Digital Hackers' Memories

"Yuko, why do you want to delete me?"

Seemingly sensing Yuko Kamishiro's gaze, the virtual personality named "YUGO" questioned softly.

“You should know perfectly well that ‘I’ am you.”

As a built-in program of the "YUGO" account, the virtual personality has possessed a truly independent will since the Valhalla server incident.

—I am both YUGO and Yuko Kamishiro.

Barring unforeseen circumstances, the virtual personality will continue to act in accordance with Yuko Kamishiro's memories, striving to "protect EDEN" as before.

However, it wasn't just YUGO who "awakened" during the Valhalla server incident; the real Yuko Kamishiro also did.

In order to protect the EDEN Network created by her father, Yuko Kamishiro has decided to no longer rely on any external forces and to personally protect the EDEN Network as the future head of the Kamishiro Group.

In this situation, YUGO, who was a fictional character and had even intended to harm his own partner, naturally became the character Yuuko had to delete.

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

PS: Actually, this part of the story should take place before the Dragon Emperor, mainly about Yuko finding herself.

However, after slightly modifying the outline, I couldn't bear to abandon this part of the story, so I can only write it here.

As for the differences from the game, just consider them as the butterfly effect of the trouble the main characters have been causing lately.

Chapter 43 Virtual Personality? The Real YUGO?

Nakano Street, Butterfly Internet Cafe.

"what's the situation?"

Makiko Date, whose data account had been forcibly deleted, suddenly opened her eyes and stood up from her virtual reality cabin.

"..."

Chen Ze, who followed closely behind, also opened his eyes and returned to reality immediately. He looked on in astonishment as his digital avatar, which he had just registered not long ago, was inexplicably deleted after only a few days of use.

Chen Ze discovered that he might not be compatible with EDEN's orthodox data avatar.

When I first arrived in Tokyo, the data avatar I temporarily registered as an exchange student was reset to factory settings the first time I used it.

Now, even digital avatars registered with legitimate personal information are being forcibly deleted by YUGO, which suddenly appeared, after only a few uses.

"What just happened?"

Noticing that Chen Ze had also left the EDEN network, Makiko Date couldn't help but ask.

"Our account was deleted; it was YUGO who did it."

After briefly recounting their predicament, Chen Ze fell into deep thought.

If I remember correctly, at the Rokumoto base, I personally witnessed Yuko Kamishiro lying inside that huge EDEN device and hacking into the Valhalla server as YUGO.

But what about the situation just now?

Could it be that the legendary hacker YUGO's account has been hacked?

But judging from YUGO's sudden appearance before, things don't seem to be as simple as they seem.

"No, the fox beast is still inside."

Thinking of this, Chen Ze didn't care about anything else and lay back down in the virtual reality cabin.

"Sister Ida, please take care of me, I'll be right back!"

Without waiting for Makiko Date's reply, Chen Ze reconnected to the EDEN network.

This time, however, Chen Ze was not using a normal account, but his own hacker avatar.

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

In the public domain of EDEN.

"Why? Why did you delete me?"

With only a faint hint of doubt in his calm tone, YUGO wasn't accusing anyone; he genuinely couldn't understand Yuko Kamishiro's actions.

"You're nothing more than Rie-nee... no, you're a virtual personality that Sword Emperor Beast built into my account to better control me,"

Yuko Kamishiro, who had already sensed YUGO's presence during the Valhalla server battle, replied in this way.

“I don’t need you anymore. I can face all of this on my own.”

Upon hearing this, Yuko Kamishiro's expression didn't change subtly, but the tears that gradually streamed down her face revealed her true feelings.

"Dad is gone, Rie is gone, and even my brother has been in a coma ever since..."

"I can no longer hide behind anyone, even if you are a data avatar created in the image of my brother, you are ultimately just a fake!"

Contrary to her expectations, Yuko Kamishiro calmly expressed her true feelings.

"No, I am real."

After a brief silence, YUGO shook his head in the face of Yuko Kamishiro's denial.

"I am the perfect hacker in your eyes, the 'strongest' born from the combined imagination of all the hackers in EDEN."

"Without me, you simply couldn't face all of this on your own."

YUGO is telling the truth. Without him, Yuko Kamishiro would never have made it this far on her own.

The death of her father, her brother's coma, and the betrayal of Rie Kishibe, who was ultimately considered family...

Any one of these blows would be enough to break an ordinary person, let alone Yuko Kamishiro, who has never been particularly strong since childhood.

"I don't need you anymore!"

Speaking again, Yuko Kamishiro gazed at the data avatar that had been with her for eight years and spoke slowly in a resolute and determined tone.

“You really are the best ‘older brother,’ but that’s precisely what makes it so bad…”

"It was because I was immersed in that comfortable and peaceful feeling that I was controlled by Rie and made a mess of the EDEN network that my father created."

Her tone suddenly paused, and Yuko Kamishiro's eyes became more resolute than ever before.

"I will never rely on you again. No matter what happens in the future, I will face it all by myself."

Upon hearing this, YUGO fell silent once again.

As a fictional virtual personality, it inherited most of Yuko Kamishiro's memories and growth. In a sense, it is another Yuko Kamishiro, a Yuko Kamishiro who is regarded as the "incarnation of her older brother".

Therefore, YUGO can understand Yuko Kamishiro's thoughts and may even feel gratified and happy about them, but it will never allow itself to just disappear like that.

"I cannot disappear. I was created to protect EDEN, and EDEN is my final destination."

Now it was Yuko's turn to fall silent, because Yugo's current statement, in a sense, represented her previous thoughts.

