DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fate/EXTRA or Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS. Both are products of Nasu and Konami respectively. Any relations to characters, living or dead, are purely coincidental.

Fate/VRAINS

EPILOGUE

It was late in the afternoon when the CEO of SOL Technologies, the Queen herself, arrived at Den Cemetery. The leaves had just begun to turn a crisp golden color, though a few trees had begun to lose their foliage. As such, numerous leaves, already fading and becoming pale white, littered the ground. The air was rather chilly, forcing the woman to tug on her jacket.

"It's been a while since I came here." Queen muttered to herself. She had been so busy running a company and dealing with share stockholders that she couldn't remember when she came here. Her visit was so long ago, she wasn't sure if she had been CEO or still a humble office worker before climbing the ranks and establishing her own company. A twinge of sadness touched her heart, wondering how many anniversaries she must have missed.

She shook her head. She didn't want to think about such depressing thoughts and instead focused on what she could do now to make up for so many late visits. She stepped into the cemetery, the man behind her following close at her heels. The graves seemed so empty and aged by the passing of time, but the groundskeeper had taken great care of each one. Quite a few looked recently cleaned as water lingered on the stone, dripping down to the foot of the grave. The headstones varied in shape and size, some partially cracked and others looking relatively new, though these were merely the lucky ones. Den Cemetery was known to have vandals come by, either raising hell or vandalizing the property.

Queen scowled slightly at the thought of one grave in particular being tainted by graffiti. If someone dared to do it, she was definitely going to be on the warpath, and god help anyone who stood between her and her target. She was not one who did things halfway.

The grave she had come to visit rested at the very end of the cemetery grounds. It stood a bit away from the rest of the graves and appeared to be a somewhat new addition as there were fewer chips in the stone than the older ones. It was also recently cleaned, as the water was still fresh. She smiled, seeing that there was no sign of damage or vandalizing anywhere. To her surprise, she also saw that someone had already visited. Sticks were already lit, meaning that she had just missed them, and a bouquet of blue roses sat at the foot of the grave.

"Who left these…?" Queen wondered before she shook her head and knelt down, gently placing her own bouquet down on the grave. Tenderly, she touched the headstone. It was cold, much colder than the winter air. "I'm sorry I haven't visited in a while. I would try and make up an excuse and say I was busy running a company, but… Well, that's no excuse."

"Your dream finally came true. LINK VRAINS is now in the hands of the people who dive in and out of it. The Kings had a field day with the incident, especially since it means that SOL no longer has any way to configure it. I admit, I am a bit disappointed that we no longer have a semblance of control, but there's always a silver lining. Lately, I've been looking into seeing if automations-"

Queen stopped, then sighed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be talking about business. Then again, you always knew I was never good at talking with other people. Anyway… I met that girl who made your dream come true. She's the younger sister of Akira Zaizen. He's an exemplary employee, and his sister is… Well, she's nothing like I would have expected. An odd girl, but… I think you would like her."

"Utsumi-chan is doing well. Granted, I haven't seen her in a long time since she left to study overseas, but she finally came back. She came home just last week. I feel so old now…"

She pulled her hand back, smiling sadly. She imagined she was talking to someone all this time, someone she had not seen in a very long time.

"…even if you're in that place, I still miss you. I wish we could talk face-to-face in the flesh. I miss you every day."

"Akio-sama." The man beside her whispered, holding a phone in his hand. "Utsumi-sama arrived at SOL. She's waiting for you."

"Right." Akio stood up. She turned to leave, but gave one last longing look at the gravestone. "I'll come by sometime soon with Utsumi-chan next time. See you again soon…father."

With her head held high, her aid at her side, the two left the cemetery. At that moment, a gust of wind blew by and pushed away some of the leaves covering the foot of the grave, where the nameplate was.

Written on the plaque was:

RIP
Twice H. Pierceman
1999-2029
A Loving Father And Husband
You Will Be Dearly Missed

Akira Zaizen sighed as he straightened out his tie, waiting anxiously for Queen, or rather Akio Pierceman, to arrive. He stood idly by in the hallway, outside the elevator that led to the Research and Development labs. Days like this, he felt quite irritated because it meant spending less time with his family, and his promotion to Executive Director had increased his workload. Today, however, Akira felt more irritated than usual. As for why, it was because he was anxiously hoping to finish work and return home.

