"They say Egos was put into some kind of hypnotic trance or state of confusion by magic. I have no idea how it happened, but he really managed to throw everything into chaos, didn't he?"
"……Yeah, you’re right. He’s a real piece of work."
Late that night, in a room where the lights had already been extinguished, Yugo lay in his bed, talking with his partner, Ryuga.
Yugo did his best to maintain a facade of normalcy, but Ryuga’s detached, level-headed responses left him with a lingering, gnawing anxiety he couldn't quite shake.
What was Ryuga thinking now that he knew Raiha was the true identity of the Mad Dragon—his father’s killer—and that the Yamato government’s machinations were lurking behind it all?
Yugo felt a dark premonition at the fact that the target of Ryuga’s vengeance had expanded from a single individual to an entire nation. He let out a soft sigh as he glanced at the communication device Anhel had given him.
(Still nothing from Setsuna... things must be tight on her end, too.)
Knowing Setsuna, she wouldn't make a blunder like letting Koumaru and the others find her transmitter. That meant it was highly likely they were under heavy guard, driven into a situation where they couldn't risk reaching out.
Yugo recalled how Setsuna and Sakura had looked—shocked and wounded that their friendship had been doubted by Melt and the others. He wanted to talk to them, to encourage them even just a little, but the opportunity remained out of reach.
He was worrying about the girls as much as he was about Ryuga when his partner suddenly spoke up.
"Yugo... I’m truly glad I met you at this academy. The time we’ve spent together means more to me than I can say."
"What’s with you all of a sudden? Don’t go saying things that sound like a final goodbye."
Yugo’s voice was a mixture of embarrassment and bewilderment. Ryuga continued in a heavy, serious tone.
"You heard what Koumaru said, right? I’ll be subjected to forcible repatriation to Yamato soon. We’ll have to say our goodbyes."
"Don’t talk like that! Maybe we can still do something about it."
"I’m afraid hope is slim. As far as Yamato is concerned, I’m a dangerous element now; they can’t just leave me be. After I’m sent back, I’ll likely spend the rest of my life under house arrest, under constant government surveillance."
Ryuga spoke of his future calmly, as if it were someone else’s business entirely.
As Yugo clenched his fists in frustration at his own powerlessness, Ryuga lowered his voice even further.
"……Yugo, I want you to know my true feelings. I loathe Yamato. I hate the House of Utsusemi, the root of all this—and I hate Raiha, the one who took my father’s life."
"……!!"
Yugo sat bolt upright at those words, looking toward Ryuga’s bed.
Ryuga was already sitting up, his head bowed as he pressed his folded hands against his forehead. Yugo caught his breath at the sight as Ryuga continued.
"The only reason I became an exchange student was to investigate Raiha and find the truth behind that incident. Now that I know she is my father’s killer and that the Yamato government was pulling the strings, I believe they should all pay for what they’ve done."
In the darkness, a black aura of hatred seemed to shimmer and rise from Ryuga’s body.
Even as he witnessed that pressure—a chill far darker and murkier than the night itself—Yugo didn't flinch or look away. He spoke firmly.
"But you didn't cut Raiha down. You must have had plenty of chances to exact your revenge. Despite everything, the reason you let her go is because you’re wavering, isn't it?"
"……Yeah, I suppose so. Perhaps because we were together for so long, I grew attached to her."
That wasn't it, Yugo wanted to say.
However, Yugo understood that Ryuga likely already knew that, and that those weren't the words he was searching for. After agonizing for a moment, he spoke to his partner as a friend.
"Ryuga, I know this is just my own selfish wish. But... I still don't want you to go through with your revenge."
"……I thought you’d say that. I figured you would tell me my actions are wrong."
"No. I don't know if your revenge is right or wrong. I just don't want you to throw away your heart."
As Yugo spoke, Ryuga’s shoulders trembled slightly.
Staring straight at him, Yugo continued his story while picturing a certain hero in his mind.
"I know someone just like you are now. That person also had their family taken away. He burned with a desire for vengeance, gained strength to slay his enemy, and traveled to a distant land. With hatred in his chest, he kept fighting his enemies over and over again."
"……I’m surprised. He really does sound just like me."
"Yeah... and as he fought, he bonded with the comrades he met. Through them, his heart, which had been a whirlpool of hatred and revenge, began to change."
"……!"
Ryuga’s shoulders twitched again.
Sensing that Ryuga was truly listening, Yugo pressed on.
"That person said it himself: revenge is the word of the devil. Those words, those thoughts, make a person throw away their heart and drive them to commit cruel acts. No matter how kind a person is... no, it's because they are a kind person that they get trapped by hatred and become a Fiend of Revenge. I don't want you to end up like that."
"Because I’m a kind person, you don't want me to throw away my heart, is that it……?"
Ryuga, who had expected to be told that revenge was logically incorrect, showed a hint of confusion at Yugo’s answer.
Because Yugo knew Ryuga’s inherent kindness, he didn't want him to discard it. Rather than a lecture on morality, Yugo was telling him that he didn't want him to stop being the person Yugo liked. It was a naive, idealistic sentiment.
However, that naivety—that foolishly straightforward sincerity—felt comforting to Ryuga right now.
His heart warmed slightly at the realization that there was someone who cared about him this much. Yugo continued, his voice earnest.
"It’s not just me. Yui-chan, Fee, Marcos, Melt, Ann... they all feel the same way. I’m absolutely sure of it."
"……"
It was likely Yugo’s way of being considerate that he didn't mention Raiha or the others.
A small smile played on Ryuga’s lips, though his face was still turned down. He had been told he wasn't the only one worried about him. He posed a final question.
"……May I ask you one thing? That person you know, the one so much like me... what happened to him in the end?"
It was a man whose face and name he didn't know, yet he couldn't help but wonder about his fate.
Even while suspecting this was just an imaginary figure Yugo had conjured to persuade him, Ryuga waited for the answer. His partner replied with a grin.
"Oh, he’s living a pretty happy life now. He got married, had a daughter, and now he acts as a reliable senior, fighting alongside his juniors whenever they need him!"
"Heh...! I see. That’s good to hear."
There was no way Yugo, who claimed to have memory loss, could recount someone else’s life in such detail. As he thought, it was a story Yugo had made up.
Even so, Ryuga felt grateful to his partner for offering him a kind and happy ending to encourage him. He raised his head and looked directly into Yugo’s eyes.
"……Thank you, Yugo. My heart feels a bit lighter now."
"Then I’m glad. Well, shall we get some sleep? ……Don’t worry. I’m sure things will work out somehow."
In the darkness, the two of them lay down in their respective beds, smiles on their faces.
As Ryuga lay with his back to Yugo, he spoke one last time, as if to release the lingering weight in his soul.
"Hey, Yugo... if I should ever lose myself to hatred and become a Fiend of Revenge... I want you to stop me. This is something I can surely only ask of you, my partner."
If he were separated from his best friend and his sister, Yui, would he be able to stay the way he was now?
In response to Ryuga’s wish—that if he, imprisoned by hatred and the past, were to lose his humanity, he wanted Yugo to be the one to save him from himself—Yugo replied.
"It’ll be okay, Ryuga. Hatred, sadness, the past... I know you can leave it all behind."
Ryuga caught his breath at those quiet but powerful words.
Though he didn't say it aloud, Ryuga offered a silent thanks to the partner who believed in him so unconditionally.