Timeline rewinds twelve hours, the Digital World.
Taichi sat upright on a pitch-black throne, his gaze icy, indifferently observing the Real World.
BlackWarGreymon wreaking havoc in Tokyo, physically blocking missiles.
Koshiro receiving help from Homeostasis, decoding Crests, rushing to save the world from afar.
Mount Fuji on the verge of eruption, billions of humans in a life-or-death crisis.
He saw everything, but not a ripple of emotion stirred within him.
"BlackWarGreymon is combative by nature. Given the timing after the Digital Rampage, conflict with the human Self-Defense Forces was inevitable. This was expected."
"Koshiro, the only one among the Chosen Children I acknowledge, receiving help from Homeostasis to prop up the collapsing situation, also falls within the scope of my plan."
Watching the scenes flash across the screen, a strange curve involuntarily lifted the corner of Taichi's lips.
He was playing a grand game of chess.
In his initial conception, the Digital Rampage would occur three times.
First, a thunderous strike, launching a massive disaster with lightning speed.
Plunging all of humanity into fear and chaos.
Second, the sinking of Tokyo.
Commanding hundreds of Ultimate-level marine Digimon, each thousands of meters tall, to continuously ram the Tokyo islands, eventually sinking them.
Third, erasing the world's strongest nation, the United States, from the map!
Incite BlackWarGreymon to gather the strongest Dark Gaia Force in history.
One strike, reducing everything to ashes, with no person or thing surviving.
Three rampages, each worse than the last.
Taichi wasn't just contending with the Real World, he was contending with Homeostasis itself.
Burdened with the mission of maintaining the balance between the Real and Digital Worlds, Homeostasis would inevitably use all its power to find new Chosen Children to save the world.
During this time, Taichi could revive the Metal Empire's production lines and dominate the Digital World.
Indeed, that was his initial thought.
"But now, I want more." The curve on Taichi's lips grew wilder, his ambition expanding endlessly.
BlackWarGreymon's infinitely increasing combat power and Koshiro's final inner monologue gave Taichi a bold idea.
"Since Homeostasis will always choose an agent to eliminate all unbalanced viruses,"
"Then why can't that agent be my person?"
Koshiro.
The only man among the Chosen Children that Taichi acknowledged.
Ten years ago, during their Digital World adventure, when Hikari fell gravely ill and needed life-threatening medicine to reduce her fever, of everyone, only Koshiro resolutely followed behind Taichi.
Others didn't notice the tech geek in the plaid shirt, but Taichi did.
Others didn't value the seemingly insignificant extra, but Taichi did.
Ten years in the Real World.
Taichi was Koshiro's only close friend, contacting each other weekly on Line.
…
"Hey, Koshiro, tell me, do I really have some problem? Why did Sora choose him?"
That night.
A cold, desolate night spent alone waiting outside a nightclub.
In a daze, Taichi sent this message to Koshiro, who was far across the ocean.
Ding dong.
In less than a second, a reply came.
"Black market URLs: Hire thugs, hire private investigators, hire breakup services. I know some people, you can get a discount."
"Ha, haha, hahahaha!"
Seeing Koshiro's stiff, steel-like reply, Taichi laughed, laughed extremely happily.
That was enough.
When heartbroken, when betrayed…
When feeling like crying alone but not daring to…
He would silently hand over a baton and ask quietly, "Let's go. Deal with him?"
No hypocritical persuasion, no so-called 'don't act on impulse'.
Koshiro never thought that way.
If someone provoked Taichi and he was angry, find a way to get back at them.
In the simple and pure mind of a tech geek, that was the only answer.
"You repay me with the purest friendship, so I'll repay you with the highest respect."
…
Time ticked by.
Taichi watched as Koshiro showed a disappointed expression towards Yamato.
He understood it all in his heart.
False friendship was leaving partners for a brother, betraying partners for a woman.
Abandoning partners for money and wealth.
True friendship was like Koshiro's.
"I need you, you help me. You need me, I help you."
No beating around the bush, no scheming, no endless excuses and unclear reasoning.
"Now, I want to rule the world. Will you lend me a hand?" Taichi murmured softly, putting on the pitch-black Mask of Vengeful Flames and stepping into the Digital Gate.
…
Back to the present.
Koshiro looked at the mysterious man and Agumon who had suddenly appeared before him.
His whole body trembled, and he was too shocked to speak.
"Why do you have... Could it be... has Taichi been..." Koshiro's pupils contracted sharply, the last bit of light in his eyes gradually dimming.
'Impossible.'
'Absolutely impossible!'
'That man, more reliable, stronger, and tougher than anyone else…'
'How could he die unexplainably in the Digital World?!'
"Don't overthink it. Taichi is fine. He's just temporarily tied up in the Digital World." The black-masked Taichi spoke slowly.
His words were gradually replaced by a distorted, raspy voice.
Homeostasis was watching everything.
Without some disguise, it was impossible to fool its eyes.
This Mask of Vengeful Flames Taichi wore was commissioned from Hattori, costing Kurai three hours to create temporarily.
Wearing this mask, Taichi wouldn't be discovered by anyone.
"He's fine... that's good." Koshiro's eyes flickered, quickly analyzing, "But since even Agumon is by your side, you must be someone Taichi trusts deeply."
"You can think of me as his stand-in, his agent, so to speak." Taichi spoke slowly, pulling out a pitch-black Crest from his collar.
"This is something he asked me to give you. If you truly want to save the world, if you want to become the hero valued by everyone, then open it."
Koshiro accepted it without even looking at the Crest.
Taichi was momentarily stunned.
"Aren't you going to check it?"
"No need." A knowing smile curled on Koshiro's lips.
Taichi's pupils instantly contracted sharply.
He figured it out!
The agent of the Crest of Knowledge, the genius with high intelligence who deciphered the Digital World's essence, the human who understood Taichi best in the world.
He had recognized him from the moment the mysterious man spoke.
But he wouldn't say it. Instead, he would play along with Taichi's act.
'There must be a reason you can't say, I understand.' Koshiro turned around.
Holding the black Crest in his hand, he murmured in his heart.
Taichi's appearance instantly gave the lost and hesitant Koshiro a pillar of support.
Just like ten years ago…
As long as he followed his orders, followed his back, they would surely succeed.
Taichi watched his back, his long-unmoved heart unable to calm down for a long time.
The Crest named Knowledge, after being stained with darkness, had gained a more domineering name.
"Domination."