Sonic 3. Exe E Knuckles -

Knuckles didn't let up. He used his strength to shatter the illusions EXE was trying to build, punching through ghost-walls and fake traps. With one final, massive upper-cut, he launched the glitch toward the Great Emerald. "Access denied," Knuckles muttered.

Sonic hit the ground, blinking rapidly. "Whoa... Knux? Why does my head feel like it was kicked by a Motobug?"

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.

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 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."

"You’re not the blue blur I know," Knuckles grunted, slamming his massive fists together. "You look like a bad firmware update."

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