Digital Hackers' Memories

"War never brings passion and romance; it only brings endless cruelty and despair."

At this point, BanchoLeomon suddenly raised his voice and swept his majestic yet sincere gaze over the vigilant human soldiers.

"Humans, I have no intention of being your enemy."

"The digital world is not just a place for warmongers; there are also factions that yearn for peace."

"Although I am not from any of the above factions, I came here to stop the disaster from spreading further."

BanchoLeomon didn't know what Sanada Shin intended to do by absorbing Gallantmon's power, but it knew that such power couldn't fall into the other's hands.

"Let me through, or I'll break through your formation before I get through."

The warning implied in BanchoLeomon's tone was clear to everyone.

However, being able to understand does not mean that one must carry it out, especially on a battlefield where friend and foe are clearly distinguished. Even if they know that the other side may indeed be there to stop the war, their duty as soldiers still leads them to make the most conservative choice.

"on!"

With a command from the leading officer, the encircling squad leader, Yamakawa, was given the order to attack.

boom! boom! boom!

Intense gunfire, accompanied by plumes of smoke, began to fill the battlefield. Experienced human soldiers split into several small squads, hiding behind various cover, and unleashed a barrage of fire at BanchoLeomon.

"Close your eyes, little one."

In the blink of an eye, BanchoLeomon let out a low roar, and then, like an arrow released from a bow, it charged towards the Odaiba Building in front of it.

"Roar!"

Almost simultaneously, BanchoLeomon's unique fighting spirit tore through the sky, letting out a roar like that of a lion.

—Lion's Roar!

Using fighting spirit to resonate with the air, using sound waves to vibrate molecules...

As BanchoLeomon passed through the encirclement of the human army, the ripples that spread outwards formed a giant, invisible lion's head.

However, before they could even see the enormous, invisible lion's head, the special operations team members around them collapsed one after another due to the ultrasonic attacks that far exceeded the limits of human endurance.

In fact, it wasn't just humans who were attacked by BanchoLeomon; even the Knightmon who were also fighting fell to the ground.

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

The rooftop of the Odaiba Building, now a ruin.

"It seems your persistence is nothing more than this."

With its ferocious right arm constantly shrinking and deforming, Sanada Shin looked at the Fragrant Beast, which had reverted to its "Strategist Form" due to exhaustion, and a mocking smile appeared on his face.

"The so-called Royal Knights are ultimately only this much."

As he said this, Sanada Shin looked up at the Examon that was still circling and flying in the sky, seemingly hoping that the Fragrant Beast would summon it down as well.

"After I eat you and Examon, there shouldn't be anything in this world that can stop me!"

Excitement, amazement, and deep fascination...

Exhausted, the fragrant beast struggled to lift its head, looking at the boy who was more like a monster than a monster, a similar mocking smile appearing on its lips.

"Royal knights...never fear sacrifice."

Despite kneeling on one knee and looking up at Sanada Shin, the defeated Fragrant Beast seemed to still maintain the lofty posture of a royal knight, speaking in a low and arrogant tone.

"Royal Knights are saviors born to resolve crises; they are paladins forged in blood and fire."

"Do you think I didn't summon Examon down so that we could have a 'fair duel'?"

"No, in order to save the world, every Royal Knight abandons that naive idea from the very beginning of their lives."

If Sanada Shin's eyes held excitement, wonder, and deep fascination, then the Fragrant Beast's eyes now held only a resolute determination to have long since abandoned everything.

"The Dragon Emperor is protecting the arrival of the World Tree!"

"It is the last safety net we set up for this plan after the defeat of the Sword Emperor Beast."

To prevent any mishaps in the plan for the World Tree to descend into the mortal realm, even now, with himself defeated and about to be devoured, Fragrantmon did not control Examon to join the battle.

On the contrary, in order to restore the Dragon Emperor, who had been corrupted and assimilated by the corrupted, to his former peak state, Fragrancemon even allowed Examon to open up and devour the Digital Waves that were guided from all over Tokyo.

