Joe stared, dumbfounded, unable to believe what he was seeing.
Long-buried memories, the Digital World, the Chosen Children, the world-saving adventure, exploded in his mind like shattering fragments!
"Why are they here?" Joe stared blankly at the TV, a tumult of emotions in his heart.
Times had changed.
He had lost his Digimon Partner and was no longer the Chosen Child he once was. What could he do now?
Like the adults back then, waiting for a new group of 'children' to save them...
Perhaps that was the best choice.
"Better get back to studying." Joe bent down, picked up the pen that had fallen on the floor.
The light in his eyes gradually dimmed.
He wasn't the only one whose edges had been worn down by life.
If the Crest of Courage had lost its will to advance…
The Crest of Friendship had betrayed brotherhood…
The Crest of Love had tarnished pure emotion…
Then the Crest of Sincerity that Joe once symbolized had gradually learned deceit and become muddled.
A wisp of dark energy flowed from Joe's body, following an almost undetectable data stream, surging towards the Digital World.
Taichi's Digital Rampage wasn't benefiting only him.
Don't forget, the beginning of it all, the start of Digimon Tri, was because of that Meicoomon and the fragment of Apocalymon behind it.
"Tokyo Sinking Plan, progress 5.3%. Okinawa Collapse Plan, progress 1.6%. Sapporo Demolition Plan, progress 3.2%. Chishima Islands Freeze Plan, progress..."
On Taichi's throne, Agumon stood beside him, softly reading out a long list of numbers.
A full day had passed since the Digital Rampage began.
The entire plan was progressing methodically and smoothly.
Humans, panicked by the sudden appearance of Digimon, were struggling to mount an effective resistance.
And Taichi, after his darkening, was well-versed in strategy and exceedingly shrewd.
After causing significant destruction, he immediately ordered all Digimon to retreat, avoiding the siege that would come once human military forces reacted.
After all, the Digimon legion sent so far consisted only of Ultimate-level Digimon.
To truly achieve country-destruction or continent-sinking, they needed to wait for the World Contamination Index to rise enough to allow Mega-level Digimon to pass through.
"Order all Digimon to lie low tonight. Launch a surprise attack after midnight, when the defense forces are at their weakest." Taichi looked at the screen before him, his voice cold.
Compared to humans, Digimon controlled by Dark Rings needed no rest.
The second wave of attacks would be the true all-out assault of this Digital Rampage.
At the very least, one city must be completely destroyed!
"Understood. But, Taichi, BlackWarGreymon has found a new gateway. It seems... a small number of Mega-level Digimon might be able to pass through." Agumon responded, then slightly frowned and asked in a low voice.
BlackWarGreymon was one of his few close friends from his ten years in the Digital World.
Agumon probably understood BlackWarGreymon better than anyone in the world.
This powerful Digimon spent its entire life searching for the meaning of its existence.
And a gateway to the unknown Real World was, without a doubt, a brand-new experience for him.
"He wants to give it a try?" Taichi raised an eyebrow, asking quietly.
"Yes. But if I advise against it, he'd probably listen to me. Taichi, you decide." Agumon sighed lightly but ultimately chose to trust the man before him, the man who now carried an air of a conqueror.
Whatever decision he made, Agumon would support it unconditionally.
"Nothing to be afraid of. Let him go if he wants. It's his freedom." Taichi waved his cloak domineeringly, full of confidence. "After experiencing everything, he'll realize that you and I are his best destination."
"This is a necessary trial, part of BlackWarGreymon's metamorphosis." Taichi looked forward to it.
After an adventure in the Real World, how much would BlackWarGreymon grow?
…
Tokyo Suburbs, a distorted Digital Rift.
BlackWarGreymon's figure flickered as he emerged from the crack.
"So this is the Real World? The air smells terrible." BlackWarGreymon frowned slightly, covering his nose in disgust.
His first impression of the Real World instantly dropped several points.
Bearing the unpleasant smell, BlackWarGreymon took a few steps forward and immediately discovered a pair of ugly bodies doing something in the bushes.
"Mating?" BlackWarGreymon's eyes were cold, as if watching two swine copulate.
"Degenerate humans, lustful humans."
'Such creatures were indeed, as Taichi and Agumon said, not worth looking at.'
"Ahhh! Monster!" However, the moment BlackWarGreymon made a sound, the two individuals, engrossed in their activity in the bushes, widened their eyes in terror upon seeing BlackWarGreymon and screamed.
"Quick, call the police! Use the emergency distress device! It can alert the police immediately!" The man reacted swiftly, pressing a button on his phone.
The next second, BlackWarGreymon's icy claws slit their throats.
"Although I don't know what you were doing, I could sense hostility. So this is how humans treat an unfamiliar Digimon?" BlackWarGreymon looked coldly at the two humans on the ground, feeling deeply disappointed.
However, at that moment, alarms blared from the distant city area, and countless people rushed towards the suburbs.
Less than three hours had passed since the Digital Rampage began.
All of Tokyo's security forces were on high alert. Anyone using a distress device would receive an immediate response.
"Armored units, deploy quickly! A monster has appeared in the Tokyo Suburbs!"
"Requesting support! Air units, we need fire support! Ground missile units, stand by, prepare for saturation bombing!"
Instantly, almost all of Japan's Self-Defense Forces were mobilized.
They had already witnessed the strength of these terrifying monsters.
A single step from Mammothmon could crush a skyscraper, and its breath could easily blow away half a village.
A casual charge from a Whamon could destroy a ten-thousand-ton ship.
Even submarines and battleships were useless against its thick skin.
Moreover, these monsters were incredibly cunning.
The moment the military used super-weapons like missiles, nukes, airburst bombs, or biochemical weapons,
They would vanish without a trace as if equipped with radar.
This newly appeared monster was their only chance.
They must mobilize all forces and capture it!