Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

...[Extracted]

====

Tuesday, January 11th, 22xx.

01:45 PM.

It’s over! Zarc has been defeated! After a long and torturous battle between a fully-formed Zarc and fully-formed Ray, my sister finally defeated him and blasted his soul apart once again.

--

11:15 PM.

We found Zarc’s and Ray’s alter egos all separated into their individual bodies. Currently, all 8 are unconscious, I’ve instructed my employees to break them off by pairs, each dimension’s counterparts are put next to each other. Although unconfirmed, I believe the existence of Ray’s alter egos will ease the darkness inside Zarc’s soul.

Further actions concerning them will be pending. There are so many things I need to make arrangements for right now.

====

Wednesday, January 12th, 22xx.

01:53 AM.

Arrest Akaba Leo and The Doktor, most of the rest of Academia’s higher-ups have been arrested as well. Reira is tired so I sent her home.

--

02:31 PM.

Something strange is acting up. The time-place dimension is behaving abnormally.

====

Thursday, January 13th, 22xx.

08:42 AM.

The four sub-dimensions have been merged again. We receive reports that people’s memories are being restored. Turn out Maiami, Heartland, The City and Academia are all neighboring self-governing cities within Japan. Things are a mess. People are threatening to revolt if we don’t do something. Will update later.

====

Tuesday, January 18th, 22xx

07:11 PM.

The reconstructing of Heartland has officially begun. Maiami, The City and Academia’s main city has started offering shelters, food and water for all those who were revived from being carded. I have opened Leo Corporation’s various shelters and supply warehouses for them. The City, despite being the largest and having the most resources among all three, has been reluctant to provide housing and food. 

The situation is divided.

Will have a negotiation with The City’s mayor tomorrow, I’ll make that clown see reason or else.

====

Wednesday, January 19th, 22xx.

09:03 PM.

None of Zarc and Ray’s alter egos have woken up. We’ve put Yuri and Serena in a guarded quarter just to be sure. A bit unfair for Serena but I’m planning to release her as soon as Yuri wakes up.

Negotiation with The City is a success, but they’ll only open the lower half of their city for refugees. Those self-centered snobbish.

====

Friday, January 21st, 22xx.

02:20 PM.

We’re overwhelmed. More helps are needed, volunteers are turning up but we’re still short-staffed.

====

Thursday, January 27th, 22xx.

11:39 PM.

The remaining soldiers of Academia are either surrendering or going into hiding, but we’ll find them soon. 

In the meantime, the reconstruction of Heartland is underway, Heartland and its people will still be our max priority in the coming month.

Granted the old Rebellion Force’s permission to aid with the reconstruction and refugee effort, Kurosaki said he entrusted her sister and best friend’s safety in my care before going back to Heartland.

How unusual of him.

====

Monday, January 31st, 22xx.

06:42 PM.

Sent the Lancers home to rest, they’ve done enough. Yusho is a big help. No progress concerning Zarc and Ray’s alter egos. If this keeps going, all of them are going to need physical therapy when they wake.

====

Friday, February 4th, 22xx.

08:01 PM.

Put together a team of physical therapists for them.

====

Sunday, February 6th, 22xx.

10:22 PM.

Heartland’s progression is quite positive, The City’s technological help is immeasurable. Heartland’s newly appointed mayor put down City’s proposal to separate them into Top and Common areas though. City’s problems still run deep.

====

Monday, February 7th, 22xx.

01:37 AM.

Morality within the Lancers is low, none of those 8 have woken up. Doctors couldn’t find anything wrong with them. Reira kept crying in her room, saying all her friends are sad and she misses Yuya. Tried to cheer her up, didn’t work.

====

Thursday, February 10th, 22xx.

11:29 PM.

Everyone put together a small celebration party for the 1-month anniversary. Many were eager to go, some not so much. I declined the invitation, so much still needs to be done.

====

Friday, February 11th, 22xx.

10:12 PM.

It’s officially been a month since the war ended, even I have gotten anxious. I went to visit Yuya and Yuzu’s hospital room, their parents were at their wit's end.

====

Thursday, February 17th, 22xx.

07:19 AM.

They wake up.

====

Sunday, February 20th, 22xx.

11:47 AM.

They recovered at a lightning rate, barely three days and they regained most of their bodily functions. It’s worth prying into. Are their abnormal conditions the reason for this fast recovery? 

Why are all 8 waking up simultaneously? Is there still a link between Zarc’s alter egos? If so, then we have a big problem on our hands.

====

Monday, February 28th, 22xx.

03:21 AM.

After so much effort by both Lancers and the volunteers, we finally capture the last remaining member of Academia. We’ve had a lot of discussion on how to deal with them, and everyone decide that:

1. Academia’s teachers and staff will be tried for war crimes.
2. Most of the Obelisk Force, of which the majority is underage, will be put in a Juvenile Detention Center, they will undergo the rehabilitation and reintegration process to remove Academia’s genocidal teaching and training until they’re good enough to be released.

An alarming number of parents has submitted papers asking to be reunited with their child. Apparently, a lot of Academia’s child soldiers were kidnapped from their families and brought to the island to be raised as tools for war. 

Yuri will also be sent to the Juvenile Center. Serena and his relationship are essentially non-exist, nor do they make any effort to connect once they wake up, so I’m planning to separate them soon.

Serena, Sora and every member of Academia who have deserted will have their charge acquitted as long as they help us with the rehabilitation and reintegration of the Obelisk Force. I cannot let any of Akaba Leo’s dangerous ideology persist in this world, even if I have to be cold and harsh about it.

====

Tuesday, March 1st, 22xx.

11:04 AM.

Met Akaba Leo, all he talked about was Ray, Ray, Ray. Just because of his obsession with my sister, he has ruined many lives and destroyed the very fabric of this universe, I’m disappointed in him. 

He doesn’t deserve my mother.

He accused me of being a hypocrite for the unequal treatment I’m giving him and “the root of all these problems”, namely Zarc. I told him I have plans for them as well, and that I’ll make sure Zarc never gets revived again, no matter what I have to do.

====

Thursday, March 3rd, 22xx.

02:18 AM.

I met and discussed with Zarc’s alter egos. Yuya, Yuto and Yugo all agreed with my suggestion, Yuri of course refused to comply, but his opinion doesn’t matter. He’ll be sent for the Juvenile Detention Center tomorrow and will likely stay there for the upcoming years, he can’t oppose either way.

Yusho made a strange request to me, and refused to cooperate unless I agreed. I agree just to get the man off my back.

====

Wednesday, March 9th, 22xx.

00:41 AM.

Yuto, Ruri, Yugo and Rin have been sent back to their original cities. Per our agreement, from now on, none of Zarc’s alter egos will be permitted to have access to each other. This includes physical meetings, video calls, phone calls, voicemail and text chat. They are also forbidden from leaving their cities, so as to prevent accidental meetings. We cannot stop Yuya from performing live, nor Yuto or Yugo from competing in streaming tournaments, so they’ll still be hearing from each other from time to time, but not talking nor exchanging words with each other.

I acknowledged that I left a huge loophole in my rules, I haven’t forbidden any of the Lancers, nor the girls from talking, or traveling to meet each other. Therefore, any of them would be able to pass words from one boy to another, if they so want. 

I consider this my kindness.

According to my reports, only Yuya and Yuto can be considered friends, Yugo’s relationship with both is strained, and none of them like Yuri, so I expect no adverse effect to this separation.

====

Tuesday, April 12th, 22xx.

00:23 AM.

Yuri has been predictably difficult. He’s still refusing to talk with his therapist and stand by Leo's ideology. His relationship with other Obelisk Force members is far from the best, they eventually had to separate Yuri from the rest and gave him his own room and private lessons. Keeping him in isolation seems to be the best for everyone.

Yusho makes regular visits to the Detention Center, aside from teaching the Obelisk Force, he requests to meet with Yuri, one on one, every time he went.

Yusho and Yuri’s growing relationship has been concerning, but the man assured me that he knows what he’s doing.

====

Saturday, April 23rd, 22xx.

07:13 PM.

You Show School is restarting Dueltaining Shows, they invited me and all the Lancers for the opening show. This will mark Yusho’s return to the showbiz. General reception is positive.

====

Saturday, April 30th, 22xx.

10:35 PM.

Good show, Yuya is surprisingly the star of tonight, not his dad.

====

Sunday, May 1st, 22xx.

01:06 AM.

Yuya collapsed after the show. Nurse is giving him fluids through a drip. The cause seems to be overworking.

--

02:39 AM.

He woke up an hour later and reassured everyone that he's fine with a smile.

====

Wednesday, May 4th, 22xx.

08:21 PM.

The shows is a huge success commercially. I expect Yuya and Yuzu’s careers to go far.

====

Tuesday, May 17th, 22xx.

03:49 AM.

Serena requested weekly visits with Yuri, so I granted her permission. Yuri is becoming less and less unpleasant to work with over time, likely due to Yusho’s positive influence. I hope Serena’ll be another push in the right direction for him.

====

Friday, June 3rd, 22xx.

10:17 PM.

Heartland’s schools are reopening. The Kurosaki siblings, Yuto and the rest of the underage Resistance members all went back to class. Even though Yuto’s family has all lost their lives in the war, I believe his situation going forward is bright.

====

Thursday, July 21st 22xx.

01:20 AM.

Announced Leo Corp’s co-sponsoring of The City’s first Youth Riding Duel. Rin said she's interested in joining, Yugo was coming down with a cold so he didn't come to meet me.

====

Sunday, July 26th, 22xx.

00:19 AM.

Went to Heartland today to oversee the reconstruction process and met Yuto. He looked a little worse for wear, but given his situation, who wouldn’t be?

I asked him whether he resents me for separating Yuya and him. Yuto told me, surprisingly mature, that he knew this was the necessary measure, and he’s grateful that at least he wasn’t thrown in jail for Zarc’s crimes.

Come to think of it, I instructed my security to monitor all of Zarc’s alter egos, and they have been diligently following my rules. Guess my fear that their temporal merging can cause them to imprint on each other is unfounded.

====

Friday, August 05th, 22xx.

07:10 PM.

Finally, the reconstruction of Heartland is complete. Even though this newly built city still lacks many things and still has to rely on relief items, the last group of Heartland residents have left their shelter today to return to their own homes.

There are still many things to do, but life is beginning anew for this city.

====

Monday, October 17th, 22xx.

11:38 PM.

The trial for Akaba Leo and other staff members of Academia officially begins today.

====

Wednesday, November 30th, 22xx.

04:45 PM.

Today, my father was convicted of mass genocide and indoctrination of numerous youths, he was sentenced to life without parole.

And I was responsible for putting him in jail. 

====

Thursday, December 1st, 22xx.

01:56 AM.

People are still celebrating in the street, it’s so noisy Reira was overwhelmed so I put her to bed early.

When I walk past my mother's room, I can hear her crying. She doesn’t deserve this, no one does.

In the end, even when he was escorted past us, he didn’t give mother, nor me, a single glance. I wanted so many times to ask him what was he thinking? What was he feeling? To him, what is important and what is not? But I guess the opportunity’s over.

I feel so tired. Strange, I’ve been working nonstop for nearly a year, yet I haven’t once gotten as exhausted as today, and I didn’t do anything but sit in the courtroom all day.

It’s weird, I don’t have a single happy memory of my father, he was always either working or being cold and indifferent toward me. And yet, in the final moments, I still wanted him to at least look my way. I guess what my therapist said was true. No matter how horrible a parent is, a child still can’t help but yearn for their love.

--

05:29 AM.

It’s nearly morning, but I can’t fall asleep, so I get up and go to the balcony and update my log. The last 2 years have been so eventful, I prepared for war, I went to war, and then after the war I helped with the recovery effort.

Then I put my father in jail.

And here I am, still barely an adult, Reira is just about to go to 2nd grade. My family is forever fractured and so are many, many others.

What do I do now, when it’s all over?

It’s snowing. The first snow for the first day of winter.

Everything’s silent.

I’m in no way deserving of this beautiful sight.

Are you pitying me now, god? Or is this frozen rain your way of putting a blanket over all of our sufferings, and preparing us for a new beginning?

I’m turning in for the night, it’s cold.

--

07:17 AM

Yuri escaped from Juvenile Center.

--

10:38 AM.

We found Yuri on a cliff overlooking the ocean at the edge of Academia’s city.

He had slit his own throat.

Chapter Text

Here we stand, worlds apart 

hearts broken in two, two, two

- Separate Way (Worlds apart) - Journey

=====

When they were young, Rin and Yugo often went to a dumpster near the waste treatment plant, digging around for usable clothes and toys to bring back to their orphanage. Mother Maria always reprimanded them for it, saying it was too dangerous, but it’s not like a couple of unruly kids would care.

As they played with the toys, Yugo often dreamt of turning those pop guns and toy swords into weapons and barged those Top’s faces in with it. Most of the time, Rin indulged his imagination, and they spent too many afternoons chasing invisible Security squads around and throwing toys at them. However, secretly, she never wanted to see these innocent toys be transformed into something so cruel. That sunny smiling face of Yugo, she never wanted to see it turning into frowns and grimaces.

Yugo obtained a deck with toy-themed cards regardless, and he used them to give Security hell. Rin found this such a Yugo thing to do, turning something childish into his swords and armors, and then she was sad, because the proof of their innocent childhood was distorted into something so violent and unforgiving.

And then the war came, she was spirited away and was made into something, someone not herself. When she escaped from that nightmare and came back, Yugo… wasn’t his old self anymore either.

“Yuya, quickly!”

“Just a second, I can’t find my goggles!”

“If you’re not done by ten seconds, I’m leaving first.”

“Just a sec, just a sec- Mom! Do you see my goggles anywhere?”

An older woman’s voice sounded from the kitchen, telling him to check the laundry basket and Yuya’s thrumming footsteps followed.

“Yuya! Train’s leaving in 10 minutes and if you made me miss my dad’s opening show then I’m not talking to you ever again.”

“Chill, it’s my dad’s opening show too. Okay, I found it- thank mom!”

They rushed out of the house and made a dash to the train station. On the other side of the city, both of their dads were having their first joint dueltain performance today and they could not miss that. 

“Rin! How long are you going to sleep? It’s past 8!”

Rin's eyes snapped open to her childhood friend’s face hovering above her. She blinked, then blinked again but the figure still didn’t morph. That’s weird, why was his hair in such a strange color and style today? Did he get a dye job when she wasn’t aware?

“Uhm, is there something on my face?” He asked warily.

Rin yawned, not totally awake yet, “Is there a morning show today? Why’re you in costume?”

“Show? Costume?” He looked at her a little dumbfounded.

She sat up and got out of bed, “Yeah, why else would you be in that riding suit? Is today’s theme turbo duel? Do I need to com-”

The boy gripped her shoulder and turned her body over to face him, “Rin!”

Rin snapped awake. Yugo was looking at her with a face as white as a sheet, and she was-

Oh.

She was Rin.

And it was Yugo in front of her.

They were in their room in the orphanage, not Hiiragi’s house.

“S-sorry, Yugo,” she got out of Yugo’s grip and covered her face with her hand, “I think, I’m a bit confused. I just had a strange dream, that’s all.”

Yugo eyed her suspiciously, “Is that all? A strange dream? You just talked to me like I’m Y- I’m a different person.”

Yugo’s grip on her shoulder was a bit too tight, Rin could see the fear in his eyes as he searched for something that was no longer there. She huffed and answered nervously, “I just saw Yuzu’s dream, I think, I guess it somehow influenced me. But I’m okay now, all fine and dandy, you don’t have to worry about it, Yugo.”

She added a grin, as a good measure.

Yugo still gripped her shoulder, but his frown had ceased. 

“Really, you are alright?” He asked.

“Really, now if we don’t come down quick, it’d be noon and we won’t get anything done. Come on!”

Judging from Yugo’s forced smile as he followed her, she could tell that she didn’t do a good job convincing him, but she really felt fine, better than ever, actually. She felt almost giggly.

Later that morning, when Yugo was busy with the new Riding Bike, Rin pulled out the new Duel Disk with the chat feature added in and began texting. One of these days she needed to thank Reiji for giving all of them this means of communication. It’s still strange to know that he was supposed to be her little half-brother.

Windywitch: Hiya girls, good work today? 

MoonCat: Good morning, I hope you have a good day too

Birdy: Sel, u dont need to be so formal in chat

MoonCat: My apologies, I’m not used to this yet

Windywitch: *laughing emoji* u are doing it again

DivaNo.1: Sr Im in class

Cant talk

Sel u are doing good

this class boring

I wanna go to Heartland

Miss u Ruri

U too Rin

MoonCat: You said you were in class 

DivaNo.1: So are u sweety

Birdy: I cant believe u2

Windywitch: neither am I

Rin giggled as their text got longer. After their horrible, brief merge back in the time-space conjunction, Rin woke up with a void in her chest, a void that she couldn’t seem to fill no matter what she did. Only when Reiji allowed her to reunite with the other girls, that the void seemed close on itself, and she felt content for the first time since waking up.

The four of them exchanged contact details and had been texting each other since then. The more they talked, the more Rin felt like they had been a part of her forever. Or more accurately, they were all a part of a whole, one soul split in four by their own volition. And now, by coming in contact with each other, they finally had become whole again.

Rin told the girl about the strange dream last night, and how she was sure that she was Yuzu this morning, and all the girls decided that while it was such a incredible experience, they wouldn’t want a repeat of that, as they had decided that they would live as separated people. Rin enjoyed feeling close to the other girls, but she’d rather live her own life with her individuality intact. Still, she didn’t feel the least bit nervous or scared after being overridden by Yuzu’s persona earlier, was it because of their unique relationship, or because she knew Yuzu was a sweet girl? Speaking of which.

“Hey Yugo, can I ask you something weird?”

Yugo didn’t turn back from his crouching position in front of their bike, “Sure, what’s that?”

“Have you ever, uhm, traded identity with the other boys, or dreamed their memory or something?”

“Never!” Yugo snapped back so fast Rin thought his neck might bend, “Never! Like, never! Something like that had never happened! Holy shit, Rin! Don’t talk about something so terrifying to me.”

Yugo’s reaction had Rin scooting back on the bench with wide eyes, “Ah- Okay, I’m sorry.”

Perhaps realizing his own overaction, Yuto looked down a little sheepishly, “I know you and the other girls’ are super close, but it’s not like that for me, for us, okay? Heck, we have a war criminal within us, he took you from me and wasn’t even sorry about it.”

Yuri , Rin winced.

“Yugo, aren’t I back already? You don’t need to-”

“So what? He’s still the one to take away the only thing I’ve ever cared about! Don’t tell me I shouldn’t hold a grudge over him!”

Yugo’s eyes burned in anger and Rin went speechless.

“If I wake up one day thinking I’m that asshole then I might as well fucking hang myself up. I hated being one with them, I’m not them and they’ll never be me. Rin, I just wanna be myself, can you understand that for me?” He clenched his fists and looked away.

Rin stood up quickly and went over to Yugo to give him a big hug, she felt Yugo hugging back and burying his head in her shoulder.

“Sorry, I forgot your situation is a bit different than ours. That was so insensitive of me, I’ll never ask you about that again, okay?"

“I just wanted us, you and me, to return to how it was before all those stuff started. Like, I know you like your counterparts, but I just want Rin, my Rin, not any other girl. So, so, can you, like, stop talking about these things? I hate this, I hate thinking about them . And yet, lately every time I talk to you, I was reminded that I’m not entirely me. ”

Shame washed over Rin. Too focused on herself, she forgot how this whole thing might have affected Yugo. She couldn’t even imagine what thoughts ran through his head while she overlapped with Yuzu this morning.

“Okay, I won’t talk about my counterparts anymore. So stop looking so sad, please,” she patted Yugo’s back rather clumsily.

Yugo nodded, still buried in her shoulder.

“Ah, but I’m still keeping in contact with the others, I really like them.”

Her childhood friend laughed, “Of course, they’re nice people, just like you.”

After a while, they separated. Rin decided to forgo her group chat to help Yugo with the bike, but not before sending a ‘bye’ text to them.

“Do you at least want to say something to Yuya or Yuto? I can ask others to deliver it to them.”

Yugo paused, then said, “ No need. I have no business with them. Like I said, we’re not friends.”

There’s a slight change of tone to Yugo’s voice when he said that, but just like an idiot, Rin accepted his words as it was.

April passed by and May arrived with no more accidents, Rin and Yugo, together with Jack, Clow and everyone who participated in the war helped the Heartland refugees settle in their shelters. Resources from the Top were so scarce, which made Rin’s blood boil harder than ever. You’d think coming through something as traumatizing as being separated into four different dimensions would bring people together, but apparently not those elitists. They are still the same selfish bunch who could only think of themselves.

The only change? Rin and Yugo didn’t have to run from Security anymore. With Reiji and Jack’s influence, the Top had been slowly abolishing laws discriminating against Common. So they no longer chased after them just because they step foot into a Top-only area. Baby steps, but steps nevertheless.

Today, Rin and Yugo were supposed to go to an event orchestrated by Reiji, he had invited them personally to the stadium when he’d make some kind of announcement. Rin had been really pumped, if Reiji wanted them there in person then whatever he wanted to announce would guarantee to be real big. 

Then, Yugo literally collapsed when taking their bike out of the garage.

“Yugo!” Rin cried and rushed over to help him up, Yugo’s body was burning up and his face was feverish red. She had to half carry, half dragged him to bed. Luckily, it seemed to be just a common cold. Yugo peacefully passed out after she got some medicine inside him, but it’s clear that he’s not going anywhere in this state.

Rin sat next to the bed and stared at her childhood friend’s sleeping face, thinking about how she couldn’t tell anything amiss this morning. 

She had been proud of her Yugo-reading ability, every expression, every quirk, every habit of Yugo was like an open box to her. The boy made it even easier by being the most honest, straightforward, and simple guy you could find out there. Yet these past couple of months he had been meek, he often hid his thoughts, and sometimes he said strange things but he quickly denied he ever said that a second after. He still smiled, but the smiles were far more faded, more of a tiny flicker of light, rather than the bright sunshine she's used to. Sometimes, when they went out together, Yugo would stare out at the open sea with such a sad, longing face that made her heart ache.

And despite all those symptoms, Rin still couldn’t find out what was wrong with him. Things were finally looking up, with the Top steadily improving their relationship with the Common, their dreams about living a better, freer life without the Top’s enslavement could be realized.

So what could be troubling Yugo so much, that he would get sick over it?

She decided to go to Reiji’s event alone.

What Reiji was planning was beyond everything Rin had ever dreamed of. The new Youth Riding Duel Championship he co-sponsored alongside the Top would be welcoming participants from both Top and Common without discrimination. If they join this tournament and win, their dream of having a better, freer life would be a dream no more.

Rin came back to the orphanage to shake Yugo awake with the good news.

“Is that true? Anyone can participate? Even if we’re Commons?” Yugo asked.

“Yes, isn’t it exciting, Yugo? Finally, finally, our dream can come true,” Rin sobbed on Yugo’s shoulder, and this time, with happy tears.

“Yeah, what good news.” 

Rin frowned, she didn’t expect such a weak reaction. The Yugo she knew would be jumping and dancing around like a crazy drunk hearing this.

She gently pushed Yugo back to look into his eyes, there's bags under his eyes and he looked so tired, “Yugo, aren’t you happy you get a chance to be a champion? You’ve been telling me you want to be like Jack since ages ago.”

“Oh, of course I’m happy,” Yugo avoided her gaze, “I’m just tired, that’s all.”

“...Reiji said you’re automatically registered as a participant, is that okay?”

Yugo had lied down, back facing away from her, but Rin could hear him snorting.

“Typical bastard, always has to jump over and pre-arrange things for everyone. No wonder Pendulum hates him.”

It took Rin a second to decipher Yugo's words, she looked at her childhood friend’s silent back, and felt scared for him more than ever.

“Yugo, why do you know Yuya hates Reiji?” 

But she didn’t get an answer.

=====

Shun was there with Ruri and Yuto when they woke up, he was there all along for them when they went through their physical therapy, fussing over them like a mother bird fussing over her chicks, Ruri’s words, not his.

But he couldn’t help it, they were the only things he still had left anymore. The month when they were both in a coma had been the longest he’d ever been through, it’s a nightmare he didn’t want to relive ever again.

Even after they fully recovered, the hospital refused to release Yuto and Ruri, nor let them meet anyone but Shun. He went to the doctors to ask for the reason, fully prepared himself for bad news, but all they said was they were keeping them back “on Akaba Reiji’s order”.

Shun frowned and wondered what shady plan Reiji was cooking up this time.

Reiji only appeared about two weeks later, he entered their hospital room with a solemn face and said he wanted to discuss something with Yuto, and only Yuto.

“You can either talk with Shun and Ruri here, or forget it. There is nothing I need to hide from them,” Yuto refused with a frown.

Reiji gave them a look, and signed in defeat, “Fine.”

The young Akaba Corp’s CEO pulled out a chair and sat down, his hands folded neatly on his lap.

“I want to talk to you about Zarc and the method I plan to adopt to keep him from being resurrected again.”

Yuto sat a little straighter on his bed, Ruri sucked in a breath, and Shun froze from the spot he’d been standing in.

“Judging from your reactions, I take it that you haven’t been talking about him,” Reiji adjusted his glasses.

“What is there to talk about? Isn’t it all over? Ray completely blew his soul apart again. Zarc’s death!” Shun glared at Reiji, daring the other man to rebuff his statement.

“It’s true that Ray defeated him, Yuto sitting here is the proof of that victory,” he nodded to Yuto, who still didn’t say anything, “but we can’t be sure that he will not be revived again. Zarc might be dead, but his remnants are still here, and there’s no guarantee they wouldn’t end up merging again. I cannot allow that to happen.”

The whole room went quiet.

“What do you propose, then? What do you plan to do to stop his revival?” Yuto spoke for the first time since Reiji set foot in the room.

“The same thing Ray planned, really. My analysis has shown that her approach is the most efficient and effective to stop Zarc from being resurrected. Of course, with the destruction of the Arc Project, we couldn’t hope to replicate the power of the four bracelets, but that’s one aspect we can achieve easily with you four’s cooperation and a bit of technology.”

With the mention of her bracelets, Ruri pulled her now bared wrist to her chest. Something glinted in Yuto’s eyes and he looked down, his passive face betraying no emotion.

“So, you don’t mean-,” Ruri gulped.

“Yes, I’m planning a total quarantine for all four pieces of Zarc’s soul from each other, effective immediately. None of you,” Reiji nodded to Yuto, “would be permitted to contact each other, which includes both face-to-face meetings and online contacts. We’ll make sure that none of you can meet and potentially merge with each other again.”

Ruri went rigid, she gripped her wrist and looked down, letting her bangs cover her face. But on the other bed, Yuto closed his eyes in resignation.

“I supposed I can’t say no, right?”

“Of course you can,” Reiji said in faked gentleness, “but I hope you won’t, for the sake of this dimension.”

“Wait a minute, you can’t just decide things for Yuto like that!” Shun butted in and stepped in front of Reiji, shielding Yuto from his vision. “He is not a toy for you to play with!”

“It’s fine, Shun.” Yuto touched Shun’s arm, “It’s fine, really.”

“Yuto…,” Shun frowned, but Yuto was smiling at him with a smile that said he could handle the situation, so he reluctantly stepped aside. 

Yuto then turned to Reiji, “Have you talked about this with the others?”

“You’re the last one I’ve talked to.”

“What did they say?”

“Yugo said he didn’t care, he just wanted to go back to his old life. Yuri of course refused to comply, but ultimately his opinion doesn’t matter. I plan to transfer him to the Juvenile Detention Center tomorrow, he won’t be getting out of there for a year at least.”

Yuto went quiet for a second, “What about…”

“Yuya said,” Reiji looked directly into Yuto's eyes, “that he would do your whatever you decide to do.”

“I see,” Yuto closed his eyes, “then, I have no reason to oppose.”

The way Yuto agreed with Reiji so quickly unnerved Shun to no end. The Yuto he knew was fierce and unyielding, Shun and their comrades were saved so many times because of that very fierceness, and yet, how could he agree to such a nonsense condition so easily like that?

“It seems like you have a lot you want to ask me,” Yuto said without looking at him.

