Disaster: No End In Sight - A Future Card Buddyfight Story

by BurningCard

Kyoya Gaen's defeat, at the hands of Gao Mikado and Bal, did not mark the end of Disaster. Even after his fall, many others follow in his old footsteps. Chase Hallows, working in the field of monsters relations, is thrown into the fray as more monsters and people act in Kyoya's name. Alongside the Fifth Omni Lord and his Cavalry, they will keep fighting to end the Will of Kyoya.

7. 7 - The Will of Kyoya

September 12th, 2030

It wasn't easy, but I was finally making some process on my work. Instead of working directly with the District of Monster Welfare like I used to, I was moved to work with the Buddy Police on the matters of the three murders. Their names were unimportant to me, in all honesty. However, the search continues due to fear of the murderer going after innocent people. These three guys, Divo Malle, Reeso Taile, and George Melville sounded incredibly meaningless to me. However, I was forced to go through any possible connections with Kyoya. Unfortunately, nothing much was coming up, and every lead I thought I had would lead to a dead end. Officers sent to check each person's apartment came back with nothing.

A part of me continued to think that this guy was only going after cruddy people, which was something that Sitri got into my head. All three of these victims were complete scum during their lives. It's unbelievable that someone will, in the end, charge the guy for acting like a vigilante. Still, law is law, and vigilantism doesn't hide the fact that the murderer's actions put the city in a state of panic. No one knew if this murderer only targeted terrible people. The evidence suggests that he does, but that's circumstantial, especially since these victims all did different counts of crime.

At least, that was what I thought.

I was on a call with a possible lead when Alvis rushed into the office with interesting news. He informed me that they found a hidden basement in George Melville's house, the last of the three murder victims. It was by chance that an officer just so happened to trip over some misshapen wood. Upon lifting it up they located a small stash of Dark Core Deck Cases, at least ten of them. However, what really got me was Alvis discovering a few notes. The guy must have been a complete wreck when it came to cleaning up after himself. Each note contained several addresses and request notes. The Buddy Police figured that the guy took offers from notes and then deliver them to the address. Each note had small markings of this one phrase. "For the Will of Kyoya."

Alvis and I were stuck on that for a while. He shook his head while Sitri sat closeby. Arkaid had her own chair by my desk, watching from afar as Alvis and I discussed the matters. He told me he already told the higher ups about the looks and they are looking into them for any other traces of DNA, fingerprints, and the like. The Buddy Police HQ wasn't too busy in terms of employee traffic within the very doors; most of the officers were out on patrol so the few people that handled the paperwork remained. The walls and floors where nearly clear-blue in color, carrying a very modern feel to house. It reminded me of home.

Even though Alvis wanted to ask Kyoya Gaen himself for some questions, he didn't have the ability to go. "I was assigned to look for leads on the other two guys beforehand. That's why I came to you. You already did the paperwork crap you normally do, so I figured you wouldn't be too busy to do this."

"Gee, thank you for throwing my profession down the drain."

"You know what I mean," Alvis replied. "Why are you so grumpy?"

"Catching up for missing yesterday wasn't a walk in the park. It was long and boring," I replied in an annoyed tone. "Plus, my head is still pounding from that fight. And I had to get my mental state analyzed early this morning because I am a part of the test with the Dark Core Deck Case I have… AND I almost got it taken away because they mistook stress for work as stress involving the Deck Case. Still, I can look into Gaen for you and ask about the gang's existence."

"You're calling it a gang?" Alvis asked.

"What else can they be?"

Arkaid cleared her throat. "I believe that it's more complicated than that, CJ." She hopped off her chair and walked over. "The Will of Kyoya doesn't sound to be a gang to me. Just listen to what it's called. 'The Will of Kyoya.'"

"Are you saying it's more of an ideology?"

"Too early to guess, but I definitely wouldn't refer to it as a gang."

"Either way, this is important information Kyoya Gaen should be informed." I turned my attention back to Alvis. "He's still working at his company, right?"

"Yeah, and fortunately he's on a specific form of probation," Alvis continued. "Because of the incident involving his monster fusion, he's been required to speak to any officer that has any questions for him. I guess good things really can come from hell."

"We don't need a warrant?"

"An appointment needs to be scheduled ahead of time, but I already dealt with that," Alvis continued. "I'll make another call and tell them you're coming. Start heading over there now and see if you can get any good names out of him, like a list of suppliers or something."

