"A good thing? Give me a minute."
Juggler's voice came through the phone. Yuzhou then heard him casually telling someone on the other end that he was going to the restroom.
Less than a minute later, dark purple-black particles gathered in front of Yuzhou. Juggler in his Magin form emerged from the distortion in space.
"That was fast," Yuzhou chuckled.
"So what's this 'good thing' that made you call me over so urgently?" Juggler asked, casually dropping onto the sofa.
The dark particles around him slowly dispersed as he reverted to his human form.
Yuzhou said nothing. Instead, he inserted a USB drive into the projector and played the recorded footage.
"This is…?"
Juggler was momentarily confused. Had Yuzhou really dragged him over just to watch a movie?
But the instant the video began playing, his expression froze.
On the screen—
It was him.
The Juggler in the footage was wearing the exact uniform he had worn back when he accompanied Gai Kurenai to complete the trial at the Peak of O-50.
What made his fists clench and tremble, however, was the person standing beside that version of himself.
Mikoto.
"Well… I don't know why you recorded this," the Juggler in the video said, scratching his head, "but I want to thank you—for saving Mikoto."
Beside him, Mikoto smiled brightly and nodded, full of life.
"Mikoto… this is…" Juggler murmured, turning to Yuzhou in disbelief.
"I went back to the past and saved her," Yuzhou replied calmly. "But after that, the timeline split."
"One branch is the world we're in now."
"The other is a new branch created after my interference."
Yuzhou explained deliberately, making sure Juggler understood.
Strictly speaking, it wasn't time travel—it was a parallel world—but the distinction didn't matter here.
"So that's how it is…" Juggler said slowly.
His eyes remained locked on Mikoto's image on the screen, emotions swirling uncontrollably.
"She survived," Yuzhou added quietly. "In another world."
"She survived…" Juggler repeated under his breath.
"That's good. That's really good."
After a long silence, he exhaled, as if finally letting something go.
"Then… in that timeline, I didn't cut down the Tree of Life, did I?"
He looked at Yuzhou.
"No," Yuzhou nodded. "You didn't."
"But the Tree of Life still disappeared."
"…It did?" Juggler burst out laughing. "I knew it! That tree was the source of all wars! Must've been destroyed by the invading monsters, right?"
"Uh… no."
Yuzhou shook his head.
"Then who? Don't tell me it was Gai—that's impossible."
"I did," Yuzhou replied simply.
"…What?"
"I mean exactly that," Yuzhou said, pointing at himself. "I cut it down."
Juggler froze.
Then he shot up from the sofa like he'd been struck by lightning.
"BRILLIANT!!!"
He thrust his thumb up enthusiastically, giving Yuzhou a wholehearted dark-side approval.
"That aside," Juggler said after calming down, "why did you cut it down?"
"Because the people of Planet Kanon were beyond saving," Yuzhou said helplessly.
Originally, he had planned to leave after saving Mikoto.
Then Queen Bezelb, Dr. Psychi, and their schemes dragged him in.
His counterattack was blocked by Queen Amate.
And to top it off, the Kanon populace branded him the enemy.
Absurd didn't even begin to describe it.
After hearing the full story, Juggler was furious.
"That slash I gave that woman back then was absolutely justified!" he growled, clenching his fists.
"If I'd aimed a little higher, she wouldn't be queen anymore."
"That woman's mind was fundamentally flawed," Yuzhou sighed, choosing not to elaborate further.
Suddenly, Juggler's communicator buzzed.
"Captain! A monster has appeared in the Heisei Three District!"
"Captain, are you still in the toilet?!"
"I'm on my way back."
"Yes, sir!"
Juggler's mouth twitched. He exchanged a quick nod with Yuzhou before dissolving into dark purple particles and vanishing.
Yuzhou noticed it.
Mixed within the darkness were faint particles of light.
"…There's more light in him now," Yuzhou murmured, nodding in satisfaction.
Turning someone like Juggler from darkness to light overnight was impossible.
Change had to come gradually.
"Heisei Three District, huh…"
Yuzhou turned on the television.
As expected, the news showed a crimson prehistoric giant rampaging through the city at night.
It was massive, winged, with deep blue eyes.
It resembled Golza—but wasn't.
It was the fusion of Golza, Melba, and Super C.O.V.
Tri-King.
To become Five-King Beast, it would still need Reicubas and Gan-Q.
Yuzhou hadn't forgotten—Charija once captured a cyber Five-King Beast.
"Heisei Three District… Tri-King Beast," Yuzhou smiled faintly.
"Interesting."
The name alone was a hint.
The Heisei Trinity was about to take the stage.
Everyone knew the so-called "three" actually meant four:
Tiga.
Dyna.
Gaia.
Agul.
This time, Z's Gamma Future was likely to appear.
Haruki already possessed the medals of Tiga, Dyna, and Gaia.
Who gave them to him? Yuzhou barely remembered—only that he and Juggler split some loot and handed the extras over.
After all, Yuzhou had too many medals—and rarely used them.
"Let's go take a look."
As his words faded, Yuzhou dissolved into light and vanished from the room.
Heisei Three District
Tri-King continued its rampage.
The Celebro Alien had wanted to stay hidden this time.
Unfortunately—
Tartarus came knocking.
"I sensed the spacetime fluctuation of Tiga leaving this world," Tartarus said coldly.
"You failed to restrain him."
A golden lightning arc nearly annihilated the Celebro Alien.
"Create more chaos," Tartarus ordered. "Draw Tiga's attention."
With that, he opened a golden wormhole and stepped inside.