September 18th, 2030 – Wednesday, 2:30 PM

The latest revelation hit me too hard, but the worst part of it was that I couldn't tell the others. As our team returned back to the break room, none of us had the urge to speak. At that moment I couldn't tell if this was due to how we lost or if it was due to how we lost. Arkaid and I were the only ones to win our game, and that was strictly due to Arkaid and her ability. Without her, I wouldn't have been able to survive on one life point the way I did. I didn't have the experience to last against such a powerful, aggressive deck. If anything, my win was incredibly undeserved.

Gao was off to the side, sitting quietly on a bench close to me. He wasn't crying, but he continued to stare at the floor while he curled his hands into fists. The Mighty Sun Fighter was defeated, but that was definitely not what got to him. He told me that he simply wanted to enjoy buddyfight, so losing shouldn't matter to him. He wasn't angry about losing, but it was how he lost that irked him so. He lost against a deck that completely countered his, for the opponent made it so Gao couldn't use his defense spells. And then, as soon as Gao managed to put up a worthy defense, he was attacked by Drum, ending the fight.

Tasuku definitely appeared to have it the worst. I saw Jack as he, in his SD form, approached Tasuku and saw the complete dissatisfaction on his face. Technically, we did our role, but he definitely didn't expect to go out the way he did. It was surprising to me when I noticed that Jack was taking it well when it was his experience that appeared to trouble Tasuku; he had to watch as his best friend was beaten down and destroyed, again and again, until he was no more. The ruthlessness of the Purgatory Knights struck a fragile cord within him, reducing the officer back to the child he really was.

Arkaid remained close to me as all of us seemed so dissociated from each other; neither one of us wanted to speak up. We all had something hanging on our minds, keeping us from calming our minds. My buddy could only watch with worry as the three fighters remained too quiet for comfort. She looked over to me, soon stretched her arm out to me as a gesture to start the conversation. However, I only shook my head back. Now didn't feel like the time. Arkaid, reluctantly, pulled her arm back to her side. Her eyes fell to the floor as she took a seat, soon letting off a long sigh.

Finally, Jackknife broke the silence. His buddy was his main focus. "Tasuku, you need to snap out of it."

Tasuku shook his head back. "Just… how did I lose to him?" The buddy officer grasped the side of his pants, tightening his grip. "No… how could I let him win against me in that way?"

"You said it yourself, Tasuku," Jackknife returned. "If you were able to find that card, then you would've been able to nullify his guard."

"But that's just it; my only excuse is that," Tasuku returned, soon looking the other way. "Liam had many more excuses than I did; I've used the deck before. The fact that he was so confident to wait until the one turn…. How was I not able to find that strength?"

"Don't think that way!" Jack exclaimed with worry. "That's how that ruthless power took you from me in the first place, Tasuku." His buddy returned a guilty look. Tasuku's eyes shook uneasily as Jack recalled a time unknown to me. "The last thing I want you to do is believe that you need to sacrifice yourself for that power again. You don't need it. We were both unprepared to face such an old foe."

"Jack…."

"I could tell that you were nervous, Tasuku," Jack flew onto Tasuku's back, resting his head on Tasuku's right shoulder. "Am I correct?"

Tasuku reluctantly nodded. "Y-Yes," he struggled to reply.

"It's okay, Tasuku," Jack replied comfortingly. "However, you need to remember who you are, and why Demios chose Liam. You two aren't the same; you aren't Liam. You can't find the same power he did, but that doesn't mean you can't find a different one."

"Thank you, Jack," Tasuku smiled softly as he patted Jack's head.

"Remember, Tasuku; you need to recall the strength you had to resist the Purgatory Knights."

It was good to see that Tasuku and Jack were able to resolve the issue together. Arkaid looked up to me once again, offering assistance. I was about to talk to her when I noticed Gao looking at Tasuku and Jack from afar. He had a rather pained look on his face, and I found the situation completely understandable. Arkaid caught on soon enough. The two of us sat on opposite sides of Gao, hoping to revive the kid's spark. Gao noticed, soon looking over at Arkaid before forcing a smile. "You two really are good together," Gao replied with a slight chuckle. He looked on as Tasuku and Jack continued to talk with each other, soon noticing their confidence returning.