They were at the hospital’s reception area, waiting for the last of the paperwork to be done before Yuto could be discharged. Ruri had left since the morning to meet her counterparts somewhere in this hospital compound, but Yuto was given a strict order not to follow, so Shun decided to stay back and watch him.

“Are you really just going to bend over for Reiji’s will like that?” Shun asked, annoyance evident in his tone.

“Eh, I don’t think Reiji’s plan has any downside, if separating us means stopping Zarc from being revived, then of course I’m going to agree with him.”

Shun pressed the meat of his palm over his eyes, “That’s where I don’t understand, Yuto. I’ve been there with Yuya for all the time you were inside him. I know how much you two meant to each other, and the way both of you just agree with his conditions like that is, frankly, just doesn’t make sense.”

Yuto looked at Shun, and then he looked down at his folded hands, seemingly contemplating something. 

“I- ever since I wake up, no, maybe even in my sleep, I’ve been thinking.”

“About…”

“About what would I do, if Zarc ended up killing you, Shun,” Yuto turned to smile at him, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

Shun went silent.

“What would I do, if he killed Allen, Saya, Kaito, Shingo, Gongenzaka, and more, and more. What would I do, if he killed everyone, and then declared himself the king of that barren, dying world? And I would be stuck inside him, unable to help, unable to die. He had already forced his beloved Ray to destroy his soul, how many things would he be willing to do next, if he was to be revived again? I don’t even want to imagine, Shun.”

Shun hesitantly placed a hand over Yuto’s shoulder, and realized belatedly how small Yuto was. He was just a 14-year-old kid, why on earth did he have to go through so much?

“I admit I’m not entirely happy with Reiji’s decision. But compared to someone I’ve only got to meet for a few months, you, Ruri, and everyone in Heartland are much more precious to me. Cutting off contact from my counterparts is a very, very small price to pay for their peace, and I couldn’t think of any lighter sentence for me, someone who is one-fourth of the devil who was about to destroy every dimension.”

He patted Yuto’s shoulder, and signed. 

“But you’ll be living under permanent surveillance, are you really okay with that?”

“As I said, it's just a small price to pay,” Yuto’s smile was a little wider this time.

Ruri returned a few hours later, bringing along the rest of the Lancers and several more people, which had both Shun and Yuto gaped in surprise. They didn’t expect such a big crowd.

Gongenzaka was the first one to jump in and gather them into one big hug, he wailed loudly about how much he’d miss them. It’s only with a lot of coaxing (and threatening on Yuzu’s part) that he was able to let go. Then Shingo, Serena and the rest of the Lancers stepped up to bid them farewell, Yuto had to constantly remind them that they could visit and contact them anytime. Reiji’s decision, after all, didn’t extend to anyone outside Zarc’s alter egos.

Sora came up to Yuto, fidgeted a little, and said he was sorry for everything he did. With a smile, Yuto told him he had forgiven him a long time ago.

Then it’s Sakaki Yuya’s parents’ turn, who both hugged Yuto so tight Shun half-expected that they wouldn’t let go, Yoko gave Yuto a basket full of cupcakes and muffins, and Yusho leaned down to whisper something to his ear that he didn’t hear.

Yuto immediately pried himself from Yusho’s hug, his eyes wide in bewilderment, but when Shun asked, Yuto just replied that it was nothing important. 

It was Kaito, his father, and younger brother who came to get them in their car. Shun was so happy for Kaito he could cry. Dr. Faker had been one of the first to get carded due to his influence over the city, and Haruto had been by his side at the moment and was carded shortly after. Kaito had always beaten himself over their carding, thinking it was his fault for not staying with them as that happened, Shun knew. With both of them revived, Shun hoped Kaito could begin to heal from the scars this war had given him.

Two months later, Heartland was still a mess, but a much tidier mess than the wartorn city they had come back to. The Resistance had set several camps across the city, and welcomed any volunteering help coming for the reconstruction process. Though he must say, with how impressively quick Dr. Faker and Mr. Heartland rolled out their heavy machines, and whatever sci-fi-esque technology The City brought over, the reconstruction of Heartland would be completed sooner than expected.

People who were carded were slowly being revived as well, with hundreds of them awakening every day. The Resistance’s members left the camp one by one to return to their families, before joining the shelters again. Shun could still remember the days Ruri and his parents were brought back, they had dropped to the floor and scrambled over to hold onto them, bawling like little kids. Gone were the days of hiding and fighting for their lives, now they could focus on a better, brighter future ahead with their loved ones.

The same couldn’t be said for Yuto, his adopted dad, who didn’t really want anything to do with him, passed away in the war, so Yuto had been orphaned. For the past couple of months, while the external situation was improving, Yuto’s inner mental health had been declining almost visibly each days. It’s painful for Shun to watch. He threw himself into work without resting, he grew quiet, too quiet, with how already quiet he was Shun thought it should be impossible, yet these days he wondered if Yuto even talked at all. Ruri had attempted to cheer him up on several occasions, but she told them Yuto always brush it off, saying he was alright.

It’s during one of the modest dinners in one corner of the shelter their family temporarily called home, that his mother asked Yuto, who joined them for the night.

“Yuto, my boy. If you don’t have anywhere to go, how about becoming our son?”

Shun, Ruri and Yuto all stopped eating, they turned to their parents to see their serious expressions. 

“Pardon me, Mrs. Kurosaki?” Yuto smiled.

But this time it’s his father who said, “We heard about your circumstance, we also knew how much you’ve done for both of our children. So, if you don’t mind us, what do you think about letting us adopt you?”

Shun’s heart leaped onto his throat and he was on the verge of jumping in and profusely saying yes, yes, yes on Yuto’s behalf, but he held himself back. This was Yuto’s decision alone and despite how much he wanted it, he must respect what his best friend chose.

His parents were also looking at Yuto patiently, while the young boy seemingly had lost his voice, “You don’t have to decide right away, just keep our offer in your thought, ok-”

“Papa, I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Ruri interrupted.

Shun turned to his sister in surprise, but Ruri didn’t look at him, instead, she turned to Yuto, taking his hand in her own, and said, “I don’t want Yuto to be my brother, right, Yuto?”

Yuto’s ears went red immediately and Shun couldn’t decipher whether it was because Ruri held his hand or because of what Ruri just said.

“I- uh, that is, ah…,” he trailed off and looked down, the red now made its way down his face, “I- I’m very touched that you made such a sweet offer to me, but, well, uhm, if- if it’s possible, then no, I’d like not to become Ruri’s brother.”

Both his parents widened their eyes, then they let out the biggest, most dramatic exclamation Shun had ever witnessed from them in his life.

“Ohhhh!!!”

Oh?

Shun blinked, not truly understanding the situation. He turned to his sister and best friend, to see Yuto looking down and doing his best impression of a ripped tomato, while Ruri was smiling bashfully, their hands still intertwined.

Oh.

Oh.

You two sneaky little shits, since the fucking when?! As his parents hastily moved on to another topic, Shun did his best to murder both of them with his glare, which his wonderful, endearing, angelic little sister just brush off with an elegant hair flip.

Shun thought Yuto would brighten up once his relationship with Ruri was out in the open. But he still caught him staring silently at the open space whenever he was left alone, and because Shun and Yuto slept in the same room, he knew Yuto frequently had nightmares, which he still refused to talk about. And it pissed Shun off as much as it made his heart ached with worry. 

Heartland’s communication system wasn’t completely restored yet, but phone and wifi signals were available at several spots. Twice a week, the citizens would gather at those spots to watch the news updating the reconstruction process and catch whatever entertainment they decided to air on the huge screens that were set up. It was during one of those TV sessions that Shun saw Yuya again, dressing like a clown and dueltain the way he knew Yuya loved best, his laugh was wide and full of happiness. 

And Yuto cried, silently, gluing his gaze on the screen as he stood still as a statue.

 ‘A very, very small price to pay’ his ass, his best friend was wasting away and there’s no way Shun would let this happen in front of his eyes.

Shun sought for Yusho, for some reason, he believed the man might have the solution to this mess. They, Shun, Ruri, Kaito and everyone in the Resistance, couldn’t bear to see Yuto looking like that anymore. 

Telling Reiji to let him help with the rehabilitation and reintegration process of the Obelisk Force, and obtain permission to go to the Juvenile Center was the easy part, the hard part was finding a way to pluck Yusho out of his busy schedule within the Center to discuss the matter with him. Shun finally managed to do that when the other man was just returning from his meeting with Yuri.

“I know, his mental health is declining, right? My son is having the same symptoms.” 

Shun nodded, “What do you think we should do? I don’t think Reiji will roll back his decision so easily just because of their mental wellbeing.” 

Yusho smiled at him, “Instead of asking me that, how about you ask yourself what you want to do?”

“Me? What do I have to do with this?”

Yusho laughed a little, then leaned himself over the balcony they’re standing next to, “Yeah, guess that you haven’t figured that out, huh? Shun, what do you feel when you think about Yuri?”

Shun got an instant flashback of a face that looked like Yuto through a twisted, sinister mirror, the image of his little sister as she was taken away from him, and that nightmare-inducing laugh that sounded far more identical to Yuya’s than he’d like resounding throughout the Academia as Yuri made Yusho into a card.

His expression might’ve given him away, because Yusho snorted, “See, that’s the problem we’re dealing with here.”

“I don’t follow?”

“Shun, this isn’t just about Yuya and Yuto, this is about all four of them being ripped away from each other. After that merge, there is no way they haven’t bonded with each other already. Can you really accept it, if you see Yuto getting along with Yuri, and treating him with far more kindness than you think he deserves? What would you do if I say that in order to save Yuto, you must forgive everything Yuri did and let him be near Yuto as well? Can you look at them being happy together without harboring hatred? Can you forgive Zarc, forgive all of him, and let him have a second chance? Can you?”

Shun’s mind stopped.

Yusho let out a soft laugh looking at him, “See, that’s the problem we’re dealing with here.”

He didn’t remember much after that, too busy with so many thoughts circling around in his head.

The next thing he knew, he’s already back in Yuto and his shared room. His roommate was tending to some small potted plants he grew from a pack of seeds he found under the ruin of an apartment complex. Shun didn’t remember Yuto had any interest in plants before, if ever.

“I’m home.”

“Welcome home.” Yuto didn’t turn back.

“I met Mr. Sakaki at the Juvenile Center today.”
“Oh?”

“He’s been visiting Yuri, do you know that?”

“...How could I have known.”

“Yuri was transferred to a private quarter a few weeks ago. I heard that some Obelisk kids tried to beat him up, then he fought back and was separated from them ever since,” Shun said, carefully gauging Yuto’s reaction.

His best friend froze, then he resumed watering the plant. “Is that so?”

“Are you not curious about him?” Shun frowned. Come to think of it, Yuto had never asked any of them about the other boys, had he? Despite all of them, except him, could freely contact their friends in the other cities. “If Yuri kept getting in trouble, his release date might be pushed back and he could spend the rest of his teen years in prison.”

“I am not interested in him, and neither should you!” Yuto slammed the watering can on the window sill, “Shun, that guy is a criminal, and I’d be happy if he spent the rest of his life behind bars. Didn't he kidnap your sister and carded so many of our comrades? Why on earth do you care for him now?!”

'Because you're supposed to be attached to him and I'd rather torture myself than see you suffer so much!' He swallowed that sentence back into his throat, and suddenly realized why Yuto was slowly killing himself in silence, instead of seeking any of them out for help.

=====

Reiji organized their meeting in a greenhouse behind the hospital, far from prying eyes, and Yuzu was the last one to arrive.

She expected a lot of things before she met all of her counterparts, but she surely didn’t expect this level of emotional intensity. Even before she reached the meeting place, Yuzu could sort of detect them, three bright dots of soul energy that beckoned her closer like beacon lights. Yuzu opened the door into the greenhouse, and three pairs of eyes turned to face her. At that moment, a force of energy bulldozed over her, threatened to drown Yuzu whole from its intensity, every nerve in Yuzu’s body sang aloud and white overtook her senses.

“Yuzu!” Her father quickly hold her shoulder when Yuzu staggered back and swayed on her feet, which suddenly refused to carry her weight anymore. She tapped his hands in a quiet ‘thank you’ and look up, to see her counterparts all have the same bewilderment on their face, which she assumed mirrored her own.

“My god, you four does look identical!” Her father exclaimed.

Yuzu ignored him and inched closer as they did the same. They raised their hand almost at the same time, and tentatively reach out to touch each other.

Warmth spread over Yuzu’s body, seeping into her very being. The void she didn’t know existed in her chest mended itself close, and warm liquid poured over it, soothering the hurt that came from her fragmented soul. At that moment, Yuzu understood.

Finally, she was whole.

Rin was the first one to giggle, then Ruri, and Yuzu, and then even stoic Serena joined in, and in a minute they were standing in a circle, holding their hands together and surrendering themself to a giggling fit that felt endless.

Serena started, “Nice to meet you all, or should I say, long time no see, my other selves.”

“Seconded that, can’t believe that this is happening,” Rin signed.

“It’s strange, this is our first time meeting. Yet I feel like I’ve known you girls forever,” Ruri teared up and leaned in, which was quickly mirrored by the other girls, so they ended up pressing their foreheads together.

“Of course, we are one and the same soul after all,” Yuzu said, “we are all,”

“Ray.” They said in unison.

It felt nice, it felt nicer than anything Yuzu ever felt. She could forget everything and just stand there, basking in the shared warmth radiated from the other’s body, and listening to her fragmented soul purr in the ecstasy of their reunion.

They sat down on one of the many benches in the greenhouse, and chatted about everything and nothing at all. Yuzu’s father respectfully backed out and went outside, giving them space. And naturally, their conversation made it back to their most important and shared concern: the boys.

“I’m worried,” Ruri stated, “do you guys think they can live separately from each other?”

Yuzu bit her lips, when Reiji came to talk to Yuya about the new arrangement, he had been strangely passive, and even giving up the choice to Yuto, it didn’t feel like the energetic Yuya she knew at all.

“I think they feel kinda guilty for what Zarc did, that’s why they agree to Reiji’s condition so easily like that,” she mused.

“Zarc,” Rin murmured, and the mood went down.

Zarc, the name of their beloveds’ original soul, their past life’s lover, who they themselves blast off in four pieces and as the result, their own souls were broken apart as well. 

“You gals remember anything about Ray?” Rin asked. They looked at each other, and all shook their heads.

Yuzu tapped on her forehead, “I think I can make out bits and pieces. They’re not exactly memory, just some remnant feelings from her life,”

“Me too, I don’t think I can recall anything from her past. But there is one thing I, no, we can be certain about her.”

They looked at each other again, and no one said anything, because this wasn’t something that needed to be said to be understood among them: Ray loved Zarc, loved him with every bit of her being, loved him enough that even tore in four, each piece of her still manage to find its way back to each piece of him, to protect them, to take care of them.

“Well, it's kinda weird but it doesn't feel like that with me and Yuri at all,” Serena snorted.

At the mention of Yuri’s name, Yuzu, Rin and Ruri went silent. Yuri was the only one so different and in contrast with all of his counterparts, with how sinister and twisted he was.

“Is it true that you and him never met? Shun said Reiji told him so,” asked Ruri.

“Yeah, Akaba Leo clearly interfered and prevented us from meeting each other. I think if I was there to kick Yuri’s ass, he wouldn’t become such an obnoxious, chaos-loving little shit like how he is now.”

The three girls looked at their Fusion counterpart, then Rin took Serena’s hand in her.

“Things must be hard for you over at that place, I’m sorry you couldn’t be together with Yuri.”

“Don’t be, honestly at this point I don’t think I have any feeling for him,” Serena replied, “and Yuri clearly doesn’t carry any feeling over from his Zarc days either, the first thing he told me after we woke up was to get out of there and he didn’t wanna see my face again.”

“Oh Serena,” Ruri exclaimed and held her other hand. 

Yuzu gritted his teeth, “That ungrateful bastard, how could he say that after you quite literally stopped him from becoming a dimension destroyer?”

“But he wanted to become a dimension destroyer, if you haven’t forgotten,” Rin told her, “Actually, Yuri might represent the part of Zarc that just wanted to destroy everything.”

Serena signed, looking up somewhere above her head, “If Ray’s mission for us is to stay next to Zarc’s alter egos, then clearly I failed at it, cus’ even now I’m not sure if I ever wanted to meet Yuri again.” 

They wordlessly came over to gather Serena into a hug. Out of all the things that this war had destroyed, Serena and Yuri’s relationship might just be one of the more trivial ones, yet Yuzu still wondered if they had had a chance to interact, would the outcome be different from what they had now?

“You know, Yuri is to be sent to the Juvenile Detention Center tomorrow, and I, I can’t follow him there, nor do I want to go there. I don’t even know where I should go anymore.”

“Come to my house,” Yuzu blurted out, “come live with me, I’m sure dad will be delighted to have you there. And I could do with another me living with me, it’d be really nice.”

Serena’s face flushed up, she made a token protest that surprisingly involved a lot of sniffle and tears, but eventually, with both Ruri and Rin joining in to persuade, she agreed to come home with Yuzu.

Yuzu returned to Yuya’s side after she finished sending off Yuto and the Heartland group back to their city. She had braced herself to see a sullen, dejected Yuya moping on his bed, so it’s with a lot of surprise that she heard laughter coming from the hospital room as she approached it.

Pulling the door open, Yuzu saw nearly all the Lancer stuffed inside Yuya’s room, and Yuya himself was entertaining Michiru with some joke that had her flip over laughing.

“Oh, heya Yuzu, Mr. Great Grand Neo New Sawatari Shingo is telling a wonderful joke, would you wanna come over to hear it?” From his place next to Yuya’s bed, Shingo grinned and made a dramatic gesture toward her.

“What lies are you spewing, it’s my darling who’s telling the joke! Why the hell are you taking his credit?” Michiru retorted in her silly, high-pitched voice. 

Sitting on the bed, with legs dangling on the edge and grinning widely, was Yuya who looked like he just came down from a high as he watched the shenanigan in front of him. 

Yuzu was at loss for words.

“How on earth can you guys come here this fast? You literally was just down at the reception with me seconds ago?”

 Serena, who was leaning next to a window and kept to herself, chucked a bit, “Didn’t you run after Yuto a bit? We all decided to come here to cheer Yuya up at that time.”

Yuzu turned to Yuya who made a show of waving and laughing to everyone in the room, “Oh come on Yuzu, guys, I’m not that sad at all. You guys don’t need to worry, I’m totally alright now. Speaking of which, where was I again,” he turned to Michiko and switch to his ‘performance’ voice, “Ah, that’s right, after that the banker told the bartender-”

From the look of pretty much everyone in the room, Yuzu doubted they truly thought Yuya was fine, and instead they were doing their best at being his audience, in the hope of cheering that stupid boy up.

Yuzu didn’t know whether she should feel grateful because Yuya had such a great group of friends, or bitter sweet because even in front of all these friends, Yuya still felt the needs to pull the mask up and hid his true feeling.

Sighing, she closed the door behind her and approached the bed, pulling a card out of her pocket to place it into the overbed table in front of Yuya.

“Here, Yuto told me to give this to you.”

Yuya’s body went rigid and he abruptly stopped talking. He looked down, to see the field spell card Smile World looking back at him, the stars’ and sun’s smiling faces frozen inside the barrier of the card’s artworks.

"Yuto found this card in his deck. Something must’ve caused it to end up when you guys were separated.”

If Yuya heard what she said, he didn’t show a reaction, instead he kept looking at the card as if in a trance. Finally, after a long minute when no one dared to say anything, Yuya picked the card up and held it close to his heart, “Thanks, Yuzu. I’ve… received his message.”

It look Yuzu three days before she realized the message was ‘please keep on smiling’.

In the following few months, everything slowly settled back into place, Sora had been adopted into the Sakaki household, and Serena also became Yuzu’s sister. The Fusion girl cried seeing the name Hiiragi Serena on her adoption paper, saying how that was the first time she knew what it was like to have a surname, because she never had one in all of her life.

Apart from Yuya, the Lancers went back and forth to and fro Heartland a lot, Rin also came over from The City to help out. So the four of Ray’s alter egos met each other a lot of times, and everytime they had their get-together, their talk alway circled back to one subject only: their boys.

The boys’ mental states clearly are declining day by day. Yuzu learned that Yugo had started sleeping in the garage instead of the bedroom because of the frequent nightmares he kept having, Yuto were talking and smiling less and less, despite how much Ruri tried to coax, and even threatened to get some words out of him. They all heard about Yuri constantly causing trouble at the Detention Center and had to be put in a private quarter. And Yuya, Yuya was… 

“Yuya is behaving so normal it scared me,” Yuzu buried her face in her hands, “he went about it as if nothing ever happened. And I mean it, he’s acting like Yuto, Yugo and Yuri never existed. Even when I try to talk to him he just keeps changing the subject, I don’t know what he’s thinking anymore.”

Serena put a hand on her back and rubbed circles on it.

“He really never mentioned the others at all?” Ruri asked with concern.

“Only once, and it wasn’t in a pleasant manner either,” she muttered.

Crack.

Bang.

“I can’t believe in you, dad!!”

Yuzu didn’t expect she’d hear the sound of fighting the moment she came knocking on the Sakaki’s door.

‘Yuya?’ She called and ran into the living room, where the whole family was standing around the table, everyone’s posture was tense. Yuya was trembling, pieces of a broken cup with spilled liquid lay on his feet and his face scrunched up in anger.

“What happens here?” She scanned the scene in front of her in shocked confusion.

“That-,” Sora turned to her, but the rest of the Sakaki's still focused on their argument. Well, more like a dad and son’s argument from what she was seeing.

‘He- Did you forget what he did? Are you out of your mind?! Why would you want to do that?!’ Yuya gritted through his teeth.

Mr. Sakaki rubbed his forehead in weariness, “Yuya, I know what you’re feeling right now. How about we calm down first, okay? If you just let me explain-.”

“What is there to explain?!” Yuya screeched in the highest pitch he could muster, “He’s a murderer, a monster! He- he-, right in front of me, he- you-, and it's just because you were stopping him from reaching me. He-he’s a goddamned narcissist, an unfeeling devil! He would never change, never! A person like that, why on earth do you want to-”

Tears were falling freely on Yuya’s face, and the few last words were uttered with a broken tone between sobs.

“Yuya, what- who are you talking about?! Who is ‘he’?” She asked in alarm, never before had she seen Yuya in such pain, and it scared her. Next to her, Mrs. Sakaki was trying to pull a sobbing Yuya into a hug, but he swatted her hands away.

“Son, do you honestly believe that? Do you really think Yuri can’t be saved? That he doesn’t deserve a second chance?” Yusho, who had kept listening calmly to Yuya’s tearful outburst, asked him slowly. He didn’t reach out to him nor did he move back, he simply stood there, and took Yuya’s exploding emotion with a solemn expression.

Upon hearing the name, Yuzu immediately whipped her heart to Sora, and the younger boy nodded in confirmation. So this was about Yuri…

“He doesn’t need saving, he needs to be burned in hell!” Yuya yelled, “If you haven’t forgotten, he’s even carded your beloved students as well. And he was laughing and feeling joy about it! Why are you pitying him instead of his victims?! I don’t understand…”

“I don’t see it like that, Yuya. When I look at Yuri, I see a misguided kid, one who was encouraged to do bad things and punished for having emotions. Someone who was brainwashed by a terrible man to do his bidding. Yuya, you were raised in a good environment, surrounded by nice people, and I can’t be more happier than that. But Yuri, and the rest of Academia’s students never received such positive education before, that’s why they appeared so twisted and cruel. How could they not if Akaba Leo told them in all of their lives that what they were doing was right and just? I believe no one is born evil, even Yuri.”

“But- but- Okay, let’s say you’re right, why does it have to be you specifically, dad? Don’t they have like, tons of teachers and therapists at that center? Why do you have to personally go there and teach him? What would meeting you do for that shithead anyway?!”

“Language, kid. And the reason is simple, I just wanna help that kid. He’s just a kid looking for help, and my conscience gonna kill me if I didn’t do so, that’s all,” Yusho offered Yuya a confident grin, the way he talked about Yuri was as if he was talking about a rebellious teen, not a mass murdering child soldier.

At that, Yuya stopped talking and stared at his dad with such a painful expression it made Yuzu’s heart seize. She reached for him, but he stepped back and out of her outreached hand.

“You don’t understand, dad. You really don’t understand! That guy, he, he’s always-,” and then, as if all of his energy had been cut off, Yuya slumped over, his head hung low and voice turned just a notch above a whisper, “Oh forget it, I guess your conscience didn’t kill you seeing me screaming for you when he carded you, then. Or when you just disappeared right before you match, leaving your son here to deal with all the backlash. You’re so nice, a saint really, but only to outsiders. Go and be his new daddy or whatever, I don’t care. It's not like he would appreciate it either way.”

Then, still with head hung low, he walked past them and made his way upstair without another word.

The living room’s current occupants sunk into an awkward silence, before Yuzu cleared her throat loudly, and turned to the oldest man in the house.

“Okay, now before I go upstair to cheer that wet cat up, I’d like some explanation, Mr. Sakaki?”

“And all of that was because Yusho requested to be Yuri’s personal teacher?” Ruri asked.

Yuzu nodded, “He had been having bi-weekly meetings with Yuri, said he wanted to teach him right from wrong. I didn’t mention it in the chat because I didn’t want Reiji to eavesdrop on us.”

That day, when she went to see Yuya in his room, she saw a bundle of blankets on the bed. She had wrapped her arms around that bundle very gently, to feel it stiffen up, and then melted into her hold as the sound of sobs made their way to her ears. Yuya told her afterward, that things were simply so confusing he didn’t know how to react, so the only way he could do was cry it out.

The girls talked some more after that, sharing more stories of the boys’ concerning behaviors. Then they came to a conclusion even more concerning, that the boys were synching up even when they were being separated from each other. 

“There’s no way Zarc’s pull is that strong! I mean, even we don’t synch up that much and we’ve been talking and meeting since the merge!” Rin exclaimed. 

“Something is still amiss, there is still something they’re hiding that we haven’t figured out,” Ruri mused.

“Excellent observation, Birdy. Do you think if we ask nicely any of them will tell us exactly what is wrong with them?” Serena snorted.

Based on the silence afterward, Yuzu guessed the answer was a resounding ‘no’.

Yuya returned to Action Duel sooner than his mother would have liked, but Yuzu and the rest of his friends strongly encouraged it, even Reiji. (Yuzu would never know what that man was thinking, he’s drowned in work these days and still he managed to know everything Yuya’s been up to. It’s creepy.)

It had been planned that the regular You Show Duel School’s dueltaining shows would resume in late April, so Yuya and Yuzu had been practicing hard for the opening show. This would be the first time that Yuya, Yuzu and both of their dads performed together, so Yuya had been really pumped.

This time, they decided to add Turbo Duel to the show, believing it’d become the next it thing and attract more audience to their stadium. Yuya had been the one to pitch the idea to her dad and was beyond delighted that it was accepted, so he threw himself into practice, spending almost all waking moments at YSDS.

In fact, it felt like he spent too much time practicing.

Weeks before the opening show, Yuya spent less and less time at home and more at YSDS. Yuzu knew he stay back to practice, even throught the night when everyone had left. About everybody Yuzu knew of, herself included, told Yuya he needed to take care of himself, but he never listened.

Yuzu understood Yuya deeply, so she knew that returning to the stage could never truly bring him peace, no matter how many times he told everyone he loved it. Yet, only on the stage was when Yuya truly shone.

Their opening show was a huge success, she could tell from how much the audience went absolutely nuts for them, guess coming off something huge and traumatizing as re-merging with other dimension urging people to seek for entertainment as an escape. Yuya was an absolute star, the way he danced around his monster, the joke he made, the strategies he devised against his opponent, she could look at him forever and still be entranced. 

He was so dazzling.

Yet the light Yuya brought to everyone couldn’t shine on himself. After their opening show, he collapsed.

The doctor told Yuya he overworked, and advised him to keep it easy for at least the next few days, to which he half-heartedly comply after his mother threatened to tie him to the bed. And yet, when the next scheduled show came he sprung right up and demanded to be on the stage again, despite everyone’s discouragement.

It’s as if he wanted someone to see him, and Yuzu’s heart shattered knowing exactly who they were.

By the third time Yuya passed out after a show, Yuzu had had enough. It was time to talk to that blockhead.

