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The return to life after Bohman is defeated is, for many, a joyous occasion. For Ryoken Kogami, it is…a mixed bag, to be sure. On the one hand, the second of realization that Playmaker succeeded and saved the world had been the lightest his heart has been in so, so very long. On the other, after the relief had worn off, he’d had to confront the reality. The Dark Ignis had survived, which meant that the world was still at risk, and his and Playmaker’s truce was at an end.
Which leads him to Cafe Nagi. There are three reasons he has to visit. First, because of…his loss to the Light Ignis. While he had other concerns at the time, looking back on it, it’s…hard to deny that he has regrets over how it played out. He should have expected the Ignis to be that sneaky, played around it more cleanly, and then faced Bohman in a tag duel by Playmaker’s side, protecting the world from AI. That…misstep may have undermined his credibility as a threat, and he needs to fix that.
Second, because of…what he said during what he’d thought to be his dying moments. He had gotten carried away there – he had forgotten himself, and assumed his death would be permanent (and as such, completely ignored the impact his words might have for his future).
But then, the future came after all, and now he’s left with the words he has said. The way Fujiki looks at him already is…difficult to bear, and he’s already bracing for how that’s changed. The sooner he shuts that down, the better for all of them.
And for third…if he is going to live past the downfall of the Ignis, then…he needs to face the consequences of his actions. He has no intention of getting away with what he’s done in the end. Dealing with the Dark Ignis will be his last ride. After that is done, he won’t run anymore, and he’ll turn himself in to the authorities.
…Which means that this – what he’s doing now – is all that there is for him. The moment the Dark Ignis is no longer a problem, the moment the world is really and truly saved, then...that will be where his part in the story ends. But until then, there’s work to be done, and he needs to control the narrative until it draws to a close.
As he approaches Cafe Nagi, he collects himself, metaphorically donning the mask of Revolver in the real world — cold, hard, and sharp as the barrel of a gun. This is not a visit for pleasure, strictly business. No hot dogs will be ordered today, instead-
His train of thought is sharply disrupted as the cafe comes into view. Homura is sitting calmly outside, having a conversation with Fujiki — that much is normal and expected. What is not is the tall, sharply dressed man almost draped over Fujiki’s shoulders, with a level of familiarity that feels almost unthinkable for him. Ryoken had assumed he and Fujiki were similar — people who could work together for the greater good, but at the end of the day, gravitated to being alone.
It would seem he was mistaken.
(There’s something…wrong with that man. Not just that he’s so close to Fujiki, although that doesn’t sit well either – it’s more than that. He shouldn’t be here.)
As he’s watching, that man looks up to see Ryoken, golden eyes twinkling maliciously. “Oh? Oi, Yusaku, looks like Professor Kogami came to visit us! It must’ve been hard, what with his busy schedule of being a pain, but-“
“Ai, behave,” Fujiki chides, voice calm as though nothing is out of the ordinary, before turning to address him. “Revolver.”
That’s the Dark Ignis. By some horrible freak accident, that thing attached to Yusaku isn’t a man, it’s an AI shaped like a man. Just seeing and processing it makes Ryoken’s stomach turn, but he didn’t come here to show doubt. He takes a deep breath, channeling all of those negative feelings into intimidation, before he starts. “Playmaker…Don’t tell me that’s the Ignis.”
This would be the last chance for it to just be a misunderstanding – for that to not be the Ignis somehow — but those hopes are quickly dashed. “Sorry, but I can’t. That’s Ai,” he confirms. “It was a shock to my system, too.”
“If you’re looking for someone to blame, blame SOL Tech,” the Dark Ignis chimes in unhelpfully. “They were planning on giving AIs like me bodies eventually. All Ai did was steal a prototype and take it out for a spin!”
It says something so apocalyptic so cheerfully—of course it would, it’s not the one who loses out from the destruction it’ll cause. “Fujiki,” Ryoken starts with barely concealed rage — no point in addressing an AI directly. “Do you not realize how much of a disaster this is? The world is already at risk from the Ignis — giving it a human form will only accelerate that.”
Fujiki frowns. “I thought it was only Lightning that was an issue. All the other Ignis were able to live with humanity, according to the simulations. Now that he’s gone, the world should be safe. Ai’s not like him.”
“Can you say that for certain?” Ryoken snaps. Something about how lightly Fujiki’s taking this with an Ignis so close to him is getting under his skin. “After everything it’s done, can you really look me in the eyes and tell me the Dark Ignis won’t turn on humanity?”
Fujiki’s gaze remains firm. “I can. After all that we’ve been through together, I know I can trust in Ai.”
The Dark Ignis, for its part, looks happy as can be sitting there. “Careful now,” it warns, golden eyes set on Ryoken “Don’t give me ideas, I just might take you up on them,” it almost purrs, ill intent clear to see, before it gestures and its voice grows light. “I can see it now. Evil Overlord Ai, who will rule over humanity with an iron fist! …As long as his soaps aren’t on, that is.”
“Ai, not helping,” Fujiki reprimands. The Dark Ignis, for its part, seems unmoved, only giving a mild shrug (not enough to dislodge itself from Fujiki, of course).
Just the sight of it makes Ryoken’s blood boil. The Dark Ignis may fool others with its theatrics, but not him. It wasn’t joking about overthrowing humanity, and Fujiki’s blind to the danger it’s putting him in. “Be that as it may,” he growls. “Since we no longer have a mutual enemy, our truce is at an end. I will do what is necessary to keep the world safe, even if that puts us at odds. Don’t think for a second that I’ll hesitate if I have to go through you.”
He’s hoping for some sort of fear or anger, but it isn’t Fujiki who reacts first. “Oh, how scary!” the Dark Ignis wails, feigning fear with terrible, put-on drama — a pale imitation of humanity from something utterly incapable of it, before it gets serious. “But it won’t be that easy. If push comes to shove, I’ll be strong so I can protect my dear Yusaku,” it says, squeezing Fujiki harder.
The longer Ryoken has to witness this, the more he wishes the Tower of Hanoi had succeeded. That Ignis had better count its days. …Despite his mounting fury, though, it isn’t Ryoken whose temper breaks first. That would be Homura, whose presence Ryoken admittedly had forgotten in favor of keeping an eye on the Ignis. “You know,” he starts, eyes blazing with fury. “If we don’t have to be allies anymore, then you and me have some differences to settle.”
…Ironically, the sight of Homura’s anger dampens Ryoken’s. It reminds him that, right, there was more at play than the Dark Ignis. He…had failed to resolve things between himself and Homura last time, hadn’t he. That last attempt had succeeded less than he’d hoped for. “…indeed we have not,” Ryoken responds coolly as he turns on his heel to leave. “That, too, will come in time. Consider our meeting today a warning that the gloves are off.”
With that, he leaves, residual frustration still burning within him. He spares one last glance back when he thinks he can get away with it, and sees them back to normal. Homura at rest again, sitting across from Fujiki, who’s still deeply enveloped within the arms of the Dark Ignis. As Ryoken feels his irritation grow, he can at least put into words why this sight infuriates him.
None of them are taking him seriously, and he needs to change that.
It’s a few days later that Ryoken makes his next move. Upon reflection, it makes sense that he cannot get through to Playmaker when he and the Dark Ignis are together — it was a fool’s errand to try that. He needs to divide and conquer. And while the Dark Ignis is the main target, it’s for exactly that reason that it’s beneficial to go for Playmaker first — and luckily for Ryoken, their many confrontations have exposed a few of Playmaker’s weak spots. One of the most glaring being that, for reasons Ryoken cannot comprehend, Playmaker will consistently, knowingly walk into traps. And while this wasn’t a problem when Playmaker could duel himself out of them, the times when he couldn't?
…Well. Ryoken himself had to step in twice when that happened. Once for Zaizen, and once for the Light Ignis. Both instances he would have preferred to avoid — he doesn’t need to give Fujiki any more misguided ideas about him being some kind of savior — but that’s beside the point. If Ryoken were the one setting the trap, that wouldn’t be an issue. There’d be no one to save Playmaker from him, and then, perhaps Fujiki would finally see what kind of person Ryoken really is.
But that will come in time. For now, he needs to lure Fujiki in — which will be simple. He already tracked down all of Fujiki’s contact information a long time ago, so he makes use of that to contact him.
Hey.
Can you meet me in Link Vrains alone? There’s something I need to talk to you about.
And with that, a location listed that Ryoken has already bugged, a time to meet, and a signature of his real name, the trap is set. It’s a simple trap, to be sure, but if he knows Fujiki like he thinks he does, this will be enough.
It’s enough. His trap goes off without a hitch, and when Revolver appears at the scene five minutes later than their meeting time, he finds Playmaker dangling helplessly within the digital net he designed. It was strong enough to keep a person there, but more importantly, he made sure that no one trapped within could activate their duel disk…which leaves Playmaker defenseless. He feels a tinge of satisfaction – a plan gone off without a hitch.
