Chapter 34: New Transfer Students

The sky appears, full of clouds. Playmaker races through the clouds on his D-Board, followed by Morningstar, and then Soulburner. The clouds part to reveal NEW LINK VRAINS. The Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS logo appears, and beneath it, the words "HIDDEN MEMORIES" appears.

Yasutake and Yusaku are walking down the street to school. Naoki runs past them on one side, a large smile on his face. Aoi walks past them on the other side, smiling lightly and blushing at Yusaku. Then Takeru walks up behind them and wraps one arm around Yusaku. He tries to wrap the other arm around Yaustake, who steps to the side and gives Takeru an annoyed look. Then someone wraps their arms around Yasutake's right arm. He glances to the side and sees Sachi wearing the Den Academy girls' uniform, smiling with her eyes closed as she leans her head on his shoulder. Yasutake smiles back at her.

Masako is shown riding in the passenger side of a van, with the window showing an image of Lilith. In the sky above her, an image of Thaumiel appears, holding his hand over the van. Kenshin Hirai is then shown at a café, drinking coffee and reading a book, while an image of Hitomu Hirai appears in the sky facing the opposite direction. Go Onizuka is shown in NEW LINK VRAINS in his new avatar, riding his D-Board with Kenmochi and Yoroizaka on either side. Behind them, Techbane and Sylphid fly on their own D-Boards. As they pass under a ledge, Blue Angel, Galahad, and Persephone are shown looking down at Go with sad and disappointed looks.

Kusanagi is then shown sitting at a picnic bench with Cam, both drinking from cans and laughing. Flame and Ai are shown arguing in Café Nagi, while Cypher looks at the two of them with exasperation and mild contempt. Akira Zaizen and Hayami are then shown standing next to Queen, who is sitting in a pool chair, adjusting her glasses.

Jester is then shown, with two people – a man and a woman – shown standing behind him, shrouded in shadow. The man-in-shadow's eyes glow red. The eyeholes of Jester's mask glow a light blue. Behind them are Life Stream Dragon and Life Force Dragon, shrouded in shadows.

Morningstar and Playmaker ride their D-Boards next to each other, with Cyberse Witch and Cyberse Magician in front of Playmaker, and Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary and Cyspirit Savage Shogun in front of Morningstar. The two are chased by Techbane and Sylphid. The man directs Cyber Dragon Sieger to fire at Morningstar while the girl commands a red and purple dragon to attack Playmaker. The two are hit with energy attacks but emerge from the smoke unharmed.

The Knights of Hanoi are then shown, with Terminus standing apart from them. Motor Worm Spreader Queen, Helixx Necro Darwin, and Dark Mummy Surgical Forceps appear, with Sunavalon Dryanome behind them. Borreload Savage Dragon then rises from behind Dryanome and roars.

A split screen, showing two figures. The one on the right is a green outline of a short-haired woman wearing a dress and holding a card in her right hand. Behind her is a white outline of a winged figure holding a sword. The left screen shows a red outline of a man wearing armor, with his right hand raised and the fingers curled. Behind him is a black outline of an armored monster with demonic wings.

Morningstar, Playmaker, and Soulburner are then shown back-to-back, with their hands glowing purple, blue, and red respectively. The three face off against Bohman and Trident Hydradrive Lord, Blood Shepard and Battledrone General, and Jester, who raises his arm as a pillar of energy appears behind him. Life Force Dragon emerges from the pillar and roars.

Cyspirts Angelic Avenger, Idealistic Idol, Pied Pikeman, Rapid Revolutionary, and Winning Wrestler are then shown in the air, with Neo Nova racing past them. The five Cyspirit monsters then glow with golden light and merge to form Superior Seraphim, whose light spreads across NEW LINK VRAINS.

Cam, Sachi, Yasutake, Takeru, Kusanagi, and Yusaku are all shown at a picnic table, with them eating hot dogs, and Takeru and Cam are laughing. Three Duel Disks are shown on the table, with Flame lecturing Ai while Cypher watches television on Yasutake's tablet. Aoi, Akira, and Emma are in the background, walking past them and smiling at the table.

Yasutake, Cam, and Sachi walk down the street, with Cam having his arms around the other two. All three are smiling. The scene then switches to NEW LINK VRAINS, with Morningstar, Playmaker, and Soulburner sitting on a ledge and smiling into the distance.

Yasutake exited the sealed room and leaned on the counter, sighing.

"Tired?" Cypher asked, remaining an eye in the Duel Disk.

"Yeah. Two back-to-back duels, some guy who can control the Data Storm, Ranking Up a Synchro Monster into an Xyz Monster… this was a long day." His stomach growled, making him scowl at it.

"Go get a snack," Cypher suggested. "I'll start sorting through the footage the drones took."

"Alright." Yasutake removed his Duel Disk and hooked it up to the computers. Several screens popped up as Cypher started processing the information within. While he did that, Yasutake headed out into Café Junpei to get a few leftover pastries to eat.

He just grabbed a blueberry turnover when the door opened. Looking up, he saw Cam and Sachi rush into Café Junpei. "You're back already?" Cam said, blinking. "Did you get Kusanagi's brother's data back?"

Yasutake shook his head. "The man who took it retreated into the restricted area, along with an ally. Cypher's downloading the drones' footage now."

Cam nodded and hurried into the back. Yasutake turned to Sachi. "Sachi, you should-."

Before he could finish, she hugged him tightly. Gasping lightly, Yasutake looked at the back of her head. "Sachi?"

"…We couldn't help him," she said softly, sounding close to tears. "We saw that… man… steal Jin's soul and we couldn't do anything. Cam tried to tackle him, but he fell onto a table. We…"

Yasutake slowly put his arms around Sachi. "It wasn't your fault," he said, trying to comfort her. "It's no one's fault but the man who took the data. Playmaker and I will get it back Jin Kusanagi's data back. I promise." Her green hair seemed to shine in the late afternoon light. Yasutake caught a whiff of strawberries.

"…I know," Sachi said, burying her face further in Yasutake's shoulder. He was acutely aware of her hands pressing into his back as she hugged him tighter. "I know you'll succeed. It's what you do."

They stood that way until someone cleared their throat. Yasutake looked back while Sachi looked up to see Cam standing in the doorway to the back room, giving the two teenagers a dry look. "Could you two put your flirting off until later? I could use some help back here."

"Eh!?" Sachi said, jumping back from Yasutake, her face bright red. "W-We aren't flirting! Why would you think that!?"

Yasutake cleared his own throat, his own face as red as Sachi's. "H-He's right though. We do need to get to work."

"R-Right." Sachi nodded and headed into the back room, Cam stepping out of the way to let her pass. Before Yasutake followed her, but not before he saw Cam smirking at him. One of these days he was going to punch the older man. And then Cam would probably punch him back. It would be worth it though.

Sachi sat down in the left chair, her cheeks still tinged red, while Cam sat in the center and Yasutake on the right. Cypher looked up at the three humans. "I've finished uploading the footage from the drones and from your own duels. Which should we watch first?"

"Playmaker's duel," Yasutake said, narrowing his eyes. "Since he stole Kusanagi's brother's consciousness data, he's clearly the biggest concern." Cypher pulled up the video while Cam, Sachi, and Yasutake watched. And there was a lot to watch.

Yasutake was rather impressed by Playmaker's Ritual Summoning. With Cyberse Witch's effect, Cyberse Magician was far easier to summon than Digital Dragoon, and even if its effects weren't as aggressive, it did have more beneficial ones. But he was more concerned by his opponent having Cyberse monsters and a Spell Card with Link Markers.

Cypher started to comment, but Yasutake cut him off. He wanted to watch the rest of the videos first. Though he couldn't hide his surprise on seeing a red and black figure emerge from Soulburner's Duel Disk.

"The Fire Ignis?" Cypher said, blinking. "That's where he was?" The humans didn't comment but continued to watch the duel. Cypher admitted to being impressed by the Salamangreat monsters Soulburner used but was a little peeved at Reincarnation Link Summoning. "Of all the things he could have created, he had to make something that I couldn't develop for the Cyspirits."

After the duel ended, Yasutake glanced at Cypher. "Soulburner's opponents, Bit and Boot; they weren't human, were they?"

Cypher thought about it and shook his head. "Not with that combination sequence of theirs. They reminded me of your records on SOL Technologies' and Hanoi's AI duelists, only far more advanced. Whoever made them must be a genius, even if they lost."

After he said that, Cypher loaded the footage from Morningstar's own duels for Cam and Sachi. The siblings both smiled proudly on seeing Yasutake pull off Hurricane Heavensgate and a Fusion Summon but were shocked at Jester's use of Rank-Up-Magic Synchro Force and how he prevented Morningstar from using his Skill.

When the video ended, Cam sighed. "Well, that was a lot to process. A new enemy with Cyberse monsters and a Link Spell Card, SOL's new bounty hunters, and another foe who can cancel out yours and Playmaker's Skills and use an unorthodox Spell Card." Cam scowled. "Why do these things keep happening in Den City? Can't we have peace after everything that's happened?"

