Later that afternoon, Haruko logged in to "The World" and dashed to the Chaos Gate. "Nearly forgot… the match!" he gasped out as he warped to Lumina Cloth.

Akiko and Yuki were waiting at the Arena counter. Yuki grinned. "Sleep late or something, Haruko?" she said.

Haruko shrugged. "I had class. You know how it is."

Akiko rolled his eyes. "Are you ready now, then? Let's go pulverize that punk Sakaki!" Yuki went to the register and began registering the team. Akiko grinned. "By the way… how'd it go yesterday with Atoli-chan?"

Haruko rolled his eyes, and opened his mouth to speak. Instantly, he was cut off by a shout of "Oniichan!"

Akiko stared as Atoli ran up to them, beaming. "Oniichan?" he muttered. "Boy, do I feel dumb. And here I thought you'd finally gotten yourself a girlfriend."

Haruko rolled his eyes again, and then turned to Atoli. "Atoli, good to see you again."

Atoli giggled. "I came to watch the match. I couldn't let you three go into battle without someone to cheer you on!"

Haruko chuckled. "Someone besides half the Arena, you mean?"

Yuki rolled her eyes. "Come on, you know Sakaki's group is the favorite."

"Actually, it's Matsu's group now. Sakaki made me the leader for some reason." Matsu walked up, grinning. "So this is your motley crew, Haruko. Well, my PK days are over, but I'm still not going to lose to you."

Haruko grinned. "Hey, that works for me. Now I don't have to worry about leaving Sakaki-san for last. This way, we can whittle things down until it's just you and me."

Matsu's eyes widened and he grinned. "Are you challenging me, little Haruko?"

Akiko snorted. "All three of us are challenging you, 'little' Matsu."

Atoli blinked. "I don't get it…"

Yuki laughed. "It's pretty simple, Atoli. If you defeat the party leader in an Arena battle, the battle ends immediately. But we always make it a point of personal pride to beat all three members of an enemy party. So, since Matsu is the leader instead of Sakaki, we can beat Sakaki and Hiiragi first, and then it goes down basically to Haruko against Matsu."

Matsu gave a mocking half-salute. "Looking forward to it. Once Hiiragi and Sakaki get here, we're really going to have some fun."

Haruko grinned. With Akiko and Yuki at his heels, he walked quickly towards the warp-in point for the competitors. Atoli waved to him as he began to warp. "I'll go find a good seat. Good luck, everyone!"

Soon enough, both teams stood atop their pedestals, awaiting the signal to fight. Up above, the announcer was going through his usual pre-match spiel. "And now, the second round of the tournament! First, fresh from their astounding, whirlwind defeat of Only 1 Target, it's the Twilight Riders, led by Haruko! Will this be a repeat of their amazing first match, where they crushed their opponents with almost unreal strength? Or will Team Moon Tree, led by the rookie Matsu, once again stop their ride to the top? They certainly didn't waste any time with their opponents in Team Raven in their own first match! Now for another furious, astounding match in the Demon Palace tournament!"

Matsu groaned. "Geez, does that guy ever get tired of hearing his own voice? Let's fight already!"

Sakaki frowned. "Easy, Matsu. Don't get overexcited. Remember, as team leader your health bar is the one that needs the most protection."

Hiiragi shrugged. "Don't worry, Lord Sakaki. I'll make sure nothing happens to your little protégé."

Over on his own pedestal, Haruko rolled his eyes. "What she sees in Sakaki-san, I'll never know."

Akiko shrugged. "Hiiragi's cracked anyway. I'm glad we have to take him out first- that way we don't have to listen to him gushing over 'Lord Sakaki'."

Yuki giggled. "Hey, be nice, Akiko. And don't take Hiiragi lightly. Don't forget, her grey magic spells make her a formidable foe."

With a whirl of energy, both teams warped down to the arena floor. Haruko grinned. "Ready?"

Matsu laughed. "You know it! Let's goooo!" The two teams charged at one another, weapons at the ready.

Immediately, Yuki targeted Hiiragi. "Maj Lei!" she shouted.

