Previously, on Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc V: Pendulum's Fifth Swing!

Sora Shiunin has joined You Show Duel School, and wishes to learn the art of Pendulum Summoning! Despite Yuya's frequent attempts, the boy remains persistent.

Hoping to save his friend from the torture of it all, Zarc offers Sora to Duel him with his Pendulum Cards on the line. Not long after does Sora reveal his true nature in the Duel: powerful, unrelenting and merciless. Zarc is pushed back, unable to stand against the powers of his opponent's Deathtoysl However, with his back against the wall, Zarc unveils his own Fusion Summoning and a dragon that is the stuff of nightmares to Sora: Supreme King Servant Dragon Starving Venom! With this dragon's power, he defeats Sora.

Meanwhile, Himika Akaba, Chairwoman of Leo Corporation, returns from overseas to discover the incredible power of Pendulum. Reiji, the CEO of the company, intends to find potential 'Lancer' candidates. Just then, they receive news of a powerful Summoning Reading! All the while unaware of the two mysterious individuals looking at the corporate building outside!

And so the Pendulum begins to swing once more…!


A Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc V Story:

"Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc V: Pendulum's Fifth Swing"


Scale 04: Song of the Tearful Black Dragon

screams.

flames.

destruction.

all around them, figures stomped about and defeating everyone they came across.

some were fortunate and merely rendered unconscious and beaten.

the rest were given a fate worse than death.

"...stop it..."

a roar echoed in the air as three stood before him, all with sickening smiles that promised him a similar fate.

"...knock it off...!"

rage and sorrow burned in his heart, calling out to the powerful creature that stood at his side.

unknown to anyone other than him, it too was crying.

"i said stop!"

and like him, it too wanted retribution.

these 'obelisk forces' were going to pay dearly for this transgression.

"revolt lightning disobey! ! !"

a heartfelt cry of sorrow and rage screamed across the scarred remains of heartland.

then the obelisk forces were blown away by the power of this dragon.

.

.

.

.

.

In the outskirts of Maiami, tired eyes slowly fluttered open. The interior of the warehouse was dim and there was no source of light to be found anywhere.

The young teen groaned as he sat up, palming his face. "Even here, am I granted no peace?" he wondered. How long had that dream been haunting him now? A low whine rang in his ears. He looked down at the pouch that lay next to him. Undoing the button keeping the cards from spilling out, he pulled out his deck.

More specifically, he pulled out one card in particular.

A dragon entrapped in a black border. "I know." he said soothingly, smiling softly. "Don't worry, I'm fine."


Sawatari panted heavily as he wiped the sweat off of his forehead, rising up from his kneeling position. On the other side of him was a man in a professional outfit, a stern face and a serious glare in his eyes. "Well done." the instructor said, folding his arms. "I see you've gotten used to your new Deck."

"T-thank you, proctor..." the blonde said gratefully.

It had been a few weeks or so since he and Kakimoto had suffered their humiliating defeat at the hands of Zarc and Yuya. Since then, he'f been training and reformatting his deck. Several times. As much as he hated to say it, that duel was a much needed wake-up call. Rare cards with high ATK points meant nothing if they were so easily wiped out by effects. Now, don't get him wrong. He had every intention of paying those bastards back. His recent change in deck was part of his revenge.

His new build were WATER element monsters. Appropriately called "Monarch." A fitting Deck befitting one such as him. Like his old "Dart" Deck, it possessed rare monsters, but unlike before, these Effects were much more powerful.

With this deck, he could finally wipe the floor with Zarc and Yuya Sakaki!

With his training over, he bowed his head to the instructor and took his leave. Waiting at the entrance were his three lackies: Ootomo, Yamabe and Kakimoto. "Boss!" they greeted happily, rushing to him. "How did training go?!"

Sawatari smirked, running a hand through his locks. "Perfectly." he said. "At this rate, I'll defeat those two Pendulum upstarts!"

And it was not an empty threat. It was a promise he intended to fulfill. How dare they trample upon his pride like this? Out of all the Duelists in Maiami City, he should have been the best. Well, besides Reiji Akaba, but that was a whole other story. He was destined for greatness. When Pendulum Summoning was unveiled to all the world, he knew it was his destiny to claim that power. It should have been easy, taking Yuya Sakaki's power for himself.

Then Zarc came into the picture.

