I returned to the familiar blue room where the same two people waited for me.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room," Igor said.

"Because of the new bond that you forged, you have unlocked the Emperor Arcana," Margaret said. "Right side up, it represents authority, structure, and protection. Upside down, it represents dominance, inflexibility, and a lack of discipline."

"Allow me to foresee your upcoming future. Ah yes, it appears that a major disaster will befall upon you, claiming various lives. Do not be alarmed; you already have the power required to strike back."

"Should you need any assistance from us, we will aid you in your journey."

"I cannot wait for what that day may bring."

Episode 7

Several days have passed since Matt's incident. Thankfully, he was able to recover sooner than expected, and we partied at his place with various small treats and snacks. Despite the celebration, the reality of our situation did not change. With midterms fast approaching, we focused on studying as much as we can for exam week. As much as I want to keep up with the teachers' pace, I felt my brain frying as I wrote my notes on paper.

Soon, the bell rang, signaling the end of classes. I haven't felt this relieved in a long time. I could not handle any extra information. I thought everything would leak out of my brain should something knock it in any way.

"What's wrong, Tai," Sora asked, walking towards my desk.

"I don't think handle any more of this," I said, with my head on my desk.

"As long as you make it to Midterms, you'll be fine."

"That's what he's afraid about," Matt said, walking up to my desk.

"Please don't mention it; the thought of it brings me to tears," I said.

"If you want, we can do a study session after school," Sora said.

"I can't; I have soccer practice today."

"You coach still makes you practice before exam week," Matt asked. "Isn't that a bit much? He should know your studies are important at this time."

"I've talked to several students here about their sporting activates," Sora said. "A lot of their coaches are taking it easy on them, but it seems like your coach is the exception. I heard he's making you guys stay until late after school for practice."

"Rumor has it that even his PA classes are getting under some of the student's skin, but because of his size and build, no one is willing to speak up to him about it or inform the other teachers about it."

"It's a little excessive, don't you think, Tai?"

"I mean, sure, he's tough on us, but that's what coaches do, right," I said. "It can't be argued that his teaching methods produce results."

"Right, but you should say something about it," Sora replied. "You're the captain, so I'm sure everyone would follow your lead as long as you say the word."

"If it gets too much, I'll say something. Anyway, I should get going."

"Take care, okay?"

"Try not to overwork yourself," Matt said.

I headed towards the locker room and started changing. During that time, other soccer players come in.

"Hey, captain," one soccer player said.

"Hey, guys, how are you holding up," I asked.

"Ugh, not too good," another player replied. "My body is getting sorer by the day."

"It makes it hard to concentrate on anything," a third voice replied.

"It starting to affect my daily life," another one said.

"Well, that's the grind you have to go through to become a good player," I said. "Hard work and determination produce great results."

"Yeah, but what he's doing to us feels more like abuse than actual coaching," one player said.

"Can't you do something about it, Tai," another player asked.

"If he steps out of line in any way, then I will be vocal about it," I answered.

"Dude, everyday feels like he's stepping out of line; it's crazy," the third player said.

"I just want to get this over with," another player added.

"Yeah, with the way he's 'coaching,' I'm starting to hate soccer," another voice responded.

"I get what you mean. I miss the good old days when we would just have mock matches. I hope the old coach returns soon. I miss him so much," a fourth person said.

"Hey, now that I think about it, do you guys know why our previous coach had to take a sudden hiatus," I asked everyone.

"You didn't know, captain? He broke his leg in a traffic accident," one of them answered.

"Wait, I heard something happened to his father, so he went back to his hometown," another person responded.

"I though he was caught doing something bad, so the school suspended his teaching license," a third person claimed.

"What, I can't believe someone like coach would be involved in something sketchy. He doesn't seem like that kind of person," a fourth person remarked.

"Wait, something doesn't add up," I said. "Why are there three valid, yet different, reasons why our previous coach was away these past few weeks? That doesn't make any sense."

"You're right, it doesn't," someone replied.

"You don't think our new coach is hiding something from us, is he," another player asked.

"Just by appearance alone, he's super sketchy," a third player said.

"Hey, don't say stuff like that. It's rude," a fourth person said.

"Where did you guys get your information from," I asked.

"I heard it from some friends of mine in other sporting clubs," a player answered.

"Same," a second player said.

"Nothing from any of our other teachers or coaches," I questioned.

"I think they heard the same story as our friends and took it as fact," another person said.

