The coldest season was the most unforgiving. Hajime recalled his grandmother Tsugumi quoting that saying every time he had a snow-related accident during winter. Her tone was never lecturing nor demeaning, for she always tried to help him cope with the misfortunes. His mind wandered to his grandmother's wisdom as he dragged his tired body into his mansion's yard on that early winter morning. The sun's first rays did not yet grace the sky and the chilling air was biting at his exposed cheekbones; he could barely hold his eyes open, and he gripped tightly on his left side, trying to prevent a wound from opening. Despite those reassuring words, it was always his fault for each accident. When he was a child, he was the one who insisted on getting into snowball fights with his rich peers. When he was a more thrill-seeking teenager, he was the one who insisted on snowboarding, not to show off, but to enjoy the adrenaline rush. And even now as an adult, he was the one who insisted on personally going after Toshiro Sagawa, the head of Intelligent Designs, a rival company whom he suspected was behind the recent attacks on Shirayama Industries. Others would have hired the police or private detectives to investigate the shady businessman and would have then spent the night relaxing in the comfort of their estates. But Hajime was unlike the other wealthy elites, for he was a man of action and he wanted to personally unravel the truth on his own merit. Because in a world of increasing technology where money equated power, the upper class was at risk of becoming complacent. And for his own peace of mind, he would never fall into the trap of complacency.
The warmth of his home was the only welcome he needed. At last, he could be rid of his heavy winter jacket. No member of the mansion staff was present at such an early hour. Good, the last thing he wanted was questions as to where he had been last night or why he was wounded. Upon reaching upstairs, he was not at all surprised to find the lights still on in Ben's room. His partner was such a night owl that his sleep schedule had become irregular. And who could blame him? Hajime had fallen down the same pipeline once he chose to pursue a detective's life.
"You should have waited for backup," Ben sarcastically remarked, still glued to his computer work.
"If I did, Toshiro Sagawa may have escaped before the police even arrived at the scene," Hajime replied as he walked past his partner's bedroom, beginning to unbutton his suit.
"I've been telling you this whole night - what do we even achieve by arresting him?" Ben raised his voice so he could be heard.
Hajime stepped inside his own bedroom and finally dropped his heavy suitcase, tossing his suit's jacket and shirt on the bed. Fighting the pain, he removed the tissue from the wound. He had been stabbed on the left side, between his third and fourth ribs. Thankfully he had been able to stop the bleeding as much as possible, and from the looks of it, neither his lungs nor heart had been pierced by the knife's tip.
"We have one less enemy to worry about, that's what!" Hajime raised his voice back.
"These industrialists are as wealthy as you if not even wealthier. There's a high chance Toshiro will just buy his way out of prison. And you know what he will do once free," Ben wearily suggested.
"If the police's investigation reveals that Toshiro's men were the ones behind the cyber attacks, rumor spreading and poisoning attempts on Shirayama Industries, then our efforts will have not been in vain."
"That's a lot of 'ifs' to fall back on, Hajime!"
"Even then, you still leaked those documents which revealed he is guilty of tax evasion. That means he still has a few years of prison ahead of him, no matter how influential he may be."
Ben shrugged. "Point taken." He then resumed his work, taking a sip from his fifth cup of coffee.
Hajime made his way into the bathroom and splashed warm water on the stab wound, trying his best to clean it. Once done, he fetched a disinfectant spray from the cabinet and applied it, biting his lip in an attempt to dull out the stinging sensation. As he was plastering a bandage on, an unexpected guest appeared out of nowhere behind him.
"Not going to lie, your quick reaction is what saved your life," Shishima commented, his fang-filled grin flashing in the bathroom mirror.
Although Hajime was grateful that the demon always shrouded his image and voice whenever others were around, he was not in the mood for him at all. "I'd rather not dwell on that now, thank you," he spoke back with a low tone so Ben would not hear him.
"That pudgy rich asshole was this close to stabbing you in the heart. One second late and your story would've ended."
"I know I was a lonely teen, but in hindsight, I probably should've joined the army. My combat and first aid skills would've been much better."
