[Meanwhile, in a ruined village far from Tokyo...]
Kaguro and the Grim Reaper stood among the wreckage, wind howling through broken rooftops and ash-stained walls.
Kaguro: "Exactly what were you thinking, sending the maid to kill Yami?"
Mr. Hoffman: "To test his strength... and ensure the public remains afraid. What's better—'the monster' within the boy has begun to stir. The Unravelled... has awakened."
Kaguro: "'Unravelled'? Weird name for a demon, if you ask me."
Mr. Hoffman: "Don't be cocky, young one. Even gods feared that creature. Entire worlds were devoured by its power. And yet... it's not even at full strength. That may give us a chance to extract it from Yami."
Kaguro: "To do what exactly? Be specific."
Mr. Hoffman: "If we succeed... it might earn us an audience with Lucifer. If our forces are strong enough."
Kaguro: "Whatever, old man. I'm heading to Shibuya." With a flick of his wrist, Kaguro disappeared into a swirling vortex.
Mr. Hoffman: (chuckling, stroking his chin) "That boy... I wonder what Lucifer is planning now. His maid failed to kill me. Or maybe he's after the Crest..." He turned toward the night sky. "No matter. My next plan begins now."
[Meanwhile, in Olympus...]
Yami: "So I have to train... to control the demon?"
Jayson: "Yes. It's the only way."
Yami: "I guess so... sorry again for worrying everyone."
Jayson: "They're resting. You'll get the chance to say your piece."
Yami: "Heh... right. You should get some sleep too."
Jayson: "Sure. A power nap sounds good."
Yami: "Better than nothing."
[Deep within Hell, Lucifer sat atop his throne, reveling in the tortured screams of the damned. General Grim approached with haste.]
Lucifer: "Grim... so good to see you. Any word about the Crest?"
Grim: "I'm sorry, my lord, but no, I haven't—"
Hell itself trembled as Lucifer's face darkened.
Lucifer: "What did you say?"
Grim: "Forgive me, my lord... but the Unravelled has been revived."
A slow, wicked smirk crept across Lucifer's face.
Lucifer: "So... that son of a bitch lives. Excellent. With his power under my control, I'll finally be able to kill one of the Supreme Ones and become the sole ruler. This... this is marvelous news!"
Grim: "But unfortunately, we don't yet know his location..."
Lucifer: "No matter. We'll find him—eventually." Lucifer rose from his throne, laughing as flames danced around him. "Things are going perfectly!"
[Back in Tokyo, night blanketed the city. Everyone who had fought in the recent battle was resting—everyone except Yami.]
With a heavy bag on his back, Yami stepped out of Olympus silently.
Dagger (floating beside him): "You really think it's wise to leave without even saying goodbye?"
Yami: "I've caused them too much trouble... I have to get stronger."
Dagger: (softly fading away) "Hmm... fine then."
Yami: "...See you guys. Later." He turned his back on Olympus, walking alone toward the outskirts of Tokyo and into the forest beyond.
[Hours later, Olympus—Misami burst into the room, letter clutched in her hand.]
Misami: "Wake up! Everyone!"
Jayson: "Ugh... my head. What the hell? And where's Yami?"
Misami: "He left! That idiot left us a note saying he didn't want to cause us more trouble!"
Sarah: "This... isn't good."
Yahiko: "Of course it isn't! We have to find him!"
Jayson: "Easier said than done."
Yahiko: "What do you mean—"
Sarah: "Enough. I can't sense Yami's presence anymore. He must've sealed the Crest's aura. Judging by the sky... he's long gone."
Misami stared at the note, her eyes trembling with tears. She clenched it in her hand, her voice shaking.
Misami: "Why did he leave...? Why did he protect us, just to disappear... that dumbass..."
Yahiko: "...Misa..."
Jayson exhaled slowly, resting a hand on her back.
Jayson: "Don't worry. He'll come back. We just have to wait. In the meantime... we train. We'll prove to him we're not weak, right?" He smiled reassuringly.
Misami: (wiping her tears) "...Right."
Yahiko: "Yeah! We'll show him how strong we've gotten!"
Sarah: "First, let's deal with the lunatic who almost killed us... then we show him."
[Meanwhile, in the Forest of No Return, Yami trudged through the cold underbrush, alert to every sound.]
Yami: "Dagger... where's Kaito?"
Dagger (appearing as a spirit beside him): "Close. Be careful. He's also known as the one who created Hell."
Yami: "W-Wait, that's—"
A slow clap echoed through the woods. A figure emerged from the darkness, wrapped in black mist.
???: "Well, well, well... what a surprise. The ghost of Zeus's offspring and Hades' grandchild. Is it Christmas already?"
The air thickened. Yami froze, barely able to breathe as the figure approached.
Dagger: "Diablo... you haven't changed. Been what, a thousand years?"
The mist faded, revealing a man in a black suit—pitch-black hair, glowing violet eyes.
Diablo: "Even in death, you're still a cocky brat, Dagger. I'd kill you, but Lucifer already did that for me." He chuckled.
Dagger: "Still hiding from the gods, I see."
Diablo: "Of course. You were all a pain in the ass. But it doesn't matter anymore—not with most of you dead. Only the Supreme Ones remain."
Dagger: "He's not here for banter."
Diablo: (eyeing Yami) "You smell like the God of Greed. Disgusting. So tell me, boy... what do you want?"
Yami bowed slightly, struggling to breathe under the pressure.
Yami: "I want you... to take me to the Lost Realm."
A pause. Then Diablo grinned.
Diablo: "You want to meet the creators of the Crest? Bold. Very bold. But... what's in it for me?"
Dagger: "Here we go..."
Yami: "What do you wan—"
In a blink, Diablo gripped Yami's throat, lifting him off the ground.
Diablo: "To be honest... I don't want anything. But I am bored. Let's make it fun. Survive five minutes with me... land a single hit... and I'll take you there. I'll even come with you."
Yami: (choking slightly) "...I'm gonna die, aren't I?"
Dagger: "Just stay focused. You can land a hit..."
Diablo: (cracking his neck, smiling wickedly) "This is going to be fun."