"Suppliers?"

"Remember the rumors? About how he did crap even before the Yamigedo incident? Maybe he has a list of people dealing the Dark Core Deck Cases. He definitely has to have a list with at least one of the victim's names on it."

"But wouldn't he have given that up already?" I asked curiously. "I mean, look what he did."

"Not if they didn't tackle him from that angle," Alvis replied. "Again, his only official crimes involved the latest incident. If they didn't ask for anything relating to any prior incidents then he certainly didn't give anything."

"But Tasuku and Jackknife know about the ones from before then, remember? They talked about it a few days ago after we dealt with the siege. If they know, then the Buddy Police should be able to know too."

"Again, you're attacking it from the wrong angle," Alvis reiterated. "Before that. What if he sent more Core Deck Cases before even then? Some of the deck cases were in boxes that pre-dated when they were first officially shown off in his tournament at Aibo by two whole months! If Tasuku didn't know about that then Kyoya Gaen wouldn't have any reason to give out his oldest list."

"So… there could be even more 'Dark Core Deck Cases' than what we first thought?!"

Sitri rolled his eyes. "So he's a smartass," he growled. "Officers ask for everything involving the latest incidents, he gives it, only to keep the all-important first list."

Arkaid raised her hand to her chin. "All because it didn't involve with the latest crime, and it seems like he was getting away with it until now. Without saying, that's suspicious."

Sitri shrugged. "Or he doesn't want his name driven to the ground even more."

Alvis wanted to get at least one more thing in before heading out. "Listen, this is our main lead. Knowing their backgrounds could help us know why they were targeted and killed. We don't know if they were axed by a vigilante or killed to cover tracks just yet. Either way, getting information on the victims, while also getting info to help secure more Dark Core Deck Cases, is definitely a part of our new job."

That was more than enough to get Arkaid and I moving. I told Alvis, before he goes back to investigating the other two victims, to inform the rest of our team (Abigail and Ms. Fridrik) about our current situation. After informing Buddy Police officers at the front desk I was able to take one of the available cars.

Kyoya Gaen is the current head of the Gaen Finanacial Group. Before these recent incidents occurred, the group was known for funding one of the biggest schools in Tokyo; Aibo Academy. In addition to this, the group is also responsible for, officially, creating Core Deck Cases. The Dark Core Deck Cases were discovered sometime before the 'first incident' where Gaen, apparently, revealed them at a buddyfight tournament called the Gaen Cup. Since then, more and more accounts of the cases have been appearing across the world. It doesn't matter how much Kyoya Gaen claims to have changed his ways; he's possibly influenced many more people than previously thought.

Getting inside the tall, glass skyscraper was easy; I simply showed my identification and told them about the apartment. The lady at the desk informed me that I was able to come up. Arkaid, in her SD form, followed me along the red carpet as we traversed through the ancient-looking building. It carried designs that screamed vampire, especially the Transylvanian and Victorian Era designs on some of the walls.

After going to the top of the forty-floor building, Arkaid and I were greeted by one long, extremely Victorian hallway. Stone brick slabs lined the walls as the red carpet we walked on seemed to give out our presence as we walked. We soon reached the end of the line, soon hearing the sound of an organ playing. The notes began slow, but soon moved to a faster pace as Arkaid and I continued through the hallway. Finally, what was left was a large office. In it were just an organ, a desk, a butler, and a silver-haired boy in a chair. His back was turned away from us as he continued to play the organ in our presence.

As we got closer, the butler slowly went over to the child. He muttered something to the boy, causing the notes to die. The silver-haired boy turned his chair to face us. His bangs stretched out to the side as his orange-red eye nearly struck me dead. The kid carried a sly, calculated look as we exchanged stares. He leaned forward to his desk, placing his elbows on the table as he interlocked his fingers. He placed his head on them, letting his head be held up but the support of his hands. "You must be Chase Hallows and, oh my, I also have a member of the Fifth Calvary Dragons in my presence. Arkaid, was it? How have you been holding up after the Yamigedo incident?"

The way he spoke continued to irk me. Surprisingly, Arkaid was able to maintain her steady and calm, calculated demeanor. However, she knew that I, suddenly, couldn't stand him. His voice matched the slyness in his eyes. He sounded close to a viper convincing his prey into his lair. His spiky hair stretching out to the sides didn't help my opinion on him either. He was just too… sinister. Arkaid stepped forward, taking the lead. "We want you to hand over the list of names. We need you to give names of your suppliers handling the Dark Core Deck Cases."

