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Yu-gi-oh 5Ds: Rise of Darkness and Corruption (Athene/ImaginaryMuse & Razgriz)


Fayth gulped nervously as silence lingered between the two. Telepathy was only possible between people with Hajime, who initiated and made a link with her. Otherwise, she couldn't do it on her own. And even if she could ask Morningstar ... no. She wouldn't dare ask for that. There were quite a few things that did bother her about this pact and one, admittedly, was knowing fully well she wasn't alone. At first, she hadn't really minded an 'inner voice', so to speak. But now, it felt ... a bit unnerving.

Regret it?

.... Do you mind? Let us talk in peace.

A curt chuckle was heard, but nothing else afterwards. A slight sigh resounded as she waited a few more moments ... just to be damn sure he'd gone quiet. For the time being, that did indeed seem to be the case. Only when Jack finally spoke up did her head lift. Somewhat amazingly, the first thing he responded to was what she expected to hear him speak of last. Her compliment to his eyes. Between the tone the thanks came out in and how long it took him to actually utter the words ... it made an eyebrow raise.

"If you tell me I'm the first person, woman or otherwise, to say such a thing ... then they're all more blind than me somehow."

It was an interesting enough idea to make her chuckle softly out loud.

"That ... that's more than enough. Like I said, I don't fully get it all, either, but ...."

And that was as far as Fayth got before Jack asked her to promise something. She went silent, showing she was certainly listening. And then her face burned a bit red as her hands were taken into Jack's. This wasn't exactly the very first time they'd done this sort of thing. Even back at the theater, they'd linked arms, held hands ... been physically close. But somehow ... this felt even closer. More intimate. An odd thought considering it was easily one of the simplest of gestures anyone could make.

Yet there she was, very easily blushing. And even if she pulled her hands away to try to hide how she was reacting ... one, she didn't want to. Two, it was way too late to try such a thing. But at least some of the crimson vanished ... but not before she heard him relay his vow to her.

"If it ever gets too much, just be honest with me. Come to me, alright? And I'll help you fight it back, whatever it might be, God or no God."

Now it was her turn. In fact, the words got stuck in her throat a few times. Finally, though, she was able to get them out so he could hear the simple but honest response to such a promise.

"I'll try. I'll definitely keep it more in my mind from here on out, but ... just .... try to remember I never used to need much help. Not even after Sora took my sight away. Things didn't get to the point of feeling too much until I came here. But ... for what it's worth? I don't regret coming here. Not even with all the horrifying people or events I have endured so far. In fact ... I'd come here all over again if push came to shove."

Well .... that made the same tinges of red come back as quickly as it'd left. Even still, she made no effort to move away or take her words back. It was her way of showing how sincere she'd just been to Jack.

The two would walk the rest of the way home. And as they moved through the streets of Domino City, Fayth made sure to keep holding onto Jack's hand. The hell with any nosy cameras that may or may not be around. She didn't just need to ensure she didn't get lost. She enjoyed the simple touch ... and wasn't quite ready to let go.

Not yet.

Only when she felt herself enter her room did she very, very reluctantly let go. Her head nodded as she turned and gave Jack a reassuring grin. "I wasn't going to stay up very long, if at all. I'm pretty worn out."

And she'd made up for going to sleep this soon with an extra large breakfast in the morning. Something she at least made certain to promise to herself, if absolutely nothing else.

" ... Good night, Jack."

Just like the urge had come up before with Yusei, the same one insisting to kiss Jack had risen up. But no. She couldn't ... not when even she wasn't sure about her own feelings. Later ... perhaps. But not now.

Are you scared of rejection?

Fayth started to open her mouth and tell him off, but honestly? It sounded like a genuine enough inquiry. Instead, she began stripping out of her clothes and getting into a nightgown whilst thinking about her response. Her head slowly shook. "I wouldn't say that. I think I'm more scared about losing him if I had to say anything."

So shouldn't you tell him sooner as opposed to later?

" ... Should I? In some respects, yes, I probably should. But ... I'd rather have us both get out alive and well enough and then confess than do so now, lose him ... and have those rendered pointless. Forgive me for sounding .... however you wanna word it, but what exactly do you know about relationships?"

Enough. I am a fallen, after all. That means I don't follow all of the rules the Archangels, Seraphs, and so on heed. So, actually, more than you may begin to understand.

" ... Fair enough," Fayth muttered, deciding that was an acceptable response. "What about the whippings? What's the catch regarding those?"

I'll relay that later. Right now, he's right. You need rest.

"I'm holding you to that. I've only accepted it because ... my own reasons. But I'm already literally being kept in the dark as it is. No more of that, preferably sooner than later."

Once again, Morningstar went silent. No sooner than Fayth's head found and rested atop her pillow did she pass out.
 

While the drama in the Satellite fell to a quiet night, the night in the Tops was still very young. And for two Sector officers, this night would be a particularly dangerous one.

"I don't see why we have to transport this murderous scumbag to a different location. If someone nearly killed him then that's one less person trying to be an assassin." one of the officers grumbled, rubbing his head and ruffling his hair, the long black locks shaggy for a second before smoothing it out and reaffixing his cap. "Besides...It's not like they succeeded. Ended up taking that Fiend associate instead. No tears from me."

The other officer grumbled, "You always bitch, Masahiro. Just be glad we're off babysitting duty for a little bit. I'd rather be driving than sitting in county waiting for these scumbags to be processed. Fuck the Fiend and fuck Yomi and Yuma and all of them. Our local jails are stuffed to the gills because of them...."

Masahiro chuckled, "And you say I bitch? Look at how you sound, Fubiki." Giving a shrug he just said, "Oh well; ain't like it's the Satellite dregs over here anyway. Only one was the Fiend's little friend and he's gone. Anyway...this is our last haul for the night. Let's go grab a few after this; we will need it after this."

As they drove along however, Masahiro would see a robed figure jump down in the middle of the road. "Oi, Fubiki, BRAKE! BRAAAAKE!" Soon the sounds of squealing tires could be heard as Fubuki jammed down on the brakes, the truck lurching forward and the lone passenger likely getting jostled as they tried to slow down as quick as possible...Bu there was no way, they were going to hit that guy! Even if they tried to avoid it would just tip the truck and kill them anyway!

Or so they thought...The robed figure drew a fist back and punched forward, the front of the truck wrapping around his sides as it lifted up for a brief second on its two front wheels, sounds of escaping gas and coolant echoing in the air as it crashed down with a heavy metallic thud. Thankfully the airbags deployed, but the man in the back wouldn't be so lucky; he would feel his body get thrown hard against the wall of the truck, soon everything coming to a crashing halt. The straps securing him

Both officers groaned as they tried to recover; however, muted sounds would be heard, an unseen hand rending them unconscious as then the sounds of shearing metal shattered the air. The doors to the back of the transport truck were ripped off, thrown to the sides as the hooded and robed figure stared him down.

"Bommer, my friend...It has been a long time...." the man said, soon revealing his face as the hood was pulled back. "I apologize for the sudden stop...But I have an offer to make you..." With that, he would kneel down next to Bommer, his hands glowing a bright yellow; this was something Rutger-sama prepared in case Sector roughed up their passenger too much. Granted, if things went as Rutger and him hoped, his condition would not matter in the slightest; though this act would hopefully help reinforce trust.

Any injuries would be healed, no matter how severe, allowing Bommer full mobility if he chose to stand and shake off the lingering aches. "I advise we move quickly. No doubt Sector has been alerted to this intervention...Besides, I know you want revenge for what Goodwin did to your village...To your people. Our people...Come with me and we can help you attain it."
 

The words were only slightly muffled, if only because of the barrier separating the front seats and the back ones. Alas, the volume of the officers wasn't so low that Bommer couldn't hear them. Then again, it was also true to note at that very moment? He wasn't exactly caring, either. This was his fate, it seemed. Did he agree with his incarceration and imprisonment? No, nor would he ever. But on the flip side ... it wasn't like anyone was going to advocate for him. If he'd been stuck in this predicament for this long already, why should anything change?

Furthermore, even if some freak miracle happened, there was no guarantee it'd be a positive change. He'd have no true reassurance any 'savior' would really be on his side.

Or .... that was what his mind had been pondering about ... right before the vehicle made sudden movements, twists, and turns. All violent ones, too. Bommer winced, grimaced, and even groaned. Not only was he thrown around in the back, by the time it all completely ceased, his shoulders were bruised and there was at least a few ribs that were damn close to broken. Possibly fractured, but at least closed ones, thankfully. Even still, breathing and moving hurt ... real fucking bad.

"Bastards ..." he muttered, his head quickly turning as the doors were all but ripped off. The sight alone made his body tense. What kind of normal human could do such a thing? It was a rhetoric with a simple answer; none. Which meant the person standing before him was, somehow, inhuman and very likely dangerous. His eyebrows narrowed slightly as the cloaked figure began to speak.

Indeed, if he hadn't been uncertain about this person before, he found himself very suspicious the moment Bommer heard this person utter his name. An eyebrow rose, silently asking what he would have voiced out loud; wondering how the individual knew his name. Granted, there were a few answers that made sense in his head and, admittedly, even if he did give the 'right' answer, it wouldn't necessarily mean anything nor ease his uncertainties.

As the figure stretched their hand out, Bommer looked hesitant. Partly because of the gesture itself, and also the aura. But mainly the act. He was offering to help him out, but ... why? What would he even gain from aiding him in escaping?

But before Bommer could ask about that ... it would be the next words that got his attention. Enough to warrant a verbal response.

" ... You would help me get revenge? I'm hearing this correctly?"

He glanced over his shoulders. The window that had kept him away from the officers was shattered, and even had a large spiderweb-like crack in it. But he could make out that the guards were dead ... or unconscious. Something along those lines. Either way, it confirmed that what the male in front of him was saying held truth in it; they would not be that way forever. And the longer he took to act, the worse this evening would get ... more so if he didn't decide what to do sooner than later.

His head turned back as he glanced one last time and Demak .... and finally took his hand. Sure enough, in mere seconds, every bruise and injury vanished, seemingly into the very air itself. A ghost of a smirk appeared. While this did strengthen his thoughts about this mysterious savior being unnatural ... he couldn't deny these were incredibly impressive abilities.

"You have my attention. Indeed, I do want my revenge. That being said, what do you need from me in order to ensure we get what we want? You'll have to forgive my hesitance, but almost everything comes with a catch, no matter how big or small. So what's the one linked to your offer you speak of?"
 

Demak had expected Bommer to give a healthy dose of skepticism, though in truth he was surprised the more wasn't more discerning. It seemed his hatred of Goodwin went deeper than even he suspected. But all the same, it was good, because it made his job that much easier.

However, as Bommer apologized, Demak shook his head, only speaking after the man finished, "Not here. This is Goodwin's territory, so we must go somewhere more secluded." Demak would then kneel down and rip the ankle tracker from Bommer's leg; now they would be free. But in a flash, Demak would take Bommer and hoist him on his back, "We must get somewhere where we can talk privately. Then I will answer any questions you have to the best of my ability."

And before Bommer could protest, they were taking off...THROUGH the night sky. But no, it wasn't flight; rather just VERY powerful jumps. If there was any other proof that Bommer needed his liberator wasn't human, this was it. Over and over they bounced from rooftop to rooftop, Demak landing deftly on his feet before vaulting to the next, getting as far away from the crash site as possible.

Soon enough, they landed near the Daimon Area. The former skulking grounds of the Black Rose Witch; it was one of the few areas that had suspiciously no surveillance, likely because the woman had them disabled and Sector was far too scared to bother trying to keep up the equipment from being taken down after it was removed several times.

Letting Bommer down, Demak then took his turn to apologize after letting Bommer down off his back, "I am sorry for that, but I could not risk us being captured. Not yet." And with that, Demak then turned to face the man, those violet irises among the black sclera staring at Bommer as he said, "But to address what you said earlier, yes, we do need something from you."

There was no other way to say it, "I am afraid the cost will be your life....Just as it was with me. And those I work with. Give your life, and you will become stronger than you have ever dreamed." His hand clenched as he added, "Right now, Goodwin seeks to impose his legacy by destroying everything my Master works for. Help us, and my master Rutger-sama will grant you your revenge...our revenge."
 

As quickly as the man had arrived, he soon left ... albeit with Bommer on his back. He wasn't sore, not anymore, but it did seem to be quicker. As they 'flew' - or so it would appear that way to any untrained eyes - through the air, Bommer remained silent. There was a lot about this man just suddenly arriving and offering him the very thing he'd wanted for a while. It was a borderline perfect arrival, really ... and there was something about that very fact which made Bommer uneasy. Was this some twisted set up? It certainly made sense.

Really, what were the exact odds of encountering someone like Demak, who would just happen to know about Goodwin and even seemed to have the ability to help him get revenge upon said man?

