Response to Reviews

Thank you to Donkeyboy100, KingOtakuOverYou, Sithlorde1998, HunterHQ, Electriuser, Stregone Future, Iris Luster, Anonymous, Pancakes, Cosmic Cat, Akechi, Naruto1999, Jumpei-Senpai, T.V. 2000, Portal, Big Duels, Guest, and Guest for reviewing Chapter 93 of Obscured Truth.

Alright, ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the first chapter of Season 3! Expect things to get more awesome from here, especially with what happened in the anime! Note that there will be eight chapters before we go to the anime events. Nevertheless, I hope you're looking forward to what happens next!

Anyhow, it's time to answer some reviews:

Donkeyboy100: Glad you liked the chapter.

KingOtakuOverYou: Beyond happy that you liked the chapter. I mean, I wanted to make sure all of the details were connected together, as well as to leave just enough so the story would obviously continue. Also happy you liked Gil and Malf too, as the both of them are strong OC characters. Regarding your comment on duelists interacting with one another and emphasizing with their opponent, I get you saying that it's common. In what Yu-Gi-Oh series was there groping? Because I watched the sub a long time ago, and if memory serves, there was no instance of groping in any of them. And I am not turning the rating of this story from T to K+. That's ridiculous. As for your comment on rewriting Chapter 1, if there's enough demand for it, then I'll certainly do it.

Sithlorde1998: Glad you liked the chapter.

HunterHQ: You have written a lot down, so I'll do my best to answer your queries. To start, if I called the chapter 'The Price of Victory', then it'd be spoiling the fact that the good guys won. I called the chapter 'The Price of Freedom' to symbolize how the good guys want to prevent the bad guys from hurting their loved ones at all costs. Myojin and Lyla were aware that they were descendants of people who sought the Root, but rest assured: They are not aliens. That'd be a stretch. And besides, we already have the Astral World and the Barian World. No need to add anymore aliens. Regarding Yuhiro switching from empathy to scorn, it was partially due to the Cursed Boundary Layer. By this point, he's just had enough with everything going on, and the poor guy wanted to win the duel already. As I said before at the ending of the chapter, MCU style, Bohman and Haru will return. Let me tell you a major difference between Yukage and Jormungand: Yukage wants eternity for himself at all costs, while Jormungand wants to prevent death with only necessary casualties. Between the two of them, Yukage will do whatever it takes to achieve his goal. Yes, Yuhro used Judgment Arrows at last. Because Maximum Link monsters are so powerful, you can only have one copy of each piece in your Extra Deck, along with the combined monster. I said this before: Urizen's companies are all still active. When the tentacles from the Cursed Boundary Layer pierced Herald and Wraith, Jericho was able to obtain their data. Now let me tell you a difference between how Jericho got the Ignis and how Zahhak succeeded in that goal: Jericho went through the back door Ai set up and drained the captured Ignis out of Bohman's core before seizing them. After that was done, he captured Bohman once the duel between him and Playmaker was over, knowing that Urizen needs the former for his plans. As for Zahhak, he simply ripped the Ignis out of Bohman's core before leaving him to die. Pure Mortal Kombat style. Yes, Jericho's deck is based off of the Persona 5 video game, and remember that each deck reflects the user in a sense. I will say it now: Frog and Pigeon only have three duels with them. The duels between Bohman and Playmaker, Lightning and Specter, and Windy and Slipstream. Every other duel was deleted from their cameras after the Mirror LINK VRAINS arc. Yes, the only way for new Cyberse cards to be made would be through Rosetta's dad. Yeah, taking into account the bad start for the story, you could say that I massively improved as a writer. If there's enough demand from reviewers, then I'd be willing to rewrite Chapter 1. If memory serves, it's only a few weeks before Ai's actions, so I'll follow that timeline as well. In a duel between Jericho and Ai, I am one hundred percent sure that the latter will be able to hold his own against the former. Of course Arashi deserves the happy ending after everything he went through. If Yuhiro gained the ability to see the future, it'd be more of a curse than a blessing. Also, never underestimate the power of unconditional love. The Ignis won't be revived until the end of Season 3. A fully powered Watchman wouldn't defeat Jericho at all.

Electriuser: Hah, I knew the aliens comment would make you love. Need I remind you that Azrael needed the eight Ignis and a Construct to officially find the Root of All Knowledge? He joined Lightning so he can more easily get his goals done. I've seen all four seasons of Young Justice, so I get what you mean by the frisbee effect. Then again, am I not doing that right now regarding Jericho? Hehehe.

Stregone Future: Stregone and the others woke up off screen, so they're fine. And again, your obsession with Stregone is disturbing.

Iris Luster: Happy you liked all of Season 2, especially the duels that you enjoyed the most. As for your ideas for Season 3, that's certainly food for thought. And I already have a duel tournament planned for the next season, so consider something to look forward to for the future.

Anonymous: Yeah, Yuhiro can relate with Ai in using Judgment Arrows. Your comment on Pandora and the others appearing actually made me laugh, so thanks for that. Yes, Herald had enough time to study Atalanta/Alpha Mode before dying. Yukage isn't one to curse at people upon losing. He's a mature individual after all compared to the others.

Pancakes: Again, not your best sketch, but not your worst one either.

Cosmic Cat: Glad you liked the Season 2 finale. I did not nerf Azrael at all. Both duelists were dueling at full power. If anyone were to make fun of the Ignis' deaths, it'd be Jericho. Oh, and don't you ever call Arashi a simp again! I am actually offended that you called one of my characters that. As such, this is your first and only warning. And Raguel Zarc V? What do you mean by that? Nevertheless, I'm happy you gave the Season 2 finale five stars.

Akechi: I will have Zero show off more powerful monsters aside from Yggdrago. I mean, he did Fusion Summon Permillind Hicrotron, so that's a start. Also, I'm glad you liked the deck Jericho had, and I'm also excited to show more duels involving Jericho down the road. As for who you want to see next regarding the monsters in Jericho's deck, expect to see one of them this season.

Naruto1999: Beyond happy you liked the chapter. As for your comment about explosions, do expect more of it moving forward.

Jumpei-Senpai: On the plus side, the Ignis are returning in the future, with Ai only keeping his human appearance obviously. Both Herald and Wraith sacrificed themselves to save Raguel and Azrael. Note that not everything needs to be solved through a children's card game.

T.V. 2000: Beyond happy that you enjoyed the Season 2 finale. Expect to see more of Jericho's deck moving forward. Like I mentioned in the previous chapter, think of Jericho's deck as a Link version of the D/D deck. I'll be honest with you: I wanted Herald to survive, but after thinking it over very carefully and how it would affect Season 3, I ultimately decided for him to die. The names for Turboblaze and Teravolt Dragon's evolutions were based on their attack names, almost like the Signature move cards such as Ancient Gear Golem – Ultimate Pound, Cyber Slash Harpie Lady, Firewall Dragon Darkfluid – Neo Tempest Terahertz, and more. One of the reasons Firewall Dragon Darkfluid can speak is due to the five Ignis combining their power to do so. Yes, Jericho, and by extension, Urizen and his faction, have plans for Bohman and Haru moving forward. After all, why do you think I put down the fact that Bohman and Haru are returning? As for the followers of Urizen, do expect a few of them to appear in Season 3. However, note that they'll be split into two groups, one of which you'll see in Season 3.

Portal: Just because you reached your McGuffin doesn't mean you obtained it. I had no further plans for Malf, which was why I killed him off. Windy and Earth didn't have any final lines to Ai in the anime, which was why I let them speak to Ai in the story before dying along with the others.

Big Duels: Excuse me, I tried to make the duels as different as I can from the ones in Hidden Memories. And between Watchman, Infearno, and Slipstream, Slipstream came closer to defeating Azrael. As for your comment about the duel between Angelica and Raguel, I know what you're saying. I really do. Believe it or not, I originally wasn't planning on including the duel during the arc, but I needed someway to make Raguel fall into further despair. That, and I wanted to show how evil Azrael was in the story, as well as the fact that he'd do whatever it takes to obtain the Root of All Knowledge. Like I said above, think of Jericho's deck as a Link version of the D/D deck. I understand that you'll miss Malf, but because I had no further plans for him in the story's future, I decided to kill him off. For your comment on Azrael being similar to Zahhak, it's not the case at all. For Azrael's creation, I took inspiration from Vergil from Devil May Cry, Vandal Savage from DC comics (more importantly, Young Justice), and others. In addition, I also incorporated humanity's desire to avoid death at all costs into his character so that Azrael would be selfish to obtain his goals. Take your time in re-reading the chapters of Season 2 so you're fully caught up and aware on what's going on. I can only recap so many things in Author's Notes at a time.

Guest: Glad you enjoyed the chapter.

Guest: It only made sense for Yuhiro to use Judgment Arrows at some point, especially as he obtained it from Ace's deck.

Now that all reviews have been answered, let's get onto the first chapter of Season 3. Oh, and before we begin, I want to let you all know that there will be two openings and an ending for Season 3, the latter getting changes as the season progresses through the chapters. The first opening will occur from Chapter 93 to Chapter 101, while the second opening will occur for the rest of Season 3. I hope you all enjoy!

Chapter 94: First Steps towards Redemption

(This is the first opening for Season 3. If you have suggestions, don't hesitate to send me a PM or input it in your review.)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Yuhiro is shown looking at a destroyed house 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 dead 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 LINK VRAINS, at Frog and Pigeon's headquarters...

"BOSS! Take a look at this!" Pigeon shouted.

"What is it?" Frog asked, only for him to gasp upon seeing a payment for the duel between Bohman and Playmaker. Apparently, someone paid three million dollars to acquire a copy of that duel. Three. Million. Dollars. "That's insane!"

"I know, right! We're rich!" Pigeon celebrated.

"That may be true, but who would have that amount of money?" Frog wondered. "Aw, well. At least business is starting up again."

"You said it." Pigeon agreed. After returning back to the network, Frog and Pigeon retreated back to their headquarters. Looking at the footage, the duo was shocked after realizing that nearly all the duels they recorded were erased. Some of which contained valuable information. While the duo was grateful to have the duels between Lightning and Specter, along with Windy and Slipstream, they were even more surprised after realizing that the final duel between Playmaker and Bohman was also there, having been recorded. That meant Frog and Pigeon could finally bounce back from their failures. And bounce back they did, for that duel of the three duels received the highest ratings so far. If this kept up, then more people will be aware of the duo, and hire them for jobs as a result.

Frog put a hand to his chin. "Although there's something that's on my mind."

"Oh?" Pigeon turned to Frog. "What's that?"

"Why would Bohman leave footage of his final duel in our camera? I mean, there was a goldmine of awesome duel footage in it. Still, it confuses me, especially during the part where those shadowy, ribbon-like tentacles appeared. I'm just glad we weren't hurt by it."

"If I can guess, perhaps Bohman wanted to be remembered. And maybe he wanted to send out a warning to Playmaker and the others so they can fight against whatever that abnormal thing appeared in the duel." Pigeon hypothesized.

"Which means there are more awesome duels to record down the road!" Frog realized. "Let's keep a lookout on when those shadowy, ribbon-like tentacles will appear next! Who knows? Maybe an awesome duel will pop up!"

"While I agree with you, boss, I have a bad feeling about that idea." Pigeon commented before shaking. "If we run into the person who was responsible for summoning those shadowy, ribbon-like tentacles, it's most likely we'll get killed."

"That is a good point, Pigeon. We should look into programs that will keep us safe should something abnormal happen to us!" Frog suggested.

"Awesome idea, boss! Let's get started immediately!" Both Frog and Pigeon immediately went straight to work, intent on finding programs that can protect the duo so they would be safe and sound when recording duels moving forward.

Elsewhere, in the real world, during the night...

It was a dark night. Numerous people were out, some of them walking in pairs, while others were headed to their cars nearby. Due to recent events, along with rumors about a Shadow making people fall ill, those people made haste to try and head home as soon as they can. This way, they can at least ensure their health is stable for the next day moving forward.

But there were some people who were either arrogant in thinking that they'd be safe in the night, or not aware at what was going on. Then there were some people who weren't deterred with what was happening. People who still wanted to take risks and hurt others to get what they wanted. For those people, they were at the most risk for what was to come.

Black and red spots appeared on the ground in a secluded area before transforming into a black, shadowy substance with red outlines at the ends, which resembled into that of a jellyfish on land. It explored the area stealthily as it pricked people nearby before making each one doozy, where they began feeling ill, but just enough so they can make it home. For those people, the Shadow didn't get much energy from them, and they were nothing more than pebbles in its way. As such, the Shadow didn't bother much with the people it pricked because to it, they weren't threats. All it was doing was observing the area, which it had been doing for the past several days.

However, the Shadow soon noticed a sound nearby. One that annoyed it. One that angered it. One that it hated. As such, the Shadow blended in with the darkness to investigate what was instigating that sound. It blended in with the darkness the wall was displaying in order to ultimately determine what was going on.

"Come here, you bitches!" a male attacker and his partner said, as the duo grabbed a family walking home and ambushed them in an alleyway.

"Don't hurt my mother!" the boy shouted at the attackers, only for the two of them to swat the boy aside as one of them grabbed the pearl necklace from the woman and ripped it off of her. As for the mother, one of the attackers punched her in the face, much to the family's horror. The blow even made the mother drop her purse, the same attacker picking it up before bringing it to his comrade.

"Pretty pearls! They're gonna make us rich!" one of the attackers told his partner. "And who knows what kinds of stuff this woman has in her purse?"

"How dare you hurt my wife!" the man shouted, only for one of the two attackers to punch the man in the face in response. The both of them pulled out knives on the family seconds later.

"Please, who's gonna-?" one of the attackers began asking, only for their comrade to let out a gasp of pain as a shadowy, ribbon-like tentacle pierced him several times in the arms and legs before making him fall to the ground. "Oh God, no..."

The Shadow immediately emerged from the darkness before releasing more shadowy, ribbon-like tentacles at the second robber, who screamed as he fell unconscious due to the pain. The man went over to his wife and son before having the two of them get behind him, only for the Shadow to blend in the darkness, as if it moved onto the next task at hand.

Were those robbers dead? The Shadow didn't know, and it didn't care about those useless lives. Simple as that. As such, the Shadow continued travelling down the road by blending in with dark areas, where it continued to prick numerous individuals with its tentacles and make each of them fall unconscious. Whether those individuals were good or not didn't matter to the Shadow. All lifeforms were the same, and it needed strength to grow stronger. For instance, a woman nearby saw the Shadow and tried to run away from it, only for her to fall down to the floor before trying to crawl away in terror. The Shadow immediately pricked the woman and drained some energy from her before she fell unconscious. Just like with the other people it pricked before.

Once again, the Shadow noticed another sound. One that annoyed it. One that angered it. One that it hated. Just like before. Need to stomp out the sounds. Need more strength, were the Shadow's thoughts, as it quickly investigated what was going on. Soon, it saw several thugs harass a women nearby.

"Damn, now this is a fine lady!" one of the thugs said, a sick smile on his face.

"Please, don't hurt me!" the women pleaded.

"Out alone at night ain't a good idea at this time, lady. Maybe you should surrender and come with us?" the second thug suggested. "Or do you want to do this the hard way?"

"I'm telling you, don't hurt me!" the woman pleaded for a second time, only for one of the thugs to punch her in the face before restraining her.

"You'll come with us one way or another," the third thug replied, as he turned over to the muscular man of the thugs. "Sorry, boss. She grew a bit antsy."

"Don't worry about it. As long as we land ourselves a score," the thug boss assured his men. "Carry her. Let's get out of here before-."

"GAAAAH!" several of the thugs screamed in pain, as shadowy, ribbon-like tentacles pierced their bodies before they fell down to the floor. The boss of the thugs quickly grabbed the women before pulling out a gun and pressing it to the left side of her head.

"Come any closer, and I'll blow her brains out!" the thug boss warned the Shadow, having fired a shot or two just near it. "I'm warning you. I'll do it! I'll blow her fucking-!"

Suddenly, two shadowy, ribbon-like tentacles emerged and pierced the boss's hand, which made him drop the gun as he squinted in pain. The women tried to free herself, only for the boss to regain his senses and tackle her to the ground before picking her up, having pulled a knife from his pocket as he placed it at the women's throat.

"Let me walk out of here with her alive, or she dies right here," the boss tried to warn the Shadow. "You are not going to-!"

What a waste of life, the Shadow thought, before two more shadowy, ribbon-like tentacles pierced both the thug boss and the women, knocking the both of them unconscious. Need... more strength! Need more strength! Need more strength! The Shadow immediately grabbed the unconscious thugs and their boss, along with the women before smashing their bodies to the walls, which ended their lives as what remained of them entered inside it. As if being driven by instinct, the Shadow quickly moved forward after seeing several targets nearby. Some were good, while some were bad. But again, to the Shadow, they were the same. It quickly spread out its shadowy, ribbon-like tentacles and pierced those individuals before letting each one fall to the ground, some of their energy going into it as they fell unconscious.

Having blended into the darkness once more, the Shadow noticed more commotion that both annoyed and angered it as it immediately pierced the people involved, all of them falling unconscious before some of their energy entered it. But it wasn't enough for the Shadow, as it grabbed the bodies before smashing them to the point where they died. Whether those people were innocent or guilty, it didn't matter to the Shadow. It just wanted the noise to be stopped.

"There it is! That's the thing that hurt my friends!" a person said, as he and a few others charged forward to injure the Shadow, either unaware of what was going on, or foolish enough to think that the group can stop it from hurting others.

How stupid are these people, the Shadow wondered, as shadowy, ribbon-like tentacles pierced the attackers, which made them all fall down to the ground in pain before some of their energy went inside it. Once that was done, the Shadow continued down its path, pricking people to get small bits of energy. And for the people who were either affiliated with immoral individuals, or unlucky to get in their path, the Shadow ended their lives to 'free' them of their pain. That was what the Shadow did all night. Pricking and eliminating. All night long, as it eventually blended in with the darkness, its appetite having been satisfied.

"GAAAAH!" Yuhiro shouted, as his eyes opened before vaulting upwards within seconds, breathing hard and clutching his chest. Looking around, Yuhiro saw that he was obviously in his room, which was a good sign. For a part of him felt that he left his room and went on a night stroll.

"Yuhiro, are you okay?!" Roxy asked, having opened the door and entered inside his room. Seeing the terrified expression on his face, Roxy went over and tightly hugged Yuhiro, as if to assure him that the nightmare was over. "It's gonna be okay, Yuhiro. You're safe."

"Why do these nightmares keep happening to me, Roxy? Why? I don't understand!" Yuhiro cried in terror.

"Shh. You're safe now, Yuhiro. I'm here. I'm here." Roxy gently reassured Yuhiro, the latter continuing to cry to fear as the nightmare replayed itself in his head.

The next day, at the safehouses...

"So that's it, huh? Those are the end results regarding my heart condition?" Zandaka sadly asked the doctor.

"I'm afraid so, Zandaka," the doctor answered. "We'll look into any surgeries and/or medications you can take to mitigate its impact on you. But again, based on your age and how the healthy portions are intertwined with your body systems, you may not have much time left."

Zandaka gasped upon hearing this. "H-H-How much time?"

"At worst, a month or two max. At best, a year or two. Again, because there's so few people in the world who have this condition, it's hard to fully say," the doctor told Zandaka.

"Then what I can do?"

"Prepare the people in your life with the news. And settle any unfinished business," the doctor replied.

Zandaka quickly looked out at the nearby window. This... was something he never wanted to hear in his life. He obviously knew he was going to die, that's something every human will eventually do, but by the hands of a heart disease was the last way he wanted to die. The worst part? Malf was the one who caused it after defeating Zandaka in their duel. Whoever defeated Malf and destroyed him for good, Zandaka swore that he'd repay that person back for their act of kindness. "I... see. Please let me know if there are any options on the table."

"I will," the doctor assured Zandaka, before the latter exited the medical tent. He walked out of the safehouse, only to see Ryoken, Kyoko, Aso, Eizaburo, Emon, Takeya, Mikuru, Akairo, and Yua waiting for him.

"It's been a long time, Yua." Zandaka told Yua.

"Indeed it has." Yua agreed. "Kyoko and the others filled me in on what happened to you. I'm so sorry."

"Thank you." Zandaka frowned. "Let's go back to the yacht. I'd like to call a meeting."

The others nodded, knowing how serious the situation was as the group headed over to Ryoken's yacht. While seven out of the eight Ignis were eliminated due to the war in Mirror LINK VRAINS, only one remained in Ai, which meant their mission wasn't done yet. Once the war was over, Ryoken had Kyoko and Takeya take Emon to the medical tent to be checked up, all of them knowing that something was not right with him. Ryoken was surprised after learning that Yua, his mother, came to help the Hanoi. For the time being, he decided to put his personal feelings aside, knowing that there were more important matters to discuss first. Once that was done, then Ryoken would have a firm, heart to heart discussion with Yua, and hopefully reconcile for good.

The group headed over to the yacht before entering side, where they walked over to a room with a large desk and several computers before each member took a seat.

"As you all know, following my duel against Malf, his Skill ended up putting me in the medical tent at one of the safehouses." Zandaka began speaking. "Given on what's happened, I'm to assume Malf's dead?"

"That's correct, Zandaka." Ryoken confirmed. "Soulburner was the one who destroyed him for good. The Hanoi owes him a debt of gratitude for getting revenge for us."

"Not just that, but Slipstream's victory led to me regaining consciousness." Yua added. "We owe him as well."

"But moving that aside, what is it you want to tell us, Zandaka?" Aso inquired.

Zandaka sadly sighed. "After I woke up, the doctors wanted me to see them, so I went over to a separate tent. While I was unconscious, they did an MRI of my heart to see if it was still functioning. The thing is, my heart's functioning, but..."

"No." Ryoken said with a gasp, as if he knew what Zandaka was about to say next. The other Hanoi also had similar reactions.

"The doctor said that I have restrictive cardiomyopathy, a heart condition that causes the ventricles to become stiff, thus reducing blood flow to one's heart." Zandaka explained. "They thought that a combination of surgeries and/or medications would help, but because the healthy portions of my heart are intertwined with my body systems..."

"It'd be impossible to do the surgery without risking the chance of compromising the healthy systems." Kyoko finished, tears falling from her eyes. "The survival rate for restrictive cardiomyopathy is low, which means you'll die."

"How long do you have?" Ryoken asked Zandaka, who shrugged his shoulders.

"At worst, a month or two max. At best, a year or two." Zandaka answered.

Ryoken grit his teeth before slamming his fists on the table. "Damn it! How could I let this happen?! A leader's supposed to make sure their team isn't injured. I failed on that front, and now one of us is going to die!"

"Zandaka isn't the only one who will die soon." Emon spoke up, which got the others' attention.

"What are you talking about, Emon?" Eizaburo inquired, worried looks on both his face and the faces of other people in the room.

"As you already know, after I tried to resurrect Beatrice, I was almost possessed by demons. However, Dr. Kogami's program prevented that through the data material inside it."

"But the Space Ignis destroyed it, which means you're dying as well." Ryoken sadly realized, tears now falling from his eyes. "Everything that Azrael's done to us has caused damage beyond repair."

"Azrael's a monster of our own making, Ryoken. None of us could predict what would happen next, nor would we expect a victim of the Lost Incident to side with the Light Ignis in this conflict." Aso told Ryoken.

"I know, Aso. But as leader, I'm supposed to make sure that my allies don't get hurt!" Ryoken turned to Zandaka, then to Emon, and then to Akairo. "I'm so sorry for not being able to prevent you three from being impacted by Azrael's actions."

"I volunteered to help you out in your mission, Ryoken. That was my choice, and I'm absolutely sure that Zandaka and Emon agreed to join the Hanoi at their own volition." Akairo reminded Ryoken.

"That may be true, Akairo, but you should have thought about the long-term repercussions about working with the Hanoi." Yua scolded Akairo. "With what's happened, what are we going to tell your family? That you've been working with criminals? You'll most likely have to be on the run now!"

"Oh, and what about you, mother? If memory serves, you ran away after the Lost Incident, and left me alone for quite a long while. I'm frankly surprised that you came back to help us now of all times." Ryoken snidely remarked, which made Yua gasp.

"Ouch. That's not even funny..." Takeya commented, the other Hanoi and Akairo having been stunned at Ryoken's remark.

"That's not fair, Ryoken. I wasn't aware of the true purpose behind your father's project, the procedures used for it, and the fact I unknowingly contributed towards something-." Yua began speaking.

"It doesn't justify the fact that you abandoned me when I was a child, mother!" Ryoken angrily countered.

"ENOUGH! Both of you!" Mikuru shouted in a tone that practically shut Yua and Ryoken up. She then turned to Emon. "Do you know how long you have left?"

Emon shrugged his shoulders. "Honestly, I don't know. What I do know is that I need to settle personal matters before I die."

"So do I." Zandaka agreed. "That's why I'm leaving the Hanoi."

Everyone else gasped after hearing that announcement. For Zandaka to make such a decision after learning this recent information meant that nothing could be done to prevent such a fate.

"Y-Y-You're serious right now? You're gonna leave?" Eizaburo asked.

"I'm afraid so." Zandaka sadly decided.

Kyoko shook her head after hearing Zandaka's answer. "You shouldn't give up hope so quickly, Zandaka. I'm sure there's a way we can save you, right, guys?"

"Yes, we can't give up hope, Zandaka. We can do what we did with Dr. Kogami." Aso suggested.

"But we aren't certain whether it'll work!" Mikuru argued. "Dr. Kogami was in a coma when we put him in the network, and while I'm no doctor, I don't know how-."

"Stop it!" Zandaka shouted so loud that everyone immediately shut their mouths. "This is my decision."

"But, Zandaka-." Eizaburo began speaking.

"Mikuru's right. My case and Dr. Kogami's cases are different. For Dr. Kogami, the Hanoi transferred his mind into the network, which allowed him to leave his body and stay alive." Zandaka explained. "But for me, I don't know what will happen to me if I underwent such a procedure."

"You'd survive in the network. The Hanoi would make sure of that." Ryoken promised.

