Merry Christmas! Hope you are doing well this holiday season and 2020 hasn't been too hard on you!

One thing I have learnt is not to put down any promises about future updates haha. I have definitely NOT kept up with my previous promise in the last chapter and this final chaper took far too much time to edit. It is finished though! Thank you so much for reading this piece of work and I have written more thoughts at the very end.

Here we go.


0 – Epilogue

On their way back towards the Momentum tower, Jack and Ruka explained the current state of the city to Yusei and Aki. The Security officers remaining at the Momentum tower had contacted Ushio and Mikage when Yusei's group stormed past them. When those two senior officers came rushing into the Momentum Tower, terrified by the report of how Fudo Yusei took over the building, Rua and Ruka were able to explain the situation to them.

"How are Ushio and Mikage-san? What's going on in the City now?" Yusei queried eagerly as they rapidly descended.

"Rex Goodwin declared a national emergency and ordered people into government constructed shelters early in the day." Jack grumbled. "The citizens thought he was finally doing something about the Momentum situation. Little did they know he was just sending them to a horrible death."

Aki spoke up. "Were there no plans to get the citizens out? He was going to let everyone get stuck in there?"

Jack and Rua shared an uneasy glance. Ruka then picked up the conversation.

"You better speak to Ushio-san later about Rex Goodwin's plans. Our more important task is to save the people trapped in the underground shelters."

"And how can we save them?" Yusei asked.

Jack made an unhappy growl. "Those shelters rely on electricity supplied by Momentum. Now we have no more Momentum, their doors gotta be stuck."

"… you mean, we need to use our monsters to break them open." Aki concluded with a frown.

"That's probably what will happen, yeah." Jack agreed. "I'll get you to talk to that cop Ushio once we land. He should be waiting for us."

Ushio was indeed waiting for them when they landed. He wore a deep frown on his face, making him look years older than Yusei had remembered. He was surrounded by no more than half a dozen dejected-looking officers, and Yusei's heart sank when he thought this might be all the manpower Ushio could gather in Neo Domino today. When the dragons landed, Yusei saw Ushio physically flinch, his eyes shutting out of reflex. When Ushio turned to Yusei, the security officer's attitude was formal and cautious, despite having known Yusei for years.

"King." Ushio called Yusei using the most formal title possible. It was not 'Yusei', 'Yusei-kun', or even 'Fudo-kun'. "It's been a while since we met."

"Ushio-san." Yusei walked up and extended his hand. "It hadn't been that long. A lot had happened to both of us, though."

Ushio looked from Yusei's hand to the King's face, his lips pressed into a thin line. "Ruka-chan told me what had happened to you lot. So, what, you are a Psychic Duelist now? And Izayoi-kun is on our side? And the Director was the villain all along?"

"That's… that's the gist of everything, yes. I will fill you in on the details once this is over." Yusei nodded and lowered his hand with a small sigh when Ushio made no move to shake it. "But I was also told that Neo Domino needs our help. What are these shelters the Director had talked about?"

Aki, Jack, and Ruka had joined Yusei. The three of them stood behind Yusei, also looking curiously at Ushio for an explanation.

Looking at these familiar faces before them, Ushio sighed. His shoulders dropped, and his face took on a mournful expression. "It all happened so quickly. Momentum started to fail a few days ago, but everyone thought the Director had it all under control. He promised that he had backup energy sources, and he will put in measures toensure we get through this crisis in one piece. That's why when he issued the order for everyone to seek shelter this morning, the Security forces thought it was a good thing. But…" his gaze shifted to Rex Goodwin's unconscious form, which was carried to the ground by Ancient Fairy Dragon and was now being carried into a Security vehicle, "he had ulterior motives, it seems."

"What are these ulterior motives? Do you know?" Yusei furrowed his brows.

"He had taken foreign funding, supposedly to help us through this tough time. But we haven't seen a single dollar of it. Instead, we found paper trail of him renting a private jet with an overseas transport company for later today." Ushio narrowed his eyes. "I fear he might have used the money to fund a personal escape plan."

"That bastard…" Jack cursed angrily.

Ushio spared one look at Jack and frowned. He evidently still thought little of Satellite residents, but Yusei was glad the high-ranked Security officer was at least giving them the opportunity to help.

"Enough about the Director." Ushio huffed. "You are right. I need your help. We need to get the residents out of the shelters. There won't be any power, and there wouldn't be nearly enough food to last beyond a day or two. With your monsters, do you think you can destroy the doors of these structures?

"When were these shelters built? I don't remember ever hearing about them." Aki wondered.

"They were a secret project that even senior members of the Security Bureau weren't aware of." Ushio answered. "It was something the Director kept out of sight for many years. And Izayoi-kun…", the Security Officer's gaze shifted to Aki and narrowed his eyes when he saw her outfit, "you are still a criminal as far as Security is concerned. You better not do anything funny as a Psychic Duelist."

"Rest assured, Ushio." Yusei muttered. "I'm a Psychic Duelist too. We are not that dangerous."