And even stranger than that was the fact he seemed to know where Bommer had been so he could free him from the truck and ankle tracker. Yeah ... this was feeling more and more amiss the more he thought long and hard on it.

Thus when they landed, his gaze hardened slightly, only getting more stern as he heard the 'condition' that was needed from him.

"Do you think I'm mad?" Bommer finally replied out loud, not only sounding but looking hesitant about willingly giving his own life over just to get revenge. Had Demak offered literally just about anything else, he may have been quicker to agree. As it was, though .... it sounded exactly as it did. Suicidal ... and just a way to get rid of him. His hatred for Goodwin certainly ran pretty deep, but not to those degrees. If Death had been what he had ever sought out ... he could have found it himself.

And yet ... if Demak was being truthful, there were some things he had to at least dwell on. The very fact he was here and still standing somehow. There was no way he was a ghost - Bommer otherwise wouldn't have been able to be carried away through the night sky if that were the case. So this man was real and alive enough.

... The feelings of Demak's words being amiss most certainly strengthened, but at the same time? Bommer wasn't yet able to detect any proof that may hint he was being lied to, and that was one of the few things keeping him from trying to run from Demak. The other, naturally, being in the form of a hunch. One that made him confident enough it wouldn't work. He was already showing he could do seemingly impossible things. Catching up to him, let alone on foot, would very likely be akin to child's play for Demak.

Finally, the silence would be broken as Bommer spoke up, "Let's say you're being sincere and not just bullshitting me. Why does it need to be my own life that you need for me to gain my revenge?"
 

"Of course not." Demak would reply to the mans query, his face impassive through the question. "The mere fact you asked at all shows your clarity of mind." Demak was indeed being entirely truthful, even if Bommer had reservations about such things. It was no easy thing to ask, to tell someone to kill themselves to gain revenge? It was moronic and counterproductive nearly every other time.

And even so, Demak could not help but smile as Bommer stood his ground, asking why he had to give up his life for his revenge. "Because it is through Death you will gain power. Power absolute to destroy those that wronged us, those that would defend him. I saw your attempt at the Fortune Cup, my friend. You nearly succeeded, but you were stopped before you could."

It was here he held out his gloved hand, "I could tell you why...But you would be better served being shown. Take my hand...And learn the truth."

Once Bommer might do so, he would sense the world shift around him. Soon stabilizing on a perfect rendition of his village in South America. Everything about this scene would remind them both of what their home was like. Simple but beautiful...And there Bommer himself was, playing with the children. He would seem so much happier here...

And then came Rex himself. Having arrived just outside the city in a helicopter, he was flanked by several guards. This would be the memory where Bommer was first approached, the talks of a deal to use a plot of land for a new energy device. Something to provide the poor town with free power, and jobs within the company to give income. To help their town grow, the deal reaching fruition.

Next to the village elder was Demak himself, albeit fresh-faced and bright-eyed; Demak seemed to be a guard of sorts himself. And soon enough Bommer was brought in as well, being asked to help map out where the ancestral grounds were so as not to disturb them. "Remember this? It would have lifted us out of poverty...Given our village something to live for, a way to become part of the New World. It was something the kids would inherit from their parents..."

The scene progressed. The plant being built, construction crews erecting the massive structure. "But as time went on...I began to grow suspicious. We had no money and yet they were building this here...Not to mention Goodwin was having teams exploring the Nazca Lines." Facing Bommer, Demak then asked while the scene paused on one such time running analyzers on the area near the geoglyph of the Giant, "What would that have to do with power, I asked...And I found it when I decided to investigate for myself."

The scene progressed again, this time showing Demak sneaking through the building, trying to find a connection. "It was here I found the truth: They were going to leech the life from our land to power their machine. Everything would wither and die..." Bommer could look over the younger Demaks shoulder and see that he was holding an environmental impact study, confirming the results. His voice low as he said, "And when I was caught..."

Once more the scene shifted, showing Demak bound and gagged on the edge of a high canyon, a suppressed pistol aimed at the back of his head. Goodwin also there, his voice calm as he said, "Sorry...But I am afraid I cannot let you ruin this. Be assured, young man, your village will prosper...It might just take some fine-tuning"

A loud whistle could be heard, the gun firing and Demak slumping over. "Throw him in...Make sure he cannot be found." And with that, Demak's body was thrown over the edge. Tumbling down into the dark depths.

"And what happened...We still lost our home..."

The scene progressed again, this time showing the devastation of their village, Goodwin making that fateful deal with Bommer to rebuild. "And yet despite your service to him, and you flushing out those with the Marks as he asked, he still reneged on his agreement."

And lastly the scene would shift one final time, this time showing Demak being reborn, his body intact, Rutger - bearing an uncanny resemblance to Rex - offering the same deal that Demak was giving to him, the card form of his God being handed to the Dark Signer.

"I understand that was a lot...Take your time to process it well. And of course...Ask any questions you might have." Demak then said, waiting for Rutgers reply.
 

A slight pause hung in the air as Bommer watched Demak stretch his hand out. Much like Demak had figured, Bommer was still uncertain about everything he was hearing, and to some extents, even seeing. But ... seeing was supposed to be akin to believing, or so the proverb said. So, no matter how crazy or odd this may end up being ... he finally extended his own hand and took it. And as he did, time almost literally went backwards. To the happier days ... he soon saw his younger self, one that wasn't focused on wanting revenge. He wasn't even in Domino City. He was indeed truly back home, back in South America.

His mouth couldn't help but drop. It'd been so long that up until now, he almost forgot what this era had looked like. But it caused him to feel warm ... comforted. A ghost of an actual smile just barely could be noticed if one looked hard enough to find it.

So he truly was here? Why did he not feel or seem overly familiar then?

It was odd at most, but Bommer knew it ultimately didn't matter. Besides ... it wasn't like Demak looked the exact same. There were some very noticeable new features, like the marks on his face. So he dismissed it as being something simple like that. Instead, his attention went back to the flashback and scenery. And when he saw Goodwin murder Demak, his fist clenched tightly.

"Bastard!" he hissed through gritted teeth.

Indeed, he had been close to obtaining revenge at the Fortune Cup. But he'd been stopped ... by a girl of all people. Granted, her dragons were powerful, but still ... it didn't mean he had enjoyed how that played out.

Just in case any further persuading was needed, he got it upon seeing Demak come back to life. Bommer soon found himself staring between the Demak standing before him as well as the one in the flashback. Clearly trying to make damn sure they were the same person. He couldn't find anything to hint he was being deceived, so ... this was the harsh truth. Everything he'd said, his reasons for helping him out ... all true, if not a bit surreal.

"The only one even somewhat coming to my head ... is since you seem to have made a pact with a God ... what will they want from me? But that probably depends, doesn't it? And will likely be something I'll find out when that moment arrives, otherwise ...."

Bommer shook his head.

"I'll do it. I'm assuming this will happen elsewhere though, yes?"

And with that, the two would leave the area, heading towards the Crater where the other Dark Signers were hiding away.


Save for Hajime, Yuna's room was completely alone. The poor bluenette was passed out. As devoted as he was to Yuna, he could only remain awake for so long. Yuna was also asleep ... at least for now. But were anyone else in the room, they'd notice her eyes showing she was going through the REM process. Dreaming ... but yet not at the same time.

I'm sorry ...

It was all in her head, mind you. But standing before Yuna was ... Rose? It was, and yet it wasn't. The voice certainly sounded like her, but this figure didn't have red hair or a katana. It looked like a slightly older version of Yuna, having dark black locks and matching eyes. Except ... they were sad. Disheartened. As if she'd done something very wrong.

" ... Rose?"

The single name joined the beeping of the machines as the main source of noise echoing throughout the room. But it was too soft for Hajime to hear .... for now, anyway.

I should have done this much sooner ... but maybe not. If I had, I wouldn't be able to get you out of this mess.

Oi, answer me. Is that you, Rose?

Yes ... and no.

Okay, so just as she'd thought. But how? The older figure chuckled as she sat beside Yuna and lightly held onto her hand.

I suppose it's only natural you'd have a lot of questions. I didn't exactly get the chance to fill in the blanks. So, let's start with the basics. I am Rose ... but not the same that resides in your deck. I'm your sister.

Yuna could feel her eyes widen and try to open up. Her leg kicked the bed in frustration as she started trying to wake herself up.

Not yet. I know it's selfish. I've been that way for a while, but please hear me out. Because after I'm done, I won't be around anymore.

What the fuck do you mean? Hold the hell up! What do you mean you're my sister?!

Exactly as it sounds. We were born years apart; long enough that you never knew about me.

Why?! Why the hell was this kept from me?!

Because mom and dad knew if you found out the truth ... you'd be pissed at them. Probably would have left home much sooner and may have ended up joining me.

And where would that be, exactly?

.... Yuna, come now. You're not stupid. I'm sure you can piece it together, can you not?

A low whimper left as Yuna's fists clenched tightly. Now Hajime woke up, and did so with quite the start as he saw Yuna's body actually moving. He hadn't imagined things, right? He moved slowly closer, lightly taking Yuna's hand into his. It was very swiftly grabbed and tightly gripped.

Mei! Mei, she's waking up! Come in, please!

Meanwhile, the talk in Yuna's head was ... not quite as pleasant.

Why? Why the fuck are you dead? What happened?

You met him ....

Huh?

The reason I'm dead ... you met him. And it's a large part of why your fears exist. That's all my doing. I'm sorry.

Who the fuck are you ... ??

But before Yuna could finish asking her question, she found herself looking at the scene steadily changing. The form before her was still there ... but so was another one. Younger, too. She was trembling, crouched behind a tombstone.

It started out as an innocent game of hide and seek. But then ...

What may as well have been an invisible camera zoomed up and revealed Demak. Lying at his feet was a freshly murdered corpse. By now, if Yuna hadn't reacted or indicated she was somewhat 'conscious', she definitely did at the sight of Demak. Her pulse was rapidly racing, and her grip on Hajime's hand tightened.

You knew that bastard?

By face only, mind you, but .... yes, technically.

Several pairs of hands grabbed onto the younger Rose, dragging her forward. She fought back, of course. But the numbers were too many, and they all easily overpowered her, particularly at such a young age. Demak gave her a brief look ... and for a bit, it almost seemed as if the concept of mercy would be acceptable. But he ended up shaking his head. "No one can relay this. No one."

"So what do we do with her?"

"Make sure she doesn't leave here."

"W-wait. I don't wanna die. No, please ..."

But the pleas fell on deaf ears. First, the already deceased body was dealt with and rather harshly tossed into a nearby casket. After they were finished with that ... a very frightened and freaked out Rose was put in a separate one.

"YOU CAN'T DO THIS!"

Both Rose from the memory and Yuna simultaneously screamed those words out loud. Hajime hadn't simply been sitting beside Yuna. It'd likely been on a subconscious level, but he'd been watching the revelations Yuna was seeing. It wasn't likely meant to be shown to him, but with him being so close ... he could now understand why Yuna was being the way she was.

Tears were stinging his eyes.

It's okay, Yuna. Please wake up.

Hajime? You're .... nearby?

It's okay. She will soon. Thank you for watching over my sister.

W-what are you doing?

Letting you wake up fully and finally come back to them. They need you more. My time has already left. Now that I've been able to talk to you, I can finally rest up peacefully ...

But ... I just got to finally see you. How the fuck is this fair?!

A sheepish grin appeared on the older Rose's lips as the scene faded away.

It's okay. I never even got started with doing anything useful in my life. You ... can make up for that, Yuna. Yomi needs you. Hold onto all of the people that are dear and still alive to you close.

But ...

Slowly but surely, Rose began to vanish away. Despite still being somewhat asleep, tears were falling down Yuna's cheeks.

I asked you a question ... what are you doing?!

Letting you wake back up ... by giving you my soul ...

No, Rose .... don't fucking run from me .... damnit, no! No fair ... no ....

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Finally, Yuna sat quickly up in her bed. She looked around with a wild and very freaked expression in her eyes ... which quickly softened as they saw that indeed, Hajime was standing beside her. His hand was a bit red from how hard she'd squeezed it ... but he merely smiled and pulled Yuna into a hug. Welcome back .... thank gods, Yuna ... we've been so terrified you'd never .... listen, I get it. You did just have a shit ton thrust upon you. But Rose is right. We really do need you.

"What the fuck happened to your voice? Why are you ... ??"

And then, everything hit her like a ton of bricks. The memory of fighting Aki, recalling Hotsuma leaving, the recollection of telling Hotsuma her last words right before saving Takeshi .... each and every one made her tears fall faster.

" .... Hotsuma, is he here?"

Yuna would easily feel the slight twinge of jealousy shoot through Hajime. Even still, he fought the urge to visibly grimace as he responded back to his leader, ... No. He hasn't been here since you saved Takeshi. He left to go kill Kiryu. None of us have heard or seen him since.