Yuya stirred awake in the infirmary to Yuzu sitting next to his bed, he grinned a ‘hi’ to her, but his eyes were so tired and bloodshot, and there were bags under them.

“You can’t keep doing this to yourself, Yuya. Please, tell me what is wrong?”

Yuya sat up against her attempt to push him down, and smiled at her.

“You don’t have to worry, Yuzu. It’s just… I’m trying to do my best at the only thing I can do right now.”

“What do you mean the only thing you can do?”

Yuya laughed, and before she could stop it, he pulled the goggles down his eyes, hiding his expression from view.

“I-I didn’t contribute to anything at all, all of my victories were used to bring back Zarc in the end, and I had to rely on everyone to defeat him. When I was sleeping like an idiot, others were chasing remnants of Academia and they accomplish it before I even wake up. Even now, when my friends goes over to help Heartland, I was stuck here unable to do anything. Making people smile through Action Duel is about the only thing I can do now.”

Yuzu inched closer to him and wrapped her arms around him, “But none of that were your fault?”

“At least, I know Zarc is my fault, so please just let me do this.”

He stopped for a bit, and then, as if thinking of something especially funny, he giggled with a hand over his mouth. “Because my conscience will kill me if I don’t do so, apparently.”

Yuzu cringed.

Getting Yuya to see a therapist was a joint effort, it finally took Yusho to threaten to ban him from Action Duel forever for him to cave. Yuya went to his sessions almost begrudgingly, saying over and over that he’s alright. Of course, no one bought his words.

Weeks and months passed by like that, the boys’ condition tethered between extremely concerning and cautiously optimistic. And sooner than they realized, autumn had rolled by with a long-awaited event.

Gathered at the Sakaki’s, the Maiami Lancers, Yuya and his parents looked at the newscaster painstakingly narrating the livestream on the TV. Yuzu held Serena’s stiff body in her arms, with Sora sitting tight, his head half buried in his knees next to her.

“Finally after over 9 months, an event that I’m pretty sure many people are waiting for is here. Today, our Supreme Court will begin the public hearing of Akaba Leo, allegedly responsible for the terrorism actions against the citizen of Heartland City, we’ll be reporting straight from the courtroom…”

In other three locations, three other boys were also watching the reporting with keen eyes, each one bore a completely different emotion from each other. They all understood, that that day was the beginning of the end.   

Chapter Text

It was December 1st, the day after Akaba Leo was sentenced to life in prison. Here in The City, that was the topic of practically every discussion today. Those who had relatives or friends from Heartland, those who had helped Heartland refugees in their resettlement effort were throwing parties in the street. A lot of Yugo and Rin’s friends, even Jack and Crow joined the celebration. But those places weren’t where Rin and Yugo were. No, since the crack of dawn, Yugo had shaken her awake and dragged her all the way to the practicing stadium. Courtesy of Jack and Reiji’s new regulations against discrimination toward Commons, now even they could use this practice stadium that used to be reserved only for Tops.

Gray, thick cloud covering the sky, it’s raining slightly and there were icy puddles on the ground. The temperature was just above zero, yet despite the dampening weather, Yugo’s spirit was at the highest Rin had ever seen in months, he skipped through the pit area while humming a childish tune to himself.

“You’re in a ridiculously good mood today,” Rin laughed watching him.

“But of course I am,” Yugo turned back with outstretched hands and offered her a huge grin, one would think he’s a performer on stage, “that bastard Akaba Leo’s finally in jail for good, I couldn’t be happier. Damn it if I wanna ride my bike to high heaven today!”

Rin laughed again, seeing Yugo like this after so many months of watching him suffer was exhilarating. Maybe he’s finally getting better after all.

Besides the two of them, the stadium was completely empty, no one wanted to come to an outdoor stadium on a chilly day like today.

The two of them drove to the starting pit. Yugo got off his D-Wheel and started fine-tuning her for their practice match, and Rin did the same with her own. After the war, with the generous help from Reiji, Jack and Crow, finally she was able to build a D-Wheel for herself. Her own precious girl, clad in pink and green armor much like the color of her hair.

“Let me call Crow over and we can do some round-robin, he must be eager for a chance to practice for the upcoming tournament,” Rin grinned and opened the communication feature on her duel disk, but a warm hand gently covered her before she could make the call.

“Don’t,” Yugo whispered, his warm breath ghosted on her cheek, “Don’t call anyone, I wanna spend this whole day with you, just you. Can I?”

Rin shivered and looked at her childhood friend, he was looking at her with a gentle smile that was so un-Yugo-like, his sky blue eyes gazing deep into her own. Somehow, Yugo looked so different, more mature and sure of himself. Rin’s heart gave a thump when she realized Yugo now towered above her, the latest growth spurt had done him wonder, and emotions both novelty and familiar stirred within her, painting her cheeks red.

“Rin?”

“Ah-, yeah, of course, of course you can,” Rin averted her eyes, suddenly bashful.

Yugo grinned, “Awesome, then let’s race. Today I’ll show you the true strength of my Speedroids.”

“Just you wait, my Windwitchs’ gonna kick your ass!”

December 1st, the first day of winter. 

Heartland was located far down the south, so Ruri didn’t have to do much besides putting on an additional jacket to combat the cold. Though, the heat around Heartland at this moment could drive off the chilly temperature all by itself.

All of Akaba’s trial hearings had been publicly streamed, so Heartland residents could watch what was happening with the mastermind behind the war on their city. The moment the judge passed Akaba’s life sentence, the whole city erupted in cheering. People was celebrating the fact that the evil mastermind that had ruined their lives was finally behind bar forever. Even schools got canceled so now, the former members of the Resistance all gathered at Kaito’s mansion to cheer over this good news.

However, Ruri wasn’t in celebrating mood. She found no satisfaction seeing that old, wrinkled face still looking ahead proudly and said he still believed everything he did was right, up until he was escorted off the camera. Mostly, she just felt relieved, and pity for the old man. What originally started as an honest effort to save his daughter, had corrupted into a twisted obsession that destroyed so many precious lives. 

The worst part was Ray would never want that, Ruri would know. Even if Akaba Leo revived Ray, there’s no way she could live happily knowing how much had been sacrificed for her. In the end, what that man did was only to fulfill his selfish desire without really caring about what Ray wished for.

Ruri knew she would grow even more depressed if she kept thinking about it, so she tried to find something else to occupy her mind. Right now, she’s helping with breakfast and brewing some hangover cures for people. Some dead drunk members of the Resistance needed to be taken care of so she went and see to them too.

After everything had been put together, she escaped to a balcony for some much-needed fresh air.

“Exhausted?” Yuto came out and leaned toward her. He had been helping all night long with trivial tasks here and there.

“You could say,” she yawned, “can’t believe these guys still have the energy to go on after a full night like that, it’s 8 in the morning now.”

“Care to go somewhere with me? No one would miss us even if we’re gone.”

She turned to look at him, Yuto looked paler today than usual, but his smile was bright, and he already offered her a hand, so she grinned and took it.

The place Yuto led her to was a smaller room in a more reclusive part of the mansion, and (she was a little disappointed) she found her brother, Allen, Saya, and the rest of the ragtag Resistance group that managed to survive until the end of the war. They were having their own party here, but the atmosphere was milder and quieter than the large crowd outside.

“Yuto, this is-

“It’s more private in here. You’ll feel more at ease here with our close friends, right?”

Saya welcomed her with a tight hug and led them inside, “It’s Yuto’s idea. He sent a message to all of us telling us to come here. Thank goodness for that, I thought I was about to drop dead out of annoyance out there.”

Ruri laughed. Yeah, that’s just how Yuto was like, always so thoughtful to the point of being overbearing. But she didn’t dislike this part of him at all.

Shun only shrugged when they came to greet and sit on the couch next to him, he’s gluing his eyes to the TV, which was reporting their major’s talk about re-opening the Centre College.

“You’re thinking of going to college?” Yuto asked.

“Of course I am, now that everything is over, I need to focus on my future,” he turned to the two of them, “You guys should be worried as well. If your education hadn’t been pushed back a year, you two would be high schoolers by now. It’s time for you to think about what high school you want to go to.”

Ruri hummed, “Yeah, you’re right. Yuto, what school do you want to go to?”

“What about Ruri?”

“Oh, I actually haven’t thought about it yet,” she laughed a little embarrassed, “I guess I’ll go wherever you go, Yuto.”

That was meant to be a joke, but Yuto looked a little taken aback, he averted his eyes from her and said in a small voice, “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Ruri.”

“I agree,” her brother said coldly, “you should base your school choice on your personal preference, not where your boyfriend is.”

Ruri stuck out her tongue at his brother, only for him to give her a thumb down. Yuto laughed awkwardly at their sibling exchange. He was a little strange today, but when Ruri tried to think of a reason, a yawn escaped her.

Seeing this, Yuto pulled her up and directed her to another unoccupied couch in a far corner of the room, and told her to lie down on it.

“But I’m not sleepy,” she protested.

“Don’t be stubborn, you’ve been up all night, just lie down and catch some sleep. I’ll be here until you wake up, ‘kay?” Yuto patted her head like a child, making Ruri pout, but she still obliged.

Only when her back met the soft surface that she realized how tired she really was. Already she could feel exhaustion creeping up on her, threatening to pull her eyelids close. A hand carded through her hair, and when she looked up, Yuto was gazing at her with his most kind, loving eyes. 

‘Go to sleep,’ he mouthed.

Ruri smiled and reached out to take Yuto’s other hand into her own, feeling the cuts and callouses in his palm, and kissed his knuckles gently.

“Yuto, I’m so lucky to have you.”

“No, I’m the one who’s lucky to have you.”

Lulled by the soothing motion of his hand, she fell asleep not a second later.

The morning of December 1st, a few hours after Sora witnessed his ex-Professor be sentenced to life, he still felt a little unreal.

He didn’t know how he should be feeling right now. On the one hand, with Akaba Leo’s sentence, the war and all the blood it brought along finally came to an end, and the side he chose won. On the other hand, it still made him uncomfortable seeing the man who used to be his most respectable person be reduced to the yelling, crazy old maniac that still defended his ideology on the TV. And then with a jostle, he realized he used to be like that as well. He wondered how on earth could anyone from this side forgave and accepted him back then. Shouldn’t he be in prison like the rest of the Academia? Or maybe, they were devising a plan to throw him into prison at this very moment-

“Earth to Sora, what’re you thinking?” A light tap on the top of his head pulled him out of his stupor, Yuya was panting harshly, a light sheen of sweat glistened his skin from his duel with Shuzo just now, but he’s looking at him with concern.

“Nothing important, just… stuff,” he grinned and averted his eyes, “Anyway, why do you want us to be here today?”

‘Here’ was the practice room at YSDS, and ‘us’ was the whole family plus Yuzu and her dad, Shuzo. Only Serena was curiously absent, but Yuzu insisted she was just feeling unwell and thus was sleeping at home. 

As earlier as 6 this morning, Sora had been pulled off his bed by his adopted brother, who announced they needed a family bonding trip, and, because Yuya couldn’t leave the city, they settled on YSDS’s practice room, where they could create any scenery using solid vision instead. At least, that was the plan.

As soon as they reached the place, Yuya had gone around challenging all of them on Action Duels, which they begrudgingly induced him. If Sora was being honest, Yuya’s behavior today was beyond weird but no one’s willing to point it out, for fear of ruining his sudden uplifting mood. 

“Ah, don’t tell me you don’t appreciate our family bonding time?” Yuya grinned at him.

“It’s cuz you drag him all the way here and then leave him on the bench, Sora must’ve wanted to duel his big brother too. Right, son?” Yusho came up from behind Yuya and put his hand around his shoulder while grinning at Sora too.

Sora blushed and looked away, “It’s not like that.”

To tell the truth, Sora had half-figured out the reason for this sudden trip. His adopted family must’ve noticed his downing mood after the court decision yesterday, and was trying to cheer him up. Yuya even made a temporary truce with his father, who he hadn’t really been talking to for the last few months, just for Sora’s sake. The fact that they genuinely cared about him this much, even though they’d got no reason to, made him feel so grateful, but also so scared. How could he even begin to repay this much kindness?

“Okay, one more duel. Let’s make it a tag team this time, you and I versus dad and Yuzu, how about that?”
“Eh, you still wanna go on?” Yuya had sworn up and down that the duel between Shuzo and him would be the last one before he took a break.

“Hey, Yuya. I’m not gonna participate in that duel of your, it’s time for you to sit your ass down and rest!” Yuzu yelled from the observation booth.

“Yuzu’s right! Let’s take a break and have some snacks, honey. You’ve been dueling non-stop for the past two hours,” standing next to Yuzu, Yoko spoke up with a concerning voice.

Yuya look at them, then silently turned to his father.

“...You’re not gonna persuade me with those doe eyes of yours. Unfortunately, I agree with your mother this time. You need to take a break.”

Yuya pouted, “Not you too, dad. I know we’ve kinda been in a disagreement lately, but can you take my side today?” Yuya clasped his hands in front of him like he’s praying, “just this time, pretty please?!”  

“Woah hey, you’re ten years too old to still be playing this trick! Daddy won’t fall for that no matter how cute you are,” Yusho said half-jokingly, but Sora could see the sweat drop on his face.

A devilish thought popped off in his head. 

“Come on, dad. Just this once? I haven’t got a chance to tag team with big bro Yuya yet,” Sora tugged on his shirt, blinking all innocently at him.

“My gosh, not you too,” Yusho laughed.

True to his suspicion, Yusho gave just after a minute or so of their game, even though Yuzu and Yoko, and even Shuzo all complained about his decision. When they were adjusting their decks in the nearby resting room, Yuya patted his head and grinned at him.

“Thanks for earlier, Sora.”

“I know full well how stubborn you are,” Sora huffed, “But, if after this duel you don’t take a break for the rest of the day, I’m gonna knock you off by myself.”

“Okay, deal,” Yuya fist bumped him.

Sora spread his cards onto a table and Yuya did the same as they began to tailor their respective deck to better support each other. 

“So, feel a little better?” Yuya asked while removing an unnecessary card from his deck.

Ah, so this get-together had really been about him after all.

“Why do you assume I’m sad?” Sora didn’t raise his head and pretended to decide between putting two different trap cards into his deck. 

Yuya smiled, “It’s kinda a no-brainer, isn’t it? Akaba Leo used to be your teacher after all. It must be hard for you.”

“That’s not it! The Professor has never,” his voice went down a notch and he averted his eyes, “never really treated us with kindness. To him, anyone that could complete a mission will be praised, and anyone that wasn’t will be tossed aside without a second glance. I- We, all our lives, we only know how to fight for his approval. Any of us would gladly card our own comrades if it meant he'd look at us a second longer. Knowing he sees us no different than some pawns he could just use and discard, it- it shouldn't sting, but it is, and I-," his voice trailed off, and his vision turned misty. Damn it, it’s not the time to be crying!

Yuya wordlessly pulled him into a hug, and Sora let him. He sagged against the bigger boy’s body, feeling his warmth seep into him, the warmth he had been chasing after all his life, yet no one in the Academy had ever offered him so.

“I’m glad your family took me in. I truly am, Yuya,” Sora sniffled while burying his face into Yuya’s shirt, “without your family, someone so horrible like me would be tossed in the prison just like those Obelisk students. I feel like I don’t deserve this, I don’t deserve your kindness.”

Yuya immediately pulled off him, holding onto his small shoulder with both hand, he said, “What are you saying, little bro? Of course you deserve this, you’re a good boy, you’ve helped us a lot! You was just misguided and brainwashed by that Akaba Leo, that’s all. Stop saying you’re horrible!”

Sora smiled, Yuya’s words were so sweet, but something still nagged at the back of his mind, “But that’s not what you said about Yuri.”

Sora could feel Yuya’s body stiffen up at the mention of that name, “What does that guy have to do with all of this?”

“I mean, last time, Yus- dad also said the same thing about Yuri to you, but you protested and said he’s beyond help, didn’t you? If Yuri’s horrible, then of course I’m also-”

“No, you’re not!” Yuya growled low, “Sora, listen to me! You’re not, and never will be, a horrible person. You were a child soldier, everything you did was following the Academia’s orders without understanding anything. The moment you realized what you did was wrong, you went deserted and came to our side right away, even though you know we might never accept you. Your righteous heart,” Yuya pointed at his chest, “ didn’t permit you to side with evilness any longer, so you went against your superiors and comrade to come to us. Tell me, what kind of horrible person can do that sort of thing, huh?”

Wrong! I only became a turncoat because you guys were so nice to me! He didn’t dare say this part out loud.

“What about Yuri?” He weakly asked.

Yuya’s grip on his shoulder became tighter, “He’s… different, he- I can’t forgive him.”

“The professor always hit Yuri,” Sora blurted out, even though he had sworn he would bury this part of his life deep into his mind.

Yuya froze.

“Whenever he did it, he made sure to do it where no one was looking, but I saw it happened once. And I kinda gathered that that occurred often because The Professor said something about Yuri being unable to improve no matter how much he beats him.”

His adopted brother released his shoulder and took a step back, his face paled, “Isn’t he, like, a star student to Akaba Leo?! I thought he got lots of privilege.”

“A more useful pawn, you mean?” Sora laughed hoarsely, “The Professor cared and provided for Yuri enough that he wouldn’t betray him, like he did all of us. But who the hell knows what their relationship’s really like behind the closed door? As far as I know, he only got physical with Yuri and Yuri alone.”

They both stood there in silence, Yuya busily ingesting the huge piece of information that was dumped on him, while Sora’s mind was reeling from what just he had done.

“Why… do you tell me all this?” Yuya asked in a low voice.

Sora shook his head, “Dunno.” 

Because maybe, just maybe, even Yuri wasn’t as horrible as I am.

They didn’t say anything else to each other, instead making their way to the practicing stadium. Yusho and Yuzu were already there waiting for them. Waving a hand at them, Yusho smiled warmly, “Ready to duel? I’ll have you two know that our combination is unstoppabl-”

A piercing sound rang through the practice room, interrupting Yusho’s sentence.

“Ah, sorry. That’s my ringtone,” Yusho pulled his phone out of his pocket and looked at the screen. His eyes widened a little and then hastily crossed the room to a far corner before answering the phone, but Sora could still catch his voice.

“Yeah, it’s me, what’s up? Yeah, I’m still in Maiami. No, I haven’t. Uhm, yeah, I’m kinda busy at the moment.”

The voice on the other side was shouting something inconceivable, and Yusho widened his eyes, “Yuri WHAT?!”

That name made everybody’s head snap toward Yusho as he stepped even further out of their hearing range, whispering something urgently to his caller.

“Yusho, what’s wrong? What’s up with Yuri?” Yuzu asked right after the older man finished his call, his face as pale as a sheet.

“Yeah, what did that guy do this time?” Sora chimed in.

In the observation booth, Yoko and Shuzo, who also heard his remark, fired questions at him as well, but Yusho ignored all of them, instead, he strode over to Yuya.

“Son, I really want to stay here with you today, but I got an urgent matter coming up so I need to go now. Next time I promise we’ll duke it out, okay?” He didn’t wait for Yuya’s answer before turning away.

But Yuya had grabbed his hand before he could take another step, “Where are you going?”

Yusho turned back a little perplexed, “Eh?”

“I ask where are you going.”

“Yuya, let go of my hand. I really need to go right now,” Yusho tugged at Yuya’s hand but he wouldn’t let go.

“Wait, wait, wait, I’m with Yuya here. What’s happening to Yuri and where are you going? You’re not leaving without an explanation,” Yuzu slipped behind the older man with Sora right next to her, trapping the older man among the three of them.

“I can’t tell you guys that. Now if you three excuse me, I must go now .” Yusho said urgently, he attempted to pull his hand out of Yuya’s grab again, but the boy hold firm.

“Dad, you’re not going anywhere.”

 “…before you tell us what happened,” Yuzu added.

“Children!” Yusho said a little exasperatedly, he pinched the crease between his eyebrows in a manner that told Sora he’s trying hard to hold himself back. His reaction filled Sora with dread, clearly whatever happened to his ex-comrade had been serious enough to make him this desperate. But before he could fire another question at his adopted dad, his brother had done it for him.

“Yuri escaped, right? From the Juvenile Center…”

“Huh?” Three identical perplexing pairs of eyes turned to Yuya, who still holding onto his dad’s hand.

“Yuya, how do you know that?” Yusho asked, the shock evident in his voice. 

Next to him, Yuzu gasped while covering her mouth with her hand, “He- Yuri escaped?! But how?! No, Yuya, how can you know that?”

The dread inside Sora turned into an icy ball, a million scenarios ran through his head. He reached for Yuya but Yusho beat him to it, he grabbed him by the shoulder and turned Yuya’s smaller frame toward him. They matched each other’s gaze directly, with Yuya holding a look of defiance in his eyes.

“I would ask you who told you this,” Yusho eventually sighed, “but the truth is no one told you, right? You and Yuri, and the other two boys too, there’s a spiritual connection between you guys, am I right?”

Yuya blinked, then the corner of his mouth curved into a smile.

“W-wait,” Yuzu spoke up, “Yuya, is that true? T-then, the quarantine from Seiji has been useless all along? But how? Even us don’t- No, scratch that,” her voice suddenly became ice cold, “Yuya, you know about Yuri escaping and you didn’t tell anybody about that?”

Yuya’s brow furrowed, but he still didn’t say anything.

“Son, if you know about Yuri’s plan, then,” Yusho crouched down so he was on the same eye level as Yuya, “can you tell us where he is right now?”

“You want me to tell you?” Yuya titled his head.

“The guards have been searching for him for over 2 hours, Reiji is also on the way there. Plus, it’s -5 degree in Academia City right now, and Yuri doesn’t have anything on him except his issued uniform. You wouldn’t want anything to happen to him, don’t you?”

“Then duel me, if you do, I’ll tell you.”

“Yuya! Do you understand the weight of this situation at all?” Yusho scold.

“Of course I understand, dad. I understand it perfectly,” Yuya raised his voice, “but just this one last duel, just this one time. If you listen to me just this one time, I promise I won’t ever ask anything of you ever again.”

Seeing Yusho’s shock and hesitation, he pleaded again, “Please, dad. One last time, please.”

Yoko and Shuzo had stepped down from the observation booth and were making their way to us. Yusho, Yuzu, and Sora all exchanged a worried glance with each other at Yuya’s request, then a whole another kind of dread filled Sora again. Why on earth did Yuya talk like this was the last time he was able to duel?

Yusho made his decision quickly, he clapped Yuya’s shoulder and rose to his full height, “Okay, let’s duel. But you’re gonna tell me everything once the duel’s over.”

“Yusho!” Everyone said in unison, but Yuya widened his grin. He jumped up like an excited child and let out and let out a ‘yay’.

Yuzu and Sora frowned at each other. They made a nonverbal promise to squeeze Yuya dry of any information he’d been withholding them all this time.

The duel commenced with Yuya’s performative cheerful voice as usual, “Lady and gentlemen! It’s the first day of winter, the first day of snow. Does the weather make your heart feel cold, or perhaps it makes you wanna snuggle closer to the people you love? How about watching a hot heated Action Duel to get your heart racing? It’s the grandest, most marvelous, the very very last Action Duel of the great Sakaki Yuya!”

… of today, right? Sora rushed out from his starting point while screaming silently. 

In the City, a D-Wheel skid across the practice stadium, and the tires burned two black tracks into the asphalt. Yugo’s body swayed for a second before he righted his posture, keeping his D-Wheel on a straight line again. He pressed his body closer to the seat, praying that his rapidly fading vision could keep up until the end of this duel with the most important person in his life.

The Resistance Party over at Heartland was still going in full force, but Yuto could hear none of those noises. He sat next to Ruri, who was still in dreamland, carding his hand through her soft hair. He wanted to wake her up, to tell her he loved her more than this world itself, but it’s not good, his hand was going numb and his voicebox wouldn’t obey him anymore.

It felt like a scene out of a silent movie as Yuya’s body fell slowly from the top of Odd-Eyes Lancer Dragon toward the ground. Yusho’s insane reflex was the only reason his head didn’t meet the concrete, the man swept Yuya into his arm and then jump off Performapal Sky Magician, lowering Yuya down gently.

“Yuya!” He screamed in panic, “Yuya, answer me!”

But Yuya only lolled his head sideway, one of his hands clutched on his throat. He was lying deadly still, eyes closed and face as pale as a sheet.

“Yuya!” Yuzu also jumped off her monster and ran toward her childhood friend, “Yuya! Oh my god, somebody calls an ambulance!”

“I’m doing it!” Sora’s trembling finger shook so much that he couldn’t press the right button on his communication device, until Shuzo wrapped him up in his embrace and did it for him.

“Yuya! Yuya! Oh my baby, what’s happening to you?! Open your eyes, answer me!” Yoko’s screeched and Sora’s heart shattered along with hers. Yuzu struggled to pull the hysterical mother off her son, whispering reassuring words to her even though her own voice sounded like she was sobbing. Yusho immediately placed Yuya down and started doing CPR, mumbling something to him after each push.

“I don’t understand,” Sora muttered, “he was fine just a second ago. I don’t understand. I don’t understand.”

Shuzo just hugged him tighter.

Yugo had enough self-preservation to slow down the speed of his D-Wheel, he pushed the brake and as soon as the motorcycle stopped, he got off it and collapsed, clutching his burning throat.

“Yugo!!” Rin screamed.

In the corner of his vision, he spotted Rin running toward him. Oh, how could he tell this girl she was his entire world? How could he pay her back for the love and care she always showered him? He used to think they could have all the time in the world, yet now he’s wishing for several more seconds.

“Yugo! Yugo! What’s wrong? Answer me?”

He felt like his body was lifted onto something so soft and warm. Was it Rin’s lap? If so, he’s so lucky, too bad he still wanted more.

“Yugo, don’t joke with me. This isn’t funny! Open your eyes!” Rin cried.

Cracking up a small smile, he looked up at the prettiest girl in the world, “Such a pathetic sight of me, yeah?”

“Yugo, oh thank goodness you are still conscious. Wh- what happens? Are you hurt?”

“What happens?” Yugo laughed to himself, “That jerkface finally decide to go through with it, is all. And only a day after Akaba Leo was sentenced too. Gosh, he's even more of a pathetic bastard than I think!”

Yuzu picked one of his hands up and sucked in a breath, her hand felt burning warm against his cold skin, “I-I’m calling for help! Stay with me, Yugo! Stay with me!”

She attempted to put him down to get to his D-Wheel, but using all of his remaining strength, Yugo surged up and wrapped his hands around her neck, pulling her down with him.

“Didn’t I say,” he breathed, “not to call anyone?”

“But Yugo! Your condition-”

“Please, Rin, please, let’s me, spend this last moment, with you,” his body’s so heavy, his eyelids’ so heavy, he just wanted to close them and finally, finally surrender himself to that deep, dark, serene sleep, but he couldn’t sleep yet, not before he could say those words to her.

“What do you mean last moment?! What’s happening to you?!” Rin’s sobbed from somewhere above him, and droplets of water fell on his face. Huh, she must’ve pulled him into her lap again. Double lucky!

He felt bad about leaving her like this, just thinking about how she’s gonna get his body back home made him sick. But it’s not like he could oppose this. It felt like a natural course of events, the four of them had reached the limit of their endurance, they couldn’t go on anymore.

“I can’t… see… you,” he must’ve raised his hand, because Rin’s warm hand wrapped around his so quickly and pressed it to her face. Ah, her skin’s so soft.

“I’m here, I’m right here!” Rin sobbed, and more water droplets fell on him, was it raining or was that Rin’s tears? He couldn’t tell anymore.

“I’m not going anywhere. I’m not calling anyone. I’m here, I’m here for you.”

Those words soothed his soul. After this long, gruesome journey, Yugo guessed he still deserved this blessing at the very end. He used to wish for the world, but at this moment, staying here, he felt like he needn’t wish for anything anymore. Everything he could ever wish for was right here with him.

“R-Rin, there is something… I must tell you…,” his voice couldn’t raise more than a whisper, but he must tell her, tell her…

“What is it? What is it?” Rin’s voice sounded so close.

“I… lov’…”

Did he manage to say it out? The serenity swallowed him, together with the last of his breath. 

