Aha, it would have been awesome if the parts were each five thousand words long, but the scenes just go on and on. Anyway, thanks to all readers, and especially to reviewers! Srsly,even one word makes my heart go 'squeeeeee'.

Disclaimer: Nope, don't own anything here.

The first thing that struck Johan about the city was how much had changed. From his perch in the descending helicopter he was allowed a stupendous panorama of Neo Domino City—from its desolate black birthplace to the new platforms being raised from the ocean floor up. In the centre of all this stood the greatest platform of all, studded with buildings that towered at heights that would have made New Yorkers crane their necks. When the helicopter touched down on the pad, Johan was immediately ushered out beneath the tumultuous shuddering of the churning chopper blades. Once he and the attendant guiding him were out of the way the helicopter took off. A stricken Johan watched ist ascent back into the sky until it was no more than a speck in the vast blue sky.

Now turning his attention to the city, he was taken once again by the sight, rightly unable to believe that this was the same city from years ago. The sheer scale of everything was hard for him to wrap his mind around: entire city blocks built upon artificial acres hovering above the sea, kilometres of road stretching between islands of concrete, steel, and asphalt, entire estates built upon the tops of buildings as white as sun-bleached bones. But what was most captivating of all was the building that stood in the centre of the city platform he was on, a soaring testament to the might of the Kaiba Corporation empire. What made it especially poignant to him was the personal connection with what had caused the destruction of the original Kaiba Corporation building. It would not have been a notable connection to anyone outside of his circle, but it was still enough to make him breathless at the thought:

He had destroyed that building.

When he had sufficiently gathered himself, Johan turned to the attendant who was waiting silently nearby. With a slight smile to indicate that he was done, Johan rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry. It's just a bit much to see for the first time." He could not help but feel horribly obtuse, and hoped that he had not left too bad of an impression.

"Such is always the case, Andersen-sama," the attendant answered back before gesturing to his left. "If you are ready...?"

"Ah, right. Quite."

"Very well. Follow me."

Johan followed behind the prim attendant who was dressed in impeccable white and black. He matched the other's efficient stride easily enough, but found he was moving quicker than he would have liked, for he was also trying to get in as many glances as he could of the city moving around them. Though the ground around them had more than enough for him to take in as well, from the lush gardens to the occasional ornamental piece of architecture. After about ten minutes of walking they came upon an open plaza lined with cobblestones and punctured in the middle by a circular fountain in which dozens of water lilies road the tiny waves created by the cascading water. For a moment it was hard to imagine that they were indeed on the top of a building and not in the gardens of some European palace. And when he saw the sprawling palatial estate ahead of him, Johan knew he could have consciously rejected the reality of where they really were to help him make sense of all that he was experiencing.

Silent and in step with the attendant, Johan again divided his attention between walking and taking in his surroundings. Such scale and wealth was new to him, as even in the Pro Leagues he had never seen anywhere near the fortune he assumed to be behind this place. Upon arriving at the doors of the main house, he waited as the attendant opened the grand oaken door for him. The opulence of the atrium was more than enough to blow Johan's mind—shimmering crystal, glittering marble, polished wood, and twinkling glass, all overwhelming him upon first sight. As he absorbed one sumptuous detail he noticed another, and the cycle of amazement continued until he knew that surely the funds behind this place had to be nearly limitless.

He was then led up the broad central staircase and down a set of wide hallways. Tall windows allowed sunlight to flood into the hallways they walked, and Johan gladly soaked in this golden light as he passed by each window. After one more set of stairs and several hallways the two arrived in a vast room with vaulted ceilings. Mahogany panels lined the walls and evoked a rich, stately atmosphere that was complimented by the refurbished antique furniture. To the left was a door leading to an elevated garden, and to the right was a door that led to another room, giving Johan the seemingly ludicrous idea that maybe this grand room was nothing but an antechamber.

"Your apartments, Andersen-sama," the attendant announced flatly as he pointed to the right door. Turning to face Johan, he bowed at his waist. "Jaeger-sama will be here soon, so please make yourself as comfortable as possible in the meantime."