"I'm gonna go join him. Hell, maybe I can find that bastard Demak and we can both kill two birds with one stone."

Not fucking yet, hell no! We just got you back! No fucking way are we risking losing you again!

"So I'm just supposed to sit here and wait?!"

Not wait, per se. But be smart, please. Don't do something so stupid like going after them again, let alone without any help. Look how that went! Even with your own powers ... it's not enough. And with Hotsuma possibly being dead himself ...

"Don't joke! There's no way ... "

Hajime merely flashed Yuna a serious deadpanned expression. The tremors rushing through Yuna's body increased as she stared down at herself ... remembering that he wasn't wrong. She had indeed been here for ... how long, anyway? Weeks? Months? More? And all because of them.

"I hate them," she repeated, her voice barely above a whisper at first. Hajime offered an understanding nod, continuing to hold onto a still shaky Yuna. "I fucking hate them. Those pricks better enjoy their remaining days alive, because I'm fucking killing whoever I can get my hands on ... doubly so if he truly is dead."

She hadn't forgotten the last argument or confrontation she'd had with Hotsuma. Far from it. But she also recalled her last words ... and how she was at least attempting to make up with him. Which made the possibility of never being able to do just that all the more painful. A defeated sigh would be the next thing Hajime would hear from Yuna ... before finally, she started to speak up again.

Right before the words could properly leave her mouth, however, the door opened with a very taken aback - but still pleasantly surprised - Mei walking inside.
 

"I explained it before, did I not? The Gods seek the destruction of the Signers, those that bear the Light Dragon's Mark. We lost our home because of its power...And it has cost more lives than you can even begin to fathom...Than even I can, or our master." Demak explained. "We have to end this fight now if it means restoring the world...Restoring our pride. We can get our vengeance for those that Goodwin has stolen from us....Will you join me, brother?"

Thankfully, Bommer seemed very amicable to the idea...And soon after a quick recall ritual, they were back in the Dark Signer Base. "You're back Demak...And it seems our friend is ready to join us." Rutger replied, Bommer nodding "Yes...Though I admit I am concerned of this. Demak showed me how you brought him back....Are you sure...It will work the same?"

"Ah, don't worry so much, Bomberman." said a third voice, Bommer looking over and seeing a silver-haired young man. "So young....Did Goodwin do this to you as well?" he would ask, the young man chuckling "Indirectly yes...But I was betrayed. Someone I thought a friend sold me out after I tried to fight for our home. And from what Boss here said...You're in the same boat as me." Bommer's eyes narrowed; it seemed Demak was indeed telling the truth. MOre so than he even thought.

"So, Bommer....Are you ready? Demak laid out what must happen, yes? If it is any consolation, we are all in the same situation, brought from beyond to serve as their will. And together, we can win this fight. And the Gods will reward us for our service." Rutger said, Bommer nodding, "If it means I can get revenge on Goodwin for what he did to me....To my village....Then yes, I am more than ready."

And with that, Rutger led Bommer to a separate room, where a swirling vortex could be seen at the depths of a dark chasm. "Is this where...." Bommer asked, Rutger replying, "Yes....." At this Bommer approached the vortex, staring down into the chasm that contained it. He then felt Rutger place hands on his neck, "I will make it painless...." And with that Bommer closed his eyes...Before it all faded away...

*----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*

The air around Yomi was still fairly tense; how long had it been since they had a normal day now? Forever and a half, it felt like; Takeshi still had yet to leave his room, much to Shivinis chagrin, Yamichi had yet to return as did their leaders, albeit for different reasons.

Regardless, it was safe to say things had improved minimally...At least Finlay had managed to use some of his father's findings to perhaps guide Yunas spirit back to herself, or somehow manage to convince a spirit to lend her strength to recover.

Perhaps it was this that helped Rose find Yuna, perhaps not...But soon she would awaken again, and not too much longer after the reunion between Hajime and Yuna, Mei had indeed walked in with food for both of them. She had been about to intubate Yuna again to feed her some broth, having just sterilized the equipment, when she noticed the sight of Yuna..Awake.

"My words..." She would say, setting the food down to a side table and rushing over, already somewhat frantic as she checked Yuna's vitals. "You gave people quite a scare, dear...But very good to have you back among us."

At this Finlay had also returned, wanting to try something different to coax a spirit, incense and dried herbs in pouches around his waist before he too saw Yuna awake. "Y...You're back. Welcome...I'm Finlay. Finlay Cromwell..." the young man said, Mei just smiling "Oh don't be shy..."

She then turned to Yuna, "Well try to keep visitors to a minimum for now...But I've little doubt people will be ecstatic to hear the news. Besides...You will need to take it easy for now. Comatose states wreak havoc on the body." Finlay approached, "How is she, Doctor?"

Finishing her initial examination, "Her vitals seem...okay, but I'm worried about your lung function, Yuna. If it's alright...I'd like to take a chest X-ray. I did one when you were first brought here, but I want to make sure there's no damage to your pulmonary. Is it alright if I do that?"
 

The best way to explain how Yuna looked when both Mei and Finlay came in was ... lost. She nodded after remembering why Mei looked familiar, but ... still looked puzzled at Finlay's presence. "You're ... who now, exactly? Sorry .... but the name isn't sounding overly familiar, so ... what am I missing?"

Ahhh. True, true. I don't think she was conscious when you and Shivini started going out, so ...

" ... You're dating my third in-command?"

Did Eikichi get demoted? Hajime jested, helping a smirk adorn Yuna's face.

"Nah, not yet. Him and Shivini have always technically been tied ... but he's also been more reluctant to accept his decision. Fuck if I know why, but umm .... " Yuna took a few more moments to process this new bit of information before looking up at Finlay and offering him her own accepting grin and nod. "Well, Shivini can definitely hold her own fine. If she had an issue with you, you wouldn't be here. So I'm not gonna make a fuss about that."

If anything, Yuna had tried to encourage them to eventually find a partner for themselves. She didn't want everyone living the rest of their days alone, and that had been before she gave her first time to Hotsuma. So it was good to see and hear they were finally heeding her words. "We'll properly celebrate when I'm well enough. Has anyone else done something similar to this?"

Yamichi has ... but I'll allow him to tell you who if he so chooses. It doesn't feel right to do so when he's away.

That made Yuna raise an eyebrow. "Away? He's at least gone on good terms, right? It's not linked to Hotsuma's disappearance, is it?"

Not fully, though maybe a small part might be. But no. He's with his new partner. I'll just leave it at that.

" .... And Takeshi? He hasn't done anything overly stupid, has he?"

No. We had to keep him under a close eye, as he .... certainly had the right mood and reasons to make such foolish attempts. Hajime's own smile widened as he wiped the tears that had started to form away with his arm before letting it fall back at his side. But no. He's here and ... it's reasons like that add onto the urgency of you needing to wake up. I'm not saying you can't mourn Rose. But be grateful for her sacrifice, too.

A slight grimace appeared on Yuna's face ... but when she couldn't find a way to argue with that logic, she nodded and elicited a defeated sigh. A few coughs were the next thing everyone would hear ... and soon after would come Mei's concern about Yuna's lungs.

" .... I suppose considering those coughs .... yeah. You have the green light from me, as well as checking up on anything else that may seem appropriate." Her eyes were planted on all of the IVs. Even those who didn't have powers in any form or fashion could tell what Yuna was hoping for; the IVs to be removed. But .... she also understood well enough why they were still in place. Another huff left her lips before she nodded towards the tray.

"Can x-rays wait until after that, at least?"

Hajime would make sure Mei would approve of that much before grabbing it off the counter and helping Yuna eat. Yuna shot a 'I'm not that weak' look before swallowing her pride and allowing him to help.

I know you probably don't feel it, but you're definitely not at one hundred percent. Besides, this isn't a permanent thing. But until you are feeling ...

"I'm no doctor myself, but I think I get it well enough. I doubt you'd be a much better patient if you were the one who had been out for as long as me."

Fair enough. I definitely wouldn't be much better. Guilty.

Hajime's head tilted slightly as he continued feeding Yuna. " ... Did something else happen?"

Yeah. Fayth visited yesterday. But the thing I'm wondering .... is she revealed to us that she had a pact with Morningstar.

" ... Like the fallen angel of the same name?"

Mhm. He supposedly helped her do .... something to you. I guess it seems like it helped out.

"Is that ... why my head feels a bit .... weird or something?"

Probably. But just focus on yourself for now.

"Did Fayth say when she made that pact by chance? I know it doesn't technically matter since she already made it and ... did something to help. But that wasn't something she had during her incarceration. I would have definitely sensed that type of power."

Hajime merely shook his head, She didn't relay that answer, no. Just that ... he got rid of whatever was in your system. Something from the Dark Signers or whatnot.

"Then I'm assuming there was more than just you in the room when that happened? That could have gone very, very badly, you know?"

Hajime nodded again. Fayth didn't come alone. Jack accompanied her and then Eikichi was here at the time also, as was Finlay. More than enough people that if something shady had been attempted, the process could have been interrupted.

Yuna nodded at that, finally setting the utensils down after finishing her meal and carefully stretching. A slight yawn resounded from Yuna .... and now that she was finally awake in a more natural state, she could detect just how exhausted she was, both mentally and physically. "Okay, Mei. You wanted to get the x-rays done, right? I suppose we can get them outta the way."
 
Finlay was a bit intimidated by the whole experience; his only interactions with lifeless corpses was during archeological digs with his father. Even so, he was glad Yuna was amicable. "I admit...Shivini didn't tell me a lot about you. But I am glad you don't mind. I would hate to cause a fuss." Finlay would reply. "But Mei is right, people will be glad you're awake." He didn't know anything about Yomi's hierarchy or who was what, though as the conversations would go on, he would start to learn more.

Mei's face fell a bit as Yamichi was brought up; she seemed to enjoy the little nerd. And in truth, Finlay wasn't too bad himself. Both were adorably quirky, and quite intelligent; in the short time she'd known them both, it was rather refreshing to have someone with an obvious education to speak with. Someone she could use the technical jargon on and not have to water down what she was trying to say. Granted, that didn't mean she didn't enjoy the others too; they were more fun in their own way. They were an ecuse to let her down and relax...And they were more civilised than that fat Armstrong bastard.

When Yuna wondered about the possibility about holding off until after she ate, Mei saw no reason to disagree. "Of course; I imagine you would probably want to eat. Apologies it's nothing more substantial...But I hadn't expected you to awaken." Finlay would chime in "Probably for the best; liquids will be better tolerated for a little while if her body has been inactive for so long."

Her and Hajime would talk, Mei asking Finlay to help her get the X-ray ready. He'd become sort of a medical assistant in his short stay here, Mei teaching him some of the basics of diagnostic treatment. While he couldn't pass for a licensed doctor anytime soon, he seemed to know a good deal about analyzers and basic medical terminology. Probably from his time in ancient ruins using similar devices to analyze relics.

"Yuna...?"

A quiet voice then piped up, the attention going back to the entrance...And there stood Takeshi himself. Looking quite haggard, but alive...The last thing Yuna might remember from him was being helped by Hotsuma break him free of his control from the Dark Signers. He didn't seem to have slept for days, his tired eyes wide with surprise.

He would approach Yuna, his body shaking as he got close enough to touch her face...Like he was confirming she was actually here. And then he just broke: His arms wrapped around her in a hug, sobs breaking through as he tried to say "I'm sorry...I'm so sorry...." over and over. Relief and anguish mixing together through him; he had thought he killed her. That she would never awaken.
 

Yuna slowly glanced around while eating, taking in all of the faces and scenery around her. Yep, it was indeed still the ex-Facility that they'd converted into their base. Yes, Hajime was indeed still stubbornly sitting beside her. Fiercely devoted and loyal as ever ... something that at least made a small smile appear on her face. Mei ... a god send as far as finding someone in the medical field went was also in the room, as was Finlay. She knew Shivini was safe .... and now dating the newest figure in the form of Finlay. Yamichi was away with his own lover .... whoever that may or may not be.

All was finally well and yet ... she somehow felt incomplete. Her head shook in annoyance as a sigh passed her lips. She knew why ... and even Hajime could begin sensing what was bothering her. The cost, the reason she was awake at all .... why did it have to be so high? Couldn't whatever Fayth have done finished it all? Couldn't Rose have stayed with her?

Her grip on the tray tightened before she forced herself to give it back to Hajime ... lest she risk tossing it away and having to slam against the wall, or accidentally hit any of the others inside the room.

Maybe you should lie down and rest up more?

Yuna rolled her eyes. "What? You mean the thing I've done for .... weeks? Dare I ask months? Besides, she wants to do x-rays soon. I can't."

Yuna ... grieving is one thing. But don't be bitter at us.

