Hey loyal readers! I hope all of you had a wonderful and safe Christmas and New Year. Sorry for the long wait. I'm finally back with my next chapter… staring the cast of Vrains! What's been going on with Playmaker and his group after departing Cyberse World? Time to see!

One more thing. A mistake in the Duel was pointed out to me and I fixed that. Heatlio's ATK altering Effect couldn't be used in the Battle Phase, so I altered the Duel to compensate. Just didn't want any confusion for the sudden changes. Now it should be good.

Yugioh: The Hope of Six

Chapter 9 – A Parting of Rivals

Yusaku Fujiki stepped out into the fresh air after a full day of being inside his school. He was a tall, rangy 16 year old teen with green eyes and dark blue hair that spiked outward in the back containing light blue bangs with pink accents. He wore a slate-colored jacket with light blue trim over an unbuttoned white dress shirt with a blue tie with black pants, the norm for his attire at Den City High School.

Den City was his home, a large metropolis with many people and highly advanced technology. The most popular activity there was to log into a digital world called LINK VRAINS. In that realm, people could make their avatars look like anything, be anywhere they wished and had Duels with others across the world.

Yusaku had his own identity in LINK VRAINS, one he intended to keep secret from the public like most people. In that digitalized world, he was known as the hero called Playmaker. Twice now, he had saved the people of Den City from dangerous threats that would have spelled doom for them. Of course, he never fought those battles alone.

"Yusaku!" Yusaku turned to see a fellow student catching up to him. It was another teenage boy, this one had reddish-orange and silver hair and wore glasses over grey eyes. His uniform was the same as Yusaku's, except his had lavender-lined collar and pink tie. Yusaku smiled as the teen met up with him. "Sorry, I got held up. Late homework assignment." He said with a chuckle. Yusaku smiled.

"Don't worry about it, Takeru." Like Yusaku, Takeru Homura had his own secret identity in LINK VRAINS. He was well known as Soulburner, a close friend and ally of Playmaker. They had worked together numerous times to save Den City. Takeru originally lived in another home, but he moved to Den City recently due to certain circumstances.

"Have we heard anything yet?" Takeru asked. His friend shook his head as they walked.

"No. I asked Shoichi before on any leads, but we are still no closer to finding Lightning, Zarc, and E'Rah. We've gotten no word from Ray either. Those three seemed to have hidden themselves well." It had been a few days since they managed to save everyone on the Airship and went their separate ways for the time being. They had been waiting for any updates about anything, but nothing had come up so far.

"What about Ai?" Takeru questioned. Yusaku shook his head again.

"Nothing from him either." His friend sighed.

"That's depressing."

"What is?" The duo looked behind them to see two girls approaching them from behind. Their uniforms were similar to the boys', except they each had a light yellow jumper over their shirts and black miniskirts. One girl had yellow eyes and light brown hair in a bob-cut. The other had grey eyes and pale brown hair that hung down the nape of her neck with pigtails held by small yellow clips. "Anything wrong?" Said the bob-cut haired girl who spoke a second ago.

"You could say that, Aoi. Yusaku just told me that we still have no news." Takeru told her. Aoi Zaizen was a good friend of Yusaku and Takeru, as well as another close ally. She fought alongside them in LINK VRAINS as Blue Maiden. She was originally known as a famous Duelist called Blue Angel, then later changed her avatar into Blue Girl for more "covert" reasons. Her current avatar was the result of learning the predicament of her best friend, Miyu Sugisaki, who was with her now.

Miyu was of course aware of everything that had happened. Aoi had informed her of all past events after she woke up from her coma. Yusaku and Takeru told her it was alright that Miyu was in the loop, since she was a victim of the "Lost Incident" like they were. Miyu was even told about Ray Akaba and the Duelists recruited to help save her world. She was awed by all of it and of course kept their LINK VRAINS identities secret.

"So, no word from Ray?" Aoi asked as she sighed. The guys both said no.

"Nor have we heard from Ai." Yusaku added. At the mention of that name, Aoi scowled and looked down.

"I see." She replied, sounding a tad bit cold. The trio knew why she responded that way.

"Aoi, you can't keep being angry at Ai. Your brother is fine, thanks to Yusaku. Plus, from what I understand, Ai seemed to regret what he did. I think he really is sorry for hurting you. Why don't you just forgive him and move on?" Miyu asked. Her friend didn't soften her voice as she responded.

"You weren't there, Miyu. It wasn't just what he did to Akira. It's what he said to me after that. He wanted me to survive and feel the pain of failing to save a loved one… like how he failed to save the other Ignis. It hurt me much more than you can understand." Aoi then shut her eyes for a moment before snapping them open again. "What I'm saying is that… I can never forgive Ai for what he put me through. Not ever." Miyu flinched from the tone in Aoi's voice.

'Aoi…' She didn't think her best friend could be that angry. Aoi seemed to be hurting more than she thought.

"Aoi, Aqua said you shouldn't think badly of Ai. Don't you think you ought to…" Takeru started, but Aoi had cut him off.

"I'm not Aqua! My feelings were hurt, not hers! Now drop it!"

An uncomfortable silence followed as they walked. Miyu and Takeru were sad that they couldn't help Aoi get over her anger at Ai's past sins. Yusaku thought it was pointless to even try for the time being. 'I doubt I could do any better. Aoi needs to resolve this herself… if she even does.' It looked as though Aoi would need more time to heal from her emotional wounds. Or she may not heal at all and hate Ai for the rest of her life. Yusaku really didn't want that for Aoi, but he couldn't see a way to help her without pissing her off more than she already was. So he kept quiet and let the matter drop for now.

Half an hour later, they arrived in the city square, where a certain food truck sat parked and open for business. Café Nagi had several customers lined up and sitting at nearby tables to enjoy their meals. The man running it, Shoichi Kusanagi, had pale blue eyes and dark purple hair while also sporting a goatee. He was one of the few who knew the truth about Yusaku and Takeru. He worked with them in the past as support due to his skills as a computer programmer and hacker. He had just served a hot dog when he saw the four teens coming his way. "Hey there! You guys hungry?" He called out, sounding friendly.

"Sure. How about a hot dog and soda for each of us please?" Miyu asked. The gang already knew what they wanted and it was Miyu's turn to take the order. The older man nodded.

"Coming right up. Have some seats." Shoichi looked over his shoulder. "Jin, the gang's here! Let's whip up four hot dogs and sodas for them!"