"Can you guarantee that I'd survive the trip, Ryoken? Can you guarantee that no one would be able to both hack and turn me against you? All of you?" Zandaka countered with that question, which made Ryoken gasp. "While I'm not sure what happened since I was knocked out, I'm to assume that the Light Ignis used his Origin as a shield to try and escape defeat, am I not correct?"

Aso sighed. "That's unfortunately the case, Zandaka. Had the Light Ignis not used Jin Kusanagi as a hostage, Ryoken would have been able to win that duel."

"But the Ignis are gone. I'm sure Ryoken and the others-." Akairo spoke up.

"The Knights of Hanoi were formed not just to destroy the Ignis, but to protect mankind from any threat in the network. So even if seven out of the eight Ignis are gone, one still remains. And we don't know what kind of threats are out there in the darkest corners of the network." Zandaka reminded everyone. "The last thing we need is for someone to turn me against you guys, and I don't want to take that risk. Besides..." He sighed. "I lived a long life, and I don't want to suffer anymore."

"Zandaka..." Ryoken muttered. "If I only had been faster, I could have prevented Malf from-."

"You of all people should know that humans don't live forever, Ryoken. That's why we celebrate the limited time we have and chase our dreams. So that we don't regret it the day we're on our death beds." Zandaka turned to Ryoken, a sad look on his face. "This is my choice, and I want you to respect that."

Tears flowed from Ryoken's eyes after hearing Zandaka's response. "I'm going to miss you so much, Zandaka. Thank you for being there for me all of those years."

"I can't believe I'm crying too." Takeya acknowledged surprisingly. "We'll all miss you, old man."

"I know, but all of you will keep going, and finish our mission." Zandaka said, before he turned to Yua. "I'm curious, Yua. How were you able to stay hidden for all of those years?"

Yua took a deep breath before replying. "After Arshad took me in, he gave me things to help me hide in plain sight. I changed my hair and name, and also used untraceable eye contacts to change me into a different person while he created the backstory of my divorce with Dr. Kogami. From there, I stayed at the Den City Hospital to keep an eye on things. Especially during the Another Incident."

"That's... actually clever when you think about it." Kyoko said, actually impressed with the tactics Yua used to remain hidden after all of this time.

"It's something I'm not proud of, but I had to help Arshad after giving me asylum from the authorities. Unfortunately, the deal was in the form of blackmail, as Arshad said that he'd throw me to the wolves if I disobeyed his orders." Yua stated.

"Arshad will pay for that dearly." Aso said, venom evident in his tone. The other people in the room nodded in agreement.

"Uh, guys? If it helps, I do have some good news to share." Akairo spoke up.

"What news is that exactly, Akairo? After agreeing to help Ryoken and getting in this mess, I don't think good news will make your situation any better." Yua spat back.

"Let him speak." Ryoken told Yua.

"Here's the thing: Drachen's the person who was involved with the Hanoi, not Akairo." Akairo clarified. "The avatar and person are two completely individuals. So in a sense, a massive majority of people don't know who I am. If anything, my avatar will be on trial, not the person."

"While that's fortunate, you're lucky, Akairo. You shouldn't have been involved in this mess in the first place." Yua repeated.

"But it was his choice, mother." Ryoken firmly told Yua for a second time, which shut her mouth.

"Moving that aside, you should all know that I'm also planning to leave the Hanoi soon. We'll discuss details about next steps for me over the next few days." Emon reminded everyone present. "Again, I have matters to settle before I die, and given what the Space Ignis did to me after Azrael defeated me in our duel, I don't think I have much time left."

Ryoken and the others stood up from their seats. "Emon, you and Zandaka will always be a part of the Hanoi, no matter what. That's something I can promise you."

"Thank you for understanding, Ryoken." Emon told Ryoken.

"Yes. The both of us appreciate your sentiment." Zandaka added.

One by one, Ryoken and the others headed over to where Zandaka was before giving him a hug, each person doing so for a few seconds before letting someone else take their turn. Some hugs lasted for a bit longer than others, but that was needed for those people because they were processing this news in a different, yet common way.

"Now then. Would you be willing to drop me off to the hospital, Emon? There's someone I need to speak to." Zandaka requested.

"Of course. Please follow me." Emon motioned for Zandaka to follow him as the two of them headed over to the entrance of the yacht before exiting it.

Ryoken just stood there, anger and sadness registered on his face. How could he not prevent the tragedy of death from happening to Emon and Zandaka? For the former, Ryoken was helpless as he watched Wraith destroy the program Dr. Kogami gave Emon to protect him from the curse, which meant he was no longer able to protect himself from the 'Burning Abyss' monsters. As for the latter, thanks to Malf, Zandaka was on a countdown clock, where he can die at any moment. Still, Ryoken respected Zandaka's decision, knowing that he didn't want to prolong his pain any longer.

"Ryoken..." Yua muttered, as he tried to put a hand on his shoulder. However, he swatted it away with such force that she gasped in surprise.

"No! Don't you try to comfort me! Not after what you've done!" Ryoken exclaimed, before snapping out of his anger. "I need some air." He quickly exited the yacht, barely in control of his emotions.

"I'll go with Master Ryoken. Make sure he doesn't do anything rash." Youta suggested, the others nodding in agreement before he headed over to the yacht's exit.

"I'll go with Ryoken as well." Takeya added, as he also headed over to the yacht's exit before the others could agree with his choice.

Yua sat down on one of the chairs, tears now flowing from her eyes as she began crying. The firm looks on Kyoko, Aso, Eizaburo, Akairo, and Mikuru disappeared upon seeing her so vulnerable. "What have I done? My own son doesn't want to listen to me! I fear that he'll renounce me for good!"

"While you have a lot to repent for, I believe you'll be able to salvage your maternal bond with Ryoken." Kyoko assured Yua, having put a hand on her shoulder in assurance.

"You think so?" Yua asked.

"The bond between mother and son is strong, Yua. In all honesty, Ryoken has a lot to process right now. Give him space to do so, and I'm sure he'd be willing to talk with you." Akairo told Yua.

"I hope you're right, Akairo. I really hope you're right." Yua sadly responded.

Elsewhere, at the safehouses...

Ryoken headed over to a bench nearby before sitting on it, an exasperated look on his face. He had a lot of recent information to process through following the battles in Mirror LINK VRAINS. While seven out of the eight Ignis were destroyed, it came at a great cost. Zandaka and Emon were dying, and Akairo most likely had to pay for the consequences for getting involved. On the bright side, there was hope for Akairo, as he told the group that only his avatar was going to be on trial. In addition, Ryoken and the others wiped their DNA scan and records using the clean slate, so even if a connection was found, it'd take a very long time for the authorities to determine the identities of the Hanoi.

But on the not so bright side, the damage Azrael, Wraith, and Malf had done was permanent. Thanks to Malf, Zandaka was infected with a terminal disease, and the program protecting Emon from the demons was destroyed. That meant it was only a matter of time until the both of them died. And then there was the fact that Yua, his own mother, had appeared to help the Hanoi out after abandoning him all those years ago. The crazier part was how she was able to hide in plain sight, which was something Ryoken would admit was clever on her part. Despite his maternal bond with Yua being strained, he didn't want to renounce her. But for now, Ryoken needed to be alone.

"Ah, there you are, Master Ryoken." Youta said, as Ryoken looked up to see him and Takeya.

"Did the others send you two here to keep an eye on me?" Ryoken questioned.

"We volunteered actually." Takeya explained. "Plus, it's not safe to go out alone, especially with what's going on lately."

Ryoken frowned. That was true. Following the Ignis War, a Shadow had appeared in Den City during the night, having made people sick upon making contact with them. Some people had described it as a jellyfish on land after seeing it, the anomaly scaring them to the point where they wouldn't go outdoors in the evening and night. Still, it was only a matter of time that it would appear during the day, blending in with the darkness until it struck other people with the same illness that others were infected with. The good news was it didn't reach the point where a state of emergency had to be declared.

"Fine." Ryoken stood up on his feet. "Let's go grab some food. I'm hungry." Youta and Takeya nodded in agreement as they followed Ryoken, the trio heading over to a sidewalk before walking over to the nearest eatery.

"Master Ryoken, I know that it's a lot to process, but you'll be able to get through it with time. With Zandaka and Emon dying, Akairo in hot water, and your mother-." Youta began speaking.

"Don't you dare speak about her, Youta! She abandoned me as a child, and I won't let her explain her reasons for doing so, nor will I allow her to justify them!" Ryoken exclaimed, which made Youta shut his mouth.

"Again, that's just harsh, Ryoken. Keep it up, and you'll lose any chance of reconciling with your mother for good." Takeya surprisingly warned Ryoken, which caused Ryoken to stop walking. "Look, I kind of get what you're going through-."

"You have no idea what I'm going through, Takeya! No idea!" Ryoken shouted, as he turned to face Takeya. "My mother abandons me for years, and then shows up out of nowhere, expecting me to welcome her with open arms after everything we all went through? That's nothing but a delusion on her end. So don't you dare empathize with me, Takeya!"

In response, Takeya crossed his arms. "Honestly, I never had the chance to meet your mother, as I joined the Hanoi after the Lost Incident occurred. But moving that aside, this isn't about your mother's actions and how it affected you, is it?"

Ryoken narrowed his eyes back. "Maybe you're right on that point, Takeya. I'll acknowledge what you said for sure, but now is not the time for me to focus on reconciling with my mother. Right now, I need to get payback on the Ignis for causing permanent damage to us. Zandaka, Emon, and Akairo all suffered for helping the Hanoi. And weren't you affected by what Azrael did to you?"

"Of course, I was, and I still am today thanks to what Azrael had done. The fact that Raguel, Azrael's brother, lives is a permanent reminder of what he did. How he killed my mentor without mercy, and I couldn't even get to speak with him again." Takeya answered, not fazed by Ryoken's comment. "Again, don't get consumed by your quest in eradicating the Ignis and keeping humanity safe, or else you'll lose more people in your life."

Ryoken let out a sad laugh in response, which shocked Youta, while Takeya still remained unfazed. "I don't think I've ever met anybody who's more full of shit than you. As you said, you joined the Hanoi after the Lost Incident. Was that some incredibly lame attempt to calm me down?"

"Master Ryoken..." Youta muttered.

"Maybe. Maybe not." Takeya admitted. "You really think that I don't know what you're going through? Then try this." He narrowed his eyes back. "It's like somebody shot a cannonball right through your stomach, leaving a great big hole. Eventually, it starts to close up from the outside in, and one day, it'll be different. The load won't be as heavy."

"The load?" Ryoken repeated.

"Yeah, you heard me. Someday, you'll hear a song, or somebody will laugh about something the person liked, or the wind will blow the wrong way, and the hole will tear open again before reminding you of what happened. You of all people should know that." Takeya replied.

Ryoken sighed. "It never goes away, doesn't it?"

"No, it doesn't." Takeya agreed. "You can't stop the people you care about from dying, nor can you keep them one hundred percent safe from outside forces trying to hurt each one. To put it simply, you can't control every factor in life. I learned that the hard way, especially in the environment I grew up in."

"The environment you grew up in? What do you mean by that?" Youta inquired.

"Why else do you think I wanted to pursue comedy? Not only so I escape reality temporarily, but so I can give my dog, Biscuit, peace of mind during hard times. My laughing disorder being one of the things I wanted to temporarily escape from, of course. While I was in a loving home, my parents fought a lot, to the point where it almost got physical. The worst part was that I had no friends, my only companion being my dog." Takeya explained. "The night I failed during the talent show, I returned home, only to find that Biscuit had fallen ill. And... well, you know the rest after that."

Ryoken frowned. While he knew the story of how Takeya met his mentor, he didn't know about what happened to the latter's parents.

"Some time after Kazuma adopted me, I learned that my parents had died in separate incidents. While I didn't care about that, a part of me did wish I could speak with them one last time. As for my mentor, his death affected me the most because he was someone I truly saw as a father figure. Every day, I wish I could have one more conversation, but I know that I can't. Every day, I have to accept that fact and move forward." Takeya sighed. "What I do tell myself is that it'll get better someday. It's the best one can hope for during troubling times."

Ryoken nodded in agreement. What Takeya said... actually made sense in the end. Even a leader can't control everything, nor could they predict what could happen next. That, believe it or not, was what made humans different from the Ignis. While the Ignis acted based on simulations and logic, humans chose to celebrate the limited time they had with one another, and didn't give up on their dreams. To put it simply, the human spirit was what allowed them to keep going despite hard times. "For a man who drives our enemies to despair with comedy, you can be wise, you know that?"

Takeya chuckled before he smiled back. "You learn things as you experience different scenarios. Simple as that."

"Now that we got this discussion out of the way, perhaps we should get some food, Master Ryoken." Youta reminded Ryoken.

"Yes. That'd be a good idea." Ryoken said, the trio heading off to an area of Den City. A specific area, where he and the others can speak with Playmaker and his allies on how the Hanoi will continue resuming their mission to eradicate the Ignis.

Meanwhile, at the Den City Hospital...

"I'm so happy that you'll be getting out of this hospital, Miyu!"

"Yeah, it's been a very long time, but the doctor's said I'm healthy. So, I'll be getting out of here in a few hours from now!"

This exchange of words was said between Aoi and Miyu, the two of them filled with joy after seeing that the both of them were okay. Aoi was beyond joyful, knowing that she now had the chance to make up lost time with her childhood friend. Roxy was also there, along with Yuhiro, the duo having checked up on her for the past few days so far. It wasn't just Miyu that Roxy and Yuhiro were here to see. Today, Yuhiro and Roxy had also come to check in on Quinton, as he woke up as well. While Yuhiro was nearby chatting with Quinton, Roxy was with Aoi and Miyu, the trio having walked down the hallway to the gardens.

"I still can't believe there's an Asagao garden zone at his hospital." Aoi commented, the trio now having entered inside it.

"The staff made it thanks to donations provided by the public. Lets the residents get a breath of fresh air while staying in an environment that will ensure they're cared for." Roxy told Aoi. "Did you know that Miyu made Yuhiro take her here after she completed her physio exercises?"

"If memory serves, you were angry at Yuhiro for giving me a piggyback ride, right auntie?" Miyu recalled, which made Roxy roll her eyes.

"There's nothing wrong with being overprotective, Miyu! I just wanted you to be safe and sound!" Roxy protested, much to Miyu's humor.

"If it's any consolation, Roxy, Akira was overprotective of me when I was younger." Aoi tried to calm Roxy down, only for it to partially work.

"Here it is!" Miyu said, as she pointed to the bench nearby. The trio went over and sat down on it, silence filling the air as they enjoyed each other's company for several seconds before it was broken. "This was where I made a sketch of Progleo. I mean, RL. I still can't believe he's all grown up."

"Everything grows, Miyu. Nothing stays the same forever. In all honesty, I wish Herald and Aqua were here to see you safe and sound." Roxy sadly commented.

"Yeah. I wish that too." Aoi sadly agreed.

"Herald told me that Aqua was someone who has the charm of a lady, but knows when to bring down her fists and intelligence if needed." Miyu remembered. "And speaking of Aqua, I think I send her presence."

"Her presence?" Aoi repeated, before it clicked in her mind. "That must be when Aqua tried to revive you, but got your memories of Yuhiro, Roxy, and myself in the process!"

"Kind of explains why Aqua went to find you and the others, Aoi. You, me, and Yuhiro meant a lot to Miyu." Roxy commented.

"Yeah. I'm just glad I'll be out of this place after eight years. Eight. Boring. Years." Miyu said, before her eyes widened out of shock. The area she was seeing wasn't there. Instead, it was replaced by a desolate, forest-like area that had a dead aura around it. Here, Miyu can still remember seeing the battle that occurred between Playmaker and the black-armored swordsman, along with the other fight between Soulburner and another individual. Not just that, but the hopelessness in the air that formed as a result.

"Miyu! MIYU!" Roxy snapped her fingers numerous times, which snapped Miyu out of her vision.

The next thing Miyu knew, she began crying. "I hurt him, auntie. I hurt Yuhiro, and I wasn't aware of it."

"What?!" Roxy exclaimed out of shock after hearing such a thing. "Miyu, you didn't-." But before she could say anymore, Miyu quickly hugged her tightly.

"I did! I hurt Yuhiro, and I wasn't aware of it! It's not just that! If I didn't exist, then my parents would be alive today!" Miyu continued crying. "I don't understand why my parents had to die that night in the killer's attempt to try and kill me! It's as though I'll only cause pain to others as long as I'm around them!"

"No, Miyu. You didn't cause pain to anyone. Not at all." Roxy quietly assured Miyu, having hugged her back to calm her down. "It's okay. You'll be okay. It'll be better."

"I hope so, auntie. I hope so." Miyu sadly responded, tears still coming out from her eyes. Aoi also patted Miyu on the back, hoping to help her childhood friend get through the pain. From the look at Miyu's face, if Aoi had to guess, she had a nightmare before waking up. One that traumatized her to the core.

What the three girls didn't know was that Yuhiro was nearby, listening to their entire conversation. After hearing it, Yuhiro felt his heart break upon learning what Miyu said to Aoi and Roxy. In his mind, Miyu didn't cause him or the others pain. Truth be told, Yuhiro felt that his existence was what kept hurting Miyu and the others he cared about in his life. It was thanks to his family that so many people suffered. From Miyu, to Roxy, to Yusaku, to Takeru, to Arashi, to Jin, and numerous people, all of them suffered. The worst part? Yuhiro was partially responsible for how Yukage turned out, as well as the actions he committed to draw the former out.

Knowing that he wasn't needed right now, Yuhiro quickly pulled out his phone and texted Roxy to tell her that he would be walking home before quietly walking down the hallway. He was close to the entrance when he heard a familiar voice.

"Hey, there you are! I thought you were going to hang out with Miyu!" Miles commented, as he walked over to where Yuhiro was.

"I was, but she was still talking with Roxy and Aoi. I felt that it's better for the three of them to have space. They have a lot to catch up on, after all." Yuhiro replied back.

"If you're leaving, you at least should say goodbye to Quinton and the others. Let them know that you're heading on out."

Yuhiro shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I... I have to get some stuff done. Can you let Quinton and the others know that I had to leave?"

"Yeah, sure. I'll do that." Miles promised, before Yuhiro left, a sad smile on the latter's face. In Miles' mind, he knew that Yuhiro was going through a rough time right now, especially after the latter told him about both Herald and Azrael's deaths. As such, Miles decided to give Yuhiro his space so he can process everything that recently happened, and would talk with him once he was ready to do so.

Yuhiro exited the Den City Hospital and began walking towards the sidewalk nearby, where he saw a car head over to the parking lot nearby. He narrowed his eyes after seeing Emon exit the car before opening the passenger door for Zandaka to get out of it as well. If Yuhiro had to guess, Zandaka was most likely here to speak with Gekiryushi. But did he care about this? Not at all. So Yuhiro continued walking, intent on going over to Café Nagi and speak with Yusaku and the others there.

Elsewhere, at the Den City Hospital...

"I'm really glad you're okay, Gekiryushi." Tsubaki said.

"I'm glad you're safe as well, Tsubaki." Gekiryushi replied back, the both of them happy to see one another safe and sound. Right now, the two of them were in the hospital room Gekiryushi was in, who was recovering from what Malf had done to her following their duel.

After Gekiryushi woke up and learned what happened, she checked in on those who fell in battle. Two of which included Quinton and Tsubaki. With what was going on in the hospital, Gekiryushi volunteered to help keep the environment safe and sound for the families as well. She also agreed to interact and play with the kids so they'd not only stay positive and happy, but to distract them from current events as well. The good news was that Malf was destroyed, which meant that all of his victims had been freed from his curse. Gekiryushi's joy increased when Tsubaki woke up following her duel against Ace, thus showing how she viewed her as a friend and ally. To think that all those months ago, they were enemies, only for the two of them to eventually become friends.

Gekiryushi also had the chance to meet Miyu Sugisaki, and saw that she was the person Yuhiro was fighting for after all of this time. When Miyu asked Gekiryushi how she knew Yuhiro, Gekiryushi assured Miyu that she was one of his allies. Based on their conversation, Gekiryushi could tell that Miyu was someone filled with goodness in her soul despite having been in the hospital for eight years. How? It was due to the training Gekiryushi received from Zandaka while she was learning under him. Apparently, he taught her a technique that allowed her to discern whether one's soul was good or not based on a combination of their experiences and actions. Unfortunately, due to Gekiryushi having abandoned her training following the dojo's destruction, that ability had weakened over time. So Gekiryushi was fortunate that she at least have a bit of the technique Zandaka taught her all those years ago.

"Those people that attacked the Central Station... I'm to assume that they're gone too?" Tsubaki guessed, as she looked out the window.

"Given by what's going on, yes." Gekiryushi answered.

Tsubaki turned to Gekiryushi. "If that's the case, I wondered who defeated Ace. I owe that person a debt of gratitude when I meet them."

"Perhaps you'll meet that person in due time, Tsubaki. But if I were to guess, it might have been Yuhiro and his allies who dealt with Ace." Gekiryushi guessed, having put her hand underneath her chin as she pondered this hypothesis over.

"And hopefully for good too. The last thing we need is for him to pop up again." Tsubaki made a mental note to thank Yuhiro and his allies for dealing with Ace. "Say, Gekiryushi. What do you think you'll do after getting out of here?"

Gekiryushi thought that question over for a few seconds before answering. "I mean, I plan to obviously continue my studies, as I need education to grow as an individual. I might also have to help SOL Technologies out, though I doubt that will be the case."

"I get what you mean." Tsubaki replied. Since she and Gekiryushi were at the hospital right now, they needed to recover and gain their strength back. In addition, SOL Technologies announced that temporary closures of different parts of LINK VRAINS while the company conducted maintenance to ensure that everything was cleaned up. Both of them assumed that the maintenance revolved around the attacks at Central Station, so that made sense. Tsubaki and Gekiryushi were also surprised after learning that the people who were caught in the crossfire had their accounts restricted temporarily. It obviously wasn't a punishment, as SOL Technologies only wanted to prevent more people from carelessly logging into the network and getting injured until everything was set to launch the newest version of LINK VRAINS. But to ease the public, the company did say that some areas of LINK VRAINS were open for people to log into at certain time periods. After all, LINK VRAINS was one of SOL Technologies' most important products.

"What about you, Tsubaki?" Gekiryushi turned to look at Tsubaki. "What will you do once you get out of here?"

"Well, I'm obviously going to continue volunteering at the Den City Shelter. And like you, I'll continue my studies. I mean, knowledge is power, after all." Tsubaki replied back, the both of them chuckling in the process.

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

Tsubaki and Gekiryushi then turned to see a female nurse having arrived in the former's room.

"Sorry to interrupt, but you have a visitor, Ms. Sanada," the nurse said, as she gestured for the person to enter inside. Gekiryushi gasped upon recognizing that Zandaka was there.

"Zandaka...?" Gekiryushi questioned. Having noticed what was about to happen, Tsubaki quietly exited the room, not wanting to get involved in whatever was between Gekiryushi and Zandaka.

"Hello, Gekiryushi. It's... been a while." Zandaka sadly said.

"You shouldn't be here. Not after everything that's happened, especially with the attack the Hanoi launched at the Central Station." Gekiryushi hissed.

"Central Station? What are you talking about? Did I miss out on anything while I was knocked out cold?" Zandaka asked back, which genuinely surprised Gekiryushi. She knew many things, but Zandaka was never a liar.

"So you were incapacitated by Malf before the attack..." Gekiryushi put two and two together.

"I was, but before I woke up, I heard numerous voices crying out of relief. One of which includes yours." Zandaka went over to sit on the bed Gekiryushi was at. "Um, may I?" Gekiryushi nodded reluctantly as he sat down on the end of the bed she was on.

"The last time we interacted with one another, it was on bad terms. If memory serves, you scolded me for my beliefs by saying that I'm no better than the people I looked down upon. You also mentioned that life isn't as black and white as I thought it was." Gekiryushi recalled.

"Yeah, I said those things to you." Zandaka agreed, before turning to Gekiryushi. "But I came to reconcile with you, Gekiryushi, and I hope I can do so with the limited time I have left."

"Limited time left?" Gekiryushi repeated.

Zandaka let out a sad sigh. "I'm afraid so. When I woke up, the doctor informed me that I had a heart condition called restrictive cardiomyopathy, a heart condition where the blood flow is reduced to my heart due to stiff ventricles. It's very likely that my old age, along with Malf's Skill, was what led to this disease appearing in my body. The sad thing is that there's so few people in the world with the same condition, and not much is left on the table for my health."

"What?!" Gekiryushi exclaimed out of pure shock and sadness.

"To sum it up, I'm dying." Zandaka told Gekiryushi.

Gekiryushi couldn't speak for several seconds after hearing the sad news. She obviously knew Zandaka was going to die at some point, but not by Malf's hands. "I... I'm so sorry, Sensei Ikiagi."

Zandaka let out a sigh in response. "Sensei Ikiagi... I never expected you to call me by that title after everything we went through."

"Despite everything that happened, I still cared for your wellbeing." Gekiryushi assured Zandaka, much to the latter's surprise. "Though I do have a question for you. Back then, you said that Zandaka was weak, so Dancho killed him. What did you mean by that?"

"What I meant back then was that I had to 'kill' my old, weak self in order to move forward. I mean, there was nothing for me after what happened at the dojo, so I joined the Hanoi not just to become stronger, but so I can prevent a similar fate from happening to others." Zandaka explained. "I know what you're probably thinking: Sensei, that's not the Shinpi-Tekina way. How could you turn your back on it? Well, I will tell you that not everyone's perfect, Gekiryushi. Even someone as wise as me can make mistakes, especially irreparable ones if someone is not careful."

"That makes sense there." Gekiryushi acknowledged.

"But regardless, in my time with the Hanoi, I managed to reclaim a sense of honor I thought I lost a long time ago. Working with them gave me purpose... in a way. For without purpose, you are nothing." Zandaka turned to face Gekiryushi. "Despite my wife passing away, along with the deaths of Arakan and my son, Kataru, I learned a few things over the past few years. Things that I should have realized sooner. The first being that family is important, for your actions impact the people in your life. The fact that I abandoned you back then is something that I regret doing to this very day, and no amount of justification will rectify the guilt formed as a result. The second being what you leave behind for the next generation, and how they perceive you. I cannot change the fact that I'm a criminal, but I will make sure that it's not the only thing I'm remembered for."