"Easy, no need for outright demands right now," the child continued. He looked to be about thirteen or fourteen and, apparently, this child was the boss of this financial group?! "Allow me to introduce myself to you two. I'm Kyoya Gaen. However, I do believe my rather… infamous reputation precedes me."

Arkaid took another step forward. "We do not have time to deal with formalities. We are after the list of your suppliers."

"Suppliers? Which ones?" Gaen replied with a careless smile. "My company is in charge of handling products from many different companies. You need to be more specific than that."

Although Arkaid was keeping her cool, I could tell that she was on a path leading to some aggravation. To give her time to cool down, I took the lead. "Suppliers for Dark Core Deck Cases, and I'm not talking about the ones from after the Gaen Cup."

"Pardon?" Kyoya Gaen's calm demeanor vanished. "Now I know you're another officer throwing insane claims. I shipped the Dark Core Deck Cases around the time of the Gaen Cup."

"My partner went into the room of one of the murder victims. They found Dark Core Deck Cases boxed up, some having dates that predated the Gaen Cup by two months, also marked with "The Will of Kyoya" too," I continued on. Gaen's eyes were unfocused. It seems like I struck a nerve. "So much for that calculated demeanor."

"You need to believe me," Gaen panicked. "I did not send out any Dark Core Deck Cases before that date. I've never heard of such a mockery of my own name!"

"Then who did?"

"It has to be some of the employees I fired before the Cup!" Gaen slammed his desk, growing aggravated. "Listen, I'm telling you, I didn't do this. My company's reputation has already suffered enough. I'm in no position to lie right now!"

Arkaid pondered to herself. "If you think your ex-employees want to frame you, this means that you believe they waited all this time for this perfect time; when you're at your lowest!"

Gaen nodded. "That has to be it."

I interjected. "So, for the official part of this interview, you, in no way, are supporting this gang or, possibly, ideology?"

"Of course I'm not supporting them," Gaen hastily replied. "I haven't even heard of them until now. If what I think is true, and that this was started by some of my ex-employees, then I need to figure out a few important things."

"Like what?"

"Like how many of my shipments were sent early, and how the directions and orders had overridden mine." Gaen had gotten up from his chair and began to pace. He still sounded concerned, but it was more of a calculated concern; he was no longer in a state of extreme panic; he was pacing to figure out the angles of which to attack this issue. "If they got passed my security, then they're good; they're really good."

"Mr. Gaen," I reminded him. "Fortunately, most of this information isn't public yet. So far it is only known by a few branches in the Buddy Police and the District of Monster Relations. If you want me to believe you, then you need to start giving me what I need so I can protect you."

"Just tell me what I need," Gaen replied, returning back to his calm demeanor. "I'll give it to you."

"List of employees, as well as any fired ones around that point in time."

Arkaid nodded but was ready for more. "I would also highly recommend looking into people from a bit afterward. Maybe the reason why the ex-employees went by your security was that they had allies on the inside."

"I cleaned house except for my most trusted employees. I'll have someone send the Buddy Police what they need."

That was not enough for me. Call it an odd intrigue, but I wanted to learn more about Kyoya Gaen and his supposed 'old will.' I got closer, watching as he looked up at me with a confused yet patient glance. "I feel that we need to learn about why you made the Dark Core Deck Cases in the first place, Mr. Gaen."

"It should be common knowledge at this point."

"No, it isn't," I replied in an impatient tone. "So far your only official crime involves your latest mishap with your previous buddy monster. However, these Dark Core Deck Cases were created way before then. In fact, they were around for a long period of time before the Yamigedo incident. So I want to know this; what do you know about Dark Core Deck Cases? What can they do to you?"

"You appear to be rather worried about them," Gaen asked. He scrolled his eyes down my body, soon noticing a familiar object around my waist. "Hmm… you are in possession of a Dark Core Deck Case. I'm surprised that Tasuku allowed someone in his line of work to keep one."

"I'm being tested," I replied back. "I'm allowed to keep it as long as they can test the effects on my body. I don't want to get into the 'why,' especially since you don't need to know it, but since you created them then you should be able to know what these devices can do to someone?"

"Let's see… how would you like me to begin?"

