A/N: I might take longer with the next updates of this fic (more than a week at least), want to write it properly, but I caught up with the chapter I had written beforehand XD, will resume with updates once I've rechecked some things I want to do in the story.
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Chapter XII
Reunion
The strong wind blows outside, making the boat shake, but the sound of waves and everything else is muffled inside the room.
After a long embrace, they both settle down, sitting on the bed in front of each other, he crosses his arms with a severe gaze. She fears now it is the time he will be berating her, but instead his brows curl upwards.
"Zara…"
"E-Ed! I'm sorry! I went and caused problems again, I shouldn't have come, I..." she nervously tumbles in her own words, closing her eyes in panic. "I said so many bad things to Ed..."
"No..." his eyes have a saddened glint "I should be the one apologizing..."
His words snap her out of her constant necessity of asking his forgiveness, bringing her attention to his face.
"I was unnecessarily harsh and ignored your feelings, even though you spent the whole time shouting it out loud. I was stupid and couldn't listen to it." he put a hand to his head, ashamed of himself and feeling guilty. "I didn't need to be like that."
"But I… I said terrible things… I went there on my own and now… My powers..."
Her eyes wobble in an afflicted tone, he takes a look at her white hair, a pinch of pity stabbing his heart. It was his fault for not looking properly after her.
"It doesn't matter if you don't have powers, or whatever you said back then... I don't care about any of that… I never expected you'd change my destiny, I was willing to use my D heroes for that…"
"You never expected I could help?" a trepidation occurs inside her "Is that why Ed always calls me a nuisance?"
She brings her hands near her chest as she remembers the times he said that, her heart aches. He flinches at the reminder, lowering his gaze for a second, his fists close unwillingly.
"Forget what I said before! This is not… This is not what I meant back then..."
"But it is true…! I can't do anything… I couldn't do anything with my powers either… If I came to this world for nothing, then… What Ed says is true… I am just a bother… But even so..." her eyes tear up "Even if I shouldn't have done it… I wanted to come here and see Ed..."
"Idiot!" he grabs her shoulders exasperatedly, shaking her with the brusque movement "I said that because I was a fool! It is not true! It was never about your powers or what you can and can't do… The reason why I didn't want to let you do anything was because I wanted you to live a different life than the one you had before! Having nightmares, worrying about the world's destruction and trying to protect people with those frail shoulders of yours, this is nothing like you…"
"Ed..."
He closes his eyes for a moment, his grip on her shoulders trembling as if he is pained reminiscing about their memories. When they open, there is a fierce and caring glint to them.
"The you that is just clumsy, ungracious, dumb and always gets herself into trouble, this fits you much better… I didn't expect you to worry about anything else, if you are just living your life like a normal girl… This is all I wished for your future..."
"Like a normal girl?" She seems confused with the term. "Ed was thinking about my future?" her gaze lowers for a moment, she seems to notice something "Ed, were you crying because you were worried about me?"
He is startled with the sudden question, she is talking about the night he found her at the dorm, he hesitates for a moment, his eyes delving deeper into hers.
"Of course I was!" he blurts out with utter confidence "Why do you even think I wouldn't be?! You just vanished in the middle of the night, said some rough words that are not like you and then, you let your powers be taken! I thought you'd die!"
Her saddened expression soothes a bit with his declaration a smile slowly plays on her lips as she chuckles.
"Hehe… Ed was worried about me." she says like a kid proudly bragging about a new feat.
A vein pops out on his head. Why does she need to be like this at a serious time? He averts his gaze for a single minute, calming down his agitation.
"Master Judai said Ed was worried about me because he is head over heels for me, he said Ed likes me a lot, but he is a 'tough nut to crack' ehehe." she giggles with the prospect, but tilts her head "Is that true that Ed was worried because he likes me? And what does it mean to be 'head over heels'? I don't get it..."
The amount of embarrassment she caused by just shoving the words is indescribable, he gasps in shock. Did she just call him "master Judai"? A frown wrinkles his expression. She still seems to be unaware of what he meant.
"Don't call him master! It's displeasing..." he crosses his arms with a tone of complaint "And don't listen to his ranting! Shouldn't it be obvious? Of course I like and care about you, I wouldn't waste my time like this if I didn't. You don't need Judai to tell you this!" he turns his face to the side in a grumpy mood.
Her eyes waver for a moment, she puts her hands on her blushed cheeks, abashedly looking down. For some reason, listening to that made her heart flutter a tiny bit, she feels so happy. As if a big weight was taken out of her chest and it became light as a feather. With a sheepish smile she declares victorious:
"Ed likes me! He is not angry!"