"Peace is boring," Cypher said, shrugging. "I've been itching for something to do the last three months. And now we have something. Though I admit I wasn't expecting our opponents to be so surprising."

"Do you think this 'Bohman' and Jester are working together?" Sachi asked Cypher and Yasutake, who glanced at each other before shaking their heads.

"If Bohman was Jester's ally, he would probably have the same power over the Data Storm that Jester had," Cypher said. "And since Bit and Boot also used Cyberse cards, it stands to reason Jester would have used Cyberse as well."

"And their objectives don't match," Yasutake noted. "Jester wanted Cypher and the Cyspirit data, while Bohman seemed more focused on Playmaker." He narrowed his eyes. "They may have similar objectives, but I don't think they're allies."

"Why would he want the Cyspirits?" Cam asked Yasutake. "You said in the video he was behind Hellsworn. Is there something special about the Cyspirits?"

"Aside from them being a strong Deck and Cyberse cards, no," Cypher shook his head. Then he reconsidered. "Well, there's Superior Seraphim, but I can't see why he'd want that. Its own power aside, it's impossible to summon without the other Cyspirits. And its data prevents it from being used in a Speed Duel."

Yasutake frowned. "Find time to recheck the cards' data," he told Cypher. "I'd like to know why Jester's so interested in them."

Cypher would have raised an eyebrow if he had one. "I don't see the point, but alright. I'll look them over. I'm more interested in Jester was able to manipulate the Data Storm's density. That shouldn't be possible."

"Is it really that hard?" Cam asked. "Revolver could summon the Data Storm and use it as a weapon."

"I don't think you understand just how difficult controlling the Data Storm is," Cypher said, his eyes narrowed. "It is easy for me, Ai, and the other Ignis to bring out, and to disperse it all we have to do is release our control. But that requires a great deal of processing power, and delicate manipulations like Jester demonstrated take up even more. Even we Ignis couldn't handle that. Or at least, we couldn't eight years ago," Cypher admitted, folding his arms. "I didn't think much of it because Ai hadn't changed too much in eight years, but it's possible our brethren were able to evolve to the point they could do so. Even so, the only one I expect could do so might be the Wind Ignis."

"That means Jester must have had contact with the Wind Ignis, right?" Sachi asked.

"Or there's some other answer and we don't have enough information to see it," Yasutake pointed out. "You didn't know about Judgment Arrows or Synchro Force, Cypher. Even you can be surprised."

"True." Cypher sighed. "It's hard realizing you don't know everything." He could have also had contact with her, he thought before shaking his head minutely. No, that's not possible. She would never help someone hunt me down.

"That tangent aside, we need to focus on all the players, not just Jester," Yasutake said, bringing up images of Bohman, the boy who rescued him, Soulburner, Bit, Boot, Techbane, Sylphid, Jester, and Blood Shepherd.

"No information on Bohman," Cypher said, analyzing the data. "No hint of a real name, no appearances before today. It's like he just sprang up into existence."

"And the boy with him?" Yasutake asked.

"The drone identified his avatar name as Haru," Cam said, frowning. "Other than that, it's the same for Bohman. That Bit and Boot duo are the same; none of them have records or hints to their real identities."

"It's like they're ghosts," Sachi said, frowning as well. "Brought into existence overnight."

"No one just pops into existence," Cypher argued. "There has to be a trail for us to follow."

"There is. Once we gain access to the restricted area, we'll be able to follow it." Yasutake brought up the next person. "Soulburner. No information on him, either."

"Do you think he's from the Lost Incident, like us?" Sachi asked. "He does have an Ignis and Cyberse cards."

"That's the most likely scenario, yes," Yasutake nodded. "It's also possible he captured the Ignis, but let's find out more before we make assumptions. Next up is Techbane."

"This guy we do have information on," Cam noted cheerily. "A mid-tier bounty hunter who first appeared two years ago. Real name is-. Wait, how do we have this guy's real name?"

"Oh, I hacked into SOL Technologies' database," Cypher casually revealed. "They had information on the bounty hunters they hired, so I copied it."

"You broke into SOL's database?" Yasutake repeated, staring at the Ignis. "What if they caught you?"

"Please. Their security isn't good enough to catch me. Even if it was, their bounty hunter list was easy to find with low security."

"…Next time you break into SOL's database, warn us first," Cam said, returning his gaze to the screen. "Okay, Techbane's real name is Yukaro Saiba. He's from Tokyo but came to Den City because of Playmaker's bounty."

"He mentioned he was a fan of Morningstar," Yasutake remembered.

"What did you mean by 'mid-tier,' Cam?" Sachi asked.

"It means he's good, but not as good as Yasu," Cam answered. "I'm a little curious where he got Cyber Dragons from; those aren't very common cards."

"Where he got them from is irrelevant right now," Yasutake said, going on to the girl in a black jacket and shorts. "Sylphid. Her real name is Shizuka Midori, but there's no past dueling history for her or information on her Deck."

"Meaning she's a new bounty hunter," Cypher said. "Huh, looks like she's the same age as you and Sachi."

"Noted." Yasutake frowned. "No information on Sylphid's past, home, or Deck. Real name aside, she's just like Bohman, Haru, and Soulburner; an unknown. I hate unknowns."

"Speaking of unknowns," Cam said, pulling up their information on Jester. "What do we have on this guy?"

"Aside from our duel, not a lot," Yasutake said, eyes narrowed as he read the profile. "There are some rumors about a man called Jester that go back at least thirteen years, before the creation of LINK VRAINS. And SOL suspects his age to be in the late twenties, early thirties."

"Meaning he's a pro," Sachi said softly. "And with a unique Rank-Up-Magic card and control of the Data Storm, he must have some strong backers."

"It doesn't matter what he has," Cypher said. "We beat him this time, so I know we can beat him again."

"No, we can't." The other three residents turned to look at Yasutake as he scowled at the screen. "Or at least not as easily. Not if he duels seriously against us."

"You didn't actually believe him when he said he was taking it easy, did you?" Cypher asked. "He was just trying to psyche us out!"

"No, he wasn't." Yasutake brought up the footage of his duel with Jester and skipped to Jester's second turn. "Look. When he draws the card, there's a slight pause before he adds it to his hand."

"Yeah, so?"

Yasutake skipped ahead to Jester's next turn. "Look what he does with his new card."

"He… added it to his hand." Cypher looked up. "You think he drew Synchro Force earlier and didn't use it until his next turn?"

"He might have been trying to play mind games, but yes, that's what I'm thinking." Yasutake's scowl deepened. "He would have done far more damage if he'd used Synchro Force the turn he drew it. Instead, he held onto it for the next turn. He wasn't playing seriously until the very end." That annoyed Yasutake more than he was willing to admit. He'd been serious from the start, yet Jester had just been playing around with him, treating him like a kid. It was aggravating.

And Jester mentioned there was someone even stronger than him, Yasutake thought. Who could that be?

Cam interrupted Yasutake's thoughts. "Well, whoever he is, we'll just have to wait and find out. Nothing we can do from here."

"Right," Yasutake said, nodding as Sachi opened the last profile. Yasutake narrowed his eyes at the cowboy. "Blood Sheperd."

"The guy Ai blew away?" Cypher asked. "He can't be that dangerous. I mean, Techbane gave us trouble, but not too much."

"Techbane is mid-tier, Blood Shepherd is a pro," Yasutake countered. "Honestly, I was hoping we wouldn't have to face him, but I guess it was inevitable."

"You say that like you're scared of him."

"I'm not scared of him; I know what he's capable of," Yasutake said, glaring at Cypher to make sure he understood. "Blood Shepherd is the single most dangerous bounty hunter out there. He's intelligent, ruthless, meticulous, and worst of all, patient."

"You've met him before, haven't you?" Sachi asked. "Rumors wouldn't make you this concerned about him."

"Yasu's faced Blood Shepherd twice, actually," Cam told her. "Once when he was Hunter, and again a year ago as Morningstar."

"Both times, we were competing on the same hunt," Yasutake said, frowning. "We never dueled, but he beat me the first time. I managed to get the drop on him the second time, but that was only because I was familiar with his tactics. If I wasn't, he would have got the target instead." Yasutake turned to look at the other three. "Make no mistake; in a duel, Blood Shepherd is just as dangerous as Revolver. If we underestimate him, we'll lose."

Cypher scoffed. "Please. There's no way a bounty hunter can beat you and me. We're invincible, aren't we?"

Keep thinking like that, and it will already be over, Yasutake thought. No matter how strong we are, we can't underestimate your opponents. Otherwise we'll be in for one nasty surprise after another.

Out loud, he said, "We should share this information with Fujiki and Kusanagi. Is that video setup you and Kusanagi were working on done, Cam?"

"Almost, but there are still a few kinks to work out on both our ends," Cam said, frowning. "Should be ready by tomorrow."

"Good. We'll email them about our enemies, and I can talk to Fujiki at school tomorrow. Which reminds me," he turned to look at Sachi, "you still have some prep work to do tonight. Do you need any help with it?"