The look that Ushio gave him was sad and pitiable, a look that Yusei was entirely uncomfortable with. Just being looked at in that way already made Yusei want to do something to prove that he wasn't dangerous, wasn't an outsider, and was as sane as anyone else. And this was coming from Ushio. It would have been so much worse, coming from strangers.

"It's okay, Ushio." Yusei said softly in return. "Nothing's going to happen."

"That better not happen." Ushio looked at Yusei sternly and sighed again. "Look, this is… this is just happening so fast. I don't know what to think,but I'm trusting you for now because I know you, Yusei. I still can't quite believe what Director Goodwin did. Was he seriously playing all of us along so he can condemn the City to this kind of a fate?"

"I understand what you're feeling, Ushio. I felt exactly like it when I learnt the truth. We are not lying, however. Rex Goodwin really meant the City harm." Yusei responded softly.

Ushio shook his head. Reaching into his work jacket, the officer produced a crumpled foldable map, opening it up and pushing it towards Yusei. It had been a long time since Yusei had seen a physical map, and he blinked when he realised what he was supposed to be looking for. Various locations around the City have been circled in red.

"This is the list of shelters that Security had escorted people into this morning. There are about 20 locations, scattered all over the City. I think you will have to split your forces if we want to save the people as quickly as possible." Ushio summarised, pointing to the circles on the map.

"We have to leave someone behind to guard the Goodwin brothers too…" Aki muttered. "We don't want them to wake up and immediately summon their monsters."

Yusei looked around. There was no way he was allowing Ruka to join them, but he was also worried about whether the little girl would be able to control the Goodwin brothers. Crow and Carly were already speaking with Security officers and had walkie-talkies on hand. They don't have a lot of people to spare.

"I'm staying behind with Ruka and Carly." To Yusei's surprise, Jack volunteered for a role he never thought the blonde man would have taken up. "I'll make sure that the Goodwin brothers won't touch anyone when they wake up."

"Jack…" Aki was surprised too. She turned back to face Jack, and happened to show the wounds on her back to Ushio with that motion. Yusei saw Ushio grimace. The officer opened his mouth as if about to say something to Aki, but then decided against it.

"I know what I'm doing." Jack snapped back. "I'm not going to let Carly put herself in harm's way again, and I know she's going to do that if I leave her here. You and the King are more than capable enough. Go do your thing, and don't mess it up."

"We can start with the closest shelters." As Aki turned back, Ushio gestured to her. "We need to hurry."

"Alright. Let's all go together." Yusei agreed. "I don't know how heavy these doors are going to be, and I'm not very used to my dragon. Let Aki come and help me. We are stronger together."

As he said that, Ushio gave him a strange look. Yusei raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"No… nothing." Ushio shook his head and, bizarrely, laughed. "So that's what changed with you, isn't it? Stronger together? Heh."

"What are you trying to say?" Yusei asked, confused.

Ushio didn't immediately respond. He looked over his back as some of his men called out, signalling that they've got cars ready. Someone else handed him another map with some updated information, and he viewed it briefly. When he looked up again, he wore a tired and exasperated expression.

"Does it matter what I think? If it weren't for you, Izayoi, and Jack Atlus, the City would be much worse right now. Even the most stuck-up person would recognise your contribution today, especially when the evidence is staring at us in the face."

The Security officer then waved at Yusei and Aki and started to turn away.

"Well, are we ready? The cars are prepared."

"We are going by car?" Aki questioned. "I was thinking of using our dragons to fly there."

"Dra-fly?" Ushio stuttered and stopped mid-stride. "Is that going to be wise?"

"It will be faster than the car." Yusei replied. "Since the airport won't be open, flying won't even break any flight regulations."

"…I can't believe this." Ushio shook his head. "Go ahead then. I'll follow on the ground. I look forward to seeing what you and Izayoi can do."

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The rest of the day passed in a blur of hurried activity as Aki, Yusei, and Ushio moved through the City, opening one shelter after another. These shelters were practically war shelters, some manmade and some were natural caverns with minimal comfort. The entry doors were generally heavy and cast in concrete, sometimes reinforced with steel and other metals, but they still crumbled before the pure destructive power of Aki's dragon. Yusei supported her, containing the damage as much as possible with his dragon's Victim Sanctuary, and assisted to getting the children and the elderly out as soon as they could.

A cursory look was enough to tell him the shelters were not meant to last. Many them had little food or even water in stock. Some shelters had alternative power sources, but most of them had relied completely on Momentum. Without Momentum, there was no light, no phone signal, and sometimes not even ventilation. Hundreds of horrified citizens had stumbled out of the stifling darkness when they opened the shelters, with children often clutching to their parents in fear and weeping. People all knew who Yusei and Aki were, but seemed to care little Aki's history. Many openly hugged her and the overwhelming majority had expressed their gratitude.