"Keh, at least you're alive and back home in one piece. And most importantly, that prick is behind bars." Shishima stretched his furry arms and followed Hajime as he walked out of the bathroom and collapsed on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. "I'm as curious as you to find out if he was all alone or if he was working together with other wealthy vermin."
"Intelligent Designs had started as a computer manufacturer. Then they branched out to engines. Next came architecture, and just recently they started dipping their toes in the fashion industry. The business world had nicknamed them the Swiss Army Knife of Industries," Hajime explained. "I guess it was never a matter of putting out better products on the market. It's always about competition and aiming towards a monopoly."
"This capitalist system you mortals have concocted reminds me of the political rivalries among daiyoukai back home."
"Again, it seems our species have more in common than we thought. Money really brings out the worst in people sometimes."
"Then how long is it till you also get corrupted?" Hajime glared at Shishima, the latter raising his hands apologetically. "Just kidding, I know your character is too strong. Anyway, I'll let you enjoy your little rest, see you soon!" He then disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Hajime sighed, relieved that he was at last safe and all alone. Closing his eyes, he decided to recover a few hours of lost sleep.
It was during the early hours of the afternoon that a group of unexpected visitors rang the doorbell from the yard's gates. The butler was quick to welcome them in and then rushed upstairs to wake up the master of the house. The hallway's light bothered Hajime, who grumbled and pulled the blanket over his head.
"Master, I am deeply sorry to bother your sleep, but you've got guests!"
"Send them away, Yuji," Hajime grumbled while half-asleep. "Tell them I'm tired or something."
"But master, it's your old friends from America, Jack and Lori!"
"That's cool, that's cool..." Hajime moved around in bed and then his mind properly processed the information. "Wait, Jack and Lori?!" He jumped out of bed and winced, the pain on his left side beginning to resurface.
"I knew you would change your mind," Yuji retorted with a smile. "They are waiting downstairs, sir."
The mansion's warmth seemed to resemble that of a sauna. Hajime was not in the mood to put on another shirt, so he instead fetched a turquoise bathrobe and went to wake up Ben. In a matter of minutes, they both found themselves downstairs greeting their unexpected guests who were waiting in the living room.
Jack Thornton wore the same red cowboy suit he had when he attended college in Sagakin, but this time his hat was tipped forward and he had a matching red scarf covering the lower half of his face, most likely to hide the scarred half of his face as much as possible. The skin grafts somehow stuck out, like pairs of overgrown pimples. Lori also wore the same brown high heel boots, blue jeans, yellow T-shirt and long silver jacket as before, but there were obvious sowing lines where Shishima's claws had pierced the back of said jacket. She was now using a frame to walk and was resting against it, her boyfriend right by her side giving her a comforting massage. Perhaps the most surprising aspect was that Sayo was with them, dressed in her typical priestess outfit. Hajime would have imploded into another rage-fueled rant upon locking eyes with her, but for the sake of his other guests, he decided against it.
"Partner, long time no see!" Jack greeted and walked up to Hajime. The latter expected a friendly hug as per usual, but instead he received a hardy handshake.
"It's been a while indeed, Jack!" Hajime saluted back with a smile. "Welcome back to Japan! I trust your trip was safe?"
"As safe as it can be these days," Jack answered with a lighthearted laugh.
"Been hitting the gym lately, ey?" Lori asked as she slowly joined them, dragging the frame along. She leaned in and playfully kissed Hajime on the cheek. "We missed you, blondie." Although she used that word to mock him five years ago, this time the tone with which she conveyed it was much more endearing.
Hajime nodded back at her, saying, "The feeling's mutual." He then cast a judging glare at Sayo. "What's her business here?"
"Don't you go picking on her; we just wanted to pay her a visit first before coming here. In fact, we even asked her to join us here," Jack explained.
"Yes, we wanted the whole team to be together again, like it was five years ago," Lori added.
"The whole team, huh?" Hajime regarded them all with a nostalgic expression. "You know what? I guess you're right, I did miss all of you."