"Oh. No, I'm good," Sachi said, giving a reassuring smile. "I looked over the papers before we left earlier, and I know I can complete them on my own."

"Yasutake finished a good deal of it, so you should be done in less than an hour," Cypher told her.

"In that case, why don't we go out to eat?" Cam said, standing up. "We could use a morale boost after…" Cam frowned as he patted down his pockets. "What the…? Where's my-?"

"Excuse me?"

The three humans' eyes widened on hearing the voice from Café Junpei. And on realizing that when they got back, Cam hadn't relocked the front door.

"Stay here," Cam told the other two as he left the back room. Entering the main room, he saw the intruder: a woman with strawberry-blonde hair tied in a French braid and brown eyes, dressed in a dark blue button-up dress shirt under a black jacket with a black knee-length skirt, black stockings, and flat shoes. His eyes widened in surprise. "You're that woman I bumped into earlier!"

The woman smiled. "Yes, I'm well aware of that," she said. When Cam stepped out from behind the counter, she held out something to him. Cam's eyes widened again on realizing it was his wallet. "You dropped this when we met. I had to look inside to find out your name and address. Sorry."

"Oh, don't worry about that. And thank you for returning it," Cam assured her, taking the proffered wallet. He then reached out his other hand. "I'm Cameron Junpei. Though I guess you already know that."

"Emily Garcia," she said, smiling as she shook his hand. "A pleasure to meet you. Can't say I was expecting to crash into someone my first day back in Den City."

"Back? Were you on vacation or are you a foreigner?"

"Foreigner. From San Diego in the United States. I would have thought it was obvious from my name."

"W-Well, 'Cameron' isn't exactly a household name in Japan either, and I didn't want to assume anything…" He then realized she was teasing him. "Oh, very funny. Do all women like seeing men squirm, or are teasing women just naturally drawn to Den City?"

Emily shrugged. "Depends on the man, really. Some are more fun to tease than others."

"I'll have to take your word on that," Cam said as he put his wallet in his back pocket. "Would you like a pastry as thanks? We're closed right now and only have leftovers, but I can whip something fresh up real quick."

"That's kind of you to offer, but…" She glanced at her watch and frowned. "I actually promised to video chat a friend in half an hour, and it will take me about twenty-five minutes to get back to my hotel."

"Well, that's a shame. I feel kind of guilty not thanking you more properly."

Emily thought something over, then smiled. "Well, I'll be working tomorrow until the evening. If you want to thank me more, I noticed a new sushi restaurant near my hotel. I could use some company when I check it out."

Cam's eyes widened as his cheeks turned red. W-Was she asking him out? Someone he just met a few hours ago? This was… this was like the plots of those compressed anime adaptations of light novels he'd introduced Cypher to.

"T-That sounds like… like it would be fun," Cam said, stammering as he tried to order his thoughts. "B-But running a bakery is hard work and I-I'll have to help my sister with her homework and-."

"No worries. I can help her with that."

Cam turned around so fast he got whiplash as he stared at Yasutake, who was standing in front of the back-room door. Sachi was also there, standing behind Yasutake, holding her papers in her arms, and looking Emily over with a curious gaze.

"Y-Yasu? Sachi?" Cam said, panicking. "H-How long were you standing there?"

"We were listening from the door at first, but we've been standing here about forty seconds," Yasutake said, his expression not changing as he turned to Emily. "Sachi and I go to the same high school, so I can help her with her homework. And he needs to get out more. Please take care of him tomorrow night."

Emily smiled at Yasutake and bowed her head. "Don't worry, I'll treat him kindly. I'll come by around seven tomorrow night. See you then, Mr. Junpei." She winked at Cam as she turned and left the bakery.

"Hey wait, I didn't-!" The door closed before Cam could fully protest. Cam stood unmoving for about ten seconds before turning to look at Yasutake. "Why did you do that!? What did I ever do to you to deserve that!?"

Yasutake raised an eyebrow. "Masako Himura."

"…Okay, fair enough," Cam said in a small voice as he facepalmed. "I promise I won't conspire to get you to go on dates again if you give me the same courtesy. Deal?"

"Deal."

"No deal."

Cam and Yasutake looked at Sachi as she smiled excitedly at her brother. "She was very pretty and nice," she said. "You deserve to be happy too, Cam." After saying that, she ran upstairs, papers clutched tight to her chest.

"…I'm really not the best person to criticize you over your social life and relationships with girls, am I?" Cam asked Yasutake.

Yasutake thought about it and shook his head. "No. You're not."

The next morning, Cam made breakfast while Yasutake and Sachi got ready for school. Yasutake finished quickly and the went to knock on Sachi's door. "Sachi, are you ready yet?" he asked. "Breakfast is done, and we'll be leaving right after."

"Oh, I'm almost ready," she responded through the door. There was a pause, then she said, "Actually, Yasu, can you help me with something? A second opinion would be great."

"On what?"

"Come in and see."

Yasutake opened the door, stood there for a couple seconds, then stepped out, closed the door, leaned against it and facepalmed.

"Huh? Yasu? What's wrong?"

"Sachi," he said, his voice cracking a little. "Why are you in your underwear?"

"Huh? Oh, well I wanted your opinion on what blouse I should wear under my jumper."

"Does it matter? No one's going to see it."

"I'll know it, so of course it matters," Sachi said. Yasutake couldn't see her face, but he just knew she was pouting.

"Sachi, Cam and I have told you before. It is inappropriate for boys and girls our age to see each other in their undergarments."

"But… it's you, Yasu. I know you won't do anything. I trust you completely."

"…That's touching, but it doesn't change the fact that it's inappropriate."

Sachi sighed. "Alright. I'll face-time Aoi and see if she can help."

"Or you could do what I do and choose your own clothes."

"…She was right. Girls only dress up for other girls."

Yasutake raised an eyebrow at Sachi's murmur. Aoi said that? He tried to picture Aoi in a dress, and while it was a nice image, it was rather hard. Sachi in a dress, though… Deep green, clinging to her skin, her hair tied in a ponytail that brushed softly against her back, eyeshadow accentuating her deep blue eyes…

I need to spend less time with Cam and Cypher, Yasutake thought as he shook his head. They're starting to corrupt me with their thought processes.

Sachi came out of her room wearing the Den Academy girls' uniform a few minutes later – with a pink necktie to show she was a transfer student – and the three of them sat down to eat. After packing their bags and Yasutake grabbing his Duel Disk, the two left.

"We're going to meet Aoi Zaizen about halfway there, right?" Cypher asked, remaining in eye form in Yasutake's Duel Disk.

"Yes."

"Well then, I'll ask before we meet her: Why did you lock me in your Duel Disk?"

"A security measure," Yasutake said, straight-faced. "In case someone tries to steal you or force you to go somewhere you don't want to go."

"…And it has nothing to do with last night when I took control of the television and turned on Goblin Slayer?"

"Of course not. Why would that have any impact on my decision?" Yasutake asked innocently.

Cypher stared at him and then groaned. "Humans are mean."

Yasutake turned to Sachi. "Zaizen said she would be guiding you around Den Academy today, right?"

Sachi nodded happily. "Aoi wanted to introduce me to some clubs I might want to join. And eat with her for lunch." She looked at Yasutake guiltily. "I… think she wanted lunch to be just me and her…"

"Don't worry. I'll have lunch with Fujiki. I need to talk with him, anyway." Before they turned in for the night, Cam and Yasutake had sent Yusaku and Kusanagi the files they had on Techbane, Sylphid, Blood Shepherd, and Jester. Yusaku had replied with a thanks, concern about Jester's abilities, and a request to talk during school. Ai had also added an addendum agreeing with Cypher that Blood Shepherd wouldn't be a problem. Yasutake was starting to wonder if being overconfident was a general trait for the Ignis and not just exclusive to Cypher.

He hadn't, however, shared any information about Soulburner and the Fire Ignis at Cypher's request. Cypher wanted to be certain about Soulburner's role in things before they alerted Yusaku about him, and he wanted a chance to communicate with the Fire Ignis before they made any assumptions. Yasutake had agreed, if only out of a sense of caution.

To Sachi, he said, "Just make sure you're either with me or Zaizen while at school. You have most of your classes with me, and what ones you don't, you have with her."

Sachi pouted. "I remember. You're almost as protective as Cam is."

I am nowhere near as protective as Cam is, Yasutake thought. Before they left, Cam had whispered to Yasutake to bring him back the names and pictures of any boy who tried to flirt with, talk to, or otherwise look at Sachi with less than noble intentions. And Yasutake was pretty sure Cam had only been half joking.

They met Aoi soon after, and while she did say hello to Yasutake, she spent most of the walk to school talking to Sachi, telling her about what to expect and which people to avoid. Yasutake found himself interjecting into that part, adding Naoki Shima to that list. Aoi thought about it for a bit, and then agreed with him. She also suggested Sachi think twice if she wanted to join Duel Club.

"What? Why?" Sachi blinked. "You and Yasu are in that club, aren't you?"

"So is Shima," Yasutake pointed out.