"Let's all ask coach if he knows what happened to the previous coach," I said to them. "It may be private information, but we have the right to know as former students of his."

"Yeah, but he's pretty tough and scary. I don't know if I have the courage to stand up to him," a player said.

"Which is why I suggest we all go together," I said. "If we all ask, I'm sure he'll respond in kind. Let's give him the benefit of the doubt, okay?"

"If you say so, Tai. You're our captain, after all," a player stated.

The team and I headed out to the field where the coach was waiting for us.

"You're all late," he said.

"Coach, classes just ended," I said.

"Then, learn to change faster. You know the drill – ten laps around the field."

"Sir, we wanted to ask about the previous co-."

"Instead of yapping your lips, move those legs."

"But, Coach…"

"I can make you do fifteen laps instead, if that's what you wish."

"Yes, Coach."

Once more, after ten laps, the team was exhausted.

"Sir, about our last coach, I was wondering if…," I asked him.

He blew the whistle right in front of me, which stung my ears.

"Listen up," he said. "During shooting drills, I noticed a lot of poor shots made, as though you are all rookies. This time, there'll be a punishment. Each time you miss the goal or the goalie catches the ball, you do a lap around the field immediately after. When you make a shot, the goalie will do a lap around the field, and the sub goalie will replace him. If we run out of subs, the one who made the shot will be the temporary goalie. Now, let's get a move on."

"Coach, with all due respect, isn't that a bit much," I asked. "Everyone is guaranteed to run under your method. I think that…."

"The team captain will be kicking first to show you how it's done."

"Sir, hear me out…."

"I said you're kicking first. Move on it."

Gritting my teeth, I headed over to my position. The goalie anxiously waited for the ball. I purposefully kick the ball over the net. The whistle blew again.

"Since you clearly did that on purpose, you're running two laps around the field," the coach said. "Get to it. If anyone else has any funny ideas, I'll increase your laps."

I started running around the field as the rest of my teammates kicked the ball. Many times, the ball knocked into the goalposts, so the team started running. After seeing that no goals have been made yet, the coach became agitated. He headed over to the ball. His menacing state made the rest of the players move away. When he kicked the ball, it swiftly knocked the goalie's head, making him bleed and collapse. Stopping midway, I ran over to the goalie.

"Coach, what was that for," I asked.

"Perhaps a kicked it a little too hard," he said. "Bring out the sub goalie."

"Sir, he's injured and needs to see the nurse."

"Nothing a little spit won't fix. Bring out the next goalie."

"I'm taking him to the nurse's office."

"You leave the field, and you're out of the team. The same goes for the goalie, too."

"Please, Captain, put me down. I'm okay," the goalie said.

"You're clearly not okay," I told him. "Your health and safety comes first. What if that wound gets infected, harming you in the long run?"

"But, Captain, if we leave, we'll…"

"I'd rather be free than be grounded in his barbaric rule. We're taking you to the nurse's office."

"That's right; keep walking," the coach said as I left. "I'll make sure to put a bad word for both of you. You, you're the new team captain, and I suggest you follow my orders this time."

I kept walking with the goalie as we headed to the nurse's office, which was thankfully in the first floor of the school building.

"Excuse us," I said, opening the door. "No one's here. She must have stepped away. Come on; let's get you to bed."

I assisted him to the far bed and looked through the medical cabinet to see if there was anything I can use for first aid.

"Your nose is bleeding profusely," I said to him. "Do you think your nose is broken? Do you feel a lot of pain touching it? I don't want to touch it directly if it's broken. You need some painkillers? Maybe there are some cotton swabs to wipe off the blood and ointment for your nose. What's wrong? Why are you crying? Are you in that much pain?"

"No, that's not it," he said. "Because of me, you're kicked out of the team. You're one the best players on the team, so it's my fault you're not on it anymore."

"Hey, I left on my own accord. In fact, I should apologize. I went against your will to stay, which meant you're not on the team, too."

"Yeah, but I'm not as serious or as passionate about soccer as you are, so it's a bigger loss if they lose you."

"True, but a team is only as good as its goalie, so you're an important piece of the team."

"Yeah, but your leadership is what keeps the team together."

"Then, let's say the team is at a disadvantage with the two of us out."

"That works for me."

The door opened, but it wasn't the nurse who came in.

"Sup," a blue hair player said.

"You guys okay," a red hair player asked.

"You two, why aren't you out in the field," I asked them.