Arkaid intervened, giving a concerned and worried look. "We just want to know if these could hurt CJ in any way." I turned to her, stunned that she would break down like that. "I'm sorry, CJ, but your health is important here." Gaen looked at Arkaid's sincere eyes with a heartless smile. However, as soon as he glanced over at me, he realized, once again, that he was not in a position to fuck around. "Gaen, can this power … "corrupt" him?"

"Corrupt is such a strong word, but I can understand why you have that concern," Gaen replied. He sighed, soon getting out of his chair. The young teen began to pace around the room, allowing his mind to think more effectively. "The Dark Core Deck Cases are imbued with the power of Azi Dahaka. His dark energies give off similar power readers that are comparable to Tasuku and Gao's Future Force."

Arkaid winced. "Such wicked power…."

"However, in my time of using it, I never found myself at the mercy of the weapons I created," Gaen continued. "In addition to that, my subordinates that used the Dark Core Deck Case were also unaffected by it. Through these circumstances, I can tell you that they didn't negatively affect them."

My buddy scoffed back. "Your 'circumstances' mean absolutely nothing."

Feeling uneasy, I nodded. "Your 'test' basically said that your evil guys were unaffected from being more evil. My question is if this could corrupt me. I have no doubt in my mind that your lackeys were evil enough to be unaffected by these things."

Gaen turned back with a raised brow. "Evil?" He shook his head. "No… we weren't 'Evil.' Good and evil are nothing but black and white terms used to differentiate sides; one is a side of convenience and the other isn't. My ideals were inconvenient to those who wish to keep this world the way it is. My other activities involve giving money to charities, funding schools, and managing healthy markets for a thriving economy. My only crime was that I, in the past, wished for the end of the world you see around you."

"The end of it?"

"Yes," Gaen replied. "It is also important to note that, technically, I didn't commit the first real crime, only because it was stopped before it was committed." The young child trailed off as he placed his hands behind him. He smiled slyly, soon turning toward the window. He watched as the city appeared to dim as day was nearing its end. "It was thanks to Gao and Tasuku, and one of my closest friends, that the world was able to be saved, for I wished to destroy it and rebuild it from scratch."

I grimaced, feeling the need to leave as soon as possible. "That was your will?"

"However, I doubt these ex-employees of mine would want to do this all for me. Understand this; because of my actions, I have a large army of enemies. I cannot afford to do something as crazy as lead this, this… 'Will.' After being stopped time and time again, I realized that there wasn't much of a point to it, which is why I aim to restore the reputation my company once had." Gaen turned to me, watching as Arkaid and I began to move towards the elevator. "I'll give you what you need. Don't worry about that. Just find these worms and eradicate them before they do anything else. And don't worry about your Dark Core Deck Case; I think it is marvelous for you to have it and you should be fine using it. Just don't ask too much of it."

Turning away, I started back for the elevator. "…Good. Just… give me or the Buddy Police a call if you have anything else for us."

It was fortunate that Kyoya Gaen, at least on the surface, was willing to cooperate with us on the matter. I doubt that there is any way he could worm his way out of this one, especially considering that he's worked up quite the reputation for himself. Creating the Dark Core Deck Cases was only the first step into holding true power, and now those deck cases that he created ages ago were coming back to haunt him.

---

Arkaid and I returned to our apartment later that day. After we returned with the information collected, as well as confirmation that Gaen was going to follow through with his side of the deal, I merely returned to my regular kind of work while at the office; filling out forms, managing assignments for other officers. I was more of the paper guy; I wasn't assigned to much action due to my odd situation of having a buddy and then them leaving. People in the field are highly recommended to have a buddy with them regardless of their qualifications. I could only assume that the higher-ups, including my boss, were waiting to make completely sure that Arkaid's position with me was not temporary.

The occasional noise of raindrops pelting against the window took me away from my short daze. In front of me was the usual assortment of alcohol; it was another Friday, and I was off work. To me, it only felt natural to calm myself down in this manner. The falling water relaxed me as the sound of thunder filled me with a sort of euphoria. I loved stormy weather while I'm indoors. Combined with the fact that I was now mixing Svedka with Midori and ice, the rain added an extra layer of calmness to me.

Arkaid was off to the side in her usual form, which kept her at a size comparable to mine. She held a novel from her hand. I wasn't paying too much attention to it but, from what I could see from my glance to her, she wasn't too into it. She would occasionally look away and see me setting my little system up. She would try to get back to reading before letting off a soft sigh, turning the page.