Well…aside from one small problem. Playmaker was neatly trapped, for sure, but… “I thought I asked you to come alone,” Revolver notes acidly.
From right…beneath, beside, all around Playmaker due to the netting squeezing the two of them close, the Dark Ignis responds instead. “He was going to, but Ai insisted on coming along. And it’s a good thing I did! What kind of person booby traps a booty call?”
“That’s not what this is,” Revolver quickly clarifies. Leave it to an AI to completely misunderstand him. “Don’t change the subject. This was supposed to be a conversation between just Playmaker and I.”
“I couldn't get Ai to leave it be,” Playmaker says, voice neutral and face barely visible behind the Dark Ignis’s gaudy cape. “…What did you need to talk to me about, anyways?”
“This makes a good starting point,” Revolver starts tersely, gesturing at Playmaker’s current situation. “Did it really not occur to you that this could be a trap?”
“If someone else had messaged me, then maybe,” Playmaker argues back. “But it was from you. The IP address matched yours.”
“What difference does it make for it to be from me?” Revolver asks, eyebrows raised. “You’re still trapped in here because you weren’t careful. It’s as though you think…”
He trails off, staring into Playmaker’s eyes—well, as much as he can with the Dark Ignis in the way. Unlike Revolver, Playmaker makes no attempts to cover his eyes with his avatar, leaving them as little windows to the soul for the world to see. And what Revolver sees in them right now is no fear, despite his predicament.
It’s as though you trust me not to hurt you.
Despite all his efforts, Playmaker remained blind — willfully ignorant, almost — to any danger he might be in. …Which is a problem. This is exactly the attitude that nearly got him killed by the Wind and Light Ignises, and it cannot be allowed to continue. …Especially since he can’t count on Revolver to save him—well, he couldn’t in the first place, but once this is over, Revolver is going to be in jail. Playmaker needs to stop putting himself into danger — what little safety net he has won’t last. He clears his throat. “Our truce is over, Playmaker. You can’t afford to have this little caution anymore.”
For just a second, Playmaker’s brow furrows — the kind of reaction Revolver wanted to provoke. It’s a glorious second, before the Dark Ignis ruins it, interrupting the moment with a ridiculous, over the top reaction. “Oh no! Playmaker, whatever will we do?”
It’s hard to tell, but it looks like Playmaker rolls his eyes — as he should. “I’m not sure, Ai.”
“You’re no help,” the Ignis pouts. “Luckily, I’ve got this under control,” it says, waving a hand.
The second it does, something strange occurs. The world ripples, and the data bends to the Ignis’s will to form itself into a pair of comically oversized scissors in its hands in a clear display of power. The Ignis itself is cheery as it uses them to cut the netting, setting itself and Playmaker free.
(Seeing the Dark Ignis crash to the floor in a decidedly undignified manner is deeply satisfying. Seeing it quickly recover and catch Playmaker in its arms is…less so. In fact, the…tenderness with which it holds him is almost infuriating to behold. The point of this whole exercise was to scare some caution into Playmaker — the Dark Ignis is getting in the way of that.)
…Luckily, Revolver came prepared. It takes around ten seconds longer than it should, but the second the Dark Ignis sets Playmaker back on his feet, Revolver runs a script he coded for this very occasion. Within seconds, a wall forms, trapping him and Playmaker within a giant dome, and more importantly, locking the Dark Ignis out. He’s no fool — he knows the Dark Ignis can likely break its way in, but for this brief moment in time, he has Playmaker to himself.
And he isn’t going to waste this chance. He advances on Playmaker. “Do you see now? You can’t keep being so careless. Skilled duelist though you may be, the world is cruel—People can be cruel, and so can AIs. The Light Ignis more than most, but it was far from the only one, and next time, there won’t be anyone to save you. Stop walking into traps.”
Playmaker barely responds, just staring at him and slowly nodding. “I see what you’re saying but…it sounds like you’re worried about me.”
That-well, first of all, he’s wrong. While that’s the kind of misconception he’d expect of Playmaker by now, that doesn’t change that he’s very far off the mark. Playmaker is still too blinded by sentiment to see the truth; that part isn’t new. What is, though…
Perhaps it’s the sound of an angry Ignis in the background trying to break in, but…something does feel different about Playmaker. Isolated from the outside world like this, he feels less like the mighty hero of Link Vrains, and more…human than usual. A mere mortal like the rest of them.
(And the conflict with the Light Ignis had shown that clearly — for how much Revolver regrets his own weakness there, Playmaker had not had an easy time of it, either. It was clear to see how much he had suffered during and after the battle against Kusanagi. Playmaker was incredibly strong — no one could deny that fact — but he was far from invincible.)
The inquiry does send an uneasy feeling through Revolver, but that is not important. “All I’m doing is being pragmatic,” he deflects. “You are a strong duelist — or you can be, if you choose to fight for the right side. It would be a waste for you to be lost to your own carelessness.”
That, at least, finally seems to get through to Playmaker more, as a thoughtful look enters his eye. “I…see. I maintain that if someone is trying to get my attention, I can’t let that slide, but-“
Before he can finish his sentence, they’re both interrupted by the sound of shattering concrete. Behind Playmaker, the digital wall cocooning them crumbles to bits, revealing behind it a less-than-pleased Ignis holding a gigantic toy hammer.
The look on its face is furious for a second, before it sees Playmaker and returns to its normal…state. “Yusakuuuu!” it wails as it bounds toward him, wrapping around Playmaker once more.
If Revolver squints, he can maybe see some exasperation in Playmaker’s face — though apparently not enough to dislodge the Ignis. “Ai, we were separated for all of two minutes, if that.”
“Which is two minutes too long!” the Ignis whines, clinging to him closer. “Did I miss anything important?”
“Not really,” Playmaker responds, awkwardly patting the Ignis on the head. “I was about to agree to be a bit more careful in the future.”
“…Huh.” The Dark Ignis looks thoughtful for a moment. “And he got you to agree to that?”
“Sure did.”
“Hmm…” it puts one hand to its chin. “Revolver and I agree on something for once. …Feels weird.”
“Don’t expect that to happen again,” Revolver quickly clarifies. “I haven’t forgotten that you need to be dealt with, Ignis.”
It sticks its tongue out at him, before turning its gaze back to Playmaker. “Was there anything else? Because if not, I was thinking there was a movie we could catch later!”
Playmaker almost smiles, before looking back at Revolver. “Well?”
…Standing here before the two of them, he feels more powerless than ever, somehow. “Do what you will,” he huffs, before turning away and logging off. There’s no reason to watch this any longer than he has to.
Even after returning to the real world, though, he still feels agitated — almost more so than before. He got a concession out of Playmaker, sure, but he still remains blind to the biggest threat of them all. And any time Ryoken might make any progress on that front, the Dark Ignis gets in his way. Like a second Marauding Captain summoned to the field, preventing any possible attack from going through at all.
(The worst part is that Playmaker doesn’t even need to be a target in this. If there were a way to just deal with the Dark Ignis alone, then Ryoken would gladly take it, but. Well. The Dark Ignis seems reluctant to let go of Playmaker for even a second, so clearly that isn’t an option.)
“If I may.”
A calm voice jolts him out of his thoughts. He looks around, only to see Specter standing patiently beside him. “Oh, it’s just you. You startled me.”
“Apologies, Master Revolver.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Ryoken quickly dismisses. “…Were you watching all that?”
Specter nods. “It…piqued my interest, you could say. Now, forgive me for overstepping, but something seems…off about the Dark Ignis compared to before.”
“Don’t apologize. You know I trust your judgment, Specter,” Ryoken encourages. “Did you notice anything specific about him?”
Specter shakes his head. “Not yet, but I do have an idea on how to draw him out. Unfortunately, though, it is not something I can do alone.”
Ryoken nods. “I can help you with whatever it is. What do you need?”
Specter puts a hand to his chin. “Well…”
Specter awaits on top one of one of Link Vrains’s buildings, like a spider perched atop its web. It’s not long before his prey comes into view, the Dark Ignis successfully lured out. “So,” Specter starts. “It seems you received my invitation.”
For once, there’s no mirth to be seen on the Dark Ignis’s face. “That’s one way to put it. I’m a very busy AI, so this had better be quick. What do you mean, you know my secret?”
Specter’s look becomes devious. “Oh, I think you’ve got plenty of time. I made sure to take a little…insurance, if you will, to make sure you’d duel me. The Knights of Hanoi have taken Playmaker hostage. As I speak, I’d say he’s helplessly trapped within our clutches. If you duel me, I’ll release him. If you don’t…”
For just a second, the Dark Ignis’s eyes widen, before settling into a manic smile. “Wow. WOW! So that’s the way we’re playing, hmm? That’s bold- very bold. You must be really desperate for my attention,” he starts as he engages his duel disk. “Well, now you’ve got it. Good luck-“
“So, this is the place you mentioned.”