"Ah, hey, thanks...But say..."

"Is there something I can assist you with?"

Johan was about to ask the location of the washroom, but hesitated when he saw the serious look of his attendant. He could not bring himself to appear uncouth, so instead opted to dismiss the topic with a wave of his hand. "No, I'm fine. Thank you very much for all your help."

"Good day then, Andersen-sama. It's my sincere hope that you enjoy your stay."

Only when the attendant was nothing more than a faint tapping in the distance did Johan dare to breathe. He was not comfortable at all, sure that if he did anything wrong it would be reported to whoever his host happened to be. And judging by his accommodations, his host was a very important man, someone just short of a king. After depositing his valise bag on a nearby chair Johan strolled around the room, taking time in each corner to familiarise himself with the details of the place. When he reached the bookshelves he ran his hands over the cold leather-bound volumes, many of which had partially faded embossed gold titles. A good number of the books were in Latin, he noted, and a few in English. The most worn books spoke of times pasts, the tomes themselves vestiges of enlightened times.

Moving on, he stood at the base of one of the many pellucid windows, observing what he had initially thought was a patio, but was in fact a garden replete with exotic foliage and a functioning fountain. Completing the beauty of the small sanctuary was a solitary peacock proudly strutting around with his iridescent plumage on full display for no one other than himself. That Johan happened upon the sight was of no concern to the seemingly vain bird.

"I'm glad to see you've managed to become comfortable, Andersen-san." It was more a statement than an observation or greeting, and spoken in an exceedingly cool tone, but the words cut through the air nonetheless and tore Johan from his thoughts.

Starting slightly, the Gem Beast duellist turned on his heel to meet the gaze of what he assumed to be another servant. But upon first glance he knew that this man was no servant: tall, smartly dressed, age apparent in his well-kept grey hair, and exuding an abundance of urbane charm, the man whose presence he was in was by no stretch of the imagination subservient to any other man. When the man took a step towards him, Johan had to fight the urge to take one step back.

"Is there something wrong, Andersen-san?" the man inquired, his haughty smile dissolving into a thin line.

"I-I...Excuse me. I was a bit lost in thought."

"Ah, how things change over time, yes?" The man asked, his meaning almost painfully equivocal.

Johan fidgeted again, the question touching him on a deep level, easily flying past the few flimsy barriers he had put up around the matter. There was something about this man that set his nerves on end, profoundly unsettling him. It took a lot of effort, but he did his best to maintain a relatively neutral countenance. "Heh, I guess you could say that."

"In any case, I hope you find your accommodations to your liking. If there is anything you feel a want for, do not hesitate to ask." And with that the man turned on his heel to leave. He went only two steps, however, before Johan spoke up.

"Right, I will, but can you tell me when I'll see my host?"

"You're looking at him. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"I...No..."

"Very good then. I'm sorry, but I'm a very busy man. It would be horribly rude if I did not at least get a look at my guest before I engaged in the rest of the day's activities. Jaeger will be here soon to brief you, so if you think of anything that you need between now and then, please feel free to ask. Good day."

"I, yeah...Have a nice day."

Alone again, Johan could do nothing but look intently at the lucent image of himself staring back from the window. His mind was still functioning, but his thoughts had been scattered once again, now without any pattern and rushing too quickly to be given more than a fleeting consideration. At the very least his mirror image was silent and simple, conveying thousands of words to him through the most elementary means. A dilated pupil, longer hair, faint lines around his mouth—all bespoke of a lifetime of experiences that manifested in the physical realm on his visage. Though an outsider would never know all the details of those experiences, an outsider would never need to know.

