Want to play cards? I'll use my King's Deck!

Watching the numbers above keep changing, the floors get higher and higher.

Her uncontrollable memories seemed to overlap with the unspoken words of a certain girl at this moment.

"Special-class combat guard, Izayoi Hoshi, was once the pride of Dawn City."

Within a single year, they cracked over a dozen major cases involving duels and card games, arresting dozens of dueling criminals of A-rank or higher. Together with Uncle Logan, they were hailed as the strongest golden duo.

With a ding-dong, the elevator doors opened, and Izayoi Yuki stepped out.

She politely let the elderly woman and other patients with canes or wheelchairs pass, and walked from the lobby to a side corridor.

"Not only that, he also had a great success in love. He and his childhood sweetheart got together smoothly and soon had a daughter, Xiaoxue. To anyone, this was undoubtedly a happy family."

However……"

Having found the corresponding number plate with practiced ease, the girl took a deep breath, composed herself slightly, and pushed open the door to enter.

"All of this beauty ended five years ago."

The ward was spacious, and even with a large number of medical instruments whose names I didn't know, it didn't feel crowded.

The room was bright and airy, with warm sunlight falling on the man in the hospital bed.

"It's me, Dad. Good afternoon."

Izayoi Yuki greeted the man with concern, her smile and voice feigning cheerfulness, yet tinged with a sadness that was difficult to completely conceal.

The man on the hospital bed kept his eyes closed and showed no sign of responding to his daughter.

Chapter 30 The Stolen Trump Card

"...Vegetative state?"

Yu Xi stopped in her tracks, looking in surprise at the back of the blonde girl who had walked ahead.

"Miss Hoshino, you said... Izayoi's father has become a vegetable, how did this happen?"

"There was an accident, that's all."

Hoshino Mai recalled, "I was only in elementary school at the time, so I don't know the specifics. It would be better to ask him directly. I only remember that Uncle Izayoi Hoshi encountered a very dangerous Dark Duelist and lost the Dark Duel. His most important trump card, 'Stardust Dragon,' was also taken away by his opponent."

"Although I was lucky to survive, I suffered tremendous psychological damage and have not yet recovered. It's hard to say whether I can be cured in the future. I might be like this for the rest of my life."

—Duel in the Dark.

Because of the connection between Card Spirits and history, this concept isn't exactly a mystery; it's practically common knowledge. You can learn about it if you want to, but you won't know the relevant information unless you look it up.

Unlike normal duels, these duels often result in severed limbs, mental breakdowns, and even death for many participants, making them an extremely dangerous form of combat. During the world wars of a century ago, the "spirit users" from various nations who were truly locked in fierce battles mostly engaged in these dark duels.

Currently, dark duels are explicitly prohibited by the Duel Law, and any illegal dark duelist will be hunted down by local law enforcement agencies. Given that Izayoi Hoshi is a Special Duel Guard, an ace of law enforcement, it's not surprising that she's being targeted by her mortal enemy.

"That's why Xiaoxue became a trainee dueling guard. She wanted to find the murderer through official intelligence channels and arrest him personally, and even go further..."

Xingye Wu didn't elaborate on what she planned to do next, and Youxi, understanding the situation, didn't ask. Instead, she asked, "Is there any way to save Izayoi's father?"

"Yes, there is." Xing Yewu nodded. "The method is in the Star Cup."

"The champion of the Star Cup will receive one opportunity to use the 'Star Cup.' This 'Star Cup' is said to be an alchemical artifact created by the D Alliance in imitation of the lost 'Star Relic,' capable of cleansing the soul and healing all wounds; it would be more than enough to cure the aftereffects of the Dark Duel. That's what Xiaoxue's goal is."

"I see. That's why you decided to participate in the Star Cup..."

Thanks to Hoshinobu's understanding explanation, Yuki felt that she understood Izayoi Yuki better.

Both he and she had reasons to participate in the Star Cup and to win the championship. Leaving aside their friendship, their interests were aligned.

Also, was Father's trump card taken away? No wonder Izayoi Yuki reacted that way about the card gambling...

"Yes. No matter how long it takes, how much effort it takes, or how many strong opponents she faces, Xiaoxue is determined to win the championship. As for me... I don't have Xiaoxue's strong determination. I just need to get a good ranking in the Star Cup to pave the way for my future career. Of course, it would be best if I could win the championship."

Xingye Wu chuckled lightly as she spoke, her laughter light and cheerful, seemingly free of any worries.

Deep down, Youxi was quite envious of girls like that.

"That's fine too. There's no need to carry any burdens. It's good to enjoy the duel to your heart's content. Although carrying burdens can make people stronger, enjoying the duel is also a way to exert one's strength. Ms. Hoshino, just do it your way."

"Haha, You Xijun, you really know how to talk. That's basically it for Xiaoxue. Just don't show too much sympathy in front of her, she doesn't like people pitying her."

"I know I won't do that."

"I'll keep it in mind, Yu Xijun... Ah, we've arrived."

As they walked, Xingyewu stopped in front of a building. Youxi looked up and saw that the sign on the building read "Gem Bank".

"You Xijun, please wait for me in the lobby for a while."