If he didn't, then Hakuno's Servants were going to have his head on a platter. Today was his birthday, and he had promised he would come home before dinner. And if it wasn't those odd spirits, or whatever they were, then it sure as hell would be Aoi. She had long-since mastered the art of the "Disappointed in You" look, and he was not keen on getting an extra helping.

'I should have called in sick today…' he thought. 'It isn't like Queen to be late.'

Speak of the devil, and she shall appear.

Akio arrived almost exactly after Akira had finished such thoughts, stepping into the hallway with her aid right beside her. Her expression was neutral, but perhaps a bit softer. Ever since the recreation of VRAINS, her demeanor had significantly changed. She was still the same cold-hearted businesswoman people dare not cross out of fear of retribution, but she she had a few kind moments here and there. The other day, Akira had witnessed her personally congratulating a staff member who had been with the company for over twenty years and planned to retire due to his old age. Not only that, but if what he heard was correct, the man even received a very generous severance package.

Perhaps the Zepar Incident had changed her for the better, or maybe she always had such kinder side to her. Regardless, Akira bowed his head in respect as she approached. "Queen."

"Zaizen." Queen nodded. "Do you know why I called you here?"

No, he did not. In all honesty, the message came out of the blue. He had just finished sorting through some new paperwork that had been issued by the Checkmate Three, in regards to the development of Cyberse-issue software for the SOLtis Project, when Queen ordered him to meet her at the elevator leading to R&D. That was literally all there was to it, no explanation or anything.

Akira shook his head. Akio said nothing else except for opening the elevator door. She beckoned him to follow, and he did. The aid did not, instead bowing respectfully to the two before closing the elevator doors. Afterwards, the elevator descended.

"If I may, Queen, why did you call me here? Is this regarding SOLtis?"

"No, it does not." Akio replied. "Tell me, do you remember Elizabeth Bathory? The Duelist from Turkey who participated in the VRAINS International Tournament?"

Akira's face crunched up into a sneer. "I wish I didn't. She could have killed Aoi by tampering with the Pain Receptor Settings in the Duel Arena. To my understanding, her account should have been banned, or at the very least suspended until further notice."

"Indeed. By all rights, it should have...but as you know, that didn't pan out when that tree appeared out of nowhere and threw the whole world into chaos, digital and reality alike. Once the situation was resolved, finding and dealing with a cheater was the least of our concerns. However, around the time SERAPH VRAINS materialized, we found Elizabeth Bathory's avatar. Or rather, what we assumed was an avatar." Akira raised an eyebrow at this. "It seems there was more to Elizabeth Bathory than what we first assumed. We double checked the records and found that there is no record of a registered Duelist by that username in Turkey. We dug deeper and discovered that the registration and Leaderboard had been hacked. Not only that, but it appears that Elizabeth Bathory's avatar was made from concentrated Cyberse data material."

"What?" Akira's eyes widened. "How is that possible?"

"Currently, we believe that Bathory may be similar to a Jumper. An AI with sentience that managed to construct its own body. When we discovered the avatar, we found no trace of Psyche Data. In other words, the body is just an empty shell."

"And..." the Executive Director gulped. "The person behind the avatar?"

"Her whereabouts are unknown, but if she was an AI, it could be possible that it may be the Ignis."

'Ignis...' Akira furrowed his brow. 'In the midst of all this craziness, I nearly forgot about them.'

The Ignis had been sought after since the Cyberse World had mysteriously vanished, as they were the only ones capable of creating the Cyberse data material that SOL Technologies had made its profit from. Once Cyberse World disappeared, following the attack of the Knights of Hanoi, their main source of revenue disappeared. Naturally, they were desperate to get it back. Of course, Akira didn't know what it was that the higher-ups intended to do with the sole Ignis that was currently hiding somewhere in the vast network, but it had to be somewhere. Perhaps they intended to force it to create more Cyberse data material, or perhaps they wanted to study it. It must have been the latter, as thanks to Hakuno's actions, Cyberse data material was practically flooding the whole network. The Core was producing the stuff like crazy.

In other words, SOL no longer needed to the Ignis when it came to needing Cyberse.

"Is the avatar the reason why we're heading to R&D?"

"Correct. And more accurately, to make use of it. The researchers are breaking it down and re-configuring it."

"Re-configuring it?" Akira questioned.