"Got it bro!" A younger voice in the truck replied. Yusaku and the others sat a table and awaited their order. Before long, a teen who resembled a younger version of Shoichi came out of the truck and carried the food. "Here you go! Four hog dogs and sodas! Please enjoy everyone!" He said while bowing.

"Thanks Jin! And hey, don't forget about our date tonight, okay?" Miyu told him with a wink. A blushing Jin chuckled nervously.

"Oh, I haven't forgotten Miyu! I can't wait! See ya later!" Jin said as he headed back to the truck to pick up another order. Like Yusaku, Takeru, and Miyu, Jin was also a victim of the Lost Incident. Unlike the others, however, Jin suffered the most due to the actions of the Ignis created from him: Lightning. Yusaku helped Shoichi get his brother back when he was kidnapped. After the battle against Bohman, Jin's memories of the Incident and the severe trauma that came with it were erased. He was now a normal, happy person again with a bright future ahead of him. Like Miyu, he also knew of everyone's LINK VRAINS identities and all past events.

Aoi smiled at the interaction between the couple. Not long after they both were cleared to leave the hospital, Jin and Miyu met and instantly hit it off. They had been going out for the last couple of months. Everyone was happy for them, especially Shoichi and Aoi herself.

"Things are still going well with you and Jin?" Yusaku asked. Miyu nodded, looking very cheerful.

"Absolutely. He's a really sweet and caring guy. I like being with him, and he told me he likes being with me too. We couldn't be happier." She then smirked at the two boys. "So tell me. Have any girls caught your eyes?" Yusaku appeared surprised, while Takeru nearly chocked on his hotdog upon being asked.

"Well, not really. Not in school." Takeru answered timidly. In truth, there was a girl that he thought about a lot lately. Her name was Kiku Kamishirakawa, and she was his childhood friend. She lived in Takeru's home town outside of Den City. She was well aware of his identity as Soulburner, but not the others. In the past she constantly berated him for ditching school and never stopped worrying about him. This was due to his trauma from the Lost Incident. That was behind him now and things were better between him and Kiku. In fact, he actually thought about asking her out when he got the call from Yusaku to help him save the Airship and it's occupants.

After that, Takeru told her he was heading back to Den City to help some old friends deal with a big problem. He then told her that when he came back home, he had something important to ask her. He asked her to wait for him, and she agreed.

"I see. What about you, Yusaku?" Miyu questioned.

"No." Yusaku simply said. Miyu sighed.

"You two are amazing Duelists and awesome heroes, but you both suck when it comes to women." She complained before taking bite of her meal.

Aoi looked over at Yusaku as the gang ate their food. 'Yusaku. I've admired him as Playmaker, and I like him as a person, as a friend. But… why do I feel that isn't enough for me? Why do I want more? Could it be that I…?' Aoi pushed that thought away, thinking that it wasn't possible. As much as she wanted to be more than a friend to him, Aoi was sure Yusaku didn't feel the same about her. Plus, there was another issue that popped up not long ago. It was her negative feelings about Ai. She very much doubted that Yusaku would date a girl that had an unforgiving heart. Compounding the problem was the fact that Ai was created from Yusaku during the Lost Incident. She now believed that by constantly hating Ai, the girl was hurting Yusaku himself. Yusaku and Ai were a part of each other. To hurt one was to hurt the other. Aoi couldn't see a way past that…

"Aoi?" Aoi snapped out of her thoughts when Miyu said her name. She looked worried again. "Is something on your mind?" She asked, concerned for her friend once more. Aoi shook her head.

"Sorry. I just…" Before she could give an answer, she was interrupted.

"Well, well. This is a unique sight." The gang looked behind them to see two young men walking toward them. One had lilac eyes and white hair that spiked backward at the sides, with purple-blue highlights. He wore a pink v-neck shirt underneath a light-grey suit jacket, with black trousers that end above his ankles. If one took a good look, they'd also notice a red triangle tattoo on his right hand. He seemed very intimidating. The other had gray hair, light blue eyes, and wore a grey suit over a black waistcoat and a white collared shirt with no tie. He smiled like he had no care in the world. He was the one that got the group's attention.

"Ryoken. Spectre." Yusaku acknowledged respectively. He took a quick look around. All the other customers had left. Time seemed to have gone by fast, he thought. He figured they waited until everyone else was gone before showing themselves. It was just everyone at the table and the newcomers that were present now. Shoichi and Jin also observed what was going on.

"Who are they?" Jin asked his older brother. Shoichi frowned. His younger brother was told of Ryoken and Spectre, but not what they looked like.

"Ryoken Kogami, aka "Revolver", and Spectre." He said in a cautious tone. Jin gasped, remembering those names. He hoped they weren't here to cause trouble.

Yusaku eyed them wearily. He, along with his friends, knew who they were. Ryoken Kogami was the real identity of Revolver, leader of the Knights of Hanoi. His father, Kiyoshi Kogami, was a scientist who worked in SOL Technologies and was the mastermind behind the Lost Incident. Spectre was one of the Knights of Hanoi that served Ryoken. He was also a Lost Incident victim and the one Earth was created from. Unlike the other victims, the six months he experienced there actually made him believe he had a great purpose he was to fulfill. That belief led him to serve Ryoken as his right hand man.

"What's unique?" Miyu asked. Spectre had spread his arms out wide.

"This. Five of the Hanoi Project victims are here, including myself." He said as he noticed Jin watching from the food truck. "This is the first time that so many of us have gathered at one location in over 10 years! If the final victim was here, the reunion would be complete!" He then sighed. "Alas, we are denied the whole set. What was his name again, Master Ryoken?" Spectre asked as he turned to Ryoken, who's eyes only focused on Yusaku.

"Soyokaze Arashi." He answered. Everyone present knew why the sixth victim was not with them. He had died in a car accident some time ago at the hands of Windy, the Ignis that was born from him. It wasn't entirely Windy's fault, as he was corrupted at the time by Lightning.

"That was it! Poor Soyokaze. He deserved so much more…"

"Enough Spectre. We did not come here to discuss past tragedies." He said firmly. Spectre bowed in respect.

"Forgive me, Master Ryoken." He said, dropping the subject.

"So why are you here?" Aoi asked. Ryoken still stared hard at Yusaku as he answered.