Gekiryushi contemplated over this information. What Zandaka was saying made sense, for he managed to reclaim his honor while working with the Hanoi, whom he deemed his other family. And the lessons Zandaka learned along the way were ones that anyone can learn. For when someone learned a lesson, whether it'd be good or bad, they'd take it with them over the course of their life.

"I thought I lost everything back then, but it turns out that I had someone left from back then. You, Gekiryushi. My self-pity, self-focus, and selfish thoughts sadly blinded me to that truth." Zandaka said.

"But it doesn't excuse your actions." Gekiryushi reminded Zandaka.

Zandaka nodded in agreement. "Of course, it doesn't. I'm just merely saying facts, that's all. My point is this: Actions have consequences, and it has unfortunately damaged the bond between us as a result. While it may be to the point where reconciliation between us is slim, I want to at least make amends with you before I shed this mortal coil."

Gekiryushi couldn't help but let a few tears fall down from her face. All of this information she was hearing was sad, but also comforting. It was as though the tension between her and Zandaka was slowly fading away.

"If, back then, I had the knowledge I have now, perhaps our history between us would have been more... positive." Zandaka spoke up.

"I judged you as a monster and a traitor back then because you betrayed everything you stood for. Not just that, you were like a father to me!" Gekiryushi stated. "And the fact that you're dying now... breaks my heart."

"I was a father figure to a lot of people, and my actions have certainly betrayed them as well. In fact, I'd say my wife and son would be very disappointed with the man I've become." Zandaka admitted. "I am so, so sorry that I wasn't there for you all of this time. I am also really sorry for the pain I've caused you as well. I do hope you can forgive me for this old man's mistakes."

Gekiryushi nodded. "Thank you for telling me the truth. Hearing you say all of this to me, as well as what you learned, has shown me that the kind man I once knew is coming back to me. So yes, I forgive you, Sensei Ikiagi. If I'm being honest, I wanted to speak with you again, though I'd prefer if it was at a better place."

Zandaka laughed at that response as he hugged Gekiryushi out of gratitude, with the latter doing the same. "Thank you, Gekiryushi. I appreciate that very much. With that out of the way, there's a matter I must attend to, and I believe you'd benefit from it as well."

"Oh?" Gekiryushi raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?"

"Do you remember one of the lessons I taught at the Shinpi-Tekina dojo? About how one can sense and read someone else's auras?"

Gekiryushi blinked before she gathered her thoughts together. "If memory serves, that lesson involved learning about the soul within yourself in order to discern who someone is. Only when someone learned who they truly are as a person would they be able to determine their own soul, and once that was done, they would be able to identify different kinds of people."

"Glad to see you didn't forget your training." Zandaka commented. "But moving that aside, I entered inside the hospital, I sensed someone similar to myself there. I was hoping I can meet this person and offer a way they can take their first steps towards redemption. You could say that this would be one of my last good acts before dying."

"And how would you provide this person with a path so they can redeem themselves over time?" Gekiryushi asked back.

"I'm glad you asked, Gekiryushi. You remember the cave near the Shinpi-Tekina dojo, right?"

Gekiryushi grit her teeth. That was the same cave Arakan entered in before getting corrupted. If Zandaka was suggesting that she thought he was suggesting, then it wasn't a good idea at all. "With all due respect, Sensei Ikiagi, I don't think going to that cave would help neither you nor this person you speak of acquire the path towards redemption. Have you forgotten what happened after Arakan went into that cave?"

"No, I have not forgotten, Gekiryushi. I'll always remember what happened." Zandaka answered. "In order for one to begin redeeming themselves, they need to confront their mistake head on and eliminate what stops them from moving on. Besides, I'm done running, and I believe the person I sensed is willing to do whatever it takes to acquire a fresh start." He stood up from the bed. "Still, some assistance would be nice, and I'm sure you'll be healthy enough to leave here soon. Would you be willing to return to the same area the dojo was at all those years ago?"

Gekiryushi nodded in response. If she was being honest, a part of her wanted to return to that area after all those years ago. Also, a part of her missed her time at the Shinpi-Tekina dojo, where she enjoyed the time being spent with Zandaka, Arakan, and Kataru. "I'd like that. But just one question: Who is this person you speak of that's in his hospital?"

Zandaka stood up on his feet. "You're about to find out. Now follow me. Let's go!" Seeing that he was intent on finding this mysterious person, Gekiryushi got up from her bed and followed after him. The two of them walked down the hallway before turning right, where they walked down another hallway before making another left. Eventually, they entered into a waiting area that was close an MRI room, where the duo saw a doctor bring test results to Go in a separate hospital room nearby. Quinton and Miles were also there to support their friend as well.

"Well, from the MRI test, the surgery was a success," the doctor happily reported, much to Go's, Quinton's, and Mile's joy.

"That's awesome to hear, doctor. Though I doubt I didn't get out of that situation unscathed." Go said.

"You don't know that, Go." Miles told Go.

"You're correct, Mr. Onizuka. You didn't get out of the situation unscathed," the doctor confirmed, as he gestured the trio to look at a screen nearby. It showed an image of Go's brain seconds later. "Yes, the surgery was a success, but there's some scaring in different areas of your brain. You'll obviously have to come back and get regular imaging tests to ensure that things are stable. You'll also have to meet with a physiotherapist to recover strength. There is some good news, however. Your ability to talk hasn't been affected, nor has your mobility. Overall, I can say that within a few weeks, you should be fine."

"Thank you for clarifying the information, doctor." Quinton spoke up. "Is there anything we can do on our end for Go?"

The doctor thought this over for a few seconds before responding. "There isn't much Go can do right now. Just make sure he stays healthy and fit in the meanwhile. If he experiences any more symptoms, please report it as soon as you can to either his doctor or to us. I'll pass these instructions onto his manager when I can."

"We'll make sure Go stays healthy and fit, doctor. Thank you so much." Quinton stated, as Go stood up from the bed he sat on before following after the former and Milles. "Well, Go. I have to say. Despite what happened, you're starting to act like your old self again."

"You said it." Go agreed. "The kids are gonna be happy to see me again."

Zandaka and Gekiryushi watched as Go, Quinton, and Miles exited the hospital room before heading over to the waiting area and making a right, intent on exiting it. "There he is."

"Who?" Gekiryushi asked.

"Go Onizuka. That's the one I sensed when I arrived here." Zandaka answered, which made Gekiryushi gasp in response.

"Go Onizuka? That man became amoral and indifferent after having an AI chip installed in his brain." Gekiryushi quickly explained to Zandaka in a hushed tone.

"And I'm sure he regrets doing so, Gekiryushi. That's what his aura is telling me? Or are you doubting my instincts?"

Gekiryushi shook her head back in response, as if she tried to deny that she wasn't doubting Zandaka's teachings. "No, Sensei. I am not."

"Good. Then let's follow after Go Onizuka, lest he leave the place and I lose the only chance to provide him with the path needed so he can take his steps towards redemption." Zandaka and Gekiryushi exited the waiting area before following after Go, Quinton, and Miles. "Mr. Onizuka."

Go, Quinton, and Miles turned around to see who called Go's name. The first two gasped after realizing that the person who called Go looked very familiar.

"Miles, why don't you go help Tsubaki in dealing with the kids? We'll follow after you when we can." Quinton urgently told Miles. Having noticed that something was going on, Miles quickly ran back to the lobby, intent on following Quinton's instructions.

"You're... You're..." Go began speaking.

"Can we talk somewhere else other than this hallway? I'd appreciate that much." Zandaka requested, which made Go shut his mouth before nodding in confirmation. As such, the quartet went over to the cafeteria area of the hospital before grabbing some food, where they took it to one of the farthest corner tables so they can talk in private. The good news was that there wasn't many people there, so it made it all the easier for the private discussion to be held without interferences.

"I am honestly surprised that a Knight of Hanoi is walking in daylight, and everyone doesn't know that fact." Go admitted.

"I'm surprised too." Quinton agreed, before looking at Gekiryushi. "And given your conversation with the old man beside you during your duel, I'm to assume that you're SengokuQueen?"

Gekiryushi's eyes widened before letting out a small gasp. How did this man know that she was SengokuQueen? She was always careful, yet it took Quinton several seconds to figure out her identity. "Uh, I don't know what you're talking about."

"Believe me when I say that I'm an intuitive man. One that can put pieces of info together before coming to conclusions quickly. You could say it's something I developed over time." Quinton narrowed his eyes in order to get his point across. "But rest assured, your secret is safe with me."

"Thank you." Gekiryushi said back. It seems there were more intuitive people aside from Raguel, Playmaker and the others out there. But for that to happen, that person also had to either be a duelist, or a hacker. Gekiryushi made a mental note to identify more techniques that can ensure her identity is kept secret.

"So, what do you want from me?" Go asked Zandaka.

"I want to offer you an opportunity for you to begin your quest towards redemption." Zandaka simply answered, which made Go gasp.

"H-H-How? How do you know that I seek redemption?"

"If I told you the truth, you wouldn't believe me. So, for now, I'll say that the Hanoi has seen your duel against Playmaker. At the end part, I could tell that you recognized the gravity of your mistakes, and wanted to rectify them."

Go sighed. "You're right. I want to rectify for my mistakes. My desire to be number one led me to work with SOL Technologies, and once my usage was up, the company threw me aside like a tool. The worst part of it all was that I abandoned the people who truly cared about me."

"Go..." Gekiryushi quietly muttered.

"It's not just that! I killed a living creature. One that belonged to a species I couldn't understand. All so I can gain power." Go sadly continued.

"It's going to be okay, Go. You're healed now. The best part is that we didn't leave you after all that you did." Quinton assured Go, which made the latter smile.

"Despite what I did, I'm still surprised that you guys stayed by my side. You, Miles, Kenmochi, Yoroizaka, and the kids didn't lose hope in me. I'm truly grateful for that." Go replied. "But it doesn't change the fact that my obsession in defeating Playmaker ruined me. Not only did I not get what I wanted, I nearly lost everything as a result."

"Oh, stop talking like a child already." Zandaka scolded Go.

In response, Go let out a sarcastic chuckle. "That's big talk coming from a Hanoi member such as yourself, especially how you and the other Hanoi preach about self-righteousness, when you're actually not in reality."

"You're right. We didn't realize the consequences our actions would result in until it was too late." Zandaka admitted, much to the surprise of Go, Quinton, and Gekiryushi. "Unfortunately for us, we ended up suffering unrecoverable losses due to our actions. One of which includes two Hanoi members dying. Those two members are myself and Infearno."

"Hang on a minute. You're dying?" Go asked.

"Anyone can die at some point in their lives, even if someone is young, Go. Trust me when I say that it happens." Quinton told Go.

"The AI Malf was responsible for what's happened to me, while the Space Ignis was the one who set Infearno down a path leading to his death soon." Zandaka explained.

"Wait a second. I remember getting pierced by that wretched AI after I lost against Playmaker. I remember darkness, and then the next thing I knew, I was here recovering at the hospital." Go recalled.

"Malf's death led to all the victims being freed as a result. It's most likely that you didn't wake up due to the surgery going on." Gekiryushi said.

Go thought this over. He never expected a member of the Hanoi to acknowledge their crimes, as well as regret not noticing the consequences of them until it was too late. In all honesty, while Go wanted the Hanoi to face the repercussions of what they've done, he didn't want it to go the point where a few of their members died. That'd be going too far. "So you coming here and trying to help me begin seeking redemption... Is this your idea of repenting for what you've done? Because you have a long way to go if you want forgiveness."

"Every Knight of Hanoi has a long way to go to redeem themselves. But considering how I'm dying, if I can at least help one person get on the path towards redemption, then I'll be satisfied. Plus, I also want to be remembered for something else other than being a criminal." Zandaka firmly answered.

"I see." Go nodded in understanding. That made sense. While you can't go back in time and undo what you've done, you can at least make strides so you're remembered for something else other than your mistakes. What Zandaka was suggesting also had merit, as Go's actions were only a chapter in his life. He had an opportunity not just to take the first steps towards redemption, but write a new chapter for himself as well. "Very well. Let's say I accept this opportunity you're speaking of. Will I need to do anything prior to doing so?"

Zandaka thought that question over for a few seconds before responding. "The only thing you technically need to do is pack a few things for the trip, such as clothes, medication, your two decks, etc."

"What?" Go blinked after hearing that answer.

"You heard me. We'll need to head over to where the Shinpi-Tekina dojo is if you wish to get on the path towards redemption." Zandaka turned to Gekiryushi and nodded his head, which caused her to type the location of the dojo on her phone before showing it to Go and Quinton, the two of them narrowing their eyes after looking at it.

"Damn. That's far..." Quinton muttered, before turning to Go. "You sure you want to do this?"

"Yeah, Quinton. I'm sure. If it means I can learn how to make up for my mistakes and redeem myself, then I'll do whatever it takes to ensure that I get on the right path again." Go confirmed.

"A wise response, Go. I had a feeling you'd say that." Zandaka stated. "We'll leave within one to two days tops to get there. I'll have Gekiryushi text you with the details to your duel disk in a bit so you can make preparations for the trip. See you then." After saying that, Zandaka and Gekiryushi got up from their seats before leaving the cafeteria section of the hospital.

In Go's mind, a part of him knew that he had to go with Zandaka, despite the latter being a Knight of Hanoi. He was also curious as to what the Shinpi-Tekina dojo had in order to help him get back on the right path again. And if this trip would help Go move forward after everything that happened, then he'd take the opportunity to do so.

Meanwhile, at the Den City Lakeside Rehabilitation Center...

Kusanagi smiled as he looked at a few pictures on his phone while sitting on a bench nearby the rehabilitation center, which showed him and Jin playing together at the playground. After arriving to check in on Jin, Kusanagi was filled with joy once the former recognized the latter. But the way Jin recognized Kusanagi was just like how he did so before the Lost Incident, where he was his usual self. If Kusanagi had to guess, perhaps Lightning's defeat had destroyed the trauma that was in Jin's mind due to the Lost Incident. While Kusanagi didn't know what specifically happened following his loss against Yusaku, he made a mental note to speak to him so he can get filled in on what occurred following Bohman's defeat.

But moving that aside, the nurse told Kusanagi to wait nearby while she did some final tests on Jin to test his senses and speech. That included sight, touch, smell, taste, and hearing. It was a final routine checkup done on patients to ensure that they were fully okay before leaving the Den City Lakeside Rehabilitation centre.

"Shoichi, is that you?" a voice asked, which caused Kusanagi to look up at the speaker. The person had medium-length black hair and dark-grey eyes, who wore a blue hoodie over a white t-shirt, as well as black cargo pants.

Kusanagi's mouth slightly opened upon recognizing who was speaking to him. "Katsuya..." The next thing Katsuya knew, Kusanagi stood up on his feet and punched him in the stomach.

"Shoichi, stop! It's me! Your cousin!" Katsuya pleaded, as Kusanagi followed that up by punching him in the face two more times.

"That's for not telling me the truth about what happened to you!" Kusanagi exclaimed, before suddenly going forward to hug Katsuya tightly, the latter gasping in surprise. "And that's for seeing that you're okay!"

After comprehending what just happened, Katsuya hugged Kusanagi back, having saw that the rage in the latter had dissipated. He had correctly assumed that Kusanagi was angry with him, but he didn't expect to receive a hug after the beatdown. The two of them hugged each other tightly for a few more seconds before letting go of each other.

"I am so sorry for what I've done, Shoichi. I'm so sorry." Katsuya apologized. "Watchman told me that if I told you what was going on, he'd make sure I'd never see Jin again."

"He actually made such a threat to you?!" Kusanagi furiously exclaimed, shocked at how Watchmen made Katsuya serve him like that.

"He offered to help cure Jin if I agreed to assist him. But little did I realize that the deal was in the form of blackmail too." Katsuya explained. "I know you have questions, and I'm more than willing to answer them. Just... give me the chance to do so, okay?"

Kusanagi nodded in response, willing to give Katsuya a chance to explain himself. As such, the two of them headed over to the bench nearby before sitting down on it. "I haven't seen you in person in years, Katsuya. Years! Just what happened?"

"Honestly, I never thought that I'd be thrown in this entire mess, especially once I realized what was truly going on." Katsuya acknowledged. "After Dr. Kogami's project ended, it was Hell for all of us, as we had to flee for our own safety. If I approached you, then you'd be put in danger too, so I didn't want to risk that. As I was on the run, I ended up encountering Arshad, who said that he was trying to rectify his mistakes. I believed him, for I too wanted to repent for what I've done, even if I was a research intern back then."

"And that's where he offered to help cure Jin if you assisted him in stopping the Crisis, right?" Kusanagi guessed, which made Katsuya nod in confirmation. "That bastard, he's used everyone for his selfish goals!"

"Selfish goals?" Katsuya repeated.

"You missed out on a lot, cousin. So let me fill you in on what Watchman was really planning all along." After saying that, Kusanagi explained what Watchman's true goals were during his duel against Azrael. How Watchman was responsible for capturing each of the victims before putting them all through the Lost Incident, as well as how he was the prime instigator of it. How Watchman put up a façade as a humble, repentant man so he could ensure that everyone would grow and fulfil their roles towards his plan, which was not on creating co-existence, but to acquire the Root of All Knowledge for himself at all costs. Kusanagi even told Katsuya about how Watchman was once a member of the Inquisitorius, which most likely contributed to his selfish beliefs,

"Dear God... How could I not notice Watchman's true colors after all of this time?" Katsuya said. "Even Yua was fooled as well. Shoichi, I'm so sorry..."

"You couldn't have known back then, Katsuya." Kusanagi told Katsuya. "While I'm still angry with you for not telling me sooner in the real world, I can understand why you did what you did. The fact that Watchman threatened you into cooperating with him by using Jin's health like that is disgusting."

"Believe it or not, the Light Ignis did that to me when I dueled against him." Katsuya said, as he recalled the duel. "I was on the verge of defeating the Light Ignis, and he stopped me from winning by using Jin as a human shield. Then the next thing I knew, I lost before losing my consciousness data."

"That's insane to hear. But given how Lightning is similar to Watchman and vice versa, it only makes sense for him to do that." Kusanagi replied. "Nevertheless, I forgive you for not telling me the truth sooner. Because let's be honest: If I was in your shoes and someone threatened me with hurting Jin, I would have had no choice but to cooperate with that person, lest he get hurt. So yeah, I forgive you, Katsuya."

Katsuya smiled back. "Thank you, Shoichi. I'm truly grateful that you forgave me. But moving that aside, it's been a long time since we spoke in person with one another. It seems you've become quite the hacker, haven't you?"

"Yeah, well, I had to study programming so I can combat the Knights of Hanoi and investigate the Lost Incident." Kusanagi scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "I wasn't the best duelist back then, so I got my ass kicked every time. Luckily, Playmaker saved me, and after I returned the favor, we teamed up ever since."

"That's nice. I'm glad you got to meet more people, Shoichi. It works wonders for one's health." Katsuya responded. "Remind me, what did you want to pursue before all of this occurred?"

Kusanagi thought that question over for a few seconds before responding with a chuckle. "I wanted to go into the sports industry and become an athletics coach or trainer, or even an exercise physiologist. Something like that. I mean, the rest of the family was also in the sports industry in different areas, so it only made sense to go into that same industry after all. But if there's one good thing that came out of it, it was that I got to discover another passion in programming and hacking. Just goes to show that there's always something you can discover about yourself that you didn't expect, don't you agree?"

Katsuya nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I get you there." But before he could continue talking, Kusanagi's phone began to vibrate.

"Oh, sorry. It must be the nurse." Kusanagi stood up on his feet before taking out his phone and accepting the call.

Katsuya, on the other hand, looked up at the sky. What would have happened if he worked with Kusanagi from the very start, along with Playmaker? Would things have been better for him, Kusanagi, and Jin if he did so? Then again, there wasn't any point dwelling on it, as those events already happened. All one can do was move forward and accept their mistakes so they can better themselves as individuals.

"Well, I was right. It was the nurse. She said that Jin passed through the tests with flying colors, which means he can be discharged from the rehabilitation centre." Kusanagi announced, which made Katsuya smile after hearing the news.

"Then let's go see him. I'm sure he'll be overjoyed to see his cousin again." Katsuya replied, which made Kusanagi nod in agreement as the duo walked over to the Den City Lakeside Rehabilitation centre, the walk only taking at least a few minutes to get there. After the duo got there, they entered inside before they headed to a room nearby, where they saw Jin packing up a few things in a bag given to him by the staff there.

Kusanagi knocked on the door a few times, which got Jin's attention as he turned to face him. His eyes widened in joy after seeing not just Kusanagi, but Katsuya as well.

"Katsuya! I haven't seen you in so long!" Jin exclaimed, as he ran over to Katsuya before hugging him, which made the latter gasp in surprise before hugging the former back.

"It's great to see you as well, Jin." Katsuya happily responded, having seen that Jin was back to his usual self.

"Jin will have to meet with a doctor over the next few days to make sure that his senses and speech are fully aligned, but he can leave the centre today," the nurse stated, as she turned to Kusanagi. "I'll send you a bloodwork requisition form for him to complete, so check your email for it."

"Will do." Kusanagi promised. "Um, is there anything else you want Jin to do prior to those upcoming appointments?"

As if on cue, the nurse handed Kusanagi a piece of paper. "Just have Jin complete these exercises three times a day for the next few weeks, along with booking an appointment at a medical lab so he can get the bloodwork done, of course. In the meanwhile, I'll send a referral to a doctor so you can book your appointment in the coming weeks."

"Of course. And again, thank you so much for everything you've done for Jin. We really appreciate it." Kusanagi replied, as he gestured Jin to follow him and Katsuya, which he did. The trio headed out the door before turning right afterwards.

"I'm so glad to be out of this place after so long, Shoichi and Katsuya." Jin happily stated.

"I'm happy as well, Jin. Though we'll have to get you a haircut after spending so much time there, buddy." Shoichi teased Jin back, which made the latter let out a small laugh.

"I have a quick question, Shoichi. How did you become a hot dog vendor in the first place?" Katsuya asked Kusanagi.

"Shoichi has his own business?" Jin realized, having eavesdropped in on the conversation.

"Let's just say I started up another branch of our great-grandmother's hot dog business here in Den City so I can support you and make some money at the same time, Jin. Got everything I needed from some family friends of ours too." Kusanagi told Jin.

"Ah, now I remember. The business Uncle Claude and Aunt Ellen started up a long time ago." Katsuya recalled, as he turned to Kusanagi after something popped up on his mind. "The way Jin's acting is as though he doesn't remember the Lost Incident."

"Yeah, but perhaps it's a blessing after the war against Lightning." Kusanagi quietly whispered back. He made a mental note to speak with Yusaku at some point to discuss on what happened while he was unconscious.

"You know you'll have to tell him eventually, right Kusanagi?" Katsuya pointed out, which made Kusanagi sigh.

"I dread the day when it arrives..." Kusanagi replied back.

"But he has the right to know." Katsuya insisted.

Kusanagi sighed for a second time. "Again, I dread the day when it comes for me to tell Jin the truth. Right now... Jin needs to enjoy life again. That's all."

"I suppose you make a point." Katsuya reluctantly agreed. Jin lost several years of his life as a result of the Lost Incident, so it only made sense for him to make up for lost time.

In both Katsuya's and Kusanagi's minds, the both of them knew that Watchman would appear again following the Ignis war. And should Watchman threaten the two of them and Jin again, then they'll make sure he regrets it for the rest of his days.

Elsewhere, at the Den City Central Square...

Yusaku hummed a little tune to himself as he was cooking a few hot dogs for some customers nearby. With the Ignis War finally over, that meant Yusaku was able to take a small break and reflect on recent events. This included learning the truth about Lightning and how his actions led the war to happening in the first place, the fact that Malf was a living embodiment of the Another Virus, Watchman's role in the Lost Incident, and how Azrael had made Emon suffer, as well his beginnings.

But amongst all of those events, there was one event that was on Yusaku's mind the most. The fact that seven out of the eight Ignis were dead, which led to Ai leaving as a result. Deep down, Yusaku knew that Ai would leave him once the war and the Crisis were over, but he could never anticipate the latter leaving due to the other Ignis being destroyed despite defeating Bohman. Still, Yusaku knew that Ai needed space, and once he returned, the two of them, along with everyone else, can determine what to do next moving forward.

One thing that Yusaku would have to discuss with the others was the person who killed the other Ignis. According to Ai, the person responsible was a bozo with glasses. Judging by how this individual appeared in Bohman's core without being detected by neither Bohman nor Ai, it was only the tip of the iceberg on how dangerous this person was. The same person even tried to kill Ai, and had Ai not acquired the powers of the other Ignis, he would have died too. And this person would have killed both Playmaker and Ai had Bohman not sacrificed himself to save the duo's lives. That was something Playmaker was eternally grateful for, despite Bohman being his enemy.

Another thing Yusaku would have to talk about with the others was the appearance of a Shadow that had begun popping up in the past few days. From what Yusaku learned, this Shadow was described as a jellyfish on land, and its appearances had led to numerous people falling ill. Despite there being no recordings of it appearing, Yusaku hypothesized that this Shadow was the same thing that appeared in his duel against Bohman, as well as the same one that infected both Mirror LINK VRAINS and LINK VRAINS. Apparently, SOL Technologies had restricted the accounts of the people who were injured by the Neuron Link so that they would have time to recover. What's more, SOL Technologies also announced temporary closures of different parts of LINK VRAINS while the company conducted maintenance to ensure that everything was cleaned up. This way, they can launch the newest version of LINK VRAINS once it was fully done.

Overall, Yusaku had a lot on his mind that he had to talk about with the others regarding next steps on how to deal with the two newest threats. Both in the form of the Shadow and the bozo with glasses. In the meantime, Yusaku was grateful that those who were harmed were safe, and are in the process of recovering from what happened.

"Okay, your order's ready." Yusaku told two customers nearby, who stood up from their seats before grabbing the made-to-go bags on the counter. Both of them smiled at Yusaku, as if to thank him for his efforts. "Can I help who's next?"

"Two hotdogs and coffees please." Aoi spoke up, as Yusaku recognized who answered his question.