When it was all over, Ushio gathered all surviving Security forces and imposed order on the city. The Goodwin brother had recovered and were sedated. The Senators gathered under Ushio's direction to come to a consensus about the situation, and Yusei and Aki had glimpsed the Senate going into their government chamber. Senator Izayoi Hideo was amongst the group and Yusei caught Hideo looking furtively at his daughter, his face a complex mixture of fear and guilt.

The Senate's primary tasks was to get the City back up and running. The dormant nuclear plants were set into motion again to ensure some form of creature comfort. Then, official channels announced Momentum's complete shutdown to the citizens and the rest of the world. There was no more point in pretending that everything was fine. There was no more Momentum, and everyone knew it.

Over the course of one day, the prosperous life that the City had enjoyed was completely overturned. People were now relying on their friends and neighbours for food and warmth, as even the basic facilities of the City were in shambles. In a way, Rex Goodwin really did make the City pay. The people's over-reliance on Momentum had led them to this day. If there were alternative resources, if there was more investment in other means of electricity, then Neo Domino would not have been in this situation.

The Security forces had conducted a swift raid of Rex Goodwin's personal dwelling and his office, and the evidence they found supported Yusei and Aki's testimony about the Director. Rex had worked hard as the Director, and at the same time, he also had plans to leave the City behind tomorrow. By the time the rest of the world heard about what was happening in Neo Domino, it would have been too late to save much of the City's population. In a way, if Rudger hadn't come up to the City to challenge Rex, this entire scheme would have ensured Neo Domino's demise.

Ushio got Yusei's group some place to stay and a change of clothes as dusk finally started to fall. Carly and Ruka had been rushed to the hospital to do a medical check, while Crow, Jack, and Rua were assisting with the Security's coordination effort. Ironically, now that Momentum was no more, only the poorer districts had access to ample electricity in the form of coal and natural gas generators. And even so, not all the group were able to stay here at the same place.

Ruka and Rua were currently hugging everyone for a temporary goodbye. Their parents were rescued from the shelters. After the event with Rex Goodwin, however, the twins had expressed a reluctance to staying with their parents. Ushio had pulled some legal weight and requested for the twins to stay with a children's services provider for the night and Mikage had given her word that the children will be looked after well. Grumbling, Crow asked to go with them as supervision, and was given permission to do so. The three of them were about to head off forthe night. While it had been a long day, everyone was still far too excited to wind down.

"Everyone, please look after yourself." Ruka was saying as she hugged everyone in turn.

"You too, Ruka." Yusei hugged the little girl. "You have been very brave today, and especially through these past few weeks. Thank you."

"I… I haven't really done anything brave. The bravest thing I did was probably flying up with Jack this morning…" Ruka chuckled awkwardly.

"No. You have been an incredible help. Both you and Rua." Yusei gestured for the other twin to include him for the hug as well. "If it weren't for you two, Jack and Carly would never have made it to Satellite. If it weren't for you looking up information on Rex Goodwin, we wouldn't have figured out his plans so easily, either."

"… Thank you, Yusei. Thank you for saying that." Ruka pulled Rua into a hug. "And thank you, brother. You've been so brave and so helpful. You protected me so well."

Rua burst into tears at those words, sobbing uncontrollably into his sister's arms. Startled, Yusei and Carly tried to comfort the little boy, only to hear him sobbing out something about being able to protect his sister, and finally being of use. Confused, Yusei tried to check if Rua was doing okay, but Ruka gently shook her head and hugged Rua tighter.

"It's okay. It's okay. You've been such a great help, Rua. I'm proud to have you as my brother."

"Thank you… thank you, Ruka." Rua wiped his nose and sniffled. "I just… I hope I was able to protect you more. I tried, but I couldn't do anything at the end. I'm so sorry I got you into this mess."

"You did well enough." Jack grumbled, but not unkindly. "Both of you helped a lot. Like Yusei said, Carly and I would have been helpless. I definitely owe you a big favour."

"Also, I'm pretty sure I was the one who got you into this mess." Crow patted Rua's head. "I was the one who tried to take Ruka to Satellite, and I am sorry for doing that."

"See? Even Jack thanked us." Ruka smiled at her brother, ignoring Jack's complaints that he said nothing of the sort. "And… In a way, I'm actually glad all this happened. Jack, Carly, and Crow are all good people. I'm glad to know them and call them my friend. Not to mention that I finally got to understand my powers and the Duel Monster World."

"Even though the City will never be the same again?" Carly questioned softly.

"I definitely don't regret anything I did." Jack, who was standing next to Carly, said confidently. He then draped his arm over Carly's shoulder as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Crow instantly grinned in a conspiratorial way, while Carly blushed red as a tomato.

"Never thought I'd see the day when Jack acts like this." Crow snickered while trying not to guffaw out loud.

"There's nothing wrong with this." Jack yelled in his usual irritable way. "I like Carly, and that's that!"

"Yeah, sure sure." Crow waved his hand. " But do you actually like that jerk, Carly?"

Carly didn't reply verbally. However, she shrugged off Jack's arm and instead grabbed his hand and held it, their fingers interlaced together.