"For the last few days, I had been conducting a private investigation since we parted in LINK VRAINS. I wanted to once again check on the status of Cyberse World, to see if it was still a graveyard. To my great surprise, that dead world was not at it's previous location in the network. I had been trying to learn where it had disappeared too, but I found no trace of it. Cyberse World just vanished. If it had been completely destroyed, there would be debris floating around. However, there was no evidence of that. I then started to ask myself "How could an entire lifeless world just not be there anymore?", and I think I have the answer."

"What answer?" Takeru questioned.

"Ray Akaba." Ryoken said. "She confirmed to have abilities the rest of us can only dream of. I believe without a doubt that she moved Cyberse World to another location in order to hide it. I am also convinced that she had help in to doing so. Moving Cyberse World itself had to have been an immensely difficult task, so she couldn't have done it alone…"

"We had nothing to do with that." Miyu said in the group's defense.

"I know. Once I came to that conclusion, I asked myself another question. "Why would Ray go through the trouble of moving a world that had been plagued by violence and destruction?" Again, the answer was clear." His eyes narrowed at Yusaku, and began to fill with anger. "The creators of Cyberse World, the Ignis, still live." No one responded to this, not even Yusaku. They just looked at him.

"How can you believe the Ignis are alive?" Aoi asked after a few seconds.

"Just before the Airship sent us back here, I did a quick scan of that strange energy that covered it. The signature codes were a direct match to the codes of four of the five Ignis absorbed by Bohman. I was shocked by the discovery. I didn't want to believe it was true. Yet, the proof was right in front of me." He stepped closer to Yusaku until he stood right above where he sat. "Somehow, Ray Akaba rescued all but the Light Ignis from Bohman before he perished. They had been working together ever since, including installing that escape program to save everyone. Not only that, you were in on everything from the start. Tell me, Yusaku… Am I wrong?" He asked calmly, yet he felt no where near calm.

Yusaku then stood up and met his gaze. He saw no point in lying, so he confessed. "Ryoken… everything you have said is true. I did know about the Ignis being alive, but no one else knew at the time. It was just me and Ray. They didn't know when we met up to save everyone from Zarc." He said, looking back at Takeru and Aoi. Ryoken finally looked away from his rival to the others.

"He kept you out of the loop as well?" He asked. The two nodded.

"Yeah, we really had no idea the Ignis were back." Takeru said in his defense.

"Yusaku only told us after you left, when we met up with Ray. They feared for the Ignis's lives when they realized you were on to them." Aoi added.

"As for me, I didn't know about any of this until Aoi told me a few days ago." Miyu said. Ryoken nodded before returning his attention to Yusaku.

"How long have you known that the Ignis were alive? Where are they now?" He demanded, no longer able to contain his anger.

"I've known for the past few months, ever since I first met Ray. Flame, Aqua, Earth, and Windy are no longer on our world. They each have gone to one of the protectors' worlds for their own safety." Yusaku said. Ryoken tightened his fists.

"I am already aware the Light Ignis lives. I did hear his voice just before we escaped. What of the Dark Ignis? Is he still dead, or did Ray resurrect him too?" Ryoken further questioned.

"Ray did revive Ai right after I defeated him in our Duel, though I didn't know about it until later. He is also off world and currently on an important mission. We are expecting to learn something from him soon."

The two stared at one another for a long moment in suspenseful silence… before Ryoken punched Yusaku hard in the face. The blow knocked the teen down to the ground. This shocked everyone.

"Yusaku!" Aoi shouted. She, Takeru, and Miyu immediately got up and helped their friend back on his feet. Yusaku rubbed the spot where he was struck. Ryoken then turned around, his back to everyone. Spectre did or said nothing throughout all of this, though he was surprised by his leader's strike.

"From this moment on, Playmaker, we are no longer allies. Pray that you won't cross paths with me again, or I shall show no mercy." Ryoken warned coldly. Yusaku frowned.

"Can I ask you one last question?" He asked.

"One." He replied shortly.

"If I had told you before, would you have hunted the Ignis again and destroyed them?" Ryoken hesitated. Yusaku felt he was struggling with the question. After a long minute, he got his answer.

"I promised my father that I would exterminate the Ignis. That promise… remains unfulfilled." He then walked away, with Spectre right behind him. Neither said another word before they were out of sight.

'Ryoken…' Yusaku thought sadly as he sat back down. He never intended to get on Ryoken's bad side. However, his duty to his father's last wishes seemed to take priority over everything else. The objects of his personal mission were now out of his reach and he could do nothing to change that. He wondered if his rival would ever find peace in his heart and let his vendetta go. It was then that Shoichi and Jin came out to check on their friend.

"You okay?" Shoichi asked, looking at where Ryoken landed his fist.

"It's not bad." Yusaku told him.

"Why did he hit you?" Jin demanded.

"Because he was being a Class A jerk." Miyu said, not happy about Ryoken's actions anymore than anyone else.

Out of everyone, Aoi was affected the most by the man's outburst. She knew Ryoken would be pissed when he learned the Ignis were not dead, but she never expected him to flat out attack Yusaku like that. 'Ryoken was so angry. Does he actually hate Yusaku now? Does he blame him for keeping quiet about the Ignis? Well, he shouldn't. It's his own fault for not putting this behind him. He's choosing to be like this. Being angry and resentful won't solve anything for him. He needs to just…' Aoi stopped right there. She had just come to a realization. 'Let it go.' She didn't have a chance to process this further when Miyu spoke again.

"Do you guys think he could cause trouble for us later on?" Nearly everyone shrugged.

"Only if we somehow get in his way." Yusaku answered.

"It's a good thing we are avoiding logging into LINK VRAINS again for now to avoid detection by Lightning. I don't want to risk bumping into either of them anytime soon." Takeru said. The group was quiet for a time, worrying about what Ryoken and the Knights would do knowing they couldn't touch nearly all the Ignis. Lightning was the only one still on this world, and he happened to be the one that made Ryoken's father suffer to begin with.

'No doubt Ryoken will go after Lightning again, but it won't be so simple. That Ignis knows how to avoid detection, plus he is more powerful than ever now. Even though he is his true enemy, destroying only Lightning won't completely accomplish his mission. Not until all the other Ignis are also destroyed.' Yusaku thought. He understood then that as long as Ryoken was dead set on removing them from existence, the Ignis could not return to this world. He wished he could find a way to solve this… but he just couldn't think of anything.

It was Jin who finally broke the silence. "Um, Bro. Didn't you mention a new program you wanted to try out?" Shoichi looked to him, and instantly remembered. This also gave him an idea to help the others put their worries aside for now.

