Hey guys !

Hope you all doing well.

I know it's been a while since last update but I had stuff to do. But don't worry I'm still active on fanfiction, besides I already start the next chapter.

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Stay safe and ENJOY !

The medical unit of Academia took more than three hours to treat all the wounds of the demon. In the evening, their director came to report on his health to the Professor, sitting on his throne and surrounded by Ray, Reiji and Reyra.

Sitting on a chair next to the Professor, his hands firmly holding the handle of his cane, Sakaki Yusho looked at the doctor with a mixture of interest and apprehension.

The doctor informed them that their patient was in a worrying but not critical condition, and that his life was not in danger. The doctors decided to hook him up to heart and respiratory monitors and place electrodes on his body to monitor all of his vital parameters at all times. They also noticed that his breathing was difficult, and put an oxygen mask on him. Finally, Zarc (or Yuya, no one knew yet) had a slight fever, so they covered him and put a wet towel on his forehead.

"He did not respond to any external stimuli, so we assumed he must be in a comatose state. But we have no way of knowing when he might regain consciousness," he concluded, bowing slightly. "He might wake up in a few hours, or he might wake up in a week or two."

"Good," said the Professor. "I want you to give me a daily report on his condition. If you notice any change, however small, inform me immediately. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Professor."

"Perfect," Reo agreed. "You may leave."

The doctor bowed again and left the room.

As soon as he closed the large door, a screen appeared in front of the head of Academia.

"The technician reports. Professor, we have finished installing the surveillance cameras in Sakaki Yuya's room."

By the Professor's order, the fact that Yuya was Zarc, the demonic Duelist who had appeared earlier in the day and vowed to destroy everything, was to be known only to him, his son, the Lancers, and the students who already knew the truth (like Sora and Edo). The medical team, having taken care of him, also knew. Dennis, who was taken out of the map where he was kept prisoner, was told by Sora, because of the friendship - even if it was a small one - that he shared with Yuri. Asuka, after coming back to life, was informed with the agreement of Sakaki Yusho - who also came back to life and knew the whole story -, who was very fond of her and trusted her completely. Asuka, proud and moved, had then asked to be able to take care of Zarc during all the time of his coma and until he wakes up, which Reo accepted on condition that she was careful, because nobody knew yet how he would react when he woke up.

"Let me see that," asked the head of Academia.

"Right away, Professor," replied the technician.

The screen disappeared, immediately replaced by another one. Ray, Reiji and Reyra approached to take a closer look.

Yuya was lying on a bed, an oxygen mask covering part of his face, a towel on his forehead. He was almost completely covered by a blanket; only the collar of his shirt was sticking out.

To replace his torn clothes, the Professor had asked Edo to go and get some new ones from Yuri's room, which was isolated, far from all the other rooms of the Academy. The young commander had chosen a plain shirt and simple pants and handed them to the doctors to dress him after his treatment.

A small lamp bathed the room in a soft white glow. Asuka suddenly appeared from behind, and sat down on the chair next to the bed. She began to wet the towel, put it on her sweaty forehead, and then stood still, watching the young boy, obviously worried.

"Are the cameras visible to those in the room?"

"No," said the technician, appearing again on a screen. "We've made sure they're well hidden. Only those who know of their existence could potentially spot them."

"Very well," agreed Reo. What about Arc-V...?

"We've made sure there are no problems, and we've started to dismantle the machine, following your orders. All the parts will be stored in the top basement of Academia, where no one can touch them."

"Perfect. Have you patrolled the dimension?"

"Yes, Professor. We have not detected any wormholes and the inhabitants seem to be returning to a normal way of life. Our troops are still actively helping to rebuild Heartland."

"Good," concludes Reo. "Continue to update me regularly on the progress of the work. You may take your leave."

"Thank you, Professor."

And the screen disappeared.

A silence followed, soon disturbed by Reyra. She addressed Reo in a shy voice:

"You... you decided to dismantle Arc-V?"

"Yes, dear. That machine is too dangerous, and I can't imagine what would happen if it fell into the wrong hands."

"Reo," Yusho suddenly called.

Reo turned his head towards him, surprised and worried by the sad voice of his friend. The latter, with his head down, looked him in the eyes.

"Do you think Yuya will remember me when he wakes up? Or will he be... lost?"

Reo recognized very well the expression on the old artist's face. That of a father worried about his child.

Because Yusho had resisted the truth. His love for Yuya, even if it didn't have to be (Yuya was not really his son), was still present, intense and sincere. And Reo respected him deeply for that.

He turned his head away.

"I already told you, Yusho," he answered slowly. "I have no idea. I can't even guess. Zarc is unpredictable. We're living with a ticking time bomb. I've taken precautions, but I'm afraid they won't be enough to stop this demon."

Reiji leaned toward his father.

"What precautions? "

"I took away his deck."

"And his Duel Disc?"

"Broken. Unusable. I ordered it to be removed as well."

"And what did you do with the deck?"

"I locked it in an underground chamber, guarded at all times by the best students of Academia."

He paused for a moment, as if hesitating to continue. Finally, he added:

"Five cards, however, remain under my personal supervision."

Reiji squinted.

"Don't tell me that..."

"Yes, it is. Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon, Clear Wing Synchro Dragon, Starve Venom Fusion Dragon, Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon, and Astrograph Magician; those are the five cards I have personal custody of. If Zarc were to wake up with his four dragons on hand, and the magician that allows him to summon the Supreme Dragon, all he would have to do is find a Duel Disc and the world would descend into chaos again. Besides, now that those four Magic cards En Flowers, En Moon, En Winds and En Birds are gone, we'll have no way to stop him," Reo said in a broken voice.

"But Dad," Ray interjected for the first time, "we don't know how he'll react... what if he's not as bad as we thought?"

"I'm not so sure, honey," his father replied calmly. "After all he's done..."

"What if we were wrong about him? What if..."

"Ray," Reo cut in abruptly.

His daughter froze. A little ashamed, he relented.

"Ray, I've tried to be understanding before," he said wearily. "I'm still surprised that I let him live, and even more surprised that I cared for him... (He sighed.) The truth is, I'm terrified of making another mistake. By believing that I have revolutionized the Duels with the Real Solid Vision, I have already created a demon... if he should destroy the world, it will be entirely my fault. That's why (and a wild glint appeared in his eyes), that's why, if I see him make one wrong move, I won't hesitate to destroy him with my own hands, and I won't let anyone stop me."

Ray and Reiji looked at their father, worried by his sudden change of mood. Reyra hid behind his brother, intimidated. Yusho sighed silently.

Sensing that his words were the source of the embarrassment, Reo let out a long sigh. Then, calm again, he urged his children to go to bed, for they had not slept for more than a day, because of the events.

Not daring to upset him further, they headed for the door. But before leaving the room, Ray turned again to his father.

"Dad... I'm going to ask you one more thing. Please send me all the surveillance footage from the last few days. I'd like to analyse them."

Her father nodded in surprise.

"Okay, honey."

"Thanks, Dad. Have a good night."

"Yes, good night to you too."

And the girl left the room.