"Ban, there's something that's been bothering me." Hiro began.

They had all just reverted all the commanding computers to normal and are now taking care of those who were turned into slave players, namely Gouda, Sendou, OtaSilver and Yamaneko.

"Why did Detector only make these advertisement blimp computers the command computers? Even if they needed four computers to take all of Canberrun over, there's no need for them to only choose advertisement blimps to do the job. Actually, if they chose other computers, then they'd probably be even harder to find."

"You have a point there..."

"Maybe there's a connection between the underwater museum and Detector."

"There's definitely a possibility." Ban's gaze turned back to the screen of his CCM. "Takuya-san, we'll head towards the underwater museum."

The man nodded. "Right, go on ahead. We'll join you two once we retrieve Sendou and the others."

"Got it."

As soon as he got off, Takuya switched the line. "Eva."

"I'm heading in as we speak." She immediately responded. "The place is empty. Looks like all staff and visitors had been evacuated before we got here."

"I see. Don't let your guard down. Detector might've set a trap."

"Roger."

~~~~~

Ran's eyes widened at Ban and Hiro's words. "Even Asuka's a slave player?!"

Jessica was no better. "How in the world...?"

The Duck Shuttle landed just outside of the museum and the group ran as fast as they could, catching up to the duo who came in first. Soon they spot them on the other side of a tunnel, by a set up diorama.

"Ban! Hiro!"

"Guys..."

"Ban, how's Asuka?" Jin asked.

The brunette nodded. "She's fine. Don't worry. More importantly..." He turned around, and that's when they realized they weren't alone.

"Kazu?!" Ami wasn't just shocked that he was there, but by his entirely new appearance too. In contrast to his usually polite attire, his clothes and hairstyle now were much wilder.

"So you've become a slave player..."

Ban shook his head at Jin. "No, he was the one that saved Asuka." That only confused them even more.

Ran turned at the sound of footsteps. "There's someone else here."

They, along with an already conscious Asuka, watched cautiously as the sound became louder and louder. Soon, a tall person wearing a certain mask and black cloak emerged from the darkness.

"Detector!"

"It's me, Ban."

"Eh... That voice is...?" His eyes widened in fear as the man unmasked himself, revealing his father underneath the costume.

Yagami couldn't and wouldn't believe his eyes. "Professor Yamano?"

"D-Dad... what's happening?"

"Detector's true identity is your father, Professor Yamano Junichirou." The brunette beside him said, taking off the collar from his neck.

Ami stared at him in shock. "Kazu, weren't you a slave player?"

"At one point. But in an accident, my collar came loose, and I came to my senses. When that happened, I knew what the professor was trying to do."

"If I told Ami, Kazu, and the other slave players the truth, then they might have willingly cooperated with me." The man began. "But if I did that, then they'd become accomplices to terror. Of course, the enslavement of people is something that should never be allowed. I understand that well." He lowered his head. "I'm sorry."

After a moment of silence, Ban finally managed to speak up. "Dad, what are you trying to do?"

"I'm trying to bring an end to a certain organization's plan to take over the world. If we don't stop them, then we will find ourselves in another world war."

Yagami seemed to be the only one who could catch up. "Professor, that organization couldn't be..."

"Correct. It's the LBX administrative organization, Omega Dain. This is the truth. We must stop them at all costs."

"But how are they going to take over the world?" Ran asked.

"They plan to use Paradise."

Hiro turned to the man. "Wait, isn't that the communications satellite that has something to do with brainjacking and command computers?"

"That's right. In order to alert you about it, I brainjacked computers that had a connection to the satellites and let the LBXs rampage."

"But professor, Paradise is a communications satellite." Jin spoke up. "It can't help take the world over."

"Paradise is not simply a communication's satellite. It's-"

"A spatial military base." They jumped when a new voice joined them. Eva appeared from behind the professor, her tablet in hand.

"So you saw them?"

She nodded nervously. "Yes..."

"Eva, you..."

At Jin's tone, Kazu shook his head. "Eva didn't know any better than the rest of you. She arrived earlier and I explained everything to her first. That's why I came later than I should've while you're trying to free Asuka."

"Soon, a space center on the outskirts of Canberrun is going to launch a new communications unit up to Paradise." She began, taking over the professor's explanation. "However, it's not actually a communications unit. It's a weapon called Seto 50, a multi-megaton missile."

"So that's why I brainjacked Canberrun." The man stated. "By creating chaos in the city and blocking the intersections along its transportation routes, I could prevent Seto 50 from being sent up to Paradise."

"Please understand, guys." Kazu spoke up. "Professor Yamano has been fighting against Omega Dain all by himself."

"But... But why did you have to use LBXs?!" Ban cut in. "If you wanted to alert us about Paradise and stop the missile from being brought in, then you don't need to use LBXs! So then why did you use them?!"

"Omega Dain is large and powerful. I had no other choice. They need to go down, even if that makes the world detest and eradicate LBXs." He bowed his head once more. "...No, perhaps that would be the best for everyone. If I hadn't developed the technology called an LBX in the first place, Omega Dain would have never existed at all."

The boy's eyes widened further. "What are you talking about?! There's no way getting rid of them would be 'better for everyone'! LBXs have given dreams to so many people! LBXs are everyone's dream!"

"I feel the same. LBXs are wonderful!" Hiro added in. "They... They changed my life! I'm really thankful that I learned about LBXs!"

"Dad, I'll use LBXs to take this world back again. I'll fight through any kind of battle if it's for that!"

"And me as well!"

The man's face was overcome with surprise. "Even though you know the situation, you still believe in the future of LBXs?" He gazed on the expressions of all of the children before his eyes landed back on his son. "Ban..."

"Um... I really don't care, but..." Having no regard for the thick air surrounding them, Asuka interrupted. "Why'd I have to go and become a slave player? There ain't no point to it if they're going to beat me anyways."

It took a second for the question to process, but he managed to answer straightforwardly. "I was not the one that made you into a slave player. It was Omega Dain."

"Omega Dain?" Hiro repeated, confusion taking over once more.

"Um..." Eva ignored the stares she earned as she spoke. "Was it to protect the underground missile plant I saw earlier?"

The atmosphere turned tense once more. The man nodded and lead them down the elevator. The doors opened to a large hangar, full of automatic machines producing warheads. Upon orders, Eva placed a hand on the controls and forced the systems to shut down. Cobra informed them of the missiles in a cargo bay, saying that they had managed to stop them just in time. Yagami added that Australia's government was sending troops to disable the factory permanently.

Professor Yamano confirmed that Omega Dain was the one who created the place, urging the group to focus on stopping them. Asuka offered her help, saying she wanted to get back at Omega Dain for turning her into a slave player.

Which reminded Eva, "Professor..."

"Yes?"

"Why did you make me a slave player at the last possible minute?"

He was silent for a moment before continuing. "Do you remember Kazama Kirito's partner? The Russian girl?"

"Niara Levanov?"

"Yes. I wanted to make sure you encountered her as soon as possible. She wasn't just another test player. Alan Worthen had personally been taking care of her for the past six years." He turned to her with a look. "Does this sound familiar?"

Something inside her twisted into a knot. "She's being used..."

"I've seen how you are with the many different kinds of people around you, Eva. And I believe that you would be the best suited to help her."

"The best suited to help...?"

"Thank you for giving me another chance to live. As opposed to what the Innovators had done, I'll use this ability you gave me to help and save others."

It's been a while since then, but her resolve remained. She nodded at the professor. She'll do her absolute best to make sure Niara Levanov would be free from those same shackles that once held her.

