Kaidou Jin:

I closed the door behind me and sighed. What are you up to Grandfather?

I walked down the halls and made it to the dining hall right when Ishimori Rina pointed a gun at Uzaki Takuya. I stayed by the door and peeked through the small gap. Yamano Ban, his friends and my grandfather were all there.

"How could you betray us Rina?!" Takuya said.

"I'll answer that." Grandfather said. "There is something she just absolutely must have."

"Must have?"

"Yes. Kamiya Craft's... No. The Innovators technology, Optima."

"Optima?" The Takuya gasped. "Rina, you couldn't...!" She didn't reply so he continued. "So that's it. Your little sister needs the Optima technology." Optima...? What's going on Grandfather? I held my breath and waited for a further explaination.

"What do you mean?" Ban asked.

"Have you heard about the Optima technology for internal organs?" Takuya asked them. "Kamiya Craft developed the technology for use in their androids. That Optima technology can also be used to save the lives of many that are suffering incurable diseases and fatal scars. But it's never been used in medical treatment thus far. So that he can monopolize the profits from the technology, Kaidou has been blocking the governments approval for its use!" My eyes widen and I had just barely gasped at this. Why would he...?

"But that's...!" Ban said.

"That's terrible!" Kazuya said.

"Rina-san, that's why?" Ami said.

"I wanted to save my sister." She explained. "She's been suffering all this time. Yet no matter how much it hurt, she was always cheerful about it so that i wouldn't worry about her. Using Optima can save her! My sister needs Optima!"

"Rina-san..." Ami said.

"Do you understand now?" Grandfather said. "She chose her sister over you people."

"Kaidou..." Takuya said in a dark tone.

"That's dirty! You're just blackmailing people!" Ryu said.

"Blackmail? Hardly." Grandfather said. "The Optima technology is fully functional. In fact, you all have seen it at work."

"Eh?" What's he talking about?

"That girl, the one who's always with my grandson, Evangeline Mech." What?! "She is the first to have used the Optima technology."

"Mech? As in Hugo Mech? One of the scientist assistants from back then?" Takuya asked.

"That would be her brother." Grandfather told them. "Evangeline was just a 3 year old girl when he died. Not to mention she suffered some fatal injuries as well. She was the first to use Optima and she still uses it until now. Optima technology, combined with a specialized AI, is what has been keeping her alive for 9 years!"

"What...?!" I covered my mouth in an instant. Lucky enough, none of them heard.

"That's so horrible of you to keep something that would save people's lives just because you want the money!" Ami said. Grandfather...

"Professor Yamano, this is the collapse of your hopes." Grandfather said. "I'll have you slowly taste despair as you die."

"Dad!" Ban called out.

But the Professor just smirked. "We'll see about that."

"Eh? ... What's the point of bluffing now?" Grandfather mocked.

"Unfortunately, you won't get the Eternal Cycler blue prints you're looking for just by stealing Achilles." Professor explained.

"What do you mean Professor?" Lex asked.

"In order to open the blue prints, you need a certain code to decrypt the data." He explained.

"A code to decrypt the data?" Grandfather asked.

"A Platinum Capsule without its decryption code is no different than a safe without its key." Professor said, smirking. Grandfather widen his eyes in anger while Ban and his frineds sighed in relief.

"I see. So that's what it was." Grandfather said. "So where is this decryption code?"

Professor Yamano just smirked and Grandfather returned the look. "Answer me. Don't you care about what happens to your son?" As he said that, one of the men grabbed Ban.

"The decryption code is in the safest place on this planet." He explained. "The safest place on Earth... The LBX world tournament, Artemis!" Artemis?! Why would it be there? I shook my head and listened in again.

"The decryption code is at Artemis?" Grandfather asked. "What's the meaning of this?"

"Are you familiar with the Metanus GX?" Professor Yamano asked.

"Metanus GX?" Asked Ban.

"It's a super efficient CPU that the world's top maker of LBXs, Crystar Ingram, developed." Kazuya explained. Crystar Ingram?

"I'm impressed you knew." Professor said. "I see why Hiyama took you under his wing."

"What does the Metanus GX have to do with the decryption code?" Grandfather asked.

The professor walked into the middle of the room calmly. "The Metanus GX that Crystar Ingram developed processes information at the speeds of zettaFLOPS, making it a dream CPU that can operate multitudes in parallel. And only an extreme few have been produced so its value is huge in the markets. A single one could be sold for several hundred million credits. LBX players water at the mouth at that thought. This latest AI circuit, Metanus GX that any LBX player would want is the championship prize for this year's Artemis tournament."

"Then the decryption code is..." Lex trailled.

"Exactly." Said Professor Yamano. "The decryption code is in the Artemis championship grand prize... Metanus GX. And that Metanus GX is under the strict guard of the LBX and Artemis management association, Omega Dain. Even its location isn't publicly announced. In other words, it's the safest place in the world. Kaidou Yoshimitsu, even you wouldn't be able to get your hands on it."

"You think I'd fall for that?" Grandfather said. "And just how were you able to put the decryption code in the Metanus GX in the first place?"

"During the manufacturing process, I had it printed in the AI circuit by hacking into the Crystar Ingram network." Professor replied.

"In other words, you'll have to win the Artemis championship in order to get it!" Kazuya said excitedly. I narrowed my eyes. Win the Artemis championship huh?

"What foolish behavior." Grandfather said. "But that's enough for me to know. With our power, winning the Artemis championship is all too easy... And you'll be meeting your deathbed here, so that you won't be able to set up any petty tricks anymore!"

Everyone tensed but Professor Yamano kept smirking. He took off his glasses and did something to it. The next thing I know, there were explosions. I raised my hands up automatically in defense until there were no more of them. Then i went in.

As Ban and his friends went to get their LBXs, i went to their CCMs. I grabbed all three just as they turned to me.

Ban narrowed his eyes. "Jin..."

I returned the gaze but said nothing. Instead, i threw each CCM back to their owners. "Hurry up and leave." I told them. Ban, I'll be waiting for you at Artemis.

I watched them gather together and run away from the guards. No one got serious injuries but the hall was collapsing. Once everything stopped crumbling I ran to my Grandfather.

~~~~~

I walked into my room amd laid down on my bed. I stared at the ceiling for a while until there was a knock on the door.

"Come in." I said.

The door opened just a crack and an eye peeked in. "I-I..."

I sat up on the bed and faced her. "Just come in. It's not like I'm going to kick you out or anything."

"O-of course..." Evangeline came in and hesitantly sat down beside me.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"I should be the one asking you that!" She burst out. She grabbed me by the collar and started shaking me. "What happened out there?! Why were there explosions?! No one got hurt right?!"

I grabbed her arm and she stopped. She let go of my collar and looked down. Her shoulders were shaking and i could tell she was crying. "W-when I heard the explosions, I-I panicked... It reminded me about T-T-Tokio B-Bridge... Everything was c-collapsing and... And..." I didn't know what else to do but hold her. She was crying into my chest and I just held her there. "I-I can't lose you... I don't have anyone else... I don't want to be alone..."

". . . I can't lose you either..." The only thing I can do right now is calm her down. She kept crying and soon she fell asleep. I was used to this. She would have mental breakdowns, cry herself to sleep but when she wakes up, she wouldn't remember a thing.

I laid down again, still with her sleeping on my chest. I sighed and closed my eyes. Call us a couple for all I care, she's my best friend... And I'm not going to lose her. Never again.