Although it was called "finding," there actually weren't many options.
It was known that the Pendulum Dimension's team had cards from the DT spirit dimension, and those cards were very likely copied by Sophia. So, as long as it was confirmed that the "DT cards" used by all three contestants carried Sophia's power, it could basically be pinned down.
After all, in the Pendulum Dimension, and used by students within a Pendulum Dimension team, cards that were DT cards, then wasn't everything self-evident?
Besides Declan Akaba, who else could pull off this kind of thing?
Surely it couldn't be Yuya Sakaki?
And this kind of thing was actually pretty easy to confirm. Just watching the matches for a bit, or going over to their site to ask, would reveal it.
Though the latter possibility was a bit difficult.
Because with the competition officially started, every participating team had its own independent "starting point." In most cases, without actively crossing the management line, it was quite hard to run into a specific team's people during this process.
After all, right now every team, every team's members, were busy with intense preparations for their own team's members. Whether it was inspecting machines or compiling data, these things couldn't be finished by just one or two people.
Perhaps the only ones who didn't need support personnel at all were those like the Nordic trio, who had "Runes" and could rely on supernatural power to gather knowledge. Support personnel would instead restrict their personal performance.
But because of the time factor, even with the matches conducted randomly, with 4 duels and 8 teams per round, wanting to see the other DT contestants in the Pendulum team wasn't something he couldn't afford to wait for.
Therefore, Hikaru wasn't anxious. On one hand he collected information on other teams; on the other he conducted his own experiments.
During this period, he was creating brand-new "Qliphort" together with Tierra.
Besides the initial Apoqliphort Towers, Tierra had also rebuilt the "Qliphort Monolith" by hand. Using as a prototype this Monolith that had risen and sunk many times and suffered all manner of hardship in the "Selfless Painting School," Hikaru and Tierra had successfully created the Monolith too.
And now, what Hikaru and Tierra were creating was "Qliphort Scout."
Perhaps because she'd once again sensed Sophia's existence, Tierra's own potential seemed to have been stimulated. It didn't take long before the two of them together created "Scout."
Scout was obtained too.
But at this point, Hikaru took a moment to ask Tierra something.
Should they create a second Scout?
Although this card seemed perfectly unremarkable at first glance, Qliphort had a unique "tradition": stick a Scout on both the left and right Pendulum scales.
One Scout short, and there'd be no way to pull off the "both Pendulum scales at 9 is your understanding of Pendulum?" kind of stunt.
If it were the old days, hearing this question from Hikaru, Tierra would definitely have refused decisively.
Just as she'd always said, these machine parts weren't merely tools for her management. They were also genuine components of her body.
One extra body part always made her feel strange and uncomfortable.
But by now, she had gradually come to accept the rules of the new era, knowing that there was a difference between "cards" and a real body.
Just like that spirit White Crystal, which had several of its own "body" cards but actually possessed only one body, merely able to transform under limited circumstances.
Or like the Dark World dragon god that person Jaden Yuki had encountered, which likewise possessed several bodies, but those "cards" were actually avatars symbolizing its power.
So when Hikaru asked her this question, she hesitated.
By now, she actually had quite a considerable understanding of dueling. She could see that the Scout card was quite an important one for the entire Qliphort series, possibly even more important than Apoqliphort Towers.
"Let's make another one after all." Tierra figured it wasn't a loss anyway, so preparing one more was better.
Hikaru nodded.
While Hikaru experimented and collected data, every team and every contestant also began their respective matches.
It was precisely because of these matches that the spectators, and even the contestants, gradually discovered just how abstract and bizarre this "WRGP" tournament was.
If the opening duel between Yusei Fudo and Hugh had already had plenty of words of unclear meaning, then afterward, this competition was full of even more bizarre things.
Some participants declared in the competition that they were the king of the future, a great existence destined to rule this world, demanding that people respect him from the bottom of their hearts, only to be taken by the vast majority of spectators as having chuunibyou.
Some hung banners, calling for everyone to live in harmony and build a brand-new world of absolute peace.
Some looked resentful of heaven and others during their duels, no one knowing what they were doing, seeming like antisocial personalities.
There were even some who, during their duels, kept saying this competition was a scam, a chess game of a group of gods, a drama meant to watch humans struggle.
"It seems even among ordinary people, there's no shortage of strange talents." Goodwin said with a smile, hands behind his back, watching the four duels on the projection screen before him.
As time went on, the matter of the "One God" war would also gradually spread among each participant's friends and family.
When a secret was no longer a secret, then it was no longer impossible for ordinary people to know of the "One God."
Naturally, some relatively clever, relatively careful people who easily noticed subtle details would also detect this strange aspect. And if any one of them was especially earnest, especially capable, with a dueling level that surpassed the ordinary, then if he researched this matter in depth, he could discover this secret.
"So what do these things have to do with us?"
Below the reception hall, Yuto and Shun Obsidian stood there, watching the images on the screen, and Shun Obsidian spoke coldly.