"Alright. Forget I said anything." Crow shook his head.

" While you were running around opening the shelters, I have been tying up our loose ends." Jack continued without a pause. "I contacted Martha and left her know about what happened here today. She said Satellite is doing as well as it could, with most of the gangs going leaderless after Kiryu left. Then, speaking of Kiryu, I also checked up on him." Jack paused and looked around at the group. "An ambulance picked him up and the hospital is treating him. He's not dead, and neither are all his men."

"I wasn't hoping that he was dead." Yusei answered in a low voice. "He did a lot of crap, and I wouldn't have cared if he died, but I'm still glad he survived. I don't want anyone else to lose their lives over this."

"Agreed." Aki crossed her arms and sighed. "It has honestly been a long day."

"It'll be wise for us all to head to sleep early then." Crow nodded. "Let's get back to our quarters for the night. What's the schedule for tomorrow?"

"The Senate decided to hold a press conference tomorrow morning." Aki answered. "They are going to tell the rest of the world what exactly happened here. At least, they'll be open about how Neo Domino can't operate Momentum again. I don't know if they will admit about the truth with Psychic Duelists, however."

"Does that have anything to do with us personally?" Jack inquired.

"I don't know about you, but Yusei and I will be attending because of who our parents are." Aki replied.

"Then I will try to attend, too." Ruka said in a small voice. "Our parents will probably get as well, because of how they financed Rosewood."

"Let's move one step at a time." Yusei patted Ruka on the head. "At the very least, the consequences of Momentum will have to be addressed in the open."

The rest of the team nodded gravely and slowly dispersed. Ruka and Rua and Crow headed to their quarters, while Jack and Carly headed to where Security had placed them for the night. Soon, it was only Yusei and Aki left in the room.

They were staying at the edge of the city, close to the mountains that surrounded the plains that led to Domino Harbour. The sun was already setting behind the mountains and they could faintly glimpse Satellite, far out on the water, a dark shape whose form faded slowly into the growing night. Between them and the ocean stood the hill of Tops, its lower reaches dark with the long shadow of the mountains, its crown of tall buildings jutting up like twigs in the red light. It wasn't the first time either of them had taken in this view. In fact, as Tops residents, they had seen Neo Domino's views more times than they could count. But there was something different today. Within the eerie silence, completely void of the usual roar of motorcar engines and the glimmer of advertisement boards, there was a sense of permanent, irreversible change. This silent, foreboding dusk brough with it a sense of finality, a turning point that the City will always remember.

Yusei opened his mouth. "Hey-"

"Sorry to… interrupt?" Ushio's voice rang out at the same time as the man appeared at the doorway. He looked around, registering how everyone else had left for the day, and sighed.

"Just you two, huh? Well, I guess it makes sense. Problems are best solved by the ones who created them in the first place… or rather, family members of these problem makers, in our case."

Yusei and Aki turned and looked at Ushio as the Security officer walked into the room with a rueful expression on his face.

"You heard about the press conference for tomorrow." Ushio held two heavy folders in his arms. He nodded towards the long table in the room and motioned for Yusei and Aki to head there with him. "I have some information about what the Senate and the Security forces had agreed upon."

"You want us two to formerly attend the press conference?" Yusei questioned. The three of them moved to the table and Ushio took the lead in sitting down.

"I would insist you attend." Ushio placed the folders on to the table. The plastic and cardboard made a heavy thud. "The world will have a lot of questions, and these are the answers the City will reply with. I want you to look over them and give feedback."

Yusei and Aki took a folder each in silence. It felt remarkably heavy and nothing like the projection gadgets Yusei was used to. It was a tangible reminder of the weight of the information contained within, of how much it will indelibly change the course of the City's future.

"There were long sessions held between the Senate and Security today." Ushio started. "Some Senators were genuinely unaware of the truth, but I suspect others were complicit. Our Security boys were pretty adamant about being as honest as possible. We've had enough of Rex Goodwin lying to us. It's about time we stop lying to other people."

Yusei perused the pages as quickly as he could. It was a damning piece of evidence. It confessed the truths about the accident sixteen years ago with Prototype Momentum, the power of Psychic Duelists, and how Neo Domino had relied on the Psychic Duelists to keep Momentum operating.

"The one thing didn't we put in there was the gruesome detail about the treatments Psychic Duelists went through for Momentum." Ushio turned specifically to Aki. "I want to hear what you think about that, Izayoi-kun. We still have time before today is over. If you want, I can still go back and argue for it to be included."

Aki was silent. Yusei looked between Ushio and her, waiting for either of them to break the silence. Aki was looking down at the documents with a stern expression, and Ushio fixed his intense gaze on Aki. At long last, Aki looked up and looked Ushio back in the eye.

"… I disagree with how that has been left out." She said evenly. "To understand the harm that Momentum could bring to society, the citizens need to know what was really going on. It will be an uncomfortable admission, but it needs to be done to make people understand what was at stake."

