Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Obscured Truth

by DivadX

Yuhiro Furutani, one of 8 children kidnapped 10 years ago by an unknown group, now works as Raguel, an agent in LINK VRAINS' Black Market. One day, he fights the Knights of Hanoi and encounters Playmaker, who becomes his newest assignment. Follow Yuhiro as he now must decide who he wants to become: as both a duelist and as an individual.

95. Chapter 95: One Choice will Define You

Response to Reviews

Thank you to HunterHQ, Sithlorde1988, Portal, Pikachu99, KingOtakuOverYou, Guest, T.V. 2000, Pancakes, Big Duels, Galaxy Phantom, Guest, and Silver Prime for reviewing Chapter 94 of Obscured Truth.

Hello, everyone! I hope you're doing well wherever you are in the world! From your reviews, I can see that some of you are confused on who's taking the first steps towards redemption. The people aiming to take steps towards redemption specifically in the previous chapter are Zandaka, Go Onizuka, Katsuya, and Yua. Simple as that. As for why I focused on Zandaka and Go, it's because the two of them needed to face their own respective darkness's. I also wanted to give Zandaka a proper sendoff, as well as ensure that Go acquired the information needed on how to move forward in life after making regrettable mistakes.

Now that I explained myself, it's time I answered some reviews:

HunterHQ: You can thank Azrael and Wraith for deleting most of the duels from Frog and Pigeon's camera. You do know that Yuhiro's obviously going to survive the whole ordeal, right? I mean, there's no way I'm killing off the main character of the story. And he'll obviously duel again. I will say that Yuhiro won't take the easy route out by asking to have his bad memories deleted. For people to learn and move forward, they have to accept their mistakes for what they are. Yeah, I hate to say this, but Yuhiro indirectly ended up killing innocent people alongside the bad ones. There are things Emon has to get done before dying, and you'll see a bit of them in the chapters piece by piece. I will say that Go will give his Dinowrestler deck to someone, knowing that the deck deserves a new life through a new duelist. If Yuhiro does give Ace's deck away, he'll most likely sell it online. Regarding Akairo's comment on the avatar, technically, both the avatar and the person are different in regard to appearances. For the cave, it'll remain because something needs to contain Vishuda's power. Blowing it up will release Vishuda to the world. And besides, you can never fully eliminate evil. Leshawna does not have the ability to read people's minds. She's a therapist. Simple as that. Eschaton is Latin for Armageddon. I do see Miyu learning to cook and bake, but I do not see her say the bath, dinner, or me thing. That's just messed up. I apologize for not clarifying one of your comments for the Charisma duelists. They were all defeated in duels against the Bitboots. You do know that Miyu and Aoi have to catch up more, right? You won't see Yukage for a long while now that everyone assumed that he's dead. Do expect Gil and Tigress, along with Zero to appear during the rogue arc. Jericho isn't worried about Yuhiro trying to turn the power he has against him and Urizen. I mean, if Jericho was able to contend with someone who uses Maximum Link Summoning, he can obviously contend with a person that tries to use the Shadow against him, right? And Cyreath Achilles appeared in Chapter 78, so reread that chapter if needed. Remember: Bohman gave the full duel to Frog and Pigeon so he can be remembered, and that includes the ending. Takeya has a laughing disorder, which was evident way back in Chapter 32 during his backstory, so reread that chapter if needed. Dancho's thoughts on Yuhiro after learning the truth? He'd understand that Yuhiro had to be eliminated, although a part of him would regret that this was the path chosen to save the world. And Miyu being like Lois Lane? I don't necessarily think so.

Sithlorde1988: Happy you liked the chapter.

Portal: Yes, Zandaka was a great character in the end, and since he fulfilled his role, it was time to ensure that he left the story on a strong note. You are aware that Ryoken and Yua have a lot to work out between one another, right? I mean, Ryoken's furious with Yua for abandoning him all those years ago, as well as the fact that she didn't care for the former after doing so. If you honestly think he'll accept his mom back after everything that's happened right away, you're mistaken. It's gonna take time for the two of them to reconcile with one another. I do have something in mind for Emon to ensure that he gets a proper send off, and Takeya is intelligent, that's for sure. And Yuhiro becoming a veteran Batman? I honestly doubt he'd turn to that type of person.

Pikachu99: One of my gripes with the anime was how the Hanoi didn't suffer any repercussions for their actions, and the other VRAINS fanfics weren't addressing that fact, which was why I put it in Obscured Truth. As well as make it different from the others, of course. Unfortunately, there's no such thing as magic cures in life. And I'm glad you liked Revolver's way of thinking, and how he made that prediction.

KingOtakuOverYou: Glad you liked the chapter. Since Zandaka was a martial artist, it only seemed right for his final battle to end in a fight, not through a children's card game. The reason why I had Zandaka take Go to the cave was so the latter can acquire a fresh perspective on how to move forward. Again, as I stated above, the previous chapter mainly focused on the redemption parts for Zandaka, Go, Katsuya, and Yua. The other Hanoi members are obviously sad about what happened to Zandaka, and while they could have tried to help him fight impossible odds, there was no telling what could have happened if they tried to put his mind in the network. As such, they have chosen to respect his wishes in the end. And Zandaka's not selfish. He just wanted to reconcile with Gekiryushi before dying. Is that so wrong? How dare you call the characters immature. That just ain't right. Oh, and I knew exactly what you're talking about in your previous review, so no need to clarify. And funny you should mention the Shadow attacking the Hanoi in the real world….

Guest: Go still has the 'Dinowrestler' deck, but will give it to someone else for them to use. If he didn't bring the two decks, then it would have resulted in two skinny dudes fighting it out with no victor. It's certainly ironic, as the experiment that traumatized the lives of Gil, Brion, and Rachel would help them in the fight against Balius. Given what Zero found out about Watchman, it's very likely that he'll go after him in due time.

T.V. 2000: It's unfortunate that Zandaka and Emon have to go, but as you said, they fulfilled their roles as characters in the story. I couldn't resist putting in the Kung Fu Panda and Karate Kid references, especially how Zandaka was a Sensei once upon a time. As for your comment on Gekiryushi's mission regarding the three decks, you're the first and perhaps the only one to deduce which archetypes those three decks are. Yeah, Yuhiro's going through a lot right now, especially with what the Cursed Boundary Layer's doing to him. Regarding Ai and Roboppy, let's just say that the path they'll go down is a tiny bit like the canon, only with several differences. And yes, you will see Miyu duel using the Trickstar deck Aoi will give to her.

Pancakes: Worst sketch ever.

Big Duels: You didn't insult the duels at all. You provided a review for the chapter, and I answer it. That's how it works. Glad you like the duels so far. Liked I mentioned above, it's sad that Zandaka and Emon have to go, but they fulfilled their roles as characters in the story. There's also another reason why I did this: It's to show that there will always be casualties on all sides when it comes to war. The Hanoi didn't suffer the repercussions for their actions in the anime, so I intend to rectify that mistake in Obscured Truth. Given how the Hanoi suffered by Yukage's hands, they obviously want revenge for experiencing so many losses, but because Yukage is gone, they decided to go after Yuhiro instead. All to ensure that a blood debt is paid. To put it simply, it's unfair for someone to go after a person's family member just because they're related to that person. Happy you liked the Kung Fu Panda references, and regarding your comment on putting in sentences from movies, games, and TV shows, if you find the right moment to put them in, then it makes the scene all the better. That's the secret. Happy you liked the intro as well, and for your comment regarding who can defeat a rampant Yuhiro, you'd be surprised as to who can actually contend with him in a duel. I plan for Ai to have two AtIgnister monsters based on Herald and Wraith. When it comes to creating OC cards, the design of them isn't hard. Sometimes, creating the effects and making sure they're not OP is what's hard. The secret is to look online for inspiration, as it helps ensure that you don't make cards that aren't broken in a duel. That's what I follow, anyway.

Galaxy Phantom: Yes, you'll see the Guardragon and Knightmare archetypes at some point in the story.

Guest: Why would Miyu wield OC cards based off of Kyurem? I already confirmed that she'll be using the 'Trickstar' deck a long time ago.

Silver Prime: Yes, Revolver use The Fang of Critias in Season 3. If I intended for Jin to duel, then I'd have to do research on which Light decks are good enough to contend with modern day duelists before making a decision. But then again, given what Jin went through, it's only fair that he helps out on the sidelines as a hacker.

With all reviews having been answered, let's get to the chapter. For those of you who read Roxy's Reports 35, you'll know what's going on, as this chapter takes place right after it. If you haven't read it yet, make sure to do so, as it contains lots of information for you to understand what is happening. Oh, and Obscured Truth has reached 2,000,000 words as well! But moving those two things aside, I hope you all enjoy!

Chapter 95: One Choice will Define You

The screen is pitch black as the duel disks belonging to Yuhiro, Yusaku, Takeru, and Arashi slowly fall from the top, scattered around the screen, and leaving small trails of stardust behind them. All four duel disks hit an invisible ground in unison, causing them to explode into cards that were used by every character in the story so far. The cards continue to rain across the screen before the Cursed Boundary Layer blackens the screen completely, replacing it with a new scene.

The camera moves from left to right, showing a grassy field with Den City and the following characters: Yuhiro, Miyu, Aoi, Yusaku, Takeru, Arashi, Brea, Go, Roxy, Kusanagi, Greg, Quinton, Miles, Ryoken, Youta, Takeya, Akairo, Emma, Kengo, Akira, Brion, Rachel, Gil, Tsubaki, and Gekiryushi. The wind blows, causing each person's hair and clothes to be blown up a bit. The scene suddenly changes, revealing Playmaker, Raguel, Blue Maiden, Numera, Slipstream, and Tigress on one side, along with a girl that had long, chestnut-colored hair in the form of a crown braid and hazel eyes. Her attire consisted of a long-sleeved, violet leather tunic with a lightweight silver chest plate, lightweight violet shoulder pads that had rainbow orbs at the center, and black, fingerless gloves. On the other side was Revolver, Specter, Lord Kazuma, Gil, and Soulburner, a destroyed LINK VRAINS behind them.

The screen then changes to show Yusaku and Ai in the streets of a raining Den City. Yusaku was looking down, and Ai was looking upwards, the rain drenching their clothes. Yusaku slowly looks up with a vexed expression, while Ai runs a hand through his hair and turns his gaze onward. In another area of Den City, Yuhiro is shown running as his strength was drained, having cried in despair as a silhouette of Yukage is shown with a smile before fading away in the rainy mist. A dark aura emits from Yuhiro as the Cursed Boundary Layer emerges from a large puddle and embraces him tightly before he logs into a desolate, forest-like area in LINK VRAINS that had a dead aura around it. A psychotic grin appeared on Raguel's face as a corrupted Excalibur formed in his right hand.

Opposing Raguel was Playmaker, Soulburner and Slipstream, the three duelists thrusting their right hands forward as Firewall Dragon Darkfluid, Salamangreat Pyro Phoenix, and Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon appear behind the trio and fire beams of energy at Raguel. The blasts impact, but when the smoke fades, Raguel is shown unharmed. Tentacles from the Cursed Boundary Layer appear behind Raguel, along with Cyreaths Pandora and Alastor on his right side, Atalanta/Alpha Mode and Teferi on his left side, and two demons floating above his right and left shoulders. The demon on the right had red skin with clawed hands, orange armor, and a helmet that had a red plume on the back, as well as spikes on the sides. The other demon had grey skin with yellow armor, spikes on his head, and a set of wings. Black, red, and purple particles merged with the corrupted Excalibur as Raguel charges forward at Playmaker and the others, the latter having summoned Decode Talker's sword to block the attack. Nearby, Jericho is shown chasing after Blue Maiden and Numera, only for him to suddenly dodge numerous cannon blasts fired from Tigress nearby, hellbent on protecting the duo.

The Knights of Hanoi are shown next, with Revolver, Specter, Lord Kazuma, Baira, Faust, Dr. Genome, Dancho and Infearno appearing one by one. However, the images of Dancho and Infearno then dissipate before being replaced by Demeter and Ondina. Simorgh, Bird of Sovereignty and a mischievous, fallen pixie-like angel with long pink hair whose attire consisted of a black dress with stockings, as well as a pair of wings on her back appeared behind the two of them.

The scene changes to show Zero in an unknown area in the network, frantically looking through screens as he tries to pinpoint the Cursed Boundary Layer's whereabouts before changing to show Jericho in his laboratory, who's looking at his findings with glee. Seven orbs, one white, one black, one yellow, one red, one brown, one green, and one blue orbit around him as he sadistically smiles at what he's seeing.

Kusanagi, Katsuya, and Jin are shown in Café Nagi driving away from an ominous Shadow, intent on escaping its wrath. Roxy is also shown in her car with Miyu, Rachel, and Aoi, also hoping to escape from the ominous Shadow before it gets them both.

In a forest-like area with a large facility in it, Watchman is shown carrying Numera as Alastor pursues the duo on the left, while Atalanta/Alpha Mode pursues the duo on the right. Alastor throws the chained, curved blades at Watchman, who hops to the side and dodges it before throwing a Black Key in response. He then hops forward to dodge Atalanta/Alpha Mode's berserk attacks as he throws two more Black Keys at her. Watchman slides back, three more Black Keys appearing in his right hand as he prepares himself to confront his and Numera's attackers, Crimson Nova Trinity the Dark Cubic Lord appearing behind the duo as well to defend the duo. Elsewhere, a corrupted Hercules/Alpha Mode slashes through the trees with Nine Lives in his hand, intent on pursuing Playmaker and Blue Maiden so he can destroy the two of them. At the last second, Decode Talker and Marincess Wonder Heart appear to block the unrelenting attacks, only for the clash to send them, along with Playmaker and Blue Maiden flying off the ground before landing on it. Decode Talker and Wonder Heart immediately get back up before engaging a corrupted Hercules/Alpha Mode in combat while Playmaker and Blue Maiden continue running from the chaos.

Cyreaths Medusa, Achilles, and two twins, one being a boy with short brown hair and green eyes who wore a white toga with gold cuffs and a black undershirt, the other a girl with long brown hair and green eyes who wore a white dress with gold armlets, look upward to the sky, trying to figure out who to side with as they contemplate their futures.

Yuhiro is shown looking at the destroyed Lost Incident facility lit up in flames, a content smile evident on his face as he lets out a loud and crazy laugh. He then walks away from it, ignoring the bodies in the area as he disappears in the darkness. The screen then jumps to the dark sky and the glowing red moon before being blackened completely.

In the real world, during the night...

VROOM!

The car roared to life before the driver, along with two passengers began driving out of the driveway and heading over to the nearby road. Everyone was silent as the driver made a left at the nearest intersection before going down the road and making a right. A singular objective was on all three individuals' minds regarding the trip, especially how they needed to set up a base of operations rather than work on the yacht all the time. If that wasn't an option, then the trio would take the equipment there and bring it to the yacht. But should neither option work out, then they'd have to get rid of the evidence as soon as possible.

"You didn't have to come with me, Ryoken. I would have got the job done on my own." Yua reminded Ryoken.

"Well, you haven't been to the house in years, mother. I doubt you'd recognize the place, and I've put in security systems that can only be turned off by either myself or one of the Hanoi." Ryoken rebutted angrily.

"Settle down, you two. There's a time and place for you to work out your issues, but that time is not now." Youta firmly told Ryoken and Yua, which made them shut their mouths temporarily.

With everything that's happened, Ryoken didn't want to risk going back to his home after what Azrael had done to him and the other Hanoi. After his duel against Yusaku months ago, Ryoken activated several security systems in his house that would deter anyone from going inside and stealing things before departing on his yacht with the other Hanoi. The fact they were forced to lay low due to Azrael stealing their resources, along with staying near the safehouses to help the people there were the reasons why the group didn't return to Ryoken's old house. Plus, staying near the safehouses allowed the Hanoi to bring Zandaka, Akairo, Emon, and Takeya to the medical tent for them to recover.

Given the urgency of setting up the base of operations at Ryoken's old house in the best-case scenario, acquiring the equipment there in the average case scenario, and/or likely confiscate anything there should the worst-case scenario come to pass, the Hanoi decided to send two to three people max there to complete the task. Going in small groups was better than going alone, especially once the Hanoi learned about the Shadow's rampage at Sincero Penitentiary. The last thing they needed was to run into it and experience the pain other victims felt firsthand. Ryoken originally wanted to go with Kyoko or Aso, especially how the two of them visited him at his house when he was younger, but Yua volunteered to go instead for the mission, especially after reminding everyone that she originally lived there too. Knowing that there was tension between Ryoken and Yua, Youta volunteered to go with the duo, intent on ensuring that they stay focused on their task, and not on the dispute between them.

"I told you that I'm sorry for my actions, Ryoken. I actually am really sorry for the pain I caused you all those years ago." Yua said.

"Saying sorry doesn't change what happened, mother. Nor does it justify your actions." Ryoken calmly countered. "In fact, you didn't have to abandon me to save yourself. You could have stayed with me and the others. If you had-."

"Then I'd have to listen to your father justifying his experiment to me. After realizing what I unknowingly contributed to, I knew I couldn't face him the same way ever again." Yua interrupted.

"You still acted in your own self-interest, not in the interest of those who were still with you at the time." Ryoken spoke back. "If your intention was to keep me safe, then you failed on that goal, mother. I will, however, acknowledge that you were coerced into working with Arshad for his goal in obtaining the Root. That is something I will not hang over your head. You have my word."

Yua frowned. "I never wanted you to get roped into this mess in the first place, Ryoken. I wanted you to have a happy life. As much as I intend to take responsibility for my actions, you must also take responsibility for your actions too, Ryoken."

Ryoken remained silent after hearing that statement. Specifically, the second part, where Ryoken had to take responsibility for his actions. For his actions led to Zandaka and Emon at death's doors, along with Akairo being put on trial due to recent events over the next few days. The choices Ryoken made, and the consequences following those choices were something he would have to take responsibility for. After all, a leader was someone who had to take responsibility both for their actions and the actions of their team members, and Ryoken had to do just that ever since he began leading the Hanoi. Since the other Hanoi members followed Ryoken in the quest to eradicate all threats in the network, that meant none of them were free of blame for their actions overall.

"May I say something, Master Ryoken?" Youta asked, as Ryoken turned his head to him.

"You may." Ryoken allowed.

"I'm not sure if this would help right now, but as someone who's intuitive, I can tell that what your mother's saying is genuinely true. I do not believe she intended to hurt you at all, Master Ryoken. Besides, she didn't find out that you were the whistleblower until after the Lost Incident was shut down." Youta explained. "If there's another point I can make, it's that you still have a parent left in your life, while I had nothing else but a mother tree after the Lost Incident. Then again, I'll support whatever choice you make in the end."

Ryoken thought on what Youta told him just now. While he knew that Yua didn't plan on hurting him, she still ran away to protect herself. However, there was also Arshad's role in this scenario, especially how he blackmailed Yua into helping him, or else he'd throw her to the wolves. A deal in the form of blackmail was the worst kind of deal one can encounter in their life.

Yua eventually made a left turn at the next intersection before driving down the road, where the trio eventually made it to a massive house located on the edge of a cliff. The good news was that no one else was there, which meant the trio can complete their mission without getting caught. If all went well, they would be able to set up a new base of operations for the Hanoi. If that couldn't work, then Ryoken, Youta, and Yua could simply acquire the equipment before driving back to the safehouses. But should the worst come to pass, then the trio would have no choice but to destroy all evidence there.

Ryoken, Youta, and Yua got out of the car before walking over to the massive house, but far enough so they can retreat if needed. It had been a very long time since Ryoken and Yua were at this house, for the place was where they lived in before everything went to Hell. Pulling out a pair of binoculars he carried with him prior to getting out of the car, Ryoken saw that no one bothered to enter inside or invade the premises. That meant the security systems were working as planned.

"It looks like the coast is clear. Let's go inside." Ryoken said to Youta and Yua, the two of them nodding in agreement as they followed after him. They reached the front door, where Ryoken put his right hand on the door panel at the front, the tattoo on his hand glowing red before a lock was unlocked from the other side. The trio heard several locks and sounds from the inside of the house, having noticed that the security systems stood down after Ryoken scanned his hand on the door panel. Pulling out a silver housekey from his pocket, Ryoken opened the door as Youta and Yua followed after him. The purpose of the door panel was to disarm the security systems, while the silver key was meant to open the front door.

That meant a normal key wouldn't allow someone to simply get inside. For to truly enter Ryoken's former house, you needed to both shut down the security systems and acquire the special key to do so. But unbeknownst to the trio, a shadow followed after them by blending in the darkness before the door closed.

Going inside, Ryoken, Youta, and Yua saw it mostly empty, with old pieces of furniture there. That wasn't the important stuff. What was important was the equipment upstairs, which was where the Hanoi kept all of their technology. The trio walked upstairs, where they entered into a massive room with floor-to-floor windows facing the ocean. Several boxes were at the far sides, which most likely contained the things they were looking for. At the center of the room was what appeared to be a bed, the monitors nearby having been shut down a long time ago.

"After the Lost Incident, Father was infected with a computer virus, so we put him on this bed before preserving his mind in the network." Ryoken explained. "As for the person who did this to him, we recently learned that the Light Ignis was responsible for such a deed."

"What?!" Yua quietly exclaimed.

"While the good news is that the Light Ignis is dead, it's still not enough. Only when all eight Ignis are dead will father's death be avenged." Ryoken narrowed his eyes and grit his teeth after remembering Dr. Kogami's vitals flatlining. How he held his dead father's hand after he sacrificed himself so Ryoken can use Storm Access to acquire Topologic Gumblar Dragon.

Yua looked out the window and frowned sadly. "You're judging something before you even met them, Ryoken. That's not right."

"I never trusted AIs from the beginning, mother. AIs are the reason father's dead. They're also the reason Zandaka and Emon are at death's doors, and for turning Akairo into their puppet. Give me one good reason why I should trust AIs, mother. I dare you." Ryoken challenged Yua's statement.

Nearby, Youta grit his teeth and placed a hand on his head before letting out a small grunt, as if he felt some pain going through it. Hearing that grunt made Ryoken and Yua turn to him.

"Is everything alright, Youta?" Yua asked.