Yuto sat on the floor, his head resting on the couch next to Ruri and his face half-buried into her smooth locks. He felt content even though he knew he shouldn’t be feeling so. But how couldn’t he? He was surrounded by the people he loved, people who loved him, people who had been through the worst and the best with him. He didn’t want to be anywhere else.

Just like this, let him watch over them like a silent guardian until he faded away. He’d love to have more time with Ruri, but, this was okay too. Her heart was gonna break when she woke up and realized he’s no longer by her side, and so did everyone else.

His lips parted into a smile, he knew he was loved. 

His throat burned with phantom pain and his vision blacked out for a second. Ah, Shun was making his way to him. How regrettable, he was hoping no one would realize until he’s gone.

“Yuto, what’s wrong? Oi Yuto, Yuto?!” Shun’s voice steadily raised in panic when he didn’t respond.

He could feel Ruri waking up, feel people crowding him as they attempted to rouse him up. Really, how troublesome. He didn’t want everyone to make a fuss over him, it wasn’t worth it. He just wanted peace, wanted to see everyone’s smile, he didn’t want to see their tears.

Somebody was screaming about calling an ambulance, another shouted that they needed to get Dr. Faker and his medical bots in here. They wouldn’t make it in time, Yuto vaguely thought. He had half a mind to scold Yuri later for choosing this very day, but that guy was drowning in his own misery, trying to demand things from him just felt cruel.

He’s in Ruri’s embrace, her long hair flowed down his face as she held him. More than once, he wondered how come this wonderful girl fell in love with him, of all people. Was it because of Ray’s influence? But then again, it wasn’t like Zarc ever deserved a fraction of Ray’s love.

“‘M sorry,” he croaked out. Now that they knew, he couldn’t go without leaving some words, “I wanted- to go on, but, I guess this is, as far as we can go,” he breathed out, just saying a short sentence was taking too much out of him, “I had fun, I had so much fun. Thanks for all the things you’ve done for me. You guys are, my everything.”

Ruri was screaming, and he wanted to tell her how much he treasured her, but his time was running out.

He embraced the darkness with open arms.

On the other side, was reunion.

Chapter Text

“Come on, Zarc, quickly!”

“Oh god, slow down, Ray! I literally just had a riding duel and my bones are killing me.”

The woman wasn’t having it, she laughed and grabbed his hand, pulling him up the stairs and into the stadium, which was about to burst open from the crowd’s cheering. 

“Seriously, what’s good about that Sakaki Yusho’s action duel anyway? Riding duel is much more enjoyable.”

“Don’t say that, I’m sure you’ll come to like it as well. Action duel’s all the rage now, you’d better get in on the trend soon, or else Sakaki will pulverize your ass in the popular ranking.”

The man huffed.

In the stadium, two duelists were both standing on their solid flying monsters, dueling while entertaining the audience with their quiffs. The woman laughed at the joke the male duelist said, prompting a pout from her partner.

“He might be your number 1 idol, but that old man still can’t beat me on a good day.”

“Aww, come on, don’t be jealous,” she gave his nose a peck, “Sakaki got a fiancée already, I’m not about to leave you for him.”

The man scoffed, and the woman giggled then turned to kiss him. 

Riiinnggggg!!!!

Serena snapped her eyes open at the sound of the alarm clock, her heart beating a mile a minute. For a second, she didn’t know who, or where she was. Her body trembled and sweat slicked her skin, an overwhelmed feeling of grief suddenly overcame her and she clammed a hand over her mouth to muffle a choked cry.

Hastily got up, Serena nearly tripped over herself running into the bathroom. She opened the faucet with trembling fingers and slapped the cold water over her face in the hope of washing away the unexplainable tears that were streaming down her face.

After ten minutes of standing there breathing in and out in short gasps, she more or less managed to calm herself down. Serena wiped the water off with a towel while thinking about what the heck just happened.

First of all, that was 100% Ray’s memory, Serena didn't remember being that lovey-dovey with any XY-chromosome specimen before. Nor did she remember ever standing in that grand stadium, where the two spent their date watching a much younger Sakaki Yusho duel.

And that man, the most precious man who was grumbling at her because he was jealous, he must be…

…Did she just think of Zarc as ‘precious’?

Serena gripped her chest. She could still recall the burning emotion Ray felt toward that bright figure, the happiness of being able to stay next to him, and the pain that followed when she woke up. It felt like a large part of her was ripped off and thrown far away, like someone had somehow reached inside her ribcage and squeezed her heart in their iron grip.

Serena ached for a man no longer existed.

“Stop pining for him, you stupid woman,” she muttered, “Ray, you fell in love with a multidimensional criminal, and you died trying to stop him from killing everything. Just sleep peacefully and stop messing with my heart, I wanna live my life without being haunted by you.”

No one answered her.

Serena found out at the start of her life at the Hiiragi’s that her level of education didn’t match up with Maiami’s standard. Her Science and Math level far surpassed students her age, but anything else, Social Study, Literature, Geography, etc… were almost non-existent. That’s why it’s decided that she’d be attending online classes, with the help of a professor who specialized in peculiar cases like her.

It was nice not having to go to ‘school’ and socializing with a bunch of kids she knew nothing about. Not to mention, she never really went to school at all. At the Academy, she was separated from other students and always attended classes by herself, so she was used to it, this was normal for her.

Or so she told Yuzu.

The truth was, she felt trapped and suffocated. Yuzu and Shu- dad was always either at You Show, or over at Yuya’s. They tried to bring her with them, but seeing Yuya’s face sometimes brought strange, frustrating emotions within her, so she often found some excuses to decline their invitation. On weekends, she usually traveled with the Lancers, but more often than not Serena found herself alone in this still unfamiliar house.

Then she tried going out for sightseeing around Maiami, but stopped after only the second time. This foreign city, with its dizzying lights and crazy traffic she didn’t know how to navigate, felt too big and too intimidating.

From now on, what should she do?

While feeling so lost and directionless, Serena spent most of her time lounging around at home.

And when she lounged, she let her thoughts wander.

Whenever it wandered, it always ended up at one place, or at one person, to be specific.

The dream she had must be the result of all those afternoons and evenings, Serena thought in irritation.

Still, she wondered how Yuri was doing at that place.

Getting Seiji’s permission to see Yuri from Seiji was no easy task. The man kept a tight leash over the list of people that could meet him, and apparently, based on Yuri’s track record with her counterparts, Serena was put on the ‘Restricted List’, meaning she was even less likely to be able to visit him.

“This is ridiculous,” Serena spat and slammed her fist on Reiji’s deck, “What are you, his jailer? Why can’t I see him just because you told me I can’t?”

“Didn’t you tell me you wanted nothing to do with Yuri?” Reiji calmly rearranged the stack of paper that had been displaced by her punch.

“I changed my mind.”

“Why?”

“That doesn’t concern you.”

Reiji sighed, then stood up and went over to the big window overlooking Maiami. The weather today was perfect, with clear blue sky and golden sunshine flooding the city’s buildings, but Reiji’s mood didn’t seem to be lifted by the beautiful scenery.

“Serena, you may think everything’s over, and we are at peace, but this peace of us is held together by very thin strings, and I’m the one responsible to make sure they don’t crumble apart. One wrong move, and Zarc can resurrect again, so I’m taking every measure to prevent it.”

Serena forced down her anger, “Even if those measures of yours drive those boys insane?!” 

Reiji leered at her, “Small sacrifices for the greater good. Even they agree to this.”

Serena widened her eyes, for a split second, it wasn’t Akaba Reiji she saw standing in front of her. She abruptly stood up, knocking the chair off with a loud bang and strode to the door, not giving Reiji another look.

“You don’t want that permission anymore?”

“No need. Talking with you just now reminded me of talking to the Professor with his insane ideology. ‘Sacrifice’? ‘Greater good’? So effing gross. I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree after all.”

Reiji had the look of someone who’d been struck by lightning, but before he could mutter a reply, Serena got out of the room and slammed the door with all of her strength.

Two days later, she received the permission to visit Yuri, with one condition: She must go together with Sakaki Yusho.

Yuzu took this decision of her with a less than enthusiastic reaction, but she didn’t stop her from going to see Yuri, which made her so grateful. 

Came the day she went to the Juvenile Center, Yuzu insisted on going with her to the train station. Standing next to the intercity bullet train that connected Maiami to Academia City, her adopted sister told her with a serious voice.

“The moment he said something weird or insulting, you shut him up and get back immediately, okay? Don’t let that bastard have his way.”

Serena laughed as she stepped on the bullet train, “Don’t be so worked up. That guy is still ten years too early to be able to touch me. Plus what harm can he cause anyway? We’ll be in a supervised room.”

“I’d love to go with you, but…” Yuzu bit her lips.

“That wimp collapsed again, right? It’s okay, just take care of Yuya, I can handle one or two murdering ex-soldier alone.”

Yuzu chuckled and Serena was glad her counterpart was able to cheer up a little. When the train door closed, she stood next to it watching her waving until her silhouette disappeared behind a turn.

The Juvenile Center looked just as dull as the last time Serena came here,  gray buildings built like walls that sieged around several inner yards, and high fences with barbed wire on top of all the walls.

Waiting for her at the entrance, was Sakaki Yusho, who she never thought she’d see today.

“Good day, Serena. How are you today?”

“Good day, Mr. Sakaki,” Serena replied cautiously, “Why are you here?”

“You can only visit Yuri if I’m present, right? Plus it’s my scheduled visit. Of course I’d be here,” Yusho laughed while leading her into the building.

Serena frowned, seeing his carefree attitude annoy her.

“But Yuya collapsed again yesterday. Why aren’t you by his side?”

Yusho stiffened a little, then he laughed again, albeit a little more strained this time.

“Yuya these days, how should I say, hasn’t been so… agreeable with me. Maybe he’s rebelling against his father? He’s at that age too. So, er, I don’t think staying with him would make him happy,” Yusho smiled sheepishly while scratching his head.

Serena glared at him, “If it was me, if someone I love fell ill, then I wouldn’t care how bad we were fighting, I would fly to their side in a heartbeat, and stay there until they recovered. That’s how love is.”

Looking straight at the older man’s stunted expression, she added, “But then again, I’ve never had a real parent, so I don’t know how parent-child relationship is supposed to work. My only example is Akaba Leo and he’s a crazy bastard. You and he are really the two far ends of a pendulum arc, you know? He destroyed millions just for his daughter, and you can’t be bothered to stay with your son when he’s sick.”

Serena waited for Yusho to mutter some excuse, or at least protested her harsh accusation, but it never came. Instead, the older man just gave her a sad smile, and said, “Yeah, you’re right, I’m such a shitty father. But, even this shitty father wants to help his son somehow, just… not by staying next to him. Sometimes, caring for somebody doesn’t mean staying with them all the time. Moreover, I believe both you and Yuri need my attention a little bit more than Yuya right now.”

Yusho’s word made her even angrier, she was about to retort that she certainly didn’t need him here, at least no more than Yuya, but a light cough distracted her.

The receptionist was looking at them with an awkward glance, and Serena realized they were arguing in front of the poor dude.

Yusho beat her at saying a quick apology (not like she would say it, she didn’t do anything wrong), then told him to have a guard inform Yuri that they were coming over. After that was several minutes of uncomfortable silence. Serena hasn’t thought of it before, but there’s a big chance Yuri would refuse to see her, based on their last interaction.

Eventually, the receptionist called them over and said Yuri had agreed to meet up.

Serena released a breath she didn’t know she was holding.

They followed a guard deep inside the facility, going through several layers of barriers and locked gates, each one making Serena more suffocating than the last. This place reminded her of Academia, where she spent her time locked up in a high tower, looking at the world outside through barred windows.

“You alright there, kiddo?” Yusho asked.

“I’m fine,” Serena gulped, tightening her sweat-slicken fist and telling herself she was not intentionally walking back to her own imprisonment. 

A warm hand gently rested on her shoulder, and she saw Yusho smiling kindly at her.

“I said I’m fine,” she repeated, but that warm hand still stayed on her shoulder for the rest of their little journey.

Reaching a building with a sign that said ‘Visiting Unit’, the guard led them into a room, then slammed the door in their face and turned away without another word.

“Charming!” Serena remarked, “Almost as nice as those Obelisk guards at the Academia even.”

Yusho laughed, “C’mon, they’re just doing their work, don’t badmouth them.”

Serena huffed then turned around, taking in the first sight of the visiting room.

It was… homelier than she thought, also bigger. This room was twice the size of the bedroom she got at the Hiiragi’s, furnished with a couch, a desk, and a bookshelf. On the wall, there was a big TV screen, which currently was displaying nothing. Everything was in warm, woody colors and Serena could’ve mistaken it for a regular room if there wasn’t a big glass wall smack dab in the middle of it, turning it into two clear halves. On the other side, Serena saw that it was furnished almost the same as this side, just without the TV screen.

“Normally, I have permission to go directly into his quarter, but since you’re with me today, we’ll be using this room.”

Serena only shrugged.

They sat down at the table, which was situated next to the wall, adjacent to the table on the other side, and waited.

“Serena, this is just a precaution, but try not to get mad at him, okay?”

“It depends on his attitude,” her sight was set on the closed door on the other side, she almost didn’t hear him.

“That’s good, then. Yuri still has this habit of provoking people, so it’s best to act like you’re unbothered. We wouldn’t want to encourage that behavior, now would we?”

Yusho talked about Yuri as if he was talking about a feral animal. Serena twitched uncomfortably in her seat, trying to gauge just how difficult their meeting would be.

Barely 5 minutes later, the door on the opposite wall opened with a slight click.

She fought off a gasp.

If she thought Yuya looked worse these days, he still had nothing on Yuri. His skin was pale, so pale, like he hadn’t seen the sun for months, his eyes were tired and lifeless, with bags under them. And compared to the last time she saw him, he obviously got a lot thinner, his collarbones stood out above the wide V-neck.  

“Ah, how rare! The Academia’s princess finally decides to grace me with her presence,” Yuri let out a slight smile, seemingly cheerful despite his haggard appearance, “Why? Did my insults the last time wasn’t enough that you have to come back for more like a masochist?”

All of her pity toward this boy evaporated in an instant.

“WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY TO ME?! YOU CREEPY BASTARD!!”

Yusho facepalmed.

Her experience with Yuri had been abysmal, and even that was an understatement. Since the first time she woke up from her coma in that hospital, and found herself next to a Yuri who also just woke up, the bastard had taken a look at her and demanded to change his room immediately.

Serena, still groggy and confused from the lingering memories of her forceful reunition with her counterparts, didn’t have the energy to rebuff him, and after a short shouting-off, they both turned their back to each other to sleep.

As they slowly recovered and Yuri discovered he was under house arrest, his disdain toward her turned into a full-blown resentment.

“Such good weather! What a shame I can’t fully enjoy this in a room clear of filth,” Yuri would say.

“Did you just call me filth?” Serena would grow.

“Oh, I’m just talking to myself. But how exciting! To think that someone would actually admit themself to be filth,” chuckled Yuri.

And then, Serena would lose her temper and jump at him, 100% of the time it ended with both of them bruised and scratched up, and the guards had to come in and separate them, only for the whole process to repeat the next day.

She asked him multiple times just what exactly was his problem with her, but aside from snide remarks, Yuri refused to talk to her altogether.

She couldn’t understand his attitude, wasn’t they, as Ray and Zarc, lovers, and as Serena and Yuri, never met before? Where did that antagonism come from?

The day Reiji came to separate them and brought him yelling and kicking out of the room, was decided by Serena to be the second happiest day in her life (aside from that day when she was reunited with her counterparts, but that’s a different matter). After that was a torrent of events and new experiences, she got adopted into the Hiiragi household, transferred to Maiami, and started adapting to her new life. She had happily shoved Yuri to the very back of her mind, and refused to think about him ever since.

Yes, Serena didn’t think about Yuri at all, wasn’t hurt by Yuri’s word at all, it’s all Ray. Her past self made her care about a boy who insulted her the moment they laid eyes on each other, she made her restless enough to go through all this trouble just to see him again.

And this was the result she received?!

Yusho had to hold her back even though he knew she couldn’t get pass the glass separating them.

“Let me go, Mr. Sakaki. I have to punch his mouth in!”

“Now now, Serena. Please calm down, you know you can’t touch him.”

“Oh no, by all means, let her free, Teach. I kinda enjoy the way she’s so enthusiastic toward me, certainly makes for a lot of entertainment,” Yuri snickered on the other side. 

“What the hell is your problem?!”

 “So, Teach, I believe that today is the day of my math test. What with the unwanted interruption?” Yuri turned to Yusho, completely ignored her.

“Listen to me, you-,” but Yusho shushed her behind him and answered.

“It’s not every day that Serena comes to visit you, how about you two chatting for today? I don’t mind rescheduling.”

“I do. If we don’t take the test right now then please excuse me, I feel rather under the weather,” Yuri stood up and walked away.

“Wait,” Yusho shouted, “wait. Okay, let’s take that test, but after that, please take a bit of time to talk with Serena, okay?”

Yuri turned back, and after giving both of them a calculating look, walked over to sit down.

“Fine.”

Serena could see him smirking. 

The little brat certainly found joy in manipulating people to do what he wanted, Serena thought. But, was it her imagination, or did Yuri actually seem to respect Yusho just now, baring a little streak of rebellion?

While Yuri took his test on a tablet, Serena sat next to the teacher-student pairs and observed them with a taut expression and crossed arms.

She heard a lot about their final interaction in the final war, about how Yuri carded Yusho with his own hands in front of Yuya, so she didn’t expect a relatively tolerant relationship between them, let alone a relationship based on mutual respect. 

Yusho really did seem to be able to change Yuri, and for the better, too.

But was he really?

Somehow, Serena was suspicious.

The test ended, and Yuri leaned back into the seat, humming some tunes to himself, still decidedly ignoring her existence. 

Oh, fine, so that’s how you’re gonna play this game? Serena huffed and told Yusho, “Can you leave us alone? I’ll just say a quick word to him then we’ll go back.”

Yusho's gaze moved from Serena to Yuri, then he must’ve deemed Serena trustworthy enough because he nodded and left the room.

Serena glanced at Yuri, who still didn’t move or look at her.

“Let me be straight with you,” she opened, “I’m not here for your sake.”

Still nothing.

“Did Yusho tell you about the other boys? They’ve been having problems.”

…

“I heard you fought with other Obelisk students, what’s going on with that? Did you manage to bother them that much?”

Yuri snorted.

Something in Serena cracked. That’s it.

“Listen here you lowly coward. Either you cooperate, or I will come back tomorrow, and every day after that, I’ll make sure to go directly into your quarter and talk your ears off until you go insane. Or, you can cut that process short by actually talking to me and ending this ridiculous animosity, and I swear I’ll get my butt out of here and never see your face ever again!”

That got Yuri’s attention, he raised an eyebrow and finally sat up straight.

“That better be a promise, then.”

“Of course, as if I want to see your smug face ever again,” Serena grumbled.

“Okay, you have my attention,” Yuri spread his arm wide, “Talk. For all of our less than pleasant history together, why do you want to meet me?”

Serena bit her lips. To be honest, she never really stopped to think about why must she see him, other than Ray’s deep, profound desire to be here, to be with Zarc. But Serena wasn’t such a pushover that she let a ghost’s lingering feeling dictate her action. So why was she here?

To help the other girls in their “Fix-a-Yuboy” quest? No, contrary to the other girls who had spent a lot of time with their boys, Serena shouldn’t feel obligated to help a stranger who repeatedly bullied her. Then why? 

“I’m aware that not everybody must like me, but I can’t stomach the thought that I was hated by you for no reason at all,” she stated the first thing that came to her mind, “So I come here to ask you only one thing: why do you hate me?”

Yuri leered at her, “You disturb me with your aggravating presence just for this stupid question? Does the outside air finally turn you psychotic?”

“Just answer me!” She gritted his teeth.

“Then let me ask you this instead, why do you think I must like you?”

“Isn’t that obvious, we’ve never met before in this life, and our past selves were in lo-love.”

Yuri suddenly grinned widely, his eyes dilated as if he was a cat seeing a prey. Serena flinched back.

“Ah, that!” He lowered a finger to the table, tapping on it, “Tell me, you don’t remember anything about Ray, do you?”

She could do nothing but nod.

“Ray was just like you, a princess. She was the precious daughter of Akaba Leo, the genius who created solid vision. She came from privilege, whereas Zarc was just a dumpster dweller who had to fight his way up the ladder, he couldn’t even afford his riding bike without slaving his ass off for nearly a decade.”

Glancing at Serena to make sure she was still listening, he continued, “Whatever Zarc had to fight tooth and nail for, Ray could easily get just by telling her daddy dearest she wanted it. A new duel disk? A rare, expensive card? A loaded sponsor? It’s no problemo no problemo. And it’s even worse for Zarc who was in the same field as her. From getting invited to tournaments, to endorsement deals, you don’t know how many opportunities Ray robbed off of Zarc just by being Leo’s daddy’s girl.”

Serena was horrified, “That- How can you- But didn’t they fall in love?”

“Oh yes they did, eventually. I guess even Zarc wasn’t immune to Ray’s mystical attractiveness, but at the beginning, Zarc only approached Ray because it’d be nice to be associated with the daughter of Akaba Leo, even though he hated her.”

Serena went speechless, the scene she saw in her dream, and the barrage of feeling it brought flashed by her head. She remembered her counterparts and their attempts to help the boys, she remembered Yuya and Yugo’s desperation in reaching out for their girls. Was all of that, built on a lie?

“I don’t believe you,” she said, “You can’t fool me. I was there inside Ray when they had that painful duel, and you were there as well. You should’ve remembered the pain. Their love is definitely real!”

“Did I ever say it’s fake?” Yuri clicked his tongue, “But for every romantic moment that was shared between them, there is always a tiny bit of jealousy and resentment Zarc secretly harbored toward Ray. And then, in the end, Ray once again robbed him of everything he had. Zarc loving Ray was real, but he hating her was just that much real. When he was torn apart, all that silly emotional shit went toward those three idiots, leaving me nothing but disdain for Ray, for you!”

Yuri leaned back, and let Serena process all the information he just unloaded onto her in shocked silence.

“But,” Serena tried, “but that’s so unfair to me ! I’m not Ray, and you’re not Zarc. You, Yuri, should have no reason to hate me!”

Yuri burst out laughing, he laughed so hard he fell off his chair to the ground, and still he doubled down laughing until he was in tears, leaving Serena extremely confused and concerned on the other side.

“Hahaha, ahaha. Oh, poor sweet little Serena, sheltered princess in the castle, you really know nothing at all, do you?”

“I don’t know what?!” Yuri’s behavior was starting to scare her.

“Let me tell you, then,” Yuri got back on his seat, and rested his chin on the back of his hand, “How do you think it’s possible that we, being kept on the same island, never ran across each other before?”

“Huh?” Serena was taken aback at Yuri’s sudden change of topic, “That’s because, because the Professor always kept me in isolation and never let me meet anyone.”

“Except for all the times you escaped, and you were quite an escape artist, weren’t you? Running those tiny little feet all over the island, getting into all kinds of nooks and crevices imaginable to man. And yet you never met me. Why?”

Serena stared, and then dawning horror gripped her stomach. “Why?” She asked.

“Because wherever you got out, the Professor ordered to have me locked up. Sometimes when it’s too sudden and they couldn’t drag me to my prison cell in time, they just tased me into unconsciousness and put me away. They never brought me food in those times either, scared that you might follow the smell and find me. All to make sure that neither of us knew the other existed, even though we were right next to each other.”

Serena sunk into her seat, and her eyes began to water. She remembered those rodeos of her, gosh she remembered them. She’d escaped as frequently as twice a week, sometimes not for any other reasons than to annoy the guards, and her longest record was three days out of her quarter. Was Yuri really locked up and left to starve at every one of those times?!

Yuri seemed to enjoy seeing the surge storm of expression that ran through her face, he smirked and leaned back in his chair to observe her like observing an animal in a zoo.

“Why?” She asked in bated breath, “If he treated you so badly, then why, why did you still obey him? You had missions, you could go outside, why didn’t you escape?”

Yuri glared, “Why would I?”

“But he locked you up!!”

“And…”

“And? Yuri, I thought you were furious about it?!”

“Yes, I’m furious, at you . Why do I have to endure all those terrible times, just because a girl needed some fresh air? Why did I have to bear the brunt of that man’s hatred, just because his precious daughter blasted me into four pieces and scattered me around? Why do you have to exist, just to make my life a living hell?”

Serena’s head grew so dizzy, her chest constricted, and she found it impossible to breathe. 

“Your grudge,” she talked with a crumbling voice, “is misplaced. I didn’t- didn’t intentionally cause your misfortune. Wasn’t- wasn’t both of us, wasn’t all of us, just pawns for the Professor’s scheme? Why are you hating me instead of him?”

“Because loyalty is the first and last thing a soldier ever needs,” Yuri replied without a beat.

“Are you planning to keep on being his subject for the rest of your life?!”

“It’s better than being an Akaba Reiji’s subject like you. At least he didn’t lock me up all the time.”

Serena was starting to feel faint, she dropped her head and covered her face with her hand, “Yuri, I’m not Reiji’s subject.”

“Could’ve fooled me. You certainly aren’t here to reconnect with your past life lover, not out of your own volition. Open your eyes and look at reality, stupid girl. No people in this world are nice enough to offer you shelter and education for free without an ulterior motive, not to people like us. Just like the Professor, these people are keeping us alive to be used as pawns for whatever scheme they are cooking up, and only you are foolish enough to fall for it.”

“That isn’t-,” Serena choked, “Yuzu and the others aren’t like that at all.”

“Shut up. Unlike you, I haven’t been brainwashed by all that faux freedom and sweet words. I am, and always will be an Academia soldier. Until the day I die, I intend to keep my allegiance to him. So you can stop this sorry attempt at swaying me over to their side.” 

Serena lifted his head, to see Yuri sitting so high and mighty, looking down at her as if she were dirt.

“I’m just here because I want to see you.” 

“My condolences, then. It looks like your one-sided little crush is futile.”

Then he stood, and left.

Chapter Text

Serena didn’t remember what happened afterward clearly. She vaguely recalled collapsing right after getting out of the room, and despite Yusho’s urgent demand to tell him what happened inside, she was unable to say anything. 

The man had no choice but to escort her back to Maiami while she was still in a total state of shock, and until Yuzu rushed out and frantically asked her what was wrong, she didn’t utter a single word.

That night, wrapped in a blanket with her leg pulled up against her chest and snuggled close to Yuzu in her bed, Serena began to recount her heinous talk with Yuri, and her counterparts’ eyes widened bigger with each reveal.

“So Akaba Leo really was willing to go that far just to keep you two away from each other? That’s horrible!!” Yuzu exclaimed.

Serena shook her head and dropped it on her knees.

Her other counterparts apparently focused on a different aspect in her story.

“I know that fucker is bad news,” Rin screeched over the communication device’s screen, “I should’ve gone with you and whipped his ass like a son of a bitch that he is.”

“Rin, please,” Ruri sounded appalled, “mind your language. And don’t shout, Serena is under enough stress as she is.”

“No it’s alright, thanks for worrying for me, gals,” she lifted her head and cracked a smile.

“What is alright about it?! The whole thing about you and Yuri, it’s-it’s terrible, it should’ve never happened to anyone. It’s so cruel to you,” Yuzu said with dismay and hugged her tighter.

Serena smiled, then nuzzled into Yuzu’s side, enjoying the warmth that spread between them. But Yuri’s face and his story flashed up, and any resemblance to contentment fizzled away.

Serena wondered, what was he thinking right now in that dark and dull place, without anyone to comfort or hold him close? Or maybe he was feeling extremely pleased with himself after being able to induce a trauma like that upon her.

Then her thoughts drifted to the past, when her action unknowingly caused Yuri to be locked away. In those days and nights of isolated darkness, what did he think about? Did he quietly nurse his hatred and resentment, growing it like people would a precious plant, so that he could throw it at anyone except the only one that deserved it? How long was he gonna keep believing in a ruined cause, until he destroyed himself?

She had thought she was lonely and lost, but Yuri truly was at the bottom of his own hellhole.

Serena ached, for a boy that hated her.

“I’m sorry,” she muttered.

“What are you sorry for?” Yuzu patted her head.

“If Yuri didn’t hate me that much, maybe he would’ve gone easy for you three. He gave you such horrible experiences, and it’s all because of me.”

