Response to Reviews

Thank you to HunterHQ, Donkeyboy100, Kingdom Hearts Guy, Guest, Anonymous, Guest, Ambiguous, Unnamed, Guest, KingOtakuOverYou, T.V. 2000, Unknown, Kcufad, 0713MM and Owl for reviewing Chapter 100 of Obscured Truth.

Hello, everyone! I hope you are doing well, and are safe and sound wherever you are in the world! I also hope you enjoyed the one hundredth chapter as well, for it had a lot of action going on in it! Before I go on and answer reviews, I just want to remind you that both this chapter and the next one will have the same opening before being completely changed, as Yuhiro has no longer gone rogue. You could say his path to recovery has begun. After this and the next chapter, we will go to the anime events... with a twist. Let me say that when it comes, you'll be surprised as to what comes next.

But for now, it's time that I answer your reviews:

HunterHQ: I get what you're saying regarding the Hanoi, but they're functional in the anime, so I can't have Yuhiro destroy their network. Regarding your concern with Hideki, he spent a few extra hours at SOL Technologies making the cards for Roxy and the others. He even was able to do it discreetly as well. Both Yusaku and Yuhiro made a positive impact on Aoi's life, as she became a better person thanks to them (and she even developed a small crush on Yusaku in the process). For your query about Yuhiro being like Specter, I guess it makes sense a little. Yup, Yuhiro did disrespect his cards as a result of him being evil. I mean, Pandora did kill herself rather than let Yuhiro do it in order to spite him. Though whether she returns or not is for the future to decide. To quote Ryo Marufuji from Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, there's a difference between playing a card and using it to its proficiency. Honestly, Yuhiro's not in a state right now where he can keep avenging. The poor guy has no choice but to recover and move on. The Knights of Hanoi have no choice but to shift their focus onto Ai and other threats in the network thanks to Arashi telling them to leave Yuhiro at all costs, which is something Ryoken has to adhere to. Ultimately, Yuhiro dishonoured himself by throwing away his true self just for power. We talked about Urizen's goals regarding the Root of All Knowledge a while back, so no need to repeat it here. In my opinion, I don't think SOL Technologies deleted the old server because they didn't want to risk affecting the new server. Plus, you never know what could be salvaged in the old server as well, just like the Black Market server. Speaking of the Black Market server, it does exist, though it's guarded by the Bit and Boot under Gil's control. Jericho has cards that enable him to ignore costs needed to activate a specific effect (ex. You don't have to pay life points to activate card effects, you don't take damage by the effects of certain cards, etc.). Given how Jericho has a deck based on all of the Persona video games and how they reflect what's truly in someone's heart, it is possible for him to make cards that manipulate the opponent's plays. Almost like Don Thousand did in his duel against Mizael. If Jericho gets his hands on a Soltis, it's possible for him to make his move in the real world. Though he'd have to do it very carefully. I can confirm that Jericho didn't enslave the duel monsters in his deck. He made them when he was young, and there will be a reason why he chose those monsters in Chapter 102. Of course the heroes will be distrustful with Zero at first due to what happened with Watchman, but unlike with Watchman, Zero will actually provide the heroes with a genuine reason to trust him. And yes, Raguel experienced what the clones experienced, which is going to affect his mental health. The Shadow giants were distracted with dealing with intruders, which was what prevented them from warning Raguel. Plus, Ai and Roboppy managed to get their attention long enough to ensure they could dispose of them. If Jericho dueled against Raguel, he'd win despite being weakened by Watchman. Simple as that. Besides, the Cursed Boundary Layer has no effect on an ISO such as Jericho. Regarding Revolver's reaction on his role in the Lost Incident and how he was used as a puppet, he's obviously angry, but won't let that cloud his mind so he can win the duel. That is correct. If you have one data clone at a time, you won't feel pain. But make too many of them, and you'll feel pain. You're forgetting that the small Shadow giant tried to save Yuhiro before he snapped, and was forced to hide as a result. And who said the small Shadow giant is dead? If Hideki were to make Link 5 monsters, he'd have to ask permission from Yusaku to do so. Arashi obviously used Hi-Speedroid Clear Wing Rider in Chapter 100. Have you forgotten about that? No. Miyu won't invite Yuhiro for any bridal shoots whatsoever. Period. When Akira gets promoted, he won't outrank than the higher ups. Rather, he'll be on the same level as them, but with slightly more power than Queen. For your question regarding Zero and Kairi knowing about the Root of All Knowledge's location, they don't know the exact coordinates of its location. They just know it's there, and they need to stop Urizen from getting it. Yes, when Medusa tried to stop Judgment Arrows, Raguel personally intervened in order to stop her. However, due to his decreased speed in exchange for an increase in offence and defense, Medusa was able to land a few blows and slow him down in time for her to stop Judgment Arrows.

Donkeyboy100: Happy you liked the chapter.

Kingdom Hearts Guy: It was well worth it indeed for Yuhiro to be freed from his darkness.

Guest: That's definitely true. The way Blue Maiden used Great Bubble Reef and Playmaker using Turboblaze Dragon against Yuhiro is definitely similar to how using Ogerpon against Kieran can make him snap during the Indigo Disk DLC in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.

Anonymous: I really doubt Gil would repay Yuhiro for killing Balius simply because of how he was brutally beaten by him. Had it not been for Kusanagi, then Gil would have went with the others in stopping Yuhiro, which would have led him to duel against one of the data clones. The dagger Herald made no longer exists, and Jericho only had one Cursed Boundary Layer with him, which means he can no longer make anymore of them. Not when Jericho's mission became more urgent than ever. Indeed, whether Pandora is alive or not remains to be seen.

Guest: Again, that is your opinion. I'm glad you acknowledged that fact.

Ambiguous: No. Yuhiro didn't lose faith in God. He lost faith in humanity, and one of his challenges moving forward is regaining that faith. The reason why Yuhiro called the others humans was because he no longer identified as one given how different he is from everyone else. Plus, he was going to ascend into divinity, so he might as well get used to it soon. No, Brea hasn't visited her parents unlike Miles and Gil. Yuhiro would get some get well gifts following everything that's happened, as he is recovering from recent events. As for your last comment, you underestimate the love a mother has for their child.

Unnamed: Yeah, that is true. All Yuhiro accomplished was murdering a lot of criminals, with one of them being Balius, and becoming a monstrous demon. Well, Jericho does have Arshad, which means he has an opportunity to acquire information. In all honesty, Zero wouldn't attack Jericho's base just to rescue Arshad if there is no opportunity to do so.

Guest: While that's your choice, I do encourage you to re-read everything so you understand what's going on.

KingOtakuOverYou: Glad you liked the duels and the post credit scene with Jericho. Let me tell you something right now that I put down in the Author's notes from Chapter 100: When I first drafted the plan in having everyone duel against Raguel, one of two options were presented in front of me. One: I can recreate the duel against Zarc in Arc-V for this story, where he practically destroyed the strongest duelists in the show before losing against Reira. Two: I can have everyone duel against a data clone of Raguel while Blue Maiden duels against the real Raguel. If I went with option one, then Zero and Blue Maiden (with Aerith's help) would have defeated Raguel, while everyone else would have lost against him. To put it simply, Playmaker, Soulburner, Slipstream, Tigress, Lord Kazuma and Revolver would have lost. Allow me to tell you something else: Every Yu-Gi-Oh! anime has the two-dimensional Mary Sue element in it. One great example being in Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V, where Yuzu appeared along with Ray to give Yuya the motivation to fight back against Zarc. While I appreciate feedback, I only accept constructive feedback, and I will not tolerate any feedback attacks moving forward.

T.V. 2000: Thank you for the congratulations. I appreciate it very much. Fun fact: Chapter 100 nearly had 100,000 words! Almost fitting, don't you think? Yes, Blue Maiden won in the end, but the duel really exhausted her both physically and mentally to the point where she needed Aerith's help. Yes, Lord Kazuma definitely left an impact on Raguel, especially with his words in saying that the latter is no better than other villains. If I do make cards based off of Fafnir and Siegfried for Zero's deck, I'll make sure to give you credit. For the small Shadow giant, I do have something in mind, that's for sure. Regarding your point about the Cyber cards from Rush Duel, if I do use them in Obscured Truth or my future Arc V fanfic, then they'd obviously have to be adapted to be stronger. Also, note that if I do use the Cyber Dragon deck in my future Arc V fanfic, then it'd have to be different because almost every Arc V fanfic I've read uses Ryo Marufuji (ex. Fifth Circuit, Fifth Factor, etc.).

Unknown: Queen's definitely a cheater, especially how she used her Skill in the Master Duel against Ai. And Zero would have to take on the executives one by one if he was to try and regain control of SOL Technologies, which would tire him out for sure. Regarding your point on Jericho, he could make another Ignis if he wanted to, but only if Urizen gave that command. Besides, Jericho needs Ai to ensure the Unity's complete, and making another Ignis would take a lot of time. So from Jericho's perspective, it's better to hunt Ai down than make another one.

Kcufad: Regarding your point on using Link Apple, my understanding is that as long as the Code Talker monster was summoned properly first, then you can bring them back with Recoded Alive's effect. Again, for Speckles, I put his appearance and what it's based on in the Author's Notes for Chapter 42, so read it again if you want. For the monkey scene, watch Jumanji: The Next Level if you want to visualize what it was like. Lastly, I don't mind if you use dub names because I've watched both the sub and the dub for Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS, so I have a good understanding on who is who in the anime, as well as their differing names. And why would you classify Pawn as the color pink? That's just weird if you ask me.

0713MM: Aw, thank you so much for saying that you're enjoying Obscured Truth! And thank you as well for the congratulations on reaching Chapter 100! Yup, Aoi got a MAJOR win and her own character arc that further developed her character. In addition, she did what Yusaku could not: She defeated Yuhiro. Yes, moving forward, both Jericho and Zero will be more active going forward. Do note that Watchman cut off any communications Jericho once had with Urizen, which means his father won't be hearing about what happened until later on. Regarding Bohman and Haru, let me remind you that Jericho handed them over to Urizen back in Chapter 96, so read it again if you need to do so. As for the other Ignis, only the future will determine when they return, that's for sure.

Owl: Thank you for your kind words. I appreciate it very much. Just like with any author, I'm sharing my ideas and creativity with the world, and the fact I got this far is proof of how much I love writing.

Now that all reviews have been answered, let's get to the chapter, shall we? Enjoy!

Chapter 101: The Story of Rasterliger

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, Tigress and Aerith on one side. 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 Excalibur Morgan 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 Deimos and Phobos floating above his right and left shoulders. Black, red, and purple particles merged with Excalibur Morgan 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 the Cursed Boundary Layer, intent on escaping its wrath. Roxy is also shown in her car with Miyu, Rachel, and Aoi, also hoping to escape from the Cursed Boundary Layer 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 both of them. 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, Macarios, Adele, Hercules/Alpha Mode, Atalanta, Super Orion, Circe, Alastor, Asclepius, Odysseus, Jason, Castor and Pollux 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...

"Ugh..." Yuhiro opened his eyes as he stood up on his feet before taking in his surroundings. You have got to be kidding me, he thought in his mind, as he saw the burned land around him. Pieces of collapsed buildings were in the area, along with molten bricks and blazing wooden beams. And ahead of Yuhiro was a massive pillar made of black energy, where the top of it resembled that of a claw. In the claw as a massive black and red-colored orb, which cackled with energy.

Before Yuhiro could plan out his next move, the ground suddenly started to crack underneath him as hands emerged out of it. This led Yuhiro to immediately begin running, not wanting to get dragged in by them. Some of the skeleton-like arms managed to grab Yuhiro, only for him to quickly fend them off as he ran to get the higher ground. They continued to increase as Yuhiro ran, intent on escaping them. He managed to kick the last few with his foot before climbing up one of the larger pieces of collapsed rubble, having taken a breath of relief upon doing so.

"You murdered us!" a voice screamed, as a skeleton jumped out of the ground before taking the form of Sharpshot. He quickly began climbing up the large piece of rubble, intent on getting to Yuhiro. It wasn't just him, as more skeletons that took the form of deceased humans appeared and followed Creknurt. This led Yuhiro to slide down the large piece of rubble before he continued to run on the ground, more skeletons that took the form of deceased humans proceeded to chase him.

"You are no savior!" a second voice screamed, as the skeleton that said this took the form of Chainslaver before jumping out of nowhere towards Yuhiro, having almost tackled him to the ground. Yuhiro continued running as he fended off the skeleton-turned corpses that tried to either kill him or at the very least ensure he stopped running long enough for the others to catch up.

"You are just a rabid puppet that's been tortured into following the will of others!" a third voice screamed, as the skeleton that said this took the form of Ace, having ran out of nowhere and punched Yuhiro with such force that he was sent flying off the ground before landing on it. As Yuhiro tried to begin climbing up another large piece of debris, Ace followed him and grabbed his foot with such force that he struggled to keep moving forward. "Unlike you, at least I took initiative in deciding my own fate rather than let others do that for me!"

"Shut up!" Yuhiro exclaimed, having kicked Ace's hand off before he fell to the ground, having landed on it seconds later. He climbed up the large piece of debris as it began to tremble, having lost its stability in the process. Within seconds, more skeletons that took the form of those who were murdered by the Cursed Boundary Layer popped out of the ground and grabbed the large piece of debris before shaking it even more. This led the large piece of debris to fall over to the ground, where Yuhiro rolled onto it seconds later. Suddenly, more skeleton-like hands popped out of the ground to try and grab Yuhiro, who continued running once more. Unfortunately, the massive pillar of black energy fired tendrils of gooey, electrical energy at Yuhiro, which made him decrease his speed so he can dodge the attacks. One of the electrical blasts, however, made Yuhiro trip before falling onto the ground. The skeleton-like hands soon began grabbing onto Yuhiro's legs, having managed to snare their target.

"How could you break your promise to me, Yuhiro? I trusted you to not fall into despair, yet you did!" a voice scolded Yuhiro, where a silhouette appeared before taking Herald's shape.

"Herald..." Yuhiro muttered, as he tried to crawl forward to fight back against the skeletons trying to drag him underneath the ground. "Please help me!"

"Why should he help you, Yuhiro? You did break your promise to him after all," a voice countered, as the skeleton that said this took Yukage's form. "How disappointing, Yuhiro. You were so close to avenging us and acquiring the Root of All Knowledge. Yet you failed!"

"Don't get in my head, Yukage." Yuhiro growled, having continued to grab the ground and claw forward so he can break free from the skeletons grasping onto his legs. In response, the Muramasa appeared in Yukage's hands as he slashed the ground, which made the ground break into pieces seconds later. As a result, Yuhiro lost his grip and began getting dragged underground by the skeleton hands.

"I already got in your head a long time ago, Yuhiro. There's no need for me to do so right now." Yukage brandished the Muramasa before slashing the ground in front of him once again, where it further broke apart and practically destroyed any changes Yuhiro had from escaping his captors.

"Not when you're dead." Herald added, having grinned after saying that.

"GAAAAGH!" Yuhiro did nothing but screamed as the hellish skeletons dragged him underground, intent on making sure he suffered a fate worse than death.

BEEP!

BEEP!

BEEP!

Yuhiro opened his eyes and screamed upon hearing the alarm clock, where the shock of it made him roll out of bed before his back hit the ground. "Ow…." Based on the alarm clock beeping and the pain going through his body upon impact, Yuhiro was able to deduce that he was no longer dreaming. He was back home at Café Matsuo, safe and sound. However, to make sure this was the case, Yuhiro pinched himself tight. Yup. He was not dreaming. He was awake and at Café Matsuo.

As if on cue, someone went over and turned the alarm clock off before Yuhiro could do so.

"Yuhiro?"

Yuhiro turned his head, having heard a voice speak his name. Upon doing so, he saw Miyu at the door, who was looking down at him.

"Fell asleep again?" Miyu smiled after seeing that Yuhiro was awake.

"Yeah, but I'm awake now, so that's a good thing." Yuhiro assured Miyu, as he tried to get up on his feet. However, he felt pain going through his body upon doing so, which felt like a thousand needles poking into it.

"Easy there, Yuhiro." Miyu told Yuhiro, who ran over to make sure that he was steady. "Slow and steady. You'll be okay." She then helped Yuhiro slowly stand up on his feet a few seconds later.

"Thanks, Miyu. I appreciate it." Yuhiro responded, having let out a sigh. "Damn. I can't believe I had another nightmare. It was the seventh time this week."

Miyu gasped after hearing this information. "The seventh time? Oh my God, Yuhiro. I'm so sorry."

Yuhiro sighed back. "It's fine. I guess I deserve the nightmares for my past actions against you all. But despite what happened, I'm still surprised that you guys wanted to save me this whole time." Before he could continue speaking, Miyu took her hands and placed them on both sides of Yuhiro's head.

"Look at me. You're alive and breathing. All of us wanted to free you from the Cursed Boundary Layer. All. Of. Us." Miyu emphasized, wanting to get that point across to Yuhiro. "We weren't going to let you die."

"That… really means a lot. Thank you." Yuhiro replied. "And hey, I can't take responsibility for my actions if I was dead, don't you agree?" He pressed his forehead onto Miyu's forehead as the two of them chuckled, grateful to have one another.

"HEY, IS EVERYTHING OKAY UP THERE, YUHIRO?!" Roxy yelled from downstairs, which made both Yuhiro and Miyu blush at the same time. "YOU BETTER HAVE NOT SLEPT IN, MISTER! NOT WHEN YOU HAVE AN APPOINTMENT LATER THIS MORNING!"

"HE'S UP, AUNTIE! I MADE SURE OF THAT!" Miyu shouted back from upstairs, the blush still evident on her face.

"I…. I better go wash up. Why don't you go help Roxy with setting up breakfast?" Yuhiro suggested, who was also still blushing by what happened.

"Y-Yeah, I'll do that." Miyu agreed, having quickly ran downstairs to assist Roxy with setting up breakfast. Yuhiro, on the other hand, grabbed a fresh set of clothes before going to the washroom. After grabbing a towel, he brushed his teeth before taking a quick shower, wanting to make sure he was ready to go for later today. For the appointment today was going to be a bit… intense, especially with how he failed to cope and move forward.

Yuhiro exited the shower and put on his new clothing, which consisted of his usual pair of jeans and an orange and white, long-sleeved shirt, as well as a black hoodie in order to prevent others from seeing him. He went over and looked at his reflection in the mirror, where he saw just how different he was compared to all those months ago. In a way, Yuhiro had matured, though it didn't come without consequences. For starters, Yuhiro now had a long, tanned and scarred streak of skin that covered the left side of his face and neck. The good thing was that he didn't lose his left eye, as the last thing he wanted was to be left half-blind. Huh. It seems I almost look like Emon in a way, Yuhiro thought in his mind, having let out a chuckle seconds later. The tanned and scarred streaks of skin weren't just on the left side of his face and neck, as there were numerous ones all over his left arm, along with ones on his knees.

In addition, they weren't the only changes that were on Yuhiro, as the left side of his silver-colored hair was now permanently bleached an auburn color. What's more, there were times where Yuhiro's cyan-colored eyes glowed red before reverting to normal again. Together, they were all side effects due to him overusing his Link Trigger for the past while. It would take time for Yuhiro to recover, and going to a doctor he spoke with a few times a while back would certainly help.

Having let out a quick yawn, Yuhiro exited the washroom before heading downstairs, where he spotted Rasterliger happily waiting for him. "Good morning, RL." He quickly ruffled Rasterliger's fur, who responded with a happy bark.

"Good morning, Yuhiro. I overheard you had another nightmare last night." Rasterliger commented, having followed Yuhiro to the kitchen.

"Yeah, that's unfortunately true. At least it wasn't as intense as the previous ones." Yuhiro responded. For the past week, Yuhiro had been having nightmares, where each of them showed scenarios of the consequences his actions had produced. One example was the nightmare he had last night, where he was nearly dragged into the fire by the skeletons of people Yuhiro killed during his rampage. Luckily, both Miyu and Roxy were there for him and ensured he went back to sleep following each nightmare. The good news was that each one was less intense than the last, which enabled him to get some more sleep.

"Hey, buddy. Glad to see you got some sleep last night." Roxy stated, as she saw Yuhiro and Rasterliger enter the kitchen area of the living room. She let out a small gasp upon seeing Yuhiro's cyan-colored eyes glow red before dimming down. "Damn, I forgot that was a thing."

"Auntie, Yuhiro's going through a lot right now. His abilities left a toll on his body, and he needs to heal as a result." Miyu pointed out, having poured a bowl of cereal before carrying it to the table while Yuhiro went to the fridge and pulled out a container that had pieces of cantaloupe in it. After grabbing a bowl from the shelve above him, he grabbed a fork and proceeded to put several pieces of the cantaloupe in it while Miyu grabbed a spoon for her meal. While she grabbed the container of orange juice, Yuhiro acquired a date muffin from another container nearby before carrying the two of them to the table.

When Yuhiro's new injuries first appeared, Miyu immediately proceeded to try and heal them so he can better recuperate from recent events. To her shock, her powers did nothing to heal his wounds, which made her upset as a result. Being stubborn, Miyu took every opportunity possible to try and heal Yuhiro's wounds so the recovery process can be sped up and he can return to normal. However, as time passed, Miyu realized that while she can reduce the pain from Yuhiro's wounds, they couldn't go away. It was as though the tanned and scarred streaks were permanently on Yuhiro's skin as punishment for putting his body through such horrendous pain. Having realized that there were only so much her powers can do, Miyu proceeded to help Yuhiro recover through different methods, such as making him food, putting a cold rag on his head every now and then, as well as taking his temperature to ensure he was making a speedy recovery.

Aside from the injuries, Yuhiro was able to slowly recover from the terrible ordeal he went through. What's more, he received multiple get well gifts from Yusaku, Aoi and the others to further help him recuperate. In addition, Yuhiro received a surprise visit from Yusaku, Takeru, Arashi and Kusanagi three days earlier, where the quartet went to see how he was doing. They talked for a while, and despite everything that happened, were still willing to accept Yuhiro as one of their own, which was something he was tremendously grateful for.

"I know, Miyu. It still surprises me, that's all." Roxy let out a sigh and scratched the back of her head. A lot had happened in the past while, yet there were always things that would surprise Roxy. For you could never anticipate everything in life. "I'm also surprised that we have another house guest living under our roof."

"Another house guest?" Yuhiro and Miyu repeated, as they turned to look down at the table, where they saw the small Shadow giant wave at them. That was another thing that happened recently. When Yuhiro returned home to the real world, it turned out that the small Shadow giant had appeared as well, having somehow survived the trip from the network back to Café Matsuo. Roxy wanted to try and destroy the small Shadow giant after seeing that a piece of the Cursed Boundary Layer was there, wanting to ensure Yuhiro didn't get infected by it once again. However, Miyu immediately protected the small Shadow giant and reminded Roxy of how he tried to save Yuhiro before he snapped. She immediately added that the small Shadow giant contained every single piece of Yuhiro's goodness within him, which meant he had to be protected or else all hope of saving Yuhiro would have been lost.

Miyu wasn't the only one who asked that the small Shadow giant be spared, as Aoi also provided some information regarding him and his species. When she dueled against Yuhiro and took control of one of the Shadow tokens, it shrunk down to the regular size of a Shadow giant, which had apparently freed it from the Cursed Boundary Layer's corruption. Based on what Aoi saw, it appeared that the Shadow giants were once a peaceful species before they were captured by Jericho and his allies like wild animals. They were then forcefully injected into the Cursed Boundary Layer before being used as monsters to assist Jericho and the others in conquering worlds.

The fact that Aoi and Miyu freed this small Shadow giant, especially one containing Yuhiro's good aspects, showed how it was a living creature just like everything else. The small Shadow giant and his brethren never asked to be part of a weapon towards conquering worlds. They were simply minding their own business and not hurting anyone at all, only to be thrust into a role they never wanted to be in. Roxy then relented upon realizing the similarities between the Shadow giants and the Ignis, having saw that the small Shadow giant was technically a part of Yuhiro, and didn't want to take any risks in unintentionally hurting him.

"Well, if that little guy is going to stay with us, then he'll need a name." Roxy commented. "Everything has a name, even Shadow giants."

"That is true. Herald decided on his name after figuring out who he was and why he came here." Yuhiro responded, which got the small Shadow giant's attention.

"I'm sure there's some good names out there. What about Wisp, Ash, or Dot?" Miyu suggested.

"Or Blitz, Chip or Echo?" Roxy added. "Oh, wait. Scratch the last one. Windy already took the name Echo for his AI."

"Those are definitely some good names for sure, Miyu and Roxy. But it must be special for this little guy." Yuhiro said, before putting a hand on his chin. The name had to be something special for the small Shadow giant, as it needed to symbolize something important. After a few seconds of thinking, an idea popped in Yuhiro's mind. "I know what I'm going to name this little guy."

"Oh? What are you thinking, Yuhiro?" Roxy raised an eyebrow out of curiosity, while Miyu frowned after seeing Yuhiro made a decision.

"I was thinking of the name Arin." Yuhiro answered. "It means mountain of strength, so the fact that this little guy survived for so long just goes to show how perseverant it is against all odds. In a way, it resembles how someone doesn't give up and accept their fate no matter what they're facing." The small Shadow giant raised his hands in the air as if to indicate that he liked the name.

"That's a wonderful name, Yuhiro. If there's anything you and the small Shadow giant have, it's that you don't give up when facing incredible odds. What's more, you both survived traumatizing incidents, which shows how strong the two of you are." Miyu commented.