In front of me was a small coffee table holding the drinks and shaker. Yesterday, I bought a couch for the room since Arkaid's place in Dragon World didn't seem to have one. For the most part, she only had wooden pieces of furniture that carried a sense of antiqueness. Finding a couch that went with that particular style was difficult, so I just went with a black one with soft material around it. When it came to my alcohol, I use a margarita shaker as a makeshift cup. I placed the two alcohols in the cup with a 1:1 ratio, then adding the ice and shaking. What resulted was a sweeter mixture due to the Midori, or lemon liquor, and the ice made it so it was easier to get down.

I heard footsteps behind me, but I just assumed that Arkaid was getting something for herself. Since she told me she didn't want to drink, I simply didn't bother as I started consuming the drink. By the time I was a few sips in I saw Arkaid setting herself down next to me. She kept her hands in her lap, seemingly holding something in her light-blue hands. She covered it as she started looking away slightly, almost as if she was embarrassed. "What compels you to drink?"

Arkaid's question only made me shrug before I took another sip. It was a strong one, for I found myself letting off a short cough as the sting from the alcohol slid down my throat. "A short feeling of just letting yourself go, I guess," I replied with another shrug. "It's weird, but I enjoy letting myself feeling heavier, or possibly letting myself be motionless for a bit. I'm not great at explaining it; alcohol, when consumed right, gives you a heavy euphoric feeling. It just makes me happy."

"I can understand," Arkaid replies. "Since, at the basic level of everything, our emotions are chemical reactions within the body. I wouldn't be surprised to think that it affects them."

"Well, it can usually hinder thinking," I replied. "Based on what I've seen, it depends from person to person. When I'm drunk, I may be slurred, but I still think with a sense of logic and reason. However, I lose the anxiety of telling someone something on my mind."

"Could you give me an example?"

"Wait till I'm drunk and maybe you'll know," I replied with a slight grin.

Arkaid sighed, soon shaking her head. I was able to tell this wasn't directed at me; she was muttering. She appeared to be talking to herself as she occasionally shook her head at whatever ideas she spouted in secret. At least, she revealed what was being hidden by her hands. She was holding a cup, soon turning to me. "I guess that makes the both of us."

"Oh, well that's something," I kinda shuttered. "Wasn't expecting that."

"W-what?" Arkaid asked timidly. "Are you not okay with it?"

"I just don't want you to feel like I'm forcing you."

"You aren't forcing me, CJ," Arkaid replied. "What in the world could make you believe that? I simply want to understand the experience more."

"Wait, so you never had alcohol before?"

"Never," Arkaid replied emotionlessly. It was easy to tell that she was being completely serious. "Would you mind giving me your mixture?"

One thing led to another. That's the only thing I can think of as to why I was on the floor while Arkaid was on the couch. Oddly enough, we were experiencing alcohol rather similarly. Fortunately, I made sure that she was controlling her intake, so I put the jugs away before we finished our second cups. It may be odd, but I don't consume vodka in shot-format; I just drink with a bit of another mixture. Still, I was happy to see that nothing bad was going on; we just laid ourselves out, looking at the ceiling and each other when we talked.

Arkaid was blinking before licking the edges of her mouth. I tended to do the same after some consumption. She heard me chuckling about it, so she turned her head over. "What are you doing on the floor, CJ?"

"You have the couch."

"Still, the floor?"

"I don't mind."

Arkaid rolled her eyes before turning her attention back to the ceiling. "You're an idiot, I swear."

"Oh, that's new," I mumbled with a smile.

"What is?"

"You just called me an idiot." Arkaid paused, soon sitting up after hearing that. She looked rather confused at herself as she held her hand against her head, stuck in thought. "That's the first time you've called me that."

"It's just dumb for you to do that," Arkaid mumbled back. When I looked over to her, I noticed that she was pouting. Pouting. That was the last thing I expected from someone as regal as Arkaid. It prompted me to get off the floor, soon watching as she kept making attempts to look away from me. "If you wanted to, I would've gotten on the floor, or a chair. Besides, you bought the couch."

"That'd just be wrong for me to do," I retorted. "Besides, I wanted to lay myself flat. Can't do that with a chair, and I know you want to lie on the couch too."