"I'm trying. I am, but just ... now what? What good are these powers now, huh? How the fuck am I supposed to be able to endure whatever may come next, particularly if it's from that fucker Kiryu?! Or - frankly - any of the Dark Signers?!"

He may already be dead. Either way ...

"Don't even finish that. I know well enough where you're gonna try to go with that logic. It's the Signers job, right? You'll have to forgive me for being a bit grim, but .... how do we even know any of them, let alone all of them, will come out of this alive?"

When Hajime couldn't immediately come up with a reply, Yuna merely nodded. "Exactly my point. Hajime ... I'm not going to force any of you to do this, but I'm personally going to back them up somehow. Even if only weakens those bastards, it's better than doing nothing."

Are you insane?! After you finally just woke up?!

"Hajime ... be honest with me. Do you seriously think any place is gonna be safe? Even here? Those 'guards' we got .... come on. They'll be crushed with ease. Surely, you know that. If you really want me to stay out of those fights, then ... we may as well do the next smartest thing and relocate."

To where?

A very knowing look that almost silently seemed to say 'See now what I'm saying?' appeared in Yuna's eyes as she silently looked up towards Hajime, who clicked his tongue in annoyance before chuckling softly. Something that made Yuna tilt her head.

I missed these sorts of interactions like you. Like I said earlier, you can't mourn for Rose. That'd be incredibly dumb for me to insist or demand. But .... I honestly think you just having these Psychic abilities helped out, you know? Like ... it gave you an extra layer so you wouldn't be outright annihilated. Something like that. At any rate, that in itself is more than helpful enough. You don't need to change into Rose or anyone else to be 'useful'. But on that note ... maybe you can shift forms still. It just ... probably will be someone new. There's nothing saying that possibility is completely gone, though.

"I suppose not," Yuna softly whispered. Sounding frustrated ... and yet simultaneously defeated. She snuck a sideways glance towards the half-empty bowl ... but no. Her appetite was still gone and didn't feel like it was wanting to return anytime too soon. Yuna started to open her mouth to signal she was ready for the x-rays, but then .... another voice appeared.

And as Yuna turned .... she couldn't help but smile. In truth, she was going to ask Hajime to go find Takeshi, but ... he saved her second the trouble of doing just that.

"Hey there, Takeshi."

He most definitely didn't look the best. Far from it. But seeing him standing there, still at least alive and well enough ... that was a good enough start. Yuna carefully pushed herself up so she was sitting up straight better before wrapping her arms carefully around Takeshi. Her head shook as she gently ran her fingers through his black locks.

"It was worth it, and I'd do that over again for any of you. I'm just glad we were able to get you back."

An internal sigh that only Hajime could hear resounded in Yuna's head and finally ... she relaxed. Finally began to better accept the idea that everything was as Hajime was implying. In order to be conscious, be able to talk and simply live again ... Rose had to give her soul up. It was an unfortunate and very frustrating truth. But if she could finally resume doing anything in a slightly more 'normal' manner ... she'd begin to accept this.

Besides, Hajime had his own points. Maybe she could still change into a new form. He was right to think that wasn't possible anymore. And hell, maybe it'd be even stronger than Rose.

But exploring that possibility could wait. Right now, she was better seeing just how badly she needed to wake up, and just as importantly, who exactly needed her.

Yuna would stay in the embrace for a good few minutes before lightly patting Takeshi's shoulders. "Go on and get some actual rest, okay? I'm ... well, not I'm not leaving the base anytime soon. But I am leaving to get some x-rays done. But get rest. Make up for what you've lost. Know that aside from being moved to have whatever tests needed done, I'm not leaving, okay?"

And that, Hajime, is another good reason I intend to back the Signers up when they have their fight. With what Takeshi endured ... we don't want that repeating with any of us, I doubt. So the best way to ensure that ... is to make certain it all ends.

Fine. Fair enough. But let's at least talk about that later.

Yuna merely nodded in agreement, not pushing the matter any further before slowly unwrapping her arms. "But don't even worry. You've been forgiven since I knew you were back to your normal self."
 
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Takeshi was admittedly still just so overwhelmed by the fact that Yuna....YUNA of all people...was awake. Awake, irritated and cognizant. She was back, even if the circumstances for her 'return' weren't the best. No one could fault her for being upset, and if they tried it was likely they'd get a severe kick in the teeth. Or worse.

"We can always hold off on the diagnostics, can't we?" Finlay tried to offer silently to the doctor, but Mei said just as quietly, "We could, but it is honestly better if we get them done as soon as possible. I doubt her results will change from last time, but with everything we've seen? It would be prudent to check Yuna's condition; besides, we'll need to do a blood panel as well. Make sure her organs are functioning as well as they can be." The young architect nodded; it was hard to imagine what Yuna was dealing with. He was quite fortunate, and now seeing them like this?

Well, the few gripes he did have about life seemed exceptionally petty at the moment.

Especially with how she was intending to go after the people that did this to what was effectively her family. It was a sentiment that Finlay understood, without condoning or condemning. Having one's family brutalized could not be an easy thing to do deal with, and seeing how Takeshi had broken down, and with Yuna having forgiven him? It was clear this ran deeper than anything he knew about previously.

At this Finlay came by Takeshi's side, laying a hand on his shoulder, "I won't pretend to understand what you went through. I doubt I could ever appreciate the gravity even if you wrote a tell-all book on it. But you should indeed forgive yourself if Yuna has forgiven you, Takeshi. Whatever happened...Even I can see that you never wanted it to." The young man tried to smile, Takeshi pulling back from the embrace as his sniffles continued for a few seconds more.

"I....I know it wasn't me...Not fully. But I...I was stupid. Let myself get caught. It's because of me....Yuna..Hotsuma got put into that situation. My fault he's gone..." Finlay gave a small sigh, "I cannot even imagine what you feel...But if this Hotsuma is anything like Yuna, I can say with some certainty he doesn't blame you in the slightest for what happened. That blame lies on the people who turned you against your friends." Mei smiled, glad that Finlay was trying to help Takeshi and Yuna bolster their spirits.

Finally, Takeshi seemed to relent...With his leader's words and Finlay's support, Takeshi just nodded. "I think....I think I will go lie down." Mei came over too and squeezed Takeshi's arm, "Go do that....I'll be by later to examine you as well. You could probably use some treatment." Once Takeshi left, Mei just sighed and said, "You both could do real work as therapists; under better circumstances I would recommend you both to Puzzle Hospital."


Motioning to Yuna, she then turned and said, "Finlay, go get the wheelchair for her." As Finlay left, Mei anticipated Yuna's remarks about needing to walk about, "And don't argue, Miss Takeda. There's no doubt you've experienced significant muscular atrophy, and while I'm here you're going to take it easy on yourself."

*-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*

Back in the Dark Signer base, a familiar young man - his right half of his face etched in a thick web of markings - burst through the entrance. A familiar silver-haired young man woke up from a daze, saying in a tired voice, "What the hell..."

And what followed was heavy footsteps...Heavier than what should be normal. And from the shadowy entrance came the form of none other than the Fiend of the Satellite. Nay, now the Demon. "Ehhh....What the hell are you doing here...It ain't time yet." Kiryu mused. "Gotta hand it to you though; seems like ol' Takeda's still thinking you might still be alive~"

"That is the exact point of this ruse, you maggot. And you failed to kill her even when you had the upper hand. Your possession was weak, even with the Darkness I lent you." Hotsuma stated, adding "Ccacc, you chose both the worst and the best host for this." At this Kiryu laughed, "Vengeance is what big man's all about, right? And no one's got more of a bloodthirst for payback than me...Well, aside from maybe the ladies. Besides, it worked right? We had her knocked out of commission...And that little feint about trying to kill me? Nice sell, my guy...What's it been? 3, 4 months now? She really still think you're her ex?"

Hotsuma snorted derisively, "I care not for your questions, whelp. Now...Uru." Hotsuma's attention turned to the leader of the Dark Signers, "Speak to me directly. Has Chacu yet to find a host? The time for the Revival Ritual is nearing, and my legions grow weary of playing babysitter to this realm."
 
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"Oi, I'm not deaf. Kindly don't talk like I'm not around, particularly when it literally involves me. That said, I appreciate trying to get me out of the medical procedures, but .... " Yuna sighed before shaking her head. "I'd honestly just rather get it over with. The sooner, the better." Upon hearing that statement, Hajime grinned and lightly rubbed her back, earning a soft sigh and groan. "That actually feels really nice. Soothing, even. Keep going, please?"

Yuna's head lifted ... clearly hesitant to easily believe Takeshi simply 'let himself' get captured. "Weren't you .... in your own bad state? That was around the time bullshit shenanigans during the Fortune Cup happened and you got incarcerated, right? Look, me and Hotsuma went into here, yes. But that was because we had a plan. Aside from crazy weirdos like us, no one willingly goes and gets themselves arrested, let alone during a legitimate tournament."

But regardless of whether she may have missed something or even remembered incorrectly, she was certain enough about one thing. She was definitely right that Takeshi had, in his own rights, been somehow incapacitated ... or at least in a situation where the truth was as she believed. That he had next to little to truly help himself avoid such a fate.

"In fact, do you ... ??"

But before she finished that question, her head shook as Yuna snuck a sideways glance towards Mei. "I suppose that can wait. But I need to catch up on everything that happened while I was out, and even a bit before then. In your case ... who even did find you? If we're gonna consider dealing with these pricks when the time arrives, trying to better pinpoint what powers they may or may not have will help us out. Possession is an obvious one, but what we need to find out what else so we can .... try to counter them somehow."

A smile and gentle sigh of relief elicited as Takeshi left and went to his own quarters to go rest. The poor guy did look pretty shitty. Hopefully he could now begin healing and forgiving himself ... or at least start. She'd need him at his strongest .... assuming he would join her. Though considering everything they did? Yuna would be a bit more amazed if he stayed away, but then again, she could understand not wanting to get involved either. Once would very likely be more than enough for anyone.

This did include herself ... were it under normal circumstances.

As things were, though, this was absolutely not something that Yuna could ignore.

The word 'wheelchair' was what helped Yuna snap out of her thoughts. Mei was met with a groan .... but nothing more. She seemed understanding and accepting - enough - to accept being put even in a wheelchair.

Just keep telling yourself it's not permanent.

"Ten steps ahead of ya, Hajime," Yuna muttered, raising an eyebrow as he started to grab onto the IVs. "You ... know how to unhook those?"

I've been here basically 24/7, save for a small handful of exceptions. What do you think I've been doing since you were unconscious?

"Watching me sleep?"

Not only, though, but guilty.

Sure enough, he proved with the way his hands moved and how he was gentle enough in handling the IVs that Hajime had indeed watched Mei carefully. Yuna nodded, an impressed smile forming on her lips as he then proceeded to bandage the areas the IVs had been set in. "Not bad at all .... "

Now .... excuse me .....

"Hm?"

She wouldn't need to wait long. Before Yuna could protest or insist it wasn't needed, she found herself in Hajime's arms. She tried to give an annoyed - if not more so - glare ... but it ended up looking and feeling pretty damn weak. A defeated sigh accompanied by her tongue clicking echoed throughout the room before her head fell against Hajime's shoulder, seeming to allow him to win this silent 'fight' of sorts for now. And just in case she needed anymore incentives? He resumed rubbing her back, making her moan and lean further against his shoulder.

I'll keep going even when Finlay returns.

"You damn well better. All of these x-rays and whatever else is gonna happen is gonna be boring as hell. But I'll do it just to make sure my body's not in too horrible of a state. Or, if it is, that it can be fixed."

The moment Finlay returned, Hajime carefully set Yuna down, walking beside the wheelchair. Sure, he'd need to keep a distance when the x-rays were done. But he could be nearby the room and help keep a watch over her from there. Also ensure only visitors she wanted were coming and seeing her. Today was indeed going to be a long day, and even if Yuna would try to object, Hajime would need to be there, especially for when Mei finished all of her check-ups on the Yomi leader.


Judai had gotten the news. By the time lunch had rolled around, everyone in the base knew Yuna had recovered her consciousness. Regardless of what had ensured Yuna woke up, Judai was relieved. In the time he'd been in this dimension, he had come to see that the concept of comradery existed in other dimensions. It was something he was honestly very relieved to witness. Traits like chivalry and loyalty were rare, so to be able to meet up with people who knew what it meant was a reassuring display.

His head lifted as a door cautiously opened. After the bright blue-grey orbs from Crow confirmed it was just Judai, he gave a whistle. "He's here!" he called out, moving away when both Rua and Ruka came towards the door.

"Don't worry!" Judai reassured, "I'll take make sure they get back safe."

Crow merely gave a stern nod. Not quite to the point of verbally lashing at him ... but there was a clear, unspoken tone that implied if he failed, Crow would definitely not be happy with Judai. Judai chuckled nervously after the door closed. He then began to walk, though not before lightly rubbing his head for a few moments, before clearing his throat and looking between the twins. Only after they had moved a bit away from Crow's base did Judai finally speak up.