Her counterparts let out three identical gasps and scrambled over each other yelling into her ears that it was totally not her fault, Yuzu shook her frame like she was committing her all at making a delicious milkshake, Rin shouted something about Yuri being a piece of shit to begin with and it had nothing to do with Serena.

Serena dove under the blanket to escape Yuzu’s grip and giggled under their affectionate assault, “Okay, okay, I get it, I get it. It’s not my fault, please forgive me.”

Once she sat up again, Ruri moved close to the screen and reached out a hand like she wanted to touch her. 

“It’s painful, isn’t it? To realize someone suffered so much due to your actions, but you must know that none of that was done in your knowledge. Akaba Leo was the one who manipulated the whole situation, he was the one making sure both your and Yuri’s life was as miserable as could be. No one is to blame but him, you got it, Sel?”

Serena smiled and dropped her gaze, then nodded.

“I thought our life was difficult. Turn out, we are blessed just by having each other close,” Rin mumbled. Then she lowered her gaze, thinking of something, and said with a taut expression, “He-that guy might be a jerk, but even he didn’t deserve to be treated like that, no one did.”

A tear streamed down Rin’s face, and she hastily wiped it away.

“Oh, Rin,” Serena signed.

Yuzu gathered Serena into a hug again, and they went silent, no one knew what to say anymore.

“There’s something else bothering me, though,” Serena muttered after several minutes, “Yuri, he knew what Zarc’s been through like he actually remembered being Zarc. I wonder, if it was the same with the other guys?” 

She saw her counterparts’ eyes going wide.

“That-that’s gotta be bad,” Ruri clamped a hand over her mouth, “if Yuto actually has Zarc’s memory all this time, then…”

“Don’t tell me it’s the reason Yugo doesn’t act like himself these days. Are they being overridden by Zarc’s persona again?” Rin paled.

Their conversation broke into worried remarks as the three girls exchanged weird behaviors of their boys while Serena turned awkwardly silent. Once again, she got pushed back into the background.

“But wait, girls. Let’s not lose our cool and think things over first,” Yuzu quickly said, “We all know how mad Zarc was the last time he awakened. If his memory was alive in them, they’d generally want to reunite, right? But so far none of those idiots has made any attempt to contact or go to each other. In fact, they all followed Reiji’s surveillance quite peacefully. It’s the opposite of what Zarc would do, right?”

Rin and Ruri’s faces lifted up at Yuzu’s reasoning, they shared a breath of relief.

Their reaction made something ugly arise at the back of Serena’s mind.

“You gals really seemed confident at your own reasoning, like you actually understand him,” she muttered.

All three girls turned to her.

“We just got the word straight out of his mouth, that all that time, Zarc has secretly harbored resentment toward Ray. He hated how privileged she was, he hated how she could have anything he wanted with ease, but he still treated her like she’s his most precious thing ever. Do any of you have any remnant memory or feeling of Zarc acting hateful toward you? Or was he a gentleman all along? I’m asking you because I don’t know!”

The three girls looked at her a little taken aback, then they looked at each other, Yuzu eventually spoke up.

“I just- I had a dream, a few days ago, where Ray met Zarc for the first time. It was a disaster, Zarc’s bike crashed into hers and sent them both into a ditch. Zarc offered to pay for the repair bill, though. They quickly became acquaintances and things escalated from there.”

“Yuri said Zarc approached Ray on purpose,” said Serena.

Yuzu paused, then she chucked bitterly, “So it’s no accident, then.”

“See,” Serena said, “he is a perfect actor. Yuri said Zarc eventually fell in love with Ray, but he never did shed the hatred he fell for her, and apparently, that stupid woman never realized it either. Even till the end, I bet she was going around spewing her belief in him to whoever listened, until he emerged as that ugly dragon-hybrid chimera and forced her to kill him!”

Her voice had raised steadily through her sentence and she was nigh shouting now, making the other girl back off a little in shock.

“I have enough of that guy! What does he think he is?! Some kind of tragic redeemed villain that must be sympathized with and forgiven? What has, what has he done to deserve that kind of kindness everybody keeps giving him?! Oh oh, and apparently that jerkface can just insult people in front of his own teacher without being reprimanded as well? What the heck is ‘nobody will give us free shelter and education’? They’re giving us those things for free because they hoped it would help to make us not become killing machines, you ignorant moron! And instead of being grateful you turn away and swear your loyalty to an abuser, you… fucking… moron!!!”

Serena could feel her face heat up, her jaw clench tight as her speech gradually turned into a screaming fit. The other girl all scooted back and watched her unload her emotion in shock.

“Eh, Sel,” Yuzu asked, “are you sure you’re still talking about Zarc?”

“That doesn’t sound like Zarc at all,” Rin hesitantly chimed in.

She shot a harsh glance at her counterparts. On their faces, in their minds, she could see nothing but the endless affection and concern toward that lying piece of sack, like they couldn’t comprehend that some of the responsibilities lie with him, and somehow her anger returned anew.

“Yuri or Zarc, they’re the same! All of them! We all care for those ungrateful bastards so much, and for what? For them to just brush us off and treat our effort like nothing?! I’m sorry but I have enough of this, I have enough of this situation!”

Serena’s eyes glowed with realization, she suddenly realized what she must do with that irredeemable criminal.

“Serena, what are you gonna do?” Yuzu asked with a small voice.

“I’m going back to the Juvenile Center. That idiot doesn’t get to dump all of his tragic past on my shoulder and expect me to wallow in guilt on his behalf. This time I’m gonna fight back, and I’m gonna make him pay.”

Serena didn’t have to wait as long as the last time she was here.

“Someone broke their promise,” Yuri said sitting on the opposite desk.

“And yet you still come out to see me.”

Today, Yuri was just as tired-looking as the last time she saw her, and the artificial LED light in this room didn’t help brighten his complexion at all, and Serena felt a twinge of sympathy despite herself.

“Only because I expect to see you bowing down and begging for my forgiveness. Imagine my disappointment,” Yuri sighed dramatically.

Serena didn’t bother to hide her chuckle.

“What’s so funny?” The boy frowned.

“You may think this is bizarre, but you really are similar to Yuya,” she said.

Yuri’s face hardened immediately, and Serena could see his fists tightening.

Hah, take that. One point for me.

“What do you mean?” He half-asked, half-growled.

“Yuya was also quite dramatic, but his intention was to make people smile, not to berate them like you.”

Yuri scoffed, “Then that clown’s nothing like me. Are you blind, girl?”

“Uh huh, I guess.”

Yuri narrowed his eyes, he must’ve been so confused that Serena didn’t fall for any of his bait today. 

“Let’s get back on the topic,” Yuri cleared his throat, “why are you here again? I thought you swore you wouldn’t see me again once you get your answer.”

Serena lowered her head but still kept her gaze locked on Yuri. From now on she had to tread really carefully if she wanted to get the result she desired.

“Because it turned out I wasn’t here just to figure out why you hated me after all.”

“Ah hah, so you admit yourself to be a Reiji’s subject and come here to sway me over to that side, right?”

“Cut it out. You never think Reiji sent me here in the first place.”

“And why do you think so? You and Teach everybody here could be in cahoot together to turn me into some sort of wimpy peace-loving advocator.”

Serena sighed and wondered what was the end of his stupid loyalty. What method did her former dad use on Yuri that made him this devoted, even though he treated him worse than anyone else on that island?

“Because you understand that there’s no reason to do so,” she said, “Being a piece of Zarc, you carry within yourself a potential danger that’s too risky to utilize. The best thing to deal with you, in Reiji’s logic, is to lock you here for as long as possible, and if you’re here, then there’s no benefit trying to recruit you over to his side. And you know it all along! All the horrible words you threw at me were just a desperate attempt to drive me out, weren’t they?”

Yuri covered his mouth with his hand and giggled, “Oh boy, you totally find out my ploy. What to do now? Should I prostrate myself and continue to sit here for the foreseeable future to entertain miss princess whenever she came because she is so bored?”

Serena chuckled, again, “Yeah, that part of yours is just like Yuya, too. Whenever his lies got discovered, he’s also quick to deflect to another joke. Yuzu always gets so mad at that habit.”

That had the desired effect, Yuri stopped giggling immediately and glared at her.

Had she known Yuya’s name alone could have this much effect on Yuri, she would’ve started the last meeting by mentioning him.

“What do you want, now?!” 

Serena huffed and leaned back into her chair a little, “I’m here with a proposal.”

“That would be an underage marriage, you know?” Yuri snickered.

She ignored him and went on, “I realize something crucial when I live outside.”

Yuri raised her eyebrows.

“I discovered that people out there are nothing like us at all. Their lives are full of things I can’t understand, they talk about things I’ve never experienced, laugh at jokes I can never get and have the kind of dream I’m unable to perceive. Frankly, I’m overwhelmed.”

“So, you mean you come running back to me because the outside is so scary and you can’t take it?”

“I’m not running back to you. Rather, I’m trying to be free from you. Only when I completely break things off with you, that I can walk toward my future without anything holding me back.”

“And you do that by… having attendance with me?” Yuri made a swirling motion with his finger next to his head, “Please enlighten me on how your crazy logic works.”

“Before that, I want to establish that our feelings of hate for each other are mutual.”

“Ah, that’s been known.”

“No, when I mean mutual I mean mutual in every way. You think I’m the cause of your life’s suffering? Now look here, who was the one approaching Ray with purpose? Who’s the one who fell in love with her and then descended into madness all by himself? At the end of Zarc’s cursed existence, who was the one willing to destroy her own soul to retain the broken parts of Zarc’s soul, leading to your birth? Make no mistake, had anyone else defeated Zarc, they would annihilate him until not even a shred of his memory remained. If Ray didn’t meet you, she’d still be living in bliss, not broken in four and has to tend to you guys’ oh-so-fragile egoes. In other words, I’m the reason you’re still sitting there, and you’re the reason my life’s hell, not vice versa.”

Yuri’s frown deepened after listening to her speech. He shifted in his seat.

“So, you’re counter-blaming me now? But too bad, I literally don’t care if you hate me or not. It’s not like you hating or loving me would make a dent in my life.”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself, this isn’t about you, this is about me,” she spat, “Ray’s feeling inside me is still too strong, it’s overwhelming my hate. And I suspect that as long as my feelings toward you aren’t solidified, it will still continue to haunt me and bind me to you for the rest of my life. I don’t want that.”

“So?”

“So I want to come here and talk with you, regularly. The more we throw curses at each other, the more likely I can shed that annoying lingering affection and start going on with my life.”

Yuri blinked, while Serena paused.

None of this was the truth, of course. Serena simply just wanted to talk with Yuri, really talked with him. She wanted to know what could possibly happen without Akaba Leo, what her counterparts had but she didn’t. Although it might’ve been too late, she still wanted to explore the “what-if” between them, the relationship they missed the chance to have, the connection they’d let lost before it could even be formed.

And above all, she didn’t want to leave this boy in the darkness alone, when she had managed to reach for the world of light. 

Maybe it’s just her loneliness speaking.

But Yuri was paranoid, broken, and unable to believe in altruism, he would never accept her hand if she came here and said she wanted to help him, so she must make him think she had an ulterior motive in coming here.

O strongest soldier of the Academia, you're not the only one that can play mind games.

“Amusing!” Yuri snickered, “But what will I get out of this deal?”

“Well, I know enough about your personality. You’re staying in a private quarter, so I can imagine you don’t have anyone to berate to your heart’s content, right?” Placing a hand on her chest, she said, “I can be that person.” 

Yuri laughed, a true, genuine laugh this time. 

“So, you mean, that you’re willing to be my personal punching bag?”

“Bring it on, I’m tougher than you think. Plus, don’t underestimate my charm. What if someday my ‘silly one-sided crush’ turns out to not be one-sided after all?”

Yuri stopped and stared into her eyes, as if searching for a shred of lie, and Serena had to force herself not to look away.

After nearly a full minute, he decided, “Convince Teach to bring me my Starving Venom, and then I’ll think about it.”

“Huh?”

“Starving Venom has always been by my side, but they took him away from me. Tell Prof. Sakaki to bring him to me, then you can have your audience with me whenever you want.”

Serena silently did a victory punch beneath the table.

“We have a deal, then?” She placed her palm flat on the glass separating them.

“Of course. Let’s see if you can make me fall out of hate for you first, or you will fall out of love for me first.”

He also placed his palm on the glass, and even though they weren’t touching, they were finally as physically close as they could be, ever since that fateful duel in a faraway, distant past.

Yuri was surprisingly tolerable, once she learned how he worked. Serena discovered over the course of the next several meetings, that once she got past his 3rd insult of the day, his mocking battery ran out, and he would happily discuss things with her in a more or less peaceful manner.

Yuri loved plants, that she knew (and she didn’t even know how she knew), and they teamed up to harass Yusho into getting some for him. His insult count toward her dropped to 2 after that.

Serena started bringing her notebooks over so she could study with him. Turned out they were both very competitive, and had very different opinions over some topics, so the heated debate began once more.

But then, there were always moments when they regressed, when Yuri, prompted by something unseen to her, would shout from the top of his lungs, or laugh like a maniac, accusing her of every sin known to man. In times like those, Serena just wanted to slap him really hard, and she loudly told him so without holding back.

She liked to imagine after each episode like that, he’d return to his room and cry out of frustration, just like she did.

Occasionally, Yuri would hide in his room and refuse to see her altogether. She would have no choice but to go home.

Weeks turned into months and the season bridged into the next, Serena now knew the train schedule to the Juvenile Center like the back of her hand. During these months, Yusho somehow found a way to return Yuri’s plant dragon to him. Only the dragon, though, the rest of his cards were still confiscated somewhere. They’d discussed duel tactics, and sometimes even dueled together, using the clumsily drawn version of their real cards.

She dreamt of getting Yuri out of the Center, once he dampened up a bit, and reunited him with his counterparts.

Yes. One day.

“Utopia is a sham! Why can’t you realize that?!”

“Of course I know that, I know that from the beginning. I’m not like those foolish Obelisk students. I know his words contain nothing but fabricated visions.”
“Then why are you still loyal to him?!”

“Is there anyone else to be loyal to? We’re like dogs, we plead loyalty to the one who feeds us and housed us, that’s all.”

“He no longer feeds or houses you.”

“He’s the first one that feeds and houses me.”

“Yuri!”

“Get out. I don’t want to see your face anymore.”

“Why can’t you be nice for once?!” She yelled.

He laughed, the sound grated and high-pitch, “Be nice?! To you?! What for?! We’re not here to exchange pleasantries, we’re here to drive each other insane. Or have you forgotten your original motive?”

He slammed his palm on the glass, “So, are you hating me yet?”

“Oh yeah,” a tear dropped down her face, “yeah, I’m coming really close to.”

“If you can get out of here, where would you go?” She asked on a rainy afternoon and they, in a rare moment when they didn’t argue or scream at each other, quietly listened to the sound of falling raindrops outside the walls.

“It’d be years before I can get out.”
Not really, Serena thought. Yusho said if he kept behaving well enough, he could be released at the end of the year.

“It’s just a hypothesis, where would you go?”

Yuri went silent, then said, “To the sea, maybe.”

“Hmm.”

“Hmm.”

The rain continued.

December 1st, the day after Akaba Leo was sentenced.

Serena couldn’t sleep the whole night. The events from the last trial replayed again and again in her head.

Life without parole. Life without parole. Life without parole.

That meant till the end of his life, Akaba Leo would never get out of jail, he would never see the outside world again. Her heart hurt so much she wanted to burst apart, even though she thought she no longer had any feelings for the monster that was her former teacher and original’s dad.

And then she remembered, and it was like someone dumped an ice bucket over her.

Yuri.

What would Yuri do, now that his pillar of existence had been destroyed? Serena felt herself freeze at all the possibilities.

At the crack of dawn, Yuya called and said he wanted them at You Show, and Serena faked an illness in order to stay home. The moment Yuzu and Shuzo were out of the house, Serena bolted up, changing her clothes at lightning speed, and made a dash to the train station. She booked the first ticket to Academia City, praying that all her worry would be for naught and Yuri would still be there, and maybe laughing at her paranoia.

As soon as the Juvenile appeared in her vision, she knew her worst fear had come true.

There was a big commotion going on, she saw a large number of guards and police officers. The honking of police cars and guards barking at each other created a noisy mess that dizzied her.

Serena swore under her breath and made her way past the huge crowd, following where people were rushing to the very back of the facility. There, she saw Reiji standing next to a Juvenile staff, briefing him in an urgent voice. Next to them and covered in what felt like miles of police tapes, Serena paled, was a huge hole in the wall. 

Don’t tell me… Yuri!

Reiji spotted her the moment she came closer.

“Why are you here at this time, Serena?”

“It’s not important. What’s happening here?!” 

Reiji sighed, his shoulder hunched back, “As you can see, Yuri escaped.”

No.

“But how?!” She croaked, “How on earth can he create that hole?”

“An overlooking of my part,” he sighed again, his breath creating a mist in the chilly morning air, “I have no idea Yuri, as he is, can materialize his monster without using Solid Vision.”

Serena frowned, “What? So you mean, he used Starving Venom?!”

Reiji nodded.

Lead filled Serena’s stomach, she remembered Yuri asked for his dragon months ago at the start of their meeting, and paled at the sobering thought that that boy might’ve taken advantage of her and staged his escape ever since then.

“For the moment, I’m calling for maximum security at Akaba Leo’s jail. There’s a possibility that he would go rescue his former professor, but so far he hasn’t made an appearance there. I’m increasing surveillance around his counterparts as well, we can’t rule out the chance that he’d gone to find them.”

Reiji opened his communication device, and tapped on it in an agitated manner, “Pick up, Yusho! This is not the time for you to turn off your phone!”

“Phone,” Serena mumbled, remembering Yuya’s invitation this morning. Maybe Yusho was there with him, which meant Yuya wasn’t alone.

Shakingly taking out her own device with her cold fingers, Serena was about to dial Ruri’s number, when a conversation from long ago suddenly returned to her.

“Reiji!” She shouted, “Have you checked the coast?!”

Reiji didn’t really believe in her, but he still directed some drones to the coast while Serena got special permission to ride a police car toward the direction of the sea. Snow was beginning to fall and Serena was beside herself with worry. Where could that moron go in this weather with only his uniform and his dragon with him?!

The radio on the police car made a rasping sound as it turned on, and a man shouted on the other side in a panicked voice, “We found him, he’s really here!”

“Really?!” The policeman and Serena exclaimed in unison.

“We need an ambulance, immediately. Kid’s in critical condition!”

“Huh?” Serena froze, “What do you mean, critical condition?”

“Looks like he slit his own throat. Call an ambulance, hurry! He’s still alive but will not be for long!”

Serena’s world cracked.

Chapter Text

Yuya admired his dad, a lot.

Growing up, he had gotten used to seeing Sakaki Yusho on TV, either dueling (and usually win!) or being interviewed and admired by people. Generally, the man became his idol and dream. From his dad, Yuya learned his first life principle: to smile when you’re feeling sad, to joke when you want to lash out, and to entertain people if you want to be happy.

In other words, be altruistic.

He hold Yusho’s teaching close to his heart, and had done nothing but follow it. He smiled the way he taught him to, dueled the way he coached him to, and entertained the way he showed him to. Even when his dad disappeared right before his champion match, leaving him and his mother behind to the city-wide mass bullying, Yuya gritted his teeth and march in the man’s footsteps without uttering a single word of complaint.

Be an altruist, put on a clown’s mask, and smile, smile, smile.

Sometimes, he thought he felt the corners of his lips crack and bleed out, until he dried up like an empty husk.

And then, war came, so many things happened. He found out Yusho left for another dimension to aid their effort in rebelling against an evil syndicate. Yuya was overjoyed, so his dad had a reason to leave, after all. He didn’t run away or elope with a mistress like people said, he was just being an altruist till the end.

An altruism that resulted in his own demise.

On that fated day, standing across his own counterpart who killed his dad in front of him and ridiculed everything the man ever stood for, Yuya had one desire, and one desire only.

Destroydestroydestroydestroydestroydestroydestroydestroydestroydestroydestroydestroy 

His dragons and the other pieces of his soul sang with him in this dark melody of annihilation.

To hell with altruism.

And then there was nothing but a long, long nightmare.

When he opened his eyes next, the war was over. The world was saved from his bloody hands and his dad was back at his side. It took him a ridiculous amount of time to ensure that yes, he was Yuya, not a horrifying disfigured dragon lord embarking on his quest of total destruction. He was scared that ‘Yuya’ was just a hallucination he concocted in a dream and that when he opened his eyes next, he’d returned to that demonic body, stepping over the corpse of the woman he loved most, and every human he had ever known and loved, and laughed into the void of a barren world until he succumbed to maniac and took himself out.

People told him the mastermind of this war was in jail awaiting trial, and the remainder of the enemy’s forces had been rounded up nicely before he woke up. It’s over, and he didn’t contribute anything to that victory. But hey, his dad's back, the broken dimensions were reunited once more, and everyone was brought back from the death. He had every reason to be happy, right?

If so, then what was this strange void in his heart? He felt weirdly detached that even the absence of another soul in his body, the soul that always snuggled close to his and kept his core warm, didn’t register at all.

When Reiji came over to ask his opinion about separating him and his counterparts, he was busily staring outside the window.

“You’ve already decided for us. Why bother asking me?”

“I thought you should at least have a chance to reject my offer,” Reiji said.

A flock of pigeons was resting on the oak tree outside the hospital room, leisurely basking in the bright sunshine. Yuya observed them with interest, feeling kinda resentful at their peacefulness. How dare they be that happy when Yuya’s world was fading into monochrome?

“So your answer is…?” Seemingly losing his patience at his absent attitude, Reiji asked again, a little bit louder this time.

Yuya only gave him a glance then went back to the window. Honestly, why did Reiji demand Yuya’s answer when he knew whatever he said, Reiji would just rebuff it to the ground?

“Ask Yuto,” he eventually replied, “I’ll go along with whatever he decides.”

Reiji said something again, but Yuya tuned it out altogether. So what if they’re together or apart, the four of them were destined to destroy each other either way.

Sooner or later, yeah, sooner or later.

Yuya maintained a happy facade in front of others. It’s not like he wanted to see them being sad over him, they’re his precious family and friends after all. And to his surprise, watching them brightening up at his jokes really did bring his mood up.

Thank goodness, he thought to himself, I’m still my old me, if only in this aspect.

He didn’t know what to think when Yuzu returned the Smile World card that had been in Yuto’s hands to him. It was such a cheap and common card, he got tons of these at home and Yuto knew this, why went through the trouble just to return it?

Ah, so that's it? Yuto still wanted him to smile? After everything, he still hoped Yuya could return to how it was before? What a laughably naive thought, that purple, sinister counterpart of his would cackle and make fun of it, but Yuya found himself obliging that wish regardless.

Until the dreams started.

It was two days after he was brought home and things were fine and dandy. Dad was home at last and he was being domestically gross with his mom, and they were talking about adopting Sora, who’d been cracking at his house. They were watching some gag show together. Yuya sat there, laughed at every joke on the screen and ad-libbed some of his own here and there, which made the whole family burst into laughter, but then the TV switched to a commercial and suddenly it was like Yuya’s energy got cut off. The exhaustion of smiling all day slammed into him with the force of Gogenzaka’ Superheavy Samurai Steam Train King, so he told his parents he was tired and went to bed early.

He was in a city both familiar and foreign, with roads and bridges spread out in every direction, driving like a madman in chase of something, no, someone to be exact. Suddenly there was a roar above, he looked up to see his beloved dragon, his beautiful girl, his dream and his hope, urging him somewhere. He followed the dragon’s lead toward the bright light, and then the scenery changed completely into a poorly-lit park in the night.

There! He saw him, his doppelganger! The one who took the most important person in his life from him!

What followed was a hazy ball of rage and anguish and pure want, his heart sang in the ecstasy of bloodlust and the warmth of reunion.

That doppelganger’s horrified face as he blasted him apart quelched the primal thirst he didn’t know existed within him.

Yes, submit, submit you rebellious, traitorous piece of my soul. I’ll grind your entire being into dust and digest your ego, until there is only one of me, of Zarc, left to destroy this world.

Yuya screamed himself awake.

Sweat drenched his face and he was choking on his own spit, his ears full of statistics. In a mindless panic, he sat up and scramble to the door, only for the blanket to wrap around his legs, making him fall face-first on the floor.

There were shouting and thrumming footsteps outside the door, and Yuya jerked back in horror.

Who was that? The Security? Those wretched audience rushing in to demand him to destroy everything? He changed his course and dashed to the window, open it and hurled himself outside.

The door burst open with a bang.

“Yuya!!”   

The sound of that name petrified him on the spot. He turned back, to see a middle-aged man, a lady around his age, and a kid right behind them.

They were looking at him with a horrified expression, who was still in pajamas with a blanket pooling around his leg, sitting on the rooftop outside his hastily opened window.

“Yuya! Baby, what are you doing?!” The lady cried in alarm.

Yuya looked at them with dazed eyes, trying to put names to faces. They didn’t seem to be Security, but then who were they, where was he? He drew away from the window, from them, body shuddering minutely due to the chilly night wind.

That simple gesture seemed to drain the blood off of all their face. The woman tried to say something but the man held her back and gave her a look.

“Hey, son,” he started and reached out a hand toward him, “can you come inside? You’ll get cold like that, c’mon.”

“Son?” He asked dazedly. Why did this man call him his son? He’s an orphan, he had no father.

“Yeah, it’s me, your dad,” the man inched closer as he kept talking slowly and gently, “and your mom and Sora too. Come back to your sense, Yuya.”

Yuya’s vision blurred out and when it cleared, clarification returned to him.

Oh.

These people.

They’re his family.

“Mom, dad, Sora,” he called out with croaked voice.

“Yes that’s right, it’s us,” his dad’s eyes lit up in relief, “come on inside, Yuya.”

“Ah, oh yeah,” Yuya said and climbed back into his room.

His family was on him immediately and smothered him in their embrace.

“Mom, dad, Sora, I can’t breathe,” he choked out.

“What were you thinking?!” His mom pulled him out of her embrace and yelled at him. Yuya had never seen his mom’s face this pale.

“It-It’s not what it looks like, mom!” Horrified, he tried to rake his brain to come up with an excuse. “I- There was this huge cockroach here and I had to chase him out. That’s why… the window…”

Sora frowned, “And then you climbed outside your window?”

“Hey, it was a gigantic roach and I had to get away somehow,” Yuya said deadpanned.

Looking at the three’s suspicious gaze, Yuya knew they weren’t convinced, but he was determined to stick to this story and held their gaze with defiance. 

His dad was the one who decided to break the tension, he sighed and gave him a light squeeze on his shoulder, “Okay, if you said so.”

Despite his vehement protest, Sora insisted to sleep with him for the rest of the night, claiming he’d be his white knight against any roach that might come his way. Yuya tried to shoo him out, and he gave him a middle finger. Yuya had no choice but laid down and pretend to sleep for the rest of the night, but the terror from that nightmare kept him wide awake till the sun rise high above the horizon.

The first thing he did the next morning was telling Sora not to mention the last night’s incident to Yuzu.

“Was there really a cockroach?” Suspicion was evident in Sora’s voice.

“You know, I’m kinda offended that out of all the possibilities, you guys automatically jump to the worst one just by seeing me outside the window. I could be moon-watching, I could be sleepwalking, I could be setting out on a night trip behind my parents’ backs, etc. Why on earth do you guys have to watch me like a hawk?” 

“You didn’t even recognize us,” Sora leered at him.

“Hey, I was just woken up, you can’t blame me for being a bit confused,” Yuya blurted out and removed a box full of small gadgets left from god-know-when from a closet in his room. Yoko announced this morning that they desperately needed a spring cleaning since his dad’s home after so long, and there’s one more member in the house. She, very casually, requested Sora and Yuya to help out, which meant he must stay home and under her and Sora’s watchful gaze for at least 3 days (Yuya was intimately familiar with his mom’s cleaning habit), which meant this was secretly a house arrest.

“Fine, but you often go on a night trip in pajamas?” Sora casually retorted, throwing a broken alarm clock into the trash bin.

“That’s a possibility, okay? Anyway, no word about this to Yuzu, you hear me? She’s gonna laugh her ass off if she knew I was afraid of a roach,” Yuya reached his hand deeper inside the closet and pulled out another worn-out box.

