"You're quite the person, Kam. Choi. Seung," Gustav said as he leaned on his stick. 

The Chinese-Korean's eyes narrowed, "I could say the same to you two. Doing this entire thing for revenge and to get rid of all the members, who do you think you are?" 

"Oh, we just wanted to let you see what you had brought upon yourselves," Karan said, a smirk dancing on her lips. 

"Why you little..!" Masaru was held back by Taiki. "Taiki, let me go!" 

Karan snickered as she said, "Wow, look at yourselves. Already so angry." 

"Good good, the angrier you are, the better," Gustav laughed. 

"If you had wanted to get revenge, you could have done it openly," FC Kagemi hissed. 

"Oh well, it's just fun, y'know. Revenge isn't fun if you don't let yourself have fun anyway," Karan hummed. "Plus, I knew that you were a bunch of fakes. Gotta sweep the floor clean with ya, y'know." 

"Fakes? What part of us is fake?" Rantaro asked, eyes narrowed. 

"Oh, the optimism and all that," Karan gagged. "It's stupid how you keep on preaching about being good when you used to be villains, have made stupid choices, or even hurt your own friends." 

Akito winced hearing that, while Ben's fists only tightened. They were not the only people doing that. A lot of them, whether they wanted to admit it aloud or not, had done just that. Especially FC Akino, who had done it recently towards his own best friend by jumping to conclusions. 

However, Madoka seemed angry for once, "E-Excuse me? At least we realised our faults!"

"Yeah, we've learnt to move on from it," Elsa's eyes moved to look at her sister with a soft smile, before she turned back, letting her ice grow as she said, "Unlike you two. You're delusional and think you're saving the world when you're not. If anything, you're the fakers."

"Everyone, be they human or demon, makes mistakes," Rantaro spoke up. "What matters is how we use it." 

"If there's anything I know better, it's how the past can cling to you," FC Keisuke admitted. "But last year, I was taught that no matter what, we still gotta move on."

"Life carries on, whether we realise or not," Steven said, looking to his mother figures with a smile. "I couldn't move on, and that really impacted me. It was only after I was saved did I realised how blessed I was to have a caring family. Even if they've messed up so many times, I still love them." 

"What makes us different from others is the desire to make this world better. It was brought to us by our first head, and it'll be carried on until the end of time," Tecna stated. 

"Even if you get rid of us, there will be people who will stop you," Dukun said. "The fight for justice won't end with us. It never will. It will pay off, even if it takes years or centuries." 

"Hope will never die, no matter what others say," Conan's eyes had determination in them. "Because we have each other. We have loved ones to protect. Sure people will get hurt, but it's our job to make sure those sacrifices are not in vain." 

"When I first met Dav-nee, I was a mess and couldn't function correctly in front of the principal," Sachiko stepped forward. "But because of her teachings, I could find it in myself to forgive him." 

"Guts, hope, determination... It goes under different names, but its concepts are still the same," Genki said. "Through this case, I got to bond and find more determination in myself than I ever expected. There's just something about trying to rescue your loved ones that triggers it. I also got to meet new friends and helped my brother. That's all I care about." 

"I understand the need to get revenge," FC Choiseung looked the two of them in the eye. "Growing up, I never had anyone to accept me for who I am. It was hard. It hurts. But revenge is not the answer. What happens after you get it? You still won't be satisfied. You won't be able to move on, especially if you're wrong. You were wrong then, and you're still wrong now." 

"Despite that, we will stand strong," Keita moved over and took FC Choiseung's shoulder, smiling at him. "We're weak alone, but together we're strong. Now that we're together, we won't falter. We won't lose in front of you." 

"We've been through too much to lose now," Shirou agreed, gripping Jinpei and Leo's hand tightly. "We will keep going, no matter what." 

Karan and Gustav looked annoyed, no, angered. This was not the reaction they had expected. They had expected guilt, self-hatred, and anger. Not hope, determination, basically the entire thing! 

With screams of rage, the two suddenly lunged towards the inhabitants of Cabin CC, or more specifically, towards FC Choiseung. He had to pay for ruining their plans! 

However, he was ready. Going down to his knees, his hands planted themselves onto the ground as he pushed his feet off the ground and used them to kick them both in the face. This momentum also served as his lever to get back to his feet. 

Karan yelled out, feeling so much pain with that kick. Gustav couldn't even get up because some bones had cracked from that attack. 

"Don't underestimate us," he said, eyes narrowed. 

"Gr.... TAKE THIS!" Karan called out a staff and threw it his way. 