"We dropped out," the blue player said.

"No point playing when the best player leaves," the red player said.

"Besides, that 'coach' pisses me off so much."

"I was really going to hate soccer if I stayed there any longer."

"So, how about you? You look like a total mess."

"It's nothing," the goalie said. "It could be worse."

"You look terrible," the blue player said. "Your nose is all jacked up."

"Yeah, I'm waiting on the nurse to come to give him a proper diagnosis, but she hasn't shown up yet," I said.

"I think you need to go to the hospital," the red player said.

"I think so, too, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there," I said.

"By the way, you never got a proper answer about the old coach," the red player said. "He kept cutting you off every time he had a chance."

"I knew there was something fishy about him," the blue player said.

"Hey, let's not get suspicious without any evidence," I said. "Right now, the important thing is to make sure he gets better as soon as possible."

"You see, this is why you're the captain," the red player said.

"No matter what happens, you have my support," the blue player said.

"Me too," the goalie said.

"There's no need for the praise," I said. "Here, can you two look after him for me? I'm going to so see if I can find the nurse. The sooner we get you treated, the better."

"Got it," the red player said.

"Will do," the blue player replied.

First, I headed towards the teacher's lounge. When I asked about the nurse, one of them assumed she was in her office, while another claimed she might be treating someone outside right now. Outside, I met with other sporting teams that were also practicing, but with a lighter schedule. They stated that they haven't seen her yet, but one of them told me she was in her office when they visited her recently, meaning she was still somewhere in school. I thanked them and continued my search.

After looking around for so long, I decided to head back to the nurse's office. On my way there, I bumped into a teacher, who told me that they saw the nurse heading back to her office. I quickly ran back to check if everything was okay. Before I entered the room, I noticed that there was an empty clipboard on the floor. I recognized it as one of the nurse's possessions. I had a terrible feeling.

I quickly opened the door. The blue player and red player were on the ground, unconscious. The room was a mess. It was clear that a struggled ensued. I checked the goalie, but he was nowhere to be found. The nurse was also missing.

"Hey, you two, snap out of it," I said to them. "Wake up! Tell me what happened here!"

"Hey, Tai, I saw you running around outside, so I was wondering…," Sora said, walking towards the nurse's room.

Sora gasped when she saw the room.

"Tai, what's going on," Sora asked.

"Sora, get the teachers," I said. "Tell them to call for help. This is an emergency."

"O-Okay, will do."

Sora hurried off as I tried to figure out what was going on and why this happened.

The next morning, I was awakened by my ringing cell phone.

"Hello," I said, sleepily.

"Tai, it's Izzy," Izzy said. "Hey, are you seeing the news right now?"

"I just woke up. You woke me up."

"Get to the TV, fast. You need to see this. They're talking about you."

"Me? What did I do?"

"I think you need to hear it for yourself."

Wearily, I left my room and headed to the living room. Inside, my mom and Kari had concerned looks on their faces as they stared at the television. I listened in on the news.

"Yesterday, two soccer students were found in the nurse's office of a local high school in critical condition," the news reporter said. "The primary suspect is senior student and former soccer captain Tai Kamiya, who had a falling out with the head coach of the school's soccer team. After the student's rude behavior towards the coach, he was kicked out of the team. It is believed that, in his frustration, he lashed out on his two teammates, resulting in their critical condition."

"What the heck is going on here," I asked. "Who's making up these lies?"

"Tai," Kari said, worriedly.

"Tai, can you explain to us what happened," my mother asked.

"I found them injured in the nurse's office and asked Sora to call the teachers for help," I explained. "You can ask her. I would never harm my teammates. You have to believe me."

"Don't worry, Tai, I'm your mother; of course, I believe you. There's no way someone like you would do something as terrible as that."

"But, with all the media attention he has right now, a lot of people might target him, like the police and the media," Kari said. "What are we going to do?"

"Because of this report, there's a chance you two might be targeted as well," I said. "I'm so sorry. I don't know what's going on, yet I got you two dragged into all this."

"Now, don't you start counting me out just yet," my mom said. "Sure, I might get glares here and there, but I'll have you know that mothers are tough. I won't let anyone near my darling little boy, police or not."

"That's helpful and concerning at the same time."

"I'll head over to your school," Kari said. "There's a good chance I might learn something if I talk to the right people. I think it's best if you stayed home, just to be safe."

