A High-Level Programming Language Called "Magic"

Within the light, Growlmon was stripped of some of his Champion-level data.

That data turned into red motes of light and drifted toward Mo Yan.

Amid the swirling red motes, Growlmon devolved into Guilmon.

"Guilmon!"

Seeing Growlmon devolve into Guilmon, Takato Matsuki immediately cried out in alarm.

As soon as the protective barrier vanished, Takato Matsuki ran straight toward Guilmon.

At the same time.

Up in the sky, Coredramon, who was also enveloped in light, was undergoing changes of his own.

His wings doubled in size, and mysterious DigiCode appeared on them.

That was a defining feature of the Ultimate-level Wingdramon. The DigiCode on his wings was a crucial factor in allowing his speed to surpass the speed of sound.

The Sapphire Dragon Scales covering his body also became a deeper blue, finer, and tougher.

"Roar!"

Feeling the changes in his body, Mo Yan let out a delighted roar as his wild draconic instincts were unleashed.

As the victor of the Dragon Battle, Mo Yan would also receive some of Growlmon's data.

The swirling red motes of light flew toward Mo Yan.

Those red motes were fragments of Demon Dragon's data.

With a thought, Mo Yan sent a DigiCore flying out of his body.

The DigiCore danced among the swirling red motes, tracing streaks of light.

"!?"

After the DigiCore finished absorbing Demon Dragon's data, Mo Yan seemed to sense a gaze brimming with destruction and annihilation.

This...

Could it be...?

Recalling one of Guilmon's final evolutions, as well as the current Four Great Dragons, Mo Yan immediately understood where that gaze had come from.

Megidramon, one of the Four Great Dragons, who presided over destruction and embodied the "Digital Hazard"!

At that thought, Mo Yan immediately showed the other party the mark identifying him as Qinglongmon's apostle.

Upon seeing Qinglongmon's mark, Megidramon had no choice but to withdraw his gaze and abandon the idea of destroying Mo Yan to reclaim the data.

As the Wicked Demon Dragon, Megidramon had always been sealed away before forming the Four Great Dragons with Qinglongmon, HolyDramon, and Goddramon.

His long imprisonment, along with the tireless efforts of the champions of justice to wear him down, had forced Megidramon to develop a sliver of reason.

That sliver of reason had allowed Megidramon to form the Four Great Dragons with Qinglongmon and the others, gaining a measure of freedom in return.

As one of the conditions for no longer being sealed away, Megidramon had to give Qinglongmon a portion of his own data.

Qinglongmon and the others would turn that data back into a Digimon and test whether the Digimon born from it would become the Wicked Demon Dragon again.

If the experiment failed and that Digimon became the Wicked Demon Dragon once more, Megidramon would be sealed away again.

If that Digimon successfully broke free of its instincts and evolved into an entirely new Digimon, it would prove that Megidramon could overcome his instinctive urges.

Moreover, the portion of data Mo Yan had obtained was not enough to affect the experiment.

Otherwise, Megidramon would have reclaimed that data at any cost.

Besides, the fact that Mo Yan could obtain that data through the Proof of the Dragon surely meant he had Qinglongmon's tacit approval.

Given that, Megidramon had no choice but to tacitly allow Mo Yan to take that portion of data as well.

Thus, after Mo Yan revealed the mark Qinglongmon had given him, he felt the other party's gaze withdraw.

Thank goodness my boss is Qinglongmon. He has to show Qinglongmon some respect.

Otherwise, I really wouldn't dare covet this data.

Silently breaking into a cold sweat, Mo Yan once again appreciated the benefits of having a Digimon backing him.

Putting away the DigiCore containing some of Demon Dragon's data, Mo Yan descended to the ground.

Coredramon!

Transfer Evolution!

Wizardmon!

Once he landed, Mo Yan immediately switched to Wizardmon.

"How do you feel, Guilmon?"

Watching Guilmon interact with Takato Matsuki, Mo Yan asked him a question.

"Guilmon feels great. Thank you, Wizardmon."

Feeling better than ever, Guilmon scratched his head and answered Mo Yan with a guileless smile.

"Really? Having your data stabilized means it'll be harder for you to evolve, you know."

Mo Yan reached out to dispel the domain as he spoke to Guilmon with a smile.

"Huh?

Is that how it works?

But Guilmon has Takato!

As long as Guilmon can stay with Takato, it doesn't matter whether Guilmon evolves."

Hearing Mo Yan's words, Guilmon looked at Takato Matsuki and gave him a guileless smile.

"Guilmon."

Guilmon's words deeply moved Takato Matsuki.

Watching the human and Digimon radiate such bromantic affection, Mo Yan felt as though their lovey-dovey display was being shoved down his throat.

"Impmon, let's go."

Unable to watch any longer, Mo Yan immediately called Impmon over to leave with him, giving the human and Digimon the place to themselves.

"Tch. Why should I listen to you?"

With his arms folded, Impmon's tone remained as rude as ever.

But what Impmon truly thought deep down was known to neither Digimon nor humans.

"Come on, I'll treat you to takoyaki!"

Ignoring Impmon's prickly act, Mo Yan threw an arm around him and headed toward the food street.

Of course, before that, Mo Yan cast a spell called Mimicry, disguising himself and Impmon as humans.

"Huh?

How did you turn into humans!?"

Noticing the flash of light from Mo Yan's direction, Takato Matsuki happened to catch sight of Mo Yan and Impmon disguised as human children.

"This one is Wizardmon, and this one is Impmon."

Twitching his sensitive nose, Guilmon pointed to the handsome boy and identified him as Wizardmon, then pointed to the child with an irritated scowl and identified him as Impmon.

"This is another kind of magic."

With a bright, handsome smile, Mo Yan explained it to Takato Matsuki.

"Huh, then could you turn Guilmon into a human too?"

Takato Matsuki glanced at Guilmon, then looked at Mo Yan with anticipation written all over his face.

"No, I can't."

Faced with Takato Matsuki's eager expression, Mo Yan refused outright.

"Huh?

Why not?"

Hearing Mo Yan's answer, Takato Matsuki asked in a disappointed tone.

"Now that Guilmon's data has been stabilized, it's become difficult to alter.

Our Digimon magic may seem miraculous, but it's really just a way of using data."

Shrugging, Mo Yan openly explained the shortcomings of the magic Digimon wielded.

Digimon magic was very different from the magic humans imagined.

The magic humans dreamed of was a miraculous power, a wondrous force that made the impossible possible.

Digimon magic, on the other hand, was an Advanced Programming Language for manipulating data.

By mastering this Advanced Programming Language, Digimon could manipulate data to a certain extent.

Edited through this Advanced Programming Language called "magic," data could be transformed into all sorts of seemingly miraculous powers that were, in reality, nothing more than data constantly changing form.

If the target's data was too vast or too stable, or if the target was a Digimon with its own protective programs.

Then this Advanced Programming Language would fail, or even have no effect at all.

"Huh?

So that's how it works. Guilmon thought he could become just like Takato."

Scratching his head with his claws, Guilmon sounded deeply disappointed.

"So it works on me?

Just who do you think you're looking down on!?"

Belatedly realizing the implication, Impmon immediately turned an angry glare on Mo Yan.

Wasn't Mo Yan's explanation just a roundabout way of saying that he, Impmon, was weak?!

How could he possibly tolerate that!!!