Liberty Island, atop the statue.
Armed helicopters surrounded BlackWarGreymon, countless high-tech weapons aimed directly at him.
[This is AM Television. We've just received a tip: Faced with the provocation of the unidentified monster, the President has decided to launch a tactical nuclear missile. With the might of the mushroom cloud, he will protect the lives and safety of our US citizens. This is the spirit of the United States!]
A blonde, blue-eyed reporter on a helicopter spoke proudly into the camera.
Watching the global broadcast, the American public was stirred into a frenzy.
"This is the execution power of the world's number one superpower!"
"I heard the disaster over in Japan required gods to quell it. Hah! Our United States is different. As humanity's strongest nation, we rely on our own strength to repel monsters!"
"God bless the USA! I'd choose to be American in my next life too!"
On the internet, across social media, countless comments from Americans were constantly shared and viewed.
The monster which gave Japan so much trouble...
On US soil, it won't survive a single day.
The power of a tactical nuke is enough to completely annihilate any substance on Earth.
Right now, Americans only need to count down.
"Ten, nine, eight, seven..."
The dark, sinister tactical nuclear missile traced a deadly arc through the sky, descending precisely towards BlackWarGreymon's head.
Watching the live feed, the President allowed a smug smile to touch his lips.
'It's over.'
'Under the mushroom cloud, all are equal.'
'No super monster, no matter how powerful, can withstand the high temperatures and destructive force of a tactical nuke.'
However, the next second...
The tactical nuclear missile stopped less than 0.1 meters from BlackWarGreymon's face.
A single black right hand reached out, gripping the missile's warhead.
The sea wind howled, the height was bitterly cold.
Under the lens of the global broadcast, BlackWarGreymon held the nuke in one hand, looking down upon the world, and issued a cold challenge.
"Is this it? A weapon even weaker than the previous country's... is this the so-called strongest human country's attitude towards me?"
At this moment, a spark of anger at being slighted ignited within BlackWarGreymon.
Even the island nation sequestered in the ocean had deployed their super missiles, their trump card, forcing him to use his ultimate technique and raise a black sun over Tokyo.
But the United States, claiming to be humanity's strongest, used a weapon like a child's toy to insult him.
"If your goal was to enrage me, then congratulations, you've succeeded."
BlackWarGreymon's face was terrifyingly dark. He exerted force with his right claw, lifting the tactical nuke high.
The next moment, with explosive force several times greater than the launcher's, he hurled the missile back.
The mushroom cloud, symbol of destruction, erupted amidst the helicopter fleet. Heat waves rolled, sonic booms screamed.
With a single strike, the US's most elite armed helicopters were blasted out of the sky, leaving not even debris behind.
"Impossible!" Thousands of kilometers away, the President stared at the live feed turning to static, his face a mask of fury.
The strike meant to showcase American power to the world had been neutralized by this monster. And in such a casual manner, delivering a heavy slap to America's dignity.
'Unforgivable.'
"Nuclear Forces Division, evacuate civilians immediately. Prepare to deploy a medium-yield strategic nuclear missile. I want that arrogant bastard wiped out, not even ashes remaining!" The President dialed the phone, his tone terrifying.
Meanwhile, in the Digital World.
"Taichi, the first batch of Ultimate-level 'Envy Digimon' is fully produced. But... are you sure you want to deploy them there?" Agumon looked at the location Taichi had selected on the virtual screen, his expression troubled, asking hesitantly.
"Relax. I won't let BlackWarGreymon come to harm. The reason for placing them there is simply because the emotional envy there is the most concentrated." Taichi waved his dark cloak, a sinister smile playing on his lips. The coordinates locked on the screen were, precisely, the location of the United States.
"Generally speaking, there are two situations that generate envy." Taichi raised two fingers, smiling lightly.
"First, there are those like Joe, the most mediocre of the mediocre. They frantically envy those who live better, have more talent, who stand high and mighty without having put in as much effort as them."
"This type of 'envy' is classified in Koshiro's decoding analysis as 'Inferior Envy'… the emotion of inferiors wanting to replace their superiors. It's powerful, but has many flaws and is relatively easy to counter."
At this point, Taichi's gaze shifted to the screen, looking at the posts and comments constantly popping up on the American internet. He laughed.
"And now, the envy appearing in the United States is a stronger, more twisted emotion, named 'Superior Envy' by Koshiro."
"'Inferior Envy' hopes for a better life."
"'Superior Envy' is the twisted desire to trample inferiors, sever all their paths of ascent, and become the eternal, sole king."
"This is the fire of jealousy born from the hearts of those already high and mighty towards existences that threaten their status. This type of envy has no method of elimination. In the eyes of the superior, they are born to possess the best, the strongest, the most perfect things. Everyone besides them is only fit to prostrate at their feet and call them king."
Whoosh…
Agumon stared blankly at the screen, nodding subconsciously. He felt the current United States was precisely the breeding ground for such self-proclaimed superiors to freely generate envious emotions!
The moment BlackWarGreymon single-handedly destroyed the American nuke, sour comments and posts from Americans began spreading like wildfire.
BlackWarGreymon's strength, arrogance, and disdain deeply pierced the nerves of these people.
A monster that even they could pummel... how could it be resolved by Japan?
That man claiming to be a god... he's just from Japan! How could he possess such power!
Intense envious emotions fermented, spreading through the Digital World. In a dark corner, a data rift slowly opened. A group of bizarre-looking Digimon, wreathed in purple-black energy streams, swayed and stumbled onto American soil.
A disaster starting with 'Envy', with an unforeseeable scale of future expansion, erupted with a thunderous roar at this moment!