As time passed by, the original life fiber, named Yosuke, grew stronger and stronger. Ragyo, the once sweet and kind girl, whose heart always brought a smile to her friends, slowly slipped more and more into the darkness. Yosuke didn't regret saving her life. Of course, he liked her for her kind and sweet behavior, but with each passing day, fragments of his memories resurfaced. And if he needed to change her mind to fulfill his task, then so be it.
Ragyo took her mother's place in Revocs as CEO a couple of days after her burial. She immediately consolidated her position showing great skills and a strong pragmatic and analytic mind. Moreover, if someone happened to even try to attempt at her life, as the previous board of director did, he failed miserably and could not be found anymore. Or at least, he could not be found alive.
Yosuke didn't cared at all about Ragyo killing humans. After all, everyone would have died when his task was complete, so why should they regret killing someone? Yosuke asked himself this a lot of times, but he never found an answer. While a part of him was completely willing to kill every single human on his path, another part was against these drastic measures. With time, the right piece of memory resurfaced and he understood the nature of his thoughts: When he saved Ragyo's life, he did it because she wanted to protect her. However, during the process, her kind heart lighted up some of his shadows. While he was sure that Ragyo changed completely, he couldn't say the opposite about himself. Even if a little, he changed too. Not enough to change his plans regarding the planet, of course, but enough to force him questioning himself.
Casting away these thoughts every day, he went on with his plans. Eventually, years after he saved Ragyo's life, she came to him again, telling him about a plan she has been developing in the last days.
Nine months later, from a life fiber womb, Nui was born.
….
Ryuko was shocked. Actually, shocked was an understatement: Her mind was utterly blew apart. Yosuke just told her nonchalantly that he was the original life fiber Ragyo absorbed. How could he be here if she defeated her?
"I think you already know the rest of this story." Yosuke said politely. "By the way, it wasn't kind at all from you to cut through my core. That really hurt. There are still sometimes in which I feel the pain." He said placing an hand on his chest where his heart, actually his core, should be.
"Yeah… Well…" Ryuko was still trying to wrap her mind around what she heard from him. "Sorry about that." She said. 'Wait. What the fuck did I just said? I'm sorry? Damn, he wanted to blew the planet apart! He deserved it!' She scolded herself mentally.
"Don't worry. There's no need to apologies." Yosuke replied. "But enough with small talk. Back to the main topic, I said I was going to tell you what I'm planning to do."
"Like if I care!" Ryuko snapped back angrily. "You are dangerous! You want to blow up my planet! That's all I need to know to stop you!" She then tried to free herself from the chains, but with no results. Without her scissor blades, she could do nothing.
"Please, calm down." Yosuke said. "While I understand your point of view, I can't allow you to interfere in my plans. As I was trying to say before, if you mind listen quietly for a little while, I need both you and Senketsu. Actually, I need only Senketsu, but since he managed to trick me hiding a part of himself inside your body, I need to take it out in order to fulfill my plans." Yosuke then crossed his arms and sighed. "I will tell you something: Right now, I can use just a part of my power. Fifty percent, to be accurate. In order to unlock the other half, I need to merge with a strong life fiber being." He then saw the worried look on Ryuko's face. "Don't look me like this. I won't merge with Senketsu. Indeed, he is strong, but not as much as I need." He added, understanding what thoughts passed through the girl's mind.
"Then… Who… ?" Ryuko asked, but a realization struck her so hard she actually took some steps behind, leaning against the wall for support.
"Kyruin Ragyo." Yosuke answered.
A strong shiver run down Ryuko's back while her eyes widened in fear and anger and her world begun to spin around at the revelation. Last time she fought her, she managed to defeat her by the skin of one's teeth and Senketsu died in order to save her! She didn't want to think about fighting her again, nor she was sure that she could actually defeat her again!
"You're lying!" Ryuko shout out. "You can't bring her back! It's fucking impossible!"
Yosuke sighed. "The fact that I'm here, alive, in front of you is proof enough that it's possible." He then placed his hands into his pockets. "I'm not a liar, Ryuko. I promised you won't be hurt as long as this… Truce… Last. And you won't." Seeing that the girl was still glaring angrily at him, he sighed tiredly.
"Where is Senketsu?" Ryuko asked. She needed to find him. Maybe, togheter they could synchronize and fight Yosuke. If he truly had just fifty percent of his power, then maybe they could defeat him.
"I know what you are thinking. "Yosuke said with a sigh. "Let me tell you that it won't work. You can't synchronize as long as you are inside here. As for what concern your question…" He then snapped his fingers and Senketsu slowly came out from the pillar in the middle of the room, bound to it by chains that connected his wrists and ankles. The same way Ryuko was chained at the wall.
"Senketsu!" Ryuko screamed his name. He slowly opened his eyes, answering at her call with just a small groan, but he let his head hanging onward. "What did you do to him, bastard?" Ryuko shouted. Much to her surprise, however, Yosuke seemed surprised as well at the sight of Senketsu actual conditions. "Mmh…" He mumbled. "I need to speak with my daughter now." He said while turning around. "She has exceeded what I asked her. I will let you two have your time. After all, these are your last hours togheter." He then begun walking away.
Ryuko immediately dashed forward towards Senketsu. She didn't care if the chains were too short. She would have tore them from the wall if it meant being able to stay with him. However, something she didn't expected happened: Her chains, instead of blocking her immediately, let her go on. But the more she went onward, the more Senketsu's chains retreated.