His grumpiness is again disrupted by her sparkling behavior, she hops in place out of excitement of hearing those words. His strict expression is crushed and smoothens, as he sighs troubled.
She doesn't seem to fully understand what he means with that, but again, that coming from the same person who blatantly confessed her feelings without noticing what she was doing. Despite feeling frustrated towards her naivety, just taking a peek into her radiant face is enough for him to calm down.
"Even if it's like this, it doesn't really matter to me... As long as she can smile like that… It should be fine, right? Such a troublesome girl… Making me worry this much..." he sighs in relief she has come back to her old self.
Her fingers grasp the bed sheets strongly, an air of gloominess overcoming the radiance on her expression. Her heart feels pleased with those feelings, but at the same time, she senses a deeper sadness over not being able to do anything for him. His orbs direct to hers in concern, realizing how changed her semblance is.
"What is bothering you? Are you still thinking about what you heard in the white dorm...?"
"Ed, tell me, is there really nothing I can do? I thought and thought a lot, but if I can't do anything, then why did I even come to this world? I made Ed sad and lost my powers. I am no good at this, even if Ed likes me. I got help from many people since I got here, but I didn't help anyone in return... Am I even allowed to be here? Am I worth being in this world with everyone?"
"How many times will I have to say?! You're not meant to be someone that shoulders the destiny of the world alone… Living leisurely and worrying just about knowing more about this world is just fine for you… Carrying burdens, changing destiny is a tall order, it's my job!"
He shouts out loud in a burst of emotion, letting his heart carry the words through his mouth, surprising her. His teeth clench, his eyes are filled with sorrow and rue:
"I am sorry... You needed a hero more than anyone else, but I was too busy with my own problems to look around… But now I see it. I will be the hero you need, I will carry your burdens, so just forget about world destruction and all this. The you that smiles for silly things is way better than the way you are now!"
He stands up going around the bed, she turns and sits on the edge to look at him, without delay, he pulls her close again, embracing her. She blushes with his firm and tender touch, her head barely reaching the height of his stomach, he bends over gripping her stronger bringing her even closer.
He never noticed before but her build seems slightly thinner compared to his, she is so soft on his arms like this. How could she ever think of trying to save anyone when she was the one that needed saving the most during all those years of torture in her past?
"Carrying a burden is the destiny of my heroes, it fits me much better than you. If you are just here, it will be enough, you don't need powers or anything else, just live freely like you are. I will take care of everything, and when I do, I will help you too. I will listen to all you want to say, so wait a tiny bit more until then..."
That is right, he thinks, even with his goals in mind, he can't deny how he feels about helping her now, yet he can't just welcome those feelings into his heart the way things are. He first must settle the matters regarding his beloved father. But when this is settled, then… It will be fine to think a bit about her future in this world too, right?
He releases her from his grasp, but maintains his hands on her shoulder, his eyes quiver in an anguished expression, she can see some water making them shine again.
"So don't say sad things like you're not worth being here or useless… You are fine where you are and the way you are. I will take care of you, so you can stay here as long as you want."
Her eyes waver too as if infected by his feelings, they glimmer with tears, she stares into his eyes for a long moment dazed by his expression, then her gaze lowers and her hands land on her chest, her heart pumping stronger, giving a reddened color to her cheeks.
"Ed is unusually kind to me today… It feels so warm..."
Her eyes close with a tranquil expression, a smile coming to her lips as if she appreciates the sensation. He gapes in reaction, slightly abashed on how innocent and she seems to be, but his hand reaches the top of her head and gently ruffles her hair, a feeble smile sprouts on his lips too.
"You're way too hopeless…"
After he stops caressing her head, she stands up with a curious glint on her face and her mood seems to be lighter. Now that this part is settled, he has questions to ask.
"Zara, I thought you were sick, how come you were released from the infirmary?"
"I ran away..." she plays with her fingers.
"You…!" he sighs heavily "You can't just do that."
"B-but I wanted to see Ed… And I am sorry Ed. The things I said about not wanting to be with you and not being your fake fiancée anymore..."she lowers her gaze in an apologetical posture. "I didn't mean any of that…"
"Forget it, it's fine. Don't think about any they told you in that dorm… They were just using you, telling lies. You shouldn't believe in what they said."