Ushio frowned. "That would be a difficult admission to make. I see your point, however. I will try to get the spokesperson for tomorrow to add in something."

"I understand it will be tough, and this document is already much better than I expected from the Senate." Aki heaved a sigh. "Thank you for your efforts, Ushio-san."

"You can thank me later after all this is over. All three of us have a tough week ahead." Ushio made a tired sigh. "First thing first, after the press conference is over, Security will start to plan for the trials of Kiryu Kyosuke, Rex Goodwin, and Rudger Goodwin, with me acting as the temporary head of Security. These three will need to answer for their misconducts before the courts of law. Unfortunately, the group that you two came with - Carly, Jack Atlus, and even the twins - will most likely be called up as witnesses."

"As I expected." Yusei muttered.

"How… how are those three doing?" Aki questioned tentatively. "They were not exactly in good shape when we left him."

"They are all battered as hell, but they are alive and healthy enough for trial." Ushio answered. "We've kept the Goodwin brothers under sedation as per your recommendations. To make sure they are a hundred precent safe, I might have to ask your group to take turns to watch over them. I apologise in advance for the trouble."

"What about the Momentum research team?" Yusei asked. "What will happen to them?"

Both Aki and Ushio turned to him.

"When the dust settles with Momentum, the surviving members of the team will certainly be questioned." Ushio replied. "The funders and political supporters within the Senate and the City elite will be punished, even jailed. Doctor Fudo was the chief scientist. He can't claim ignorance on any of the wrongs that Momentum committed. Are you okay with that, Yusei?"

Yusei nodded slowly. "I will obey the words of the law. My father knew what he was getting into. He made his choices based on his own judgement, and he enjoyed a decade of luxury for it. But now the City had changed. I will ask for leniency for him because he is my father and he had done many good things for the city, but he is not completely innocent, even in my eyes."

"You won't… you know, forgive him?" There was a hint of doubt in Ushio's voice.

"I can forgive him, but the City won't forget what he had done." Yusei crossed his fingers together. "Just because he was a good father doesn't mean he was a good man for Neo Domino."

"So… what will will be the City's new direction be regarding Psychic Duelists and a new energy source?" Aki asked in a small voice. "This press conference might provide a lot of answers for the past, but there are no plans laid out for the future."

"That… that hasn't been figured out yet." Ushio answered with some hesitation. "The Senate and Security could not agree on that."

"Of course. The Senators have enjoyed the benefits of Momentum for so long, they probably struggle to imagine a life without it." Aki grumbled.

"I'm actually glad that the Senate didn't decide on a way forward on their own. That new direction… I want that to be decided by the citizens, not the rich elite living in Tops or ruling from the Senate." Yusei added.

"By the citizens?" Ushio raised his eyebrows.

"Yes. They were innocent victims in this as well. I believe they deserve the right to decide their future direction after this event." Yusei confirmed. "I have stated this before. I'm in this to help Neo Domino and its people. No matter whether Rex or Rudger won, the City would have suffered in their rule. I want to make sure the citizens knew what was happening and decide for themselves."

"So you are leaving everything up to the citizens? You trust them to make the right decision?" Aki questioned.

"At least they will know the truth about the 'glory' of their city. If they wish to continue Momentum, they will do so with the full knowledge of what it entails." Yusei answered. "Continuing to hide the truth about Momentum and Psychic Duelists will only make the situation worse. The past few months was a breaking point for the City, and I don't want this to repeat."

"… What if they DO decide to continue with Momentum? What if they want to keep using Psychic Duelists?" Aki said in a soft voice.

"… Then they do so while facing the full blunt of international scrutiny." Yusei muttered darkly. "And I will be the first to declare that I, too, have become a Psychic Duelist. It would be quite the scandal to use the King for Momentum, wouldn't it?"

Both Aki and Ushio had an incredulous look on their face. Ushio shook his head.

"Yusei… you really have changed."

"For better? Or for worse?" Yusei looked at Ushio.

"I can't tell. You were just much more… tame before Izayoi-kun disappeared." Ushio spoke with difficulty. "You were… behaving more in line with what was expected of you. Now you are more wild, predictable, reckless. This could be either good or bad. I honestly cannot tell."

"… for better, hopefully." Yusei concluded. "If I had been less reckless, Rex Goodwin's plan would have been carried out, and the City would have lost much more because of it."

"For better or for worse, you've made a big difference for the City." Ushio concurred. "Honestly, when you started to look for Izayoi-kun, I thought it was an absolutely pointless search, making a ruckus out of nothing. You were trying to regain something that was permanently lost, like trying to get life back into a pile of fallen leaves. Now, I'm glad you didn't give up, and I'm sorry for everything I've said to deter you before."

"There's no need to apologise, Ushio." Yusei shook his head. "You did what you thought was right, and I was the same. This outcome, at the end, was no more than a matter of luck. If there was truly no conspiracy, then I might have been the one standing before trial tomorrow. There really was no way for me to realise I was on the right track. Everything I did could well have been a meaningless ruckus."

