Time ticked by, second by second.
The sweat on Koshiro's forehead grew denser.
They were running out of time.
"Done!"
Finally, after fifteen minutes of intense programming,
Koshiro collapsed onto the bed, drained, looking gratified at the computer before him.
Using the source code opened by Homeostasis, he had finally written the program to evolve Digimon into any form, also known as the 'Crest Program'.
It used their most sincere emotions as energy to activate the core data within the Digimon, completing evolution.
"Koshiro, you really did it! Amazing!" Joe looked at Koshiro, a strained smile on his lips.
In reality, his fists were already clenched tightly.
Deep down, he felt a deep jealousy towards Koshiro's genius-level talent.
'Why?'
'I was clearly the one who worked the hardest. From ten years ago until now, always.'
'Striving desperately, putting in immense effort as an ordinary person…'
'Yet I couldn't even see their backs.'
'In the end, I, who is so incompetent, had actually become the root of all evil, the one holding everyone back.'
Unwilling.
The negative emotions in Joe's heart piled up deeper and deeper.
A thick black aura emanated from behind him,
Following an unknown data rift, trickling into it, swiftly nourishing the Apocalymon lurking in some corner of the Digital World.
Koshiro, mentally exhausted, fell into a deep sleep for half an hour.
When he woke up, he found Joe sitting before him, wearing a gentle expression.
A warm coat had also been draped over him at some point.
"Thank you, Joe." Koshiro wrapped the coat tighter, visibly touched.
"It's nothing. I can't help much. Doing small things is enough." Joe smiled slightly, showing a big-brotherly, doting expression.
No one knew that before draping this coat,
Joe's face had been gloomy, holding a fruit knife in front of the sleeping Koshiro, silent for nearly ten minutes.
He had thought about killing this person, this former partner, and taking his achievements.
That way, he, the failure, could become the hero who saved the world.
But in the end, the cowardice in his bones and the last shred of conscience in his heart overcame the evil thoughts, and Joe couldn't bring himself to do it.
Poor, naive Koshiro had no idea what had almost happened.
"There's not much time left. We must quickly open the Digital Gate, summon our former partners, and get to Japan." Koshiro opened his laptop, his expression determined.
[Input Data Gate command. Completion: 100%.]
[Data Gate opening. Locking bound Digimon.]
Tick, tock.
From his laptop screen, a distorted Digital Gate suddenly appeared.
Inside, it was composed of countless interwoven streams of data and reality, emitting a divine light.
"So this is the Digital Gate..." Joe looked at this distorted space gate, letting out a soft murmur.
Somehow, the moment the gate opened, a malicious whisper seemed to reach his ears.
"Want power?"
"Want to rule the world?"
"Want to take everything, make the talented look up to you?"
"Recite this code in your heart. I can give you everything."
'What's that?!' Joe jolted, and the sound in his ears instantly vanished.
But on his palm, in a hidden spot no one could see, a pattern of Apocalymon was slowly carved.
"It's coming, Joe, get ready."
"Tentomon, long time no see!" Koshiro showed an excited smile, tightly embracing Tentomon, who had jumped out of the Digital Gate.
"Gomamon, it really has been so long!" Seeing Gomamon appear before him, Joe momentarily forgot the earlier incident, took off his glasses, and shed tears of emotion.
After a brief, emotional reunion between the two humans and two Digimon, they quickly understood the situation and stated they were ready to evolve.
"After all these years, fighting side by side again! Tentomon, Ultimate Evolution!" Koshiro showed a brilliant smile.
He aimed the 'Crest Program' in his hand at Tentomon's chest.
[Source Code released. Transition Evolution initiated.]
[Tentomon evolve... Kabuterimon!]
[Kabuterimon evolve... MegaKabuterimon (Ultimate)!]
[MegaKabuterimon evolve... HerculesKabuterimon (Mega)!]
As a dazzling beam of light filled their vision, the originally small Tentomon evolved into a majestic HerculesKabuterimon, hundreds of meters tall, covered in golden armor.
One of the pinnacles of Insect-type Digimon, the golden beetle capable of firing an ultimate shockwave… Hercules!
"So strong." Looking at the majestic golden beetle floating in the air, a flicker of excitement shone in Koshiro's eyes.
Ten years ago, he never had the chance to evolve his Digimon to the Mega level like Taichi and Yamato.
It had always been a knot in Koshiro's heart.
Now, with Taichi missing and Yamato waiting at the hospital with Sora, the protagonist of the world would finally be him, for once.
"HerculesKabuterimon, head to Tokyo at top speed! We need to save them from this disaster!" Koshiro jumped onto the golden beetle's back, commanding.
"Understood." HerculesKabuterimon nodded, its cicada-wing thin, transparent wings flapping, creating a huge sound.
Among Mega-level Digimon, HerculesKabuterimon's speed, maneuverability, and instant burst power were top-tier.
Almost in the blink of an eye, its figure vanished into the night, charging fiercely towards Japan.
Only Koshiro's loud shout echoed in the air.
"Joe! Activate your Crest Program! Evolve Gomamon! I'll be waiting for you in Japan!"
"This time, without Taichi and Yamato, we will save the world!"
"We will save it?"
Joe looked at the Crest Program in his hand, then at the Gomamon beside him.
A self-mocking bitter smile involuntarily curled his lips.
'What did 'we' mean?'
'You found the root of evil. You developed the program. You brought Gomamon over. You paved the way for everything.'
'I just have to be a puppet, performing silently on the stage you set.'
"Joe, let's evolve quickly..." Gomamon walked to Joe's side, tugging his sleeve with a worried expression, about to persuade him.
But Joe shook him off.
"I don't want to be mediocre anymore! No matter what, I don't want to be mediocre anymore!" Joe's expression gradually contorted.
"It's like this every time."
"Ten years ago, overshadowed by Taichi and Yamato's brilliance, I'm unable to lift my head."
"Ten years later, the world's protagonist is still just Koshiro."
He wanted fame too. He wanted to be surrounded in the center, with people shouting his name.
"Being seen as the root of all evil is fine. Becoming the demon king to be defeated is fine too."
"I don't want to be a supporting character anymore, someone forgotten in a corner."
A deep black aura flowed from the mark on Joe's palm.
It gradually stained the Crest Program, opened by Homeostasis, with a dark hue.
(A/N: The strong who turn dark control their own destiny. The incompetent who turn dark are merely puppets being played with. This is the concept the Author wants to convey. In this book, everyone's darkening isn't the childish 'I've turned dark' found in some group chats, but about recognizing one's true heart and walking one's own chosen path.)