Chapter 194: What Right Do You Have to Forgive Him?
"My responsibility?" Bruno mumbled to himself, taking out his deck from his card case. He flipped through the cards in his extra deck one by one: the T.G. Blade Blaster he'd owned from the very beginning, the Signer Dragons given by Yusei Fudo, and the cards given by his companions at the Friendship Cup. His gaze gradually sharpened with determination. He looked up at his companions around him, who were watching him with trusting eyes, and nodded forcefully.
"This 'King' title, I'll let you have it!" Yugo slapped Bruno forcefully on the shoulder. "Consider it a return gift for yours!"
"Let us escort you," Yūga Hōzumi said with a gratified smile, looking at the boy who, just a month ago, had been sensitive and insecure, now grown into his current self. "The road to the Duel Arena in The Tops is not easy right now. We can't let you waste your energy getting entangled with those minions."
After Yūga Hōzumi helped Bruno tune up his D-Wheel, just as the group prepared to depart, an old model D-Wheel came dashing over. It drifted to a stop in front of everyone, and before it had fully halted, a bespectacled youth jumped off the nearly-disintegrating D-Wheel, panting as he tore off his helmet.
"Finally made it." The newcomer was none other than Bruno's good comrade, the Revolutionary Army's card creator—Fujiwara Xiu.
"Here." After getting off the D-Wheel, Fujiwara Xiu took several cards from the card pouch at his waist and handed them to Bruno.
"Sorry, I only finished creating this card's source code yesterday afternoon. I worked all night to make three of them, but I finally made it in time," Fujiwara Xiu said.
Yūga Hōzumi was astonished by the cards he was handed. They were none other than the most fearsome monster in history, which he had long awaited—Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring.
"Take them. These cards can give Jack a big surprise," Yūga Hōzumi said with a smile.
"Don't you guys want them?" After taking the three Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring cards, Bruno looked at Yūga Hōzumi. It seemed he genuinely thought that just carrying one as a token gesture would be enough.
"What are you thinking? Of course you have to run three of these!" Yūga Hōzumi slapped the back of Bruno's head. "Our share isn't urgent, but you're about to challenge Jack Atlas."
"Alright." Bruno nodded, obediently tucking all three Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring cards into his deck.
Subsequently, under the watchful eyes of Kiryu and the other members of the Revolutionary Army, the group escorted Bruno as he set off.
Their journey went relatively smoothly, but just as they were about to reach the Duel Arena, a three-person D-Wheel Pursuit Squad from Security caught up to them.
"Leave these guys to me!" Yugo said with a smile, driving his D-Wheel away from the group and blocking the path of the pursuing Security Officers.
"Are you sure you'll be alright alone?" Bruno asked hastily upon seeing this.
"That question is a bit redundant. If a handful of people could catch me, I wouldn't have survived this long!" Yugo said, pressing the forced duel button on his D-Wheel. A 1-vs-3 duel activated.
"After you defeat that guy Jack and become the new king, remember to wait for my challenge!" Yugo waved at Bruno, then turned back to face the Security Officers.
"My turn!"
…
As the group reached a spot not far from the Duel Arena in The Tops, two D-Wheels slowly approached from another direction.
"Is that... Yuya?" Yuzu, sitting behind Serena on her D-Wheel, asked in a daze, looking at the figure on the approaching D-Wheel.
Meanwhile, Yūga Hōzumi and Kaito stared intently at the other person beside Yuya.
"What a small world," Yūga Hōzumi said through gritted teeth.
"Is everything ready?" Kaito asked coldly.
"Yes. This time, he won't escape," Yūga Hōzumi said, taking another duel disk from his D-Wheel's storage compartment and throwing it to Kaito. At the same time, he looked at Bruno. "This is as far as we take you. We still have something to do."
"What are those two talking about?" Yuzu, behind Serena, asked, confused by the sight.
"The person with your friend is named Aster Phoenix. They're mortal enemies," Serena explained to Yuzu.
"Brother Yūga Hōzumi, do you need help?" When he was searching the world with Kaito, Bruno had already heard about Aster Phoenix's identity and past actions from him. Thus, he wasn't surprised by their current reaction. Instead, as their companion, he asked if they needed help.
"Go do what you need to do. We'll settle our score with this guy ourselves!" Yūga Hōzumi said, as he and Kaito simultaneously twisted the throttles of their D-Wheels, rushing towards Yuya and Aster Phoenix.
Seeing the two approaching menacingly, Aster Phoenix turned his D-Wheel, intending to flee. But two streaks of light flashed, and Utopia and Galaxy-Eyes blocked his escape from behind.
"This time, I won't let you escape!" Yūga Hōzumi said chillingly, drifting his D-Wheel to a halt in front of the two and taking off his helmet.
"Yūga Hōzumi..." Yuya saw a familiar face and was about to greet him, but quickly realized the atmosphere was off.
"It's you guys," Aster Phoenix said, gritting his teeth as he looked at Yūga Hōzumi, Kaito, and their monsters, who had him blocked from both front and back. He sneered, "Move aside. I'm not here for you."
"But we've been looking for you for a long time!" Kaito said coldly.
"Don't be like this. Aster Phoenix is a companion," Yuya said, seeing the atmosphere grow increasingly tense and attempting to mediate.
"Companion?" Yūga Hōzumi scoffed disdainfully. "How did you get involved with him? Are you trying to become our enemy?"
"I came here to use my duel to bring everyone together and stop the war in this city," Yuya explained.
"Do I need to know what you're here for? I'm asking why you're with him!" Yūga Hōzumi said, his anger burning as he looked at the troublemaker.
"He's my father's student. He knows he made mistakes, and now he wants to stand with us!" Yuya said.
"So, you're forgiving him on our behalf?" Yūga Hōzumi almost laughed from the anger. "Who do you think you are?"
"This guy turned our homes into ruins and caused countless casualties among our friends. And now you just stand before us and casually say he knows he was wrong?" Kaito said slowly, his eyes filled with flames of fury.
"If you don't want us to treat you as an enemy, then get lost!" Yūga Hōzumi said.
"Move aside, Yuya. This is between me and them; it has nothing to do with you. Go do what you need to do," Aster Phoenix sighed, then activated his duel disk.
"Why? Why does it have to be this way? Can't we just sit down and talk?" Yuya remained standing in front of Aster Phoenix.
"Cut the crap, or I'll deal with you, too!" Yūga Hōzumi said, activating his duel disk.
After waiting for half a minute and seeing that Yuya still had no intention of moving, Yūga Hōzumi gritted his teeth and initiated a forced duel, enveloping both him and Aster Phoenix.
2v2 team mode, activated.
(end of chapter)