"What master Saiou told me was not wrong… I made Ed sad and worried… But master Judai said it is natural for people to both laugh and cry with each other when they are close… and also that destiny is something you make with your own hands… I wanted to try making my destiny too. One where Ed and this place he lives in will be fine in the end, because I like Ed. My heart would be at peace with that."
"Zara…"his voice sounds like a whisper as his expression melts, but he can't afford to let himself get too infatuated now "I hope you are aware you'll be going back to the infirmary."
"W-why? I want to stay here with Ed!" she grabs his clothes, tugging it in protest "I am feeling well!"
"You still need to apologize to the nurse for causing trouble and let her check you up."
Ignoring her protests and whining, he grabs her wrist and drags her there, after explaining the situation with her sleepwalking instead of running, she is checked up.
"Hm… The fever is gone and her body is feeling better. She still needs rest, but her condition is good enough. You can go home now."
She swings her feet out of happiness hearing she is free now and grins at Ed. He flinches at the attention received, but turns his gaze to the nurse and coughs, changing the topic.
"Is there anything else we should know?"
"No… Her exhaustion is mostly gone, make sure she eats and rests properly every day and give it a couple more days for her to be fully healed. Also, don't let her sleepwalk in the middle of the night."
After receiving those instructions, he turns around and leaves, followed by her. She waves to the teacher and smiles brightly. The nurse lets out a sigh of relief in seeing her high spirits.
"Ed!" she tags along, in the forest.
"What?"
"She said I can go home! Does that mean we got back to your home? Or is the boat a home now?"
"The yacht is just a temporary place to stay. And it's not mine only, you're also staying there. You will be part of my family after all, you also have the right to call it your home."
A cocky smile flashes on his lips, soon it is disturbed by her hectic behavior, she rushes to his side and clasps her hands together with glittering eyes.
"I can be Ed's fake fiancée again?"
Did she really need to add the "fake" part vehemently? In truth, he was the one that made it look like it was an absolute rule to have it clear, but in the end, he is the first one removing the rule.
"There is no need to call yourself a fake. There is nothing fake about your feelings, Zara. And you don't need to be a fiancée to be with me."
She stops on her tracks, blushing and putting her hands on her cheeks bashfully looking down and playing with her toes on the soil.
"I-I don't? Then what am I?"
"Let's say you are the princess and I will be your humble hero servant."
"What does that mean?"
"I am afraid it's too complicated for a simpleton like you. And this is not important right now, fiancée is just a title anyways. We can talk more about our situation later. Let's get back to the yacht."
He peeks at her reaction, she is bewildered, tilting her head and not grasping his intentions, he averts his gaze, she is such a kid. His mouth curves down, his face flushes subtly.
She nods nervously to his calling and tags behind, but her eyes flicker passionately as she watches his backs, her heart beats so loudly she feels it will burst out of her chest at any moment, her steps eventually halt. Noticing how she is standing still behind, he walks some steps back, startling her when he takes her hand, bemused at her sudden lethargy.
"What are you waiting for?"
Guiding the way, she feels even more flustered upon the warmth of his hand running through hers. Why does she have this strange sensation? Like there is air blowing inside her stomach. It's similar to when she talked to him on the boat before running away, is that what it means to like someone? She doesn't fully understand that.
He said he cared and liked her, but what that actually implies? Does he mean it like her father? No, it feels so different. She never had such worries as a priestess. Her eyes swirl in confusion as she dozes off the whole way back. Eventually it settles down, but her cheeks are still reddened whenever she looks at him, which induces her to avert her gaze down.
"What are you fussing for? You've been like this since we left the infirmary…" he supports his elbows on the guardrail "You shouldn't think too hard about things, just act like you always do."
"Like I always do…?"
She ponders about his words and recollections of their moments together come to her mind: she was always running around, distracting herself with the world, finding out more about it as she was there, but right now, why is it that she feels she just wants to be near him?
Unconsciously, her feet draw closer, and pulling his suit, she rests her head on his chest, he loses his posture, startled with her sudden approach. Her expression is so foolishly happy and serene, she can listen to his heartbeats and the sound quietens her interior. He hesitates for a brief moment, hugging her back a bit lost on what to do.
"Now, don't cling to me all the time. I have things to do too…" a bit of guilt fills his expression as he mutters the last part just to himself internally "But just this time, it's fine, I suppose."
Admitting defeat, he consents to her embrace. Her hair is not as smooth as one would think at first sight, it's rather slovenly. He can guess she is to blame for not having an idea on how to take care of it. The color is fully white, his eyes squint in dismay upon the sight. Does that mean she will be like this forever now? It used to have a beautiful color that fit her personality more, he will miss the liveliness it had before.
