Choosing
By: SilvorMoon
A short while ago, neither Juudai nor Saiou had been anything like missing, except in the general sense of not knowing exactly where they were. They, along with Asuka and Kenzan, were following Edo's confident lead.
"I hope Hayato is all right," Asuka mused aloud. "It's been a while since we heard from him..."
"He'll be fine, don't worry," said Juudai. "You gotta give him some time! It can't be easy, getting around a guy like Pegasus."
"There's no point in worrying," Edo added crisply. "If he succeeded, good. If he hasn't, there's nothing he can do to help us, so there's no point in going back to get him."
"Hey, that's no way to talk about our friend!" said Juudai.
"Yeah, don't talk about our buddy that way!" Kenzan chimed in, always eager to back up his "big brother".
"What's your issue?" asked Edo, giving Kenzan a look. "You'd never even met the guy before today, so why do you care?"
"That is irrelevant," said Saiou, stepping in just in time to prevent Edo from being hit. Or at least, he intervened in time to stop Kenzan from taking a swing at Edo, which probably would have ended with a swift judo maneuver that would have had Kenzan staring at the ceiling wondering where all the pretty stars had come from. "Edo and Juudai are both right. We must trust that our ally is doing his best wherever he is. We will serve him best by continuing with our mission to eradicate the root of the problem, and that means pushing forward."
"Yeah, what he said," Juudai agreed. "How much further do we need to go, anyway? We've got to be nearly to the top. Look how far down it is!" He gestured to a window, which did in fact show an excellent view of the darkening city skyline.
"Not much further," said Edo. "We've only got about five more floors, I think. We'll be there in no time."
"We must be very careful," Saiou observed. The closer we get to the top, the closer we get to the Light itself. I'm sure it knows we're coming, and I doubt it will let us reach it unobstructed."
"Do you think there's going to be someone waiting for us?" asked Edo. "Come to think of it, we still don't know where that guy Yakou is..."
"I'm not sure," Saiou answered thoughtfully. "It might be best if one of us went ahead to investigate."
"I'll do it!"
Asuka glared at Juudai. "You can't do that - it's too dangerous!"
"It'll be fine. All I need to do is just look really quick," Juudai insisted. "Somebody's got to do it."
"I'm in charge here, so I'll do it," said Edo stubbornly.
"Don't be so hasty," said Saiou. "Your goal here is to save your father. You don't have the leisure to become preoccupied with trivialities. If he wants to investigate, let him do so."
Edo's eyes narrowed. "I thought we were going to need him later."
"I'll go along and keep him out of trouble," said Saiou.
"What if you get in trouble?" asked Edo, still not convinced.
"Then whatever is out there is obviously nothing you want to deal with, and you'll want to get away as soon as possible," said Saiou, "but I don't think that will happen." Without waiting for any response, he started away, beckoning to Juudai to follow him.
"We'll be back in a few minutes," said Juudai brightly, and then they were both gone around a corner.
Edo frowned. "I don't like this."
"It's just Juudai being Juudai," said Asuka tiredly.
"That's not what I'm talking about. I'm getting used to him," said Edo. "It's Saiou I'm wondering about. It's not like him to wander off and leave me alone in a situation like this. He watches me like a hawk if I even try to cross the street by myself. And he was the one who was so certain I'd need Juudai for this... What's he playing at?"
"You got me," said Kenzan, leaning against a wall. "He's your friend - you figure him out."
Edo gave him a dark look. "That was a rhetorical question. Something funny is going on around here, and I want to know what it is."
"Follow him and find out, then," Kenzan suggested.
Edo appeared to think about that suggestion for a moment, then sighed and shook his head.
"Not yet," he said. "I may not always understand why Saiou does the things he does, but he always does them for a good reason. I'll trust him... for a little while. But if he doesn't come back, I'm going to go get him, no matter what."
"So we have to go rescue your friend, but we can't go try to help Hayato if he's in trouble?" asked Asuka. "What kind of logic is that?"
Edo glared at her. "Look, you don't have to help me. I never invited any of you. But Saiou is my brother and I'm going to keep him safe if he needs me. Got it?"
"Hey, you can't just run off and leave us!" Kenzan protested.
"You should have thought of that before you showed up," said Edo.
"Oh, boys," Asuka said. She stepped between them. "Both of you calm down. Remember, Kenzan, we're here to help Juudai, so if he's with Saiou, that means we've got to protect both of them, so there's no use in fighting with each other. Okay?"
"All right," said Kenzan sullenly.
"Whatever," Edo muttered. He looked at his watch. "I give them five more minutes."
Asuka nodded and settled in to wait, watching her companions do likewise.
This is why I refuse to get involved with boys.
Juudai was not happy. Not because anything bad had happened to him yet, but because he had a feeling it was going to soon, owing to the fact that he seemed to have lost Saiou. He had no idea how it had happened - he was used to losing his socks, and on several occasions, his homework, and he'd never been able to satisfactorily explain where any of them had gone, but this was the first time he'd succeeded in losing an entire human being. Now, though, he had turned his head just once, and when he had looked back, Saiou was gone.
"Saiou?" he called. "Hey, where did you go? I'm going to be in big trouble if I go back to Edo without you, you know..."
He hesitated a moment, trying to decide where to go from there. Back to the others to confess he'd gotten separated? That wouldn't do. He'd have to find the guy, wherever he'd gone. He began walking slowly up the corridors, glancing around for signs that someone had passed by recently. There were a few doors on that hallway, but none of them were open, and, as Juudai discovered, all of them were locked. No chance of finding anyone in there! Juudai began to feel more and more puzzled - Saiou couldn't have gone very far in such a brief moment, could he? He frowned, trying to remember. It felt like he had only glanced away for a moment, but his mind had wandered a little, somehow, so maybe time had gotten away from him. Still, he thought he would have heard Saiou move off, even while daydreaming...
But he didn't notice anything, not until he walked past the elevator, and the door suddenly opened. He wouldn't have even noticed that, except for the fact that someone reached out and grabbed him. The next thing he knew, he was in an elevator, going down.
"Hey, what's going on?" he objected.
"I'm sorry," said Saiou. "This isn't personal, you understand." His expression turned cold and determined. "This is something I have to do, for Edo's own good."
"What the heck are you talking about?" Juudai demanded. "I'm here to help Edo, remember? He said you told him you'd need me..."
"That is true," said Saiou. "According to my predictions, your presence is vital to the success of this mission. That is why I can't let you proceed any further."