Akio said nothing more, leaving him curious. The elevator ceased to move and the doors opened. Akira and Akio stepped into a large room, the front consisting of several consoles and a large glass window with two doors on either side of the room, leading down to ground level where a large machine sat in the center of the room. Bits of what looked like translucent shards danced in the center of the machine, swirling around a blue sphere with a diamond in the middle.

The researcher at the console stopped what he was doing and saw Akio and Akira. "Ah! Zaizen-san, Queen! You're just in time."

"I take it you've managed to figure out how to connect the material to the Matrix?" Akio asked.

"It took a bit of doing, as well as some all nighters and overtime, but yes. We finally managed to establish a connection. It took some trial and error, trying to sync the data material with the Matrix's patterns, but we were able to decypher the coding, then re-configure the base to match the pattern. All that's left now is to bind the Cyberse data material with the Matrix, then begin the Connection. Speaking of, I must ask, where on earth did you find that girl? Her compatibility is unlike anything we've seen before!"

Akio's lips thinned. Akira studied her and saw that there was something glimmering in those eyes of hers. An emotion not unlike the one he caught when they witnessed Hakuno's duel with Twice. "How good are we talking?"

"Enough to know that we're certain she can give the Spirit inside a physical form."

"Beg your pardon, but..." Akira cut in. "What exactly is going on?"

"Ah, I take it Queen hasn't briefed you." the researcher chuckled. "You recall how Shinji Matou, Leo Bistario Harwey and Hakuno Zaizen possess unique Duel Monsters called Servants, yes?" Akira nodded, though what he didn't tell the man was that he also lived with said Servants. Speaking of, he really did need to have a talk with that vulpine woman. There needed to be a line drawn between showing affection and engaging in sexual harassment. "Well, believe it or not, but when these Servants are summoned outside of Duels, they create a temporary avatar made from pure concentrated Cyberse data material, which is generated by a core we refer to as the Matrix. The Matrix syncs with the data material to construct and deconstruct their avatar at any time, manipulating it in a way they see fit. Theoretically, this would even allow them to manifest in the real world."

"After SERAPH VRAINS was created from the remains of LINK VRAINS, we began to study it to see if there was any use for it aside from collecting the Cyberse data material. Along the way, we discovered a Matrix and took it back for further study. It wasn't synced to any data material, which led us to believe it is in an inert state."

Akira caught on quickly as he looked back at the contraption housing the item in question. "...you're going to try and wake up the Servant."

"Correct!" the researcher exclaimed enthusiastically. "To do that, however, we have to establish a connection between the Servant and a user. To do this, we sync the Matrix's own wavelength with the subject, then induce artificial stimuli to match the wavelength of the subject. To do this, we have the subject engage in a pseudo-Link Dive when entering the network, and afterwards, enact a Link between the subject's Psyche Data and the Matrix."

Akira pretended he understood any of what was just said. Seriously, what the heck was this guy talking about? Moreover, they were using someone to try and wake up the Servant? He looked at Akio worriedly. "Are we sure this is safe?"

"We're using data we recorded from Hakuno Zaizen and Shinji Matou's duels when they summoned their Servants as reference." she replied coolly. "It's perfectly safe." She turned back to the researcher. "Begin the test, Professor."

"Of course." The researcher returned to the console, leaving the two to watch on as bystanders. "Ahem! Erice-chan, you can come in now!" The metal door slid open with a hiss. Stepping into the room housing the Matrix was a young girl, barely a year older than Hakuno or Aoi. She wore what Akira believed was a school uniform, but it looked different from any he had seen, consisting of a button-up white shirt with a pale blue-and-black striped tie, the jacket's seams marked in red. Her eyes were a bright blue color, hair chin-length and dark with a single pink highlight on the right side. "Are you ready to begin?"

"Yes, Professor." the girl answered earnestly. She eagerly stepped forth, striding up to the machine. "I just put my hand on the plate, then just let you do your thing?"

"That's correct. Try to keep your mind clear, and let us know if you feel any sort of discomfort!"

Akira looked at Akio curiously. "Who is she?"

"Erice Utsumi. Starting next month, she will be a student at Den City High School." Akio replied. He blinked. Was it just his imagination, or was that a hint of a smile on her face. "She previously studied abroad and was Class Valedictorian. She's also an exceptional Duelist."

"I see..."