"I'm fine, but we should get going as soon as we can. I have a bad feeling that the sooner we stick around, the worse it will be for us." Youta pointed out urgently, which made Ryoken and Yua nod in agreement as they headed over to where Youta was. Given Youta's answer, it seemed that the best option was to take all of the boxes nearby and leave.

Ryoken felt his heart break into pieces after hearing that answer, but this was something he was prepared for. At least he got to see this house one final time before leaving for good. Knowing how dire the situation is, he picked up a box before following after Youta and Yua downstairs, the two of them having also carried boxes as well. But before they could make it far, shadowy, ribbon-like tentacles erupted from the walls, which caught all three off guard as they managed to dodge them.

"Run!" Yua shouted, as she, Ryoken, and Youta immediately headed towards the entrance, the trio immediately dropping the boxes on the ground so they can escape. However, more, shadowy, ribbon-like tentacles erupted in front of the trio, which forced them to turn right in the hopes of finding another way to get out.

"The backdoor! We need to reach the backdoor!" Ryoken said, the others nodding in agreement as they continued to run from the shadowy, ribbon-like tentacles that kept erupting from the ground as though they were spikes. In response to this, the shadowy, ribbon-like tentacles blended in the shadows before combining together to form into a pitch-black humanoid, which immediately tried to punch Ryoken in the face. Ryoken was able to barely manage to dodge the punch before attempting to sock the pitch-black humanoid in the face, only for the latter to grab the former and throw him across the room. As a result, Ryoken's back hit the wall before he slid to the ground.

"Master Ryoken!" Youta cried out, as he and Yua went over to pick Ryoken up to ensure he can stand up on his feet. The pitch-black humanoid quickly charged forward and attempted to strike the trio, only for Youta to block the attacks before attempting to strike back with a hook punch. The impact made the pitch-black humanoid stagger back, which bought Youta, Ryoken, and Yua time for them to once again head to the front entrance. The pitch-black humanoid blended in the shadows before following after the trio and ambushing them with several shadowy, ribbon-like tentacles. This led to Ryoken, Youta, and Yua running upstairs to avoid the attacks, hoping to find another way out before it was too late. "If memory serves, there's an emergency exit the Hanoi installed should a scenario like this occur, right?"

Ryoken gasped after realizing what Youta was talking about. "You're correct, Youta. Follow me." He gestured Youta and Yua to continue running upstairs back to the top floor. While Ryoken went to the monitors nearby the bed-like structure, Youta and Yua barricaded the door by dumping materials from the boxes nearby in front of it. They also grabbed a piece of furniture in the closet nearby to further barricade the door so the pitch-black humanoid couldn't enter. Ryoken, on the other hand, quickly typed a series of coding on the monitor, which caused a metal door to open from the wall on the bed-like structure's left side as he continued typing on it.

"Hang on a minute. When did you and the Hanoi install this?" Yua asked.

"After father officially formed the Knights of Hanoi, he had a feeling that someone may attack the house, so he had us build an emergency exit in case things should go south." Ryoken quickly explained. "It had enough room so we can transfer his body and other vital medical equipment to a different location if needed."

Unfortunately for the trio, the pitch-black humanoid broke through the door, hellbent on murdering them. It immediately charged forward at the group, only for Yua to block several of its strikes before counterattacking with a series of roundhouse kicks and punches. Red spots appeared on the pitch-black humanoid's body as he took the blows intentionally before striking back with three powered up punches, which sent Yua flying off the ground before she landed on it with a few rolls.

"I'll assist you, Mrs. Kogami." Youta stated. "Master Ryoken, get the emergency exit fully running!" After Ryoken nodded in response, Youta charged forward and attempted to land an impact on the pitch-black humanoid. However, the pitch-black humanoid dodged the attacks before punching Youta in the face, which stunned him for a few seconds as the pitch-black humanoid attempted to land a few roundhouse kicks on the latter. While Youta winced in pain from the first roundhouse kick, he was able to block the second one before dodging the third roundhouse kick and attempting to strike back with a hook punch. However, the pitch-black humanoid grabbed Youta and threw him to the ground before trying to land several more strikes on the latter, only for Yua to appear and stop the attack. After doing so, Yua quickly punched the pitch-black humanoid numerous times in the face, which made him take several steps back as red spots coursed through his body.

As Ryoken briefly watched Youta and Yua fight against the pitch-black humanoid, he narrowed his eyes and thought over what was happening just now. Why is that creature fighting us in hand-to-hand combat rather than attempting to skewer us with those spikes from earlier, Ryoken wondered in his mind. He briefly turned his head as he saw Youta and Yua land a few more blows on the pitch-black humanoid, red spots appearing on his body for each impact that he suffered. The way those spots appeared before blipping on and off as each one disappeared... almost reminded Ryoken of a countdown clock on a bomb. He gasped after realizing what the pitch-black humanoid's endgame was, and seconds later, the systems for the emergency exit booted up as it fully became operational. "We need to leave right now!"

"What is it, Ryoken?" Yua asked, as she narrowly dodged a punch from the pitch-black humanoid before Youta responded back with a punch of his own.

"That thing's a bomb! It's about to detonate!" Ryoken replied, which made Yua and Youta gasp as the pitch-black humanoid landed several punches and kicks on each of them before throwing each one to the ground. Having realized that his plan was about to go kaput, the pitch-black humanoid let out a scream as several, shadowy, ribbon-like tentacles pierced the ground, intent on ensuring that the three Hanoi members couldn't escape their demise.

Youta and Yua managed to dodge the attacks as they and Ryoken quickly entered into the emergency exit's door, where Ryoken quickly pressed a button before it slammed shut, much to the pitch-black humanoid's fury as the exit went down like an elevator. The pitch-black humanoid let the energy flow through his energy as numerous shadowy, ribbon-like tentacles erupted from the surface in an attempt to stop the trio's escape. Unfortunately, the energy was too much, and the pitch-black humanoid screamed as it overflowed his body.

At the front of the house, a large hatch opened as the emergency exit opened up, which allowed Ryoken, Youta, and Yua to leave it and head towards the car.

"That thing has to be the Shadow!" Yua deduced. "The same one that's been hurting people lately!"

"But why would it go after us?" Youta inquired.

"I wish I knew, Youta." Ryoken responded, the trio immediately continuing to run towards the car in order to escape the pitch-black humanoid's wrath.

KABOOM!

Within several seconds, Ryoken, Youta, and Yua were sent flying off the ground before each of them rolled onto it in pain. Ryoken gasped in pure horror as he saw the very house he lived in for a great majority of his life with his parents go up in flames. The shadowy, ribbon-like tentacles continued to tear the house apart even after it was destroyed, as if it enjoyed the carnage and wanted to destroy it even more.

Ryoken punched the ground in rage numerous times as he continued to see his house being torn apart, having let out a shout of anger and sadness after doing so. He grit his teeth in fury, vowing in his mind to make the pitch-black humanoid suffer a fate worse than death should it survive.

"We need to leave now, Ryoken!" Yua told Ryoken, who followed after her and Youta as the trio ran over to the car and sat inside it. Specifically, Youta sat in the back, Yua sat in the driver's seat, and Ryoken sat in the front passenger seat.

As Yua started up the engine, Ryoken looked at the rearview mirror, only to gasp in horror upon seeing the pitch-black humanoid walk through the flames of the destroyed house, having managed to somehow survive the explosion unscathed. Seeing Ryoken's horrified face, Youta and Yua turned to see what he was looking at, only for the both of them to gasp in pure horror after doing so.

Yua then drove the car down the road, which got the pitch-black humanoid's attention as he began pursuing after the trio. He immediately jumped from tree to tree in the hopes of catching up to the car, intent on eliminating Ryoken, Youta, and Yua inside it for good. Shadowy, ribbon-like tentacles also erupted from the ground, intent on stopping the car from escaping. However, Yua was able to swerve and avoid each one before making a left turn, where she accelerated the speed to try and evade it.

The pitch-black humanoid landed on the ground and blended in the shadows to avoid being seen as he continued to follow after the car, where shadowy, ribbon-like tentacles erupted from different structures in an attempt to destroy it. Luckily, Yua was able to continue swerving the car and avoiding each tentacle that appeared.

"It's catching up to us!" Youta stated, as he saw the pitch-black humanoid continue the latter's relentless pursuit towards the trio.

"I know that!" Yua snapped back, as she made a right swerve on the road to avoid the pitch-black humanoid from damaging the car with a tackle. An infuriated look appeared on the pitch-black humanoid's face as he resumed his chase towards the car, dark energy coursing through his body. He jumped in the air and landed on a sidewalk connected to a pair of stairs as he continued chasing down his prey. Blending in the shadows once more, the pitch-black humanoid increased his speed as more, shadowy, ribbon-like tentacles erupted from the road, once again trying to stop the car from escaping. But like before, Yua was able to swerve and avoid each tentacle, much to the pitch-black humanoid's annoyance.

Noticing a few walls nearby, the pitch-black humanoid jumped towards them before running on each one, hellbent on destroying the car and the passengers inside. He also continued jumping forwards on different pieces of the ground to try and catch up to the vehicle. As Yua made a right turn on the road and increased the car's speed, the pitch-black humanoid managed to catch up and land on top of the car, shocking her, Ryoken, and Youta.

"Get that thing off the car quickly!" Ryoken exclaimed, as the pitch-black humanoid punched the car in an attempt to get inside and strangle the three people inside.

"I'll take care of this!" Yua assured Ryoken, before she swerved right with such force that the pitch-black humanoid was sent flying off the car before he hit the wall near the trash cans. Knowing that the commotion would get people's attention, Yua immediately continued driving the car, intent on escaping the scene along with Ryoken and Youta so they can get to safety.

"Master Ryoken, I believe I may have a theory regarding that Shadow's identity and why it attacked us." Youta said.

"Oh? What would that be?" Ryoken curiously asked.

"Given our findings on the Shadow somehow travelling to the real world, it probably couldn't have done so on its own. If anything, it may have had to attach itself to a human host that was inside the network to do so." Youta hypothesized, which made Ryoken and Yua gasp after hearing that theory.

"Which means the host could be anyone in this world..." Yua realized with pure horror.

"Thus making the identity of our attacker much harder to determine." Ryoken finished, frustrated with this recent information. Determining the identity of the attacker was going to be very hard to find out, especially after hearing Youta's hypothesis.

"Not exactly, Master Ryoken. Perhaps the person who's responsible for attacking us may be closer than we think." Youta pointed out.

Ryoken narrowed his eyes. "Let's discuss what happened with the other Hanoi once we get back. Along with Raguel, the Shadow may prove to be one of our greatest enemies yet. One that makes the threat of the Ignis look tame in comparison."

Yua sadly frowned after hearing what Ryoken said. She did not agree with the decision Ryoken and the other Hanoi made about Yuhiro Furutani, especially how his brother was Yukage Furutani, otherwise known as Azrael. Such a thing wasn't fair simply due to how you cannot condemn someone's sibling, cousin, or family member just because they're related to that person. "You still think Yuhiro's our enemy, do you, Ryoken?"

"Given how Raguel's an unnatural individual alongside Azrael, he needs to be eliminated now that his brother is gone for good, lest he ends us all." Ryoken firmly confirmed. "I'm surprised that you don't hold the same animosity, mother, especially how Azrael made us suffer for a long time. Then again, I don't think you'd ever understand, especially after how you weren't with us when all of this occurred."

That comment made Yua slam on the breaks with all of her strength, which made the car stop as a result. "Don't you ever say that to me again, Ryoken! I never asked for any of this, nor did I ever want you to lead a group of people hellbent on eradicating different kinds of species. Ones that we can learn from instead of passing down judgment just because they're different-."

"The Hanoi and I are protecting mankind from whatever threats lie in the network. We've lost so much thanks to Azrael, and we are not taking another risk with Raguel, another abnormal human, still alive right now." Ryoken interrupted, hoping to justify his reasons for what the Hanoi did as a group, as well as convince Yua about the threat Yuhiro posed to everyone so long as he existed.

Yua grit her teeth in anger after hearing that response. "You're shortsighted sometimes, just like your father."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. You may be smart, but that knowledge leads you to become shortsighted after you determine an answer based on research and logic." Yua sighed. "You and the Hanoi claim to be self-righteous, yet all of you chose to eradicate the unknown when you could be learning from them."

"And what if the knowledge we learn ends up leading to humanity's destruction? We can't take that risk, mother. We just can't. Not after everything that's happened. I cannot afford to lose anyone else, especially with Zandaka and Emon at death's doors." Ryoken angrily stated.

"This self-righteousness you and the others preach about will end up causing an even worse disaster to come should you continue down this path!" Yua warned Ryoken, a combination of anger and sadness evident in her tone. "You want to know why I don't think Yuhiro's our enemy? It's because he fought to protect those he cared about, just as you and the Hanoi fight to protect humanity! The difference between you and Yuhiro is that he's actually willing to work with and learn from different individuals to acquire new perspectives, such as the Ignis before drawing conclusions. You, on the other hand, end up judging others because you only see the bad in the unknown, and overlook the good they can offer after doing research. Yuhiro has sacrificed and suffered enough as it is right now, and going after him will only lead to ruin for all of us!"

"If I may interrupt here-." Youta began speaking.

"Stay out of this!" both Ryoken and Yua spoke back, which made Youta shut his mouth in response for the time being.

"Did you really care for us, mother?" Ryoken questioned, which made Yua gasp after hearing such a question.

"I really cared for all of you, and I wished I was with you guys." Yua admitted to Ryoken with assurance, much to the latter's surprise. "Unfortunately, Arshad prevented me from doing so each time, saying that I had to focus on the task at hand. He even reminded me of the deal we made a while back as well, including the consequences should I disobey him."

Ryoken frowned after hearing Yua's response, actually surprised by what she said. She truly cared for him and the others after all, yet she couldn't reach out to them all thanks to Arshad. While Ryoken wouldn't hold the fact that Yua was forced to assist Arshad over her head, he was still upset with how she wasn't there for him after the Lost Incident. He assumed that Yua abandoned him, but after hearing this information, perhaps he was willing to be lenient. Still, Ryoken and Yua had a lot to talk about, as reconciliation between people didn't happen immediately. It took time and effort. "Do you think she's telling the truth, Youta?"

"I do, Master Ryoken." Youta confirmed. "Again, you still have a parent in your life after everything that's happened. One that's willing to make amends with you. It's something you should be grateful for, don't you agree?"

Ryoken didn't respond back to Youta's answer as Yua started the car up again, the argument between him and his mother having ended. Youta was right about one thing. He still had a parent left in his life alive and well. Ryoken thought he lost his mother a while back, but after finding out that she was alive, he was happy to hear this good news. It will, however, take a while for Ryoken to forgive her for abandoning him years ago, even if it was unintentionally. Still, with time and effort, Ryoken had faith that he'll be able to forgive Yua for her actions and reconcile with her.

Unbeknownst to the group, the pitch-black humanoid looked down at the car they were in from a large building nearby as they drove away. Seconds later, it glitched into Yuhiro, having gotten his message across. He had hoped to kill Ryoken, Youta, and Yua with the explosion, but it seemed that wasn't the case. Besides, Yuhiro didn't want to kill them just yet. He simply wanted to send them a message by attacking the group. For if Ryoken and the Hanoi truly decided to hunt down and try to kill him, or even continue their pointless crusade after the recent events that occurred….

...Then he'd end all of their lives without mercy.

Yuhiro then walked away as he glitched into the pitch-black humanoid and out again numerous times before travelling in the shadows, having completed his mission for now.

The next day, in the morning, at the Zaizen residence...

"Okay, thanks for telling me, Gekiryushi. Take all the time you need." Akira said on the phone. "Let me know if you need anything from me at all. Aoi and I are here for you. Okay. Stay safe. Bye." He then hung up on the phone before letting out a sigh, the phone call having ended. Akira then walked over to the living room, where he saw Aoi watching television.

"I heard something happened to Gekiryushi. Is she okay?" Aoi asked, as Akira sat down on the couch opposite to her.

"No, Aoi. It's not." Akira answered. "You remember Dancho, one of the Knights of Hanoi?"

"Yeah? What about him?"

Akira let out a sad sigh before responding. "It turns out that prior to him being a Knight of Hanoi, Dancho taught Gekiryushi how to duel, and was like a father to her in the process. From what Gekiryushi told me just now, he sadly passed away two days ago."

"Oh my God..." Aoi muttered, having put a hand to her mouth after hearing that answer. She didn't expect to hear this news from Akira, especially after Gekiryushi recently woke up and left the hospital. It was unlikely that Gekiryushi would return for the time being due to this recent loss. "How's Gekiryushi holding up?"

"She's hanging in there, and is planning a funeral procession for Dancho. Apparently, the people nearby are going to help her with it." Akira replied. "One of those people, believe it or not, is Go Onizuka."

"Go Onizuka?" Aoi repeated.

"Yes. From what Gekiryushi said to me, Dancho brought Go to the former Shinpi-Tekina dojo to help him acquire the knowledge needed to move forward after... recent events." Akira narrowed his eyes. "On the topic of recent events, there's a lot we need to talk about."

"I'm with you on that one. It still surprises me to this day that Yukage Furutani, also known as Azrael, was Yuhiro's brother. If anything, I'm shocked about how the both of them were forcibly involved in the Lost Incident." Aoi grit her teeth in anger. "And I'm angry that Watchman was responsible for gathering the chosen children for the Lost Incident." Miyu... Yuhiro... the two of you, and the other Lost Incident victims didn't deserve to suffer like that, Aoi thought in her mind.

"I'm also angry with fact as well." Akira agreed, venom evident in his tone. "Believe it or not, I'm considering giving the information about Watchman to the Kings."

"I thought the higherups were busy due to everything going on. Like the attacks in the network and in the real world, as well as what happened while I was... out of commission." Aoi stated.

"They are busy, especially after Queen's recent actions regarding the AI chip led her to be sidelined. Still, things will be back to normal soon." Akira thought this over after saying those words. That was certainly true, as after a difficult event, the company's operations will go back to normal. But in the meantime, SOL Technologies had announced a temporary hybrid schedule for all employees, where they'd be working at home for some days of the work week, and some days at the company building. This was in response to the Shadow's appearance in hurting individuals during the night. What's more, SOL Technologies put a program in place where the systems would be shut down at a specific time so people would be motivated to head back home, but there were exceptions to that rule based on what your role was at the company.

"Were you able to find anything new about this Inquisitorius Watchman spoke about in his duel against Azrael, Akira?" Aoi asked. "I mean, Azrael mentioned a lot of stuff about it. How their purpose was to eradicate sin at all costs in the name of God, as well as how the founder was some kind of guy named Aigami, or Diva as the members called him."

"Aigami was a real person, Aoi. He dueled against Yugi Muto and Seto Kaiba a long time ago." Akira reminded Aoi. "As for any new information, I couldn't find any, especially how it was destroyed a long time ago."

"I suppose that makes sense." Aoi agreed, glad that there wasn't anyone else to fight right now. The last thing she and the others needed was another enemy, especially after the recent war against Lightning and Azrael. "Honestly, I never realized the burdens Yuhiro carried this entire while. Him not telling me the truth about Miyu for so long, the truth about where he came from, the fear of being ostracized, and so many more we don't know about yet."

"Yeah, I hear you there..." Akira admitted. Suddenly, the television program changed to a news channel, which showed a male host named Jeffrey, and a blond-curly haired woman named Susan sitting in the newsroom. Aoi and Akira turned their heads after hearing the alert on their television.

"We interrupt this broadcast with some breaking news." Jeffrey said. "Two days ago, the Shadow struck again, attacking numerous inmates at the Sincero Penitentiary. Several officers were wounded, the prison robots are destroyed, and numerous inmates have died."

"We have received further information from one of the officers sent following a 911 call." Susan continued, as a part of the screen popped up to show a female officer with short, blond hair. "Can you tell us what happened, Chief Barbara?"

"Yes, I can, Susan. According to testimonies provided by witnesses, the Shadow attacked the people inside Sincero Penitentiary, which led to chaos seconds later." Barbara explained. "We've conducted a thorough search of the place, and are continuing to gather more evidence as we speak. We recently spoke to one prisoner by the name of Raul Millard, one of the survivors of the attack. We'll get back to you in a minute."

"Thank you, Barbara." Jeffrey stated. "According to reports provided by the authorities, the identities of those who died have been revealed. This includes Clarice, the former boss of the Beta Branch, Wyatt, the former boss of the Zeta branch, Creknurt, the former boss of the Omega branch, and Amadeus Ingrim, the former ambassador of Central Japan." He then put a hand on his earpiece. "This just in. It seems the authorities have got in touch with Raul Millard. Raul, can you tell us what you saw?"

A screen then popped up showing Raul, sweat evident on his face. "Well, I saw a shadowy, pitch-black humanoid tearing through and killing numerous people with its... its claws and spikes before throwing their bodies around. So much chaos. So much carnage. I thought I'd be next, but the remaining officers saved my life." He started shaking. "Please, don't send me back there. I'll cooperate and repent for my crimes. Just don't make me go through such an experience again." Raul then started crying as the footage cut out.

"Expect more information to be released on this case over the next few days." Susan reported. "With more appearances of the Shadow in the city, citizens are encouraged to report those instances to authorities as soon as possible so next steps can be decided. In other news..."

Akira turned off the television, having finished listening to the news report. "This Shadow... it must be the same one that appeared in LINK VRAINS."

"What do you mean, Akira?" Aoi inquired out of worry.

"When I was booting up the virus bomb with Emma and the Hanoi, I was unfortunately stabbed by one of those tentacles just before I was able to gather what remaining strength I had to fully initiate it." Akira told Aoi. "Since then, I've sensed something abnormal, and it has to do with that Shadow in the city."

Aoi's eyes widened after grasping what Akira said overall. To think that something from the network would appear in the city was something Aoi never expected to hear at all today. And the fact that they don't know how it traveled to the real world from the network, nor could they identify any weaknesses, made it all the worse. "But you know who was responsible for doing such a thing, right Akira?"

"According to Playmaker's Ignis, a person with glasses was mostly responsible for such a deed." Akira recalled. "And that person, if I had to guess, came from the network as well. Which means we have more than one threat to contend with."