"I don't get it," said Juudai. "Whose side are you on?"
Saiou turned away, avoiding Juudai's gaze. "I am protecting what is most important to me. I don't need to choose a side for that."
"Protecting...?" Juudai repeated.
He got no answer. There was no sound but the hum of the elevator as it plummeted downwards. Juudai began to feel distinctly uneasy. While it had yet to occur to him that Saiou might actually try to hurt him, he didn't care for being cooped up in such a small space, especially in such close proximity to someone he wasn't sure he trusted. He wanted to be back outside where there was more room to move around, and where the floor wasn't constantly dropping beneath his feet. Give him a flight of stairs to run up and down on any day - or better yet, a bannister to slide.
"Where are we going?" he asked instead. It seemed to him like a safe question.
"The eighth floor," said Saiou.
"Great. Wonderful," Juudai replied. "I guess eight's a nice number..."
Saiou gave him an irritated look. "Your sarcasm is not appreciated. It does not matter where we are going. Do you think I'm the villain in the movie, and that I'm going to reveal all my plans to you in a dramatic speech?"
"It would make this elevator ride more interesting if you did."
Saiou made a noise of disgust. "Have you ever thought of anything serious in your life?"
"I think of serious things sometimes," Juudai admitted. "I'm just having trouble figuring out what to be serious about right now. I'm not doing anything to you or Edo, so why are you picking on me?"
Saiou didn't answer. At that moment, the elevator pinged softly, and Saiou forcibly dragged Juudai into the hallway and toward a nearby door. Juudai didn't put up much of a fight. He was still not happy about the situation, but he was beginning to feel a sense of curiosity. Something was wrong with Saiou, and Juudai wanted to know what it was, especially if the problem concerned him in some way. Too bad Saiou didn't seem to be willing to talk about what was on his mind....
Then they stepped through the door and into a dark, empty space. Lights flashed on. Juudai stared, curiosity forgotten.
"Wow," he said, awestruck. "This is a really nice arena!"
Saiou gave him another impatient look. "This is Industrial Illusions. Of course it has a dueling arena."
"So we're dueling, then?" asked Juudai. He felt better already. He knew exactly where he stood as long as he had a deck of cards in his hands.
"We are," said Saiou. "Unless you are willing to leave without a fight."
"You mean, leave as in go back upstairs, or leave as in go back to Duel Academia?"
"I mean, leave as in go away and stay out of this entire situation," said Saiou.
"Don't you want Edo's dad to be rescued?" Juudai protested.
"What becomes of Edo's father is none of your business, and I want you gone," Saiou snapped. For a moment, his eyes flashed angrily, literally glinting with violet light. Then he took a breath and calmed himself. "If you were anyone else, I would force you to leave. But you are not just anyone, so I am forced to take drastic action for you. This annoys me. So we are going to duel, and if you lose, you will leave, and you will not come back."
"What if I don't agree to those terms?"
"You seem to be under the misapprehension that you have a choice in the matter," said Saiou. "I cannot force you to do anything, but I can keep the doors from opening until you agree to do as I say. Is that clear?"
"Fine," said Juudai. "I still don't know what's going on here, but if dueling you is what it's going to take to get you to calm down, then that's what I'm going to do!"
He whipped out his deck and powered on his duel disk, thinking, And maybe this will help me figure out what your problem really is!
"I don't like this," said Edo.
The remaining two members of his party watched him anxiously as he paced back and forth. Neither of them looked happy either.
"He's not answering," said Kenzan, putting away his PDA. "Something must be wrong."
"That's it, then," Edo declared. "We're going to rescue them. Come on."
Without waiting to see who was following him, he turned and began walking swiftly in the direction he had last seen Saiou and Juudai.
"Hey, wait for me!" Kenzan called, and scampered after him.
Asuka reluctantly brought up the rear, walking slowly and falling further and further behind. She was in no hurry. She was thinking. It was plain enough that Juudai was in some sort of trouble - of that, she had no doubt - but she wasn't sure that rushing off in search of him was the best idea. This building was huge, full of twisting corridors and hundreds of rooms. Juudai could be anywhere by now, and knowing his affinity for trouble, he would be in the most difficult to reach place in the building. There was bound to be a better way to find him than just looking around randomly.
She stopped walking. Of course there was a better way, and she was carrying it in her pocket. She quickly searched her jacket until she came up with the compact mirror and eyed it thoughtfully. It looked to her like a perfectly ordinary mirror, and for a moment she found herself wondering if perhaps it wouldn't work after all, but she put those thoughts out of her mind and instead gazed into the mirror's depths.
"Mizuchi?" she asked hesitantly, glad that no one else was there to hear her. "Mizuchi, are you there? We have a problem."
The image in the mirror fogged over as though someone had breathed on it, and then cleared to show Mizuchi's red-violet eyes peering out.
"I had a feeling you might," she said. "It's not like Takuma to disappear without telling me where he's going, but he's hiding from me, so I can't see what he's doing."
"He's hiding from us, too," Asuka replied. "He said he sensed something nearby and went to check it out, and he never came back. He took Juudai with him, and we haven't heard a word from either of them, even after we sent messages."
"I'll be right there," said Mizuchi.
"How are you going to get here? We're miles away..."
"Is there something reflective near you? Something big, like a full-length mirror or a glass door?"
"There's a window."
"Is it big enough for a person to climb through?"
"Yes..."
"Stand in front of it, please, and hold up the mirror so that it's facing the window."
Asuka did as she was told. She was beginning to form an idea as to what exactly her friend was going to do, but she still thought she would be very impressed if Mizuchi actually did it.
She was right. A moment after she had taken her position, the glass in the window warped and darkened, and then Asuka could see the inside of one of the ladies' dorm rooms at Duel Academia. Mizuchi stood there for a moment, sizing up the situation. Then she took a step forward, and was instantly standing next to Asuka. The room faded as soon as she had left it, leaving only the light-sprinkled cityscape outside.
"That," said Asuka, "must be incredibly convenient."
"It has its good points," Mizuchi agreed. She glanced around the area before starting on a brisk walk, tugging Asuka gently but inexorably with her. "Now, tell me as succinctly as possible what just happened to my brother."
So Asuka told her. While she talked, Mizuchi led the way briskly through hallways and down stairs, pausing every so often, apparently to check her direction. She always seemed to have a clear idea of where she was trying to go, Asuka observed, though she didn't always seem to immediately recognize how to get there. Mizuchi's face creased with a frown as she listened to Asuka speak.