He releases himself from her grip, grabbing her shoulders and pulling her away kindly. She smiles sheepishly as if she just had her batteries recharged with the cuddle, he cannot comprehend what goes through her mind at all.
"We should stop fooling around, there is no time for that. And you should sleep."
He sways her around and walks her to the internal corridor of the yacht. She looks confusedly at him, he just makes a gesture with his head, leaning towards her room and she hurriedly goes there under his watch. As soon as she disappears he sighs and goes to his own room.
What is wrong with him? What did he even promise to a girl? To take care of her? Him taking such responsibility? His head is too full of other issues he has to solve to be thinking about this now. Good for him to play the hero when he is the one in need of those the most.
That night he has difficulties sleeping again, but middle way on his nightmares, he stops seeing his child self chasing after his father. It turns into something new, he sees Saiou and dreams about D heroes.
His eyes open, it is still dark, he can feel the almost dried and cold sweat on his back, those nightmares drain him. When his pupil gets used to the shadows, he spots the top of a white head popping near the edge of the bed.
He straightens up, crawling near it and sliding down the sheets, sitting beside the girl. She hugs her own legs in a frightened expression, startled when he comes closer.
"I had a nightmare again…" when his arm is grabbed, even under the cloth of the sleeves he can feel how cold her hands are. "It feels close… This event… It was all burning, Ed! Everything around was swallowed by flames and you were there… And…" she has problems recollecting it in a series of events, making the sequence dubious and convoluted, but he lends his ears to her.
"It's alright. No one is burning, Zara. Just calm down."
He coats her hand with his own, casting a brief glance at her anguished face, her fingertips are freezing. He delves into his own thoughts, she gulps beside him and goes back to hug her knees more, in search of comfort from the freshly imprinted images in her head, letting go of his lukewarm hand.
"I thought she couldn't have those visions anymore… Wasn't it part of her powers? But if she really lost them, how…?" His eyes are doubtful as he casts a side glance.
Amidst the half moonlight floating into the darkness of the room, his eyes open wide when he notices a strand of her hair with the original color. His hand instinctively reaches out to it, to make sure it's not a mistake.
She becomes jumpy and blushes as he stares blankly and deeply at the strand of hair, wondering why he does that. Her heart feels uneasy whenever he so intently dedicates attention to her.
"The nurse said it was because of stress and exhaustion… But what if it is related to her loss of powers… That means this strand… It can't be…"
She tugs her hair back, snapping him out of his thoughtful state, shyly blushing and looking away from him, closing her eyes in an uptight and clumsy speech:
"D-don't look. It became strange… I don't like how it is…"
"Don't worry, you're still very pretty." He pats her head gently with a smile so short she wonders if it existed.
Both his blunt speech and his gestures cause bewilderment on her face, she stares at him in a daze for long seconds, her eyes waver in some sort of admiration, her cheeks gradually become more pink. Unlike her, his thoughts are concentrated somewhere else, still considering what happened to her powers.
Given the facts, and how she has been showing signs of it, is it possible she is regaining them? But how? With that in mind, his blue orbs hover over her face.
"Can you sleep again now?"
She is brought back to her senses when he speaks, checking on her with a glance and getting up, stretching his hand. She turns her face away in a hurry, hugging her knees tightly again.
"I don't want to leave…"
Her coral orbs look like marbles shining in the darkness. He sighs smoothly in a troubled tone. No matter how many times he has to deal with it, her childish personality still amuses him at times.
"I'm not telling you to leave, just hop on the bed."
"I-I can?"
"You'll just come back even if I tell you no, there is no point resisting it. I'd rather know you are here than get surprised in the morning with you drooling all over my sheets…"
He pulls the blankets up, she climbs the bed, still doubting his words, but he continues, covering her with blankets and taking a spot on the opposite side, his back turned to her, she watches the whole process, intrigued by his actions.
She turns to the side and watches his back for a while, her eyes trembling in an affectionate glint, she recalls all he said and did that day, her heart just tightens with the thought.
She can't understand, but it feels nice to have someone like him nearby. With a victorious, silly smile on her face, she worms her way closer to him until her forehead touches his back, fondling her head near him until she finds a comfy enough position and soon he hears a peaceful rhythm on her breath. Did she really have to cling this much to him?
"I'm the one that won't be able to sleep now."