"It is just unfortunate that our bonds were forged over our common hatred of Shishima," Sayo remarked, turning everyone's attention over to her.
"That's right, but as my grandma Rita used to say: you never know where life's winds push you," Jack retorted.
Unbeknownst to anyone except Sayo, Shishima was hiding behind the stairs, gleeful to see their group united at last. With a single hand wave, the five King Master Cards in his possession appeared right in his palm. At last, the Ten Kings had been united: Gorio Bugori, Gorira King of the Bouken Kingdom, King Manifest of Team Wave, I Am Justice If You Want of Team Ginga, Moon, Destruction, Satan and Angel of the Gekko Kingdom, Genmu Emperor, Infinite Dragon of Team Zero, Meteorshower Auroratheater of the Bikkuri Kingdom, Jaouga, Oniga Overlord of the Onifuda Kingdom, Gigandydanos, Big Tree King of the Fushigi Kingdom, Momoking, Jonetsu Hero of Team Kirifuda and Dynabolt, Explosive Dragon Emperor of Team Bomber.
All present duelists felt a strange buzzing reverberate in their clothes and immediately checked their decks. Nothing seemed to have happened. Although they dismissed it as a coincidence, Hajime gave Sayo a knowing look and she in return gave him a discreet nod. That was the only confirmation he needed to realize that Shishima's goal had been achieved - the Ten Kings saga had ended.
"It's been done," Kirazeus Savark's voice echoed in Hajime's head.
"What exactly?" Hajime mentally replied.
"Go upstairs and check the drawer where you keep your cards."
Heeding the dragon's instruction, Hajime quickly excused himself that he needed to use the restroom and rushed out of the living room. An awkward silence befell the four young adults, one that was broken when Ben decided to clear his throat and say, "So, Sayo, am I right to assume that everyone gathered here is aware of the big elephant in the room?"
"My true nature as a youkai? Yes, that is indeed the case," she affirmed without any hint of fear or discomfort in her voice. "To be frank, I am quite surprised that none of you seem to fear me. On the contrary, every one of you present here came in pursuit of me at the Musashi Shrine."
"You may be a monster beneath that human guise of yours, but Lori and I have known you long enough to see you're still a decent person," Jack said with a surprisingly warm tone.
"Yes, what happened back then, we know it's not your or Hajime's fault. It's entirely Shishima's," Lori reassuringly added.
"Speaking of which, is Shishima truly gone?" Ben asked, everyone's attention focusing on Sayo once again.
She had anticipated such a question and had not only prepared a response but had also practiced the way she would deliver it. Her face became grim as she lowered her head.
"Yes, it is true," she affirmed in a somber voice. "What Hajime declared to the press is accurate - Shishima has been defeated and banished from Earth forevermore," she continued, her expression growing sadder. "My one true love is no more, exorcised by the very prayers I have been taught to perform." She paused and sighed deeply. Jack remained untouched, Ben was glancing at her inquisitively, and Lori walked over to her in her slow fashion and gave her a big hug.
"It's okay, you don't have to blame yourself," Lori whispered tenderly, caressing her hair.
Sayo hugged her back, letting go of her tears. "I thought I could change him... bring back the noble prince who was capable of love..."
"Shishima was too far gone. Nobody, not even you, could've brought back that part of him. I'm sorry."
Sayo swallowed and nodded in agreement, breaking the hug afterwards. "You're right, Lori. At least mankind is now spared."
"Sorry to break the mood, but what guarantee do we have that you won't become a threat as well?" Jack asked, earning an angered glare from his girlfriend.
"If I do go insane, then you should all resort to the same methods of exorcism that had been used against Shishima - Shinto prayers, holy water and sacred salt. The bigger your religious devotion, the higher the chances will be that you will persuade the gods to purify me away, out of your lives."
"Well, that takes care of one elephant. That just leaves one more," Jack walked up to Ben, who was shrinking in an armchair and trying to not attract much attention. "Who are you exactly? Hajime's butler? I'd recognize that limey accent anywhere."
