My vision returned pretty quickly thanks to Yugo’s healing. Thanks to that, I was able to better take in the scene. Ibaraki stood with his Oni near the forest entrance. The Wild Men were close by them, talking amongst themselves and staring intently at Somnia. She, Lochness, and Archie were behind me, holding me upright while Yugo kept a hand over my stomach to patch the hole Zelos left there. Yugo hadn’t answered my question, but Archie was the first to give an answer.

“You get hit that hard? That’s Yugo. Don’t tell me I gotta start holding fingers up?”

Neither I nor Yugo acknowledged Archie’s comment. He’d been focused intently on my healing my wound, and the look on his face said he’d rather focus on that and only that. The rage that’d previously been there had been replaced by something I couldn’t quite discern. Fear? Defeat? Sadness? Whatever it was, I didn’t care. I needed an answer, and I needed it now.

I gathered aura in my hand and looked deep into Yugo’s eyes.

“Hey now, brother. Let’s take it easy,” Archie tried.

Lochness pulled me away from Yugo as Somnia gave me a worried look. “You went through a lot. Take a deep breath, and we can work through it to–”

“Tell me Zelos was lying!” I shouted. “Tell me I’m an idiot for believing him and that he’s full of shit! Say it!”

Archie and Somnia shared an uncomfortable glance as Yugo took a deep breath, closing his eyes. “Shojiro always said I had a bad habit of putting things off until the last minute. Come on, guys. I’ll explain everything.”

Just like when we’d first met, Yugo gathered us all up and teleported us away. There were no nearby rooftops this time, though, but instead, we found ourselves somewhere unfamiliar. It was a massive library, fitted with narrow aisles and bookshelves that reached into the sky. Everywhere you looked were books and bookshelves, though the carpet beneath us was patterned with ornate owl designs, making it clear where we were – Yugo’s Mindspace.

“What’s going on?” Somnia asked, breaking the silence. “Rui, what did Zelos tell you?”

I didn’t take my eyes off Yugo, who’d been looking at me like I held him at gunpoint. “That the Mamoru Clan is responsible for me and everything I’ve ever been through, and that he’s the Patriarch of the damn Clan!”

Somnia’s eyes went wide. Archie whistled. “S-so? That true?”

Yugo took another deep breath. “Yes, it is. I am Mamoru Yugo, Patriarch of the Mamoru Clan. Everything Zelos said regarding our Clan is true.”

“What… exactly… did he say?” Somnia asked, eyes glued to the ground.

I caught her up on everything, making sure to inspect Yugo for any hint of amusement or enjoyment as I told her all about the Mamoru Clan’s purpose. If he acted in a way I didn’t like or said something I didn’t like, I’d kill him. This was my punishment for trusting someone stronger than me, and I’d make sure not to let this blossom into another Ares situation.

Both Somnia and Archie looked horrified as I explained all I was told, though it wasn’t long before that horror gave way to different emotions. For Archie, it was evident that it gave way to anger. As for Somnia, though, I wasn’t exactly sure what she was feeling. The air changed around her, indicating she was in that Hovering Hand state, but she still looked as stunned and silent as she had been, continuing to stare at the patterned floor.

“So is that why you recruited me? The Horsemen couldn’t keep me controlled so you’d do it yourself?”

Yugo showed emotion for the first time, sadness turning to indignation. “Of course not!” He coughed. “I’m sorry. I’m not good at these kinds of confrontations, and I don’t want The Historian to handle it for me.” He looked over the three of us. “My goal, my true goal, is to clean up my family’s messes. Just as Zelos said, they are the cause of almost all of Minashire’s pain. It isn’t enough to patch the wound, I want to stop the pain from the source. I want to eradicate the Mamoru Clan.”

“But they’re your family,” I noted. “How do I know you aren’t any different from them?”

“I used to be, unintentionally,” Yugo spat, making no effort to hide the bitterness on his face. “When I was young, my mother would send me on missions with my brother to kill powerful Rogues and take out criminals in small and big cities alike. Of course, I didn’t know I was being sent out to kill innocent people. I assumed all the stories about us were true.” He snorted. “Then, I got the rug pulled under me and my eyes were opened.” He knelt to face me. “ I recruited you, and the others because the three of you are capable of becoming strong enough to get rid of the Mamoru Clan and their biggest messes.” He gave me a shaky smile. “Like the Horsemen. You were a no-brainer recruit, really.” He put a hand on Somnia’s shoulder. “Seeing how much you already hated the Clan despite not knowing their history made me interested in recruiting you. Seeing how well you fought without a Contract is why I ultimately decided to go for it.” He turned to Archie now, putting a hand on his head. “It was my master who convinced me to recruit you if I’m being honest. At first, I didn’t want to involve someone so far removed from the Mamoru Clan’s web. She told me that you had the spirit to make change and that you had unreal aura reserves, so I decided to trust her judgment.”

None of us spoke for a long time. I was still trying to process everything I’d heard. There were times during our first meeting when Yugo would look at me like a charity case, though I’d assumed then that it was because I was a young man living alone. Averyl had given me that look, as had the few others who’d inquired about me in during my brief stint in Miyafokuu. Given the context of Yugo knowing what I was and that his family had been responsible, though, indicated a level of remorse that wouldn’t be there if he was evil as I’d begun to assume he was. I was surprised by how relieved that made me. I’d come to appreciate Yugo and his presence in my life. It would’ve… hurt to part with him. There were still many questions I needed to ask, and many things he needed to tell me, but knowing that he wasn’t truly my enemy was a relief beyond words.