"I have a bad feeling I know what's going on," she said. "I think Takuma has probably abducted Juudai himself."
"Why would he do that?" Asuka asked.
"I've been thinking about that," Mizuchi replied. "This isn't the first time he's targeted Juudai, and I've been trying to decide exactly why he's been doing it."
"Wait, he went after Juudai before? When?"
"When Edo and Juudai dueled. Takuma put some of his power into Edo's deck, somehow. I'm not very clear on the details," said Mizuchi. "I do know that whatever Takuma did was designed to break Juudai's fighting spirit when he lost, so that he would not be able to work against us. That's what he said. I'm not sure I believe it."
"I'm still lost."
Mizuchi shook her head. "We didn't trust Juudai a bit at first, you see. He's got... some sort of power around him. When Takuma tried to read his mind too closely, he hit up against a wall of darkness so thick that he was nearly lost in it. When I look at Juudai's reflection in a mirror, his eyes are yellow, and a dark aura hangs over him. I don't think it's an evil power he has, but there's something about him..."
Asuka's first reaction was to say no, that was impossible, Juudai couldn't possibly be anything like that. On reflection, though, there always had been something a little odd about him... She shook her head. It wasn't important right now.
Mizuchi continued, "Takuma told me that he distrusted Juudai's power, and even asked me to investigate him more closely to see if I could determine the nature of his gifts. I'm afraid," she added, with eyes downcast, "that a lot of the time I spent with you was because I was following Takuma's orders."
"Now, that I don't believe," said Asuka. "Maybe he did tell you to do it, but that isn't why you did it. Anyone could see that you were with us because you wanted to be there. You didn't give me this," she added, holding up the mirror, "because your brother told you to."
Mizuchi gave her a faint smile. "You're right, that was my choice. Takuma never would have let me do it if he knew. I used to think he was so clever, you know..." He footsteps, so urgent before, began to slow as she turned her thoughts towards memories. "He always took care of us, no matter what."
"What about... your parents?" asked Asuka. Even before the question was out of her mouth, she felt it had been a bad one to ask. She'd always just assumed that Mizuchi and Saiou had parents somewhere, but the way Mizuchi was talking...
"We haven't had any for a long time," said Mizuchi. Her voice betrayed no emotion. "They were afraid of us, you see. They thought we must be possessed by evil spirits, and when they couldn't make us be normal, they threw us out of the house instead. Takuma has always been the one to make sure we had a roof over our head and food to eat. He'd do anything to keep me safe - Edo, too, when we found him. He'd steal, even, or use his powers to make people want to give us things. He'd convince landlords that we'd already paid and convince strangers to buy us meals in restaurants. He always said that anyone else would hurt us if they could, so it was all right to take whatever we wanted from them or else we'd never have anything at all. I probably would have gone all my life believing that, if I hadn't come to Duel Academia. You and your friends are good people... but I don't think Takuma believes that. I don't think he believes anyone in this world is worth trusting but Edo and me."
"But why would he attack Juudai, specifically?"
"I'm not sure," said Mizuchi, "but this is what I think: Takuma's cards predicted that it is only with Juudai's help that we will be able to free Edo's father from the force that holds him. Takuma loves Edo deeply, as though he were his true brother and not just one we adopted from the streets. He would never deny Edo anything he wanted, but he would never let anything stand between the two of them, either. Nor would he ever let anything Takuma considered dangerous come too close to Edo."
"And everyone is dangerous to him, right?"
"Yes," said Mizuchi, nodding. "Takuma fought Edo's father once. Or at least, he fought the thing that's controlling him. It ended with Takuma very badly drained and hurt."
Asuka didn't need to hear any more to understand what Mizuchi was saying. She felt herself growing angry. She had been separated from her own brother for so long... What would she have done to someone who had tried to stop her from saving him from Darkness just because they didn't trust him? Nothing pleasant, that was for sure. Probably they would have been happy to go back and face Darkness rather than deal with whatever Asuka had in store for them.
"That's crazy!" she blurted.
Mizuchi nodded. "I know. I'm beginning to realize my brother isn't as clever as I always believed he was. Ah, here we are."
She darted around a corner and found Edo and Kenzan searching the rooms on that hallway. Edo glanced up with something that looked like annoyance; Kenzan's jaw dropped.
"How did she get here?" he blurted.
"Through the window," Asuka told him.
"There you are," said Mizuchi briskly, ignoring their expressions. "I've been looking for you, Edo. Come. We need to go find our brother."
"That's what I'm trying to do!" Edo snapped.
"Well, you're looking in the wrong place," she replied, with big-sisterly authority. "And for the wrong reasons. We need to go stop him before he does something we'll all regret."
Edo's eyes turned dark. "Saiou wouldn't do anything bad."
"Not on purpose," Mizuchi agreed. "That does not, however, mean that he wouldn't do something bad if he thought it was something good. Our brother is not infallible."
"I still don't believe it," Edo insisted.
"Well, he's sure as heck gone somewhere," said Kenzan, "and if Mizuchi can find him, she's doing better than we are. I'm following her."
Asuka's cell phone suddenly jangled. She answered it automatically.
"Hey, this is Hayato," said the voice on the other end. "Where are you guys?"
"I don't know," she admitted. She turned to the others. "Where are we?"
Mizuchi concentrated a moment before replying, "Tell him we're on our way to the arena on the eighth floor."
"Got it," she said, and relayed the information.
"Great," said Hayato. "We'll be right there!"
"We?" Asuka repeated.
"Yeah, that's what I called to tell you - Pegasus is with me. I managed to talk him around."
"That's wonderful news!" said Asuka. She felt immensely relieved. Up until now, she'd seen no proof that someone who had gone over to the Light even could be talked around. It was good to know that whatever they were up against wasn't completely unbeatable. "Listen, be alert, all right? Something strange has happened to Juudai, and there's no telling if he's going to need our help or not."
"We'll be careful," said Hayato. "Thanks for the warning."
He closed the connection. Asuka considered a moment before dialing a new number.
"We should probably let the rest of the group know what's going on, too," she explained.
"You're probably right," Mizuchi agreed. "Call them, but be quick about it. We may already be too late."
It was not too late.