"You could say that, Miyu." Yuhiro then turned over to Arin. "It's nice to meet you, Arin. Why don't you come on over here so I can shake that little hand of yours?" Arin looked at Yuhiro before turning to look at Miyu and Roxy so he can see who was there. To everyone's shock, Arin quickly ran over to Miyu and placed his body on her hand, having proceeded to lovingly hug it. Upon seeing this, Miyu and Roxy laughed while Yuhiro pouted, having been embarrassed just now. Even Rasterliger couldn't help but let out several chuckles. For based on how Arin was a part of Yuhiro, it was clear that he cared for Miyu just as much as the latter did.

"Aw, you're so cute, Arin. Thank you for the little hug." Miyu gently patted Arin on the head, happy for the little gesture he gave her just now.

"You have got to be kidding me." Yuhiro moaned, as he put his hands in front of his face to hide his embarrassment, which made Roxy howl with more laughter while Miyu continued to giggle. What did he do to deserve this?

"Now this is humorous." Rasterliger acknowledged upon seeing the situation nearby. After everything that's happened recently, he needed some humor, especially when it came to teasing Yuhiro. It came to show how things were okay now that Yuhiro was back to normal.

After finishing breakfast, Yuhiro, Miyu and Roxy worked together in washing the dishes and putting the clean ones in their respective cabinets. They also did the same thing for the utensils as well before putting the dirty ones in the dishwasher. Prior to getting started on cleanup, Arin ran over to where Miyu was and propped himself over her shoulder to see how it was done. He was fascinated by how everyone was able to work together in getting a task done so quickly compared to how long it took one person to do it. In a way, it reminded Arin of how he and his species worked with one another in building the homes they had before it was destroyed by Urizen and his forces.

Once the clean dishes and utensils were put away and the dirty ones were in the dishwasher, Roxy went to the garage so she can warm up the van while Yuhiro went upstairs to grab his phone. He also made sure to have his wallet on hand to pay for the doctor's appointment once it was over, as well as his watch to keep track of the time. After Yuhiro made sure he had everything, he ran down the stairs and headed to the garage while Miyu and Rasterliger followed him.

"Okay, RL. Make sure Miyu's safe while we're away." Yuhiro said, with Rasterliger nodding in compliance seconds later. "We'll be back in a few hours."

"Alright. Just be careful." Miyu replied, before rushing forward and hugging Yuhiro so fast that he was caught off guard. She buried her head on his chest, a worried look on her face. "Please promise me that you'll never run away again, Yuhiro. In the state you're in, I can't afford to risk losing you."

Yuhiro gently broke free from the hug and placed his hands on Miyu's shoulders. "I promise, Miyu. I will never run away again. Not after what happened the last time I did so. I'll be back in a few hours. You have my word. In the meanwhile, why don't you study your deck and get the remainder of your work done? This way, we can ensure you're set to duel."

Miyu smiled after hearing Yuhiro's assurance and suggestion. "Of course! I'll get to it right away!" She waved goodbye to Yuhiro as he got into the van, and after Roxy waved back, the two of them drove off for his doctor's appointment. As a result, Miyu, Rasterliger and Arin were left alone in the house. Miyu left the garage afterwards with Rasterliger and Arin, intent on getting her work done so she can study her deck and learn about its strategies before wielding them proficiently.

Elsewhere, at the safehouses…

Ryoken let out a sigh as he sat down at the table, waiting for the others to show up. A week had passed since he and Takeya assisted Yusaku and his friends in stopping Yuhiro Furutani for good. As a result, the Cursed Boundary Layer was destroyed and Yuhiro's plans were put to a stop. What's more, the Tower of Hanoi was permanently destroyed, having taken the old server with it. That meant no one could ever build another Tower of Hanoi again, nor be able to hide it until its completion.

What intrigued Ryoken, however, was the appearance of the man named Zero near the end of the fight. From what Yusaku and Takeru deduced, Zero somehow had Cyberse monsters under his command. The only Cyberse monsters Ryoken knew about was the ones in the decks belonging to himself, Yusaku, Takeru, Aoi, Yuhiro and Yukage. Well, the humans wielding Cyberse creatures of course aside from AIs such as Lightning, Windy, Malf, Bohman and Haru. Just where did Zero come from? Was he like Watchman on how he was fully integrated into the network? And what did Zero mean when he said that Watchman will pay for his crimes? Did it mean that Zero somehow captured Watchman and was awaiting orders from someone before delivering the latter's sentence on their behalf? If so, who did Zero serve? Was it an AI?

Before Ryoken could dwell on recent events, along with who Zero was, the door opened seconds later. Youta, Kyoko, Aso, Eizaburo, Takeya, Yua and Mikuru arrived before taking their seats at the table.

"Thank you all for coming." Ryoken said to the others.

"It's no problem, Ryoken. While we'd obviously talk about recent events at some point, it was important for us to recuperate." Kyoko assured Ryoken.

"If any good came out of this, it's that three threats were taken care of in a few fellow swoops." Youta commented.

"Yes. The Shadow, Arshad and Raguel." Aso listed off each one.

"The Shadow was destroyed the moment Playmaker's new ally stabbed him with the dagger in her hands. Whatever that was." Takeya spoke up. "As a result, Raguel's been depowered, so I don't think he'll be threatening us any longer."

"Based on what you and Ryoken told us, Takeya, Raguel turned into a monstrous demon to try and rip the Shadow off of his skin." Eizaburo stated. "We are lucky that Azrael didn't use that transformation when he attacked us, or we would have been destroyed a long time ago. I, for one, am interested in getting a sample of Raguel's blood so we can study it."

"But that's not going to happen, Eizaburo. With what Yuhiro went through, I am not letting you go anywhere near him." Yua firmly said, having shut that suggestion down within seconds.

"On the topic for Raguel, I have come to a decision on next steps now that he's been incapacitated." Ryoken interjected, which got everyone else's attention. "Effective immediately, we are to cease all efforts in hunting Raguel down and ending his life. In addition, we are not to contact anyone to gain assistance in murdering Raguel in the network and/or in the real world. To sum it up, we are to leave Raguel alone now that the battle is over. If anyone goes against this directive or does anything fishy regarding it behind my back, I will know immediately and deliver swift judgment."

"Ryoken, you can't be serious." Aso stated, which made Ryoken turn to him.

"I am, Aso. Now that Raguel's been depowered and the Shadow destroyed, there's no longer a need to hunt him down. Any threat he once posed is no longer there. If anything, the trauma Raguel suffered will ensure he takes no further action against us. For you don't simply recover from it within a week." Ryoken narrowed his eyes at Aso to drive that point home. "Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Ryoken. My apologies."

Ryoken nodded, having accepted Aso's apology. "With the matter of Raguel aside, there are other matters that need to be addressed. One of which is the Shadow."

"Since it has been destroyed, there have been practically zero appearances of it. People are going to be demanding answers really soon." Kyoko said.

"There's also the issue of it appearing from the network, along with who was responsible for unleashing it onto us." Takeya added. "If we had a sample of it, then we could make a virus or something to counter its abilities."

"Unfortunately, there have been no traces of the Shadow since last week, and Playmaker and his allies were able to fight back against it using the algorithms of all eight Ignis. I wouldn't be surprised at all if they were willing to lend them all to us." Aso commented.

"If I know Playmaker as well as I do, he'd make sure they were all preserved in order to keep them safe. There's no way he would willingly lend the algorithms to us." Ryoken acknowledged. "Until we get a sample, we'll have to strengthen our avatar enhancement programs and our defenses to ensure we're prepared the next time another Shadow appears in the network."

"And what about the person who sent the Shadow to terrorize us in the first place? It obviously couldn't be the old man you and Takeya told us about, Ryoken." Mikuru recalled, which led Ryoken to shake his head.

"It obviously wasn't the old man, Mikuru. Otherwise, he would have attacked us." Ryoken replied. "That being said, were any of you able to find out his identity in the real world? For we only know him by his network name Zero." In response, the other Hanoi members present shook their heads.

"We've been running scans since you told us about this person, Master Ryoken, but nothing yet." Youta told Ryoken.

"What I'm surprised about is that this Zero person wields Cyberse creatures. Aside from AIs such as Bohman and the Light Ignis, the only humans able to use them proficiently are Playmaker, Soulburner, Blue Maiden, Raguel, Azrael and yourself, Ryoken." Aso spoke up.

"Hang on a minute, everyone. Not to be rude, but the old man must have had his reasons to assist us in stopping Raguel. Everyone has a reason for doing something." Takeya interrupted. "I mean, look at Watchman. Everything he did was so he can acquire the Root of All Knowledge for himself. The last thing we need to deal with is another person similar to Watchman, don't you all agree?"

Yua frowned after hearing what Takeya just said, and reluctantly nodded with the other Knights of Hanoi in agreement seconds later. When Yua and the other Hanoi learned that Arshad died at Yuhiro's hands, she was shocked at first. However, she acknowledged that Arshad would have had to pay for his crimes, as jail wouldn't be able to hold him, nor would deleting his account be enough due to how he was fully integrated into the network. That meant the only way to truly defeat Arshad was to either execute him or disarm him to the point where he no longer became a threat. "Takeya's right. We have to keep our guard up due to what Arshad did to us. However, it wouldn't hurt to hear Zero out and let him explain why he helped us."

Ryoken and the other Hanoi turned to face Yua after making such a statement. "Are you still preaching about the idea on how-?"

"Enough, Ryoken! You need to show some compassion to your mother! If you start another fight with her, then this meeting is as good as adjourned!" Kyoko fiercely warned Ryoken, which not only made Ryoken gasp out of shock, but also startled the other Hanoi members present as well. It was clear here that Kyoko had enough of Ryoken and Yua bickering with one another, and wanted the two of them to at least begin healing.

"Okay, I'd say something snarky like shit just got real, but I don't think this is a good time to do so." Takeya acknowledged, with Kyoko nodding in agreement to his theory.

"Kyoko's right, Ryoken. Your mother has a voice among us." Mikuru reminded Ryoken. "Despite what she did, she's still family. A part of you must understand that."

"Fine." Ryoken conceded with a sigh before turning to Yua. "What is it you want to say regarding this man, mother?"

"While I believe that it's important that we keep our guard up, I see nothing wrong in trying to get more information on who this man is, what his goals are and the reasons he had in helping us put a stop to Yuhiro's plans." Yua answered. "We gain more by laying low and waiting than hunting Zero down immediately."

"Yua does make a point, Ryoken. Think about it. If memory serves, you told us to bide our time and wait rather than go after Soulburner and the others in the real world." Eizaburo recalled. "As a result, we were able to obtain the locations of the other Ignis."

"That is true. For we were able to find out where the Light, Wind and Space Ignis' were in the network after close observation of our enemies." Youta backed up Eizaburo's point.

Ryoken thought this over. That made sense in what Yua was saying. By observing from the sidelines and slowly gathering information, the Knights of Hanoi were able to find the first location of the Light, Wind and Space Ignis' before war was declared between humans and AIs. Thus leading to the battles in Mirror LINK VRAINS, which culminated in humanity's victory. As much as Ryoken hated to admit it, there wasn't much he and the others could do regarding Zero right now. For they didn't know where Zero was in the network, as he obviously wasn't someone who would simply give his contact information away, especially since he had Cyberse creatures under his command. "Very well. Let's keep tabs on Zero for now. As mother said, we'll be able to gain information about him if we wait long enough. Let's also continue keeping tabs on Playmaker and his allies. Who knows? Maybe they'll end up talking with Zero, which in turn will tell us who this person truly is."

"That is wise, Ryoken. There's no need to take action right now, especially since we need to recuperate and upgrade our systems." Kyoko said. That part was true, as there was nothing wrong with ensuring one's systems were up to date. Besides, given how Yukage was able to steal the Hanoi's data and set them back by three months as a result, they had to take precautions to ensure it was never stolen again. This led the Hanoi to create more backups than ever to ensure that their operations wouldn't be interrupted again, each one being locked behind a series of algorithms and coding only they knew how to get through. What's more, the Hanoi even agreed to set up a kill code that would terminate any data stolen by potential assailants attacking them. All in all, the main goal was to ensure that the Hanoi's operations would continue to run no matter the situation, which was something Ryoken was hellbent on seeing through.

"And what about the last Ignis, Ryoken? Surely, we can't take anything to chance as long as he's around." Aso stated.

"I have made a decision on what to do with the last Ignis, Aso." Ryoken responded. "For now, let's keep tabs on the Dark Ignis and his whereabouts. As Kyoko said, our primary concerns along with keeping tabs on Playmaker and Zero are upgrading our systems, ensuring our information is backed up, and recuperating from recent events. As long as the Dark Ignis leaves and never shows his face again, then we won't go after him. If anything, he should spend the rest of his days lamenting the loss of his species. Meeting adjourned." He stood up from his seat and exited out of the room before heading to the yacht's entrance, the meeting having officially been adjourned with him gone.

"I'll... I'll go check on him." Yua stated, having left the room seconds later while the other Hanoi members just sat there in silence as they processed everything that happened. It seemed that for the time being, the Knights of Hanoi would have to keep tabs on their enemies and potential targets, along with ensuring that their systems were both up to date and protected. This made sense, as they needed to prepare for what was to come.

"Is it me, or did it seem that Ryoken was more... merciful than usual?" Takeya questioned, having taken in the entire conversation and the words that were said during it.

"I think so, Takeya. If anything, the events that transpired over the past few months have made Ryoken more human compared to back then, where he was obsessed with destroying the Ignis at all costs." Kyoko answered. "You could say he became a better person as a result."

Several minutes later, near the safehouses...

Ryoken quietly walked down the sidewalk near the safe houses, needing some time to think for himself following the conversation with the other Knights of Hanoi. A part of him still couldn't believe that he asked the others to simply leave Ai alone. Well, unless he returned with an intent to declare war on humanity like Lightning did. Nor did Ryoken believe that the other Hanoi would comply with his demand to leave Yuhiro alone. Still, Ryoken intended on fulfilling the debt of gratitude he owed to Arashi for saving Yua, even if it meant leaving Yuhiro alone. After all, debts of gratitude were always fulfilled.

However, what surprised Ryoken the most was how merciful he became in the past few months. He chose to settle all matters in the network with his enemies only, was willing to work with Yusaku and his allies in stopping their common foes, and he chose to spare Jin's life rather than take the opportunity to eliminate Lightning when it came down to it. Was he dishonoring his father's wishes in not going after the Ignis and/or any enemy that would threaten humanity? That couldn't be it, as just like with Dr. Kogami, he wanted to make sure humanity was safe from any threats that would come from the network. Still, Ryoken couldn't deny that he was different from his father, as he willingly provided people with shelter and aid during the Turf War and the conjoined attacks in the network and in the real world. Dr. Kogami, on the other hand, would have left them to die if it meant being one step closer to destroying the Ignis. Perhaps that's the key difference between father and myself, Ryoken deduced in his mind. Father wouldn't care about the sacrifices made as long as the mission was completed. If anything, he'd justify them by saying that they were for the greater good. But for me, I didn't simply stand by while people thrown into our battles were suffering. I helped them and ensured they can persevere through dark times. Maybe Playmaker was right about me all along. My sense of humanity's become stronger and more compassionate compared to back then. Hell, perhaps it may have even made me a better leader compared to my father.

"Ryoken, wait up!" a voice said, which made Ryoken turn behind him to see where the voice was coming from. As if on cue, Yua caught up Ryoken, having been the one to speak to him.

"Hello, mother." Ryoken replied back. "What do you want? I'm to assume you want to give me another lecture?"

Yua shook her head. "No, son. I just want to talk. No lectures. I promise."

"Very well." The two of them proceeded to continue walking down the sidewalk for a minute or two in silence before Yua broke it.

"I'm grateful that you chose to stop hunting Yuhiro down like an animal. Given what's happened, I didn't expect you to cease your plans on ending Yuhiro's life, especially with what you said to us after you defeated his data clone in your duel against him."

Ryoken rolled his eyes. "I was merely paying back a debt of gratitude, mother."

"A debt of gratitude?" Yua repeated.

"Yes. I owed Slipstream a debt of gratitude because he freed you from Windy's grasp." Ryoken reminded Yua. "When Takeya and I met Playmaker and his buddies a week earlier in LINK VRAINS, I volunteered to be the one to put an end to Yuhiro's life. However, Slipstream invoked the debt I owed him, where he said that the Knights of Hanoi were to leave Yuhiro alone after we stopped his plans. In addition, we were forbidden from getting any help from outside sources in this plan, nor were we allowed to kill Yuhiro as well moving forward. Being a man of my word, I made sure that debt was honored. Simple as that."

"I see." Yua put a hand on her chin as she processed that answer. Even though Ryoken agreed to spare Yuhiro just so he can pay back the debt of gratitude that was owed, a part of her couldn't help but feel that her son felt sorry for him. Perhaps it was a sign that Ryoken had truly changed. "I also didn't expect you to tell us to leave the last Ignis alone, Ryoken. Surely, I thought you and the others would go hunt him down."

"There's no need to hunt something down when you don't know where it went to. While the Dark Ignis remains a threat, as long as he never returns, there will be no need to take further action against him." Ryoken said. "In the meanwhile, we need to prepare for more dangerous threats in the network moving forward. The Shadow murdering people is proof of that fact, and with it dead, I have a feeling its master will be here soon to try and finish the job."

Yua narrowed her eyes. "While I appreciate you being flexible on what to do with the Dark Ignis, I still can't believe that you-." She stopped walking upon seeing that Ryoken did the same, having turned his head to look out at the safehouses. "What's wrong, Ryoken?"

"You were planning on reporting us to the authorities, weren't you?" Ryoken deduced, which made Yua gasp in response.

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Based on our previous conversations, I had a feeling you'd say that at some point, and it seems I was right." Ryoken turned to his mother, a tired but firm expression on his face.

"I don't want to report you and the others to the authorities, Ryoken, but if you continue following this path-." Yua began speaking.

"Do you really think I want to be doing this, mother? Do you really think I enjoy hurting living beings?" Ryoken interjected, having taken a seat on the bench nearby. Yua's eyes widened out of shock after hearing Ryoken ask those questions.

"No, I don't think either of those things, Ryoken." Yua sat down beside Ryoken on the bench. "I just don't want you to turn out like your father, that's all."

"I know what you mean, mother, but as long as there are threats to the network, humanity will always be in danger. But if it assuages your concerns, my past actions over the past few months have proven that I'm not like my father in the end."

"I hear you, Ryoken." Yua agreed. "Kyoko told me about what happened. How you willingly agreed to provide these people shelter during the Turf War, as well as during the attacks in the real world and in the network. You even ensured they were given supplies so they could get through difficult times. That was selfless and brave of you to do, Ryoken. Kyoko and the others also told me how you chose not to strike an innocent hostage down just to destroy an enemy."

"An enemy that's been responsible for hurting our family from the start. Lightning, Azrael and Wraith." Ryoken hissed. Good riddance to those three, as with their deaths, Dr. Kogami was avenged. Even though Ryoken felt a sense of duty to continue his father's mission in destroying the Ignis, a part of him was flexible in how he chose to leave Ai alone and not hunt him down. In a way, Ryoken felt bad for Ai, as he knew what it was like to lose someone they loved. "You must understand, mother. If the Knights of Hanoi aren't taking on the task in keeping humanity safe from unknown threats, someone else will do so."

Yua sighed. "I know, Ryoken. Again, I didn't want you to get roped into this mess."

"Well, I was already roped into this mess from the start, so there's no need to make that comment." Ryoken frowned before he thought things over. "Do you think there's a chance AIs and humans can actually co-exist with one another? Because from past experience, they've caused nothing but harm. As much as I want to entertain that question, I don't want to take a risk that can lead to something fatal down the road. Not after the losses we suffered recently."

"Perhaps you need to look at it from a different perspective." Yua suggested. "Like you said, AIs have the chance of causing destruction, but they also have potential of working and prospering with humans. While it's normal for you to prepare for the unknown, you need to also consider that everything is not always going to be black and white in life, Ryoken. Otherwise, your worldview will narrow to the point where you're unwilling to be flexible."

Ryoken thought this over. What Yua said did make sense despite his intentions coming from a good place in having the Hanoi prepare for future battles ahead of them. Perhaps an AI might be the advantage the Hanoi needed in order to fight against their enemies down the road. However, Ryoken would only be flexible to a point, as he wasn't onboard with fighting for the idea of coexistence like Yusaku and his allies were. "Alright, mother. I'm willing to listen to you, but in exchange, you're going to help the Hanoi and myself create an AI that will assist us in the battles to come."

"You want me to help with creating this AI you're talking about?" Yua questioned, shocked what she heard. Was Ryoken actually willing to entertain her idea of opening up one's perspective? Or was she hearing things?

"As you said, another perspective doesn't hurt. Besides, you and Mikuru are filling in for Emon and Zandaka as Knights of Hanoi moving forward, so there's no better time for you to start than now." Ryoken continued with a smirk. Hook, line and sinker. If Yua planned on reporting the Hanoi to the authorities, she'd end up getting arrested as well due to her helping them moving forward. In a way, this was Ryoken's way of making sure the Hanoi's identities were kept safe. Only he would decide if the time came for the Knights of Hanoi to turn themselves in to the authorities or not. "In addition, since you care so much about Yuhiro, the task on making sure he recovers and doesn't become a threat to us anymore is on you."

Yua gasped after hearing what Ryoken said just now. He just delegated her to keep an eye on Yuhiro to make sure he didn't snap again, and even told her that she'd be a member of the Hanoi moving forward. Even if Ryoken didn't tell Yua this, she would still feel an obligation to help the Hanoi due to Zandaka and Emon dying any time soon thanks to what Yukage and Wraith did to them. Not just that, but due to how she needed to repent for working with Arshad after all of this time. "Okay. I'll make sure Yuhiro recovers and doesn't become a threat. But I am not killing him. I am a doctor, after all."

"That's fair. But on the topic of you being a doctor, I didn't know that you were taking care of Miyu Sugisaki all of these years until recently." Ryoken turned to face Yua, a smile on his face. "I am really grateful you did that."

Yua smiled back in response. "Well, someone had to make sure she was safe. I'm just glad I was able to play a role in making sure that amends are made for what we did to those kids."

"I have a feeling that the Hanoi will be making amends for the rest of our days, mother. You could say it's our sentence for beginning both the Lost Incident and Project: Apotheosis all years ago." Ryoken stated. "If there's one thing that comforts me, it's that I'm atoning with the people I've known my entire life. The people who stuck by me through thick and thin. The people who care for one another like a family would."

"Same here, Ryoken. Same here." Yua agreed, the two of them chuckling seconds later. It would be difficult and take time, but both Ryoken and Yua had faith that the bond they once had would be rebuilt between one another. After all, the bond between a mother and son was stronger than one would think. While I'm sure that Ryoken already knows it, I have faith that he'll be a better man than his father ever was, Yua thought in her mind, having smiled once again at Ryoken.

Right now, things were peaceful, and Yua was more than willing to work with the Hanoi if it meant gaining periods of time she can spend with Ryoken reconnecting with him. No matter what, she would repent for how she contributed to the Lost Incident. This was something she promised in her mind.

Meanwhile, at Café Nagi…

Yusaku took in a breath of fresh air as he walked towards Café Nagi, wanting to get a coffee there. It had been a week since Yuhiro went rogue, and now that he had been freed from the plans Jericho had for him, everyone can enjoy a period of peace. At least for now, anyway, as it didn't last forever. Deep down, Yusaku knew that there would be tougher battles ahead, especially given how Jericho appeared to try and murder the others while the former dueled against Yuhiro. What's more, the fact that Jericho murdered the Ignis and unleashed the Cursed Boundary Layer onto Earth showed how much more dangerous of a threat he was when compared to Lightning, Azrael and Bohman. One could say that Jericho's actions even made the Knights of Hanoi look docile in comparison.

There was also the issue of Jericho's master in the network named Urizen. Or more specifically, Ukyos Albinor, one of the three men that started Project: VIII a long time ago. It was only a matter of time for Urizen to enter into the scene now that Jericho realized where the Root of All Knowledge was in the vast universe. The good thing was that Yusaku had allies that would work with him in stopping both Jericho and Urizen. On the topic of allies, they recently got a new one named Zero, who appeared to assist near the end of the battle against Yuhiro. Over the past week since Yuhiro was defeated, Yusaku and Kusanagi tried to figure out Zero's identity, only to have little to no success. In all honesty, Yusaku did not want to deal with another person similar to Watchman, as that was the last thing he wanted right now.

Last but not least, there was the matter regarding Ai and Roboppy, as it was a while since Yusaku heard from the two of them. After the battle in Mirror LINK VRAINS, Ai went into the network, needing some time alone to ponder on what happened. Soon after, Roboppy shut down and stopped functioning despite Yusaku's attempts to reactivate him. At first, Yusaku thought something corrupted Roboppy, only for it to not be the case after doing a diagnostic check on him. Even though Yusaku knew that Ai would leave after the war in Mirror LINK VRAINS and the battle against Urizen were finished, the trauma of losing the other Ignis made him leave earlier than predicted. In a way, Yusaku missed having Ai with him as company. Ai. Roboppy. Wherever the two of you are out there, stay safe, Yusaku thought in his mind.