Sakaki frowned. "A curse-inflicting spell? Blast! Well, I won't let you do that. Ogre Sword!" He flew at Yuki, sword flying.

Suddenly, Haruko was in front, twin blades out and a smile on his face. In the split second before they collided, he wagged a finger at Sakaki. "Now, now, I can't let you do that," he said. "Sparrow Counter!" With a swift motion, he swung his blades up and knocked Sakaki into the air, then leapt up and struck him back to earth with a powerful overhand strike. Meanwhile, Yuki's curse hit Hiiragi head-on. She smiled- with the curse in place, Hiiragi's spellcasting abilities would be heavily reduced.

Akiko took the opportunity immediately. Just before Hiiragi's poison spell reached him, he dashed at the falling Sakaki. "Tiger Blitz!" he shouted, and swung his broadsword in a V-shape. Sakaki yelled and flew back, crashing into the barrier at the end of the arena.

Matsu stared. "Wow, you guys really are good. I guess you beating Bordeaux in less than a minute wasn't a fluke after all." He drew out his broadsword and charged Haruko. "But it'll take more than that to beat us!"

Haruko swung up his twin blades to block the heavy blade. "Oh, I know that, Matsu-san. I'm just getting warmed up, though." He shoved Matsu's blade back and put a quick slice into his chest.

Matsu leapt back and grinned. Sakaki flew past him and struck Haruko hard. "Be more serious, Matsu," he said firmly. "This is far from over."

The fight dragged on for a long time, as weapons crashed and spells flew in all directions. At one point, Haruko was forced to block a bullet from Matsu's bayonet with one blade while parrying Sakaki's sword with the other. He laughed, and responded by striking Sakaki at point-blank range with a Sword Dance.

Hiiragi was the first to fall. No matter what he did, whenever he tried to heal one of his teammates, either Haruko or Akiko- and once, Yuki with a nasty wind spell- would blitz through and interrupt the spell with a powerful arts counterattack. After a vicious beating from Team Haruko's second Demon Awakening, he fell to his knees. "Lord Sakaki… I'm so sorry," he moaned.

Sakaki and Matsu stood still for a moment. "This is unreal," muttered Matsu. "When did they get so strong?"

Sakaki frowned. "Haruko! Are you using that little… item of yours?"

Haruko stared. "This?" he asked, holding up his right arm and looking at the bracelet. "Wouldn't dream of…"

"...Letting your guard down?" Sakaki cut him off, hitting him with a vicious Lateral Moon attack. He smirked. "Not bringing a Cleric was a mistake, I think."

Haruko growled and landed catlike on the ground, sliding a short way. "Sneaky, underhanded… I don't know what Atoli sees in you, but I hope for your own sake you aren't really as much of a cur as you seem to be."

Sakaki smiled. "All's fair in love and war, is it not? I will not lose to you."

A stream of fireballs crashed onto his head, making him stagger and gasp. "I don't remember giving you permission to act tough, Sakaki," said Yuki, smirking.

Haruko took the opportunity to leap back and cast a Repth spell on a badly hurt Akiko. "Akiko-kun! Let's finish this punk off fast!"

The two fighters flew forward together. Haruko's katana flew up, Akiko's broadsword crashed down, and Sakaki joined Hiiragi on the arena's floor.

Matsu stared around at his two defeated teammates, and the three grinning enemies opposing him. He grinned sheepishly. "I'm in trouble, aren't I?"

Akiko grinned wolfishly. "I'd say so, yes."

Yuki twirled her grimoire and laughed. "Ready for pain?"

Haruko held out his right arm. "Easy, you two. Matsu-san, how about it? You and me, one on one."

Matsu's eyes widened. "For real?" He shrugged. "Fine, but at least have your teammates cast some spells or something."

Haruko shrugged. "Hey, it's your call."

Akiko and Yuki looked at each other, and both cast Repth spells on Haruko. Yuki gave him a thumbs-up. "Go make us proud, Guildmaster."

Haruko grinned and drew out his twin blades. "Naturally. What else would I do? I have to set a good example for my new little sister, right?"