It was, however, getting closer to "too late" than either party liked. Juudai had taken an early lead in the game, but since then Saiou had been steadily gaining ground. Most of that had been accomplished out of sheer desperation. Saiou's initial plan had been to simply use his mind tricks to convince Juudai that he needed to give up and go back to school. That had been a dismal failure. What rankled was that it wasn't even the strange dark power that had protected Juudai, but the boy's own sheer single-mindedness. There was no shred of doubt in his mind, no hesitation, not even the slightest consideration that he might be making some sort of mistake. There were no shades of gray in his mind - only what should be done and what should not be done, and rescuing Edo's father came under the first category, and that was that. It was rare that Saiou ever met someone who was so thoroughly certain of something, and not even his powers could convince a mind to do the exact opposite of what it intended.
But that didn't matter. He was going to win. Juudai had only a sliver of life points left and only one weak monster on the field - one good attack would finish him off, and then the penalty he had planned would take hold at last. It was better this way, really, than having Edo do it, as he had originally intended. This way, it wouldn't be Edo undermining his own goals. That thought gave Saiou a momentary flash of guilt, but he squelched it. He didn't want to think about how Edo would react when this mission failed. He had been working toward this for so long, it would crush him to lose now. Thinking about that frightened Saiou.
So did the fact that Saiou was realizing that he didn't care, just as long as he got to keep Edo, no matter what condition he was in.
Even if he is broken by this, I will keep the pieces rather than lose him...
"My turn," he said. He raised a heavy hand to place a card on his disk. "I play Arcana Force I - The Magician. If this card lands upright, its attack power will double, and then I will attack you directly and you will lose."
"And what if it lands upside-down?" Juudai demanded.
"It won't," said Saiou.
"We'll see about that!" Juudai replied. He watched the card intently as it spun around and around. "All right..."
"Stop!"
The card obediently stopped, landing in its reversed position, but no one was paying any attention to that now. Both players were now looking at the person who had spoken. Mizuchi was glaring at her brother with fire in her eyes, while Asuka and Kenzan lurked behind her, watching the proceedings warily. Behind them were the rest of the others, most of them still looking confused as to what was going on. Edo stood a short distance behind them, watching Saiou as if he had never seen him before.
"Stay away!" Saiou ordered. "Don't interfere!"
"Takmua, please... you don't have to do this," said Mizuchi. "Things aren't the way you think!"
"Just keep out of this," he snapped.
Mizuchi reeled back - her brother had never spoken to her in that tone before, but she quickly regathered her courage. She stiffened her spine and pressed her lips together in the manner of a woman who is about to stop fooling around.
"Fine," she said, "I'll prove it." She took a breath, closed her eyes, and said in a carrying voice, "Everyone, listen to me, please. I have an announcement to make. My brother and I are not like other people."
Saiou gave her a look of consternation. "Mizuchi, what do you think you're doing?"
"Proving you wrong," said Mizuchi. Raising her voice again, she continued, "Takuma and I have magical powers. We can see the future, and move things without touching them, and read minds, and lots of other things. We're as not-normal as people can be. That's the truth."
"Why did you tell them that?" Saiou demanded. "What do you think you're going to do - turn them against me?"
"You really have magic powers?" asked Shou.
"Yes, that's right," said Mizuchi.
"It's true," Asuka agreed. "She showed me. She made a magic mirror for me that really works."
"That is so cool!" Kenzan exclaimed.
"I want to see!" Shou said, crowding closer.
"I want to see too!" said Juudai.
"You're dueling," Saiou snapped at him.
"Oh, yeah, right, I forgot," said Juudai sheepishly. "Can I look when we're done?"
Mizuchi heaved a sigh, feeling slightly lightheaded. It felt so strange to finally say the words out loud; she had almost expected to be struck by lightning for her impertinence. Despite Asuka's acceptance of her and everyone's reactions to learning of Kenzan's peculiar genetic structure, she had still been rejected so many times before...
"You see, Takuma?" she said. "You were wrong. Not everyone will reject us just because of who we are. We don't have to keep hiding. You don't have to protect us any longer."
Saiou stared at her a long time. A hush fell over the room as he stood there, so still that he might have turned to stone. His eyes stayed fixed on Mizuchi. She tried to hold his gaze, but the sheer blankness of that look made her want to turn and run away. It was as though he had never seen her before - as though she were just another stranger whose motives were as shallow and selfish as he believed everyone else's were. Someone he couldn't trust.
"If you are going to turn against me," he said quietly, "then that is just more reason for me to keep what little I have left."
He began his attack. Mizuchi cried out, but she found herself rooted to the spot. Edo, however, was a man of action - he took to his feet, running straight towards the dueling field. Saiou's eyes widened.
"Edo, get back!" he ordered, but it was already too late.
His attack launched toward Juudai - and went straight through Edo. The boy's eyes widened as he realized a split-second before the attack launched what he had just walked into. He gave a grunt of pain as the blast shot through him, but he was an experienced duelist, and one hit - even a powerful one - wasn't enough to knock him off his feet.
That was when Juudai triggered his trap card.
"Mirror Gate!" he declared, and suddenly everything flipped. The blast that had been rocketing towards Juudai's monster was now going the other way, straight towards Saiou, and towards Edo, who was standing in front of him. Still reeling from the first hit and not expecting a second one so soon, Edo was knocked to his knees. Saiou's life points dropped to nothing, but he did not seem to notice that, because he was staring aghast at the prone form before him.
"I win," said Juudai quietly.
Saiou ignored him. He rushed to kneel at Edo's side.
"Are you all right?" he asked.
"I'm fine." Edo pushed himself off the floor with trembling arms, and tried to hide the shaking by brushing off his suit. He looked up at Saiou. "What the hell do you think you were doing just now? Mizuchi told me you were trying to stop Juudai from helping me get my dad back. Is that true? Why would you do that?"
"I... I only wanted to protect you."
Edo shook his head. "No you didn't. Don't lie to me. You've never lied to me before all this started, and I don't want it to keep happening. Tell me the truth."
For a moment, it looked as though Saiou was going to argue. He looked around, saw that everyone was now staring at him, and sighed, hanging his head.
"The truth is that I was afraid," he said.
"Afraid of what?"
"Of losing everything," said Saiou. "I've already lost one family. You and Mizuchi are all I have left. I don't want to lose you, too."
"Do you really believe I'm going to forget all about you as soon as I find my dad again?" Edo asked. "Saiou, I love him, but I haven't seen him in years. He probably doesn't even remember what I look like anymore. You've been with me, taking care of me, all this time. You're as good as a brother to me. I'm not going to forget you."