"That's... quite the combo." Yusaku commented out of surprise.

"So you're still working at the grill, Yusaku?"

"Yeah, I'm just filling in for a bit while the owner's visiting his brother at a rehabilitation center."

Aoi smiled at that response. "That's awesome to hear. Believe it or not, I visited someone whose been asleep for a long time. But thankfully, she's all better now."

"SOL Technologies brings you the future with its newest product: Soltis," the jumbotron announced, which led to Yusaku and Aoi looking at it. 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."

"Hey, maybe it can grill your hotdogs for you." Aoi said humorously. "But you'd be out of a job then. At least you wouldn't be sweating at the grill all day."

"But I like this job. It's a nice break from everything else." Yusaku responded. "Besides, I can't help but be a little concerned about SOL Technologies' newest product."

"Oh? What do you mean?" Aoi raised an eyebrow out of curiosity.

"Think about it. AIs are slowly taking over the work that humans are doing right now. If it keeps up, then we'll lose the chance to contribute towards society. Even it's something as small as making meals for customers, it goes a long way." Yusaku explained, a small smile on his face. "And the last thing anyone wants is for Skynet to rise up and build Terminators to destroy us, if you know what I mean."

Aoi chuckled. "I didn't know you could make jokes."

"Well, let's just say a good friend of mine helped me... lighten up a little." Yusaku finished making the hotdogs before putting them in made-to-go bags. The coffees were also ready by the time Yusaku was done. "Here you go."

"Thanks. See you around." Aoi then turned around and left after receiving the made-to-go bags from Yusaku.

Takeru walked over to Café Nagi and sat down at one of the seats after making sure everything was clear. He wasn't the only one, for Arashi had done the same thing. "She still doesn't know that you're Playmaker, the duelist who saved her life a bunch of times?"

"Does she really need to, Takeru?" Yusaku questioned.

"It wouldn't hurt to tell her the truth. She deserves to know." Arashi told Yusaku.

"Yusaku's just playing it cool right now, Arashi. He'll tell her when he's ready to do so." Takeru said, which made Arashi shut his mouth as Yusaku handed the two of them coffees. "Hey, thanks dude."

"These coffees are for free. Kusanagi said we get free coffees as gratitude for helping him save Jin." Yusaku explained.

"You're right. Even if it's something small, it goes a long way." Takeru replied. "Say, where's Kusanagi? Is he hanging out with Jin?"

"If memory serves, Jin should be leaving the rehabilitation center either today or tomorrow." Yusaku recalled.

"That's great news, dude! Miyu's supposed to be leaving the hospital today as well! Yuhiro's happy about it." Arashi added. "Well, on the surface, anyway."

"He's just trying to process everything that's happened, Arashi, especially with Herald and Azrael having died recently." Yusaku told Arashi.

"And what about Ai? How's he doing?" Takeru inquired.

Yusaku sighed. "He hasn't come back, and Roboppy hasn't been functioning at all."

"Maybe Roboppy needs a software update." Arashi theorized.

"I doubt that's the case, Arashi. It's not something that can be solved through a software update." Yusaku stated.

"That really sucks, Yusaku. Without Ai and Roboppy around, it must be really quiet at home." Takeru commented.

"Ai left after the war against Lightning and Azrael. He needs time to process what happened, just like how we're all trying to move forward." Yusaku narrowed his eyes after saying this. "And after the deaths of the other Ignis, I can't blame him one bit."

"I know how he feels. I still can't believe Flame's gone." Takeru let out a sad sigh.

"Ditto. I can't believe I couldn't save Windy either." Arashi said. "At least he gave me a gift before dying."

"Windy gave you a piece of his data, correct?" Takeru guessed.

Arashi turned to Takeru. "Yeah. I looked at it, and it's obviously not enough to resurrect him. Before Ai left, he told me that Windy gave me a piece of data so that it would help turn the tables when the situation was dire."

"I wish Flame left me some data to so I can remember him." Takeru smiled. "But honestly, I'd rather be sad than to not have met Flame at all. And who would have thought we'd be best buds? After the way things started between us, I don't know if I was more shocked or more scared that day."

"At least you had a pleasant start with Flame. I mean, I first learned about Windy when he tried to kill me a while back, and Takeda took the hit in my place." Arashi commented.

"How's your cousin, by the way?" Yusaku asked.

"He woke up recently, and is back to his usual self. While Takeda has to do some physio, along with some mental exercises, he'll be okay in the end." Arashi answered. "I just hope the damage isn't permanent, or else Takeda will lose the knowledge in his brain. Specifically, the knowledge that lets him innovate and make great things for the world."

"If all goes well, then Takeda won't lose that piece of him." Takeru tried to cheer Arashi up. "From what you said, he should be fine as long as the damage was minor."

"Aside from a concussion and a few fractured bones, Takeda's alright. Doctor said he's lucky to be alive right now. Goes to show how Lady Luck's never left my family, right?" Arashi replied with a smile. "It's crazy how things have changed since we met."

"It has indeed." Yusaku agreed.

"Same here." Takeru concurred. "It still surprises me to this day that we'd be working with the Knights of Hanoi. The same people who caused the Lost Incident in the first place."

"Perhaps, but thanks to Revolver, we learned information on Lightning's sins. Along with Azrael's involvement in this entire mess." Yusaku pointed out.

"And how so many people had to suffer not just during the war, but before it too." Arashi added.

"What surprises me is how Bohman, an AI created by Lightning to absorb the Ignis and succeed them, saved both mine and Ai's lives after our final duel." Yusaku acknowledged.

"Maybe it was Bohman trying to redeem himself?" Arashi theorized.

"Or he was protecting Bohman from the person who killed the Ignis." Takeru correctly guessed, which made Arashi sigh out of defeat after learning that his theory was incorrect. "But hey, perhaps you're right on the redemption factor, Arashi." That last part made Arashi light up after learning that his theory wasn't incorrect.

"Yes. The man with the glasses..." Yusaku muttered.

"Along with the Shadow that keeps popping up." Arashi pipped in. "Do you think it and the man with the glasses are connected?"

"Zaizen and Ghost Girl supported my theory that this individual was responsible for unleashing that Shadow in the first place during my duel against Bohman. So, it's a very likely possibility." Yusaku answered. "To think that there'd be another threat towards co-existence between humans and AIs..."

"Hey, at least there's a possibility that co-existence is possible." Takeru tried to look on the bright side. "Me and Flame, you and Ai, and Yuhiro and Herald are proof that co-existence can one day be a reality. Despite everything that's happened, I have faith that it can be achieved if we work together."

"Then you're a fool, Soulburner," a familiar voice commented, as Yusaku, Takeru, and Arashi turned to see Ryoken, Youta, and Takeya approach the trio.

"Revolver..." Yusaku said.

"Specter too." Takeru stated.

"And Lord Kazuma." Arashi added.

"If you think co-existence between humans and Ignis is still a possibility after everything that's happened, then the three of you are bigger fools than I anticipated." Ryoken commented. "The people you see around you have forgotten about recent events, as well as how the peace they see around each other is only temporary. While the Ignis threat is over, AIs continue to exist, and evolve as we speak. That's why, despite irreparable setbacks, the Hanoi remains vigilant."

"Irreparable setbacks?" Yusaku repeated.

"Yes." Ryoken sadly sighed. "The three of you are already aware of what happened to Dancho and Infearno, correct?"

"Yeah. Yuhiro filled us in on what happened to Dancho, and as for Infearno..." Takeru began answering, only for Emon's demise at Azrael and Wraith's hands to replay itself in his mind.

"Are the two of them okay?" Arashi genuinely inquired.

"Unfortunately, they're not okay. Thanks to Malf, Azrael, and Wraith, both Dancho and Infearno are on a countdown clock towards death itself." Youta confirmed, much to Yusaku, Takeru, and Arashi's shock. "The damage those three have done, along with the Light Ignis' crimes, are all the more reason that the Hanoi continues to operate. This way, no one else will receive a similar fate."

"Another war's coming, gentlemen. Sides are being chosen, and if you're not careful when it arrives, then everyone you care about will be destroyed." Takeya warned Yusaku, Takeru, and Arashi.

"Are you guys threatening us with war? Because we've just been through one." Takeru reminded Ryoken, Youta, and Takeya.

"We weren't making any threats, Soulburner. We're just simply stating facts." Ryoken said. "That being said, there are two more reasons why we're here."

Takeru narrowed his eyes. "And what would the next one be?"

"Well, for starters, to express gratitude to both you and Slipstream for what you've done for us, Soulburner." Ryoken replied, which made Yusaku, Takeru, and Arashi raise an eyebrow in surprise. "As the leader of the Hanoi, I want to thank you both for avenging us. Soulburner, you avenged the Hanoi by destroying Malf once and for all." He turned to Slipstream. "As for you, Slipstream, you saved my mother's life. That means the Hanoi owe the both of you debts of gratitude."

"Hang on a minute. Is Revolver, the leader of the Hanoi, actually thanking us right now?" Arashi inquired. "Because I can't believe it."

"It looks like that's the case, Arashi." Takeru confirmed.

"If you truly wish to pay us back, Revolver, then give AIs the chance to meet humans and interact with them. Give AIs in the network an opportunity to build companionship with humans so that co-existence can be achieved." Yusaku stated.

Takeya frowned. "Unfortunately, that's not possible. Have you not heard what Youta said several seconds earlier?"

"The Knights of Hanoi weren't just formed to stop the Ignis, but to eliminate all threats in the network so that humanity would be safe from tyranny." Youta reminded Yusaku, Takeru, and Arashi for a second time.

Yusaku narrowed his eyes back in response. "The three of you are wrong. You can't just cast judgment on AIs for being evil."

"And why do you think we're wrong? Because you, Soulburner, and Raguel worked together with your respective Ignis'? Need I remind you of how AIs, along with Azrael, tried to destroy us? I'd be disappointed of the three of you forgotten those events." Ryoken remarked.

"We didn't forget. We're just trying to be optimistic in dark times." Arashi commented.

"And I'm optimistic that the final Ignis will be destroyed, lest he become a threat." Ryoken narrowed his eyes at Yusaku. "Can you say with one hundred percent certainty that your Ignis won't turn on you?"

"I can. I trust Ai completely. For time and time again, he was willing to risk his life for me." Yusaku answered. "Ai may be the last Ignis, but I'm willing to do whatever it takes to ensure his species doesn't go extinct."

"I tried to warn you on the way here, Ryoken." Takeya whispered to Ryoken.

"I know, but I wanted to at least convince them of the threat AIs still possess so they can accept our point of view." Ryoken whispered back, before turning back to Yusaku, Takeru, and Arashi. "If that's what you think, then I won't try to persuade you anymore. Thus bringing us to our third reason on why we're here."

"What reason would that be?" Yusaku questioned.

"I'm assuming the three of you know about the anomaly that's recently appeared in Den City, yes?" Ryoken guessed, which made Yusaku, Takeru, and Arashi grimace after hearing that question.

"After your duel against Bohman in Mirror LINK VRAINS, we analyzed the footage we obtained, and saw that something abnormal corrupted not just Bohman, but the Neuron Link he set up as well." Youta began speaking.

"Which not only led to more people falling unconscious, but more damage being inflicted on LINK VRAINS as well." Yusaku finished.

"If memory serves, that's another reason why portions of LINK VRAINS were restricted. So that they can repair it. They've also temporarily locked the accounts of people that were injured so they can recuperate." Arashi recalled.

"The people who were hit by the Shadow had fallen ill, and we've recently acquired enough information to conclude that it must have somehow travelled into the real world." Takeya explained, much to Yusaku, Takeru, and Arashi's horror.

"Thus, showing how AIs are continuing to evolve, to the point where they can travel to the real world." Youta commented.

"Just like how Bohman kidnapped Jin." Yusaku acknowledged.

"And how Azrael had hurt Miyu." Arashi finished.

"If we're not careful, then more people will get injured, to the point where they'll demand answers. That's why we're preparing numerous pieces of technology and programs to destroy it for good." Ryoken said, before he remembered something. "Oh, and there's another threat to humanity."

"And what would that be?" Takeru questioned.

"Your little buddy, Raguel." Takeya immediately answered. "With Azrael gone, he owes the Hanoi a blood debt on his brother's behalf for what he's done to us."

Yusaku grit his teeth in anger after hearing that answer. "Yuhiro's not his brother. How dare you go there!"

"Yeah, man! That's just not right!" Takeru exclaimed, as he stood up from his seat.

"You're judging him too quicky without taking into account all the good he's done!" Arashi said, having also stood up from his seat.

"The three of you are complete fools if you think Raguel will still be your ally after what transpired, as well as how his family indirectly contributed towards two Lost Incidents and Project: Apotheosis." Ryoken scolded Yusaku, Takeru, and Arashi. "Think about it: Both Raguel and Azrael wield swords that give them unfathomable power, can transform into beings that enhance their skills through Link Trigger, and their Ignis' are the most powerful ones out of all of them. What's the likelihood that Raguel will betray you three now that you know the truth about both him and his family?"

"We'll make sure that doesn't happen." Yusaku promised, which made Takeya laugh loudly.

"You seriously think the three of you can stop Raguel should he go berserk? That's just rich!" Takeya howled with laughter.

"Like I said in our duel, Playmaker, the fact that you have a conscience prevents you from making the tough decisions when you need to." Youta reminded Yusaku.

"At least I have a conscience." Yusaku countered, as he turned to Ryoken. "And I know you have one too, Revolver. In your duel against Lightning, you chose not to hurt Jin in order to win. That decision is proof of how you changed for the better."

"That scenario's different compared to the one that's happening right now." Ryoken firmly reminded Yusaku and the others. "Jin Kusanagi could not defend himself. Raguel, on the other hand, is more than capable of fighting offensively and defensively. In short, he's a bomb with a lit fuse that can go off at any moment."

"Like Yusaku said, we'll make sure that he doesn't snap." Arashi said.

"If it does happen, what then? Will the three of you fight Raguel, your dear friend, instead?" Takeya taunted, only for Ryoken to shake his head at him, which caused the former to close his mouth.

"No need to taunt them, Takeya. We've said our piece." Ryoken told Takeya, as he turned back to Yusaku, Takeru, and Arashi. "I will be honest: Of the three of you, given recent events, Playmaker has the highest chance of stopping Raguel should he go berserk."

"Excuse me, but I think each of us has a fair chance at ensuring that Yuhiro doesn't hurt anyone." Takeru remarked.

"Fine. Be hopeful. Let's see if that works out." Ryoken conceded. "But know this. If Raguel becomes a threat, then the Hanoi will ensure that he pays the blood debt for the pain his brother put us through, no matter if he dies or not. After all, the bill always comes due. Ciao." He, Youta, and Takeya left Café Nagi, leaving a stunned Yusaku, Takeru, and Arashi alone as they tried to process the words that were said in that conversation.

What none of the six individuals knew was that Yuhiro was nearby, having overheard the conversation as he eavesdropped behind a large tree. Hearing those words that was said in that conversation broke his heart once more. It seemed Yukage was right. The hope Yuhiro had that the Hanoi could change was misplaced all along. Not just that, but the hope that the world can change for the better was also misplaced. Looking at the bigger picture based on everything Yuhiro learned and witnessed, he realized that the corrupted world was responsible for the fallout between Ukyos, Arshad, and Myojin, despite the trio genuinely wanting to make things better for everyone.

Despite Yukage having committed numerous crimes, at least he carved his own path in trying to achieve eternity. Honestly, he and Yuhiro could have charted a new course for the world all along had the latter accepted his brother's proposition.

"You see the truth, right? Even after humans unite towards a common cause, nothing will change." Pandora quietly told Yuhiro.

"I am aware of that, Pandora." Yuhiro quietly remarked back, as he recalled everything he learned during his duel against Yukage back in Mirror LINK VRAINS, along with what he saw following their duel.

"If humans are to truly change for the better, then they need a good and permanent reason to do so. Perhaps they need a leader, or something greater to show them that reason through their guiding hand so they can make that better change. At all costs." Pandora continued, as she turned into particles.

"Perhaps you make a valid point, Pandora." Yuhiro agreed, having frowned as he narrowed his eyes. If words won't convince mankind to change for the better, then perhaps action will push them into doing so. As if on instinct, he sunk into the shadows, disappointment on the fact that people will never truly change for the better evident on his mind.

Thirty six hours later, at another part of Japan...

The plane landed on the runway upon landing, where it immediately slowed down so that the pilot can drive it over to the scheduled gate. Once it fully stopped, an aero bridge was connected to one of the doors, which allowed the passengers to disembark off of it and head on over to the waiting area before heading their separate ways. Three of those individuals were Go, Zandaka, and Gekiryushi, the trio having travelled to Sapporo, which was where the Shinpi-Tekina dojo was located.

"That was a long flight." Go commented, as he pulled his luggage, which was a bit tricky for him to do. Still, it didn't inconvenience him to the point where he didn't want to do it.

"Oh, please. You were on a plane for five hours. Don't tell me you're tired already?" Zandaka inquired.

"No, I'm not! I'm just glad to be off that plane, that's all!" Go replied.

"Settle down, you two. You shouldn't make a ruckus at an airport of all places." Gekiryushi reminded Go and Zandaka, the both of them nodding in agreement as the trio took their respective luggage and headed down the escalators to the entrance. There, they found the taxi area at the airport before walking towards one of the cabs parked nearby. After Zandaka gave the driver an address that they need to go to, the driver immediately drove the group to their first destination, which was... a paint supplies store.

Go raised an eyebrow. Why would the group stop at a paint supplies store first? Was it like in the movies, where a simple store was a front to protect a branch of a secret organization or what not? That was unfortunately not the case, as the trio went inside and bought several supplies, some of which Zandaka forced Go to carry. Having lost muscle mass due to neglecting to take care of his health, this was obviously hard for Go, but he managed to carry them in the car before the group went to their next stop. And much to Go's disappointment, the next place they went to was a... hardware store. Why, Go had no idea, but it seemed that they needed supplies for the training up ahead. Or to even prepare a ritual too. If that were the case, then the last thing Go needed was to deal with demons. He did not have the right amount of strength to fight them, especially after neglecting his health to focus on the AI chip instead.

The second to last stop the trio went to was a large grocery store, which made Go's mouth drop as he looked around it, having seen that it was a different one compared to the stores he went to. This was evident not just by the amount of people there, but the fact that the store also had an outdoor section as well to show fresh fruits and vegetables. Zandaka snapped his fingers in front of Go to make him focus as the trio walked around the grocery store to collect more supplies. Once that was done, Go, Zandaka, and Gekiryushi, took one more different taxi to a place with a very long staircase. Upon seeing the long staircase, Go sighed, knowing that while they were finally here, it was going to be one Hell of a walk just to get there. And the fact the trio had to carry the supplies as well was going to make the walk even more hellish.

"Come on, you two! Let's get moving!" Zandaka ordered, as he carried several pieces of food and cutlery while Gekiryushi carried several pieces of wood and two toolboxes.

"You go carry the paint cans and supplies." Gekiryushi told Go, the latter nodding at Gekiryushi's request as he went over and grabbed them with his hands, which made him slightly wince his pain. If Go had focused on his physical health back when he was using the AI chip, he could have reduced the difficulty in doing a task such as this right now. But again, actions have consequences, and in this case, the consequence was a loss in muscle mass. Regardless, Go wasn't going to let such a thing slow him down. Not when he had a chance to get on the path towards redemption.

As such, Go carried the paint supplies slow and steady by going up one step at a time. It was hard at first, but Go eventually found a rhythm on how to do so without weakening him to the point where he couldn't move forward. Eventually, after what felt like eternity, Go finally made it up the top of the stairs, only to see Zandaka and Gekiryushi waiting for him, the two of them not tired at all.

"Okay, that's just impossible. How do the two of you not look tired at all?" Go inquired.

"I trained at this dojo for a long time, so I know how to conserve my strength." Gekiryushi answered. "As for Sensei Ikiagi, he trained here longer than I have, so he has access to different practices on how to reserve portions of his strength."

"Yet your Sensei's dying, so it still confuses me on how he's able to-." Go began replying impulsively, only for him to stop talking upon realizing what he just said. "Sorry. That came out wrong."

"And impulsive too." Zandaka scolded Go, having pinched the latter's cheek in response. "Now let's move. Chop chop."

The trio then continued walking forward, where they saw the ruins of the Shinpi-Tekina dojo. This was evident by several pieces of tattered and peeled wood, the destroyed pieces of artwork, the draconic emblem having fallen to the ground, numerous tears on the training ground, damaged fences, and more.

Zandaka let out a sad sigh after seeing what was in front of him. "I never thought I'd return here."

"Neither did I." Gekiryushi agreed.

"And I can't believe you guys had a dojo on top of a freakin' mountain." Go impulsively commented, which broke the solemn silence as Gekiryushi and Zandaka glared at him. "Sorry. I... I didn't mean to be rude like that."

Zandaka shook his head, having chosen to ignore Go's remark. "We must begin fixing this place. Gekiryushi, go inside and see if anything can be salvaged. Tear up any pieces of old wood, and begin putting new ones in place."

"Of course." Gekiryushi complied, as she took a few pieces of wood and a toolbox before heading inside. Zandaka, on the other hand, motioned for Go to follow after him, but not before having the latter carry a few pieces of wood and a toolbox first. The duo went over to a torn down area of a fence, where Zandaka took down the remaining pieces of wood there before cleaning up the area for the new pieces to be put in.

"I remember doing something like this a while ago, where I helped put up a fence for a charity." Go recalled.

"Good. Then you should know what must be done." Zandaka said, having crossed his arms. "Well? Go on. Don't let my presence stop you from doing what must be done."

Nodding in confirmation, Go immediately walked over to the toolbox and grabbed it, which caused his muscles lots of pain as he dragged it over to the worksite. Having put it beside several pieces of wood, Go went over and grabbed a shovel before going over and digging up a hole at one of the two ends the previous fence was at. While this didn't take too much effort, Go still felt himself a bit strained after doing the task. Once that was done, Go walked over and grabbed one of the fence posts before slamming it into the ground, much to Zandaka's frustration.

"If you use too much force, you'll damage the post." Zandaka reminded Go, as he walked over and slightly loosened it so that it not only stays in place, but also mitigates the damage too.

"I know." Go snapped back, before he walked over and grabbed the second post, where he went to the over end of the area and put it into the ground. It took Go all of his strength not to slam it into the ground, but rather tighten it just enough so that it was both secure and not broken. From there, Go lined up the pickets to the rails before making little tick marks on them to determine where the nails will go. Once that was done, Go grabbed the pack of nails and a hammer before trying to put in one of them into the connected pieces of wood. However, the amount of strength to try and tighten the two pieces of wood using the nail and hammer nearly made Go cry out in pain, which forced him to drop the hammer to the ground. "Damn it..."

"It's due of the disharmony between your mind and body that your strength is out of sync." Zandaka stated firmly, as he walked over to where Go was.

"Disharmony?" Go raised an eyebrow at that remark.

"Yes." Zandaka drew what looked like a resemblance of a human system, much to Go's shock upon seeing the former being able to do that. "Think of the body as an intricate system with numerous sections inside it. Each section contributes towards the system so that it flows. But should even one of those sections go out of whack..." He wiped it out completely. "Then the entire system suffers. In your case, you neglected your health so much that you lost a majority of strength."

"Hey, there's only so much I can do right now in the state I'm in." Go reminded Zandaka.

"Very true. Instead of focusing so much on strength, you should focus on mobility." Zandaka decided, as he grabbed the hammer and nails before pinning each one in their place at a fast rate, much to Go's shock. How in the world was an old man near his deathbed able to do all of that?

Once that was done, Go stood up on his feet and helped Zandaka place the fence in between the two posts before locking it into place. From there, Go walked over and grabbed the paint brush and can before heading back to where the fence was. "I'm getting a real sense of déjà vu here."

Zandaka snapped his fingers in front of Go, which got his attention. "Now I want you to take that paint can and brush in your hands, and paint the fence." Nodding in compliance, Go grabbed the brush and dunked it in the paint can before beginning to paint it. "No, no, no. You're using your entire arm. Lead with the wrist." He grabbed Go's arm and guided it upwards before going downwards. "Then bend it at the end of the stroke. Upstroke, then downstroke. Try it."

Go narrowed his eyes as he followed Zandaka's instructions. Compared to how he did it before, where he used his entire arm to guide the movements, this was far easier. The best part was that it didn't tax his strength, so it was good. What intrigued Go was that, as he was doing the movement, it almost resembled a martial arts move. "Interesting..."

"Next section! Chop chop!" Zandaka said, as Go moved over to the next part of the fence before following the former's instructions once again. Here, he began to understand what Zandaka meant by the body being an intricate system, and how every single part working together as one to manage it. Due to Go neglecting his health, that action led to his entire body being weakened as a result, so this movement managed to help him slowly get that mobility back.

After Go got the second part of the fence done, Zandaka had him switch arms before showing the former the same moves again. Upstroke, then downstroke. Lead with the wrist. Bend the wrist at the end of the stroke before leading with it again. While it obviously didn't recover his strength, Go was gaining mobility at a slow rate as he moved to each section of the fence. He had no idea how much time had passed as he completed this tedious task, but it was eventually done.

"Sensei Ikiagi, I went inside the dojo." Gekiryushi reported, which got Zandaka and Go's attention.

"Oh? What did you find?" Zandaka asked, as Gekiryushi handed him a locket. One that made Zandaka gasp as he opened it, which contained a picture of his family. "Thank you..."

"I also begun tearing up the old floor, and I could use some help in putting in the new one." Gekiryushi added.

"We'll be there." Zandaka promised, as he motioned to Go to follow him, the latter following his instructions before the two of them grabbed supplies nearby. Go used the motions Zandaka taught him earlier, which allowed him to carry the heavy pieces of wood, despite the loss in strength. The two of them, along with Gekiryushi, went inside the dojo, which was unfortunately damaged. That was evident with the scars on the grounds, damaged artwork, destroyed pieces of wood, and more. The trio immediately got to work, removing the damaged artwork and anything else that couldn't be repaired. Once that was done, they immediately got to work on putting in a new floor.