Arkaid scoffed. "You're being an idiot." She abruptly laid herself out on the couch again. The couch shook for a moment due to the aggressive shift in movement. Instead of being offended by her demeanor, her actions made me wonder to myself for a bit. Was she truly reacting to the alcohol in a familiar manner to me? Was her regal, soft-spoken self really just an act and she's really just pouty? Or is the alcohol just releasing all the little pent-up emotions she's probably got rattling around in her head? I shouldn't be making assumptions like this; the only experience in Psychology I have is the one course I took in college. Still, I found Arkaid's new inflections to be rather comedic. "But thanks for letting me take the couch, I guess."

So, this was her when she's drunk. I guess she's just so new to the experience that she hasn't picked up on it yet. While I'm more laid back and self-hating, Arkaid is more of the defensive type while still showing signs of thankfulness, but through a rougher exterior. She showed signs of being angry at me, but her later statements showed that she was more grateful to me. I remember that there was a term for people like this in Japanese media, but the term escaped me. I knew she wasn't actually angry at me, though it was weird that she was pouting at me for, according to me, being too selfless about the situation. "Anything else on your mind?"

"Actually, I've been thinking of the Gaen thing," Arkaid replied. A started chuckling to myself as I noticed her speech becoming less professional. "I still think it's too early to call all of this a revenge plot."

"You mean with the Deck Cases, right?"

"Yes," Arkaid replied. "It just seems too much. I understand that they could've waited for Gaen to be at his weakest and that's why it was taking so long for these Dark Core Deck Cases to come out, but why not just publish the evidence we have?"

"You mean, why don't the guys just alert the police about the cases from before the Gaen Cup?"

"Yeah, that," Arkaid unprofessionally replied. Her speech was starting to get slower, and I noticed that she shook her head in a quick spasm, almost like her body was telling her to snap out of it. "There's enough evidence on the boxes, evidence would get Gaen in even more hot water, and the revenge plot is done and over with."

"So you're saying there's more to it?"

"I wouldn't be thinking about it while drunk with you if that wasn't the case, Mr. Chase Hallows."

Whenever anyone says your full name, you know, for absolute certain, that they're going to get snippy. "Well, why are you calling me that? You sound mad."

"Take the couch."

"I'm not taking the couch from you."

"I'll keep bugging you about it until you do."

"How about we go back to the Gaen conversation, Arkaid." The dragon woman nodded back. "I'm thinking it over, and you have a point. If the new owner of the deck cases wasn't a victim of a murder, we would've immediately confronted Kyoya and basically arrested him on the spot. But something else is up. And Kyoya couldn't have been involved; his reaction was sincere, and if he knew that his ex-employees had his belongings then he would've gone to get them."

"So what's left to think is that they want to use the things for themselves. However, they should know that using the name 'The Will of Kyoya' links them to him. Also, as we already agreed upon, they could easily just get Kyoya in trouble for the deck cases and have his life destroyed, so why go the extra mile?"

"Maybe they just want to do something drastic and, if the crap fails, then have Kyoya take the blame for them."

"Maybe," Arkaid mumbled. "I just think there's more to that. Maybe I'm just going in circles at this point. I'm not making sense right now, am I?"

"Wouldn't be too crazy," I replied. "We are drunk. High-functioning, but still drunk."

"Right…," Arkaid laid her head back on the couch's armrest. "So you can think with logic while I'm just all over the place in this drunk state."

"It would've been a good idea to have this talk while sober. We could've put off drinking."

"I guess my curiosity got to me," Arkaid laughed softly to herself, referring to the alcohol. "Besides, it's not too important. It's just a collection of theories in my head and you and I both know no one wants to listen to my theories."

"You know I would."

"That's why you're my buddy," Arkaid turned away. "… Let's do this more often."

"Hmm?"

"You drink every Friday, right?" I affirmed this with a nod. "Would you mind if this becomes a weekly thing for me too?"

"I don't mind," I replied. "Though you need to continue to drink safely. Never drink when you're in a bad mood, for starters. Also, I think we should get some food ordered, maybe some takoyaki. I think it's about time we sobered up."

"Thank you, CJ." Arkaid smiled back to me. She got up from the couch and started walking over to me, offering me a hand. She was still wobbly but there was still something strong about how she extended her arm to me. "Though I don't know about getting in a bad mood while drinking."

"You're in a bad mood?" I asked as she pulled me back to my feet.

"Yes," Arkaid replied. "Take the couch."

"You're still on about that?"

"I hate watching you stay on the floor."

"Is that why you helped me up?"

"Maybe."

"Then I'm going back to the floor. Enjoy the couch."

"… Idiot."