"Yes, I did! Thanks for reminding me, Jin!" He then turned to Yusaku and Takeru. "Would you guys like to test out a new program I made? I might be just the distraction we need."

"New program?" Aoi asked. Shoichi nodded.

"Yeah. I've been working on it for the past few months. It's a special room inside LINK VRAINS, but is isolated from the rest of the network. You guys can have Duels or private chats in there without worrying about being overseen by anyone on the outside like SOL Technologies or the Knights of Hanoi. Plus, thanks to a recent generous upgrade from Ray Akaba, even Lightning shouldn't be able to spy on you."

"That sounds really cool!" Miyu said excitedly.

"Yeah, it does. Is it safe?" Takeru questioned.

"I've worked out all the bugs, so it should be good to go now. It just needs a test drive. So, would you two like to try it out?" Shoichi asked the guys again. Yusaku and Takeru looked at one another and agreed. This definitely sounded like the break they needed.

"Let's do it." Yusaku said, nodding. Shoichi nodded too.

"Great! As soon as Jin and I close up shop for the day, we'll get started!"

A short time later, after Café Nagi was closed, everyone was in the truck. Shoichi, Jin, Aoi, and Miyu all sat and watched the monitors. Yusaku and Takeru, now in their LINK VRAINS avatars after logging in, looked around their surroundings. They were standing in the middle of an open valley under a cloudless, sunny sky. "This is a nice setting." Playmaker observed.

"Sure is." Soulburner agreed.

"The background can be changed to anything you guys like. You want to duel on top of Mount Everest, you're there! Heck, I can even put you two on Mars! I figured this valley would give a more peaceful vibe. You approve?" Shoichi asked them. The pair nodded.

"It's perfect." Playmaker said.

"I second that! You've outdone yourself with this!" Soulburner said with a thumbs up.

"Glad to hear that. Also, the new game rule has been added to my program. It should be interesting to see how you guys adjust to it." Shoichi told them. They all knew the new rule for Duel Monsters allowed Fusion, Synchro, and Xyz Monsters Special Summoned from the Extra Deck to appear in the Main Monster Zones as well as the Extra Monster Zones. This rule was implemented a month ago. In the past, this could only be done if a Link Monster in an Extra Monster Zone points to a Main Monster Zone with one of their Link Markers. Now that necessity had been removed.

"This is the first time the two of us ever had a Duel against each other. Should be fun, right?" Soulburner said, activating his Duel Disk. Playmaker nodded as he did the same.

"Definitely. Let's do it." Their friends all watched as the match got under way.

"DUEL!"

(Playmaker: 4000) (Soulburner: 4000)

"I will go first. My turn! I activate a Field Magic card, Cybenet Storm! While this card is active, Linked Monsters gain 500 Attack and Defense Points, and the Link Summon of Link Monsters cannot be negated! Also, when one of us takes 2000 points of damage or more either by battle or a card effect, that player can shuffle their Extra Deck and excavate the top card! If it happens to be a "Cyberse" Link Monster, it can be Special Summoned! If not, it returns to the Extra Deck!" Soulburner would have to remember that. "Next I Summon Clock Wyvern!" (WIND; Level 4; ATK: 1800; DEF: 1000) A light purple and grey dragon like creature appeared in Playmaker's center Main Monster Zone. "Clock Wyvern's Monster Effect! Once per turn, if it was Normal or Special Summoned, I can halve it's Attack Points to Special Summon a Clock Token!" (WIND; Level 1; ATK: 0; DEF: 0) A small purple armored creature materialized in the Monster Zone next to a weakened Clock Wyvern in the inner right Zone.

(Clock Wyvern's ATK: 1800 / 2 = 900)

"What is he going to do with that?" Jin asked, looking at the powerless token.

"Playmaker has a plan for everything." Shoichi told his younger brother. His claim was proven right as Playmaker made his next move.

"Appear, the circuit that leads to the future!" At this moment, a digital square appeared the area. "Arrowhead confirmed! The Summoning condition is one Normal Monster! I Set the Clock Token in the Link Marker! Circuit combine!" The Clock Token went into the bottom arrow, which glowed red. "Link Summon! Appear! Link-1! Link Spider!" (EARTH; Link-1; ATK: 1000; Bottom-Center Marker) A dark blue mecha spider appeared in the Extra Monster Zone on Playmaker's right.

"Normally I'm not into spiders, but that one doesn't make my skin crawl." Miyu commented, nothing her distaste for arachnids.

"How come you don't like spiders?" Aoi asked. Miyu shook her head.

"Maybe some other time." She said, clearly more interested in the Duel.

"I activate Link Spider's Monster Effect! Once per turn, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Normal Monster from my hand to my Zone Link Spider points too! I Special Summon Digitron!" (EARTH; Level 2; ATK: 1500; DEF: 0) A small white being resembling a small whale now appeared. "Due to Link Spider and Digitron being Linked, the are affected by Cybenet Storm!" Playmaker said as his Monsters became stronger.

(Link Spider's ATK: 1000 + 500 = 1500)

(Digitron's ATK: 1500 + 500 = 2000; DEF: 500)

'He's still warming up.' Soulburner noted in his mind.

"Appear again, the circuit that leads to the future!" Another square popped up. "Arrowheads confirmed! The Summoning conditions are two Cyberse Monsters! I Set Link Spider and Digitron in the Link Markers! Circuit combine!" The two Monsters went into the bottom center and bottom right arrows, which also glowed red. "Link Summon! Appear! Link-2! Clock Spartoi!" (DARK; Link-2; ATK: 800; Bottom-Center Marker and Bottom-Right Marker) Replacing Link Spider in it's Extra Monster Zone slot was a red and white clad warrior wielding a staff. "When Clock Spartoi is Link Summoned, I can take "Cybenet Fusion" from my Deck and add it to my hand!" Playmaker declared as he added said card to his hand.

"Here comes the good part." Shoichi said with a smile.

"I now activate Cybenet Fusion! It allows me to Fusion Summon a Cyberse Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck by using Monsters in my hand or Field as Fusion Materials! I Fuse Clock Wyvern and Clock Spartoi on my Field! The strong ones gather before its grand wings! Become a new legend! Fusion Summon! Come out! Cyberse Clock Dragon!" (DARK; Level 7; ATK: 2500; DEF: 2000) Now appearing in Playmaker's center Zone was a grey armored purple crystallized dragon with green eyes and bright yellow wings.

"Looks like the new rule is working here." Jin said. Everyone else agreed.