Xing Yewu gave You Xi some instructions, then went into the bank and started handling her business at the counter.

When she returned, she had a brand new hard bank card in her hand.

"Here you go, You Xijun. I'll transfer all your money to this card later. The password is xxxxxx, remember it. You can change the password yourself later."

"sorry to bother you."

"You're welcome, it's nothing. Besides, I won't be able to sleep at night with such a large sum of money in my account. What if you get greedy for it?" Xing Yewu joked as she handed the bank card to You Xi. "But, You Xi-kun, can I use your money now?"

"no problem."

You Xixian agreed first, and then asked, "Is there something you urgently need, Miss Xingye?"

"Use it urgently? No, no, no, you've got it wrong, You Xijun. It's not that I need it, it's for you."

Xing Yewu held up one finger and explained, "You see, according to Xiaoxue, I need to protect you closely. That means we'll have to live together for a while longer, right? So I thought I should take this opportunity to buy everything we need. For example, toothbrush and cups, changes of clothes, a cell phone..."

"Stop! Stop right there!"

The girl lowered her head and bent her fingers one by one, counting the daily necessities she needed to buy. Youxi had to speak up to stop her from continuing.

"What's wrong, You Xijun?"

"Miss Xingye..."

You Xi stared blankly at Xing Yewu, finally unable to hold back her teasing, "You really don't mind at all? You should know what this means, right?"

"Living together, I know."

Xing Yewu's expression remained unchanged, showing absolutely no shyness whatsoever. Her poised and graceful demeanor made You Xi feel that she had overreacted.

“Like I said before, this is beyond our control, there's nothing we can do about it. Before you, Yu Xijun, master Feel, you're still quite vulnerable, you need someone to protect you. And…”

Xing Yewu thought for a moment, then said, "If it's you, You Xijun, then I have no problem with it. We're teammates, right? Teammates should help and trust each other, right? What I'm doing now is just my duty."

"is that so……"

"What else could it be? You don't think I fell in love with you at first sight and am now throwing myself at you like crazy, do you?"

"Uh……"

"Haha, You Xijun, you're so cute."

Seeing You Xi speechless for a moment as if she had been hit where it hurt, Xing Yewu couldn't help but laugh.

After laughing for a while, she wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes and said, "Well, it's normal for Yu Xi to misunderstand. I do have a pretty high impression of you, otherwise I wouldn't have done these things. But not yet, my favorability towards you hasn't reached that level yet."

"So, night raids are forbidden, Yuki-kun. Doing that will definitely lower my opinion of you."

"No matter what, I would never do such a thing!"

You Xi said irritably, "Miss Xingye, what kind of person am I in your eyes?"

"Hmm? Isn't there a saying that 'teenage boys are all lustful devils'?" Xing Yewu laughed. "Just kidding. You Xijun, do you have any other questions? Then it's settled. After we finish shopping and put the things home, you can come with me to another place."

"On the way?" Yu Xi suddenly remembered something. "Ah, it's the place Miss Xingye mentioned."

"Yes. Go there and resolve your identity issue."

Chapter 31 The Church of Angels

The last rays of the setting sun spilled down from the western sky, tinging the clouds with rosy hues. A bus slowly drove along the avenue and stopped at a bus stop.

When the train started moving again, two more figures appeared under the station roof.

The identity of the figure is probably self-evident and needs no further introduction.

"Is this here?"

"Yes, this is it."

Having received Xingyewu's affirmative response, Youxi gazed at the church not far away—that building should indeed be a church.

The design features a dignified black and white color scheme, topped with a gold badge.

A steel fence connects the church to the dormitory-like buildings behind it, and trees of unknown names are arranged at equal intervals, surrounding it in lush greenery.

In the fenced-off open space, there were play equipment such as slides and swings, and several children were playing there.

In front of the church entrance, a woman dressed as a nun was leisurely sweeping the floor.

"This is the church orphanage established by the Angel Church. I grew up here. I attended the church's primary school and completed junior high school with the church's support, thus completing my compulsory education. Then I saved up my tuition and living expenses to get into high school... To be honest, I really received a lot of care here."

Xingye Wu said with a nostalgic look in her eyes.

"The Church of Angels...?"

You Xi pondered the word, his expression thoughtful.

This sounds a bit like a religion from his original world, but even if the core is the same, the gods they worship are probably not the same.

"I see. This place can solve the identity problem very well."

“Right. You said you’re an unregistered resident, but children adopted by churches are essentially in the same category. As long as the church vouches for you, you can easily clear your name and obtain legal citizenship. Let’s hurry over there.”

After Xingye Wu finished speaking, she led Youxi across the road and towards the church entrance.

As the two approached, the nun at the door noticed their presence.

The nun blinked, her expression a mixture of surprise and delight.

"Oh, it's Xiaoxingye!"

"Afternoon... no, let's call it evening now, Martha! I'm here to freeload again!"

Xingye Wu was clearly acquainted with the nun, greeting her affectionately before opening her arms to embrace her.

Sister Martha smiled and said, "It's fine if you want to freeload; the doors of God are always open to everyone. But didn't you just come here recently? By the way, who is this…?"