"I agree," my mother added. "Until everything calms down, I suggest you stay in for now. Kari, when you go to school, leave using the backdoor. I don't want you getting caught by the media."

"I know."

"Should I call Matt or Izzy to meet you halfway," I asked.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine," Kari said. "Besides, I have everyone's phone number. If something happens, I'll call them. And, I'm pretty sure they'll want to stick by me, even if I refused."

"Okay, stay safe."

"Don't worry, Tai. I know you're innocent. We'll get to the bottom of this. Trust me."

"Thanks, Kari."

Kari left the house as my mother continued to watch TV. Meanwhile, I looked through my phone to read all the messages my friends were sending me via group chat.

"I can't believe something like that happened in our school," Mimi said.

"I was with Tai at that time," Sora typed. "It wasn't him who harmed them."

"Someone had the audacity to frame Tai for all of this? I won't forgive whoever is behind this," Matt said.

"How'd you get into a mess like this anyway," TK wrote. "The reporter said you had a falling out with the soccer coach or something."

"It's a long story," I informed them.

"Well, I managed to catch a glimpse of it outside my club's window," Izzy explained. "Yolei said the coach kicked the ball so hard, it knocked the goalie out. I remember seeing Tai carrying him towards what I assume would be the nurse's office, but he wasn't the one featured on the news."

"You're right. The two the TV mentioned were other members of the soccer team."

"Based on what you guys said, this soccer coach sounds like a bad person," TK wrote.

"I know, right? I had PE with him before, and he was so mean to all of us. It's like we were in boot camp or something," Mimi said.

"You think he might be the guy framing Tai," Matt asked. "He has a clear motive."

"Now, now, let's not point fingers just yet," Sora said. "I'm sure a teacher would never harm a student."

"You'd like to think so, but he did injure the student during the soccer ball incident," TK replied.

"It's a shame that the school doesn't have security cameras or anything like that," Izzy wrote. "I would have liked to see anything was caught on camera. Even if it's private information, I might be able to crack into the school's security system to get the footage myself."

"The scary part of that statement is knowing you're capable of doing it," Sora said.

"I wish there was something we can do to clear his name," Matt said.

"I'm heading over to your school right now to talk to the soccer players. They may know something," Kari wrote.

"By yourself," Izzy asked.

"Yes," Kari replied.

"Already? I don't think any of us have left our homes yet," Sora said.

"Hey, let's meet up in front of the school gate and head inside together, just to be safe," TK said.

"Thanks for the offer, but you don't need to rush. I'm fine," Kari replied.

"If you're out on your own, where's Tai," Mimi asked.

"Still at home," I replied.

"That's probably best for now," Sroa typed.

"Yeah, from what I heard, the police and media are all over the school right now," Izzy said. "It's only a matter of time until they visit your house. And who knows what may happen after that."

"Why don't you hide in one of our houses," Matt asked.

"He can't hide forever though," TK said.

"He's on the run, like a fugitive in a movie," Mimi typed.

"Mimi, this is serious stuff we're dealing with," Sora said.

Mimi responded with a "Sorry" emoji.

"Whatever the case may be, one way or another, we're going to get to the bottom of this, and we're going to clear your name. That's a promise," Matt wrote.

"Thanks, guys, for trusting me and believing me," I said.

"Of course," Mimi typed.

"We'll always look after each other," Sora replied.

"I'll keep digging for info on my side," Izzy said. "In the meantime, try to stay as hidden as possible."

"Will do," I replied.

"I'll go and meet Kari," TK said.

"I already told you I'm fine," Kari replied.

"Talk to you later, Tai. If anything comes up, give us a call," Matt wrote.

"Thanks, everyone," I typed.

A few minutes after my conversation with everyone, the doorbell rang. My mother looked through the peephole, only to see a variety of reporters outside. I looked outside from the other end of the house. There were several vehicles parked all over the neighborhood. My mother chose not to answer the door, and we waited for the media to leave. When the doorbell rang again, the police were outside. I knew that staying indoors would not change anything. I needed to do something; otherwise, my situation would not change. While my mom was talking to them, I gathered what I could to protect myself and prevent the media from noticing me. I left through my room's window and snuck my way out of the neighborhood, keeping my head low as.

I didn't really have a plan in mind as I left the house. I knew I needed some proof that it wasn't me, but I didn't know where to begin. I couldn't go to my school because the media was there. I couldn't go to my middle school because there's a chance the media would be there to get a word in from Kari. I trust that TK, Davis, and Cody would take care of her if something happened. Still, without a lead, all I could do was kill time without drawing suspicion.