His stare is idle and has only the plain wall in sight, a drop of sweat trickling down his face, with a deep sigh and a subtly reddened face, he closes his eyes and struggles mentally to find a way to save his hours of rest.
Next day
Ed stands beside the bed, arms crossed and a meditative semblance, watching over Zara sleeping carelessly on his bed. She must have been really worn out, even when he woke up, she didn't move an inch despite being so close to him.
He sighs in a friendly manner, covering her more with the blankets and calmly leaving the room. Today, a match of his legal guardian is about to happen, he wants to see it. It's been long since that man welcomed him as both a master in dueling and a foster parent. Had he not been there, things could have gone differently, perhaps he wouldn't be the professional duelist he is now.
Resting his arms on the guardrail of the deck, he watches it from the small device that airs the TV. The match is between The D and Doctor Collector for the title of world champion. During their match, something unexpected happens, an explosion occurs and the TV loses the signal.
He worriedly tries to contact the foster father, unaware of the reason the match was interrupted, nervously waiting for the call to connect, after a few minutes, he gets an answer.
"DD?! Are you safe?"
"Yes… I am fine..."
The man walks in front of the destroyed stadium, with no pinch of remorse a wicked smile plays on his lips as he scoffs at the boy getting concerned about him, so ignorant to the truth, so blind for vengeance. A child.
"It's been a while, Ed… Why don't we meet near the academia? I will station my ship there, we can talk."
"Right. That's a good idea."
"I'm looking forward to meeting you again."
He ends the call and his smirk enlarges, behind him the ashes of destruction are blown to the wind and the firefighters and ambulances come to rescue the survivors. At that same time, Zara wakes up lacking breath.
She hastily looks around, her body feels unstable, but she strives to get up from the bed regardless. After stepping away from the bed sheets, she feels coldness in the air and totters her way across the corridor to the deck of the ship, stopping as soon as her blurry sight visualizes Ed's silhouette.
Her view is an interval of black and a hazy image of him that is focused enough sometimes, startled he rushes towards her and grabs her before she falls to the ground, kneeling down and supporting her body on him.
"Zara! What happened? You are..."
He puts a hand on her forehead, she is burning from fever, but how? His eyes oscillate anxiously. He is sure she was fine just this morning, how is he getting sick again. She tries to grab his suit to call his attention, but her hand slides weak and unable to grasp him.
"Don't talk now…"
He thinks for a moment, he has an appointment with D, being sick now is the worst timing. He wants to see his mentor, but he can't ignore her health.
"Blistering flames..." she mutters in confusion.
"What did you say…? Flames…?"
His eyes open wide, the recollection of the explosion comes to the surface of his mind, could it be this whole time the bad prediction she had was this? If so, then even more reason for him to see DD.
Grabbing under her knees and keeping a hand around her shoulders, he lifts her without much trouble, with how many times he has done it, he got used to her weight already. He carries her to the control room, putting a blanket on the ground, and lying her there. A towel is over her forehead, he offers some medicine with water.
"Swallow this."
She is unable to take the pill alone, even the water just drops out of her mouth, her head is limp and unstable. He takes the pill on his mouth, crunches it a few times and puts some water on his mouth, then bending over her, a hand under her head, bringing it closer, he transfers the content to her mouth directly.
Her lips are burning from the fever, his cheeks burn along with it, they're as soft as he remembers, he feels dishonorable for doing this, but there is nothing else he could've done in this situation. She needs medicine to control the temperature.
She coughs a bit after he lets her go, her eyes slowly open, but he just lies her back down with a concerned expression, a faint, remaining pinkish color on his face, that can't be considered a kiss, can it? She seems completely unaware of what happened.
"Hang in there a bit."
He proceeds to steer the rudder towards the other ship. He casts a last glance and with a determined expression, he guides the yacht to the immense cruise in the horizon.
"I'm sorry, Zara, this is urgent."
"Ed… Don't go... there..."
She whispers, stretching her hand, but it plops to the ground and her fever accentuates, her consciousness fades. He couldn't listen to those words, it was too late to turn back.
Arriving at the cruise, he casts a glance at her. She still seems to be suffering from the fever, but the pill should kick in at any time and at this point he also needs to know about D's well-being. With a pitiful glint on his eyes, he averts his gaze, clenching his fists and boarding the cruise.
The place is empty, the more he walks, the more a sensation of emptiness and eeriness fills his interior. The luxurious cruise is enormous, he wonders where his guardian will be. While he adventures outside, Zara wakes up.
