Sonic 3. Exe E Knuckles -

The moment the Emerald’s glow hit Sonic.EXE, the red mist around him began to evaporate. The glitch screamed—a sound like a crashing computer. The Master Emerald was the ultimate "system restore." It didn't just fight; it neutralized.

Sonic wasn't himself. His fur was darker, his eyes glowing with a jagged red light that leaked like spilled ink. He was , a glitch in the code that had grown teeth.

Knuckles punched downward, driving the EXE entity straight through the floor of the jungle into the hidden caverns below. They tumbled into the , where the Master Emerald sat pulsing with a steady, calming green light. Sonic 3. EXE e Knuckles

Sonic.EXE let out a static-filled screech and vanished into a blur of black smoke. He reappeared instantly above Knuckles, diving down in a spindash that crackled with red electricity. Knuckles braced himself, his feet digging deep trenches into the sand. He caught the spinning nightmare with his bare hands, the friction smelling like ozone and burnt rubber.

Knuckles crossed his arms, a small smirk tugging at his mouth. "You had a bug in your system, Sonic. I just handled the debugging." The moment the Emerald’s glow hit Sonic

Sonic looked at his hands, then at the peaceful glow of the cave. "Remind me to never let a weird VHS tape into the Genesis again."

As Sonic.EXE touched the gem, a wave of pure chaos energy washed over him. The red eyes flickered and died. The jagged teeth smoothed out. The dark fur faded back to a familiar, bright cobalt blue. Sonic wasn't himself

"Too slow," the glitch hissed, his voice echoing from everywhere at once.