"Cyberse Clock Dragon's Monster Effect activates! When it is Fusion Summoned, I send cards from the top of my Deck to my Graveyard equal to the combined Link Ratings of the Fusion Materials used, then it gains 1000 Attack Points for each card sent! Clock Spartoi's Link Rating was 2, so I send the top two cards from my Deck to the Graveyard! In exchange, Clock Dragon gains 2000 Attack Points!"

(Cyberse Clock Dragon's ATK: 2500 + 2000 = 4500)

"4500 Points right off the bat?!" Miyu exclaimed.

"Playmaker doesn't mess around." Aoi said to her friend.

"Next I play Cyberse Cache! Since I now control a "Cyberse" Monster whose current Attack Power is different from it's original Attack Power, I can draw two cards from my Deck!" He was pleased with what he had gotten. "Then I Set three cards facedown and end my turn."

Soulburner smirked. "Not a bad start. Good thing I was taking you seriously anyway. My turn! Draw!" Before Soulburner could play any of his cards, Playmaker played one of his own.

"Continuous Trap card open, Dimension Guardian! This prevents a Monster I control from being destroyed by battle or card effects! Cyberse Clock Dragon is protected now!" He declared. This didn't bother his opponent.

"Not for long! By sending a "Salamangrate" Monster in my hand to the Graveyard, like Salamangrate Foxy, I can Special Summon Salamangrate Mia from my hand!" (FIRE; Level 2; ATK: 800; DEF: 600) A red and black meerkat with a fiery mane appeared in Soulburner's inner right Zone. "Appear, the circuit that changes the future! Arrowhead confirmed! The Summoning condition is one Level 4 or lower Cyberse Monster! I Set Salamangrate Mia in the Link Marker! Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link-1! Salamangrate Veilynx!" (FIRE; Link-1; ATK: 500; Bottom-Center Marker) In the Extra Monster Zone on Soulburner's right now stood a red armored lynx with a flame at the tip of it's tail. "Salamangrate Veilynx's Monster Effect! When it is Link Summoned, I can "Salamangrate Sanctuary" from my Deck to my hand!" He declared, adding his own Field Magic card to his hand.

"He's off at a good start too." Miyu commented.

"They both are among the best we know." Shoichi said with pride.

"Now I activate a Ritual Magic card, Salamangrate's Descent! By sending Monsters from my hand or Field with Levels equal to or exceeding that of a certain Ritual Monster in my hand, I can Summon that Monster! From my hand, I send my Level 8 Salamangrate Beat Bison to the Graveyard! Ritual Summon! Descend, Level 8! Jade wings clad in flames! Salamangrate Emerald Eagle!" (FIRE; Level 8; ATK: 2800; DEF: 2000) In Soulburner's center Zone was a big grey and bright green armored eagle.

"Ritual vs Fusion, huh? This looks interesting." Jin said. His girlfriend nodded, thinking the same.

"Next, I play Cyberse Draw! For each "Cyberse" Monster on the Field, I get to draw one card! Since there's three, I get that many more cards!" Playmaker then sprung his Trap.

"I expected that! Trap card open, Draw Discharge! If my opponent draws cards outside the Draw Phase, I can banish all drawn cards and inflict damage equal to the combined Attack Points of all Monsters that were drawn!" Clearly not pleased, Soulburner showed his drawn cards, which included a Monster, Salamangrate Salamandra. "Your Salamangrate Salamandra has 2200 Attack Points, so the damage you take is 2200!" Playmaker declared as his opponent took the heavy damage.

(Soulburner: 4000 - 2200 = 1800)

"Man, Soulburner got burned." Miyu couldn't help but saying. No one else commented on her pun, making her sigh. "Sheesh, tough crowd." Soulburner quickly regained his smile.

"It wasn't a total loss, Playmaker! The Trap you just banished was Salamangrate Back-Up Draw! If this card gets banished either from my Field or in my hand while I control a "Salamangrate" Link Monster, I can draw the same number of cards I had last time! I draw!" Soulburner was grateful for what he drew now. "Now I use the Effect of Cybenet Storm! Since I take 2000 points of damage by a card effect, I can shuffle my Extra Deck and excavate the top card! Hopefully I'll get a certain "Cyberse" Link Monster to Special Summon! Here goes!" Soulburner then shuffled and took out the top card, and was disappointed. "Crap. My top card is Salamangrate Violet Chimera, a Fusion Monster. This means it goes back in my Extra Deck."

"I'm sorry you didn't get what you wanted." Playmaker said honestly. Soulburner shrugged.

"Eh, it doesn't matter. I still have a plan to get "that" Monster out. Now, time for a little payback! I activate the Effect of Salamangrate Foxy! When it is in the Graveyard and there is a face-up Magic or Trap on the Field, I can discard a "Salamangrate" Monster from my hand to Special Summon Foxy from the Graveyard and destroy one face-up Magic or Trap! I discard Salamangrate Spinny to bring back Foxy and destroy your Dimension Guardian!" (FIRE; Level 3; ATK: 1000; DEF: 1200) When Foxy, a dark blue fox with a stream of fire coming from it's tail, reappeared in Soulburner's inner right Zone, Playmaker's Trap protecting his Fusion Monster disintegrated.

"Now Cyberse Clock Dragon is no longer protected." Aoi said.

"But it is still way too strong to attack." Jin pointed out.

"Attack Points aren't everything." His brother told him before return their attention to the match.

"Next is the Effect of Salamangrate Spinny! When I control a "Salamangrate" Monster other than Spinny while it is in the Graveyard, I can Special Summon it, but it is banished when it leaves the Field! Come on out, Spinny!" (FIRE; Level 3; ATK: 1000; DEF: 1500) An orange and black armadillo lizard appeared next to Foxy in the far right Zone. "Now for my big play! Appear again, the circuit that changes the future! Arrowheads confirmed! The conditions are two or more "FIRE" Effect Monsters! I Set Foxy, Spinny, and Veilynx in the Link Markers! Circuit Combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link-3! Salamangrate Heatlio!" (FIRE; Link-3; ATK: 2300; Top-Center Marker, Bottom-Left Marker, Bottom-Right Marker) A flaming armored humanoid lion in orange and black armor materialized in the Extra Monster Zone Veilynx occupied.

"Soulburner brought out his Ace. Things should really fire up now." Shoichi said.

"I activate Heatlio's Monster Effect! When it is Link Summoned, I can pick a card in my opponent's Magic and Trap Zone and shuffle it back into their Deck! I choose the facedown card on your left! Resounding Roar!" With a mighty roar from Heatlio, Playmaker took said card and shuffled it back.