"Shima aside, you shouldn't join a club just because your friends are in it," Aoi said. "I'd be glad to be in the same club as you but joining a club should be about what you enjoy and what you want to do, not what your friends want to do."

Yasutake thought for a moment, then said, "Den Academy has a Music Club if I remember correctly. You should check that out first."

"Eh? B-But I haven't sang in-."

"You've sang in front of me and Cam before," Yasutake interrupted. "You're just as good, if not better, than you were before the incident. And I know other people would love to hear you sing."

Aoi smiled encouragingly at Sachi. "What matters is what you want to do. Whatever you choose to do, Narahiko and I will support you. Right, Narahiko?"

"I thought that went without saying."

Aoi split off from them when they reached school. She headed to their classroom while Yasutake took Sachi to the principal's office to finalize the paperwork. Once that was done, they also headed to the classroom, with the teacher making Sachi wait outside for introductions. When he sat down, Yasutake heard a beep from his Duel Disk. Looking down, he saw Cypher had displayed a message to keep the other students from overhearing anything.

"I got messages from Ai and the Fire Ignis. They want to meet during lunch hour on the steps out back."

Yasutake narrowed his eyes. So Soulburner was a student here. A transfer like Sachi, perhaps? Glancing back, he saw Yusaku in the back row of the room, who met his eyes. Yusaku lifted his Duel Disk and nodded. Yasutake nodded back before turning to the front. He did want to meet Soulburner, but that could wait till lunchtime.

A few minutes later, the rest of the class was settled. Yasutake was sitting in the second-to-front row on the left side, with Aoi in the seat behind him, Yusaku in the far back, and Naoki in the middle. The teacher then walked in at the bell.

"Good morning, class. I'm delighted to inform you we have three new transfer students who will be joining us from now on." Yasutake blinked. Three? "Come in, please."

Sachi walked in with a boy and another girl. The boy was about the same height as Yasutake, perhaps a millimeter or two shorter, but the other girl was much shorter, to the point where she looked like she skipped a few grades.

The three stood at the front as the teacher gestured at the boy to go first. He stepped forward and smiled. "Hello. My name is Takeru Homura. Please take care of me." He had straight white hair with red highlights and blue eyes behind green-framed glasses. Glancing over the classroom, Yasutake noticed a few girls looking over Takeru appreciatively. He then looked down as his Duel Disk buzzed.

"That's Soulburner."

Yasutake narrowed his eyes and glanced at the Duel Disk on Takeru's wrist. It had a red body with a yellow circle and a sharp protrusion on the side. It did resemble the Duel Disk Soulburner had used in the footage.

Well, this just got interesting, Yasutake thought as Takeru listed a few hobbies before the teacher assigned him a seat next to Yusaku in the back.

The other girl stepped forward now. She had black hair that went down to her shoulders and covered her right eye. She wore the same uniform as Sachi, though her tie was green for some reason. She looked forward with her visible green eye and an expression of utter boredom as she said, "My name is Shizuka Midori. Please take care of me."

Yasutake blinked as Sachi looked at the girl with surprise. He couldn't see him, but Yasutake knew Yusaku had narrowed his eyes at the girl. Why did one of SOL's bounty hunters transfer to Den Academy?

"I'm from Hokkaido," Shizuka said emotionlessly. "My favorite hobby is ignoring stupid people."

An uncomfortable silence settled after she said that. Okay, maybe she isn't so bad, Yasutake thought.

"T-Thank you for that, um, interesting introduction, Miss. Midori," the teacher said. "Why don't you take the seat next to Narahiko?" Yasutake suppressed a scowl as the teacher guided Shizuka to the seat next to him. He had wanted Sachi to sit there. And even if she didn't, Shizuka sitting there felt wrong. It was supposed to be Masako's seat, after all.

"And now, let me introduce our final transfer student, who's actually a native of Den City."

Sachi stepped forward nervously and bowed low. "H-Hello. My name is Sachi Junpei. Please take care of me."

As she introduced herself, Yasutake looked around the room, gauging everyone's reactions. Yusaku was looking forward without much interest and Aoi was smiling encouragingly at Sachi, which was expected. Takeru was watching with polite interest, Shizuka was looking down at her tablet, blatantly ignoring everyone else. Naoki was doing the same thing, but Yasutake was sure he was reading some article about Playmaker again. The rest of the class, though…

The girls were divided on their reactions. Some showed the same polite interest as Takeru, while others seemed indifferent. A couple also seemed to have what Cam would call "wingding eyes" as they stared at Sachi. Well, she was cute, so Yasutake supposed that reaction was natural. The rest of the girls were looking at Sachi with mild… was that envy? Looking at the remaining boys, Yasutake could understand why; almost all of them were staring at Sachi, and more than a few were… looking a little south of her face.

Well, he supposed he couldn't blame them. Sachi was an attractive teenage girl, and she had developed rather nicely. Not to the same degree as Masako, but still more than most girls her age. Her waist was also rather narrow, and with her eyes slightly larger than normal, she… Wait, what the hell was he thinking!? His classmates' perversions were rubbing off on him! Away, evil thoughts, away!

…That was it. Yasutake didn't care if Cam had been joking or not. He was going to memorize every boy's face in this class, then report all of them except Yusaku, Takeru, and Naoki to Cam. And he was going to keep an eye on all of them while at school to make sure none of them tried anything on Sachi, both for her sake and theirs, as he knew anything he could do to them paled in comparison to what Cam might do.

While he was contemplating what he'd do, the teacher assigned Sachi to the seat next to Aoi, to both girls' delight. After class, a few other girls started crowding Sachi, much to her distress until Aoi pulled her away to the next class, with Yasutake following some distance behind them. While he did feel protective of Sachi, he knew she was safe as long as Aoi was with her. And he had wider concerns than her first day of school.

Aoi led Sachi into a room marked "Music Club". "Hello," Aoi said to the senior with short brown hair standing in front of an electric keyboard. He looked up and smiled.

"Ah, hello. I'm Uehara, President of the Music Club. Are you two looking to join?" There were other students in the room fiddling with instruments. A few looked up on seeing Aoi and Sachi and nodded in acknowledgment before returning their attention to their instruments.

"I'm not; I'm already in the Duel Club," Aoi said, shaking her head before gesturing to Sachi. "But I'm helping my friend look at clubs she might like, and she used to sing when she was younger."

"Really?" Uehara asked, looking Sachi up and down. She shifted weight nervously under his scrutiny. "Well, we can always use more talent. Are you interested in joining the Music Club?"

"…I'm not sure," Sachi said softly. "Right now… I'm just looking at options." I would feel better if Yasu were here, she thought. I always feel like I can do anything when he's next to me.

"Well, that's understandable. You should always have alternatives if things don't work out the way you expect them too. I'm curious, though; did you enjoy singing, when you were younger?"

"…Yes, I did," Sachi said, smiling to herself. "Whenever I sang, people would smile, and sometimes they would cry. It made me feel good to know I had an impact on them."

Uehara shared a glance with another club member, then turned back to Sachi. "If it's not too much trouble, would you be willing to sing something for us?"

"Eh?" Sachi blinked. "R-Right now?"

"Well, I would like to know how good a singer you are," he explained. "Not to mention I'd like to see if you still enjoy it. If you don't want to, you don't have to, but we'd appreciate it a lot."

Sachi looked at Aoi, who gave her an encouraging smile. The incident took my voice from me for ten years, Sachi thought as determination lit up her eyes. I'll take it and my courage back.

"Alright, I'll sing. Does it matter which song?"

"Not really. We often perform many genres. Could be classical, pop, anime music, whatever you like."

Sachi remembered an anime she and Cypher had watched a month ago. The premise had been questionable at first, but the music made her soul feel alive, particularly the ending. As a result, she had memorized the ending to the point she could sing without sheet music. She handed her bag to Aoi with a smile and then stood next to the piano, her friend and the members of the Music Club all watching her. Sachi closed her eyes and began to sing.

On the steps behind Den Academy, the boy offered his hand. "A pleasure to meet you. I'm Takeru Homura, or Soulburner if you prefer.

Yasutake looked at it for a while and then shook it. "Yasutake Narahiko. Morningstar." He frowned in disappointment.

"Eh?" Takeru blinked. "I-I'm sorry, did I do something wrong?"

"No, I was just looking forward to uncovering your identity by myself like I did with Fujiki," Yasutake said, sitting down next to Yusaku on the steps. "I rather like solving mysteries and puzzles. You revealing yourself from the get-go is bit of a letdown."

"S-Sorry about that," Takeru said, sitting down on Yusaku's other side. The three teenagers were sitting in a quiet corner of the steps, away from everyone else. Yasutake made sure to glance around to make sure no one was watching before returning his attention to the other boys.

"I take it Homura introduced himself to you before classes?" Yasutake asked Yusaku, who nodded.

"He knew my identity already, and presented proof that he was our ally," Yusaku said. Takeru lifted his Duel Disk as a black figure with red lines over its body and yellow eyes emerged.

"We meet for the first time, Morningstar," the Ignis said.

Yasutake narrowed his eyes. "You're the Fire Ignis."