Up in the stands, Atoli beamed. "Go for it, Oniichan," she whispered.

Haruko grinned. "Ready, Matsu-san? Let's end this fight."

Matsu drew out his broadsword. "I knew I was right to unseal this. I knew it. Now I finally have an enemy worthy of my full strength!" He swung the red blade in a huge whirl. "Let's go!"

The two fighters charged. Haruko swung his twin blades up to block the falling sword. Matsu grinned and swung again, even harder. Haruko's arms buckled under the impact, and he staggered back. "Not bad…" he muttered. Matsu's next move was a charged strike that swept aside his guard and knocked him into the wall. Haruko grunted from the impact. "Okay, time to end this," he said. He flew past Matsu's guard and placed a swift Gale Blade attack.

Matsu grinned. "That stings, little Haruko. But not as much as this will!" He swung down the blade again. With a flash, Haruko drew his katana and blocked with it. The two blades ground against each other, sparks flying. Slowly, Haruko was pushed back. "No way…" he muttered. "Can I… lose here? Again?"

For a moment, he glanced up at the arena's broadcast screen, as images of the audience flashed across it. To his surprise, nearly everyone was on their feet, cheering. The voice of the announcer reached his ears for the first time in a while. "Ladies and gentlemen, this is truly the most incredible battle I've ever witnessed! Haruko and Matsu, two of the most talented fighters in all of 'The World', clashing together like two gods of battle descended to the earth!"

Haruko and Matsu stared for a moment, as the Arena came to life around them. Everyone was on their feet, chanting, and it did not matter which side they cheered for…

And Atoli's face flashed onto the screen for a moment. "Go for it, Haruko-niichan!" she cried out.

Haruko's eyes flew open for a moment. Then, he grinned. Matsu stared in disbelief as Haruko forced his broadsword back and made him stumble back. Haruko grinned and raised his blade to the sky. "Game set, Matsu-kun. Zan Rom!"

Swirling winds raged up from the arena's floor and sliced through Matsu. He took a tottering step towards Haruko, and then fell to his knees. "Yeah," he said softly. "Game set, Haruko." His blade fell from his fingers and crashed to the floor.

The Arena erupted in cheers. "And in a stunning finish, the winner is Team Haruko!" cried the announcer. "An amazing upset from the rising underdogs!"

Down on the arena floor, Haruko extended a hand and helped Matsu to his feet. "You almost had me there, Matsu-kun. Thank you. That's one of the most incredible fights I've had in a long time."

Matsu grinned wildly. "You said it, Haruko! But really, you're even more powerful than I gave you credit for. And I already knew you were tough. I can't think of anyone else I'd rather take my first Arena loss from."

Haruko grinned. "Any time, Matsu-kun."

Akiko laughed. "Looks like you've got a new rival, eh Haruko?"

Matsu snorted. "You know it! I won't lose next time!"

Haruko nodded. "I'll look forward to it. Come any time you want to. But be ready to lose again."

Matsu shrugged. "Win or lose, that's the way of us fighters, right?"

Haruko nodded, as the two clasped hands. "Absolutely."

Outside the arena, Haruko barely made it a step away from the warp point before he was knocked over by a flying hug from Atoli. "You did it, Oniichan!" she cried. "You're amazing. And that final strike against Matsu… wonderful! I think I understand a little better now what you mean about the arena."

Matsu laughed as he walked up. "That's right. It's not just the winning- it's about the fight itself, and the honor of the fighters. You'll understand it someday."

Haruko sighed. "Man, that fight was intense, though. My hands are still shaking on the controller. I'm going to call it a day early, okay?"

Atoli smiled and bowed. "That's fine. Get some rest, okay, Oniichan?"

Matsu blinked. "Oniichan? What?" He shrugged. "Oh, well. I'll figure it out eventually. Besides, it's Haruko, after all. Nothing should surprise me with him around."

Haruko grinned and waved as he gated out.

Exhausted, Haruko warped back to Mac Anu. Immediately, an NPC accosted him. "Greetings, user Haruko," it said.

Haruko blinked. "Me?" he said, confused. He glanced at the robed and hooded figure.