"Just when we defeated Lightning and Azrael, someone else comes in to threaten us after everything that's happened..." Aoi muttered. While she was confident in her skills as a duelist, having come a long way since when she was Blue Angel, a part of her was actually scared with what was coming next. A creature that terrorized people in the night and kills them, along with a person in the network that toyed with innocent lives during the duel between Playmaker and Bohman like it was a video game sounded very deadly. Even to the point where it made Lightning, Azrael, and Bohman almost seem tame in comparison. She snapped out of her thoughts once she saw her watch vibrate, where she gasped after knowing what time it was. "I'm sorry, Akira. I have to get going."

"Have a good day at school, Aoi." Akira said, as Aoi got up from her seat before grabbing her bag and heading to the door. "And Aoi?"

"Yeah?" Aoi turned her head to Akira as she stopped walking.

"Keep an eye on Yuhiro for me. With the Shadow running rampant and the appearance of the person with glasses in the network, I can't help but feel that Yuhiro's connected with all of this." Akira voiced his concern. "I also feel that you, Miyu, and Roxy, along with Playmaker and the others are best suited to help Yuhiro get through this difficult time."

"Sure, Akira. I'll do that." Aoi replied. "Anything else?"

"Just promise me you'll stay safe." Akira requested, which made Aoi nod in reassurance as she left the apartment. After seeing her leave, Akira let out a loud sigh. Despite things slowly coming back to normal, it seemed that there were worse things down the road. But good times were also coming as well, which was something Akira will fight for so that more of them will arrive later on. His phone then rang in his pocket, which snapped Akira out of his thoughts as he took it out so he can see who was calling him. After doing so, Akira immediately answered it. "Hello?"

"Hey, Akira. It's Hideki. Do you think we talk in person at some point today? Maybe this afternoon if you're available?" Hideki asked on the other end of the call.

"Of course, Hideki. It'll be good to hear from you again." Akira responded. "Let me know what time you're available, and I'll text you the location where we can meet."

"Thank you, Akira. I appreciate it very much. See you soon." Hideki stated, before hanging up.

After Akira put his phone back in his pocket, he checked his watch before standing up on his feet. Just like with Aoi going to school, he had to head to work. This was a benefit, as he can meet Hideki in person during one of his breaks. After texting Isomaki to pick him up, Akira then headed towards the door, intent on heading over to SOL Technologies so he can begin his more flexible workday.

Meanwhile, at Café Matsuo...

Roxy narrowed her eyes as she and Miyu watched the news report, the both of them shocked at what they saw. The appearances of the Shadow that have been popping up for the past several days had been disturbing, which first started out with people having fallen ill. Then it continued to where people either fell unconscious or were brutally massacred, as evident by what they saw on the TV report regarding the attack on Sincero Penitentiary. According to Yusaku, after his duel against Bohman, he told everyone about how someone not only interfered during the duel, but had killed the Ignis inside Bohman as well. Flame, Aqua, Earth, Windy, and Lightning were gone. The worst part was that the same person who interfered was also most likely the one who unleashed the Shadow, which led to it killing Herald and Wraith, thus leaving Ai the last Ignis alive. Rasterliger was also watching the news nearby, a grim expression evident on his face.

"I do not like this at all." Rasterliger bluntly stated.

"That thing... why is it killing people? We didn't do anything to it." Miyu said.

"I wish I knew, Miyu. I really wish I knew." Roxy responded, before something crossed her mind. "Hey, where's Yuhiro? He should be awake by now, especially how it's a school day."

"I'll get him, Auntie." Miyu offered, with Roxy nodding in confirmation as the former quickly went upstairs, intent on waking up Yuhiro. After reaching his bedroom door, Miyu knocked on it. "Uh, Yuhiro, is everything-?"

"Today's going to be a great day!" Yuhiro shouted at the top of his lungs, as he opened the door so quickly that it gave Miyu a jump scare. "Oh, sorry Miyu. I wasn't aware you were at the door."

"No, it's okay. I'm glad you're awake." Miyu told Yuhiro. "You have school soon, so I suggest you eat fast, lest you face Auntie's infamous wrath."

"Sure! I'll be fast!" Yuhiro quickly ran downstairs as he foraged through the kitchen and the pantry, hoping to find something to eat. Sure enough, he did, as he found a carrot muffin in the container nearby, a yogurt and some cantaloupe in the fridge. Yuhiro put the carrot muffin on a plate before grabbing a bowl and a fork, where he put some pieces of cantaloupe inside it. He then put both of those things, along with the yogurt and spoon on the table before quickly beginning to eat them.

Miyu walked downstairs as she saw Yuhiro eating the food on the table, a concerned expression on her face. For the past few days, Yuhiro wasn't himself, yet he acted as though everything was okay by putting up a brave front on the surface. But both Miyu and Roxy knew better, as they knew that something was not right with him. That was evident by the nightmares he was having the past few days, the darkened circles around his eyes, and the bursts of energy he went through to get tasks done. As a result, it led to some days where Yuhiro felt sluggish and unable to do anything for the day, so Roxy had to call the school to inform them that he fell ill. To help Yuhiro mitigate himself, Roxy created a schedule for when he would use healing stims so he can heal over time. So far, Yuhiro appeared to have been following the schedule, which was good.

After seeing Yuhiro eat his food at a quick pace, Miyu then walked over to where Roxy was. "Yuhiro's up and about, Auntie. Although..." She glanced at Yuhiro, who was still in the process of quickly eating his food.

"Yeah, I see it too." Roxy agreed. While there were times where the two of them convince Yuhiro to open up, there were times where Yuhiro kept insisting that he was okay again and again.

"Same here." Rasterliger concurred. He too felt that Yuhiro wasn't himself since Herald and Yukage were gone. Those two things, along with the war in Mirror LINK VRAINS, have taken a toll on Yuhiro despite him repeatedly telling everyone that he was okay.

"Say, what are you guys watching on TV?" Yuhiro asked, before he widened his eyes at the news report on the television. Specifically, the one regarding the massacre at the Sincero Penitentiary. So that actually happened? I thought it was a nightmare this entire time, Yuhiro thought in his mind, his cheery demeanor having left him as a grim look replaced it instead. "Oh. I see. Another report of the Shadow's rampage, huh?"

"It's serious, Yuhiro. Ever since the battle in Mirror LINK VRAINS, that thing's kept popping up all over the place. I wish I knew how." Roxy commented, as Yuhiro finished his meal before doing the dishes.

"Calm down, Roxy. We'll figure out what that thing is, and then destroy it for good." Yuhiro then walked over to look out the window, having finished the dishes. "We always succeed in doing these things."

"But rest is also important, Yuhiro." Miyu pointed out, as she walked over to where Yuhiro was.

Yuhiro shook his head as he glitched for a second before recomposing himself. "I can't rest too much, Miyu. Otherwise, I'll be in those nightmares again. I can't go back there."

"Your health takes priority above all else." Roxy gently reminded Yuhiro. "Like I said, I can book an appointment with Leshawna so you can talk to her about what happened. I'm sure that she-."

"I don't need therapy!" Yuhiro suddenly snapped, as he felt himself glitching in and out before continuing to speak, the red, glowing cracks appearing on his body in the process. That made Rasterliger stand up on his feet, as though he sensed something unusual nearby. "I am perfectly fine, Roxy! If I wasn't fine, then I'd be dramatic and angry, as well as-."

"Please calm down, Yuhiro. It's going to be okay." Miyu gently assured Yuhiro, as she placed her hands on each side of Yuhiro's face, which caused light-blue energy to enter into the latter's body before he began to calm down. Not only did this stop him from glitching, it also caused the red, glowing cracks to settle down before disappearing.

Yuhiro took some breaths before fully calming down. "Thanks. I, uh, forgot you had that ability. Something Aqua passed onto you before she died."

"I guess you can call it that." Miyu smiled back, having seen that Yuhiro was his usual self. The fact that Miyu can now heal others was something else that recently occurred after the war in Mirror LINK VRAINS. According to Miyu, she unknowingly used it when she visited a lady resting at one of the hospital beds in the Den City Hospital. After several hours passed, that same lady woke up from her injuries, which made Miyu happy upon hearing the news. While she wasn't sure what exactly happened, she did know that she somehow played a role in saving that woman's life. When Miyu explained it to Roxy, the latter deduced that it may be the former's Link ability. That led Roxy to explain how each of the Lost Incident victims had a special ability that amplified them as a human being in different unique ways. For Yuhiro, it was a transformation that enhanced his physical and mental capacities in exchange for his emotional ones. When Miyu asked if there were others who had powers, Roxy told her that there were six other people who had different abilities. That was an answer Miyu was willing to accept, especially how eight people were involved in the Lost Incident. After Roxy answered all of Miyu's remaining questions, she promised to introduce her to Yusaku and the others once they had the chance, the latter agreeing with the idea immediately.

Roxy sighed after seeing Yuhiro calm down. "These glitches that are happening to you aren't normal, Yuhiro, especially those cracks on your body. They have to be addressed as soon as possible, or else it'll get worse down the road. Surely, a part of you knows that, right?"

"I can manage them on my own, Roxy. I promise." Yuhiro stated, as he looked at his watch and took notice of the time. "We should get going. Some time at school will distract me for sure."

Roxy frowned back. "I'll take you to school if that's what you want, but the moment you start feeling not yourself, you let me know immediately. Okay?"

Yuhiro nodded, having accepted Roxy's terms after she agreed to take him to Den Academy. As such, Roxy and Yuhiro then headed to the van, with Miyu and Rasterliger following after the duo. Roxy turned to Miyu just before she walked to the driver's seat.

"Now, Miyu. You have some prep work to get done if you want to be accepted into Den Academy." Roxy said. "Rasterliger will keep an eye on you until we get back. If something comes up, then call me immediately."

"Yeah, sure. I'll make sure to get the work done." Miyu promised, before she suddenly ran over and hugged Yuhiro from behind, much to the former's surprise.

"What's wrong, Miyu?" Yuhiro inquired.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Miyu asked. "There's nothing wrong with staying here and getting your health in order."

Yuhiro turned around to face Miyu, having gently broke free from the hug before placing his hands on her shoulders. "My health is fine, Miyu. Nothing's wrong with me. All I need is to throw myself into doing some work, and I'll be more than okay. Trust me. I got this."

Miyu reluctantly nodded in response as she saw Roxy and Yuhiro get in the van before driving off, leaving her and Rasterliger alone in the house. She and Rasterliger then left the garage and headed back to the living room, the former having sat down on the couch afterwards while the latter slept nearby.

"You're not regretting this, are you?" Medusa asked, as she materialized out of thin air beside the couch.

"I'm regretting it, Medusa. I just wish there was something I can do to help Yuhiro through this difficult time." Miyu admitted. "Medusa, if something happens to Yuhiro, please bring him home. I can't afford to lose anyone. Not now."

"It's normal to be worried for someone you care about, especially after something terrible has happened to them." Medusa replied. "What we need to be worried about is the Shadow running rampant in the area. The other Cyreath monsters and I have a very bad feeling about that creature. It's as though the Cyberse battled it before."

Miyu frowned before giving a light smile. "You don't need to worry. I'll have Aoi teach me how to duel so that I can fight alongside Yuhiro in the battles to come. Then we can stop it for good."

Medusa opened her mouth, as if wanting to say something back, but then closed it after realizing that she couldn't say anything else in response to that answer. "I will keep an eye on Yuhiro, as per your request. After all, he'd ask me to do the same for you if the roles were reversed." She then dematerialized out of thin air, intent on fulfilling her task, leaving Miyu and Rasterliger alone in the house.

Miyu then walked over and grabbed her phone nearby before dialing a number. To celebrate having finally gotten out of the hospital, Roxy bought Miyu a phone of her very own to use in case something came up. She pressed the FaceTime section on her phone, hoping to reach the other person before they were busy. Sure enough, after several rings, the other person answered the FaceTime call.

"Hey, Miyu. What's going on?" Aoi asked on the other end.

"I was hoping if you can teach me how to duel, Aoi. When you're available, of course." Miyu requested. "After everything that happened, I can't let Yuhiro fight battles alone. I want to fight alongside him."

Aoi thought this over for a few seconds before responding. "I'd be happy too, Miyu, but I'm busy right now with school, and you have prep work to get done if you want to get to Den Academy."

"I know." Miyu told Aoi. "Again, I'd appreciate it if you can help me out. I really would."

"Of course, Miyu. I'll help you out." Aoi promised, before looking at a notification that popped up on her end. "Sorry, Miyu. I have to get to class. I'll see you soon." She hung up on her end seconds later.

"Yeah. I'll see you soon." Miyu sadly replied, before heading back to the couch and sitting down. After doing so, she started crying, unable to contain the sadness within her any longer. She hated being helpless, especially after feeling that she had hurt Yuhiro. It wasn't just him that Miyu had hurt unintentionally. It was as though her existence had caused others nothing but pain. While Roxy assured Miyu that this was, and will never be the case, the sadness was still within the latter's chest.

Having seen that Miyu was upset, Rasterliger walked over to where the former was and placed his head on her lap before whining, which got her attention. Miyu then petted Rasterliger on the head, a smile forming on her face after seeing that someone was here to comfort her during this time. In Miyu's mind, she'd train with Aoi on how to become a duelist. This way, she wouldn't become a burden anymore.

This way, Miyu would be the one to keep the ones she loves safe, not the other way around.

Elsewhere, at Den Academy...

Aoi was worried about a few things. First was the Shadow's appearance in Den City, and how it was hurting people during the night. That was evident by the number of people who either fell ill or died, as well as the massacre at Sincero Penitentiary. The worst part was that no one knew how to stop it, especially how the general masses didn't know that the Shadow came from the network. If that was the case, then people would be more terrified than ever.

Second was the fact of a person appearing in the network during the duel between Playmaker and Bohman. According to Akira, and by extension Ai, that person was ultimately responsible for infecting the Neuron Link and killing the other Ignis. The worst part was that no one, not even Yuhiro and the others, knew the identity of that person. It was as though he was a ghost that couldn't be seen. A ghost that most likely was there during the battles in Mirror LINK VRAINS, yet couldn't be stopped in time before its goal was complete. Until Aoi and the others knew more about the person with glasses, there wasn't much they can do about him for now.

But at the moment, Aoi wasn't worried about those things. Instead, she was worried about Yuhiro, one of her true friends. According to Roxy and Miyu, Yuhiro was not himself, despite him repeatedly saying that he's okay. The two of them obviously knew that underneath the brave front Yuhiro was showing was a person hurting on the inside who needed help.

That was evident by the red, glowing cracks on Yuhiro's body and face, as well as how he was sometimes glitching in and out, which was not normal at all. Other factors included the darkened circles around his eyes, which indicated that he hadn't been getting much sleep, the bursts of energy that he experienced before getting sluggish, and times where he unintentionally not heard when teachers called on him. Things had come to a head when Yuhiro noticed a group of students bullying another student. He approached the group of bullies before calmly telling them to leave the student alone, only for the leader of the group to order Yuhiro to stay out of it. Yuhiro, in response, warned the bullies that getting into a fight with him would not end well, only for the leader to punch the former in the face. However, the attack did no damage to Yuhiro at all, and it instead made the lead bully scream in pain after realizing that he probably may have broken his hand. The other bullies attacked Yuhiro in an attempt to avenge their boss, only for Yuhiro to quickly dodge the attacks and put them in their place within several seconds. After Yuhiro checked with the student to see if he was okay, a teacher nearby asked Yuhiro what happened, which led him to explain the situation in full detail. The bullied student supported Yuhiro's answer, which led the teacher to thank Yuhiro for de-escalating the situation.

Unfortunately, these incidents continued to happen, which led Yuhiro to beat up more people and rescue those who were bullied upon. While the bullied individuals supported Yuhiro's actions and thanked him for protecting them, the teachers eventually scolded Yuhiro for getting involved and taking matters into his own hands due to the reoccurrence of the same incident. And after Yuhiro replied by saying that he was merely doing what the school system failed to do for their students, the teachers ended up warning him that he'll get suspended if he continued to act the way he was right now. Having noticed the red, glowing cracks on Yuhiro's body, along with the darkened circles around his eyes, the teachers had Yuhiro go to the nurse's office for a medical examination, knowing that something was not right with him, especially for someone who was one of the school's hard-working students.

From what Aoi learned, there were three factors that led the bullying to occur in the first place and they all revolved around recent events. One factor included a few students being picked on simply because they had family members that worked at Uchida Industries a while back. The second factor was that some of those students may have lost a parent or relative in the attacks in both the real world and in the network. The third factor was how students had families who lost income due to the attacks, which led them to take their anger out on others.

Aoi continued thinking about all of these things going as she walked down the hallway, wanting to make sure that she didn't forget them. She snapped out of her thoughts, however, when Naomi ran to catch up to her.

"Can you believe what's going on these days, Zaizen?" Naoki asked. "First, the clubs are cancelled due to the attacks in the network and in the real world, then there's rumors about some Charisma duelists either retiring or taking a sabbatical, the fact that several areas in LINK VRAINS have temporarily been shut down, and this... this Shadow that goes out at night and hurts people."

"I'm sure the authorities are doing everything they can in order to keep everyone safe." Aoi firmly told Naoki. "For instance, clubs were cancelled so students can return back to their homes. In addition, companies have implemented hybrid schedules in order to give workers flexibility in when to come to the office and when to work at home."

"But that's not fair. Surely, the authorities would have hunted that creature down so everything can go back to normal." Naoki pouted. "As for Furutani, I wonder what's been going on with him lately."

"And what would that be?"

Naoki thought things over before something popped up in his mind. "Some people think that Furutani's going psychotic, especially after he beat up several groups of bullies and patrolled the area like he's a rogue cop. Or Furutani's going through some sort of goth phase or what not. Heck, maybe Furutani's-."

"You're an idiot, Shima." Aoi interrupted in a tone that made Naoki shut his mouth as the two of them stopped walking, the former having turned to the latter.

"An idiot? What are you talking about, Zaizen? I'm just making up theories." Naoki defended himself in response.

"What kind of idiot makes up stuff when they don't know what's really going on with the person? Have you even asked Yuhiro what's going on with him?" Aoi questioned. "I spoke with Yuhiro recently, and he told me that a dear friend of his passed away recently at the hospital."

Naoki gasped after hearing what Aoi said. He did not expect to hear such tragic news at all today. "I... I wasn't aware. Aw man, now I feel bad for those theories I made up. I also feel bad for making fun of Furutani a bit too. Uh, please give Furutani my regards, Zaizen. I'll also apologize to him after things settle down." He then ran away, a regretful look on his face as he scrambled to get to his next class.

Aoi sighed after speaking with Naoki. She really didn't want to be mean, but there came times where one had to be firm with another in order to get a point across. And now that Shima understood why Yuhiro was acting so irrationally, he stopped making up those ridiculous theories of his about the latter. Besides, Yuhiro was one of Aoi's friends, and she'd obviously defend her friends if something came up. Her watch beeped, which made Aoi look at it upon realizing that her next class was going to begin soon. As such, Aoi continued walking down the hallway in order to make it to her next class for the day.

In an empty classroom nearby was Yusaku, Takeru, and Arashi, the trio having sat down on the seats there so they can speak with one another.

"What Yuhiro did to those groups of bullies was so messed up." Arashi commented.

"I get what you're saying, Arashi. From what I heard, Yuhiro's becoming someone he's not. In fact, I can say that he's turning into someone such as my past self. A person I would have become if Flame didn't appear in my life." Takeru admitted.

"But Yuhiro's not himself. The events that happened in Mirror LINK VRAINS, along with the losses he experienced, have all contributed to his deteriorating health." Yusaku observed.

"As evident by the look on his face, Yuhiro's certainly not his optimistic self." Takeru agreed, before he turned to Arashi. "Say, Arashi. Do you know if Yuhiro went to therapy?"

"No, I don't. The last time I talked with Roxy and Miyu, they said that they weren't able to convince Yuhiro to go speak with a therapist, although they were able to get him to open up a few times." Arashi answered. "Besides, I'm living in a motel nearby, remember?"

Takeru and Yusaku nodded after hearing the reminder from Arashi. After Miyu left the hospital, Arashi packed his bags and moved out of Café Matsuo, knowing that he'd have to leave anyway since Takeda woke up from the coma he was in. But since Arashi was technically still in the exchange program, he had to live in an area that would help him get to the Den Academy, which was why he opted for the motel. Besides, Arashi didn't want to be an inconvenience now that Miyu finally left the hospital for good. As such, Arashi left a thank-you note before leaving, with Roxy, Yuhiro, and Miyu understanding why Arashi made that decision.

"But what about those red, glowing cracks on Yuhiro's body? They appeared multiple times before this." Takeru reminded the group.

"It could be due to his Link Trigger, Takeru. After all, according to Azrael, each of the Lost Incident victims has a special ability that amplified them as a human being in different unique ways." Yusaku told Takeru and Arashi.

"There has to be something we can do to help Yuhiro out. What about an intervention? My family did one for me after my duel in Gamma a while back, and had it not been for that, I wouldn't have entered the Tokyo Horizon institute's contest for a free scholarship." Arashi suggested. And if it weren't for that intervention, then I wouldn't have met you guys either and become a better person, he thought in his mind.

"It could work, but we'd have to organize it with Roxy and Kusanagi first so we can ensure that Yuhiro can truly move forward, as well as convince him to get the help he needs." Yusaku stated. "Moving that aside, we need to focus on the emergence of new enemies since the battle in Mirror LINK VRAINS."

"Yeah, the person with glasses and the Shadow that's been recently running rampant." Takeru recapped the two new threats.

"Aside from the Shadow entering the real world from the network, we haven't been able to find any weaknesses for it. Nor have we determined the whereabouts of the person with glasses in the network." Arashi commented, having crossed his arms. "Given how that person appeared during the final parts of the war, it's most likely that he hid himself for a long time before taking action."

"If Ai were still with us, then he could have provided us with more information on this guy." Takeru said.

"Again, I haven't heard anything from Ai since he left, and Roboppy hasn't been functioning as well." Yusaku reminded Takeru and Arashi.