I nodded. It was clear to me what was wrong with him. "You miss your buddy monster that much, huh?"

"I'm sure you must've heard the rumors," Gao muttered back to me. "Apparently, I'm not the same when a buddy is gone. I appear to be me, but… when it comes to buddyfights, I can't help but feel … feel…."

Arkaid interjected. "Less satisfied?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

"Even though you lack a buddy monster, you still have your friends."

"I really do appreciate my friends," Gao returned, forcing a smile. His defeated eyes showed the dimming of his spirit. It was like the fire within his soul was dying ever so slowly. "But… but…."

I nodded back. "I understand, don't worry." Gao looked back to me, looking rather confused. "Arkaid, I might as well fill you in on the details too. I only told you about Axia, correct?"

Arkaid gestured that she was able to recall our second meeting. Gao's ears perked up. "A-Axia? You know him?"

"No, the Axia that was buddies with me was a she," I quickly returned. "I'll explain the details later. My main point is that many buddies come and go. With me, it happened more times than most people would agree is normal."

"I think I remember you telling me that," Gao replied. "You mentioned monsters left you 'quite a few' times."

"Well, Axia was only one of my buddies. Before then was another referred to as Cait Sith in Boots. Another was Blade Beasts of Guillotine, Oden Tamitsuyo," I continued on. The official names on the cards of my previous buddies were rather odd. "Thing is, Gao, they all left me, each and every one, and I haven't heard from any of them since they left."

"What happened to them?"

"Well…." I cleared my throat. "They told me they had some urgent business to attend to in their respective worlds. That puts me in a rather similar position as you, Gao." I shrugged my shoulders before looking over at Arkaid. She looked a bit surprised when I focused on her. "I'll admit, I was pretty down about it. Despite that, I managed to keep going, and after continuing to be me, I was able to meet Arkaid."

Gao curiously looked at me. "How did you two even meet?"

"Why she was on Earth is confidential between us," I began. "However, she was in my place of work back in the United States to give a speech based on a theory she investigated."

"No offense, but that sounds really boring."

Arkaid clicked her tongue. "Leave it to a child to not understand the importance of true knowledge."

I couldn't help but chuckle back at that. "Well, she wanted to have someone go over the speech with her. No one was talking to her; people were either busy or ignoring her due to her Fifth Omni Cavalry status. I was rushing through the doorway when she hastily tried to approach me. I was in a rush to get to my office since I was getting late for anyone else, I told her that I'd return. Then things just… took off from there, and I'm glad things happened the way they did." Gao stared at the ground, stuck in his thoughts. "What I'm saying is, times may be difficult, but there's a chance you'll find something even better if you continue to go forward."

"… I doubt it was easy."

"I was dealing with what you're facing right now while having to work to support my living, of course it wasn't easy," I returned. "It never is. Sometimes it's easier than others, but it's never 'easy.' I was lucky to find someone like Arkaid as soon as I did, but someone like you should have no problems at all." Gao turned back to me. His eyes glimmered. "You're the Mighty Sun Fighter. How could a monster not want to be your buddy?"

The kid snickered innocently. "… Thanks, Chase."

"Call me CJ," I replied. "You're a friend of Tasuku's, someone I'm working with. You're definitely considered a friend of mine."

Albeity slowly, things were starting to return to normal. Most of us started to reconvene into a circle. Arkaid remained on the bench. When I looked back I saw that she was covering the right side of her face with her hands. As I returned my focus to the main gathering I could've sworn that her face began to get rosy in terms of color. I initiated the conversation. "We're out, so now we need to update ourselves with the other team."

Tasuku nodded. "From what we know from Liam, Gale's alone after what Hoshi said to him."

"I didn't think beating him would get that kind of reaction," I nervously returned. "This morning, I remember Liam talking about the guy. The way he described him made me think he was borderline psychotic."

Gao interjected. "You think he'd do something now?"

Tasuku shook his head. "We're not sure yet. The last update from CJ's boss informed us that Hoshi is still in the break room. But there's still a chance that he was released now that the match for his team is over and done with."

Jack nodded. "Even so, Tasuku, I believe it would be wise to keep an eye on him."