Aside from not having regained its sanity, Examon is currently in its peak condition since arriving in the real world.

Moreover, in its peak condition, Examon, driven by the instincts of a Royal Knight, will attack any life form that attempts to approach the World Tree with all its might.

"The arrival of the World Tree is now a foregone conclusion!"

Marginalized People Series Part 3

Time passed quickly amidst the lectures of the instructors.

For other students, the way the instructors taught, which did not strictly enforce classroom discipline, was completely different from their learning style during their high school years.

Therefore, apart from a few students with self-discipline, the vast majority of students became lax after the first week or two of adjustment.

After all, those who can maintain their enthusiasm for learning even without supervision are naturally the seeds of academic excellence, and there are very few such seeds throughout the entire university.

Unfortunately, Li Zhe is a rare "academic superstar" in university.

Because of his family background, Li Zhe knew from a young age how difficult life was, and he also knew how fortunate he was to be able to go to school.

So even after getting into a top-ranked university in the province, Li Zhe still dared not slack off in the slightest.

Li Zhe's goal is to win a full national scholarship for all four years of university, graduate with excellent grades, and get a job at a good company.

Such an ideal may seem ridiculously simple to his peers, but for Li Zhe, it is indeed all he wants at this stage.

To live a peaceful and stable university life until one achieves true financial independence...

This is a perfectly normal thing for anyone, but unfortunately, Li Zhe found that his ideal seemed to have encountered an unexpected setback not long after the start of the semester.

"Li Zhe! Over here!"

As soon as the bell rang, Li Zhe, who was still organizing his books, heard a familiar voice coming from the classroom door.

"..."

Li Zhe looked up at the source of the sound and was surprised to see Pei Hui, who had packed her things and was standing at the classroom door waving at him.

Not only was Li Zhe surprised by Pei Hui's performance, but the other students in the class also showed expressions of watching a show.

Although Pei Hui was also a freshman, she had already built a solid network of connections, knowing people from the previous graduating class to the freshmen who had just entered the university.

However, this genuine "popularity queen," a sunny girl who has never had any scandals since the start of the semester, took the initiative to greet Li Zhe after class today, and even seemed to be waiting for him, so it's no wonder that the other students didn't think much of it.

"you……"

Ignoring the classmates watching the commotion around them, Li Zhe just looked at Pei Hui with great puzzlement, completely unable to understand what she was thinking.

Fortunately, Li Zhe didn't like the lively atmosphere of being helped by others, so he simply packed up his books and hurried towards the classroom door.

As for the boos coming from behind him, Li Zhe pretended not to hear them.

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

"What on earth do you want to do?"

Li Zhe led Pei Hui to a secluded corner of the campus, then slowly turned around and looked seriously at Pei Hui, who was filled with curiosity.

"Ping asked you to go to her office after class. I happen to be going there too, let's go together!"

With a bright, almost dazzling smile on her lips, Pei Hui didn't mind Li Zhe's apparent rejection at all.

"You know that's not what I'm talking about."

Seeing this, Li Zhe, who has rich social "experience," emphasized in a deep voice.

"I don't know what you rich kids are thinking, but all I want to do right now is to study hard in college."

Li Zhe knew that the world was not lacking in rich second-generation heirs who were born into wealth and sought pleasure everywhere, but he did not want to become their target.

For a guy with a screw loose, flirting with the opposite sex for a joke or a bet is perfectly normal.

Li Zhe had witnessed similar incidents more than once, and even saw a poor child nearly commit suicide because of a joke made by such a person.

"Uh……"

Pei Hui was clearly taken aback. After a long silence, she finally realized what Li Zhe meant.

"You're overthinking it. I don't have those feelings for you."

Pei Hui did not deny that the gloomy and aloof boy in front of her had a very good-looking appearance; with a little dressing up, he could even walk the runway.