As I continued to hide, I saw my soccer coach walking down the street. I wanted to confront him, but after what my team said, I had an odd feeling that he might have all the answers I was looking for. I didn't want to believe that he would frame me, but Matt did say that he had a clear motivation to put me in such a spotlight. As he walked farther away, I mustered the courage to tail him. I knew it wasn't the right thing to do, but he was the only led I had in order to know what is going on.

As I followed him, I realized that my surroundings were starting to become familiar to me. Upon closer inspection, I remembered that this was my old neighborhood prior to my family moving to our new location. Since I knew the area well, I knew where the best spots are to hide, but it felt odd to cover myself out of necessity rather than for fun.

While sneaking about, I noticed that he was heading towards Highton View Terrance. I questioned why he would go there. Taking a key hidden near the doorway, the soccer coach opened the door to the back of the parking lot and went inside. I didn't know how he was able to get access to that area, but I had a vague idea where he might be going. Luckily, he didn't lock the door from the inside, and I silently went inside. However, because the area was dark, I lost him. I had no choice but to rely on my senses to find out where he was while keeping myself on guard.

As I walked deeper and downward, I sensed something terrible happening that would make me feel sick. When I made it to the bottom of the parking lot, I realized that my suspicions were right. There were a plethora of injured bodies scattered all over the parking lot. I quickly checked up on one of them. He was breathing heavily and had a broken arm. I also found not only my old soccer coach, who was battered and bruised, but also the goalie and the school nurse, who looked ghastly. I knew I needed to inform everyone about this situation. Before I could leave, I felt someone point a gun at my head. Just as I was about to turn around, I was knocked out cold.

By the time I woke up, I realized my leg was handcuffed against a pole. As I attempted to break the shackles on my ankle, I heard someone screaming. I couldn't tell where it was coming from because of the dense fog that surrounded me. Out of curiosity, I put on the goggles that Teddie gave me. To my surprise, I could clearly see through the fog.

A figure wearing a blue suit and a grey overcoat was dragging a beaten up man from his heels towards a distortion in front of a large television. The man shouted for help as he was getting closer to the distortion. The man claimed that he doesn't want to get sucked in, as though he was unable to tell that someone was dragging him over to it. Eventually, the figure threw the person into the distortion, and the man disappeared inside. Afterwards, the distortion closed. The figure noticed I was watching him and walked towards me.

"I seems you can see me," it said.

"So, you really are a Digimon," I replied. "Who are you?"

"I am Astamon, but perhaps you know me better as 'Coach.'"

"Coach? So, you disguised yourself as a human and infiltrated the Real World. Were you the one who harmed the previous coach and brought him down here, along with our goalie and the school nurse?"

"That is correct."

"Why are you doing this? What purpose do you have for doing this? Why are you dragging innocent civilians into this madness and sending them into the Digital World badly wounded? It's me and the others you want, isn't it? Why won't you attack us instead?"

"I think you're misunderstanding something. I was ordered to do the things that I do. What you see just happened to be the result of my actions."

"Orders? So, that means there's someone behind all of this. Who are you working for? Is it MaloMyotismon? Daemon? Tell me who is giving you these orders!"

"I think you misunderstand once more. I would never subject myself to someone of their caliber. No, my superior is that of a higher being, more powerful than anything you have ever encountered."

"Higher being? What's that supposed to mean? Hey, why don't you answer me?"

"My apologies, but it appears I have said too much. I have been given orders to silence you for good. Please, do not be angry at me for wasting away yet another life in this world. Instead, blame yourself for pondering what you shouldn't. After all, curiosity killed the cat."

I braced myself as Astamon pointed his gun at me. Before he fired at me, my Digivice started to react, and a bright blue card appeared before me. Realizing what it was, I quickly shattered the card, releasing Agumon from the card.

"Pepper Breath," Agumon shouted.

Agumon fired a fireball from his mouth at Astamon. Astamon covered himself to block the attack. When he refocused himself, he realized that Agumon and I had disappeared. He noticed that the handcuff that chained me to the pole broke. Feeling our presence, he slowly walked around, trying to find us. Meanwhile, Agumon and I were hiding behind one of the pillars of the building.

"Thanks for saving me, Agumon," I said.

"Of course, I always have your back," Agumon replied.