"Right," he returned. "I'll keep an eye on Hoshi. Then we'll-" My iPhone started to go off.

"S-sorry, hold on," I hastily replied. I went to check the phone, soon noticing that it was Alvis. Hoping for an update of any kind, I quickly answered the phone. "Yo, Alvis. How's it going?"

"CJ, we listened to the audio, and we got 'em," Alvis returned. That sudden announcement made me incredibly giddy. However, I made sure not to show it for the sake of embarrassing myself. Even so, it was amazing to finally receive some updates. "Liam was right in most parts; they're involved with The Will. But we don't have an exchange route established."

"But you were able to confirm that Liam's right?" Tasuku and Jack immediately caught on. Arkaid, finding this set of news to be alarming, nodded. She appeared to brace herself for future orders.

"Yeah, and we even have a name," Alvis returned. "Well, partially. We're looking for someone titled Master Eirik."

"Master Eirik?" I replied. "How do you spell that last one?"

"E-i-r-i-k, I think," Alvis replied. "I know it's not 'Eric' because there's a weird emphasis on the portion of the name before the 'r,' which makes it sounds like there's an 'a' or an 'i.' We agreed on an 'I' since, according to our system, the one with the 'I' is an actual name."

"Makes sense," I replied. "Earik would look weird on anyone's certificate, anyways."

"We also already took this to the Buddy Police HQ and DMW. They're going through their databases to see if they can find any connections to previous crimes, especially the one we fought in."

"Thanks for the update, Alvis," I returned gratefully. "I was getting sick not knowing crap."

"We couldn't reach you during your fights."

"Either way, thanks for the update."

"No problem. I'll fill you in if we get any updates. I have to buddyfight a girl's mom now so see ya!"

"Yeah, see ya la-"

"Wait! Don't hang up!"

His screaming caught me off guard. "D-dude, what is it?"

"There was one guy that was mentioned. One guy referred to him as 'Shido weirdo.'"

"… What?"

"Guess there's some anger in their ranks," Tasuku returned. "Anyways, now I really need to go. I don't want my team to get disqualified cuz of me. Later dude!"

The call ended. "Well, the A-team's match against Team Fujimiya is about to start. We're basically on our own."

Tasuku pondered the name for a moment. "Eirik…I don't remember that name at all."

"I doubt you know anything about a Shido weirdo either." At that very moment, everyone in the room froze. They turned to me with serious eyes. "Wait, you know him?"

Gao gritted his teeth before pounding his right fist into his left hand. "I can't believe it; Shido is involved in this?"

"So you know him?"

Tasuku sighed. "He's on the student council at Aibo Academy. He has ties with Kyoya Gaen, and he used to work with him at one point."

"And he was fired?"

The officer nodded. "He was let go, before the Yamigedo incident."

Arkaid pondered openly. "Then his previous employment with Gaen must've sparked interest with this Master Eirik."

"That makes sense," Tasuku returned. "He was also one of the first people to use the Disaster Force."

I couldn't help but find myself rather confused. "The way you're describing this guy is making him out to be some sort of incredible villain," I began. "But Gale and Hoshi didn't seem to like him; they even insulted him."

Jack chuckled. "Because Shido is a whelp."

"Pardon?"

Tasuku reiterated for him. "Magoroku Shido is a coward. In my experience with him, he flees to the side that appears to hold the most power at that moment. If he realizes his side is going to fail, he'll switch. If things get too rough, he'll flee."

I nodded, soon understanding the circumstances. "So they meet him … find out he isn't what they expected… and then that leaves them open to Hoshi and Gale finding a random third, I.E. Liam."

Arkaid agreed. "I agree, but I don't think Master Eirik managed to meet Shido for himself," she continued. "I doubt he would risk it."

Gao interjected. He appeared to introduce a different aspect of the conversation than which the rest of us anticipated. "Why wouldn't he?"

"Why would he risk being seen?" Arkaid asked in response. "In doing so, it compromises his actions within the darkness. If this person really is acting behind the scenes, then it makes no sense for him to put himself out in the open."

"Y'see, I don't get that," Gao protested. "I mean, it's Shido we're talking about. He was one of Gaen's main fighters for a time."