After losing her family, the EDEN left by her father represents everything to Yuko Kamishiro and is her final resting place.

“I used to think that way too, but things are different now…”

When she said those words, Yuko Kamishiro was thinking of Fei, Takumi, Nokia, Arata Sanada, Kyoko Kuromi, the cyber detective agency, and all her real-life friends.

"Even outside of EDEN, I can still find a place to belong."

"You might be like this..."

Looking at Yuko Kamishiro's determined expression, YUGO spoke in a tone that was both puzzled and composed.

"But I am not, because I am a program."

At this point, YUGO paused slightly before continuing.

“But I’ve realized that you are no longer 'me'.”

Although YUGO's expression and tone remained unchanged, everyone present could see the loneliness in its heart.

"hold head high!"

Just then, the figure of Mugendramon appeared behind YUGO, roaring softly as if to comfort it.

"No... Infinite Dragon Beast?"

With their mouths agape in surprise, it wasn't Yuko Kamishiro or YUGO who spoke this time, but the Sister Beast sisters who had witnessed everything unfold.

"Humans can actually cultivate an infinite number of dragon beasts? How is that possible?"

Ignoring the shocked looks of the Sistermon sisters, YUGO smiled slightly after Mugendramon appeared.

"It seems that the Infinite Dragon Beast wants to fight alongside me."

"Even it thinks that I am the real 'YUGO' now..."

However, before YUGO could finish speaking, another roar of a dragon came from behind it.

This time, however, the owner of the voice did not seem to choose YUGO again, but instead revealed his true form directly in front of Yuko Kamishiro.

Chapter 44 Rising Tyrannomon

As powerful hackers, those who roam the EDEN network often have more than one Digimon as their main force.

Just like Zaxom's second-in-command, the hot-tempered Fie, besides the main force Tiger Beemon, she actually has two other supporting and reserve members, Sakuyamon and Phoenixmon.

However, in the Valhalla server incident, in order to better invade "Utopia", Fie had already sent out his other two Ultimate forms, which is why they did not appear on the final battle field.

In fact, this is the practice of almost all hackers in the Zaxom family.

The Zaxom members, who were going all out to conquer the Valhalla server, left only their strongest Digimon with them and sent out the rest.

Yuko Kamishiro, who was disguised as YUGO at the time, was the same. She only kept her strongest partner, Mugenryumon, by her side.

However, this does not mean that Yuko Kamishiro only had one Digimon, Mugendramon. She also tried to raise another Digimon that could be regarded as a "main force" in addition to Mugendramon.

"RisingGreymon?!"

So, when Mugendramon chose to side with YUGO, RiseGreymon, who had always been in the second line of Yuko Kamishiro's battle lineup, appeared in front of her just in time.

"hold head high!"

Despite challenging the Ultimate level in its Perfect form, RiseGreymon displayed unprecedented courage and fighting spirit when faced with the overwhelming pressure of Mugendramon.

For Yuko Kamishiro, who is known as the "strongest hacker", all her energy during her time on the EDEN network was devoted to raising Infinite Dragon Beast.

While this approach allowed her to cultivate Mugendramon, which also enjoys the reputation of being the "strongest," it also delayed her training of a second Digimon.

In a time when top hackers typically possess two Ultimate-level Digimon, it is a pity that the second one, on which Yuko Kamishiro placed high hopes, only reached the Perfect level.

Of course, this doesn't mean that the RiseGreymon that appeared at this moment was weak.

In fact, as Yuko Kamishiro's second Digimon partner with whom she gave her all, WarpGreymon's strength was already comparable to any Ultimate Digimon.

Even when facing a being like Mugendramon, the warlike yet loyal RiseGreymon still dared to challenge it head-on.

Or rather, from RiseGreymon's perspective, Mugendramon's choice at this moment is tantamount to betraying the true YUGO, an act that is shameful and despicable.

"It seems that RiseGreymon has chosen you."

Yugo calmly accepted the fact that RiseGreymon had "betrayed" him, because he had expected this to happen.

Unlike Mugendramon, which was born with the concept of being the strongest, invincible, and perfect from the beginning, Yuuko Kamishiro had already passed through the initial period of confusion and persistence when raising RiseGreymon.

Therefore, during the growth of RiseGreymon, Yuko Kamishiro instilled in it more concepts such as friendship, loyalty, and growing together.

It is precisely this difference in ideas and concepts that has led to the drastically different choices that Mugendramon and RiseGreymon have made today.

"But have you won against me?"

"Without me, you wouldn't even have the ability to communicate with them."

It has to be said that YUGO's words directly pierced Yuko Kamishiro's heart.

Even if RiseGreymon chose Yuuko Kamishiro, it couldn't overcome the fact that RiseGreymon was still bound to YUGO's account.

Not to mention, ever since the battle on the Valhalla server, Yuuko Kamishiro has realized that Digimon are sentient beings, and since she cannot communicate with them, she can never truly become RiseGreymon's partner.

"..."

Her initial joy faded slightly as Yuko gazed silently at the RisingGreymon blocking her path, never before had she felt such a strong urge to communicate with it.

"Please don't misunderstand, I didn't mean to hurt you..."

Looking directly at Yuko Kamishiro, YUGO let out a long breath and spoke with an unprecedented firmness.

"I just don't want to disappear."

Surrounded by Renamon X and Sistermon, YUGO's will and thoughts, along with its voice, echoed throughout the public area.

"Yuko! Whether it's our thoughts, where we are, or our Digimon and friends, we've drifted far apart."