In a perfunctory effort to ground himself, he laid a hand on the glass, and his reflection reached out for him as well so that they touched hands, two weary images separated by a thin pane of cool glass and a gulf as vast as space itself. One of flesh, one of light—one who would continue to exist, one who was merely transient. Try as he might to reach out to this image of himself—or the world—there always was that one insignificant obstacle, that translucent barrier that kept him out and away, ultimately by himself, and his only hope for company dependant on a person reaching out for him. He really could not be sure that any of this was real, that he had not died a long time ago and his soul was simply immured in an illusionary world within glass walls that repelled him whenever he strayed too close. Perhaps, he thought, only in reflections the true nature of the world was shown—when all things were backwards and all existence wrought of light and angles could the whole truth be exposed.

Withdrawing slightly, Johan now only touched the surface of the window with his fingertips. Could such a world exist? Maybe they—all humans—were all dead and all caught up in their own opaque existence. They all were at the centres of their own lives, anyway, and continued to move through life and the world until their time was up. They were invisible to each other until they accidentally collided with one another, at which time the illusion was shattered and they were allowed to meet another and learn to love someone other than themselves.

To think that such crossing points and portals existed between dimensions as mirrors brought a peculiar calm to his mind. There were always places where the illusion would run thin, and the truth was just in front of his face—all he had to do was reach out and hold on.

"Ehehe, are you enjoying yourself, Andersen-san?"

Disturbed once again, Johan turned around to meet the gaze of Jaeger. He was calmer and more collected this time since he knew who he was up against. Smirking slightly, he crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm doing well enough. This is just such a big room. There's a lot to see and take in."

"Yes, yes. There's no other room quite like it in the house. Godwin-sama thought you would enjoy it."

"Godwin?" Johan parroted, uncrossing his arms and standing just a bit straighter. "That's the name of that man—my host?"

"Godwin-sama is the head of the Public Security Bureau, which is your host, Andersen-san," Jaeger continued from his spot, still relatively close to the door. "By extension we are all your host, ehehehehe."

Johan shook his head. "I guess I'm quite lucky, then, to have so many people looking after my needs."

"You could say that, eheheh. Anyway, there is business to attend to, things I must inform you of. Mainly, your schedule," Jaeger said as he crossed the room.

Johan, who had no intention of accommodating anyone he so profoundly disliked, made no move and instead waited for Jaeger to reach him. When he finally had his 'schedule' in his hands, Johan looked it over once before frowning. On the holographic display before him was a list of rules of conduct essentially outlining what they expected his decorum to be, a series of appointments with what he assumed to be important people, and a precise date and time for his duel, though his opponent was not named.

"This is...?" Johan began, his eyes flicking from the screen to Jaeger.

"Your schedule, but also a few other things. Think of it as a welcoming gift, ehehehe."

"You mean you're giving me...this screen?"

"The PDA—yes. It's simple. Just bring your hands together like this to collapse it, and gesture like this to activate it."

Much to his surprise, the screen did exactly as Jaeger said it would when Johan mimicked the movements he had been shown. With a quick grab at the air he had the screen up again, as though he had plucked it from another, unseen world. He went over the information once more before closing the interface again."So, what else do I need to know?"

"Dinner will be at five, so please make yourself comfortable until then. Godwin-sama has a very important guest tonight, so please consider gracing them with your presence, ehehe. Though if you were ever to have an odd craving at any hour of the day, just let us know via your PDA's message system."

"Thank you, then."

"Is there anything else you need, Andersen-san?"

Johan was slightly taken back. The constant asking about his needs was starting to get on his nerves. Sure there were a lot of things he needed (grounding, a release, a believable reason why he was going through with all this), but there was nothing he really wanted from these people. They were tolerable at best, and even then they were teetering close to annoying him with their relentless inquiries about his needs. There was an array of questions he had for them, but the last thing he needed was his mind swimming with half-answers.

"Really, I'm fine. I'd just like some time to myself."

"Very well, ehehehe. Don't forget to inspect the rest of your lodgings—unless you intend to sleep out here." Jaeger said as he retreated.