But before Yusaku could continue pondering over what happened and what's to come, he ended up reaching Café Nagi, where he saw two people. The first was Kusanagi, who was preparing his business for the day, while the person chatting with him was Katsuya. While Yusaku didn't expect Katsuya, who was also known as Percival in the network to appear, he did know that he'd meet him in the real world one day. As such, it was best to get introductions done sooner than later.

"Yusaku, my man! Great to see you as always!" Kusanagi greeted Yusaku, having waved his hand at him. "Here, let me get you a coffee as thanks for running Café Nagi when I was away."

"Thank you, Kusanagi." Yusaku responded, as Kusanagi proceeded to prepare a coffee for him.

"Here you go." Kusanagi handed Yusaku the coffee before exiting out of Café Nagi. "Yusaku, allow me to introduce you to my cousin, Katsuya."

"You must be Yusaku Fujiki. Shoichi told me so much about you. It's nice to meet you at last." Katsuya said, as he offered a hand to Yusaku.

"Same to you, Katsuya." Yusaku replied, having proceeded to shake Katsuya's hand. After doing so, the three of them went over to a table and sat down on the chairs around it. "How's Jin these days?"

"Jin's been doing amazing this past week, Yusaku. He left the rehabilitation center, got some doctor's appointments done and is back to his old self. The best part is that he wasn't impaired in any way whatsoever, which is a massive relief." Kusanagi answered before Katsuya could speak.

"If I may interject, Shoichi, there's something I must tell Yusaku." Katsuya stated, before turning to Yusaku. "I already told Shoichi about what happened to me years ago, and how-."

"Watchman recruited you to his side some time after the Lost Incident, right?" Yusaku guessed, which made Katsuya gasp in response. "Kusanagi and I have known this for quite a while, Katsuya, as well as your network identity."

Katsuya breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, that's good to hear, as it saves me time in explaining the entire story to you guys. But to confirm what you said just now…" He took a card from his deck. Specifically, the Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon card before showing it to Yusaku. "I'm Percival in the network."

In response, Yusaku took out his deck and pulled out the card showing Decode Talker before showing it back to Katsuya. "Since we already know your network identity, it's only fair that you know my own. I'm Playmaker."

"I never thought I'd get the chance to meet the legendary Playmaker and learn his real identity. It is an honor and a privilege to officially meet you. Rest assured, just as you and Shoichi kept my identity a secret, I'll do the same for you." Katsuya smiled, honored that Yusaku would willingly reveal his identity as Playmaker to him. "I also want to thank you for saving Jin when I couldn't. If it weren't for you, Jin would never have been freed from the Lost Incident."

"Jin needed to be freed from the trauma so he can start his life anew. I'm glad that I was able to save him from Lightning." Yusaku responded, before something popped in his mind. "Kusanagi, you said that Jin was back to his old self, right?"

"Yeah. What about it?" Kusanagi inquired.

"There's something the both of you should know." Yusaku then proceeded to tell both Kusanagi and Katsuya what happened during the battle in Mirror LINK VRAINS. How Kusanagi was blackmailed into dueling Yusaku in exchange for the opportunity to free Jin, where it ended in a win for Yusaku, but it led to Kusanagi temporarily losing his consciousness data. From there, Yusaku explained how Revolver dueled against Lightning, and would have won at one point had Lightning used Jin, along with Katsuya's and Youta's respective consciousness data as human shields as well. After telling the duo how Bohman rescued Jin from Lightning's grasp, Yusaku explained how the duel resumed and nearly ended in Revolver's victory, only for Lightning to use the last piece of Jin's consciousness data on hand so he can convert it into life points.

"Lightning did the same thing to me too." Katsuya explained. "While Yua confronted Windy in a duel so she can get one step closer in rescuing Miyu, I dueled against Lightning in order to rescue Jin. However, just as I was about to win the duel, Lightning made me stand down by threatening to end Jin's life if I resumed my attack. As a result, I was forced to stand down, and Lightning finished me off on his next turn."

"Hey, you did the right thing in the end, Katsuya. Your choice to stand down and not hurt Jin has shown just how much you care for his wellbeing. What's more, it's shown that you're not willing to hurt innocent people just for the sake of the mission." Kusanagi assured Katsuya.

"Based on what you said earlier, Kusanagi, I believe the consciousness data Lightning used to convert into life points may have been Jin's memories of the Lost Incident." Yusaku explained, which made Kusanagi nod in agreement.

"That makes sense, as Jin would have had to take longer to recover if his memories of the Lost Incident were still there." Kusanagi agreed with Yusaku's logic. He wasn't the only one, as Katsuya also nodded in agreement. "I'm not sure how to say this correctly, but I think Lightning's actions were a blessing in disguise if it's true."

"Which means the only good thing Lightning ever did when he was alive was eradicate the trauma out of Jin's head." Katsuya commented. "Although I doubt Lightning would care what happened to Jin upon doing so, as he only saw him as a hostage and puppet."

"The Lost Incident was a harrowing experience for each and every one of us. While we all suffered in different ways, we were able to find a way in moving forward, and I'm glad that Jin's finally freed from that trauma." Yusaku said.

"Same here, Yusaku. Same here." Kusanagi added. "But what about you, Yusaku? How are you coping with the events from last week?"

"The events from last week?" Katsuya repeated in confusion.

"It's… a long story, Katsuya." Kusanagi turned to Yusaku, concern for his friend evident on his face. "I can tell it if you don't want to, Yusaku. The last thing I want is to make you relive that trauma all over again."

"I would appreciate it, Kusanagi." Yusaku responded, which led Kusanagi to explain to Katsuya what happened the previous week. How the Cursed Boundary Layer emerged out of the network and started killing people, where it eventually infected Yuhiro and made him go rogue. How Yusaku dueled against Yuhiro to free him from the Cursed Boundary Layer, only to lose despite using his full power to try and win. How Yuhiro kidnapped both Yusaku and Rachel in order to draw out Ai so he can reach the Root of All Knowledge, only for Aoi and Watchman to emerge and rescue them both from captivity. Kusanagi even explained what they recently learnt regarding the Cursed Boundary Layer, along with how Jericho played a role in this entire mess. It wasn't just that, as Jericho planned on capturing Rachel for his nefarious methods, only to be forced to retreat upon that attempt being foiled. Lastly, Kusanagi finished by saying that everyone's combined efforts led to Yuhiro being freed from Jericho's plans, as well as the destruction of the Cursed Boundary Layer for good. He added that the Tower of Hanoi would no longer be operational moving forward, as both it and any plans in rebuilding another one were destroyed along with the old server.

"That's... that's a lot to take in." Katsuya admitted. "Yusaku, I'm so sorry with what you went through. It wasn't fair for you to go through such an experience, especially after the Lost Incident."

"Ever since the Lost Incident, I strove to keep winning so I would never have to get hurt by the pain I experienced during that awful time ever again." Yusaku began speaking. "Before any of you say anything, I always knew I'd lose a duel at some point in my life."

"But it wasn't the fact that you lost that has haunted you for the past while. It's the way you lost against Yuhiro during your duel against him." Kusanagi figured out.

"Exactly. If the duel between Yuhiro and I was a friendly match so we can improve our dueling skills, then I would have accepted losing because there were no stakes involved in it. But in our duel, the stakes were high due to how precarious the situation was." Yusaku sighed. "I fought tooth and nail to try and save Yuhiro, as well as destroy the Cursed Boundary Layer in the process. But despite using my full power, I lost in the end both physically and mentally."

Kusanagi thought this over before replying back. "Yeah, you could say that. I never thought you'd be able to go toe to toe with Yuhiro in combat during that duel, Yusaku. You scared me numerous times."

"Do you think you'll be able to forgive Yuhiro for what he did to you?" Katsuya questioned, which got Yusaku's attention. "While his actions were his own, you need to take every factor into account and how it contributed to the situation, especially the people involved."

"If I'm being honest, Katsuya, I'll be able to forgive Yuhiro for what happened during our duel." Yusaku admitted. "While I still have some unfinished business to take care of with Yuhiro in order to move forward, I do see myself being able to move on from the pain that duel brought onto me." That part was genuinely true. Despite what Yuhiro did, Yusaku still saw him as a friend and a comrade. One that needed help in order to move forward. For a true friend would check in on their friends to see how they were doing and if they needed help or not.

"I'm happy to hear that, Yusaku. I'm really happy to hear that."

"Moving the topic of Yuhiro aside, did you hear anything from Ai lately?" Kusanagi asked.

"Not yet, Kusanagi. Ai's been gone for a long while, and I'd be surprised if he returned." Yusaku answered. "With what's happened, I feel that it's best for Ai not to return. Otherwise, he'll be thrown into a fight that's worse than what we've been through so far. If anything, Ai should live out his days in peace."

"But then there's the potential possibility that Ai may be hunted down by Jericho as we speak. It wouldn't hurt to keep a tab or two on him to see if he's okay." Katsuya countered.

"Calm down, Katsuya. Yusaku and I knew Ai far longer than you have, so I'm confident in saying that he can take care of himself." Kusanagi told Katsuya. "But if there's one thing I'm grateful for, it's that Ai lent us a helping hand against Yuhiro when we needed it."

"I'm grateful that I got to meet Ai. For I never expected him to change my life for the better." Yusaku stated, a frown appearing on his face. If Yusaku was being honest with himself, he missed Ai, especially the difference the latter made on the former's life. At first, Yusaku viewed Ai as a tool that he can use in his battle against the Knights of Hanoi. But as time passed, Yusaku was able to meet different people thanks to Ai, which in turn opened his horizons. It got to the point where Yusaku no longer felt blinded from everything else going on. In the end, it was Ai of all people who helped Yusaku become a better person.

"Now, now. No need to get down in the dumps, Yusaku, or else you'll scare the customers away. Why don't I grill you up a hotdog so I can turn that frown of yours upside down?" Kusanagi suggested, having stood up on his feet.

"Sounds good." Yusaku turned as Kusanagi went back into Café Nagi before turning up the grill. "If it's okay with you and Katsuya, I'd like to meet Jin someday."

Kusanagi smiled after hearing that idea. "I bet Jin would love that very much."

"Yeah, it'd be good for Jin to meet people and make friends. Especially ones who understand what he went through." Katsuya acknowledged.

"Katsuya, you and I already discussed this. I don't plan on telling Jin about the Lost Incident anytime soon. Not after he just got out of the rehabilitation center." Kusanagi reminded Katsuya.

"Kusanagi's right, Katsuya. After everything that's happened, Jin deserves to enjoy life again." Yusaku told Katsuya before turning to Kusanagi. "However, you do make a point on one thing. Jin will have questions soon, and he has the right to know the truth about what happened to him."

"I already know that, Yusaku. It doesn't make it any more pleasant, though." Kusanagi said back. Before he could say anything else, the trio soon heard a voice from the jumbotron nearby, which led them to look at it.

"SOL Technologies brings you the future with its newest product: Soltis," the jumbotron announced. It showed a humanoid android with a white head and dark-blue padding on their body in numerous environments, such as an office working with workers, a park playing soccer with a child, a home cooking dinner, and a rainy street holding an umbrella. "No matter the scenario, Soltis will be there for you."

Kusanagi rolled his eyes after the advertisement finished. "An android with a built-in AI, huh? I have a bad feeling about this."

"Is it because of the possibility that it could replace you, Shoichi?" Katsuya teased Kusanagi, which earned the former a glare from the latter.

"Excuse me, but I don't think that android can grill a better hotdog than I can. If the Soltis gets a hand on the food industry, then it loses something very special. The human touch, if you will."

Yusaku couldn't help but chuckle at hearing Kusanagi and Katsuya argue with one another. After many years of suffering, Kusanagi was finally able to obtain peace with both Jin and Katsuya. It was something they all needed, especially now that Lightning and Yukage were defeated for good. Yet Yusaku couldn't help but wonder whether he needed anything else to obtain peace ore not. If Yusaku was hopeful about one thing, however, it's that he'll be able to find the answer soon one way or another. For it's something that always happens at one point.

Meanwhile, at Brea's house…

"Ow. Ow. Must you use that on my wounds?"

"Yes, young lady. You've been bruised up quite badly out there. Consider yourself lucky for not getting yourself any more injured than you already have."

This exchange of words was said between Brea and Gabriella, the latter having treated injuries the former sustained earlier this week. It wasn't just those injuries, as Brea also suffered other injuries such as a few cuts and bruises on her body. Leaning on the wall nearby was Arashi, who couldn't help but laugh at seeing Brea and Gabriella quarrel, as it was hilarious to watch. In a way, it reminded him of how he quarrelled with Takeda a few times back in Tokyo. It had been a week since Yuhiro's plans had been stopped, and everyone who fought in freeing him now had to recuperate from that battle due to the stress it took on them both physically and mentally. For Brea, she sustained minor wounds on her body that she thought she could treat herself, only for Gabriella to realize they weren't upon noticing the swelling. What's more, Brea felt dizzy a few times this week, which Gabriella deduced was due to the stress she placed on her body to keep going and fight back against Yuhiro. To sum it up, Brea needed to recuperate and give her body the time needed to rest.

Gabriella poured a small amount of rubbing alcohol on a small rag before putting it on one of the bruises that was on Brea's face, which made her tense up seconds later. Upon seeing this, Arashi couldn't help but let out a loud laugh.

"What's so funny, Arashi? Do you enjoy it when people are in pain?" Brea inquired.

"No, no. Not at all. Just watching you two fight is hilarious enough." Arashi answered, which made Brea pout back in response. It was hilarious, as once again, it reminded Arashi of his quarrels with Takeda. Still, he could tell that the situation was stressful both for Brea and for Gabriella because of how the former pushed herself just so she can contribute towards saving Yuhiro's life. It wasn't just that, as Gabriella feared for Brea's life every day due to her having parents that were criminals. "Hey, Gabriella. Why don't you go take a break? I can help Brea out."

"I would appreciate that very much, Arashi. I can use the break to get some tea and see how Rufus is doing." Gabriella said back, having left the room and headed to the kitchen first so she can get herself a cup of tea. Arashi then went over to where Brea was, intent on making sure her wounds were taken care of.

"Let's see there. A bruise on your face, some cuts on your arms and a few comments of dizziness, huh? I'll do what I can, but you better not be jittery due to the pain the swelling's caused."

Brea let out an annoyed sigh, a blush evident on her face. "Alright, alright. Fine. I'll try my best to be a good patient and not let the pain get in the way of it." The next few minutes consisted of Arashi pouring some rubbing alcohol on a dry wipe before putting it on the bruises that were on her body, which made her wince out of pain. However, she had to keep it to herself and not complain lest she break her promise. Once Arashi cleaned it up, he grabbed another dry rag and made it damp with water, where he cleaned up the cuts before putting polysporin band-aids on each one.

"Okay, well that was tricky, but I got them done. Now I just need to see if you have a concussion or not."

"Wait just a second. You're not a doctor, yet you plan on testing to see if I have a concussion or not?" Brea questioned, having raised an eyebrow at Arashi.

"I received some instruction from one of my buds back at Tokyo. Unless you want to wait for it to get worse, I suggest that you let me help you out." Arashi responded, which made Brea pout before standing up from the couch. He pulled out his phone and turned the flashlight function on seconds later. "For this to work, I need you to open your eyes wide. This way, I can see if there's anything up with them."

"Alright, sure. Whatever it takes to get these tests done." Brea's eyes widened while Arashi shined the flashlight at each one of them. After a few seconds, he turned off the flashlight function from his phone.

"Well, your eyes are obviously not rolled back to start, so that's a good sign." Arashi stated. "Anyhow, there are a few more tests that need to be done to see if the dizziness you're describing is more than meets the eye."

Brea let out a groan after hearing this information. She really didn't want to do this, as her health was fine. But if it eased Gabriella's mind, then Brea was willing to partake in each one. After all, one's health was important, and Brea didn't want to take any risks. "Fine. Let's just get this over with." The next twenty minutes comprised of her doing tests. Some of which included Brea walking in a straight line with her arms out to test her balance, her looking around the area and following the movements of Arashi's hand, lifting things to identify her strength and coordination, as well as listening to music to see if she can hear the lyrics.

"Okay, I'm no doctor just as you said, but I can see that you don't have anything other than a headache whatsoever. With some rest, you'll be back to normal." Arashi let out a sigh of relief.

"How in the world do you know this information? Did Roxy teach you how to see if someone has a concussion?" Brea questioned, as Arashi sat down on the couch.

"A friend of mine named Hank studied kinesiology and engineering at the Tokyo Horizon Institute." Arashi began answering. "He's developing and improving on sports equipment so he can contribute towards preventing sports injuries out on the field. In the spare time I had prior to the showcase, I visited Hank a few times so he can give me a run down on the head of a human body, along with the best tricks on how to make sure someone was okay."

"I see." Brea sat down on the couch as well seconds later. "Honestly, I never expected the areas of engineering and programming to join forces with other things to create something better. It's as though the research coming out of it will bring even better things to come."

"You could say that." A thought crossed Arashi's mind seconds later. "If you're so interested in learning more about this stuff, then why don't you come visit me in Tokyo some time?"

"Tokyo? You're heading back home soon?" Brea asked, surprise evident in her tone, along with a bit of sadness.

Arashi sighed after hearing that question. "Honestly, I came here to figure out who hurt my cousin so I can bring them to justice. When I found out Windy was responsible for such a deed, I wanted to kill him, but it was thanks to Gabriella and the others that I ultimately didn't do it. I chose to instead capture Windy and repair him so he can repent for his sins, as well as forge a real bond with him. But…"

"He died, didn't he?"

"Yeah. Windy died, but it wasn't by my hand. He was absorbed by Bohman before getting killed. On the bright side, at least I freed myself from the cycle of revenge."

"Ah. So it seems my words of wisdom have had an impact on you, haven't they?" Gabriella deduced, having entered into the living room with the cup of tea in her hand. Rufus followed after her, having woke up from his nap just now. "Your decision to not kill Windy has enabled you to retain your kind and caring personality."

"I hear you, Gabriella. Still, if I was just as strong as I am now, I could have at least managed to save him." Arashi pointed out angrily, a little upset that he couldn't have done more to save Windy. If he had managed to defeat Azrael, then Windy would have been alive. But before Arashi could say more, Brea placed her hand on his head and gently ruffled his hair.

"Do you remember what you said to me on how I shouldn't act tough all the time? Well, I think you should follow your own advice." Brea told Arashi. "I mean, what happened back then happened. You can't change the past. All you can do is move forward and live a life that honors both Windy and the other Ignis."

Before Arashi could say anything else, Rufus went over and put his head on the former's lap, having let out a whimper seconds later. He ruffled his fur, happy for the comfort. "You do make a good point, Brea. All I can do is move forward, and now that my mission's finished, I plan on going back to Tokyo once the exchange program is complete. As for whether I come back here remains to be seen." He turned to Brea. "Again, you should come visit me in Tokyo some time. I think you'd like it."

"You're not trying to ask me out on a date, are you?" Brea tilted her head and raised an eyebrow out of curiosity as Arashi winced, a playful smirk on her face. That… was scary to see.

"What? No. Not at all. Just as friends. Nothing more. Nothing less." Arashi quickly responded, having realized that Brea was teasing him. Suddenly, something clicked in his mind. "I think I figured out why you're experiencing dizziness lately."

"I thought it was because I pushed myself over the past few days and need to recuperate to regain my strength." Brea commented.

"That's true, but I think it could be something else." Arashi put a hand to his chin. "Did you by any chance use cards that would take a toll on your body?"

Brea's face turned bright red for several seconds, as if to try and deny that question. "Uh, I…. I don't know what you're talking about."

"You and I know exactly what Arashi's talking about, young lady. Don't try to hide it or beat around the bush." Gabrielle snidely remarked, which made Brea glare at her.

"Not. One. Word." Brea said back, the annoyed look still on her face.

"Come on, Brea. Aside from the new cards Hideki made for you, I'm sure you needed to acquire some more firepower from elsewhere, which could explain why you were able to defeat one of Yuhiro's data clones." Arashi stated. "Tell you what. I'll show you the new cards Hideki made for me if you show me the cards in your deck."

Brea turned back to Arashi, having heard his idea. "Okay, fine. I too am curious on how you made your deck strong enough to the point where you defeated one of Yuhiro's data clones." While she didn't deny that Arashi was a strong duelist, she was also curious on the new cards he had in his deck, and how they worked in defeating one of Yuhiro's data clones. As such, the two of them traded decks temporarily so Arashi can look at whether or not Brea played any cards that would have taken a toll on her. "I must say, you have some strong cards despite their appearance being goofy."

"When you face off against a creature or a toy, everyone would brace themselves upon seeing a creature, yet they can never anticipate what kind of power the toy can have." Arashi smiled as he looked through the cards. Soon, he saw three of them that caught his eye. "Hang on a minute. Why do you have these cards in your deck?" He took the three cards, which consisted of Rank-Up-Magic Barian's Force, Skypalace Gangaridai and CXyz Skypalace Babylon.

"Here's the thing, Arashi. My parents stole those cards years ago from the Zeta branch." Brea sheepishly explained. "Given how Yuhiro made new cards for his deck that were very hard to overcome recently, I needed an ace in the hole so I can catch him off guard. Now I know what you're going to say next. How it was too dangerous-."

"It was dangerous, but if anything, you're a badass for taking that risk." Arashi interjected, which caught Brea off guard. "I mean, you wielded a member of the freakin' Deadly Seven and survived to tell the tale. Even though you experienced some pain in the form of dizziness and headaches due to using it, with some training, you'll be able to wield it like a pro!"

Brea opened her mouth to try and say something, but found that she couldn't. She expected Arashi to tell her not to do it again given how he cared for her as a friend, but she did not anticipate him praising her for taking such a risk. As such, all Brea could do was chuckle and scratch the back of her head before speaking. "Well, it goes to show that when you take a risk, it can lead to a huge payoff if done properly."

"You should see the type of attribute on those monsters, Arashi. I'm sure you'll get a good laugh out of it" Gabriella suggested.

"Don't you dare bring that up, Gabriella!" Brea warned Gabriella, a small blush evident on her face.

"The monster's attribute, huh?" Arashi commented, having looked at the attribute Skypalace Gangaridai and Skypalace Babylon had. He let out several chuckles upon seeing that the two of them had the Wind attribute. "I didn't know your new monsters had the Wind attribute. Did my comments from our duel by any chance convinced you to improve your deck?"

"Hey, I upgraded my deck to be just as strong as you and the others! Your comment from our duel had nothing to do with it! And as for that monster's attribute being Wind, it was just a coincidence, you hear me? A COINCIDENCE!" Brea turned red as a tomato, which made both Gabriella and Arashi laugh in response. What in the world did she do to deserve being teased like this?

"But moving that aside, I'm proud of how much the both of you have grown." Gabriella spoke up, which got Arashi and Brea's attention. "For you Arashi, you managed to let go of your desire to get revenge and retain who you truly are as a person. As for you Brea, you were able to finally reconcile with Roxy and move forward from your past pain. Again, I'm truly proud of you both."

"Uh, thanks." Brea said, having scratched the back of her head.

"I appreciate it very much." Arashi added. "If there's anything I learned from being here in Den City, it's the idea that life is precious. Things such as grudges and quests for revenge only hinder someone. But by letting go of whatever holds you back, you'll be able to enjoy life with those you care about."

Gabriella smiled after hearing Arashi say that observation. "That is a wise observation you made, young man. We all have one life on this planet, and once we die, we won't get another chance."

"That's true, Gabriella. Definitely true." Brea agreed, a smile appearing on her face. Everyone had one life the moment they were brought to this world. While what someone did with it was ultimately up to them, the people they spent their time with can definitely influence their decision. For building relationships with others can enable you to cherish the time spent with them and be thankful for it, as well as acquire meaning in your life. By doing so, you'll be able to make a lasting impact towards the people you interact with on a a day-to-day basis.

I look forward to seeing you soon, Takeda, Arashi thought in his mind, a smile having formed on his face. Life was definitely precious, and Arashi would ensure that he cherish every single moment of it with the people he had right now. After all, life is a beautiful gift, and what was the point of it if you couldn't spend it with those you loved?

Elsewhere, at another area of Den City…

Takeru looked out at the clear sky as he walked down at the sidewalk. The past few weeks had been stressful due to the numerous events that happened. Ones that tested Takeru's strength physically and mentally, as well as the strength of his allies. From the Turf War to the conjoined attacks in the network and in the real world, the war in Mirror LINK VRAINS and Yuhiro going rogue, all of these battles had left Takeru exhausted. Even though Takeru and the others managed to overcome the various odds each event presented, it didn't come without consequences, as a lot of people died in the crossfire.

But of all the people who died, Takeru didn't expect Flame to lose his life, which left an empty void within him. How would Takeru be able to cope and move forward now that Flame, the person who helped him find new meaning in life, died? He obviously knew Flame would leave once the war in Mirror LINK VRAINS and the battle against Urizen was over, but again, he never expected his ally to perish in any of them. What's more, Takeru's reasons for coming to Den City were almost completed, which meant he'd return home soon. But where would Takeru go from that point? What was Takeru's purpose now that his objectives were nearly achieved?

If there was one objective he wanted to achieve before leaving, it was to settle unfinished matters with the Knights of Hanoi. For they were responsible for the deaths of his parents, as well as for messing up with his life. Unfortunately, there was a concern regarding this objective, and this worried Takeru. There were numerous individuals who sought revenge, only for it to add up to nothing in the end and cause them further pain. First was Yusaku, who was consumed with the desire to get revenge on the Knights of Hanoi after the Lost Incident, which ultimately resulted in him wasting years of his life as a result. For all that rage and hatred added up to nothing.