"Okay, so ... how do you usually go in?"

Even though he purposely kept the question vague, Ruka understood what Judai was trying to ask. She just ... had to think how to word it. "Well .... normally, I go while I'm asleep. But ... I think I could probably create an entrance."

Judai nodded at the reply, "If nothing else, I should be able to help with that. I can definitely do that much myself."

Which did imply that yes, he could have easily left this world if he'd wanted to. He simply chose not to. These people were definitely not the same as Sho or Jun, but they were friends in their own rights. And truthfully? He'd become very fond of all of them. Besides, this world definitely seemed to need him more, so why leave? He was finally understanding why everyone was very likely so pissed when they first heard his decision to up and live in the Spirit World.

It was, truthfully, a very selfish move on his behalf. Even a dickish one, if he had to be brutally sincere. He just up and left ... without really thinking or caring about how anyone would react to him just vanishing the way he did.

If he could help it, he wasn't going to repeat that mistake. Not again, and even less so when the stakes here were as high as they were.
 

Rutger Goodwin::Hotsuma Oboro::Kiryu Kyosuke​

At the command to speak, Rutger turned around, his eyes now glowing red among the black sclera, his voice sonorous "You must have patience. The web has been laid, and now all we need do is ensnare our prey."

Hotsuma then gave a low 'Tch' and replied, "I have been nothing but patient. Having to play two parts and pretend as if my host has any control is far easier said than done. Especially now that we have...other interlopers to concern ourselves with. Ones I am sure you know all too well."

Uru just laughed, "You speak of the one named Yubel and the Fallen, Morningstar? They are fearsome, yes, but rest assured we can prevent their intervention. Or at the very least distract them long enough for us to attain our goal."

At this Hotsuma just sneered, "You say that and yet now twice Morningstar has driven back your associates. I will not let that Fallen undo what I have worked to accomplish. So I present you all with yet another gift." At this Hotsuma held up a hand, more than two dozen balls of dark energy appearing there, each floating to Rutger. "Consider this the last time I will directly intervene. And Uru? If any of you fail, I will not hold back like before. Do not forget who holds the power here...Do we understand each other?"

At this Kiryu stood up, saying "Oi, Ccacc has something he'd like to say." At this Kiryu's voice changed, his eyes glowing a deep purple-blue "Ignacious...Mind your tongue. There are seven of us and only one of you. You might be the progenitor of all Demons, but even you cannot hope to take us down all at once." Hotsuma snarled, black tendrils of dark corrupting energy instantly ensnaring Kiryu, splaying his body open. "And you....You incompetent wretch...Had best mind who YOU speak to."

After a few seconds, Kiryu was released once more, the young man coughing as he said, "D-Damn it....What the hell....did he say?" Hotsuma just gave a 'Hmph' and said nothing, "Now....Uru. Spread these gifts among you. Use them well, and you shall succeed." As Hotsuma left, Rutger regained control, Uru receding to a more passive stance, a stack of new cards in his hand. He looked through them, seemingly impressed by the selection. Yes..There was enough here for each of them.

"Ready yourselves, and go find Ccharyu and Asllu. The time to begin starts soon."

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Rua was busy helping them get ready; they didn't know how long they might be stuck in there. Packs were made in case they might have to stay in there longer than anticipated, but in truth? It could be as long as a few weeks, or as short as a few hours. They weren't going to have the same luxuries as before, and with Ruka's visions worsening? It was clear they needed to go as soon as possible before Zeman might overtake the entire region.

And worryingly more, several of the more prominent spirits seemed to be missing, ones that Ruka talked with often. In fact, the only one that remained close was Kuribon; the others had disappeared one by one over the days. Rua had silently sworn, as he always did, to protect his little sister.

"Yeah! Don't worry, we'll kick Zeman's monkey butt and be out before you can say banana-rama!" Rua said, adding "Besides, I've gotten a lot stronger since the Fortune Cup! So I'll thrash him if he tries to put a hand on Ruka!"

But with that, they were off. They ended up traveling to a remote site, a place where the energy of the realms seemed to connect. Rua only listened as Ruka explained about making a portal; he didn't know she could do this. She'd only been into the Spirit Realm when she was out, either sleeping or when her illness might put her under. How many times did she not wake up from overexerting herself? How many times did her illness put her in a coma so deep she was out for months at a time?

"Ruka, maybe you should let Judai do the heavy lifting on this. You've never done this before...And I don't want you to get hurt." Rua would chime in.

"Well, perhaps she should do none of it if her condition is so dire?"

A fourth voice cut through the air, the familiar figure of the Professor standing behind him. "It's you...From the Cup...." Rua said, feeling a sense of dread wash over him. This guy was already a bit of a creep, but now he seemed even more so. "Indeed...I was cheated by Goodwin of a chance to explore the mind of....Ruka, was it not?"

A second figure then emerged to stand behind him to his left, his body covered in a heavy cloak, "Professor...Be careful now. That one there...Holds the Spirit of the Drachen." A finger emerged as he pointed right at Judai. "Drachen...?" Rua said.

The Professor could only laugh, "Oh believe I was well aware. Your superiors were very clear about the danger of this one. Fret not...It is the girl who is the lynchpin of their operation. And the one I want." At this Rua stepped in front of Ruka, "Well you can forget it creep! You won't lay a finger on her while I'm here!"
 

The normally calm and cheerful expression that would be found on Ruka's face was replaced by a stoic and tense one. Kuribon appeared beside Ruka, wearing its own concerned look as it glanced over at the small girl. A sheepish grin appeared on her face. "Sorry. I'm making you all worry, aren't I?"

"Well, this isn't exactly a minor thing we're about to do. If anything, it's probably one of the most major feats you've likely had to do. But ... unlike the other times, you won't be doing this alone. Don't forget that."

"I ... appreciate that. Thank you both."

Judai didn't necessarily stare at her spirit ... but he did use his peripheral vision to study it. He couldn't help but grin; it was a spirit that seemed suitable for Ruka. Small, innocent, but still very much a fighter in its own rights. Ruka's head tilted slightly ... but then she remembered the last time she'd spoken with Judai and grinned. "That's right, you did say you had your own partner. So you can see Kuribon, can't you?"

"Mhm, very easily."

That seemed to lift Ruka's spirits up. Although Rua had always believed in her abilities, it was nice to be with someone who knew for certain she wasn't lying or making this up.

"Now, Ruka-chan ... I'm by no means saying you're incompetent, nor is your brother, but maybe you should heed his advice. If only to save up your energy."

Before Ruka could respond, however, someone else spoke up first. Both Judai and Ruka would quickly turn their heads as a new voice intervened into the conversation. And when Judai saw who it was? His eyes narrowed. "Hello again, Professor." The tone his voice held didn't make an effort to hide his true nature; he was not happy to see the man. Not one bit. He'd gotten nothing but negative feelings even from seeing him back at the Fortune Cup. And now? Those feelings were definitely stronger. He held his ground, crossing his arms over his chest as he waited for an explanation.

"Drachen?" Judai repeated ... and then winced. One would have to look ... but his eyes angrily flashed as they started to shift colors. He quickly covered at least one. In his head, however, Yubel refused to be silent.

Why does he know my full name?!

Really? That ... refers to you?

You've never been in that form I suppose. But yes, yes it does.

Okay, okay, I get it. You're pissed, fine. Not ... here though.

"You're mine .... "

This time, no one would hear Judai's voice. Yubel had come to the forefront. Not permanently though ... revealed as Judai chuckled ... and then let out an exasperated sigh. "Well ... I guess no point in hiding these." Slowly, he moved his hand away, showing off his heterochromic eyes. "We're not changing all the way, though. Understood?"

Why not?

The answer echoed in his head. And as Yubel heard it ... she scoffed slightly, but otherwise didn't argue against it.

One of these days, that kindness is going to contribute to your death.

Until then, I'll stay true to myself, thank you very much. Judai quipped, grinning as he rose his arm, activating his disk.

"Unfortunately for you, I don't feel like Yubel getting pissed at me so ... she's right. The robed one is mine. Rua? I can feel your resolve to protect your sister, so ... here's your chance. If you think you can handle him, I'll let you take the creepy doctor on."

"W-wait a minute, I ... "

Judai shook his head firmly, stepping in front of Ruka and helping Rua shield his sister. "If you tried to partake in this and the portal? That'd definitely be too much. Don't mistake us judging you as weak. We're just helping make sure you don't overexert yourself, okay?"

Ruka frowned slightly ... but let out a soft breath and nodded as she stayed behind her brother and Judai. "Okay. I'll put my faith in you two."
 

Rua and Judai both guarded Ruka fiercely, the Professor just standing there with his lackey; naturally the Professor was not privy to the inner workings of Judai's soul. He could only access the Spirit World when he had a connection with those that already did. But thankfully...He had a plan. One that could surely work in his favor. But of course, having another and more powerful Spirit here would complicate things.

"Yeah!" Rua would chime in as Judai told him to take the Professor. "Don't worry, Ruka, I'll protect you!"

"You're free to try and stop us if you wish....But you should know that I have gathered some data on you both." The Professor would say, his arm also raising up, but this one without his Duel Disk. "But...If I might ask Ruka a question before we begin? Please turn around for me, dear...I just want to ask you about your spirit connection."

And of course, Ruka being the naturally sweet girl she is, she turned around...And then much to both Rua and Judai's surprise, his own eyes flashed. Causing Ruka's own to go blank as she might collapse in a heap, now completely unresponsive. "RUKA!" Rua shouted, going to check on his unconscious sister, shouting her name over and over as he tried to wake her up.

"No use, I'm afraid...." the second man would say, giving a low chuckle. Golden predatory eyes peered from under the hood of his robe at Judai, giving a slight grin at the dual-colored irises. "Yubel - Das Extremer Traugrir Drachen. Word around the Spirit Realm echoes with tales of your fury...And I can see it aimed squarely at me. Absolutely beautiful." Giving a low chuckle, he then said, "When I win I promise to tear you from your vessel and take you for myself. That power...I want it, for the Gods to make their rise again."

Rua stared up at the Professor, joining Judai in having anger in his eyes, "WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?!" The Professor just smiled calmly, "Oh, do not fret young one; she is not dead. She is of no use to me as she is. This is more something to prevent her from escaping; thanks to my benefactors, I no longer have to join my patients in catatonia." Rua rubbed his eyes, wiping away his tears furiously as he too pulled out his Duel Disk.

"I suppose this is the start then..." The Professor said, both him and his accomplice activating their own Disks as well. The Life Points rising to 8000 for both sides. "We will each share a pool of 8000 LP for this Duel. Naturally, I will begin, then the green-haired one will go, followed by my ally, then the Spirit Walker. And of course, being a Tag Duel, no one can attack the first turn."

A collective shout of "DUEL!" would be heard, the first Duel underway....Unknowingly signaling the beginning of the war between the Signers and the Dark Signers. "My turn. I draw." The Professor stated calmly, drawing a card and looking at it. "I summon Symmetry Rorschach in Attack Position." A butterfly-like apparition appeared, seemign to quiver and pulse harmlessly. "I then activate Double Summon, and release Rorschach to Summon Air Mind in Attack Position." At this a strange cybernetic creature appeared, even creepier than the strange shadow that previously occupied his field. "And thanks to this creature's power, I will lay bare everything your mind might conceive. Now, show me your cards."

Rua just protested, "What? Why?" to which the man snickered, "It is my creature's power....But if you refuse, then I will compel." If Judai refused, he would feel his cards literally warp to show them to his opponent. "My my....Just as dangerous as I thought. It seems these 'HERO' cards of yours are truly quite strong. And to draw Fusion on your first turn? How fortunate." Rua just clenched his fists as the Professor snickered, "I then set three cards and end my turn."

And with that, Rua was quick to take his own turn, "My turn! I draw!" His eyes peered back to his sister, "Hang in there, Ruka! I'll get you out of whatever this creep did to you!" But thanks to Air Mind's effect, his cards were all but revealed to them both. "I activate One for One! I send Level 3 Deformer Chakkan to the Cemetery to Special Summon Level 1 Deformer Mobaphon from my Deck!" At this, a little cellphone quickly appeared, quickly unfolding to become a tiny robot. "Its effect activates! Dial On!" The six numbers then lit up, a light running over each one rapidly before landing on 4. "Alright! I turn over the top 4 cards of my Deck and Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Deformer from them and shuffling the rest!" He then looked at all 4, saying "Come out, Deformer Remocon!" Now a tiny little MP3 player appeared, also turning into a small robot.

"I then activate Junk Box from my hand, allowing me to Special Summon Deformer Chakkan from the Graveyard!" Finally, a lighter appeared and followed its brethren. "I tune Level 3 Deformer Remocon with Level 1 Mobaphon and Level 3 Chakkan!" As the monsters disappeared into the symphony of rings and lights, "Docking strength with courage to protect the world's peace! Synchro Summon! Envoy of love and justice, Power Tool Dragon!"