He felt like there was more to it, but he didn't say anything further. Instead, he watched Erice carefully as she put her hand on a panel in front of the machine holding the Matrix. As soon as she did, holographic rings began to surround her body, followed up by the machine scanning her body. Her clothes rustled and flapped as a result of the occurrence, but she seemed unconcerned by this and kept doing as she was told, eyes closed in concentration. Meanwhile, the Matrix began to emit a soft glow as the shards surrounding it slowly began to converge on it, cackles of blue electricity sparking around it.

"All readings normal. Cyberse data material is syncing with the Matrix. Now beginning Link Up phase."

The rings surrounding Erice turned blue, converging with each other until they formed into a single ring. The Cyberse data material joined with the Matrix, causing it to glow even brighter. A holographic ring, same as the one around Erice, appeared around it.

"Connection at 37% and rising. Everything is stable. Subject has reached the 50% mark. Now enacting Link between Matrix and Subject."

The Matrix's glow continued to increase in intensity. Erice winced as she felt something surge through her body. She felt as if her skin had just touched something incredibly hot before a jolt of electricity ran down her spine. A stinging pain began to plague the hand on the panel, but made no move to pull away. The bright light released by the Matrix reached its height and filled the room. Akira and Akio winced and shielded their faces, unable to see anything from the room. All they could hear was the loud humming of machinery.

After several seconds passed, the light faded. Akira stood still for a moment, letting his eyes readjust to the room before lowering his arm. "What just happened?" he asked. "Is Utsumi-san..." He stopped when he looked at the room where Utsumi was and stared in shock. "What in the world...?"

Akio smirked. "We've done it."

Erice slowly opened her eyes, feeling a dull ache in her body. Her shoulders sagged and her legs felt like they were led. If she were going to go to bed, she had a feeling that she would collapse and fall asleep right then and there. She looked at her hand and blinked, seeing three red markings etched on the back of her hand. She stared at them in fascination before she looked up and gasped. There, where the Matrix should be, was a boy floating in mid-air, legs curled up to his chest. He looked like he would be in middle school, hair sun-kissed with a golden scarf wrapped around his neck and wearing a pure white top with shorts and a golden sash around his waist.

Slowly, the boy's eyes opened, revealing beautiful bright blue orbs.

On that day, the direction of time had changed. On that day, new possibilities were created.

Erice Utsumi, daughter to Akio Pierceman, also known as Queen, was commissioned by SOL Technologies to take part in an experiment to awaken an inert Matrix that housed the consciousness of a Servant.

Within SERAPH VRAINS, hidden deep within the currents of the Data Storms that rage on, it is believed that there are countless Matrix hiding within the flow of data, awaiting for the time when they will find their Masters.

However, what SOL accomplished was a feat in of itself, for they had managed to artificially create their own Servant. Or, more accurately, they had developed an entirely new vessel for a Heroic Spirit whose identity still yet remains unknown.

Hakuno sighed softly as she walked side-by-side with Aoi. "What's the matter, Haku?" her sister asked. "Are you tired?"

[She studied all night since finals are coming up.] Archer informed her from Hakuno's Duel Disk. [We tried to tell her to take a rest, but do you think she listened?]

"I'm gonna take a wild guess and say no."

Hakuno pouted. "Jeez. Thanks a lot!" A moment later, the two began to laugh.

In the months following the climactic battle between Hakuno and Twice, the creation of SERAPH VRAINS and the making of the New World, the gap that had formed from the revelation that Hakuno Kishinami was inhabiting Hakuno Zaizen's body had begun to close. Occasionally, there were some awkward moments, but they grew fewer with each passing day. However, their relationship had changed. She didn't know what their relationship was like, as some days they acted like sisters and some days they acted like close friends.

Then again, it was natural that their relationship changed. Up until that point, their bond was based on what Aoi thought, not what she actually knew. Now that she did, there was no way things could go back to how they were before. The girl herself was still having trouble adjusting to what her life had become. She accepted Hakuno, but not as her sister. It would take a long time before she could truly come to call her that, but at the same time she couldn't deny that the idiotic and brave girl held a special place in her heart.

There was some progress, however. With the creation of SERAPH VRAINS and its integration into the worldwide network, no longer restricted to just being a private domain owned by SOL Technologies, Aoi had ultimately decided to retire her Blue Angel persona. It wasn't just because the battleground of Duel Monsters had changed, though. The primary reason was that Aoi had created Blue Angel to relieve her stress from daily life, and to prove to Akira that she could handle herself just fine and help him in some capacity. She wanted to create a new identity and persona. An identity that didn't need to rely on those ideals. To become a person she could truly be, not a "fake" as Elizabeth Bathory had once called her in the past.