~~~~~

The man was able to provide enough evidence to convince them that the warheads were created by Omega Dain, though it wasn't enough to prove that they were aiming for world domination. He also informed them of some more data that could be found in the brainjacked computers, ones that involve Paradise being a spatial military base.

"Um, Professor Yamano," Jessica step forth while the adults work on investigating. "There's just one thing I don't get. About the attempt on the president's life at Alohaloa Island, I feel like that had no connection to Paradise, but..."

"You're right. I found the assassination plans in Omega Dain's files while searching through the command computers." He explained. "But I couldn't move freely. That's why I called out to you; it was so you could settle it."

"I see..."

The director of NICS had a hand to his chin. "If that's the case, then we're in a grave situation."

"Huh? Papa, what do you mean?"

"The perpetrator was able to slip an LBX past all that heavy security. But a feat like that would've been too difficult for Omega Dain alone. This could mean that..."

"One of the top executives in Country A... Meaning, someone close to the president is involved." They all jumped at Takuya's words.

They weren't able to do much but wait. It wasn't long until both NICS and Seeker Base reported back on the data they've found from the brainjacked computers. Rina presented the gist of the information and concluded that there were no evidence supporting the claim of Paradise being used as a spatial military base, leaving Director Kaios to assume Omega Dain erased it.

However, what she found instead were documents regarding an unknown energy coming from the satellite and that, around the same time, explosions occurred in the power plants of Country A's enemy states. Professor Yamano theorized that it may be a laser weapon, based on the pictures Rina showed.

When asked upon, neither Rina nor NICS were able to find the control center for Paradise, but the professor was already ahead of them. He told them to search for a tanker known as Future Hope.

~~~~~

Evening came soon enough as they all separated to do their own thing. Eva entered the maintenance room and took her seat beside the black and white haired boy after greeting the others.

"If Papa did something like Professor Yamano for the sake of justice, would I forgive him?" Jessica muttered aloud as she continued to work on her Jeanne D.

"If you could trust him, then you would forgive him." Jin's response wasn't one that took too long to come up with.

"Trust him?"

"People make mistakes. No matter what the reason, a mistake is still a mistake. They have to take responsibility for them. But there are some things you have to do, despite the sacrifices. That's how Professor Yamano must be thinking."

"So that's what you mean by trust..."

"Yeah."

Eva remained silent. That wasn't something she expected him to say, but then again...She remembered a certain letter she found a year ago. Perhaps that was how he felt during the Innovators Incident.