And finally, Rua's ace appeared, the mechanical dragon, giving a flourish of display with its excavator arm. "I activate Power Tool's effect! I take 3 Equipment Magic Cards from my Deck and you pick one to add to my hand!" At this the Professor chuckled, "How very cute, but I saw your Duel with Bommer, young one. I won't allow you to use such a troublesome ability. Reverse Card, open! Permanent Trap, Gestalt Shackle!" The card flipped up, a series of heavy manacles shooting out and binding Power Tool to the ground, its power dropping to 0. "What?! What did you do to Power Tool?!" Rua demanded, the man just saying "This card seals your monster. Its lost its power in every sense of the word, and now it's nothing more than its appearance implies: A simple toy."

Rua growled in anger, but had to pass now. "I set 2 cards facedown and end my turn!"

Now it was the stranger's turn and then Judai's..How it would play out was anyone's guess.
 

"I umm .... "

The request to turn around clearly took Ruka aback. Judai, meanwhile, shook his head firmly. "You have no obligation to listen to him."

"W-well ... be that as it may, if it's just to ask something real fast, I can do that much."

Judai gripped on his lower lip. He didn't like this. Something felt very off. So as Ruka started to pivot and obey the request, Judai did also. Unfortunately, everything from the opposing side happened too fast and before he could figure a way to stop Ruka from being incapacitated, it happened. He glared a hole through the Professor and robed figure, at least catching and helping gently set Ruka down.

' ... Does this mean you two are with them? The Dark Signers?"

"Something like that," the robed figure replied, grinning while wearing a very maniacal expression on his face.

"I suppose I can thank you for not lying to me if nothing else. Powers like that don't appear from nowhere, after all."

After hearing the agreed turn order and everyone declaring "DUEL", things would officially begin. Judai's eyes remained mostly on the two figures in front of them ... however, as Rua managed to Synchro Summon his Power Tool Dragon, he couldn't help but watch curiously. Judai had gotten the most basic of explanations about Synchros and how exactly they worked. They were certainly an intriguing way to summon monsters, if nothing else.

But ... now wasn't the time to dwell on that. His head shook as he carefully studied the field, his head lifting as the Acolyte finally took his turn.

"I activate Call of The Mummy to special summon Skull Flame."

... Wait a minute ...

Judai's eyes narrowed. He was just imagining things right? As the turn continued, he saw that his eyes weren't deceiving him. Nor Rua's should his own memory recall that this was, indeed, a familiar deck. "I then use Skull Flame's ability to special summon Burning Skull Head to the field. When that arrives, my opponent takes 1,000 points of damage. The one with Drachen will take the hit."

Judai smirked slightly, wincing as his life points depleted. Well ... on the off-chance this robed figure had been bluffing about being aligned with the Dark Signers, he knew that wasn't the case. With others from both Yomi and The Disciples having felt this pain before - typically from these sorts of interactions - the dire nature of this duel quickly began to register to Judai.

And yet, despite having all the reasons in the world to panic, he wasn't quite going to that step. If anything, he was keeping calm. Not to say Judai wasn't a bit anxious, he just wasn't letting those emotions overwhelm him.

"And since I haven't done so yet, I'll normal summon UFO Turtle. Between Skull Flame's ability and this being a tag duel, I can't attack. So, for now, that's my turn."

" .... Where'd you get that deck?"

"So you did recognize it."

"Don't ignore my vessel, boy!"

The furious voice of Yubel roared out ... but Judai merely smirked and shook his head. "For now, it's fine. How he got Mukuro's deck doesn't matter. We all witnessed Celeste beat that deck. It's tough ... but not untouchable. Draw! I can play with Fire too. I'll summon Elemental HERO Heat, who gains an extra 200 points for every Elemental HERO on my side of the field."

What started as a 1600 attack point monster quickly jumped to 1800.

"That still doesn't fix .... wait. You're not fusing?"

Judai's smirk widened. "Nope, because that would be me playing along with the Professor's mind games. You may have gathered data on me, but my past duels from my home of sorts? Did you see the exact types of opponents I've faced before? Not likely, otherwise you'd know mind games are a tactic I've dealt with before, and thus know how to counter. Besides ... I know exactly who I want to fuse. The time for that isn't right just yet. Now then, I activate R- Righteous Justice. Since you didn't set anything, I'll target the Gestalt Shackles, giving Power Tool Dragon its attack back. I'll set one card face down. Elemental HERO Heat ... will not yet attack. I'll end for now."

Much like Rua, he snuck a peek back at the unconscious Ruka.

Give us a bit longer, Ruka. I'll keep my word to your brother about allowing him to handle the Professor. But I'll make sure he can do so without any chains stopping him or myself. We will make them pay .... that's a promise.
 

The Professor just watched as his ally took his turn; it was indeed a very curious thing. He himself had no idea how this one came across the Deck of Mukuro Enjo, but in the end it did not matter. Both of them played towards inflicting effect damage on the target, and as such had complimentary strategies. And with his Air Mind on the field, both he and his ally could see the opponent's cards. Which meant they had everything to their advantage.

Rua did double over as the 1000 burn damage took hold; something was not right here. But he would just stand up, waving away any concern Judai might have had; he too had noticed that something wasn't right, but he had no idea what it was he might be getting himself into.

Well, almost everything anyway; Professor was impassive as Judai called him out on his mind games, but did give a slight sneer of disapproval. His relatively kind face hardening for a moment as Gestalt Shackle was destroyed, letting Power Tool regain its power and effects. This would be a problem. If Rua managed to get pick a good Equipment Magic, he could easily turn the tides. But thankfully he had a way to make sure that didn't happen, at least not easily.

Though the Professor did have to suppress a laugh, not bothering to point out the fact that he had two other Set cards. Sure, his Shackles were gone, but he still had a means to protect his monster. Even so, with his current field, he could not attack Heat or Power Tool. But, he could perhaps still do something.

"I suppose it's my turn again is it not? I draw!" he would declare, taking a quick look at his hand. He had nothing at the moment to destroy Power Tool or Heat either, but he could at least buy himself some time. And with this card....Well, it would be quite good.

"I activate the Continuous Magic, Wave of Malevolence....And then I activate the Field Magic, Temple of the Mind's Eye!"

The Continuous Magic would appear, followed by a pillar that stood up behind Frank. Rua seemed shocked; he used this card last time! "You seem to recognize it well; so long as this Field Magic is in play, we will take no more and no less than 1000 damage as a result of battle." This way, even if Rua were to attack, he would not suffer the 1300 points of damage normally he would take.

"I will then set another card face-down and Set another monster. My turn is done." The Professor said, giving a slight smile to Rua as the boy would be given his turn. "Nrgh! I swear I'll break through and wipe that stupid smile off your face! I draw!" Rua shouted, declaring "I activate a Magic Card, Deformer Speed Unit! I shuffle Deformer Staplen into my Deck and destroy 1 card on the field! Then I can draw 1 card!" He would point at the giant temple, "Your Mind's Eye is gone!" The temple exploded and then crumbled, the Professor looking back with disinterest. Sure, losing that Field was a bit of a blow, but he could manage, even as Rua drew one card from his Deck.

"I then activate Power Tool's effect! Let's see if you can read my strategy!" Rua quickly took out three cards, holding them up for his opponent to see: Giganticize, Rocket Piledriver, and Double Tool D&C. "Add Rocket Piledriver if you would." Frank said calmly, Rua doing so and then stating "I equip Power Tool with Rocket Piledriver! And then I summon Deformer Scopen in Attack Mode!" This time a microscope appeared, quickly shifting into a small robot as well.

"Let's battle! I attack your Air Mind with Power Tool Dragon! Crafty Break!"

As Power Tool rushed the Spellcaster, the Professor then declared, "You should really settle yourself, young man. Anger is so poisonous to clear thinking. Reverse Card, Open! Invitation of the Earthbound Spirit!" As the trap activated, a set of ghostly hands grabbed at the mechanical dragon, forcing it to attack the only other monster on his field: His facedown, which was revealed to be King Big Eyeball. As it was destroyed a flash of light appeared, showing the top 5 cards of Rua's Deck: Deformer Bind, Pot of Avarice, two Deformer Clocken and finally Factory of 100 Machines.

"Thanks to Eyeball's effect, I'll have you place Pot of Avarice and and Deformer Bind as your 4th and 5th cards respectively, leaving the rest as they are."

Rua grumbled as he rearranged the Deck order; man, he could not catch a break! "I'm sorry, Judai...This guy keeps messing with my head!" Rua stamped his foot in growing frustration. "Oh, but I have only just begun; since you destroyed my monster by battle, Wave of Malevolence's effect activates. You take 300 damage."

A reviling wave of energy snuck over and slammed into Rua, knocking him down and making him scream in pain. Clutching his head in agony as he felt a splitting migraine come over. "Oh right...I forgot he has no abilities. I do hope he'll be alright~" the Professor chuckled; Ruka might be valuable but the boy was disposable.

However, he did raise a brow as Rua stood up, an eye closed as he fought off the agony that had surged through him. "You won't...win so easily! I end my turn!" he would say, the Professor showing a bit of anger that he was being so defiant.
 

Judai cringed as Rua doubled over from the one thousand life point loss. Unfortunately, that was just the way tag duels worked. His eyes softened as he flashed the boy an apologetic look. If it were up to him completely, he wouldn't have allowed Rua to feel any of that. It'd happened on his turn ... as far as Judai was concerned, he should have been the only one to feel that agony.

You forgot, didn't you?

Huh?

He's not one of them. He's not a Signer!

Judai's eyes widened, a sense of urgency rushing into him as his pulse began to quicken. He'd knew that he himself wasn't a Signer. But that made sense. He wasn't from here. "I see," he muttered, his fists clenching. "So that's how low you guys are operating, huh? I suppose though with all I've heard about how you've targeted others, though, it shouldn't be that surprising."

For the time being, he made sure to keep Yuna's name out of his mouth. Just in case they didn't know she'd woken up.

It made this trip just a bit more unfortunate, in a sense. Even when he finished up with the Spirit World, he'd have to go back to the ex-Facility and warn everyone that moves were being made. Yuna had, from what he heard and even briefly seen, been restless. Well ... it seemed he could understand her logic for why. Whether she had sensed this exact same thing about to officially begin or not was another story. Either way, her instincts were as sharp as ever, and it seemed she had been right to feel that way.

So now, even if it may irk Yuna to hear, he would have to give her the official heads up that yes, they would need to start getting ready. And soon.

But first ... he had to get past these bastards. His eyes briefly closed as he took a long, deep breath. That was maybe one of the few things he could agree with Frank on. If one let anger consume them then, indeed, it could be a very dangerous emotion. Hence one good reason he didn't try to let his own do so with him. The last time he had .... well, that was another story for another time.

As his eyes came back into view, the acolyte was starting his own turn. "Draw!" Now it was the robed figure's turn to narrow his eyes. He understood that Judai had Drachen inside him ... but was that the only reason he was as calm as he was? Something was telling him no. Another gut instinct involved the set down card Judai had put down ... that may very well be part of why he wasn't panicking.

Unfortunately, this deck lacked cards that could eliminate spells and traps. He had to make do with what he had.

"I summon Mezuki ..." As he watched Judai smirk, a scowl appeared. "The hell's with that look?"

"Nothing. Sorry, sorry, don't mind me. Keep going."

"Damn straight I will. UFO Turtle will attack Elemental HERO Heat!"

Normally, this would look foolish. However, it made perfect sense to Judai. He was hoping to use the effect of UFO Turtle and bring something stronger out, particularly because it would have been able to attack that same battle phase. Unfortunately ... as Judai pushed down on his duel disk, he revealed he had other plans in mind.

"Trap Card, open! Drowning Mirror Force! Unlike the other version, your attack position cards get shuffled back into the deck. Since they aren't destroyed via battle, Wave Of Ill Intent does not activate."

A genuine grin that was directed to Rua mingled in with his smug smirk. The cloaked figure, meanwhile, looked less than amused as he bitterly declared his turn over.

"So," Judai stated as he drew his card, "I wasn't gonna say anything. However, since you spoke up and admitted what I kind of figured ... listen carefully to me, Rua. First and foremost ... it is literally that man's job to get into people's heads. He's right about keeping calm. You can be furious, don't get that mistaken. But the moment you allow him to keep slipping into your mind and figuring out is the point in time where he'll win this duel. I'm sure that ---"

" ... Oi, seriously? Stop wasting your time and take your turn!"

At that, Judai turned his head and narrowed his eyes. "Don't interrupt, it's rude. Two, I could talk with him via telepathy if I really wanted, but I'm not. I'm allowing you two to hear because that's how confident I am wtih this talk. You already ended your turn, so you'll shut up and wait. Now then ..."

