Chapter 186: Numbers, Dragon Marks, and Ancient Fairy Dragon
Although protected by his gear, Shingo Sawatari hadn't suffered many external injuries, but the inexplicable impact just now left him with a splitting headache.
"You've recovered," Shingo Sawatari said with a strained smile, watching Yugo constantly pulling at the guardrail and D-Wheel fragments around him, trying to pull him out. "Don't waste your energy. I'm about to be sent away anyway. Let them handle it."
With that, Shingo Sawatari tore off his helmet, revealing his golden hair, slick with sweat.
"I'm sorry..." Yugo said apologetically, looking at Shingo Sawatari's condition.
"Save the apology. You shouldn't be apologizing to me, but to the audience. You ruined a perfectly good show."
"I..." Yugo didn't know what to say, seeing Shingo Sawatari in such a state.
"Although Shingo Sawatari was just a hair's breadth away from getting that Action Card, according to the tournament rules, a crash results in an immediate loss," the Female Commentator's resigned voice echoed through the stadium.
"Therefore, the winner of this duel is Yugo!" the Female Commentator announced. "However, Shingo Sawatari's performance in this match was worthy of his title as a genius director! Ladies and gentlemen, how about we give a round of applause to Shingo Sawatari as well!"
"Good job, Sawatari! If you get another chance, practice your D-Wheel driving skills a bit more!"
"That's right, that's right! Your performance was excellent!"
Cheers of all kinds rose and fell from the audience. Shingo Sawatari's smile was strained, but he was truly happy. Then, he looked at Yugo.
"You... in your berserk state... you're quite cool... but... don't go berserk again." After saying this, Shingo Sawatari could no longer hold on and passed out.
Just then, the Security Officers in the stadium arrived, pushing Yugo aside and roughly hauling the unconscious Shingo Sawatari from the wreckage.
"Hey! Be careful! He's still injured!" Yugo exclaimed through gritted teeth, furious at the Security Officers' rough handling.
"Rules are rules. Our job is to send the losers to the Underground Labor Facility. As for whether he's injured, we're not doctors. It's none of our business," the lead Security Officer said arrogantly.
Facing Yugo, who was born a commoner, these Security Officers showed no courtesy whatsoever.
Yugo clenched his teeth, watching Shingo Sawatari's retreating form as he was dragged away. In that moment, Yugo finally understood why Kiryu and the others fought so desperately to change this city.
...
"Alright, next up is the final match of the Friendship Cup quarterfinals!" the Female Commentator announced loudly, half an hour after Yugo's exit and once the stadium's track had been repaired.
"From the Lancers, the Magician who uses Pendulum Summoning! Yuya Sakaki!"
Yuya entered slowly on a red D-Wheel, wearing his two-toned goggles.
At this moment, Yuya looked solemn because of the previous commotion. He seemed to be lost in thought, appearing somewhat distracted.
Thanks to Shingo Sawatari's brilliant performance earlier, some of the audience generously applauded Yuya Sakaki, who was also a member of the Lancers.
"And! From the commoner district, the Underground Duelist, Raditz!"
Another D-Wheel emerged from the player rest area. The wind it kicked up stirred the rider's cloak and hood, revealing a few strands of silver hair.
Indeed, this person was Aster Phoenix, the former Commander of the Obelisk Force.
...
In the player rest area, Yugo walked in looking preoccupied, only to find Kaito and Bruno already waiting for him.
"What exactly happened out there?" Bruno asked as soon as he saw Yugo.
"Just now... what Yūga Hōzumi said... the demon sealed inside my body suddenly broke out," Yugo said, his expression grim, as he looked toward Kaito.
"In the XYZ Dimension, there's also someone who looks just like me. I remember his name is Yuto, right?" Yugo asked.
"That's right," Kaito nodded.
"Has he ever experienced what I just did? Like, constant voices in his head telling him to fuse with him, and an uncontrollable urge to destroy everything around him?"
Kaito pondered Yugo's question for a moment before nodding.
"On the day of the Fusion Dimension invasion, Yuto seemed to have entered the state you described. He wiped out a small Obelisk Force unit all by himself. Otherwise, the people from Spade Academy would have had a tough time escaping that day," Kaito said, recalling the event.
"What in the world is that thing?" Yugo slammed his fist on the coffee table in front of him, his face etched with lingering fear. "It was the same when Rin was captured. If this happens a couple more times, I'm afraid I'll really become a monster. If that happens, how will I ever save Rin?"
"Why don't you try learning Xyz Summoning?" Kaito suggested. "After Yuto got a Number monster, he never seemed to have that problem again."
"To be honest, the last time Yūga Hōzumi told me to try Xyz Summoning, I acted tough and said I didn't need to, but I secretly tried it," Yugo confessed, no longer hiding his stubbornness at such a critical moment.
"But for some reason, I really can't feel the Xyz Network you talk about. And I learned Synchro Summoning in just five minutes..." Yugo said, his voice filled with frustration.
"You can't feel it at all?" Kaito frowned. "How is that possible? Logically, everyone should be able to feel the Xyz Network; it's just a matter of how quickly. When we taught Serena Xyz Summoning, it only took one night!"
"Exactly. Even though Yūga Hōzumi said I have no talent for Xyz Summoning, I can feel the Xyz Network in the air after just a few minutes now. It's just that I can't master the process of making monsters of the same Level intertwine and reconstruct within the Network," Bruno added from the side.
"But I just can't feel a single trace of the Xyz Network's aura! And when I tried, I had this vague feeling that a part of my soul was missing. If I want to learn Xyz Summoning, I have to find that missing part," Yugo said in a low voice. "I was terrified. After that, I didn't dare try to feel the Xyz Network again."
"Wait a minute." Hearing this, Bruno seemed to remember something. He raised his right arm, on which his Dragon Mark faintly appeared. "How about you try this? Hold out your arm."
Yugo was startled. Suddenly, a strange stirring rose from the depths of his heart. It seemed the demon in his mind, which had just awoken and had not yet fully fallen back asleep, greatly feared this power and wanted to prevent him from obtaining it.
Realizing this, Yugo felt a surge of joy. He extended his right arm and touched it to Bruno's.
The energy from the Dragon Head Mark on Bruno's right arm flowed into Yugo's. A red light outlined a faint Dragon Claw Mark on his arm before returning to the mark on Bruno's arm.
Looking at the dim, faint mark that looked like it could flicker out at any moment, Yugo sighed.
"It seems useless... Huh? Hiss—"
Yugo was astonished to discover that somewhere inside him, an energy filled with a violent aura began to concentrate in his right arm, making him involuntarily gasp.
This energy was then purified and completely absorbed by the mark on his arm. The originally dim Dragon Mark instantly flared with a brilliant light.
A moment later, the light from the Dragon Mark began to slowly gather in Yugo's palm, and a card gradually formed.
Yugo's mouth hung open in amazement at the miraculous scene, while Bruno remarked from the side, "Yes, yes, that's it! My dragons appeared this way too!"
A moment later, the light dissipated, and Yugo finally saw the card clearly: Ancient Fairy Dragon.
(end of chapter)