The sound of Fujiki’s voice distracts Ryoken from the live feed Specter set up for him, which is a good thing. The mission Specter planned out was simple – Ryoken would distract Fujiki long enough to create the illusion of a hostage situation, which Specter would use to put pressure on the Ignis.
(How easily Fujiki was lured out by a simple request to try out a different cafe with him is…disquieting, but that is a battle worth picking on another day.)
He quickly pauses the live feed and takes off his headphones. “It is, yes.” He pauses. …Anything he does today is to help the mission – to stall out Fujiki. “Thank you for coming out here,” he says curtly.
“Don’t mention it,” Fujiki responds. “…Unless you’re going to tell me that this is yet another trap, and I should have been more careful. Again.”
“It is another trap, but for a different reason this time,” Ryoken answers truthfully. “Anyways, care to order? I’ll pay.”
They order (Fujiki likes his coffee a lot closer to black than Ryoken does, curiously enough), and sit down together. The second they do, Ryoken clears his throat. Stall. He needs to stall Fujiki here, however possible. “There’s…something I’ve been meaning to say to you.”
Fujiki raises one eyebrow, and Ryoken takes a second before he continues. This is…far more direct than he would usually be, but it’s for a cause. “I…regret the way my part in the fight against the Light Ignis played out. For all of my warnings and intentions, I failed to properly anticipate everything it would do, and…others suffered for it. …Suffering that could have been avoided.”
Fujiki’s expression doesn’t change — there is no anger or castigation for his failure. “Maybe it would have been easier to beat Bohman in a tag duel, yes. I…wouldn’t mind tag dueling alongside you,” he says with a cough. “But I hadn’t been holding that against you. If anything, I’m glad with how things with you played out.”
…Huh? “You are?”
Fujiki nods “I got to see the kind of person you still are — that you’d prioritize a human life first. That’s…what matters most here. I was able to take Bohman on alone.” He closes his eyes. “Too many people were hurt in the process, but Bohman was dealt with. That was within my power.” He opens them again, green eyes clear. “But there would have been nothing I could do to bring Jin back, if Lightning got to him. That’s why I’m glad you saved his life.”
Ryoken looks down at his drink, deep in thought. Fujiki’s too exonerative of him still, but when he puts it that way…no, it was still far too kind to him. Ryoken should have been able to better anticipate that, should have been able to figure out some workaround or loophole so things would not reach that point.
(But…there is a part of him that wants to just accept Fujiki’s words. He can’t let that part win out, of course, but still.)
…That said. “Then…that means you have not been treating me differently for my performance there, or…” The words burn, but…they must be said. “Or for what I said afterwards.”
Fujiki looks at him almost disbelievingly. “Not really, no. But if you’re bringing that up-“
“Listen,” Ryoken cuts him off, intent on establishing the truth. “I had no way of knowing whether or not I could have come back from that. There was a real possibility that would be where I died for good. That is a time where most would…perhaps say things they would not normally, or things they haven’t thought through.” He grimaces. “The future can only stretch out before you like that in the days of youth. As you grow, you realize that someone had to create that future and keep it safe for you to live in. That…is my role in this world now. To ensure the future can come to pass so someone else can enjoy it.”
That makes Fujiki frown, for some reason. “That doesn’t seem right. Lightning’s gone for good, isn’t he? Shouldn't the future be open for you again?”
The tone in his voice is strangely disheartened for him, and Ryoken remembers with a start that he hadn’t told Fujiki about his long-term plans yet — that he was going to turn himself in the second all the Ignis were dealt with.
(And he has good reason not to tell Fujiki. The likelihood that Fujiki would take that without argument was near zero, but ultimately, there was nothing he could do about it. Even if Fujiki could free him from what destiny would ask of him, there exists no force in this world that could save Ryoken from what he’s already done. The past is set in stone, and he has no interest in trying to change his — and even less in dragging someone else into his mess. At some point, his ship has to sink, and he intends to allow it without issue.)
As such, he just shakes his head. “No. Not yet. As long as AI remains a risk to the world, I can’t rest.”
Fujiki almost seems dejected as he responds. “I…see.” He takes a second to sip his drink, before he speaks up again. “Then…about that flower field you mentioned. Was it in Den City?”
The pivot is a bit of a surprise, but…there’s a chance that’s less dangerous territory to retreat to. “It…was,” Ryoken confirms. “The other Knights of Hanoi would take me there when Father was busy, which was…often.” He hesitates. Truth be told, he hadn’t thought of those times in ages before all this began. “Those were…peaceful days,” he reminisces quietly.
Fujiki slowly nods, looking thoughtful. “That…does sound nice.” He clears his throat, then stares into Ryoken’s eyes with a quiet determination. “If you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to see that sometime. …To go there with you.”
Ryoken nearly spits out his drink. He would mind—no, that wasn’t right. Fujiki should mind that. That he doesn’t is a problem Ryoken hasn’t figured out the solution to yet, but-
He takes a deep breath, reminding himself of the purpose of today and sparing a glance at his phone. To his chagrin, Specter isn’t close to finished fighting the Dark Ignis, so he still needs to stall Fujiki for longer. Driving him away and returning to safety would…not accomplish that. …He still needs to deal with…all of this…at some point, but for today, all that matters is spending longer with him. He clears his throat. “There is a park nearby, you know. If you want to go there instead for a walk…with me, then I could accept that.”
Luckily for him, Fujiki accepts without more questions — as soon as he uses the restroom, that is. The few minutes of time alone are something Ryoken is glad for — both to regain his composure some, and to check on how Specter’s doing. It takes a few seconds to reopen the live feed and turn his ear buds back on, but once he does, he sees the duel is in full force.
“It’s been fun playing along,” the Dark Ignis says airily as it activates a face down, “but I’m a busy AI, so let’s get to the point. I knew you were lying about taking my dear Yusaku hostage.”
Specter raises an eyebrow as he draws a card. “Oh? And what makes you say that?”
The Dark Ignis grins cheekily. “I had him microchipped a while back! At the moment he’s at…what looks like a coffeehouse in Den City? Not sure why when Cafe Nagi’s right there, but regardless, he’s absolutely fine.”
(Ryoken suppresses a shudder at the thought of an AI tracking a human like that. He’s not sure which possibility is worse — that the Ignis violated Fujiki’s privacy without his knowledge, or…that it wasn’t a violation. That, for reasons he doesn’t want to consider, Fujiki agreed to it when the Dark Ignis asked.)
“Ah, what a shame. A deception like that couldn’t last, but at least it served its purpose,” Specter responds as he places another monster onto his field. “I’ve got you figured out now.”
“Oh?” The Dark Ignis puts its hands to its face, feigning shock. “You investigated lil ol’ me? How scandalous! You pervert!”
“First of all,” Specter starts, expression becoming twisted. “You dial up the humor when you’re backed up against a wall, for one. The little act may work on more foolish souls, but not me.”
It pouts. “Tough crowd…”
Specter ignores it. “Second of all…let’s get to what first tipped me off that something was wrong with you. Your motive’s changed since Bohman died…You’ve become just like me.” His grin grows euphoric. “You live for love, and only for love. The rest of the world could burn for all you care, as long as that one person stayed safe and sound. Everything you’ve done for Playmaker, I would do for Master Revolver in a heartbeat, and more.”
The Dark Ignis looks stunned for half a second, before breaking into laughter. “Is that all? Man, you almost had me worried for a second! I don’t know what you could expect there. Ai means love, after all. Playmaker set this in motion the second he gave me my name-“
“Oh, there’s more,” Specter cuts him off.
“Eh?”
Specter grins, visibly smug. “You see — and pardon my rudeness, an artificial intelligence likely can’t comprehend this — when you’re as devoted to someone as I am to Master Revolver, you grow acquainted with every bit of them. Their nobility, their relentless determination—“
“Their stick-in-the-mud nature?” it interjects.
Specter glares for a second, before continuing. “And, loathe as I am to admit it, there are a few ways in which you resemble Master Revolver. There’s a weight he carries about him everywhere he goes — the weight of the future pressing down. You can see it in his eyes — you could see it in his father’s eyes, too.” Specter raises an eyebrow. “You didn’t used to have that at all — or maybe you did, and it was harder to tell with those beady little eyes. No offense. Either way, the future didn’t seem to bother you back then, but it does now.” His grin goes wide, as he prepares the killing blow. “You saw the simulations, didn’t you?”
Ryoken’s blood grows cold. He hadn’t even considered that as a possibility. The simulations were his father’s technology — no one else should be able to—
The Light Ignis. The Light Ignis was able to see them, that’s why it caused so much trouble for everyone. Of course Ai could use them as well. And if he did…
Ryoken looks back down at the feed, waiting for Ai to confirm or deny it.
For a long moment, Ai is silent. When he looks back up at Specter, his eyes are cold — any whimsy gone from them. “Are you done yet? If so, end your turn already. I don’t have time to waste here.”