"We'll have to do more research if we're going to stop the Shadow and this guy in the network." Arashi said, as Yusaku and Takeru nodded in agreement. If they can find out the Shadow's weaknesses, as well as the whereabouts of the person with glasses in the network, then they can avenge the deaths of the other Ignis. "As for Yuhiro…"

"I don't think we should involve him right now, especially after how the Shadow murdered Herald and Azrael, two people that Yuhiro couldn't save. If Yuhiro were to join us in the state he's in, then he'll most likely act irrationally." Takeru suggested with caution.

"I concur there. Until Yuhiro's health improves, he should be put on the sidelines for the time being." Yusaku agreed. "I'll message Roxy and Kusanagi with the details. I'm sure the two of them will agree that one's health matters more than the current mission."

Takeru and Arashi nodded in agreement with Yusaku's decision, knowing that Yuhiro shouldn't be involved in the fight to come for now. But unbeknownst to the trio, Yuhiro was nearby, having overheard the entire conversation near the classroom. Hearing the conversation broke Yuhiro's heart, as in his mind, he believed that his friends no longer trusted him, especially now that they learned how the Furutani family played a role in ruining their lives. Could they truly trust Yuhiro now that they knew the truth? Could Yuhiro truly trust them again now that he learned this information? And could Yuhiro truly trust himself again? Those three questions plagued Yuhiro's mind, who wasn't able to truly answer all of them as a result of this recent information, despite having evidence that the people in his life still accepted and cared for him as one of their own.

Yuhiro ended up glitching in and out as the red, glowing cracks appeared on his body once more. Knowing that he wasn't needed, he quietly walked away, intent on completing his classes for the rest of the day so he can go home.

Elsewhere, in the afternoon, at Green Park...

A limo pulled drove along the road before parking at the entrance of Green Park. Isomaki stepped out of it before opening the back door, where Akira stepped out of it seconds later.

"Thank you, Isomaki." Akira said with a smile on his face. "Why don't you go grab some food? I'll let you know when I'm done my meeting."

"Of course, sir." Isomaki replied, before bowing in respect to Akira. He then got back into the driver's seat before driving away, where Akira walked over to the gazebo in the middle of the park. There, he saw Hideki Kinoshita, the lead card designer at SOL Technologies, sitting on the bench nearby.

After Hideki noticed Akira walking towards him, the former stood up from his spot before shaking the latter's hand. "It's been a while, hasn't it, Akira?"

"Yes, it has, Hideki." Akira agreed.

"Thank you for agreeing to see me on such short notice. Given your job position as Security Manager, I'm glad you were able to book in some time to see me, especially after... recent events."

"My work's lightened up recently, so I have more flexibility in my working hours." Akira frowned. "That being said, what is it you wanted to talk about?"

Hideki frowned back. "Alright, here it is. I'm considering quitting my job position as head card designer at SOL Technologies."

"What?" Akira couldn't help but gasp after hearing what Hideki just announced. "Why? Is it due to the controversies around SOL Technologies?"

"You could say that." Hideki confirmed, as he turned to look upwards. "Truth be told, I just don't want to work for a company that has failed the people numerous times, especially with SOL Technologies being under fire lately for numerous allegations."

"I get that. I really do..." Akira honestly admitted. A part of him felt that SOL Technologies had failed the people, but that didn't mean Akira wanted to give up on the company and work for another. After all, there were still good people who work for SOL Technologies, and changes can be done from the inside. "But I still believe in the good SOL Technologies can deliver to people. After all, I'm sure numerous other companies had faced difficult situations before persevering through them."

"You are correct on that one, Akira." Hideki agreed with a chuckle, the two men now walking in the park. "If I do leave, then I'm not sure how long it'll take me to find a job. But if I don't leave, then I run the risk of being associated with a company that's currently in hot water right now."

"Have you spoken to Tsubaki about this? That being said, how's she doing?" Akira asked both questions consecutively.

"Well, Tsubaki's out of the hospital, and is doing well. Apparently, volunteering at the Den City Shelter was one of the best decisions she's ever made, and it's helping her out a lot." Hideki answered. "When I asked Tsubaki her thoughts on my dilemma, she admitted that she too has some doubt in SOL Technologies, though she acknowledged how not everyone in the company is evil."

"I think her answer shows how people should keep an open mind these days, especially how there's more than one way to both approach and solve a problem." Akira told Hideki. "If you want to leave, then I understand, as it's ultimately your choice. But I do have a suggestion in mind if you want to leave SOL Technologies."

"Oh? And what would that idea be?" Hideki raised an eyebrow, curious on what Akira would say next.

"Perhaps you should start up your own business." Akira suggested.

"My own business?" Hideki repeated.

"Yes. You've made some great cards that were released to the public, and the fact that people already know you will attract some great clients down the road." Akira smiled as he looked up at the sky. "I mean, we wouldn't have duel monsters if it weren't for the founder in the first place."

"Ah, yes. Maximillion Pegasus..." Hideki muttered, having also looked up at the sky.

"Yes. The founder of Industrial Illusions itself all those years ago." Akira stated, before turning to Hideki. "Would you like to know something, Hideki? I wasn't always the Security Manager at SOL Technologies. A long time ago, I had to work at the Black Market as a hacker so that Aoi and I can survive following the deaths of our parents. Specifically, in the Epsilon branch."

Hideki turned to Akira, surprised to hear what the latter just told him. "I never expected to hear that from you at all, Akira. All I know was that Tsubaki worked in the Alpha Branch for a long time, and if it weren't for you guys and Yuhiro, she'd still be in Ace's grasp."

"Everyone starts somewhere, Hideki." Akira replied. "I learned three things in my time at Epsilon, especially after meeting Yeshurun face to face. One: There are still good people out there, despite being a part of shady businesses. Two: Just because one day is bad doesn't mean the next one will be the same. You just… have to get through it. Both for yourself, and for the people you care about. Three: There are no certainties in life. Every choice you make will affect you down the road, and those choices will determine who you ultimately are, even if it's scary at first."

Hideki thought over all three things Akira just told him. Each one made sense, as he never thought he'd meet more individuals after Tsubaki ran away from home. What's more, Hideki worked hard to repair the bond between him and Tsubaki, and in the end, it was restored. Hideki also acknowledged the last point Akira made: That there were no certainties in life. SOL Technologies wouldn't be in hot water forever, for it would eventually recover despite the difficulties it faced as long as the company made the right decisions. And even if Hideki made the decision to start up his own business, such a decision would be scary at first, especially during the startup stages of it. But it was the choices Hideki made that would determine whether he was successful or not. "Thank you, Akira. This conversation we're having… it's certainly helping with my dilemma."

"I'm happy to help you out, Hideki. Just know that I'll support whatever decision you make in the end." Akira assured Hideki. "Want to know something cool?"

"Sure. What is it?"

"If you do decide to start up your own business, then you'll not only be able to work with Playmaker and the others, but also have more flexibility to do it too."

Hideki laughed after hearing that statement. "That would certainly be a benefit. But again, thanks for helping me out, Akira. I'm just glad there's still good people on this world. Ones that I can truly work with."

"I'm grateful for that fact as well, Hideki." Akira agreed. "It's something that keeps me going every single day, no matter what comes next."

Meanwhile, during the night, at Café Matsuo….

Yuhiro couldn't fall asleep at all on his bed as he looked up at the ceiling. Not after what he just recently learned upon overhearing the conversation between Yusaku, Takeru, and Arashi. Specifically, how the three of them decided to sideline Yuhiro for the time being due to the state he's in right now, the possibility that they no longer trusted him, and the doubts they had on his wellbeing. Such things were unfair, as Yuhiro was obviously a member of the team. He should have a say in this matter! Besides, he wanted to go after the Shadow in order to make it pay for murdering Herald and Wraith. Yuhiro also wanted to go after the person with glasses for murdering the other Ignis.

Having felt himself glitch on and off, Yuhiro knew that he wouldn't be able to sleep for the entire night. An idea then popped into his mind, given how he wanted to fulfil the Furutani family's destiny and finish what Yukage started after destroying the Lost Incident facility. In the fight prior to his final duel against Yukage, he used Speckles' daggers to catch Yukage off guard. And if Yuhiro recalled, when someone used those daggers as a duel anchor, it would begin hacking and retrieving personal information for the user.

That meant there was a goldmine of information Yukage had on his duel disk, which Yuhiro can now use to defeat his enemies moving forward! After all, Ace had a lot of valuable information on his duel disk, so it only made sense for Yukage to do the same.

Yuhiro got up from his bed before quietly walking downstairs, having managed to not wake Roxy or Miyu up from their sleep. He wanted to find the information and correctly assess it before showing it to the others. This way, they can use it in the battles to come. In this case, Yuhiro can use it to begin identifying where he can start in fulfilling his family's destiny.

He eventually made it to the backroom before sitting down on one of the chairs, where he immediately turned on the systems. There was a lot of information to scroll through, and Yuhiro wanted to acquire it all for what was to come. He started by clicking on one folder, which contained information leading to a lot of money that Yukage had acquired over the years. This amount of money would help so many people who are going through difficult times, as well as provide support for those who currently seek it. Yuhiro made a mental note to identify how much money Yukage had before telling Roxy and the others, where they can make a decision on what to do with it.

After closing that folder, Yuhiro then clicked on another one, which was titled 'Data Logs'. He was actually curious on what information it would contain. Maybe the logs would have information on secret locations Yukage went to while in the real world, which can possibly lead to finding potential resources. Or perhaps they contained a list of companies that were involved in the Lost Incident. Maybe they were even involved in Project: VIII as well! The possibilities that the data logs could contain were endless!

Well, whatever it was, Yuhiro was actually excited to look into them. He clicked on the first data log, where it began playing after it took several seconds for it to load.

"Zeltrek Furutani. Our ancestor who started the hunt for the Root of All Knowledge," the voice of Yukage began speaking. "I found this in a location father hid away in order to keep the family records safe. Only the inheritances, our DNA, and the pendants father gave each of us would be able to access to this location, Yuhiro. Can you imagine it? Lots of knowledge to build upon in the pursuit of the Root of All Knowledge!"

Yuhiro frowned. He remembered Yukage talking about that topic during their final duel. How for generations, the Furutani family tried to acquire the Root of All Knowledge through any means necessary in order to ensure prosperity and long-term survival for humans, even if it meant becoming unethical in the process. Numerous methods were used, such as religion, war, and good deeds amongst others.

"Moving that aside, I have established my base of operations in the same facility the Lost Incident occurred. It's funny, don't you think? The place where I was reborn will be the place where I begin initiating my plans. Ones that will ensure the Root of All Knowledge is seized." A moment then passed before Yukage continued speaking. "But I remembered: I died before. Well, two times now if you count after the Lost Incident. If there's anything I learned after the Lost Incident, it was that only through your strength and knowledge alone will you be able to survive in a cruel world, Yuhiro. I hope you never forget that lesson once we cross paths."

Yuhiro was silent as he continued listening. As much as he hated to admit it, Yukage did have a point, especially after how he had no one but Wraith to help him get through difficult times all those years ago. While Yuhiro said that he understood what happened Yukage, as well as how the experiences he went through were unforgiveable, it didn't give the latter the right to hurt innocent people.

"Our ancestors tried to find the Root of All Knowledge to help others. Ha! They would never understand what it was like to die in their life before anything happened." Yukage continued. "I will obtain the Root of All Knowledge for myself alone, and Wraith has promised to help me on this goal after I passed my views onto him. It's very likely that the Lost Incident was conducted in an attempt for those in charge to find the Root of All Knowledge. I will have to look into this more."

Yuhiro closed the first data log, having finished listening to it. From what he learned, Yukage had set up his base of operations in the former Lost Incident facility a while after the Lost Incident. Yuhiro also learned the name of the first member of his lineage who sought the Root of All Knowledge before passing that mission onto the next of kin. Zeltrek Furutani. Maybe the data logs will show how to access that location containing this type of information.

Suddenly, Yuhiro facepalmed himself in anger, having realized that he should have rummaged through the building for anything valuable before destroying it. But then again, it was most likely that Yukage transferred it all to his duel disk before logging into the network for the final battle in Mirror LINK VRAINS. As such, Yuhiro clicked on the second data log, which loaded for a few seconds before playing.

"Searching for information on the Lost Incident and its purposes proved to be more... strenuous than I expected." Yukage admitted. "Wraith and I got lucky one day when I killed a man who worked with Dr. Kogami a long time ago. While Wraith ensured that we weren't watched, I hacked into the good scientist's laptop, and found the files on Project: VIII, along with their locations."

Yuhiro frowned. He already knew about Yukage and Wraith hunting down the information on Project: VIII and the locations of each piece, so not much there so far.

"I had assumed that Dr. Kogami split the data so he can resume his work after being... disposed of by SOL Technologies. But it turns out that SOL Technologies' first CEO Dairoku Saionji, the Dragon King at the time, was responsible for doing so. I may not know why, but his foolish choice to split the data rather than destroy it will help me later on."

"Yeah, and look at all the pain it caused us to this day…." Yuhiro muttered, still angry and confused with what Zero had done in dividing the data. Why exactly did Zero divide the data when he had the chance to destroy it? Was he pressed for time due to being hunted by the authorities? Did his dad gave the request to do so? Or did Zero do it of his own volition? Either way, Yuhiro would get answers the next time he encountered Zero.

"Regardless, I do know the main topics that are contained in each piece of the Project: VIII data." Yukage acknowledged. "The FBI's had contained all the names of those involved, the Gamma Branch's piece in the Black Market contained all the procedures and findings, and the dark vault's piece contained all the archaeological information on the swords and pendants, along with the Root of All Knowledge's possible locations and points of entry. It even contained blueprints for the network, and by extension, the Metaverse overall. Such things are indeed fascinating to look at, and I'm intrigued as to why Dr. Kogami wanted to finish father's project. But to do that, I'll need to look into who exactly was victimized in the Lost Incident first, and what better way to do it than acquire the first piece."

The second data log then ended, which led Yuhiro to scroll to the third data log before clicking on it. From what he heard just now, it was simply a recap, only from Yukage's perspective. Nothing more, nothing else. After the third data log fully loaded, Yuhiro clicked on it for a second time, which caused it to play seconds later.

"Retrieving the FBI's Project: VIII piece was more than successful for Wraith and I to complete. Wraith told me that there are seven other Ignis along with him, which was one of the things that led me to acquire the FBI's Project: VIII piece." Yukage continued speaking through the data log. "Six other victims were involved in the Lost Incident along with you and I all those years ago. Thus bringing a total to eight Ignis. Apparently, Dr. Kogami believed that the Ignis would be crucial to acquiring the Root of All Knowledge, and ultimately ensure humanity's survival. It's ironic how the person who created the Ignis to save humanity now wants to destroy them so he can achieve his goal in a different way. Makes him, and humans by extension hypocrites in a way, don't you agree, Yuhiro?"

"Yeah, you can say that, Yukage." Yuhiro quietly admitted with reluctance. All this time, everything Yuhiro did was for the betterment of one person, even if it meant him getting his hands dirty in the process. Unfortunately, that led him to use Miyu's name to justify all his actions at the Black Market. Every! Single! One of them! As a result, Yuhiro's spirit was split by the bone, and his name was tainted. How could Yuhiro call himself a warrior of justice after everything that's happened up until now? Could he call himself one in the end due to the role his family played in hurting others? He just couldn't. Not anymore.

"Moving that aside, Wraith and I saw footage of Playmaker's duel against a Knight of Hanoi, which, after thoroughly examining it, was when the Dark Ignis appeared on the scene to assist Playmaker. Capturing all eight Ignis would be crucial in reaching the Root of All Knowledge, but the issue is that they can be anywhere in the network thanks to the Hanoi destroying the Cyberse World. It then occurred to me: Why obtain all the Ignis by yourself when you can have others unknowingly help you?"

Yuhiro grit his teeth after hearing that last part. He never expected to unknowingly help Yukage in acquiring the Ignis, and if it weren't for him deciding to quit the Black Market following the Hanoi's major defeat, then his brother would have been one step closer to achieving his goal.

"I looked online to see if there are any people who'd do whatever it takes to acquire money, and eventually found the Black Market online. Since people work to acquire money no matter the cost there, it seemed fit for me to obtain pawns that would help me by luring them in with money, especially if it's a large amount of it." Yukage said. "Having obtained large sums of money myself a while back, I immediately contacted the Overseer to see if there are any clients that would be up to the task in acquiring Playmaker's Ignis. I will admit that I was also curious on why the Black Market was in the network, and after speaking with the Overseer, he told me that over eighty percent of Black Market operations moved there after the Unholy Sanctification several years ago. The articles on it are in one of my files if you're interested in learning more, Yuhiro. If I know you, then you'll certainly click on them. And rest assured, there's no traps or viruses embedded in them."

Yuhiro followed Yukage's instructions, having eventually found the file the latter was talking about. After opening it, Yuhiro found an article on how the Black Market was established in the network. According to it, the leaders of several gangs in the real world were massacred by numerous individuals that each wore a white hood and mask, along with three small claws. Leading them was a white-armored warrior who wore a hood and a white mask with golden outlines, as well as three, very long bladed claws on each of his hands. The rampage didn't stop there, as the article also stated that each crime family were also massacred, along with anyone else they knew. What's more, any operations they established were destroyed in fiery explosions. As a result of this event, crime was drastically reduced due to the assassins lingering around in the area, which led the surviving remnants to re-establish their operations in the network, thus eventually forming into the Black Market that Yuhiro knew today.

"I apologize for digressing, so allow me to get back to the main topic at hand. After speaking with the Overseer, he provided me with numerous people I can reach out to in the branches. In the end, I decided on Omega because it had honest workers who are willing to take any challenge on. Another reason for this decision was because I simply don't trust the other branches." Yukage sighed. "Thanks to the Overseer, I managed to make contact with a man named Monty, who had some strong workers under him. He suggested that Raguel be the one to undertake the task in acquiring Playmaker's Ignis, and I took that suggestion due to his track record. Had I known that it was you, Yuhiro, then I would have personally recruited you in acquiring the Root of All Knowledge. Then again, I would have had to hit you with the truth of this world one way or another."

The third data log then finished playing, which led Yuhiro to scroll to the fourth one before it began loading. He certainly learned something interesting in how the Black Market was set up in the network. Yuhiro was curious about what lead the Unholy Sanctification to occur in the first place. It had to be a factor that affected the orchestrator so personally that he'd order the assassins to massacre those gangs and end their operations completely. Did the Inquisitorius have a hand in this? That was something Yuhiro hoped to find out soon. Maybe the answer would be in the fourth data log. As if on cue, it finished loading, which led Yuhiro to click on it so it can begin playing.

"A lot of things have happened since I made my last recording, so allow me to go over recent events one by one. Unfortunately, Playmaker's Ignis, who's known as Ai, had returned to the Cyberse World. Wraith plans on going back there in order to find Ai, but for the time being, we had to deal with... other tasks on our end." Yukage stated on the data log. "First of which was paying the Light Ignis a visit. His pet AIs Bit and Boot I dealt with easily, along with Haru, who had a more intriguing deck compared to the two of them. What fascinated me was how all three of them used Judgment Arrows, a Link Spell card to aid in their strategies. We also encountered the Light Ignis, who told us that the Cyberse World was destroyed, which obviously angered Wraith. The two of us managed to secure an alliance with the Light Ignis by showing him information we stole from the Hanoi after the Tower of Hanoi events. All I asked for was two things. The first was that the Light Ignis and I will maintain our own spheres of influence. The second was that the Light Ignis will get me into SOL Technologies' dark vault when the time came."

Yuhiro narrowed his eyes. So this was what Lightning talked about prior to his duel against Blood Shepherd. How he and Azrael had established a mutually beneficial deal to work with another in destroying their common enemies. Nothing more. Nothing less.

"As per my word, three days later, I managed to capture and coerce Akihiko Akutagawa, also known as Ace in the network, and Athaliah Kuraishi into serving me. The first being of how Ace has influence in the Black Market, which can help in acquiring more resources. The second person being how Athaliah launched Project: Apotheosis, which revolved around a chosen human being to become the Construct. Or in other words, someone to unify the Ignis and humanity together to reach the Root."

So that's how Yukage managed to make Ace and Athaliah work for him, Yuhiro thought in his mind. He must have captured and threatened to end their lives unless they pledged their allegiance to him. It's most likely Yukage did the same with Speckles as well.

"I interrogated Athaliah to learn more about Project: Apotheosis, and she gave me the answers I wanted. With a Construct having been made in Rachel Miyake, I could simply kidnap and use her in finding the Root of All Knowledge." Yukage said. "But then Wraith gave me an idea. Why kidnap someone who you'd have to look after when you can use someone else to become a superior version of a Construct instead? With Bohman having been made by the Light Ignis, perhaps he can be useful in my plans, as I do not fully know whether the girl can fulfil her role given the side effects that Project: Apotheosis inflicted onto her."

Yuhiro narrowed his eyes as he paid attention to this. He knew what the side effects were for those involved in Project: Apotheosis, as it prevented those people from aging physically, or so it seemed. So while they appeared immortal, they were stuck in one form in reality. Yuhiro was hopeful, however, that the effects can be reversed for Rachel, Gil, and Brion.

"For this to work, I'll need a powerful servant to carry out my will, and Wraith said that three things are required to create this servant. A base, data material, and the consumption of intelligence. Given how Bohman's in no shape for the time being, it looks like I'll have to use Haru for the AI's creation." Yukage finished, before the data log ended, much to Yuhiro's annoyance.

He expected to learn more about who was specifically involved in the Unholy Sanctification, yet all he got was how Yukage captured and coerced Ace and Athaliah into working with him. Yuhiro did, however, learned what led Yukage to choose Bohman to become the Construct rather than kidnap Rachel for his plans. It was very likely that Bohman could handle the load of being a Construct, and because Yukage wasn't sure about whether Rachel can fulfil her role as a Construct or not, he went with a safer and smarter option instead. With that out of the way, Yuhiro clicked on the fifth data log, which loaded before beginning to play.