Johan waited until he was alone before sighing loud enough to fill the merciful silence that had finally descended upon him. For the first time since arriving in Neo Domino City Ruby Carbuncle appeared on Johan's shoulder. She quickly jumped down onto a gueridon Johan had gravitated towards and looked up at him expectantly. Johan returned her gaze quickly, but said nothing for a length. Instead, he appreciated the lucidity of her impalpable eyes.

"Rubibi."

"Eh, what can I say?" Johan began, shaking his head slightly. "It's weird living with someone again...but I guess at least now I don't have to cook for myself, or have to do any housework for that matter. That gives me an awful lot of free time though..."

Then, on an impulse, Johan pulled out his new PDA screen with a swift grab at the air. He navigated around new screens, browsing through applications and several logs before he found what he was looking for: the internet. After passing through a few more windows, he had found an online Go room with several games already in progress. Smiling to himself, Johan pulled up one of the games and watched a couple of moves.

"Aha, if there's one thing I've missed about technology, it's the internet."

"Rubi."

Johan opened up a few more windows on his screen. He ran the name of his hometown through a search engine and ended up with a generous list of reference sites detailing everything from the local customs to the forecasted fishing haul. Then he ran a search on himself, only to be somewhat disappointed by the results; with as few results that turned up, he may as well have passed away as an obscure man who had not spent nearly seven years on a prominent global stage. Not that he minded that he had generally faded away from the annuls of the internet, he would have simply liked to see his legacy a bit better documented considering all of the blogs that had been written about him. The assortment of vague news bits and sparse online shrines displayed on his screen seemed almost to mock him, reminding him of how far he had fallen out of touch with the world. Regardless, he did not let this disappointment impress itself on him and spoil his mood.

Turning his attention now to the room about him, Johan closed his PDA screen and faced the mahogany door leading to the rest of the lodgings he would be occupying for an indefinite amount of time. He moved to collect his valise bag and paused a moment to look back through the windows. The peacock was visible as a colourful blur as it rounded a corner and disappeared behind a pot. Sighing softly, Johan made his way to the door and placed his hand lightly on the brass handle. It yielded readily with a quick clicking beneath the slight pressure he had applied, and the door opened of its own accord, revealing a room no more grand than the previous but one still more lavish then almost anything Johan was use to seeing.

The room was plenty spacious, was panelled with the same rich mahogany, had a ceiling that was noticeably lower but still high, had one more door which Johan assumed to lead to the washroom, and, as the focal point of the room, there was a grand four-poster bed headed by a large gilded reproduction of Monte's Water Lillies mounted on the wall. The bright pastels of the painting were complimented by the colour scheme of the rest of the furniture in the room and the white duvet on the bed. Overall, Johan was left with a generally soft impression despite the sophistication of everything.

Johan moved to place his valise bag on down and take a seat on the foot of the bed. The mattress yielded to his weight yet stayed relatively firm, which earned a bit of wonder from him. It was probably made of foam, he decided, which was a vast improvement over his mattress at home. Still, he would have preferred his own bed for the sake of familiarity, even if at home he had been sleeping less and less.

Of everything so far, Johan had decidedly mixed feelings. He was pleased with his new connection with the outside world—his holographic PDA—and the privacy that he had finally been given. As for his hosts, the state of Domino City, and furnishings of the house he was far from pleased. He was sure that he was being used, but for what he could not say yet. From what he had seen of the city, it had gone through undeniable change and moved away from its origin, which was now a black land from which copious amounts of pollution billowed forth. As for the house, the antiquity contrasted violently with the sleek, modern architecture of the rest of the city. If these people were truly public officials, should they not have lived in an environment similar to that of those they served? Not to say that they could not live in style, but the choice to live in such outdated surroundings seemed like an irony anyone should have questioned.

Ruby, as concerned as ever about her master, appeared at Johan's side. She looked up at him expectantly until he put a hand on her head and smiled down at her.

"It's not a big deal, Ruby. I'm just a bit concerned over what happens now," Johan said quietly, almost as if he was afraid of being overhead.

"Rubibi."

