Chapter 144: My Name is Nash
Orion District, Hospital.
Eight hours after losing to Ryo Marufuji, Sugihara Yo suddenly awoke from his hospital bed.
The last image in his dream was of Ryo Marufuji's Chimeratech Overdragon, its 28,800 Attack Points fueling a furious laser aimed at him and Yuto. Then, he saw Yuto's back as Yuto pushed him aside to face the attack alone.
"Yao, you're awake." Just then, Garros, who was keeping watch nearby, quickly poured a glass of water and came over.
"Yuto... how is he?" Sugihara Yo asked, his voice hoarse.
"The doctor said he's just out of critical condition, but it's still unknown when he'll wake up," Garros replied, his expression dimming.
"What's the situation outside?" Sugihara Yo took the glass of water, took a large gulp, and asked.
"The soldiers from the Fusion Dimension really did retreat. I sent Reynold and the others to check, and the nearby bases are already deserted," Garros replied. "It's just that, because of your defeat, our morale is a bit..."
At this moment, Sugihara Yo recalled what Ryo Marufuji had said before he fainted.
"Thirty-seven days?" Sugihara Yo muttered through gritted teeth.
As he spoke, Sugihara Yo ripped the IV needle from the back of his hand, struggling to get up from the bed.
"Yao, calm down," Garros quickly intervened. "The doctor said your old injury hasn't fully healed, and it's been aggravated again. If you don't rest properly, you'll die!"
"I don't have time to lie in bed anymore!" Sugihara Yo completely ignored the blood seeping from the back of his hand. Leaning on Garros's shoulder, he shakily stood up. "We don't know when Yūga Hōzumi and the others will return, but the enemy will surely make a comeback in thirty-seven days."
"Help me back to my room." After trying and failing to walk on his own, Sugihara Yo turned to Garros and said, "Before Yūga Hōzumi left, he gave me fragmented source code for a card, saying it was the XYZ Dimension's ultimate weapon. I need to see if I can repair it."
Garros looked at Sugihara Yo with a complicated expression. After a moment of internal struggle, he nodded and helped Sugihara Yo toward his residence.
...
A few hours later, Sugihara Yo, his eyes bloodshot, slammed his fist on the table in frustration; his seventh attempt had failed again.
Although Yūga Hōzumi had fully explained the card's effect and stats to him, the 10% of fragmented source code he was given could at most create a Rank 12 vanilla monster with 3000 Attack. He had no clue what the source code was for the crucial Special Summon condition or the effect to detach two Overlay Materials to clear the entire field.
Sugihara Yo gritted his teeth, looking at the cherished photo in the frame on his desk.
"Liang..."
Finally, having expended too much energy, Sugihara Yo, who hadn't properly recovered, fainted once more.
It was then that the matching rings on Sugihara Yo's right hand glowed with an azure light. The numbers 32, 37, 47, 17, and 73 flashed across the back of his right hand one after another, finally transforming into a crimson number 101, which continued to flicker.
Meanwhile, Sugihara Yo drifted into a dreamland in a daze.
In the dreamland, on an endless Path of Darkness, a groggy Sugihara Yo, seemingly unconscious, slowly moved forward step by step, guided by instinct.
Blue astral particles occasionally flew past him, but Sugihara Yo's unfocused eyes never noticed them; he simply walked on tirelessly.
After an unknown amount of time, a sigh echoed from the endless void, and an azure gate appeared out of thin air before Sugihara Yo.
"Wake up, child." The voice came from behind the gate, startling the dazed Sugihara Yo awake.
"Where is this?" the now-conscious Sugihara Yo murmured to himself.
"Come closer." The voice continued from behind the gate.
"Who's there?" Sugihara Yo's hair stood on end, and he eyed the gate of light before him with alarm.
It was only then that the number 32 on the back of his right hand flickered continuously, and the matching rings on his ring and little fingers also emitted a faint blue light.
Seeing this, Sugihara Yo took out the Number monster he had obtained first from the card pack at his waist—Number 32: Shark Drake.
"You want me to go in? He has no ill will?" Sugihara Yo muttered, sensing the will emanating from the card.
After a moment of thought, Sugihara Yo gritted his teeth and stepped into the glowing gate.
After stepping through the gate, Sugihara Yo felt as if he had arrived in another world. The light here was warm and gentle, and Sugihara Yo felt the old injuries in his body slowly being healed.
But before Sugihara Yo could fully take it in, he noticed the phantom of Number 32: Shark Drake, which had appeared beside him at some point, flying forward. The emotion in its cry seemed to be... joy?
Sugihara Yo followed where Shark Drake flew and saw a tall, majestic structure with a strikingly prominent throne on top.
Shark Drake's target was precisely the person seated upon that throne.
That person had purple skin, long azure hair, and a peculiar insignia on their chest that radiated infinite power. Their red-and-blue eyes looked at Shark Drake with a smile. "Long time no see."
"Roar, roar!" Number 32: Shark Drake's cries were full of joy, serving as a reply.
After communicating with Shark Drake for a while, the person on the throne stood up. Their crimson cape billowed without any wind as they walked down the steps, one by one, and stopped before Sugihara Yo.
"Who are you?" Sugihara Yo asked blankly.
The person glanced at the matching rings on Sugihara Yo's right hand and smiled inexplicably.
"My name is Nash, King of the Barian World. Of course, you can also call me Reginald Kastle. I prefer that name," the newcomer slowly said.
"This is the... Barian World?" Sugihara Yo struggled to utter the name, which was somewhat unfamiliar to him.
"No," Nash shook his head. "This is the Astral World."
"The Astral World?" Sugihara Yo wondered, quickly asking his second question. "Why does my monster act like it's met you before?"
"That's because we once fought side by side," Nash said with a smile, stroking Shark Drake beside him.
"Alright, go back to your new master. He still needs your power," Nash said, patting Shark Drake's body. After letting out a few reluctant cries, Shark Drake transformed back into a phantom and re-entered Sugihara Yo's body.
After taking a moment to understand his current location and situation, Sugihara Yo bowed deeply to Nash. "Senior, can you help me become stronger?"
After Sugihara Yo asked this question, Nash's expression changed. His red-and-blue eyes looked directly at Sugihara Yo as he slowly spoke.
"Given that we once used the same monster, I can. However, you must first answer me: why do you need power so urgently?"
...
(end of chapter)