For Go, he applied what he learned with the fence to hammering nails into the conjoined piece of wood to keep it stable, only it was in reverse this time. Here, it was slowly drawing the hammer back with an elbow motion before slightly bending the wrist back before hitting the nail with the hammer by bending the wrist forward. Unbeknownst to Go, Zandaka had a slight smile on his lips, glad that his training was slowly taking effect.

"Again, I'm getting a real case of déjà vu here." Go commented.

"No distractions!" Zandaka snapped at Go, as he carried two wet cloths in his hands, along with a bucket of water. "Clean and dry the new floor."

Go's mouth slightly dropped after hearing Zandaka's request. "W-What?"

"Clean and dry the new floor." Zandaka repeated, before he gave the cloths to Go, the latter having taken them reluctantly. He began to do it by going up and down in a vertical movement, only for Zandaka to stop him.

"No, no, no. Wash with left hand. Dry with right hand. Like this." Zandaka took the cloths and begun cleaning the floor by moving his arms in a circular motion. "Now you try it."

Go nodded, knowing that these tasks were slowly coming together to form into something big for him. Taking the cloths from Zandaka, he followed his instructions and cleaned the floor using circular motions before moving downwards.

"You're using the same techniques you used with me..." Gekiryushi recognized what Zandaka was doing for Go.

"They worked not just for you, but for Arakan and Kataru as well." Zandaka reminded Gekiryushi. "I have faith that they'll work for someone who's been taken to their lowest point, and is willing to build themselves back up again."

Gekiryushi nodded in agreement, knowing how wise Zandaka was as a Sensei as she reflected back on learning under him. After the floor was moped up, and the inside of the dojo was refurnished, Zandaka, Gekiryushi, and Go headed to the backyard of the area. It consisted of a garden filled with dead flowers and leaves, along with different, floor-like structures that looked worn out.

"This area..." Go muttered.

"It used to be vibrant, but is unfortunately void of life due to what happened all those years ago." Zandaka explained. "The good news is that it can be restored." He grabbed some large sander pads nearby and threw them at Go, who caught it before he grabbed another pair of large sander pads and threw them at Gekiryushi, who also caught it in her hands. "Now sand the floor. I will also help as well."

Thus, the trio got to work in sanding the various parts of the floor, with Go doing one section while Gekiryushi did another section nearby. Zandaka walked to Go before speaking.

"I'll say this for a third time: This is déjà vu." Go commented, as Zandaka grabbed his arms before moving them in circular motions.

"Right circle. Left circle. Breathe in. Breathe out." Zandaka instructed, before walking over to another section of the floor and beginning to sand it completely.

Go turned to Gekiryushi after listening to Zandaka's instructions. "Just what happened here?"

"This dojo wasn't always so desolated. Once upon a time, it was a thriving place, where students went to learn both martial arts and dueling skills." Gekiryushi began speaking. "I was among those students."

"Am I to assume that one of those students turned into a bad guy and destroyed the place?" Go asked, which made Gekiryushi narrow her eyes at him in anger. "Sorry."

"Zandaka's son, Kataru, a student named Arakan, and myself were amongst his best students at the Shinpi-Tekina dojo. The sad thing was that, like schools these days, students were only allowed to move forward based on their training and whether they used it to pass the tests. Kataru and Arakan passed those tests, but of the two of them, the former was chosen to move forward to the next stage of his training." Gekiryushi sighed. "Unfortunately, Arakan was competitive, and he wanted to be acknowledged as the best. To do that, he sought the power of Sahasrara, the strongest of the Tenyi spirits."

"Tenyi spirits?" Go repeated. "Don't tell me you guys believed in spiritual forces."

"The entire village believed in the spirits because they blessed the land with a balance between life and death. They say that when you die, you return the life that was given to you upon birth back to the spirits. You'd be wise to respect others' beliefs." Gekiryushi commented.

Go frowned at that comment. Of what Gekiryushi said, the most intriguing part was how he had to respect other people. But sadly, Go didn't respect other people in his quest for power, and it led to the death of an Ignis as a result.

"But moving past that, Arakan wanted to go to the forbidden caverns of Vishuda, intent on overcoming it so he can obtain Sahasrara's power. Sensei Ikiagi saw darkness in his heart, which was the final catalyst that led Arakan to do so. Sadly, he succumbed to that darkness, and laid waste to the village in order to acquire the power he desired by force."

"I see." Go said. In a way, he succumbed to his own darkness to become the best duelist by doing whatever it took to do so. Signing up for the bounty hunter task force, abandoning the people in his life, and putting an AI chip in his brain were the three factors that led Go to become a darker version of himself.

"Unfortunately, in the rampage, Kataru was killed, and Zandaka had no choice but to end Arakan's life. Back then, he thought he lost everyone, but I was the only other survivor of that dark day. Since then, Zandaka was a darker version of himself, but it seems that he's becoming the person he once was before the tragedy occurred." Gekiryushi finished, a small tear falling from his eye as she and Go continued working.

"I... I'm so sorry..." Go replied. That was sadly the only thing he can say after hearing that dark tale. As a result, the two of them continued sanding the floor, while Zandaka did the same nearby. It took a long while, but eventually, the three of them succeeded.

"Well done, the both of you." Zandaka praised both Gekiryushi and Go, happy to see that the two of them have completed their work.

"Is there anything else that you want me to do? Because I was wondering if you can tell me about how I can get on the path of-?" Go began speaking to Zandaka.

WHOOSH!

Zandaka threw a punch at Go, the latter having managed to somehow block it.

"Woah..." Go muttered. This certainly was déjà vu, as all of the chores basically reminded Go of the karate movies he watched with the children.

"Show me Sand the Floor. Big circles." Go did the movement he did earlier when sanding the floor at Zandaka's request. "Now show me clean and dry the floor." Go did the same movement, only for Zandaka to grab his arms and had them hit his arms firmly. "Look at my eyes when doing the movements, not at your hands."

"Yes, sir." Go complied.

"Now show me paint the fence." Zandaka ordered, which Go did. However, Zandaka grabbed his arms and moved them up and down, having his wrists hit his palms. "Always look at one's eyes when fighting. Never at your hands."

Go nodded in compliance, knowing that these instructions would help him with what's to come.

"Gekiryushi, step forward. Try to hit Go." Zandaka said.

"Of course, Sensei." Gekiryushi complied, as she went to face Go. She then tried to punch Go, only for him to block it with a right circular motion. She did the same thing, only for him to block it with a left circular motion. The punches were done numerous times before Gekiryushi tried to punch Go in the head. He immediately blocked the punch before blocking the punch that was heading towards his lower body. Gekiryushi tried to kick Go in the stomach, with Go managing to block those attacks by performing low circular motions with his hands.

After Zandaka nodded at Gekiryushi, she unleashed a barrage of punches and kicks at Go, which caused him to block them all by instinct. It was just like what Zandaka said about the human body earlier. How each section contributed to a system that would ensure it functions normally. But because Go didn't take care of himself, his body paid the price, so he now had to regain some of the motion back before gaining strength.

Go attempted to strike back at Gekiryushi, only for her to block the attacks before attempting to strike back with a few punches and kicks, which made Go block them in response. This entire back and forth sequence occurred for what Go felt like an eternity.

"Halt! That's enough!" Zandaka shouted, which made Gekiryushi and Go stop the training sequence. "Come. Now is the time to eat." The two of them nodded as they followed Zandaka to the entrance of the dojo, where they set up a campfire before grabbing the food they brought with them. After setting everything up, Zandaka, Gekiryushi, and Go sat down on separate rocks before beginning to eat rice and noodles, along with pieces of fish and vegetables.

"I was never an expert on how to eat food with chopsticks. I've used cutlery all of my life." Go commented, before he slowly tried to eat some noodles using the chopsticks. While he succeeded, he obviously needed more training to do so.

"Place the first chopstick where your index finger and thumb connect. Support it with your third finger, and grip the second chopstick with your middle, index finger, and thumb. Move the chopsticks up and down using your index and middle fingers before grabbing food at a forty-five degree angle." Gekiryushi suggested, as Go followed Gekiryushi's instructions. It definitely helped, that's for sure, though Go made a mental note to practice the technique when he came back home.

"You are a strong individual, Go. Yet that strength of yours was put to the wrong use." Zandaka observed.

"Yeah, you're right on that." Go agreed. "While I'm not one to be vulnerable, I will admit that my pride proved to be my undoing in the end. You could say that it's the source of my shame."

"What Go just said actually makes sense." Gekiryushi acknowledged, knowing how her pride led to her looking down at others, as well as how she had to be humbled in order to relax her beliefs.

"It applies to everyone, Gekiryushi. The antidote is true humility. Something you and I learned." Zandaka reminded Gekiryushi.

"I wasn't always like this, you know. Yes, pride was my undoing, but it's what made me grow stronger when I was an orphan." Go began speaking.

"Orphan?" Gekiryushi repeated.

"Yeah." Go turned to Gekiryushi. "I was an orphan growing up, and because I didn't know who my parents were, I had to look out for myself. Eventually, I was placed in the orphanage, where I discovered duel monsters for the first time. It was the very first thing I worked hard towards, and it eventually paid off, where I became a celebrity duelist as a result of my training. In the process, I also discovered the 'Gouki' deck, and I loved how the wrestlers lent their strength towards one another in order to win through teamwork. They also never abandoned one another as well. After becoming a celebrity duelist, I gave my winnings back to the orphanage as gratitude for taking me in, and showing me that there was more to life than your own survival."

"Your loyalty to the orphanage was strong and honorable back then." Zandaka observed. Just like my loyalty with the Hanoi, the only difference being that my honor was stained, he thought in his mind.

"It definitely was. Unfortunately, after Playmaker arrived on the scene, I was consumed with the need to best him. Let's just say I didn't want anyone else to take the top spot away after all of the hard work I put in to get there." Go continued. "As for what happened after that... well, the two of you are already know those events." He turned to Gekiryushi. "Say, how exactly did you get to meet this old timer?"

"Old timer? Let me tell you that this old timer knows things you don't!" Zandaka exclaimed.

"Settle down, Sensei. You shouldn't be using your strength like that." Gekiryushi said, before turning to Go. "For me, I wasn't always honorable. You could say I got into the wrong crowds all of the time because I wanted to be noticed. I became a bully, and when my parents learned what happened, they sent me to the dojo, hoping I can... find myself again. Thanks to Sensei Ikiagi's teachings, I was able to find a better version of myself. One that I can be proud of to this very day."

"I wasn't always here in the mountains. Once, I had a wife, and she was taken from me and Kataru." Zandaka spoke up. "My son was what prevented me from going down a dark road, and so I built and opened the Shinpi-Tekina dojo with my own hands. This way, I can teach people the skills needed to defend themselves. This way, I can help prevent the tragedy that happened to me from hurting others."

"I wish I stayed honorable, but sadly, I let the desire to be number one nearly destroy it." Go lamented. "While I know this is no excuse, I guess you can say I wanted to remain the hero people looked up to."

Zandaka shook his head at that comment. "A hero can be anyone, Go. Even a man doing something as simple and reassuring as putting a coat around a young boy's shoulders to let him know that the world hadn't ended."

"What's your point?" Go turned to Zandaka.

"My point is that, sometimes, even the littlest of things can contribute towards a bigger victory. Sure, you might not be noticed by the world, but it makes all the difference when the people you love are safe and still with you." Zandaka turned to Go. "Want to know something, Go? You indirectly contributed towards Malf's defeat."

"I contributed towards Malf's defeat?" Go questioned, before he gasped. "Hang on a minute. I remember the duel between Soulburner and Malf. The conversation where he goaded Malf into using his own strength rather than take the easy way out."

"So do I. Apparently, that goading affected Malf's ego and pride, which led to his defeat." Gekiryushi recalled.

"From what Revolver said to the others, Malf takes on some of the traits and personality of those he absorbed." Zandaka explained. "Revolver hypothesized that when he absorbed you, he most likely absorbed the bad aspects of your personality, which, as Gekiryushi said, led to Malf's defeat."

"I never thought of it like that..." Go admitted. Hearing this information made Go reflect back on his duel against Revolver, especially the part where the latter used Mirror Force to destroy all of the former's monsters. Despite Go's loss, the fact that Playmaker learned about Mirror Force had led him to defeat Revolver in the end. And it was due to the dark path Go took following the Tower of Hanoi events that had led to Malf's destruction for good. So in a way, Go contributed towards the defeat of two deadly opponents.

"It's kind of weird when you think about it. All three of us were absorbed by Malf after we lost our duels. I guess you could say that common fact is what ties us together." Gekiryushi observed.

"Maybe so..." Zandaka reluctantly agreed, with Go nodding in agreement as well. "There's something I should tell you, Go."

"Oh? What is it?" Go inquired.

"The actions you committed on your dark path have shown that you're almost like Arakan." Zandaka told Go. "Do you know about the forbidden caverns of Vishuda?"

"That's where Arakan went, right?" Go guessed, which made Zandaka nod in confirmation.

"It's said that those who conquer the caverns will be able to not only find themselves, but also be imbued with wisdom and strength from Sahasrara himself as well. Arakan tried to conquer the caverns so he can obtain Sahasrara's power, but ultimately failed." Zandaka stated. "If you're to get on the path to redemption, Go, then you need to conquer those caverns."

"Wait, what?!" Go exclaimed out of shock. "But I only had at most a day of training. How am I supposed to conquer something I barely know much about?"

"While I've heard about the caverns, I never went there myself. But if I were to guess, the trials that occur inside are different for each person. Perhaps you should bring your decks and your duel disk, don't you think?" Zandaka replied, as he walked over to an area nearby and sat on it. "We'll rest for a few hours. After that, we make haste for the caverns." He then began mediating afterwards.

Gekiryushi went to another area nearby Zandaka before lying down and beginning to rest. Go, on the other hand, went over and grabbed the bag he brought with him before pulling out his two decks. The 'Gouki' deck, which he used as a celebrity duelist. And the 'Dinowrestler' deck, which he used as a bounty hunter. Each deck represented a part of Go's personality, and who he was as an individual.

Whatever, or whoever's in those caverns, I will defeat them. This way, I can get on the path of redemption and finally move forward, Go vowed in his mind, before putting the both of them back in his bag. After that was done, Go laid on the ground and began resting, wanting to conserve his strength for what was to come.

Several hours later, at another area...

Go, Zandaka, and Gekiryushi went down the long flight of stairs from the mountain's top back to the ground below. Once that was done, the trio made walked down a street and turned left before walking down another long flight of stairs to a what used to be lush area. That was evident by the dead, shrivelled trees and branches, along with the mist emitting slightly above the muddy water. From what Go saw, the area looked like a large swamp, the only difference being that swamps usually did not have mist above the water.

The trio eventually made it to the entrance of a large cave, which was adorned with shrivelled up roots, overgrown vines on the outlines, and dragon-like jewels resembling Tenyi Spirit – Vishuda engrained in each of them.

"So that's the caverns, huh..." Go muttered.

"While it looks like only one entrance, the cavern is so big that it takes those who enter into separate sections. At least that's what I've been told." Zandaka said. "There was a time where Vishuda went rampant, so Sahasrara was forced to step in and defeat it in combat. However, evil can never be truly defeated, which was something Sahasrara knew. As such, he provided guidance and materials to the people in order to create a seal and stop Vishuda from running rampant again."

"But unfortunately, Arakan broke that seal, which was how he went inside and attempted to complete the trial. Sadly, he failed, and... well, the both of you know the rest." Gekiryushi stated.

Go narrowed his eyes and frowned. "Hang on a minute. You said Arakan broke the seal, right? Why not just throw in some dynamite and blow it up afterwards? You'd be able to kill the beast for good." Unfortunately for Go, Zandaka pinched his ear in response to that comment. Hard.

"Were you even listening earlier?! That cavern is the only thing able to contain Vishuda's full power! The amount Arakan used was only a portion of it!" Zandaka exclaimed. "If we used dynamite, we'd all pay a horrible price."

"Plus, as Sensei Ikiagi said earlier, you can never fully destroy evil." Gekiryushi added.

"Alright, fine." Go conceded. "What do I need to know about this place?"

"Once we enter inside the caverns, you'll be on your own. It's said that the area will warp into something you're familiar with. But be on your guard, as it's an illusion, so don't get caught up in it." Zandaka warned Go.

"To put it simply, once you go in, you won't come out until the trial is done." Gekiryushi added, before turning to Zandaka. "Be safe, Sensei Ikiagi."

"I will. You need not worry about me." Zandaka assured Gekiryushi. "Wait in the general area for our return. For if you stay here too long..."

The trio immediately saw wisps of Vishuda in the air, as if they were alive. Each of them cackled with laughter before releasing steamy bursts of small energy.

"I know. Good luck. Both of you." Gekiryushi then left the swampy area as she immediately headed over to the gates, intent on waiting for the both of them to come back.

"Well, Mr. Onizuka. Like Gekiryushi said, once we enter inside the cavern, there's no going back until the trial is done. Are you ready?" Zandaka asked Go.

"Yeah. I'm ready." Go confirmed, as he looked at the duel disk he strapped to his left arm, the 'Gouki' deck in the deck slot. As for the 'Dinowrestler' deck, that was in his right pocket. Knowing what needed to be done, the duo then went into the cave, having begun to walk inside it. Suddenly, the darkness surrounded both Zandaka and Go before separating them, much to the latter's shock as he felt himself being moved around for several seconds.

Zandaka, on the other hand, remained calm as he felt the darkness move his body for what seemed like a long time. Eventually, he no longer felt himself being moved, where the darkness took shape in the form of a familiar place he was in a long time ago.

The Shinpi-Tekina dojo. Or at the very least, inside its training grounds before it was destroyed by Arakan.

"Hello, Sensei Ikiagi," a familiar voice greeted Zandaka, as shadowy wisps of energy emerged to form into a male humanoid. Once it was done, the humanoid resembled that of Arakan, his former student.

"Hello, Arakan. It has been far too long." Zandaka replied back. In response, Arakan chuckled.

"I'm honestly surprised that you greeted me as though I did nothing wrong, old man. Emphasis on old, as you've grown older since we last encountered one another." Arakan laughed. "Thanks to you, my soul has been trapped in these caverns, and I've waited a long time for our rematch."

"Is that so?" Zandaka questioned back, as he shifted into a fighting stance. He not only anticipated who he would encounter in the caverns, he also knew what to do next in order to pass the trial.

"It is indeed, old man." Arakan confirmed, as he also shifted into a fighting stance. Vishuda then appeared out of nowhere and strengthened him, a blood aura surrounding his body. "They say that the souls of the damned here get a chance to return to the land of the living. But for that to occur..."

"You need to defeat a living soul that's in here." Zandaka finished.

"That's right! Once I defeat you, I get to return to the living world, and I'll finish what I've started all those years ago!" Blood red chi surrounded Arakan's fists. "As for you, you'll be trapped here, condemned to forever relive your failures."

"Stop talking and let's get started." Zandaka firmly ordered.

"As you wish." Arakan complied, as he charged forward with a furious roar, intent on punching Zandaka to the ground. However, Zandaka quickly dodged the punches and leapt back before releasing Tenyi Spirits – Adhara and Mapura from his fists. In response, Arakan spun around and used the chi of Vishuda in his arms to quickly dispel it before charging forward, where he punched Zandaka in the stomach. As a result, Zandaka was sent flying back before his back hit the wall, where he fell to the ground seconds later.

Zandaka got up on his feet and dusted the pieces of dust on his clothing before cracking his knuckles. After doing so, chi from Tenyi Spirits – Nahata and Shthana were released from Zandaka's fists, which Arakan quickly blocked before charging forward. Seeing this, chi from Adhara surrounded Zandaka's body as he parried the attacks before attempting to strike back, with Arakan doing the same in response.

Arakan attempted to land a blow on Zandaka, but chi from Shthana surrounded Zandaka as he parried the attack before punching Arakan in the face, which pushed him a few feet back. Arakan responded to this by axe kicking the floor, which caused a large chunk of it to briefly hover above the ground as he kicked the piece at Zandaka. While Zandaka was able to quickly destroy the large piece of ground, it gave Arakan an opening as he charged forward and punched the former with such force that he was once again sent flying off the ground. This time, Zandaka was able to regain his footing, chi from Mapura strengthening his body as he charged forward at Arakan. Both fighters launched and parried each other's attacks, trying to land a blow on one another. Luckily, Zandaka landed several punches on Arakan using chi from Nahata, Mapura, and Shthana, which once again pushed him back several feet.

Unfortunately for Arakan, the chi from Vishuda spread to his entire body before he grabbed pieces of the floor and threw them at Zandaka, who immediately destroyed them. This time, Zandaka dodged the attacks Arakan launched at the former before he attempted to strike back. Unfortunately for Zandaka, Arakan grabbed him by the chest and threw him at a wall nearby. In response, Zandaka infused himself with chi from Adhara, which managed to not only lessen the impact after hitting the wall, but also stand up on his feet quickly as well.

"This is just like our previous encounter, don't you think?" Arakan inquired, as he tried to punch Zandaka, only for him to dodge the attack.

"Our previous encounter ended with me defeating you." Zandaka recalled, before chi from Shthana was infused into his legs as he bicycle kicked Arakan numerous times successfully. Once that was done, Zandaka jumped in the air and attempted to land an axe kick, only for Arakan to dodge it.

"That's correct, old man." Arakan confirmed. "But there's a difference between the encounter back then and this encounter. This time, I will be the one to win. This time, I will fulfil... my destiny."

Elsewhere, in another area of the cavern...

Go slightly panicked as he continued to feel himself being moved around for what it seemed like a long time. Eventually, he no longer felt himself being moved, where the darkness formed into a place resembling the warehouse he lived in during his time as a celebrity duelist.

Looking around, Go knew that it was an illusion, even though it seemed so life-like. He could punch the punching bag, touch one of his trophies, or even .

Suddenly, Go felt his right pocket shake as the 'Dinowrestler' deck popped out of it before appearing some distance in front of him. Within seconds, Go felt himself scream as dark energy erupted from his chest, which went some distance in front of him. The dark energy then began merging with one another to form into a male humanoid with a jet black body. When the process was complete, the humanoid resembled that of Go, only he had bulging veins spread across his eyes. Not only were his eyes sunken, there were also deep wrinkles on his face as well.

"Heh. About time I got out of this wretched body," the dark humanoid commented, as it fully took shape. When Go saw this shadow clone in front of him, he gasped, shocked at what he was seeing. "What are you so surprised about? I'm the incarnation of your soul. Or at the very least, the dark half of your soul."

"I'm well aware of that, bub." Go replied.

"Considering how I'm the dark half of your soul, I know it's just plain cheap, but just call me Dark Go Onizuka." Dark Go told Go.

"I'd rather call you a black stain." Go deadpanned back. Dark Go Onizuka... that was his temporary identity before he became a bounty hunter. How original, Go sarcastically thought in his mind.

"But moving past that, I'm disappointed in you, bub. Choosing to go on a path towards redemption is a waste of your time! No. Our time!" Dark Go made a fist with his right hand. "What is worth our time is getting stronger at all costs. And to do that, we must cast aside all of our shackles, such as those who refuse to support us, our ethics, honor, and health!"

"We did that, but it nearly cost us everything. We nearly died!" Go reminded his dark counterpart.

"So what? If we defeated Playmaker, then we not only could have kept the top spot forever, we would have also ensured that the world would remember our victory until the end of time!" Dark Go gleefully responded. "I'm here for a two-fold purpose. Not just to become you forever, but eradicate all weaknesses from your corpse as well! To put it simply, you won't exist anymore!"

"Not if I have anything to say about it." Go replied, as he readied his duel disk.

"Getting right to business, eh? I like that." A dark duel disk strapped itself onto Dark Go's left arm before the 'Dinowrestler' deck went into the deck slot. "The winner of this duel will be the survivor, while the loser will disappear forever."

Go narrowed his eyes. From what Dark Go said, he basically meant that whoever lost would die forever. However, in front of Go was a chance. A chance to face his darkness and defeat it so he can get on the path of redemption. "Very well. I accept the terms." As if on cue, several ropes surrounded both duelists before connecting together to form into a wrestling ring.

"Let's duel!" Go and Dark Go shouted at the same time.

Go Onizuka: 4000 LP

Dark Go Onizuka: 4000 LP

"I'll be going first, porkchop. My turn." Dark Go said. "I activate the Spell card, Akashic Record. This card lets me draw the top two cards of my deck and reveal them. If I already played either of those cards during the duel, then I must banish them."

"Clever little…." Go annoyingly muttered. That.. was actually a very clever card if used on the first turn. For it practically guaranteed that the cards drawn would not be banished by Akashic Record's second effect.

Dark Go drew the top two cards of his deck before looking at each one, and grinned after doing so. "Next, I activate the Spell card, Fossil Dig, which lets me add one Level 6 or lower Dinosaur monster from my deck to my hand. I add Dinowrestler Systegosaur from my deck to my hand." A card popped out of Dark Go's deck, which he took and added to his hand.

"From there, by discarding a Dinosaur monster from my hand to my Graveyard, I can Special Summon Dinowrestler Iguanodraka to my field. I discard Systegosaur from my hand." Dark Go took a card from his hand and sent it to his Graveyard. Afterwards, a dark-red humanoid dinosaur wearing red shorts and yellow armour over his body appeared on Dark Go's field. He also wore yellow shin guards, along with a yellow mask over his eyes. Last but not least, Iguanodraka had an orange-colored mohawk on his head.

Dinowrestler Iguanodraka ATK: 2000 DEF: 0 LV: 6

"I summon Dinowrestler Martial Ankylo." Dark Go continued, as a dark-brown humanoid dinosaur wearing a tattered and light-green spiked vest, as well as light-green pads on his forearms and legs appeared on Dark Go's field. His body was covered with violet scars that were in the form of four-prong diamonds. Covering his face was a light-green mask.

Dinowrestler Martial Ankylo ATK: 1000 DEF: 0 LV: 2

"I also activate Iguanodraka's effect. By tributing a Dinosaur monster on my field, I can Special Summon one 'Dinowrestler' monster from my Graveyard back to my field. I tribute Martial Ankylo, and Special Summon Systegosaur back to my field!" After Martial Ankylo turned into particles, a green humanoid dinosaur with spines on his back and a spiked tail appeared on Dark Go's field in defense position. He also wore a black vest and green pants as well.