But Pei Hui knew even more clearly that she didn't like handsome boys.

Pei Hui looked down on guys who couldn't provide her with any sense of security.

"If you mind if we go to the office together, I can let you go first."

Li Zhe didn't know if this was Pei Hui's excuse or if she really thought that way.

But after seeing the other person's "do whatever you want" attitude, he shook his head slightly, brushed past the other person, and headed towards the counselor's office.

There's no need to get angry with a kid who's grown up in a sweet, pampered environment—that's Li Zhe's experience from years of working and studying.

"What a stingy guy..."

Only after watching Li Zhe's figure completely disappear did Pei Hui slightly suppress the smile on her face and mutter something to herself with a thoughtful expression.

"Fortunately, we still gained something."

As she spoke, Pei Hui pulled her hand out of her pocket, revealing a cell phone in her hand.

"I can't believe it! That poor kid is using such a high-end phone."

Pei Hui doesn't consider herself the kind of girl who particularly enjoys luxury, so her requirements for everyday items are limited to "just being functional."

However, the discerning eye she developed from a young age still gave her an appreciation ability that ordinary people don't have.

Take, for example, this phone that Pei Hui "borrowed" from Li Zhe. The moment she got her hands on it, she knew it was definitely a flagship phone from a top-tier brand, the kind of high-end product that would cost at least ten or twenty thousand yuan.

"It seems strange that a poor student who is frugal is using such an expensive mobile phone."

She bit her lip slightly, and as she thought of the inconspicuous bruise on Li Zhe's face and the rumors that he returned to the dormitory very late, a strange expression appeared on her face.

"That guy...could he be secretly working as a male escort to make money without the school's knowledge?"

"I've heard that some rich women these days have very peculiar fetishes, and that's how he got his bruises?"

Thinking of this, Pei Hui took out her phone with her other hand and dialed a number labeled "Room Leader".

"Hey? I just got a new one, can you take a look at it for me?"

"The rules are the same as always. If there's nothing I'm interested in inside, you can just sell it as a second-hand item."

Chapter Sixty-Eight: The Metamorphosis from Obsession to Madness

"The arrival of the World Tree is now a foregone conclusion!"

With a firm and powerful voice, the Fragrant Beast, resolute in its determination to die, had neither the intention nor the need to lie.

Because Aromon never considered Examon a strong ally from the beginning, things began to move forward spontaneously according to some kind of inertia from the moment it reopened the gates to the Digital World.

Even if Sanada Shin kills Fragrantmon and Examon, the World Tree, which has already initiated the descent procedure, cannot simply regress to another world.

To be honest, if it weren't for the sudden defeat of SwordEmperormon, Fragrantmon wouldn't have made such a desperate move.

Currently, apart from the yet-to-appear Gankomon, the Royal Knights who support the Fragrantmon Project have all been killed by Chen Ze, including Swordmon and Dynasmon, and even it is about to die at the hands of Sanada Shin.

Although this is the worst-case scenario in the Fragrant Beast Project, it is still within its calculations.

"Moreover, the successive deaths of the Royal Knights seem to have finally attracted the attention of 'a certain being'."

"Even if my plan fails, 'He' will certainly not stand idly by and watch the world be destroyed."

As the fragrant beast finished speaking, ripples immediately spread through the space behind Sanada Shin.

Then, Alphamon, along with Takumi, Nokia, and Yuko Kamishiro, slowly emerged from the EDEN space.

"Yo, you're here."

Without showing any surprise on his face, Sanada Shinko calmly turned around as if he had expected it, and looked at the jet-black Digimon he had never seen before.

"I've been waiting for you for a long time, Takumi."

Alphamon, with its calm gaze and silent demeanor, was recognized by Arata Sanada, even though he didn't speak.

Whether disguised as Kyoko Murami or as a Royal Knight, nothing could fool this once-powerful hacker, the genius boy who almost breached the Valhalla server.