A/N: Rewatching the earlier arc just triggers some stuff. Not sure if this will turn out well; like there are still some leftover thoughts I wanted to put in but end up didn't. I kept this in the draft long enough.

"Why don't you ask yourself the same question? If your sister could be saved—"

"If the two of you can be happy, would you care about the rest of the world?"

"Do you see how entitled you are?"

If there were any other times for him to wish to go back to the 'good old days', this should've been it. He really wanted to go back to those days and times, when things had been a lot simpler... a lot purer.

This was not what he could've wished for anyone, this was not what he ever thought Keiwa could become—full of rage and anger—Keiwa was much better than this shadow of the person standing in front of him right now.

Keiwa had surpassed whatever expectation he used to have of how kind and selfless a person could be. Keiwa was no one special... but when push becomes a shove he'd do anything and everything to make sure that he'd protect his loved ones as best as he could.

Back then, he hadn't meant to belittle him or mocked him for trying to enlist the help of the other players to help him save the 'hostages' taken by the Cactus Jyamato that included his sister. It was also because the plan was too risky... and dangerous. Keiwa at the time was too injured... too hurt, it was a very reckless plan for him to try to rope people in with no guarantee that the plan would genuinely succeed. And they couldn't risk having everyone lose this final battle with that giant monster. Especially, when failure would've meant that the player who failed to complete the mission would then lose their life.

He hadn't meant to imply that Keiwa was being selfish or to indicate that the lives of the innocent bystanders were unimportant, just because they were playing a dangerous game where people's lives were treated as mere playthings. He was just trying to protect Keiwa. Because it seemed that once Keiwa realized that his sister was in danger, he forgot that his life too would be in danger if he tried to still take part in that final round!

He didn't want to risk that! He didn't want Keiwa to lose his life, trying to defeat the Jyamato final boss well known to have caused so many casualties in the past! He didn't want to lose Keiwa so soon, the very first friend he had ever made in a very long time! He had lost so many 'friends' back then... to the point that he was afraid to get close to anyone anymore, only to lose them later afterwards. So it was better for him to take on the risk of taking down the final boss alone, without having to endanger anyone else...

And Keiwa did something that he hadn't expected. Keiwa had turned himself into bait to draw the giant Jyamato's attention away from the rest of them. He did such an unthinkable thing... even when the risk that he'd lose his own life had been very high. And Keiwa had betted that the rest of them could accomplish something that he couldn't do alone.

How reckless could Keiwa be?

.

To think... that Keiwa's sheer determination could even move the raise buckle that had been mostly compatible with him to save his life in the nick of time! Even Ace himself had never achieved that... despite how he had been using Magnum for a very long time. He had been aware of it after all, that Ninja fitted better with Tycoon. Not just because of the similar colour scheme but because he knew deep down that Keiwa could use this buckle more efficiently than even he could! But he can't let Keiwa risk his life when his friend had been so hurt... but apparently, that decision was not his to make.

.

Keiwa was no one special... and really just an average person. A person who might be a bit too kind and naive for his own good. At first, when Keiwa had first joined the DesiGra... he hadn't really thought much about how the tanuki was designated to the man. He hadn't actually banked on the man being so naive about things to the point that he could've easily fooled Keiwa on just about anything and made him do whatever he wanted. But just like a tanuki from all of the stories of old, Keiwa turned out to be so honest to a fault... and so easily fooled because of his own kindness and naivety. At times, he even can't help feeling bad for the guy... for always ended up being made a fool by the fox. As much as a tanuki was no less cunning compared to the fox, it doesn't mean the fox should always try to outwit the usually kind and naive tanuki. Or take advantage of the fact that the tanuki kept ending up foolishly ever trusting the fox trickster.

Still, he wasn't saying that he disliked that part of Keiwa. He liked it a lot, to be honest. How Keiwa could easily speak his thoughts openly and be kind and so unassuming and never needing to put some kind of facade around others. Because he couldn't actually do that himself. Because the DesiGra isn't a place where such naivete could last long. This place would be a death trap for someone who trusts so easily of people around them.

To be fair, at times he almost lost hope that he could really make his wish come true. Because it has been a very long time since he first joined the DGP. 2000 years, yet he was no closer to finding any clues that would get him closer to finding his mother. It almost felt that he was doing things in vain. But Keiwa had made him believe again. Keiwa had made him believe that he was not alone in this fight in trying to find and reunite with his mother. And his wish had also evolved since then. It was not just to reunite with his mother, but also the create a world where everyone could be happy.

He wished to create a world where Sakurai Keiwa could be happy...

Because that was how much Keiwa had changed him. How much... just being with Keiwa made him want to become a better and kinder person. He didn't want that important part of Keiwa to ever change—

.

He had no one else but himself to blame for not considering the possibility that Keiwa could go as far as sacrificing someone else if it meant that he could save his sister.

xxx

"Consider this your fault for not making Mitsume atone for her sins..."

He was hoping that he could appeal to Keiwa's conscience to reconsider his actions and help him recover Tsumuri back from the management. Because he believed that the old kind-hearted Keiwa still existed inside the current sombre Keiwa. The old Keiwa would not have sunk so low like this. The old Keiwa would have chosen to do the right thing...

But this Keiwa seemed to have closed their hearts to him.

Still, Ace didn't want to give up on Keiwa just yet. Earlier, Keiwa had attacked Buffa so brutally—using a completely new form that he had no doubt had been brought into existence by Tsumuri. Of course. Since Buffa was the one who cut down Sara—not knowing that her body had been hijacked by the parasitic Jyamato up to Phase 2—it was understandable that Keiwa would've targeted the man first. But Keiwa had let Buffa live... so maybe there's still a chance for him to reach out to Keiwa.

.

Keiwa's fighting stance this time had become so cold... so controlled. Compared to the last time he had seen Keiwa fight—even when he was using Ninja—Keiwa hadn't wasted any unnecessary movement while fighting Nadge-Sparrow, who had fused himself with the Jyamato he had cultivated. His movement was very clipped, unlike when Keiwa used Ninja where his movement had been so free and lively. Keiwa's strength had increased so much... that it took Nadge-Sparrow by surprise. But of course he knew. Keiwa had always been strong... and it wasn't just because of the new buckle.

Nadge-Sparrow had no chance to fight against Keiwa in this situation. And unlike Buffa, Keiwa wouldn't have any reason or hesitation to take Nadge-Sparrow's life and kill the youth. But he wouldn't let it happen!

Just as Keiwa was about to finish off the now-defenceless Nadge-Sparrow, Ace used his power to stop and restrain Keiwa from trying to kill the youth. Not because Nadge really deserved to be spared his life, but because he wouldn't let Keiwa step over the threshold and kill someone in cold blood. Because he knew how such action could change someone's life permanently and he didn't want that to happen to Keiwa.

"What are you doing?"

"The fight's over—"

"You're saving this filth?"

If this was any other day, he would've gladly given Nadge their just dessert. But right now, the sparrow was not of any importance, the tanuki was. He wouldn't let Keiwa dirty his hands for someone like Nadge-Sparrow. He wouldn't care if Buffa was doing it though... but not Keiwa—Not his Tycoon. He could let Buffa dirty his hands, he could take on the blame or sins that he was supposed to atone for any of the victims that had fallen due to the DesiGra to his mothers or his actions.

But not Keiwa. He wouldn't let any of that happen to his Tanuki. He didn't want to lose the kind-hearted tanuki he once knew!

Ace held out a hand to reach out towards Keiwa as he called out to his friend...

"Open your eyes, Tycoon."

"This isn't who you really are—!"