Moments later, Security officers began filing into the room. When they spotted Hikaru, they reported to Jack, who relayed it up the chain, and Hikaru was eventually escorted out.
The nobles and Fusion forces had been dealt with almost entirely by Security.
For the first time, the people of the Commons and the Tops had joined forces against a common enemy. For the first time, they were truly united.
As Hikaru left, he reminded Jack not to get too carried away. But when "dreams" were on the line, even Jack couldn't hold back. Before anyone noticed, Red Nova had seemingly slipped into his deck.
Hikaru went back to check on Serena. Apparently, because of Super Polymerization's interference, Serena's group had lost visual during the final stretch and could only see the footage long after the duel ended. So the last thing they saw was Yuri turning Leo Akaba into a card.
Because of that, while Serena felt a twinge of sadness, learning that her "father" was truly dead, she accepted it quickly enough.
After all, she had been an orphan since birth.
And now she had "sisters," "brothers," and most importantly, her master and big sister Tierra.
It was under these circumstances, while everyone still felt it was almost dreamlike, wondering "wasn't that too fast?" that...
Goodwin appeared once more before the entire Synchro Dimension. He listed the nobles' countless crimes in detail, laid out the full story of the Fusion forces' invasion of their dimension, and then declared: "We have been together for thousands of years. Our separation has only lasted decades. We share the same blood, we should never have been divided like this!"
"The Ener-D Reactor is enough to provide resources for everyone in our world. It never should have come to this!"
In summary, he announced that the Tops would reopen access to the Commons. People from the Commons could freely travel to the Tops, whether for education or work. From this day forward, there would be no more barriers between them.
Hikaru was at Yusei's base, blinking as he watched Goodwin on screen, rallying the crowd: "Let us make our City great once more! Let our Ener-D Reactor turn for all of us again!"
And then...
He began his inauguration ceremony.
Yusei's jaw dropped as he watched.
Several "representatives" appeared on screen: resistance fighters from the Commons, nobles who had supported Crow, Security officers wounded in battle against the Fusion forces. Without exception, every one of them had met Yusei, Crow, and Jack at the front lines. Some had even fought alongside them.
Once these people appeared, the premonition Yusei had been feeling finally came true.
Yet another future he hadn't anticipated, hadn't foreseen, had come to pass.
Crow had his own moment of realization.
No wonder it had been so easy to find supporters among the nobles!
"That bastard Goodwin!!" Jack's eyes blazed with fury from his villa in the Tops as he slammed his fist on the table.
"Congratulations to our great Director of Security!"
"Who led everyone to victory!"
"For peaceful coexistence among all people."
"The first... President of the City!"
"Rex Goodwin!"
Countless spotlights swept across, countless camera shutters clicked.
He pressed his hands downward in a calming gesture, looked into the camera, and calmly laid out his vision for governance, his strategies for connecting the two districts.
But beyond all of that, he said something far more significant.
"Destruction is always easier than construction. Because of the nobles and the invaders, our city has been ravaged beyond recognition. Our lanes have been torn apart. Perhaps it will take months to rebuild our city, our nation.
And so, to truly move toward friendship and peace, I intend to hold, once reconstruction is complete, a WRGP tournament: a world-class dueling competition!"
He looked into the camera, his words carrying one message to the general public, but reaching certain specific people as something else entirely.
"Friendship, fortune, passion, a duel filled with hope and the future, science and innovation!"
The Earthbound Immortals, finally liberated. The Dreamers of the Elder Gods. The Chosen of the Darklords. The Rune Inheritors of the Aesir. The Dragon Signers of the Crimson Dragon, and... the bearers of the Signer Dragons. All of you, and more, every contender for this world's one true god.
"I hope that through this tournament, the people of our world, and even those from other dimensions, will come to believe that our world can become a better place, that our world need no longer be divided!"
I have built the finest stage for you. If you wish to settle this once and for all, then I await your arrival.
With that, he bowed gently. Then came applause like thunder.
He turned, hands clasped behind his back, and walked away. But his mind was on something else entirely.
Super Polymerization, huh...
He marveled at the memory of that day's duel.
Of everything that had happened recently, the only thing that had truly exceeded his expectations was Hikaru.
That day, he had been prepared to personally deal with the more troublesome players. He never expected to witness a Fusion capable of changing the world.
Unlike anything in their world. An indescribable, unbelievable power.
It was precisely this Super Polymerization that had made him instantly change his previous plans. It was why he hadn't shown his hand at that moment, hadn't confronted Jack and the other two right then and there.
After all, Hikaru had not only inherited his brother's Underworld Dragon Dragonecro, but also possessed that power of Fusion, bringing entirely new possibilities to this world. It made Goodwin pause and think.
Could that power have the potential to change his world?
Doubt lingered in his heart.
Was his decision to wait a little longer the right one?