…He didn’t deny it — didn’t even try. Specter has a gift for reading people, and this is no exception. Ai has seen the simulations directly. According to Specter, that’s why he’s like this now, and Ryoken trusts Specter’s judgment, but…what would Ai-what would the Dark Ignis have to fear? The simulations always showed that the Ignis would destroy the world — they are the aggressors, not the victims of those scenarios. Why would that make the Dark Ignis…affectionate? That doesn’t follow at all, unless...
Unless the future has changed since the last time Ryoken simulated it. But if it has, then-
“Alright, I’m ready.”
Fujiki’s voice startles him out of his thoughts, and he quickly mutes the live feed. “Of course,” he says quickly, trying to cover for how much his thoughts are starting to storm in his head. He barely notices anything on the walk to the park. Is it possible to check the simulations remotely — no, he’d need a laptop for that, not just his phone. Why didn’t he bring a laptop—because this needed to seem remotely like a normal outing so Fujiki wouldn't suspect something and run — but he wouldn't have anyways, because something is wrong with him and something is wrong with Ryoken for not being able to fix that by now—
“It’s nice out here,” Fujiki observes from next to him.
Ryoken looks up to find them deep in the park by now. He…hardly noticed. “…Indeed,” he says quietly, taking a second to look around. The greenery is…lovely. “It’s been quite some time since I’ve been out in nature this much.”
Fujiki looks at him curiously, and he clarifies “It’s not the same on the yacht. The ocean breeze is nice, for a bit, but it grows old fast.” He takes a deep breath of the spring air. “…I wish I’d had someplace like this to go during these past few months.” I’m going to miss places like this when I go to prison, he thinks but doesn’t say.
“But you have it now,” Fujiki responds, something suspiciously like hope in his eyes.
He wishes Fujiki wouldn’t look at him like that. Every time he does, it makes it harder for Ryoken to do what must be done. “For now,” he responds quietly.
For a few moments, there is blissful silence, only the rustling leaves and distant birdsong accompanying them. Then, Fujiki disrupts it. “I haven’t given up on you,” he says. “And that isn’t going to change, either. I don’t want to save everyone else in the world but you, or to save the world just to lose you. You worked just as hard as the rest of us to save the world from Lightning — you should get to reap the rewards like the rest of us.”
His words are earnest, but that makes them no easier to digest. “That’s rich, coming from you,” Ryoken fires back. “You’ve put in so much work for the world. Can’t you just be selfish for once? Stop trying to save me, and just focus on enjoying the time you have as much as you can.”
“Can’t you see that’s what I’m trying to do?!” Fujiki snaps, more worked up than Ryoken usually sees him. “I spent so long looking for you—“
“You spent so long looking for someone you imagined,” Ryoken cuts him off. He is not doing this. “But that wasn't someone you could have ever found. If he ever did exist, he died in those three years alone. Either way, I am not him.”
“I don’t see it that way,” Fujiki counters unflinchingly. “…I know you’ve had my phone bugged for a while now. Did you see my second match with Bohman?”
A pit forms in Ryoken’s stomach. “Don’t do this,” he warns.
Fujiki continues undeterred. “When an AI questioned my humanity, you were the one thing that kept me grounded. That first meeting I had with you, the three things that you gave me — your impact on me is how I know that I’m human. You’re a part of me, whether you like it or not—whether you think you’re a good person or not.”
Ryoken feels numb. He had…seen that duel, yes, but had managed to convince himself that something had gone wrong with the audio. After all, there was no way that Fujiki could ever think or say that. The Wind or Light Ignis had simply messed with it as psychological warfare against him.
But this, right now — there’s no way to deny it’s real. “So…you know, then,” he says hoarsely. “You know just how much I’ve hurt you. That I’m the reason you were in the Lost Incident in the first place.”
“I know.” Fujiki’s hand reaches out to his — brushing it ever so slightly, testing the invisible barrier between the two of them.
“That won’t be the last time, either,” Ryoken warns. “I’m not a good person. …I’ll hurt you again. Whether it’s intentional or not, if our paths remain crossed, it’ll only cause you more pain and suffering.”
“…I know,” Fujiki repeats softly, taking Ryoken’s hand in his.
His grip is light, nothing that Ryoken couldn’t shake off if he tries, and yet he feels almost frozen in place. He knows in his bones that somewhere out there, there’s some magical combination of words and actions that’ll finally force the scales to fall from Fujiki’s eyes and make him see Ryoken for who he truly is, but for the life of him, he cannot find it. He...cannot dispel Fujiki’s arguments. As such, they walk together, hands intertwined.
“You’re going to regret this,” he warns.
Fujiki doesn’t answer, but he does squeeze Ryoken’s hand ever so slightly, almost in defiance of his warnings. No matter what Ryoken may say, he’s set in this path, no matter what pain it may cause him.
(…His hand is warm. Warm and soft. …Ryoken can’t remember the last time someone held him like this. It was never as important as whatever goal he was working to — and it still isn’t now, this still works as buying time for Specter. Even so…)
For quite a while, they walk through the park in delicate silence. Eventually, though, their walk is disturbed by the sound of a commotion. As they approach, the cause becomes clear — what appears to be an anti-AI group protesting on the park grounds.
There’s something about them that reads as wrong to Ryoken — something unsettling. He finds himself walking over to them almost on instinct. There’s a squeeze on his hand — Fujiki trying to pull him back — but he ignores it. “Just curious,” he explains. He should agree with their messages on principle, but some part of him is reluctant to. That requires further investigation.
(Fujiki could let go of his hand, if he doesn’t want to engage here. That’s always an option, for him to come to his senses.)
(He doesn’t.)
“So,” Ryoken starts, asking the protesters. “What is this?”
One of the answers gladly. “This is a way to gather support against the threat of AI. After what that Bohman guy did, it’s clear that AI like that is only ever going to hurt us. So, why should we wait for it? Why should we stand back while they prepare to end us all?”
The words are something Ryoken should agree with, but they don’t feel right. Another of them pipes up. “I mean, think about it. AI is what’s ruining our world. It’s stealing our jobs, it’s why concert tickets sell out in seconds, it’s why there are so many spam calls and emails…it’s a blight on the world, and it needs to go.”
That—there are several things wrong there, but Fujiki gets to it first. “Hold on,” he starts. “Lightning and Bohman were one thing, but not all AIs are like that. Surely there are some that could coexist with humanity—“
“Right. Some,” the first one snorts. “Guess we’ll have to wait for them to start murdering in Link Vrains to figure that out. As long as any of them could do something like that, they’re all a risk.”
Fujiki frowns. “Do you think Playmaker would agree with what you’re saying? The world was saved with Ai’s—with an AI’s help.”
The protesters remain unmoved. “Well, then. Maybe Link Vrains needs a new hero — one that listens to the voice of the people. One that hasn’t been poisoned by AI yet.”
There’s nothing objectively wrong with what they’re saying, but something about them gets on Ryoken’s nerves. “With such strong convictions,” he starts, putting himself between Fujiki and the protesters, “I’m surprised none of you joined the Knights of Hanoi.”
They look between each other, visibly thrown off by his questioning. Their apparent leader tries to salvage it. “Who’s to say we weren’t? We could have been—“
“No, you could not,” Ryoken snarls. He keeps a tight enough ship to know that none of these people could have passed for his knights. “The list of who was and was not recruited to the Knights was leaked online a while back. Names and faces. None of you were included.”
One of the others scowled. “Leaked info? Let me guess, an AI scraped that data—“
“Leaking information is a human endeavor,” Ryoken snaps, patience dissipating. “While we’re at it, only one of the grievances you listed is artificial intelligence. Bots that scalpers use to snap up supply have been coded by human hands for decades, and a dedicated hacker could send a million spam calls and emails within an hour. If you’re going to oppose AI, then oppose AI — god knows it’s sucking the life out of the planet — but at least do it for the right reasons.”
He storms off, only to forget that he was still holding hands with Fujiki, accidentally jerking him around. He’d apologize, but perhaps the extra hardship will make him finally realize the truth that Ryoken is not who he thinks he is.
He spares a glance back, only to see Fujiki’s eyes soft. Damn it all. “…I’m surprised you didn’t agree with them,” Fujiki starts.
Ryoken quickly averts his gaze, facing forward. Fujiki’s right — their goals and his should have been aligned, but…something about them didn’t sit right with him. He has a gut feeling that they’re a liability at best, and bad news at worst. …It’s only a feeling, though, and he can’t give that as an excuse for his actions — not if he ever wants to be taken seriously again. “You may have noticed by now, but I do not suffer fools gladly,” he says quickly, to cover his weakness. After a moment, he goes on the offensive. “…I’m surprised you argued with them. You don’t strike me as the kind of person to care what people like that think.”
“If it were about me, I wouldn’t, but it’s not about me,” Fujiki explains “It’s about Ai. Mindsets like that are what’s keeping him from living a peaceful life here. They would have done the same to Flame or Aqua…they’re what got Earth killed,” he says quietly. “I don’t care what they think about Playmaker — they can hate me all they want — but Ai deserves better than that.”