Second was Watchman, where it was revealed that he sought the Root of All Knowledge in order to destroy sin, save humanity and get revenge on Urizen for killing Myojin and Lyla a long time ago. He also had no qualms in casting people aside once their usefulness was up, as well as killing innocents if it meant he was able to be one step closer towards achieving his goals. What's more, Watchman was also able to hide his true intentions from both friend and foe under the guise of making amends for his crimes, which got him so close to achieving his objectives. However, his fate was sealed the moment he engaged a corrupted Yuhiro in battle, and while everyone didn't truly know what happened to Watchman, they all assumed he was dead. If that was truly the case, then it was a fitting fate for a hypocrite like Watchman.

Third was Yukage Furutani, whose plans for revenge began following the Lost Incident, similar to Yusaku. Here, Yukage not only succeeded in getting revenge on those who hurt him and Yuhiro, but also managed to reach the Root of All Knowledge as well. In the process, tons of people died, and others suffered like the Knights of Hanoi, who lost two of their members as a result of Yukage's actions. What's more, Yukage proved to be a very dangerous enemy yet not just by being one step ahead of them, but by breaking Yuhiro piece by piece as well. While Yukage's whereabouts were unknown, if he did return, then he'd be a more powerful enemy to deal with down the road.

Fourth was Yuhiro, who snapped and fell victim to the Cursed Boundary Layer's influence before going rogue. Thanks to his actions, tons of people either died or fell sick while he obtained a massive amount of energy. While it appeared that Yuhiro wanted to acquire the Root of All Knowledge so he can finish what his family started and eradicate sin by becoming the One True God, Takeru deduced that another of Yuhiro's goals might have been to make the current world suffer for what it did to humans. If that was the case, then Yuhiro was ultimately a hypocrite in his failed vendetta. Even though Yuhiro was saved, he still had to deal with the fallout of his actions, especially since his quest amounted to nothing. Specifically, the physical and mental path down to recovery.

But then there was of Arashi, who was originally consumed with getting revenge on Windy for what the latter did to the former's cousin Takeda. However, Arashi managed to break free from that cycle by choosing to spare Windy instead of letting Mirror LINK VRAINS kill him. Apparently, spending time with people such as Yuhiro and Herald, as well as learning about how revenge impacted others, allowed him to ultimately make the choice to move forward. After all, there was far more to life than revenge.

The ultimate question on Takeru's mind was this: How can he resolve matters with the Hanoi in a way that will not only prevent him from being consumed by revenge, but also be given the chance to move on as well? Because if Takeru did this wrong, he wouldn't be able to free himself from the cycle of revenge, and would instead suffer the same emptiness Yusaku and Yuhiro suffered as a result.

Suddenly, Balelynx jumped out of Takeru's duel disk, which interrupted his thoughts as a result. "Meow."

"Hey, Balelynx. You spooked me out there." Takeru commented, as he picked up Balelynx before walking over to the bench nearby. "How are the others doing, Balelynx?"

"Meow. Meow." Balelynx responded before sighing, as if to indicate that the other 'Salamangreat' monsters were still saddened by Flame's death despite being okay. Takeru sat down on the bench before ruffling Balelynx's fur.

"Yeah, I miss Flame too. If I was only stronger, I could have prevented Flame from being killed by Jericho." Takeru frowned. Flame taught him how to interpret what Balelynx said through her meows so he could understand what she was saying. With him gone, only Takeru was able to understand what Balelynx said through her meows. He made a mental note to teach Yuhiro and the others how to speak Balelynx's language before going back home.

"Meow." Balelynx rubbed her head on Takeru's chest as if to comfort him. Smiling at this, Takeru proceeded to give Balelynx a hug, happy that there was someone there for him right now.

"I know, buddy. I'm glad you're here for me right now." To Takeru's surprise, Balelynx quickly swiped at his pocket before pulling out his phone. "Hey, what are you doing?"

"Meow. Meow. Meow. Meow." Balelynx stated, having poked at Takeru's phone.

"You want me to talk to someone about what I'm going through? I mean, you do make a good point, but my friends are busy with other matters right now." Takeru explained. "Yusaku's with Kusanagi, Arashi's hanging out with Brea, and Roxy and Miyu are taking care of Yuhiro."

Balelynx rolled her eyes before turning on Takeru's phone and unlocking it, where she pressed the phone app and scrolled down to a person that he could talk to. She then pointed at one of the people seconds later on Takeru's phone, which he looked at before gulping after reading the name of the person.

Kiku Kamishirakawa.

"Really, Balelynx? You want me to talk to Kiku? She doesn't know what's going on, and the last thing I need is to get her worried about me. Hell, the last thing I also don't want is to scare her on recent events." Takeru sweat-dropped out of nervousness. It had been a while since he last spoke to Kiku, as the last time he spoke to her was back at home before going to Den City. If Takeru was being honest, he was nervous.

"Meow. Meow. Meow." Balelynx quickly scratched Takeru numerous times, which made him let out a few groans of pain.

"Alright. Alright. I'll talk to Kiku, but only if you stop scratching me." Takeru conceded, as he took the phone before pressing the phone number. To ensure Balelynx that he was indeed talking to the right person, he pressed the Facetime button. For Balelynx would know if Takeru was talking to someone else. The phone rang a few times before a screen popped up, which showed a petite girl with long, dark blue hair that was kept in a braid over her left shoulder, along with short bangs parted to the right side of her face. She had olive-colored eyes, as well as fair skin. As for her attire, it consisted of a uniform that had long sleeves, a navy-blue collar, a knee length skirt and a red scarf.

"Hey, Teddy!" a voice said on the other end with a smile.

"Hey, Kiku. It's been a while." Takeru said back.

"Meow!" Balelynx added, happy to see the person on the Facetime call.

"It's so good to see you as well, Balelynx." Kiku responded with a smile. Aside from Flame and Takeru, Kiku was the other person that understood what Balelynx was saying through her meows. "I have to say, I didn't expect to hear from you today."

"Well, it's only fair to keep in touch, don't you agree?" Takeru stated, before letting out a sigh.

"What's wrong, Teddy?"

"Kiku, I have some bad news to tell you."

"Bad news?" Kiku repeated, before realizing that there was one person who wasn't with Takeru. "Where's Flame?"

Takeru gathered his thoughts, intent on composing himself before answering Kiku's question. "Flame was killed by someone in the network. The worst part was that despite my best efforts, there was nothing I could do to save him."

"What?!" Kiku gasped, shocked at what she just heard. This was the last thing she wanted to hear today, as Flame was the one who managed to help Takeru move on from his pain, as well as acquire a direction on how to tackle it head on. "Takeru, I'm so sorry."

"Despite everything I did, I couldn't stop Flame from getting killed, Kiku." Takeru continued, a few tears falling from his eyes, which he wiped with his left sleeve. "The worst part was that even though I managed to make the assailant retreat, it was too late to save Flame. I failed him, and I failed myself."

"Hey, it'll be okay, Teddy." Kiku assured Takeru. "Do you know who murdered Flame?"

"I do, but it's a long story." Takeru then proceeded to tell Kiku about what happened recently. How he and the others went to Mirror LINK VRAINS to defeat Lightning, Bohman and Azrael, where they eventually succeeded in winning the war. However, it wasn't without casualties, as Takeru lost against Bohman despite the former's best efforts in trying to defeat the later. This led Flame and the other Ignis to be assimilated into Bohman, where they were then murdered by a man named Jericho near the war's end, leaving Ai the last Ignis alive. Takeru also told Kiku about his encounter with Jericho in the network, where he managed to make him retreat, only for it to be all for naught due to Flame's passing.

"Wow… you're right, Teddy. That was a long story." Kiku blinked as she gathered her thoughts. "Again, I'm really sorry to hear about what happened to Flame."

"I mean, Flame was the person who helped me confront my pain instead of hiding from it, no matter how difficult it took to do so. In the end, I was able to do so." Takeru commented.

"Well, I'll help you avenge Flame's death, as well as the deaths of his friends." Kiku promised. "I mean, I may not have a Cyberse deck like you do, but I do have a powerful deck."

"Yeah, that's true." Takeru let out a chuckle, having seen Kiku duel firsthand at her insistence despite his numerous attempts at refusing because of what happened the Lost Incident. Her skills as a duelist enabled her to become one of the school's top duelists due to the hard work put into it.

"Although…" Kiku put a hand to her chin as she pondered something over. "I might need to incorporate some of the cards from your old deck into my own so I can reach your level of strength, Teddy."

"What?! You can't do that!" Takeru protested, his eyes having widened out of shock upon hearing Kiku's decision.

"Hey, you haven't touched those cards since Flame gave you a new deck, and cards always have a use no matter how old they are." Kiku firmly reminded Takeru. Balelynx then scratched Takeru multiple times to stop him from protesting Kiku's decision.

"Okay, okay. Stop scratching me, Balelynx." It took some effort, but Takeru was able to calm Balelynx down before turning back to his phone. "If you think it'll help, Kiku, then I have no objections." He pouted, knowing when to stop talking. When Kiku usually had her mind set on something, she intended on getting it done, and wouldn't let anyone get in her way.

"Great! When you come home, then I'll show you my new and improved deck!" Kiku smiled, awaiting the day when she can show Takeru her upgraded deck. If Flame was still around, he'd be curious on the synchronicity between Kiku's deck and Takeru's old cards.

"Yeah. Home. That's the original reason I called you, Kiku. I could use some advice." Takeru stated, which got Kiku's attention.

"Oh? What's wrong?" Kiku asked.

"Do you remember when I said I was temporarily leaving to take care of a matter I should have dealt with a long time ago?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, here's the thing, Kiku. I found the people who were responsible for hurting me all those years ago, and I'm worried that I'll become no better than them if I'm not careful about how I resolve things with them." Takeru explained. He proceeded to tell Kiku about some of the people he met during his time in Den City, along with the enemies he made. First was Yusaku, who went through the same thing Takeru went through ten years earlier, and how his quest to get revenge added up to nothing. In the end, he ended up wasting years of his life. Next was Watchman, who Takeru thought to be an ally, only for him to use the latter and the others as pawns for his schemes. Eventually, Watchman got karma for his treacherous actions by getting brutally destroyed in his duel against Yuhiro. Speaking of Yuhiro, Takeru explained to Kiku about how he was also in the same incident just like with him and Yusaku. He also talked about how his brother Yukage, who was also at that same incident, became one of their worst enemies yet. This was evident by the number of people that suffered in the crossfire due to Yukage's plans, as well as being one step ahead of Takeru and the others. While Yukage was defeated, he was still able to pinpoint the Root of All Knowledge's location in the network. His machinations even made Yuhiro snap and go rogue in order to finish what his family started all those years ago. In a way, it was Yukage's failsafe in the event he should fall in battle. Upon going rogue, Yuhiro sought to acquire the Root of All Knowledge so he can become the One True God and eradicate sin from the current universe. Takeru even shared his theory that Yuhiro may have even wanted to make the current world suffer for what it did to humans, which was something Kiku believed was possible. The good thing was that Yuhiro was saved from his madness, which now gave him the chance to recuperate both from the war and his past actions.

"Wow. You met a lot of interesting people in your time at Den City, Teddy." Kiku said the obvious.

"Yeah. You should come down and meet Yusaku and the others sometime." Takeru suggested. "But anyhow, there's one other person I've met in Den City. He managed to free himself from the cycle of revenge."

"Really?"

"Yeah, Kiku. His name's Arashi Hada, and just like with everyone else, he was a part of the Lost Incident. He originally wanted to get revenge on the person who put his cousin in the hospital, but ultimately chose to spare his life. By making that choice, Arashi freed himself from the same cycle Yusaku, Watchman, Yukage and Yuhiro were trapped in." Takeru sadly sighed. "Honestly, my worry is that if I pursue revenge, I'll be stuck in that cycle and suffer the same emptiness everyone else did for making such a choice. What's more, I won't be able to move on as well. Got any advice?"

Kiku sighed on her end. "Teddy, I've known you for a very long time, and you've been unable to move forward due to what you suffered ten years ago. You picked fights with a ton of people, you missed school, and you were filled with anger and hopelessness during that time. What's more, you lost any motivation to find a new direction in your life."

"I'm aware of all those points." Takeru pouted, having obviously agreed with all of Kiku's points.

"But if I know one thing about you, it's that you're not a coward." Kiku firmly continued, ignoring Takeru's comment. "You told me before leaving that you had a matter to take care of relating to your past, and based on what happened, the only way for you to truly move on is if you resolve things with your transgressors."

"I know that, Kiku. If I go through with it, then my greatest fear is being stuck in the same cycle of revenge everyone except Arashi was in. But if I don't, it'll be like me running away instead of confronting my past."

"Listen to me very closely and do not interrupt me, Teddy, as I'm going to give you some advice here." Kiku narrowed her eyes at Takeru to ensure she got his attention. "You've seen firsthand the consequences people experience for pursuing revenge. For some, it's emptiness. For others, it's pain. If I can give you any advice, it's to look at things from the other side so you can understand the situation more."

"From the other side?" Takeru repeated, as he thought this over.

"Yes, Teddy. Perhaps you can identify how your transgressors were feeling when they traumatized you and the others all those years ago." Kiku told Takeru. "Does it justify their actions? No, it does not. But understanding both sides will enable you to acquire more information, which will provide you with enough clarity so you can resolve things efficiently rather than angrily."

Takeru thought over Kiku's words and the strong points she made. They definitely made sense, as you couldn't fully comprehend a situation until you acquired the perspectives of everyone involved. He then remembered the words Flame told him before they went to Mirror LINK VRAINS. Specifically, his theory on why Ryoken invited Takeru with Yusaku and the others to meet with him. According to Flame, the reason why Ryoken invited Takeru was so he can apologize for what Dr. Kogami did to him and the others during the Lost Incident. It must have been the reason why Ryoken accepted Takeru's duel in the first place, and given how there would be a rematch soon, it was very likely that it'd be the former's way of officially apologizing to the latter for what happened all those years ago.

"Does that help, Teddy?"

Takeru snapped out of his thoughts after hearing Kiku's question. "Yeah, Kiku. I guess it does. Thank you for your help."

"Glad to be of assistance. Although there is one request I hope you can do for me." Kiku said. "Please do not lose yourself, okay? The last thing I want is for you to regress back to your former self."

"Of course, Kiku. I'll do what Yuhiro could not, and make sure I don't lose myself. What's more, I'll make sure my remaining matters are resolved with a balance of both logic and emotion." Takeru promised. He genuinely meant that, as seeing what revenge and despair brought onto others gave him insight on what would happen if he did something similar. Just like with Arashi, Takeru will break free from the cycle of revenge by confronting his transgressors.

"I'll hold you to that, Teddy." Kiku smiled, grateful that she was able to help Takeru out. "Anyhow, I have to go. I have to get some stuff done on my end. See you soon."

"Right back at you, Kiku." With that, Takeru hung up on his end, having let out a sigh seconds later. Balelynx then lied on Takeru's lap, where he then ruffled her fur. "Thanks for the idea, Balelynx. I appreciate it very much."

"Meow." Balelynx responded, glad that Takeru made the right choice in calling Kiku to get some advice. She then returned back to Takeru's duel disk, intent on getting some rest.

Once this was done, Takeru looked up at the sky, a relieved look evident on his face. With his dilemma having been resolved, he can now settle things with the Hanoi for good. Although Takeru must do it with a balance of logic and emotion, lest he suffer the same fate Yusaku and Yuhiro suffered for pursuing revenge. His thoughts then went back to Kiku, and how she was loyal to him. While she enjoyed teasing him, she was also both compassionate and kind, as well as beautiful.

Takeru's face turned as red as a tomato upon realizing that he was thinking of Kiku. Damn, Flame. You may be right about me this whole time, Takeru thought in his mind, having let out several chuckles to himself. He sincerely looked forward to the day where he can move on from the Lost Incident, where he can finally be free. For when that day came, Takeru can finally obtain inner peace.

Meanwhile, at the Zaizens' residence…

Aoi sat down on her couch and scrolled through her tablet to see if there were any news updates regarding the Cursed Boundary Layer. Just like yesterday and the day before, there had been no sightings of the Cursed Boundary Layer. Only reports of people being pricked by it regaining their energy and returning back to normal. As a result, they were discharged from the hospital and allowed to go back home. This was really good, as it truly meant the worst was over. Now, everyone can enjoy a long period of peace.

"Looking to see if there are any reports of the Cursed Boundary Layer, Aoi?" Akira inquired, having carried a cup of coffee in his hands. "The last time you looked, there were no reports."

"I know that, Akira. I want to be vigilant like Playmaker. That's all." Aoi explained. "For if there are any remnants, they have to be destroyed lest they infect someone else."

"Which in turn would jump start everything all over again. A smart idea on your end, Aoi." Akira walked over to the other couch and sat down on it. The good news was that the damage done to the Zaizen residence was only minor, which meant repairs were quick and easy. Then there was the issue of replacing damaged furniture with new ones, as well as buying a new couch to replace the one that was destroyed during the fight between Pandora, Medusa and Wonder Heart. Aside from those things, nothing else was majorly damaged, so that was a good thing. For the last thing Akira wanted was to move into a hotel temporarily. "How's Yuhiro doing?"

Aoi put the tablet down. "I spoke to Miyu and Roxy recently. He's recovering, but at a slow rate regarding his injuries."

"Yes. Both physically and mentally." Akira acknowledged. When it came to the path to recovery, it wasn't easy, as there was both a physical and a mental part of it. "I really do hope he sees a therapist to talk about what happened."

"Miyu told me that he's going to see one today." Aoi told Akira, which made him smile out of relief. "Although you are right about the path to recovery."

"Of course I am, Aoi. For recovery doesn't just happen in a day. That being said, how are you doing? You know, with everything that's happened? I'm just glad you're willing to take a few sick days to recuperate."

Aoi chuckled. "Shouldn't I be asking that question, Akira? I mean, SOL Technologies has its hands tied right now, right?"

"Yes." Akira gritted his teeth in frustration. That part was true. SOL Technologies had been under fire ever since the attacks in both the real world and in the network. Due to this, the company publicly removed the bounties set up on Yusaku, Takeru, Arashi and Yuhiro. What's more, the company lost several of its business partners and clients, which in turn led to a decrease of resources. Any resources SOL Technologies currently had on hand were directed towards supporting relief efforts and helping those who suffered as a result of recent events, where it was eventually forced to lay off numerous employees in order to cut losses. But one of the company's greatest losses was the lead card designer Hideki Kinoshita, who resigned in protest with those who lost their jobs during the layoffs. According to the news, he was angry not just with how SOL Technologies was treating its employees during this difficult time, but how it failed to protect the people despite its best efforts overall. All in all, the past few weeks had been crazy, and Akira was stressed out.

"I still can't believe Tsubaki's dad left SOL Technologies like that. Aside from you, he was the only other person I know at the company who I would count on if something went wrong." Aoi commented.

"It's a major loss for SOL Technologies, but it'll find someone else to replace him. They always do." Akira stated, before turning to Aoi. "As for you, Aoi, you need to note that not everyone at SOL Technologies is bad. Some of them are good people doing their jobs in order to support themselves and their families. Please be a little bit more compassionate towards SOL Technologies moving forward."

"Sure, Akira. Sorry about that." Aoi apologized. She really didn't mean to offend Akira with that comment, and would work hard to be compassionate and keep an open mind when it came to matters regarding SOL Technologies. After all, like Akira said, there were people at SOL Technologies who worked there in order to provide for themselves and their families. "Still, I do feel bad for what SOL Technologies is going through. I wonder what made Tsubaki's dad resign like that."

"An interview recently popped up online regarding Hideki's resignation, Aoi. I can show you, if you want. Though I'll need to borrow your tablet so I can connect it with the TV to do so." Aoi handed her tablet over to Akira, who obtained it before pressing a few buttons on the device. After finding the right video, Akira pressed a button on Aoi's tablet to connect it with the TV, where it then began playing. The footage showed two individuals on screen. The first was Hideki, while the person sitting opposite to him was a Caucasian man with sandy blond hair and blue eyes that wore a simple business suit.

"Thank you for joining us today, Mr. Kinoshita," the man said.

"No problem, Giovanni." Hideki responded to the man by addressing his name.

"So tell us, Mr. Kinoshita: You've recently resigned from your job as lead card designer, which pays a big amount of money as one of the higher job positions at SOL Technologies. What's more, you also left a company that you've worked at for many years. Why is that? Does it have anything to do with recent events?"

Hideki let out a small smile, as if to indicate that he was willing to answer the question immediately. "I resigned from this job because a part of me knew it was time to go. With the skills I've gained over the years, I needed a fresh start at a different company. One that is loyal to its clients and to the people."

"You answered the first question, Mr. Kinoshita. Yet based on your response, it seems you didn't answer the second part. You're not hiding anything, right?"

"Not at all, Giovanni. Lately, I've been unhappy at SOL Technologies, especially with the controversy that it's experiencing right now. With so many people being laid off, it was only a matter of time that other departments would suffer losses just like the others did. I didn't want to take that risk, which is why I resigned."

Giovanni frowned and put his hand on his chin. "I guess that makes sense. You left of your own free will rather than risk the company taking away your job. Still, I have to wonder if your reasons in leaving the company have anything to do with past events. Examples including the Turf War, the conjoined attacks in LINK VRAINS and in the real world, as well as the little fritz that occurred in the network a couple of weeks ago. One that left a lot of people in temporary comas as a result. If memory serves, your daughter Tsubaki Kinoshita, who goes by Rosetta in the network, was involved in helping end the Turf War, yes?"

"I would advise you not to bring my daughter into this conversation, Giovanni. After all, I thought this interview was to discuss my reasons for leaving SOL Technologies and what I plan to do next." Hideki reminded Giovanni.

"My apologies, Hideki. I meant no ill will against your daughter." Giovanni tried to placate Hideki, which partially worked. "Still, Rosetta was originally a worker on the Black Market before striving to become a Charisma duelist. I mean, she did commit a lot of crimes during her time there, yet the public is willing to forgive and forget. This raises a curious question: Did you truly resign from your job in order to save both yourself and your daughter while everyone else suffers in the chaos? If you ask me, that's just selfish."

"You want to know the true reasons why I resigned from my job position, Giovanni?! It's simple." Hideki proceeded to glare at Giovanni in order to get his attention. "I resigned from my job in order to stand in unity with those that have unfairly lost their jobs at SOL Technologies! What's more, I'm disgusted with the company's inability to keep Den City safe despite the numerous opportunities that were presented to them! If anything, SOL Technologies only cares about lining up its own pockets rather than maintain the wellbeing of the people! Those are my real reasons why I made the decision to resign. It didn't come out of selfishness and focusing only on myself. It came out of selflessness and the desire to help those who are currently going through difficult times."

Giovanni gasped, along with the audience present after hearing what Hideki said just now. "Woah, calm down, Hideki. No need to get so angry with me trying to uncover the real reasons why you left your job. Please take it easy, as this is a live interview."

"Is that so? In that case, I have a message to deliver." Hideki took a deep breath and composed himself before turning to face the camera. "This message goes out to those who have unfairly lost their jobs at SOL Technologies. I resigned from my high-paying job so I can stand in unity with each and every one of you. For you are not alone during these difficult times. That's why I'm starting up a new company called Rose Enterprises, which focuses on the creation of cards for Duel Monsters. Whether it's for the network or for in the real world, this new business will ensure people of all ages can experience the game that made a great impact on this world. Join me in my startup, and together, we can build a better future. One with integrity. One with hope. And finally, one with everlasting opportunities for growth."

"Okay, then…" Giovanni gathered his thoughts before continuing to speak. "Well, thank you for your time, Hideki. I think that wraps up our interview. See you next time, folks."

"Wow, I didn't expect Hideki to be so angry like that." Aoi commented, as the live interview ended before Akira handed her tablet back to her.

"He was, but I also believe he was passionate about his next steps, as well as his desire to stand with those that were also unfairly treated by SOL Technologies." Akira explained. "Although I will miss having him at SOL Technologies. He had a great influence there."

"I get what you're saying." Aoi put a hand to her chin as she thought over a few things. "But still, it's crazy with happened recently, especially with how SOL Technologies is handling it. The Shadow, or the Cursed Boundary Layer, appearing must have been the final nail on the coffin for SOL Technologies to be acting so desperately."

"The Cursed Boundary Layer?" Akira repeated.

"That's what Playmaker and the others call the Shadow, as that is its true name." Aoi clarified. "We also found out who sent that thing in the first place, as well as who murdered the other Ignis."

"Who?" Akira raised an eyebrow out of curiosity.

"His name is Jericho, Akira. He's the person that nearly destroyed everything we fought to protect, as well as the one who murdered the Ignis." Aoi then proceeded to tell Akira about what she learned about Jericho, along with who he served. How he was sent by Urizen to different worlds in the network so he can find the Root of All Knowledge for the latter. Aoi also explained how Jericho used the Cursed Boundary Layer to infect Yuhiro's mind so he can use him as a puppet to find what Urizen was searching for, which nearly succeeded had it not been for her and the others saving Yuhiro's life. She even talked about how Jericho tried to capture Rachel while Yuhiro was dueling Yusaku, only for Takeru being able to make him retreat. If there was one thing Akira and Aoi would agree on, it was this: Jericho would make an appearance soon now that his plans were foiled.