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

“Yugo,” Somnia began, her voice unusually soft. “Are we going to have to face the Mamoru Clan?”

“Yes, we will,” Yugo nodded.

Somnia smiled like a kid in a candy shop. Archie, meanwhile, looked up at Yugo with worry in his eyes.

“We’re going to be able to make a difference, right? It’s one thing to take down some Wild Men or beat up an angry reincarnated Shogun. But the Mamoru Clan?”

“I swear to you Archie, we will be able to make a difference in this world. With the Mamoru Clan gone, the Horsemen dead, and a new system put in place to ensure the betterment of Minashire, we will permanently alter the course of Minashire’s history for the better.”

“You sure know how to dream big,” I noted.

“I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t,” Yugo awkwardly smiled.

Knowing that Yugo and I both had similar goals of killing the Horsemen made me even more relieved. It was just like he said: recruiting me was a no-brainer. And if the Mamoru Clan were part of that pie, they could get it too. There was just one thing I needed to clarify with Yugo, though, before we continued as a group. I’d had my trust betrayed before, and I wouldn’t have that happen again.

“I grew up around too many liars, Yugo. I hate them. Please don’t lie to me ever again. Not by omission, and not to my face. If we’re going to be allies, we need to be open with each other.”

Yugo stood to his full height, smiled, then bowed at the waist. “I promise you all that I will never lie to you again. I apologize for deceiving you.” When he rose, he continued. “I have been fighting this fight by myself since my early teens, and I have come to learn that I cannot accomplish it by myself. I created the Seekers at my master’s instruction, and that was the best decision I’ve ever made in my life. I need you all, and I would be honored if you all fought alongside me.”

“Master, master, master,” Archie croaked. “You know, you never told us who your master is.”

“Her name is Gehenna. She’s the Light Eater.”

Archie blinked. “Yugo, you just promised us you wouldn’t lie.”

Yugo smiled sheepishly. “I’m not lying. She trained me for six years in Tesoro Gardens after I left the Mamoru Clan.”

Archie threw his hands up and walked off. Somnia, meanwhile, tilted her head at Yugo. “You know, I wish you’d been honest from the jump. Remember when my mother was being hard on you when you were trying to convince her and my father to let me join the Seekers? Now I can tell you she was like that because she knew you were hiding something from them. My father must’ve known what your actual goals were, though, which is why he ultimately gave you the thumbs up. If he hadn’t, though, my mother would’ve killed you for lying to her.”

“A-ah,” Yugo stammered.

“She can do that?” I asked. “Yugo’s pretty strong.”

“My mother’s stronger.”

“She sure was,” Yugo agreed. “May she rest in peace.”

“What…? Oh! Yeah. Thanks.” Somnia pouted. “I’m sure she’s looking up… down at you with a smile knowing that the truth has finally come to light. There’s no way she’d continue to hate you over that whole thing or anything. She isn’t that petty.”

Yugo smiled at her while Archie made his way back to us with a wide smile on his face. “You know, I’ve always said my power exists to help other people. I think facing the Mamoru Clan directly is just a natural evolution of that. Besides, the second strongest Myth in existence said that I’m capable of doing that! Who would I be to decline?” Archie leaned closer to me. “I mean, I guess you still have an out, Rui. Nothing’s stopping you from going it alone if you want to.”

“I’m not… going to.” I decided. Yugo’s eyes widened as I continued. Rather than contemplate this in my head, I worked my thoughts out aloud. I’d asked Yugo to be open, and so I’d be open as well. “I can’t imagine myself anywhere else but here. I’m going to need more power anyway, so why not get it with you all? We’re a team.”

“Yeah!” Archie agreed. “There’s Yugo, the guy trained by the Light Eater, me, the one the Light Eater – the second strongest Myth in the world, not Minashire – said is impressive, then there’s you and Somnia! I think being around us is gonna be really good for you guys’ confidence and development.”

I kicked him. Archie didn’t even. He just kept laughing and chanting about how the Light Eater acknowledged him. Somnia meanwhile, mirrored my thoughts, telling Yugo – and the rest of us by extension – that she wanted to continue fighting alongside the Seekers. When Archie finally finished cheering for himself, he did the same, saying that he had a duty to Minashire – not the Light Eater – to continue on his path. The whole time, Yugo just stared at us, smiling wider as his familiar face returned to him. When we’d finally reaffirmed our dedication to the Seekers, Yugo leaned forward and pulled us all into a group hug. He didn’t say anything, though I’d expected him to. We were like that for a few minutes, the hug ending only when Yugo began to tremble a bit. When he separated from us, he immediately turned away and waved a lazy hand.

“Alright, Historian, you can take them out of here.”

“You aren’t coming?” I asked.

“Not right now,” Yugo answered.

With that, The Historian popped into existence and led us down one of the many long aisles toward an inconspicuous black door on a brown wooden wall. The Minashire Monitor was there waiting for us, and though she couldn’t speak I could feel the love and happiness she meant to convey. The Historian was the one to give words to those channeled feelings.

“Thank you for accepting our Yugo,” The Historian said, floating above the door while the Minashire Monitor floated around us.

“Aww,” Archie smiled. “We’re all family here. No need to thank us.”