“Mm mm.”

“Sora.”

“I’ll think about it if you agree to duel me later.”

“Ah hah, looking for another beating? Fine, you’re on!”

He spent the next several days agonizing over that dream, he knew what it was, and why it happened, he thought of the brief seconds of ego-unification right after he woke up with bile threatening to rise from his throat. It was so gross, so gross he wanted to rip his own brain out and squeeze it like how he’d squeezed a wet rag in order to remove the feeling of ecstasy, of rightness he felt at that time. 

He threw himself into his teaching job and practiced for the re-opening of YSDS, so that whenever he returned home, he could fall onto his bed and pass out immediately, avoiding dreaming altogether. People said he looked worse. No kidding, you try to have your soul, which originally belonged to a mass murderer, ripped into four, you try to be tormented by your previous self’s memories, by your others’ memories everytime you closed your eyes, you try to see your dad being…

Yuya couldn’t continue that train of thought. 

The void in his chest kept growing, and there was no second voice in his head, whispering words of soothing and encouragement to him wherever he closed his eyes anymore, but he forced himself to ignore it. This was his punishment after all. He was fine, Yuya decided. It’s over, Zarc’s dead and everybody was working so hard to make sure he stayed dead, so Yuya had to do his part, suppressing any thoughts of longing toward the other parts of himself. Yet some days, he dreamt even in exhaustion, in those dreams he thought he could sense their souls in his headspace, inching closer, and closer, and he cried with joy. But, just as they were about to touch, Yuya realized what act he was about to commit and jerked back in horror.

No no no I don’t want it I don’t want it I don’t want it here I don’t want to be here takemeawaytakemeawaytakemeawaytakemeawaytakemeawaytakemeaway

He felt like he heard three other cries in response to his rejection.

Gasping awake, Yuya realized his pillow was now drenched in tears, so he bit his lips, curled up, and continue sobbing.

Sometimes, when the longing was getting too much to bear, Yuya liked to entertain himself by picturing him choking Yuri to death, he laughed then, at the realization that he couldn’t finish the act even in his imagination.

It didn’t take long for people to notice, though. Yuzu never let him out of her side, his mom not-so-subtly suggest therapy only for him to brush it off, and other Lancers faked reasons to drag him outside for some group outing, even Sawatari was a gentleman these days. Frankly, Yuya found this situation to be a little bit funny. How pitiful must he look to warrant this much concern? They should’ve thrown him in jail, beat him up, torture him, or just killed him, he thought. But because they continued to treat him nicely, Yuya had no choice but to pretend to be happy in front of them too.

But even being with his friends turned out to be painful when he had to watch them making regular trips to Heartland and other cities in order to fix the consequences of the war, the guilt ate him alive at being unable to help. Worse, his dad volunteered to help Obelisk Force’s rehabilitation effort at the Juvenile Center, meaning he often was out of town for days to end, and when he came back, it was to practice at YSDS, not to play family with them.

One day, Yuya had enough.

“Are you crazy, dad?” He looked straight into his dad’s eyes.

They were having dinner on a rare day when both his dad and Yuya were home instead of at YSDS, and his dad stopped in the middle of telling his mom about how bright a particular young man at the Detention was, as if he wouldn’t know who that was without the name being mentioned.

“Yuya, that’s no way to be talking to your father,” his mom chastised.

“I don’t care,” he replied, “I just don’t understand him.” 

The Yuya of several months ago would gasp at the way he was talking now, the Yuya right now couldn’t be bothered. 

“Dad, you’re talking about a killer,” he tightened his fist and growled through gritted teeth, “ your killer, how can you not be utterly repulsed by him?!”

The temperature around the table dropped by about 20 degrees, everybody held their breaths.

“…Yuya, I lived. So does everyone he carded, you shouldn’t-” his dad said after a moment of silence.

“I don’t give a shit about everyone. He shouldn’t be forgiven! Especially by you! So what?! Just because you liv- just because people live doesn’t mean he didn’t attempt to kill them in the first place. And you,” Yuya stood up and pointed a finger at his dad, “you disappeared without telling us a single thing, then you came back out of nowhere with that carefree smile of yours and you have the gall to think we would just forgive you just like that? Have you apologized to mom?! Have you me?! Why are you telling me what I should or shouldn’t think now when you didn’t even care before?! Oh, I forget, you never actually cared what everybody is feeling, you just want to feel like a saint, a savior. It must feel good thinking you’re so forgiving toward your killer, so much so you don’t give a damn what I felt when I fucking saw you die in front of me, right?!”

“Yuya?!” His mom cried while his dad seemed to be speechless, Sora sat beside him, face as white as a sheet.

“Yuya, baby, come on,” his mom hastily came to his side and gathered him into her chest. “Shhh, it’s alright now, don’t cry.”

He was crying?

Oh yeah, he indeed seemed to be crying, his face was wet and his vision blurred with tears. He wiped clumsily and desperately wanted Sora to look away from him.

“Yuya, I-,” his dad wanted to say something but his mom shut him up with only a look, and Yuya suddenly realized none of them had talked to her about what happened to him in the war.

She urged him into his bedroom afterward, and let him cry on her until he felt tired and fell asleep. That night, for the first time in a long time, he slept without dreaming, but he was startled awake in the middle of the night to the sound of muffled argument. He knew his parents were fighting, but he didn’t have enough energy to care.

Whatever, his dad deserved anything his mom lunged at him anyway.

The next morning, Yuya received a letter placed in front of his room, inside was words of apologize, that he was so sorry for not noticing Yuya’s feeling, and that he promised they’d talk again when he came back, all written in his dad’s neat handwriting. The funniest thing was Yusho telling him he’s gonna be away for an entire week, hence the letter.

Yuya promptly tore it to shreds and threw the pieces into the trashcan.

Yuya went to find his mom next. He thought she must’ve known everything by now, so it was strange that she didn’t come to him and demanded him to tell her why he didn’t tell her anything. 

Unless she was still waiting for him to open up first. Yuya swallowed at that thought.

Could he tell her everything? About Zarc, about his counterparts, about his longing, his regrets, and his self-deprecating. Did he dare? But on the other hand, he was so tired, he's just 14, he wanted his mom to baby him!

Yuya approached her when she was in the backyard and called out.

“Mom, uhm, I want to talk to you.”

“Oh, it’s you honey,” his mom turned back with a smile, “what do you want to talk about? I’m all ears.”

Yuya blinked. His mom’s enthusiastic response and her grin were too forced to be natural. On closer look, her eyes were red-rimmed and tired, as if she didn’t sleep a wink last night. It clicked for him immediately, after being told everything yesterday, she must've been so angry, yet instead of making a fuss, instead of breaking down, she tried to be brave for him. It’s like all those years ago when his dad disappeared, his mom had also behaved like this, like she wasn’t bothered at all by the news that her husband had vanished without a track, she must’ve been so scared and hurt, she must’ve wanted to cry and be soothed too, how couldn’t she be? 

But everything Yuya remembered was his mom spending that first night hugging him and singing some lullabies while coaxing him into bed like he was a baby, then for several following days, she did her very best to cheer him up while also fending off the malicious comments aimed at them.

Yuya suddenly realized, if there was someone who he didn’t want to be burdened with his troubles the most, it would be this wonderful woman.

“Yuya?” His mom smiled very patiently. 

“Actually, never mind. It’s not that important anyway,” he showed off his practiced grin.

His mom looked a bit surprised, then smiled sadly and ruffled his hair.

Yuya lay awake in his bed, and, with determination, forced himself to enter the dreamspace. He had been here many times before, but this was the first time he purposely entered this place, as opposed to being pulled in by his instinct. There was a presence, lingering at the edge of his consciousness. Upon sensing him, it reeled back in shock and tried to erect a barrier between them.

-As always, you do nothing but scurry away like a coward-

He was certain that presence heard his thought before all connections between them were blocked, but he wasn’t here for that one. He cared only for one person in this space, the two others could just stay away forever (or so he told himself). 

Yuya spread himself out, searching and probing. Normally he never dared to do something like this, too scared to bare his thought to the others, but he was way past the point of caring now. If he didn’t manage to reach him today, he was afraid he would disintegrate like a pile of dust. Another door closed in his face, and a voice eerie similar to him hissed as if it was burned.

\Don’t you dare touch me/

He tossed away the mixture of yearning and disgust that voice hurled at him, he wasn’t here for that one either.

Finally, after what felt like forever, he reached a presence that felt like sitting under the starry sky on a cool summer night, and immediately flung himself at it, clutching on for dear life.

Yuto immediately froze, then shove him off.

>You shouldn’t be here<

-No, please, don’t reject me-

>You shouldn’t be here< 

Yuto shove him away again, but Yuya could sense the surge of affection and guilt inside his Xyz counterpart, and it made him cling on even tighter.

-I can’t smile anymore, please-

The guilt flooded up, then Yuto’s defense lowered. Yuya let out a tiny whine and jumped into his embrace. This place was merely a concept, yet he could almost feel the tears streaming down his face as his emotions burst out, relief and joy and repressed hurt and anger overflowing into Yuto’s consciousness.

In an instant, the barriers between their souls collapsed. Streams of memory and emotions swirled around Yuya’s core as he was thrown into Yuto’s mind.

Yuto was the scum of scums.

He was always scared, scared that people would leave him. His adopted mother wasn’t the most affectionate, but he could tell she genuinely cared for him, his father, on the other hands, only tolerated him for his mother’s sake. After his mother passed away, they hardly ever had a conversation anymore.

“If she didn’t adopt you, we might’ve had enough saving for that surgery,” he slurred at him one night, after drinking himself into a stupor.

He hated that his father’s death when the war broke out didn’t affect him as much as it should. He couldn’t even witness his last moment, yet he didn’t feel any regret. 

He hated that when his friends and comrades dropped one by one at the cruel hands of Academia’s soldiers, the nightmares plaguing him every night weren’t the scene of his friends getting carded, but of himself suffering the same fate, of him crying and begging Shun, begging Ruri to save him, and the only thing they did was turning away after throwing him a look of disgust.

He hated that when Ruri was taken away, his immediate thought wasn’t worrying for her safety, but ‘ah, she left me’.

He hated that when they discovered his doppelganger was the one behind her kidnapping, he was so scared that Shun and everyone might grow suspicious of him, and threw him away.

Yuto was the scum of scums, because in the face of everything that happened, he could still find it in him to be glad he had found a place to belong in the Resistance.

But then, when they returned to Heartland after the war and Shun and Ruri and everyone else found their families, Yuto hated that the first emotion he felt wasn't happy for his friends, but that he knew he wasn’t their priority anymore. That’s all he ever was, a second choice, an afterthought, a growing security risk that was only left alive because someone deemed him safe enough to let live.

Just once, he wanted to be someone’s, anyone’s, first choice, to be told that he was not a burden, was not a threat, that he was loved and treasured just as everyone else on earth.

Yuto was really the scum of scums.

Their minds separated from each other and Yuya let out a gasp as that torrent of thoughts left him. His consciousness came back to the dreamscape to realize he was tightly embraced by another person, his head buried in their shoulder. They slowly let go as Yuya raise his head to meet Yuto’s sad gaze. There was no need for words between them, their soul was one and the same, in that instance of unification, he felt everything that Yuto felt, and vice versa.

-You’re not a burden, nor a threat, not to me, Yuto. You know you’re always my first choi-

>No, Yuya<

Yuto’s sad gaze made him stop. He trailed his hand over Yuya’s shoulder, gripping tight but didn’t hug him again.

>Your first should always be your family and friends, they’re the ones that can stay by your side. Not like…me<

-You called that staying by my side? My dad-

>loves you a lot, and I know you know that<

Yuya couldn’t say anything to that, he knew that his dad might as well be a saint compared to Yuto’s, but it didn’t mean he didn’t feel the hurt.

-I can’t smile and pretend I don’t feel the frustration anymore, I’m tired of being selfless, I… I’m not an empty husk, I feel things but, but there’re, there’re people, Yuto. People! I can’t… I can’t…-

Couldn’t wave his vulnerability in front of them and show them his weakness, couldn’t pull the goggle off and stop that damn practiced smile on his face, couldn’t yell at people to just look at me, I’m hurt, I’m tired and expected them to not worry about him. The only one he allowed to see his true self anymore was someone he was explicitly forbidden to contact, and the gaping wound in his heart felt like someone clawed into it every day.

Yuto pulled him into another hug, and Yuya let himself be soothed in silence.

>We can’t be like this, Yuya. You fully understand the consequence if we keep searching for each other, not to mention if you stretch your consciousness this far out to find me, you’re gonna be sick when you wake up. It’s time to go back<

-Don’t pretend you’re not happy to meet me, asshole-

Yuto didn’t reply in words, but a smallest bit of glee found its way to him, and Yuya contemplated just pulling his consciousness off his body for good and staying here in Yuto’s mind. It’s gotta be fun, kinda like the reverse of their previous situation. He wondered if…

>If you finish that thought, don’t ever think of coming here again. Go back<

Yuya sighed.

-I know, I know, just… gimme a few more minutes please-

This time, it was Yuto who sighed.

They stayed like that, until the space around them vibrated in intense colors and a detached voice echoed its way to them.

\Gross/

Both Yuto and Yuya winced from the weight of emotion carried alongside that voice. 

-Then don’t watch us, stalker-

>Kinda hard when you both decide to stir up our shared space with that oh-so-adorable little heart-melting moment of yours<

This time, Yuri’s voice was laced with needles of icy spikes and both of them winced again when their hearts were pierced by them.

-I don’t remember sharing anything with you, leave us alone-

\You don’t share anything with me?!/

The space around them warped into red, hot stream of anger flared up, making Yuto and Yuya cried out as their skin got burned by the heat.

\Since when did you become such a liar, Sakaki Yuya? Ever since that day, everything you did, everything you were, everything you are, has been shared with me. Do I need to remind you who killed me? Who revived Zarc? Who let himself be consumed by his hatred and surrendered to his murder spree? Who almost killed all his friends?!/

Yuri’s words a sledgehammer slamming on Yuya and Yuto, the overwhelming pain and grudge crushed them against each other. In this world, every emotion manifested into physical pain, speared through both of their bodies in a torrent of unending torture.

>Stop it, Yuri<

Yuto shielded Yuya in his embrace, using his already weakened voice to reason with the other boy.

>Are you out of your mind? If you hurt us, you hurt yourself as well<

\Oh, who cares about such a minor inconvenience/

Yuri laughed, the sound cold and void.

\Even if my soul got torn to pieces, I will still have to make you guys experience that with me. What is a little pain if I can see you suffer, right/

>You’re still thinking of fighting even in this state?<

Yuri snickered.

\On the contrary, there has never been a more appropriate time than right now, when we’re given this free space to do whatever we want to each other. Now if you would kindly shut up for me, first loser/

Yuya felt a thousand ton of despise slammed on Yuto, choking him into silence and Yuya cried out for him.

\Now tell me, Sakaki Yuya. Is there anything we haven’t shared between us? We have laughed together, suffered together, raged together, and killed together. We felt for our dragons, those people forced them to murder their fellowmen for their entertainment, we gave all of our love to that one woman who we used to hate, she tore us to pieces and broke dimensions, created those cursed bracelets just to ensure we would never be one again. You should be angry at the world, not me. We are practically the same person, so why are you not accepting me like you should?!/

Along with those words, Yuya could see scenario after scenario flow into his mind like water. He saw himself, standing on a roof of a stadium. The stadium itself was burning, people scrambled to escape below while his dragons roared in fury and chased after them in a mindless assault, the emotion associated with that scene was wicked glee. He saw him facing off a beautiful woman, her hair tied into two ponytails blew back in the wind, he felt the hurt and shock bleed into his heart. He saw older memories, of him racing through the track on an empty stomach, telling himself if he win this duel, the prize money could keep him fed for another month, of him selling an important engine in his bike so that he could buy a distressed Clear Wing from a collector, of him trying to pleased the audience’s murderous desire while his monsters screeched begging him for help. He saw his happiness and his pain, his accomplishments failures, loyalty and betrayal. A lifetime all in a blink of an eye.

Yuya staggered back, all the Zarc’s emotions he thought he sealed so deep within himself suddenly got brought to the front, making him dizzy. Next to him, he felt Yuto groan and grab him a little bit tighter.

\So? Still think you got nothing to do with me?/

Yuri’s mock rose from the tide of thoughts threatening to drown both of them whole, Yuya gritted his teeth and yelled back at that voice.

-Zarc’s history. I have no desire to be him, if you’re that desperate to be him then go and be crazy by yourself, don’t drag us into that hell with you-

\Drag you into hell?/

A burst of anger not his own rose to the surface, Yuya felt his chest constricted when it suffocated him.

\Aren’t we all in hell, right now?/

That’s more than enough, Yuya pushed Yuto behind him and screamed an animal’s scream at Yuri’s voice. All of the frustration he suppressed, the hatred he felt toward Yuri, the helplessness at his own situation, he solidify into a giant lance and directed it at where he knew Yuri’s heart was.

>Yuya, stop!!<

Yuto cried in horror. 

But his voice got lost in Yuya’s madness, Yuri was laughing hysterically, as if he anticipated this development.

Yuya plunged the lanced ahead.

Immediately, the space exploded in pain, three voices screamed in unison, plus another from far away. 

Yuya couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t see anything, couldn’t hear anything, it felt like every bone in his body was broken, every inch of flesh got squeezed until they got crushed. Hurt, it’s hurt, it’s hurt so much he wanna killed himself, but through the midst of it all, somehow he felt a tiny glimpse of satisfaction. Finally he was hurted the way he was meant to be…

Wait, that’s not his thought…

Suddenly he felt a push, then his consciousness got thrown back, away from the pain at an incredible speed. He opened his eyes to see Yuto pushing him away and at the same time, tugging another soul closer to him.

>Come on, Yuri. I’ll take you on<

He felt a brief sense of bewilderment when Yuri’s soul came in contact with Yuto’s, then the connection got cut off. He floated in the limbo for a while, unable to process what just happened. Then, a familiar sense of being peered at returned. Yuya turned around, just to see a presence hastily pull back.

-Are you actually gonna do anything? Or do you intend to just stand there and watch like a coward?!-

Yugo’s soul gave a start, then ran away.

Yuya woke up to a feeling of deep exhaustion, his face wet with tears. He lay there, and silently cried for the rest of the night.

Chapter Text

Two days after the disaster in the dreamspace, Yuzu discreetly told him Yuri had been thrown into an isolated cell. Yuya just shrugged nonchalantly, serve him right.   

The next couple of weeks were filled with events and somehow Yuya went through them in a blur. Yusho promised him they’d talk when he came back, but between packed-full sessions of practice for the re-opening show of YSDS and whatever his dad had been up to, they’d yet to have any time alone. Yuya was secretly thankful for it, for he was too drained to hear what his dad had to say. 

Yet when they did have time, the only thing he told him was how he had become Yuri’s private tutor, so Yuya lost it and yelled in his face. His far-too-stupid, far-too-forgiving yet far-too-obvious dad didn’t understand, he didn’t understand anything. Yuri wasn’t some pure kid tainted by a demon lord, he was Zarc, he was the demon lord himself. Yuya never peered too deeply into Yuri’s head, too disgusted and scared by what he could find there, and Yuri guarded his mind like a dragon guarded its hoard, but from the tiny glimpses he saw, the minuscule slips every now and then when Yuri was too tired to close up, Yuya saw horror. Yuri’s heart was cold, he held an immense grudge toward life itself. He thrived in people’s pain and their joy made him green in jealousy, he laughed when people cried and felt the most alive when his opponents were dead. But most of the time Yuri just yearned. What could he possibly yearn for? Yuya didn’t know, didn’t want to know, but he knew Yuri cursed himself for that very emotion, because he hated being weak, and yearning for something he couldn’t have certainly made him weak. 

Yuya remembered he woke up and sick himself just by taking a peek at that soul. 

And yet his dad said Yuri never did anything wrong, that he could be saved and that Yuya should sympathize with him?! Was he crazy?! Did this world turn upside down and transform an irredeemable criminal into a “troubled teenager” when he wasn’t looking?! He didn’t remember what he told his dad in his burst of anger, but he remembered the crying fit after, hiding in his blanket and shushed by Yuzu like a baby. 

One day, he told himself, one day he would find a way to dodge Reiji's restraining order and kill Yuri to stop all this ridiculousness. He made sure to announce his intention the moment he felt Yuri in the dreamscape. As he suspected, Yuri just laughed like a maniac.

You Show Duel School’s opening show was a success, they got a lot more new applications than they expected. Some kids even said they wanted no one but Yuya to teach them Action Duel. Yuya smirked to himself, these kids probably were blinded by his aura on stage without a clue just how rotten he was inside, just like how he used to be blinded by Sakaki Yusho’s light. After all, not everyone held a constant desire to kill another part of himself.

“How about therapy, Yuya?” Yuzu suggested yet again.

“I already told you, I’m alright.”

“A healthy person doesn’t collapse twice in a month and have nightmares every other day,” she pointed out.

“Tell my dad to stop going to see that asshole maybe I’d actually consider it.”

He spent his night at Gogenzaka’s, too tired to listen to his childhood friend’s rambling.

In the past few days, Yuya had been trying to reach for Yuto again, but any attempt to spread himself out had been met with resistance from the space itself and gave him  severe migrants when he woke up.Yuto's soul was nowhere to be found, even Yuri’s feeling was getting less and less present each day. Yuya was worried, he wanted to know what happened that night between Yuri and Yuto and whether that was the cause of this strange phenomenon, so he had been dedicating even more effort to locating his beloved other soul, but there hadn’t been a response so far. One night, when he did the usual probing around their dreamscape, he sensed a fleeting presence in front of him, blocking his way.

-Go away-

^This is my place too, you’ve no right to tell me that^

Yugo’s reply made Yuya’s blood boil, these days he never had much patience for anyone apart from Yuto.

-Big talk for somebody who spent his time hiding from everyone else. Did you suddenly get a burst of courage to face yourself? Or are you sleeptalking?-

Yugo went silent, Yuya sensed his frustration in the air and snickered to himself. Good, the guy deserved every bit of uncomfortable for his cowardness.

^You gotta stop this. If you keep venturing out to find Yuto, you’re gonna lose yourself^

-What do you know, anyway? You’ve done nothing but stalk everybody, if you’re not gonna help with the situation then leave me alone-

^It’s you guys that won’t leave me alone!^

Yugo’s cry made the space blow up in red. He caught himself at the last second and tried to suppress his emotion in order not to burn both of them.

^I just want, want to leave everything behind, and go with my life as normal. But why do every time I close my eyes I have to feel you guys’ souls and be reminded of my own incompleteness? Why do you all have to be obsessed with each other so much? What’s the point?! We’re never gonna see each other again so why try to bond in the first place? Do you all want to succumb to madness that much?!^

Yuya felt a headache coming, he stepped back, away from Yugo’s intense emotion.

-If you want to self-isolate then do so by yourself, I have no intention to back away from Yuto-

^Do you honestly not realize the reason he pushed you away is to protect you? You and Yuri were literally trying to kill each other^

-Yeah, and I will not let Yuri hurt him when it was supposed to be me- 

^One of these days you’re gonna die^

-Go away-

Yugo didn’t go away, if anything, he pressed on. The next several times Yuya went into his dream, he was met with the stubborn soul’s barrier already erected in front of him.

-Why do you want to stop me that much?-

^It’s gonna be a disaster if you run into Yuri. Just turn back, dude. And spare us all from this^

-I always take you as a spectacle, so you’ve decided to take that bastard’s side, aren’t you? Have you ever seen his inner mind? How come you can still support him knowing how he work? Or are you secretly the same kind of person as he was?-

^I-I’m not^

-Ah, but wait, maybe you and him are exactly the same. I forget, you’ve also killed, haven’t you?-

Yuya inched up at the same time he felt Yugo jerk back. Using his memory, he pushed a past scene forward and the space around them transformed into a poorly-lit park at night.

In a cobblestone walkway near the lake, they saw a duel commencing, two dragons, one of darkness and one of light facing each other while their owners was shrouded in black aura. Curiously, both of their eyes were glowing, as if they were sinister beings hailed from a different dimension.

Next to them, a boy was hysterically calling out.

Yugo gave a soft hitch, the annoyance quickly replaced by fear. Before Yugo could bolt, Yuya did the same thing he did earlier and erect another barrier in front of him.

-Running away at the first reminder of your crime? That’s not very nice of you-

^I… I didn’t mean to, that was… I was…^

-Don’t you try to play innocence with me. I remember begging both of you to stop. But did you? No, you didn’t, you killed him, you killed Yuto-

^N-no^

Yugo pushed at the barrier but Yuya caught him and made him turn around, the white soul struggled to get out of Yuya’s hold to no avail.

-Come on, time for you to face the truth. Look-

Along with his word was a roar from the white dragon, the boy dressed in a riding suit screamed out, his eyes burned brightly in madness.

The white dragon shot a beam across the park and when the bright light passed, they saw Yuto lying in Yuya’s lap, he put a card in Yuya’s hand and whispered something to him, and then…

^NO!!!^

The park around them crashed with the intensity of Yugo’s outburst. The figure of Yuya, Yuto, and everything belonged in this memory exploded into thousands of glass shards and pierced both their soul. Yuya swallowed the sharp cuts of horror, self-disgust and guilt, and tossed Yugo aside.

-Don’t let me see you again-

He was about to step away, but suddenly, a hand grabbed him and pulled him down.

The space gave a rumble, then Yuya felt himself falling onto soft sand. His body suddenly had weight, and he could smell the salty aroma of the sea in the air.

Yugo’s hand, now entirely physical, was still on his forearm. 

Yuya frowned and quickly pushed Yugo away to stand up. The scene around them had changed completely, they were on a beach next to a concrete facility, the huge pipelines with exposed ends that emerged from its gray wall was churning wastewater into the ocean. Frosty, grayish-black waves lapped gently on the sand, shoving pieces of trash back onto the land. On the far side, a rocky formation created a natural barrier to this exclusive beach.

Yuya unconsciously stepped away from the seawater with a frown. 

“This is-,” he paused when he heard his own voice.

“My dreamscape,” Yugo mumbled. He didn’t even get up from his laying position on the sand, as if just taking Yuya here had robbed him of all his energy.

“Let me out.”

“Just break out by force if you want to, but this is my inner world, if you destroyed this place, it’s gonna hurt me real bad,” Yugo’s voice still shook with emotion but he looked at him with determination in his eyes.

“You-”

They stared at each other, then Yugo smirked seeing Yuya’s angry look.

“I know you’re not ready to seriously hurt me.”

“Even if you want to avoid Yuto, you have no right to stop me from searching for him,” Yuya angrily rebuffed.

Yugo glanced at him, bit his lips and look away, “It’s Yuto who asked me to stop you.”

Yuya paused.

“...What?”

“He told me to tell you you hatta stop hurting yourself,” Yugo still didn’t look at Yuya, “and to be honest I agree with him.” Yugo sat up and buried his head in his knees, voice drained. 

Yuya looked at him a little dumbfounded, then, something clicked and he jumped in front of Yugo then grab his collar and shake him like shaking a wet dog.

“Yuto? You met him, you really met him? I thought- Was he alright? Did Yuri do anything to him? What else did you two talk about?”

“Urgh, let go of me,” Yuto batted his hands away. “He’s fine. As fine as he could be in our condition, if you stop probing around and starting shit with Yuri, he might even get better.”

Yugo’s reminder of Yuri just made Yuya angrier, he reached out and grab Yugo’s shoulder again.

“Why does everybody side with Yuri? What the hell did that bastard do to you that you have to go to this length to cover for him? You were in his mind for a while, I thought that was enough for you to understand how gross he is. Why are you- why are you still siding with him?!” Yuya's voice trailed off into a whisper.

“We’re taking sides here? You guys are all me, I can’t feel for one and then be cold to another. Don’t you remember the pain when you guys clashed at that time?”   

“I hate Yuri!” He screamed.

“Well, then maybe you should’ve ignored him like I did. I guarantee it’s gonna hurt him more than trying to anger him,” Yugo screamed back, “he is a fucking moron who craves pain, don’t you realized that?!”

“Shut up,” Yuya punched him.