The irked look disappeared as Judai looked back at Rua, "As I was going to say, I can understand if Air Mind may not be helping. They're seeing our hands and all ... it feels a bit uneven when we don't have that ability back, right?"

Judai merely wagged his finger as he quickly added, "That may be what they think, but that's wrong. What our Professor has forgotten to bring up is even though it's true that sometimes the unknown is indeed terrifying, what we see happen right before our eyes can be just as scary. Namely because there is little, if anything, that can be done to prevent it all from unfolding. So don't worry if he can keep peeking. Let him watch. All you need to do is concentrate on your cards. Maybe you can find a combination you yourself haven't used before and utilize it in this duel. Only one person needs to be in your head right here and now, and that's yourself. Your sister and worrying about her can be at the forefront afterwards. But until this duel is over, worry first and foremost about yourself."

Now that he was done with the pep talk, he gave his attention back to the robed figure. "There. That wasn't so bad, was it?"

"Tch, that was false bravado."

"That should be my line, I think. After all, your field's wide open now."

" .... Shit."

"Annnnd .... I'd say now is the right time to do this so ... I activate Miracle Fusion. The materials will be removed from the game instead of sent to the graveyard. Why? So I can summon Elemental HERO The Shining! His effect activates the moment the materials are removed from the game, and he gains 300 more attack per card!"

Sure enough, the images of the banished Neos and Burstinatrix would briefly light up ... before vanishing. The attack would increase from 2600 to 3200.

"Annnd Elemental HERO Heat's effect activates again. He now goes up to 2000 himself."

An unorthodox grin that was laced with just enough sadism flashed right in front of the two assailants. "You must think you're real tough dragging innocents into this, huh? Let's see how that holds up, shall we? Elemental HERO The Shining and Heat! Direct attack!"

As Judai's monsters rushed forward, he silently moved beside Rua. Without any explanation, he covered his ears. It worked ... but only to some extents. Rua would still be able to hear - and easily see - the robed figure let out a long, pained scream. Sheer will was likely the best explanation as to how he was standing, but his legs revealed they were ready to cave in. Only when the agonized sound disappeared did Judai move his hands away.

From there, both Judai and Rua managed to turn the duel around. Granted, they both still lost a bit more HPs, mainly from effect damage. But they weren't the ones whose life went to zero and that, in Judai's book, was most certainly a plus.

Judai turned with Rua as the duel ended ... and then frowned. His arms crossed as he allowed Rua to try to wake up Ruka .... and felt his fists clench when she stayed unconscious.

Now! Let me out now!

.... You gonna at least ensure no one innocent is hurt?

... Yes. I still stand by my earlier thoughts, but yes. The children won't be hurt.

A soft but clearly exasperated sigh would be the first thing everyone would hear. And as Judai next spoke ... his voice sounded .... merged. "Well, Rua ... maybe it's for the best that she's still out. I don't do this much, if ever ... for very good reasons. Thankfully, Yubel has agreed to be nice and not do anything rash with you or your sister. She's not usually great at playing nice."

And then .... a very bright, blinding flash of light would wrap around Judai. When it disappeared and everyone's sight readjusted .... Judai was not standing there. Instead, there was what one could assume to be Yubel. A large form with long, leather wings, claws, and even mismatched hair as well as eyes.

"Much better. About time he let me out. Now then ...."

Heterochromic eyes gazed briefly between the Professor and the robed figure. "It doesn't even matter which of you is the reason for keeping the girl asleep. You got five seconds - and only five - to step forward and undo whatever is keeping her unconscious. And know this -- you're only getting that countdown because Judai asked for it. But if you refuse? I'm going to make you both start reversing whatever curse or whatnot has been put upon her. Suffice to say, it will not be a pleasant sight for the boy, but it will be a necessary evil if I really must get to those degrees of violence. So .... if either of you value your pathetic lives, I suggest you speak up. Go ... yon ... san .... "
 

"The boy made his own decision to fight for his sister. He could have just as easily tried to take her and run." the Professor said, adding coolly, "Of course, the result would be essentially the same. And if I was truly low, I would have disabled him right off the bat as well; he has no powers after all. Would have been rathe easy, but my own curiosity to his attachment was itching to be satisfied." Of course, this was as much truth as it was lie; their kinship would interfere with his experiments. Siblings as close as these two were inextricably linked, and if Ruka could access the Spirit World, she doubtless had some form of bond with her brother.

As such....Rua had to be eliminated for his plan to work. Besides, the loss would cripple her...Making his own goal laughably easy to attain. The despair of hope lost was the biggest soul-crushing event most anyone could endure; how the Darkness would fester in her heart if she knew her brother was defeated while she laid helpless. Even Ancient Fairy Dragon would not be able to withstand that kind of corruption.

No, the dragon would cause the land to wither and die under his influence....And he was going to do everything he could. Now, if his accomplice could just stick to the plan...

However, he looked on as his ally was drawn in by Judai's taunting, eager to attack; was this fool daft?! "Wait, it's a trap!" the Professor tried to call out; thankfully his Air Mind was safe since the fields were unlinked. For the time being at least.

"You absolute dunce! We had a plan!" the Professor muttered angrily, his fist clenched. At this Rua laughed with a grin, the display of anger, "Hey hey, I thought you said getting angry was poisonous to clear thinking or whatever. Shouldn't you follow your own advice?" At this the older man snarled, but held his tongue, giving a wicked grin "Says the little brat who cried just because his darling little sister fell unconscious!"

However, even he had to shield his eyes as the beams of light and fire struck his companion, the man screaming as Rua was spared the intensity of the noise; however, the visuals were no less horrifying: His robe was essentially burned away at the front, his body shaking but still able to be upright. "I won't leave...Without the Drachen....On THIS I SWEAR!" he would shout; both of these men seem single-minded...Very dangerous, they were.

But with Judai's powerful Fusions and Rua's support - namely another Deformer Speed Unit to destroy Wave of Malevolence and his Permanent Trap, Deformer Bind to completely seal their opponent from attacking at all - they slowly brought back up the deficit. And with a rather impressive combination of Rua using Limit Remover and Power Tool's own effect to avoid destruction by destroying a card it was equipped with - he would end up dealing the final blow, even though his body was badly beaten from the effects of the Duel itself. Power Tool's massive shovel hand knocking both men down as their Life hit 0, standing triumphantly over them as it gave a little flourish before the entire field disappeared.

"We won! Now wake her up!" Rua shouted, the Professor just sneering as he looked up, "Why...Why would I do that...Just because you won...Doesn't mean I have to..." Rua's eyes teared up; this jerk! He ran over to Ruka once more, trying fruitlessly, his voice crying out her name as he tried to rouse her from her deep sleep.

The Acolyte by this point had awakened as well, having been knocked unconscious from the final blow. Able to listen as Judai made his statement...A light then emanating from him, his figure a shadow as it morphed. "Judai....Judai!" Rua shouted, scared that something was happening...And when the light faded? Rua's eyes widened in shock; what....what had happened? "J-Judai?" the young boy asked, unsure if he was really seeing this....Had he...changed?

"So...You finally show yourself, Yubel...." the Acolyte snickered, the Professor too grinning. "Five seconds?" The Professor said as Yubel started to count down, a now-maniacal grin crossing on his face as he stood up and with a flash, gripped Yubel's wrist. "You've gone soft; the real Yubel would have torn me in two without a second chance....But I suppose that works for me. Now...Let me take you to the LIGHT!" His eyes flashed once more, his own energies attempting to invade her mind with every ounce of willpower he had; his power worked best with direct contact after all, and with her giving him a window? It would be so easy....

However, one thing the Professor didn't take into account was how long Judai and her were bonded; if anything, she easily would be able to destroy his mind. And it was unfortunately what ended up happening: Her mind was an ultimate shield as much as her body was, and with the Professor's own impressive power to corrupt, it rebounded against him. Hard.

He couldn't even let out a whimper, his expression falling slack as his grip on her wrist loosened. His brain short-circuited, succumbing rapidly to contiguous neuron death as he fell to a heap on the ground. His eyes, once full of life and malevolent energy, now laid dull and lifeless. And if anyone were to check his vitals? They had stopped entirely....The man was dead. But....As Rua might soon see, this would break his hold over Ruka. Allowing her to wake up.

Sad to say, the sudden mental overload on her end would leave her psyche fragile, the last parting gift of the mad Professor as a means to break her pwn stakehold in the Dragon's rule over the Spirit Realm. If she were to cross, even with Judai's help...There was no guarantee she would survive the process. And with the mark of Death now on Yubel's soul, well deserved as it was for what the Professor tried to have them endure...It might complicate things going forward in getting cooperation from the resident Spirits.

However, the Acolyte - once full of bravado - now seemed...Terrified, even if he was trying to suppress it as best he could. He was here...Before the Ultimate Nightmare, Das Extremer Traugrir Drachen. "You...You really are as monstrous as they say..." the Acolyte said, adding "H...How do you think....You'll win now...The Spirits resented you before...Now...Hehe....Now they'll remember what kind of demon you are. Face it....You've all lost!"
 

" .... Fools. Both of you."

Those would be the last words Frank would hear from Yubel before he made the stupidest mistake possible. Touching her. She didn't flinch nor recoil from being tugged forward by The Professor. Instead, she simply stared at the man with a 'What do you think you're doing?' type of look. Her head shook as she watched his body seize, shudder, and violently convulse before stopping altogether and finally slumping to the floor.

"Fucking idiot indeed," she muttered, sneaking a sideways glance back towards Rua ... and a very wide-eyed and shocked Ruka, who was clinging tightly onto her brother.

"W-wh ... what? Who ... ??"

"Judai's partner, Yubel. The same 'Drachen' that idiot went on and on about. Which ... why are you still here anyway now, hmmm? What do you think you can do against me, let alone by yourself?"

At least the acolyte wasn't as idiotic as The Professor. He wasn't making any sudden or foolish moves. But he was just standing there ... like an idiot. Spouting words that were, in their mind, only partly true. But deemed dumb enough for Yubel to scoff and roll her eyes. "You talk as if he's stuck in this form."

The same flash of light returned, albeit it not as bright, and definitely disappeared a lot quicker. In Yubel's place was Judai once again. "Don't think that just because the claws and such are gone doesn't mean I can't fight. I will ... but only if I really have to. Now, I could answer your questions, but no. I'm not going to. Partly because that's none of your business ... and also because I'd say you have something much, much more important to worry about. Namely informing the other Dark Signers that Frank is dead and you have failed. Granted ... "

Judai shrugged, allowing his thoughts - the very same that the poor acolyte may or may not have - to haunt him. And that included the very likely possibility of them already knowing. In fact, he was willing to bet that was indeed the case.

But if this man really wanted to stick around ... he could. As long as he didn't lay a finger on either Rua or Ruka, Judai wasn't going to fuss about the man's presence.

"Now then .... "

A long, deep breath elicited from Judai as he gave a 'come on' motion to the twins. He focused and concentrated on one thing and only one; the Spirit World. He remembered how it looked, the memories from all the times he'd been there, including his more recent ones when he'd decided to reside there and even before then. Once the image was embedded into his mind ....

A large, purple portal appeared.

"He tried to taunt me about what I'd do, but frankly, he'd be more hasty to try to follow us in. After all, if the spirits inside realized who he was ... he'd have a much, much worse fate than Yubel and myself will ever have."

It probably would take a lot of time and effort to explain the death of Frank had actually been an accident. But compared to being affiliated with the exact same people who - according to Ruka - were invading and brainwashing this realm? It was a no brainer in Judai's mind that he and Yubel would be given a lot more mercy than the Acolyte should he actually dare try to follow them inside.

"Come on," Judai repeated, this time in a more urgent and stern tone. "This doesn't stay open forever." The mixed eyes narrowed ... and then flashed before he quickly shook his head. "Rua ... you're coming along."

".... Wh-what?! But ... that's my dragon in there! You can't seriously expect me to ... "

Judai merely looked away from Rua and stared right at Ruka, who almost immediately went quiet. "I get it. It sucks to hear that again. But we did talk this over and even back then, it was a possibility. Some things we didn't plan for, sadly, were these idiots coming and ruining your chances to come along. But now you're officially in zero shape to enter. Maybe if The Professor hadn't done ... whatever he had on you. But as you are?"

A sad look appeared as Judai's eyes softened ... enough to at least reassure Ruka that despite the form she'd seen him in earlier, he truly was in control here and now.

"He is going to help me vouch about why this new mark is on me, as well as help point out they are why you're not in the Spirit World." A more genuine smile appeared as he quickly added, "I'll be civil when I talk with them. I promise. Firm if needed ... but civil all the same. But come the end of it all, we will be in and out ... with your Ancient Fairy Dragon - and the others, of course - safe and sound. I promise."