"The AI created, who we christened as Malf, or Malicious Adapting Life Form, has been acquiring knowledge at very fast rates. Something I am more than pleased with." Yukage began speaking through the data log. "Not just that, but I got the Project: VIII piece from Gamma thanks to you and Ghost Girl, Yuhiro and I now understand the procedures and findings that were in both the Lost Incident and Project: Apotheosis. Given how there's already eight Ignis made, all that needs to be done is to create another Construct. Or in this case, the pieces needed for Bohman to become the new Construct."

"Damn you, Yukage..." Yuhiro muttered in anger. Emma had no idea that what she did back in Gamma had unknowingly contributed to Yukage's mission. He made a mental note to tell Emma this information the next time he saw her, for she had the right to know.

"As a result of the information Malf obtained, he was able to nearly defeat Raguel in a duel, only for him to unfortunately lose, which means he'll have to acquire more information from victims." Yukage continued. "With Bohman out of commission for now thanks to Playmaker, he'll need time to recover. That's one of the reasons why I had Ace instigate the Turf War. Not just to eliminate any potential enemies, but to distract them long enough for Bohman to recover. That, and the battles will ensure that Athaliah completes her given assignment."

Yuhiro frowned as he remembered the Turf War, and how it was nothing more than a massive distraction to ensure that Bohman recovered. That same distraction led to several people dying as a result. It just went to show how much of a monster Yukage was, despite having some noble traits.

"It was also interesting to see the Hanoi spring one of their own out of action. Just goes to show how they haven't lost their edge since being forced to lay low as a result of me stealing their data a while back. If you're interested in this, Yuhiro, I have a recording of how they managed to get in and out of Sincero Penitentiary. I know that you're curious, so you might as well click on it to learn the methods used to complete the task."

Yuhiro once again followed Yukage's instructions, having found footage in one of the files. He clicked on it, which showed how the Hanoi managed to sneak into the prison and retrieve Kyoko, along with the massive brawl in Sincero Penitentiary that happened afterwards. Looking at the footage, Yuhiro noticed that the group used outfits that were made out of unstable molecules, allowing the wearer to change their clothing to whatever they desire. Such outfits were extremely rare to purchase, especially on the Black Market. Given how Lord Kazuma was once a member of the Black Market as a duel assassin, he managed to use his connections so he can acquire several of them for the mission.

"The Hanoi will get their just desserts in due time. If there's something you should learn, Yuhiro, it's this: Never accept death when suffering is owed." Yukage finished, before the fifth data log stopped playing.

Yuhiro did learn some new information, despite most of it being the same as before. It was interesting to learn how the Hanoi rescued Baira from prison, as well as the methods and equipment used to do so. However, the fact that Yukage had to remind Yuhiro of the Turf War and what it led to left a bitter taste in the latter's mouth. As such, Yuhiro clicked on the sixth data log, which loaded for a few seconds before playing.

"A lot of things have happened since my previous recording, so allow me to start by saying that Athaliah's project has been complete, and with her purpose having been served, I had Malf kill her." Yukage stated. "Speaking of Malf, he evolved after his duel against Dancho. How did this happen, may you ask? Well, the Light Ignis gave permission for me to launch an attack on the Hanoi while they weren't looking. Now that Malf's evolved, he's one step closer to fulfilling the purpose I gave him, and Dancho's near his death bed as well. An additional side benefit from the mission. I also had Malf kill Speckles to ensure that nothing was leaked."

"I already know this information from Infearno, Yukage." Yuhiro quietly muttered. He did not need another reminder of past events.

"But moving that aside, I have finally encountered you at last, Yuhiro. I had hoped that your time in the Black Market would make you tougher. Stronger. Smarter. But it seems that I was wrong." Yukage continued. "What you've done had split your spirit to the bone. Tainted your name beyond redemption. But don't worry, hybrid brother. You will find out the truth about yourself one way or another, especially now that I planted the seed of curiosity inside your mind."

"And I already found the truth about myself thanks to you, Yukage..." Yuhiro quietly muttered to himself once more, having hated the reminders.

"With this information having been talked about, it seems that the Light Ignis, or Lightning as we all call him, had lied about who destroyed the Cyberse World. It was him. I have you to thank you for that tip, Yuhiro." Yukage resumed speaking from the data log. "I would have killed Lightning had he not confessed his sin of killing Dr. Kogami. Instead, I put him in his place to show just how weak he is compared to Wraith, myself, and Malf. Hell, I even landed another blow against the Hanoi by incapacitating Lord Kazuma, thus securing another victory for myself."

Yuhiro thought this over. He did remember learning how Lightning killed Dr. Kogami during Revolver's duel against him. Had it not been for Lightning, then Dr. Kogami would have lived. Had it not been for Lightning, then the other Ignis would have established co-existence with humans.

"Now onto Bohman. With him having been made as a Construct thanks to Athaliah, especially regarding the purpose of his creation, he's greatly improved as a duelist. In due time, Bohman will grow stronger once he begins absorbing the other Ignis. And once Malf's reached his full power, that's when I'll make my move." The sixth data log finished playing seconds later.

Yuhiro then typed on the digital keyboard as he pulled up the information on the monitor that he and the others obtained a while back from Gil, which showed a blueprint of Bohman himself beside an orb that contained portions of different-coloured data. It seemed that Yukage wanted Bohman to absorb the other Ignis first before making his move, and given how Malf was inside Bohman at the time, it was also likely that Yukage wanted to take control of him. To put it simply, Yukage had a variant of the trojan horse strategy in mind for obtaining the Root of All Knowledge. If Yuhiro was being honest, he had to acknowledge how clever Yukage was, especially his decision in choosing Bohman to be the next Construct. Had things went according to plan, then Yukage would have ultimately succeeded in the end.

After refreshing his memory by looking at this information, Yuhiro then went over to the seventh data log and clicked on it, which caused it to load for several seconds before playing.

"I must admit, despite a few setbacks, good things came along for Wraith, Malf, and myself. For instance, using Akairo Gekido as a mind-controlled puppet, or Drachen in the network to torment Revolver and deliver another blow to the Hanoi was truly satisfying. While Malf originally wanted to deal with Drachen himself to make up for his loss, I convinced him to bring the latter to me so I can bring the Hanoi into further despair. For everything and everyone always has a purpose." Yukage said.

"Akairo Gekido was Drachen this entire time?!" Yuhiro quietly exclaimed. He was shocked after learning this information from the data log. From what he heard just now, Akairo was Drachen, the spy the Hanoi put in SOL Technologies this entire time! Or at the very least, one of their allies. Yuhiro hypothesized three reasons why the Hanoi hired a bounty hunter to assist them while being forced to lay low.

One: The Hanoi needed to know information on what was happening behind the scenes so they can coordinate their next move. After all, knowledge was power.

Two: The Hanoi most likely wanted Drachen to bring any Ignis he captured to them instead of SOL Technologies. For they would know what to do with them compared to SOL Technologies, who'd use it to profit instead of doing the right thing.

Three: The Hanoi wanted someone powerful enough to re-acquire Uchida Industries for them so they can acquire a powerful resource back from their enemies.

All three reasons made sense on why the Hanoi hired Drachen to be their eyes and ears. As for Yukage using Drachen against the Hanoi, perhaps this bounty hunter the Hanoi hired somehow had a personal connection to them. Or in this case, Revolver specifically. Was Revolver the one who made the request personally? If so, then it could explain the connection between Drachen and the Hanoi. Moving that aside, Drachen was also part of the Gekido family, one of the most well-known families in Japan. As much as Yuhiro wanted to go after Drachen to make the Hanoi suffer more, there was a reason why he didn't. It was because Drachen hadn't been involved with the Hanoi since the beginning, and being a gun for hire, he probably didn't know more information other than his targets. For that reason, Yuhiro would leave Drachen alone.

"Malf finally evolved into his ultimate form at last by obtaining Go Onizuka's heart. His evolution would have happened much sooner had Ace not chosen to blow himself up and throw a monkey wrench in my plans." Yukage cursed. "The fact that Ace managed to get away with his actions right under my nose before killing himself is an insult. I will ensure that it never happens again!"

Yuhiro couldn't help but let out a chuckle. Ace managed to choose how and when he died rather than let Azrael eliminate him after the former's usefulness was up. The best part was that Azrael's plans were delayed, if not for a bit. In a way, Ace likely played a role in Azrael's defeat, which was something Yuhiro was hesitant about admitting.

"But now that Malf's finally achieved perfection, he's ready to fulfil the role I gave him in order for me to find the Root of All Knowledge. After all, there's no way Bohman will willingly help me out. Sometimes, you just need to manipulate things in your favor to get your way." Yukage chuckled before continuing to speak through the data log. "Yuhiro, you've certainly grown stronger since our previous duel, and I'm glad we were able to duel on even terms. I'm also glad you found the courage to look up the truth about yourself from the Project: VIII data on your hands. It seems you're starting to understand the truth about this world, and I'm proud of you for that."

Yuhiro smiled. He was actually happy that Yukage was proud of him for getting stronger since their previous duel, as well as how much more knowledgeable he had become in the process.

"But despite your improved efforts, you still weren't able to defeat me, which led me to walk away with the Project: VIII piece from the dark vault. And my, oh my, did it contain a lot of things." Yukage added. "As I mentioned from my previous log, the dark vault's piece contained all the archaeological information on the swords and pendants, along with the Root of All Knowledge's possible locations and points of entry. It even contained blue prints for the network, and by extension, the Metaverse overall. According to this information, the pendants were passed down from each generation in the Furutani lineage, and were sadly lost until mother found it. From what I saw, it seems that the pendants were from another time."

Yuhiro looked at the pendant wrapped around his neck. While it looked so modern, there was evidence that it came from a different time period. Maybe they appeared in ancient times all the way back in Egypt, and were used by either the Pharaoh or one of his aides for a task.

"Father, along with Arshad Saito and Ukyos Albinor, had mapped out the Root's possible locations in the network, and possibly in the Metaverse as well. It's a possibility that those three individuals created the massive network that is LINK VRAINS. I can tell you are very curious in looking at these things, Yuhiro. Just click on the files if you wish to learn more."

Yuhiro followed Yukage's instructions, having eventually found the file the latter was talking about. After opening it, Yuhiro's eyes widened at what he was seeing. It was a massive blueprint, which had a large tree that had several branches extending from it. At the center of the vortex was an orb with two large rings orbiting around it, as if it were a security system. This was the same thing he saw after his final duel against Yukage.

Zooming in on the massive blueprint, Yuhiro noticed that there were pieces of scribblings on them, as if they were research notes. Some of those notes included possible sightings from witnesses, places they were in where those sightings occurred, how they saw them, and more. Yuhiro also noticed smaller blueprints connected to the very large blueprint showing the Root of All Knowledge, where he zoomed in on one of them. After doing so, he noticed pictures of creatures, which he recognized were the same ones he saw when he went to get Excalibur. There were also small notes dot jotted just nearby the creatures, with some examples including size, shape, height, and possible hypotheses on what they can be made of.

On another blueprint was the swords Excalibur and Muramasa, each one having numerous symbols inscribed on the respective blades. After conducting research online regarding the symbols, Yuhiro was able to eventually learn of what the symbols were on the blades. On Excalibur was the words 'The Sword that Unites to Oppose Evil', while on the Muramasa were the words 'The Sword that Separates to Protect Us'. Reading those words made Yuhiro recall what Gilgamesh told him after their duel.

"Whereas Muramasa is designed to separate anything and everything, Excalibur is designed to unite anything and everything."

While Yuhiro understood what Excalibur said and how it unites people and things to oppose evil, he was actually surprised with what the Muramasa said. Could it mean that behind Yukage's selfish goal of achieving eternity, he wanted to ultimately protect Yuhiro in the end? Did that mean Yukage ultimately had good, yet misguided intentions that were forged over time? Such thoughts confused Yuhiro, as Yukage made his life, and those he cared about, a living nightmare.

Yuhiro then clicked on another blueprint, which showed a few things. First was a picture of Myojin, Lyla, Ukyos, Arshad, and Dairoku together in a lab. This picture must have been taken before everything went to Hell, Yuhiro figured in his mind, before he zoomed into what the actual blueprint contained. It showed drafts of what the network looked like, along with the construction of numerous buildings in its areas. There were also streams of purple data shown in the sky and near those buildings. This must be the first prototype of the data streams in the network. It seems that father and the others intended to create them for the public to use. Before it was monetized by SOL Technologies, Yuhiro continued thinking in his mind. Did that mean Myojin and the others were responsible for creating the network in the first place? Yuhiro obviously doubted it, as someone else very likely created the network, while Myojin and the others sought on improving it for the public.

After Yuhiro finished looking at that blueprint, he directed his attention to the last blueprint nearby. It showed a massive gyro tower that had a beacon at the top, along with a ring in the middle that encircled it. From what Yuhiro saw, it almost looked like the Tower of Hanoi. It could have even served as inspiration for the tower in LINK VRAINS. Nearby the diagram was the words 'To Be Used after the First Two Steps are Completed'. Because of what happened between father and Ukyos, it's what prevented this tower from even being built in the first place, Yuhiro finished thinking in his mind.

"Everything I've found from this piece of Project: VIII was certainly enlightening. The best part is that everything's coming together." Yukage said. "In due time, my goal of achieving eternity will be within arm's reach." The seventh data log then stopped, which made Yuhiro think over what he learned and saw just now. While some of the information was a recap, he did learn several new things. For instance, Drachen being a Hanoi spy, more information about the pendants and swords, and more.

Overall, the information Yuhiro learned was certainly enlightening, as he now had an understanding on what Excalibur and the Muramasa truly meant, along with where the Root of All Knowledge could possibly be located. Not only did Yuhiro receive confirmation that the creatures he saw back then were denizens of the metaverse, he even learned more information about Project: VIII, and what the final step was so the Root of All Knowledge can ultimately be located. After all, a compass can only take you so far before no longer working.

"What's this?" Yuhiro quietly asked himself, as he noticed a final data log nearby. It had seven locks on it, which were unlocked once the seventh data log was finished. If Yuhiro had to guess, Yukage locked up this final data log after someone viewed the other seven data logs. Maybe this data long was the most important one of them all, as it could contain anything!

But Yuhiro was hesitant. Once he clicked on the final data log and it began playing, it would be the last time that he would hear Yukage's voice. The fact that Yuhiro couldn't save his brother, along with Herald and Wraith, still weighed heavily on his shoulders, as though it was like a boulder that he couldn't let go of even if he tried. A piece of Yuhiro even felt guilty for stealing everything Yukage had on his duel disk, as he worked hard over many years to acquire this information. Not just that, but Yukage had to suffer in order to succeed in doing so.

Knowing what had to be done, Yuhiro clicked on the final data log, which began playing after taking a few seconds to load.

"This is my final recording." Yukage began speaking. "Yuhiro, if you're listening to this, please know that I did what any human would do if they had a chance to avoid death forever. It was extreme, especially with all the casualties that happened, but sometimes, half-measures will never do. Of all that I risk by confronting you in Mirror LINK VRAINS, it's the chance of our brotherhood being lost forever that pains me the most. If you defeat me in our duel, then I will give you a copy of all my intel, along with the programs and a great amount of money I've obtained over the years. You can check this out by going through the information you see on the screen."

Yuhiro skimmed through the information that was there on the files. Sure enough, along with the money and intel, there were programs on one of them. Upon clicking on that file, Yuhiro noticed how the programs were assorted for different purposes. This way, Yukage would know which programs to use for which mission.

"While I regret the actions I've taken, I accepted that they had to be done so I can achieve my of obtaining eternity. Do I enjoy eliminating my enemies and reveling in it? No, I do not. While I feel satisfaction in eliminating the worst of those who stand in my way, I do not enjoy the collateral damage." Yukage paused before speaking. "If there's one last piece of advice I can give you, it's that you shouldn't let anyone or anything stand in your way. Now that you have this intel, I'm certain you'll seize the opportunity to fulfil the Furutani destiny for good, especially after everything that's happened. Finally, I want to let you know that you will always be my little hybrid brother, Yuhiro. I wish you the best of luck. Farewell." The final data log then finished playing, which made Yuhiro sigh sadly as he exited from all of them.

"You'll always be my brother, Yukage. I'm certain of that." Yuhiro quietly acknowledged with acceptance. It was like how Haru formed the ideal that he will always be Bohman's little brother, no matter what anyone else said. What's more, Haru made certain that nothing will take that fact away from him. In a way, Yuhiro and Haru were almost similar to one another.

Now that Yuhiro had all the findings regarding Project: VIII altogether, he can fulfil the Furutani family's destiny and finish what Yukage started. It was something Yuhiro wanted to do, and he wouldn't let anyone stop him in completing his goal. What's more, Yuhiro knew three important things.

One: After updating Yusaku's profile, Yuhiro learned how Ai obtained the energies of the other Ignis when obtaining Firewall Dragon Darkfluid. That meant he can acquire all eight Ignis' data in one fellow swoop by capturing Ai. Simple as that.

Two: Rachel became a Construct thanks to Project: Apotheosis. With Bohman obviously out of commission, that meant he'd have to capture Rachel in order to begin the final stages of Project: VIII.

Three: Having looked at the gyro tower, Yuhiro realized how similar it was to the Tower of Hanoi. Perhaps the Hanoi weren't aware of the fact that they were creating something almost identical to the tower needed for Project: VIII to be completed. The only issue was how Yuhiro can seize control of the Tower of Hanoi from the others, especially how it was operational once again, which can serve him well.

He then remembered that Rachel went with Brion, Gil, and Greg in order to liberate Central Japan from Balius' control. While Yuhiro obviously had complete faith in the quartet in completing their task, especially given how three of them had abilities thanks to Project: Apotheosis, perhaps he can join in on the fun. For a part of him was hungry. Or was it the Shadow that was hungry?

"You know what needs to be done, right?" Pandora quietly asked Yuhiro.

"You don't have to remind me, Pandora. I know what needs to be done, so don't bother trying to tempt me. Otherwise, you'll live to regret it." Yuhiro quietly warned Pandora back, which made her shiver before turning into particles.

Yuhiro glitched on and off for several seconds as red, glowing cracks appeared on his body. After looking up the quickest route on how to get to Central Japan, a grin appeared on Yuhiro's face as he sunk into the darkness, intent on completing his goal.

Elsewhere, at Central Japan….

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The FBI troops and rebels they recruited fired rounds of gunfire at Balius' troops, which sent each one falling to the ground as they avoided attacks from the remaining ones. As if on cue, the Chains of Tragedy emerged out of numerous portals before grabbing more of Balius' troops and slamming them to the ground with such force that they all fell unconscious. To ensure that no one knew what was going on, each of the Chains of Tragedy destroyed any communication devices the troops had on them.

"Well, seeing those troops fall like flies was nice." Gil commented, as Abyss King quickly knocked aside a blast coming from a tank before coming over and smashing it repeatedly on the ground, which made the troop inside escape in pure fear. Seconds later, Geomathmech Final Sigma appeared out of nowhere, brandishing the blazing sword in its hands as it slashed it forward, which released a wave of fire that incinerated both a large amount of Balius' troops and numerous weaponry in the mix. The FBI troops cheered as they moved forward, intent on reaching their target.

A massive generator bunker that controlled everything related to media.

It took a very long time for Brion, Rachel, Greg, and Gil to launch a final attack on Balius' stronghold for one simple reason. It was because of the multiple outposts that Balius had set up in order to maintain resources in Central Japan so they can be transferred to the main area. Some major victories the FBI achieved in their conquest included destroying death camps and prisons, thus recruiting more allies in the process, shutting down trafficking and drug operations, and seizing footholds so they can gain more ground. Based on the battles they won and the following results, Greg correctly assumed that Balius was panicking, and was sending in more troops to protect his remaining resources. This meant that Balius' defenses were stretching thin, and once the generator bunker was seized, they can launch the final attack on his stronghold.

"Nice?! Are you enjoying this?!" Rachel shouted back, who was on Final Sigma's shoulder. She pointed her finger at one of the artillery cannons stationed just near the generator bunker, which led Final Sigma to fire a blast of flames from its sword that incinerated it completely. Final Sigma then moved its arm as the sword spread flames towards the other artillery cannons nearby, burning down each one in the process as the troops manning them were forced to flee for their lives. It landed on the ground while the FBI troops and rebels eliminated the remnants of Balius' troops that were there.

"The fact that people are dying and I'm reveling in the carnage? No. Not at all. The fact that karma's gonna bite Balius in the ass real soon? Yes." Gil answered Rachel's questions, as Abyss King grabbed several of Balius' men and knocked each of them out nearby. "And frankly, you don't seem to have a problem of unleashing a giant robot who manipulates fire onto our common enemy."

"I'm using Final Sigma to help free the people here from tyranny, and I do not take joy in hurting the soldiers we're facing." Rachel firmly replied, which made Gil frown back in response as Final Sigma slashed its sword forward to release a wave of fiery energy, which hit the remnants of Balius' defenses seconds later. Gil and Rachel then ran towards the FBI troops and rebels, who had begun trying to get the locked doors open while several others kept an eye on those who willingly surrendered. Other troops had also secured the perimeter, intent on making sure that there weren't any sudden surprises in the area.

Gil then got the attention of one of the FBI troops, who stood out of the way as the Chains of Tragedy pierced the door completely before throwing it off its hinges and to the side. Once that was done, the FBI troops and rebels stormed into the generator bunker, eliminating Balius' troops that were stationed there. While some of the officers surrendered after realizing that they were outnumbered, others tried to resist, which led those individuals to be knocked out seconds later.

"The passwords to the control panel. Now!" Rachel demanded to the chief officer, who immediately did so after a few of the rebels pointed their guns at him. She went over to the seat nearby and sat on it before beginning to type on the keypad. In front of Rachel was a large computer monitor that consisted of numerous screens, with the feed from the cameras having obviously been wiped out. This was done before she, Gil, and the FBI and rebel forces launched an attack on the generator bunker.

"Well done, Rachel." Gil said, as he saw Rachel type the main password on the keypad, where multiple things popped up on the monitors. This included files, recorded footage, documents, and more.

Rachel, on the other hand, didn't care for that yet, as she typed in the other passwords to bypass and eventually shut down the remaining electrical gates that were centered around Balius' fortress. She grabbed a USB stick before putting it in the USB port, where she immediately downloaded the information onto it so they can have evidence on hand once they capture Balius. "Done and done."