"That's not true." Aki shook her head. "If there had been no conspiracy, you wouldn't have begun this journey. There would have been no evidence to lead you to Rosewood and to me. Even though you didn't realise your actions had meaning, they were still crucial. Without your doing, what we managed today would have been impossible."

"I… thank you, Aki." Yusei lowered his head.

"And… there's one more thing I want to ask you, Ushio-san." Aki turned back to Ushio. "What had the Senate decided to do with… me?"

"You?" Ushio blinked.

"Literally speaking, I am still a criminal. A criminal who broke out of her jail, killed her jailors, and led a revolt." Aki took a deep breath. "I figured there would be punishments for me incoming."

"There was no punishment discussed for you." Ushio said, astounded. "You were obviously fighting for the City today. Everyone saw the things you did for us. We are willing to write off everything you did at Rosewood as Rudger Goodwin and Kiryu Kyosuke's crimes, not yours."

"That's not how the world works, Ushio-san." Aki replied in a low voice. "If you only punished those who hurt Psychic Duelists but not the Psychic Duelists who hurt others, then your system is not any better than the one Rex Goodwin set up."

"But - are you actually asking for punishments, Izayoi-kun?" Ushio was incredulous.

"I'm asking for Psychic Duelists and normal folks to be treated equally." Aki answered. "That's what Neo Domino is going to try to do now, isn't it?"

Ushio huffed and looked away, his hands tapping at the table restlessly. "You are making very strange demands, Izayoi-kun. I can't arbitrarily agree or decline it."

"That's fine. I'm only asking to be viewed fairly in the eyes of the law." Aki replied. "If you are willing to do that, then you are truly being fair to both Psychic Duelists and those who lack my power."

Ushio let out a slow breath. "I will try my best, Izayoi-kun. To be honest, this is very brave and honourable of you. I would not have expected this from you based on what I know of you before today."

"I've… grown a bit since we met last." Aki answered, looking away. "I've learnt that revenge isn't the best answer."

Ushio didn't reply to that. He hmphed, then looked away. Yusei could tell from his body language that he was instinctively uncomfortable with Aki's request, yet a different part of the officer wanted to agree with her.

"I will see what the rest of the Security Bureau has to say, Izayoi-kun." The Security officer finally said. "But that would have to be after the trial of the Goodwin brothers is over."

"I understand. Thank you." Aki muttered.

"I'll leave these documents with you for tonight." Ushio looked around the empty room. "I should head off soon. All the people who were in your group… they found a safe place to sleep for tonight?"

"Yeah. They will be fine." Yusei nodded. "Ruka and Rua went to that children's shelter with Crow. Jack and Carly were heading back to Carly's neighbourhood. And Aki and I… well, we will be staying here for a while."

"It's hard to imagine how the City will handle Psychic Duelists, Satellite residents, and the lack of Momentum all at once." Ushio said quietly. "We will need a lot of help from everybody. The Security forces will need to re-think on what we stand for. The citizens will need to figure out what was Momentum's legacy. The Senate will have to face the consequences of permitting Rex Goodwin to conduct his plots over the past decade. If we can actually manage all that, the City would be a much more different place than before."

"We might not manage everything, even after a long time, but it's okay. We made a start, and now it's up to the rest of the City to continue." Yusei concluded.

"And I pray they will decide well." Ushio sighed and stood up. "Well, I still have work to do, delivering Izayoi-kun's request to the Senate spokesperson and all. Do get some rest. The press conference is scheduled for 11 o'clock."

Aki and Yusei saw Ushio out of the apartment complex, with the Security officer reminding them to lock the door of their rooms at night. When Ushio's vehicle had driven away, the sun had set even lower on the western skyline, and the glow it casted on the buildings was now even redder.

"… I've lived in Tops for so long, and yet I feel like I've never seen a view like this, with the City all dyed in red." As they returned into the living room, Aki stopped in front of the wide windows, her face turned to the crimson view outside. "You don't see this from Tops, do you?"

Walking up to her, Yusei looked not at the view, but at her. Dressed in simple shirt and loose trousers, she was no longer the immaculate daughter of a Senator or the unrestrained Black Rose Witch. The sunlight cast a warm glow into her amber-coloured eyes, and at the same time highlighted the permanent Marks etched onto her cheeks. Briefly, Yusei wondered if things would have been very different if they were just two ordinary kids, living somewhere lower in the hierarchy of Neo Domino.

"No, you won't see this from Tops. Most of Tops' buildings face the rising sun over the sea, towards the east." Yusei answered. "Now we are behind Tops, we are definitely seeing this from a new point of view."

Aki made a noise in agreement. "Yes. This is the view most Neo Domino residents saw, isn't it? It's ironic, how I see the world much better now from the ground instead of on the pinnacle of Tops. " She paused briefly. If Yusei wasn't looking at her, he would have missed the suddenly pensive look in her eyes. "Maybe that's why I thought revenge is no longer the best option. What were we going to build at the end of our vengeance? What were we going to do to amend the City's wrongs for those who have suffered? That's the question I realised I need to answer when we were staying at Martha's House, and it can't be answered via violence. Maybe… just maybe, I am thinking of looking beyond what I suffered. Punishment to the City won't bring a bright future. Forgiveness might."