"Gao, it doesn't make logical, strategic sense."

Gao's introduction into the conversation sparked something within my eyes. In my years of teaching, I have come across many students that appeared to act in such illogical ways. Students refusing to study, only to cry and weep when their grades aren't being kept to their wished standards, is only one of the examples I've witnessed. You can't make students want to learn no matter how beneficial knowledge would be to them. Knowledge gives them access to the understanding of the world around them. Wouldn't it make sense for people to actually know that? It was due to Gao that I remembered this; something that appeared to be so basic at the time. "It doesn't have to."

Arkaid, confused, looked over to me. "CJ?"

"Think about it, Arkaid," I began. "When it comes to logic and emotion, emotions can win over. In this situation, Eirik must have thought that he was going to meet one of the greatest minds that worked with Gaen. It's not like Shido simply worked with Gaen; he was heavily involved with him. Eirik couldn't go to Gaen because 'restructuring the world' wasn't his will anymore, but Shido was fired before that shift in mindset. What if, even for a moment, he believed that he was going to be greeted by someone who, he thought, understood Kyoya's will the most?"

"… Only to be disappointed when he finds the truth!" Arkaid exclaimed. "Of course!"

"Tasuku, at the very least, Shido is involved with these guys, just by the name-drop alone. After we know Team Redemption's position, we should interview that old friend of yours."

He nodded. "Alright, sounds like a plan. Let's get to their breakroom." Before we all left the room, I gave Gao a pat on the back, thanking him for the assistance. It's weird how the mind can work; one key word or phrase can instantly remind you of something that you had once forgotten.

We rushed out of the room, nearly hitting each other due to our impatience. There was no way in hell that we could lose track of these fighters; we needed to get Gale for information, at the very least. As we sprinted throughout the expansive hallway bend, I went into my phone to contact the boss. Since Alvis was playing now, that must mean that my boss could receive a call. Fortunately, she replied almost immediately, causing me to quickly state the call's purpose. "Magoroku Shido."

"W-what? Who's that?"

"Alvis told me about Weirdo Shido. Tasuku recognizes him. He's with the student council at Aibo!"

She was able to hear panting as my group kept darting around the bend. "Is everything alright?"

"Alvis told us about the two guys, and Master Eirik."

"So you're already caught up."

"We're going for their break room now!"

"Alright, but don't do anything brash." She hung up.

It wasn't long before we reached Team Redemption's break room. There was a guard standing outside with Gale at the man's side. Liam was nowhere in sight. I couldn't put in the time to worry about it, for getting information from Gale was much more important. The guard and Gale looked over and saw us approach. I revealed my badge, soon pointing my finger at the kid. The guard quickly responded. Before Gale could dash off, the guard quickly grasped his left arm, subduing without much effort.

He continued to squirm and scream as we finally were in his presense. There was little doubt; he knew why we were here. I decided to start the line of questioning, but I had to wait for the teenager to calm down; for a seventeen-year-old, he was certainly giving the adult guard some trouble. Finally, the guard managed to get him in a tight hold, keeping him still. I got up close, lowering myself to his level. "Where's Hoshi and Liam?"

"Hoshi left a while ago; after your fight with him," Gale returned. "I don't know where he is. To be honest, I don't want to know."

It was then that I noticed something around his left eye. There was a patch of purple just around it. Gao was the next to notice it as he cautiously approached the teen. "Did he do that to you?"

Gale grumbled before looking away. "No… his buddy did it."

"What did you say to him that got him angry?"

"I don't know, okay?" Gale replied angrily. "Look, I tried encouraging him. He's the reason I'm even here. And then, out of nowhere, he just gestured, and then I found myself knocked across the room."

Tasuku approached to get a better look. Gale looked at him, watching the officer nervously. He instinctively flinched and twitched as another figure of legal authority was getting close to him. "That looks like it hurt. How are you feeling?"

"Not good… not good at all."

Tasuku looked down both sides of the hallway. He was checking for something that, at the time, I didn't quite notice. He looked sternly at Gale, frightening the teenager. "We know about The Will of Kyoya, and you're involvement with them."

