"Huh? Why is the window open...?"
Fee and Yui arrived at the hospital room just after Egos and Zenon had bolted.
As Fee closed the window, wondering why it had been left wide open, he gazed at his sleeping brother’s face and let out a lonely murmur.
"Big brother... you pushed yourself way too hard. It doesn't mean anything if you collapse while trying to protect us..."
"I'm so sorry, Fee. It's our fault Yugo-san collapsed," Yui said, her expression dark with guilt.
"T-that’s not what I meant! I'm sorry, I..."
Fee panicked, realizing his words might have hurt her more. She was already reeling from Ryuga's coldness earlier. He clenched his fists and whispered.
"...It’s so frustrating. I can't do anything when it matters most. I hate how weak I am."
"Don’t say that, Fee. You’ve saved me many times. You aren't a weak person at all."
"...Big brother and the others always praise me, saying I'm strong. But I have no power. I don't have the strength to fight for anyone. I’ve never regretted that more than I do right now."
"Fee..."
Yui knew he wasn't weak. Fee himself likely didn't think the praise from his brother and friends was mere flattery, but seeing Yugo lying there—injured and unconscious from protecting them—forced him to confront his own perceived inadequacy.
Yui watched him through her mind's eye as he agonized over his lack of combat ability. She let out a soft sigh.
"Don’t be so hard on yourself, Fee. There is someone just outside that door who has power but is far weaker than you."
"Huh...?"
"...You're out there, aren't you? Why don't you come in instead of just standing there?"
A few seconds after Yui spoke, the door slowly creaked open. Fee gasped when he saw Ryuga standing there.
"Ryuga-san...?! Why are you...?"
"...I said some terrible things earlier. I let my emotions get the better of me. I'm sorry, Fee," Ryuga said quietly as he stepped inside.
He walked to his sister's side. Before he could say anything, Yui spoke up.
"...I'm sorry for calling you the lowest, Brother."
"No... you were right. I was the lowest. I'm sorry for taking my anger out on you."
The siblings shared their apologies, finally venting the mutual guilt they had been harboring since their clash. Afterward, Ryuga approached Yugo's bedside.
Fee hesitated, asking, "Should... should we leave you two alone?"
"It's fine. Please, stay and listen."
Ryuga gave Fee a weak, grateful smile for his consideration. He sat in a chair by the bed and gazed at his sleeping partner's face.
"...I'm sorry, Yugo. Until just a moment ago, I was ready to abandon Raiha and run off for revenge. Even after you entrusted everything to me."
The words he had shouted at his sister and friends earlier hadn't been lies. He confessed honestly that a part of him truly wanted to leave Raiha—the one who had struck the blow that killed his father—to her fate while he pursued his True Nemesis, Koumaru.
"But just as I was about to hunt down Koumaru and leave the city... I heard your voice telling me you were leaving the rest to me. My feet just... stopped. You kept your promise, Yugo. You stopped me from becoming a Fiend of Revenge."
He offered his gratitude to the partner who had honored the promise they made late that night. Having returned, Ryuga looked down, his voice trembling as he poured out his soul.
"I know. I really do. I know what I'm supposed to do, what the right thing is...! I know Raiha has been carrying so much regret and guilt that it was crushing her. I understand why she couldn't just confess the truth...! I understand all of it...! And yet—!!"
This is fine. Those were Raiha's words just before she was sealed. She likely believed it was a fitting end for the crimes she committed as the Mad Dragon. Ryuga understood that. He was even grateful to her for saving Yui.
And yet... the fire of revenge still burned hot within him.
"...I still see my father's end in my dreams. I can't stop seeing him being pierced by the Mad Dragon's lightning, turning to ash in an instant. I've lived through my mother's grief after losing the love of her life. I've seen the light fade from my sister's eyes. Even if it wasn't her own will... I can't just forgive Raiha. And I can't let Koumaru, the True Nemesis, escape me!"
"Brother..."
The desire to save her was there, but so was the rage. His hatred for Koumaru throbbed like an open wound. To save Raiha, he would have to stifle that hate and grant her forgiveness. For a man who had watched his family suffer for five long years, that was no simple task.
"Yugo... my time with you and the others was truly happy. I thought that maybe, just maybe, I could forget about revenge. But the past... it won't stop chasing me. It's always there, binding my heart. I can't just forget everything. I can't do it, Yugo...!"
Ryuga confessed his inner turmoil to his sleeping friend, his voice cracking with a groan of agony as his clenched fists shook. Yui stayed silent, sensing her brother's fragile state, while Fee quietly spoke up.