defense was exceptionally strong, and Little Demonmon nearly lost by exhaustion. If that had happened, the tournament’s first major upset would have occurred.

The third match: Group E’s Hua Feihua versus Group G’s Ma Tao.

Hua Feihua’s Digimon was a rare Elfmon, while Ma Tao’s was a Little Racoonmon.

The battle held little suspense. Elfmon easily defeated its opponent and successfully reached the quarterfinals.

In just two hours, three matches concluded.

The last match of the morning: Group F’s Zhao Jie against Group H’s Feng Xiao.

After yesterday’s events, this match drew considerable attention, with many eagerly awaiting its start.

At the commentary booth:

“Dear viewers, after fierce contests, three quarterfinalists have been decided. Up next is the last match of the morning, featuring Group F’s Zhao Jie versus Group H’s Feng Xiao.”

“Indeed, Zhao Jie’s Digimon is an Agumon, while Feng Xiao has a rare Shadow Catmon. This time, Zhao Jie’s luck is likely to run out.”

Zhao Zhe spoke confidently at the commentary booth, subtly disparaging Agumon with his words.

He saw this as another opportunity to stir up attention—safe publicity, just what a middle-aged man in crisis needed.

“Haha, is this what you call ‘ending the match’? Really amusing. As a commentator, that’s some blatant favoritism.”

“Just arrived; what’s the win-loss record?”

“Teacher Zhao isn’t wrong. How could Agumon possibly be a match for Shadow Catmon?”

“……”

As Zhao Zhe commented, the barrage of messages increased across all platforms, with viewers sharing their opinions. Just as Zhao Zhe said, Agumon’s chances of winning were slim.

This left many keyboard warriors powerless; without results to back them up, their arguments lacked conviction.

“Will the contestants please take the stage.”

Soon, Zhao Jie appeared at the command position on the platform. Beside him stood a thin, slightly pale-faced teenager.

Noticing Zhao Jie’s gaze, Feng Xiao turned and smiled at him, a friendly greeting.

Shadow Catmon, a Digimon in its growth stage, with its special move Shadow Claw, and inherited skills of Mobile Casting and Shadow Clone.

These were the known abilities; as for any hidden techniques, that remained a mystery. So far, no one had forced out any other moves.

Zhao Jie observed Shadow Catmon. It looked much like an ordinary cat, only twice as large, its pitch-black fur blending seamlessly into darkness.

Shadow Catmon was one of the best hunters in the dark, where its coloring provided camouflage. But in the arena, this advantage vanished—a welcome fact for Zhao Jie and Agumon.

While Zhao Jie studied Shadow Catmon, Feng Xiao also observed Agumon.

Many, influenced by the commentary, believed Agumon had advanced through luck. But Feng Xiao disagreed; this Agumon was far more capable than they imagined.

“Let the match begin!”

At the referee’s command, the last quarterfinal match of the morning commenced.

Whoosh!

Agumon and Shadow Catmon moved, charging at each other.

Small Flame!

Agumon spat a blazing fireball, running close behind it, eyes locked on the rapidly advancing Shadow Catmon.

Shadow Catmon twisted nimbly, the fireball brushing past it. Dark energy surged in its claws as it swiped at Agumon.

Its special move, Shadow Claw, was quietly unleashed.

“The mobile casting leaves no trace at all—it’s already at intermediate mastery,” Hua Feihua murmured in the lounge, watching Shadow Catmon’s actions.

But the strike didn’t land. Sensing something amiss, Agumon quickly launched another small flame in a burst.

A direct confrontation was exactly what Agumon desired.

Bang!

Shadow Catmon once again demonstrated its agility, shifting its body, abandoning the attack, and appearing a meter away.

“Meow.”

After landing, Shadow Catmon called out triumphantly to Agumon, as if to say: with attacks like that, you’ll never touch me.

“Why are you meowing? Can’t you speak?”
Agumon waved its paws, glaring at Shadow Catmon. Agility was far trickier to deal with than mere speed.

Shadow Catmon: (•́へ•́╬)