"Then…" Yusei swallowed and lowered his eyes to look at the ground, "this is probably not the right place to ask this, but does this mean you forgive me?

"You?" Aki turned to him so fast that he felt her hair whipping his face. He looked up, only to meet her looking wide-eyed at him. "Yes, of course! There was honestly never anything that you did wrong. But I wanted someone to hate. I wanted someone to blame. You were a representative of what I felt had constrained me. You even seemed to have passively accepted your role as Neo Domino's symbol. It was…" she took a big breath, "it was easier to hate you than to criticise my own actions and how I could have done better."

"Aki…"

When Yusei started on his journey, he had expected to find Aki to be weak, suffering, and depending on him to save her. When he found her, she was bitter, vengeful, and determined to destroy everything he loved. Yet what he learnt was that she was far more complex beneath all these layers of destruction and hate. There was denial, longing, regret, guilt, pain, ecstasy - and all of it, all of those contradictory emotions bundled together, made up the true and complete Izayoi Aki.

Did he regret the path that had led him to today? Yusei couldn't be sure, and to be honest, he didn't want to think too hard on that question.

Like he had said to Ushio before, he was only doing what he believed was right.

"At this rate…" Aki reached out to him, but held her fingers back just as they were about to touch, "it's more about me asking… whether you have forgiven me?"

"I…" Yusei took a deep breath and forced himself to look directly back at Aki. "I want to. I would like to accept you as everything you are, everything you've done, everything you've felt. But I think… the moment I decided to investigate into your case, I had probably already forgiven you. I just didn't want to face it."

"I knew it." Aki gave a bitter chuckle instead. "I shouldn't have done any of the things I did at Rosewood. I shouldn't have made my image worse for you."

Yusei bit his lower lip and frowned. Without warning, he reached out and grabbed Aki's hand. She jumped a little and blinked at him in confusion.

"Aki. This is really, really not the place for it. But I want to ask… when this settles down a bit, would you like to date me?"

"… what?" Aki tried to shuffle back, but Yusei held on to her hand. "You would ask this even after you knew what kind of a person I am? You would ask this when Neo Domino has so many crises?"

"I am asking you exactly because I know what kind of person you are. The whole of you, not just the part you decided to show to the world." Yusei countered. "And I've already lost you once. I'm not going to risk losing you again without saying how I really feel."

"I… I don't know what to say." Aki blinked.

"It's okay. I just wish I had done it earlier." Yusei held Aki's hand tighter. "You can reply to me whenever you're ready."

Aki narrowed her eyes. The dying light glistened in her eyes, painting her irises into a shade of mysterious, hungry dark red. "In that case, if you have already accepted everything I am, I should only reply in kind."

Then she leaned up, put her hand to the sides of Yusei's head, and pressed her lips against his.

Now it was Yusei's turn to freeze. Aki's lips were chapped and rough, nothing like what he might have imagined. Her hand grabbed his head tightly, almost uncomfortably, and his heart skipped wildly in his chest when he realised she wasn't allowing him to back away. He replied to her by wrapping his arms around her waist, holding her close and silently promising himself to stay true to his own words and not allowing her to be taken away once more.

Bathed in the red light before a view that they had never seen, the two of them held on to each other in a reality they had reached despite the odds. Psychic Duelists, Top residents, children of Momentum… none of that mattered in this brief moment. Yusei was just relishing how he had found something that he thought was lost forever, despite all the lies that had defined his life.

He didn't know what the future might bring. Others may call his journey pointless, that he had only exchanged one corrupt reality to an unstable one. But for now, he was content.

They will move forward together, one step at a time. The City was separated by so many things in the past – the alien powers of Psychic Duelists compared to normal people, the wide stretch of sea severing Neo Domino from Satellite, and the dizzying heights of Tops versus the slums on the ground. At the very least, this time everyone will be involved in remaking the City, and the truths that were buried for so long had come to light.

Even if everything they did was as pointless as a ruckus of leaves, they were stronger together.

Postscript

After an intensive press conference that lasted for more than two hours, the situation at Neo Domino City, Japan, has now been laid bare before international scrutiny.

The elite city, which had been the dominant force in world politics for the past decade, had been experiencing a consistent loss of electricity over the last few days. In today's conference, the temporary leader of Neo Domino's Security forces and de facto director of the city, Ushio Tetsu, had confirmed previous suspicions that Neo Domino's electrical structure had been completely shattered. The Momentum machine that Neo Domino had relied upon for energy had stopped functioning, and Ushio indicated there are no plans to turn the machine back on.