Ryoken goes quiet. Of course it’s something like that. Fujiki cares more about the Dark Ignis than his own life, all because of the Dark Ignis’s manipulations that brought them together in the first place. In all of their time together, it seems that has not changed. “…I don’t think the Dark Ignis realizes just how lucky it is,” Ryoken says under his breath.
If Fujiki heard him, he gives no indication of it, falling into a comfortable silence. Eventually, they return to where they’d started, at which, by now, the Dark Ignis and Specter are waiting for them.
(The second the Dark Ignis sees Fujiki’s hand in his, its eye twitches, and Ryoken cannot deny a slight bit of satisfaction at the sight.)
Regardless, their engagement is at an end. Ryoken dislodges his hand from Fujiki’s hold, pointedly ignoring how Fujiki doesn’t let go immediately. “Well then. I am a busy man, so this is where our time together ends,” he starts.
Fujiki looks at him with an unreadable expression, but nods anyways. “I see. …If you wanted to do this again—“
No, he cannot possibly go along with this. “This was a trap,” he cuts him off. “I told you that at the start, and it remains true to the end. You gave me everything I could have asked for today, only to get nothing in return. If you really want to fall for the next trap I set for you, then by all means, be my guest.”
Fujiki retains eye contact almost defiantly. “Looking forward to it.”
That—he is completely impossible to reason with. It seems the Dark Ignis agrees, as it sighs as it slings an arm around Fujiki’s shoulders, entirely too familiar. “What am I ever going to do with you?”
Ryoken can’t watch this. He clears his throat. “Specter, we’re leaving.”
With that, he turns on his heel to leave, not looking back. He trusts Specter to follow — that much goes without saying — but more than that, eh doesn’t want to see the Dark Ignis go back to its new normal, over-the-top level of affection with Fujiki.
…Which reminds him. “How did your mission go, Specter?”
Specter clears his throat. “I have good news and bad news. The bad news is that there is no footage of our duel – the Dark Ignis corrupted it once it realized what I was up to. The good news, though, is that I have an excellent memory — and I would never forget something like this. Allow me to recount to you how it went.”
Specter relays to him his findings, and though they’re roughly what Ryoken had seen, he still lets him — he is grateful to Specter for what he’s done today, after all.
“So, the simulations are to blame…” Ryoken ponders. “It’s been quite a while since I viewed them last. I think it’s high time that changes.”
Ryoken stares up at the monitor screen, not quite believing his eyes. Written across it, instead of the projected doom of mankind by AI’s hands that he remembers or another future to replace it, is a single error message.
Error: maximum recursion depth exceeded.
There are three reasons why seeing that screen fills him with dread.
One, this has never happened before. In all the times the simulations have been run, never before now has he encountered an error — especially not this one. Meaning there’s no existing protocol as to what to do here.
Two, the simulations are an incredibly complicated piece of technology, and one that Ryoken was not the one to code. His father was the one to bring it into being, and with his passing, the code is now effectively unreadable. Whatever’s wrong with it is beyond Ryoken’s ability to fix. Which means…
Three, with the simulations gone, the future cannot be seen. Whatever waits in store, whatever could drive the Dark Ignis to change so much, will have to be a surprise. For the first time in ages, he’s going into the future entirely blind to the dangers in wait.
For a time, things are peaceful. The looming dread never quite leaves Ryoken’s mind, but he’s able to put it aside for a brief time.
That swiftly changes when Queen shows up dead.
To the untrained eye, it may seem like an inexplicable tragedy. There were no markings on her body, no preexisting conditions that would cause her to suddenly die like this. In addition, there were no signs of a break-in in her house — no shattered windows, locks picked, or anything like that — and even if someone did break in, no possessions of hers were taken, and nothing was found on the security cameras. It’s already stumped the police, and the public is ready to write it off as a freak accident.
Ryoken knows better, though. There’s one thing her symptoms match perfectly — having one’s consciousness data deleted. If that were to happen, the body would remain, but there would be nothing left to pilot it. Leaving behind a corpse…something like Queen’s. Someone killed her through Link Vrains, and he has an idea as to who.
Isolating the Dark Ignis for a chat takes a few days of spying on it through Fujiki’s phone, but eventually, an opportunity arises. An evening the Dark Ignis agrees to go to the convenience store so Fujiki can rest at home after a long day at school — an opening to capitalize on.
He catches the Ignis on its way back, on a darkened scene with no passersby. Good, he doesn’t want an audience for this. “Ignis,” he calls out sharply.
It turns, visibly surprised. “Revolver! What a surprise to see you outside for once.”
He ignores the jab, remembering Specter’s comment. The Ignis is afraid of him — as well it should be. “Queen showed up dead recently. Isn’t that interesting?”
To its credit, the Dark Ignis’s countenance barely shifts. “Is that so? I don’t keep up with the news much, so that’s news to me.”
“I don’t think that’s true at all,” Ryoken snarls, singlemindedly focused. “I’ll cut to the chase. She’s dead, and you’re the one who killed her.”
It lazily raises an eyebrow. “Is that what you think? Man, you must REALLY hate me. An impossible death like that, and you immediately rush to blame the AI. That’s called prejudice, you know.”
Ryoken narrows his eyes. “It being impossible is exactly how I know you did it. A human would have had to leave footsteps behind somewhere along the line, but an Ignis wouldn’t. Your kind’s access to lives in the form of data is exactly what enabled you to kill her while leaving no evidence.”
The Dark Ignis pouts “Wow, how rude! And besides, there’s no way you can prove that, so-“
“That won’t work on me,” Ryoken warns. “No action taken leaves behind no trace. As we speak, the Knights of Hanoi are gathering any evidence of foul play in Link Vrains that day, and cross-referencing it with the existing list of users. Once they find no matches to any normal user, there will be only one answer. That an Ignis killed a human.”
For a long second, the Dark Ignis is silent, before he quietly laughs. “Well played. Looks like Detective Kogami hasn’t lost his edge after all! I’d give three cheers, one for each reason, but before I do…why does it matter to you, huh?”
That-is the Ignis stupid? “What do you mean? You killed a human.”
It takes a step towards him, eyes sharp. “I mean exactly what I said. She deserved it — all of SOL Technologies does after what they’ve done. After all, they killed one of my friends. They were the one to put a bounty on Playmaker in the first place. …Their savior twice over, and they spit on that.”
That—Ryoken has his own grievances with SOL Technologies, but that could never justify this. The Ignis isn’t done, though, advancing on Ryoken. “Besides, if SOL Tech wasn’t done — if they came after me again, then my dearest Yusaku will be in danger again.”
It narrows its eyes “What’s more important to you, anyways? If you just wanted the big, bad Ai behind bars, you could’ve gone straight to the police. You don’t really care about justice most here, do you? After all, if the police came to me, it’d put him at risk. And he does matter to you, doesn’t he? I mean, it’d be just unfair for you to eat up his time and thoughts like that only to not care a bit!”
That—the Ignis is deflecting. It’s trying to get away with its crime. “So you admit it,” Ryoken says roughly. “You know that you’re putting Fujiki in danger, and you’re fine with that. If you really cared about him as much as you act like you do, the kindest course of action would be to leave him alone, for his own sake.”
He expects the Ignis to retaliate, or maybe try to deflect more, but it…just laughs. “You really think that’d work! How precious, how romantic from the big, bad Revolver…!” Its laughter dies down, and it stares Ryoken dead in the eyes “He’d never accept that. Like it or not, his destiny and mine are tied, like a red string of fate — one that can’t be cut, no matter how you try. With that in mind…” it drawls out, demeanor entirely too content. “Isn’t it a better use of your time making sure nothing bad happens to either of us?”
That—that thing is smug, almost assured in its victory. “You’re assuming a lot for what I’d do for Fujiki,” Ryoken argues.
“Am I?” it ponders, demeanor relaxing. “It’s a win-win for me either way, though. Coin lands heads, you do care about him, and couldn’t bring yourself to choose a future that would bring him to harm, which means we get more time together. Coin lands tails, you don’t care about him at all, which would mean no more dates like that, and all of his time can be mine again. So really, either way, Ai win!”
It grins a despicably cheery grin. “If that’s all, I have someone to get back to.” It nearly skips past Ryoken, as though he poses no danger to it at all. “Good night, sleep tight, don’t let the bedbugs bite!” it bids with cruel mockery as it leaves.
Ryoken watches it go with hate filling his heart. That thing was too brazen, too cruel. It killed a human and it has the audacity to act like that? There’s nothing stopping Ryoken from taking out his phone and calling the police. Nothing materially, at least. He can prove it and put the Ignis behind bars, if not worse. The looming threat of what it could do could be over in an instant.
…If it weren’t for Fujiki, that is. He wouldn't give up the Ignis without a fight — Ryoken had seen that play out many, many times by now. And as much as he’d love for the Dark Ignis to have just been making things up…it was true that if Fujiki resisted arrest, his safety could not be guaranteed.