Her coral orbs are dazzled and foggy, searching for him around. Once she can't find him, she sits up straight, wobbling while trying to keep her balance. Then, with an impulse, she stands up, looking around everywhere in the cabin, until she sees the gigantesque cruise.
"Ed..."
She doesn't know how, but she is sure he is there, as if she can feel his presence again. She must go before it all happens and prevent it. This time, it doesn't matter if she has powers or not, this is something she must avoid at all costs, otherwise...
"Someone will die..." with vacillating steps, she makes her way inside the ship.
The dark corridors of the cruise amuse him. Did D always have this spooky welcoming habit?
He reaches a main door, to the salon of the cruise, opening it with both hands, he finally sees his guardian standing very far into the room. Before he steps in, he has a chill and the sensation someone just called for him.
For a brief second, he looks back, scanning around. He is sure there were no workers or anyone else in the ship from what he saw while walking, but… Why does it feel like he is wrong? From the end of the corridor long, by squinting his eyes, he spots someone coming.
"What is it, Ed? Won't you enter and greet your mentor?"
"Wait a moment D, there is someone else in here..."
"Someone...?" he flinches, his brows furrowing in distrust.
Walking a few steps away from the entrance, he finally gets a clear sight on Zara that struggles to come as fast as she can, upon seeing him, she hurries, but fails and falls down, face to the ground. Without a second of hesitation, she stands up again and rushes, throwing herself at him in a last attempt of reaching out.
He is flabbergasted, but reacts accordingly, opening his arms to catch her before she falls to the ground, he is pushed back with her weight, falling on a sitting position. She grabs his suit, her hands tremble and her grip is more than weak.
"Ed… You can't..."
"Zara, you should've stayed on the ship… You can't just barge into here this way… This is..." he holds her hand tenderly.
"You can't..."
She repeats the words in a faltering whisper, with an anguished expression, her face is completely feverish, he wonders if she is having illusions. At this rate, she will have problems. Before she can pester him more, she faints again, her head plopping onto his chest, he grabs her body before it slides down more. A loud voice comes from far behind:
"Ed, I thought this should be a meeting between just the two of us..."
"That is also what I planned, but she followed me here!"
He answers, lifting her and adjusting her on his arms, she wheezes heavily and has a sorrowful expression. D watches the scene with a smirk. It doesn't interfere whether he has one more person there or not, after all.
"Oh, I didn't know you had a fan that would go to such lengths. Who is this girl?"
"She is not my fan… She is… My princess."
The words startle the man for a moment, his smirk vanishes into a blank expression, but soon, the evilness comes to his lips again in a treacherous grin:
"You should have said so, why don't you bring her in?"
Listening to the words of his guardian, he inadvertently walks into the room, without questioning further, he puts Zara on the ground, using a wall to support her back. With the back of his hand, he checks on her temperature, her fever is slightly better, but still high. His brows curl in worry, she should've stayed back at the yacht. The speech of the other disturbs his moment:
"I didn't know you had a betrothed… I guess you've grown since we first met, Ed… You're a young man now..."
"DD..." he finally stands up and turns around "How was your duel with the Collector? How did it end? And what happened at the stadium?"
"Right, you don't know, do you?" he steps closer and stops, an evil grin on his face "he burned in the flames at the venue and died… no, perhaps he died even before that with the blow I dealt to him."
"What? He died?!"
"Yes…" he replies in between his evil bursts of laughter "I killed him! With the Ultimate D!"
"Ultimate D? But this is..."
The doors behind Ed close shut with a thud. He is stunned for a moment, looking back at the entrance and switching his gaze to his guardian that seems unsurprised.
"The only doorways lie behind me, the door behind you won't open anymore"
An ominous air hover above his mentor, there are so many questions to ask, but his smirk indicates he will not answer so easily. Why? At a time like this…
"Why are you doing this, DD?"
"We made a promise back then, didn't we? For you to have a title match with me. I've kept the promise of protecting the title of champion until you grew up. Now it's your turn to keep your promise to me. "
"DD..."
He can't believe what is happening, why him of all people? Before he knows, from his pocket, the guardian takes a card and shows it face down to Ed.
"Dying in battle against this must be your long yearned ambition as well..."
"This card... Don't tell me..." his eyes waver in anxiety.
"This is the ultimate D you've been searching for."
"No way!" He denies the truth.
"Yes..." delight is shown on his lips filled with malice "The one who killed your father... was me."
Ed gasps in shock, he can't believe what he just was told. What will be of him now? The whole world is flipped upside down, he can't think of anything else. Is this man the real killer?
