In response to Athena's words, Yusei nodded without hesitation.
"Alright. When you find the information and come to tell me again, I will give you the Gorgoneion."
"Good. At that time, this one will give you the answer."
After Athena finished speaking, a gentle breeze brushed past, and she had already vanished.
With Athena's departure, the cage restraining Erica also dissipated.
Erica immediately came to Yusei's side. She wasn't surprised that Yusei had let Athena go.
"As expected of Yusei-sama, to have calculated this far. Having Athena help us find the History Compilation Committee, then giving her the Gorgoneion to help her regain her power, and finally hunting her to obtain her Authority."
Erica was somewhat impressed. She found that this Devil King was not just a warrior but more like a strategist.
Regarding Erica's conjecture, Yusei didn't respond... because that wasn't his plan from the start.
But it didn't matter, and he'll just let her misunderstand. After all, they were just using each other. He didn't need to explain that much.
Meanwhile, the driver, who had been hiding in the car, restarted the vehicle. The previously black-and-white, silent street suddenly transformed, returning to normal.
Although it was late and quiet, there were still some sounds in the distance, completely different from the eerie silence before.
The sedan started again. Yusei and Erica also got back in the car, heading towards the Copper-Black Cross's branch in Japan.
The Copper-Black Cross's branch, though called a branch, was actually a luxury mansion located in the Minato Ward. No one lived there except for the driver.
Today, besides the driver, two more people were in the mansion.
After telling Erica to rest early, Yusei returned to the room the driver had prepared for him in advance.
The room was luxurious, with a bathroom and a shower, very convenient.
Yusei finally relaxed, soaking in the bath for a while, his thoughts immersed in Yata no Kagami protecting his soul.
He had developed some understanding of Yata no Kagami's effects. Besides the 'health lock' ability, it also had sealing power.
Earlier today, rendering Athena powerless and unable to muster any strength was also due to Yata no Kagami's effect.
Legend says Yata no Kagami was created by a certain deity to lure Amaterasu Omikami out of the Ama-no-Iwato cave. Curious, Amaterasu was reflected in the mirror.
As her figure appeared in the mirror, her spirit remained within it, and Yata no Kagami became Amaterasu's divine body.
This legend brings another effect of the Yata no Kagami: the power of reflection.
By borrowing Yata no Kagami's power and combining it with his own, Yusei's divine lightning gained the effect of making Athena powerless.
Simple paralysis isn't that strong.
Additionally, Yusei always felt that Yata no Kagami wasn't that simple… perhaps it had deeper levels of power. As the foremost of Japan's Three Sacred Treasures, it might have even stronger abilities.
But beyond that, Yusei couldn't sense anything more. Perhaps his power was insufficient to activate them.
Thinking this, Yusei withdrew Yata no Kagami and took out Futsu no Mitama.
Futsu no Mitama was still the same as before: an ethereal blue longsword resembling a lightsaber from a sci-fi blockbuster. Holding it felt like holding a feather, yet it was incredibly sharp.
Yusei held it gently in his hands, closed his eyes, and focused on sensing the sword's power.
As a divine artifact, he believed it shouldn't be limited to just enhancing lightning control.
Ten minutes passed.
Yusei opened his eyes again, a hint of disappointment and regret in them... He didn't feel any other abilities in Futsu no Mitama.
Although regrettable, it was still alright. After all, his main means of attack now was the Thunder Authority.
Getting out of the bathtub, drying his hair, Yusei went to bed and fell asleep.
Today's dream seemed different from usual...
There was no story, no sense of time. The only thing visible was a vast, white expanse. There was nothing, everything was white. It was as if only his consciousness was observing within this white space.
Yusei was confused. His entire consciousness was very blurry. Perhaps he was asleep, or maybe due to some other reason, he forgot why he was here.
'A dream world while sleeping... but am I really asleep?'
Suddenly, a pleasant female voice sounded, jolting the self-doubting and blurred Yusei awake.
Looking again, he saw a girl with a cute face smiling at him within this expanse.
"Finally... I've met you. It wasn't easy, my special child."
"You..." Yusei opened his mouth but hadn't spoken yet when he suddenly realized he was being held in this girl's embrace.
"But no matter how special the child, you are still my child. Remember this. I am your mother. My name is Pandora..."
At this point, the vast white world began to collapse. An eerie crimson eye abruptly broke free, appearing in this world. Red light illuminated the land, accelerating the destruction of this space.
The girl saw this and sighed helplessly, then looked at Yusei with endearment.
"If only you would call me Mother. But it seems impossible now. No matter what, I am your mother. My special child..."
Yusei jolted awake, sitting up abruptly in bed. Only then did he realize he had been sleeping in bed all along, and what happened just now was only a dream.
It was already morning. Sunlight from outside shone into the room through the blinds. Chirping sounds could be heard from outside occasionally. Everything was so peaceful and serene.
Inside the room, brand-new furniture was neatly arranged in logical positions, making the room feel spacious yet not monotonous. On the bedside table was the phone he had temporarily bought. Everything was exactly as it was when he fell asleep last night, unchanged.
Yusei threw off the covers and got out of bed, heading to the bathroom to wash up. But when he saw himself in the mirror, he suddenly froze.
His right eye was an ordinary black pupil, but his left eye was in the Mangekyo Sharingan state. What made Yusei freeze even more was its pattern.
On the original snowflake-like pattern, several complex, tadpole-like script had been added. This made the pattern in his left eye extremely dense, intricate, complicated, and full of mystery.