Chapter 19: Reporting, Commander, I'm from the Mess Squad
After Yūga Hōzumi opened the Treasure Chest, a spectral blue light flashed, and two metal rings appeared in his hands.
[Congratulations, Host, you have received an Ultra Rare Reward: Reginald Kastle's Dual Rings (Binds upon use)]
[Reginald Kastle's Dual Rings (Affinity: 15%) can unlock Number 32: Shark Drake and its accompanying deck upon use.]
[Reginald Kastle's Dual Rings detected: The Designated Archetype Random Pack has unlocked the Shark Archetype.]
[Warning! Warning! Host, do not be greedy for temporary power; using this item will have irreversible effects on your subsequent missions.]
Just as Yūga Hōzumi was about to examine the new item closely, a series of system warnings began beeping endlessly in his mind, forcing him to give up.
"First it was Kite, now it's Shark. Who's next? Is this fan service or something?" Yūga Hōzumi muttered, tucking the rings into his System Inventory.
"Still, this thing solves an urgent problem," Yūga Hōzumi said, looking at the tightly shut emergency room door.
Yūga Hōzumi had already checked Sugihara Yo's deck. After whatever possessed him was eliminated by Hope, the Evilswarm Monsters in his deck reverted to their original forms. Those Extra Deck Monsters, which were supposed to be Ice Barrier Synchro Monsters, simply vanished. In other words, Sugihara Yo's deck was now just a pile of random cards.
With this, Sugihara Yo would at least be able to recover some combat power once he woke up.
After a while, the Underground Duelist Legion from the Orion District also gradually returned.
"How's Big Brother?" The Blondie from before anxiously poked his head toward the emergency room window, but after being shooed away by a nurse, he glared fiercely at Yūga Hōzumi.
"Was it you? Big Brother didn't even make it to the Fusion Dogs' territory this time before he was carried back. Was that your doing?"
"Uh... how should I put this? It seems I really did do it," Yūga Hōzumi said with an awkward smile.
"Damn it... you bastard!" Upon hearing this, Blondie was about to flare up but was stopped by the Second Boss standing nearby.
"Reynold, stop! Show some respect to our new leader!" the Second Boss said sternly.
"New leader?" This time, it was Yūga Hōzumi who was bewildered.
"Aren't you going to make the Orion District the base for the entire XYZ Dimension Resistance Army? I've agreed to this on Big Brother's behalf," the Second Boss said.
"Second Boss, this..." Reynold looked hesitantly at the Second Boss.
The Second Boss ignored Reynold and looked directly at Yūga Hōzumi. "You defeated Big Brother. By the rules of the Orion District, you are the new leader here. I've pretty much guessed what you want to do. All 739 Duelists of the Orion District will obey your commands starting today."
"Is that so? Then I'll leave things here to you. I'll go bring the people from outside. Please prepare for them," Yūga Hōzumi said.
"In such a hurry?" the Second Boss asked, puzzled.
"After all, there are tens of thousands of people. If we let the Fusion Dogs react, the journey won't be as smooth," Yūga Hōzumi explained.
"I understand." The Second Boss nodded, then turned to Blondie and said, "Reynold, go with the leader."
"Me?" Reynold, who hadn't fully accepted the situation, snapped back to attention when he heard the Second Boss mention him, his face filled with reluctance.
"Big Brother hasn't woken up yet. I'm not going anywhere."
"Don't be difficult. This is an order," the Second Boss said with a serious expression.
...
Meanwhile, inside the Fusion Dimension Command.
At this moment, a silver-haired man in a cape was flying into a rage in the meeting room.
"What are you all good for? I just went back to the Academy to report on my work, and in that short time, you managed to cause such massive losses?"
The silver-haired man slammed the table. The Fusion Dimension Elites below him were as silent as cicadas in winter.
"What did I tell you before I left? No unauthorized actions! No unauthorized actions! And what happened? The moment I left, you couldn't wait?"
"Unauthorized actions would be one thing, but with a force of 20,000 troops, you attack a Spade Academy whose Chief has gone missing and you lose 5,000 men overnight? Even if it were 20,000 pigs, they couldn't even catch 5,000 of them in one night!" The silver-haired man couldn't control his fury any longer. He grabbed a water cup from the table and smashed it to the ground.
The cup shattered into pieces, and the hearts of the scolded Fusion Dimension Elites tightened.
"Most importantly, you actually let them escape?"
"Reporting, Commander, this operation was entirely the Gloria Sisters' unauthorized decision. It has nothing to do with us," one of the scolded, a stubborn one, couldn't help but interject.
"Nothing to do with you?" The silver-haired man laughed in anger. "You're quite good at shirking responsibility, aren't you? I don't care if it has anything to do with you. All cadres who remained behind will be demoted one rank! Now, you pathetic wastes, get out!"
"Yes, sir!" Hearing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief as if a heavy burden had been lifted, and they quickly scurried out of the meeting room.
"These wastes..." The silver-haired man gritted his teeth, watching the backs of his subordinates as they fled.
After everyone had left, the silver-haired man pulled out a card that was torn in half, his face grim.
"Yusho Sakaki..."
A long while later, the silver-haired man walked out of the meeting room and called for his secretary.
"Get a vehicle ready for me. I'm going out for a drive," the silver-haired man said.
...
Under the starlit sky, two figures trekked laboriously through the ruins of Heartland City. They were Yūga Hōzumi and the blond, Reynold.
"Seriously, do we really have to walk all the way back?" Reynold asked, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
"What else? Your Second Boss drove my car until it was wrecked, and it's beyond repair. There's no time to fix the vehicles at your camp either," Yūga Hōzumi said.
Just then, the sound of a speeding vehicle reached them from afar. Startled, the two quickly found a corner and hid.
The chances of anyone else driving a vehicle around Heartland City right now, besides members of the Obelisk Force, were very low. The two decided to observe the situation first.
Soon, a vehicle bearing the Obelisk Force emblem stopped not far from where they were hiding. A single person stepped out.
"Just one person. How about we..." Reynold whispered to Yūga Hōzumi, simultaneously making a throat-slitting gesture.
"Don't move..." Yūga Hōzumi stopped Reynold. "Listen to me. Go to the temporary camp I told you about earlier and bring people back."
"He's just one person..." Reynold was confused.
"He's no ordinary person. Go quickly, this is an order," Yūga Hōzumi said sternly to Reynold, recognizing the newcomer in the faint moonlight. "I'll keep him occupied. You go bring the others. Don't let him get away."
"Alright." Reynold nodded, then stealthily headed in the direction Yūga Hōzumi had given him.
After Reynold was a safe distance away, Yūga Hōzumi pulled an Obelisk Force uniform he had kept in his System Inventory and changed into it. He then grabbed a handful of dirt from the ground, smeared it on his face, and deliberately made a slight noise.
"Who's there!" The reaction from the other side was swift.
Hearing this, Yūga Hōzumi quickly tumbled out, his head bowed and hands raised high.
The silver-haired man breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Yūga Hōzumi's Obelisk Force attire, but upon seeing his spineless demeanor, he frowned.
"Which unit are you from?"
"Reporting, Commander! Obelisk Third Legion, Mess Squad!"
(end of chapter)