Yugo fell down to the sand with a thud, he slowly touched his reddened cheek as if he couldn’t understand what just transpired, then his eyes lit up.

“Oh, you’re on!”

He sprang up and headbutted Yuya right in the face, which made him fall down on his ass with a surprised cry. Taking advantage of this moment, Yugo quickly got on top of him and gave him a punch, but Yuya block it and tried to kick him.

“You’ve fucking lost your mind!” Yugo yelled.

“That’s right, I’ve lost my mind. I’ve never had it since the day I know I’m Zarc. Do you think, knowing you, was a serial killer, and you’re just a fragment of a soul, that you were never, a real person to begin with, and apparently, one of your alternative selves, kill your dad, in front of you, is gonna be, easy?!” He punctured every dozen of words with a mindless punch on Yugo’s face.

“Heck no it’s not. So what?! It’s all over, over! Everything’s behind you, why can’t you let everything go and pretend nothing happened like I do?!”

“Because I’m not a coward like you, I’m not trying to pretend I haven’t done something wrong!”

“I’m not a fucking coward!”

They wrested around on the sand and kept yelling at each other, neither could quite gain an upper hand. Finally, after they both ran out of gas, they separated and lay next to each other and tried to catch their breath.

Yuya attempted to sit up but his body was sore all over so he had to flop down again with a yelp. He wondered why Yugo and he could fight with so much baggage between them, yet the piercing pain he experienced during the fight with Yuri never came. Not only that, he felt physically bruised, his bones and muscles ached, and there was a bloodied scratch on his lips, which should be impossible since he knew this was a dream.

As if sensing his thought, Yugo grinned at him, “Impressive, right? This dreamscape is my masterpiece. I made it when you guys started hammering all the depressing shits into my head. In here nothing out there can hurt you.”

“You can do something like this?” Yuya swiped at the sand beneath his splaying arm, the fine grains easily parted, some still coated between his fingers.

“You can do it as well if you put your mind into it, but none of you guys actually want to separate yourselves from each other,” Yugo muttered.

Yuya glared at him and then slowly stand up, with Yugo doing the same after.

“Where is this place?”

Yugo stretched his shoulder and straightened out his spine, “My childhood beach, I come here all the time to chill.”

Yuya looked at the contaminated wave and the facility which still constantly dripping wastewater into the sea, “Doesn’t seem like a good place to chill, honestly.”

“It’s not like we Common have a choice, nice beaches belong to the Top, places like this are the only ones accessible to us.”

Yugo said it in a matter-of-factly manner, but Yuya’s still heart gave a thud. He thought he more or less understood his other selves’ struggles, but it seemed like even after fully merging, there were still sides of them he wasn’t privy to.

Yugo didn’t seem to notice his change of expression, he pointed at the concrete facility and continued talking, “That’s a waste treatment plant, my big brothers and sisters from the orphanage worked in there, I used to work there too.”

Yuya’s heart gave another thud, “But you’re underage, you’re not supposed to work.”

“Well, I’m supposed to be in school too, but if it wasn’t for the occasional volunteers who came to the orphanage to teach us, I wouldn’t even be able to read and write, so there’s that.”

Yuya didn’t how to reply. Growing up in Maiami, a city with strong social and economic support system, he had never had to experienced poverty, despite a long period of struggle after his dad disappeared. Briefly, he thought about that one time when Yugo’s persona overwrote his and he had tried to jump from the second floor to flee from Security. Was that how Yugo always lived? He suddenly felt guilty for screaming at him earlier.

Noticing his silence, Yugo’s smiled lightly, then reach out to hold his hand. Yuya jolted at the intimate gesture, but Yugo tugged him and he found himself complying to the other boy’s lead. He let Yugo drag him to the rock cliff next to the beach, they climbed over a huge rock to find a cozy alcove with sandy ground, which was hidden perfectly from the beach's view.

“Rin and I discovered this place while we were playing around,” Yugo explained. He sat down and pulled Yuya down with him so they were sitting shoulder-to-shoulder to each other. He leaned comfortably on the wall, stretching his legs out to wiggle a bit, then let out a sigh of contentment.

“...Uhm,” Yuya didn’t understand anything at all.

“Are you still gonna search for Yuto tomorrow?” Yugo asked without looking at him.

“I don’t think I can stop.”

Yugo contemplated for a bit, then said, “Then at least for today, stay here with me, won’t you?”

“...”

“These days I haven’t had much sleep al all, stay here with me,” Yugo squeezed his hands and closed his eyes.

Yugo was behaving so strangely today, like he actually wanted to get closer to him, but that made no sense given that he’d been avoiding all of them for so long. Yuya grew a bit suspicious and was about to say no, he still needed to find Yuto, for Yuri might’ve tried something with him after the brief exchange the other day, but somehow that line of thinking seemed far-fetched even to him. Plus, he was feeling strangely deflated. Yugo’s tired expression reminded him of how groggy he felt right now, so against all reasons, he place his head onto his Synchro counterpart’s shoulder, and drifted.

After what felt like several hours, Yuya opened his eyes to the space around him crumbling. The beach, the rocks, the water were slowly turning into black smoke and evaporating in the air.

“Hey, what’s happening?” He asked in confusion.

Next to him, Yugo was watching everything disappear with a sad look, “Looks like this is the extend of my power.”

“What do you mean?” Yuya turned to him only to recoil, even Yugo was evaporating, the hand holding Yuya’s had lost half of its fingers and both of Yugo’s feet were no more. The edge of his face was beginning to melt into smoky streams.

“No one will come here ever again. I’m sorry, you’ll be on your own from now on.” 

“W- what do you mean?!”

“I lied, I’m sorry,” Yugo reached out and place his head on Yuya’s shoulder, his body was still evaporating, “Yuto didn’t tell me to stop you, I did it on my own. I was scared you might find out.”

“Find out- find out what?” Yuya placed a hand on Yugo’s back, feeling his heart drop to the bottom of his stomach.

“Ever since you fought with Yuri, I haven’t been able to sense Yuto at all, and Yuri’s presence keeps fading away, he’s been gone since yesterday,” Yugo hiccuped, nearly half of his lower body had been turned to smoke, “so I figure, I should use all of my power to come meet you, for the last time.”

“What… do you mean, for the last time?” Yuya repeated the question like an idiot, but deep down, he understood. They were never meant to be able to contact each other in the first place, whatever residual power Zarc left behind had enabled them to meet in this shared dreamscape, allowing them to meet and talk, but that power had run out, and each of them was returning to their original state once more, isolated, alone.

“It means this is goodbye, truly goodbye,” Yugo whispered.

“It can’t be true,” Yuya’s voice trembled as he pathetically clung onto Yugo’s frame, only to feel him seeping away between his fingers, “it can’t be true.”

“You know, I used to have dreams when I think Iwas you. In them I went to school, both Rin and I had a home, we didn’t need to fight the Security, we were never hungry. I love them a lot,” Yugo croaked. “So thank you, thank you for showing me those dreams.”

“I can show you even more wonderful things if you stay,” Yuya pleaded. 

Yugo didn’t reply. Instead, he lowered his head and let a stray tear drop to the soft sand, “You’re right, I’m a coward. I keep hiding from everybody because I just can’t face Yuto. I-I’ve tried to talk to him, many times, but for some reason I always backtracked at the last second. And now,” he sobbed, “now I can’t even say sorry anymore.”

“No! I’m sorry!” Yuya pressed his hands on Yugo’s shoulder, on his chest and face, as if doing that could keep Yugo from melting. His hand came aways with streams of smoke. “I shouldn’t have shown you that scene, I’m so sorry, I-I’m an asshole, I’m sorry!”

Yugo’s body had melted away so much, now he was just detached face in the air. Yuya clutched on, pressing their forehead together, “Don’t leave me, don’t do this to me, if even you’re gone, how am I going to survive?”

Yugo just gave him a final, sad smile, “You know full well we won’t.” 

Then everything disappeared.

Yuya didn’t cry when he woke up.

He got up, did his morning routine, went to Sora’s room to kick him off the bed because it’s almost late for school. He changed and came down to the kitchen for breakfast, then he dragged Sora out of the door with him when Yuzu called for them.

Gongenzaka accompanied them on the way to school today, he gave Yuya a shoulder hug when he approached the two of them. 

“It would be nice if the weather can continue to be this nice, right Yuya?” Yuzu started the conversation.

“Uh huh,” he smiled easily.

“Did you have a good dream last night? You seems to be in good mood today,” Gongenzaka chimed in.

Yuya blinked. His best friend just said he’s in good mood? He looked like he’s in good mood?

“Yeah, you’ve been really cranky for the past few days,” Sora complained while patting his should, “I’m glad you got better.”

“Sorry for making you guys worry, but I think it’s over now,” Yuya laughed, it came out more natural than he’d liked. Maybe he had finally mastered the perfect clown face Yusho had been talking about.

That’s right, it’s over. No more hearing voices in his dream, no more getting tortured by demonic thoughts that threatened to drown him whole, no more venturing far from his physical body to search for a bit of warmth, no more snuggling close to a kindred soul and letting himself be understood. No more Yuto, Yugo, and Yuri. No more Zarc. No more reunion.

Yuya went through everything in motion. It felt like he was merely just a passenger in his own body, watching things unfold around him without his active participation. Soon, people once again began to notice there was something wrong with his bright demeanor, and that he wasn’t getting better after all. Yuya just shrugged their concern off. Honestly, he didn’t think he would ever get better anymore.

Somewhere around May, he had to be admitted to the hospital because he collapsed right after a show for the third time. The doctors said he had symptoms of PTSD and bipolar disorder, which made no sense because he hadn’t been feeling down lately. No, it was more accurate to say he’d stopped feeling things altogether, so how was it that he got depression if he got emotion at all?

Yusho wasn’t with him when he woke up, nor did he the next morning. Yuya wasn’t surprised, these days all he did was giving his dad a cold shoulder whenever they met, and his mom had been wholeheartedly on his side. It made sense he would’ve avoided him. However, when he voiced his thought to Yoko, his mom just fumed and left, to his utter puzzlement.

After he was cleared for visitors, Yuzu was the first one to come visit him.

“It’s good you’re getting properly diagnosed, about time you-”

“Dad’s at the Juvenile Detention again, isn’t he?” Yuya interrupted Yuzu.

His childhood friend paused, and then she slammed her hand on the bed tray in front of him.

“I don’t understand what he’s thinking. How can he can himself your dad when he abandons you to run away like this?”

“He doesn’t abandon me,” Yuya muttered, “he just understands that even if he isn’t here, I’ll still be well taken care of. Just like all those years ago, he knew we would’ve survived even without him so he left us to fight a war. It’s kinda normal.”

“It doesn’t! What are you talking about?” Yuzu sounded horrified. She reached out and grabbed both of his hands in hers. Her hands were warm, so warm, and Yuya felt guilty because that warmth couldn’t reach his heart.

“Yuya, I have no idea this is how you’ve reasoned your dad’s behavior, but to me he just acted like an asshole in and out.”

“Hey now you’re badmouthing my dad,” Yuya chuckled.

“So what? To hell with him!” Yuzu bricked. 

 This time he couldn’t help but laugh.

Yuzu stayed with him till the afternoon, during which she let him know, albeit very tentatively, that Serena decided to go visit Yuri today, and Reiji demanded Yusho to escort her. 

Yuya ached to ask more, but suddenly asking about Yuri would seem strange, and it’s unlikely Yuzu, or Serena, would have the information he actually wanted to know.

‘Yuya, I know you think your situation is helpless, but the girls and I had a discussion, and we all decided to try and help you reunite with the other boys.”

Yuya lifted his head quickly, thinking he heard it wrong or it was a joke, but Yuzu’s eyes showed earnest. 

“...So Zarc can destroy the world again?”

His past lover shook her head, “Do you honestly believe that Zarc would be resurrected if you guys come in contact? Because you see, I just can’t see it.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, Serena and I have been living together for months, yet we still don’t show sight of merging. Not only that, it’s Rin who is so far away from me that experienced the personality exchanging symptom, so may be-”

“Stop.”

“But-”

“Stop, please,” Yuya’s voice trembled, “Yuzu, please don’t give me any hope.”

He must’ve looked so pitiful, because Yuzu sat down next to him and pulled him into a hug.

“Yuya, you deserve to be happy,” she whispered.

“Not at the cost of the world.”

She sighed, “Fine, then I’ll leave for today, but-,” she changed her posture to look at his eyes, “I want you to promise you something.”

“What?”

Yuzu brought his hands, which she still held so intimately in hers, close to her chest and whispered.

“Please, even if you’re in despair, promise me you’ll never abandon hope.”

The golden sunset was scanting through the window, painting half of Yuzu’s face in the color of amber, its brilliance hue reflected Yuya’s figure in her blue eyes. At that moment, she seemed glowing, and Yuya, deeply mesmerized, replied in total awe.

“I promise.”

Days came and went, the weather turned from pleasantly warm to unbearably hot to cool winds of fall. During those months, Yuya regularly went to see a therapist, but the gentle woman, even as sympathetic and understanding as she was, hadn’t been very helpful to him. Yuya had stubbornly tried to contact his counterpart too. He knew he could never succeeded, but still he kept trying, he couldn’t stop. He was so worry for them, there’s no way they would be spared from this growing black void that kept gnawing at his, at their soul. He wondered if Yuto and Yugo got proper help, with Heartland still in crumble and Yugo stuck in such a shithole city, and Yuri… what did Yugo say about Yuri again, he would be hurt more being ignored than being hurt? He wondered if Yuri was also suffering alone in his isolating prison cell. Yuya found it hilarious, it couldn’t be that he finally warmed up to his dad’s killer, was he? But these days, he had been dreaming about that scene less and less, and the cold that chilled him to the bone wherever he grazed the other boy’s scarred soul more and more.

Yugo was right, isolation did hurt more than being in pain.

When the maple leaves made a fresh layer of red and gold on the ground, the trials for Akaba Leo started. Yuya watched the prosecutors go through the man’s crimes one by one, secretly thinking that the one standing in front of the court should be him.

“...do you have any last words?” The judges asked after delivering Akaba Leo’s sentence.

The old man, still standing tall and prideful as if he hadn’t been convicted for genocide and mass indoctrination, said coldly. “None whatsoever, I deserve it. However, I have but one regret…”

He paused, and Yuya unconsciously inched closer to the TV screen.

“...that I hadn’t killed that brat when I had the chance.”

Liked an ice shard being dropped to the ground, a cold heart shattered.

Yuya was aware it wasn’t his emotion, but it was overwhelming, all-consuming, and he didn’t have the heart to resist it from swallowing him whole.

Fine, he thought, fine. He was so drained anyway.

After all, this was the only way they could be reunited.

Hey Yuri, asshole, you’d better cheer the fuck up, because you’re about to get what you want.

Hell’s cold, so let’s go together.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

The last thing he saw before falling from Odd-Eyes Lancer’s back to the ground was his mom and Yuzu’s terrified faces.

.

.

.

.

“...promise me you’ll never abandon hope.”

.

.

.

Yuya gasped awake with a sharp pain in his chest. Blurred faces filled his vision and hysterical cries bombarded his ears.

“Back up, back up! He needs some air!” He heard shouting.

Some faces left his vision and Yuya’s fear skyrocketed, he blindingly grabbed around, searching for someone, anyone, “No, no…, please, I need…”

“Here, I’m here Yuya,” a large hand covered his and his dad’s worried face entered his sight, “I’m here. It’s okay, it’s okay now. You’re no longer in danger, the ambulance is coming, it’s okay.”

He shook his head, sobbing, “N-no, dad, it’s not me, it’s Yuri. Help him, please help him.”

“I know, I know, Reiji is searching for him right now. It’s gonna be alright, they’re going to find him.”

Yuya’s chest cavity hurt like somebody dropped a bowling ball on it, and he was gasping with every breath. With trembling hands, he grabbed Yusho’s shirt to pull him closer and whispered to him.

“Sear- search for gardens, he- hah- he’s somewhere, with lo-lots of- hah- Camellia-”

Yusho’s eyes widened, he quickly nodded and pulled his phone out of his pocket.

“Reiji!”

Yuya lost consciousness again.

The pain was still there when Yuya woke up. Without needing to open his eyes, he knew he was back to the hospital again, he had been admitted enough time to tell the distinct sterilized smell in the air, but the even beeping was unfamiliar, and it’s what pulled him back to consciousness. He slowly opened his eyes to a white room, next to his bed, there was a vital sign monitor hooked to numerous cables which attached to his body. He glanced down, and saw someone sleeping by his bedside, her face rested on her arm and hidden beneath messy golden hair. Yuya lift his hand, still heavy with sleep, and pushed her hair out of her face. It’s his mom, she looked so tired and didn’t wear any makeup. 

Yuya stared at her in confusion, he wondered what landed him in the hospital again. His head was still so fuzzy like he just came up from the dept of a dark lake.

Yoko stirred awake when he nudged at her, she blinked and lift his head. When she saw Yuya, her eyes widened.

“Yuya, you’re awake.”

“Mom-”

His mom didn’t let him finish his word, she got up on the bed and nearly choked him in her hug. 

“Oh, Yuya, Yuya,” she sobbed, head buried in his shoulder, “thank goodness, I thought we lost you.”

“M-mom,” he weakly called out.

Yoko pulled off a little just to kiss his forehead, his cheek then his nose.

“My baby, it’s okay now, you’re okay. You and the other boys are all okay,” she told him through tears.

The other boys?

Then everything came slamming back to him. The shattering, the morning of resolution, and that sweet, sweet call of darkness.

Yuya sprung up on his bed, his heart accelerated which caused the vital sign monitor to go wild with the beeping.

“Yuya, calm down. You’re gonna worsen your condition,” his mom tried to get him to lie down. 

“B-but, the other…” he panted.

“They’re alive, well, mostly alive, anyway.”

A male voice made him look up. At the door, a young man, dressed in purple with a stern look on his face was looking at him.

“Shun?” Yuya asked. “Why are you here?”

“You should be asking where ‘here’ is instead.” Shun gave him a light smirk, then gestured to the window on the other side of the room.

Yuya followed his gaze and immediately paled.

Outside the window, standing proudly under the blue sky, was a colorful tower with the top shaped like a heart. Even though it looked a bit different from the image Yuto showed him, Yuya would still recognize that landmark tower anywhere.

“Why- how can-,” he stuttered.

“Welcome back to Heartland, Yuya.”

Chapter Text

“Reiji! Have you checked the coast?”

The young CEO of Leo Corporation didn’t really believe in Serena, for he deemed Yuri’s words to be too untrustworthy, and even if he was telling the truth, there's no guarantee that the boy would follow his own whim from several months ago, but at Serena's hysteric plead, he still instructed some drones and several police cars toward the coast. There’s just one problem, though: Academia City had around 30km of coastline, with various types of terrain ranging from sandy beaches, rocky cliffs with undiscovered caves, to a large port with a high number of cargo boats going in and out each hour. Yuri could be anywhere among those places right now.

Serena, upon being briefed on the current situation, found her concern elevated tenfold.

“Is there anything else he said that can narrow it down?” Reiji asked.

She tried to rake her brain but coming up with none. That short conversation was the first and only instance when Yuri opened up that much to her, so with a heavy heart, she told him no.  

Reiji terminated the call with Serena and tried to connect to Yusho, but the man still didn’t pick up. After another 30 minutes of futile search and a lot of unanswered calls, he finally called Reiji back.

“Garden?” Reiji asked in bewilderment, “Yuya said he was in a garden?!”

“With camellia flower,” the man on the other side insisted.

“The ambulance’s on its way,” he answered simply and ended the call only to be bombarded with more notifications from his phone. He checked them and suddenly had a desperate desire to faint right then and there, because his monitoring devices all over the other cities were all reporting the same message: all three other Zarc’s alter egos had fallen.

“Is there any garden with camellia near the sea?!” He yelled at one of the police officers.

“Huh?” The young man jumped and scanned his e-map, swapping through various data screens. “There is, no, there are, one outside a mall next to the port, and one inside a greenhouse in a vacation resort just outside the city.”

“There’s no way he goes inside a crowded mall right now. Tell all your men to head to that resort, quickly!”

“R-roger!”

“QUICKLY! This is the matter of life and death!!”

The blood drained from Yuya’s face as soon as he realized where he was. In the corner of his vision, Yuya could spot the monitor at his bedside going wild alongside his accelerated heartbeat. He tried to talk, only for a spark of pain to radiate from his chest. Yoko immediately pushed him down when she saw him hitching and pressed the nurse call button.

“I don’t understand,” Yuya ignored the weird pain and mumbled to his mom, “I’m not supposed to- I can’t be here.”

“It’s okay, Yuya. Your dad and I got you here to heal, you don’t need to care about Reiji’s order anymore,” his mother smiled warmly and tugged him back into the blanket.

Yuya’s mind was wiring with so many questions, but a new wave of fog flooded his mind and threatened to pull him back under again. Briefly, he noticed the IV drip still attached to his arm and figured he must be drugged up. He fought against the grogginess and turned to Shun.

“You said the others were mostly alive, what did… it means?” Anxiety filled his voice. 

Shun sighed, “That Yuri kid was exceptionally lucky, you know. Apparently, due to his fingers being nearly frostbitten, the cut he made was shallow enough not to be fatal, and he was found almost immediately after… the act, which enabled the EMTs to perform first aid in a timely manner, and then he was helicoptered straight to the hospital for the surgery, that’s why he’s able to keep his life.” He sighed again, then shook his head, “Stupid brat! Another 5 minutes and even god wouldn’t be able to save him.”

Tension drained from Yuya’s form as he heard Shun recount the event, “R-really, he’s alive?”

“Yeah, rest assured.”

“B-but you said, mostly alive?”

Yoko quickly shot Shun a glare, making him sink back with an apologetic look.

“W-well,” Shun cleared his throat, “He’s not in critical condition anymore, but he still needs to stay in the ICU due to his injuries. As for Yuto and Yugo, they are both alright.”  

“Oh…,” Yuya mumbled, his shoulder shagged from relief.

“But, that means, you mean, everyone is here in Heartland?” 

Shun smiled and nodded. 

“Why?” Yuya asked again.

“Well, about that…,” Shun didn’t get the chance to finish his sentence before an old, bald doctor with spiky hairstyle and a nurse entered the room.

“Hi Yuya, I’m Dr. Faker. Glad to see you awake, how’re ya feeling, kiddo?” He asked him.

“Dizzy,” he mumbled while the doctor pointed a flashlight at his eyes.

“That’s to be expected, you’re on pain medication after all. Now if I press here, does it hurt?”

He applied some pressure on an area on his left chest, and a dull pain bloomed, making him groan. The doctor took that as the answer and told the nurse something which she quickly jotted down on her note. They performed some more checks on him while Yuya dripped in and out of consciousness, he wanted to stay awake to hear Shun’s explanation, but why… couldn’t he keep his eyes open…? 

“Yuya, sweety,” Yoko shushed him, “you’re still on medication. Just close your eyes and sleep now, we can talk later, ‘kay?”

“But…,” he slurred.

“Shh, it’s okay. Everything is okay, everyone is okay, you don’t need to worry about them for now. This time, let us take care of things for you, okay?”

“Your mother’s right,” Shun said, “just go to sleep.”

Yuya shut his eyes.

He didn’t wake up as much as he gradually became more aware with time. He heard people talking over him, he heard the names “Yuri”, “Yugo”, and “Yuto” being uttered and did his best to open his eyes only to fail. He was sure he woke up again at some points and even held brief conversations, but he recalled none of them. Then slowly, he felt his fingers laced with another’s as she held his hand. He knew the shape of that hand, but tried as he might, he couldn’t wake up to reassure her that he was okay.

The next time he blinked awake, Yuzu was still cradling his hand, her other hand caressing his cheek in a gentle manner. Apart from her, there was no one else in the room.

“Welcome back, sleepy head,” Yuzu greeted him with a smile.

Yuya shot up on the bed and grabbed her shoulder. 

“Yuto and Yugo are both fine, they woke up before you did,” Yuzu started speaking even before the question came out of his mouth, “Yuri- well, he’s in ICU still, but his condition is stable. You don’t need to freak out, you don’t need to fuss, just calm down, okay?”

He blinked in surprise.

Yuzu smiled and eased him back down, tucking the blanket back around his frame, “Every time you wake up, the first thing you ask for is their condition. I practically remember that line by heart by now.”

“...Oh,” he mumbled, feeling slightly embarrassed. Something big in his heart was deflating, and he sank deeper into the bed with a sigh. His chest was aching in a dull pain, and he carefully massaged the area while trying to piece his hazy fragments of memory together. 

“So everyone managed to save us, huh?” He mumbled.

“Is that a bad thing?” Yuzu asked quietly.

He managed a smile, “No, on the contrary, I’m happy we didn’t die because of Yuri’s stupid decision.”

“ So it’s Yuri now, huh?” Yuzu smiled.

“What’d ya mean?”

“Don’t tell me you don’t realize it. In these 9 months, ever since you woke up after being separated, you have never called the other boys by name, not even once. It’s not until you lay half-dead on the ground that I heard you said Yuri’s name.”

Yuya turned away in shame. Of course he realized it, he made a deliberate effort not to mention their names after all. He felt like it made the situation less real, less painful, plus, he couldn’t be sure he wouldn’t burst out crying there and then the moment he uttered their names.

“Why did you know where Yuri was, back then?” Yuzu asked.

Yuya didn’t answer immediately, he simply stared at the ceiling, and then said, “We were reunited, for a while.”

“...I see, I thought so too,” she replied.

Yuya knew she get what he meant. That morning, Yuri’s emotion was so strong it burst open the wall separating their minds, washed over them like a wave and drowned any kind of independent feeling of attachment they might’ve had to this life. The only thing Yuya truly felt for himself at that time was a sense of shock and pity knowing Yuri was never pampered by Akaba Leo like he initially thought, but that did nothing aside from making him even more sympathetic for the other boy, thus pulling him deeper into his downward spiral. The sharp tingle of pain on his neck came almost as a relief, and the feeling of the other souls rushing in to meet his sparked a pure sense of joy into him, so much so he didn’t want to wake up ever again.

Until he remembered Yuzu’s words and it was the only tether pulling him back to life. 

In that precious one-millionth of a second, they were one again, they felt as one and saw as one, and Yuya saw, in front of his blurry eyes, the brilliant shade of red blooms all around him, amidst devastating cold and the gentle sound of waves lapping on the sand.

“Water?” Yuzu interrupted his train of thought.

He nodded. 

The girl fumbled with a button under the bed until the upper half slowly elevated and Yuya could settle into a more comfortable leaning position. Then she helped him drink some water through a straw put in a cup, which Yuya eagerly gulped down between short breaths after realizing how parched his throat was. 

“How long have I been sleeping?” He asked after she put the cup away.

“You’ve been in and out of consciousness for the last three days, today is the morning of the fourth.”

“Ah, still doesn’t manage to beat my record then,” he let out a weak grin.

“You don’t need to keep that kind of record,” she chucked bitterly.

Only now that Yuya really had a chance to look at his childhood friend’s face. Yuzu was pale, her eyes bloodshot and tired as if she hadn’t been sleeping, yet her hair was unkempt like she’d just woken up, indicating that she had been neglecting herself. He tried to think of what she could possibly be thinking right now, seeing someone so close to her willingly walk toward his death while staying on the side and unable to do anything as he deteriorated. The pain was unbearable even in his imagination and Yuya felt like a grade-A asshole for inflicting it on her. And it wasn’t just Yuzu, was it? He- they hurt everyone they loved, everyone.

“What’s wrong?” She purred, resuming caressing his cheek.  

The apology was on the tip of his tongue when Yuzu placed a finger on his lips, preventing him from forming words.

“Don’t, please. You have nothing to apologize for,” she softly spoke.

Yuya was so surprised that Yuzu knew exactly what he wanted to tell her, but in hindsight, it shouldn’t be that strange, Yuzu and him were together for most of their lives. She knew him just that well.

When he wanted to say that no, he did have a lot to apologize for, Yuzu just scooted closer and held his cheeks in both of her hands.

“Yuya, I mean it, please don’t say sorry. What happened was entirely our fault, we couldn’t see the extent of your anguish, not even the intimacy of your bond, we allowed your condition to worse this much without be able to do anything. We are the ones who need to say sorry,” she released his face only to gather him into a hug, “I’m sorry.”