The NPC nodded and bowed slightly. "It has been determined that you have accidentally obtained an unstable and potentially dangerous item." It indicated the bracelet on his wrist. "As always, the safety and happiness of its customers is the foremost priority of C.C. Corp. In accordance with this, please turn over the item for immediate deletion. You will, of course, be provided with a valuable rare item in exchange." It held out one hand expectantly.

Haruko stared. "No way. I need this so that I can protect that safety you claim to be so devoted to protecting."

The NPC frowned. "If you do not comply, you are…"

Haruko cut him off with a snort. "In violation of my user agreement, yeah, yeah. Do you have any idea how many times I've heard that? And by the way, you're obviously no NPC. Show yourself, whoever you are."

Someone tapped him on the shoulder. "Astute as ever, aren't you… Haruko of the Emerald Winds."

Haruko whirled around. A woman wearing heavy armor, a cloth skirt that split at the sides, and a dark visor faced him. In one hand, resting on the ground, she held a long spear. Haruko frowned. "Administrator Kamui-san. Why am I not surprised that you're getting involved in all of this?"

Kamui gave him a wry smile. "Why am I not surprised that you are refusing to cooperate? You always were a thorn in the side of the Cobalt Knights."

Haruko's eyes flashed. "Of course. You were going around wiping out vagrant AIs for no reason other than that they existed. Despicable."

Kamui glared at him, making the difference in color of her eyes more apparent. "You're the despicable one, interfering with our duty. And now you're wandering around brazenly with a known cheat item…"

Haruko held up his right arm, suddenly cheerful. "You mean this? It's not a cheat item. I thought Shugo-kun and Zefie-chan explained it well enough to you last time."

Kamui's eyes fell on the bracelet, and she took a step back. "That's… it's Shugo's bracelet! Where did you get that?"

Haruko grinned. "Zefie-chan gave it to me. I think it goes rather well with the rest of my outfit; what do you think?"

Kamui seemed to recover her composure. "Nonetheless, I can't let you wander around unchecked."

Haruko's smile fell. "Of course. 'What cannot be controlled must be deleted.' Seven years after the first coming of the Twilight, and C.C. Corp still doesn't understand how wrong that idea is. And now the Twilight is coming again, and this bracelet could be all that stands in the way of utter chaos. Do you really want another disaster like the one in Yokohama? Our goals are the same, Kamui-san- why are you so blind that you can't see that?"

Kamui frowned. "Of course not. That's why I'm going to have to delete you. There's no telling…"

"That's enough, Kamui." A deep voice cut across Kamui's. Both players spun around. A powerfully built man stood there, heavily tanned and wearing a simple crimson toga. White wave tattoos curled along nearly every inch of his skin. "We have been monitoring the situation, and so far Haruko has shown no signs of causing damage to 'The World'. On the contrary, he has so far exterminated three dangerous bugs in the game that may be connected to the comatose players." He adjusted his orange sunglasses. "In short, though a rogue element, he may prove useful."

Kamui raised her spear and pointed it at the newcomer. "Who are you, and how do you know so much about…"

The man raised a hand. "I am Yata, administrator and head of C.C Corp's top secret Project G.U.," he said, using private chat so nobody could hear. "Like you, Kamui, I am a game master, charged with protecting 'The World'."

Haruko frowned. "That's not all you are. You can't hide that voice of yours no matter how hard you try… Wiseman-san."

Kamui's eyes went wide. "Wiseman… the dot hacker…"

Yata smiled. "Does it really surprise you, Kamui? After all, Balmung was also both administrator and dot hacker." He turned to Haruko. "Your ears are sharp, Haruko of the Emerald Winds. I am not surprised that you've returned to this place once again."

"Master Yata!" cut in another voice. "Where did you go, Master Yata?" Haruko blinked as a Tribal Grappler with pink ponytails ran up. "There you are," she muttered.

Haruko's eyes went wide. Could this be her? Is this the GM Atoli mentioned?

Yata smiled. "Ah, Pi. There you are."

