Pain

It's one of the those nights where Stardust Road is about to shine again and Yusaku so happens to watch it again. He thought it could help him feel better, but it didn't...

He has just learned that his partner, and good friend, Ai, is hurting people and he was having fun too. It wasn't like Ai to do that.

He looks down at his duel disk for a moment and thinks back to how he used his duel disk to keep Ai as a hostage when they first met, because he doesn't trust him back then, back when he wanted revenge, but he has gotten a little friendly towards Ai when they began to save Jin when he was taken by Bowman, and then later became his partner until the very end.

Now after the Ignis Warfare, Ai changed, both his appearance and his personality. And Yusaku doesn't understand why.

He looked back up to Stardust Road with sadness in his eyes. "Ai..." He said quietly, then continued to watch the ocean in silence.

But that silence disappeared when he heard footsteps coming up to him, but he tries to ignore it.

"What are you doing here?" Yusaku got surprised when he heard a familiar voice, turns around and sees Revolver's real life self, Ryoken Kogami, giving him an annoying look and his hands on his hips.

"R-Revolver!" He stammered, "I'm sorry. I forgot that you lived here."

Ryoken rolled his eyes a bit. "I'm gonna ask this again. What are you doing here?"

Yusaku looks down at the ground for a bit, "I just came here to watch Stardust Road for a bit," he explained, "I showed Ai this place once, after our duel at the Tower of Hanoi, and..." He sighed. Talking about Ai towards Ryoken is not the best way to make himself feel better.

Ryoken saw that look in Yusaku's eyes. Pain and betrayed. "I told you that the Dark Ignis is no good, but you didn't listen." He told him. Yusaku didn't say anything. He keeps looking down at the ground. Maybe he was being too harsh.

Ryoken sits down next Yusaku. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be this harsh." He said, trying to be sympathetic.

"No... You were right about Ai, Revolver," he said in a sadden tone, "and you have every right to gloat..."

Seeing Yusaku, the mighty Playmaker who saved Link VRAINS twice now, looking all sad and betrayed is making Ryoken a little bit guilty.

"I don't want to battle Ai," Yusaku said, with a pain voice, "Ai is my friend, my partner. I don't want to fight him..." Ryoken's eyes widen when he saw the tears forming in the 16 year old's eyes. "We've been through so much lately, and to discover that he is hurting humans just for fun... I want to trust Ai, but somehow, I don't want to trust him..."

Yusaku wants to cry, but he is trying his best not to break down in front of Ryoken.

Ryoken's eyebrows knotted when he sees Yusaku like this. He then leans in and gives him a comforting hug, since he doesn't have anything else to give him except some comfort.

Yusaku didn't react when Ryoken hugged him, so he hugs him back. He need some comfort.

"So you're not going to fight the Dark Ignis to protect Zaizen?" He asked.

"No... I don't want to lose Ai. After all of the other Ignis are gone, Ai is the only one left, and to kill him, it would mean erasing all of Ignis' existence for good, just like you want it."

It's true that Ryoken wants all of the Ignis gone for good, but Yusaku and the Dark Ignis' friendship and partnering was real to them, even if Ryoken tries to warn him that it would hurt him.

"I respect your decision, Playmaker," he said, "we will do our best to defeat the Dark Ignis before it can get to Zaizen."

Yusaku didn't say anything else, he just keeps hugging Ryoken until Ryoken pulls him away from him.

"Once the Dark Ignis is defeat, I'm going to take responsibility for what I did in Link VRAINS."

Yusaku blinked at Ryoken, knowing what responsibility he was talking about, then he knotted his eyebrows in sadness. "Why?"

Ryoken gives out a tiring sigh. "Since the Knights of Hanoi's goal is to kill the Ignis, there's no reason to exist anymore, so I'll tell everyone about everything in public and make sure to atone all of the crimes we did."

Yusaku shakes his head in denial, "No! You can't turn yourself in," he plead, "this isn't the future you wanted! I told you that I will save you the same way you saved me and I still want to save you and walk a new path with you. Going to prison is not a new path!"

He still can't believe that Ryoken will go to jail because of the crimes his own father made him do. He doesn't want that. He can't lose his special person all over again.

Ryoken knows that Yusaku doesn't like the idea of him going to prison, but this is the only way he will atone his crimes. "I'm really sorry, Playmaker, but this is my choice. I just can't accept your path because of what I did, including what happened in Mirror Link VRAINS."

Yusaku bows his head down in sadness. First Ai betraying him, and now Ryoken is going to prison? What else is next?

"Look, you're tired, and it's a school day tomorrow for you," Ryoken told him, "I'm going to take you home."

Ryoken gets up from the bench, the grabs Yusaku's hand, then walks the boy to his apartment.

Once they arrived and Yusaku goes inside, he sits on his bed, then covers his face with his hands and then screams. Screams and cries in pain. He feels like he's back being tortured in those horrible white rooms 10 years ago, only there is no electrocution or starvation.

Ryoken hears Yusaku's screams and cries, so he kind of goes inside the boy's apartment, went up to him, and hugs him. He feels extremely guilty that Yusaku has to go through what is happening,

"I'm really sorry for everything, Yusaku..."

Yusaku stopped screaming, but still cries onto Ryoken's chest as Ryoken keeps holding him in comfort.