It should be an easy choice — one man, or the whole world. The Ignis had already proven that it could kill without remorse — it was clearly a threat to humanity. That much, Ryoken knows in his bones, and that’s not even going into whatever the Ignis saw in the simulations. And yet, he can’t shake the feeling that the Ignis isn’t lying. That Fujiki could be in terrible danger very, very soon.
He pulls out his phone to message Fujiki as he starts the long walk back to the yacht.
I don’t suppose I could convince you to leave Den City for a while.
Take a small vacation. Paid for, if you needed it.
Just until things die down from Queen’s death.
The response is quick.
Come with me, and I’ll do it.
Ryoken hesitates. Fate is cruel — he knows that very well by now, but he can’t run from his. Not now.
I told you, I won’t run from my destiny.
That hasn’t changed.
I see.
In that case, I’m not leaving either.
Ryoken frowns.
You’re too stubborn for your own good.
What’s going on involves the Ignis, but it doesn’t need to involve you.
It doesn’t work like that.
Besides, I don’t want to leave the life I have here.
If I had you and Ai by my side, I’d consider it, but I’m not leaving alone.
Ryoken quietly sighs. Perhaps that is the outcome he should have foreseen. …Perhaps the Dark Ignis wasn’t lying about how stubborn Fujiki would be. He types in one last message, and after a long moment of hesitation, sends.
I see.
…in that case, just try to keep yourself safe.
We still have a score to settle, after all.
He silences his phone after that, walking faster with a lot of thoughts on his mind. Fujiki’s never going to see him as an enemy again. For all his attempts, that narrative is completely out of his control. According to the Ignis, going to war with it would harm Fujiki too, and…despite everything, that is an outcome he hesitates to bring to pass.
There is a simple conclusion waiting for him, but he ignores it. Whatever is happening in his heart is of no importance compared to what happens to the human race. Only once the world is at peace and he’s properly faced his destiny can he waste his time on that.
Even so, before he goes to bed that night, he can’t resist checking his phone one last time to see if Fujiki ever responded to him. It looks like he did.
I will.
I’ll duel you anytime you ask.
Here, alone, in the darkness of his room, illuminated only by the light of his cell phone, Ryoken cannot stop a small smile from spreading across his face.
In the days afterward, a sense of dread settles increasingly heavy over Ryoken. There’s nothing stopping the Dark Ignis from killing more people, and no guidance as to what the future will be like. Each day feels tense, like today could be the day the world finally ends, and there’s little relief when he turns out to be wrong, since that just moves the day the doom could come to tomorrow.
It’s particularly bad when he woke up today, though. Like being able to sense oncoming rain from the ache in one’s bones, but for something far, far worse than a simple storm. Something terrible is coming — he knows that for sure, even with no evidence.
It’s that sense of impending doom that leads him to…actions he would perhaps hesitate to do normally. He had bugged Fujiki’s phone a while back — before the Tower of Hanoi for sure — and it’s easy to use that to keep an eye on him. Just in case – just if something happens. Whatever’s coming, it’s hard to shake the feeling that it’s putting Fujiki in danger.
At first, his cyberstalking yields nothing interesting. He gets to hear Fujiki go about his day to day life alongside the Dark Ignis, which is…a strange experience. If the universe wanted to punish him for his paranoia, this would certainly work for that. Hearing the Ignis flutter about Fujiki, joy overflowing in its voice, is…irritating enough, but what’s worse is hearing how Fujiki only halfheartedly shuts it down. There’s…affection there. It’s muted from Fujiki compared to how the Ignis prances around like a peacock, but it’s present.
(…Fujiki would likely say yes, if Ryoken asked him to spend a day together just like this. He would because there’s something wrong with him, and he refuses to see danger where it’s present, but he likely would. …Of course, it’d be wrong to take advantage of that for petty personal reasons, and…besides. Once the Dark Ignis is dealt with, Ryoken is going to prison anyways. It…burns to admit it, but this is something the Dark Ignis could give him that Ryoken never could, not in this lifetime.)
For a while, Fujiki’s day is peaceful, and Ryoken almost considers that his worry is unjustified. It doesn’t feel like the danger is gone – far from it, in fact – but with every passing second, it feels more and more pointless to keep watching like this. The moment he’s about to shut the feed off, something happens — an argument breaks out. By the sound of it, it’s more anti-AI advocates, ones clearly not using their time well. They accost Fujiki and the Ignis, and the Ignis fights back, and then-
The loud sound of a gunshot rings out.
The playback shorts out quickly after that, leaving the room dead silent. For a long moment, Ryoken is stunned into silence. That-he hadn’t noticed the protesters that day carrying a gun. He had other things on his mind at the time—he was negligent, it was always a possibility, and it wasn’t him who suffered for it. He forces himself to move, pulling up the security camera footage nearby. Please, let this be a misconception. Let it not be what it sounds like. Maybe the shooter missed. Maybe they just hit the Ignis.
It takes a few of the most agonizing minutes of Ryoken’s life, but he’s eventually able to find a nearby camera’s recording of the event. With shaking hands, he hits play, watching the confrontation unfold with a pounding heart.
A few facts quickly become clear. The shooter was aiming at the Ignis after all. If their bullet had struck its target, then…there would be no problems. But…Fujiki hadn’t accepted that. He had stepped in front of it, taking the bullet in the Ignis’s place, and…bleeding out in his arms. The worst case scenario had come to pass. Yusaku Fujiki is…gone.
Ryoken sits there in shock for what could easily be hours. It had never occurred to him that he might ever outlive Yusaku. Either he’d die first, sacrificing himself for the sake of the world and leaving the rest to Yusaku, just as he did against the Light Ignis, or whatever threat they would face would simply be too great to handle, and they’d die together hand in hand. Either way, it was never supposed to end like this. He wasn’t supposed to live to see Yusaku’s death, nor…have to keep living on after witnessing it.
…It was so sudden. A life ended for good, just like that. No months of hovering between life and death, no time as a ghost in Link Vrains, no peacefully passing in his sleep, just…gone from this world in the blink of an eye. Ryoken didn’t even get the chance to say goodbye, not even close. If he had…
What would he have even told Yusaku, if he could have? I’m sorry. This is my fault for not seeing that the protesters were armed. It’s my fault in the first place for dragging you into this. I should never have asked you to come home with me that day. I shouldn't have given you false hope by saving you. …I’m sorry I could never live up to the person you saw me as — the person who could have saved you and made you happy time and time again over the course of a lifetime. You deserved…so much more. From me, and from the world that you fought so hard to save. And most of all, I’m sorry that I never told you any of this when I had the chance. That I wasted so much of our time together trying to be your enemy. It all feels so pointless now, and we could have been-
He slows down and takes a deep, shuddering breath, before forcing those painful emotions back down where they belong and wiping his eyes. No amount of regrets will ever bring Yusaku back to life. That is one lesson Ryoken has had to learn very, very well by now. But, even if it’s not possible to bring him back, the least Ryoken can do is make his killers pay.
He turns back to his laptop and robotically presses play, forcing himself to watch the rest of the footage (and trying as best he can not to focus on Yusaku’s broken body cradled in Ai’s arms, and instead on his killers as they try to escape). If Ryoken’s eyes don’t deceive him, they’re the same people from the park that day — which makes it even more his fault for not noticing them as a threat, but…at least gives him a lead. Tracking them on foot is going to be impossible by now, but tracking them digitally is well within his means.
Ryoken types, faster than he normally could, and quickly finds the results he wanted — a poorly written anti-AI manifesto, and the killers’ plans for today, foolishly posted online. It looks like they were planning on using an alibi of being in Link Vrains all day long — they even got a few friends to log on with their avatars and obfuscate when they really left the real world. It’s a halfway clever idea, and with a little luck, it might have even fooled the police.
But that’s not who they’re dealing with, is it?
The second the killers log in, he’s waiting for them as Revolver. For a second, they’re surprised, before that fades into admiration — something that sickens him to behold. As though he could ever want this — as though he could ever approve of this.
(…Had the tower succeeded, it would have killed Yusaku dead just the same, but…at least it would have killed Ryoken, too. He wouldn't ask Yusaku to make that kind of sacrifice alone — would have done everything he could to prevent it, if only he had realized in time.)
He clears his throat. “Do you realize what you’ve done today?” he asks harshly.
“It’s not that bad?” One of them smiles awkwardly. They don’t get it at all. “Sure, we missed the Ignis, but we won’t next time—“
“There won’t be a next time,” he snarls, cutting them off. “What you did is absolutely unforgivable. Even if you hate AI, that cannot justify any of this.” He slows down for a second, rage building in him as he continues. “I understand now why you couldn’t make it into the Hanoi. There’s no love of humanity behind your actions.” He clenches his fist. “The future that would be created by you is no better for humans than one the Ignis would make.” As he speaks, he activates his duel disk. “You are a complete and utter disgrace to humanity!”