On reflex, his hands went up, bracing for the impact. 

When he didn't feel it, he opened his eyes to see Steven in front of him, causing his eyes to widen. 

The American grinned back at him, his eyes conveying his feelings. 

The others stepped forward as well. Each had their powers or stances on full strength. Cabin CC was ready to fight. 

"Final blow?" Rantaro smiled. 

"Final blast," Conan nodded, morphing a ball with Madoka's help. 

"Alright then, let's end this, shall we?!" FC Choiseung yelled out. 

"Yeah!" 

"Totally!"

"They have to pay for taking my girlfriends away!" (Yes, that was from Sarah.) 

"Not an Xros Unity, but it'll work out, I suppose," Miguel smiled, getting his guitar out. 

"Alright then, let's go, TTS!" Keita rallied them up. 

"OH!" 

With that, everyone gave off their strongest attacks, from the kids to the adults and even the Youkai, Cell Gods, etc. 

Each and every one of them contributed to the huge blast that engulfed the two villains, and also destroyed the secret room made into the ship, sending them flying onto the deck of the ship. 

"Urgh..." FC Keisuke groaned as he rubbed his head. "That hurt... A lot..." 

"Agreed," Beom massaged his forehead lightly. 

"Wait, where's Karan and Gustav?" Lucy looked around, trying to find the two who had infiltrated their trip.

"I don't see them around, I think," Ceels answered his cousin, frowning as he said that. He wasn't too sure whether they had been sent flying into the sea or not. 

"Everyone's alright, right?" Yan Sheng called out. 

"Yeah, just a painful headache to worry about, nothing much," Sinae groaned. 

They eventually got their bearings and helped each other up as the blur in their vision and the mist surrounding them dispersed, showing Karan and Gustav sprawled on the wooden floor, groaning and moaning. 

Ryouhei was about to march over to demand an explanation when Hakun stopped him, letting him realise that the main group behind the rescue were already there. 

"T-Tch... W-We lost..." Karan punched the ground angrily. How could they lose? After all their preparations! They had lost with a single blast! 

Gustav looked angry himself. This was disgraceful, after all he had done to get to where he was now, it was all going to waste because of these... these people... 

It was then that the two noticed that a hand was extended out to them from the same person, which not only surprised them, but the others as well. 

"Choi?" FC Akino's eyes widened. 

"W-What are you doing?" Karan looked up to him, eyes conveying surprise. 

"Revenge won't solve a thing. If you hold grduges for every single thing, you'll be the ones with the most heartache in the end," he said. "So, it's best to just let go and move on with your life. No matter how painful it is, if you have friends by your side, it will work out. They will give you a shoulder to cry on. Isn't that why you started it all off, Karan? Because you wanted love?" 

Her eyes went into saucer mode. Was he... Was he giving her mercy? Someone like her? 

"You aren't bad deep down. Maybe you were misguided in the beginning, but I want you to know that there's still good in you," he smiled. "I believe in that. That's why I'm giving you a second chance." 

Gustav's eyes watered. Those words reminded him so much of Valentin's words, when they had met in the slums of Russia. How could he have been so blind? All this time, he had called it living up to Master's name, but the truth was that he was hurting him beyond the grave. But this person, this stranger he had never met, was extending a hand to him, like Valentin had. He was offering him a second chance. 

Karan was feeling the same way. For the first time in her life, she felt numb. Guilty. She had deluded herself for so long, and she had hurt the people who came to care for her. It hurt so much.  But maybe, it was meant to be. Maybe she was meant to hurt, so she could finally learn to heal. 

After all, ignored scars can't heal unless they're finally given attention. 

Both of them had tears streaming down their cheeks, but they knew that they had to give an answer to this man, this stranger, this kind stranger who had finally snapped them out of their nightmares. 

Thus, their hands reached out, and grabbed his outstretched hand. 

A smile formed on his face, and, with a good amount of effort, managed to pull them up, "Sorry for the kick I gave you guys. That was totally uncalled for." 

At that, they looked at each other, before they finally laughed. 

It wasn't one filled with malice. 

No, it was one filled with humour. A light tone accented it, and gave the others the signal; They were okay now. 

That was a relief to everyone involved, who soon surrounded them and started chattering away. 

And so, the case was officially closed. The one that happened on the SRS' anniversary aboard a hijacked ship which was solved by eleven people who had been near strangers until this brought them together. 

I guess the old saying was true after all. "Dark times can bring people closer instead of further." 

When Kam Choiseung looked back on this, that sentence would be what popped into his mind as the perfect conclusion.