"Senketsu!" Ryuko called again. She felt a wave of relief when she saw him rising his head and trying to stand up, but her anger didn't fade away. Senketsu then tried to reach out for her, but he obtained the same result: The more he walked away from the pillar and the more Ryuko was pulled back towards the wall.
"Damn it!" Ryuko growled. Glancing at Yosuke, who was halfway from reaching the door, she tried to reach Senketsu again. Leaning forward as much as she could, she reached out with her right hand. Since this pulled back Senketsu's right arm, he leaned forward with his left hand towards her. He wanted to scream her name, to call her as she was doing, but his voice was weak and his throat was painfully dry.
Their hands were almost there. They needed just a couple of centimeters more and they would have reached for each other. Leaning even further, Ryuko tried to compensate the distance. Her body was tensed up to the point of causing her pain and her wrists and ankles were starting the get red from the pressure caused by the chains on her skin. "Senketsu!" She called out again. To be so close… And yet so distant… It was killing her. She could bare the pain on her body. But this cruel mind game was killing her heart.
Senketsu tried to take a step forward. If the chains were a little longer, they would have met each other's hand with their own. But that, sadly, wasn't the case. As he took that step, Ryuko's chain retracted. Losing her balance, she fell forward, crushing on the ground. That pulled back Senketsu, who fell backward.
"Senketsu…"
Yosuke stopped. He was about to cross the door and leave when he heard her last call. At the beginning, he felt anger and pain in her voice. These emotions slowly turned into fear, lowering her voice a little. But this last call was just a whisper.
Plick.
'What was that?' Yosuke thought.
Plick.
'Is she…'
Plick.
'Crying?' He then turned to face her. He saw that Ryuko's eyes were filled with tears. She was still laying on the ground, trying to reach her friend with her right hand, but in a much weaker way than before. It seemed that her sadness won against her pride and her anger inside her heart. Yosuke stood there for a moment, looking at the crying girl, as she whispered Senketsu's name a couple of times more. Sighing, he slowly approached her.
"What do you want?" Ryuko asked angrily, but her tears never stopped. Yosuke however kept walking without answering. "You want to mock me, don't you?" She screamed. "Come on! Do it! Mock me for my tears! You are just a cold hearted monster! I actually wonder if you really have a heart!" She screamed. Yosuke however didn't reply. When he reached her, he knelt down. Ryuko closed her eyes, expecting to be punched for what she said, but what happened next left her breathless: Yosuke gently lifted her on her knees, placing his hands on her shoulders. Then, he took out form a pocket a small handkerchief a begun to wipe away her tears with a slow and gentle movement. Once done, he put it away. Standing up again, he snapped her fingers and the chains fell on the ground, leaving a shocked Ryuko free to move. Looking towards Senketsu, she saw that he was free too.
"Why… ?" She asked in a whisper, slowly turning her head towards Yosuke with wide eyes that threatened to shed tears again.
"I accept to be called mad. Insane. Villain. Evil. I accept every insult and mockery you may throw at me. But I will never accept to be called cold hearted."He answered bluntly. "I can understand very well your broken heart. I don't care if you trust these words or not, but it's the truth." He then turned away, walking away once again. "As I already told you… When I saved Ragyo's life… Her kind heart changed me..." With these last words, he silently left the room. Ryuko stood still for a little while, before standing up and rushing towards Senketsu.
….
"Don't look me like this. I won't merge with Senketsu. Indeed, he is strong, but not as much as I need." The computer decoded the wave length of the incoming transmission and the speakers reproduced Yosuke's voice.
"Then… Who… ?" Ryuko's voice came out much clearer since she was nearer the small bug placed on her shoulder.
"What is he talking about?" Sanageyama asked in a whisper.
"I don't know." Gamagoori answered whispering as well. "Be quiet, they are still talking." The elite four and Satsuki were utterly focused on the incoming transmission. They heard Yosuke talking about his past. It explained a lot, helping to shed some light on Satsuki's doubts and questions, but still there were something she missed. Hearing that he needed to merge with a strong life fiber being wasn't a pleasurable news. She already had an idea about who he was talking. She just hoped to be wrong.
"Kyruin Ragyo." The speakers reproduced Yosuke's voice. The room was then enveloped by a cold silence and Satsuki's heart fell. Cold sweat run on the elite four's neck. None of them had the courage to say something. The silence was broke from Satsuki, who slammed her fist on the table. "Damn it!" She shouted and the elite four snapped back from their trance. Too see Satsuki lose her temper was a very rare event, but they had other matters at hand.
"Did he really said that?" Jakuzure asked with wide eyes, hoping that she heard wrong.
"No doubt. My devices are one hundred percent reliable." Inumuta answered. While he kept his voice emotionless as always, the fact that he wasn't typing anymore on his laptop was proof enough of his uneasiness: He kept writing whatever Yosuke and Ryuko said, but that last sentence stopped him.
"Lady Satsuki, what are your orders?" Gamagoori asked with a strong frown.
Satsuki remained silent for a minute. She needed to calm down before her emotions clouded her judgment. "Inumuta, how much time it will take to reach their position?" Satsuki asked calmly.
"Under normal circumstances, it will take four hours." He answered, typing again on his laptop at incredible speed. "But I think I have an idea. If it works, we will be able to reach their location in just one hour. We will be able to leave in thirty minutes."
Satsuki nodded. "Contac Iori. I have some to ask him something." She said before turning to leave.
"May I ask you what?" Jakuzure asked curious.
"I think you deserve an upgrade." Satsuki answered mere seconds before crossing the door and leaving the room. 'I just hope he will make it in time.'