Johan tilted his head slightly, allowing him to see the large painting looming behind in his peripheral vision. His attention, however, was quickly drawn to the space in front of him when several members of the Gem family materialised. All were silent before Sapphire Pegasus took a step forward with the initiative to talk.

"Johan, are you sure you're going to be okay?" Sapphire Pegasus began.

"Eh? Why wouldn't I be okay?" Johan asked, tilting his head once again.

"You're clearly uneasy. And that white-haired man...there was something off with him. There's something off with everyone here."

Johan regarded Sapphire Pegasus a moment. Sucking in a bit of air, he cast his gaze to the ceiling before slowly bringing it back down to his family, taking ample time consider what exactly he was going to say. Sure Sapphire Pegasus had a point, but what else were they to expect? From what Johan had gathered already, it was apparent to him that there was something terribly off with everything in this place. That the people were also affected by this unspeakable truth on some level was only to be expected.

"While I wholly agree with you guys about something being off with these people, I can't help but wonder if I just have to take it all in stride," Johan began plainly. "This place is different now, so naturally the people are going to be different as well. They've been affected by the change, so we have to allow for that. Still, I'll keep my guard up and if you all think that I should leave, I'll leave. I know that you have only ever had my best interest at heart."

"Of course, Johan. Please, just be careful and do not push yourself. We're all very worried for you."

"Again, if you guys want me to leave, I'll leave. It's not just my own welfare that I have to look after." Johan smiled wanly, his eyes betraying how weary he was. It was quite plain that he was sincere.

Sapphire Pegasus shook his head. "No. Not yet at least. We also want you to...to be able to live again."

"Live again...? I..." Johan trailed off, unsure of what exactly to say. As far as he knew his heart was still beating, the warmth of life still dispersed through his veins. Absently, he touched a hand to the side of his neck.

"Yes, to be able to duel and feel the thrill of competition again. It's obvious that you want that, so we will not take that away from you. We will do all that we can for you and only if we see more harm than good coming from staying will we ask you to leave," Sapphire Pegasus answered. To show their support of the notion, the rest of the Gem Beasts nodded. Ruby trilled as well, and jumped up to Johan's shoulder.

"Thank you, everyone," Johan whispered as he smiled. At length he looked at each of the assembled members of his family and took a moment to thank Amber Mammoth and Emerald Turtle individually, both having opted to stay within their cards. "I'm truly blessed with the best family. All of you mean so much to me...And I...And I owe you my life."

There were no verbal answers from the Gem Beasts, but instead a moving to gather around Johan in what might have been considered a hug. It was in silence that gratitudes that were shared among them all: for being the best head of household they could have asked for, for being there whenever he needed support, for being patient and abiding with him when he was waiting for something he really could not been sure was ever going to come. And now there were new things to be grateful for; the promise to wait with him this last little stretch of time, and to allow him an indulgence even if they were worried sick over his welfare.

At this moment—one of intense sentiments and feelings— Johan acutely considered himself to be truly blessed by his family, even more so than he normally would have. That he would never be able to express such a rich gratitude was enough to overwhelm him, and almost enough to drive him to a catharsis. But he was able to contain himself and instead focussed on preserving the feeling on this moment, this fleeting, singular time when he felt overwhelmed by affection and not desperately aching for someone—anyone—to acknowledge that he still existed.

–

The duel was scheduled to take place at noon exactly one month after Johan arrived. He had had no initial problem with this date, but after spending one week in Neo Domino City he began to doubt that he would survive that long. Between the meetings with prominent figures ranging from other duellists to foreign dignitaries, and his increasing anxiety over the ever equivocal intentions of his host, Johan found himself in a state of agitation quite unlike nothing he had felt before. If it was not the agitation that killed him, he figured, it would be his daily headaches that assaulted him with a searing, nearly intolerable pain. And with all of the remedies provided to him invariably failing to provided any relief, Johan had forced himself to effect an improvement in his health. He had quickly tired of Jaeger's incessant attempts to help him, and wanted to spend as little time as possible in the other's presence.

