Digital Hackers' Memories

On the other hand, Chen Ze was almost driven to despair after listening to Makiko Date's entire description.

After all that, it turns out that the reason Makiko Date was able to discover her identity was entirely due to a misunderstanding she made during the day.

It was supposed to be a lucky accident, but it actually exposed his identity as a hacker...

Chen Ze didn't know whether to marvel at Makiko Date's luck or admire her ability to make connections and make judgments.

"If you're talking about 'MetalGreymon,' he's currently recuperating in the EDEN network."

Just as Chen Ze was feeling so frustrated that he didn't know what to say, a cold voice suddenly came from the kitchen.

Then, the fox spirit X, whose true form had been revealed at some point, slowly walked out of the kitchen, as if she had always been the mistress of the house.

"It's a pleasure to officially meet you, Makiko."

Amidst Chen Ze's bewildered gaze, the fox spirit X smiled and greeted Makiko Date.

"My feeling from back in school was right; you spotted me back then, didn't you!"

While both were using affirmative tones to express their questions, at this moment, the Fox Spirit X was much calmer than Chen Ze.

"So Ze-kun actually has two Digimon?"

She was clearly surprised by the appearance of Renamon X, or more precisely, Makiko Date was surprised that it wasn't the dragon-type Digimon that appeared in the surveillance video.

"But you're right, I did notice you when I was at school."

"After all, if you observe carefully, it's not hard to see that even though you're invisible, Ze Jun always makes sure to give you enough space."

Whether it's always walking on the outside of the road or leaving an empty seat next to you on the bus...

Chen Ze wouldn't have known if Makiko Date hadn't pointed it out, but after her reminder, he realized that his behavior was indeed quite strange at times.

Of course, what Chen Ze really wants to complain about now is why Reijou X was able to communicate with Date Makiko so openly after his secret was discovered.

And intentionally or unintentionally misled Makiko Date into thinking that the "Mechdramon" she saw was a "MechGreymon"?

That's because Chen Ze, being a 'human,' only has two Digimon partners: Renamon and MetalGreymon.

As if it had read Chen Ze's mind, the voice of the fox spirit X rang out in his mind at just the right moment, causing Chen Ze to look at it with surprise once again.

Given the speed of the mecha dragon at that time, the school's cameras simply couldn't have captured your true appearance.

Therefore, as long as you insist that the Digimon is MetalGreymon, no one will realize that you are the real MetalGreymon.

Chen Ze has two Digimon partners, MetalGreymon and Renamon X, which is a "fact" that is already clear to Akemi Suedo.

Therefore, Reijumon X chose to mislead Makiko Date at this time simply for that one in ten thousand chance that she might be exposed.

Mending the fence after the sheep are lost, preparing for a rainy day...

Under Chen Ze's subtle influence, the fox spirit X gradually developed the habit of hiding its identity at all times.

......................................................................................................

Just as Makiko Date was talking with Chen Ze and the others, Yuya Nogi, who was returning home from school, finally discovered that his terminal had been hacked.

"Who did this?"

In that blood-red space that resembled purgatory, Nogi Yu, contrary to her usual "cross-dressing" image, stared at this empty, quiet private space with a ferocious expression.

Behind Nogi Yu, the eerie mask remained floating silently in mid-air as if nothing had happened.

"Zombie Satan Beast!"

After the initial shock and anger, Nogi Yu's first reaction was to summon her Digimon partner and question the other party about where the high school thugs being held there had gone.

However, the next moment, something even more unexpected happened to Nogi Yu—her "Digimon Capture Program" disappeared.

Yes, the "Digimon Capture Program," which was used to capture and raise Digimon and had become standard equipment for advanced hackers, has mysteriously disappeared, along with the Ultimate-level Zombie Satanmon within it.

This is definitely not a normal situation, because even if ZombieSatanmon is killed, Nogi Yu can still raise a new ZombieSatanmon using the "Digimon Capture Program".