"Actually, after you and Lori decided to dump him, he hired me to be his eyes and ears while he went out and did field work," Ben replied in his typical passive-aggressive manner and got up, looking Jack in the eye without any fear. "And for your information, it's a London accent."
"You britbongers are all the same to me. I don't give a damn if you're Irish, Scottish, Welsh or whatever the hell. Y'all sucked up to some king and then came to America to oppress us good folk. I'd have thought Hajime would've at least done a background check on your ass before hiring you."
"As a matter of fact, he did," Ben brought up, standing his ground. "I worked for MI6 and I can mention hacking and espionage in my resume when you and Hajime were still freshmen. And by the way, your reddish brown hair and green eyes may hint at some far Irish or Scottish ancestry, so I would watch my mouth before going on tirades about freedom over wars fought many centuries ago."
Jack regarded him with sheer disgust, but lacking a proper retort he just said, "Tsh, cocky one aren't you? Guess the saying's true: you'll never get the last word on a Brit."
"Did I miss something?" asked Hajime as he walked in the room with a deck in his right hand.
"Nothing, partner, just having a chat about the weather," Jack dismissively replied and went by Lori's side, the latter nudging him, annoyed by his attitude.
"Good, because I'll require Ben's services," Hajime said, catching his partner's attention. "I've got a new deck ready and I wish to face off against you."
"An interesting proposition..." Ben reached into his pocket and searched for his own deck, "...one which I will gladly accept!"
The two of them walked to the dueling tables placed in a corner of the living room, Sayo, Lori and Jack watching their match with great curiosity. Soon, five blue rectangular shields materialized above each player, thus marking the beginning of their duel.
"I summon Mixel, Strange Stone." An airship made of red crystal appeared by Hajime's side.
"Whenever I play creatures that cost more than the number of cards in my mana zone, they are sent to the bottom of my deck. A clever anti-meta card to my strategy, but one I can get around," Ben commented while adjusting his glasses. "I cast Purification Sharrup and ramp one mana."
"I summon Still Justice Till The End." A blue robotic humanoid sitting in front of a giant golden golem appeared by Hajime's side as well.
"Wait a minute, is that a new incarnation of Team Ginga's leader?"
"Right you are, Ben. This is I Am Justice If You Want's new RexStars form," Hajime explained. "This new RexStars race belongs to all civilizations and is focused on evolution creatures. In this case, Still Justice Till The End makes my evolution creatures cost 1 mana less and can't leave the battle zone until the start of my next turn."
"This deck seems much faster than your previous Galaxyshield control deck. I'll have to keep the up the pace then - I cast Hakumai Danshaku and ramp one mana. Then I cast another Hakumai Danshaku and ramp again."
"Ramping so you can get around Mixel's lockdown? A good idea, but it won't get you too far - I evolve Still Justice Till The End into Still Justice Till The End (Kira Star)!" The robotic duo got engulfed in a bright light and when it dissipated, both were each wielding a flaming sword and a shield shaped after the Sol key, only the smaller one's were made of blue energy and the golem's were made of gold and crystal. "Since Still Justice Till The End evolved, I activate his Shinkapower effect which won't allow you to cast spells that cost 4 or less until the start of my next turn! Now with Kira Star's effect, whenever he's put in the battle zone or he attacks, I draw a card and put a creature which costs 4 or less from my hand into the battle zone! Come out, Testa Rossa, Survival Star!" A white-haired cyborg dressed in a black suit joined Hajime's small army. "Kira Star, attack! I draw and bring out Shuff, Eureka and choose the number 5!" A blue robot wielding a deck of cards appeared and tossed a 5 of clubs at Ben. "Now you can't cast spells which cost 5 and your creatures which cost 5 can't attack or block until the start of my next turn. Kira Star, double break his shields!" The robotic duo flew towards the opposing shields and used their swords to hack two of them away. "Mixel, shield break!" The crystal airship flew through a third shield as well.
Ben frowned upon receiving Now or Never, a spell which costed 5 and could not be cast.
"I end my turn and Kira Star untaps Mixel. Also, all of my creatures which cost 4 or less are blockers while Kira Star is out. I end here," Hajime announced, earning cheers and applause from the trio of guests.