As another week passed by he found that his state continued to deteriorate. The meetings became less infrequent, but that was the only relief. Between headaches, pains began to flare throughout his body, greatly afflicting his constitution. Only when the looming duel was six days away did his headaches and pangs finally cease. But his anxiety did not, and was then even compounded by a vague understanding that several of his muscles did not respond quite exactly as his brain willed them too. He wrote if off of as a symptom of an annoying combination of exhaustion and hypochondria and did his best to think no more about it.

When the day finally arrived, Johan felt a great relief, almost as if the burden of waiting had been of an unimaginable weight. Despite a prudence born of his experiences, Johan allowed himself a certain excitement, even coming to relish it. That he did not know who his opponent was did not bother him, for he had spent so much time over the last few weeks shuffling through his deck he had become quite confident in his ability to win. No matter what the ability of his opponent was, he was sure his strategy would work.

At about nine in the morning there was a knocking on his door that announced the coming of Jaeger's unwanted presence. Regardless of his sentiments, Johan allowed the small man into his room and took the tea he offered without too much of a fuss. Though how much of it he actually drank would be largely dependant on how much Jaeger annoyed him. After a superficial briefing of how the day would go, the two set off for the helicopter pad. As they passed the plaza, Johan was again stricken by the sight of the fountain. One night when had been having a particularly painful headache he had wandered the expansive gardens of the estate and had happened to find the fountain, which was illuminated by a set of multi-coloured lights submerged beneath the turbulent waters. It would not have been such a memorising sight had his head not been pounding and his vision blurred, but it had touched him nonetheless. Now, passing the fountain in plain daylight, he could not help but recall the spectral, vaguely otherworldly image from that night.

Waiting for their arrival was a rather large white helicopter with its tail marked by the telling letters KC. Johan was escorted and helped once again by an attendant, as Jaeger was to remain and instead accompany Godwin. As such, the Gem Beast duellist was left to his thoughts for a few moments as he and his pilot sped towards the Duel Stadium, during which time he clutched his deck close to him and braced himself mentally for the crowds that he was expecting. The realisation of just how many people would be watching him was enough to produce in him a potent excitement. By the time the helicopter had landed and he was being helped out, he was smiling.

Though he had toured the Duel Stadium several times before and had had a rehearsal session, he could not help but still feel an awe being stirred by the building. And now with the volume of the crowds so loud to be heard even from three kilometres away, his awe was just as poignant as it had been when he first saw the building.

Johan was escorted the rest of the way—across the expanse of concrete sectioned off from the public and into the competitor lobby—by a group of three sharply dressed men whom he could not help but feel were evaluating his every move. He tried to strike up a conversation with one of them, but found his courtesies met with blunt, almost rude answers that consisted primarily of grunts and monosyllabic words. It was just as well to be ignored than fail in discourse, Johan decided, so he quit his attempts and instead focussed on the looming structure in front of him. The roar of the crowd was becoming louder, and he could nearly make out the words of the odious master of ceremonies.

He was led through what was effectively a back door and through several empty hallways lit by harsh, overhead florescent lights. Johan was not surprised that the hallways were so practical, and yet he could not but wish for a even a tiny splashing of aesthetic— a simple painting or a small plant, even. They passed through one more hallway, and entered into what was one of the rooms set aside from the competitors. The room was remarkably plain, but was furnished with several rows of chairs and a mounted television screen that allowed those in the room a live feed from the field and circuit outside.

As he had been instructed earlier, Johan took a seat, for he was to wait for twenty minutes for Godwin and Jaeger to arrive. Here the escorts left him and continued on down a hallway opposite to the one he would be taking towards the observation tower. As he waited the crowd only grew louder and more boisterous. To occupy his time and save him from falling into his thoughts, Johan brought up his PDA screen and began surfing the net, watching a few games of Go and trying to find more information on himself. As to be expected his name turned up more search results than the other times, but all of the new news items were reports about his rumoured appearance at the opening of the Duel Stadium. Occasionally he looked up to the television screen for an image to associate with the chaotic roaring that was beginning to ring in his ears.