After all, Nogi Yu wasn't the kind of hacker who directly plundered other people's Digimon. His "Digimon Capture Program" contained a fairly detailed record of the growth process of ZombieSatanmon.

However, the sudden disappearance of the "Digimon Capture Program" not only caused Nogi Yu's hard-earned training records to vanish, but also stripped him of his qualification as a "high-level hacker".

As a hacker of the new era, most of Nogi Yu's abilities revolve around Digimon, and he does not possess the "solo raiding" abilities and techniques of veteran hackers like Sanada Shin and Mishima Ryuji.

"who is it?!"

Roaring with a ferocious expression, Nogi Yu at this moment showed no trace of the cowardice and timidity she displayed in the real world. Instead, she resembled a thoroughly enraged lion, exuding an unprecedented aura.

If Nogi Yu had even a tenth of her current aura in the real world, she would never have become a "cross-dresser" who was bullied by everyone.

The separation between reality and virtuality seems particularly evident in Yu Nogi's case.

Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Masked Man - K

Boom!

Just as Nogi Yu was furious about the disappearance of the zombie Satan Beast, a loud noise suddenly came from above his private space.

Immediately afterwards, a massive torrent of data materialized, crashing against the deforming and distorted cyberspace like waves crashing against a riverbank.

—Someone is invading this place!

Without even needing to think, Nogi Yu, with her ample experience in both intrusion and counter-intrusion, immediately realized what had happened.

A hacker has locked onto a private terminal and intends to use the simplest DDoS attack to breach and decipher the user's private space.

"He killed the zombie Satan Beast?!"

Looking up at the sky in time, Nogi Yu, who had just been furious, immediately showed a timid expression.

However, this feeling of timidity lasted for less than a second before being replaced by a more intense feeling of shame and indignation.

Why? Why am I still so timid, even in the online world?

Despite vowing to change her personality and hoping to become someone who can stand shoulder to shoulder with "heroes," her weak character repeatedly held her back at crucial moments.

chi chi chi...

Just then, the eerie mask that had been floating behind Nogi Yu fell into his hands on its own.

"Keisuke?"

Looking down at the mask that housed Keisuke's data avatar, Nogi Yu's face revealed a touch of feminine shyness.

"As expected, you are indeed my hero!"

As she slowly put the mask on her face, Nogi Yu felt a sense of security welling up from the bottom of her heart.

Under the protection of this mask, and under the protection of Keisuke's data avatar, Nogi Yu felt an overwhelming surge of courage from the depths of her heart.

So what if there are no Digimon to protect us?

So what if we face an unknown and powerful invader?

So what if you walk alone in the unknown darkness?

As long as he still possesses Keisuke's data avatar, Nogi Yu will not fear any difficulties.

"Yes, just like those heroes hidden behind masks, I am now 'Keisuke Amasawa'."

The voice gradually became steady and eerie, and the human named "Nogi Yu" transformed into the masked man—K—who struck fear into the hearts of hackers.

That's right, the person standing here now is no longer Nogi Yu, but the true leader of "Devil's Dance", the mastermind behind the split of Zaxom - K.

It was the “Demon Dance” incident that affected the entire EDEN network that caused the strongest hacking team of the new generation—Zaxom—to fall from its peak.

Left with no other choice, in order to obtain enough help to conquer the Valhalla server, YUGO had to announce his entire plan to conquer the Valhalla server to the outside world.

It can be said that YUGO is a King of Light who acts openly and righteously, and attempts to bring a new order to EDEN.

So, the masked man K is the dark king hiding in the shadows, intending to subvert the entire era's trends and tides.

......................................................................................................

Meanwhile, outside of Nogi Yu's private terminal.

Arkadimon, which was guiding EDEN's data into its private terminal, seemed to have smelled something delicious, and its attack frequency suddenly increased by more than double.

Such an exaggerated reaction even made Ryuji Mishima, who had been silently standing behind it, narrow his eyes.

