# Chapter 241: Popping Up to Steal a Kill
Over the next week or so, every resident of Heartland City had grown accustomed to being woken up by a loud bang in the middle of the night every few days.
Sugihara Yo's card-making work went fairly smoothly. Aside from blowing up three card-making machines sent by Kiryu and Reiji Akaba, plunging Heartland City into massive debt before reconstruction even began, there were no other issues. Yūga Hōzumi, Kaito, Yuto, and Shun all received their Divine Arsenal AA-ZEUS - Sky Thunder.
The debt was manageable. Reiji Akaba, being proficient in Xyz Summons, simply proposed that one Divine Arsenal AA-ZEUS - Sky Thunder would suffice to clear the debt. Kiryu, considering Heartland City was rebuilding from scratch, didn't press for repayment for the time being.
During this week, the soldiers of the Resistance Army had moved on from the joy of their victory and begun the reconstruction of Heartland City.
However, restoring Heartland City to its former prosperity would still take a considerable amount of time.
Therefore, Yūga Hōzumi, who knew nothing about how to rebuild Heartland City, dumped all the responsibilities on Garros. Afterward, Yūga Hōzumi, Sugihara Yo, and a few others, carrying their newly acquired Divine Arsenal AA-ZEUS - Sky Thunder, set off for the Fusion Dimension with the Lancers led by Reiji Akaba, leaving only Kaito and Allen to guard their home.
Originally, Yūga Hōzumi wanted Sugihara Yo to stay and guard their base, but this time, the guy insisted on coming along, claiming that he had finally acquired new power and absolutely had to show it off.
Yūga Hōzumi also considered that this operation might lead them to find the card that Liang had been turned into within the Academy, so he brought him along and had Kaito stay behind.
Thankfully, this teleportation went off without a hitch, and they landed in a coastal town within the Fusion Dimension.
The problem, however, was that not a single person in their group knew the way.
After wandering for a long time and almost getting themselves lost, the group all turned their gazes toward Serena, who was beside Yūga Hōzumi.
"What are you looking at? I never once left the Academy when I was there, so how would I know the way?!" Serena, bewildered by their stares, could only say helplessly, "But I do know the Academy is on an island. Perhaps we can find some clues at the dock."
"No need to bother, a clue is coming to us," Sugihara Yo said with a shrug, pointing to one end of the street.
A disheveled youth was being pursued by several soldiers in Obelisk Force uniforms, running frantically toward them.
Upon seeing the group, the Obelisk Force soldiers began to shout, "Help us catch him! The Academy will remember your contribution!"
Yūga Hōzumi: ...
*Never thought I'd see the day I'd be rewarded by the Academy.*
"Leave these guys to me," Sugihara Yo said after a few stretches, a deadpan look on his face.
The group had long since noticed he was itching for a fight, so they each took a step back, ready to watch his performance. The stout Gongenzaka also conveniently scooped up the fleeing youth.
But just as Sugihara Yo activated his Duel Disk, preparing to throw down, a small boat came floating down a nearby river.
A figure with their face hidden by a cloak leaped from the bow of the boat, landing in front of the group and facing the pursuing Obelisk Force.
"Hurry and run! Leave this to me!" The voice from under the cloak was clear and melodious—it was a woman's.
Sugihara Yo: ???
*Who the hell are you?*
Just as Sugihara Yo was about to say something, he saw that the cloaked woman had already locked her Duel Disk onto the three pursuers.
Duel!
"Where did this suicidal fool come from, daring to oppose the Academy!" the squad leader shouted, drawing his card and taking the first turn.
"I summon Ancient Gear Hound in Attack Position! I activate its effect! When it's summoned, you take 600 damage."
Cloaked Woman LP: 4000 → 3400
"I end my turn. So, what do you think? See the power of the Academy now?"
Yūga Hōzumi and the others: ...
*What a nostalgic combo. If only the soldiers under Ryo Marufuji had been this simple during the final battle, our Resistance Army wouldn't have suffered such great losses.*
Sugihara Yo also silently retreated. *So be it, my kill got stolen. Fighting these guys would just be a waste of time anyway,* he thought.
Since the larger side can't attack in a one-versus-many duel, the other two simply summoned their own hounds as well, each dealing 600 damage to the mysterious cloaked woman.
"My turn! I draw!" The cloaked woman drew her card. Yūga Hōzumi and the others perked up, eager to see the skills of this mysterious newcomer.
"I activate the Spell Card, Preparation of Rites! It lets me add a Level 7 or lower Ritual Monster from my Deck to my hand, and then I can recover a Ritual Spell from my Graveyard."
"I'll add the Ritual Monster, Cyber Angel Benten, from my Deck to my hand."
"Benten?" Yūga Hōzumi's expression tensed. He sensed this was no simple matter.
"What's wrong? Do you recognize that monster?" Serena, seeing his reaction, couldn't help but ask.
"I activate the Ritual Spell, Machine Angel Ritual! By tributing monsters from my hand or field whose total Levels equal or exceed the monster I wish to summon, I can Ritual Summon a 'Cyber Angel' monster from my hand!"
An ancient altar appeared on the field. The flames above it ignited as a sacred light flashed.
Seeing this, Yūga Hōzumi shrugged and said, "Oh, so she's just using it for her own archetype. Never mind then."
"I tribute the Level 6 Cyber Angel Benten from my hand! Ritual Summon! Appear, Level 6! Cyber Angel Idaten!"
Cyber Angel Idaten ATK: 1600
"I activate the effect of the tributed Cyber Angel Benten! I can add one Fairy-Type monster from my Deck to my hand!"
"I add Cyber Petit Angel to my hand!"
"Next, I activate the effect of Cyber Angel Idaten! When it's successfully Ritual Summoned, I can add a Ritual Spell from my Deck or Graveyard to my hand!"
"I'll add Machine Angel Absolute Ritual from my Deck to my hand!"
"Then, I summon Cyber Petit Angel in Attack Position."
"I activate the effect of Cyber Petit Angel! When this card is Summoned, I can add one 'Cyber Angel' monster or 'Machine Angel Ritual' from my Deck to my hand."
"I add Cyber Angel Izana to my hand!"
"I activate the Continuous Spell, Ascending Soul!"
"I activate the Spell Card, Machine Angel Absolute Ritual!"
"To Ritual Summon, I can tribute monsters from my hand or field whose total Levels exactly equal the monster's, or as a substitute, I can return Fairy or Warrior-Type monsters from my Graveyard to the Deck! I Ritual Summon a 'Cyber Angel' monster from my hand!"
"I tribute the Level 6 Cyber Angel Idaten and the Level 2 Cyber Petit Angel on my field! Ritual Summon!"
"Descend! Level 8! Cyber Angel Izana!"
Cyber Angel Izana ATK: 2500
(end of chapter)