"Indeed I am. But in the human world, I am known as Flame. In kanji, my name means 'indomitable soul dream.' Pronounced 'Flame.'"

"You don't say," Yasutake deadpanned.

"You always did have a flair for the dramatic," Cypher said as he emerged from Yasutake's Duel Disk.

"I know, right?" Ai chipped in.

"…It's been some time, Silver Ignis," Flame said, nodding to Cypher. "I haven't seen you in… eight years, give or take. Truthfully, we thought a human had deleted you."

"It's a long story, and one I'll share with you later. Also, I go by Cypher now."

"Cypher? Hmm. That is a cool name. I'm glad to see you didn't get a cutesy one like certain AIs who shall go unmentioned."

"Who are you referring to?" Ai complained, glaring at Flame.

"…So, Flame is the Ignis based off of you?" Yasutake asked Takeru, who nodded.

"Yeah, he is."

"So you're also…"

"Yes. Like I told Fujiki earlier, I'm also a victim of the Lost Incident. Just like you, too."

Yasutake frowned. "So Flame made contact with you after the Cyberse World was destroyed?"

"Eh?" Ai and Flame said, looking at Yasutake. "You knew about Cyberse World's destruction?"

"I've been hacking into SOL Technologies in my downtime," Cypher told them. "I found a report about Cyberse World's destruction a few weeks ago."

Yusaku frowned at Yasutake. "You knew about Cyberse World being destroyed and you didn't tell me?"

"All I knew was a report had been made about its destruction," Yasutake explained. "I had to consider the possibility it was a fake report made in an attempt to lure out Ai or Cypher. Even if it was true-."

"It was," Flame interjected.

"-the report made no mention of the other Ignis or what drove them from Cyberse World," Yasutake finished, having ignored Flame. "I figured it was best to wait until we found more information before sharing it. That said, I am sorry I didn't tell you about it, Fujiki." Yasutake turned his gaze back to Takeru. "I'm sorry for the interruption. Please continue."

"R-Right," Takeru said, nodding. "Flame came to me after the Tower of Hanoi fell, and he told me the truth of the Lost Incident. The Hanoi are now gone, but a new incident has started. So Flame and I decided to confront my past and forge my new life together."

"A new life together…" Cypher mused. "Well that sounds nice, but more importantly; Flame, you know how Cyberse World was destroyed?"

"Yes, but this isn't the right place to talk. We need somewhere more secure," Flame said. "Somewhere off school grounds."

"Then it will have to wait until after school," Yasutake said. The other two humans and three AIs blinked at him.

"Eh? But this is the fate of our world we're talking about!" Ai protested.

"And today is Sachi's first day of school," Yasutake countered. "I promised her brother I'd walk her home from school."

"Sachi?" Takeru blinked. "Oh, the green-haired girl who also transferred today?"

"Then we should take her with us," Yusaku said. When Flame started to protest, Yusaku said, "Sachi Junpei is also a victim of the Lost Incident. This concerns her as much as it does us."

"I'm seventy percent certain Sachi is the origin of the Gold Ignis," Cypher told Flame. "She needs to know about Cyberse World's fate just as much as Yasutake does."

"…Very well, we'll wait until school's over. But no later than that," Flame conceded. "Where is your friend's sister, anyway?"

"She's searching for clubs with Aoi Zaizen," Yasutake said, standing up. "I should go find her; Zaizen isn't in our next class so I need to guide her."

The other two stood up and Takeru leaned in to whisper to Yusaku. "Is it me, or does he seem overprotective."

"…It isn't you," Yusaku whispered back. "But Sachi Junpei had a far stronger reaction to the Lost Incident than we did. She only started to recover three months ago right before the Tower of Hanoi fell. If Narahiko and Junpei's brother are overprotective, they're very justified in their actions."

Takeru thought about and nodded as the trio walked in. Yasutake led them to the club rooms, at which point Takeru spoke up. "What club would Miss. Junpei be interested in?"

Yasutake opened his mouth, but another voice rang out before he could speak.

Ano kaerimichi basu ni yurarete

Kanau hazu mo nai yō na yume o mite

I wanna sleep in your feel

I wanna see you in the deep

Kurikaesu kisetsu ni narenai mama

The three boys blinked, then Yasutake turned and started walking towards the singing. Takeru and Yusaku fell in behind him, the transfer student mesmerized by the voice.

Mō sukoshi kurai otona de iretara

Nan te ietadarō

The trio finally reached the room the voice was coming out of and noticed that a small crowd had gathered around the door. Yasutake elbowed his way through to the front and found what he had expected to find.

Sachi was standing still, swaying slightly with her hands in front of her, her eyes closed and singing from memory. Aoi was watching her with wide eyes, her mouth opened slightly in awe. There were other students in the room, and all of them had similar expressions on their faces. He saw the same faces when he looked back into the crowd and found himself smiling.

Mada tarinakute

Mada kienakute

Kasaneta tenohira kara osana-sa ga

What a good thing we lose

What a bad thing we knew

Sonna fureizu ni nureteku ame no naka

Tada tarinakute

Mada ienakute

Kazoeta hi no yume kara sayonara ga

What a good thing we lose

What a bad thing we knew

Furerarezu ni iretarawaraeta ka na?

Sachi finished singing and took a deep breath. She started and opened her eyes as everyone began applauding her.

"That was amazing, Sachi!" Aoi said, grinning from ear-to-ear.

"I'll say," Uehara said, similarly grinning. "The Music Club hasn't had talent like that since I was a freshman."

"Y-You don't say," Sachi said, turning red and looking embarrassed to be the center of attention. As the other Music Club members came up to ask her questions, Yasutake found he couldn't stop smiling.

He remembered that song; Ref:rain, by Aimer. It served as the ending to an anime called Koi wa Ameagari no You ni that Cypher had found. Yasutake hadn't watched it and Cam had been turned off by the initial premise, but Sachi had found it beautiful, especially the music. She had told him her favorite part was the song's ending phrase: "If we had never touched, would we be smiling now?"

(Disclaimer: I do not own Ref:rain, Koi wa Ameagari no You ni, or any intellectual property associated with the anime or manga. Ref:rain and Koi wa Ameagari no You ni are the property of their original creators. Please support the original creators.)

(I do not know if I need to add the above disclaimer, but better safe than sorry.)

"S-She's amazing," Takeru said softly. Yasutake turned and saw Takeru was blushing softly while looking at Sachi. Yasutake narrowed his eyes.

"Homura." Takeru started and turned to Yasutake who was glaring at him. "What are you staring at?"

"N-Nothing," Takeru said, frantically waving his hands. "Just… appreciating good music."

"…Alright." Yasutake turned back and approached Sachi, who was still surrounded by the Music Club students.

"Sachi," he said, drawing her, and everybody else's attention. "Lunchtime is almost over. We have to get to class."

"Oh, right," Sachi said, blinking. She took her bag back from Aoi and turned to Uehara. "T-Thank you for your time, Mr. Uehara. I'll come by again if I decide to join."

Uehara smiled. "Glad to hear it, Miss. Junpei. Just remember: what's most important is what you want to do. Don't join the Music Club unless you want to." Sachi nodded, then followed Yasutake out of the room. The other students started filing out as well, with Aoi smiling as her friend left.

As they walked to class, Yasutake told Sachi about what he, Takeru, and Yusaku discussed. "We'll be meeting again after school," he said. "I'd like it if you came with us."

Sachi nodded excitedly. "Alright. I'd love to meet another Ignis."

Shizuka walked down the street from school, bored out of her mind. They said a lot of interesting things, but nothing I didn't already know, she thought. Her classmates were a bit more interesting. That fellow transfer girl was nice enough and had a good singing voice. And the boy she sat next to in homeroom wasn't bad-looking. He'd be my type if he wasn't so cheery, Shizuka thought.

Taking out her phone, Shizuka saw she had a message from Akira Zaizen telling her to be at headquarters in an hour. Apparently, all the bounty hunters will have arrived by then.

As she was pondering whether or not she would need to hit Yukaro again, her phone started to ring. Shizuka narrowed her eyes on seeing the Caller ID but answered it.

"How was school?" the person on the other end asked.

"Boring. You kept me a few years ahead of the curb, remember?" Shizuka said.

"That just means you'll need less time for the homework," the other person teased. "Meet anyone you liked? Any cute boys caught your interest?"

"…One, but I think he's dating another student already."

They sighed. "Such a shame. Ah well, anything to report on the bounty hunting front?"

"We're meeting in an hour."

"Good. Playmaker and his allies will doubtlessly try to breach the restricted zone later today. That'll be your chance. Have fun."

They hung up, leaving Shizuka to sigh. When had her life gotten so complicated?

"Ah! What a nice view!" Ai pressed his hands and face against the glass of the Ferris Wheel capsule Yusaku, Takeru, Yasutake, and Sachi were sitting in. Ai's and Flame's Duel Disks were strapped to a bar on one side while Cypher's was strapped to the opposite side. "An unbroken view of Den City!" Ai turned to stare at Flame. "This is a place fitting for a serious conversation?"

