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Shoichi clenched his fists, lamenting his powerlessness as he stared at Yusaku's retreating back. They’d failed to recover Jin’s consciousness. Takeru was one thing, but Yusaku, ever reliable Yusaku, had failed.
He knew it was only a matter of time before Yusaku had lost, but he still couldn't stop a seed of hatred from sprouting within him. Why now? At the most important time, Yusaku had failed him.
It was his own fault for relying on a teenager in the first place. Sure, he was involved in the same incident as Jin, but he was still his own person. Saving Jin wouldn't be nearly as important to Yusaku as it was to Shoichi.
He retreated back into the van, tears of anger springing to his eyes, and sat down in front of the monitors with his head in his hands. Why wasn't he able to duel well? If he was able to duel, he wouldn't have been relegated to supporting them from the outside. He would have been in there with them, fighting against their enemies for himself.
The tears fell, splashing against the desk even as he tried to hold them back. He was helpless. All he could do was rely on Yusaku to solve the problem. But Yusaku had failed. He couldn't rely on Yusaku anymore, could he?
A stray, traitorous thought crossed his mind, but he shook his head, dismissing it. No, he couldn't betray Yusaku. Not after everything they had been through.
His thoughts cleared, and a small light of blighted hope began to flicker. Why couldn't he? Yusaku had already solved his problems. This was the second time he had failed to recover Jin’s consciousness, but who was to say he cared as much about Jin? He no longer had anything tying him down. He didn't even think of Shoichi as a friend, despite everything he'd done for Yusaku.
No, Shoichi was better off relying on someone else. Someone who was more flexible. It was no longer Yusaku's choice as to who should be allowed to help them. If they had accepted Ghost Girl and Blue Girl’s help, perhaps the situation would have turned out differently. Maybe they could have succeeded.
Gritting his teeth, Shoichi began to type away at his keyboard, composing a message for a certain person. Nothing else mattered, so long as he could get his brother back.
---
A sound came from her brother's phone just as they sat down for dinner together, and Aoi made a disappointed sound as Akira reached for it.
“Can't it wait?” She tried to make it sound like she wasn't annoyed, but the harsh intonation still came through as her brother shook her head.
“It could be important. Even if it's not, it will only take a moment to check.” She watched as Akira quickly checked his phone, heart sinking as his eyes widened and he stood up from his chair. He smiled sadly at her, obviously feeling bad about the situation. “Sorry, Aoi, I need to make a call. It might take a while.”
She hung her head, saddened by the sudden interruption, but nodded. As he moved to his room to make the call, she stared at the food on the table, suddenly losing her appetite. She'd been happy to finally eat with her brother for once, and having it suddenly turned on its head made her not want to eat.
What could be so important that he had to make a call as soon as he saw the message? She stood up, anger flaring at whoever sent the message, and decided to find out what was going on.
She stopped outside the door to her brother's room, pressing her ear against it, and it wasn't long before she heard a conversation start. Her eyes widened at the first words.
“You said you know who Playmaker is?” There was a period of silence. “I see. If you tell me who he is, I will help you recover your brother's data.”
Her mind raced as she tried to figure out what was going on. Who was her brother talking to? Before she could continue, her brother gave a sharp intake of breath and she continued to listen.
“The boy from the hospital?” Aoi frowned, not knowing who her brother was referring to. Thankfully, her brother continued. “Yes, I know him. He found Aoi when she was unconscious and called the hospital. You're sure he's Playmaker?”
Aoi froze in shock. As far as she knew, only one person fit that criteria. Deciding she'd heard enough, she retreated from the door, heading for her own room.
She laid down on her bed, thinking. If what she heard was correct, then Playmaker's identity was Yusaku Fujiki. She gave a short, self-deprecating laugh. In hindsight, there were a couple of clues that he had accidentally dropped over time, but that didn't matter now.
She thought about what she should do. If she wanted to help her brother, she would stay quiet and let him arrest Yusaku and retrieve the Ignis. But, despite that, she couldn't help but feel uncomfortable with the idea.