"How the hell would you know that?"

"That's not for you to know," Tasuku returned. "What you should know is what's happening right now; your comrade left you, leaving you all alone."

I smirked, understanding where this was going. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used-"

Gale winced. "W-what are you doing?"

"Telling you your Miranda rights," I continued. "It's pretty obvious."

"You're arresting me?"

"Yes, we are," I replied. "You're working for The Will of Kyoya."

"How the hell would you even know about that?"

"I'm not telling you, at least not yet," I casually spoke back. "In court, we can talk all about it."

"Court?!"

"Why yes, court. You're being charged with working with a criminal syndicate known as The Will of Kyoya, people who took involve in that raid a couple weeks ago. I'm no genius, but I'm pretty certain that the evidence we have gives us quite enough to work with."

"I'm not with them!"

"You admitted to it previously. There's no point in lying."

"No, you don't understand!" Gale exclaimed. "I didn't do anything yet. I was with the group, but I didn't commit any crime! I've only just got in!"

"What about the stuff your 'pals' left here?"

"Jesus Christ, were you spying on us the whole goddamn time?!"

"It also doesn't help that, so far, you're the only one to answer for the crimes of your group," I replied. Gale reeled back as I motioned myself closer to him. My eyes glared at him, watching as the nervous criminal had his eyes darting around the room. "If you want us to believe you, tell us where Hoshi is, as well as that stash. Otherwise, you're going to be the only one answering for his present and future crimes."

"F-fine! The guy was a freak anyways!" Gale yelled out. "… ugh, goddamnit." He sighed, clearing his head. "… Liam saw me beat up after his fight, alright? He and his buddy didn't ask any questions; they just took off. I didn't even get the chance to tell him where Hoshi was, so I just assumed he would get lost or whatever. If you can, tell him to go take the stairs that lead to the basement. There's on the wall at the very hall where the laundry in this place goes; that's where Hoshi said the Dark Core Deck Cases where."

Tasuku moved up, taking the wheel. "Wait a minute; you yourself don't know?"

Gale shook his head. "I only went by with what Hoshi told me, that's it."

"You better be telling the truth."

"I am. You think I want to take the fall for him? Screw that noise."

"If you are, then we'll think about putting your assistance into account." Tasuku turned to the guard. "Keep him contained. I'll contact the Buddy Police to send some assistance."

(POV: Third)

Hoshi was left alone with his monster companion, the Formless Jailer, Izumonokami. The two hastily went for the end of the hallway. They were in the basement now, going against the orders set for them. Hoshi's buddy was hesitant about this. He had been attempting to talk Hoshi out of going against the original plan. Hoshi, however, merely turned to his buddy with disgust. "I don't care. I want to get it now. As soon as I get that Deck Case, those two stains will be nothing but splattered guts beneath my hammer.

He reached the laundry room's hatch. Carefully, he started to turn the wheel. He looked back, watching as his buddy surveyed the area. It was almost completely dark; they both wished to conceal their presense in the dark if any individual were to appear. Hoshi grunted as he pulled onto the handle, opening the hatch. The door creaked loudly as he quickly brushed it to the side, eager to see the loot inside.

The man snickered. Before him were four wooden boxes. Without thinking, he hastily went in, soon ripping the top of one of the boxes. He laughed loudly as he noticed the gleam of a familiar dark object. He ripped one of them out of the box before placing his deck of cards within the newly-acquired Dark Core Deck Case. He placed his hand over the device, willing it to activate. Suddenly, he heard the words he always wanted to hear. "Disaster Force: Activated."

Dark aura began to flow around his body. The edges of his lips curled wryly as he felt the power he always dreamed of obtaining. It wasn't before long that he grasped one of the cards; it was the hammer he equipped against CJ. The luminized card registered with the device as it appeared in his hands. This time, however, he felt the weight of the weapon force him downward; he wasn't expecting this much weight from the item. He managed to regain his footing, soon wielding the hammer as intended.