After some twenty minutes had passed Johan set off again, his route now a bit more enjoyable, as the walls were painted rather than left bare and he was without the desultory company of the grim trio. He could hear the crowd better than before and, several times, could make out his own name being yelled with ferocious adoration.

The observation tower, compared to the rest of the stadium behind-the-scenes, was quite a refreshment to Johan. There was fine carpet, a lustrous coat of paint on the walls, a set of couches, and even a few live plants. A sprightly secretary had shown Johan the rest of the way, which had been a simple set of hallways and an elevator he could have verily easily navigated by himself. He had enjoyed the youth's enthusiasm and earnestness, however, so had seen no reason to send him away. But whatever the small rise in his spirits, it was quickly dashed by the sight of Jaeger and Godwin, both of their backs turned to him as they discussed a certain challenge that had arisen from unforseen circumstances: a dozen or so college students had taken it upon themselves to do everything they could to prevent the duels and shed light on the corrupt, or so they claimed. They were promptly detained, of course, but what to do with them was an issue, for one of the protestors was one of the duellists scheduled to participate in the tournament.

"Ah, Andersen-san," came Godwin's cool, even acknowledgement. Both he and Jaeger turned to face Johan.

Johan, in turn, nodded his head slightly. He found himself nearly accosted by Godwin's steady gaze, finding his breath freezing painfully in his chest.

"You have excellent timing," Godwin began again with a small smile. "You see, we were just about to move some of the match-ups around. Your new opponent, 'Blazing Yamada', might be a bit of problem, however, as he is quite fond of the hero archetype despite being a D-Wheeler."

"I...I don't mind at all. Why would that be a problem...?" Johan looked curiously at Godwin, and was almost appalled by the sudden realisation. What exactly Godwin was trying to get him to do or say he did not know, and it did not matter nearly as much as that fact that he knew.

Try as he might to maintain his composure, Johan could not help the swelling anxiety that was overwhelming him and threatening to burst. There was not much Godwin could do with the such information, but that such an intimate and defining detail of his life was known to a man he distrusted as much as this was enough to disgust him. And it had not helped that Godwin had talked about such a profound issue in such an insouciant manner, as if it were but a simple obstacle that was only slightly relevant.

And then, worse of all, was how Godwin passed over the subject: "Ah, excuse me. It was but a small misunderstanding. Now, about your Duel Disk. Rather than use an older model, we have something we wish to test out for Kaiba Corp."

"Right, whatever you need..." Johan trailed off. Despite him being blatantly terse he noted that Godwin seem unaffected, cool and immovable as ever.

"I'm glad we understand. Please, allow Jaeger to accompany you to your dressing room."

Johan simply nodded, the best he could manage with the malaise currently festering within him. There was a sudden acute burning in the front of the head, a flash of blank heat shooting through his mind and viciously scattering his thoughts. Try as he might, it took all of his effort to follow blindly behind Jaeger. He gripped his deck tighter in his pocket and hoped fervently that the pain would subside before his duel.

Upon arriving at a large metal door, Jaeger said something, but the words sounded like nothing more than a faint gurgling as they washed over him. Even the man's strange laugh was no more than a distant din as Johan opened the door and entered, maintaining his front just long enough to close the door before collapsing against the wall. His hands immediately shot to his head and clutched at his forehead in an impotent attempt to ease the building pressure. He gnashed his teeth furiously to keep from screaming.

Another wave of pain—raw, blinding, crushing—came over him then, sending him into convulsions so violent they snatched the breath from his lungs. Explosion after explosion continued without interruption now, propelling the searing pain across his whole being, tearing his soul apart shred by painful shred. Johan stopped writhing and frantically wedged himself up against the wall, forcing his back into the wall with all his might but getting nowhere—not caring that he was getting nowhere—all in an attempt to channel some of the searing electricity from its roundabout course through his nerves. And just when the pain seemed to reach a peak—the pinnacle, a brilliance more glorious than the albedo of a thousand Jupiters —and he could take no more, it simply stopped, denying him the simple bliss of blackness.