"That Testa Rossa punishes non-summons. Thankfully, I also have a way around that - I summon King Manifest!" A blue lion with frog legs and a flowing green mane appeared by Ben's side and roared as the owner shuffled his deck and revealed the top card. "I summon a second King Manifest!" Another lion appeared and the process continued. "Then I summon Gigandydanos, Big Tree King!"
Hajime's jaw dropped as he saw the giant tree moose arise. He immediately gave Sayo a glare of suspicion, but the priestess simply looked away, pretending she did not know what was going on.
"With the effect of Gigandydanos, all cards in your hand go to your mana zone," Ben said and he watched his opponent place Rapid Reincarnation and Izanagiterasu, Great King of the Blue Wolves into his mana zone.
"But your Gigandydanos costs 12 mana, so Mixel sends him to the bottom of your deck!" Hajime announced and watched as his crystal ship fired a red beam upon the giant tree creature, making it vanish.
"He did his job well. King Manifest has mach fighter, so I attack Kira Star!" Ben declared.
"Testa Rossa blocks the attack!" The cyborg jumped in the lion's path and was mauled.
"My second King Manifest attacks Kira Star as well!"
"Mixel blocks too!" The airship flew in the other lion's way and was crushed by his frog paws.
"I end here. Let's see if the power of your RexStars can overcome that of Team Wave's leader, Hajime!"
"I cast The Triple Three and draw three cards. Then I summon Diamond Star, Kiramekinosabato." A being whose limbs and head were made of purple crystal and tied together by a bright light appeared. "I attack with Kira Star, draw a card and bring out another Shuff, choosing 5 again. Go, break his final shields!" The robotic duo used their swords to hack away Ben's two remaining shields, the latter's frown growing deeper when he saw a shield trigger he could not cast yet again - The Door of Miracle and Mystery. "Shuff, Eureka, todomeda!" The first blue robot tossed another playing card straight at Ben's face, knocking him against a wall and sealing Hajime's victory.
"Wow, those RexStars really are something else!" the excited Lori cheered. "I can hardly wait to get some too and update my deck!"
"All in due time." Jack leaned in and kissed her, then he walked up to the victor and patted him on the back. "You haven't lost your touch one bit after all these years. Listen, my boss just texted me and told me I need drop by his office tonight. I'll need to take Lori to a hotel and be on my way."
"Boss? Office? You didn't tell me you got a job, Jack! What are you working?"
"That's why I came to Japan - a business trip as part of my job. No time to explain, partner. If you're free tomorrow night, I'll drop by and give you all the details. Maybe we can even have a duel or two if that's okay with you."
"Sure thing. If you need any help, I can ask Tanaka to drive you two to a hotel."
"No thanks, we can handle ourselves."
In a matter of minutes, their jovial gathering had been dismantled. Jack and Lori had said their goodbyes and left the mansion. Ben also headed for the kitchen to enjoy a well-deserved lunch, leaving Hajime and Sayo all alone.
"That strange buzzing sensation, you felt it too, didn't you?" Sayo asked.
"Yes, I did. Then Savark told me to go upstairs and check my drawer. Next thing I know, these new Metallica cards with the RexStars race appeared out of nowhere. Speaking of which, do you mind joining me upstairs?"
"Of course, is there something you wish to show me?"
"As a matter of fact, yes." He motioned for her to follow and she complied.
Once they were both inside his bedroom, Hajime shut the door tight and raised his voice, saying:
"Shishima, I know you're here, why don't you show yourself?"
"Oh no..." Sayo murmured under her breath as she saw her beloved appear in a puff of smoke.
"At your command, Hajime," Shishima stated, giving the mortal a mock bow.
Hajime took a deep breath and turned to regard both youkai and disguised priestess. "I've been waiting a long time to be alone with you two. And now that I've finally got the opportunity, it's time I gave you both a huge piece of my mind!"
The nervous Sayo gulped. Shishima crossed his arms and smirked with anticipation. This was going to be very interesting.