"But it won't be the same."
"No, it won't be the same," Edo agreed, "but that doesn't mean it shouldn't happen." His expression turned grave. "This was a really stupid thing to do, Saiou. If you thought I was just going to stand by and let you take away the one thing I want most just because you were too selfish to let me get on with my life..."
"You weren't supposed to find out," said Saiou miserably.
"Oh, well, that really makes it better!" Edo snapped. "I never would have believed that you would sink this low..."
Saiou said nothing, meekly accepting the harsh words. Edo glared at him a moment longer.
"You'd better be planning on behaving after this," he said. "Because I don't want to lose any more family, either."
"I'll behave," Saiou promised. When he raised his eyes, there was a glimmer of dampness in them that he quickly wiped away.
"That's right, don't be so serious," said Juudai. "I'm not going anywhere, so no harm done! So let's get back to the real work and start figuring out how to rescue Edo's dad."
"That is a very wise choice of action," said Mizuchi. "I think that is what we should do. Unless...?" She trailed off and looked expectantly at her brother.
"I agree," said Saiou. "I will do whatever I can to help."
"And I know exactly what we should be doing," said Misawa, "and I would have told you earlier except that certain people decided dueling was more important than answering their messages."
"You aren't talking about me, are you?" asked Juudai. "You can't expect a real duelist to turn away from a duel just because his phone is ringing!"
"You can when it's important," said Edo. He turned to Misawa. "What did you find out?"
"I found a guy who knows how to get the stuff that will destroy the Light!" said Shou proudly, earning a glare from Misawa.
"The catch is that we've got to send someone to go get it," Manjoume added. "And it seems like his molecular transmogrifier or whatever it is has never been tested, so it's going to have to be someone stupid. That's why we decided to come tell you instead of trying it ourselves."
"So all we have to do is go get the stuff?" asked Juudai. "That sounds easy!"
"See?" said Manjoume, mostly to himself. "What did I tell you?"
"It's a little more complicated than that," said Misawa to Juudai. He looked as though he might have liked to try explaining it, but then changed his mind. "But essentially, yes, that is how it works."
"Awesome! Let's get started!" said Juudai.
"You mean you want to throw him in some kind of malfunctioning teleporter?" said Kenzan. "You can't do that! You could get him lost forever, or he'll come back missing a leg or something!"
"What exactly is he supposed to be looking for?" asked Asuka. "Isn't it something we could find without having to do... whatever you're thinking of doing?"
"No, it won't work like that," said Misawa. "We need something called 'positive darkness.' Apparently it's the only known substance that can cancel out the Light of Ruin, and it can only be found in Neospace."
"Neospace," Juudai repeated thoughtfully. "That name sounds... kinda familiar."
"It ought to," said Pegasus. "The name has been in the news for a while. I believe there was even a contest hosted by Kaiba Corp. about ten years ago to send some fan-designed Duel Monsters cards to Neospace."
"Oh, yeah!" said Juudai. "That's right, I remember that! I sent some cards. Weird... I haven't thought about that in years."
"I think he should go," said Mizuchi. "When I looked at his reflection, there was a dark aura around him, and Takuma told me that he saw darkness in his mind... If you need someone to find darkness, I think he is the best one to try."
Saiou gazed out into middle distance. "Yes. I think perhaps this is the task he was brought here to perform. He will come to no harm." He met Edo's skeptical gaze. "I'm not just saying that. I've felt from the beginning that he is the darkness that must balance out the Light."
"It's always Juudai who gets to do everything," Manjoume complained.
"You're welcome to go first and scout the territory for him," said Misawa tartly. "Are we doing this or not?"
"Lead the way!" said Juudai.
"Here we go again," Asuka sighed.
It was all rather exciting, in a science-fiction movie sort of way. Juudai watched with wide-eyed fascination as Misawa and Zweinstein fussed with calibrations and plugged in coordinates. Edo was also watching, leaning silently against the wall and keeping his eyes fixed on the activity as though watching for a mistake. He had refused to be left out of the proceedings entirely, though there was really very little for him to do. His watchful presence was enough to lend a sense of urgency to the situation, which might have been useful - the two scientists looked as though they were having entirely too much fun. So, did that matter, did Juudai, who paced restlessly in the small room, plainly eager to get going.
The rest of the group was elsewhere, keeping watch on the situation outside the lab, to make certain that this most vital mission was not disrupted. Mizuchi and Saiou were applying their own particular skills, warning whenever a hostile presence came too close. Manjoume and Hayato were making use of their duel spirits, dispatching them up the hallways to keep watch for anything suspicious. Asuka, Shou, Fubuki and Gekkou patrolled on foot, prepared to use whatever tactics necessary to delay any interlopers. Pegasus had taken over an unoccupied office and was using a computer to keep an eye on the virtual state of things. Juudai would be as safe as his friends could make him - at least until he left the building.
"What do you think, Hane Kuriboh?" he murmured. "Are you ready for a trip?"
"Kuri kuri!" the little monster chirped.
Juudai grinned. "Looking forward to it, huh? Well, me too! This is going to be a good adventure!"
"Almost ready," said Misawa. "Juudai, we're going to need you to stand over there on that platform. Just stand in the middle of the yellow circle and don't get out, whatever you do."
"No problem," said Juudai.
He scampered over to the platform and stood in the center of the circle. It was not, he realized, the most reassuring place he could be standing. A number of tubelike things with glittery lenses were trained on him, making him feel as though he were standing in front of a firing squad.
"Just a few more adjustments," Zweinstein murmured. "Misawa, reduce the focus by two percent. Are we getting a clear signal?"
"It could be better. I'm getting some interference. Just let me... ah, yes, that's much better!"
"What are the power levels?"
"Thirty-eight percent and holding steady."
"Good, good! That gives us plenty of leeway," said Zweinstein. He turned to Juudai. "And it looks like you're in position. Are you ready?"
"As I'll ever be," Juudai replied.
"Fine," said Zweinstein. He turned back to Misawa. "Initiate transportation sequence!"
Misawa nodded and began flipping a series of switches. Zweinstein began delicately twisting a few knobs. Juudai watched with some alarm as the mysterious machines above his head began to slowly descend, their glittery glass eyes training on him. It was like having a flock of metal vultures swooping lazily towards him.
"All processes complete," said Misawa.
"Then here we go!" Zweinstein said gleefully, and he pushed a button.
