# Chapter 37: Lancers?
My name is Yuya Sakaki, and I am an entertainment duelist.
I have always firmly believed in the conviction my father passed down to me—that dueling is something that can bring people happiness and smiles.
However, in the duel just now, all I saw was blood and fire.
Yuya Sakaki sat dejectedly in front of Reiji Akaba's office door, Yūga Hōzumi's cold expression lingering in his mind.
After Sora's disappearance, the members of Yusho Duel School had no desire to watch the remaining matches, so they all came to Reiji Akaba's office, seeking an explanation.
But this time, our scarf-wearing president, the "King of Chairs," didn't even want to show them the back of his chair, simply refusing them entry.
Just then, Yūga Hōzumi, his wounds now treated, was led by Reiji Akaba's bodyguards to the office door, accompanied by Yuto and Shun.
After all, even though Yūga Hōzumi hadn't had time to do anything before Sora was teleported away—likely by a protective measure the Academy Army had placed on him—the fact remained that his duel opponent had vanished into thin air, and there were plenty of witnesses.
Reiji Akaba, knowing the inside story, probably just wanted to align their accounts and have Yūga Hōzumi cooperate in holding a press conference or something similar.
Unfortunately, the two groups happened to meet face-to-face in front of Reiji Akaba's office.
The moment Yuya Sakaki saw Yūga Hōzumi, he rushed forward and demanded, "Where did you take Sora?"
"Yuya, calm down!" Gongenzaka and Yuzu, who were with Yuya, quickly pulled him back.
"You ask me where I took him? How would I know?" Yūga Hōzumi said, glancing indifferently at Yuya.
"But Sora clearly disappeared after his duel with you," Yuya said through gritted teeth. "And his life points were already at zero, so what was the point of your last attack? Why would you do something so excessive?"
"Excessive?" Yūga Hōzumi couldn't help but chuckle at the remark, looking at Yuto and Shun beside him. "It does seem a bit much, doesn't it? What do you two think?"
Yuto remained silent, while Shun Kurosaki coldly stated, "Against an enemy, no method is excessive. This is war."
Yūga Hōzumi shrugged and casually said, "As for why I did it, let me ask you a question first. If someone were to burst into your home without reason, burning, killing, and plundering, treating the slaughter of your companions as a hunting game, what would you do?"
As Yūga Hōzumi spoke, his gaze sharpened, and the deadly aura of the battlefield was unleashed without reservation.
Under this pressure, the members of Yusho Duel School felt their pupils constrict, and they all took half a step back.
"I would fight to the death and make sure they pay the price," Gongenzaka, the only one present who remained relatively calm, replied with a grave expression.
"Excellent! I like that answer."
Yūga Hōzumi clapped, retracting his killing intent, and the members of Yusho Duel School all breathed a sigh of relief.
"Coincidentally, everything I did was for that exact reason," Yūga Hōzumi said.
"What?!" Yuya froze on the spot. It was Yuzu who spoke up.
"Are you saying Sora invaded your homeland?"
Watching Yuzu's incredulous expression, Yūga Hōzumi shook his head. "It seems that kid didn't tell you the truth. Our homeland, Heartland City, is still engulfed in the flames of war. And the instigator of it all is the force behind him—the Fusion Dimension."
Just then, the door to Reiji Akaba's office slowly opened, and a burly man in a black suit and sunglasses stepped out.
"The president invites you all to come in for a detailed discussion. Please follow me," the burly man said.
Yūga Hōzumi shrugged upon hearing this, then casually walked through the door with Yuto and Shun.
"The rest of you, please follow me as well." After the three had entered, the man in the black suit approached Yuya and spoke.
"Do we have to go too?" Yuzu asked, puzzled.
"That's right. The president said it's necessary for you to know the purpose of this tournament," the man in the black suit replied.
***
"The matter has been handled. Our official explanation will be that the opponent couldn't accept defeat and left on his own," Reiji Akaba said when he saw Yūga Hōzumi arrive.
"That's all it takes?"
"Correct. The Leo Duel School still has some influence in this city," Reiji Akaba said.
"It seems a bit late for that, though. Trouble has already come knocking," Yūga Hōzumi said helplessly, hearing footsteps behind him.
"This is the other matter I wish to discuss with you," Reiji Akaba said as Yuya and the others entered. "Although you might have met before, allow me to make a formal introduction."
"Yuya Sakaki, the creator of Pendulum Summoning, will also be a member of our Standard Dimension's Lancers."
"Lancers?" Yūga Hōzumi almost laughed. He had always wanted to complain about this team name when watching the anime. Had these people never heard the saying, "Lancers have E-rank luck"? With such a terrible name, their operations never went smoothly. Just when they were finally close to achieving their goal, they ended up summoning the final boss.
Just then, Yuya Sakaki approached Reiji Akaba and emotionally asked, "Reiji, is Sora really an invader? You knew all along, didn't you? Answer me!"
Reiji Akaba fell silent, not answering Yuya's question, but the regret in his expression was a clear admission.
Seeing Reiji Akaba's expression, Yuya fell silent, lowering his head, lost in thought.
At this moment, Yūga Hōzumi spoke up. "You said you wanted to see our sincerity, so you had us participate in your tournament. We have fulfilled our promise, and we even helped you deal with a scout from the Fusion Dimension. So, can you now show us your sincerity?"
"Those Lancers you mentioned must be the army you plan to use against the Fusion Dimension, right? This championship is also for selecting members, but what have you shown us these past two days? Trick-performing clowns? Don't make me laugh. What's needed on the battlefield are warriors—warriors who use Duel Disks as weapons to protect what's behind them and destroy every last one of their enemies."
"That's wrong! Dueling brings people happiness and smiles, it's not a weapon!" Yuya retorted, looking up.
Yūga Hōzumi gave Yuya a deep, cold look. "You're just like your father, always standing on the moral high ground and saying such impractical things. You're like a self-righteous clown."
"Don't you dare talk about my dad like that!" Yuya raged. "My dad is the best entertainment duelist in the world! His duels can bring a smile to anyone's face!"
"You've met Yusho Sakaki?" Hearing this, Yuzu couldn't help but ask.
"Of course. Just recently, he even stepped in and saved an enemy I had defeated," Yūga Hōzumi said coldly.
"Yusho... Yusho Sakaki? His dad is that deserter?" Shun Kurosaki asked, frowning as he looked at Yuya. "And what do you mean, he saved an enemy?"
"Not long ago, we had the chance to finish off Aster Phoenix, but that old geezer suddenly appeared and saved him," Yūga Hōzumi said.
Hearing this, Shun Kurosaki glared furiously at Yuya Sakaki.
***
The next chapter might be a bit late. It will begin with beating up Tomato.
(end of chapter)