"Come on. Can't I have a copy of the data?" Gil pouted, hoping Rachel would give some of the information to him.

"No! I can't trust you to have the information! Who knows what you'd do with it?" Rachel answered, much to Gil's disappointment as the two of them exited the generator bunker. She then pressed a finger on the earpiece in her right ear. "Greg, we seized control of the generator bunker, and have acquired the information."

"Excellent job, sweetie." Greg stated on the other end. "Brion and I will launch the attack. You and Gil join us when you can."

"Got it." Rachel then hung up on the other end before letting out a sigh. This was going to be a very long night, that's for sure.

"Looks like Greg's about to launch the attack, right?" Gil figured out, which made Rachel nod in confirmation. "Alright! It's time to make sure that Balius is brought down for good!" And I will bring him personally down myself, especially now I know that he orchestrated the pain in my life, he angrily vowed in his mind.

After double-checking to ensure that the FBI troops and rebels had a strong grip on the generator bunker, he and Rachel then departed, intent on rendezvousing with Greg and Brion for the final attack.

Meanwhile, at another area at Central Japan...

KABOOM!

Several FBI troops and rebels threw grenades to cover their comrades as they charged forward, intent on eliminating Balius' men. Greg and Brion led the charge, the two of them gunning down multiple of their enemies as they advanced forward to their target.

"This way, men! We're almost there!" Greg shouted, as the FBI troops and rebels charged forward, where he, Brion, and the group managed to eliminate another portion of the wave of Balius' men that were there.

Brion dodged several of the blasts fired by Balius' men before charging forward and clobbering some of them with such force that they fell to the ground. He immediately evaded an artillery shot from a tank before PSY-Framegear Alpha strapped itself onto him so he can fire several blasts of energy back in response, which caused the same tank to explode seconds later. PSY-Framegears Beta and Delta then attached themselves onto Brion, which allowed him to speed through and blast several troops quickly, as well as evade more artillery fire in the process.

"Greg, look out!" Brion shouted, as he fired a blast of energy at the troop that was about to fire at Greg, saving him in the process.

"Thanks, Brion." Greg said back, as the two of them ran over to a piece of large debris before taking cover behind it in order to avoid an artillery blast from the cannon turrets nearby. "Those machine parts you got there strapped to your body."

"They're the 'PSY-Framegear' monsters I use in duels." Brion explained. "What about them?"

Greg thought a few things over his head before something clicked in his mind. "If you use the energy from your weapons with the ion grenades we have, we can shut down a majority of their firepower."

"That's actually brilliant!" Brion realized, having put two and two together on what Greg just told him. He put his right index finger on the earpiece in his ear. "All units, seek cover immediately and throw the Ion grenades at Greg's signal. I'll take care of the rest."

The FBI troops and rebels took cover, which led Balius' men to assume that they were being pushed back, so they pressed forward. After Greg gave the signal, all the FBI troops and rebels threw their Ion grenades at Balius' men, where Brion stepped out and fired a blast of energy just before they landed on the ground. As a result, it led to a massive explosion that sent out an electrical shockwave, which shut down the tanks and artillery cannons that Balius' men had, along with jamming their guns in the process. Upon seeing this, the FBI troops and rebels, along with Greg and Brion, immediately charged forward and eliminated the rest of Balius' men, where they headed towards the large mansion. Unfortunately, sentry turrets rose from the ground before firing at the group, which led all of them to take cover.

"We'll provide you with cover. Stop Balius once and for all," one rebel told Brion, who nodded as he gestured Greg and several other troops to follow him, who did so before the group advanced forward.

"Sir, the enemy's are-!" one troop reported to Balius, before the forces led by Greg and Brion smashed down the door to the throne room, the group immediately executing the guards there. Balius, on the other hand, frowned after seeing them arrive.

"Hands in the air, Balius!" Greg shouted. "You're under arrest for initiating and overseeing human trafficking, illegal mining, and a lot of other charges we'll go over after you surrender!"

"Surrender, Balius! It's over!" Brion added, as he raised his right arm at Balius, energy charging up in the former's right palm.

"Slippery little bastard, you think you've won?! You never even had the chance upon returning here!" Balius exclaimed back, before he slammed his leg down onto the ground, where electrical energy from the whole area began moving to where he was.

"Shoot to wound!" Greg ordered before he, Brion, and the troops with the duo immediately fired bullets and energy at Balius, which only went around him as he absorbed more energy. Within several seconds, Balius released it in the form of a shockwave that sent everyone else flying out of the mansion and onto the ground. This led to it being completely destroyed as Balius walked out of it unharmed.

Seeing their leader unharmed, the men under Balius' command pushed their attack onto the FBI troops, rebels, and Greg, who were forced to deal with them lest they fall in combat.

Balius, on the other hand grinned as he walked towards Brion, who managed to regain his footing. "Let's go!"

"The Hell are you thinking-?" Brion began speaking, before Balius charged forward at him, the latter slamming into the former as he fell to the ground. Balius walked over and grabbed Brion by the head before lifting him up. Brion tried to fight back by firing electricity from his hands through Alpha, but Balius simply walked through the blast unfazed, his skin turning as hard as granite in the process. Once that was done, Balius pulverized Brion with numerous attacks before picking him up by the head once more.

"As you know, I played college football growing up."

"At some cushy Ivy league school." Brion mocked back before Balius headbutted him in response, his skin turning as hard as granite once again in the process. He tore off Alpha from Brion's body and punched him very hard in the face twice, only for Brion to dodge the third attack before counterattacking with Delta. In response, Balius blocked the attacks with ease and attempted to land another attack on Brion, only for the former to dodge it as two copies of PSY-Framegear Gamma attached themselves to his knees so he can strike back. Unfortunately, Balius dodged the attack and grabbed Brion by the throat before lifting him up off the ground.

"I played at the University of Texas, princeling!" Balius firmly reminded Brion. "I could have gone pro if I didn't join the military. But then again, politics and military matters are where I ultimately shined in the end, especially how I was able to climb up the ranks!" He then threw Brion high into the air, the latter having let out a scream of pain in the process.

"Don't fuck with this monarch!" Balius then kicked Brion once he nearly reached the ground, the latter being sent through numerous trees before rolling onto the ground.

Brion then slowly got up on his feet, having been momentarily stunned by the attack as Balius jumped to where he was. "What the Hell are you?" He obviously knew that Balius was strong, yet something didn't add up here.

Balius grinned in response as he cracked his knuckles. "Why don't you stick around and find out?"

Brion charged forward, having been able to move faster thanks to Beta still being strapped onto him despite the beating he received. The arms from Delta attached themselves to Brion's arms so he can land a powerful strike on Balius, only for the attack to do no impact at all. In response, Balius struck back with a series of powerful punches and kicks, which Brion was able to dodge before attacking back with his own attacks. Unfortunately, Balius blocked all of them before grabbing Brion by the head and headbutting him, which made the latter take a few steps back in pain as the former launched a barrage of attacks, each one making its mark in the process. Luckily, Brion was able to regain his senses before delivering a powered up knee strike from Gamma, which slightly pushed Balius back a few feet as the former charged forward once more.

Balius immediately regained his senses within several seconds before blocking Brion's enhanced punch. "Nice toy..." He tore Delta into pieces before attempting to uppercut Brion, who somersaulted backwards to evade the attack. And the next thing Brion knew, Balius punched him with such force that the former was sent flying off the ground before landing on it.

Brion unsheathed the pistol attached to his belt and fired several rounds of ammunition at Balius, who swat all the bullets aside before punching him numerous times, which made him drop the pistol as a result. Brion, however, was able to catch the last punch and push back with all his strength.

"Typical monarch. Big promises, but all talk..." Brion muttered, just loud enough for Balius to hear.

"What are you talking about?" Balius questioned.

"All your propaganda on making Central Japan great again? What a load of bullshit!" Brion pushed Balius off of him as he blocked the latter's punches. "All you only cared about was yourself and your fanatical beliefs! That, and your approval ratings!" He managed to block a few of Balius' kicks before landing a side kick to the stomach, which pushed the latter slightly back. "My parents... Granger... Tessa...! They were all victims of your crusade!" Brion jumped upwards and landed a punch that Balius blocked before catching him off guard with a sweep kick. As a result, Brion was able to land a knee strike on Balius' chin before making him roll onto the ground, the latter's skin once again turning as hard as granite to absorb the pain. "If this current government can't be saved, then a new one needs to be established. One that can heal all the pain you've caused Central Japan, and I will ensure that it happens for good!"

Balius chuckled. "Alright, the truth then." He got up on his feet, impressed that Brion was able to actually land a few blows on him. A few blows that slightly hurt at best. "You're right about one thing. I do need capital and votes. Wanna know why? I have a dream!"

Brion blinked in response. "What?"

"That one day, every person in this nation will control their own destiny. A land of the truly free, dammit!" Balius continued, as he charged forward at Brion with several punches. "A nation of action, not words! Ruled by strength, not committee!" While Brion was able to dodge the punches, Balius grabbed him by the throat, where he struggled as the latter lifted the former upward with one hand. "Where the law changes to suit the individual, not the other way around!" Balius then grabbed Brion's hand off his throat, only with some resistance from him. "Where power and justice are back where they belong: In the hands of the people!"

Using his strength, Balius pushed Brion back several feet, only for Brion to resist by pushing back. This led to a struggle between both individuals as they locked heads, intent on breaking the struggle and gaining the advantage over one another. Brion once again noticed Balius' skin once again turn as hard as granite to absorb the pain. What exactly did Balius do to make himself so strong in the first place?

"Where every man is free to think and act for himself!" Balius headbutted Brion with such force that it made the latter fall on one knee, having been stunned by the impact of the attack. Having seen this, Balius then proceeded to brutally pummel Brion with a series of attacks. "Fuck all these lawyers and bureaucrats, and all of the media online. Fuck all of it!" After lifting Brion up to his feet, Balius then punched him with such force that he was sent flying off the ground before landing on it.

"Japan's current government can't be saved, Brion. It needs to be pulled out by the roots. Wipe the slate clean. BURN IT DOWN!" Balius stated loudly, before punching Brion back to the ground after seeing him try to stand up on his feet. "And from its ashes, a new Japan will be born. Evolved, but untamed!" He slammed his foot on Brion's back numerous times in order to further stun him seconds later. "The weak will be purged, and the strongest will thrive so they can live free as they see fit. They'll make Central Japan, and the overall Japanese government great again!"

"All these goals of yours... are nothing more than things born from your fanatical beliefs..." Brion muttered.

"Of course they are, Brion. After all, I do want to bring Central Japan, and the entire Japanese government by extension back to its glory days!" Balius confirmed, as he kicked Brion onto his stomach, who grunted in pain. "In my new Central Japan, and Japan itself overall, people will die and kill for what they-!"

WHOOSH!

"Hey there, jackass!" Gil shouted out of nowhere, as one of Abyss Actor – Ballistic Balladeer's arms zoomed in and punched Balius with such force that he was sent flying off the ground, having hit numerous trees in the process before rolling onto it.

Gil then jumped onto the ground, having walked over to where Brion was before helping him stand up on his feet. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. About time you and Rachel got here." Brion said. "And nice entrance."

"Thanks. I actually appreciate it." Gil frowned. "So many villains out there are so caught up in their beliefs that they tend to not see what's coming next. It's a typical TV Trope these days." But before Gil could say anything more, Balius tore through the wreckage as he began to charge forward towards the duo.

"How dare you get in my way, child!" Balius exclaimed, as he attempted to land a hook punch onto Gil, only for the two upper arms attached to Ballistic Balladeer's back to fire energy in response. This pushed Balius back, as he continued to walk through it unfazed, only with some difficulty. Seizing the opportunity, Brion managed to land a full powered up punch that made stagger Balius back, who tried to land a counterattack in response. While the Chains of Tragedy attempted to restrain Balius, he managed to break through them as he landed a blow on Brion, who staggered on his feet as he tried to regain his balance. Energy emanated from Balius as he released another explosion of energy, which sent Brion and Gil flying back, along with Ballistic Balladeer as well. Balius charged forward once more and grabbed Gil before throwing him to a tree nearby, which made the latter cry out in pain upon the impact.

Brion, having saw this, charged forward towards Balius before attempting to strike back with a punch, only for him to grab that punch before smashing the former to the ground. Abyss King appeared and threw several punches at Balius, where he responded by grabbing both of the former's arms, stopping the former's rampage in the process. He then smashed Abyss King down to the ground numerous times, which made him grunt in pain before turning into particles that went back into Gil's duel disk.

"These little tricks of yours will not get in my way of creating a new Japan! One that is not weak!" Balius grinned as he dodged Brion's punch before attempting to kick him, only for his leg to get ensnared by the Chains of Tragedy, which emerged from a portal. Seeing this, Brion proceeded to punch Balius numerous times, the latter's skin turning as hard as granite to absorb the pain once more. Unfortunately for Brion, Balius grabbed him by the throat and headbutted the former in response, where he proceeded to deliver a pummeling that pushed him back several feet.

"Why won't you die?!" Brion exclaimed out of pure frustration. All of these attacks Brion and Gil were throwing at Balius did nothing. Something was obviously up, especially how Balius' skin hardened with each blow he received.

In response, Balius ripped off his shirt, which revealed enlarged veins connected to his heart before spreading over to the rest of his body. "Nanomachines, son. They harden in response to physical trauma. And combined with the strength-enhancing drugs I've taken courtesy of Zeta, I've grown far more stronger than the average human. You and your little friends can't beat me, Brion."

Great. Just great. We have an enhanced human to fight, Gil cursed in his mind as he stood up on his feet. He thrusted out his right hand, where Ballistic Balladeer fired a punch at Balius, who jumped high into the air before punching him back in the face. As a result, Ballistic Balladeer fell to the ground once again before turning into particles, which went back into Gil's duel disk seconds later.

Before Gil could react, Balius charged forward, intent on striking him down for good. However, using Beta, Brion was able to speed forward and grab Gil to save him from the attack. Brion then sped forward, another copy of Delta attaching itself to his arms as he landed another punch at Balius. However, the punch had no impact, as evident by Balius' skin turning hard as granite once again to absorb the pain.

Balius smirked after seeing Brion's futile attack. "What did I just say, Brion? That's right. You and your little friends can't beat me." He delivered an uppercut back at Brion, who was sent flying in the air before landing on the ground. Gil summoned the Chains of Tragedy once again in order to restrain Balius, only for the latter to be surrounded with energy before releasing it, which sent Brion and Gil flying off the ground before landing on it once more.

A long distance near the fight between Brion, Gil, and Balius was Greg, who was coordinating efforts to stop the onslaught being launched by Balius' men.

"Take cover!" Greg shouted at the FBI troops and rebels, who were forced to retreat as Balius' men gained the upper hand. This was due to them being reinforced by advanced artillery and weapons courtesy of the Zeta branch itself.

But just when things seemed bad, Final Sigma appeared and landed on the ground out of nowhere, having immediately begun sending a barrage of flames at Balius' men. It led to a series of explosions that both destroyed the artillery that Balius' men had and sent a great majority of them flying in the air as a result, having been caught off guard by what just transpired. And on Final Sigma's shoulder was Rachel, who waved her hand towards Greg and his forces.

"Rachel, you're a life saver!" Greg cried out of relief, as Rachel jumped off of Final Sigma's shoulder before landing on the ground, the former immediately going to the latter and hugging her afterwards. "Do you have the footage?"

"I do." Rachel confirmed, before she, Greg, and the troops under their command saw Brion and Gil confronting against Balius, the two of them obviously struggling to defeat him. To make things worse, more of Balius' troops began arriving on the scene to assist their monarch.

"We need to stop this before they get hurt any more." Greg turned to Rachel. "Play the footage."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. What better time to show the world the truth than now, especially when it can turn the tide in our favor."

Nearby, Balius' troops arrived on the scene, having ran to assist their monarch. Balius, having just delivered another pummeling onto Brion, smiled after seeing his men arrive.

"About time you all arrived." Balius said, as he grabbed Brion's throat before hoisting him up the air. "With the death of the prince, this rebellion is-!"

WHOOSH!

Suddenly, a broadcast appeared in the air, which got everyone's attention as it started playing footage. Specifically, camera footage that Balius recognized upon seeing it.

It was the night where he, with Athaliah's help, killed Derek and Isabelle Miyahara, along with Granger and Tessa. It also showed Brion's escape, along with multiple terrorists at each of Balius' sides aiding him in the attempt at killing the former. After seeing the insignia on the terrorists' armor, the soldiers gasped in horror upon doing so.

"Your husband is now dead." Balius told Isabella as she struggled to free herself. "If you do not relinquish the crown of Central Japan to me, you'll join the rest of the royal family in death."

"Never, Balius," the woman answered. "The fact you betrayed the royal family makes you a traitor, just like Athaliah."

"I believe you, sister." Balius told her, giving the order to the terrorists. The first two shot Tessa and Granger in the head, while the third one snapped the Isabella's neck, killing all three of them.

"W-W-What is this?!" Balius exclaimed, as he saw the broadcast replaying itself over and over again.

"Balius killed the previous king and queen?" one soldier questioned out of shock.

"He was the leader of those terrorists this entire time." a second soldier realized.

"We are betrayed!" a third soldier concluded, all of them obviously still stunned at what they just saw.

"No, wait! This deception is nothing more than fake news! FAKE NEWS!" Balius screamed at his men, only for Brion to loosen himself from his grip before kicking the former away.

"Liar! I was there the night when Balius murdered my parents, along with my brother and sister!" Brion said. "It was as you see before you."

"Balius also worked with the Black Market, specifically with Athaliah and Gardai so he can spread his kingdom to other areas of Japan!" Gil added, as he stood up on his feet before pressing a few buttons on his duel disk, which showed several documents. "This is evidence of Balius' dealings with Gardai in acquiring Dascium in order to fulfil his goals."

The soldiers began mumbling among themselves as they all processed this information. Greg, Rachel, and the forces under their command went over to where the others were.

"I am your king. I did this for you! All of you!" Balius continued screaming.

"Now that you know the truth, I have a question for all of you." Brion stated, as he turned to the troops. "Me. Or him."

Infuriated looks appeared on Balius' former men as they all pointed their guns towards him, much to Brion's amusement.

"So this is your choice, huh? Fine," was all that Balius said before the soldiers began to open fire on him, who immediately took the impact of the bullets before speeding forward and striking down each of his own men. Once that was done, Balius immediately charged forward towards Brion before Final Sigma appeared and slashed him with such force that he was pushed back several feet. He grit his teeth as his skin turned granite to absorb the fire.

Arming himself with Alpha and Delta once more, Brion charged forward at Balius, intent on striking him down for good. Gil also joined in the fight by using the Chains of Tragedy to briefly hold Balius so Brion can land some blows on him. Final Sigma then brought down its flaming sword at Balius, who was forced to dodge the attack as Abyss King appeared and landed another blow on him.

As Rachel watched the fight, she felt her eyes glow a rainbow color, which allowed her to see how the nanomachines worked from the inside of Balius' body. Each time an attack was about to hit Balius, the nanomachines would harden in response to it, but there was a brief delay to their function as a result of them coming out of his heart. The attacks that Final Sigma launched from its blazing sword also managed to stun them temporarily, thus making Balius vulnerable to attacks for a brief amount of time from combatants. Last but not least, there was only so much energy the nanomachines can take, as a fully charged attack can overpower them. To sum it up, the nanomachines worked best when an attack was either slower or Balius was prepared for and aware of the attack. They weren't made to respond to sudden or rapid forms of damage.

"Greg, I found a way to stop Balius." Rachel said.

"You do? How?" Greg asked out of curiosity, as the two of them watched the fight from a large pile of debris nearby. While Balius was obviously able to overpower the troops and contend with Brion and Gil, there were times where he caught off guard, which allowed them to land several blows on him.

"The nanomachines. We need to get burn them out of his system." Rachel explained. "Either that, or we have to rip his heart out."

"We'll go with the first option then." Greg then pressed a button on the earpiece in his right ear. "All troops, grab rocket launchers. Artillery. Whatever's available that can cause a mark, not little ones such as bullet fire. On my signal, fire."

"Right!" all the troops complied, as they ran back to grab weapons that can do lots of damage.

Rachel then ran out to help Brion and Gil, only for Greg to grab her arm to stop her.

"Just be careful out there, sweetie. I don't want you to die." Greg told Rachel.

"I won't. You have my word." Rachel promised, before she ran to assist Brion and Gil, who were able to land more blows on Balius as he struck back. While Brion got hit, Gil was able to use the Chains of Tragedy to not only get out of the way, but to restrain Balius just enough to reduce the impact to a manageable level for Brion.

"You turned everyone against me!" Balius screamed at Brion, as he punched him numerous times. However, the arms attached to Delta grabbed Balius' arms before Brion struck back with multiple attacks in response.

"You've done that only to yourself." Brion replied back, before firing energy at Balius, who was stunned as he was pushed back several feet. Abyss King grabbed Balius from behind, only for the latter to let out a loud scream of energy that sent everyone except for him flying back.

"Everything I did was for the sake of Central Japan, and the whole country by extension itself! No one and nothing else!" Balius dashed forward and grabbed Brion by the throat, only for some of the troops to come to the latter's aid by firing at the former. In response, Balius threw Brion at the troops, who were saved at the last minute by the Chains of Tragedy pulling them all to the side as Brion rolled onto the ground.

Rachel then ran to Final Sigma and called out its name, where it turned around before lowering its hand down to her, which allowed the latter to climb onto the former's shoulder. "Provide me with a scope, would yeah?" Her duel disk glowed before a digital screen popped up, which allowed her to zoom in on the fight and see what was going on. After doing so, Rachel pulled out a gadget resembling that of a yellow triangle, which turned itself on before she threw it at Balius. It managed to land on Balius' back and evade his vision, which led to it electrocuting him before Brion punched him with such force that the former was sent flying off the ground and towards a large tree, stunning him in the process.

"Brion! Gil! I found the weakness to the nanomachines!" Rachel called out to the duo, her eyes still glowing rainbow from before.