"… Take that!" He swung the hammer against the ground, shaking the floor beneath him. His buddy noticed a small crater created by the powerful weapon. The creature found himself shaking as he saw Hoshi take in a long, satisfying breath. He turned to his buddy, revealing the psychotic smile he expressed to CJ. "We're going to kill that man… together," Hoshi began. His teeth were bared as his smile grew even wider. "We're going to kill him right in front of Arkaid. You will subdue her, make her watch as CJ is tortured and killed by my hand!"

Suddenly, another voice filled the room. "A little bit early, are you?" Hoshi and his buddy recognized it immediately. The two of them exited the hatch, watching as two familiar beings emerged from the shadows. It was Liam, and by his side stood Demios. The dragon watched Hoshi and Izumonokami carefully, observing their movements. He was giving a stern, grave look that spooked Hoshi's buddy. Liam, however… he was gone. Demios didn't notice it, but Liam continued to look forward with eyes that had no light. His eyes embodied the darkness that Hoshi dreamed of wielding. The criminal tensed up, gritting his teeth as he watched Liam walk closer. "I thought you were gonna bring those dudes with you. Yet here you are, betraying the trust of your fellow members. You're trash even for them."

Hoshi soon found himself laughing. "You're a real joke, you know that?" However, he didn't notice Liam's change in demeanor. There was no Irish slang. There was no calm tone in his voice. Liam's behavior changed drastically; his emotions seemed to maintain an extreme focus on the enemy before him. "I'll just call them now."

"So, that was your true plan," Liam returned with an emotionless sigh. "You weren't making a public exchange; there are people in the audience that were supposed to come down here… grab the Dark Core Deck Cases with you. I assume you were just going to walk out?"

"You know too much, Kieron," Hoshi returned. The man hung his hammer over his shoulder. At this point, the man was completely used to the weight. He was wielding the weapon like the ravenous warrior that he truly was on the inside. Hoshi sneered at Liam, soon shaking his head. "Doesn't matter now. Arkaid and CJ are going to get what's coming to them."

"So that's why you changed your plans?" Liam asked monotonely. Demios soon noticed Liam's shift in behavior. Even he felt a slight hint of fear as the dark energies surrounding his buddy began to feed on the negative emotions storming through his mind. "You're such a sore loser."

"I am Hoshi Hirohito!" The man yelled back. "For me to lose like that… no. I will not tolerate that; he will die. I will make sure he dies slowly."

Liam's eyes glared at the man standing before him. Demios had a feeling about what Liam wanted. The dragon pulled out his sword and began to march forward. The buddy monster and Hoshi braced themselves. However, Liam stuck his arm out, stopping Demios from walking any further. Demios turned to his buddy, confused at the situation before him. "He's after CJ, Liam. You can't be suggesting that you'll let them live. Why would you-?"

A familiar voice emerged from Liam's Dark Core Deck Case. "Disaster Force: Activate." Demios's mouth went agape as he watched the Disaster Force take form. Liam slightly lowered his head as his back hunched forward. He shifted into an offensive position as another sword materialized from his left hand. Liam's rage fueld the Disaster Force, growing stronger by each moment. He didn't take his eyes off Hoshi; the man watched as Liam began to manifest his emotions into a raw, murderous rage.

Hoshi laughed back at the display. "So, you're his friend?" He watched as Liam didn't respond. Hoshi shook his head, finding the situation to be rather humorous. "How fortunate; once we take care of you too, I'll keep you just alive so you can watch as I torture your friend, and in front of his buddy too! Oh! The Irony! Arkaid thrives off protecting her buddy, but now she won't when it truly matters! I hunger for that moment!"

Liam looked over at Hoshi's buddy. His very presence caused the room itself to feel heavy and tense. Formless Jailer, Izumonokami turned to his buddy, noticing that Hoshi didn't lose his illogical confidence. The monster looked over at Demios. The dragon's arms remained crossed as he smirked at the sight of his buddy truly accepting the power bestowed on him. Without words, the two understood each other; Liam was truly a member of the Purgatory Knights.

It was then that Izumonokami couldn't take it anymore. Just looking at the human being across from him… it was getting too much for him to take. He pulled something out of his pocket, soon throwing it to the ground. Finally, the creature spoke in a low, yet spooked, voice. "This is not worth it. I'm ending our buddy contract."

Hoshi snarled back as he watched his buddy vanish before his eyes. "Good. After I take care of these two punks, I'll be sure to go to your world and pay you a visit."