Sawatari's face contorted in anger just thinking about it. While he was deathly afraid of the teen, especially with that terrifying combo of his Supreme King Gate Zero and Infinity Pendulum cards, he still held a deep grudge. He had half a mind to rant to his father about this, but somehow Zarc's words struck a cord in him. Loathe as he was to admit that such a perfect Duelist as himself had faults, he was right. He was relying on his father too much. A perfect Duelist would achieve power through strength and determination alone, not relying on others for success. That was why he was training hard at LDS. To reek retribution and prove to those two that he would truly be powerful.

When it came time for their rematch, he wouldn't lose.

He would crush them where they stood.


Zarc sighed as he stepped out from LDS, shaking his head. "Well, that's another busted lead."

"Chin up, Zarc!" Gongenzaka told him as he patted his shoulder. "There are other schools besides LDS with archtype knowledge."

"Yeah, but if LDS had nothing on my Supreme King deck, I doubt the others will..."

The teen had spent his entire day looking into his deck in the hopes of finding some portion of his past. As was his original plan before Hurricane Sawatari Shingo came into being, plus the craziness of Sora, he had headed to LDS, since they had the most knowledge about Duel Monsters in general, other than the now defunct Kaiba Corporation that had gone down under several years back. As a matter of fact, many of LDS' current assets came from Kaiba Corp in the first place. In a sense, the company did live on, but only in another name and face.

Sadly, his plans were shot to hell. LDS had nothing on his deck. Not a lick of information. His search turned up empty. The closest he had even gotten to anything remotely similar was a Monster card that had nothing to do with his deck. As a result, he left the building with Gongenzaka, who he ran into by chance, with heavy shoulders.

If LDS doesn't know anything about my Deck, chances are, none of the other schools in Maiami know about it either. Zarc thought, depressed. I know Yuya and the others said not to worry so much, but other than my name, my deck is my only real clue about my past.

He paused in his thoughts, thinking back to the strange dreams he's been having ever since he came into the care of You show. However, he couldn't make heads or tails about them. The only things he could make out was that there was someone asking for his forgiveness and a monster destroying everything in sight.

But that's all they are. Just dreams. Zarc told himself, finding no actual significance to them. Still, I wish I knew why it kept repeating in the first place.

"Ah! Gongenzaka-niichan! Zarc-niichan!"

A familiar voice called out to the two. Turning their heads, they found Ayu together with Yuzu, both of whom had a plastic bag in hand. "Yuzu!" Gongenzaka bowed his head. "What're you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing." Yuzu replied with slight surprise. She wasn't expecting to find Zarc here at LDS of all places, especially given what happened here not too long ago. "What're you guys doing at Leo Duel School?"

Zarc smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I was looking into my Supreme King deck." he said, causing Yuzu to blink. "It was the only thing I had with me when you and Yuya found me. Since LDS is the biggest dueling institution in the world, I thought they might have had something." He then gave another sigh, shaking his head. "Unfortunately, I got nothing. They didn't know anything about my deck."

"I'm sorry."

"It's fine..."

It wasn't, really. As it stood now, there was no actual way for him to get any information on his deck. A shame, too.

Still… If LDS, the biggest name in Duel Monsters, didn't know anything about it, then did that mean his deck was special somehow? The idea carried some thought.

"By the way," Gongenzaka's voice brought him out of his thoughts. "What are you carrying?"

Ayu smiled brightly, digging around her bag before pulling out a plastic tub. "Ice cream for Yuya-niichan and the boys!" she exclaimed happily. "We bought some for you too, Zarc-niichan!"

"E-eh?"

"Is is that surprising?" Yuzu smiled, putting a hand on her hip. "Or did you forget that you're apart of You Show?"

That's right. He was a part of the school now. He should have understood that long ago, having been here for quite a while. They were the people who welcomed him with open arms, regardless if he had no past to speak of or recall. At first, he was still shaken up by how easily they just accepted him, especially when after the whole debacle with Sawatari, he realized just how eager he was to duel someone and crush them without mercy. When he dueled against Yuya for the first time, it was small but noticeable and chose to ignore it. As Yuya showed more and more of his showy Entertainment Dueling, Zarc found that destructive urge to be lessening.

And then Sawatari happened. That destructive urge came back as the bastard continued to mock them, all the while holding his friends' hostage. Before he realized it, he wanted nothing more than to reduce the bastard to paste. He did his best to restrain himself and allow Yuya to finish things, but his cheap tactic in making Yuya go over the time limit of his turn broke such restraint and his desire demanded him to wipe that smug look off his face.

