This might be the most important day in Shirley Lubron's life since her family broke apart, the moment her life's trajectory changed for the second time.
Also, for the first time in so many years, a thought surfaced in her mind: her parents might still have hope.
A Time Machine, altering the past, is such a thing really possible?
If it truly is possible...
At this moment, she truly realized that Godwin was right. Revenge, investigating the truth—all of it suddenly seemed unimportant. Are these what she truly wanted? Not at all.
Having lost everything, Shirley simultaneously lost the goal to continue living, becoming a walking corpse driven by revenge. And now she saw the light, even if it was just a faint glimmer of hope, it instantly pushed all thoughts of revenge to the back of her mind.
But she did not lose her reason: "Do you mean we need to rely on Taiyi's power?"
"Yes. Continue to investigate Taiyi thoroughly, as long as you can find one more Time Machine, you will achieve your goal."
Yugen pointed at the card in Shirley's hand.
"As long as you have the power of that card."
Shirley looked at the card in her hand, the card for which her father was killed.
"Do you know the purpose of this card?"
"Of course." Yugen nodded, "This card is one of the keys Taiyi uses to activate the Time Machine. Find the Time Machine, and you can operate it with this."
"How can I trust you aren't lying to me?"
"You have no choice." Yugen chuckled, "Why? Is there a second way in the world to fulfill your wish?"
Shirley's expression was unpleasant, yet she didn't refute.
"Fine, you want evidence, it's not impossible."
Yugen reached out to her.
Shirley remained cautious: "What do you want?"
"That card." Yugen said plainly, "You came to the Public Security Maintenance Bureau to analyze this card, didn't you? I'll satisfy you."
Shirley didn't act immediately, still somewhat mistrustful of him. But upon recalling her recent defeat, she suddenly realized that if the opponent forcibly took it from her, she likely wouldn't be able to resist. Since the opponent requested it this way, it actually proved his sincerity.
So Shirley said nothing, handing the card named "Z-ONE" to Yugen.
"Then please follow me."
Yugen turned around to lead the way. The remaining three looked at each other, then followed suit.
Deep within the Public Security Maintenance Bureau lies a top-tier supercomputer. In the original animation, Shirley also infiltrated this place, attempting to analyze the card in her hand using the power of this computer.
And the result of the analysis, as well as what will happen, Yugen actually knew it all.
This was precisely his purpose.
The "Z-ONE" card was placed in the computer's analysis position. Everyone remained silent, quietly waiting for the top-level computer to complete the analysis.
Then the computer gave its answer.
"NORMAL".
Ordinary, normal, without any mechanism. This was the answer given by the supercomputer.
Shirley's pupils contracted: "Nothing? The analysis result is... just an ordinary card?"
"Don't rush." Yugen smiled confidently, having anticipated this result, "The real mechanism is about to appear now."
As soon as he finished speaking, red lightning spiraled across the sky outside the Public Security Maintenance Bureau, the ion storm seemed to want to blow away the building's tempered glass curtain wall. The thunder carried a hidden data stream that rushed into the sky, converging above the building into a dimensional vortex with a kilometer diameter.
The Magic Card laid flat on the computer suddenly erupted with energy, instantly seeming to transform into a pure energy state.
Everything before their eyes—the computer, the room, even the entire Public Security Maintenance Bureau building folded and bent in space curvature, while the streets around the building ribboned towards the vortex center.
But that was only a visual distortion. The true dimensionally dragged changes were not happening to the building or the streets, but to the four people caught in the middle of the occurrence.
A terrifying gravity pulled them into the other side of the rift, all scenery dissipating before their eyes.
Yugen gently closed his eyes, letting his body drift like a feather in the vortex.
Once the storm settled, he felt his feet seem to land firmly once again, then slowly opened his eyes.
An expanse of boundless space.
This was not an exaggerated metaphor, but literally infinite. Sacred pure white light enveloped everything, extending to the world's end. Underfoot was a white floor, and above was a similar ceiling.
And in this infinitely vast space, there was only one thing.
Layered bronze-colored metal shells, each curved deck etched with complex patterns, floating like a Nautilus without support in the center of this pure white world.
Only a sharp gaze seemed to leak from its head's gap.
Yugen knew, he finally found the true target.
This is "Z-ONE," the last human on Earth on the ruined world line. A failed savior burdened with humanity's tragedy.
Yugen let out a long breath.
Lucky, the plan went smoothly.
In fact, he wasn't sure if it would succeed, but in the original animation, Z-ONE's first appearance indeed began this way.
Shirley had infiltrated the Public Security Maintenance Bureau to use the supercomputer's power and analyzed the card named "Z-ONE." The analysis resulted in no anomaly, but the card suddenly exploded with amazing energy, sending Yusei, Shirley, and others present to this alternate space.
And it was here they first met Z-ONE himself.
"Z-ONE God? You all are really hard to find."
Yugen proactively spoke.
"Especially your companions, those Taiyi Three Emperors, Apollia's three clones? Those guys are so withdrawn and unfriendly, almost met before, even changed history to erase clues just to avoid me...
Honestly, I just want a chat, am I that scary? Why hide from me?"
Yugen shook his head in frustration.
No sound came from within the giant metal shell, but the view behind the armor continued to stare straight at Yugen.
This person even knows Apollia's name...
Not a single person inside the Taiyi Organization knows that their leader, the Taiyi Three Emperors, was originally one person's three clones. This person's name was Apollia, one of Z-ONE's companions. The Three Emperors are merely parts of him.
And the person before him even knows Apollia's name...
After a moment of silence, Z-ONE finally spoke.
"You used Paradox's D-Wheel to come here, Other Dimensional person?"
Z-ONE asked in a calm tone.
"So, what did you do with Paradox?"