# Chapter 98: Post-Battle Summary
"Yūga Hōzumi?" Kaito and the others cried out in alarm.
"I… I'm fine…" Yūga Hōzumi said slowly, catching his breath. "Yao, Kaito, now's your chance. Take the comrades who didn't participate in the battle to the card factory on the east side of Heartland City and bring back any usable machines and card data."
"Also, Yuto, take Allen and the others to pursue the remnant soldiers. Just make sure they can't interfere with Kaito and the others." Yūga Hōzumi's voice, though weak, was unusually calm.
But suddenly, he noticed something was off. "Kaito? Yao? Yuto? You're all here? Then who's holding me right now?"
*Masaka?* Yūga Hōzumi slowly raised his head and looked up to see Serena's stormy face.
"Yes, sir! We guarantee we'll complete the mission!" At that moment, Sugihara Yo snapped to attention and saluted, then pulled Kaito and Yuto away, giving Yūga Hōzumi a teasing glance as he left.
In an instant, only Yūga Hōzumi and Serena remained on the road.
"You scoundrel, how much longer are you going to lie there?" Serena said through gritted teeth, her face blushing.
"Sorry!" Yūga Hōzumi flinched and quickly stood up.
"Well…" Yūga Hōzumi scratched his head, wanting to say something to break the awkward silence, but Serena merely snorted coldly and turned to walk toward the center of the Orion District.
"If you're tired, go back and rest. I'll go check on Aunt Yuko."
After Serena finished speaking, she walked away, leaving only a cool silhouette.
…
That night, in the church's meeting room, the high command of the Resistance Army gathered.
"Today's battle was a complete victory for us," the camp's chief steward, Garros, began. "Not only did we repel their attack, but Kaito and Yao also went to the old card factory and brought back a card-making machine exclusively for Xyz Monsters."
"What about casualties?" Yūga Hōzumi asked.
"Many soldiers were injured, but most of their injuries were not severe. Only about three hundred people were seriously wounded. Most importantly, because the enemy was busy retreating, even when they defeated our people, they didn't have time to turn the vanquished into cards. So, no one was turned into a card," Garros said, a knowing smile on his face.
"That is indeed good news." Yūga Hōzumi nodded. "Most of the enemy's generals have been dealt with, and even their commander is missing. This gives us a long period to develop slowly."
"So, what's the plan now?" Sugihara Yo asked.
"It's best for us to develop steadily until the new recruits are combat-ready. This major victory was largely due to our home-field advantage," Yuto calmly stated.
"Next, I'm going to the Synchro Dimension," Yūga Hōzumi said.
"The Synchro Dimension? What are you going there for?" Kaito frowned upon hearing this.
"Even after this batch of new recruits completes their training, our forces will number less than twenty thousand, while the enemy can always receive reinforcements and will outnumber us several times over. After all, Heartland City suffered immense losses in the previous war. In such a situation, how can we even talk about counterattacking or seeking revenge?" Yūga Hōzumi explained. "Therefore, we need allies."
"By your logic, haven't our allies from the Standard Dimension already gone? Even Shun is there," Sugihara Yo said.
"I don't think they will succeed," Yūga Hōzumi said. "First, let me tell you about the situation in the Synchro Dimension."
Yūga Hōzumi briefly introduced the situation in the Synchro Dimension to those present. Upon hearing his description of the Synchro Dimension's pathological social structure, Kaito and the others couldn't help but frown repeatedly.
Having grown up in the utopian-like Heartland City, it was truly difficult for them to imagine such a place could exist.
"Can the Synchro Dimension truly become an ally? Are you sure their authorities won't collude with the Academy for their own benefit? They ruthlessly attack people from their own dimension, let alone those from others," Sugihara Yo spoke bluntly.
"Exactly. Reiji Akaba is a bit too naive on that point," Yūga Hōzumi said. "However, his line of thinking isn't wrong. The Synchro Dimension is indeed a potential target for an alliance, provided that the authorities of that dimension are replaced."
"Our allies should be revolutionaries fighting for equality, not a bunch of parasites sucking the people's blood," Yūga Hōzumi stated emphatically.
After speaking, Yūga Hōzumi turned his gaze to Kaito and Serena beside him. "Yuto and Yao will stay behind in Heartland City. How about you two come with me?"
"Me?" Serena, who had been silent the whole time, was startled. She truly hadn't expected to be involved.
"Why me?" Kaito asked.
"Among us, Yao is the only one who understands card-making. Our future development is impossible without him. As for Yuto, every time he meets someone who looks like him, it's a bad omen. It's bad enough there's a look-alike in the Synchro Dimension; the one from the Standard Dimension is there now, too," Yūga Hōzumi explained.
"Alright, our leader has made the arrangements, so let's listen to him," Sugihara Yo said, patting Kaito's shoulder. "When you see that Shun fellow, remember to say hello for me."
"When do we leave?" Kaito asked after a moment, having accepted his assignment.
"We'll rest for a night and depart tomorrow morning. It's been a while since I've seen Shun's poker face; I actually kind of miss him," Yūga Hōzumi said with a light shrug.
Everyone present laughed. It was clear that this major victory had significantly lightened their mood.
"Go tell Aunt Yuko and the children," Yūga Hōzumi said, smiling at Serena, who still looked bewildered. "Standing still isn't something adults should do. And please say hello to the children for me; I won't go myself. Those little rascals are always pestering me to see Hope."
"Alright," Serena took a deep breath, nodded, and then turned to leave.
After Serena left, Yūga Hōzumi turned to Yuto. "Sorry, I couldn't trade her for Ruri."
"It's fine," Yuto shook his head. "It's not right to trade a comrade for an enemy. I'll rescue Ruri myself."
"Not you, us," Yūga Hōzumi interrupted.
…
Upon returning to his room, Yūga Hōzumi opened the system and reviewed his recent gains.
[Congratulations, Host, for leading the Resistance Army to repel the invaders' encirclement, officially establishing a foothold and taking a crucial step on the path to reclaiming the glory of the XYZ Dimension.]
[In this battle, the Host and your teammates worked together to achieve a perfect victory, unlocking an epic reward.]
[Random "Number" Monster Card Packs ×10]
[Specified Rank Random Xyz Monsters ×20]
[Emperor's Key Affinity +10% (Current Affinity: 37%)]
[XYZ Dimension Final War Weapon Source Code Unlock Progress: 10%]
Seeing this, Yūga Hōzumi felt a bit confused. *What's this? A final war weapon?*
Driven by curiosity, Yūga Hōzumi clicked on the new option that had appeared in the system.
[XYZ Dimension Final War Weapon (Unlock Progress: 10%)]
The interface was simple: a card. However, the card's image, likely due to only being 10% unlocked, was as blurry as if it had been photographed through a keyhole. Yet this interface, barely better than a mosaic, made Yūga Hōzumi suck in a sharp breath.
*Author's Note: The novel will be premium starting tomorrow at 12 PM, with an initial release of five chapters. However, due to frequent, mandatory community COVID testing in Shenzhen these past two days, with queues taking at least three hours each, I might not be able to release all chapters in one day. But I can guarantee at least three chapters will be released tomorrow.*
*Also, some cards in this book will have effects that are a combination of their anime and OCG versions.*
(end of chapter)