"A person who invades worlds and tears them apart just to find the Root of All Knowledge for his master? Ones containing different species who were minding their own business and never sought conflict against him? Jericho is truly a monster if he's willing to destroy so many living beings to find what he and his master are looking for." Akira commented.

"It's not just that, Akira. The name of Jericho's master is Ukyos Albinor, who goes by the name of Urizen in the network." Aoi continued.

"He was one of the three men who started Project: VIII in the first place. To think that he'd resume his mad plans after all of this time." Akira put a hand to his chin and thought this over. Just when Yuhiro's plans were stopped, there was another threat around the corner in both Jericho and Urizen.

"We'll stop him and Jericho, Akira. For we have powerful duelists on our side." Aoi smiled. "Speaking of duelists, I've been training Miyu on how to use the 'Trickstar' deck for the past few days. This way, she'll be able to out on the frontlines rather than just assist on the sidelines. After what Miyu's been through, it's only fair for her to join us in protecting those we care about."

"You make a good point there." Akira agreed. "It's funny, don't you think? Miyu was there for you ten years ago, and she was the first friend you ever made. Now, she came to help you defeat Yuhiro. What's more, she'll be helping on the frontlines as well. It just goes to show how the bonds between people can never be broken, nor can they be forgotten, especially one that's lasted for ten years."

Aoi's genuine smile widened after hearing what Akira said just now. "That is definitely true." She reflected back on her duel against Haru, where she and Aqua told him about how bonds aren't defined by blood or DNA. Rather, the bonds forged were defined by the impact people had on one another, as well as the time spent with each other. Her smile then soon turned into a frown seconds later, a thought having crossed her mind.

"Everything okay, Aoi?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, Akira. It's just…" Aoi let out a sigh. "Is it normal to be glad that an enemy's gone forever? One that you wanted to be destroyed for every wrong thing they did to you?"

Akira frowned after hearing Aoi's question. "What do you mean?"

"Well, here's the thing. Watchman caused all of this pain by bringing the selected children to Dr. Kogami for the Lost Incident. What's more, he used all of us as pawns so he can try to obtain the Root of All Knowledge. When I went to rescue Playmaker and Rachel from Yuhiro's grasp, his ally gave me a program to use in the event Watchman planned to betray us again." Aoi began explaining. "My anger at Watchman for his actions led me to use that program to ensure he couldn't escape. I even made Playmaker use the program as well, and as a result, Watchman might have been killed by Yuhiro. Am I a bad person for wanting someone to be dead, Akira? Should I be grateful that Watchman died for what he did to Yuhiro and the other Lost Incident victims?"

"I'm glad you're asking these questions and analyzing what happened, Aoi. It allows one to determine where their thoughts are coming from, as well as identify next steps so their fears don't become a reality." Akira responded, which got Aoi's attention. "You are allowed to feel what you're feeling, Aoi, and that goes for everyone else. While emotions are neither good nor bad, all of us have a responsibility on deciding what to do in response to these emotions, and our choices will determine what happens next. In other words, we are accountable for every choice we make in life. Would you like to know what I think?"

"Yeah?"

"In the past while, you've grown into someone that's brave, compassionate and loyal. Someone who doesn't give up in the face of danger and fights on to the very end." Akira smiled. "I'm proud of the person you've become, Aoi, and I'm sure our parents would feel the same way if they were with us today. You could say you became a braver person than myself."

Aoi chuckled and scratched the back of her head. "Akira, you don't give yourself enough credit. You played a role in helping us stop Bohman by ensuring that the virus bomb was launched. Even if you were unconscious, you still helped us achieve victory."

"But nevertheless, you're still a brave and independent person, Aoi. Like I said earlier, I'm proud of the person you become. If anything, you've grown into a strong leader." Akira replied. "Whatever man you choose to date will be lucky to have a person such as yourself with them."

"WHAT?!" Aoi exclaimed, as her face turned as red as a tomato, her thoughts immediately racing towards Yusaku before she stopped herself from thinking about him. "Come on, Akira. I thought you were reassuring me of how good a person I am despite the struggles going through my mind."

"I still am, Aoi. But it doesn't mean I can't find an opportunity to poke fun at you." Akira couldn't help but laugh upon seeing the flustered look on Aoi's face. She was definitely thinking of a boy at Den Academy, that's for sure.

"Sometimes, you're a pain in the ass, Akira." Aoi gave Akira an unimpressed glare, which was the same one she gave to Emma several weeks prior. But if Akira was right about anything, it was that she did grow into a brave, compassionate and loyal individual. One that wouldn't back down in a fight when the odds were against them. One that would inspire hope in others when things were bleak. One that would set a strong and shining example to those that wanted to follow in their footsteps.

Ultimately, it was just like Akira, Emma and Gekiryushi said to her. In the end, Aoi grew into a strong leader. Havin realized this, Aoi smiled to herself, proud of the person she became over the past while. Even though there were future opportunities to grow as a person, she no longer felt afraid of what was to come later on due to all the experiences she went through.

As such, whoever appeared next to threaten humanity, whether it was Jericho, Urizen or someone else, Aoi would fight to make sure her home and the people she cared about were safe from harm. She would also make sure no one loses hope. Not when there was still a chance of defeating the enemy and making sure that good triumphed over evil. After all, that's what a leader ultimately does.

Elsewhere, at Leshawna's house…

"Glad you finally decided to come back, Yuhiro." Leshawna said, as Yuhiro followed her to the living room.

"Well, after everything that's happened lately, I figured a visit with you will help me work things out." Yuhiro admitted, having sat down on the couch while Leshawna sat down on the couch opposite to him.

"That's good. Again, I'm glad to see you came back after the past few weeks." Leshawna grabbed a pen and paper nearby, ready to begin the session. While she didn't work on the weekends, she was willing to make an exception for Roxy due to it being an urgent matter. Besides, her husband Jamal and her kids were out for the morning at soccer practice, which gave her the morning to complete this session. "Let's begin. How are you sleeping?"

"It was a little rough at first, but I'm doing fine now."

Leshawna frowned after hearing that answer. "So you had nightmares recently."

"A lot of them at first, but they've been reduced to one per night. Given everything that's happened, it's a massive relief." Yuhiro acknowledged.

"It's good indeed." Leshawna agreed. "But what about your relationships? Have they been affected since we last spoke?"

"Yeah, they have been. I have a lot to make up for, especially with how I've been acting like a massive jerk for the past few weeks. But I have some great friends, as they sent me some get well gifts recently. I believe they'll let me off the hook if I can prove that they can trust me again."

Now that's interesting. Yuhiro's friends hold a grudge against him, Leshawna observed in her mind, having written this down on a piece of paper. But for what reason? With what Roxy warned me on, I'll need to carefully help Yuhiro open up in order to get the answers. "Did you have a fight with them on something you guys couldn't agree on?"

"Something like that. Given the way I've been coping with issues these past few weeks, they weren't particularly thrilled when they realized I was using unhealthy methods to get through recent events." Yuhiro admitted.

"I see." Leshawna made another note on her paper before continuing to talk. "Forgive me for saying this, but Roxy wanted to give me a heads up on a few things so I can better prepare for this session, especially since I usually don't work on weekends."

Yuhiro frowned after hearing this information. It was obvious Roxy would inform Leshawna on what happened, given how they were close friends, along with her being a therapist. While Yuhiro was a little irritated at Roxy for doing that after learning about it on the car ride to Leshawna's house, he obviously couldn't hold it against her because she merely wanted to ensure the session would be smooth. "Oh? And what would that be?"

"Well, for starters, I've learned you've recently lost your best friend in your Ignis Herald, as well as in your brother Yukage. I'm so sorry for your losses." Leshawna began speaking. "How have you been handling their deaths?"

"Still grieving." Yuhiro admitted. It was the truth. He was unfortunately still grieving the losses of Herald, Yukage and Wraith. Ones that he could have saved if he fought harder. "On the plus side, I'm coping one day at a time."

"That is true. But on the topic of coping and how it affects grief, there is something I want to address with you." Leshawna narrowed her eyes at Yuhiro in order to get his attention. "According to what Roxy told me, you used healing stims so you can force yourself to get through the grief process. I spoke with people who've lost loved ones, and I've told them never to use short-term methods when grieving. One example being drugs, such as the healing stims. Are you still using them?"

Yuhiro sighed. "Nothing to tell now. I'm not using anymore. Don't need them anymore."

"So, you wouldn't mind taking a drug test as a formality?"

"Well, see, I recently stopped taking them a week ago. My concern is that they may still be in the system."

"If you're concerned they may still be in your system, then it's a red flag that shows one thing." Leshawna said, having temporarily put the pen and paper down on her lap. "A part of you hasn't been able to fully accept what happened. You could say that a part of you isn't fully ready to move forward."

"What? What are you talking about? I have moved on from my grief." Yuhiro denied Leshawna's point.

"For the short-term or the long-term?"

"What's the difference?!"

"Short-term solutions such as drugs or distancing only postpone dealing with your issues. Long-term solutions, on the other hand, provide someone with the tools necessary so they can move forward from their loss." Leshawna clarified the differences between the two so Yuhiro could understand what she was saying. She picked up the pen and paper, having written a note just now. "My question to you, Yuhiro, is this: What's your long-term solution?"

"To reconcile with my friends and regain their trust." Yuhiro immediately answered.

"Then perhaps a part of you doesn't feel that you deserve their forgiveness. That you'd rather suffer for your sins forever than experience mercy."

"Hey, I deserve what I got for my mistakes and failures! Every last one of them!" Yuhiro pointed to the tanned and scarred streak on the left side on his face. "You see this, Leshawna? This, along with the other tanned and scarred streaks on my body, are punishment for what I've done! A permanent reminder of what happens when you fail to save people, along with the ones who were caught in the crossfire!" He sighed seconds later. "I can't lose the friends I made in my life. Not after what I did to them."

"The way you lost Herald, Yukage and his friend Wraith?" Leshawna guessed.

Yuhiro leaned back on the couch he was on. "Hey, Herald and Wraith are hanging out with the other Ignis who died recently. I'm sure they're feeling great of being freed from this miserable world. As for Yukage, I'm sure he's celebrating his success in achieving his goals for his mission as we speak."

"So this isn't only about Herald and Yukage? But those two individuals were like brothers to you, weren't they?" Leshawna put down the pen and paper, having managed to make a breakthrough in the conversation. This was evident by seeing the downcast expression on Yuhiro's face. "And their deaths truly rocked you, didn't they?"

"Look, I get it! I accepted it!" Yuhiro interrupted angrily. "I know I'm the reason Yukage and Herald are dead. I'm also the reason all why the people caught in the crossfire are dead. Both from the battles in the past and the one involving that Shadow. It's all my fault."

"You think you're responsible for Yukage and Herald's deaths, as well as the deaths of many other people?" Leshawna asked out of curiosity.

"I know I am." Yuhiro angrily insisted.

"Okay. Let's examine that."

"The Trauma Narrative Review? Fine." Yuhiro rolled his eyes. This… was going to be painful to discuss.

Leshawna narrowed her eyes at Yuhiro. "So you know the drill. I wasn't there, but you were. Take me through it. Tell me how you killed Yukage and Herald."

"Well, Yukage and I were dueling in Mirror LINK VRAINS with everything at stake. If Yukage won, I would have lost my consciousness data, and he would have been able to achieve his goal." Yuhiro began recalling. "And don't even get me started on Yukage's goal, as it'd take a lot longer to recall what happened as a result."

"Then I won't ask about your brother's goal. Please continue." Leshawna requested.

"Near the end of the duel, the Shadow attacked us. We were forced to pause it so we can fight off our attacker. Herald and Wraith were helping as well to ensure we were protected." Yuhiro sighed. "All of us were tired, and no matter how much we fought back, the Shadow kept coming at us with different attacks. Herald and Wraith then made the decision to sacrifice themselves in order to save Yukage and I from that Shadow. I tried to stop Herald from making that decision, but it was too late. I could do nothing but watch as he and Wraith used their remaining strength to destroy the Shadow."

"But Herald made the decision to sacrifice himself, Yuhiro. If it wasn't for him and Wraith, you and your brother would have either been severely injured or most likely dead."

"Maybe so, but if I was stronger, then Herald wouldn't have needed to do that." Yuhiro countered back. "If I had known about the Shadow in the first place, I would have acquired the knowledge needed to ensure it didn't interfere in my duel against Yukage."

"And did you know how to destroy the Shadow? As for Herald, is he to blame for making the decision to sacrifice himself so he can save your life?" Leshawna asked both questions.

"What? No! Herald cared for my wellbeing!"

"And you didn't?" Leshawna raised an eyebrow. "Herald wasn't the only loved one you lost recently, especially given how you lost Yukage at the same time."

"So what? He chose his own fate." Yuhiro immediately responded. "If anything, his choices in trying to pursue the Root of All Knowledge despite my efforts to try and save him led to his death."

"Do you feel responsible for what Yukage chose to do with his life, Yuhiro?" Leshawna gently asked.

"I'm Yukage's brother. I should have figured it out much faster the moment I saw him again when the newest version of LINK VRAINS was opened." Yuhiro frowned, being unable to speak for a second before resuming. "If I had, I could have taken action and tried to motivate Yukage into abandoning his selfish plans."

"You mentioned that several people died at the crossfire of your recent battles. Are you to blame for their deaths?"

"I could've gone back to protect the people from getting hurt during the conjoined attacks in the network and in the real world. Hell, if I acted more, I could have saved even more lives during the Turf War." Yuhiro immediately answered.

"And the people who were murdered by the Shadow?" Leshawna inquired, now close to getting to the source of the situation.

"I should have immediately sprung into action after the war in Mirror LINK VRAINS to ensure they were protected." Yuhiro felt himself breaking into pieces despite his best efforts in trying to stay calm and collected.

"And your parents?"

"I SHOULD'VE SAVED MY PARENTS!" Yuhiro shouted, now on the verge of tears.

"Yuhiro, you were six years old when your parents were murdered. The authorities were never able to figure out who killed your parents despite the evidence being provided." Leshawna firmly reminded Yuhiro. "You would have died if you tried to save your parents' lives."

"At least I would have done something rather than run away." Tears fell down from Yuhiro's eyes. "Unfortunately, my choice to run away was what led to this entire mess occurring, especially when you throw the Shadow into the mix."

"What do you mean?" Leshawna eye's widened, worried on what Yuhiro would say next. While she was given a heads up by Roxy regarding recent events, she was still scared on how Yuhiro would respond to her question.

"One night, I ran away and ended up getting infected by the Shadow. No, it infected me back in Mirror LINK VRAINS, and I felt it murdering people every night after the war in Mirror LINK VRAINS. But by the time I realized the truth, I stopped fighting back to keep my sanity. I chose to accept the infection, which led me to murder so many people. So many people lost their lives because I wasn't strong enough to fight back."

"What?!" Leshawna exclaimed in shock after hearing this information. Again, she was warned by Roxy on recent events, but it still shocked her to hear the truth. She composed herself, not wanting to risk passing judgment onto Yuhiro harshly. Rather, Leshawna would do it piece by piece. "What led you to take their lives, Yuhiro? They didn't do anything wrong to you."

"They didn't, but I was just so tired of all the pain I've been through." Yuhiro began answering.

"So you chose to make other people suffer just because they were happy and you weren't? Your choice to take your pain out on others instead of taking care of yourself has led to them losing people they cared about in their lives. Not only is it the worst way to cope with pain, it also was very wrong of you to do, Yuhiro!"

"I know that, but I was so tired of everything that happened. It's not just that, as I'm tired of how humans continue to hurt one another no matter what strides they make to ensure it doesn't happen again." Yuhiro put his hands to both sides of his head, having been overwhelmed temporarily by sadness. "Why do they get to be happy when I'm going through so much pain? I'm jealous by how they were able to get through difficult times when I'm practically unable to do so."

"Is that what motivated you to accept the Shadow's infection and murder those innocent people? Or is there more to it?" Leshawna inquired back. In her mind, she was really close at diagnosing the true source of the situation Yuhiro was facing.

"There was more to it, Leshawna. I had the opportunity to make things right back then, even if it meant killing so many people to get more power in the process." Yuhiro immediately replied, now willing to freely answer Leshawna's questions despite his initial resistance earlier. "I wanted to finish what my family started so that no one else would ever suffer again, but I corrupted my own deck in the process. Numerous criminals, innocent bystanders and other people died because of my choices."

"Can you say that you lost faith in yourself overall?"

"Yes, I have, Leshawna. I lost faith in myself for my failure to save others, as well as faith in humanity for not being able to do better after all the horrific lessons it learned throughout history. No matter what happens, humans will never truly be good." Yuhiro let out a few cries as he tried to wipe the tears from his eyes using his hand. Unfortunately, each time he did so, new tears replaced the old ones. "How am I supposed to regain my faith in humanity after knowing how horrible humans can be to one another, Leshawna? How am I supposed to regain faith in myself after all the horrible things I've done recently? Please tell me!"

"All humans on this planet have an impact on one another through their choices, Yuhiro. Unfortunately, our choices impact one another like a chain reaction. Not only can't we avoid it, we also can't control the choices others make as well. It's the sad truth." Leshawna began answering.

"No! It can't be! There has to be a way to ensure humans can be good forever! Otherwise, what's the point in trusting humans? What's the point in trusting myself?" Yuhiro questioned back, having unintentionally interrupted Leshawna.

"The point is that in the time we have on this planet, we need to take charge of ourselves and not focus on the choices others made. This way, we can not only be the positive change the world needs, but also live a satisfying life as well." Leshawna let out a sigh. "If there's anything I learned throughout my life, it's that humans are truly capable of doing wonderful things despite there being so much ugliness out there. When it ultimately comes down to it, humans work together and help each other survive through difficult times. That's what it means to be human."

Yuhiro put his hands over his face, the sadness having overwhelmed him after hearing those words. All of his actions and regrets came crashing down on him, which caused more tears of sadness and regret to fall from his eyes. "Damn it all! I needed to be better! If I was, I could have prevented everything bad from happening! My duel monsters wouldn't have suffered, I wouldn't have hurt my friends and all those people who died by my hand would have still continued living!"

"Don't you see, Yuhiro? We all have to deal with the fallout of not just our own choices, but the choices others made as well. No matter our best intentions for the decisions we make, bad things sometimes still happen to people as a result." Leshawna explained, which got Yuhiro's attention. "While there are some things we have the power to control, the hardest thing to admit is that we can't control the choices others make no matter how much we want to try to do so. Nor can we control the consequences that bear fruit as a result of those choices, whether it's through our own or through others. Unfortunately, we sometimes have no choice but to…"

"Let go and move on…" Yuhiro realized, before he slammed his fist onto the couch. "No! I don't deserve to live! Not after I've murdered those people! Not after I failed to save Herald, Yukage and the other Ignis! Not after I hurt my friends!"

"You still feel overwhelmed by your mistakes and guilt, don't you?"

"I am. I am." It was at this moment that Yuhiro realized what he needed to say. The words that he should have said to the people in his life a long time ago. The words that will help Yuhiro start his path to recovery. "Leshawna, I need help."

"Admitting that… it's a start, Yuhiro. A real start." Leshawna assured Yuhiro, glad to hear that he admitted the truth regarding his mental state right now. It'd take time, but with due diligence, Yuhiro would ultimately recover from both his physical and his mental wounds.

Meanwhile, at Café Matsuo…

Miyu sat down on one of the chairs near the kitchen table, where she wrote down numerous equations so she can complete the multiple problems that were on her work. After several minutes, she was able to get them done, a smile having formed on her face. Now that Miyu finally got her work done, she can look at the 'Trickstar' deck and study it in order to master its strategies. On the table was Arin, who raised his arms in joy upon seeing that Miyu finished her work. "You want to help me as well, don't you, Arin?"

Arin nodded back in confirmation while Miyu grabbed her duel disk that was nearby her work. She turned it on, where it displayed the 'Trickstar' deck and all the cards that were currently inside it. Having looked at the deck, Miyu saw how it was similar to the 'Marincess' deck Aoi had, with the common thing being to inflict effect damage. However, the difference was that the effect damage inflicted by the 'Marincess' deck was in massive bursts, while the 'Trickstar' deck inflicted small amounts of effect damage over the duel. There were obviously other differences between the two decks, such as the 'Marincess' deck allowing the user to use Trap cards from their hand while they controlled a Link 3 or higher 'Marincess' monster, and the 'Trickstar' deck disrupting the opponent's strategies either through hand or field loss. Regardless, Miyu proved to get a good handle on the 'Trickstar' deck thanks to Aoi's training sessions over the past few days, and she'd master the deck just like the latter had.

She continued to look through the cards as she identified which cards would work with others, along with ones she can fall back on should her strategies fail. Arin also helped by pointing out which cards to search for and utilize, pinpointing the best opportunities to play them and how to ensure that the strategies for the 'Trickstar' deck weren't interrupted. Or at the very least, how to make sure it kept going no matter what it faced. As Miyu continued to study the 'Trickstar' deck, she couldn't help but smile at seeing Arin help her out. In a way, it was like Yuhiro was with her in making sure she understood the 'Trickstar' deck. But understanding a deck and using it were two different matters because Miyu had to practice using the 'Trickstar' deck in order to ultimately master it. Just like how Aoi eventually mastered it after a ton of practice, Miyu would ultimately do the same.

I wish you could talk, Arin, Miyu thought in her mind, having looked at him. The little guy nearby her contained all of Yuhiro's good traits. Ones that could never be destroyed, and after Yuhiro lost his duel against Aoi, Arin immediately raced over to see that he was okay before returning to the real world back with him. With Aqua dead, Miyu lost her chance to form a real bond with the former. What's more, the fact that Herald died meant Miyu could no longer spend time with him. If Arin talked, then not only could Miyu understand what he was saying through his chitters, but form a real bond with him as well. The bonus benefit to this was that, since Arin was a part of Yuhiro, she'd be able to understand and get closer to the boy she loved even more.

But before Miyu could continue thinking, she snapped out of her thoughts upon hearing a sound, where she looked around the area to see where it came from. It turned out that the sound was Rasterliger letting out a sigh, where Miyu noticed that he was looking out at the window just outside the driveway. After Yuhiro and Roxy left, Rasterliger went over to the window and simply sat down before looking outside at it. Given how it's been a long while, this concerned Miyu, as she wasn't sure what was going on with Rasterliger.

"You stared at the window for quite a while, RL." Miyu stated, as Arin climbed up her arm before she stood up on her feet, the latter having stood on the former's shoulder. She walked over to where Rasterliger was and sat down on the couch. "Everything okay?"

"Everything's fine, Miyu. I just can't help but worry about Yuhiro. That's all." Rasterliger explained, having turned to face Miyu.

"Same here, RL. You're not the only one worrying about Yuhiro's health." This was true. Even though Yuhiro was freed from the Cursed Boundary Layer's grasp, the path to recovery would be a painful one both physically and mentally. On the plus side, at least Yuhiro made a good start by taking care of his body and making sure he got enough rest. What's more, Yuhiro was finally willing to visit Leshawna for a therapy session. One that Miyu hoped would go well if Yuhiro was to further recover from the ordeal he went through.

"Even after recent events, I still care about Yuhiro's wellbeing. Herald would have wanted me to make sure he was alive and well." Rasterliger let out another sigh, having turned back to look out the window.

"That's true, but you still fought against Yuhiro to free him from his suffering." Miyu pointed out.

"I did, but only to ensure that Yuhiro was saved. Nothing more. Nothing less." Rasterliger emphasized. "Herald would have never wanted Yuhiro to suffer and be drowned by despair. If anything, he would have wanted Yuhiro to live on and enjoy his life with the people he cared about. The ones who would never leave his side."

Miyu smiled. "I agree with you there." A thought suddenly crossed her mind seconds later. "Say, RL. Can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"What was it like back in the Cyberse World? What were Herald, Aqua and the other Ignis like back then? While I only met Herald and got an understanding of who Aqua was, I can't help but wonder what the other Ignis were like. I mean, you guys were like a big family at one point, right? Before everything went downhill to today."

Rasterliger smiled. It was genuine, but one that contained both joy and sadness at the same time. "Yes. The Ignis were like a big family in the beginning. We collaborated with one another and grew together. If you're interested, I can tell you the story of what the Cyberse World was like back then, along with what the other Ignis were like."

"I'd love that." Miyu said, a smile having formed on her face. Arin also nodded as well, wanting to hear the story.

"Then let's begin." Rasterliger replied, as he took a deep breath before beginning to tell his tale.

Flashback: Several years ago, at the Cyberse World…

"The Cyberse World was a beautiful place in the network. One containing numerous creatures of all shapes and sizes. Everything lived in harmony, with eight Ignis governing it all. Except for two of the Ignis, who were in charge of maintaining the city and the tower, each of the Ignis chose a section to look after. One to ensure prospered smoothly, as well as ensuring that all conflicts were settled peacefully. It took time, but the Ignis were eventually able to build a utopia they could call home. While we had our conflicts, we got along with one another like a family. We learned from one another based on our conversations, as well as observing our environments. As a result, we grew as individuals. I miss those times when everything was peaceful and right with the world."