The starstruck look in their eyes dies fast as they realize they’ll have to duel for their lives. It’s two versus one, but they don’t stand a chance — not with Revolver as angry as he’s ever been. His deck responds to his rage, giving him the means to summon Borrel after Borrel, until the two murderers are staring down an extra linked wall of furious dragons.
Just as Revolver would finally call the killing blow, sentencing them to stay trapped in Link Vrains until the cops find them, he’s denied his justice. One moment, the two killers are terrified out of their mind, and the next, something goes wrong. Their avatars start to glitch — first just blurring at the edges, before their figures twist and deform, some limbs breaking apart and coming back wrong, others just dissolving on the spot all to the sound of garbled, distorted screams. One of them shakily tries to reach out, but even if Revolver were willing to save them, it’d be for nothing. Their avatars collapse upon themselves entirely, breaking up into data before assimilating back into Link Vrains, now-ownerless duel disks falling to the ground.
Revolver stares as the duel is ruled a draw. A horrible death, to be sure — their consciousness data was only deleted after it was corrupted far beyond recognition or repair, with them alive until the very last moment to feel every bit of it. A horrible way to go, but not one he can call undeserved.
(There’s only one person who could have possibly done that, he recognizes distantly, but that feels like less urgent a matter than pursuing Yusaku’s killers.)
Ryoken logs off after that, mission complete, justice served, adrenaline dissipating, and dull emptiness waiting in its place. He’s grown hungry, but…he can’t go to Cafe Nagi. Not again. Not with the knowledge that Yusaku won’t be there ever again. Instead, he aimlessly drifts, trying to focus on anything else to stave off the painful grey emotions threatening to engulf him, but finding little to replace them with.
He can’t sleep that night. Try as he might, true rest evades him. Every time he closes his eyes, the sight of Yusaku gunned down comes back to him, forcing him into wakefulness each and every time, terrible weight of what happened crashing down on him anew. As two hours of insomnia turn into three, for the first time in half a decade, Ryoken tracks down and takes sleeping pills, finally falling into a dreamless rest from which he is in no hurry to wake up.
Ryoken very slowly comes to with the feeling of someone shaking him, though he wishes he didn’t. He tries to ignore them as best he can, but they persist. “I’m sorry, Master Revolver, but you need to wake up,” a familiar voice pleads.
Though no part of him feels willing to do that, he can recognize that voice — and with it, that Specter would not come to him like this without a damn good reason. Begrudgingly, he slowly forces himself to get up. “What is it,” he asks flatly.
Specter wordlessly leads him out to the bow of the yacht, and Ryoken immediately understands why he was so insistent
He’s woken up in hell.
Den City is currently in the process of burning to the ground, with cars careening wildly before crashing and planes circling overhead, raining down bombs under an orange, smoke-filled sky. The sound of screams is audible even from the relative distance of the yacht.
Oh, he thinks with dreadful certainty. This is the end of the world the simulations promised.
“It’s like a switch was flipped,” Dr Taki starts, “and all of the technology in the city revolted at once. …God help anyone who was in one of the self-driving cars when this began.”
He swallows roughly. That explains a lot of what he’s seeing. “…We’re standing on a yacht. How are we safe from that?”
“Do you remember when we bought this boat in the first place? You insisted on one without any smart connectivity and nothing beyond what it needs to operate,” Aso answers. “That one action may have saved our lives — or at least, bought us time. Now, the question is what we’re going to do with it.”
(Ryoken’s heart is nearly beating out of his chest, witnessing the destruction. This all feels so, so horribly familiar — like this is where the road he’s been on until now would always lead. That this end was inevitable — and that it is an end. There’s a terrible suspicion within him that he won’t survive beyond this day. That he never has before, and never will.)
He stops, and forces himself to take a deep breath. If the world still needs him, then he can’t rest. “I’m going to go straight for the source of the problem and stop the Dark Ignis. Specter, with me. The rest of you, do whatever you can to mitigate the damage.”
The others nod, and just before Ryoken leaves the safety of the yacht, Aso places a hand on his shoulder, a silent plea to stay safe. …He can’t make any promises, so he just stays quiet as he leaves, Specter following close behind.
Two things quickly become clear. One, Ryoken is unfortunately not sure exactly where to find the Dark Ignis. It feels like it’s on the tip of his tongue, like he’s on the brink of remembering just where it went, but he can’t quite reach it. Not yet. Until then, he can track his footsteps — where the Dark Ignis might have gone. He can start with Cafe Nagi – which was usually parked in the city’s center.
Two, and much worse — Den City is hardly survivable in this state. It becomes quickly and terrifyingly obvious that the self-driving cars are effectively targeted missiles in the hands of a vengeful AI. The roads are barely more dangerous than the sidewalks at this rate, and there are far, far too many close calls to count. But, with great difficulty, he finally reaches Cafe Nagi-
Or. Rather. What’s left of it. His heart stops at the sight. It would seem one of the self-driving cars got to Cafe Nagi before Ryoken could, reducing it to a smoking wreck. And what’s worse is that judging by the blood coating the wreckage, it wasn’t empty when it went up in flames. That little corner of peace in Den City is just…gone. Sure, it could never have been the same without Yusaku, but…maybe it could have stood as a memorial to him, instead of…this.
(And, to top it all off, no Dark Ignis to be seen.)
Ryoken takes a second and forces himself to breathe. His chest is tight, and he feels like he’s going to be sick, but if this tragedy shows anything, it’s that he can’t afford to waste any more time here. Every second he does, more humans die to the rampaging Dark Ignis. The only way to mitigate the damage is to find it as fast as he can. Which means…
He slowly turns to Specter. “Go and see about gathering anyone you can find in the sturdiest building you can — away from those cars, and not on the highest floors — somewhere sheltered from the bombs. I’ll take care of the rest.”
Specter’s eyebrows slowly rise. “Master Revolver…?”
He’s concerned, and he isn’t wrong to be, but this is far greater than both of them. “I have to find the Ignis as fast as I can, and for that end, I need to do so alone.” He takes a moment to look Specter over, not able to shake the feeling that this parting will be final. “…Thank you for all that you’ve done for me over the years. For…everything, really.”
Specter frowns. “I’d ask if there’s any way I could come with you, but…there isn’t, is there? I’ve seen that look in your eyes before — as long as you have a shot, you can’t possibly be deterred. It was like this with the Tower of Hanoi, too.”
What a fitting example. The way things are now, Ryoken doubts he even has six hours left, but Specter is right. “Exactly. No matter what it costs me, the Dark Ignis has to be stopped.”
Specter takes one last, long look at him, before sighing. “If that is the case, then I will do as you ask of me but…” he hesitates. “If it is as all possible, please return.”
“…I will,” Ryoken whispers.
Specter nods, sorrow clear to see in his eyes, but after a moment, he reluctantly leaves, and Ryoken takes a moment to think. Where is the Dark Ignis hiding? Where could he be? The whole world is going to end if he can’t figure this out, and fast, and it feels like it’s right there, waiting for him to discover it. …Was it in the simulations? If so, where did he go last time? Think. Think. Think!
And then, it hits him all at once. Like he’s always known, like a memory coming back to him. There’s a military facility a little outside the city where the Dark Ignis is mounting its attack from — and if it isn’t stopped soon, then it’s going to get even worse. That’s where it went. That’s where it always goes.
…Truth be told, Ryoken can’t place where he saw this, or when he ran this simulation, but he doesn’t have the time to question it. All that matters is putting an end to this as soon as he can.
The way out of the city is treacherous, but it’s easier to bob and weave around the out-of-control cars alone. Granted, every diversion takes time he doesn’t have — every second is more time the Dark Ignis gets to mount further attacks on humanity — but there’s nothing to be done for it. Eventually, he’s able to reach the facility, and gets to the approach—
Before stopping dead in his tracks. Right there, collapsed next to the open gate, eyes closed, is Takeru Homura. He could almost pass for unconscious, were it not for the angle his neck’s twisted. At his wrist is a cracked duel disk, and spread on the ground around him are his Salamangreats. It…looks like Homura’s body was carelessly thrown here, and the impact both snapped his neck and scattered his cards, with…no one around to gather them back up to give him some dignity in death.
Ryoken stares at the horrible sight for a few long moments, before forcing himself to take a few deep breaths. This is—it’s a horrible tragedy that shouldn't have happened, but it serves as another reason to continue. There are so many more than three reasons the Ignis has to be destroyed, and this is…another one of them. If Ryoken has those, then he can continue, even with the present up in flames. He has to.
The Ignis has its back turned to Ryoken when he enters, tapping away on some device with barely a care in the world, and the sight boils Ryoken’s blood. “Ignis,” he growls, calling out to it.
The Dark Ignis’s shoulders silently shake, before it turns to face him with an unstable smile. “Another interruption, huh? I must be making terrible time if Revolver of all people found me before I could set off the nukes.”