As a bonus, Hakuno had also been involved in the creation of new avatars. Before, she had made "Emiya" both out of personal preference and choosing the name in homage of Archer before she learned he had come with her for the ride to this world. That, and since SERAPH VRAINS was a new beginning, it only made sense for her to start over. In fact, if what she had read online was of any indication, many people were creating new Avatars to have a brand new beginning on the world of VRAINS.

The victor of the Moon Cell smiled to herself, recalling the debut she and Aoi had with their new Avatars merely a week ago after countless days of planning and getting used to their new decks. Hakuno still felt miffed that she had lost her old one, no thanks to Twice using hers and his to help the process of using what remained of VRAINS and Gaea to create the New World. It was still a worthwhile sacrifice, though.

The New World had reset the damage caused by Kiara. The withered and stone remains of Zepar had vanished, and the ruined cityscapes and property damage were gone. Of course, people were still freaking out about the fact that some of LINK VRAINS had been incorporated into the reset world, with news stations still trying to figure out the cause behind this strange phenomenon. A lot of people online were claiming one conspiracy theory after another. It was funny, but at the same time sombering as one of Hakuno's hopes was that the New World could bring back the lives of the people lost in the Zepar Incident.

It was wishful thinking, unfortunately, as the lives lost that day were not returned. People still grieved, and there were still comatose bodies in the hospital that would never wake up.

Hakuno preferred not to dwell on such negative thoughts. Not when there was a brighter future ahead of them. She remained optimistic and would hope for the best. After all, in this brand new reality, where the virtual was now part of the real, there would be new opportunities. New possibilities. New ways to live. And she wanted to experience all of them, together with her new family.

"Joking aside, you ready for the event next week?" Aoi suddenly asked. "It's been a while since we did a Tag Duel together."

[I hope I'm included in these festivities!] a new voice chimed from Hakuno's Duel Disk, infectious and cheery all at the same time. [I haven't had much time to stretch my legs, much less spend time with my husband in SERAPH!]

Aoi frowned. "That depends, can you keep your grubby paws to yourself?"

[Aw, what's the matter, dearest imouto? Are you feeling left out? Don't worry, I'll-]

"Absolutely not!"

Hakuno sighed. After several days of trial and error, she had successfully managed to restore Caster's Matrix and formed a contract with her. Not long after she did so, however, she was stunned by the complete 180 of personality the fox girl exhibited, as she now acted more like how she recalled from her vague recollections. The problem was that Hakuno had not expected her to be so, well, intimate. On many occasions had Caster snuck into the bathroom and proceed to touch her in her more sensitive areas. That said, she wasn't entirely too touchy and knew when to keep her hands to herself, though if Aoi had her way, she would make sure Caster didn't touch her at all.

More embarrassing about Tamamo was the fact that she considered the summoning to be like a marriage contract. No matter how hard she tried to dissuade Caster, the woman insisted and latched herself onto Hakuno in spite of her pleas. Of course, this also led to confrontations between her and Saber on numerous occasions, with Archer and Gilgamesh doing nothing but standing on the sidelines and watching with amusement.

Traitors, the both of them!

Eventually, the Zaizen siblings arrived at the gates of Den City High School. As soon as they crossed the threshold, Naoki Shima shot past them and spun around to face them with a big goofy grin. "Yo! Morning, Zaizen Sisters!"

"Whoa, what's got you so chipper today?" Aoi asked, though internally she was happy to see that Naoki was doing better. "Did something good happen?"

"You bet it did! I just got tickets to go see Go Onizuka's Duel with Strong Ishijima live and in person at the Kaiba Dome!" he told them excitedly. "The Kaiba Dome! Do you realize how much those tickets cost?!"

"How'd you get them?" Hakuno asked him. "Hopefully you didn't blow all your money on them."

"Nah, nothing like that." Immediately after saying that, his face fell. "But for the unforseeable future, I'm Tohsaka-sama's errand boy until I can pay her back."