And Juudai's world went black.
It was morning. Juudai could feel the sun warming his face and hear the chatter of birds from somewhere nearby. He wished, not for the first time, that Duel Academia was not located on a tropical island full of noisy tropical birds who burst into noisy chorus as soon as the sun peeked over the horizon. He wondered who had forgotten to close the curtains last night. He squirmed a little, arranging himself around the lumps in his mattress, trying to find a position that was both comfortable and would keep the sun out of his eyes. He wanted to sleep just a little longer. For some reason, his body felt heavy and achey, as though he had been working hard carrying heavy loads all day the day before. Had someone beaten him in a duel yesterday? He was pretty sure he would remember if something like that happened...
A bird landed on his shoulder and squawked into his ear, and Juudai sat up with a yelp. He had a few seconds to register a flash of color and whirring wings as whatever had disturbed him disappeared into the trees.
"Whoa," said Juudai, as he looked up, and up, and up.
Towering above him were the tallest trees he had ever seen. They surrounded him on all sides, leaving him lying on a heap of soft moss in the middle of a ten-foot-wide sunny clearing. Everything else, as far as he could see, was an endless expanse of tree trunks, some as wide as the Osiris Red dorm itself. If one had been hollowed out, Juudai thought, it could have comfortably housed the whole school, staff and all, with a room for the cat thrown in at the top.
Juudai stood up. He didn't feel afraid yet, only curious. He couldn't remember where he was, or how he'd gotten here, but a part of him felt as though he knew this place as well as he knew his own back yard. The sense of familiarity hovered somewhere just beyond the limits of his awareness. He turned in a slow circle, looking up at the lofty trees. Flowering vines and colorful fruits hung from their boughs, and birds and insects in rainbow patterns flitted here and there. The air smelled sweet. It was so peaceful that Juudai almost wanted to lie down and sleep again, but something nagged at his mind.
"There was something I was supposed to do," he said experimentally, as though someone might confirm or correct him if he said it aloud. No one did. Neither did he remember what he was here for. He prodded his memories and found a jumble of images: a school full of people who played cards, an empty and menacing office building, a laboratory full of mysterious machinery, a beautiful castle that floated on air. They all seemed equally recent and real.
"I'm looking for something," he decided. What, though, he wasn't quite sure. He didn't think it was sticks or leaves or flowers, which seemed to be all that was available in this part of the world.
A noise caught his attention. For a moment, he thought it was one of the multitude of birds. It did sound a little like a bird-call, a kind of gentle chirp, but it sounded familiar.
"Kuri!" it said, and Juudai turned and smiled.
"Hane Kuriboh!" he said happily.
The little bundle of fluff flung itself into Juudai's arms, and he cuddled his partner, laughing as the fur tickled his face.
"Yeah, I'm glad to see you, too!" said Juudai. "Is this your home?"
"Kuri."
"Guess not. Okay, do you have any idea what we're supposed to be doing here? Because I'm a little lost."
"Kuri, kuri!" Hane Kuriboh took to his wings, fluttering a short distance before pausing to make sure Juudai was following him.
"Right behind ya, buddy," said Juudai, and he took off through the trees.
The going was surprisingly easy. Most of the sunlight was filtered out by the many layers of tree branches, leaving the ground covered only by leaves and soft moss. Occasionally, some unknown, monkey-like beast would scamper by, stop to stare at Juudai, and then hurry away again with a squeak. The air had been warm in the sunny patch where Juudai had awakened, but it was pleasantly cool and shady beneath the trees. His earlier aches melted away as he walked, and Juudai found he was enjoying himself. He still wasn't quite sure why he was here, but he trusted Hane Kuriboh not to steer him wrong. He let his mind wander as he walked and walked and walked...
Juudai became aware that one of the trees in front of him did not look quite like the rest. It stood out even among these enormous trees: if they were the size of his dorm, this one was big enough around that the entire main school building could have fit neatly inside it. He thought at first that it had some sort of vine wrapped around it, but as he drew nearer, he could see that what he'd first taken for a vine was actually a flight of steps that had been carved directly into the trunk. He thought there were other carvings, too, but he was too far away to see them. He was obviously going to get a look at them soon, though, because it was to this tree that Hane Kuriboh was leading him. He broke into a run, sprinting so quickly that he outstripped his partner, and Hane Kuirboh gave a squeak as he was snatched out of the air. He clung to Juudai's shoulder and made little chattering noises of encouragement into his ear as he ran.
He skidded to a halt near one of the roots of the tree, where the staircase began. Even the aerial root was thicker around than most trees Juudai had seen, and the steps broad and gently sloped, easy to climb. He started up. Then he stopped.
"Did you hear something?" he said to Hane Kuriboh.
"Kuri..." said Hane Kuriboh doubtfully.
Juudai took another step, and again, felt the sensation of something whispering in his ear, a soft rushing sound like the splashing of the ocean, but there were words in it that he couldn't quite catch. He stopped, and they fell silent.
"You're sure we have to go this way?" he asked.
Hane Kuriboh fluttered his wings in what looked like a shrug.
Juudai looked back up at the tree. From ground level, the trunk looked so solid and massive that it was hard to imagine such a thing could be moved at all, but near the top he could see that it was swaying gently in a breeze that went unfelt there at ground level. Juudai imagined briefly what it would be like to be so high up there, to feel the stairs he was climbing moving back and forth under his feet, to feel the wind pushing him closer to the edge, toward the long drop below him. It would be so much easier and safer to stay down here on the ground...
A wind whispered by, finding its way through the forest somehow to tug at Juudai's hair and clothes, and stirring the leaves at his feet. He glanced down, startled by the sudden movement, and saw a flash of color that didn't belong. It wasn't the right shape as all the leaves, and had touches of black and pink to it. It was a card.
"Hey, I've seen this before..." said Juudai. He reached out to pick it up. The card showed a pink dolphin, surrounded by some sort of rippling bubble. Juudai ran his fingers over it wonderingly.
"I drew this," he said. "But it was just a scribble... How did it turn into a card?"
"Kuri!" said his companion. Juudai stared at him.
"I'm really not sure what you just said," he admitted.
He pocketed the card, his mind made up. He began to walk.
In the beginning, all was darkness...
The voice seemed to come from everywhere: from the wind, the tree, the pinpoints of sunlight that slanted through the leaves. Juudai listened as it continued to speak.