She still hadn't paid him back for helping her, and if she let him get arrested, she never would. She could help him out of this, and warn him about the situation, but if she did, she couldn't let her brother find out.
She sat in the silent darkness, going over her options again and again before there was a knock on the door, startling her.
“Aoi? Are you there?” Her brother's voice came from the other side, and she let out a small sound of acknowledgment in response.
“Are you okay? You didn't eat anything.” She felt bad as her brother's voice took on a worried tone, but she was still slightly angry about having their dinner interrupted.
She laid quiet for a moment, before responding dismissively. “I wasn't hungry.” She rolled onto her side, facing away from the door completely.
The door clicked, a widening beam of light shining into her room as Akira opened it. “Aoi, are you okay?”
She reached for her blanket, throwing it over herself to avoid having to see the light, and by extension, her brother. “Go away. I want to be on my own for a while.” There was a hint of steel in her voice, and she heard her brother breathe in for a reply before stopping.
The door quietly clicked shut, but she didn't retreat from under the blanket. Her mind was racing, trying to come up with a decision.
Her brother still didn't trust her. Even though she had tried to retrieve the Ignis for him, he didn't even give her a chance to learn Playmaker's identity. If nobody trusted her, who should she fight for?
She needed answers.
---
Yusaku listlessly walked towards the school gates. He was still reeling at the revelation that he might not be the real him.
Thankfully, due to Windy’s rules, he had been able to avoid having his body taken, but he had still lost. However, it also meant that he was unable to get a concrete answer.
Was Bowman truly the real him? Was it a lie? He couldn't decide, the thought haunting him constantly.
He looked at his arm, where his duel disk usually sat. He’d left it at home, but he couldn't help but wonder. Even if Bowman said that the Ignis didn't know, what if Ai did? It wouldn't be the first time he was hiding information.
His footsteps slowed as he became conscious of someone waiting for him at the gate. Aoi Zaizen was watching him with a frown on her face, and as she realised he’d noticed her, she stepped towards him.
“We need to talk.” Before he could respond, she looked at the students filtering slowly past on their way home. “Alone.”
Yusaku ignored her, increasing his pace once more. He didn't have the time for this. However, he was forced to a halt at the word she whispered as he passed her.
“Playmaker.”
He tried not to show any undue emotions on his face. How did she know? It had barely been a few days since they had met in Link VRAINS, and she clearly hadn't known back then.
He turned and followed in silence as she walked away, leading them to a more private location. It didn't take them long. Most of the students had already left, so it was easy to find an isolated area.
He scowled at her, crossing his arms. “Why do you know my identity?”
She raised a hand to forestall him. “Answer my questions first and I’ll explain.” He didn't like it, but he nodded and she continued. “Soulburner said that he won our duel because of the bond between human and AI. Why are the Ignis so important to you?”
That wasn't what he was expecting. He tentatively began to explain. “The Ignis were created using the data gained from the Hanoi Project. Specifically, each Ignis was created based on the data of one child. Ai, the dark Ignis, was created based on my-" His breath hitched, and his voice wavered as he reworked his sentence. “Based on Yusaku Fujiki’s data.”
Aoi’s eyes widened as she heard what he said. “So, Flame is based on Soulburner’s data?” Immediately, she started as the way he spoke his sentence sunk in. “Yusaku Fujiki’s data? If it's based on you, then why didn't you just say that?”
Yusaku looked away from her, trying to hide his face. “Is it based on me?” His eyes sunk to his hands as he clenched them. “I might not be the real Yusaku. It's possible that I’m just a backup that was created during the project and switched with the real thing.”
He wasn't sure why he was telling her. He should have told Shoichi instead. At least, Shoichi deserved to know.
He was shocked out of his thoughts as a fist hit his arm lightly, and he subconsciously rubbed the point of impact, glaring at Aoi.