Ushio then revealed a shocking piece of information that placed Neo Domino's past decade of glory in doubt. In a stunning speech, Ushio and Senate representatives confessed that Momentum is linked to the phenomenon of individuals having the ability to materialise Duel Monsters, known colloquially as Psychic Duelists around the world. This power had been observed in Neo Domino for many decades, tracing back to the original King of Games, Mutou Yugi. Momentum was in fact supported by the power of the Psychic Duelists. These people were put into REM sleep, and their brain waves were harvested to contain the power of Momentum. The failure of Momentum was due to the reduced number of Psychic Duelists available to support the machine, thus cutting off most of the electricity supplied to Neo Domino.

Ushio then addressed footages leaked online that showed masses of residents from Satellite, a district that comprises of the run-down old Domino City, had crossed over into the Neo Domino yesterday. Ushio confirmed the news and acknowledged Neo Domino is working on a new government that will ensure Psychic Duelists and Satellite residents will both be represented and protected. He also invited the international community to send inspectors to ensure the fairness of the process.

Two surprise guests to the press conference were then introduced to the room as Fudou Yusei, King of Duel Monsters, and Izayoi Aki, previously reported as executed in Neo Domino for the crime of murder. Together the two of them further explained plans for the City and revealed that Rex Goodwin, previously Director of the City, will now go on trial for plotting to harm the City and its citizens. Fudou Yusei elaborated further on how Rex Goodwin and the Momentum Development Team knew of the human cost of the machine from its inception, and the team will answer for their decisions from a decade ago. Izayoi Aki will serve as a witness to testify how the City had systematically separated Psychic Duelists and housed them in Satellite, providing stable 'fuel' for Momentum. Both Fudou and Izayoi denied any prior knowledge of their parents' involvement with the scandal, claiming they only became aware of the situation in the past few weeks.

The press conference ended with Ushio pleading the international community to assist Neo Domino with their current city-wide energy crisis. While some nations noted the lack of assistance they had received from Neo Domino in the past, other nations had already offered help in the form of energy payback schemes. Whether Neo Domino will fulfill these promises made today remains to be seen. What we do know for certain is that Neo Domino will now enter a new chapter in its history. Hopefully, it will be for the betterment of all its citizens, as well as for mankind.

Angela Reines, reporting from Neo Domino, Japan, on September XX, 20XX.

-END-


Annnnd that is a wrap! Phew!

I certainly did not expect this story to run for so long. There definitely were times when I doubted if I would ever finish the story. The end was something I had decided on a long time ago, but getting there was such a long and difficult journey. There were multiple times when I lost track of the narrative thread and honestly how it went back to this point is beyond me. When every update had a gap of 7 or 8 months, it was a struggle to remember what had already been mentioned and what was a cliffhanger. This work had a few major instances where I had to stop writing and read over everything again as discrepancies set in and details were left out. It's coherent as of now, but you should have seen all the mistake I deleted while cursing my own stupidity – there were so many of them!

Now, after wondering just how the heck I managed to write something over so many years, I'd like to quickly cover the more important part of this postscript – the themes I wanted to convey. The story isn't pushing for any specific tenets about justice, society, or love. Rather, it's about the nebulous idea that everyone believes they are correct and are acting for the justice they believe in. The conflict in this story is, frankly, quite unresolvable. Every side had been wronged, and therefore every side believed themselves to be right. That is how most conflicts go in real life. At the end, no one can say with absolute conviction that they are making the right choices. Looking from the view of the average Neo Domino citizen, everything that the main cast did in this story might as well be destructive and wrong. Things could turn out worse for Neo Domino. Those possibilities are why I left the story's ending as it is, and I have always intended for it to end on such an open note.

One of the fundamental ideas embedded in the story is honestly about acting out of one's own volition. No matter what kind of decisions you are making, you need to be making it because it is something you have considered the possible consequences, know that it aligns with your values and beliefs, and want to take responsibility for what comes after. The story isn't there to glorify or condemn anyone's beliefs, but simply to portray the reasons behind it and general empathy from the readers. Empathy doesn't mean you have to agree with these ideas – it just serves to explain how that person got there. I personally believe that a piece of fictional writing shouldn't provide answers for difficult questions. Rather, the job of the writer is to stimulate the reader to think about these questions and find an answer suitable to each of our own circumstances and beliefs. There had been a lot of death, destruction, and grief in this story, leaving only an empty promise of hope at the end. Yet the future is the best gift to us all. You can't tell what will happen in the future, and we can only work to ensure everything will work out the way we envisioned the future to be. At the end, this has been a long and heavy piece of writing, and I only hope it had provided some food for thought for you over the years.

As for future plans, I will be moving away from the Yu-Gi-Oh! fandom. Time changes and people age, and my life have led me down different paths than this franchise. However, I will most likely still be posting stories here. My writing record and fandoms have become a bit messy over time, with interests spread over various fandoms, so you might see some wild things here in the future. My main kind of story is still heavily modified AUs, where new and old fans all start on the same page. Guess some things indeed never change!

Have a good holidays season everyone and I will see you again in the near future! Thank you for reading!

Silver Lazurite

Christmas Day, 2020

18