The fact that the data-feeding Arkadimon could elicit such a strong reaction suggests that the hacker controlling the Zombie Satanmon must be hiding some terrifying trump card.

"Is it the Ultimate Form?"

Ryuji Mishima knew that Arkadimon would only be interested in things that could allow it to evolve and transform.

In other words, there must be some kind of data hidden inside this private terminal that transcends the complete form and allows it to go even further.

Boom!

So, when Arkadimon completely tore through the firewall and appeared in that blood-red space with Ryuji Mishima, what came into view was the masked man standing proudly in the very center—K.

"It's you?"

The long robe, black on the outside and red on the inside, fluttered in the wind, and the eerie mask seemed to reveal an indescribable madness...

Nogi Yu, transformed into K, looked up at the Arcadimon and Mishima Ryuji that suddenly appeared in the sky, but what flashed through her mind were the words that Keisuke had said to her.

[Yu, I've finally found a companion who doesn't care about my 'status' today.]

That was the first time Keisuke had shown such a bright smile since his data account was hacked.

According to Nogi Yu's original plan, she was supposed to be there for him when he was most down, and then together they would defeat the final boss and retrieve the data avatar.

However, the sudden appearance of the Butterfly Organization ruined this "conceived" plan.

Before Nogi Yu appeared as the "savior," the Butterfly Clan, led by Mishima Ryuji, had already helped Keisuke climb out of his slump.

Therefore, Nogi Yu has a "deeply etched" memory of the three members of the Butterfly Gang.

"It turns out it's you!"

With a hint of realization in his voice, Mijima Ryuji also recognized the masked man below who called himself "K".

Because no matter whether it's from a public or private perspective, it's impossible for Ryuji Mishima not to know this guy.

As a former "cleaner" for the Kamishiro Group and Zaxom, Ryuji Mishima has been investigating the mastermind behind the "Devil's Dance Incident" that plunged the entire EDEN network into chaos.

Personally, Ryuji Mishima felt a familial affection for every member of the Butterfly Organization, so naturally he couldn't let go of the culprit who stole Keisuke's account and ruined his reputation.

Combined, although Ryuji Mishima still didn't know the true identity of the masked man K, he gradually figured out the other party's movements and strength.

“If it were you, you would certainly be qualified to be Arkadimon’s ‘prey’.”

Although no one has yet witnessed the true strength of the masked man K, Ryuji Mishima firmly believes that the zombie Satanmon that was instantly killed by Arkadimon was definitely not the full extent of his power.

Like now...

Clang!

In the blink of an eye, the masked man K's hands transformed into a bizarre shape, each wielding a five-slender sword.

It was as if his five fingers were naturally formed into five slender swords, strange and full of danger.

Most importantly, the transformation of Oni-faced K is not just a change in appearance, as can be seen from Arkadimon's excited yet cautious attitude.

Arkadimon was excited because it saw hope for further evolution in Spectral K, while its caution stemmed from its affirmation of K's strength.

Arkadimon is an evil god, not a madman.

******************************

PS: I added a slightly more awesome background setting to Matadormon, after all, this is a hidden main storyline, and the Ultimate level is too weak as a boss.

Of course, this is just background information; it definitely won't allow Matadormon to evolve.

Chapter Thirty: Friendship Between Girls?

Night falls in Chen Ze's automated apartment.

"Sigh, I've ended up with another job as a nanny for no reason."

After seeing off the well-fed and satisfied Makiko Date, Chen Ze turned his head and glanced at the Black-eared Beast, who was playing happily with the Fox Beast X, and couldn't help but sigh.

After the brief exchange and confrontation, Makiko Date actually accepted all of Reijumon X's claims.

Chen Ze originally thought that the other party would continue to press the matter, but to his surprise, Date Makiko only emphasized not to cause trouble and did not say anything more.

In this way, Chen Ze, who had been hiding the truth all along, seemed rather petty.

"What's there to sigh about?"

As if seeing through Chen Ze's thoughts, the fox demon X teased the black-eared beast while turning to him and saying something.