Hakuno blinked. Once, then twice. After several seconds of processing this information, she deadpanned. "...you borrowed money from Rin, didn't you?" He nodded. "Shima-kun, I love you dearly as a friend, but...even I know better than to ask for money from Rin, big allowance or no." She shuddered as she recalled the last time she had done so, back during the Moon Cell Holy Grail War. The woman never forgot who was in her debt, and she would constantly add on interest depending on her mood. Some days, she was reasonable and offered discounts, but otherwise, she was the devil. And that was one deal she was never going to make ever again. "How much do you owe?"

He leaned in and whispered in their ears. Aoi's eyes threatened to pop from their sockets. "What the f-who in the hell charges that much?!"

"That's what I said!"

They were halfway across the walkway leading to the school gate when a gust of wind blew past Hakuno, carrying with it an odd sensation. She stopped abruptly and turned around, staring at an unfamiliar face who just walked through the front gate. He was around the same age as her, but his hair was an odd mix of blue and purple, and his eyes emerald green. The wind passed by him as well, causing him to stop and lock eyes with Hakuno.

Both stared at each other, a single thought running through their minds.

"Who are you?"

VRAINS. The name of a brand new world, created from the damaged remains of Gaea and the artificial World that had been created by Twice H. Pierceman. From this union, the digital world forever became intertwined with reality. What was once data became ingrained with the physical. The boundaries between "what-ifs" and "what-is" were broken.

This phenomenon is still widely discussed for all of its impossibilities, yet overtime, this union would eventually become the norm. Two worlds that were once separated have come together, existing side-by-side. Before, one's consciousness would be digitized when entering the network, but thanks to this unique phenomenon, digitization had become "transformation."

Just as how one's Mind, Body and Soul transferred to the Near Side of the Moon, one's "consciousness" and "self" slid into this parallel dimension composed of zeroes and ones.

Such was the possibility that had been created.

Revolver stared at the world before him. Before, he had held nothing but contempt for the virtual world. In it, a person could only be stimulated by their experiences in it, but never truly experiencing the sensations like they would in the real world. The touch of reality, where one could truly understand the feelings stimulated by their surroundings, was something he had appreciated. That, and it was partially because of the virtual world that his father had become the withered husk he is now.

Yet now, he couldn't help but notice the odd feeling.

SERAPH VRAINS felt nothing like the world before it. Even as he stood in the middle of a plaza that looked straight out of the city of ancient Rome, the sensations - the cool air that brushed against his body, the fragrant smell of roses that lingered and the stone floor beneath his feet - felt surreal and true. There was no difference here, at least not that he could tell. He wondered how such a thing could have been made possible, but then dismissed that thought. He knew why this was possible, but part of him still couldn't actually believe it.

Who would have believed that a digital world could have been remade to the extent where it was now integrated with the real world, all because of one girl?

No, that wasn't quite right. Hakuno Kishinami Zaizen was special. He understood that the day her existence became known to him. He just never could have predicted how special she truly was.

"A shame." he mused to himself. "She would have made for a great ally."

With the intense change, he knew that the search for the Ignis had become difficult, but he also recognized that Hakuno was an incredible duelist. Yes, she was rough around the edges, but the potential she had was incredible. With the right training, she could perhaps be on par with him and some of the senior members of the Knights of Hanoi. But he also knew what lay in her heart in the brief time they fought alongside each other.

She would never agree with the ideals of the Knights of Hanoi. A pity, really.

"Ryoken." Revolver turned and found Professor Kogami approaching him. "Good news. We've managed to obtain the data from the Secret Area."

"I see. I assume this means we have the data we need to construct the Tower of Hanoi?"

The professor nodded. "Yes, but it will take some time to decipher it before it can be put to use." He looked around the plaza, taking in the grand architecture. "Every day I come here, I'm always astounded by all of this. If not for the fact that this body of mine is just data, I would have mistaken this for the real world. Or...perhaps this is the real world, just another layer to it."

"Everyone's trying to figure out how it came to be in the first place." Revolver smiled wryly. "Some claim it to be magic."

"At this point, I think something as illogical as that could be correct." Kogami chuckled. "What were you thinking about, Ryoken?"

The smile faded. "...when I must face Hakuno Zaizen. The next time we meet, she will no doubt stand against us."

"Oh? You sound certain of this."