'So much for Shield Handler. But I still have other options…' He thought, still not worried.

"I now play Fiery Rebirth! By discarding a card from my hand, I can Special Summon a "Salamangrate" Monster from my Graveyard to my Field! Come back, Salamangrate Veilynx!" Soulburner's first Link Monster returned, now in the far right Zone that Heatlio pointed to with it's Bottom-Right Marker.

"Why did he do that?" Jin wondered. He got his answer straight away.

"Now I activate the Effect of Emerald Eagle! Once per turn, by Sacrificing a "Salamangrate" Link Monster, it gains a new Effect! This turn, when Emerald Eagle battles an opponent's Monster, that Monster is destroyed and the opponent takes damage equal to it's original Attack Points! I Sacrifice my Veilynx!" Soulburner's Link-1 Link Monster once again leaves the Field, this time to give power to it's Ritual companion.

"Soulburner can now destroy Cyberse Clock Dragon, even though it's Attack Points are still higher." Miyu said.

"Looks that way." Aoi figured. Playmaker thought the same thing.

'I can feel it. He's about ready to make his attack. Still, I'm not making it easy for him to defeat me.'

"I play the last card in my hand, Salamangrate Transcend! This lets me Special Summon a "Salamangrate" Link Monster from my Extra Deck with the same name as one I control, and use that Monster as an entire Material! Appear for a third time, the circuit that changes the future!" Instead of the usual blue square, a bright pink circle appears about Soulburner. "I Set Salamangrate Heatlio in the Link Marker! Circuit combine!" The moment Heatlio surged into that circle, a huge flame erupted from it. "Surging flame, awaken Heatlio's true strength with the power of purification! Reincarnation Link Summon! Resurrect, the king of beasts that runs through the fire prairie! Salamangrate Heatlio!" The lion like Monster reappeared, but seemed empowered.

"Now it can unleash it's real power." Aoi said, knowing Playmaker was about to be in big trouble.

"Now Heatlio has another Effect! Once per turn, if it was Link Summoned using "Salamangrate Heatlio" as a Material, I can target one Monster my opponent controls and one "Salamangrate" Monster in my Graveyard, then have the Attack Points of the opponent's Monster become equal to that of the Monster in my Graveyard until the end of the turn! I'm having the Attack Points of your Cyberse Clock Dragon become the same as Salamangrate Veilynx! Flame Possession!" Playmaker watched as his Monster's Attack Power of 4500 was reduced to a mealy 500.

"And I have another advantage! Since Heatlio and Emerald Eagle are now Linked, their power increases due to the Effect of your Cybenet Storm!" Soulburner declared as both his Monsters got stronger due to Heatlio's Bottom-Left Marker pointing at the center Zone where Emerald Eagle stood.

(Salamangrate Heatlio's ATK: 2300 + 500 = 2800)

(Salamangrate Emerald Eagle's ATK: 2800 + 500 = 3300; DEF: 2000 + 500 = 2500)

"Here we go." Jin said with excitement.

"Now that all my preparations are complete, let's get to the action! Battle! Salamangrate Heatlio, attack Cyberse Clock Dragon! Heat Soul!" Soulburner's lion Monster charged toward the opposing dragon. Playmaker braced himself as his Monster was obliterated and he suffered heavy damage.

(2800 - 500 = 2300)

(Playmaker: 4000 - 2300 = 1700)

"Their Life Points are nearly the same." Jin said, astounded that both players took heavy damage already.

"Cybenet Storm's other Effect! I shuffle my Extra Deck and excavate the top card! If it is a "Cyberse" Link Monster, I can Special Summon it!" Playmaker does so. When he sees the top card, his eyes widened. "The top card in my Extra Deck… is the Link-4 Cyberse Monster, Firewall Dragon!" (LIGHT; Link-4; ATK: 2500; Top-Center Marker, Bottom-Center Marker, Middle-Right Marker, Middle-Left Marker) The blue and silver dragon that Playmaker used to save Yuzu from Zarc roared as it appeared in the other open Extra Monster Zone.

"Luck is definitely on Playmaker's side." Miyu said. The others nodded. At this, Soulburner smiled.

"Alright! Now we both have our Aces out! Too bad they won't have a chance to attack each other! Time for my other Monster to finish this!"

"Not good! If Soulburner's attack succeeds, it's over!" Jin said.

"Don't count out Playmaker." Shoichi said with a smile.

"Here I come! Salamangrate Emerald Eagle, attack Firewall Dragon!" Soulburner's bird Monster had spread it's wings and soared toward Playmaker's Ace. "Due to Emerald Eagle's Effect, Firewall Dragon is destroyed and you take damage equal to it's original Attack Power of 2500! Emerald Overload!"

"Come on Playmaker!" Miyu shouted.

"I activate the Effect of Trash Hacker in my Graveyard! When a battle occurs between a "Cyberse" Monster I control and an opponent's Monster, I can banish Trash Hacker to negate the Effects of the opposing Monster! Also, for the rest of the turn, that Monster cannot be destroyed in battle and and damage my opponent takes is doubled!" Playmaker declared, stripping Emerald Eagle of it's new power, preventing Firewall from being destroyed.

"If I can't defeat you this turn, then I'll just settle for taking out your Monster!" Soulburner shouted.

"You won't! When a "Cyberse" Link Monster I control would be destroyed in battle, I can banish Protection Wizard from my Graveyard to negate it's destruction!" Playmaker countered once more as Emerald Eagle struck Firewall with it's flaming claws.

"Fine, but you still take the damage!" Soulburner told his opponent, who got slightly singed from the attack.

(3300 - 2500 = 800)

(Playmaker: 1700 - 800 = 900)

"Whew! That was really close!" Miyu said, amazed by both Duelists.

"They both don't know when to give up, no matter the opponent. Even if it's against each other." Aoi said fondly of the two. The two Kusanagi brothers nodded in agreement. In the Duel, Soulburner couldn't help but laugh.

"Man, to think you had a defense like that the whole time! Dueling you is incredible! I can't wait to see how you get out of this one! I end my turn!" Playmaker smiled back at his friend.

"Neither can I. My turn! Draw! I play Pot of Greed, letting me draw two more cards!" With his drawn cards, he felt assured the Duel would be his. "I play Linkage Hole! Since I control a Link-4 Monster, I can destroy Monsters you control up to the number of Link-3 or higher Monsters I control! I only control Link-4 Firewall Dragon, so I destroy your Salamangrate Emerald Eagle!"