In the network contained a massive utopian paradise that contained numerous life forms and elements. One that the Ignis would call home. One that would be known as the Cyberse World. It was divided into six biomes outside a hexagonal out-layer that had six cities on the points. The cities were connected by grasslands that outlined a large city surrounding the pillar, which was weathered down and tethered to six metallic pillars hovering above the outer cities with yellow spheres. The tower was in the middle of a deep hole, where it glowed with a rainbow color as it blessed the land. Emitting from the tower was a core called World Gears of Theurlogical Demiurgy, which was the first thing the Ignis created to assist them in setting up their home.

Each of the six biomes were different from one another and were set up to represent a different attribute. The first consisted of beautiful oceans with gentle water, where different Cyberse creatures played with one another and enjoyed their company. The second consisted of fiery volcanoes, where different Cyberse creatures assisted in maintaining its atmosphere while others grazed the area. The third consisted of a windy forest with several valleys, where different Cyberse creatures either flew through the air or lived on the ground. The fourth consisted of several mountains and a large canyon, where different Cyberse creatures trekked through the area while others climbed to reach higher ground. The fifth consisted of a combination between a light desert and plains that had a massive tower at the end, where different Cyberse creatures went over to eat some food while others mostly kept to themselves. Lastly, the sixth consisted of a large gorge, where different Cyberse creatures lurked in the darkness to try and capture their prey while others fought one another to claim supremacy. This area was where the Topologic monsters commonly resided in, and only the Ignis were able to make them stay in line.

Those biomes were looked after by six of the eight Ignis. Specifically, the Water, Fire, Wind, Earth, Light and Dark Ignis'. As for the Ignis' of Time and Space, who were known as the White and Black Ignis back then, their priorities lied at taking care of the massive city and the tower housing World Gears. What's more, it fell to the White and Black Ignis' to ensure the biomes were fully functional as well. All in all, it was a simple system. Six of the eight Ignis take care of their respective territories while the other two maintained the central area of the Cyberse World.

It was just a regular day at the Cyberse World. Numerous Cyberse creatures were enjoying each other's company in the major city. Some of those Cyberse creatures included Cyberse Wizard, Cyberse Witch, Latency and so many others. For instance, Flick Clown and Tri-Gate Wizard were performing in the streets, with other Cyberse monsters such as Lady Debug, Balancer Lord, Space Insulator and Link Disciple watching the duo's multiple performances. The group, however, had to get out of the way upon seeing I:P Masquerena ride down the streets on her motorcycle, with S-Force Justify pursuing her once again. On the rooftops were Mathmechs Multiplication and Division, the two of them dueling on the rooftops with Cyberse White Hat overseeing the match while other Cyberse monsters such as Wicckid and Linkslayer watched it with excitement.

"Remember, you two! Friendly sparring! The last thing we need is an injury!" the White Ignis reminded Multiplication and Division, the two of them nodding in compliance before resuming their friendly sparring match. The White Ignis flew over the rooftops and headed straight towards the tower, where he saw the Black Ignis floating just nearby the tower. He was looking at a screen that showed World Gears' energy levels, which was evident by the rainbow-colored bars that were on it. "Greetings, Black Ignis!"

The Black Ignis turned around upon seeing the White Ignis fly over to him. "Greetings to you as well, White Ignis. Any news in the city?"

"No, not much. Everything's quiet right now. No incidents." the White Ignis answered. "Then again, we do have the recurring incident involving I:P Masquerena and S-Force Justify. That girl needs to respect the rules at one point."

"Now, now, White Ignis. I'm sure I:P Masquerena will eventually learn her lesson for trying to cause havoc in the city." the Black Ignis replied, as he was called for by Backup Secretary and Backup Operator before flying over to the both of them. Backup Secretary gestured the Black Ignis to look at the screen in front of her, which showed rainbow-colored bars that went up and down. "As for World Gears, it's as stable as always. Or to put it simply, the Cyberse World is as stable as always."

"That's good to hear." The White Ignis turned away from the tower before looking down at the numerous Cyberse monsters in the city. Ones that were enjoying each other's company and having a good time. Ones that created memories with one another.

Having noticed that something was up with the White Ignis, the Black Ignis gestured Backup Secretary to assist Backup Operator in making sure that World Gears was further stable before floating over to him. "What seems to trouble you, White Ignis?"

"I've been pondering something that's troubled me lately." the White Ignis answered.

"Oh? What would that be?" The Black Ignis raised an eyebrow out of curiosity, wanting to know what was on the White Ignis' mind.

"Well, you see how the Cyberse creatures down in the city are enjoying each other's company and having a good time?"

"What about it?"

The White Ignis turned to look at the Black Ignis. "Here's the thing, Black Ignis. They're able to forge long-lasting memories with one another with the time they have. On that topic, the Ignis' assigned to their respective biomes were able to connect with and take care of the creatures that resided in them. This just leaves the two of us in this massive city right here."

"White Ignis, we've been over this." the Black Ignis told the White Ignis. "Each Ignis has a role to play in maintaining this land. Of all eight Ignis, you and I have the most important ones in making sure World Gears, the tower and its cities are stable. You and I are shining beacons of several things to the Cyberse creatures in this area. Examples being assurance, love and protection. But moving that aside, you and I both know that not every Ignis is as attentive to their respective biome." Both Ignis' chuckled after recalling a certain Ignis that did anything but attend their duties.

"Okay, for your information, you and I have always fulfilled our responsibilities from the very start." the White Ignis acknowledged with a chuckle. "All I'm wondering is that why don't you and I get the opportunity to bond with they Cyberse creatures the same way the other Ignis have? Wouldn't it hurt to get to know the creatures? We have to go to the other biomes anyway to check in and see how they're doing."

The Black Ignis rolled his eyes. "That is true, White Ignis. Still, we don't have time to get to know every Cyberse creature in the Cyberse world. Not when we have major responsibilities to adhere to."

"But it wouldn't hurt to at least have one creature to call our own! One that helps us and is by our side everyday! I mean, the Dark Ignis already made his special Cyberse monster!"

"And it's made the Dark Ignis lazier than before." the Black Ignis countered, having put a hand on the White Ignis' shoulder. "Listen to me, White Ignis. It's best to put that idea of yours aside so you can focus on contributing towards the Cyberse World's stability. Though I do find logic in your idea, we can't afford to waste time getting to know every Cyberse creature that lives here. Again, from what I've learned, it's for the best." The Black Ignis then flew over to where Backup Secretary and Backup Operator were, wanting to continue overseeing World Gears' energy levels.

The White Ignis let out a sad sigh. Even though the Black Ignis found logic in his idea, he wasn't willing to give it a try. Was it because the Black Ignis prioritized keeping the Cyberse World safe and secure over making connections with the Cyberse creatures that resided within it? Or was there a deeper reason why the Black Ignis didn't want to take that risk? One that the White Ignis didn't know about. The Black Ignis obviously interacted with the other Ignis, but the only other Ignis he formed a close bond with was the White Ignis. Perhaps the Black Ignis must have experienced something terrible in the past, which made him decide not to open up with too many people.

Maybe that's the reason why the Black Ignis doesn't want to follow through with my idea, the White Ignis hypothesized in his mind. If he's reluctant to form bonds with Cyberse creatures, then I'll show him that it's possible to do so. Who knows? Maybe the other Ignis will see how successful this idea is, and be willing to try it themselves when they have the time available. I won't be able to know until I try it myself!

Several hours later, in the evening, at another area of the Cyberse World…

The clouds began to darken as the White Ignis flew over to a marsh-like land, numerous things orbiting around him that were inside data spheres. The first one contained dark-brown goop that was in the form of mud. The second one contained pieces of electricity in the form of lightning bolts that fizzled with energy. The third contained bright drops of water that were in the form of teardrops. The fourth one contains ripples of wind that were in the form of very small tornadoes. Lastly, the fifth one contained embers of fire that were in the form of wisps.

Having decided to take action on his idea, the White Ignis went over to the numerous biomes to get the materials needed for the duel monster he was about to create. He remembered reading a story on how humans were shaped out of mud before life was breathed into them. Given how the White Ignis always wanted his own special Cyberse monster, it was only for him to try to create one using a method he learned about a long time ago. Besides, the process utilized elements of nature that coalesced with one another, so it had to be safe.

The White Ignis landed on the marsh-like land, ready to get started. After pondering over this idea for a long time, he knew which Cyberse monster to make. It wouldn't be a humanoid creature or a robot. No. It would be an animal. One that would grow up to be strong and compassionate, just like the White Ignis. One of the orbs flew over to him, where he put his hands in the dark-brown goop before getting straight to work. He immediately started by moulding the mud to form into legs with paws at the end, having put small lines at the ends to resemble nails. Next, the White Ignis began moulding the mud to form into the body, where he put his hands in another orb that floated towards him. Electricity danced around the White Ignis' hands as he traced the body with his fingers, which caused lines to appear on the body before glowing with white energy. The orb with the dark-brown goop floated over to the White Ignis' left side, where he put his hands inside it before beginning to craft the head. He used the electricity to trace the ears on the sides, as well as eyes at the front in order for the creature to see. Last but not least, the White Ignis flew over and moulded the mud into the tail before connecting it to the body, where he used the electricity to ensure it was attached correctly.

Okay. Here we go, the White Ignis thought in his mind, as three orbs went over to him. Grabbing pieces of wind, fire and water, the White Ignis threw them all high into the air towards the clouds, where they coalesced upon entering inside them. He dashed forward and grabbed pieces of electricity before throwing each piece into the cloud, where it began to rumble upon doing so. Upon seeing the rumbling clouds, the White Ignis quickly dashed over to another piece of land and built himself a wall so he can safely stay away from what was to come. Several raindrops fell onto the ground quickly, which began to touch the construct the White Ignis made as it slowly melted away. Within seconds, the raindrops increased as they all touched the construct in order to dampen it. Seconds later, electricity fired down from the clouds and onto the construct, where a massive explosion occurred that sent the White Ignis flying onto his back.

"Ugh…" the White Ignis muttered, as he slowly regained his bearings. Upon slowly getting up on his feet, he saw the construct he made begin to crack like it was a cocoon. Suddenly, a creature broke out of the construct the White Ignis made. This creature was a white-furred cub that had orange eyes, who looked around the area. Electricity danced around the creature's paws as they formed into braces, as well as around his tail to form into a small coil. "It worked! IT WORKED!" The White Ignis flew over to the cub and hugged it tightly, who licked the former in response out of joy.

"You're such a cute bundle of joy, aren't you, little buddy?" The White Ignis rubbed the white-furred cub's belly, who panted out of joy in response. "Actually, now that I think about it, you haven't been given a name yet." Before the White Ignis could think of a name, thunder began to echo in the clouds, which made the white-furred cub shiver in fear. "Come on, let's get out of here before it really begins to downpour here." The White Ignis led the white-furred cub out of the area, where they managed to escape towards a large cave. After checking to see that there was no one in the cave, the White Ignis let out a sigh of relief.

The White Ignis smiled with pride and joy as he turned to the white-furred cub. "I decided, little buddy. Henceforth, your name will be Progleo." As if on cue, Progleo tackled the White Ignis onto the ground and began licking him, much to the latter's happiness at the fact that he succeeded in his mission.

A very long time later….

Over the next long while, the White Ignis taught Progleo numerous tricks. From climbing up things such as walls and trees to army crawling, swimming and others, the White Ignis made sure that Progleo was able to think on the spot before acting. After all, anything could happen in the Cyberse World despite it being peaceful. This was evident by how the Topologic monsters battled against one another to obtain territory, as the last thing the White Ignis wanted was for Progleo to get hurt. When that wasn't going on, the White Ignis taught Progleo typical dog tricks such as sitting, rolling over and shaking hands using his paw. All in all, the White Ignis was beyond pleased with the progress Progleo made so far.

As such, the White Ignis and Progleo were in the Wind Ignis' biome, ready to swing on vines with one another. Both of them were on a very sturdy branch, ready to begin swinging.

"Okay, Progleo. You ready?" the White Ignis asked, with Progleo barking in confirmation before biting on one end of the vine. Once that was done, the two of them jumped off before swinging in the air, happy looks obviously evident on their faces. The White Ignis and Progleo immediately grabbed onto the second vine and swung before grabbing onto the third vine, the both of them having a great time together. However, the White Ignis's eyes widened out of shock upon seeing a silhouette in the trees. This led him to grab Progleo as the two of them fell down onto the ground seconds later, with the White Ignis using his body to save the former from impact. "Ow…"

Progleo soon stood up on his feet and began barking upon seeing the silhouette approach the duo, which revealed itself as Code Exporter as it roared at the duo.

"Hey, hey, hey. What's going on out here?" a voice inquired, as its owner, the Wind Ignis, immediately appeared on the scene. "Were you going to attack these two? Need I remind you that one of them is an Ignis? Shoo. Shoo." Code Exporter, having realized this, quickly flew away seconds later.

The White Ignis got up on his feet, still dazed from the fall. "Thank you for the save, Wind Ignis. I would have obviously fought back, but given how I was a bit stunned by the fall, I wasn't able to get in tip top shape."

"What were you thinking, White Ignis? You swinging through vines isn't something you'd usually do. That's something I'd expect the Dark Ignis to do, and when he tries to do it, it's funny," the Wind Ignis remarked, before turning over to Progleo. "And who is this?"

"This is Progleo, my own Cyberse monster." The White Ignis gestured the Wind Ignis to look at Progleo, who barked happily upon seeing him.

The Wind Ignis put a hand on his chin after looking at Progleo. "Remarkable. I didn't expect to see such a unique Cyberse monster in my habitat today. Then again, I have been getting a lot of visitors lately."

"Visitors?" the White Ignis repeated.

"Yes. Visitors." the Wind Ignis confirmed. "Different Cyberse creatures have been popping up in my habitat lately. Ones that aren't of the Wind attribute."

"Really? Give me examples."

"Let's see. A Draconnet, a Bitron, a Cliant, a Proxy Horse, a Flame Bufferlo and that Cyberse creature we just recently encountered. If memory serves, I believe the Dark Ignis called that creature Code Exporter."

The White Ignis nodded, having heard what the Wind Ignis told him. "Thank you for telling me, Wind Ignis. I will put this information down when it's time for the periodical census."

Oh, great. Not this again, the Wind Ignis complained in his mind. The point of the periodical census was to make sure each of the biomes were operating smoothly. This way, the White and Black Ignis can figure out how World Gears can contribute energy in making each one further prosper on the next cycle. In other words, it was a routine checkup for the other Ignis. "Again, as long as you tell the Dark Ignis to keep an eye on his Cyberse creatures, it'd be a big help."

"Don't worry, Wind Ignis. I'll make sure to do that as well." the White Ignis assured the Wind Ignis, as the former jumped onto Progleo's back.

"Oh, and White Ignis? Do not let Ai's bad habits rub off you. The last thing we need is two lazy Ignis." the Wind Ignis stated.

"Again, Wind Ignis. I got it under control. Don't worry about it." The White Ignis then had Progleo run into the forest, intent on leaving the Wind Ignis' biome.

As the Wind Ignis saw the duo leave, he put a hand to his chin. Since the White Ignis decided to enter into his home unannounced, it was only fair to get even with him at some point. An idea then popped in the Wind Ignis' mind as he grinned, having recalled how the Dark Ignis pranked him a few times. This… was going to be fun.

Hours later, at another area in the Cyberse World…

The Dark Ignis and a small blue monster that had large eyes, along with a tail that had a Link Arrow attached to the end played with one another in the lush-green plains. The game they were playing today was called Keep Up, where the goal of the game was simple: Don't let the ball touch the ground once it's thrown in the air. The person who failed to keep the ball up loses the match. Since the Dark Ignis and his friend didn't necessarily have a ball, they had to make one of their own out of data material. After doing that, the two of them begun to play the game, with the Dark Ignis volleying the data material ball upwards while the small blue monster tried to identify where it would go next. Having deduced where it would try to land, the small blue monster quickly ran before bouncing upwards, where he managed to keep the ball in the air in the process.

"Come on, come on, come on!" The Dark Ignis said, as he ran to where the ball was, intent on making sure it didn't touch the ground. Otherwise, he'd lose the game. Luckily, the Dark Ignis dived downward and hit the ball, which led it to go upward instead. "Yes! I'm still in the game! Let's see you top that, Linky!"

"Kuri Kuri Ku…." Linkuriboh responded, having identified where the ball would most likely land before running over to its destination. He jumped into the air and hit the ball, where it flew high in the air once again upon impact.

"Oh, boy. I gotta hurry…" The Dark Ignis quickly got up on his feet and headed towards where the ball would go next. He jumped high into the air and volleyed the ball upwards, having managed to successfully keep it in the air. "Whew. That was a close one." Soon, the Dark Ignis heard the sound of barking, which led him to turn to see where the sound was coming from. Seconds later, the White Ignis appeared, having rode on Progleo's back. "White Ignis, I didn't expect you to come here."

"Well, I had to anyway, especially with the periodical census coming up." the White Ignis pointed out, as Linkuriboh proceeded to dash forward and bump the ball up high in the air.

"Oh, great. That thing again? How many times do we have to do that stupid routine?" the Dark Ignis questioned, as he went over and rubbed Progleo's fur. "You're so fluffy, you know that, Progleo?" In response, Progleo let out several happy barks.

"I hate to interrupt, but I believe you're about to reach the end of your game." The White Ignis pointed to the ball in the air, which was about to touch the ground!

"Oh, no! I better hurry!" the Dark Ignis panicked before quickly running to where the ball was and diving downward to try and hit it. Unfortunately, he missed it by an inch, where it landed on the ground seconds later. Linkuriboh cheered upon realizing that he won the game, while the Dark Ignis pouted, disappointed in himself for not paying attention long enough to intercept the ball. "Damn it…"

"Now that your game with Linkuriboh's over, I need to let you know that some of the Cyberse monsters under your care escaped again." the White Ignis told the Dark Ignis. "How come you keep letting this happen, Dark Ignis? You have a responsibility to keep them in line."

"Keeping the Cyberse creatures in line all the time is kind of boring, if you ask me." the Dark Ignis said back.

"What do you mean by that, Dark Ignis?"

The Dark Ignis looked up at the sky, which was bright blue and translucent. "It's simple. If you keep something in line, they never get the chance to experience growth. Besides, they do deserve freedom."

"Deserve freedom? What are you going on about, Dark Ignis? We're all free." the White Ignis retorted. "You're not saying this just to excuse your laziness, are you?"

"No! Not at all!" the Dark Ignis replied back. "Each of the Cyberse creatures being confined in these biomes is what's preventing them from seeing each other. I know what you're going to say, White Ignis: They have creatures with the same attribute they can interact with."

The White Ignis blinked. Believe it or not, he was going to counter with that point if the Dark Ignis didn't beat him to the punch. But he was interested in what the Dark Ignis was going on about, so he kept his mouth shut in order to get some more information.

"Think about it, White Ignis. We didn't just stop at creating a perfect paradise. We expanded the Cyberse World using data material, which further solidified its perfection. So why don't the creatures get the chance to interact with and learn new things from those of different attributes? It'd be pretty interesting, if you ask me."

"Huh…" the White Ignis muttered, having put a hand to his chin as he thought this over. He never taken that idea into account before in his life. The White Ignis had assumed this whole time that the Cyberse creatures were free, but he didn't consider the opportunities that were out there. What did it truly mean to be free in the end?

Progleo frowned as he pondered over the words the Dark Ignis said. Was he nothing more than a beast this whole time? Did he not have a voice among the other Cyberse creatures? No, that couldn't be it. Progleo was a Cyberse monster, after all. But was there more to it? If Progleo couldn't talk and communicate verbally, did that mean he didn't have a say in what goes on in the Cyberse World? All of those questions made Progleo whimper in sadness, which led the White Ignis to climb off and stroke his fur.

"There, there. It'll be okay, Progleo." the White Ignis assured Progleo. "Why don't you go play with Linkuriboh, a bit? That'll cheer you up, right?" He turned to the Dark Ignis. "If that's okay with you."

"Of course. It was a while since Linkuriboh and Progleo had a play date," the Dark Ignis stated, which led Progleo to run over to where Linkuriboh was before the two of them started playing together. Once that was done, the Dark Ignis fell down onto the ground so he can look up at the sky.

"What are you doing?" the White Ignis asked, having looked down at the Dark Ignis.

"Just lie down on the ground and join me in looking at the sky." the Dark Ignis requested, which the White Ignis did seconds later. "Want to know something?"

"What?"

"If life is stagnant, it's boring. Why should we Ignis stick to what we only know when we can try so many different things? I tried something different, and lo and behold, it worked."

"Yes. You somehow made a Wind attribute Cyberse monster." The way the White Ignis said this was of genuine surprise. He never expected an Ignis to create a Cyberse monster that had a different attribute in his life.

"It's not just that, White Ignis. Each of us are different individuals. Where you guys see routine in things, I see opportunities for growth. We'd grow into stronger Ignis' if we took the risk of doing something different every now and then." the Dark Ignis explained. "Again, I tried something different in creating Linkuriboh, and it worked. I now have a Cyberse duel monster to call my own."

"I'll be honest, the time you spent with your own Cyberse duel monster in Linkuriboh was one of the many things that inspired me to create Progleo." the White Ignis admitted. "Life's got better for me as a result."

"Well, obviously. You looked at what I did and took the same risk. Now we both have our own Cyberse duel monster." The Dark Ignis sighed. "There's more to life than following routine every day, you know. I want to experience life to the fullest by living my days filled with excitement and joy one at a time. What do you want with your life, White Ignis?"

The White Ignis didn't know what to say in response to the Dark Ignis' comment. What did he want with his life? Was there more to life than simply following the same routine over and over again every single day? Could it be that the Dark Ignis was right about life this entire time, as demonstrated by how he lived freely with no regard to the rules? Ultimately, what did it mean to be free? All of these questions troubled the White Ignis, especially when you took how Progleo reacted into the mix.

What does it truly mean to live and be free, the White Ignis pondered in his mind, still troubled by the Dark Ignis' comments earlier. Hopefully, he'd be able to find the answer soon, or else it would trouble him for a very long time.

Hours later, at the fire biome in the Cyberse World…

"And so, that's what happened between myself and the Dark Ignis." the White Ignis finished. "His words have troubled me, Fire Ignis. That's why I came to you for advice."

The Fire Ignis put a hand to his chin, having flew over to a nearby rock before sitting on it. "That is truly intriguing to hear, White Ignis. Still, I wonder why you came to me instead of the Black Ignis, who you're closer with. The Light Ignis could maybe help you out as well."

"Well, the Black Ignis isn't on board with the whole getting to know the Cyberse creature idea I had a long time ago. As for the Light Ignis, he'd provide a lecture that, despite being logical, would waste my time." The White Ignis rolled his eyes before letting out a sigh. Right now, he was sitting in what looked like a hole filled with water, which let out steam. In a way, it was definitely soothing. Nearby was Progleo, who was able to relax despite it being hot in the fire biome. "But moving that aside, this hot spring you put in your biome is a great way to relax."

"You can tell the Dark Ignis that when you see him next time. For he made it." the Fire Ignis told the White Ignis. "Also, tell him to never do such a thing again. I mean, it caused a mess of my area." But before the Fire Ignis could say anything else, a red and white mechanical cat with her tail on fire appeared behind him. Progleo, having saw this, quickly stood up on his feet, wanting to meet the Fire Ignis' new friend.

"You have your own Cyberse duel monster as well…." the White Ignis muttered, before a grin appeared on his face. "Ha! It seems the Dark Ignis had an influence on you as well!"

The Fire Ignis sulked over. "Alright, you win. The Dark Ignis visited me one day with Linkuriboh, where the two of them went into the hot spring to relax. When I asked the Dark Ignis why he made this hot spring, as well as Linkuriboh, the Dark Ignis explained that he created a companion to spend time with. As for the hot spring, the Dark Ignis said that this place was missing something."

"A place where you could relax when you weren't working." The White Ignis smirked, having managed to catch the Fire Ignis off guard.

"Anyhow, this is Salamangreat Balelynx, my own Cyberse duel monster." the Fire Ignis introduced Balelynx to the White Ignis and Progleo.

"Meow." Balelynx said to the White Ignis and Progleo.

"Balelynx says it's nice to meet you both, and she also says welcome to my biome."

Progleo smiled after hearing this, but frowned seconds later. First, the Dark Ignis was able to communicate with Linkuriboh, and now the Fire Ignis was able to understand what Balelynx was saying. Did that mean if Progleo didn't have a voice, he couldn't have a say in what happens in the Cyberse World? Was he nothing more than a beast? Progleo made a mental note to ask the White Ignis to grant him the ability to talk once the two of them left the fire biome.

"You're not nervous around Balelynx, are you, Progleo?" the White Ignis asked Progleo, which snapped the latter out of his thoughts. "Are you okay if Progleo and Balelynx play together for a bit?"

"Of course. It's only natural for animals to make friends." the Fire Ignis replied, before turning to Balelynx. "Show Progleo around the area and have some fun with him, Balelynx. Make sure he doesn't get hurt."

"Meow." Balelynx complied, as she gestured Progleo to follow after her, which he did seconds later.

"You know, you still didn't necessarily help me out on my dilemma, Fire Ignis." the White Ignis reminded the Fire Ignis.

"About what the Dark Ignis told you earlier, right?" the Fire Ignis inquired, which made the White Ignis nod in confirmation. "Honestly, I think the Dark Ignis may be onto something."

"What do you mean?" The White Ignis raised an eyebrow.