"There are three reasons why I believe she will become an enemy to the Knights of Hanoi." He held up his index finger. "One. She follows what lies in her heart. We know that the Ignis will bring about the destruction of humanity, but she would rather believe what she feels is correct, simulations be damned." Next, he held up his middle finger. "Two. We will do what we must to destroy the Ignis and the Cyberse, even if it means destroying the network in its entirety. She would never agree to such methods." Finally, he raised his ring finger. "And three. Her connection to SOL Technologies. Chances are, she is already aware of the lengths in which we have gone to, and what we will do in the future. Yes, we helped save people back when Kiara Sessyoin terrorized the world, but lives were being lost. We would never stoop to such extremes, but the fact remains that Hakuno Kishinami Zaizen cannot tolerate any sort of transgression against a person."

Kogami hummed. "I see..." He looked as if he wanted to say something more, but refrained. "Understandable. A shame. I had hoped I would have been able to have a pleasant conversation with her, considering she had the opportunity to Duel and even defeat the Father of LINK VRAINS. By the way, regarding our newest member..."

"I've already checked his background." Revolver replied. "I still have reservations, but I believe he could be of use. I've asked Spectre to keep a close eye on him in the meantime."

"Very good. Now, come along, Ryoken. We have work to do."

"Understood, Father."

Though the world had changed, some convictions shall not. Yes, Ryoken Kogami still continues to walk the path that will lead him to his fated confrontation.

Hakuno Kishinami. The Girl from the Lunar Sea.

Yusaku Fujiki. The Emissary of Vengeance.

Ryoken Kogami. The Destroyer of Cyberse.

Their fates are forever intertwined.

One chapter closes...

...and a new story is about to begin.

fin

Return to the VRAINS in
Fate/VRAINS - Laplace

AUTHOR'S NOTE: And at last, we arrive to the final chapter of Fate/VRAINS. The CCC Arc has, at long last, concluded.

To explain a few things, and to clarify on a few subjects, we'll start with Erice Utsumi. She is not an OC. Rather, she is a character from another Fate entry called "Fate/Requiem." I have not read the light novel, nor am I aware if there are any translations out for it yet.

As for SOL Technology and them making their own Servant, I should clarify that they haven't actually made one. This is misleading on their part, since we all know you can't just MAKE a Heroic Spirit. Rather, what they did was create a unique Servant Vessel. In this case, they created Voyager. At the time of this writing, the identity of Voyager is still unknown, though there are a few theories as to who he could be.

Now...I believe I told you all that I had something to show you after I was done. Please enjoy. Do keep in mind that what you are about to see is not the final product and will be subject to change.

Yusei Fudo was having a really strange day.

He wasn't entirely sure when it became so weird, but it all started when he ran into someone from the City. Or at least, he thought he was from the City. He showed up in the Satellite while being escorted by Ushio, who already looked like he was in a very foul mood. He wasn't sure what the poor guy did to piss off Security, but if the way Ushio was glaring at him the whole time to the Living Quarters, then it must have been a pretty serious offense. He lacked any Marks, so he was likely just barely passed that particular punishment.

The new guy was treated with apprehension at first. His clothes were cleaner than anyone from Satellite, and even outright confirmed he arrived at the City only a few days ago. Yusei noted that he said he arrived, meaning he was an outsider who must have done something to piss off Security enough to throw him to the Satellite. The other residents of the Satellite, unfortunately, hadn't picked up on that fact and assumed he was a resident, so they naturally either gave him the cold shoulder and antagonized him. Surprisingly, though, he took it all in stride and never once retaliated. The antagonism eventually got to the point where Yusei decided to ultimately intervene.

The group was quick to accept the newcomer, though it was around that time when Yusei felt his arm ache in pain. He assumed it was just from working on his D-Wheel all night the other day, but it continued to persist. Before he even had time to dwell on it, Rally had come back with a new part. A part that Rally had stolen and earned the attention of Security. Naturally, he wasn't about to let his friends get neck-deep in danger and intended to Duel Ushio to try and get him off his back, but to his surprise the newcomer had come to Rally's defense.

That was when things really got weird, as the new guy had his own D-Wheel. A high-end one at that. He stared at it with barely disguised awe. It was entirely colored silver, resembling a very expensive motorcycle, a blue translucent glass head-piece at the front with showed off the engine. The quality and design definitely made it look like the new guy was from the City, though how in the world he could have smuggled something that beautiful into the Satellite was a wonder in of itself. A small part of Yusei actually felt jealous that he had a beautiful machine such as that, though he was curious to see if the newcomer had the skills to Duel.

