No matter what, the future must be saved, even if the future you create has no place for you...
At this moment, Youyu, who had been silent, spoke: "So, how do you know that simply eradicating the existence of Duel Monsters will definitely make the future better?"
"I don't know."
Paradox smiled bitterly.
"But at least it can't get worse," he said. "At least my efforts can create some flexibility for the future, and humanity might have new possibilities. Maybe the future can continue."
"But it's also possible that humanity will merely repeat the same mistakes in the brand-new future you've sacrificed to create," Youyu said. "By then, you won't exist anymore. In that case, who will be there to correct the mistakes again?"
Paradox frowned: "If that's really the case, I believe that in that new future, there will still be people like me and my companions who will stand up and not hesitate to sacrifice themselves to correct the mistakes."
"Then you are just shifting the responsibility of 'being the last human' to others," Youyu said.
"What did you say!?" Paradox furrowed his brows, his face darkening.
He couldn't accept Youyu casually dismissing all of his and his companions' efforts.
"Then tell me, do you have a better solution!?" He almost shouted.
"A better solution...who can say for sure about such things." Judai paused for a moment and then, unusually, put away his usual cheerful smile and said seriously, "But you just said, didn't you? The root cause of the future's destruction is still the darkness of the human heart."
"That's right," Paradox said. "The increasingly raging darkness in the human heart fed back into the Moment, producing enormous negative energy, which eventually exploded and led to the extinction of human civilization.
That's why I want to eradicate all of this from the root. Without the foolish existence of 'Duel Monsters,' the Moment could never be invented, and this destructive history would cease to exist."
"But if it's really like you said, stop it, what you're doing won't work." Judai shook his head.
"What?"
"The darkness of the human heart...though I can't say I understand it well, it's not something simple."
As he spoke, Judai gently closed his eyes, and when he reopened them, his eyes had become shining heterochromatic pupils. Although his tone remained calm, it somehow exuded a powerful aura akin to that of an ancient king, even making Paradox a bit afraid to look directly.
"May I ask you a question?"
"Wh...what?" Paradox instinctively responded.
For some reason, at this moment, he suddenly felt a bit afraid to go against this young man's will.
"Between someone who sees garbage on the roadside and doesn't pick it up and someone who doesn't see it and therefore doesn't pick it up, which one is in the wrong?"
Paradox furrowed his brow: "The person who sees it but doesn't pick it up, I guess."
"Right. When I was faced with this question, that's what I answered too," Judai looked down at his hand and said softly, "but then someone told me that it's the person who doesn't see it and therefore doesn't pick it up who is in the wrong.
Because those who see the garbage might pick it up at some point, but those who don't see it will never have the possibility of picking it up."
"What kind of twisted reasoning is that?" Paradox snorted, "Is there any point in saying this stuff?"
"There is." Judai nodded seriously, "The darkness of the human heart can never be eliminated. Whether you ignore it or escape from it, it will always be there and will continue to grow and develop.
No one can take your place in bearing these burdens. Ultimately, people must learn to face and accept their darkness themselves.
If the root of the world's destruction lies in the darkness that grows within human hearts, then your actions of eliminating Duel Monsters and altering history are actually meaningless.
Even if you nip dueling in the bud, even if you sacrifice your existence and stop the Moment's emergence, as long as the people in that new timeline are still the type 'who don't see garbage and therefore don't pick it up,' history will still repeat itself infinitely."
"You..." Paradox widened his eyes, momentarily speechless.
"Senior Judai..." Yusei looked at the senior complexly, his feelings a tumultuous mix.
Although Judai's words were directed at Paradox, they significantly impacted Yusei as well.
It even vaguely seemed to unravel a knot that had been buried in the depths of Yusei's heart for a long time.
Youyu looked at his future student, momentarily at a loss for words.
Among those present, perhaps only he understood how much Yuki Judai had gone through, growing from a naïve, carefree, hot-blooded youngster into the person he was today.
Though now he seemed as cheerful, passionate, and duel-crazy as before, internally, he was entirely different from when he first entered GX Academy.
What he said to Paradox was also deeply reflective of his own understanding.
Indeed, the principles Judai talked about align unexpectedly with the conclusion of 5DS.
Eliminating Duel Monsters or the Moment cannot genuinely resolve the issue. What truly needs saving is the human heart.
After all, even if Duel Monsters are obliterated, who can guarantee the future will be any different?
Even if the future has neither Synchro Summoning nor Riding Duels, who knows if the new timeline's humans will invent something like "Riding Landlords" or "Riding Mahjong," still ending the world...
"You...what's the point of saying all this now!?" Paradox ground his teeth, swinging his large hand, "The duel is still ongoing, and I'm only one step away from success! Your LP is down to the last 300, and if I win this duel, all of this will be wiped out!"
Coincidentally, it was Yusei's turn next.
Having heard Judai's words, Yusei closed his eyes, seemingly lost in thought and realization.
"Mr. Youyu, Senior Judai, thank you... I'm no longer confused."
Yusei reopened his eyes, the red dragon mark on his hand glowing through his clothes. The bright red symbols sequentially appeared behind him, forming a closed loop and creating the image of a coiled red dragon.
The top card of his deck glowed with a dazzling golden light!
"My turn, draw!" Yusei drew the card, loudly proclaiming, "Paradox! Our future will continue, and so will humanity!
This is the answer we, as people of the past, give!"