# Chapter 20: Looks Like You're Enjoying This, Too
"From the Mess Squad?" The silver-haired man frowned. "Why are you here? Where's your unit?"
Yūga Hōzumi managed to squeeze out a few tears, his face a mask of misery. "During the siege on Spade Academy, our squad was separated from the main force and then surrounded by their people. Our squad leader sacrificed himself to cover our escape... and after being hunted by the Resistance Army, I'm the only one left from the Mess Squad."
"If you survived and your injuries aren't serious, why didn't you return to Headquarters?" the silver-haired man demanded.
"I... I couldn't find my way back by myself!" Yūga Hōzumi's face flushed as he blurted out the lie.
The silver-haired man sighed, the very picture of disappointment. "Hmph. Get in the car, I'll take you back! Report directly to the Mess Squad at Headquarters when you arrive!"
"That would be great! I heard the soldiers in the Mess Squad at Headquarters don't have to go to the battlefield." Yūga Hōzumi looked up, a simple, honest smile on his face.
"You..." The silver-haired man was fuming. "When you get back, you can get your ass over to the Logistics Farm and raise pigs!"
"Oh, come on, sir. Just let me stay in the Mess Squad," Yūga Hōzumi said, spouting nonsense. "I'm not bragging, but my family's cooking is so good that everyone in the Third Legion who has tried it says it's the best."
"Enough nonsense! Get in the car!" the silver-haired man said, his face darkening.
"Wait a minute, sir! I have to take a shit, I can't hold it in!" There was no way Yūga Hōzumi could go with him. Seeing his chance, he immediately fabricated an excuse.
"Then hurry up and go! What are you standing around for? Are you waiting for me to give you some paper?" the silver-haired man said after taking a deep breath.
"Well, if you're offering, sir, that would be a great help," Yūga Hōzumi said casually, giving a slight bow.
"You... Fine. Just fine." The silver-haired man laughed out of sheer exasperation. He took a pack of tissues from the car and tossed it to him. "I really don't know how a waste of space like you ever made it into the Obelisk Force. Now, scram!"
"Yes, sir!" Yūga Hōzumi caught the tissues, clutched his stomach, and ran off to a nearby corner.
A short while later, Yūga Hōzumi returned looking refreshed, offering the tissues back with both hands.
The silver-haired man shot Yūga Hōzumi a look of disgust. "Throw that thing away. Now, get in the car."
At this, Yūga Hōzumi's eyes glinted. He put on that same shameless, simple-minded smile. "Reporting, sir! Could we wait just a little longer? I don't think I got it all out just now."
Hearing this, the silver-haired man slammed his fist on the steering wheel. He stared directly at Yūga Hōzumi and ground out through clenched teeth, "Enough! Do you think this is funny? Drop the pathetic act! Where is your dignity as the Chief of Heart Academy, Yuan Youhao?"
At these words, Yūga Hōzumi shrugged. The cowardly expression vanished from his face. He stripped off his drab uniform and tossed it aside. "So I've been found out? Makes sense. My wanted poster is probably plastered all over your camp. But speaking of pathetic acting, the feeling's mutual... Commander of the Obelisk Force, Mr. Aster Phoenix."
"You knew I recognized you from the start?" Aster Phoenix said coldly.
"That's right. But you seemed to be enjoying the act so much, I thought I'd play along. The night is still young, after all," Yūga Hōzumi laughed.
"Now that your identity is exposed, you're not running. Do you really think you can stop me by yourself?" Aster Phoenix said.
"We'll have to duel to find out, won't we?" Yūga Hōzumi activated his Duel Disk.
Aster Phoenix activated his Duel Disk as well. A great battle was about to begin.
"Duel!" they both shouted.
"My turn!" Aster Phoenix declared, taking the first move.
"I summon Destiny HERO - Drill Person in Attack Position!"
"When Destiny HERO - Drill Person is successfully summoned, I activate its effect! When this card is Normal or Special Summoned, I can Special Summon one 'Destiny HERO' monster from my hand with an ATK less than or equal to this card's!"
