# Chapter 73: Prelude to War
"Since that guy wants to settle things, I'll be happy to oblige," Yūga Hōzumi said with a cold laugh after putting away the simple letter of challenge.
"Sheng, Cheng, Allen, the three of you go gather the survivors. Enemies might sneak in from the surrounding paths and engage us in street fighting. We don't have many warriors to begin with, and if we have to divert our attention to protect others, we won't be able to hold out at all," Yūga Hōzumi said.
"Understood." The three nodded, accepted their orders, and departed. Yūga Hōzumi then turned his gaze to Garros.
"Have all the cards I brought back been distributed?" Yūga Hōzumi asked.
"Some haven't been distributed yet. I'll go do it in a bit. For tomorrow's battle, you should all get some rest. The future of Heartland City rests on your shoulders," Garros said.
"You don't need to tell us that. This is our home too," Kaito and Yao said in unison.
...
"Aunt Yuko, please take the children to the central church tomorrow morning," Allen said to Aunt Yuko after he found the orphanage.
"Is war starting again?" Aunt Yuko sighed. "I understand. The children and I will pray for you all."
After speaking, Aunt Yuko turned and entered the orphanage, beginning to sort the children's belongings.
Lianna, who had seen it all, tugged on Serena's sleeve.
"Big sister, are those bad guys here again?" Lianna asked nervously.
"Don't be afraid, Lianna. All the big brothers here will protect you," Serena said, patting the little girl's head.
"Big sister will protect Lianna too, right?" The little girl smiled brightly.
"Yes, I will," Serena nodded.
"Pinky promise, big sister!" The little girl extended her small finger.
Serena reached out her hand and made the pinky promise.
*I swear, no matter what, I will protect this smile,* Serena thought to herself as she looked at the little girl's radiant face.
After taking the children to a safe place, Serena returned to her room, where she unexpectedly saw something.
A duel disk and a deck lay quietly on a red silk scarf.
Serena picked up the deck and saw that it was indeed her Lunalight deck; even the components that guy had forcibly added hadn't been removed.
Putting on the duel disk again, Serena looked into the mirror beside her and suddenly found the reflection somewhat unfamiliar.
"That's right. In the past, my deck and duel disk never had to carry the weight of anyone's expectations," Serena muttered to herself, looking at her reflection.
After speaking, she bit one end of the red silk scarf with her teeth and tied it tightly around her right arm.
Then, she pushed open the door and walked out.
"Serena-chan, please come back safely, safely!" a gentle voice called out from behind her.
Serena looked back. In the darkness, bathed in faint lamplight, Aunt Yuko was looking at her kindly.
"I don't understand the business of duelists, but I'm here, so don't worry about the children. Focus on the battle. I'll pray for you with them," Aunt Yuko smiled.
Serena pressed her lips together, turned her head away, and tried hard not to cry. She lowered her head and plunged into the night.
...
On the rooftop of the church bell tower in the center of the Orion District, Yūga Hōzumi looked up at the starry sky. A small brazier sat beside him, with skewers of meat sizzling and dripping oil over the charcoal fire.
"No wonder I couldn't find you anywhere. Turns out you're up here enjoying yourself," Sugihara Yo said, poking his head out from the corner staircase and stepping onto the bell tower. He very naturally picked up a skewer of meat and put it in his mouth.
"What, not asleep yet?" Yūga Hōzumi shrugged, looking at Sugihara Yo.
The Sugihara Yo of today had set aside his mask, no longer shying away from the grotesque scar on his left cheek. Sometimes, he even joked with children who were frightened by his face, seemingly having emerged from the shadows of his past.
"You're not asleep either, are you?" Sugihara Yo finished his meat skewer, wiped his mouth, and pulled a cigarette from his pocket. After lighting his lighter, he hesitated for a moment before extinguishing the flame.
"Go ahead and smoke if you want. I don't mind," Yūga Hōzumi said.
Although Yūga Hōzumi said so, Sugihara Yo still put the lighter back in his pocket and flicked the cigarette out toward the window. "Better not. If Liang were still here, she'd scold me."
Hearing this, Yūga Hōzumi couldn't help but recall the mischievous, smiling face of the girl with short, dark-red hair.
"Once we successfully counterattack the Fusion Dimension, I'll help you find Liang's cards and figure out a way to restore her," Yūga Hōzumi said. He knew that his friend hadn't truly let go; instead, having found new hope, he had carefully hidden away his past pain.
"Counterattack the Fusion Dimension?" Sugihara Yo looked up at the starry sky.
"What, you don't believe it? I think he can do it." Just then, Kaito also climbed onto the bell tower, patting the dust from his hands.
"That doesn't sound like you, Kaito." Yuto's figure followed closely behind. The four Chiefs—once renowned as the greatest duelists of Heartland City's younger generation—were now gathered in this small church bell tower.
"Aren't all of our bonds now connected by that light of hope?" Kaito shrugged, chuckling softly.
Hearing this, Yūga Hōzumi took Hope from his duel disk. The exquisite card reflected the soft moonlight from above. "That's right. The light of hope for our XYZ Dimension."
"I wonder how that guy Shun is doing right now," Sugihara Yo said. "People in Heartland City used to joke that there were five of the four great Chiefs. Now that there are only the four of us, it feels strange without the fifth."
"Don't worry. That guy is probably living the good life somewhere with the Big Boss right now," Yūga Hōzumi said with a shrug.
Meanwhile, in the Synchro Dimension.
Shun Kurosaki, who had been separated from the main group and was now forced to perform on the streets with Sawatari Shingo: "Yuan Youhao, damn you!!!"
The four on the bell tower burst into laughter, just as they had during the grandest annual exchange celebration of the Four Major Academies back in the day.
"Let me say this upfront: if any of you screws up and dies on the battlefield tomorrow, I'll go to that person's funeral dressed as Ultraman to make sure they're immortalized in the annals of Heartland City," Yūga Hōzumi said half-jokingly after they finished laughing.
"You should worry about yourself. After all, their Commander specifically challenged you to a one-on-one," Kaito said.
"If I can beat him once, I can beat him a second time. You don't need to worry about me," Yūga Hōzumi said, reaching for a skewer of meat from the grill.
"Right, have you decided who will defend the fifth intersection?" Yuto asked, getting down to business after the jokes.
"You bastard, what the hell is an Xyz Summon?!" Just then, a somewhat irritable female voice rang out from downstairs.
(end of chapter)