"You found a weakness?" Brion asked, as Balius slowly got up on his feet.

"Either we have to burn them out of his body, or rip his heart out of his body." Rachel told the two of them through the earpieces in their ears.

"I'm down for the second option!" Gil immediately decided.

"NO!" Brion and Rachel responded back, much to Gil's disappointment as Balius charged forward and attempted to strike Brion, with Abyss King appearing to take the blows instead. Final Sigma then brough down its fiery sword once more at Balius, who was forced to dodge the attack upon seeing it.

Turning around as to who launched the attack. Balius ran and jumped forward at Final Sigma, intent on striking both it and Rachel down for interfering. In response, Rachel threw two more glowing yellow triangles, which released a sonic boom that sent him falling to the ground. In addition, the nanomachines scrambled for several seconds before realigning themselves in Balius' body.

Seizing the opportunity, Brion fired electricity from his hands at Balius, who stumbled back before the former landed several attacks at the latter. This is what Rachel must be talking about, Brion realized in his mind. It made sense! There was only so much damage the nanomachines can take and turn into energy for Balius, for they can't predict every attack.

"You son of a-!" Balius growled, as he attempted to lunge forward and punch Brion. However, the Chains of Tragedy erupted from portals once more before wrapping themselves around Balius. Rachel threw two more glowing yellow triangles at Balius, which struck him to the ground through sonic booms in order to keep him restrained.

"All the troops are ready." Greg told Rachel, Brion, and Gil.

"Good. Let's get moving." Brion said to Rachel and Gil, the two of them getting out of the way as Brion braced himself for Balius' next attack, who snapped the Chains of Tragedy off of him before destroying the two yellow glowing triangles to free himself.

"I'm getting tired of these little games." Balius commented, as Brion fired electricity once more at the former, who simply ran through it in order to try and strike the latter down. He jumped past the fire and evaded the Chains of Tragedy in his attempt to attack Brion, who dodged the attacks before responding back with a powered up knee strike, which forced Balius to stagger out of pain for several seconds as Brion struck back with several punches. As a result, Balius was so stunned that he couldn't anticipate the Chains of Tragedy restraining him to the ground once more. To ensure that Balius couldn't move, Rachel threw two more yellow glowing triangles, which released sonic booms that further restricted his moves.

"Everyone, now!" Greg shouted, as all the troops fired blasts of energy from the rocket launchers in their hands, which made Balius scream in pain in response, the nanomachines being only able to protect him to an extent. Final Sigma released blazing fire from its sword at Balius, who was staggering around in pain as he snapped the Chains of Tragedy off his hands before trying to get back up on his feet. He was so overwhelmed with the series of attacks that he couldn't know where to strike next, the energy going through his body like chaos.

Last but not least, Brion released electrical energy from his hands that hit Balius body, which, combined with the overwhelming series of attacks, led the nanomachines to incinerate from within, which made Balius scream in pain as they did do, having barely been able to survive the attacks. Greg then raised his arm upward, which made the troops lower the rocket launchers in their hands, having seen that Balius was still staggering around, as evident by the damage on his body.

"No! I will not be denied!" Balius screamed once again, as he ran forward to eliminate Brion and the others like a frenzied bull, only for Brion to dodge the attack and punch the former in the gut with such force that he coughed up blood. The attack also stunned Balius before Brion punched him with a full powered punch, which made the former fall to the ground.

"It is over, Balius." Brion told Balius, as he raised his right palm to eliminate him, energy dancing in the former's hand.

"Wait!" Greg shouted, as he and several troops ran forward to where Brion was, Rachel and Gil also going over to him.

"You want him dead as much as I do!" Brion told Greg.

"Yes, but not yet. Not until he's answered for his crimes." Greg responded. "It must be done by the book. By the law itself!"

"You want to take him prisoner?" Brion turned to face Greg.

"To one of Japan's strongest prison facilities where we can interrogate him. Put him on trial for everything he's done!" Greg put a hand on Brion's shoulder. "And then, we'll execute Balius to show the world that we don't need to fear men like him any longer." The way Greg said that to Brion was as though he knew what the law and the higherups would very likely do after reviewing the evidence. It would have no choice but to impose the death penalty, lest a heinous and well-known person in the political world get away with their actions.

"Don't listen to Greg, Brion! You're the heir to the throne now!" Gil said. "Since you defeated Balius, you have the right to execute him! As long as Balius is around, it will never be truly over."

"The kid's right, princeling. It will never truly be over as long as I draw breath!" Balius pointed out, hoping to make Brion no better than he is right now.

Brion narrowed his eyes as he thought this over. He wanted to murder Balius for what he's done, but if he did right now, then he'd be no better than his uncle. What's more, it was his parents' teachings that made Brion the honorable man he was today. Words then appeared in Brion's head, which he heard back in Den City during the Turf War by someone he had rescued. By someone who resembled Tessa.

"I'm not one to judge Electrolyzer, but the second reason of you becoming a bounty hunter... revenge is like a slow knife. The knife that waits years without forgetting, then slips quietly between the bones. That's the knife that cuts deepest into someone. If you let that happen, you'll never experience reprieve again."

Electrolyzer sighed, having made his decision as he lowered his hand. He wouldn't dishonor his parents, nor would he dishonor his siblings as well by completing the path of revenge. "I won't let the pain and darkness determine my actions and who I am any longer. I will never be you." He then punched Balius one last time, which knocked him unconscious seconds later. Once that was done, Brion walked away, done with the fight.

Greg and numerous troops approached the unconscious Balius, having pointed their guns at him in case he got up at the last second. "Get something to restrain him."

"Yes, Commissioner," one troop complied, as he gestured other troops to acquire a device to retrain Balius and prevent him from moving.

Brion then walked over to where the other troops were, who all had their eyes on him. "My brothers and sisters, is Balius the king you want? A coward who lies to you? A coward who works with terrorists and commits unethical acts just to retain his rule? You need a light to guide you through these dark times. A light that will truly help make a positive change to the world. Join me, and we can heal Central Japan of the wounds Balius inflicted on it. Not just that, but we can build a better one that contributes towards the wellbeing of everyone."

All of Balius' men, having realized the error of their ways, fell on one knee, hoping to rectify their mistakes after learning the truth about Balius. The rebels also fell on one knee, willing to serve Brion in gratitude for freeing them. The FBI troops and everyone else cheered, the fight finally over at last.

Gil, however, scowled after learning about Brion's decision to spare Balius. If he were in Brion's shoes, he would have killed Balius for all the pain he caused. Besides, Gil wanted to kill Balius for orchestrating the pain in his life. Still, Gil knew his limits, as the last thing he needed was to make an enemy in Brion now that he won the hearts of the people once more. At least Balius will die soon. It's only a matter of time, he thought in his mind, as he walked away. Rachel noticed Gil do this, and caught up to him.

"You'll never let revenge go, will you?" Rachel figured out.

"It's not necessarily the topic of revenge, Rachel. I'm a realist, or someone who knows the truth: That not everyone can be redeemed." Gil clarified. "Sometimes, only violence can eradicate a threat forever, lest it fester and become something worse down the road. That's why I'm an anti-hero as well. A selfish one, at that."

"Gil..." Rachel muttered, as Gil walked away from her. Perhaps this was something Gil had to work out for himself, as nothing she nor Greg nor Brion can make him change. The scars from Project: Apotheosis, along with the pain Gil's endured ran too deep within his psyche, thus affecting him as a result.

"I'm glad you're reaching out to Gil, Rachel. But sometimes, people need to sort through what's going on in their lives before making a decision on what to do next." Greg pointed out, as he walked towards Rachel. "Or at the very least, a hard wakeup call can get his attention."

Nodding in agreement, Rachel then walked away with Greg, wanting to help with the clean up in the area.

Nearby, troops escorted Balius to a prison transport vehicle, intent on transferring him to one of Japan's most secured facilities. Ones that ensure that even the most ruthless of criminals are contained. As Balius walked towards the vehicle, he noticed a few troops wearing a symbol on the left side of their chests, which consisted of a skull with two guns on its left and right sides. Upon seeing this, Balius smirked.

"What's so funny, bastard?" one rebel asked, as he and the others shoved Balius into the vehicle.

"I was thinking of the day when I come back and subject my beliefs onto this country permanently." Balius answered, the smirk still evident on his face as several troops got in with him, intent on making sure he doesn't escape. "And that day may come sooner than you think."

The rebels closed the door on the vehicle before tapping on it, which led the driver to turn the engine on before driving it away from the battle site.

Elsewhere, at an area nearby...

This was the greatest dream Yuhiro was ever in! He was in a lush landscape filled with wildlife, which was an area in one of the video games Herald played before he died. Numerous creatures were there, with some being small and harmless, and some being large and menacing. A sword appeared in Yuhiro's hand as he slashed some of the creatures nearby, which turned into pieces of food that he ate, while he put the rest in his knapsack. Nourishment was important for everyone, that's for sure.

He walked over to the pool of water nearby, where he drank from it in order to gain more strength. Seeing more creatures, Yuhiro eliminated each one before putting the pieces of food that spawned after they died into his knapsack. He even ate a few more pieces of food so his strength can be further increased.

A large creature attacked Yuhiro, where he immediately dodged it before striking back. The creature cried out in pain before attempting to attack Yuhiro once more, who dodged it again before slashing it with the sword in his hand. The creature cried out in greater pain before letting out a great roar, which stunned Yuhiro as it slashed him with one of its claws, leading the latter to fall to the ground in the process. The creature then pummeled Yuhiro with further attacks, who screamed in pain before barely rolling to the side to avoid them. He grabbed several pieces of food from his knapsack to enhance his strength, thus allowing him to slash the creature numerous times with his sword. The creature roamed in pain as it let out another loud shout, which caused numerous smaller creatures to assist the large one.

Some sweet snacks, Yuhiro joyfully thought in his mind, as he sliced his way through the smaller creatures before slashing the large creature once again, making all of them cry out in pain as a result. He then finished the large creature off and ended its life, which turned into a large piece of food that he immediately ate. As for the smaller creatures, he grabbed the pieces of food that spawned from them before putting each one in his knapsack for the road. So many creatures to kill, and so much food to obtain for nourishment.

But it turned out that Yuhiro wasn't dreaming. Due to the Shadow's influence, Yuhiro appeared to be dreaming, but the creatures he killed weren't random creatures. They were Balius' men, along with other people nearby. During the rampage, Yuhiro overheard those men talking about there being infiltrators, and how they'd bring Balius to a secret location rather than a prison so he can regain his strength in order to take Central Japan back from Brion. It seemed that Brion, Greg, Rachel, Gil, and the troops under their command stopped Balius and dethroned him in the process. However, from what Yuhiro heard, Balius would most likely evade the law before striking back.

As if on cue, Yuhiro spotted a prison transport vehicle, along with other small vehicles escorting it so it can reach its destination without any interferences. Knowing that arresting Balius wouldn't solve the problem, Yuhiro felt himself sink into the shadows, having glitched into the pitch-black humanoid in order to obscure his true identity.

In no time at all, the pitch-black humanoid caught up with the convoy before shadowy, ribbon-like tentacles erupted from the ground, which pierced the vehicles in the process. Seeing this, the troops immediately got out of the trucks and fired at the pitch-black humanoid, only for it to ignore the bullet fire and ruthlessly murder all of them. The shadowy, ribbon-like tentacles grabbed the vehicles and threw them away, which caused massive explosions in the process in order to eliminate evidence.

A restrained Balius got out of the prison transport vehicle and attempted to run away, only for the pitch-black humanoid to summon shadowy, ribbon-like tentacles that stopped him from moving. "What the Hell is- GAAAAAAH!" He felt the shadowy, ribbon-like tentacles squeezing his body, which made him cry out in pain as he tried to remove himself from their grasp. Unfortunately, this caused more pain for Balius as he crawled on the ground like a bug, hoping to escape. However, the pitch-black humanoid reached out with its right hand to Balius, where the shadowy, ribbon-like tentacles ripped his entire body to pieces, thus ending his miserable life after doing so.

Some sweet snacks indeed, the pitch-black humanoid/Yuhiro thought to himself, as it/him quickly absorbed what remained of Balius as nourishment, having fulfilling its/his first objective. The pitch-black humanoid glitched into Yuhiro and back again, intent on completing its second objective as it blended into the shadows to do so. Eventually, it managed to find where Brion, Gil, Rachel, Greg, and the troops were. As much as it wanted to blend in and stealthily kidnap Rachel, it still felt hungry, needing more nourishment to fully operate.

"Sir, massive explosions have been detected nearby!" one of the FBI troops reported. "A scout said that it came from the convoy."

"The convoy?" Greg repeated concernedly. That didn't sound good, as it was most likely Balius had more supporters than they anticipated. "Send some troops to investigate it immediately, and-!"

"Look out!" the FBI troop suddenly said, as he pushed Greg out of the way before the pitch-black humanoid appeared and killed him. Greg gasped in pure horror upon seeing it do such a thing. The pitch-black humanoid grabbed Greg and tossed him to the side before running to where the others were.

Greg pressed the earpiece on his right ear. "All troops, this is Greg! A shadowy hostile is running rampant in the area, most likely headed for Brion. Shoot to kill! We can't let it ruin all the good work we've done here!" He then got up on his feet before making the way on foot in the hopes of stopping the pitch-black humanoid.

At Balius' destroyed stronghold was Brion, Gil, and Rachel, the three of them having grit their teeth in pain upon sensing something abnormal was going on. The trio then heard gunfire as the FBI troops, rebels, and Balius' former men opened fire at the pitch-black humanoid, which was headed to where they were.

"KILL! KILL! KILL!" the pitch-black humanoid screamed, as it ignored the bullet fire before tearing its way through the troops, intent on pursuing its target. Brion armed itself with Alpha, Beta, and Delta before firing a massive blast of energy at the pitch-black humanoid, where it tried to keep going despite the strain it felt from walking against the energy.

The pitch-black humanoid made its way through the energy beam and attempted to punch Brion, only for him to block it with one of Delta's arms. He also grabbed the pitch-black humanoid's other arm before firing energy from his hands once again, which made it scream in pain as it rolled onto the ground. Gil summoned the Chains of Tragedy to further restrain the pitch-black humanoid as troops appeared and aimed their guns at it. Rachel also threw two, yellow glowing triangles at the pitch-black humanoid, which released sonic booms that further restrained it in its place.

"Surrender now, creature!" Brion shouted, as he raised his right palm at the pitch-black humanoid. "On my authority as the new ruler of Central Japan-!"

Upon noticing Rachel nearby, the pitch-black humanoid felt energy emanate from its body before letting out a loud scream, which released that energy before sending everyone flying off the ground. After doing so, it tore through the Chains of Tragedy and the yellow, glowing triangles before turning towards Rachel, who immediately ran upon realizing what it was after.

Brion and Gil managed to get up on their feet first before following after the pitch-black humanoid, intent on stopping it from achieving whatever goal it had in mind. Epsilon appeared as Brion hopped on it before firing several energy blasts at the pitch-black humanoid, who swatted them aside before summoning shadowy, ribbon-like tentacles in response, which Brion managed to barely evade from. Gil also hopped onto Abyss King before having the Chains of Tragedy attack the pitch-black humanoid, only for it to tear through them like they were pieces of paper before releasing more shadowy, ribbon-like tentacles at the latter in response, which Gil managed to barely avoid as well.

A terrified Rachel summoned Final Sigma to attack the pitch-black humanoid, which avoided the attacks before jumping from tree to tree in an attempt to capture Rachel. Final Sigma released flames of energy from its sword at the pitch-black humanoid, only for it to shrug them off as it attacked Final Sigma and smashed it to the ground with such force that it fell unconscious.

"FINAL SIGMA!" Rachel cried out in pure terror, as the pitch-black humanoid charged towards her. However, Brion caught up first and threw a fully charged punch at the pitch-black humanoid, which landed a hit before it took several steps back in pain.

Brion threw more full powered punches at the pitch-black humanoid in order to beat it into submission. However, the pitch-black humanoid blocked the attacks before striking back with a series of powerful blows that sent Brion flying back. Abyss King appeared and punched the pitch-black humanoid, only for the latter to block the attack before sending shadowy, ribbon-like tentacles that pierced the former before turning him into particles.

Gil summoned more Chains of Tragedy in order to restrain the pitch-black humanoid, which didn't work as it broke the chains and sped forward before grabbing him by the lapels. It let out a loud shriek, which made Gil scream in pure horror as he ended up remembering the same feeling he felt from being experimented on by Athaliah. Pure helplessness and terror. As though he were staring at death itself.

The pitch-black humanoid slammed Gil to the ground numerous times as Brion sped forward before grabbing its head and electrocuting it. As a result, the pitch-black humanoid let out a loud scream of pain before releasing more energy that sent Brion, Gil, and Rachel flying off the ground, all three individuals landing on it seconds later. It turned its head towards Rachel before continuing to pursue her, who immediately got up in order to run away from her pursuer. She also threw two yellow glowing triangles that released sonic booms at the pitch-black humanoid, which only served to slow it down before the latter continued running at the former. It then summoned shadowy, ribbon-like tentacles that restrained Rachel and prevented her from moving, where she tried to break herself free in order to get away from it. Unfortunately for Rachel, the pitch-black humanoid caught up to her and lifted the former up by the neck, where she cried in terror upon seeing its face. Looking at that thing, it reminded Rachel of the same helplessness and terror she felt when being experimented by Athaliah.

She then gasped in horror upon seeing the pitch-black humanoid glitch into Yuhiro for several seconds before glitching back out again. At that moment, Rachel saw a vision of herself in the network, where she was locked in a sphere of data. A pair of eyes, ones that Rachel knew belonged to someone who she deemed a true friend, looked at her before smirking. After Rachel looked around to see who was looking at her specifically, she saw a swordsman who had silver blond hair, as well as black armor that had red cracks on it. The tunics he had were now coloured black, with red, evenly spaced lines all over it. A visor with red vertical lines covered his eyes, which, while prevented someone from discerning his true identity, didn't work for Rachel, especially as she knew who that person was.

Rachel grit her teeth, her eyes glowing a rainbow color seconds later. "GET OFF ME!" She released the energy from her body towards the pitch-black humanoid, causing it to let go of her before squinting in pain. The next thing the pitch-black humanoid knew, Brion appeared and blasted energy from Alpha and Delta at it before pummeling it with a series of punches and kicks, which made it scream in pain as the Chains of Tragedy appeared and restrained it. An infuriated Gil appeared and summoned Abyss King, who pummeled the pitch-black humanoid in retribution for traumatizing him once again. The pitch-black humanoid summoned shadowy, ribbon-like tenacles to not only break itself free, but also pierce Brion and Gil in place as well.

The pitch-black humanoid then brutally pummeled Brion and knocked him unconscious before going over to Gil and grabbing his neck to lift him off the ground. It then slammed him to a tree multiple times to try and knock Gil unconscious, which didn't work because he used the Chains of Tragedy to slow down its movements. He gasped in shock after seeing the pitch-black humanoid glitch into Yuhiro before glitching back out again. But before Gil could do anything, the pitch-black humanoid threw him to a tree nearby, which made the latter grunt in pain as he tried to unsuccessfully get up on his feet.

"I. See. You..." the pitch-black humanoid said with a sneer, as it charged forward, only for Final Sigma to appear and release flames from its sword, which, combined with Rachel using her new powers to blind it, managed to slow its movements down.

"Rachel, take cover!" a voice shouted, which Rachel did so as Greg and numerous troops opened fire at the pitch-black humanoid, causing it to scream in pain upon being lacerated by multiple bullets. The pitch-black humanoid fell down in pain before using the last of its strength to crawl through the fire and towards Rachel, hoping to fulfil its objective. Sadly, it lost strength before being forced to retreat by sinking into a puddle of darkness.

"Rachel, are you okay?!" Greg exclaimed out of fear, as he ran over to where Rachel was, and upon seeing that she was okay, breathed a sigh of relief before helping her up on his feet. Seeing that Final Sigma was not dead, Rachel ran over and hugged her protector, happiness evident on her face.

"Your Highness! Are you alright?" one of the troops asked, where Brion opened his eyes after hearing that question. Seeing that their new monarch was okay, some of the troops helped Brion stand up.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Brion confirmed. "What was that thing?"

"I don't know, but I sensed its presence when it grabbed me. It's not from this world." Rachel informed Brion, before turning to Greg, the fearful look from before having resurfaced on her face.

"You sensed something else, haven't you?" Greg figured out.

"Yeah. When that thing grabbed me, it took Yuhiro's form for several seconds before turning back to its original form." Rachel shivered. "That shadow... it may have taken control of his mind and made him a brainwashed slave."

Greg knelt down on one knee and grabbed Rachel's shoulders. "Yuhiro would never do such a thing, Rachel. He's all the way back at Den City, so there's no way he could get here. We'll figure this out together. I promise."

"Well, whatever that thing was, we need to be on high alert." Brion commented.

"Your Highness, we received a report from one of our scouts regarding Balius," one of the troops reported.

"Regarding Balius?" Brion repeated.

"Yes. According to the scout, Balius is dead. Apparently, someone must have shot him and destroyed the vehicles before escaping into the night."

Brion narrowed his eyes. "I see." Even though he wanted to put Balius on trial for all the crimes the latter committed, that would no longer be an option now that his uncle was dead.

"Well, at least Balius is dead." Gil stated, as he slowly got up on his feet. Even if I didn't deliver the killing blow, at least you've been avenged, mom, Gil thought in his mind.

"Moving that aside, we'll need to keep an eye on things as we rebuild." Brion acknowledged, which made Greg nod in agreement. It was most likely that Brion would need the FBI's help in restoring the land in Central Japan, as well as repairing and restructuring the government during the transition period before he was officially crowned as the new ruler as Central Japan. If it would help bring things back to a new sense of normalcy in Central Japan, then Greg was more than happy to lend a helping hand.

Brion turned to the commanding soldier beside him. "Send some scouts to keep an eye on things so there aren't any unexpected interferences. Tend to those who are wounded, and destroy any remnants of Balius' possessions."

"Of course, your Highness," the commanding soldier complied, as he gestured the other soldiers to follow him in order to fulfil Brion's orders. After doing so, Brion then turned to Greg.