"Not going to work! I activate a Monster Effect in the Graveyard too! If a "Salamangrate" card or cards I control would be destroyed by battle or card effects, I can banish Salamangrate Veilynx to protect that card! Nice try Playmaker!" A phantom version of Veilynx appeared to protect Emerald Eagle from destruction. To the surprise of Soulburner, Playmaker smiled.

"I expected you to do that. Now I Equip Firewall Dragon with Cyberse Annihilation! When the "Cyberse" Monster Equipped with this card battles an opponent's Monster, the Attack Points of my Monster become the same as yours during damage calculation!"

"The same? Wait, does that mean…?" Jin started to ask.

"Battle! Firewall Dragon, attack Salamangrate Heatlio! Tempest Attack!" Firewall Dragon then turned red and charged up before firing a powerful beam. As it did, it's Attack Points rose to 2800, matching Heatlio.

"Both Monsters are going to blow each other to bits!" Miyu exclaimed. Shoichi smiled.

'That's not all.' He thought to himself.

As the battling Monsters collided, both Duelists shielded their eyes from the bright light that formed in the epicenter of the battle. It was then Playmaker revealed his last surprise. "Cyberse Annihilation's other Effect! When the Equipped Monster destroys a Monster in battle, the destroyed Monster's Attack Points are dealt to you as damage!"

"What?!" Soulburner yelled in disbelief. The two Monsters exploded from the even battle, and Soulburner got blasted to the ground on his back as a result.

(Soulburner: 0)

"Woah man! What a Duel!" Jin said, showing how much he was impressed.

"I know! It was so awesome!" Miyu added.

"Same here." Aoi said with a smile.

"Me too, and it looks like my new training room is a complete success as well." Shoichi said, sounding pleased with himself. Aoi then told the others she needed to step out for some air, which was okay with them.

Once the Duel was over, the two Duelists smiled at each other. "Wow. That was fun." Soulburner said as he was helped back on his feet by Playmaker. He nodded in agreement.

"Indeed it was." As the two logged out to return to the real world a moment later, they saw that someone was missing. "Where's Aoi?" Yusaku asked.

"She stepped outside just before you guys came back." Miyu told him, pointed her thumb to the door. After stepping out of the truck, Yusaku quickly found Aoi. She was sitting on a nearby park bench. The girl seemed to be deep in thought.

"Aoi?" The girl looked up to see Yusaku coming over and smiled.

"Hey." Yusaku then sat next to her.

"Are you alright?" He asked. She nodded.

"Yeah. I just had to do some thinking."

"I see." Yusaku replied.

They then sat in silence for a long time. Yusaku waited for Aoi to talk next, knowing what might be on her mind. Finally, she turned to her friend with a look of regret. "Yusaku, I'm sorry for how I was today. I didn't mean to upset anyone. It's just that…" she stopped.

"You never healed from how Ai hurt you." Yusaku finished for her. Aoi looked down, frowning.

"I never forgave him for hurting me and Akira. His actions and his words… they ran very deep. I never imagined he would be capable of doing things like that to his friends." She paused a moment before continuing. "When I heard Ai terminated himself after losing to you in your Duel, a part of me was glad he was gone. That he got what he deserved. Another part of me, though, actually felt very sad that he lost his life. I was struggling with which part I felt more. But then…" She stopped.

"What?" Yusaku prompted. Aoi then looked up at her friend.

"When Ryoken lashed out at you, I could see how his anger only added fuel for his obsession to grant his father's last wish. His refusal to put his own personal vendetta behind him caused him to hurt others he once considered allies, maybe even friends. I don't want to end up like that. Seeing Ryoken today made me realize I shouldn't keep holding on to my anger." Yusaku understood.

"Aoi, does this mean that…?" He started to ask. Again, Aoi nodded.

"When Ai comes back from the Astral World, I'll tell him… that he's forgiven." Yusaku smiled at her.

"I'm very happy to hear that, and so will Ai. Thank you." Aoi smiled back. Yusaku then turned his gaze to the sky above the ocean. She still looked at him, and noticed the bruise on his cheek that resulted from Ryoken's punch.

'That does not look pretty. I bet it still hurts a little.' Aoi then decided to do something for her friend. Something to let him know she would be there for him, no matter what. She seemed hesitant to act on it, for it wasn't something she did in the past, but her compassion won out over her insecurity. 'I'm sure it would be fine. No harm would come from it.' She started to lean toward Yusaku, closing her eyes in the process…

At the same moment, Yusaku thought about Ai as he stared up at the clouds. 'Ai, you better not have gotten yourself into any kind of trouble.' He then recalled that Ai always had a nack for causing himself to get into sticky situations. For all he knew, Ai could already be in trouble. Still, he knew how important it was to find the Numeron Code. He would surely have taken precautions. Not knowing anything was beginning to bother him. 'He has to be fine. I need to believe that.' He then turned to ask Aoi if she thinks he was worrying too much about Ai… only he never got to ask.

The instant Yusaku turned to her, Aoi's lips met his own. He froze, eyes wide. He clearly was not expecting this at all. He didn't know what to do, so he stayed still. As for Aoi, she felt something was off as she pressed her lips on Yusaku's "cheek". 'Odd. I expected his bruised cheek to feel a little bumpy. Instead it's warm, soft, and a little moist. I don't think a cheek is supposed to feel like this. I wonder what…' As soon as Aoi opened her eyes, she immediately knew why Yusaku's cheek felt strange. She wasn't kissing his cheek at all! She at once pulled away from a very shocked Yusaku.

Both of the them were speechless and had a very deep shade of red on their faces. Aoi couldn't believe she was actually kissing Yusaku's lips! She didn't mean to do that! She had never felt so mortified in her life! The highly embarrassed girl could only imagine what must have gone through Yusaku's mind right then. "Y-Yusaku! I-I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to… that is… I shouldn't have… I have to go!" She then shot to her feet and ran away as fast as she could. Yusaku finally got his voice back, though a little too late.

"Aoi! Wait!" He called out, but got no reply. She was already gone. That was when the rest of the gang came out. They all looked confused.

"We heard Aoi shouting something and just now saw her running. Why did she take off like that?" Takeru asked.

"What happened?" Miyu asked. Yusaku turned back to the direction Aoi ran off to.

"I… don't know." As she ran at top speed, Aoi kept asking herself one question over and over in her mind.