“I thought you were smarter than that. The project was ten years ago, wasn't it? Even if you were a backup, does that mean the last ten years were false, too?”
Yusaku stared at her, struggling to form words. The last ten years… Right. They were experiences that he had been through. That he had lived. Even if he was a backup, he was just a backup of the six year old version of him. Everything after that was his own.
With this revelation, he began to realise that Bowman's story had some inconsistencies. Even if he was a clone, how could Bowman possibly know him inside and out? They had experienced the past ten years differently. They were no longer the same person.
Even if he was just a backup, he was still Yusaku Fujiki. There may be a second Yusaku, but they weren't the same. They were different people.
They were both real.
“Thank you.” The words tumbled out before he could consciously form them.
Aoi stared at him in surprise. She hadn't expected that a few careless words would help him. She shook her head. “You're welcome, I guess.” She tried not to show her slight happiness on her face. She'd managed to help, somehow, but at the moment she would be too embarrassed to show it.
Instead, she frowned again and asked another question. “Why are you still so adamant about refusing help? You already defeated the Knights of Hanoi, right?”
Yusaku nodded, but then elaborated. “Even if we already defeated Hanoi, this other group came along and stole my acquaintance’s brother’s consciousness.” He noticed her breath hitch, as if realising something, but ignored her, continuing. “They also seemed to have destroyed the Cyberse world. Either way, you're not involved, so we don't want your help.”
He noticed Aoi had fallen silent, so he turned the conversation around. “How do you know that I’m Playmaker?”
Aoi fidgeted, not willing to let the dots connect in the way they were implying. “My brother received a message last night and had to make a call. I overheard him talking about making a deal in exchange for your identity, and when he agreed I was able to infer from the following details that you were Playmaker.”
There was silence as Yusaku pondered the information. Who knew that he was Playmaker, and was willing to tell SOL his identity? He wasn't sure. There was also another question on his mind. “Why are you helping me by telling me this?”
He didn't expect tears to form in Aoi’s eyes. Her voice wavered as she spoke. “I don't know what to do. Even after everything I’ve tried to do for him, my brother still won't trust me.” She swallowed, steadying herself. “If you get arrested, I won't be able to pay you back for saving me. That's why I told you. Just consider this to be me repaying you for finding me when I was unconscious.”
Yusaku was momentarily silent, before nodding in thanks. “I see. What about Soulburner?”
Aoi shook her head. “I don't know who he is, but even if I did, I don't owe him anything.”
Yusaku stood silently, trying to figure out who could have known his identity. There weren't many people, so someone must have found out somehow and been willing to tell SOL.
Aoi was conflicted. It was possible that she might know who had sent her brother the message, but she wasn't sure how Yusaku would take it. She spoke up, unsure of herself. “I might know who revealed your identity.”
Yusaku was immediately listening to her.
“When I overheard the conversation, my brother discussed the terms of the deal. He said that if whoever was on the other end told him your identity, he would help them find their brother's data.”
The words hit Yusaku like a truck, and his mind blanked. Surely, Shoichi hadn't told them? They had been working together for so long. But as he calmed down, it began to make sense. They had been going fine so far, but he'd failed to retrieve Jin’s consciousness twice. It was no wonder he turned to other avenues.
Yusaku turned to leave, the conversation over. “Thank you for telling me.” He was slightly bitter as he began to walk away, but Aoi's voice followed him in one last question.
“What are you going to do now?”
It was a valid question. The information he had just been told could have made him stop bothering with anything to do with Link VRAINS. He turned his head back to her. “Even if my acquaintance revealed my identity and doesn't need my help anymore, I still need to find out what happened to the Cyberse world.”
At his response, Aoi inexplicably had a small smile on her face. “I’ll see you around, then.”
Yusaku walked away in silence.
Aoi tried to squash the slight sadness that cropped up in her. She had finally found out who Playmaker was, and yet she would probably never meet him again offline.
Nobody knew what the future would hold, though. Maybe they would meet again someday.