Dinowrestler Systegosaur ATK: 1900 DEF: 0 LV: 4

"Systegosaur's effect! When he's Special Summoned, I can add a 'Dinowrestler' monster or World Dino Wrestling from my deck to my hand. I think I'll add the latter to my hand." Dark Go decided, as a card popped out of his deck, which he took and added to his hand.

Great! Just great! My counterpart's planning to limit my attacks on him, Go thought in his mind. Whereas the Gouki deck focuses on a straightforward aggressive strategy with resource recovery, the Dinowrestler deck focuses on battle-related strategies with destruction prevention and temporarily preventing the opponent from activating Spell and Trap cards in battle. I can't believe I became the person I'm facing off against in this duel.

"I will now concentrate my circuit!" A Link Portal appeared above Dark Go. "The summoning conditions are two 'Dinowrestler' monsters. I set Dinowrestler Iguanodraka and Systegosaur into the Link Markers!" Iguanodraka went into the top arrowhead, while Systegosaur went into the left arrowhead, turning both of them red.

"Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Dinowrestler Terra Parkourio!" A grey-skinned dinosaur wearing red armor with blue and grey outlines on his chest, waist, shoulders, and head appeared on Dark Go's field in the right Extra Monster Zone.

Dinowrestler Terra Parkourio ATK: 1000 LINK-2 ⬅️⬆️

"I now activate the Field Spell card, World Dino Wrestling." Dark Go added. "While I control a 'Dinowrestler' monster, we can each attack with only one monster each turn. And when my 'Dinowrestler' monster battles, it gains 200 attack points during damage calculation only. Terra Parkourio's effect activates! As I activated 'World Dino Wrestling' while he's on my field, I can add a 'Dinowrestler' monster from my Graveyard to my hand. I add Martial Ankylo back to my hand." A card popped out of Dark Go's deck, which he took and added to his hand.

All the moves my dark counterpart is playing is exactly what I would do in a duel, Go thought in his mind. It certainly made sense, as Go was facing a dark counterpart of himself after all. One that he would conquer for good!

"I activate the Continuous-Spell card, Dinomuscle. Not only do all my 'Dinowrestler' monsters gain 400 attack points, the first time they would be destroyed by battle or card effect, they aren't destroyed." A fiery aura surrounded Terra Parkourio as his strength increased.

Dinowrestler Terra Parkourio ATK: 1000 + 400 = 1400

"I Set one card face-down and end my turn." Dark Go concluded. "Alright, porkchop. Let's see what you can do now that I've been extracted from your soul. For once you're defeated, your body's mine!"

"The duel's just begun, bub! I will be the one to win, and I will tame you for good! My turn! I draw!" Go said, as he drew the top card of his deck. Alright, Goukis. I know that I disrespected you, but please help me so I can release myself from this darkness, he thought in his mind. "I summon Gouki Suprex from my hand to my field." A blue ogre with claws on his hands and a long blue tail appeared on Go's field.

Gouki Suprex ATK: 1800 DEF: 0 LV: 4

"Suprex's effect activates! As it was Normal Summoned, I get to Special Summon a 'Gouki' monster from my hand! Come on out, Gouki Bearhug!" A brown ogre wearing bear skin all over his body appeared on Go's field. The ogre also had bear claws on his hands as well.

Gouki Bearhug ATK: 2400 DEF: 0 LV: 6

"Bearhug's effect!" Go continued. "As it was Special Summoned by the effect of a 'Gouki' card, or Normal Summoned, I can target one monster you control and make its attack points become half its original attack points! I choose Terra Parkourio!" Bearhug leapt forward and slashed Terra Parkourio, which made him scream as his strength was halved.

Dinowrestler Terra Parkourio ATK: (1000 / 2) + 400 = 900

"I will now mash up my circuit!" A Link Portal appeared above Go. "The summoning conditions are two 'Gouki' monsters. I set Gouki Suprex and Bearhug into the Link Markers!" Suprex went into the left arrowhead, while Bearhug went into the bottom arrowhead, turning both of them red.

"Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Gouki Jet Ogre!" A purple ogre with red bushy hair joined Go's field in the right Extra Monster Zone. He wore metallic shin guards and had a massive jetpack on it's back. He also carried a musketeer's sword on its right hand.

Gouki Jet Ogre ATK: 2000 LINK-2 ⬅️⬇️

"The effects of Suprex and Bearhug both activate from my Graveyard, letting me add 'Gouki' cards besides themselves from my deck to my hand! I add Gouki Re-Match and Gouki Moonsault from my deck to my hand!" Go decided, as two cards popped out of his deck, which he took and added to his hand. "I activate the Spell card, Gouki Re-Match! This card lets me Special Summon two 'Gouki' monsters from my Graveyard in defense position, as long as they have different levels. Return, Suprex and Bearhug!" Soon, Suprex and Bearhug reappeared on Go's field in defense position.

Gouki Suprex ATK: 1800 DEF: 0 LV: 4

Gouki Bearhug ATK: 2400 DEF: 0 LV: 6

"I activate the effect of Gouki Moonsault from my hand. By revealing this card in my hand and targeting a 'Gouki' monster on my field, I can not only Special Summon it from my hand to my field, but also return the targeted 'Gouki' monster back to my hand. I target Suprex, and Special Summon Moonsault from my hand to my field!" After Suprex turned into particles that returned to Go's hand, a large, muscular humanoid rabbit wearing black and pink armor appeared on Go's field.

Gouki Moonsault ATK: 1900 DEF: 0 LV: 6

"I will now mash up my circuit for a second time!" Go declared, as a second Link Portal appeared above him. "The summoning conditions are two or more 'Gouki' monsters. I set the Link 2 Gouki Jet Ogre, and Bearhug into the Link Markers!" Jet Ogre went into the top and bottom-left arrowheads, while Bearhug went into the bottom-right arrowhead, turning all three of them red.

"Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Gouki Thunder Ogre!" A large, white-skinned ogre who wore a blue jumpsuit, red armor, and had a grey cape strapped to his back appeared on Go's field in the right Extra Monster Zone. His helmet had two large horns that curved upward to the sides, along with two eyes at the top. Two blasters were strapped to his wrists.

Gouki Thunder Ogre ATK: 2200 LINK-3 ↙️⬆️↘️

"I activate Jet Ogre's effect. When he's sent to the Graveyard, all 'Gouki' monsters I control gain 500 attack points until the End Phase." Go added, as Thunder Ogre and Moonsault were surrounded in red auras that increased their strength.

Gouki Thunder Ogre ATK: 2200 + 500 = 2700

Gouki Moonsault ATK: 1900 + 500 = 2400

Dark Go laughed upon seeing this. "Teamwork's overrated these days, especially how all of it can go crumbling down once the opponent destroys the end result the duelist invested their resources into so they can win. Pure power is needed to win, not teamwork!"

"I'll prove you wrong, bub." Go responded. "I also activate Moonsault's second effect. Once per turn, I can return a 'Gouki' Link monster in my Graveyard back to my Extra Deck. By doing so, I get to add a 'Gouki' monster from my Graveyard to my hand. I return Jet Ogre back to my Extra Deck, and add Bearhug back to my hand!" Two cards popped out of Go's Graveyard, one he took and returned back to his Extra Deck before adding the other one to his hand.

"I activate Thunder Ogre's effect. Once per turn, the turn player can Normal Summon one monster to a Main Monster Zone he points to, in addition to the regular Normal Summon or Set. Thus, I once again summon Gouki Suprex to my field." Suprex reappeared on Go's field.

Gouki Suprex ATK: 1800 DEF: 0 LV: 4

"And just like before, when Suprex is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon a 'Gouki' monster from my hand! Come on out, Gouki Twistcobra!" A green ogre with four limbs, with two of them ending in hands, while the other two ended in sharp points, with two snake trails trailing from its head appeared on Go's field.

Gouki Twistcobra ATK: 1600 DEF: 0 LV: 3

"I will now mash my circuit for a third time!" Go declared, as a third Link Portal appeared above him. "The summoning conditions are two or more 'Gouki' monsters. I set the Link 3 Gouki Thunder Ogre, and Moonsault into the Link Markers!" Thunder Ogre went into the top, bottom-left, and bottom arrowheads, while Moonsault went into the bottom-right arrowhead, turning all four of them red.

"Link Summon! Appear! Link 4! Gouki the Master Ogre!" An ogre with mostly blue armor, golden shoulder pads, gauntlets, and leg guards, as well as a blue cape attached to his back, appeared on Go's field in the right Extra Monster Zone.

Gouki the Master Ogre ATK: 2800 LINK-4 ↙️⬆️⬇️↘️

"Planning to eliminate me with an all-out series of attacks with your monsters, right? You should be aware that World Dino Wrestling's effect only allows one monster to attack per turn." Dark Go reminded Go.

"That's perfectly fine with me." Go surprisingly replied, which made Dark Go narrow his eyes. "I activate Twistcobra's effect. By tributing a 'Gouki' monster, I can target one 'Gouki' monster I control, and have it gain attack points equal to the tributed 'Gouki' monster's original attack points until the End Phase. I target Master Ogre, and tribute Twistcobra itself!" Twistcobra turned into particles, which went into Master Ogre as his strength increased.

Gouki the Master Ogre ATK: 2800 + 1600 = 4400

"Twistcobra's second effect! Like with every other 'Gouki' monster, when it's sent to the Graveyard, I can add a 'Gouki' card from my deck to my hand. I add Gouki Diver from my deck to my hand." A card popped out of Go's deck, which he took and added to his hand.

"Last but not least, I activate Master Ogre's effect." Go added. "I can return all 'Gouki' monsters to my hand that he points to, and for each 'Gouki' monster returned to my hand by this effect, I can target and negate the effects of that many cards until the end of the turn! I return Suprex to my hand, target Dinomuscle, and negate its effects!" Suprex turned into particles, which returned to Go's hand. Once that was done, Dinomuscle greyed out as its effects were temporarily negated.

Dinowrestler Terra Parkourio ATK: 900 – 400 = 500

"Battle!" Go declared. "Gouki The Master Ogre attacks Dinowrestler Terra Parkourio! Gouki Master Beatdown!" Master Ogre charged forward at Terra Parkourio, intent on destroying him.

"World Dino Wrestling's effect increases my 'Dinowrestler' monster's attack points by 200 when it battles during damage calculation." Dark Go told Go, as Terra Parkourio roared before his strength increased.

Dinowrestler Terra Parkourio ATK: 500 + 200 = 700

"Sorry, porkchop, but this duel's far from over." Dark Go gestured to his face-down card. "Continuous-Trap, activate! Spirit Barrier! While I control a monster, I take no battle damage! I also activate the effect of Dinowrestler Martial Ankylo from my hand! When you attack my 'Dinowrestler' monster, I can send this card to prevent it from being destroyed by battle!" A barrier appeared around Terra Parkourio as Master Ogre's fists struck it, forcing him to retreat back to Go's side of the field.

"Oh, and Martial Ankylo's second effect halves your monster's attack points at the end of the damage step." Dark Go remembered, much to Go's chagrin as a silhouette of Martial Ankylo charged forward and slashed Master Ogre, which made him lose strength.

Gouki the Master Ogre ATK: 4400 / 2 = 2200

Dinowrestler Terra Parkourio ATK: 700 – 200 = 500

As much as I hate to admit it, my dark counterpart managed to one-up me, Go acknowledged in his mind. But the duel's not over until the last card is played! "I end my turn, which means the effects of Twistcobra and Master Ogre end, and your monster regains the attack boost from Dinomuscle."

Gouki the Master Ogre ATK: 2200 – 1600 = 600

Dinowrestler Terra Parkourio ATK: 500 + 400 = 900

"Martial Ankylo's third effect now activates. Since he was sent to the Graveyard this turn, I can Special Summon him back to my field, but I must banish him when he leaves the field." Dark Go said, as Martial Ankylo reappeared on Go's field.

Dinowrestler Martial Ankylo ATK: 1000 DEF: 0 LV: 2

Dinowrestler Martial Ankylo ATK: 1000 + 400 = 1400

Elsewhere, at another area of the cavern...

Zandaka once again dodged several of Arakan's attacks, intent on staying alive before striking back and landing another blow. This vision of Arakan in front of Zandaka... was nothing more than a ghost. One that had unlimited energy. As for Zandaka, he was a human on the verge of death itself. That meant he had to time his strikes before continuing to dodge Arakan's relentless wrath, lest he die in the fight.

"You knew I could move forward after the trials. You always knew." Arakan remarked. "But when the trials were over, you chose your son over me to move forward, leaving me behind as a result!"

"You think favoritism was what made me choose Kataru over you?! It wasn't like that at all!" Zandaka furiously answered. "I had to take everything into consideration, just like how a school evaluates the knowledge a student learns from their exams and tests!"

"Really now?" Arakan roundhouse kicked a pillar with such force that pieces of it were sent flying away, which made Zandaka block a few of them with his hands that contained chi from Nahata. "Who drove me to train until my bones cracked?! Who denied me my destiny?!" He then grabbed a weapons rack nearby, which sent several bladed weapons at Zandaka before he knocked each of them aside. Once this was done, Arakan took the last blade and kicked it at his height before launching it at Zandaka, who used chi from Mapura to melt the blade to bits.

"I didn't deny you anything back then, Arakan. I can tell you that." Zandaka said.

"Well, at least you're being honest." Arakan acknowledged, before chi from Vishuda once again surrounded his body. Zandaka charged forward, chi from Nahata, Shthana, Mapura, and Adhara surrounding his limbs as he attempted to strike Arakan. Unfortunately, Arakan grabbed Zandaka by the throat before slamming him to the ground. "Yield now, and I'll make your death painless."

In response, Zandaka growled back. "Never." He freed himself from Arakan's grasp before bicycle kicking him once again, sending the latter flying off the ground in the process. More chi from Vishuda surrounded Arakan as he got up on his feet and quickly charged forward with a flying dragon kick. At the last second, Zandaka dodged, only for Arakan to quickly regain his footing and roundhouse kick him so fast that the former couldn't react in time as he was once again sent flying off the ground. His back hit several of the pillars before he fell to the ground.

Zandaka immediately jumped from pillar to pillar, intent on gaining higher ground before his body gave out. Unfortunately, Arakan pursued him relentlessly, almost landing blow after blow in the process. Before Zandaka could reach the last pillar, Arakan grabbed the collar on his shirt and threw him across the ground, which caused the former to roll onto it multiple times before eventually stopping.

"All I ever did, I did to make you proud!" Arakan exclaimed, as fire formed in his fists due to Vishuda's chi, which he used to attempt to try and defeat Zandaka. "Tell me how proud you are, Sensei Ikiagi!" He managed to land several blows on Zandaka and continued to do so, the latter managing to block a few in response. "Tell me! TELL ME!"

Arakan then spun around and punched Zandaka with both of his fists, which sent Zandaka flying off the ground before rolling onto it numerous times, where he eventually stopped doing so. He struggled to get up as Arakan slowly approached him.

"I have... I have always been proud of you. From the first moment, I've been... proud of you." Zandaka told Arakan, who slightly gasped upon hearing this. "You, Gekiryushi, and Kataru were among the best of my students, and I couldn't be more prouder seeing the three of you growing up. My pride... was what blinded me from who you were becoming. What I was turning you into. I'm... sorry."

Arakan's eyes widened for a few seconds, surprised with what Zandaka was saying to him. However, his eyes turned blood red due to Vishuda's chi as he grabbed Zandaka by the throat. "I don't want your apology. I want you dead. Perhaps that will be your way of making up for your mistakes." He slammed Zandaka to the ground numerous times before tossing him to the side. "But on the topic of pride, I believe you stained it after what happened a long time ago."

"Fell from grace, I have indeed." Zandaka agreed, before he dodged one of Arakan's attacks, only for him to get punched so powerfully that he rolled onto the floor once again.

"Yes. The moment you joined your new buddies, you became a shadow of your former self." Arakan continued. "Or in simple terms, you're no better than me."

Zandaka narrowed his eyes as he slowly stood up on his feet and readied himself for what was to come. "You're right. I am no better than you, and I recognize that now. Still, if there's one thing I learned, it's that honor can be regained over time by the people you meet."

"Regained honor? How ridiculous." Arakan let out a chuckle.

"I may not be able to change what I've done, but I can at least make sure I'm remembered for more than just my actions. This, I swear!" Zandaka shouted, as chi from Nahata, Shthana, Mapura, and Adhara surrounded his body before combining into one. The chi then glowed with bright light, where a golden, misty serpentine dragon appeared behind Zandaka and roared before diming away.

Zandaka then quickly charged forward at Arakan, only to quickly hop between several pillars in an attempt to strike at the latter. Arakan quickly blocked Zandaka's attacks before striking back, only for Zandaka to block them before he punched the latter in the stomach, which sent him flying back as his back hit the wall. Shaking the attack off, Arakan then charged forward, Vishuda further empowering him as he attempted to launch a barrage of attacks at Zandaka. Whereas some of them hit Zandaka, he was able to move fast enough so the blows didn't impact him as much. After doing so, Zandaka punched Arakan in the stomach before landing a second punch that sent him flying upwards. As a result, Arakan broke through the roof and was sent flying into the sky, which made Zandaka chuckle unintentionally after seeing what he did. Seeing that Arakan was now falling, Zandaka took a few steps back as his former student landed on the ground with a thud.

Arakan slowly got up on his feet, trying to recover from the impact he just received. "I... I can't fall now. I'm on the verge of returning to the real... world and... obtaining Sahasrara's power. I... will not be trapped here... again."

"You won't be trapped here anymore. I promise you that." Zandaka assured Arakan, before he grabbed Arakan's finger between his own index finger and thumb, with the pinky held upright. As a result, the chi from Vishuda began screaming before it started disappearing from Arakan.

"The Wuxi Finger Hold..." Arakan muttered. "You're willing to forgive me after everything I've done to you?"

"You could say that." Zandaka answered back, much to Arakan's surprise. "I'll see you and Kataru in the afterlife. A fresh start is needed, don't you think?"

Arakan chuckled back in response. It wasn't a chuckle of malice. It was a chuckle of... gratitude. One Arakan thought he'd never experience again until now. "I do agree, Sensei. See you... on the other side."

"Skadoosh." Zandaka then flexed his pinky down, which caused a massive explosion that turned Arakan into chi as it left the cave. Zandaka let out a sigh of victory and relief, the battle finally over. Suddenly, the chi then combined to form into a massive, golden serpentine dragon. One that had a total of four arms, along with several white pieces of cloth wrapped around different parts of his body. He also had a mane of golden, luminous hair, as well as a crown that had four branches protruding from it.

"Zandaka Ikiagi, practitioner of the Tenyi arts. I did not expect you to come back to your roots," the dragon said.

"Neither did I, Sahasrara." Zandaka agreed, addressing the dragon by his name.

"When we last met years ago, you used the power from my teachings to defeat your tainted student. However, you went too far, and delved into Vishuda's power to win the battle." Sahasrara recalled. "Yet you came back, and underwent the trial no one else dared to do after the Shinpi-Tekina dojo's destruction. Why?"

Zandaka sighed. "For two reasons. One: So I can be remembered for something else other than the fact that I'm a criminal. Two: So I can rectify my mistakes, and seek redemption for them."

Sahasrara thought this over for a few seconds before responding. "Despite the dark path you went on, you learned numerous lessons that drove you back here. About family. About purpose. About how you want to be remembered. And lastly, about gratitude. Never have I seen a mortal so willing to change their ways for the better that they'd risk their own life to do so. For this reason, your sins are forgiven."

Zandaka bowed before Sahasrara. "Thank you, Sahasrara. I am humbly grateful for your praise, along with your forgiveness." He grit his teeth, however, after feeling pain in his body.

"Unfortunately, your time on this world is running out. You of all people know what that means." Sahasrara reminded Zandaka.

"Yes." Zandaka nodded. "I will be returning the life energy you and the other spirits gave me upon my birth back to you. But I have a request, great Sahasrara. Please let me go say goodbye to my disciple, Gekiryushi, along with Go Onizuka. He too has partaken in the trial, and had it not been for me, he wouldn't be so intent on getting on the path of redemption in the first place."

"I will grant this request." Sahasrara complied. "And on the topic of your disciple, there is a task that must be done. One that will bring in a new generation of students, and eventually, masters."

"A task?" Zandaka repeated, as he felt the 'Tenyi' deck in his pocket glow with a rainbow color, which orbited above his pocket before going over to Sahasrara. Soon, two new decks appeared beside the 'Tenyi' deck.

"Now that the trial having been completed after all of this time, the land has now been filled with energy from the spirits once more, which means there will be people who have potential to become strong duelists." Sahasrara explained. "Give these three decks to your disciple. Tell her to find worthy individuals who aspire to become duelists. Ones with a pure heart and soul."

Zandaka nodded. "I understand, Sahasrara. But permit me to ask you a question."

"Oh? What is it?"

"How will Gekiryushi know who is worthy to wield the decks? I have complete faith in both her beliefs and pride now that they've been relaxed, but everyone's different. You and the spirits should know that."

Sahasrara let out a chuckle before responding. "I will give her some direction in her task. You don't need to worry about Gekiryushi. She is a strong warrior in mind and spirit, and I have complete faith in her as well." He then turned into chi that went upwards, which dissipated several seconds later.

Zandaka nodded after hearing Sahasrara's response, knowing what must be done. He gave him time to say goodbye to Gekiryushi and Go, and once that was done, he had to return the life he was given by the spirits. To sum it up, while Zandaka knew that his time had come, he didn't try to run from it.

Rather, he welcomed it with grace and humility.

Meanwhile, at the duel between Go and Dark Go...

"My turn! I draw!" Dark Go drew the top card of his deck. "I will now concentrate my circuit!" A Link Portal appeared above Dark Go. "The summoning conditions are two or more 'Dinowrestler' monsters. I set the Link 2 Dinowrestler Terra Parkourio, and Martial Ankylo into the Link Markers!" Terra Parkourio went into the bottom-left and bottom arrowheads, while Martial Ankylo went into the bottom-right arrowhead, turning all three of them red.

"Bow down to the King of the Ring! The one who will throw you out of it and retain his rightful title as Number One! Link Summon! Appear, Link 3! Dinowrestler King T-Wrextle!" A maroon-skinned humanoid dinosaur wearing a red vest and blue paints appeared on Dark Go's field in the right Extra Monster Zone. He had a tyrannosaurus skull on his right arm, and the spine of the same dinosaur over his left arm. He also had red guards with spikes on his shins and forearms. Lastly, King T-Wrextle wore a maroon mask over his head, which had grey hair on the back sides of the mask.

Dinowrestler King T-Wrextle ATK: 3000 LINK-3 ↙️⬇️↘️

Dinowrestler King T-Wrextle ATK: 3000 + 400 = 3400

"Terra Parkourio's effect now activates! Since he was used to Link Summon, I can Special Summon a 'Dinowrestler' monster in defense position from my Graveyard with its effects negated. Return, Iguanodraka!" Go shouted, as Iguanodraka reappeared on his field.

Dinowrestler Iguanodraka ATK: 2000 DEF: 0 LV: 6

Dinowrestler Iguanodraka ATK: 2000 + 400 = 2400

"I summon Dinowrestler Coelasilat from my hand to my field." A light-green humanoid dinosaur who wore a piece of clothing that was a combination between a brown vest and a cape appeared on Dark Go's field. He wore dark-blue pants that had silver pieces of armor on them, along with knee guards. He also wore a silver mask that had a total of eight, sharp leaves protruding from the back. Last but not least, attached to his shoulders were shoulder pads that had green orbs in them.

Dinowrestler Coelasilat ATK: 100 DEF: 800 LV: 2

Dinowrestler Coelasilat ATK: 100 + 400 = 500

He just summoned the Tuner monster to his field, which means he'll Synchro Summon Giga Spinosavate really soon, Go deduced in his mind.

"I tune the Level 2 Dinowrestler Coelasilat with the Level 6 Iguanodraka!" Dark Go declared, as a bolt of green lightning struck him before the world greyed out and his two monsters turned into particles. Two rings, one light-green and one red, appeared before turning blue and merging. Eight rings, stacked in a tower appeared, a screen displaying "2 + 6" in front of them. The screen changed to "8" as light surged through the rings.

"Prehistoric king! Become the epitome of terror, and make the opposition surrender before your strength! Synchro Summon! Appear, Level 8! Dinowrestler Giga Spinosavate!" A purple-skinned humanoid dinosaur with long horns and two spiked spines, one very long and one small, appeared on Dark Go's field in one of the three Main Monster Zones King T-Wrextle pointed to. He wore golden spiked shoulder pads that had white spikes protruding from the back of them, along with an orange orb on the sides. Attached to his white gauntlets and the back of his legs were a pair of spines that protruded outwards, as if they were spikes. He also wore dark-blue pants with black stripes, as well as golden kneepads. On top of Giga Spinosavate's head was a white mask with small spikes protruding from the top, as well as two long horns on his sides.

Dinowrestler Giga Spinosavate ATK: 3000 DEF: 0 LV: 8

Dinowrestler Giga Spinosavate ATK: 3000 + 400 = 3400

"Aw, Hell no. This isn't good..." Go muttered.

"It's not good for you at all, porkchop. Because it's the beginning of the end for you!" Dark Go exclaimed. "I activate Giga Spinosavate's effect. Once per turn, I can target a card on your field and destroy it. I target and destroy Master Ogre!" Giga Spinosavate charged forward and kicked Master Ogre with such force that he turned into particles.

"In addition, I activate the Continuous-Spell card, Solidarity. Since I only have one type of monster in my Graveyard, all monsters I control that share the same type of monster gain 800 attack points!" King T-Wrextle and Giga Spinosavate roared as their strength increased.

Dinowrestler King T-Wrextle ATK: 3400 + 800 = 4200

Dinowrestler Giga Spinosavate ATK: 3400 + 800 = 4200

"Battle!" Dark Go declared. "Dinowrestler King T-Wrextle attacks you directly! And like before, when a 'Dinowrestler' monster battles, it gains 200 attack points during damage calculation!"

Dinowrestler King T-Wrextle ATK: 4200 + 200 = 4400

"Jurassic Howl!" King T-Wrextle charged forward and jumped before firing a loud howl at Go, intent on finishing him off.