"I Special Summon Destiny HERO - Decider!"
"Destiny HERO - Decider's effect activates on its successful summon! During the End Phase of this turn, I can add one 'HERO' monster from my Graveyard to my hand. This effect can only be used once per duel."
"I activate the Spell Card, Fusion Substitute!"
"This card is treated as 'Fusion' by the game's rules, but I can only use monsters on the field as Fusion Material."
"I fuse Destiny HERO - Drill Person and Destiny HERO - Decider!"
Aster clasped his hands together. On the field before him, his two monsters swirled into a vortex, merging into one under the spell's power.
"Hero who pierces the scales of destiny and hero of iron resolve, become one and reign over the dark future!"
"Fusion Summon! Appear, Destiny HERO - Dystopia Guy!"
"I activate the effect of Destiny HERO - Dystopia Guy!"
"When this card is successfully Fusion Summoned, I can target one of its 'Destiny HERO' Fusion Materials in the Graveyard and inflict damage to my opponent equal to that monster's ATK!"
"I target Destiny HERO - Drill Person in the Graveyard! You take 1600 points of damage, equal to its ATK! Hand of Oppression!"
Destiny HERO - Dystopia Guy raised its palm, firing a pale blue orb of energy that exploded right in front of Yūga Hōzumi.
The force of the blast sent Yūga Hōzumi flying, kicking up a huge cloud of dust.
**Yūga Hōzumi: LP 4000 → 2400**
When the smoke cleared, Yūga Hōzumi stood up and brushed the dust from his clothes. "Not bad. Dealing damage on the first turn."
"Is that compliment a prelude to your surrender?" Aster Phoenix asked.
"Don't misunderstand. We're just getting started," Yūga Hōzumi said, trying to stall for time while he waited for Shinjō Katsu and the others to arrive. "I'm just curious... do you have a Stratos in that HERO deck of yours?" A duel against this guy would be a fierce battle, and he'd already had an intense duel with Sugihara Yo today. Even if he won, he probably wouldn't have the strength left to capture him.
"Stratos?" Aster Phoenix frowned. "Never heard of him."
"Elemental HERO Stratos! You've never even heard of him, and you use a HERO deck?!" Yūga Hōzumi exclaimed.
"Hmph, what nonsense are you spouting? Elemental HERO? My Destiny HEROes are far stronger than that trash!" Aster Phoenix said, then his eyes narrowed. "You're stalling for time. Waiting for backup?"
"You found me out?" Yūga Hōzumi was completely unfazed by having his plan exposed. The duel had already started, and he didn't believe for a second that a prideful man like Aster Phoenix would run from a fight.
Just as he thought, Aster Phoenix scoffed. "So what if you have reinforcements? Once I'm done with you, cleaning up those small fry will just be a minor inconvenience."
"Don't be so sure, my dear Commander. If I take down their master—you—the morale of those Obelisk Force dogs of yours will plummet," Yūga Hōzumi retorted.
"You alone?" Aster Phoenix scoffed, revealing a Spell Card. "I activate the Spell, Destiny Draw!"
"By discarding one 'Destiny HERO' card from my hand, I can draw two cards from my deck."
"I discard Destiny HERO - Celestial from my hand to draw two cards!"
"I set two cards face-down and end my turn." Aster set the cards he had just drawn.
"At this moment, Destiny HERO - Decider's effect activates, allowing me to add Destiny HERO - Drill Person from my Graveyard back to my hand."
...
Regarding the system of drawing other people's cards, here's an explanation.
This story's protagonist is meant to lead the Xyz Dimension in a counterattack against the Fusion Dimension. The protagonist can't do everything by himself, right?
Also, when the protagonist goes to stir up trouble in other dimensions later, he'll need to leave some strong people behind to defend their home, right? These factors mean the protagonist can't just focus on his own deck.
(end of chapter)
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