Johan lay utterly motionless for a time, his eyes shut against the overwhelming light and his mind not daring to conjure a single thought. Then, slowly, carefully, a question was formed: was he alive?

He found the answer to be yes, but with a few conditions.

Mastering himself somewhat, the Gem Beast duellist pushed himself to his feet and leaned against the wall. He was overcome by a spell of vertigo, but continued to move nonetheless. Cautiously taking one step, he put his weight on his foot and tested the light with his good eye. And though his senses were overloaded he took another step and exposed his other eye to the harsh artificial light. Eventually existence became more bearable. Putting on his Duel Disk was a daunting task that he managed to accomplish one way or another, and by the time he had managed to secure the arm clasp he was aware of the frantic cries of his family.

"G-guys, I'm okay...Really, I am..." Johan breathed to himself. The Gem Beasts heard him well enough but did not believe a word of it. Short of calling him a liar, they accused him of pushing himself beyond all reason; that he was foolish for not seeing the need to call a doctor immediately.

Placing his hand against the wall for a bit of extra balance, Johan guided himself with considerable difficulty to the door and waited, his awareness slowly trickling back as the minutes passed. His erratic pulse had nearly resettled, and most of this thoughts had come back, though they were clearly ready to flutter away at the smallest sign of another attack.

There was a knocking on his door followed by what sounded like words, and then Johan knew that it was finally time to go. He opened the door slowly and nodded, hoping that this was an appropriate response to what Jaeger had asked. Following close behind once again, he allowed himself to be led through dizzying hallways that seemed to stretch on forever, giving him an impression of wandering aimlessly through a bright and desolate world with a only a treacherous soul for company.

Finally they arrived in open air. Johan carefully took step after step to his assigned place, moving with neither haste or confidence, focussing only on getting where he needed to go. His sight was no longer blurred, but his head was beginning to pound again. Above the field and track materialised several screens displaying Godwin's face. The floating head announced the official nascent of Duel Stadium and, with a flourish of his hands, announced his best wishes for all of participating duellists. There was a burst of motion behind Johan, from which a blue light emerged and engulfed the stadium. With Speed World activated the first Riding Duel commenced, which brought such a noise from the crowd that Johan was unable to hear his own cry of "Duel" to initiate the first standing duel of Duel Stadium. With the two duels simultaneously begun, the images of Godwin disappeared.

His duel now underway, Johan drew five cards and tried to focus on his opponent who was making the first move. Across the field stood a man of unremarkable height or fame. That he should be Johan's opponent did not come as a surprise to most there, for of Johan's legacy they knew—remembered— almost nothing about.

To the public of Neo Domino City—a people who were promised peace and whose days were filled with productivity—names of the old stars who no longer appeared in the Pro Leagues had begun to fade from the collective mind. Phoenix, Tenjoin, Marufuji—names such as these and more had been rendered little more than ephemeral reminders of a time that was quickly coming to pass. With the new way of duelling quite literally upon them, the future was running circles around the stagnant present which was ever receding into the past. The people were torn between who to pay attention to. A message was sent—look towards the future. It is more promising of movement and entertainment than the grounded past. Why be earthbound when one could fly?

The path to liberation was clear.

Despite all expectations, Johan was able to win his duel. Despite being memorised by the crowd and nearly blinded by the pain behind his eyes, he had managed to hold himself together and pull out his ace monster Ultimate Gem God Rainbow Dragon, which elicited a great furore from the crowd and produced within Johan a sublime sensation that managed to soothe his agitated nerves regardless of the wild ululations of the crowd lapping at his spine. Though he could not see from where he was, he knew that Godwin had been carefully observing the duel. What Johan did not know, however, was Godwin had been anticipating the summoning of his dragon and now, upon seeing it and its subsequent effects on its master, was thoroughly disappointed.