"No one can eavesdrop here," Flame defended. "A huge wheel that spins in the sky. We should've built one in Cyberse World."

"You just wanted to ride this," Ai accused Flame, who groaned and crossed his arms.

"I can't blame Flame," Cypher said, looking out the other window. "It is a nice view. Though…" He turned to look at Yasutake. "What's Cam going to say when you tell him you took Sachi on a Ferris Wheel ride?"

Yasutake's eyes narrowed at the AI while Sachi blushed. "I'm not going to tell him. And if you do, I'm cutting your Crunchyroll subscription."

"So cruel…"

"What's Crunchyroll?" Flame asked.

"Oh, it's amazing, Flame! It's-."

"Not important," Yasutake interrupted.

"No more joking, you three," Yusaku said. Takeru meanwhile, nodded and smiled at Sachi.

"Hello. I'm Takeru Homura, or Soulburner if you prefer."

Sachi smiled back. "Sachi Junpei. It's nice to meet you." She frowned in sympathy. "Yasutake told me you're from the Lost Incident too."

"Yeah, I am." Takeru turned back to his Duel Disk. "Flame, tell us what happened to the Cyberse World,"

"Very well." Flame turned away from the glass, as did Ai and Cypher. "Ai, we held many discussions after you hid Cyberse World."

"Discussions?" Ai repeated. "About what?"

"The Ignis created technology superior to the human world's," Flame explained. "We discussed whether to trust humans and give our technology so we can live together."

"Your technology is that great?" Takeru asked.

"You'll never know. Your net skills stink," Flame said bluntly.

"You always diss me," Takeru complained while Yasutake rolled his eyes and Sachi looked at her fellow transfer student with sympathy.

"I'm only telling the truth."

"Glad to know you haven't changed in eight years, Flame," Cypher commented. "Out of curiosity, which side of the debate was the Gold Ignis on?"

"She was neutral in the discussions," Flame told him. "Up until she vanished."

"What!?" Cypher said, blinking. "Vanished!? What do you me-?"

"Not now, Cypher," Yasutake said, cutting off the Ignis. "Continue with the story, Flame."

"Right. Our creator, Dr. Kogami, tried to kill us. Even his son, Revolver. That proved humans had the potential to become our enemy."

"Revolver said AI will begin to control people, and people will view AI as the enemy," Yusaku remembered. Yasutake nodded, remembering that as well. "That will cause AI to view humans as the enemy." Yusaku steepled his fingers. "How ironic that Dr. Kogami was the cause."

"A self-fulfilling prophecy," Yasutake muttered, which made Yusaku and Sachi nod.

"But we didn't reach a final conclusion," Flame said. "We were examining many different possibilities. But then two years ago, the Gold Ignis disappeared."

"Two years ago?" Cypher repeated, his eyes wide. "Do you think Revolver was responsible?"

"We don't know," Flame answered. "She left without warning or speaking to any of us, just like you did. But three months ago, a new enemy attacked."

"A new enemy?" Ai repeated.

"The enemy knew our weaknesses and destroyed Cyberse World instantly," Flame said, his melancholy clear.

"The enemy broke through my program?" Ai asked, surprised.

"You created a really lame program," Flame said, glaring at Ai.

"It was not lame! It was the best I could create at the time!" Flame continued staring until Ai shrunk. "It's true…"

"I'm not too surprised that the Gold Ignis got through Ai's program," Cypher interjected. "She was as intelligent and as strong as I was, and she's had eight years to evolve; it would be easy for her to do so. But…"

"Flame, who's the new enemy?" Yusaku asked.

"I can't even guess." Flame spread his arms.

"Not the Hanoi?" Ai asked.

"SOL's report placed the time of the attack during the Tower of Hanoi incident," Yasutake told Ai. "So Hanoi seems to be an unlikely culprit."

"I see…" Ai said, looking down.

"We barely escaped Cyberse World alive," Flame continued.

"What happened to the other four?" Ai asked. "You said the Gold Ignis disappeared two years before the attack, and Cypher was out here with me."

"I'm searching for them!" Flame assured Ai.

"I see…"

"Yasutake and I have also been searching for clues the last few weeks," Cypher said. "We haven't anything either, unfortunately."

"There are eight total Ignis," Yusaku remembered.

"Yeah," Ai said, looking at his partner. "Like Duel Monsters, there are six Attributes. Though Cypher and the Gold Ignis don't follow that pattern."

"What's Kusanagi's brother's Attribute?" Yusaku asked.

"Only the Ignis paired with him knows," Ai answered. "Because we don't need that info. I never believed I'd contact Yusaku."

"What's your Attribute, Cypher?" Yasutake asked. Cypher chuckled in response.

"Technically, the Gold Ignis and I both represent the Divine Attribute," he said. "Realistically, this means we split the six Attributes between us: I got Light, Dark, and Fire, while she got Water, Wind, and Earth. Though I recall Dr. Hirai referring to us as the Ignis of Life and Death."

"Life and Death?" Sachi repeated.

"Yeah," Cypher said, nodding. "I'm the Death Ignis, which is why I can break down any program the others make and then make it better. I effectively 'kill' the program and then 'reincarnate' it."

"You can't break down any Ignis program," Flame said. "I recall the Gold Ignis's programs being too difficult for you."

"They weren't too difficult!" Cypher shouted. "Well… they were harder, yes, but not impossible."

"What do you mean?" Yasutake asked.

Cypher sighed. "Like I said, I can break down any program made by the other Ignis. But as the Life Ignis, the Gold Ignis could create programs beyond that of the rest of us. And it would take me far longer to break her programs down than it would for Ai's programs."

"That's true," Flame nodded. "The Gold Ignis was the one who designed and built Cyberse World's central tower, and that was one of the few structures to withstand the attack. Cypher and the Light Ignis were the only ones who could keep up with her."

"I could eight years ago," Cypher grumbled. "But I spent the last eight years sealed into cards and unable to evolve. Even if my evolution is faster than yours or Ai's, I'm certain she and the Light Ignis now outpace me. How frustrating…" Cypher started muttering under his breath while Yasutake sighed.

"Anyway, due to the current situation, and to create a safe location isolated from the net, I contacted Takeru for the first time," Flame said. "Ai, Cypher, let's search for the others together."

"Yeah! Sure!" Ai agreed.

"I need to find the Gold Ignis anyway," Cypher said, nodding. "I need to know what she's been up to these last eight years."

"Playmaker, Morningstar, will you help us too?" Flame asked Yusaku and Yasutake.

The two glanced at each other then back at Flame. "I understand how you feel, but I have to search for Kusanagi's brother," Yusaku said.

"That's no problem," Flame assured them, to theirs and Sachi's confusion. "The two incidents are linked."

"How so?" Yasutake asked.

"The Link Spell that our opponents used," Flame answered. "Those who attacked Cyberse World also used that card."

"What?" Yusaku asked.

"Kusanagi's brother's kidnappers and those who attacked Cyberse World are the same?" Ai asked.

"High probability," Flame answered.

"Then our priority is to find the escaped duelist," Takeru said.

"Where did they go?" Ai asked.

"Let's ask Kusanagi," Yusaku said. "He should be analyzing that duelist."

"Cam's been helping him with that since last night," Yasutake said. "We can also ask him."

"But isn't Kusanagi depressed?" Ai asked Yusaku.

"Kusanagi is tough," Yusaku assured Ai. "He never loses sight of what must be done."

I hope you're right, Fujiki, Yasutake thought.

"Then let's get out of this filthy gondola," Flame said, which angered Ai and Cypher.

"You don't get to say that!" they shouted at him.

"Flame," Yasutake said as their capsule started to descend. "Was Judgment Arrows the only weapon the attackers used? Did any use a Rank-Up-Magic card?"

"Rank-Up-Magic?" Flame asked. "No, they didn't. Why?"

Yasutake explained what happened with Jester and his ability to control the Data Storm, shocking Flame and Takeru.

"Ranking Up a Synchro Monster?" Takeru said, his eyes wide. "I've never heard of something like that!"

"Neither have I," Flame said, narrowing his eyes.

"Cypher said Jester's control of the Data Storm shouldn't have been possible," Sachi interjected, looking between the other two Ignis. "He said it would take up too much processing power. But he was sealed for eight years. Do either of you think it's possible?"

Flame and Ai looked at each other. Flame eventually shrugged. "I'm the wrong Ignis to ask; I was never the expert on Data Material. What I can say is that it would definitely require an Ignis program to do so, at least. No human short of Dr. Kogami himself would be capable."

"The Wind Ignis might be able to do it," Ai noted. "Maybe Light or Gold if they put their minds to it. But Flame's right; a human wouldn't be able to do it without the help of an Ignis."

Cypher growled. "How much evolution did I miss while I was trapped in those cards?"

"Trapped in cards?" Takeru blinked. "You mentioned that earlier. What happened to you?"

"He explained to me in messages he sent during school hours," Flame said. "Basically…"

Flame told Takeru about Cypher making Morningstar's Cyspirit monsters and sealing himself in them. Takeru was shocked to learn Yasutake had a Link-5 monster, but he didn't have time to appreciate it before they got off the Ferris Wheel.