"I don't think so! I activate the effect of Gouki Octostretch from my hand!" Go interrupted. "By discarding this card from my hand, any battle damage we take is halved!" A grey-skinned ogre with orange spots all over his body, as well as an octopus attached to his back, appeared and spread out his arms to protect Go from the loud howl. Soon, King T-Wrextle landed on the ground and elbow slammed Go, which sent him flying off the ground as he landed on his back, his life points decreasing in the process.

Go Onizuka: 4000 – (4400 / 2) = 1800 LP

Dinowrestler King T-Wrextle ATK: 4400 – 200 = 4200

"Heh. You got lucky. Had it not been for World Dino Wrestling, I would have finished you off this turn." Dark Go scoffed. "I end my turn. Oh, I forgot to mention something."

"And what would that be?" Go inquired, as he got up on his feet, having been bruised and battered by King T-Wrextle's attack.

"Both King T-Wrextle and Giga Spinosavate's effects prevents you from targeting other monsters for attacks, except them. However, since I have two monsters with the same effect, it creates an attack lock!" Dark Go revealed. "To put it simply, you can't attack, and your body will be mine after I finish you on my next turn!"

"You know, there's something I realized about you, and by extension, myself." Go spoke up.

"Oh?" Dark Go raised an eyebrow. "What would that be?"

"It's that I focused too much on victory more than anything else after Playmaker defeated Revolver."

"But we were supposed to defeat Revolver and get the glory! Only that matters!" Dark Go made a fist angrily.

"Maybe, but in the process, I missed out on multiple things." Go sighed. "I missed the children that I've abandoned in my selfish quest, the friends I dragged in to help me succeed, and the fun I had on dueling, no matter the outcome. That's what truly made me smile."

"Friends? Fun? Don't give me that speech! None of those matter! Glory only matters!" Dark Go repeated himself.

"If someone told me that back then, I wouldn't have believed it. But..." Go narrowed his eyes. "I am close to obtaining a second chance, and I will not give it up for anything!"

Dark Go laughed after hearing that. "You think you can win? I have two powerful monsters that formed an attack lock, a Field Spell card that only allows you to attack with one monster per turn, and two Continuous-Spell cards that increased my monsters' strength. As for you, there's nothing on your field. So how can you defeat me when you have nothing, and I have more firepower on my field? Besides, who would you be without me?"

"Time to find out!" Go responded. "My turn! I draw!" He drew the top card of his deck. "I summon Gouki Suprex to my field." At Go's command, Suprex reappeared on his field.

Gouki Suprex ATK: 1800 DEF: 0 LV: 4

"And just like before, when Suprex is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon a 'Gouki' monster from my hand! Come on out once again, Bearhug!" Soon, Bearhug reappeared on Go's field.

Gouki Bearhug ATK: 2400 DEF: 0 LV: 6

"Bearhug's effect!" Go continued. "Like before, since it was Special Summoned by the effect of a 'Gouki' card, or Normal Summoned, I can target one monster you control and make its attack points become half its original attack points! I choose King T-Wrextle!" Bearhug leapt forward and slashed Giga Spinosavate, which made him scream as his strength was halved.

Dinowrestler Giga Spinosavate ATK: 4200 / 2 = 2100

"I will now mash my circuit!" A Link Portal appeared above Go. "The summoning conditions are two 'Gouki' monsters. I set Gouki Suprex and Bearhug into the Link Markers!" Suprex went into the top arrowhead, while Bearhug went into the bottom arrowhead, turning both of them red.

"Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Gouki Heel Ogre!" A violet-skinned ogre who wore bronze and gold armor appeared on Go's field in the right Extra Monster Zone. His hair was in the form of a mane that was on fire. In his hands, he carried a large, spiked staff.

Gouki Heel Ogre ATK: 1000 LINK-2 ⬆️⬇️

"The effects of Suprex and Bearhug both activate from my Graveyard just like earlier, letting me add 'Gouki' cards besides themselves from my deck to my hand! I add Gouki Re-Match and Gouki Finishing Hold from my deck to my hand!" Go decided, as two cards popped out of his deck, which he took and added to his hand. "I activate the Spell card, Gouki Re-Match! This card lets me Special Summon two 'Gouki' monsters from my Graveyard in defense position, as long as they have different levels. Return, Octostretch and Twistcobra!" Soon, Octostretch and Twistcobra reappeared on Go's field, the latter having reappeared at the Main Monster Zone Heel Ogre pointed to.

Gouki Octostretch ATK: 0 DEF: 0 LV: 1

Gouki Twistcobra ATK: 1600 DEF: 0 LV: 3

"I activate Twistcobra's effect! By tributing a 'Gouki' monster, I can target one 'Gouki' monster I control, and have it gain attack points equal to the tributed 'Gouki' monster's original attack points until the End Phase. However, I activate Heel Ogre's effect. Once per turn, during either of our turns, when a monster he points to activates its effect, that monster's effect is negated and is destroyed."

"Wait a minute! I know what you're planning!" Dark Go realized.

"It seems you've figured it out. For by negating the effects of that monster and destroying it, I get to Special Summon a 'Gouki' monster from my Graveyard to my field." Go finished with a smirk. "I negate Twistcobra's effect, and Special Summon Master Ogre back to my field." Heel Ogre slammed his staff to the ground, which caused fire to emerge that turned Twistcobra turned into particles. Once that was done, Master Ogre reappeared on Go's field, only in the Main Monster Zone.

Gouki the Master Ogre ATK: 2800 LINK-4 ↙️⬆️⬇️↘️

"And since Twistcobra was sent to the Graveyard, I get to add a 'Gouki' card from my deck to my hand. I add Gouki Face Turn." A card popped out of Go's deck. "I now activate the Spell card, Gouki Face Turn. By targeting a 'Gouki' monster on my field, and a 'Gouki' monster in my Graveyard, I can destroy the first monster, and Special Summon the second one from my Graveyard to my field. I target and destroy Octostretch, and Special Summon Thunder Ogre back to my field!" After Octostretch turned into particles, Thunder Ogre reappeared on Go's field.

Gouki Thunder Ogre ATK: 2200 LINK-3 ↙️⬆️↘️

"Oh, I forgot to mention that, like my other 'Gouki' monsters, since Octostretch was sent to the Graveyard, I get to add a 'Gouki' card from my deck to my hand." Go added. "I add Gouki Guts from my deck to my hand." A card popped out of Go's deck, which he took and added to his hand.

"Like I said earlier, Thunder Ogre's effect lets the turn player perform an additional Normal Summon once per turn. Thus, I summon Gouki Guts from my hand to my field." An orange ogre who wore grey armor appeared on Go's field. On his shoulders were a pair of small, round fur coats. On top of his head, it emitted fire.

Gouki Guts ATK: 800 DEF: 0 LV: 1

"I activate Guts' effect. Once per turn, I can have all 'Gouki' monsters I currently control gain 200 attack points." Guts let out a loud shout as the flame on its head emitted brighter flames, which went into Thunder Ogre, Master Ogre, and Heel Ogre as their strength increased.

Gouki Thunder Ogre ATK: 2200 + 200 = 2400

Gouki The Master Ogre ATK: 2800 + 200 = 3000

Gouki Heel Ogre ATK: 1000 + 200 = 1200

"I will now mash my circuit for a final time!" Go shouted, as a second Link Portal appeared above him. "The summoning conditions are two or more Warrior monsters. I set Gouki Guts, and the Link 3 Thunder Ogre into the Link Markers!" Guts went into the bottom-left arrowhead, while Thunder Ogre went into the bottom, bottom-right, and right arrowheads, turning all four of them red.

"Legendary wrestler! Unleash your power, and destroy the mountain to open my path! A path towards my redemption! Link Summon! Appear! Link 4! Gouki the Powerload Ogre!" A humanoid ogre who wore purple armor that had golden flames on the chest plate appeared on Go's field in the Main Monster Zone Heel Ogre pointed to. Red, curved spikes were attached to his legs, as well as on his shoulders. Attached to his right arm was a gauntlet that emitted a long blade.

Gouki the Powerload Ogre ATK: 2800 LINK-4 ↙️⬇️↘️➡️

"I... I wasn't aware that this monster was in our deck..." Dark Go muttered, his eyes having widened in shock.

"It's because this monster was given to me before I left the hospital by some dear friends." Go revealed. "But to start, when Guts is sent to the Graveyard, I can add a 'Gouki' card from my deck to my hand. I add Gouki Shout from my deck to my hand." A card popped out of Go's deck, which he took and added to his hand.

"Next, I activate Powerload Ogre's effects. First, just in case you were up to any funny business, he's unaffected by other card effects. Second, he gains attack points equal to the combined Link rating of all other 'Gouki' Link monsters on my field times 200."

"All other 'Gouki' Link monsters?" Dark Go repeated.

"Yup. As the total Link rating is six, that means Powerload Ogre gains 1200 attack points! Powerload Pump Up!" Powerload Ogre let out a roar as his strength increased.

Gouki the Powerload Ogre ATK: 2800 + (200 X 6) = 4000

"From there, I activate Powerload Ogre's third and final effect. Once per turn, I can tribute one 'Gouki' Link monster I control, and target cards on the field up to that monster's Link rating before destroying them!" Go added, much to Dark Go's shock. "I tribute Heel Ogre, who's a Link 2 monster! That means I can target and destroy two cards! I target and destroy Spirit Barrier, and King T-Wrextle! Powerload Slash!" Powerload Ogre slashed forward, which caused a blade of energy to be fired from his blade before slashing Spirit Barrier and King T-Wrextle, turning the both of them into particles.

Gouki the Powerload Ogre ATK: 4000 – (200 x 2) = 3600

"In addition, I activate the Spell card, Gouki Finishing Hold. In case you need a reminder, this card increases the attack of a 'Gouki' Link Monster I control by 1000 times its Link Rating until the end of the turn! In addition, it can also inflict piercing battle damage! However, I can only attack with 'Gouki' monsters for the rest of this turn! I target Master Ogre!" Master Ogre was enveloped in a golden aura as he powered up.

Gouki the Master Ogre ATK: 3000 + (1000 X 4) = 7000

"No! This can't be!" Dark Go exclaimed, pure fear and shock registered on his face.

"This is the end result when my monsters work as one." Go replied, as he thrusted out his right hand. "Battle! Gouki the Master Ogre attacks Dinowrestler Giga Spinosavate!" Master Ogre charged at Giga Spinosavate, intent on destroying the latter.

"World Dino Wrestling increases Giga Spinosavate's attack points by 200 when it battles during damage calculation." Dark Go reminded Go, as Giga Spinosavate's strength slightly increased.

Dinowrestler Giga Spinosavate ATK: 2100 + 200 = 2300

"So what? That won't be enough to defeat you!" Go responded. "Gouki Master Beatdown!" Master Ogre kicked Giga Spinosavate in the head before bouncing high into the air, where he used his cloak to form a funnel that struck the latter, destroying him in the process. A massive explosion occurred upon impact, which sent Dark Go flying off the ground before landing on his back, his life points having dropped to zero in the process.

Dark Go: 4000 – 4700 = 0

Dark Go got up on his feet, rage evident on his face. How could he lose to Go? He had all the power, yet he lost?! "This isn't over. I'll always be a part of you no matter what. You can't deny it!"

"You're right. I won't deny it. You'll always be a part of me." Go admitted, much to Dark Go's surprise. "You're also a part of a chapter in my life. One that I have to close for good. Farewell."

Dark Go frowned back, a sad but content expression on his face that replaced the rage he had earlier. "Promise me you'll keep the children safe for me, alright?"

"I will." Go vowed, as Dark Go turned into pieces, satisfied with the former's answer. Suddenly, the chi then combined to form into Sahasrara, which made Go gasp in pure awe upon seeing him. "Okay, I better not be seeing things."

"Go Onizuka. Celebrity Duelist. Bounty hunter. Based on your trial, there has been great darkness within you." Sahasrara commented. "Why would someone like you, who hasn't practiced the Tenyi arts, take the trial in the first place?"

Go made a fist with his right hand. "Because... because I want to get on the path of redemption. To atone for my mistakes, and move forward. I was told that taking this trial would give me the knowledge needed to get on that path in the first place. Can you give me that advice? I don't know what to do next, nor do I know the best way to do so."

Sahasrara thought this answer over before speaking. "There is no one path for you to take, Go Onizuka. Knowledge is something that's continuously obtained over time. It's something you don't wish for. Rather, you learn from others and yourself as you grow as a person. If I can say anything, it's that for one to begin their atonement, they must face and acknowledge what they've done head on."

"My dark self..." Go muttered.

"Yes. The fact that you confronted your dark side head on has demonstrated your intent on redeeming yourself." Sahasrara confirmed. "You also overcame it by accepting responsibility for your mistakes, thus showing your focus on your future, and letting go of what you've done. In the end, the intent to letting things go and finding inner peace are the many things that makes you and the others human. For everyone is on a lifelong learning journey."

Go nodded after receiving this information from Sahasrara. From what Sahasrara was saying, the path of redemption and obtaining it in the end wasn't a one-time deal. Rather, it was something that, along with his actions, will always be with Go. He can also share his story on how he redeemed himself for his actions so that others would be able to move forward no matter what they've done. "That's very insightful. Thank you for sharing your advice with me." He then bowed in front of Sahasrara to show respect to him.

"Commit yourself to redemption every day, and in the end, you'll be able to fully achieve it. But don't just stop there. Strive to become a better person everyday by learning from your mistakes, and retaining who you really are in the face of adversity. For as long as you do that, you will truly become a better person on a daily basis." After Sahasrara gave that final piece of advice, he then turned into chi that went upwards, which dissipated several seconds later.

Soon, the entrance to the caverns opened up behind Go, which made him turn around as a door appeared. Having now gained the knowledge needed, Go immediately walked to the door and exited the caverns. Turning around, he saw Zandaka, having done the same thing.

"You made it out as well..." Go muttered.

"It was tricky, but I eventually managed to pass the trial." Zandaka admitted, before he grit his teeth in pain.

"Hey, you okay?"

"Y-Yeah, I am. Could you give me a piggyback ride back to the entrance?" Zandaka requested, which made Go nod as he picked the former up and place him on his back. Go then carried Zandaka back to the entrance, where Gekiryushi saw the two of them approach the entrance.

"Sensei Ikiagi! You're okay!" Gekiryushi cried out of relief as Go put Zandaka down. She gasped upon seeing small pieces of light inside Zandaka. "No. It can't be..."

"I met Sahasrara in the caverns. He said that my time is coming, but he allowed me to have a final conversation with you." Zandaka explained, before turning to Go. "Both of you. Now follow me. There's a place I want to show you." He then headed up the stairs, with Gekiryushi and Go following after him. Once the trio headed back up the mountain, they then walked past the dojo and headed into a forest nearby, where they trekked through it before eventually reaching an area with a cliffside and a large cherry blossom tree.

"You showed me this tree a long time ago." Gekiryushi recognized the area that Zandaka brought her and Go.

"I understand what the cherry blossom tree is about, but how does it apply to your teachings?" Go asked Zandaka.

"Because when one begins their teachings, it's a sense of renewal for them. A chance for the individual to learn something new from someone else." Zandaka answered. "There's one final lesson I want to teach you, Gekiryushi. As for you, Go, I believe you'd benefit from it as well."

"A lesson?" Gekiryushi repeated.

"Yes. A topic on control, and how to truly let go of it, as well as how to accept things the way they are before moving forward." Zandaka gestured Gekiryushi and Go to look at the cherry blossom tree. "For instance, I cannot make this tree blossom when it suits me, nor make it bear fruit before its time."

"But there are things we can control." Gekiryushi kicked the tree with a small amount of force, which caused a few pieces of peach to fall to the ground. "We can control when the fruit will fall." She then threw the peach in the air before chopping it in two, where she immediately made a hole in the dirt as the seed fell into it. "As well as where to plant the seed."

Zandaka smiled. "Ah, yes. But no matter what you do, that seed will grow into a peach tree. You may wish for an apple, or an orange, but you will still get a peach."

"What's your point?" Go inquired, only for Zandaka to grab him by the ear before heading back to the cherry blossom tree.

"My point is that you can't control everything, nor can you go back and undo what's already happened." Zandaka narrowed his eyes to ensure that Go and Gekiryushi understood that comment. "But if you accept what has occurred, you can acquire wisdom from those lessons, and take them with you in your life so you don't repeat the same mistakes. What's more, you can guide and nurture other people so they too can become the best versions of themselves."

"Sensei Ikiagi, I understand what you're saying, but I'm not sure where you're going with this." Gekiryushi said, which made Zandaka pull out three decks of cards before giving them to her. "These are…"

"Decks, one of which is the 'Tenyi' deck." Zandaka confirmed. "Sahasrara has given you a great task, Gekiryushi. To find people who aspire to become duelists. People who have pure hearts and souls. Those individuals... will make a great impact on the world."

Gekiryushi opened her mouth as she tried to respond back, but couldn't. What Zandaka was saying... shocked her, and based on this, she could only conclude one thing. That this was the last time she'll see Zandaka ever again. "How... How will I know who to select? How will I know who has a pure heart and soul? I need your help, Sensei Ikiagi."

Zandaka smiled in response. "You won't need my help. All you need to do is trust your heart. Sahasrara will help you should you need it. Promise me that you won't let others change who you are. Promise me that you'll continue to see good in people, and not look at situations in black and white. Promise me."

"I... I will continue to try." Gekiryushi promised.

"And for you, Go." Zandaka turned to Go. "Promise me that you'll strive to become a better person everyday. Promise me that you'll pass the wisdom you obtained to the people in your life so they too can benefit from your teachings."

"I will." Go promised, as he bowed in front of Zandaka. He honestly did not expect to bow in front of a Knight of Hanoi, but given how Zandaka was a sensei, it only made sense for Go to show some form of respect in a time like this. Plus, Go was a strong role model to the children, along with Kenmochi and Yoroizaka, which meant he can continue passing his wisdom onto them all so they can grow as people. For as Sahasrara said, learning is a lifelong journey, and more knowledge meant more wisdom.

"Good." Zandaka said, as he glanced up at the starry sky. The petals from the cherry blossom tree fell from the tree before the wind picked up. "My time has come." He turned to Gekiryushi and Go. "The two of you will have to continue your journeys without me. As for you, Go, while I didn't expect you to be one of my students, I am glad I passed some wisdom to you."

"What are you-?" Gekiryushi began speaking, only for her to realize that Zandaka's time was finally up.

The cherry blossoms surrounded Zandaka as he walked over to the cliff's edge before turning to Go and Gekiryushi. "Never give up who you truly are. Both of you."

"Sensei!" Gekiryushi cried out, as Zandaka was engulfed by the cherry blossoms before beginning to glow with golden light. The cherry blossoms then floated upwards, indicating that Zandaka had passed away.

A despondent look appeared on Gekiryushi's face as she fell to her knees, tears falling down from her eyes. "No..."

Go put a hand on Gekiryushi's shoulder. "I'm.. I'm so sorry for your loss. As for this task of yours in finding duelists, you don't have to do it alone. I can help you... if you let me."

Gekiryushi turned to Go, a smile on her face. "Thank you. When you get better, I would appreciate it very much."

Go nodded back. "If it's okay with you, I'd like to stay here for a few more days before returning home. Get my head on straight. And... help out with whatever rituals are done to honor the dead."

Gekiryushi stood up on her feet. "As Sensei Ikiagi's last disciple, I welcome you to the Shinpi-Tekina dojo. I am also glad that you want to help with the ritual to honor Sensei Ikiagi." The two of them then left the area with the cherry blossom tree, intent on making preparations to honor Zandaka. While tears were still in Gekiryushi's eyes, she was grateful that she could reconcile with Zandaka, for she was able to lift a great burden off her shoulders as a result. Now... now she can live a life that would honor her sensei. One that would make Zandaka proud.

Elsewhere, at Sincero Penitentiary, in the common area, during the evening...

Guards were escorting prisoners to their respective cells as dinner time was reaching its end. For the police officers, it was another typical day's work in maintaining the environment and ensuring that the prisoners didn't escape. In addition, after what happened months ago, robots were also sent in order to keep the prisoners in line. This was the only thing the officers were grateful for, as there were some prisoners who wouldn't comply with orders. Especially prisoners who were involved with the Turf War.

"Move it!" one of the officers ordered Clarice, as she stood up from her spot before following them out of the common area. She wasn't the only one, as Creknurt and Wyatt were also forced to stand up from their seats once they finished with their respective meals. Seconds later, Amadeus was forced to stand up on his feet after finishing his meal.

"Damn these officers..." Clarice muttered.

"If it wasn't for Raguel and his meddlesome team, we wouldn't be here." Creknurt cursed.

"We're on the same page for that topic." Wyatt agreed. He and the others recently learned from the officers that Sharpshot and Chainslaver had been arrested by the authorities. Some of the officers even commented that it was a good thing Ace had died because not everyone has a chance of being rehabilitated. Some of the officers were shocked how Saburo, a teenager, was responsible for so many crimes as Speckles. Crimes that were disturbing.

"I was supposed to be out of this ridiculous prison, yet I'm back here again!" Amadeus cursed. "Don't these people know that I'm an ambassador from Central Japan? That should give me some form of immunity!"

"Oh, stop with the immunity comments already, Amadeus," a voice ordered, as its owner, Raul, appeared from another section of the prison's main area to join the others. "Nobody cares here."

Suddenly, the power went out in the whole prison before small lights lit up. The next thing everyone knew, the Shadow appeared as it sent shadowy, ribbon-like tentacles at a few prisoners nearby, which pierced through them completely as they all fell to the ground before dying.

"What the Hell was-?" one of the officers began speaking, before the power went out again as several prisoners began to run over one another before the Shadow released more shadowy, ribbon-like tentacles. Some of them hit a few prisoners, while a few others narrowly dodged them, lest they end up like the others.

Seeing this, the officers fired several shots from their guns at the Shadow, with the robots also coming in to attack the Shadow. In response, the Shadow used its shadowy, ribbon-like tentacles to pierce through the robots before blending in with the darkness. It suddenly appeared in another area of the prison as it pierced several more prisoners with its tentacles before throwing their bodies at the living prisoners nearby. Upon seeing this, the prisoners immediately tried to run back to their cells, hoping to protect themselves lest they get killed.

The prison robots immediately flew to where the Shadow was before hitting it with riot batons, a few of them even firing several rounds of fire from their guns in the hope of stopping it. While the robots usually used stun bullets when dealing with unruly prisoners, they were forced to switch to real bullets in order to deal with an unholy presence such as the Shadow. The robots were even reinforced by other police officers, who fired at the Shadow with their guns.

It hurts! It hurts! It hurts! It hurts, the Shadow screamed in its mind, as shadowy, ribbon-like tentacles pierced through the robots completely before throwing their remains at the police officers, some of them being sent flying to the wall upon impact. It pierced through more criminals before grabbing their limb bodies and throwing them at the other prisoners, intent on caging them so that it can end their miserable lives.

The Shadow immediately blended in the darkness once more as it appeared in another area of the prison, where it was greeted by gunfire and attacks from the officers and robots. It hurts! It hurts! It hurts! It hurts, were the Shadow's thoughts as it released more shadowy, ribbon-like tentacles at its attackers, maiming each one in the process. While it threw the robots bodies at the criminals, it oddly left the officers alone, as though it had some form of a... conscience.

Unfortunately, some of the prisoners took advantage of the chaos and attacked the police officers in an attempt to escape from Sincero Penitentiary. The chaos reminded the Shadow of a familiar sound. One that annoyed it. One that angered it. One that it hated. Filled with malice and rage, the Shadow immediately released shadowy, ribbon-like tentacles that killed the prisoners before throwing their limb bodies at other prisoners nearby.

The chaos going on in the prison, along with the attacks from the robots, officers, and prisoners was too much, as the Shadow let out a loud scream before releasing a shockwave that sent everyone flying back. Soon, the Shadow transformed into a pitch-black humanoid with red outlines as it suddenly ran rampant, killing numerous prisoners that were in its way.

"KILL! KILL! KILL! KILL! KILL! KILL! KILL! KILL!" the pitch-black humanoid screamed, as it tore its way through several prisoners, ignoring the bullet fire and attacks that hit him. The pitch-black humanoid found Clarice nearby, and before she could even act, he dashed forward and tore her in two, blood having fallen on his body.

Noticing Amadeus nearby with a group of prisoners, the pitch-black humanoid blended in the darkness before massacring them all, along with Amadeus, leaving several body parts flying through the air as a result. Seeing more prisoners, the pitch-black humanoid grabbed the limp body parts and threw them at the group, which sent the prisoners running to their cells so they can try and escape what was going on. Unfortunately for those prisoners, the pitch-black humanoid blended in the darkness and intercepted the group before tearing through all of them, ignoring the wounds it sustained in the process.

The pitch-black humanoid smashed the limp bodies numerous times on the ground before jumping high into the air and beating other prisoners to death with them, where it then threw those bodies at other individuals nearby, blood landing on its body as it did so. This included officers, other prisoners, and the robots trying to mitigate the chaos. It turned its head and saw Wyatt trying to escape, which led to it blending in the darkness once more before chasing him down, where it tore through his body mercilessly.

A terrified Raul pushed aside other prisoners and officers as he tried to escape the pitch-black humanoid's wrath, managing to escape into a cell nearby before locking the bars behind him. He gasped in horror as he saw the pitch-black humanoid tear through the officers and prisoners, one of which included Creknurt, whose head was ripped off of his body. What surprised Raul was that despite its chaotic state, the pitch-black humanoid was only wounding the officers, while it tore through robots and prisoners instead.

Raul ended up gasping in terror as he saw the pitch-black humanoid tear its way through the prison bars in numerous cells and check to see whether there were any people inside. If there were, there was no further evidence due to the pitch-black humanoid tearing the people apart. Within seconds, the pitch-black humanoid tore the prison bars in Raul's cell before approaching him, murder on its mind. "Please spare me! I'll repent for my crimes and become a better person! You have my word!"

Before the pitch-black humanoid could move in and attempt to kill Raul, it ended up screaming in pain as it was forced to immediately escape the Sincero Penitentiary, the officers and robots trying to kill it in the process. Breaking through several walls, the pitch-black humanoid blended in the darkness so it can escape its pursuers.