" .... Okay. Be safe, Rua .... "

Tears started to form, but Ruka wiped them quickly away with her arm. She gave a shaky, anxious wave to both Judai and Rua. The tremors only increased as they left ... and the portal finally closed. She slumped back onto the concrete, clenching her fists as emotions began to swim through her. For the first time in a very, very, very long time ... Ruka was genuinely angry. She hated having to put her faith in a man she'd met merely a month or so ago as well as her brother and wait.

But worse than her feelings directed at her twin and comrade were those aimed at the Acolyte and now dead Professor. "Serves you jerks right," she muttered, wrapping her arms around her knees and holding herself as she waited. Hopefully it would be as simple as Judai made it sound and they'd be out of the Spirit World as quickly as they entered it.
 
The Acolyte had been frozen in absolute terror, some semblance of sanity returning to him as the Professor's aura faded away completely. "What...." he would say as Yubel began her explanation of what happened; so they were able to change hosts at will? And his eyes only widened more in fear as Yubel returned her attention to him for a brief moment. Before long Judai making a return, telling him to scram.

Something he did post haste, practically leaving a cartoonish dust trail behind him in the process; Rua just gently held his little sister close, trying to keep her comforted. He of course had no idea that Ruka would be so affected. "Yeah, go on, beat it! Tell your pals we'll kick their butts too if they try anything funny!" Rua shouted after them. However, now was the time they had to go.

Unfortunately, he did sense something was off with Ruka; her body seemed to strain as she tried to open the portal. "Easy, sis!" Rua would say, helping her to sit on her knees as Judai might have to intervene. His energies more than enough to stabilize the rift she had helped create, but it was more than evident now that he was able to focus on her that something had been done. And now he was torn: He didn't want to leave his sister behind, but he had to go with Judai to help smooth over - however much he could - any tensions that might arise.

The Acolyte had mentioned something about remembering Yubel as a demon; was it because Frank killed himself by trying to subjugate her? That wasn't fair!

"Ruka-nee..." Rua would say, gently taking her hand, "Don't worry alright; right now we have to get Ancient Fairy Dragon out of whatever that Zeman is doing to her. Just...Try to stay safe alright? Head back to Crow's place, you can hole up there 'til we get back." Of course, he honestly felt bad about having to sideline her like this; unfortunately, she'd been in pretty bad shape before while unconscious and inside the Spirit Realm.

Judai did a good job of explaining why she had to stay as well; she was weakened from whatever trick their opponents used. Something to cripple their ability to communicate with the Spirits no less. And if things were getting that bad in the Forest? Help might be in short supply.

"You too, Ruka! Don't worry, we'll be back before you can say banana-rama! And remember to take your medicine!" Rua would chime in, giving her a thumbs-up as the portal closed. But naturally the bravado fell away as they were cut off from each other, his fists clenching as his confident expression melted, falling to one of ponderance and then outrage in relatively short order.

"DAMN IT!"

From the sheer volume and anger in his voice, it was clear that Rua was holding that back, likely to spare her from seeing him upset. She didn't like people being hurt, or sad, or angry, so even if those things happened to him, he always tried his best to mask his pain for her sake. Tears fell down his cheeks as he tried to get a grip; in truth, it was a strange mix of relief and rage that coursed through him.

He was relieved Ruka was alive...But he was beyond pissed that she'd been hurt. Beyond pissed that these 'Dark Signers' were now inflicting pain on the Spirits that had given her much solace and comfort from the many days, weeks, even months she was bedridden.

"Judai..."

Rua finally spoke after a few minutes of letting it all out, wiping his teas on his sleeve furiously. His eyes slightly red from the friction, trying to take calming breaths to quell this veritable tidal wave of emotions running over him. "When we find Zeman...Leave him for me. I want him to pay....Pay for everything he and whoever he's worked for has done. To my sister...to our friends....To the Spirits..."

But with that, this time Rua took the initiative, saying "I don't know too much about this place...But I know the general area where the Forest edge is. There's a town that's just outside it. If there's any place to start, it's there." the young boy said, turning on his heel and walking resolutely towards where they needed to go.
 

This was beyond unfair. It was humiliating in its own rights. Here was Ruka .. sitting on her rear .. only able to watch. Despite having this mark that designated her as a 'Chosen One', she still had to observe as her brother or others did the 'heavy lifting', so to speak, for her. All because she was too weak. Rua could say otherwise, but as far as she was concerned, that was at least partially true. Were she able to shake off ... whatever The Professor had done, she could go with them. She could help save Ancient Fairy Dragon. She could help them talk and negotiate with the spirits, and even vouch that Judai hadn't intended to commit murder.

But no. She couldn't do a single thing. And that feeling of helplessness only strengthened as the portal shut.

"C-crow?" she repeated, sniffling and nodding at the idea. It was, somewhat unfortunately, one of the best things she could do. Staying out here and waiting ... yeah. The more she thought about that, the more she began to realize how risky it could indeed be. Particularly if these Dark Signers had ways to find anyone, be it their allies or enemies.

"O-okay. Sounds good," she muttered shakily to herself, cautiously getting up to her feet. "You better come back," she added softly ... before turning away and running as fast as she could towards Crow's hideout. She didn't really look forward to explaining why only she was back so soon, but Ruka also knew he'd be relieved she had returned safe if absolutely nothing else.

Judai, meanwhile, stayed silent. Normally, he would chastise or try to scold people for cursing. Convince them things would be okay and they just needed to calm down. But honestly? This world was in pretty bad shape. It was getting to pretty dire degrees ... some of which he'd seen and experienced first hand. So ... no. There was no point in trying to bullshit Rua when, frankly, the last thing everything was at this moment was 'fine'.

They were very fortunate to have blessings. One of the biggest one being that Ruka had woken up and was heading to safety.

As Rua finally spoke up and asked to deal with Zeman, he gave him a reassuring - if not stoic - grin and nodded. "Deal. I'll watch your back and make sure nothing or no one else tries to ambush us. We don't know exactly how bad this situation is, so ... use caution. We're not even sure if they're expecting anyone to come here."

With any luck, they were expecting Ruka ... which meant the presence of himself and Rua would, if nothing else, throw these Dark Signers off. Not likely completely, but perhaps enough to make some vital mistakes. If nothing else, he knew he himself was a wildcard.

... Or ... he was supposed to be. The thought made his eyebrows furrow as he thought back to the Acolyte ... remembered how he had seemed to know Yubel's full name. The others probably knew, which was a bit of a shame. It removed quite a bit of the 'dark horse' aura that would have otherwise surrounded him.

Still, they didn't seem to have the most in-depth knowledge when it came to his deck or his bond with Yubel. That was at least something they did still have.

"I lived here for a bit, so I remember pretty well where the Forest should be. Stay close."

Granted, he'd never really visited many, if any, of the Spirits while living here. But that didn't mean he would be unable to recognize them or anything. And particularly with Judai being in this form ... who knew? Maybe the clothes would make it harder to immediately feel the 'gift' Frank had given him? Hopefully that would be the case.

Either way, talking was still an option on the table. No, it wouldn't be easy, but it wasn't necessarily going to be an impossible task either. All Judai knew was he had to do this. For these twins, Crow who trusted Judai to take care of said twins, Ancient Fairy Dragon ... and to put a proverbial win tally in favor of The Signers. Now that the war had officially started, he had to be a soldier, among other roles. He might not bear the same mark as Ruka or the others, but as an unofficial member of Yomi, he had to help ensure things went as smoothly as possible.
 
Rua had only smiled a little as Judai promised to watch his back. Naturally the young lad would do the same; they were both stuck here now. And they were only going back if they might be able to free Ancient Fairy Dragon. Otherwise they wouldn't be going back at all...And if Rua could help it, that was not going to happen.

As they might finally get to the village, near the Forest's edge, one thing that would be immediately apparent was how empty it was. No one at all; it was all very strange, and Rua himself paused. Normally there would be one of the M-Brothers guarding this town, or at least that was what Ruka had told him whenever she awoke from her comatose states. It was one of the safest places around, and they almost never left their posts.

"Judai..." Rua muttered, becoming much more on guard. Even if he wasn't a Signer, he could feel something was very, very wrong here.

"Hey! Psst!"

A third voice then spoke up, seeing a young spirit beckoning them both over. His head peaked from behind a wall of one of the loghouses, seeming to urge then. "Come on! Before they see you!" And as Judai and Rua might move, no sooner than a few moments after they did, several monkey troops appeared. Each of them holding a strange staff, seeming - but unseen to Rua - to emanate a powerful negative energy.

"I thought I felt something..."

"No mistaking it; no one could miss that aura. Lord Zeman told us she might come."

"Split up! You three check over there. Capture the Drachen spirit...Dispose of the host. And if the Signer brat is with her, kill her too."

And with that, the monkeys disappeared further into the town. "I had heard rumblings Zeman was searching for you ,Yubel. As much as others might distrust your past, I am glad you are here. Zeman has his elite Hunters searching for you...Seems he considers you quite the unwanted wrench in his schemes." the young-looking spirit would say.

"Who...are you?" Rua would ask, to which the spirit replied, "Oh...Apologies. I am Torunka." At this Rua stated as he crossed his arms, "Torunka...What a weird name." Torunkas brow twitched, "I'll let that slide...Listen, I need both of your help. Regulus has been..."

"Who's Regulus? Is that Ancient Fairy Dragon's real name?" Rua asked, Torunka intersecting "Let me finish....Regulus has been affected by the curse surrounding this land. He is the one who guards the Ancient Forest...The home of the one you call Ancient Fairy Dragon. If we are going to save her, we must find and somehow remove his curse first." Rua slapped his face with his hand, "Don't tell me...Zeman did this too?"

Torunka nodded, "Indeed. But with your mark, young Signer, and Yubels power...We should be able to accomplish both tasks with relative ease." At this Rua blinked, a slight sweat drop appearing as he replied "Ehm...About that...I'm...I'm not a Signer...That's my sister, Ruka...Im her brother, Rua."
 

Judai's eyes quickly narrowed as they entered the village. He quietly nodded, already knowing and understanding Rua's train of thought. "Yep," he muttered softly under his breath. "Something is indeed very off. I can feel exactly what you mean also." He looked quickly around ... and frowned as the sight of a practically deserted place greeted them. The lack of guards was already a huge red flag. The absence of anyone else? Yeah. Neither of them would need to be a Signer to know something was very, very wrong at the moment.

But ... where could they go?

Thankfully, there was at least one person that seemed to be on their side. Judai gave Rua a reassuring nod before turning and helping him run over towards Tornuka's loghouses. Judai crouched down at first, then just laid down on his stomach, deciding it'd be easier to hide himself more fully that way. Mere seconds after he and Rua got inside, they heard a good contribution as to why it was likely as empty as it was.

Invaders ... likely creatures associated with Zeman.

Judai couldn't help but gulp nervously, largely because it was technically impossible to split him and Yubel apart. So that would lead to .... well, it was best he didn't think too much about those details. Yubel was already stirring enough as it was, screaming in his head to let her back out.

Nu-uh. Frank's death may have been an accident, but I can feel your emotions. The next thing that happens won't be an accident and that definitely won't help us out.

Tch ...

But she went silent. Despite not agreeing completely with Judai, she accepted his decision ... for now. But she also refused to stay completely in the background ... evidenced by the heterochromic eyes still very much able to be seen as he sat up and faced both Rua and the small spirit. "Ah, yes. Like Rua asked, who are you? Thank you, of course, but a name would be nice."

And when Rua gave his response about Torunka's name, Judai shook his head. "Now now ... Yubel's not exactly a 'normal' name either. Be polite."

The poor boy was honestly probably just really eager and anxious at worst. Even still ... he did need to remember at least some basic etiquette. That, as well as helping him vouch for Judai, would go a very, very long way. While Torunka went on to talk about the current situation here, Judai would remain silent and take in all the information. A grim expression appeared as he nodded. This wasn't just bad, no. This was a lot worse than Ruka had mentioned or even hinted.

"A counter-curse, huh? I've never really had to use one before, but ... maybe something will come to me when we find Regulus."

And what if he's right, Judai?

Huh? About what?

.... About him not being a Signer and we need such abilities. Then what? You may have your own unique powers, but they're still not that of a Signer.

Judai gripped his lower lip slightly. Had he not heard the recent exchange between the soldiers, the obvious answer would be to see about getting Ruka here. But now that he knew just how dangerous it would have been had she come along ... Judai honestly didn't feel nearly as guilty about making her stay away. If anything, he felt relieved.

We'll get to that bridge if it arrives.

He ignored the frustrated sigh Yubel replied with, instead giving his attention towards Torunka. "So ... should we wait before trying to find Regulus? Mainly if there's any specific time that there are fewer guards? Or should we otherwise head out sooner to see about setting things back to normal here?"
 
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