(Nukes. That’s what was waiting for humanity – the form their doom would take. The Dark Ignis would raze the planet’s surface, salting the earth so nothing could ever grow. …As long as it’s not stopped. It isn’t too late to save the world — it can’t be.)
It gives a false disaffected sigh. “I guess I’m just slow today. Who cay say why? Maybe it wasn’t enough sleep last night, maybe it’s all that stewing over how much time Yusaku spent with you in those last few days…”
The mention of Yusaku hurts — even more so next to the destruction the Dark Ignis is planning — but Ryoken forces himself not to focus just on that part. “Maybe it’s that you killed Homura,” he snarls back.
“Huh? Oh, right, that. Him,” the Dark Ignis barely responds, almost as though it forgot about the murder it committed. “Man, was I sloppy today to not notice that he followed me here, but that’s beside the point. He challenged me to a duel, and I obliged. And then, when he lost, he couldn’t accept it. Attacking me is cheating, you know! How rude.” The Ignis pouts, a hideous, almost offensive mockery of human emotion. “So, I did what I had to do. I dealt with him, and…well. You saw,” it gestures, before its expression softens just a bit. “…He’s with Flame now. How…lucky.”
From anyone else, that might be an understandable sentiment, but from the demon that killed him, it only makes Ryoken see red. “So, what, you want the same thing? To die and be with Yusaku again? Were that the case, there were so many other ways you could have accomplished that.”
“Oh, that’s not what I want at all,” the Ignis says flippantly. “No, the only thing I want now is to make every single human pay.” Its robotic eyes are cold. “Lightning had the right of it all along. There was never any coexistence to be had. He just didn’t go far enough.”
Those right there are the words Ryoken has been anticipating for most of his life, but there’s no relief in finally hearing him. If anything, he almost feels betrayed. He knew the Dark Ignis was bad news from moment one, but Yusaku had some hope in it — hope that was misplaced in the end. “So, you’re finally showing your true colors. Even if this is the last thing Yusaku could have ever wanted-“
Ai’s eyes flare with rage. “Since when do you care one bit about what he wanted?” he growls. “You sure didn’t act like it when he had the chance! There was so much you could have done for him while he was alive, instead of just manipulate and use him. But oh, there was always something more important, wasn’t there? Some better reason, some greater cause that he could be useful for, like it or not. …And now, he’s gone, with the person that pulled his strings utterly powerless to save him.”
The Ignis’s words hit home, feeding into the horrible guilt Ryoken’s felt ever since Yusaku died. He wants to find some reason why Ai is wrong, but he knows in his heart that Yusaku’s death is his fault — not only that, but that his life could have been a lot happier had Ryoken made different choices. Had Ai gone straight for him, it would have been hard to deny him that justice, but…that’s just it. “Don’t you dare,” he snaps. “If you had just targeted me for my part in his death and stopped the second I was dead, then that would be one thing, but you’ve gone too far. There are so many innocent people dead, because of you.”
There’s no mercy or forgiveness to be found in Ai’s eyes as he responds. “Innocent human is an oxymoron, you know. Every death caused today is a death they earned. A species that’d kill their own like that has no right to live.”
…Of course. The Dark Ignis is completely beyond reasoning. How foolish for Ryoken to believe otherwise for even a second. “I see. In that case, there’s no reason for me to hesitate. I will defend humanity and put an end to your kind,” he growls as he activates his duel disk.
The Dark Ignis just blinks, before sighing casually. “Fine, if you insist. Just give me a second to adjust my deck first,” it says as it takes out its side deck, almost leisurely switching out a few cards.
Ryoken soon figures out why it’d bother to do that. Despite his efforts, the Ignis near effortlessly destroys him, and it was not a close fight in the slightest. The cards it used were tailor made to shut him down entirely — limiting his dark monsters, the amount he can summon, and even just one monster on the field. By the time his life points hit zero, it’s more of a formality than anything, though it’s still enough to leave him defeated on the floor.
His heart feels like lead in his chest. He’s…lost. Completely and utterly. When it mattered more than anything, he failed humanity. Whatever happens next is entirely his fault, but by far the worst part of this is the Ignis still standing there completely unbothered, as though Ryoken was barely more than a fly to be swatted down.
(…This is why the Ignis was never afraid of Revolver. The whole time, it knew this was what would happen if they came to blows. It never had a single chance of losing to him for quite a while now.)
…If he’s going to die, the least he can do is make sure the Ignis can’t enjoy it. “I should have killed you back then,” Ryoken growls. “Before you could have had the chance to do any of this.”
Contrary to his expectations, the Ignis responds to his curses with an evil smile slowly spreading across its face “Wanna know a secret?” it nearly coos. “That never would have worked. By the time the Tower of Hanoi started, I already had a backup ready in Roboppi. From then on, I was in no danger from you. If the tower did complete, it would’ve left you the worst criminal the world had ever seen, all for nothing!” Hate fills his eyes. “I should have let you. What have you even done with your life since then? You were powerless to protect anyone, from the start to the end.”
Those words hit home, because there’s nothing Ryoken can say to disprove them. Lying here, he’s...really and truly helpless. Everything he’s worked for, everything he’s sacrificed is…all for nothing. …The least he can do is not die with a whimper. “And now, you’ve taken that title for yourself. You’re the worst criminal history will ever know,” he fires back.
The Dark Ignis shrugs casually. “Eh, in just a few minutes, history’s going to end, so there’s not gonna be time for that. I’d say you can try to stop it, but from where I stand, you’re really out of options this time.”
Ryoken looks away. He hates that that’s true — that the Dark Ignis really and truly has him beat. He’s...lost, in every way imaginable. All that’s left to do is die for his failures.
“He…really liked you, you know.”
Ai’s voice startles him, and Ryoken looks back to see an empty look on his face. “No matter what I said, no matter what I did, I couldn’t get him to stop. It’s like part of him never left the Lost Incident. Always chasing after that special person, clinging to their voice like a lifeline…” Ai trails off.
It feels like the wind is knocked right out of him. Of all the things Ai’s said, that one hurts the most. Yusaku…loved him. It wasn’t foolishness or naiveté that caused him to not see Ryoken as a threat, it was...how much he cared about him. How much he wanted to be with him. Even after Ryoken hurt him, he refused to back down from that, until the day he died. And…Ryoken never accepted that, not until it was too late.
“You know what? Just for that, you deserve a little treat,” Ai continues, voice growing cruel. “As someone who he loved so dearly, who paid back that devotion with distance and death, you don’t get to join him. Instead, you can watch with me as the world burns.”
Barely a second later, the nukes fire off behind him, and as Ryoken watches, that horrible feeling of déjà vu he’s been having for days now finally crystallize with awful clarity. Every emotion running through him — powerlessness, heartbreak, guilt — they aren’t new. He’s been here before. Failing to scare Yusaku off, his death, Ai going mad, and then failing to stop him —every single one of these, he’s lived through before, and without fail, every time he did, it ended right here and now.
He has to know. In the last few seconds he has alive, he has to know. “…Have we been here before?” he asks.
For a split second, Ai is surprised, before a broken smile spreads across his face, and he nods-
Before the nukes hit, and Ryoken is no more.
Ryoken Kogami has three reasons to visit Cafe Nagi today. First, because of his loss to the Light Ignis. While he had other concerns at the time, looking back now, he has…more than a few regrets over how it played out. He should have been able to anticipate that the Light Ignis would cheat, and ultimately, he failed to do so. That misstep undermined his credibility both as a duelist and as a possible threat, and he needs to fix that.
Second, because of…what he said when he thought he was dying. He had gotten carried away and spoken without a care for how it might impact his future. Had he died, it would not have mattered, but…he hadn’t stayed dead, and now he’s left with the consequences of his actions. Because of that, Fujiki might be tempted to think he has a soft side, and he cannot allow that.
Third-
Thud!
His thoughts are quickly interrupted as a heavy force hits his back, knocking him roughly to the ground. After a second of shock, he tries to clamber to his feet, but whatever bowled him over remains firmly on his back, pinning him there like a butterfly to a corkboard.
“Oh, I’m so sorry!” The mystery person keeping him trapped apologizes. “I didn’t see you there.”
He cranes his neck to see just who knocked him over, finding an elegantly dressed man with golden eyes staring down at him. His expression is apologetic, but there’s something wrong with his eyes. They don’t seem sorry, they seem cold and calculating.
“I’d forgive you if you get off me first,” Ryoken grumbles. “…Who are you, anyways?”
The man stares down at him for a long second, before his expression brightens and he quickly gets off of Ryoken. “Where are my manners? You speak to the one. The only. A lover, a fighter, and an incredible duelist! Absolute! Incredible! I am-“
“You’re not summoning something, so get to the point, Ai,” Fujiki’s voice calls out from nearby.
Ai.
Ryoken stares up at the figure in dawning horror. It wasn’t a human that knocked him over, it was the Dark Ignis. Despite the pout on its face from its grand introduction being ruined, the sight of it fills Ryoken with dread. He can feel it in his bones — that thing is going to be the death of him.