"Call the authorities now! We need ambulances, firetrucks, and officer asap!" one of the officers ordered to a robot nearby, who proceeded to dial a phone number as a massive alarm rung out from the entire area of the Sincero Penitentiary.

Back at Café Matsuo, Yuhiro was tossing and turning in his bed as he screamed in pure terror, unable to wake up. Stains of blood also formed on Yuhiro's body as well, as though he were inflicted with wounds. While Yuhiro's Link Trigger helped manage them, more wounds continued to appear on his body.

"AUNTIE! Yuhiro needs help!" Miyu cried out, as she rushed over to help calm Yuhiro down. She had just gotten out of the hospital, and she wouldn't let Yuhiro suffer anymore than he already has.

"Yuhiro, it's us! Calm down! It's us." Roxy gently repeated to Yuhiro, which didn't work as Yuhiro continued to scream in terror, still stuck in his nightmare. "Miyu, stay with Yuhiro. I'm getting a healing stim."

"Don't worry. I got this." Miyu assured Roxy, the latter immediately running out of Yuhiro's room to get a healing stim. Miyu, on the other hand, tried to help Yuhiro get out of the nightmare by gently shaking him. What she didn't notice was that her hands glowed light blue, which caused energy to enter into Yuhiro's body as it helped his wounds heal. "It's okay, Yuhiro. I'm here. I'm here."

"It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts." Yuhiro said in pain, who was still trapped in the nightmare.

Roxy then entered into Yuhiro's room, the healing stim in her hand before she jabbed it into Yuhiro, which released a green fluid into his body as he painfully screamed for a few seconds before opening his eyes and vaulting upwards.

"Where am I?" Yuhiro inquired, before he looked around the area he was in. He was in his room, which was a good sign. What's more, he wasn't alone. For Miyu and Roxy were there as well. "Miyu... You're really here..."

Tears fell from Miyu's eyes as she smiled. "Thank goodness. You're safe, Yuhiro."

The next thing Yuhiro knew, Miyu dove down and hugged him before he could respond. He hugged her back, happy that she was finally out of the hospital for good. Yuhiro then turned his head to Roxy. "What's happening to me, Roxy? Why are I still experiencing these nightmares? Why? I don't understand."

"Shh. It's okay. We'll figure it out." Roxy assured Yuhiro, as she also hugged him. Unbeknownst to the trio, the pitch-black humanoid appeared in the shadows before disappearing for now.

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

A portal opened from above as Jericho landed on the walkway that led to the monolith. Despite what happened, he was able to succeed in his mission in the end. That, and he was even able to acquire Bohman and Haru for Urizen in the process. However, the mission nearly failed due to some unexpected factors that had occurred. For instance, Jericho didn't anticipate Zero appearing in his attempt to stop him, nor could he expect Ai to try and sacrifice himself in his attempt to destroy the Neuron Link. However, Ai's 'sacrifice' had resulted in a backdoor being created, which gave Jericho the opportunity to acquire the remnants of the Ignis trapped inside Bohman. Unfortunately, only Ai remained, and he was hiding somewhere in the network after Bohman was defeated. Once Jericho informed Shalem of his findings, he'd hunt down Ai and capture him, no matter what methods had to be used to do so.

"That was... too close of a call." Jericho admitted. "Zero's appearance was troubling, and it was something I did not take into account. If he appeared, that means the AUTOs would be joining him soon, and that's the last thing I need right now."

Jericho pressed a few buttons on his duel disk, which caused a rainbow orb to pop out of it. The orb split into seven smaller orbs, one blue, one green, one brown, one red, one yellow, one white, and one black before each one entered into the monolith. The orbs then began to form into an octagon, where they formed into pieces of equal energy that connected to one another. Unfortunately, it was incomplete, as evident by one of the pieces missing from the octagon.

Once that was done, he walked away from the monolith, wanting to go upstairs so he can study the footage obtained from the duels in Mirror LINK VRAINS, along with how the Cursed Boundary Layer was doing now that it was in the real world. Shalem would be pleased with this information, along with the fact that Jericho acquired two new servants to serve Urizen. Jericho was also confident that the two of them can be restored so they can fulfil their new role.

BA-BUMP!

Jericho let out a small gasp as he felt energy going through his body. It was as though he felt a powerful presence in the area. Did someone managed to break into his laboratory without him knowing? No. Jericho would be alerted if someone dared to try and do so.

Turning around, he noticed that the monolith emitted powerful energy, which was the same one going through his body. Such a thing had never happened before, and Jericho was very curious as to what this meant for his mission.

"What is it?" Jericho walked over to the monolith, having noticed the pieces of the octagon responsible for emitting that powerful energy. "Show me." He touched the incomplete octagon, which caused energy to flow towards him as he gritted his teeth in slight pain and closed his eyes. But suddenly, the pain stopped, and when Jericho opened his eyes, he noticed that he was in a new area.

It consisted of a grassy terrain with numerous pieces of dirt on the ground. The area was also bathed in an evening glow. Jericho knelt down on the ground and grabbed a piece of dirt, which fell from his fingers as he stood up before looking at the remaining pieces in his hand.

"It is here. On this world." Jericho realized, before unsheathing the short sword from its sheath and slamming it down to the ground. This caused a massive explosion to occur, the molten cracks on the ground immediately forming into a new shape. One that consisted of a blade that was connected to a total of eight devilish wings that had an eye on each one, as well as an eye at the center of the blade.

After looking around and grasping what just happened, Jericho let out a loud roar of victory and joy. What Urizen was seeking this whole time had finally been found.

With this discovery, the ISOs were now close to victory more than ever. And once Urizen acquired the Root of All Knowledge, the entire world, no, the entire universe will be cleansed through Eschaton, and the New Epoch will finally begin!

(This is the ending. If you have suggestions, don't hesitate to send a PM or input it in your review. Note that more details will be added as the chapters move along).

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Card Gallery

No new cards appear in this chapter.

QOTC

What are your thoughts on how different characters are processing the events that happened in the Mirror LINK VRAINS arc?

Chapter Preview

Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Obscured Truth. Chapter 95: One Choice makes a Difference. The Ignis war is finally over. Lightning, Bohman, Azrael, and Wraith have been defeated, but at too high of a cost. While Yuhiro and the others deal with the fallout of the war, Brion, Greg, Rachel, and Gil launch an attack on Central Japan, hoping to liberate it from Balius' control for good...

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

Author's Notes

Well, everyone. This was a rather interesting chapter, especially when it kicks off Season 3, don't you think? Like I said, there will be a total of eight chapters before the anime events, and I only revealed a total of three because the other five chapters are in spoiler territory. That, and it sets up future antagonists after those eight chapters. Anyhow, let's get to the chapter recap, shall we:

First up is the Frog and Pigeon scene, which I won't say much other than how they only got to keep three duels, which are the Lightning vs Specter, Windy vs Slipstream, and of course, the final Bohman vs Playmaker duel. For those of you wondering who exactly paid three million dollars for a copy of the Bohman vs Playmaker duel, it was the three Kings. If you're confused, go and read Roxy's Reports 34 for more information. Aside from that, not much happens in this scene, so no point in recalling anything else here.

Next up is the scene in the real world, with the Hanoi rendezvousing and talking with one another following the war in Mirror LINK VRAINS. To start, the Hanoi acknowledge that they owe debts of gratitude to both Soulburner and Slipstream, the former for defeating Malf and avenging the Hanoi, and the latter for saving Yua following his duel against Windy. Like I said before: Yua will be working with the Hanoi moving forward, and will no longer work with Watchman given recent events. On the topic of Yua, I will say this: The mother-son relationship between her and Ryoken has been strained due to the former's actions in escaping for her own safety, as well as unintentionally abandoning Ryoken in the process. Zandaka then announces what he learned from the doctors back in Chapter 89, which was the news that he's dying due to Malf's actions. The worst part is that, due to how the healthy portions of his heart are intertwined with the healthy systems, it's impossible to do the surgery without risking the chance of compromising the healthy systems. And when the Hanoi offer to do what they did with Dr. Kogami in order to save Zandaka, he refuses the offer for two reasons. One: He's afraid of what would happen to him if he underwent the procedure, and doesn't want to take that chance. After all, there's no such thing as a one hundred percent guarantee when it comes to procedures. What's more, Zandaka fears that he'll get hacked and be forced to turn against the Hanoi, so he doesn't want to risk that as well. Two: Zandaka's recognized that he lived a long life, and wants to die on his own terms, but not before going to settle personal matters.

For the next topic, Emon announces that he too is dying as well due to Wraith destroying the program protecting him from demonic control. Recall that Dr. Kogami used this program to save Emon's life prior to him joining the Hanoi. Because the program was destroyed, it's only a matter of time until the 'Burning Abyss' monsters try to consume his soul, so he wants to settle personal matters as well before going out on his own terms. To sum it up, both Emon and Zandaka are dying, and will no longer be dueling moving forward, which is why they'll leave the Hanoi.

The third topic to come up for the Hanoi is the consequences for Akairo's involvement with the group. The good news is that no one knows that Akairo is Drachen, and as a result, only his avatar is put on trial for what happened back in Chapter 77. This means that Akairo will most likely be okay in the end, which means his family won't be jeopardized by his actions. As for his trial and its outcome, that will be shown in a different chapter.

The fourth topic to come up for the Hanoi was Yua explaining what happened after the Lost Incident. Once Arshad took Yua in, he gave her things to help her hide in plain sight, such as untraceable eye contacts, and creating the backstory of her divorce with Dr. Kogami. Yua even changed her name and hair before keeping an eye on things at the Den City Hospital. She then reveals that the deal she made with Arshad was in the form of blackmail. If Yua disobeyed Arshad's orders, then he'd throw her to the wolves. Period. Just goes to show how he only cares for his goals alone.

And on the topic of Ryoken: He's the leader of the Hanoi, and it's a leader's job to ensure that the wellbeing of his allies are safe. So it only makes sense for him to beat himself up due to his failure as a result. Following the meeting, he leaves to get some space, only for Youta and Takeya to keep an eye on him in case something comes up. As the trio go to get some food, Youta tries to calm Ryoken down, only for him to basically shut down his attempt at doing so. It's here where Takeya ends up speaking with Ryoken, and giving him a harsh reality check about the world with a simple fact: You can't control everything. Simple as that. Takeya explains that he learned this the hard way growing up, where his parents were always arguing, almost to the point where violence occurred. Sadly, Takeya had no friends, aside from Biscuit to get through those turbulent times. In fact, that was another reason why Takeya wanted to get into comedy. So he can escape the violent environment and his laughing disorder temporarily. As you know already, once Takeya officially ran away from home following the talent show fiasco and Biscuit's death, Kazuma took him in. During this time, Takeya learned that his parents died in separate incidents, thus robbing him of the chance to speak with them. The sad truth is that you have to move forward and accept what happened every day, but it does get better over time. It goes to show that, despite Takeya being someone who can drive a person into despair with comedy, he can be wise too, don't you think?

But moving that aside, the next main thing that happens is the scenes at the Den City Hospital, which I'll cover in three parts. First is the conversation between Miyu, Roxy, and Aoi, the three of them finally getting to spend time together after everything that's happened. The best news is that Miyu will be leaving the hospital too. About damn time, don't you think? I do want to say one thing regarding Miyu: She believes that she's responsible for causing other people pain indirectly because of how everyone has been affected for something that happened to her for a long time. She thinks she hurt Yuhiro too. But Roxy and Aoi comfort Miyu, knowing that what Miyu's saying isn't true. So why did I put that in the chapter in the first place? Well, I wanted to create another form of connection between Miyu and Yuhiro, for the two of them believe that their own existences are what led to other people suffering as a result. Something for the two of them to connect on. Something for the two of them to help each other out with over time. Sadly, Yuhiro overhears this entire conversation, and believing that his existence is still hurting others, proceeds to leave the Den City Hospital, but not before asking Miles to give his regards to Quinton and the others there.

The next scene in the Den City Hospital is the conversation between Tsubaki and Gekiryushi, the two of them glad to see one another alive and well. I do want to highlight the fact that they're truly friends, having been enemies in Season 1 to comrades in Season 2, and officially friends as of now. The two of them discuss Malf's destruction, as well as Ace having been defeated. Now Gekiryushi and Tsubaki don't know that Ace is actually dead, as he blew himself up after he defeated Tsubaki in their rematch. Before they could continue talking, Zandaka shows up, asking to speak with Gekiryushi, the latter agreeing to do so. Here, the two of them discuss what happened since they last spoke, and Zandaka tells Gekiryushi that he's dying. Her response? She's actually shocked, as someone she knows despite her animosity towards them is dying. Plus, Gekiryushi trained under Zandaka a long time ago, and cared for him too despite their animosity. Zandaka then explains that he regained his lost honor through his purpose of working with the Hanoi. For without purpose, you're nothing. He then explains the lessons he learned along the way. The first being that family is important, for your actions impact the people in your life. The second being what you leave behind for the next generation, and how they perceive you. Zandaka was so caught up in his self pity, self-focus, and selfish thoughts that he still had Gekiryushi left.

Once Zandaka apologizes for his mistakes, Gekiryushi forgives him, knowing that the good man she looked up to was officially back. That, and there's not much time left for Zandaka, so Gekiryushi wants to leave on good terms. After the conversation, Zandaka explains another reason why he came to the hospital: He sensed someone similar to himself at that place, and wanted to offer a way for that person to begin taking their first steps towards redemption. But how did Zandaka even sense that person in the first place? Well, it was one of the lessons taught at the Shinpi-Tekina dojo, which involved understanding both your own aura and others' auras in order to perceive who people truly are. I won't get into too much detail, as it is a recap after all.

As such, Gekiryushi and Zandaka wander through the hospital, where the duo see Go speaking with a doctor regarding the MRI test he undertook, thus confirming the surgery's success. It's here where Zandaka confirms that Go's the person he sensed, and when Gekiryushi questions this, Zandaka explains that Go is also someone who has regrets for his actions and wants to repent for them. This leads to the two of them pursuing Go before requesting to speak with him and Quinton. After Zandaka discerns that Go too wants to seek redemption, Go admits that fact, saying that his desire to be number one led him to work for SOL Technologies, abandon the people who cared about him, and end up getting an AI chip implanted in his brain, which nearly led to his death. I also want to confirm something here: All of Malf's victims remember bits and pieces of info they heard while being absorbed by Malf. So Go, Gekiryushi, and Zandaka remember bits and pieces of what happened while inside Malf, but not to the point where it's clear as day. Also, they couldn't hear much, which is why their recollection while in Malf is so hazy. Even a memory scanner won't be able to fix it. Once Zandaka explains his intentions on providing the path of redemption to Go, the latter agrees to do so. Upon hearing this answer, Zandaka announces that they'll leave for the Shinpi-Tekina dojo within a day and a half, and bids good day to Go and Quinton afterward.

Next up is mostly anime scenes, only with a twist. While Ryoken, Youta, and Takeya remind Yusaku and the others about how threatening AIs can be, they also came for three other reasons. First, it's to thank Takeru and Arashi for not just defeating Malf and avenging the Hanoi, but for also saving Yua as well. This means the Hanoi owe both Takeru and Arashi debts of gratitude. However, just because they owe Takeru and Arashi debts of gratitude doesn't mean the group won't stop their operations. They won't do that so long as there are threats to the network. Speaking of threats to the network, Ryoken, Youta, and Takeya remind Yusaku and the others about a Shadow going around in the real world at night, making people sick in the process. More details about the Shadow will be provided later on. I do, however, want to highlight the third reason why Ryoken and his allies came. It's because they want to get payback on Azrael for making them suffer all this time. The only problem is that Azrael's gone. So that means they want Yuhiro to pay the blood debt on his brother's behalf at all costs. Not just that, but due to how inhuman Yuhiro and Yukage are, the Hanoi sees the two of them as threats to humanity. To sum it up, they compare Yuhiro as a bomb with a lit fuse. What the others don't know is that Yuhiro was listening to this entire conversation nearby, which breaks his heart after hearing everything. And with advice from Pandora, Yuhiro begins plotting his next move.

After the anime events is the scene at the Den City Rehabilitation Center, where Kusanagi reunites with Katsuya. Here, Katsuya explains why he didn't contact Kusanagi after all of this time: It was because the deal he made with Arshad was in the form of blackmail. While Arshad was willing to help cure Jin, should Katsuya disobey him, then he'd make sure that Katsuya would never see Jin again. We also learn more about Cafe Nagi, and how it was originally started by Kusanagi's great-grandmother a long time ago, even though the family is in the sports industry. While Kusanagi originally wanted to get a job in the sports industry, he made a deal with his family, saying that he'll open another branch of the family business in exchange for providing him with money to learn about programming. In the end, Kusanagi forgives Katsuya, the two of them deciding to move forward now that the Ignis war was over. Jin's released from the rehabilitation centre, and the three of them are reunited. I'll just say this now so no one is confused: Jin will not be dueling at all in the story. Period. If anything, he'll help out at the back with Kusanagi by learning coding and hacking, though that won't be until much later in the story. And Katsuya knows about Watchman's treachery, so he won't be working for him any longer.

The next thing that occurs is one and a half days later, where Go, Gekiryushi, and Zandaka head to a different area in Japan. Specifically, the area where the Shinpi-Tekina dojo is located. But before they even go there, they end up getting a ton of supplies for repairing the dojo. Some of you are probably thinking why. It's because they obviously need to repair it, of course. That, and I wanted Go to get some training in that wasn't strenuous, especially after a surgery, and I didn't want to do a training montage as well. Instead, Go focuses on regaining mobility and acquire training by doing simple chores, almost like in The Karate Kid movies. Here, Zandaka tells Go that there's a disharmony between his mind and body as a result of the AI chip being implanted in the latter's head. After explaining how the body system has different sections that work as one, Zandaka then shows Go different techniques in completing chores so that he can regain his mobility over time. This paid off after completing the chores, as he was able to use them to block Zandaka and Gekiryushi's attacks. I'll just note: If Zandaka and Gekiryushi were using their full strength, Go would have obviously been clobbered. They held back so Go can acquire his mobility.

After repairing the dojo, the trio come together for a meal before the trial to come. Here, we learn how Gekiryushi came to the Shinpi-Tekina dojo and meet Zandaka in the first place. Once upon a time, she got into the wrong crowds all of the time because she I wanted to be noticed, and became a bully as a result. After her parents learned the truth, they sent her to the dojo in the hopes that she can find a better path. The good news was that Gekiryushi was truly able to find that better path in the end, despite it being stained a bit.

As for Zandaka, he didn't always lived in the mountains. Once upon a time, he lived in a village with his wife and Kataru. Unfortunately, Zandaka's wife was taken from him, or to sum it up for you, she was murdered. Kataru was the person that prevented Zandaka from seeking vengeance, and he was the reason that Zandaka build the Shinpi-Tekina dojo in the first place. This way, he can teach people martial arts so they can defend themselves against attackers, and ultimately prevent the fate that happened to him from happening to others.

A few hours after dinner, the trio head down the mountains and towards the caverns of Vishuda. Here, it was where Arakan went in the hopes of overcoming the trial and seizing Sahasrara's power. Sadly, that didn't go well, and as you all know, Zandaka was forced to kill him. Re-read Chapters 17 and 18 if you need a recap on this information. According to Zandaka, those who conquer the caverns will be able to not only find themselves, but also be imbued with wisdom and strength from Sahasrara himself as well. With this information in mind, Go and Zandaka head into the caverns, but not before Gekiryushi heads over to the entrance to wait for them.

Zandaka's trial was focused on overcoming his greatest failure, which was being unable to prevent Arakan, one of his students, from succumbing to the darkness. I originally planned for Zandaka to duel against Arakan using cards, but in all honesty, it wasn't needed at all. So instead, I opted for a martial arts brawl, with Zandaka using chi from the other Tenyi spirits, while Arakan relied on only using Vishuda's chi. If Arakan won, he'd return to the land of the living, while Zandaka would be trapped in the caverns forever. The good news was that Zandaka was able to gain the upper hand after recalling everything he learnt in the time he spent with the Hanoi, and how it eventually led him to reclaim his honor. This enabled him to defeat Arakan, and instead of killing him, he used the Wuxi Finger Hold to sent him to the spirit realm and cleanse him of Vishuda's curse. After defeating the apparition of Arakan, Zandaka sees Tenyi Spirit – Sahasrara in front of him for the first time in a long time. Here, Sahasrara forgives Zandaka for his sins after learning his reasons for coming to the caverns, as well as the fact that he was willing to risk his own life to seek redemption. Unfortunately, Sahasrara points out that Zandaka doesn't have much time left, which he accepts with grace and humility. He requests time to say goodbye to Go and Gekiryushi, and Sahasrara grants that request. Sahasrara also adds that there is a task that Gekiryushi must complete, which is to find people who have pure souls and heart that strive to become duelists. This means that the 'Tenyi' deck will be passed onto someone else. As for the other two decks, I'm sure all of you can figure out what they'll be in due time.

Meanwhile, Go faces his own darkness during his trial in a duel against a dark version of himself. Here, Go uses his 'Gouki' deck against Dark Go's 'Dinowrestler' deck. For this duel, I wanted to show just how different both decks were, along with the symbolism each deck had when it comes to Go as a character. When he used his 'Gouki' deck, he focused on the 'teamwork' element of how his monsters worked together to eventually defeat the opponent. When he used the 'Dinowrestler' deck, he wanted to limit the opponent's options before brutally destroying them to protect his pride. Thus showing the light and dark sides of Go's soul. Despite some difficulties, along with the attack lock Dark Go put up through King T-Wrextle and Giga Spinosavate, Go was able to eventually win the duel through Master Ogre and his new monster Gouki the Powerload Ogre. Following the duel, Go receives a visit from Sahasrara, who gives him an enlightening lesson. How humans are forever on a lifelong journey, where they learn from the actions that occurred. They can also share their stories to other people so they could learn from the storyteller and incorporate it into their lives, ultimately using that wisdom to move forward no matter what they've done.

Go and Zandaka then exit the caverns, with Gekiryushi greeting the duo after doing so. There, Zandaka requests the two of them to accompany him a cherry tree near the dojo, and imparts a final lesson to Gekiryushi and Go on the topic on control, as well as how to accept it and the lessons learned before moving forward. He also tells Gekiryushi about the task Sahasrara assigned her, and he passes away after making Go and Gekiryushi promise to never betray who they actually are as individuals. This means Zandaka's dead. He won't be coming back, which leaves Gekiryushi as the last surviving disciple. Following this, Go asks to stay at the dojo so he can get his head on straight, as well as help with the funeral arrangements. Gekiryushi agrees to his request, grateful for his assistance.

In the meanwhile, I want to highlight two scenes involving the Shadow. For those of you who read and/or seen the three routes in Fate/Stay Night, you'll be able to understand what's going on here and how it'll impact the characters in the next six to seven chapters. To start, the Shadow is the Cursed Boundary Layer that somehow manifested itself from the network into the real world, and Yuhiro and the others don't know that Jericho was responsible for it. But to remind you of how the Cursed Boundary Layer works, after an ISO goes to a world, they would begin gathering materials to create it amongst other things while laying low and gathering intel. Once it was done, they would proceed to unleash the Cursed Boundary Layer onto that world by latching itself onto a person to act as a carrier. But it couldn't be just any random person. It had to be someone who was going through intense sorrow or pain, and was filled with negative emotions. Upon infection, the Cursed Boundary Layer would proceed to lay waste to the general area by draining the life force of anyone in the area present. Not just that, but it would provide the carrier with so much energy that eventually, they'll break down and become a rancorous version of themselves as a result of the overflowing negative emotions occurring in their mind. Eventually, the person would release that energy, which in turn would give the ISO the signal for them to launch the invasion of the world they were currently in. It was an effective and efficient strategy, where the species can damage itself so much they wouldn't be able to stop the invasion fleet from taking over their world.

As shown at the beginning, it starts out as a jellyfish on land, where it casually pricks people while maintaining some form of a connection with the infected host. The Shadow, which is the Cursed Boundary Layer in manifested form, hates whoever the infected host hates, which leads to it becoming hostile. This is done to gauge just how strong a species is at the surface. As it continues its feeding, it eventually begins to murder people and drain their energy upon going rampant due to stress. The infected person ends up experiencing nightmares of the Shadow's appearances due to this connection, and... well, it just gets worse for the infected person later on. For the second appearance, the Shadow mutated into a pitch-black humanoid as a result of the stress, and proceeds to go on a massacre at the Sincero Penitentiary. If you're wondering where I got inspiration for the pitch-black humanoid's appearance, I got inspiration from the Slenderman. But moving that aside, Clarice, Wyatt, Creknurt, and Amadeus are murdered along with several criminals, with Raul being one of the few survivors. The good news is that the officers were wounded, thus showing that it was barely being restrained. The worse news is that Yuhiro's suffering due to the Cursed Boundary Layer, and things are only getting worse for him from there.

Last but not least is the scene involving Jericho, and while I won't say much, I will say that things have gotten more interesting.

So without further ado, I want to thank you all for reading Chapter 94 of Obscured Truth. As always, please let me know your thoughts about the chapters below in your reviews. Also, constructive criticism is appreciated, as your tips and advice helps make the story better. In addition, don't forget to favourite and follow the story. That way, you will get a notification once the next chapter is released. If you can also answer the QOTC, that would be awesome as well.

What did you enjoy the most from this chapter: The heartwarming and sad scenes with the Hanoi? The hospital scenes? The fact that the Hanoi deems Yuhiro a bomb with a lit fuse? The training sequence and heartwarming talk between Go, Gekiryushi, and Zandaka? The trials Go and Zandaka went through in order to conquer their inner darkness? Zandaka's passing? The scenes involving the Shadow? The fact that Jericho has unveiled a hidden truth at last? Or was it something else?

That's all for now folks. I'll be doing the next update for Roxy's Reports first, as there are profile updates that need to be done. And pay attention to the post credits scenes as well, for there are things that will explain what's going on. As for next chapter, the liberation of Central Japan won't be settled with a children's card game. Instead, it'll be settled with guns, fists, strategies, and combat. See you next time! I hope you look forward to it!