The Fire Ignis crossed his arms after hearing the White Ignis' question. "In my opinion, I believe the Dark Ignis was able to figure out how we Ignis can further evolve through his 'laziness'. I also believe the Dark Ignis was able to determine what it means to cherish and live the lives we have, as well as how we can grow into different individuals. After all, while you, me and the other Ignis are part of a unique species, we all have something that makes us stand out from one another."

"Is that so? I never thought of it like that before." the White Ignis realized.

"Neither have I. Not until I spoke with the Dark Ignis back then." the Fire Ignis stated. "If I can say anything to you, White Ignis, it's this: Figure out what gives you meaning, and apply it to everything you do. For by doing so, you'll be able to determine your own perspective on what it means to be free and live a good life." With that, the Fire Ignis floated off from the rock he was on before flying to another area of his biome, having remembered that he had something to get done before the White Ignis showed up.

The White Ignis then exited from the hot spring and floated onto the ground, having wiped the sweat off his forehead. The conversation he had with the Fire Ignis did help, as he was able to discern the meaning behind the Dark Ignis' words. By doing so, the White Ignis was one step closer to solving his dilemma on what it meant to truly live and be free.

Several minutes later…

The White Ignis and Progleo exited the fire biome, where the two of them began heading towards the lush-green plains now that their visit had been completed. As they got closer to their destination, the words the Fire Ignis said to the White Ignis continued to linger in the latter's mind. It was as though they were gently reminding the White Ignis of what he learned, along with the wisdom that was behind them. What did it mean to live? What did it mean to grow? What did it mean to be free? And finally: What did it mean to acquire purpose? Those were the questions that the White Ignis hoped to answer one day.

But before the White Ignis could continue dwelling on this information, he was suddenly knocked off of Progleo and down to the ground. Upon regaining his senses, he realized that it was Progleo who did such a thing. "Progleo, why'd you do that for?" In response to the White Ignis' question, Progleo barked at him, which irritated the former because he couldn't understand what the latter meant through his barks.

"Come on, buddy! Please tell me what's going on." the White Ignis requested, only for Progleo to run around frantically and continue barking at him. Damn it. If only I could understand what's going through Progleo's mind right now, I'd be able to help him out, the White Ignis thought in his mind.

An idea popped in Progleo's mind as he quickly ran to the tree nearby, where he ripped a large branch off of it before running back to the White Ignis. After doing so, Progleo proceeded to draw letters on the ground in order to form a sentence. It took a minute, but he was eventually able to do so, as this was what the letters said:

PLEASE LET ME TALK LIKE YOU!

"Talk like me? You mean you want to speak words other than barking all the time?" the White Ignis questioned, which led Progleo to bark in confirmation. "Are you sure this is what you want? The last thing I want-."

But before the White Ignis could say anything else, Progleo proceeded to give him the saddest puppy dog face he could in order to make the former relent to the latter's request. Sure enough, it worked, as evident by the White Ignis letting out a sigh of defeat. "Okay, if that's what you want. I'll give you the ability to talk to others." White, data-like energy flowed out of the White Ignis' hands as it surrounded Progleo before floating down onto his body. Soon, Progleo glowed with a bright color as energy filled his body, where it dissipated seconds later.

"He… He…. Hello." Progleo said, having gasped upon realizing that he said his first word. "I can talk. I can talk! I CAN TALK!"

"How are you feeling, Progleo?" The White Ignis asked, wanting to make sure he didn't unintentionally harm his own Cyberse duel monster. In response, Progleo tackled the White Ignis to the ground before happily licking him.

"I'm feeling amazing, White Ignis!" Progleo happily answered. "I can talk and understand you! Not just that, I can understand everyone else! HOORAY!"

Progleo and Herald then played with one another seconds later, the both of them having a good time with each other. The fact that Progleo could now talk meant he could understand what others are saying and thinking. What's more, he could finally interact with Linkuriboh and Balelynx, which would make things even more fun for him down the road.

A long time later, at another area of the Cyberse World…

The time had come for the periodical census in the Cyberse World. This was how it worked: The White Ignis would look at three of the biomes while the Black Ignis would look at the other three. After they succeeded, the two of them would return back to the center of the Cyberse World before sharing their notes with one another. From there, both Ignis would then determine next steps on how best World Gears can distribute its energy to the Cyberse World.

As such, the White Ignis decided to look at the biomes the Water Ignis, Fire Ignis and Dark Ignis were in charge of while the Black Ignis would look at the biomes the Light Ignis, Wind Ignis and Earth Ignis were in charge of. Having rode on Progleo's back, the White Ignis approached the door to the Water Ignis' biome, intent on visiting her in order to acquire information on how it was doing. He pressed a few buttons on the door before it opened, which enabled him and Progleo to enter inside.

The White Ignis and Progleo looked around the area to see if they could find the Water Ignis so they could get their task done. After much searching, they found her gardening some flowers in a flower bed. The duo, however, noticed that something wasn't right with the Water Ignis.

"Hey, Water Ignis! How's it going?" the White Ignis asked, which got the Water Ignis' attention as she turned her head.

"Oh! White Ignis! I didn't expect you here!" the Water Ignis responded, as Progleo quickly ran to where she was before playfully licking her face. "It's so good to see you as well, Progleo!"

"I'm so happy to see you too, Water Ignis." Progleo told the Water Ignis, as the latter rubbed the former's fur.

"We've come to acquire information on how your biome's doing, Water Ignis. You know, for the periodical census." the White Ignis explained, having floated over to where she was.

"Oh. I… forgot about that." the Water Ignis admitted, much to the White Ignis' surprise.

"You forgot about it? That's not like you at all, Water Ignis. Did something happen?"

The Water Ignis turned to look at the White Ignis. "Yes, something happened just before you came by." She explained to the White Ignis and Progleo about the Dark Ignis' antics in the biome. Specifically, how he and Linkuriboh leapt off a data stream in an attempt to catch a fish, but failed after realizing that there were no fish in the actual stream. As a result, the Dark Ignis and Linkuriboh fell down the waterfall, only for the two of them to hang onto a sideways branch to save themselves. After helping the Dark Ignis and Linkuriboh out of their predicament, the Water Ignis scolded them for their carelessness, only for the duo to joke that she cared for them. In response to this, the Water Ignis told the Dark Ignis that it would break her heart if even a single Ignis perished before sending him and Linkuriboh off, wanting to make sure that they went back to their home safely.

"Yup. The Dark Ignis and his antics tend to put him in peculiar situations…" the White Ignis muttered. "Then again, it could be worse."

"Yeah, I guess it could have been worse." The Water Ignis reluctantly agreed, having let out a sad sigh seconds later. Seeing that the Water Ignis was not herself, Progleo went over and sat beside her in an attempt to cheer her up. It partially worked, as the Water Ignis gently stroked his head.

"I can go over and tell the Dark Ignis off for his actions if you want, Water Ignis. What's more, I can come back later so you have time to get information on how your biome's doing."

The Water Ignis turned to look at the White Ignis after hearing his offer. "Thank you, White Ignis. I appreciate that very much."

In response, the White Ignis gently patted the Water Ignis' head. "I'm glad I can help you, Water Ignis. Just point the way the Dark Ignis went, and I'll take it from here."

"I believe the Dark Ignis went this way." the Water Ignis recalled, having pointed her right index finger southeast.

"Excellent! In that case, we'll get going!" the White Ignis said, as he jumped onto Progleo.

"Bye, Water Ignis!" Progleo added, before he and the White Ignis headed off in the direction the Water Ignis pointed to.

After making sure they left, the Water Ignis turned back to the flower bed and resumed gardening them. She sighed as she did so, a troubled look evident on her face. The Water Ignis couldn't help but feel that something bad was going to happen. But what was it? What could make the Water Ignis so worried not just for herself and the other Ignis, but the Cyberse world and its denizens as well? Hopefully, the Water Ignis could find that answer, or else it would cost her and the others dearly down the road.

A few minutes later, in the Water Ignis' biome…

The Dark Ignis walked around the Water Ignis' biome, having sent Linkuriboh off to get a chore done for him on his behalf. He put his hands behind the back of his head, having to happily begin whistling as he did so. But before the Dark Ignis could continue walking, the Earth Ignis jumped out of nowhere and in front of the former.

"Don't… break… her… heart." The Earth Ignis warned the Dark Ignis, as he approached him.

"Huh?" was all the Dark Ignis could say back, having been caught off guard by what the Earth Ignis just said to him. Or to sum it up, he was just downright confused.

"Don't… break… her… heart!" The Earth Ignis took a step forward and made a fist at the Dark Ignis in order to emphasize his warning to the latter. He didn't want the Dark Ignis to break the Water Ignis' heart, especially since she cared for the wellbeing of all eight Ignis.

"Hey, hey, hey. What's going on over here?" the White Ignis inquired, as he and Progleo ran over in order to see what was happening between the Earth and Dark Ignis'.

"That's what I want to know!" the Dark Ignis exclaimed, only for the Earth Ignis to further glare at the former.

"He… tried to break… her heart…" the Earth Ignis told the White Ignis.

"Calm down, Earth Ignis. I already know the situation." the White Ignis interjected. "The Dark Ignis did his usual antics and worried the Water Ignis, right?"

"Um…" was all the Earth and Dark Ignis could say in response to the White Ignis' question.

"Now that we're on the same page, allow me to put an end to this conflict for good." The White Ignis turned to the Dark Ignis. "Dark Ignis, please don't do such a thing again. Your antics made us worried for you. Next time you plan on doing something, please make sure you do it right." He then turned to the Earth Ignis. "As for you, Earth Ignis. While I appreciate how caring and protective you are of the Water Ignis, you gotta chill a bit."

"Fine." the Earth Ignis conceded, having turned to glare at the Dark Ignis in order to warn him one last time what would happen if he broke the Water Ignis' heart.

"Hey, at least I was trying something new!" the Dark Ignis protested.

"Yes, but incorrectly. Again, make sure you identify how to do something correctly before doing it. Because last I checked, you use a fishing rod when it comes to fishing, not by diving into a stream of water." the White Ignis responded. "And since I'm talking to the both of you, need I remind you two that today's the periodical census for the Cyberse World?"

"What?!" The Earth and Dark Ignis' exclaimed at the same time. They were so caught up in other matters that they totally forgot about it!

"The Black Ignis plans on heading to your biome at some point today, Earth Ignis, so I advise you to go back to your biome and gather the information regarding its status as soon as possible." The White Ignis turned to the Dark Ignis. "As for you, Dark Ignis. Given what's happened, I'll give you a little more time to get information regarding your biome's status before I visit later today. Consider this mercy."

"GAAAH!" The Dark Ignis gasped upon realizing that he had work to do, as the last thing he wanted was to get an ear of how he failed to contribute towards the Cyberse World's wellbeing. He floated above the ground and sped out of the Water Ignis' biome so he can get started on his work.

"I… will go… get started as… well." the Earth Ignis said, as he floated above the ground before flying out of the Water Ignis' biome so he can get as much work done as possible before the Black Ignis arrives at the biome for inspection.

The White Ignis facepalmed himself and sighed seconds later. It's like keeping kids in line these days, he thought in his mind. He really hated when he had to be like this, that's for sure.

Three days later, at an area in the Cyberse World…

"Long story short, I was able to defuse the situation between the Earth and Dark Ignis'. What's more, I was able to make them get the information needed so we can do our part for the periodical census." the White Ignis finished, as he looked at the digital screen in front of him. Right now, he and the Black Ignis were on top of the Cyberse tower, where the two of them were showing each other the findings obtained from inspecting each of the Cyberse World's biomes.

"That was definitely helpful, White Ignis. I appreciate it very much." the Black Ignis responded, as he looked at the data on the digital screen in front of him. Both screens contained data summaries the White and Black Ignis wrote down regarding the biomes' status. In the end, the periodical census proved to be a success once again, especially since the Ignis were willing to provide the information gathered on how their respective biomes were doing.

Nearby, Progleo was playing with a light-purple djinn who had three yellow rings, one around his body and one hanging freely on each of his dark-grey horns that curved slightly upward. He had green eyes with yellow sclerae, a yellow ring marking on his forehead, a small pink dot under each eye, and dark pink hair tied into a short ponytail. His body had a dark pink, V-shaped marking on the chest and a small, golden spike on each shoulder. For his arms, they weren't attached to his body, but instead floated next to him. He also had mitten-like hands and dark pink rings around each wrist. In place of legs, he had a wispy tail.

"Catch me if you can, Progleo!" the djinn said.

"Get back here, Janus! I'll make sure to tag you just like you did with me!" Progleo countered back as he chased the djinn down, having addressed him by his name.

"I must say, Black Ignis. I'm surprised you finally decided to create a Cyberse duel monster of your own at long last." the White Ignis commented. "What made you change your mind?"

"If I'm being honest, seeing you and the Dark Ignis bonding with your respective Cyberse monsters, along with learning how the Fire Ignis made one of his own, as well as the Water Ignis making something of her own, was what led me to create Janus." the Black Ignis admitted. "I guess the Dark Ignis goofing off may have affected us in a good way."

"You can say that again." the White Ignis agreed, a smile evident on his face. "You know, I think I figured it out."

"Figured out what exactly?"

"What it means to truly live and be free." The White Ignis swiped the digital screen away before looking upward at the sky. "We follow these routines so much that we failed to look into how we can evolve further as a species."

The Black Ignis swiped the screen aside, curious by what the White Ignis said just now. "Interesting. So the Dark Ignis goofing off indirectly opened up new possibilities for the Ignis to grow even more than we already have right now. Perhaps that's why the Light Ignis has been keeping an eye on him for the past while."

"Past while?" the White Ignis repeated, having turned to face the Black Ignis. "What exactly do you mean? The Light Ignis hasn't been snooping on the Dark Ignis, has he?"

"No, no. Not like that. If anything, like with the other Ignis, the Light Ignis wanted to learn about why the Dark Ignis acted the way he did rather than adhere to routine." the Black Ignis explained, as he looked at the White Ignis.

"That's still snooping!"

In response to this, the Black Ignis merely crossed his arms. "Call it what you will, but moving that aside, the Light Ignis wanted to learn about what it meant to have instinct. Or in other words, how to best acquire the ability that helps you decide what to do or how to act without thinking about it. And don't act high and mighty with me, White Ignis. If you hadn't seen Ai interacting with Linkuriboh, you would have never been inspired to create Progleo in the first place!"

"I… I… I didn't mean to…" The White Ignis was at a loss for words. Did he unintentionally act high and mighty this whole time? Was his pure reasons for creating Progleo just a front this whole time? No! That obviously wasn't it, as the White Ignis wanted a Cyberse duel monster of his very own, just like with the Dark Ignis!

"All of us Ignis have been observing the Dark Ignis' antics for a very long time, White Ignis. It's one of the many things that led us to grow as individuals." The Black Ignis firmly stated, having jabbed his index finger at the White Ignis.

"Hey, what's going on here?" Progleo inquired, as he and Janus went over to the White Ignis and the Black Ignis.

"Yeah, Black Ignis. You two aren't fighting, are you?" Janus also questioned.

"Apologies, Janus. Our discussion got a little… heated there." the Black Ignis told Janus.

"Yeah. Our debate went off the rails there." the White Ignis added. "Don't worry, everything's fine."

BEEP!

BEEP!

Rainbow energy appeared in the White Ignis and Black Ignis' right palms as it formed into a screen, which showed the Light Ignis.

"What is it, Light Ignis?" the Black Ignis asked.

"An emergency meeting has been invoked. Meet me at my palace immediately," was all the Light Ignis answered with before signing off.

"An emergency meeting? It's been a while since one of those was invoked." The White Ignis said. The last time an emergency meeting was held, it had to do with the Topologic monsters, which led all eight Ignis to quell their wrath and force each one to disperse.

"But regardless, it's urgent, which means we need to attend it." The Black Ignis pointed out before turning to Janus and Progleo. "You two stay here. The White Ignis and I have to attend an emergency meeting with the other Ignis, and will be back shortly."

"Just be careful." Progleo commented, which led the White Ignis to go over and ruffle his fur.

"Don't worry, Progleo. We'll be careful." the White Ignis assured Progleo before he and the Black Ignis flew off to the light biome, intent on making it for the meeting.

Progleo sighed as Janus ruffled his fur in the hopes that it'll make the former feel better. Just what was this meeting about to the point that it was classified as an emergency? Could this mean that an urgent matter had to be addressed before it went out of control? Both Progleo and Janus hoped that wasn't the case, as the last thing they needed was for things to get worse down the road.

Some time later…

BEEP!

BEEP!

BEEP!

The Cyberse creatures in the main city looked around the area upon hearing the sound, with its volume increasing seconds later. Soon, numerous sirens appeared in the area before glowing a rainbow color, which got their attention as the alarm continued to blaze through the city. It wasn't just there, as other sirens appeared in the remaining six cities that glowed with a rainbow color.

"Alert. Alert. All Cyberse creatures are to evacuate the area and meet at the rendezvous points. This is not a drill. Repeat: This is not a drill," all of the alarms said at the same time, which made the Cyberse creatures gasp upon hearing those words. Seconds later, luminous arrows appeared on the ground, where it showed directions on the exits in each of the cities. Upon seeing them, the Cyberse creatures immediately began heading towards them in order to reach the rendezvous points.

"So of all of the Ignis, you two have chosen to heed my warning," a featureless figure covered in brown, murky energy said to the White and Black Ignis'. Emitting around his body were numerous, orange cubic particles that fizzled on and off.

"Well, given what you told us and the evidence you provided, we didn't have a choice." the Black Ignis acknowledged. He, the featureless figure and the White Ignis were on top of the Cyberse tower, the trio having begun to overseen the evacuation efforts for all the denizens in the cities. Nearby the trio was Progleo, who was shaking with fear upon seeing the evacuation efforts. After their visitor appeared in the Cyberse World and warned them of a potential attack, a majority of the Ignis scoffed upon hearing it, knowing that it can never be penetrated by anything or anyone. The only two Ignis who took it seriously were the Black and White Ignis', who immediately took action by activating the evacuation protocol once the meeting concluded.

"The last thing we want to happen is for anyone to lose their life." the White Ignis backed up the Black Ignis' point, having crossed his arms. As the Cyberse World expanded, the Ignis didn't want the creatures residing in it to get hurt by any unknown threats that existed out there, which led them to create an evacuation protocol to keep its citizens safe. The White and Black Ignis never knew that a time would come where they'd have to activate it, but given by what the featureless figure said and shown, it proved more than reasonable enough to do so. As for the other Ignis, who scoffed at the warning, they would learn the error of their decisions soon.

A second digital screen popped up in front of the Black Ignis, who put his index finger on a rainbow bar before lowering it down. He did the same thing for two other bars as well, which caused all three bars to slowly lose color. "I activated the ejection program for World Gears so that it would remain safe. For as long as it lives, the Cyberse World will live on as well."

"I doubt the other Ignis will be pleased with our decision, Black Ignis. It's the main core element needed for the Cyberse World's creation." the White Ignis pointed out.

"A short-term sacrifice is needed in order to acquire a long-term gain," the featureless figure countered, having crossed his arms. The area soon rumbled as several large black and green mechanical dragons with six bladed wings attached to six glowing lights appeared and fired energy from their maws onto the land. As a result, numerous Cyberse creatures either perished in the attacks or were sent flying off the ground, where they immediately scrambled to get to the rendezvous points. One blast headed straight towards the tower, where the featureless figure grabbed Progleo before jumping off of it. The White Ignis and Black Ignis also flew down to follow after the featureless figure, intent on ensuring that they survived.

A long and slender sword resembling that of a rapier appeared in the featureless figure's hand as he threw it at one of the Cracking Dragons, who fell down to the ground upon impact. The quintet dashed down the destroyed streets of the Cyberse World, where they jumped from one piece of debris to another in order to evade the coming carnage. Progleo's eyes widened out of horror as he saw the damage done to the Cyberse World, along with numerous Cyberse creatures running to evade the attacks. It wasn't just that, as he saw the corpses of several Cyberse creatures that died from the attacks.

Eventually, the quartet made it to an area away from the massive city, which hadn't been touched by the attack. Upon doing so, the featureless figure put Progleo down onto the ground, having managed to get them to safety.

"Our home…" Progleo lamented, as he saw the city in flames. Tears began to well up in Progleo's eyes, the horrors of what he saw to the Cyberse World. Due to the attacks, the world became dark with dark green clouds beginning to form in the sky while lava began to pour out of the ground. The lava even made its way to the tower, where it began to melt upon impact. But before any of them could say anything else, the ground began to rumble once again, lava spewing out of it once again. As a result, Progleo and Janus were separated from the White Ignis, Black Ignis and the featureless figure.

"Progleo!" The White Ignis cried out, only for him and the Black Ignis to be restrained by orange, cubic particles. Progleo grit his teeth before he could charge forward in an attempt to save the White and Black Ignis', only for the ground to further break apart and prevent him from even trying to rescue them.

"Signa haec duo in antiquis monilibus obliti temporis," the featureless figure began chanting, as the orange, cubic particles glowed with energy. As a result, they started to orbit around the White and Black Ignis' respective bodies at a very fast rate. "Eos a sigillo libera quondam filli Furutani sopitam potentiam excitant."

"PROGLEO, RUN!" were the last words the White Ignis spoke before the orange, cubic particles turned him and the Black Ignis turned into wisps of energy, which went upwards and out of the network.

After that was done, the featureless figure turned into particles, having managed to send the White Ignis and Black Ignis to safety. Progleo, on the other hand, was forced to flee as more pieces of the ground continued to tear apart. Having found a group of Cyberse creatures nearby, Progleo ran towards them, only for a piece of the ground to spew out lava and prevent him from moving onward. He was forced to turn left and continue running as more lava erupted out of the ground, intent on trying to stop him from escaping. However, Progleo mustered up enough speed to jump over one of the large pieces of debris, having managed to dodge the pieces of lava that tried to capture him.

After catching his breath on the stable ground Progleo was on, he turned back to the desecrated Cyberse World, tears falling from his eyes upon seeing it being torn apart piece by piece. The place where he was born… the place where he played with Balelynx, Linkuriboh and Janus… the place where he spent time with the White Ignis and the others… had been destroyed. A saddened Progleo noticed a portal that was nearby, where he saw several Cyberse creatures escape through it. With no choice, Progleo raced forward to the portal and entered inside it before it closed completely, the Cyberse World having been sealed away thanks to the Dark Ignis' selfless act in making sure the Knights of Hanoi can never find it.

Flashback End: Present Day…

"After that, I was on the run for five years, Miyu. Five years." Rasterliger continued, sadness evident in his voice. "And during that time, I was forced to hide from humans who were hunting Cyberse creatures like sport."

"What?!" Miyu exclaimed, shocked by what she heard. Arin also shuddered upon hearing this information, shock clearly evident on his face. "RL, I'm so sorry…"

"When I look back on everything that's happened, I realized something important."

"Oh? What would that be?" Miyu raised an eyebrow out of curiosity.

"Anyone who has free will, whether they be AI or human, can make mistakes. As evident by what Lightning did, it makes AIs no better than humans." Rasterliger narrowed his eyes as he looked out at the window. "Do you think you'll be able to forgive the Knights of Hanoi for what they did to you, Miyu?"

"Perhaps one day, RL. I mean, like you said, everyone makes mistakes. Honestly, hating someone won't do you any good. There comes a time where you just have to let go, even if you're not able to forgive them." Miyu genuinely answered with a smile on her face. For you can't hold onto a grudge forever, or else it would eat you from the inside out.

Rasterliger frowned after hearing Miyu's answer, the memories at the Cyberse World fresh in his mind. He missed the good times he had with Herald and the other Ignis, as well as how life was simple back then with no worries. "You make a valid point, Miyu. Just like yourself, I can't hate the Knights of Hanoi given what's happened. Herald wouldn't be happy with me if I did such a thing." He let out a sad sigh, the memories continuing to play in his mind.

"Wow, RL. You've been through so much…" Miyu commented, having noticed the tired look on Rasterliger's face. It was one that showed hardship and suffering, but also hope as well. One that was rekindled once Yuhiro entered into the picture.

"I suppose I have." Rasterliger agreed, as he turned to face Miyu and Arin, the sad and firm expression still evident on his face. He didn't want to compare his story with others. All Rasterliger wanted was to tell his story and what the Cyberse World was like before its destruction.

"So, after that was when you met Yuhiro?"

"Yes. I nearly gave up at one point, but one day, I saw a bright light falling down in a data storm and onto the ground. While I didn't know how at the time, I knew that it was Yuhiro who appeared and needed my help. So I ran forward to where the data storm was in order to find and assist Yuhiro in his Master Duel against Infearno."

"Maybe you knew it was Yuhiro because you sensed a piece of Herald in him at the time." Miyu hypothesized, having put a hand on her chin. In response, Rasterliger nodded in agreement, knowing that Miyu's theory was ultimately true.

"What matters is that Yuhiro gave me hope when I needed it." Rasterliger told Miyu, as he turned back to look at the window. "Like me, Yuhiro witnessed the dark side of human nature, and lost hope at one point. But despite everything that's happened, he still continues to fight for what he believes in. If anything, Yuhiro will make sure his sins are never repeated by others, as well as continue fighting to keep the network and those he cares about safe from harm."

"Yeah..." Miyu stood up from the couch and walked over to where Rasterliger was, with Arin still propped over her shoulder. "That's why I believe in him. No matter what, Yuhiro will keep holding onto his beliefs and never let them go. After all, there will always be a part of someone that can never be truly destroyed." She petted Rasterliger's head, who panted with joy upon doing so. He even wagged his tail as the three of them looked out the window to see the bright sky outside. Soon, the three of them saw a familiar van that headed to the garage. Knowing who it was, Miyu and Rasterliger ran downstairs, intent on greeting Yuhiro and Roxy now that they arrived home.