In the beginning, all was darkness. As blackness contains all colors, so this darkness contained all things. It was the beginning of life in the universe, and that life was protected within the embrace of the perfect darkness...
Juudai began to relax a little. It still felt very strange to hear the voice of an invisible something speaking in his ear, but the story was somehow soothing to him. It felt like a bedtime story that someone told him when he was very small, one which he had almost forgotten until now. That wasn't possible, of course. His parents had never had time to tell him bedtime stories. But still, like everything about this place...
After the darkness came the light, and the light was good. The light revealed all that the darkness had created, and the dawn of wisdom and knowledge began. While the light and the darkness were in harmony, the universe was peaceful. Life flourished in the darkness, and the arts and sciences blossomed in the light.
The stairs leveled off, and Juudai found himself standing on a platform. He paused to catch his breath a moment. He still hadn't made it very high off the ground - or at least, that was the way it felt, until he actually looked down. The earth seemed to be miles below him, but he wasn't anywhere near the branches of even the smallest nearby trees. The view made Juudai feel a bit uneasy, as there was nothing to keep him from falling over the edge if he slipped, so instead he took to looking at the side of the tree. Patterns had been carved into its bark, showing a variety of animals. Juudai could make out a dolphin, a bird, and various other creatures that were harder to identify. He decided they looked friendly.
When he turned around again, there was another card on the steps - a bird, this time. He tucked it in his pocket and moved onward.
As all things began moving from the darkness into the light, the light began to cast shadows. These shadows were empty darkness, and nothing existed in them. This false darkness was mere emptiness, and longed to fill itself. It began trying to draw all things into it, even the light itself.
It dawned on Juudai that it was getting colder the higher he climbed. He was beginning to feel the wind now, and very slightly, the rocking of the tree. He tugged his jacket a bit more closely around him. He had reached another flat platform, with another carved image. This one showed not only beasts but humans as well. He picked out a few shapes that he could have sworn were Duel Monsters. He ran his fingers over a carving of an elegant castle with high turrets and flags waving from the tops of the towers. The people and the Duel Monsters both seemed to be passing freely in and out of it. They looked happy. He felt a sudden overpowering urge to be there now. He felt strongly that if he were there, everyone would welcome him with great rejoicing.
"Kuri, kuri!" said Hane Kuriboh excitedly. Juudai leaned a little closer to see what his partner was pointing at.
"Hey, it does look like you!" said Juudai. "Have you been there before?"
"Kuri!"
"Really? Why didn't you tell me?"
"Kuri."
"Yeah, you're right. I guess it never really came up," said Juudai. He stared at the carving. "Why are there so many things here I feel like I should remember? Am I just going crazy? Or what?"
Hane Kuriboh shrugged. "Kuri..."
"It's okay, I'm not blaming you," said Juudai. "All the same, this is really weird."
He turned to begin his climb again, and was unsurprised to find another card lying on the steps nearby. He picked up the beetle card and put it with the others before resuming his ascent.
The false darkness, seeking to fill its emptiness, began drawing all things into it. Living things that stumbled into it were filled with fear and doubt, objects became lost beyond finding, and all things became part of the shadows. In the end, the darkness became so deep that even the light itself became drawn into it, and its nature was corrupted. And thus the false light was born, and there was no peace left in the universe.
As Juudai climbed, the story seemed to flow past his eyes as though he were watching it happen. The joyful people from the carving were now deceitful and selfish, and the monsters had gone from being magical to downright threatening. He stopped again at the point where the first laves of the smaller trees came into reach, and wished he hadn't. The next mural showed the beautiful city as a crumbling ruin, and the bodies of men and monsters alike lay scattered before it. He closed his eyes, but it didn't help. In his mind, he could hear the cries of pain and smell the stench of death. He turned away with a shudder, forcing himself to look at anything but what was in front of him. He let his eyes focus on space near his feet, and made himself recognize the shape of the card there. It was a friendly looking furry beast, something that looked strong and reassuring, and Juudai stared at it for a long time before he picked it up and moved onwards.
The true darkness fought against the false light and the false darkness. It took many eons, but at last they were both forced far away from the world of living things, but it took much of its strength to do even that much, and it could not destroy them entirely. Nor was there peace once the false light and false dark were driven away. They had left their marks in the hearts of living things. There were many who had found that they loved the power the false light could give them, and many who feared the true darkness because of the terror left by what was false. When the true darkness reached out to them, those with fear and cruelty in their hearts turned on it...
"I don't like this story anymore," Juudai complained.
His words were snatched away by the wind, so that he couldn't even hear himself speak. He was very high up now, above the tops of the other trees, and the trunk he was climbing around had become slender enough that it swayed alarmingly. He had to keep one arm wrapped around it to keep from being thrown off. His entire right side was covered in sap and bark and splinters, but he preferred that to taking any chance that he might lose his footing and fall. How high up was he now? Two hundred feet? Three hundred? More? He couldn't even see the ground anymore, just the tops of trees. They were far enough below him that they looked like waves of green foam. They were moving.
He looked quickly away and forced his attention back to the tree trunk. If he looked at it from close by, he couldn't see the trees or the sky anymore, just carved wood. The castle in the carving had been rebuilt so that it was almost good as new, but there was something off about it now, something forbidding, as though it were no longer a gracious home but a prison. It made him feel sad, with an ache that lodged deep in the bottom of his throat. He felt sure that the people in there were lonely and frightened. He pressed a hand to the castle gate as though it might open for him, but it was only wood under his fingers. He felt something shift slightly, and he gave a start and jerked his hand back to find there was a new card in it, showing a pale humanoid creature with gentle dark eyes. He looked suspiciously at the tree before shrugging and moving on.
The true darkness despaired and withdrew, and the mortal worlds became ever more corrupt, and their denizens filled with wickedness and despair. Finally, the lesser elementals - the spirits of earth, fire, wind, and water, and of the smaller lights and shadows, and the spirits of life and change, drew the remains of the darkness together with their own varied powers. The earth gave it form, the wind gave it breath, the water gave it blood, and the fire gave it warmth, while the light and the darkness and the spirit bound life into it. So the true darkness became a mortal thing, and walked among men and became one of them. As a mortal, it learned to live and love and feel pain and sadness as living things did, and as it learned to fully understand them, so they came to understand it and be drawn back to it. The arrival of darkness's incarnation brought hope to the worlds, and the people rejoiced.