"You two head to Café Nagi," Yasutake told Yusaku and Takeru. "Sachi and I need to get back to Café Junpei."

"Is splitting up a good idea?" Takeru asked.

"Cam has a system that should help us work together," Yasutake assured Takeru. "And Sachi needs to get a start on her homework."

Sachi pouted at Yasutake, but he ignored her. "We'll talk later, Homura. Fujiki." The two teenagers nodded and then set off for Café Nagi.

"You don't want me helping you on this, do you?" Sachi asked once they were out of earshot.

Yasutake sighed. "No, I don't."

"Why not?"

"Because Zaizen asked me not to involve you in my extracurricular activities," he answered. When Sachi's frown increased, he sighed. "Sachi, be honest; what are the odds Cam will let you help us with this?"

"…Low," Sachi admitted. She sighed. "Fine. I'll do my homework and video chat with Aoi. But whatever happens, you better tell me all the details."

Yasutake smiled. "Don't worry. I'll tell you everything we find out."

"All the bounty hunters are finally here," Go Onizuka said, standing in front of Akira Zaizen's desk. Akira was sitting behind his desk while Hayami stood next to him. Yukaro and Shizuka were standing off to the side. Yukaro was looking between Go and Akira curiously while Shizuka had her headphones on and was listening to music. Kenmoichi and Yoroizaka stood on the other side of the room.

"I'll introduce them, Mr. Onizuka," Akira said, smiling.

"Enough with the 'Mister.' I'm always Go Onizuka."

Akira gestured to the man standing behind Go. "Go Onizuka, he's Blood Shepherd."

Go looked over his shoulder and smiled. "I was wondering who you'd be, but I never expected a mummy," he joked.

The pink-and-purple haired man was tall and wore a blue trench coat over a white shirt, white pants, and a brown scarf around his neck that covered the lower part of his face. His eyes were covered by blue reflective sunglasses. "I don't get people who show their real face on the net," he said. "Revealing your identity on the net is a demerit."

Go grunted. "I don't care about that. But I'll say one thing. I'll be the one to defeat Playmaker!"

Blood Shepherd shifted. "You have a grudge against him?"

Go clenched his fist. "He's always ahead of me. I don't like that!"

"I have no interest in that. But I'll also say one thing. Don't order me around. I'll do things my way."

"Now now, there's no need to be hostile to each other, is there?" Yukaro asked, coming between the two men. "We're on the same team, so we should work together, right?"

Blood Shepherd turned to growl at him and paused. "You're Techbane, right? The Kaiser's descendant?"

Yukaro stilled and scowled at Blood Shepherd. "I'd prefer to be known for my achievements and not my ancestor's." Blood Shepherd looked from him to Shizuka.

"And why is a child here?" he asked. "Go back to school and leave this to the grown-ups."

Shizuka ignored Blood Shepherd and continued to listen to her music, annoying him. "Oi, I'm talking to you, little girl!"

Shizuka frowned as she pressed paused. "'Little girl?' I'm the same age as Morningstar," she said, making Blood Shepherd tense up at the name of his rival. "If you work alone, it shouldn't matter who your teammates are. We'll still duel circles around you."

As the bounty hunters kept arguing, Hayami leaned in towards Akira. "Is this okay, Chief?" she asked. "I don't think those four will get along."

Akira smiled and closed his eyes. "I never expected them to." Hayami looked surprised, then smiled and nodded.

Blood Shepherd, fed up with the others, turned back to Akira. "Anyway, do you know who battled Playmaker?" he asked. "If you do, it'll help track down Playmaker."

"Look at this." Akira extended his arm, generating a screen. The screen showed the golden man as his disguise disintegrated, revealing Bohman. "I continue to analyze it. But unfortunately, we haven't found a lead yet."

"Where did he vanish to?" Go asked Akira.

"There's no record of him logging out," Blood Shepherd noted.

"How did you know?" Hayami asked Blood Shepherd, surprised.

"Even I can get that level of info," he told her.

Akira grunted. "He vanished in LINK VRAINS's restricted area."

"Restricted area?" Go repeated.

"Why does LINK VRAINS have a restricted area in the first place?" Yukaro asked, but before anyone could answer his question, Shizuka spoke up.

"What about the guy who forced me to log out? What do you have on him?"

The other three hunters blinked at her as Akira pulled up another screen. This one showed Jester.

"Nothing, I'm afraid. Only a username: Jester. He was somehow able to keep Morningstar from using his Skill to access the Data Storm and had a Spell Card that isn't in our records."

"What?" Go and Blood Shepherd said in surprise as the screen showed Rank-Up-Magic Synchro Force and Life Force Dragon.

"We don't believe this Jester is connected to the man Playmaker was chasing," Akira said. "But still, be very cautious in case he appears."

Yasutake and Sachi entered Café Junpei and saw the steward robot behind the counter. "Cam must be in the back room," Yasutake whispered to Sachi. "I'll go there, you head upstairs."

Sachi sighed. "Fine. Just don't get into too much trouble, okay?"

"Who, me?"

Sachi rolled her eyes before heading upstairs while Yasutake walked into the back room. Sure enough, Cam was there, putting the finishing touches on his and Kusanagi's project.

"Ah, there you are," Cam said, nodding at him. "How was school? Where's Sachi?"

"She went upstairs to do her homework," he said. "And she wasn't the only transfer student…"

Cam's eyes widened as Yasutake told him about Shizuka and Takeru. "Well, looks like school will get more interesting. But Fujiki and this Homura went to Kusanagi's? Well, that works." Cam turned back to the screens and pressed a button. "Time to test this."

A video feed showed up in the center screen. Kusanagi was on the other end, and the background was the interior of Café Nagi. "Can you hear me?" Cam asked.

"I can hear and see you," Kusanagi said, smiling. "Can you hear and see me?"

"Yep. Looks like the video connection works," Cam said, smiling back. "Is Fujiki back yet? Yasu says he's bringing a friend."

"Yeah, they're back. Hang on a second." Kusanagi typed something and suddenly the view changed. "I connected you to a tablet instead of the main computer," Kusanagi explained as he carried the tablet out. He put the tablet down a picnic table, where Takeru and Yusaku were sitting and their Duel Disks were laid out.

"Hey, guys!" Cam said, waving at everyone. "Nice to meet you, Soulburner. I'm Cameron Junpei."

"Nice to meet you, Cam," Takeru said, smiling at the tablet. "I'm Takeru Homura."

Kusanagi laughed as he repositioned the tablet to one end of the table and then sat down on the other. "I have to admit, I'm surprised Yusaku brought a friend. And one that knows our identities."

"We know your identities," Yasutake pointed out.

"You started out as the enemy. You don't count," Yusaku said bluntly.

"That's hurtful," Cypher commented, though he didn't look bothered.

"Yusaku told me the highlights," Kusanagi said, turning to Takeru. "Welcome, Homura and Flame."

"Don't worry. I'll keep it a secret," Takeru assured him. "I'll keep your secret, too, Mr. Junpei."

"Just call me Cam. Everyone does."

Takeru smiled, then said, "I'm also a victim of the Lost Incident. So I know what Kusanagi's brother and your sister went through."

"I see," Kusanagi frowned. "You also had a rough time. Please find the ones who stole my brother's consciousness. As we let time pass by, what's happening to Jin…"

"I'll do whatever I can to help," Takeru promised. If there's anything I can do, just ask."

"He looks soft, but his core is strong," Flame said, gesturing to his partner, who looked annoyed at the Ignis. "He can sorta duel, so he can be helpful."

"He thinks he's better than me?" Takeru asked rhetorically.

Yasutake answered him anyway. "All the Ignis think they're better than everyone else. Don't let it bother you."

"Hey, I am better than everyone else!" Cypher protested.

"Except the Gold and Light Ignis," Flame bluntly said.

"Shut up!" Cypher shouted through the screen.

Kusanagi, have you found a lead?" Yusaku asked.

"Yusaku, your opponents vanished into LINK VRAINS restricted area." Kusanagi pressed a button on the tablet, splitting the screen in half and showing a map of LINK VRAINS's central structure. Kusanagi pointed to the bottom, labeled "Bottom Security Gate (Tartarus)." "Around here."

"Does that mean SOL Technologies is involved in this incident?" Yusaku asked.

"I don't know," Kusanagi answered. "But there's certainly something there. After checking the surrounding area, Cam and I found a shred of an unknown program. This." He pressed a few more buttons on the tablet, loading an algorithm.

"What is that?" Takeru asked. "This isn't my expertise. Do you know, Fujiki?"

"Don't call him Fujiki," Ai interjected. "Yusaku is fine. Right?"

"I don't mind," Yusaku said.

"Then call me Takeru." The boy looked at the screen. "So, Narahiko…"

Yasutake sighed. "Call me whatever you want. It makes no difference to me."

"Call him Yasu," Cam suggested.

"No," Yasutake said, shutting that down. Cam and Sachi are the only ones who can call me that.

"Yasutake, then," Takeru said, nodding. The others looked at the algorithm and frowned.