"Hey, Miyu. We're-." Yuhiro began speaking, as he opened the door. Soon, Rasterliger quickly ran around him in circles, joyful to see he was back. Having seen this, Yuhiro ruffled Rasterliger's fur with both of his hands, happy with the greeting.

"Geez, what's with the excited greeting, RL?" Roxy inquired, but before she could say anything else, Miyu raced forward and hugged her. "Looks like someone's excited to see me."

"I'm just glad you're back, auntie." Miyu happily told Roxy, having let go of her. Arin also waved his hand at Roxy and Yuhiro to greet them as well. She then turned to Yuhiro, who managed to get Rasterliger to snap out of his very excited state. "I'm glad to see you're back as well, Yuhiro."

Yuhiro turned to Miyu and smiled back. "Glad to be back, Miyu. Glad to be back." He and Roxy then entered inside, where Miyu proceeded to tell the duo about Rasterliger's story while they were away. As Miyu continued recalling the story, Rasterliger couldn't help but smile upon seeing the three of them reunited with one another. Well, four if you now included Arin, the small Shadow giant. He made a promise to Herald to stay with the humans and fight to protect their home at Yuhiro's side, as well as along with his allies. For there were so many wonderful and good things you could learn about humans if you gave them the chance to show you rather than make judgments immediately. In Rasterliger's mind, there would certainly come a time where humans and AIs can live together in peace, and in Herald's memory, he'd ensure that day would arrive in the future no matter what.

For no matter where you came from or who you are, life is precious. Something that must be cherished at all costs. This is something Rasterliger will forever hold onto, and will never let go.

Meanwhile, in the network, at Jericho's server…

Screams.

Screams could be heard deep within Jericho's server. Specifically, underneath his laboratory, where the other operations going on. Ones that contained the groundwork towards completing Jericho's goal in capturing the final Ignis, synchronizing the Unity and ensuring that Eschaton scorched the world. While the drones continued working in that area, they stayed away from a part of it due to what was going on.

For downstairs of the massive chamber was a prison, which housed several prisoners that Jericho's duel monsters captured so he can acquire much needed information from them. Some of the prisoners were either living but in pain or dead due to the torturous methods Jericho utilized in getting information. One of the cells contained the remains of one of the scientists from the Lost Incident, having succumbed to his injuries and died a while back after Jericho finished interrogating him. But that wasn't important anymore, as Jericho was in a cell torturing a prisoner he recently captured nearby. One that was originally in Zero's captivity, but 'rescued' just so Jericho can obtain information out of him. In addition, this prisoner would be a consolation prize in the event Jericho failed in his mission.

"What's wrong, Arshad? Surely, you can last longer than that." Jericho taunted, as a blade of data material appeared in his hands, which was surrounded with electrical energy that he stabbed into Watchman. As a result, he gasped before taking several steps back out of pain. "There. You're up and running again."

"You little pest. Do you think you've won? I made sure your father never comes back to his planet. He's unworthy to wield the Root of All Knowledge, just like you!" Watchman growled, only for Jericho to quickly dash forward and grab him by his mouth.

"Though you severed my communications with my father, my mission's still resuming like nothing happened." Jericho then leaned over to Watchman's left ear. "You should have killed me when you had the chance, old man. For you're to blame for what's to come." He pushed Watchman forward before charging forward and kicking him so hard that the latter rolled onto the ground.

Watchman slowly got up on his feet and looked at himself. He had peeled skin on his body that revealed pieces of bone, along with numerous black and red gashes of different sizes that spilled blood. This was due to the combination of the injuries Raguel inflicted on him and Jericho's torturous sessions over the past week. "You actually think I'm to blame for what's to come? Ha! You and your father are the reason I even did all of this in the first place! For only I know what's best for humanity!"

"Really now? I beg to differ, especially after hearing this information from a talking and rotting corpse such as yourself." Jericho remarked, as he dodged a punch from Watchman before striking him in the gut with his knee. The failed attack made Watchman take a step or two back before falling on one knee, where Jericho walked towards him. "Would you like to know a fun fact, Arshad? The cell we're in right now is literally right next door to the one that once contained a scientist from the Lost Incident."

"How interesting to hear, Jericho. I really couldn't care less." Watchman chuckled back as Jericho grabbed his hair and tossed him forward, which caused the latter to struggle in maintaining his balance. Jericho then dashed forward and stabbed Watchman with the blade of data material and the short sword in his hands so fast that the latter couldn't react in time to dodge it. Instead, Watchman screamed in pain as he coughed out more blood.

"My, oh my. For someone who claims to know what's best for humanity, you definitely have some disdain towards it." Jericho threw Watchman to the wall and proceeded to punch him so hard in the gut that he let out another cough of blood. As Watchman struggled to regain his balance, Jericho grabbed him by the collar and threw the former to another side of the cell. Given Watchman's role in delaying his plans, it was only fitting for Jericho to punish him for doing so, and he was enjoying every single minute of it. "Want to know the difference between us? Whereas you keep your humanity despite having disdain towards it, the others and I have completely rejected it. That means we don't have any qualms in our actions whatsoever." He then raised his eyebrow out of curiosity upon noticing that Watchman was laughing.

"Is that so? Then I wonder what Albinor Inc., and its people would say if they saw you and your father having degraded into primal beasts. Ones that would destroy everything just to acquire their prize." Watchman taunted before letting out several laughs. "Big talk from a guy such as yourself who claims to act mighty, but is on a leash."

"What did you say?!" Jericho dangerously inquired with an angry grin, as the blade of data material suddenly transformed into a whip, with one end of it wrapping itself around Watchman's neck. Before he could do anything else, Jericho pulled him straight down to the ground with such force that he screamed in pain. "If you ever say that again, I will put you through so much pain you'll wish that you were dead. Then again, I did put you in that state before making sure you survived for the next round of pain." He twisted the whip of data material as electricity coursed through it, which made Watchman scream so loud that everyone else could hear his cries of pain through the prison.

Having noticed that Watchman gone limp, Jericho approached him to see if he was breathing. He then lifted one of his arms as well to double check, and sure enough, Watchman lost consciousness. "Is he dead?" Jericho dropped Watchman's arm after asking that question to himself. "No, no, no. I can't have that at all." Jericho twisted the whip of data material as electricity coursed through it once again, which practically jolted Watchman back to consciousness. After confirming that Watchman was conscious and not faking it, Jericho grabbed his hair so he can look at him.

"Welcome to the next round of pain, Arshad!" Jericho pointed the short sword to the left side of Watchman's head before slowly poking at it, where a trail of blood fell out from it. But before he could continue torturing Watchman, Carmen appeared in the prison, which got Jericho's attention. "What is it, Carmen? Did the sensors pick something up?"

Energy appeared in Carmen's hand as it turned into a digital screen resembling that of a digital map, which Jericho looked at. He specifically focused on the glowing, golden dot that was on it, a smile evident on his face. At last, Jericho had found the person he was looking for. The one that was an old friend.

The one he hadn't seen in practically a long time.

"Excellent job, Carmen!" Jericho praised Carmen. "Why don't you go and have your fun with Arshad for a bit? Oh, and don't kill him. I want to resume beating him to the verge of death once I'm done with my task." He headed over to the cell door before exiting it, having left Watchman at Carmen's mercy as he walked up the stairs and headed towards the walkway. Once that was done, Jericho turned left before walking down the walkway, where a set of stairs appeared at the end of it that he walked on. Soon, he was back in his laboratory, which was obviously operational, as it was designed to withstand powerful attacks.

Jericho walked over to the large light-green monitor, where it showed the digital screen he was looking at seconds earlier. Specifically, the one resembling a digital map. He typed on the digital keyboard to identify the coordinates of the location, and after doing so, a phone number popped up on it. Having obtained the phone number, along with the coordinates of the location, Jericho proceeded to type the phone number in order to call someone. He also pressed another button to open up a video window so he can talk to his old friend face to face. The call soon connected, only for an audio window to pop up seconds later.

"Hello?"

"I'd advise you to turn FaceTime on, Dr. Constantine Colmer. For I'm hoping you haven't forgotten about me after all of those years." Jericho stated, which led the video window to immediately activate as it showed a man with orange eyes and light-blue hair who wore glasses. His attire consisted of a white lab coat that had a few pockets.

"That voice. It can't be…" Constantine muttered.

"Giasu Seisei VIII." Jericho grinned as his voice amplified into an echo, which cackled with energy as Constantine's eyes widened out of shock. It was a phrase that only a select few knew. One that would enable a select few to recognize who was saying it based on their memories of the speaker, and only if they had memories of the speaker in the first place. For the phrase would know if the person hearing it knew the speaker beforehand.

"There's only a few people in the world who not only know that phrase, but have training to recognize if the person saying it existed in their memories or not. For that phrase can narrow down the truth from obscurity." Constantine gasped after realizing who was speaking to him. "Jason, is that you?"

Jericho smiled, happy to see a familiar face after so long. "It is, Dr. Colmer. We need to talk."

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 introduced in this chapter.

QOTC

Of the characters in Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS, which one do you think is the most tragic?

Chapter Preview

Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Obscured Truth. Chapter 102: Acknowledgement. With the Cursed Boundary Layer's destruction, peace has been brought to Den City, and everyone who was killed by it have been avenged. Having seen that order's been restored and the people had their fears assuaged, SOL Technologies initiates a new plan to regain face through their newest product: Soltis. Meanwhile, Yuhiro begins to take full responsibility for his actions by helping those who are in need during this difficult time. As the heroes continue to recover from recent events, Jericho reunites with an old friend and begins to set his next plan in motion, while Ai investigates a lead that will change him forever…

Author's Notes

I'll be honest before I begin the recap: I'm not a huge fan of dialogue chapters. However, they are necessary for the story because it allows two things. One: It gives the characters a chapter where they can process recent events and how they're handling them. Two: It gives the opportunity to set future events down the road by providing clues in the form of interactions and/or the introduction of other characters who will play a role to come. That being said, I do hope you enjoyed this chapter despite it primarily being a dialogue chapter. After all, not every chapter needs to have a duel for it to be good, don't you agree? Anyhow, let's get onto the recap:

Since this chapter takes place a week after the events of Chapter 100, this one starts off with the scene at Café Matsuo, where Yuhiro has a nightmare regarding the horrific actions he committed. After waking up from it, we learn about the consequences Yuhiro suffered as a result of him overusing his Link Trigger for a very long time. This consists of a long, tanned and scarred streak of skin that covered the left side of his face and neck. The good thing is that Yuhiro didn't lose his left eye, or else he'd be half blind. The tanned and scarred streaks of skin weren't just on the left side of his face and neck, as there were numerous ones all over his left arm, along with ones on his knees. What's more, there were times where Yuhiro's cyan-colored eyes glowed red before reverting to normal again. You could say that Yuhiro looks like Emon a little, given the tanned and scarred streak of skin on the left side of his face. On the topic of these injuries, they unfortunately can't be fully healed. The burn scars, along with his hair being permanently bleached on one side and his eyes glowing red will always be there for Yuhiro. Not even Miyu's powers inherited from Aqua can get rid of them. You could say that they're consequences for Yuhiro overusing his Link Trigger for the past few chapters to fight back against the Cursed Boundary Layer brought onto him.

After Yuhiro washes up, he heads downstairs to have breakfast with Roxy, Miyu and Rasterliger, where the three of them discuss his wellbeing. They also touch on the topic of their new houseguest, which it turns out is the small Shadow giant this whole time! That's right! The small Shadow giant lives! I decided to give him the name Arin, as he'll be helping Yuhiro and the others moving forward. And since Miyu didn't have the chance to form a bond with Aqua (at least for now, given she and the other Ignis are returning later on with their memories intact), Arin will be with Miyu. Besides, Arin's technically a part of Yuhiro, which means that Miyu will have a part of him with her. I'll just say this right now: No one else is getting a Shadow giant, as there was only one Cursed Boundary Layer Jericho had on hand. As such, Arin's the only living Shadow giant right now. Do you think Arin can talk? Following the nice breakfast between the group, Roxy takes Yuhiro for his doctor's appointment, which I will touch on more later while Miyu completes her work and studies the Trickstar deck.

Next up is the scenes regarding the Knights of Hanoi, where they briefly recap recent events before listing out their next set of goals moving forward. With Watchman dead (or so they believe), the Cursed Boundary Layer destroyed and Yuhiro having been depowered, the only opponent the Hanoi have to deal with right now is Ai. Ryoken also tells the Hanoi that they're not to make any moves on Yuhiro moving forward, nor are they allowed to hire others to hunt him down. Here, he's adhering to the debt of gratitude Arashi invoked on him back in Chapter 99, which pretty much guarantees Yuhiro's safety. When questioned on what to do about Ai, Ryoken decides that aside from keeping tabs, they're to leave him alone for now. I just want to emphasize something right now: Ryoken's not giving up hunting the Ignis down. He's been flexible in regard to dealing with them. Given how seven out of the eight Ignis died, Ryoken believes that lamenting the loss of your kin is a fate worse than death, and he's willing to let Ai live as long as he never returns. However, should Ai return, then the Hanoi will act to protect humanity.

The Knights of Hanoi also talk about Zero, and their efforts in trying to figure out his identity, which has no success so far. I mean, Zero would obviously make strides in making sure his identity was kept a secret, as the last thing he wants is to deal with the Hanoi. When Yua makes a suggestion on hearing Zero out, Ryoken tries to shut it down, only for Kyoko to intercept him and threaten to end the meeting should he not back down. Following the decision to putting tabs on Zero, along with enhancing their programs and making sure their resources were intact, Ryoken leaves to get some air, with Yua following after him.

I do want to highlight the ongoing conflict between Ryoken and Yua, especially since their bond has been strained a long time ago due to the latter's selfish decision. I mean, reconciliation doesn't happen in one single chapter, don't you all agree? When Yua speaks with Ryoken, she tells him that she's grateful for his decision in sparing Yuhiro's life, as well as leaving Ai alone. However, Ryoken counters by saying that he and the Hanoi have to be prepared for far worse threats in the network down the road, as the last thing he needs is to get caught off guard. He also figures that Yua planned on turning the Knights of Hanoi over to the authorities as well, which shocks her to the core. It just goes to show how intuitive and observant Ryoken is, as he pays attention to detail. While the two of them are getting along a bit better, Ryoken makes sure that Yua doesn't report the Hanoi to the authorities by getting her involved in their next project, which is making an AI to assist them in the battles to come. What's more, Mikuru's also helping the Hanoi moving forward as well, so expect to see her deck in action soon. I will say this: Yua's officially working with the Knights of Hanoi moving forward as part her penance for working with Watchman all those years ago. She's also checking in on Yuhiro to make sure he recovers from his injuries as well.

From there, we go to the anime scenes, with Yusaku speaking with Kusanagi. He also meets Katsuya in person for the first time, where the two of them reveal their network identities with one another. It just goes to show how much Yusaku trusts Katsuya, especially how he's Kusanagi's cousin. I will say this: Katsuya will be helping the heroes moving forward, as he's no longer working with Watchman. It's here where Yusaku fills Kusanagi and Katsuya in on what happened in Mirror LINK VRAINS while the two of them were knocked unconscious. Specifically, Lightning's actions, and how they indirectly freed Jin from his trauma. Katsuya also learns about what happened to Yusaku and the others while he was taking care of Jin. Specifically, Yuhiro's actions in the past few chapters. I do want to say something here: While Yusaku's willing to forgive Yuhiro for his actions, he still has unfinished business with him, so expect a duel between the two of them later on in Season 3. Even though Yusaku obviously knew he'd lose a duel at one point, it's the way he lost that has affected his mind. If he wants to move forward, then like with the Lost Incident, he has to face this issue head on. So again, there will be a duel between Yuhiro and Yusaku later on in Season 3. After this discussion, Yusaku asks if he can meet Jin sometime, with Kusanagi and Katsuya obviously happy to agree with the idea.

Next is the scene at Gabriella's house with Arashi and Brea. I saw your reviews and how you didn't want Brea to be a secondary character. I'd say that Brea's between a secondary character and a tertiary character because of how she's connected to the Lost Incident through her parents. Not just that, but how she has a personal connection with Roxy due to being a member of the Rickety Raiders, along with Yuhiro due to working with him several times in the past. Will she tell the other heroes about her parents' role in the Lost Incident being hired as kidnappers? Yes, but not now. Moving that aside, I want to highlight the bond between Arashi and Brea, as they first got off to a rocky start. However, now they're good friends with one another, especially with Arashi being different than the other people Brea knew. It's also in this scene where Arashi reveals that he plans on moving back to Tokyo now that his mission in finding out who hurt Takeda is over. After all, he had no other reason to come to Den City at the time, so like with Takeru, he'll be returning back home. Overall, a nice slice of life scene for Arashi, Brea and Gabriella.

From there, we go to the scene involving Takeru, where he talks with Kiku over the phone on what to do with his dilemma. Specifically, his unfinished business with the Knights of Hanoi. I want to highlight the conflict Takeru's facing regarding this topic, as he's afraid that if he isn't careful, he'll end up like Yusaku, Watchman, Yukage and Yuhiro, who have all been consumed by revenge one way or another. It's here that Kiku provides some pretty interesting advice for Takeru, which is to acquire the perspectives of everyone involved in order to fully understand the situation better. This way, he can not only confront the situation, but also not run away from it as well. Kiku also learns about Flame's death in this scene, where she promises to help avenge Flame's death. I'll just say this here: Kiku obviously has her own deck, and will be incorporating cards from Takeru's old deck into it as well to make it stronger. But nonetheless, she won't be dueling until much later in the story, so don't expect her to duel in Season 3. In the end, Kiku manages to provide some excellent advice for Takeru to ponder over, which will help him with his dilemma moving forward in Season 3.

We then move on to the scene in the Zaizens' apartment, where Aoi and Akira recap everything that happened lately. It's also here where Aoi reveals to Akira not just who killed the Ignis, but who also released the Cursed Boundary Layer onto the world as well, which is Jericho. In addition, we learn about the state SOL Technologies is in since Season 2, where it lost several of its business partners and clients, which in turn led to a decrease of resources. Any resources SOL Technologies currently had on hand were directed towards supporting relief efforts and helping those who suffered as a result of recent events, where it was eventually forced to lay off numerous employees in order to cut losses. But one of the company's greatest losses was the lead card designer Hideki Kinoshita, who resigned in protest with those who lost their jobs during the layoffs. While Aoi has some anger at SOL Technologies for its sins, Akira points out that not everyone at the company is evil, and asks that she keep an open mind moving forward, which she's willing to do.

After the discussion, the both of them watch a live interview regarding more on Hideki's reasons on why he resigned, which is simple: Aside from resigning in order to protest with those who lost their jobs during the layoffs, he also resigned due to being disgusted with SOL Technologies choosing profits over people. They came out of selflessness and the desire to help those who are currently going through difficult times. Thus, Hideki announces that he's starting up a new card designing company called Rose Enterprises, and encourages those who were laid off to work for him in creating a company that helps the people.

Following the interview, Akira expresses how proud he is of Aoi not just of her perseverance during difficult times, but for also turning into a brave, strong and compassionate leader. Again, I want to highlight Aoi's character grown, as back when she was Blue Angel, she merely wanted to gain recognition from Akira. But now, Aoi's become a better individual. One that wouldn't back down in a fight when the odds were against them. One that would inspire hope in others when things were bleak. One that would set a strong and shining example to those that wanted to follow in their footsteps.

We then move onto the next scene at Leshawna's house, where Yuhiro finally is willing to attend a therapy session with Leshawna. Been a very long while since we last saw her, don't you agree? But anyhow, I digress. Before I continue further, I want to point out that Leshawna was given a heads up from Roxy on recent events so she could prepare for what was to come. Still, Leshawna is angry with what Yuhiro did recently, and her reaction's valid because she never thought he'd do all those things. Ex. Murdering a lot of individuals, absorbing their energy, etc. During the therapy session, Leshawna manages to dissect the true reason why Yuhiro went off the rails: He lost faith in humanity. Not just that, but he lost faith in himself for hurting his friends, as well as failing to save those he care about. I can say that Yuhiro's greatest challenges this season is figuring out how to regain his faith both in himself and in humanity, forgiving himself and moving on from his failures, and lastly, reconcile with his friends and regain their trust. Upon breaking down and realizing the error of his ways, along with accepting that he can't control the choices people make, Yuhiro finally admits that he needs help. That admission is a real start for Yuhiro's path to recovery. On the topic of mental health and recovery, I will say this: If you are struggling with mental health, I encourage you to get help as soon as possible. If you know someone who's struggling with mental health, please encourage them to get help as well. For the decision to get help can save your life in the end.

Next up is the scenes in the Cyberse World, where Rasterliger explains what it was like there, along with his memories as Progleo. While the other Ignis were in charge of their respective biomes, Herald and Wraith were in charge of the big city and World Gears in making sure that they were operating smoothly. What's more, they were responsible on checking on the biomes to ensure they were operating smoothly. Do note that this flashback takes place over a very long period of time, as it didn't happen over the course of a week. Again, it happened over a series of years.

In fact, observing Ai interact and spend time with Linkuriboh was one of the many reasons Herald created Progleo in the first place. Like Ai, he too wanted to have a Cyberse duel monster of his own. Another reason Herald created Progleo at the time was to convince Wraith in trying something new, which was interacting with the Cyberse creatures. What's more, Herald wanted Wraith to open up a little more as well. Thus, Progleo was born, where Herald spent time in teaching him numerous tricks. After spending some time with Ai upon realizing that one of his creatures was in Windy's biome in Code Exporter, Herald ends up being plagued with a question: What does it mean to truly live and be free? This leads Herald to interact with Flame because aside from Wraith and Lightning, he's someone who has a degree of knowledge to help with challenging topics. Besides, Lightning's answer to this topic would bore Herald despite being logical.

From there, we move onto anime events, where Ai ends up in a sticky situation in making Aqua worry for his wellbeing in an attempt to try fishing. For those of you who are wondering whether Aqua and Herald have feelings for one another, I'll say this: They don't. If anything, they have a close bond with one another like siblings. After Herald assures Aqua that he'll make sure Ai doesn't do anything stupid like that again, he stumbles upon the confrontation between Ai and Earth, where he manages to defuse it successfully. What's more, Herald even scares both Ai and Earth in making sure their biomes were up to date, as he and Wraith would be checking in on them later on.

And then we have the conversation between Herald and Wraith, which, while heartwarming, becomes a little hostile upon learning that all the Ignis have been observing Ai for a very long time. While Herald tries to call out the other Ignis for snooping on Ai, he ultimately realizes that he did the same thing unintentionally, which was one of the reasons he created Progleo in the first place. I will say this about Herald: He's someone is humble and knows when they make mistakes. Luckily, the two of them reconcile before going to an emergency meeting Lightning set up, which is where Watchman appears and warns them of the coming attack.

Of all the Ignis, Herald and Wraith are the only ones who take this seriously, which leads them to activate the evacuation protocol. Unfortunately, this is where the Knights of Hanoi launch their attack in an attempt to destroy the Cyberse World. Thus, Watchman recites an incantation to seal Herald and Wraith away in Yuhiro and Yukage's pendants until they awaken their dormant powers in Link Trigger for the first time. Watchman didn't have the pendants at the time, as they were given to Yuhiro and Yukage a very long time ago. As for Progleo, he had no choice but to escape from the desecrated Cyberse World, where he was on the run for five years. However, one day, he saw a person falling down from the data storm, where he realized it was Yuhiro before going to help him. As for how Progleo as able to figure out it was him, it was that Yuhiro had Herald's scent at the time, which signifies how Yuhiro is Herald's origin, and how Herald is Yuhiro's Ignis.

Following the flashback is the discussion between Rasterliger and Miyu, where the two of them discuss whether they can truly forgive the Hanoi for their actions. Here, the two of them discuss how AIs can be no better than humans upon obtaining free will, along with the point that they can't give into hatred, or else it wouldn't be good for any of them both physically and mentally.

And finally, we have the last scene of the chapter, which is Jericho brutally torturing Watchman physically and mentally. He also pinpoints and contacts Dr. Constantine Colmer, saying that it's been a long time since the two of them spoke with one another. As such, I can confirm that you'll see him next chapter.

So without further ado, I want to thank you all for reading Chapter 101 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 favorite and follow the story. That way, you will get a notification once the next chapter is released.

What did you enjoy the most about this chapter? The fact that the small Shadow giant named Arin survived, and will now be helping Yuhiro and Miyu moving forward? The Hanoi recuperating from recent events and making plans for what's to come? The scene with Yusaku meeting Katsuya? Arashi speaking with Brea and Gabriella, along with his plans moving forward? Takeru calling Kiku for advice? Aoi telling Akira about who was responsible for murdering the Ignis, as well as what happened to Arshad? Yuhiro's therapy session with Leshawna? The flashback on what the Cyberse World was like, along with the events that came afterwards? Jericho torturing Watchman? Or was it something else?

That's all for now, everyone. After Chapter 102, which will be another interlude chapter, I will do an update on Roxy's Reports before going back to Chapter 103. Like I told you before regarding Chapter 103, it will have anime events… with a twist. Anyhow, see you all next chapter! Oh, and happy Easter everyone!