Pi frowned at Haruko. "So, you're the rogue element that Master Yata mentioned. I hope you realize, we're not giving you a ticket to run free. You'll be working under close supervision from C.C. Corp."

Haruko stared for a moment. Then, an impish grin crept onto his face as an idea came to him. "Supervision? Sorry, lady, but I don't work with C.C. Corp. And neither does 'he'." At the word "he", Haruko curled his fingers in the air, in a suggestion of quotation marks.

Pi blinked. "What? 'He'?" Suddenly, she blanched. "You can't mean…"

Haruko grinned. "So you were the one who saved Atoli the other day. For that you have my thanks… Pi-san, user of Tarvos, the Seventh Phase."

Pi took a step back. "M-master Yata!" she said. "Who is this boy, that he knows about the Avatars?"

Yata looked confused as well. "I… am not sure myself. I know he is quite an accomplished lore master, despite his young age. His knowledge of the mythologies of both this 'World' and the real one is almost unmatched. But to know of the Avatars…" He shook his head violently. "In any case, come with us now. We need to learn what you know, and just how much power you have."

Kamui turned her spear to face Haruko. "Either you work with C.C. Corp, or you are our enemy," she said grimly.

Haruko smiled enigmatically. "Kamui-san, Pi-san, Wiseman-san… what does the word 'Twilight' mean to you?"

Kamui shuddered. "Twilight is an ending. It means total chaos, loss of control, the fall of everything we've worked to build."

Pi frowned. "A dangerous power that can't be controlled, and likely should never have existed in the first place- that is the power of the 'Twilight'."

Yata smiled. "I'd… rather not say what it means to me."

Haruko shrugged. "You two speak as ones who fear it. But what the twilight really is, is a boundary. Twilight is the boundary between night and day, between light and darkness. Kamui-san… you fear that darkness because you see an ending in it. But 'The World' neither has nor needs an ending. And besides, there is still light in the twilight. Day and night, light and dark, that is the line that I walk upon. I will willingly work with C.C. Corp when I feel it is in the right. After all, our ultimate goal is the same- to protect 'The World' and the players that have gotten caught up in this mess. But your habit of deleting anything that disobeys you… I will oppose you whenever you try and indulge that habit. I will not make the same mistakes I made when I worked under Administrator Lios. And I will also work freely with the other forces in this world- those like Helba-sama and Aura-sama who can work wonders not possible for a C.C Corp employee."

He turned to Pi. "Power that can't be controlled… the sun is the same way. Nuclear power, as well, can never be completely brought to heel. Indeed, no power can truly be controlled. But we need not control the power of the Twilight; indeed, its greatest strength is that nobody controls it. And you would not say that it should not exist if you had ever met Aura-sama or Zefie-chan." He smiled warmly. "Harold Hoerwick-sama's greatest legacy… above all else, I will protect those two with my very life."

Yata nodded. "A good answer, Haruko. But I would like to speak with you more. You should know what you're up against, if you and your guild intend to continue fighting AIDA."

Haruko shrugged. "Well, why not? Where should we talk?"

Yata handed him a small key. "This will let you into the headquarters of our guild, Raven, in Mac Anu. Come there when you are able."

Kamui stared. "Yata! What are you thinking? Running rogue like that, he represents a threat to 'The World'!"

Haruko sneered. "Far less of one than your heavy-handed ways, Kamui-san. Tell me, had you succeeded in deleting Kite all those years ago, what do you think would have resulted?" He spun on his heel. "I respect C.C. Corp, and am eternally grateful to them for making this game a reality. But as long as you continue to act like fools, I cannot work with you. I made that decision seven years ago. Wiseman-san, I'll stop by your guild tomorrow, is that all right?" Yata nodded and smiled. Haruko flashed him a grin and logged out.

Author's Notes: And, we finally get a decent fight scene! Woohoo!

As for Yata... I don't actually know if he really is Wiseman, although someone once told me he is. (They're both voiced by Steven Jay Blum, after all.) In any case, Haruko thinks he is, and Yata's not denying it, so... yeah.

And for those of you who don't remember the name, Harold Hoerwick is the man who initially created "The World" and programmed Aura.