"Come with me, Greg. We need to identify and coordinate restoration efforts if we're to bring back some sense of normalcy back to Central Japan, especially now that it's going through a delicate transition period." Brion said.

"Lead the way, Brion. The FBI will provide you with whatever's required to assist you during this time." Greg promised Brion, the two of them, along with Rachel, following after the soldiers, intent on contributing towards the soon to be established restoration efforts.

Gil, on the other hand, scowled. Not only did that pitch-black humanoid humiliate Gil, it also traumatized him to the point where he remembered all the horrific pain he went through at Athaliah's hands. What's more, as Gil was getting pummelled by the pitch-black humanoid, he saw a vision of a black, shadowy substance with red outlines at the ends, which resembled a jellyfish, brutally murdering people. One such instance being where it massacred several people at the Sincero Penitentiary. Such a vision traumatized Gil, as those people went through agonizing pain before they died, and those that survived would probably be haunted by that ordeal for the rest of their lives.

How dare that thing humiliate Gil like that! How dare that thing make him feel weak and helpless, just like all those years ago! Whatever the pitch-black humanoid was, Gil swore that he'd end its life once he knew how to do so without a shred of mercy. And if Yuhiro was somehow involved in this, then Gil would ensure that the former regretted his actions for the rest of his days.

Meanwhile, in a different area of the network...

Jericho paced around as he waited for Shalem to appear. After realizing that the Root of All Knowledge was indeed on Earth this entire time, he immediately sent a message to Shalem, hoping to speak with him as soon as he can. Such a discovery had to be reported immediately, for it can turn the tide of battle against the Autos. What's more, if Urizen learned that the Root of All Knowledge was on the planet, he'd very likely take interest in this discovery, especially how he and the other ISOs been searching for it for a long time. Not to mention how many worlds were destroyed in order to find it.

Soon, the monolith morphed to reveal Shalem, having responded to Jericho's message. "Have you finished the conquest?"

"Not yet, Shalem." Jericho said, which made Shalem narrow his eyes at the former.

"Then why do you summon me?" Shalem inquired.

"I bring news. Before mighty Urizen came to the throne, he worked with two other colleagues to find the ultimate source of power and enlightenment in the universe. The Root of All Knowledge. The key to controlling and guiding all life throughout the universe. He and his colleagues found it, but those same colleagues who he deemed true friends-." Jericho began speaking, intent on quickly making his case.

"The story of the defiance is well known." Shalem interrupted.

"I have found the primitive planet." Jericho snapped back, as he unsheathed his sword and slammed it to the ground before walking towards Shalem, so certain of his findings that he did not want to be interrupted. Not now. "The world where the colleagues fought back. It is Earth. The Root of All Knowledge is carved into the surface of this very world."

Shalem gasped, actually caught off guard by what Jericho revealed. He never expected to learn that someone found the Root of All Knowledge on the planet they were on. But for someone to make such a claim had to either be very foolish or very confident to do so. For should that person be wrong in the end, they'd face Urizen's wrath. "Are you certain?"

"I have seen it. I have looked at the Root of All Knowledge with my own eyes." Jericho replied with a grin.

"Domine, qui infernum conflegrit, avanti indulgum." Shalem chanted, before the monolith suddenly reverted to its original shape. Soon, Jericho noticed his workers immediately going to the floor and falling on one knee. While he wasn't sure what was going on, he did know that something big was about to happen.

Within several seconds, the monolith morphed to reveal a very tall man with blue skin and spiky, flowing and smooth white hair that went down to his chest. His attire consisted of a black and gold coat with a greyish-black and long-sleeved shirt underneath, along with matching baggy pants. Pieces of black and gold armor were on his wrists and shins, while a dark blue sash was tied at his waist. Underneath the shin armor, he wore maroon and golden boots. On his forehead were two, golden bull-like horns that formed in the style of a crown. Strapped to his back was a spiked, black and red cape that flowed behind him for a few seconds. He opened his eyes, which revealed the color to be red with grey irises. On his face were long red marks that ran down to his chin.

Upon seeing the very tall man, Jericho took several steps back and fell on his knees, now knowing who Shalem was calling. "Father." Jericho prostrated himself before the figure that was in front of him.

"Oh, Jericho," the tall man muttered.

"Father, I am but your humble servant." Jericho said.

"Can it be true that you found it?" the tall man immediately asked.

"I have, Urizen." Jericho confirmed, having addressed the tall man by his name. "The Lost World is Earth. The New Epoch is here."

Urizen thought this over. He did not expect to hear this good news, especially how he had been searching for the Root for a very long time. And based on the information Shalem passed onto Urizen from Jericho, it seemed that Earth was indeed the Lost World. The world that had the Root of All Knowledge. What's more, it seemed that someone else had conducted Project: VIII while Urizen and the ISOs were trapped in the dark side of the network. But now... now Urizen finally had a chance at achieving true victory against his enemies once and for all. "If it is redemption you seek, find the final Ignis, synchronize the Unity, and when this world is scorched through Eschaton, I will come for my great prize."

Jericho gasped after hearing Urizen's response, which was something he did not expect to hear from the latter. "You will come to Earth?"

"I have turned 100,000 worlds to dust looking for the Root of All Knowledge. Looking for those who robbed me of my glory." Urizen told Jericho. "I will stride across their bones and bask in the glow of the Root of All Knowledge. And all of existence shall be mine!"

Jericho nodded, knowing what had to be done. The time for hiding was over. Now was the time for action. "It shall be so, Father."

In the sunset over Den City, Yuhiro, Miyu, and Arashi are depicted with Yusaku, Aoi, and Takeru looking out over the area.

Silhouettes of Earth, Windy, Aqua, Flame, Lightning, Herald, and Wraith are shown as Ai clenches his heart in despair before morphing into his human form. The screen shifts to the real world, which shows Roboppy looking out a window as a silhouette of his human form is shown with him.

Jin, Kusanagi, and Katsuya look at the starry skies, grateful smiles on their faces as they do so, glad to be reunited with one another, Silhouettes of Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon and Codebreaker Virus Berserker appear in the area to ensure the peaceful moment wasn't disrupted.

Emma and Kengo Dojun are shown at the Den City hospital visiting his mother as she wakes up, happy to see her son again. A light-blue glow briefly surrounds her body before dimming, as though it were blessing her. In another area of the hospital, Roxy is shown lovingly embracing Miyu with joy, Aoi also smiling after seeing her wake up. Nearby is Yuhiro, who smiles as he watches the group. However, he lowers his head in sadness as he recalls everything that had to be sacrificed for this moment to occur.

Akira is shown rushing over to a helicopter, intent on completing an urgent business assignment. Hayami follows after him in a hurry, having also been called to assist him in completing the assignment.

A split screen then pops up, showing Tsubaki spending time with Hideki on one side, while Gekiryushi is training at the Shinpi-Tekina dojo, people happy to see the dojo being rejuvenated on the other side. Portrait of Zandaka, Kataru, and Arakan are also in the background. A second split screen appears next, showing Greg and Rachel spending time with one another, while Gil is looking at documents with the Bit and Boot under his command.

The screen then shows Youta, Ryoken, and Takeya looking over a high platform, with Yua, Kyoko, Aso, Eizaburo, and Mikuru in the background watching them. It then shifts to show Emon looking over Beatrice's grave at the cemetery before fading away.

A portrait of everyone riding their duel boards in LINK VRAINS appears on a table as Yusaku and Yuhiro put down their duel disks, having accepted everything that's happened as they strive to move forward towards a brighter future.

Card Gallery

No new cards appear in this chapter.

QOTC

Taking into account who Brion is as a character, and the actions he's done so far in the story, do you think he did the right thing this chapter?

Chapter Preview

Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Obscured Truth. Chapter 96: Follow the Wind. Ever since Arashi arrived at Den City, he had one goal. To find out who injured Takeda and bring the one responsible to justice. However, upon learning that his cousin has fully waken up from his coma, Arashi has begun questioning where to go from here. As Arashi continues to ponder this question day after day, he ends up receiving help from someone he didn't expect...

Author's Notes

Well, a lot's happened in this chapter, especially if you count the massive amount of action during the battle in Central Japan, don't you agree? And again, not every conflict needs to be solved through a children's card game, especially when it comes to liberating a country from a tyrannical ruler. Anyhow, let's get to the recap:

First up is the scene with Ryoken, Youta, and Yua going to his former house in an attempt to accomplish one of three objectives. The main one being to set up a base of operations rather than work on the yacht all the time. Should that not be a possibility, then the second objective was for the trio to take the equipment there and bring it to the yacht. But should neither option work out, then they'd have to get rid of the evidence as soon as possible. Some of you have commented that Ryoken and Yua are going to reconcile immediately. That isn't the case, as Ryoken still harbors anger at his mother for abandoning him. Ryoken, is however mature enough to acknowledge how Arshad's affected Yua's actions, so he isn't going to hold that over her head.

The trio head inside after Ryoken uses the tattoo on his hand and a special key to open the front door. It was never mentioned what happened to Ryoken's home in the anime after Season 1, so I had Ryoken put it under tight security in case something happened to it. But unbeknownst to Ryoken, Youta, and Yua, the Shadow has followed after the trio, and proceeds to try and kill all three of them. It managed to get close several times, especially due to its abnormal abilities and how it did not come from this world. Despite the Hanoi managing to barely hold their own, they eventually have no choice but to run for their own lives by using an escape hatch Ryoken and the others installed a while back at Dr. Kogami's orders. This was in case someone managed to break into the Kogami household while Dr. Kogami was still alive in the network.

But just as they managed to escape from the house, the Shadow blows it up to pieces, much to Ryoken's sadness as he and the others are forced to get in the car to get away from it. However, the Shadow ends up pursuing the group, actually hellbent on killing them multiple times during the chase. Luckily, the Hanoi were successfully able to escape its wrath before driving into the night. Following the chase and battle is the conversation between Ryoken and Yua, which revolves around Yuhiro. It's here where Yua practically scolds Ryoken for being shortsighted despite being very knowledgeable. She also scolds Ryoken for having the balls to assume that she doesn't care about the other Hanoi, and what they went through. Not only does Yua call out the hypocrisy on how the Hanoi preach self-righteousness to their enemies, she even compares Ryoken to Yuhiro, and how they're both different. Whereas Yuhiro is willing to work with and learn from different individuals to acquire new perspectives, such as the Ignis before drawing conclusions, Ryoken ends up judging others after doing research because he only sees the bad in the unknown. This is due to him being cautious, as by this point, he doesn't want to lose anyone else following how Azrael made the Hanoi suffer.

After Youta eases tensions between Ryoken and Yua, the three of them drive away back to the safehouses, only for the Shadow to eavesdrop on their conversation on top of a building, which reveals itself to be none other than Yuhiro before disappearing in the darkness. I'll just say this right now: Yuhiro's starting to become more in tune with the Cursed Boundary Layer, and he was ultimately the one who attacked the Hanoi. Aside from plot armor, there's a single reason why Yuhiro didn't bother pursuing them. It's because of how his existence will permanently remind the Hanoi of the suffering they went through, along with the fact that they will never truly know peace, especially since there's something they truly can't defeat. You could say Yuhiro's taking a page out of Yukage's book.

Second is the scene involving Akira and Aoi, where they learn that Zandaka died following a telephone call from Gekiryushi, who's staying at the Shinpi-Tekina dojo to prepare funeral arrangements. I will say this: While Gekiryushi will remain at the dojo for the time being, Go Onizuka will obviously return back to Den City in due time, so expect the reunion scene to occur later on in Season 3. The two of them also talk about recent events and what they've learned, along with Akira actually considering forwarding the information about Watchman to the Kings. Do note that Akira's just venting. He isn't going to actually give the information to them, as who knows what the consequences will be if he did that? Following this, the duo learn about the Shadow's rampage at Sincero Penitentiary, with Barbara sharing information on what happened. For those of you who don't remember Barbara, she was the police captain that rescued Miyu and brought her to the hospital. She was last mentioned in Chapter 8, so it only seemed fitting to bring her back, especially now that she's been promoted to Chief in the police force. Before Aoi leaves for school, Akira requests that she keep an eye on Yuhiro, who has a bad feeling that he's connected behind all of this.

Third is the scene at Café Matsuo, with Miyu and Roxy learning about what happened at Sincero Penitentiary before Yuhiro wakes up for the day, a happy expression on his face. Just note that Yuhiro's... in a bad place right now, and he's doing everything he can to be cheerful and okay on the outside. But he's obviously not well on the inside, and Roxy and Miyu know this too, especially after he snaps at them unintentionally. After Roxy takes Yuhiro to Den Academy, Miyu requests that Medusa bring Yuhiro home should something happen to him, which she agrees to do so. She also calls Aoi to see if she can teach her how to duel. That way, when the day comes, Miyu will be able to protect those she cares about. While Miyu won't duel until later, I do want to put this little bit of information in to show that she wants to fight with those she cares about.

Fourth is the scene at Den Academy, where Aoi, along with everyone else, learns about Yuhiro beating up bullies in repeating incidents. Here, she learns something vital: The bullying incidents are occurring specifically because of how the victims are tied to recent events. One reason included a few students being picked on simply because they had family members that worked at Uchida Industries a while back. The second reason was that some of those students may have lost a parent or relative in the attacks in both the real world and in the network. The third reason was how students had families who lost income due to the attacks, which led them to take their anger out on others.

Nearby, Yusaku, Takeru, and Arashi talk about Yuhiro's recent actions at Den Academy, the three of them deciding to put him on the sidelines until he takes care of his health, knowing that he'll do something reckless should he join them. The discussion on recent enemies and their recent appearance was the prime reason why the trio decided to sideline Yuhiro, as again, he'd do something reckless. Arashi mentions something as well: With Miyu having moved back into Café Matsuo, he's moved out and is currently living in a motel for the time being. After hearing this information, a saddened Yuhiro leaves, heartbroken under the assumption that his friends no longer trust him.

Fifth is the scene involving Akira and Hideki Kinoshita, who's Tsubaki's father and the head card designer for those of you who don't remember. Due to recent events, Hideki's considering resigning from SOL Technologies, not wanting to be a part of a company that has failed the people numerous times. Akira even entertains the idea of Hideki starting up his own business, and given how people know him, he'll certainly get clients. What's more, Hideki will even end up working with Playmaker and the others closely as well. I want your thoughts on whether Hideki should stay at SOL Technologies, leave to work at another company, or leave and start up his own business. Let me know what you think of this.

Sixth is Yuhiro going through the data on Yukage's duel disk, which he stole following his final duel against him back in Chapter 93 as a result of using Speckles' chained daggers. Here, Yuhiro finds a goldmine worth of information, and while it's mostly recaps, I will highlight a few important things from the findings that stood out from them:

The first main important thing Yuhiro learns is Drachen's true identity, which is obviously Akairo. After contemplating the three reasons on why the Hanoi hired Akairo, he ends up deciding not to go after him for a simple reason. It was because Drachen hadn't been involved with the Hanoi since the beginning, and being a gun for hire, he probably didn't know more information other than his targets. For that reason, Yuhiro would leave Drachen alone.

The second main important thing Yuhiro learns is how the Black Market was formed in the network in the first place. I'm sure it's something you are all curious about, so I'll tell you now: Known as the Unholy Sanctification, the leaders of several gangs in the real world were massacred one night by numerous individuals under someone's command. But the rampage didn't stop there, as the commander immediately ordered his men to massacre their families, along with anyone else they knew. What's more, any operations they established were destroyed in fiery explosions. As a result of this event, crime was drastically reduced in the real world due to the assassins patrolling the area every now and then, which led the surviving remnants to re-establish their operations in the network, thus eventually forming into the Black Market that Yuhiro knew today. To sum it up, over eighty percent of Black Market operations were moved to the network due to this event occurring. Who was responsible for this? I will say that the Inquisitorius wasn't responsible for this event. What I will say is that you will get that answer in Season 3, and sooner than you think!

The third and final main important thing Yuhiro learns about is what was on the Project: VIII piece from the dark vault. Here, he sees numerous blueprints, some of which include Excalibur and the Muramasa's origins, a diagram of the Root of All Knowledge, drafts of the network and how to further improve it, and lastly, details on creating a Beacon after the Lost Incident and Project: Apotheosis were completed. After all, the network is a vast place, with the beacon's purpose being to help the person who successfully completed Project: VIII to find the Root of All Knowledge.

After Yuhiro listens to Yukage's final data log, he then decides to finish what Yukage started and fulfil the Furutani family destiny, the first step being to capture Rachel in Central Japan

Speaking of Central Japan, the seventh main thing that happens in this chapter is the final battle to liberate it from Balius' control. The reason why it took Brion, Gil, Rachel, and Greg so long to launch the final attack was because they chose to seize Balius' resources for themselves first. This way, they can cut them off from Balius before the final battle. Some major victories the FBI achieved in their conquest included destroying death camps and prisons, thus recruiting more allies in the process, shutting down trafficking and drug operations, and seizing footholds so they can gain more ground.

The main highlight was the brutal battle between Brion and Balius, the former using the PSY-Framegears like armor while the latter had enhanced strength thanks to the nanomachines in his body, along with the strength-enhanced drugs he took. Yes, you heard me. Balius had nanomachines infused into his body, and combined with the drugs, was a formidable opponent to eventually take down. On the topic of Balius, we also learn more about his ideology, which stem from Social Darwinism and how he wants to create a new Japan centered around it due to his belief in how only the strong survive and the weak die. He simply wants to bring Central Japan, and by extension the entire country back to glory times, where it was on top of everyone else. And Balius was willing to do whatever it takes to ensure that he gets what he wants. I will say that Balius' personality is based off of Senator Armstrong from Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, who, along with Baron Bedlam from Young Justice, served as inspiration when creating him.

It honestly took a lot from Brion and the others to defeat Balius, as he had nanomachines in his body that made him impervious to damage. However, it's here where Rachel's ability as a Construct are shown for the first time, which allows her to identify different things and discern their weaknesses. After learning how to defeat Balius, the FBI troops, rebels, Brion, Gil, Greg, and Rachel launch a final attack on him that overloads the nanomachines and eliminates a majority of his strength. What's more, the group broadcasted the truth about Balius to all of his men on how he killed the previous king and queen, thus leading them to also contribute in stopping him.

For Brion, I didn't want to insult his character development and growth as a character. By handing Balius over the authorities so they can put him on trial and eventually execute him given the mountain of evidence on his crimes, I want to show the growth of Brion's maturity when compared to when we first saw him. Back in Season 2, Brion stole the data on the AI chip and planned to reveal it to the authorities without thinking about the costs, but this time, he thought about the costs he'd end up paying if he killed Balius. He was able to honor his parents and siblings not just by entrusting the information about Balius to the authorities, but by handing him over as well for trial and eventual execution. What Brion and the others didn't know was that Balius still had allies on the inside. Ones that would free him.

However, Yuhiro, who has been immersed in the Shadow as the pitch-black humanoid, arrives and murders Balius, along with the rest of the convoy in a nearby area in order to get rid of the evidence. I also wanted to show you what Yuhiro sees when he's out at night as the Shadow. In his eyes, he's in a video game, but unfortunately, all the wins he's racking up lead to the loss of lives in the real world. A delusion that ends up becoming reality, if you know what I mean. And no, Yuhiro hasn't gone cannibalistic in the sense of eating human flesh. He's simply siphoning the energy from his victims before ending their lives in twisted ways.

After killing Balius, Yuhiro immediately goes after Rachel, hellbent on capturing her so he can complete his goals. Do note that Yuhiro was heavily wounded in the chase, as evident by the gunfire and brutal attacks he received from Brion and Gil, along with Rachel. He also glitched in and out as well, thus leading Rachel to realize that the pitch-black humanoid was Yuhiro. However, she thinks that Yuhiro's being brainwashed, as Yuhiro would never go kidnap someone. In her mind, something else is going on behind the scenes. As for the vision Rachel has, I can't answer that part, lest I unintentionally spoil things down the road.

Yuhiro also ends up attacking Gil when he intervenes, the attacks managing to traumatize the latter as well by reminding him of the pain Athaliah put him through. Gil even received a vision of the Cursed Boundary Layer, also known as the Shadow, murdering people. In a sense, he now feels the same pain each of the victims feel. Gil wasn't the only one feeling this way, as Brion and Rachel were also injured by the shadowy, ribbon-like tentacles.

The good news is that, thanks to Greg and the troops, the pitch-black humanoid/Yuhiro is stopped. After Rachel shares her concerns to Greg, he assures her of Yuhiro's good qualities, and promises that they'll figure this mess out together. The troops also tell Brion and the others that Balius is dead under the assumption that someone assassinated him before destroying the convoy. With this information, Brion, Greg, and Rachel go with the troops to establish and coordinate the restoration efforts. Gil, having been traumatized, is infuriated with what happened. He's practically angry for being humiliated and being forced to remember how he was helpless back then. Thus leading Gil to plan on how to kill the Shadow, and should Yuhiro have anything to do with this, then he'd ensure that he makes Yuhiro regret his actions for the rest of his days. Before you say anything, just note that Brion doesn't know that Yuhiro is Raguel, and vice versa.

Last but not least is the scene involving Jericho, where he contacts Shalem, who ends up calling Urizen himself to the meeting! While it's only brief, this is Urizen's first appearance so far in the story. And for those of you who are wondering, Urizen's appearance is based off of Mechikabura in his Dark King form from Dragon Ball Heroes.

With everything having been recapped, I want to thank you all for reading Chapter 95 of Obscured Truth. As always, please let me know your thoughts about the chapters below in your reviews. Also, constructive criticism is appreciated, as your tips and advice helps make the story better. In addition, don't forget to favourite and follow the story. That way, you will get a notification once the next chapter is released. If you can also answer the QOTC, that would be awesome as well.

What did you enjoy the most from this chapter? The Hanoi trying to escape Yuhiro's wrath after he destroyed Ryoken's house? The information Yuhiro found from Yukage's duel disk? The battle in Central Japan? Or was it something else?

That's all for now, folks. Stay tuned, as big things are happening moving forward! As the summer comes to an end, my goal is to reach Chapter 100 by the end of the year! See you next time!