'What have I done?!'

/\/\/\/\/\/\

1 Month later…

"Hey, why're you sitting there by yourself?" Reira, sitting on a couch, didn't look up or even respond to the question. She just continued to look away while holding her stuffed toy animal.

For the past month she had been in this huge mansion at the foot of a huge mountain range. It was where she had been staying ever since that woman, Queen, took her from her home… and her big brother. Reira missed Reiji. He was the only person she ever felt comfortable and safe to be with. She hoped he was okay.

She didn't know why she was brought to this place, but so far nothing really bad had happened to her. At the very least, she was not alone. There were three other children with her, all of them teenage boys. One had dark brown hair and dark green eyes. Another had short lighter brown hair and grey eyes. The third boy, who just questioned him, had hazel eyes and dark maroon hair which was tied with a hairband. The four of them were currently in a large play room with windows looking out at the beautiful scenery.

The maroon haired boy walked over and sat next to Reira on the couch. "Reira? What's wrong?" The boy asked, now looking more concerned. Reira still didn't look up, but finally answered.

"Sorry Leon. It's just… I miss my brother." She said softly. The boy nodded, looking sympathetic.

"I miss my brother too." He told her. The last time he saw his brother, Zigfried, he had been assaulted by that Asian Duelist, Vivian Wong. He remembered her from the Kaiba Corp Grand Prix, but he never recalled her being capable of attacking innocent people. He figured there was some stuff about herself that she wanted to keep out of the public's knowledge. The boy was grateful that Queen arrived when she did, subduing her long enough for her and Leon to get out of there. Leon hoped that Zigfried made a full recovery by now.

"Do you know if your brother is… feeling better?" Reira asked. Leon shrugged.

"I honestly don't know. I haven't been able to talk to Zigfried or my parents since Queen brought me here over a month ago. She said it was for my own safety since Vivian hasn't been caught yet. Still, I hope my brother is okay." He said, sounding worried for his brother's health.

"That makes three of us." Said the brown haired teen, who came to sit on Reira's other side on the couch. "Big brother Amon is probably missing me like crazy. But he knows I'm safe and sound, thanks to Captain Echo and Miss Queen." Leon nodded, smiling.

"I'll bet Shido." He told him.

"Definitely." Shido came to be at this place when Captain Echo, his brother's close friend, came to him in the middle of the night with another woman he had never seen before. She had warned him that his life was in danger from a rival family and that Queen had come to take him to a remote sanctuary where he would be safe. The boy was assured that his parents and Amon were made aware of the danger and understood he had to go. Queen then took him to this mountain home, which apparently was where she lived. Shido missed his family and prayed each night that they were all safe like he was.

"I agree with all you guys. Misty must also be missing me as much as I miss her." Said the third boy, sitting in a cushy chair in front of the others.

"You said she can see a person's future just by looking at them, right Tobi?" Shido asked. Tobi nodded.

"Yeah. It's a pretty rare gift, and she knows how to use it. I wonder if Misty actually saw this coming when we last spoke but didn't say anything? Maybe about Queen helping me?" He asked himself. Like most of his other new friends, Tobi also owed Queen his life. If it hadn't been for her, Divine of the Arcadia Movement would have killed him. He was reluctant at first upon meeting Queen, especially if Misty was aware of what was happening. However, Queen promised him that his older sister knew full well he was fine and that she will bring him home when the time was right. That was enough to convince him to go with Queen.

"It wasn't the same with me." Reira said, holding her toy tightly. "I was given away to Queen… because of a deal she made with my mom." When she was brought in, Queen told the other children that Reira was a very special case unlike the rest of them. Leon made a point to remind her of this.

"Yeah, but Queen said your adoptive mom was abusing you and she made that deal to get you away from her. She also explained you would have a great opportunity to make your life better here." Reira's body gave an involuntary shake.

"You weren't there. Queen didn't seem any friendlier than my mom was." Reira remembered how she shivered when Queen laid her hand on her shoulder. She was also about to mention that Queen gave a robot that looked liked Reira herself to her adoptive mom to fool Reiji. Reira was just told it was for his own good, even though it didn't make sense to her. However, she stopped herself from bringing it up, due to Queen making her promise to not reveal the exact details of the deal to the other children. Queen said they didn't need to know. Just the fact that a deal was done to help her was enough. So, Reira kept quiet about it.

"Maybe that's just the business side of her you saw. People can be tough and intimidating when they are conducting official dealings, but they can also be caring otherwise. It was the same with me and Zigfried." Leon said to the scared little girl.

"Yeah. I think that on the inside, Queen is the kindest and sweetest person there is." Shido added.

"I'm sure she will show more of that softer side if you would just give her a chance." Tobi told her. Reira looked over at them, each giving an encouraging smile. Perhaps against her will, Reira gave a small smile herself. Maybe they were right about her.

At that moment, the door to the playroom opened, getting the kids' attention. Queen had returned, but she didn't come back alone. Beside her was another young boy, probably around the same age as Reira. He had short blue hair and yellow eyes. "Hello children. Meet your new roommate, Haruto Tenjo. Like the rest of you, I had just saved his life. His family knows he is here for his own protection. He will explain the circumstances of his arrival." After she prompted him, Haruto approached the other kids.

"Hi everyone." He said politely.

"Hi." Reira said shyly.

"Hi Haruto. Welcome to the gang!" Tobi said energetically.

"Yeah, welcome!" Shido added cheerfully.

"Nice to meet you, Haruto. So, how did Queen help you out?" Leon asked after he and the others introduced themselves. Haruto shivered a little.

"You're probably not gonna believe me, but… I was attacked by a scary looking monster lady." The kids gasped in awe and fear as Haruto described what had happened to him.

As she watched them, Queen smiled… but not in a warm way. She couldn't believe how gullible those brats were, thinking she was some kind of angel. How naïve. Everything went as smoothly as she anticipated. The SOLtiS androids that replaced them would fool everyone. Now, she finally had all the pieces she needed to complete her plan.

'With all the children here, it is time for me to make a grand return to Den City… and reclaim my company. To do that, I need to remove the only obstacle blocking my path: Akira Zaizen.'

Meanwhile, many miles away, a flash of dark yellow light appeared briefly just outside the limits of the very city Queen planned to go. When the light faded, Reiji Akaba stood, filled with determination.

"Reira… if you're here, I'll find you. I promise." After making that proclamation, the young man began marching toward the city… and his destiny.

To be continued.