# Chapter 12: The Lone Avenger
"Shitty system, what is this? Of these three cards, the only one I can summon is Gem-Knight Pearl, and it's just a vanilla monster with 2600 Attack?" Yūga Hōzumi struggled to contain his frustration at the lottery results.
"Forget it. I'll check the Number Card draw." After cursing the shitty system for a while, Yūga Hōzumi opened the random Number monster pack.
[Number 62: Galaxy-Eyes Prime Photon Dragon has been unlocked]
"Are you kidding me, you shitty system?! I just dueled Kite today, and now you're giving me his cards? Not only that, you're getting it wrong! This is a card from a different Kite! What use is that to me?! Just give me a Galaxy-Eyes already!"
Yūga Hōzumi furiously ranted at the system, then stuffed the card directly into the System Warehouse and opened a Designated Archetype Random Pack. The thrill of drawing a powerful card like Number 70: Deadly Sin had been incredible, but he had no desire to waste that luck on another card he couldn't even use.
As Yūga Hōzumi opened three packs designated for the "Onomat" archetype, nine cards appeared in his hand.
"Huh? An Ultra Rare? Onomatopickup?" Yūga Hōzumi's spirits lifted as he looked them over.
As for the other cards, besides one Gagaga Draw that was somewhat useful, the rest were pretty much meaningless.
"I might as well spend the Gold Coins on draws, too. My luck with 'Onomat' packs seems decent today," Yūga Hōzumi thought.
Two ten-pulls later, Yūga Hōzumi's harvest was quite bountiful. Not only did he draw a second Gagaga Sister, but he also maxed out his copies of Dododo Banchou - Gagaga Coat with a playset of three.
After drawing his cards, Yūga Hōzumi looked at his remaining 200 Gold Coins. He couldn't help but glance at the lottery interface again, his heart in turmoil.
Ultimately, he couldn't stop himself.
A moment later:
[Congratulations! You have received an R-rank Reward: Yusei Fudo's Wrench]
[Yusei Fudo's Wrench: When holding this item, your ability to repair any functioning mechanical object is maximized.]
[Perhaps this item has other uses? For example, can it be Special Summoned in a duel for a physical attack?]
Staring at this item, which sounded impressive but seemed utterly useless on closer inspection, Yūga Hōzumi slapped his forehead and put on a pained expression. "Why can't I ever control myself?"
Then, the second reward popped up. A dazzling golden light flared so unexpectedly it nearly blinded Yūga Hōzumi.
[Congratulations! You have received a UR Grand Prize: Photon Robe]
[Photon Robe (Binds on use): Allows the user to enter Photon Mode. At the start of a duel, "Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon" is added to your Deck. (Item Affinity: 0.233%)]
[Unique Item "Photon Robe" detected. The "Galaxy-Photon" archetype has been unlocked for Designated Archetype Random Packs.]
Yūga Hōzumi looked at the silver-and-crimson spear that appeared in his hand, unsure of what to say.
"So we're really stuck on this, huh? You actually gave me a Galaxy-Eyes?" Yūga Hōzumi wondered. "But what's with this 0.233% affinity?"
"Whatever. I'll find a chance to give this to Kite. This should be enough to convince him to stay," Yūga Hōzumi mused.
...
Two days later, Allen, the current leader of Plum Blossom Academy, arrived with the academy's remaining forces to rendezvous with Yūga Hōzumi.
With the Three Great Academies united, obtaining living supplies was no longer a major concern. The resources they had were enough to keep everyone fed for a long time. The most crucial issue now was finding a stronghold that was easy to defend and difficult to attack.
Although the Three Great Academies had relatively complete facilities, they were all located in the city center. While Heartland City's extensive transportation network had been significantly damaged, it still allowed the Obelisk Force to completely surround any one of them within a day. Now that the three academies had joined forces, finding an easily defensible stronghold was paramount.
Yūga Hōzumi, Shinjō Katsu, Miura Makoto, and Allen deliberated for half the day before finally deciding to move the Resistance Army's base to the Orion District, a mountainous area in the southwest corner of Heartland City.
Before the war, this area had been Heartland City's most chaotic region. Countless Underground Duelists, banned from the Regular Professional Duel League for various reasons, gathered here. It was also the district with the city's highest crime rate. However, due to its labyrinthine network of roads where even locals often got lost, the Public Security Bureau could do little about it.
Even the Obelisk Force paid a heavy price to eliminate most of the Underground Duelists here.
But the area was never fully captured. The remaining Underground Duelists took advantage of the terrain to fiercely resist the Obelisk Force. Seeing that this "chicken rib" of a territory couldn't be conquered quickly, the Obelisk Force had gradually abandoned their assaults.
"Are we really going there? That place is full of criminals," Allen asked with a frown.
"Allen, if we want to win this war, we must unite all the forces we can. They may have made mistakes in the past, but in the face of the invaders from the Fusion Dimension, they are brave warriors, are they not?" Yūga Hōzumi explained patiently.
Meanwhile, outside the Orion District, within a temporary Obelisk Force base.
A black-haired youth in a worn, black trench coat with a red ribbon tied around his right arm and a mask covering half his face stood beside a massive black dragon that emitted wisps of a sinister aura. The dragon's crimson eyes were fixed on the nearby Obelisk Force squad leader and his Ancient Gear Golem. Dark orbs, radiating a menacing energy, circled the dragon's body. Scattered around them were several Obelisk Force soldiers, their conditions unknown.
The youth's exposed eye was utterly lifeless, and the immense pressure he exuded made the squad leader's legs tremble.
"Don't kill me! I surrender!" Under this pressure, the squad leader finally broke, kneeling and begging for mercy.
However, the black-clad youth's expression remained unchanged as he slowly spoke:
"The effect of Evilswarm Bahamut activates! 'Once per turn, I can detach 1 Overlay Material from this card and discard 1 'lswarm' monster to take control of one of your face-up monsters.'"
As the youth casually sent a card to the Graveyard, the great black dragon before him roared. The squad leader's Ancient Gear Golem spun around uncontrollably to look down upon its former master.
"Battle. Ancient Gear Golem, attack directly."
Squad Leader's LP: 4000 → 1000
"Evilswarm Bahamut, direct attack!"
In an instant, the squad leader was engulfed in black dragonfire, his eyes turning lifeless as he collapsed to the ground.
With practiced ease, he converted the fallen Obelisk Force members into cards, then found a spot to sit down and light a cigarette.
The youth took off his mask, revealing the other half of his face, which was a grotesque mess of crisscrossing scars.
From his trench coat, the youth took out two photographs, carefully wiping away the dust that had settled on them during the recent battle.
The photos showed a handsome couple. The girl with short, dark-red hair was making a mischievous face, while the boy she hugged smiled helplessly. Above their heads, a banner read, "Diamond Academy Chief Inauguration Ceremony."
...
(end of chapter)