Goodwin had already told the two of them about the matter of the Synchro Dimension's "One God" war, but the two of them weren't interested in this dimension's affairs and didn't want to interfere. Although they were indeed now members of the "City Government team" Goodwin had formed, up to now they had never participated in a duel.
Not far from them, the Bastion Misawa whom the Fusion Dimension had searched for so long was, at this moment, rubbing his forehead, listening to their discussion with some difficulty. Beside him, a woman's faint figure was advising him not to overthink.
Yuto was a bit worried about him.
Over these two days of exchange, Yuto and Shun had already grasped Bastion Misawa's situation.
In that duel in their dimension, Zane Truesdale and Bastion Misawa had been pulled into this dimension, and then Bastion Misawa, in this unlucky situation, had fallen into this dimension and accidentally lost his memory.
As it happened, Goodwin had discovered him and taken him in, first letting him work as a temp at City Hall, and it was also Goodwin who discovered his talent for dueling and invited him to be a participant in this dueling tournament.
Whether it was amnesia or some other difficult ailment, as long as one took part in this most luxurious, most perfect duel in the world, there was a chance to be cured.
Because this duel was an opportunity enough to change the entire world!
Forget curing wounds, even changing reality, rewriting the laws of physics, reversing time, reversing life and death, were all a breeze!
Earlier, when they'd been invited to the Presidential Palace reception hall, they'd seen the utterly bewildered Bastion Misawa there.
In principle, this person could indeed barely count as their "companion."
But in fact, neither Yuto nor Shun had had even the slightest contact or exchange with Bastion Misawa.
But no matter what, this person had been pulled into this world and lost his memory because of their Xyz Dimension's "internal strife." Yuto found it a bit hard to leave him living alone here, and so took up this job.
He formed the "City Hall team" with Bastion Misawa, Shun, and another duelist to participate in this competition together.
Shun was somewhat unwilling to deal with Goodwin, but although he was cold and had no fondness for the Fusion Dimension, when it came to an unlucky soul like Bastion Misawa who'd been wrongly harmed, he really couldn't bring himself to say anything harsh.
But still, he didn't understand, didn't accept.
What did these duels have to do with them?
"Why would you think it has nothing to do with you, Shun Obsidian."
Goodwin, hands behind his back, watched the wall-high screens, but his eyes seemed able to pass through these screens and see everything in this world, see every place in this world.
He seemed able to see the God's Chosen hidden in the shadows; able to see the inter-dimensional people hiding their identities and sneakily joining the fun; able to see those drawn here by gods of despair; able to see the girls happily forming a team, among whom was also the young woman these two beside him longed day and night to find...
To him, the whole world had no secrets.
"Mr. Obsidian, the world is not a closed, isolated chamber, but a 'nest' that is interconnected and interlinked. When a fledgling longs to find a smaller fledgling but can't find it on its own, why not try to mobilize more people?
One person may not be able to find them, but through this one person, you connect with additional people. This way, one tells ten, ten tell a hundred, and finally, when thousands, tens of thousands, even everyone understands your appeal, the person you want to find will naturally appear before you."
Hands behind his back, he said softly: "This is... 'Synchro.'"
"Hmph..." Shun Obsidian said coldly, "Did you learn something from the Fusion army, you guy?"
"Not at all. I merely heard the voices of the people."
As Goodwin spoke, he slowly turned around.
Behind him, on that tall screen, a duel had already ended, and the next team randomly drawn was precisely the "City Hall team"!
Bastion Misawa hurriedly stood up.
"It seems it's time for you two to prepare."
Shun Obsidian looked at the screen, his brow tightly knit, then gave a cold snort and turned to leave.
And before catching up with Shun, Yuto asked thoughtfully: "Then what about our other teammate?"
"My apologies. The other member of the City Hall team was chosen by the House of Nobles."
"Aren't you the president?"
"Haha... The so-called president is not a ruler with power, but merely a spokesman coordinating the various forces." Goodwin said, as if mocking himself.
Yuto frowned and pondered for a moment, but found it quite reasonable, so he didn't press further and hurriedly left.
And so, this vast Presidential office was once again left with Goodwin alone.
Zzzt
On the screen, all the dueling images were replaced by a single image, then these images merged, becoming an enormous backdrop.
That person was gorgeously dressed, his clothes lavish, clearly a person of great wealth and status at a glance.
He was the nobles' brand-new representative now.
But upon seeing that there was no one behind Goodwin, and that Goodwin was looking at him so calmly, this person immediately revealed a fawning expression, rubbing his hands, and said cautiously: "Your Excellency the Grand President, the matters you instructed, we have all handled."
"Very good." Goodwin responded mildly.
"Then after the matter is accomplished..."
"You will naturally be repaid with what you desire."
The noble revealed a look of wild joy, then excitedly nodded like pounding garlic, hastily professing his loyalty.
"Now, please return to your post and quietly await my command, Lord Mephoris. I'd like to watch a few more duels."
"Then I won't disturb you, Your Excellency the President!"
Whoosh
Not the slightest pause.
This noble understood Goodwin's temperament all too well!
If he dared dawdle in the slightest, then this so-called "noble elder" of his, forget tomorrow's sun, even whether he could see tonight's moon would be a question mark.