Demios shrugged his shoulders. "I'm listening to what my buddy instructed me to do. I'm not fighting you; it is just Liam and you."

"Oh… goodie," Hoshi replied. He readied his hammer, holding it in front of him as he held the pole of it tightly. "Liam… any last words?"

The darkness around Liam corresponded to his will. The aura fluctuated and flowed through the air. Liam looked at Hoshi one last time before preparing his blade. "I will not let anyone touch my best friend."

He rushed forward. The fight commenced. Slashes and screams filled the room as neither side could truly see the destruction before them.

(POV: First)

We finally made it to the basement floor. Something didn't feel right; a putrid smell was filling the air. It made me think of rusty, unkept metal. The first thing that greeted our sight was nothing but darkness. The five of us sprinted across the floor, feeling water beneath our feet as we ran. We noticed that the hatch was open. Everyone went inside except for Jack, who decided to keep a watchful eye outside. Tasuku pulled out a flashlight from one of the pockets of his uniform. He flashed the light within the laundry room.

Tasuku nodded as we all saw numerous boxes placed around the room. One of them had already been opened. There was a place where one should be, telling us that one was taken away. "He was here." He stated as he motioned the light within the laundry room. The smell of rust and metal was starting to get to me. I left the room, noticing Jack standing guard outside. I felt my feet step into more water as Arkaid and I approached Jack. I could imagine Jack and Arkaid getting annoyed by the water down here too.

Finally, I shook my head, soon coughing from the awful smell. "God, this is just horrible. Was there a sewage leak or something?"

Jack looked over to me. "I should look for a light."

Arkaid volunteered. "How irresponsible of us," she replied. She appeared to return to her normal form; at the moment I couldn't tell too much, for it was just too dark. She appeared to walk away from us until she was out of our sight. I looked back to hear Gao and Tasuku shuffling through of the boxes. I assumed that Arkaid was feeling the walls for a light switch. The guess came from how I heard something rub against the walls from across the room. "Ah, found it. Problem solved."

The lights went on, nearly blinding me. Something was set off in Jack. It was an instinct. He managed to see something before I did. He quickly turned into his normal form, soon rushing into the hatch to grab Tasuku and Gao. By the time my vision returned, I saw Jack sprinting out of the room with Tasuku and Gao's heads pressed against his shoulders. Once I my eyes glanced away from him I knew why he wanted to rush them out. He was protecting them, hiding the scene from their vision.

Immediately, I vomited. My stomach pressed into itself as liquid poured from my system. What I just saw… What I just saw….

Oh my God.

Arkaid's eyes were shaking, fixated on one object in the middle of the room. It was shredded apart, barely recognizable. In my state, I was lucky to recognize the skin color and the length of his hair. Once I saw a shattered Dark Core Deck Case at his side, I knew…. I just knew. It was Hoshi. His remains … dear god. The water we walked on….The smell… The walls … Why? They were coated with spreads of red. Why? Dear God, why?! His intestines where…. WHY?!

It was then that I heard footsteps and a pair of wings. When I turned, I saw Liam and Demios, staring blankly at the walls. He fell to his knees. His arms were shaking as he gazed at the utter destruction before him. Demios only stared blankly, finding scenes like this all too familiar. It was truly the first time Liam and I had seen such relentless destruction.

Arkaid and I were left to be interviewed. Liam and Demios, in his SD form, rushed over to me and were informed of the events by another officer. I looked over to him as Demios as he remained at his buddy's side. I took a nervous gulp. The tournament was put on hold; one of its contestants was murdered, and it was the person that everyone hated Team Redemption for. It felt too surreal… to actual witness a scene like that, only to hear people walking out stating that he deserved it.

What also felt unreal was me initially being suspected of the crime. Buddy Police officers questioned Arkaid and I, attempting to see if our alibis checked out. Once Tasuku and Jackknife were interviewed, we were free to go. One officer attempted to question Liam, but he seemed to be a lost dog at that point; Gale's interview proved that Liam had no reason to know where Hoshi was; not only did Liam not know where Hoshi was going, according to Gale, but Liam was later found near a guard asking if he had seen Hoshi. Although the officers appeared suspicious, Tasuku's word helped which wiped suspicion off him.