"Still, this confirms that this fog really is from the TV World. And, for some reason, it's the only way you guys can manifest into the world. If you can be here, that means Shadows can as well."

"That guy from before looks very tough. What if I transform into Greymon? I bet I can take him on if I was in that form."

"No, that's too dangerous. You're strong, but I feel like he is on a whole different level than the last few Fusion Digimon we dealt with. And, even if you transform into Greymon, this place is too small for you standing upright. You can crawl, but you might knock some of these pillars accidentally, which could case this place to collapse. I don't want to take any unnecessary risks that would harm innocent people. For now, our best option is to escape, meet up with everyone, and inform them of what we know."

"Okay, Tai, I trust you. Do you know the way out?"

"Well, it's been a long time since I've been here, and I don't come there that often. I'm sure I can logically figure this out…."

Before I was able to do so, the pillar behind us was bombarded with bullets. Agumon and I covered as best as we could not to get shot. As the sound of the bullets came faster and closer, I debated whether or not to digivolve Agumon.

"Electroshocker!"

"Spiral Twister!"

"Blue Blaster!"

Astamon dodged when the three attacks were fired.

"Enemy reinforcements have arrived," Astamon said. "I shall retreat for now."

I heard Astamon run away as other footsteps approached us.

"Tai, thank goodness you're okay," Izzy said, with Sora and Matt in tow.

"You guys, how did you find me," I asked them.

"Izzy programmed a tracking device on the app we were using to chat with each other," Matt explained.

"You really can do anything, huh," I said.

"Never mind that; who was the person that attacked you," Sora asked.

"His name is Astamon," I replied.

"He's a Digimon," Izzy questioned.

"I thought that the Digimon weren't able to come here unless there was a distortion," Matt said.

"There was one here, but it disappeared," I told them.

"Do you think something like last year is happening again," Sora asked.

"With the TV World and the fog, I think we're dealing with something even bigger than last year," Izzy said.

"Speaking of which, why is it so foggy here," Mat asked. "We're in a building. It's not like we're outside or anything."

Before I was able to comment, the fog started to quickly recede. I quickly called Agumon back as a card before anything happened to him. Izzy, Sora, and Matt did the same thing. Soon, the fog disappeared, and the parking lot returned to normal. I ran over to where the fog would have pulled us to and returned to the location where I was chained on my leg. In front of me was the TV that Astamon used to send the man through the distortion. However, Astamon was nowhere to be seen. Izzy, Sora, and Matt caught up with me.

"We're at the end of the parking lot," Izzy said.

"Why is there a TV here, of all places," Matt asked.

"You don't think," Sora said.

"Yeah, the fog came from the TV," I explained. "And, I'm assuming that Astamon went inside, too."

"Can a Digimon enter the TV World on its own," Izzy asked.

"It's possible that Astamon has similar powers to us," I said.

"You mean, he can enter the TV World as he pleases," Matt asked.

"Do you think he might be the one who was putting our Digimon into the TV World as well, which made them turn into our Shadow selves," Sora asked.

"I don't know, but he said he's working for someone, so there's that," I said.

"So, there's a mastermind behind all of this," Matt said.

"Maybe whoever he is working with granted him the powers to travel in between all three worlds: the Digital World, the TV World, and this one," Sora stated.

"Yeah, but who even has the power to do that," I asked.

"I'm not sure, but whoever he's working under has to be someone with powers we've never seen before," Izzy answered. "For now, I think it's best if we head to my office. There's a good chance that he escaped into the TV World, and, if so, there's no telling what he's doing there."

"We can also ask that bear about it," Matt said. "I doubt he's going to keep still if something as strong as Astamon came over to his world."

"We also need to inform the public about what we saw upstairs," Sora said. "I haven't seen that many people in such a critical condition in a long time."

"Yeah, but I can't go out with you guys," I said. "Remember, the media is still looking for me."

"Don't worry," Izzy said. "You're name has been cleared. Those two soccer players who were in the hospital woke up and informed everyone about the situation. Now, the police are searching for that soccer coach."

"They're not going to find him, because that was Astamon in disguise," I explained.

"Seriously," Sora asked.

"That means they're going to searching for nothing," Matt said.

"Guys, I want to stop Astamon before more innocent people get hurt," I said.

"Definitely," Sora replied.

"I'm with you every step of the way," Matt replied.

"Then, it's settled," Izzy said. "Let's go to my office."

"Yeah," I said.

*To be continued*