And he had not disappointed him.

Tetsu Ushio: LP 1300

Unknown: LP 3000

"Dammit!" Ushio cursed as he struggled to keep up with the new guy, his field practically empty save for his Montage Dragon, which was currently squaring off against three giant purple crystals bearing masks, all three radiating immense power. "What the hell kind of deck are you using?!"

"Haven't you been paying attention?" the newcomer to the Satellite looked at Ushio. "I'm using a DD deck."

"Don't patronize me, scum!" Ushio howled. Yusei smiled slightly. It wasn't often that he got to see the man who made it his mission to make his life hell at every opportunity become so enraged and wondered if he was going to blow a blood vessel. "Tch! I'm all out of options... I end my turn!"

'Montage Dragon has 2700 ATK power, while his monsters all have 3000.' Yusei thought. 'Ushio doesn't have any cards on the field, but he has two in his hand. As for our new arrival, he has one set card and two cards in his hand. What's your next move, my friend?'

The new arrival nodded. "Alright, then. My Turn. Draw! I activate the Magic Card Fusion!"

"Fusion?!" Ushio's eyes widened and cursed. "Like hell I'll let you bring out something more monstrous than those things! I activate the Quick-Play Magic Card Magic Breaker! When my opponent activates a Magic Card during the first Main Phase, I can negate its activation and destroy it!"

"I activate the Trap Card Safeguard." the new arrival countered with ease as he revealed his face-down card. "If my opponent activates a card effect that would destroy exactly one face-up card on my field, I can negate its destruction." Ushio pounded his fist against his Duel Disk in frustration while Yusei whistled. This guy wasn't half-bad. "Fusion's destruction is negated, so I continue with its effect." The three monsters on his field began to radiate an ominous purple glow as they all lost their forms, converging on each other and creating something even stronger. "The epitome of destructive power and despair, come together and lead us to new heights. Fusion Summon!"

The monster emerged with a triumphant roar. Yusei felt his arm burn in irritation. Faintly, he could make out a red glow from beneath his sleeve. His attention was focused on the newcomer's monster, however. A dragon made entirely of purple crystal, covered in silver armor with dazzling red gemstones. Behind its back were six wings, mechanical in nature with streams of dark blue fire making up where the membrane should be. Its maw opened, revealing jagged crystal fangs while burning yellow eyes glared down the lesser dragon before it.

"Reign supreme and obliterate all who dare stand against you! Level 10! DDD Chaos Requiem Dragon!"

Yusei stared at the dragon in awe, as he could feel the overwhelming power emanating from it. Montage Dragon seemingly cowered before it and backed away fearfully. Ushio's face paled. "4000 ATK?!"

"Battle." the newcomer declared and sealed his opponent's fate. "Chaos Requiem Dragon! Destroy Montage Dragon! Destroyer Burst Over Blast!"

"W-wait, hold on a second! Time out!"

Ushio's plea fell on deaf ears as the dragon's body glowed and roared, power gathering in its maw before it set the charge-up power loose. The whole field was consumed in bright purple flames that obliterated the dragon with ease and nearly covered Ushio in it as well, causing him to scream in fright.

Tetsu Ushio: LP 1300 - 1300 = 0

His Life Points dropped in seconds and his D-Wheel ceased to function, skidding to a halt. Neither Yusei or the newcomer stopped and rode on ahead, abandoning the Security officer. Knowing that hardheaded brute, it was only a matter of time before reinforcements arrived. Neither wanted to deal with that prospect and sped as far away from the site as they could, making their way back to the hideout.

As they rode, Yusei pulled up next to him. "You weren't bad." he praised. "Ushio may not be a good Duelist, but he's hardly a push-over."

The brunette smiled faintly. "Thanks."

"I should be thanking you. If you hadn't stepped in for Rally..." Yusei didn't want to think about it, then stopped. Now that he thought about it, he had never gotten his name. "Sorry, what was your name again?"

"Kishinami. Hakuno Kishinami. Nice to meet you."

"You as well." Yusei smiled back at him. "And for what it's worth...welcome to the Satellite."

The winds of fate have begun to blow, as a sixth star shines in the distant sky.

But what does this star bring?

Only time will tell.

Riding Duel, Acceleration!

Prepare for an unparalleled race on the highways of destiny in
Fate/5D's