Her voice quivered. He knew she was fighting back her tear.

“I-,” he wished he could tell her how she was basically the only reason he’s still alive right now, but telling her that also meant admitting he had given up all hope, so he hugged her back instead, feeling vividly like he was hugging the whole world.

“What exactly happened to us, then?” He mumbled into her hair.

“The doctor said you, Yuto, and Yugo got the most extreme cases of Broken Heart Syndrome they’d ever seen, and Yuri- well, I think you know what Yuri did better than us.”

“What’s broken, eh, heart symptom?”

“Broken Heart Syndrome,” Yuzu corrected, “it’s when you are under so much stress your heart kinda just… stops beating.”

“Oh, that kind of illness exists?”

“It does.” 

 They didn’t say anything for a while.

“Please tell me,” Yuzu pulled back a little so they could look into each other’s eyes, “why- how come all of you just… collapsed like that the moment Yuri… Scratch that, you guys obviously planned it. Did you four talk in your heads and decided to pull a fast one on us together? Like- like a punishment for us because we kept you apart or somethin-

“No, of course not!” Yuya was horrified. “What makes you think like that?!” 

Yuzu teared up, “Then why?!”

Yuya picked her hand up and squeezed it gently, “Would you believe in me if I say I didn’t really want to die at that time?”

“Really?”

“Yes! Really. Please trust me, I- Yugo told me we won’t survive for long but I really intended to keep on living. No matter how hellish I feel, I truly think I can brave through it for the people I love, I just-,” Yuya looked down, his chest ached as he remembered the horror he felt that day, “Yuri pulled all of us in,” he mumbled.

Yuzu shagged down, “So it’s really all Yuri?”

“It’s not his fault,” Yuya swallowed a bile coming from his throat, “he had always barely held on. The thing Akaba Leo said in that trial really put the final nail into the coffin. And we, we all felt it. We felt his emotion as if it was our own, that’s why we all came to the same conclusion. Yuri was so focused on himself then, I doubt he was aware that we’d be pulled alongside him, but it’s not like a person can live on with a quarter of their soul gone, right?” He gave her a bitter smile.

“What exactly had he been through?” Yuzu let out a long sigh.

“That, I don’t know either.” 

They fell silent.

“How is he right now?” He asked after a while.

Yuzu looked a bit hesitant, but after releasing a heavy sigh, she said, “The doctor told us we shouldn’t let you in on the news too soon because it might affect your recovery, but I digress, I know you are strong enough to take it.”

Yuya went pale, “Is he- is his condition that bad?”

Yuzu looked down, and he took it as confirmation.

“He got a tracheal rupture, went through hemorrhaging shock due to blood loss, and severe hypothermia because of the cold. He had gone through surgery to mend his trachea and they said his vitals were stable for now, but for some reason, he hadn’t woken up yet.”

His chest began to throb harder so Yuya had to lean back and breathe slowly to gain his bearing, while Yuzu worriedly petted his side. When the episode was over, he opened his eyes and laughed quietly at her.

“Yeah, that’s about right. Yuri’s a brat with a death wish, after all. Knew it won’t be easy even if we all survived.”

“You think he’ll make it?” Yuzu sounded hopeful.

“As long as the three of us do our job to keep clinging onto life, it’s impossible for his soul to die,” he said with confidence.

“Serena would be overjoyed to hear that,” a tear finally slipped Yuzu’s eyes and she hastily wiped it away.

He was about to ask her why they were all in Heartland when they heard a knock at the door.

Yuzu quickly went back to her chair next to the bed and said, “Come in.”

The door clicked open, and his dad entered with a sigh. “Yuzu, isn’t it time you take a re-”

He stopped mid-sentence when he saw a conscious Yuya.

“Hi, son,” Yusho smiled, “I’m glad you’re awake.”

“...Dad.” Yuya attempted to sit up, but perhaps because he just had an episode not a minute ago, or perhaps because his dad’s appearance unnerved him, his chest decided to make its injury known by sending a jolt of pain straight to his brain.

With a hiss, Yuya dropped onto the bed, his vision blurred.

When the pain lessened and he could breathe again, both dad and Yuzu were at his side, Yuzu’s fingers hovering over the nurse call button.

“No need, I’m- fine now,” he waved dismissively.

“Are you sure about that? Maybe we should let the doctor check on you again.”

He just shook his head at his dad’s question.

“Why does my chest hurt so much?” He asked him.

“That’s… my fault,” Yusho said remorsefully, “I’m sorry, kiddo. I broke two of your ribs when I performed CPR on you.”

Yuya looked at his dad, at the black bags below his eyes and how he hovered anxiously above him, looking like he wanted nothing more than gather him into a hug but had to struggle to hold himself back, something akin to pity rose in him.

“Dad, you saved my life, please don’t apologize,” Yuya massaged his chest and sighed.

“I wonder about that, if I really did save your life, you would never have to end up here in the first place,” his voice was full of bitterness.

After a second of hesitation, Yusho backed off from him and pulled a seat out to sit down.

No one said anything for a while, Yuya didn’t know what to say to his dad, and looking at the older, it didn’t seem like he knew what to say either. Yuzu leered at them, then made an audible ‘tch’ and stood up.

“Mr. Sakaki, I think I’m going to check on the other boys. In the meantime, please stay here and have a chat with Yuya, won’t you? And,” she stared his dad down, “make sure you told him everything you need to, because Yuya deserves it.”

“W-wait, you’re really going?” Yuya wasn’t ready for a talk with his dad yet.

 Yuzu answered by gently poking his nose, “I’m gonna check on the others' conditions and report back to you. You want to know how they are doing, right?”

Yuya swallowed and nodded.

“Be a good boy, then,” Yuzu smiled then ruffled his hair, and Yuya suddenly felt a small child coaxed into staying home so his mother could run to the grocery store.

The air turned awkwardly silent once Yuzu was out of the room.

After a full minute of staring anywhere but Yuya, Yusho cleared his throat and gave a chuckle, “She is really strong, that Yuzu. She had been here by your side ever since you were brought here and kept her calm even when your mom and I nearly fell apart. She should’ve been all over you by now, but,” Yusho buried his face in his hand, “she still leave so that we have a chance to talk.”

Yuya looked at his dad sitting slumped in his seat. From this position, he seemed smaller than usual, not as prideful and larger-than-life as the man in his memory. He didn’t look like Sakaki Yusho, the unbeatable Action Duel Champion, the man whose moral lesson shaped Yuya’s whole character, the man he worshipped like a god anymore. Instead, he just looked like… looked like a normal dad whose son just waking up from his critical condition.

Maybe it’s the pain med that still affected his mind, or escaping from the dead’s door he had willingly walked toward gave him a new mindset, but he couldn’t quite find it in him to be angry toward this man anymore.

After all, his final wish was to spend his last moments dueling him.

Fidgeting with his hands, Yuya said in a tiny voice, “Thanks, dad.”

“Ah- huh? For what?” He looked puzzled.

“For saving me, of course. I wouldn’t survive if it wasn’t for you.”

Yusho smiled at him, but his eyes were full of sadness, “You being alive and well is all the thanks I need.”

The intense emotion in those eyes made Yuya turn away in shame. How could he, for months, think his dad couldn’t care less about him anymore? While he did everything he could to help him and his counterparts.

Speaking of which…

“How come I and the other three are all here in Heartland, dad? Didn’t Reiji say we are not to travel out of our cities?” He asked.

“You don’t need to worry about Reiji anymore,” Yusho cracked a smile, “he’s the one suggesting we should bring you all here in the first place.”

Yuya frowned, “Why Heartland, then?”

“Out of the four cities, Heartland is the most medically advanced, simple as that. And Dr. Faker agreed to let you all stay here on the down low. This is a recently abandoned hospital, you see. There is no one here apart from you four, so you can take it easy and rest as much as you like.” Yusho spoke softly as if talking to a little child.

Yuya looked at him, then turned away with a huff. His dad didn’t need to cover it with sweet words, he could see between the line just fine. Indeed, if the four of them were in close proximity and risked merging again, it’d be better to be somewhere with as few people as possible, right?

Not noticing Yuya’s mood, Yusho continued, “I wanted to put all of you into a room together, but… it’s still a bit hard right now, maybe with time…”

Yuya’s eyes snapped open, he whipped his head around.

“What did you just say?”

Yusho was slightly taken aback by Yuya’s sudden change of mood.

“A-althought it’s not possible right now, sooner or later we will reunite you, so-”

“Are you fucking crazy?!” He struggled to sit up and croaked out.

Yuya initially thought the four of them would be jailed in their rooms just like the last time, but apparently, his dad saw no problem letting them come in direct contact with each other? In what world did they think it would be a good idea? 

“Hey, take it easy, Yuya. It’ll be okay!” Yusho reached out and placed his hands on Yuya’s shoulder in order to push him back to bed again.

“Easy?” He swatted Yusho’s hand away. “How can I take it easy?! Zarc…”

“The last time, you four spent 6 weeks together in a hospital, and no accident happened, right?” Yusho interrupted his sentence with his own.

“That’s because,” Yuya looked wildly around the room, and with dread raising in his mind, he realized he could sense the other’s presence around the building, something he knew he couldn’t do the last time, “we… we had just been defeated. We were tired and scared and afraid of each other. If- if we come in contact now, we would- what if we merge upon contact?!”

Yuya vivivdly remembered wanting to enter Yuto’s mind and never left, if they came face-to-face now…

He made a busted attempt to spring up on his bed only for Yusho to push him down again.

“Hey, hey, calm down! You’re aggravating your chest!”

“Let me go! I have to leave this place! I have to!” He struggled in his dad’s hold, ignoring the pain that resumed blooming in his ribcage. “How can you risk the safety of our world just for us? We are a danger, we aren’t meant to be together! Let me go! Let go!”

Tears fell down from his eyes as Yuya cried and clawed at Yusho. His dad didn’t say anything, he just swooped down to hold him, carefully avoid his chest and stayed like that until his crying fit died down.

“Yuya, you ought to believe in me. You will not merge again, Zarc won’t come back. You hear me? He won’t!”

“Why are you so sure about it? Is it because you didn’t see what he did the last time that you can talk like that? He’s a monster,” Yuya growled, “as soon as he comes back, he’s gonna destroy everything!”

“Yuya, I don’t know how can I make you believe in me, but Zarc isn’t a monster. He isn’t and neither are you, none of you are monsters.”

“I saw him killing you!” Yuya screamed.

Yusho paused.

Yuya glared at his dad’s shocked expression, his eyes teared up, “I saw Yuri kill you, from his own perspective. I felt what he felt at that time, Yuri was so jealous of us, he was so angry, angry that you prevented him from reaching me, and, and then- god, god damn it, Yuri was overjoyed! He was so, so happy he killed you in front of me,” Yuya clawed at his chest. “And it was as if, it was as if I killed you myself. How can you tell me I’m not a monster when I feel so great when killing my own dad?! How can you tell me we’re not monsters when we've killed so many people?! We’re monsters. We don’t deserve anything in this world.”

Yusho removed his hands from Yuya’s shoulder completely, and Yuya curled up, facing away from his dad as he sobbed into the blanket.

He didn't know how long he cried, but his dad didn't try to comfort him again. When his tear dried, he lay motionless on the hospital bed, feeling completely hollow. 

“When it happened…” his dad suddenly spoke behind Yuya, startling him.

 “When it happened, your mom nearly went crazy, she kept crying and blaming herself for not noticing the signs, Sora just held her and cried with her all the time, and Yuzu…, gosh, she looked like she wanted to rip herself open out of anguish. I’ve never felt so useless in my life, I really thought we could’ve lost you.”

Yuya didn't turn back, though he was listening more attentive now.

"I imagine, that's how you felt when Yuri defeated me as well."

A jolt of pain radiated from Yuya's chest, he bit his lips and held it in.

"I, as a dad, see in Yuri a damaged child, a child looks so much like you I couldn't help but wanting to save him. I was so focused on it, I ended up neglecting you all this time, I don't even try to understand what you're going through. I'm sorry, Yuya."

He still didn't say anything, nor made a movement.

"Do you still hate Yuri?"

"...I hate all of us."

A heavy sigh. "I see."

Yuya felt the pressure on the bed lessen as Yusho left it, then the sound of his footstep. He saw him walked around the bed, to the clothing rack next to the door and retrieve his phone from his coat's pocket, and went back to his seat behind him again.

“You know, we kept the detail of your accident private, but your friends, especially Gongenzaka, have caught on. Not only him, your students and your fan too, even the old comrades you’ve fought with,  everybody are worry sick about you, all of you. You won't believe how many angry messages they’ve sent me asking about your condition,” he chuckled. Yuya heard some rustling noise as his dad fumbled with something, and then a series of nonstop notification sounds reached his ears. “Here, they are bombarding my phone so hard I have to turn it off. If you stop berating yourself, turn around and look at this, you’ll see how many people out there love you.”

 He paused for a bit, letting the knowledge settle in Yuya’s mind.

“You honestly think all of them are so stupid they’d fall in love with a monster?”

Yuya was about to retort and said it’s because they didn’t know how horrible he was, but his friends’ bright smiling faces flashed across his mind, and he just kept his silence.

He felt a warm hand on his shoulder.

“When you’re ready, can you sit up and look at me? I have something I need to tell you.”

Chapter Text

After a few minutes of battling with himself, Yuya reluctantly sat up and asked Yusho with a hoarse voice.

“What do you want to talk about, dad?”

The man didn’t reply right away, he looked down at his hands and fell silent.

“Dad?” 

Yusho squeezed his hands together to get over whatever inner turmoil he was having. “Say, can I sit on the bed next to you?”

Yuya answered by scooting to one side.

Taking that as a cue, Yusho left the chair and settle next to him, carefully rearranging the IV drip still attached to his arm so he wouldn’t sit on top of it.

Once he deemed both of them were comfortable, he began talking, “Kiddo, you’ve probably known about this, but… you are adopted.”

Yuya blinked. This was what his dad wanted to talk to him about?

“Well, duh,” he huffed. His parents never mentioned it, but this should be obvious seeing how he was one of Zarc’s fragments. He didn’t know exactly how the four of them came into existence, but highly doubted it’s by the natural way.

“To tell the truth, your mom and I didn’t plan on having children at all. You see, I’m an orphan, I’ve never learned what it’s like to be a dad, and Yoko- your mom didn’t exactly have a good relationship with her family, none of us thought we could be good parental figures.”

“But then I came,” he spoke softly.

“But then you came,” Yusho smiled and nodded. “By the time we found you after that dimensional fragmentation accident, your skin had turned blue from hypothermia. We rushed you to the hospital only for the doctor to say it’s very likely you wouldn’t make it.”

Yusho paused and Yuya sighed.

“Did you hope I would die just like that?”

His dad’s breath stopped, then he whispered, “Yeah, I did have that thought for a second.”

Yuya couldn’t help his heart from sinking a little. 

“You just witnessed Zarc’s massacre, I wouldn’t blame you for that,” he muttered.

Yusho shook his head, “It was still so low of me, you were just reborn as a baby, and yet…,” he skipped the rest of the sentence and continued. “Your mom didn’t remember anything about the other dimensions. Most people didn’t. For all she knew, you were just an infant someone abandoned and were dying in her hands. She was determined to save you, practically went down on her knees begging the doctor to treat you, then she stayed with you days and nights until you recovered. I guess I was so moved by her effort and got robbed into taking care of you that way. We talked about putting you up for adoption, but then you came down with a cold, and I thought ‘just one more day, until he gets better’, after that was a teething fever, a rash, a scratch from falling down at the children’s playground, then lots of other minor sicknesses and accidents, we kept finding excuses to keep you with us. By the time we realized it, we had already signed your adoption paper.”

Yuya chuckled, remembering the stray dogs and cats they fostered through the years and then always, always ended up adopting. His parents never changed.

“I just want to say that, despite the unsavory start, despite the fact that you weren’t my own, I see you as nothing other than my precious son. I- we treasured each and every moment we spent together with you.”

Yusho’s face went red as he angled his face away from Yuya, fidgeting with the edge of the blanket. Yuya stared at his dad in shock, he was often praised whenever he won a duel or successfully performed a hard acrobatic move, but he had never been showered with words of affection, completely unprompted, like this before. 

“Me too, I treasure us,” he had to wet his mouth because it suddenly went dry.

His dad didn’t say anything for a long moment, then he turned around to look into his eyes.

“You do know I love you no matter what, right?”

Yuya bit his lips and then looked away. The rational part of his brain told him Yusho was telling the truth, but a small, uglier part screamed at him that there's no way anyone could love a piece of Zarc. And yet another part, the part that looked inside the other three’s brains and experienced the devastating horror of their childhoods, sobbed with joy.

In the end, he settled for a simple sentence, “I’m lucky, aren’t I?” 

“We’re the ones that are lucky,” his dad gently placed a hand on top of his, “you brought so much joy into our lives. You have no idea how happy I am when you said you wanted to be an entertainment duelist just like me. I cried to your mom that night. It’s embarrassing.”

“I’ve never wanted to be anything other than an entertainment duelist.”

“You said that just because you were blindsided by me,” Yusho laughed bitterly. “I’m nothing like the perfect man you thought I was. I’ve tripped and failed so many times in my life, I was thinking that if there is one single thing I absolutely have to do right by, it’d have to be you. I taught you everything I believed to be right and demanded you to follow it. I never thought,” Yusho paused, “I never thought it would bring you so much pain.”

Yusho’s eyes were red with tears, he cradled his hand and said with a trembling voice, “I should’ve never told you to smile even when you didn’t feel like it. It’s my fault, I’m so sorry.”

Yuya’s eyes widened. Something hidden in his heart cracked. His body was trembling though he didn’t know why and his vision turned misty all of the sudden. He opened his mouth to say something, then found out he couldn’t find the words.

So he responded by yanking his hands out of Yusho’s grip, and abruptly turned away.

Yusho let him. After waiting a while for Yuya's emotions to calm down, he continued.

“Do you want to know why I think we should always smile in the first place?”

Yuya didn’t reply.

“I was an orphan, I didn’t have anyone by my side. If I want to survive, I must make everybody love me. That meant staying constantly cheerful, always being the one to offer help, not the one needing to be helped. That's how I survived and made it until I met your mom. It was a hard and lonely life, it’s not something I’d wish on anyone, much less my own son. Yuya, you have a family, you have friends. You don’t need to live the way I Iived.”

“But-,” Yuya croaked, “but you told me it’s the right thing, you told me, you told me if I smile, people gonna smile and their smiles will radiate back to me and then I’ll become happy. I’ve been following your words all my life. How can you just up and tell me I shouldn’t live like that? Are you implying I’ve been living wrong my whole life?”

“No, listen,” Yusho pleaded, he didn’t make another attempt to grab his hands, though. “You’re not wrong, it’s me who was wrong, I led you down the wrong path and made you miserable with that nonsense logic of mine. If all you show your loved ones is a fake smile, then how can they answer you with a genuine smile on their lips? Yuya, kiddo, you deserve to be happy, but you just as well deserve to be sad.”

“Hah!” Yuya let out a bitter laugh, his chest acting up again. “Do you think I don’t know that? Do you think I don’t understand what you’ve just said? But I’ve been smiling like this my whole life, I don’t know any other way to live. It’s too late to change by now, dad. It’s too late.”

“It’s not too late, Yuya. Aren’t you alive? As long as you’re alive, nothing is too late. We can always start over again.”

Yuya wished his dad would just understand. If people could change their entire way of living with a pep talk, life would be so, so much easier and no one would have to live in pain.

“I don’t believe in you.”

“That’s fine. That’s- fair, I guess, after everything that happened. All I’m asking is for you to give me, give us a chance to see the real you, unobscured by the smiling mask you’ve put on yourself all this time. You’ve made people smile you whole life, so now it’s our job to make you smile. A real smile, this time.”

Yusho put a hand on his shoulder, and asked with the softest voice Yuya had ever heard.

“Can we have this chance, please?”

“...What if I failed again? What if I ended up here again?”

“Then we’ll try again, and again and again for however long you want to. I will try too, I will try to be a better dad for you. I would never leave you and your mom without a word again, I would never abandon you again. Let us start over, okay?”

Yuya’s throat constricted as he buried his head into his knees. He didn’t know how to respond to Yusho’s heartfelt speech. He had expected to be scolded, he had expected to endure a long, tenuous speech about how precious life was and how he shouldn’t waste his, but not even in his dream had he expected to be apologized to.

“What about the others? If only I get to be happy, then I don’t need it,” he finally said.

His dad understood right away who he was talking about, “Of course I’ve a plan to help them, that’s my intention from the beginning.”

“What kinda plan?” Yuya thought about the most broken piece of himself, still sleeping somewhere in this building.

Before Yusho could talk, they hear a feminine voice coming from outside the room, startling both of them.

“About that, I think I have an idea.”

The door clicked open, and Yoko appeared on the other side.

Yuzu exited the lady’s bedroom after making sure there was no more trace of tear left on her face.

After days of spending her time next to Yuya’s hospital bed, beating herself over and over again, wondering how the hell could she not see it and how come she and her counterparts let the situation came to this without being able to do anything, finally her childhood friend had woken up and being coherent.

Recalling the event of that day, Yuzu couldn’t help but shiver when she remembered receiving the calls full of hysteric cries from her counterparts, each of them nearly went mad when their boys just… stopped breathing in their hands. And Serena’s end was deafening…

She gulped and shook her head quickly. She should stop dwelling in that dark moment and focus on the present.

Yuzu passed across many doors when she walked along the hall, she knew the rooms behind them were empty. The place they were staying at now wasn’t exactly a hospital, but Dr. Faker’s private mansion. It was struck down during the war but as soon as the man was revived, he robbed Mr. Heartland into rebuilding it in record speed, and then turned it into a temporary hospital plus shelter for all the wounded and homeless residents of the wartorn city. Yuzu herself had been here many times when she and the Lancers came earlier for volunteer work. Now, as most of Heartland had been restored and the residents who once took shelter here went back home, the makeshift hospital had been abandoned once more. That was, until Yuto suddenly collapsed. 

It was a blessing from god that the Resistance decided to have the Akaba Leo trial party in this very building, so when Yuto fell, Dr. Faker’s medical bots were able to reach him nigh immediately and gave him that life-saving adrenaline shot. It was the same for Yugo, the stadium he chose to be his final place was vacant at that time, but its medical room wasn’t. Like the warrior that she was, Rin had made an urgent call to Yusho and followed his instruction to a T, getting the emergency kit out of the room and giving Yugo the same adrenaline shot Yuto got just in the nick of time. They had charged it up to some kind of god’s intervention at play, but now looking back at Yuya’s confession, Yuzu wondered if the boys had unconsciously chosen the place when they knew they could be saved, even when their minds tell them to kick the bucket under Yuri’s influence. 

The boys’ rooms were arranged to be far away from each other, Yusho and Yoko had protested at first, but Dr. Faker held his decision very firm. Seeing as how they were all indebted to the old man for treating the kids, eventually everybody had to back off. What made Yuzu surprised was that Reiji actually caved in and arranged for the boys to be brought here, as if he had actually looked back and realized what a horribly heartless his decision was to separate them was. 

Yuzu still couldn’t help but resent him a little, however right now she didn’t want to spare him any thought. 

Yuto’s room was silent, but the door was slightly ajar so after knocking thrice with no response, she quietly pushed the door open.

“Please excuse my instrus-” she closed the door at light speed.

Even though it was just a glimpse, Yuzu could still see Yuto and Ruri lying together in the hospital bed, their face inched so close to each other and they seemed to be holding each other even in sleep.

“You can at least lock the door, jeez,” she mumbled and turned the sign in front of the door onto its “Do not disturb” side.

Shaking her head, Yuzu turned left and head to Yugo’s room, but along the way she ran into someone unexpected.

“Good afternoon, Kaito,” she smiled when the young man in black clothes approached her.

“Afternoon, Yuzu. Yuya’s awake?” He smiled back.

“Eh, how do you know?”

“I can tell just by looking at your complexion, plus if Yuya wasn’t awake and well, I would never see you out here.”

Yuzu flushed and gave him a cheeky grin.

“If you’re looking for Yugo, he’s not in his room. He said it’s too suffocating staying in a room all day so Rin brought him outside for a bit of fresh air,” he gestured to the direction of the Synchro boy’s room.

“He’s clear to go out already?” Yuzu asked in surprise.

“That kid bounched back faster than a tumbler toy,” Kaito mused.

“I see.” Seeing that it’s pointless to head to Yugo’s room, she was about to excuse herself then paused to look at Kaito, who was still looking at her with a gentle expression on his face.

“Kaito, thanks.”

The older duelist blinked, “What for?”

“For agreeing to let Yuya and the others stay here, I know you’re a big supporter of Reiji’s decision.”

Kaito widened his eyes a little, then cast his glance away.

“That’s natural, I witnessed Zarc’s madness firsthand after all.”

“Then wh-”

“Lately I’ve been thinking,” he didn’t let her finish the question, “that I might’ve had a hand in Zarc’s resurrection. If I and Phoenix didn’t barge in Yuri and Yugo’s duel, the one who won might be Yugo.”

Yuzu took a few seconds to realize what Kaito was talking about. “I don’t think it mattered at all, no matter who won, they’d still ended up merging.”

“But if it’s Yugo who won, then the accident with Yusho would never happen, and Yuya would never be so stricken by grief, and it wouldn’t lead to Zarc being reborn with so much resentment and rage in him.” Kaito’s gaze was far away.

“You don’t know that,” Yuzu said, “it might just be something inevitable.”

“Was it?” Kaito chuckled drily. “Maybe Zarc wasn’t inherently evil like we thought, maybe he was just the result of a horrible system that drove him to the edge, maybe if we changed our perspective and tried to help him rather than to hate, it would turn out differently, and we’d be able to placate him without having to deal so much pain to the broken pieces of him like this.”

Yuzu’s vision went blurry and she blinked rapidly to clear away the tear threatening to spill out.

“You mean you… want to help him now?” She asked with a croaked voice.

“No, I don’t.”

Yuzu’s heart sank.

“I’ve no obligation to help a man so fixated on his own destruction. If you girls don't give each of them a big slap, I will personally go there to teach them the value of their pathetic lives, with force.” He turned to walk away, “Either way, good luck.” 

Yuzu stayed rooted in place while processing the meaning behind Kaito’s words, then she snapped out of it and shout after him with a bright smile.

“Kaito, thank you! Thank you very much!”

The older duelist waved his hand but didn’t look back, “No yelling in the hospital.”

The entirety of the 2nd floor in Dr. Faker’s hospital was the non-ICU ward where Yuya, Yuto, and Yugo stayed. Climbing a short stair to the 3rd floor, you’d reached the ICU ward, reserved only for the critically ill. Right now, only one room in this ward was occupied.

Yuzu knocked on the door, and upon hearing a quiet reply, opened it to enter the room. 

The beeping of various machines, and the strong smell of antiseptic assaulted her senses immediately.

Serena, her dear counterpart plus adopted sister, sat in a chair in front of a glass wall separating the room into two halves. Beyond the glass, in the steriled session of the room, was a single hospital bed surrounded by life support devices upon which the still figure of Yuri was resting. His neck and lower half part of his face were covered in a brace, tubes came out from his mouth and nose, one of them delivered oxygen straight into his lung, while the other fed him essential nutrients. Compared to the last time she visited, his complexion had somewhat improved, but he still looked so pale and fragile, and still deep in his coma.

Yuzu turned to Serena, who had gotten quiet after inviting her in. 

“How is he doing?”

Serena shook her head, and Yuzu took it as confirmation that Yuri hadn’t woken up. She noticed some rice balls on the side table.

“Did you eat anything today at all?” She asked.

“Not hungry,” Serena mumbled, her eyes still fixed on the figure on the other side of the glass.

“Oh, Sel,” Yuzu crouched down to hug her, pulling the other girl’s thin frame to lean into hers.

“‘m tired,” Serena mumbled.

“I know.”

“I wish he’d just wake up, or just die. Whichever’s fine, just give everybody closure, why keep torturing us like that?” Tears trickled down from Serena’s eyes as she cried in Yuzu’s hold.

“I know, I know.”

Yuzu kept whispering sweet nothing into Serena’s ears, while secretly thinking that even if she forgave Yuri for everything he had done, she would never forgive him for making her dear sister cry.