I was happy for that; I didn't want my friend to get dragged into this. That was the last thing I wanted him to do. He, Demios, and Arkaid remained at my side. Somehow, Arkaid wasn't unsettled by this. She was trying to keep me calm as my hands shook from the event. I couldn't… I just couldn't shake off what I just saw.

Finally, the A-team was within my sight. Against orders from the officer, my boss rushed over to me and just… looked at me. She didn't seem to be settled right. I didn't get it. At the time, my mind was unsettled, unclear, and fuzzy. I just… I just wanted to go home. Before I knew it I was crying. My weeps were silent but tears flowed from my eyes. My head hung low as Alvis and Sitri came up to me with Abigail and Bozo in tow. Bozo leaped onto my lap. He looked up to me before licking my big nose.

My head shook instinctively. One word kept repeating in my head. Why. That word carried such power that it took over my very soul.

Tasuku and Jack were ordering officers around while Gao remained next to him. Even though they were in charge, the other officers were assigned to keep the specific details outside of Tasuku's reach. Jack was extremely adamant about that. This was the first time I saw him so furious and angry. It scared me.

Sitri sighed before crossing his arms. "So much for waiting for the climax."

Ms. Fridrik returned. "No, that was the plan, but something changed."

Halia muttered back. "I don't want to say this, but… CJ beat Hoshi. You saw what happened after that."

Ms. Fridrik shook her head. She kneeled down, trying to take a look in my empty eyes. Using her right hand, she grabbed the top of my head. She grasped my hair, but I didn't feel anything. "You … You got one of our suspects killed."

Abigail interjected. "Boss, it would've happened to anyone that beat him."

Ms. Fridrik ignored her. "You were assigned to participate. You knew from Liam that morning that something was off about him mentally, did you not?" She took my silence as an answer. Unexpectedly, she tightened the grip on my hair, getting close to the point of ripping it out. "You. Complete. Idiot!"

"Boss! How would he have known?!"

Ms. Fridrik was still ignoring her. She raised her right hand but was stopped by Arkaid. The light-blue dragon glared back at her, stopping the assault. My boss released me from her grasp, soon standing herself back up. She appeared to immediately forget what just transpired as she turned to my friends. "This event might be the pattern."

"P-Pattern, Boss?"

"The first three murders were of scummy people, filthy criminals to the core," Ms. Fridrik began. "After this, there's a chance that the murders could be due to people going against plans."

Alvis nodded back. "I sort of get ya, but that may be jumping the gun, Boss."

"It's just something I couldn't help but think of, Alvis," Ms. Fridrik returned. "If someone in charge of this is punishing members for going against their plan, then it makes sense to me. The only problem, of course, is proving that."

"Again, a bit of a leap, Boss."

"I get it," my boss sharply replied. "Remind me again and I'm going to dock your pay by half. This is not the time to be a smartass. A scene right out of a gory horror movie is in this building's basement and I appear to be the only one thinking about a cause. So while you're defending Chase here, keep in mind that he didn't have to enter."

Tasuku, overhearing this, turned around. "You can't blame him for that," he began. "I was planning on joining anyways; Gao and I were invited because of our successes in the game. We needed a third, and CJ was available."

Ms. Fridrik turned back to the kid officer. "Don't start with me, kid," she started. "Based on what I've heard, you didn't even see the crime scene."

Jack growled. "He doesn't need to. Someone his age shouldn't see that."

"He's an officer," Ms. Fridrik returned. "He should expect to see the horrors that all forms of intelligent life have to offer," she finished, almost mockingly. "Let's go."

Without much of a fight, Alvis and Abigail led their buddies to our boss. My eyes were still unfocused, staring at the ground as Arkaid brushed her head against my shoulder. I looked at her, feeling slightly relieved. Instinctively, I embraced her. I couldn't help myself; I broke down. My shoulders shook with each tearful heave. Barely any sounds left me, but the friends still present were still able to see my pitiful display. It was just … unbearable. The scene remained in my head like a permanent photo. I couldn't get rid of it, no matter how hard I tried….