And so.
This Presidential office fell completely silent like that.
Only.
Although silent.
It didn't mean there was only a president here quietly watching the duels.
A "god."
The "One God."
Was silently watching this scene.
In the reflection of the glass, half of Goodwin's figure was human, and the other half seemed to have turned into a dragon, a crimson-red light slowly flowing.
The Crimson Dragon!
This world's true "god"!
This world's absolute "Synchro god"!
This true god who could reverse space-time, change the past and future, rewrite the laws of physics, manipulate the changes of planets, and even correct the orbits of cosmic planets and travel through dimensions!
At this very moment, it was upon Goodwin's body.
Of course.
Only half of it.
Countless ages ago, when Synchro was born, after the "One God" contest ended, after the Crimson Dragon became this world's true and only Synchro god, the Crimson Dragon couldn't help raising a question to itself.
"Am I not a true god? Why would I have greed?"
This question accompanied the Crimson Dragon for a long time, and finally led to the Crimson Dragon's "split."
It, the strongest god who could have ruled this universe for countless ages, whom no one could influence or change, split its own power, body, and soul, completely and evenly separating its two ways of thinking.
They were both the "Crimson Dragon," and both the "One God." With five thousand years as the boundary, they appeared in alternation, taking turns to prove what error there actually was in their thinking.
Yes.
In the countless past "One God" contests, what the Earthbound Immortals faced was merely half of the Crimson Dragon's power!
Originally, this long experiment would have continued for a long time yet.
But.
The Crimson Dragon was versed in the future and the past. They would awaken simultaneously in this era. In other words, after this One God contest, the final victor would completely devour all the other gods and completely gather all the "Synchro" power. By then, whether human or spirit, there would no longer exist any other future, any other possibility.
That is... the final end.
Originally, the Crimson Dragon and the Crimson Dragon would have held one more contest. Under the True Dragon's banner was that most talented "Yusei Fudo" whom all the Crimson Dragons favored, so the True Dragon's probability of winning would be very high.
But a scene no one anticipated appeared.
Goodwin lightly placed his hand on the wall.
Because of the emergence of inter-dimensional exchange, this world's gods and Synchro particles revived faster. Seeing that the war of gods hadn't even had time to begin, yet humanity looked about to destroy itself, the True Crimson Dragon used the power of dueling to send Yusei Fudo into the future.
Its original idea was to have Yusei Fudo gain stronger power in the future and lead the people of this world. Because this world right now was simply too dangerous, and it couldn't bear it.
Only, the process indeed wasn't wrong; Yusei did gain stronger power, but the result wasn't the same.
In fact, even that human of the future hadn't anticipated it.
Even the Crimson Dragon, both of them, hadn't anticipated it!
That Yusei Fudo who had come to know everything, that human who clearly knew how difficult his road ahead was, at this moment surrounded by these gods, with the future closing in, chose to set down his "noble" and "stable" identity, choosing to walk and participate in the One God war as a pure human!
Honestly, after Goodwin learned of this, in the depths of his heart, even a feeling of admiration arose.
Yusei Fudo, that person, had transcended the considerations of gods, transcended those of future people, and chosen a path no one had anticipated!
And the root of it all was that person.
Hikaru.
Goodwin watched the next match, casually arranged things, and moved Team 5D's up.
Light... heh.
Because of his absolute trust in Fusion and his inclusiveness toward this world, Hikaru had let Yusei see his own flaws and strengths. So Yusei hadn't developed anxiety about Synchro because of the future, but instead believed all the more in the connection and reconciliation between companions, and thus became his current half-human, half-god state.
Goodwin had also seen Hikaru's duel, seen Hikaru's "Super Polymerization," and precisely because of this, the Crimson Dragon, the "Negative Crimson Dragon" guiding him, had developed a brand-new idea.
Inter-dimensional people seemed very interesting.
As of now.
This WRGP tournament had not only gathered all the "God's Chosen" of the entire world, but even gods of other dimensions had rushed over before the enormous temptation of the "Synchro One God."
This was the last chance!
As long as one became the One God here, then one would be a genuine god of the entire universe!
That power to freely rewrite everything, to tower over everything! It was the most luxurious temptation in the world!
Even the "God of Despair" from the neighboring dimension couldn't help coming over to join the fun, wanting to see whether it could get a share of the pie.
This was precisely the situation Goodwin wanted.
Perhaps in the eyes of those outside gods, the Synchro Dimension was a world where one could try to mooch a bit, skim a bit, scrape together a bit of extraordinary power.
But they didn't understand.
Synchro was the power that connected one another.
When karmic ties arise, there's no principle by which "leaving" lets you avoid the subsequent effects.
In other words, the more gods came to join the fun, the stronger the power the new One God would obtain when the One God was finally decided.
Possibly even stronger than the original "sole Synchro god"!
And this was precisely what Goodwin craved.
What was needed for the "plan" he wanted to carry out!
He smiled and lightly swiped the options in his hand.
He'd chosen Team 5D's opponent for the next round.