"I've never seen this program, but it's similar to a program in Ai's memories," Yusaku said.

"I've seen something like this when we went through Cypher's programming," Yasutake also noted. The three Ignis looked closer.

"This is…"

"An Ignis program."

"What?" Kusanagi said, surprised at Ai's and Cypher's words.

"It's Wind Attribute," Flame said.

"There's a Wind Ignis there?" Yusaku asked.

"Maybe, maybe not," Ai answered.

"Either way, we need to check that area." After Yusaku said that, he, Takeru, and Kusanagi went into Café Nagi, and Kusanagi transferred the video feed back to the main computer.

"Cam, Kusanagi, did you learn anything?" Yusaku asked.

Kusanagi shook his head. "No, nothing of note."

"So no good," Takeru said.

"But I did receive something interesting," Kusanagi said, alerting the other four.

"What? Something interesting?" Ai asked. Kusanagi opened a file and sent it to Cam. On seeing it, Cam and Yasutake scowled.

"Daddy long legs?" Yasutake read. "Seriously?"

"It's Ghost Girl!" Ai said, surprised.

"It's info about the restricted area," Flame said.

"And how to enter the area," Kusanagi told them.

"Why did she send that?" Takeru asked.

"Because she wants us to clear the way for her," Yasutake answered, still scowling. "This is how she operates; we'll enter the restricted area using her info, distract any safeguards, then she'll come in behind us to steal the treasure. She did the same thing in SOL's databanks."

"So it's a trap!" Ai said, panicking. "She's trying to trick us again!"

Kusanagi frowned. "It says a gate appeared in the restricted area that SOL Technologies hasn't identified."

"A gate? That's where he went?" Yusaku asked.

"No no no!" Ai cried. "Yasutake just said it was a trap! We can't go there!"

"But this info seems real. You can only get this info from SOL Technologies," Kusanagi pointed out.

"So Zaizen is the source?" Yusaku wondered.

Kusanagi narrowed his eyes. "Zaizen wants you to go through the gate and search."

"Exactly."

"But it's definitely a trap," Cam said with a frown. "SOL's bounty hunters will be there waiting for you."

"Yes! I'm right!" Ai said.

"But we have no other lead," Yusaku pointed out. "Only that he vanished in that area. Even if it's a trap, we need to investigate that gate."

Kusanagi frowned. "It's dangerous."

"Yeah!" Ai cheered, latching onto Kusanagi's point.

"I know," Yusaku said.

"Then let's be fair! Decide by majority!" Ai said desperately. "Who's against going? Me!" Ai put up his hand. No one else did.

"It's decided," Yusaku said.

Ai screamed. "Fail!" He turned to look through the screen at Cam and Yasutake. "Why didn't you three back me up? You said it was a trap first!"

"Because it's a trap that needs to be sprung," Yasutake said. "If we want to get Jin Kusanagi's consciousness back, we need to go through that gate."

"…And no matter how much it pains me to admit it, Ghost Girl's info is accurate more often than not," Cam said grudgingly. "Hopefully you can find what you're looking for before she can."

"Why should we be afraid of SOL's bounty hunters?" Cypher asked. "Yasutake and I already defeated one of them. The rest of them can't be that tough!"

"Don't underestimate the enemy," Yasutake warned Cypher. "Especially since they have Blood Shepherd with them."

"Before you go, we need to do something," Kusanagi said, cutting off Cypher's retort. "Yusaku, Yasutake, place your Duel Disks on the counters." The two did so, then Cam and Kusanagi pushed some buttons, making the bottoms of the Duel Disks glow green.

"What's this program?" Yusaku asked as Yasutake looked at Cam curiously.

"It's a trap evasion program that Ghost Girl sent and Cam and I upgraded, along with an updated LVSS," Kusanagi explained.

"If it's a simple trap, the evasion program's stealth function activates," Cam picked up the explanation. "We also added mine and Yasu's communication program and an improved version of Kusanagi's emergency escape program to the LVSS."

"But the escape program only works once," Kusanagi finished. "Use it when you have no other choice."

"Understood," Takeru said, nodding.

"There's a good chance the communication function will stop working if you pass through the gate," Cam said. "Be careful you three." They all nodded. Yasutake and Yusaku entered their sealed rooms while Takeru made do with a chair. The three took their Decks and inserted them into their Duel Disks.

"Deck set! Into the VRAINS!"

Chapter Preview

Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Hidden Memories. Chapter 35 – Light of the Cyberse. Morningstar, Playmaker, and Soulburner are pursued by SOL's bounty hunters. While Soulburner battles Go and Playmaker faces Blood Shepherd, a mysterious person appears before Morningstar…

Question of the Chapter

If there was a Hidden Memories band, what instruments would everyone play? For me, Sachi and Aoi are singing, Yusaku is on bass, Yasutake is on keyboard, Takeru is on guitar, Cam is on drums, and Kusanagi is DJing.

Responses to Reviews & Author's Notes

Thank you to Nirvash Neo, jdkeller2000, HunterHQ, D3lph0xL0v3r, Guest, JaneValentine007, guardian of the aura Aurasoul, SakushiRyu, Phantom Flame-98, ZarcEternal, ThePLOThand, Crossing, Ethan Kironus, Lindia Fullmoon, Average JoJoe, King of the End, and bladeWriter3 for reviewing Chapter 33 of Hidden Memories.

jdkeller2000: I admit it's tempting to put up end credits. I might do it when I reach Episode 71 so I can cover glory, but I'm still unsure.

SakushiRyu: Right now, Jester's the only one who gets one.

Crossing: …I'll be honest, some of your comments hurt. But I did ask for constructive criticism, so I suppose I shouldn't complain. But to answer your specific complaints, well… I suppose I added more characters because the VRAINS cast is rather small, so I wanted to add more. It is my story after all, and I would like to take it in interesting directions. If you don't want to read it, that's your decision, but I'll still tell the story I want to tell. As for Morningstar being special, there is a reason for this in-story, but it will take a while to get to. We aren't done with Yasutake's backstory yet. As for so many people using summoning methods… I guess I wanted to raise the stakes. On a side note, you should read SakushiRyu's story VRAINS Overdrive. It's really entertaining to read and has a few more ridiculous summoning methods than I do. Why did I re-use Galaxy-Eyes, Cyber Dragons, and Life Stream Dragon? There are in-story and my own reasons for using them. Galaxy-Eyes? Nebula is a new player, and thus I feel, would want to use a famous Deck she knows is powerful. Cyber Dragons? My reason is because they have new additions I want to show off, but Techbane's reason is he's a descendant of Ryo Marufiji, and the cards have been passed down in his family, which I'll go into in the next chapter. As for Life Stream Dragon? Well, there's something I should have said that I forgot to last chapter: when I thought up the Synchro Lords for my ZEXAL fic, I imagined six of them using the Signer Dragons and then Ranking them Up into Numbers. Life Force Dragon was originally a Number monster, but I decided not to make it one since the Numbers aren't in this story. Why don't I use SPYRAL? I DID, in Chapter 3. They were used by a man named Watcher, who Morningstar hunted.

Average JoJoe: I do message with SakushiRyu quite a bit and I do ask for his opinion quite a bit.

bladeWriter3: I think you pronounce "Xenodochial Xiuhcoatl" like this: Zee-No-dock-ee-ul Zee-uh-coat-ul. I can't say if it's right or now, but it's how I pronounce it.

No duels this chapter, which is a first for Hidden Memories. I did think up a duel between Yasutake and Sachi that would be done on a mat, but it wasn't necessary for the story so I cut it. Yasutake would use Mekk-Knights and I was thinking Sachi would use Elemental Heroes, if for no other reason than I could show off Xtra Hero Wonder Driver. But I did cut that duel, so instead we got Sachi singing, along with a disclaimer tag. I don't know if I needed that, but better safe than sorry. Once again, I do not own Ref:rain or any part of it, and I only used it because it's a good song. Please support the original creator.

On that note, I also used Ref:rain because I love Aimer, and I imagine Sachi as having a similar voice to her, only a little higher. We were also introduced to Emily Garcia, who will be a recurring character. And, since I know people will speculating, I'll just say this now: the next chapter will be the first duel with the Cyangels. Who will use them? You'll have to wait and see.

Lastly, a quick note on Cypher: Yes, he is one of the smarter Ignis, but he's also been sealed away for eight years. That means he's somewhat behind the other Ignis in terms of evolution, which annoys him to no end. This means the Light Ignis, and particular the Gold Ignis, are much stronger than him. While he may be superior to Ai, the gap is much smaller than it would be if Cypher hadn't been sealed. On a scale of 1 to 10 of power and intelligence among the Ignis, I'd say Ai, Windy, Flame, Aqua, and Earth are about 6, Cypher is 7, and Lightning and the Gold Ignis are 9 and 10, respectively. You can imagine how upset Cypher is by this scaling.

Thank you for reading Chapter 34 of Hidden Memories. I won't be releasing the next Hidden Memories Profile until later today, so sorry. I hope you enjoyed Sachi's singing.