Juudai found that he was getting dizzy, and he had to stop to catch his breath. The air seemed to be thinner than it had been before. It was also, Juudai realized, cold. He was surprised to look up and realize that the sky had darkened. How had it become night so fast? For a moment, all he could do was gaze in awe up at the sky, which held more stars than he had ever seen before. They all looked larger and brighter than the stars at home, and they gleamed in pale pastel colors. Three moons hung in the sky, one huge and white, one smaller and greener, and one that was blue and slightly lopsided, like an egg. There were other planets up there, too. A large portion of the horizon was taken up by the dome-shape of some other world with a cloud- swirled surface and blue-green rings. He stared at it, open-mouthed. He hadn't quite known where he was, but it had still felt like Earth - an exotic part of the Earth, maybe, but still somewhere close to home. His knowledge of the universe wasn't perfect, but he had a strong feeling that this couldn't be anywhere in his solar system.
Then he looked down. He had a feeling it would make him dizzy again if he did it, but he couldn't help himself. There was something compelling about being so high up that made him want to see exactly how far he'd made it. He stared, rubbed his eyes, and looked again. Somewhere miles below, he could see the sun shining on the tops of the trees, and the horizon had a blue glow to it. How had he managed to get above the atmosphere? And how was he still breathing? He swallowed hard.
"How am I going to get down from here?" he wondered. The idea of having to go back down all that way made him slightly dizzy. Or would he just float if he jumped?
No way to go but up, he decided, and continued his weary climb. He had reached the branches of the tree at last, and the stairs had turned into a spiraling bridge made of ropes and boards, strung from branch to branch. It rocked gently with the swaying of the tree. Juudai clung to it with sweaty hands and forced his way onward.
For as long as the Avatar of Darkness lived in the mortal worlds, there was peace and contentment. The Avatar dwelled among them, not knowing the full extent of his powers, existing only as a child. He was beloved by his people, and that love drew them back to the way of goodness.
But all was not well, for the false light and false darkness still existed, and the true darkness was weakened in its child's form. Though it was protected by powerful guardians, the false light was able to slip into the heart of its most trusted guide and friend, poisoning her mind with thoughts of jealousy towards all others who might grow close to him, and so he was lost.
But not completely lost. The avatar was overcome but not destroyed, and remained in stasis in the darkest shadows of the universe, until the day that he would wake again...
Juudai stopped. There was nothing else he could have done, because there was nothing left to climb. He was standing a sort of platform made of pale wood, or what looked like wood, but it felt like glass to his touch, and the grain of the wood seemed to be swirling and shifting slowly. When he looked over the railing, he could see the leaves and branches of the tree. The leaves shimmered softly like stars, and the branches appeared to be made of cloud, so that he could not tell where the foliage left off and the sky began. The white moon was directly over his head like a spotlight, so huge and close that he thought he could almost touch it. Juudai looked down at his feet to try to see how he had climbed up there, but there was no opening on the bottom of the platform and no gap in its railing. He was simply there. So was the card at his feet. He knelt to pick up the picture of the black panther and put it with the rest.
"Kuri, kuri!" said an excited voice in his ear, so suddenly that if there hadn't been a railing, Juudai would have fallen over the edge.
"Don't do that!" he protested.
"Kuri!" his partner insisted.
Juudai looked to see what Hane Kuriboh was so excited about, and realized that he was not alone. Arrayed before him were all the creatures he'd been collecting: the dolphin, the hummingbird, the scarab beetle, the mole, the panther, the mysterious glowing creature. And there was one other with them, one who looked like nothing other than itself: a sleek, silver-white humanoid with glowing golden eyes.
"Greetings, Juudai," it said. "We've been waiting for you."
"Where am I?" Juudai asked. "Can you tell me how I got here? And what was that all about?" he added, waving his hand vaguely to indicate his climb.
"This is the World Tree," said the hummingbird. "Sometimes called Yggdrasil. It is the tree that grows through all worlds and realities."
"Your friends sent you here," the dolphin elaborated. "I believe you had something important you were looking for..."
Juudai frowned a moment, and then suddenly brightened. "That's right! I remember now! I was looking for Neospace, to get... to get the..."
"Darkness," the panther finished.
"Yeah," said Juudai doubtfully. "I... guess it's a lot more complicated than anyone thought it was."
"It is more complicated," said the dolphin, "but also simpler. You see, Juudai, we've been waiting a long time for the new avatar of darkness to arrive. Now you're here. All that remains is for you to claim that power."
"Huh? You mean, that story was about...?" Juudai trailed off, confused. "But that can't be about me. I'm not the reincarnation of anyone. I'm just me."
"But you did come for the powers of the true darkness," said the creature who had first spoken to him.
"Well, yeah," Juudai admitted.
"Then accept them."
Juudai hesitated for a moment, looking at the creatures assembled before him, at the sky that was unlike anything he'd ever seen on earth, at the foggy limbs of the tree with its starry leaves, and was at a loss for what to say. He knew he needed that power. In his mind's eye, he could see all of his friends back on Earth waiting for him, wondering what was happening to him and if he would come back safely. He knew what would happen if he failed in his mission. But now he also knew just what he had been sent to retrieve. He had left thinking that he was going to pick up something, simple as finding a shell on the beach or a fruit on a tree, and putting it in his pocket and taking it home. The darkness he needed wasn't like that. He stood under those perfect stars and knew that he was small and dirty and fragile. It had never bothered him before, knowing that he was human, but the thought of someone like him having to take up the power that had brought life into the universe and carry it home like a hunting trophy...
The dolphin stepped forward and laid a gentle hand on Juudai's shoulder.
"It's not just for you," he said. "Not even just for your friends. It's for everyone. That's why the darkness became human in the first place - to reach out to others."
"What do I need to do?" asked Juudai.
"All you need to do," said the panther, "is accept."
"Oh. Um, okay," said Juudai.
This would be a lot easier, he thought, if I didn't know what I was doing.
"I accept," he said.
He wasn't sure what he'd been expecting - a bolt of lightning, maybe, or an earthquake. Instead, what he felt was a tremendous sense of stillness, and with it, a great feeling of something about to happen. It was a feeling of potential, one that made his pulse race with the knowledge that the world was brimming over with possibilities, things he could do, people he could meet, things he could learn. It was a good feeling, and the only unsettling part of it was the sneaking suspicion that it had been there all along in some forgotten corner of Juudai's brain, and he had simply never noticed it before. He had a moment to revel in the sensation before it drowned out his consciousness entirely.
To Be Continued