Since then, though, he's gotten better at handling his destructive urges. As he spent more and more time with Yuya, he began to emulate his style. It had been hard, at first, but before long, it was noticeable that the two were dueling in the same showy manner. Of course, Zarc's style had been quite different. He still had his fierce nature, pressing the attack while remaining cautious of his opponent. His duel against Sora had tested his limits, but thankfully, he was able to keep himself in check.

Now that he thought about it… If he had never met these people in the first place, and if someone else had found him and introduced him back into the world of dueling, would he still be like this? Or would he openly embrace these destructive urges? The thought brought a chill to his spin.

No. No way. He refused to end up like that. That wasn't what dueling was meant to be. If he dueled for the purpose of hurting someone, he'd be no better than that smug bastard Sawatari! He wanted to duel like Yuya and the others, bring smiles to the face of the crowd! He would never accept the idea of hurting someone so badly on purpose.

As he thought more and more, Zarc realized that Yuzu was right. He was a part of You Show, just as much as he wanted to be apart of it.

And it made him grin like a fool.


The area had been relatively quiet, save for the serene crashes of waves smacking up against the walls of the foundation that was the ground of the warehouse district. The troubled teen stood atop the roof of the warehouse, watching the waves pass as he looked up at the orange sky thoughtfully.

We've been here in Standard for a few days now, yet so far, all we know for certain is that the LDS is connected to our enemy somehow. He thought, knitting his eyebrows into a frown. It's...almost hard to believe. The dueling here in this world… It feels just like Heartland used to be.

"Yuto."

The teen looked down, finding his coat-wearing companion exiting their current resting place, pulling his scarf over his face and a hand on his sunglasses. "Are you going out hunting, Shun?" the now-named Yuto asked. The man nodded. "Be careful. We have no idea what the Duelists of Standard are like."

"We know they use Fusion, along with the other Summoning Methods." Shun Kurosaki responded, spitting out Fusion as if it were a curse with such hate and loathing. Understandable, really. Just the thought of it being used here made Yuto want to cry out in anger. "We can't sit idly by, you know. If Academia really is here, we need information."

"I'm aware of that, but don't go around attacking every Duelist you see." Yuto told him sternly. "The last thing we need is for Academia to know we're here. Assuming that this LDS is affiliated with them."

Shun scoffed, but he otherwise heeded the young boy's warning, pulling down his sunglasses and then walking away. As he did, Yuto sighed and shook his head. I don't know how in the world Ruri managed to deal with him.

Ruri.

That name brought a twinge of grief to his chest. His hand went up to his chest, clutching the fabric of his shirt as if it were a gesture to calm his heart. A pitiful whine echoed from his deck, his companion trying to soothe him. Looking to his side, he could see its faint shape around him, curling its wings as if to embrace him. He smiled and gently rubbed its head. He couldn't remember when exactly he started to see the dragon manifest around him, nor why only he could see it. He found its presence comforting at times.

Once more, Yuto found himself looking up at the orange sky above him before he noticed movement to his side. Turning his head, he found two youths entering a warehouse, not far from his own abode. Normally, Yuto would have nothing to do with them, content with letting them be so long as they didn't wander into his and Shun's makeshift home before he took notice of their uniform.

A white blazer with red slacks, along with a golden pin reading "LDS" on it.

Immediately, he was set on edge and readied his deck. At his side, his companion let out a low growl. Yuto felt its apprehension and anger, wanting revenge for what happened in Heartland. Placating it, he rubbed its head to calm it down, as well as himself from doing anything rash. In a way, this was an opportunity. He could dive right in and interrogate the two to get information.

That said, he knew nothing of how they dueled. For all he knew, they could be incredibly powerful. If he was fighting two skilled Duelists at once, he knew he was going to have trouble. He looked around and found two other kids in the same uniform heading off in another direction. If he wasted time dueling the two in the warehouse, the other two may come to their aid. Four-on-one was hardly ideal.

He would wait for them to return, and then wait for them to leave and scatter. Dealing with one was the most ideal.

Soon, he and Shun could get the information they needed.


Unknown to Zarc, who alongside Gongenzaka had chosen to return to You Show with Yuzu and Ayu, he was being watched from above by a familiar face.

Ray was supposed to be back at headquarters, investigating the recent appearance of a powerful Xyz reading, thus likely meaning that someone from the Xyz Dimension had arrived for whatever purpose. "Supposed to" being the key word. If she was being perfectly honest, she wasn't entirely sure why she had come here. Every now and then, she'd find herself somewhere that Zarc had gone or where he was, always looking around and patiently observing him.

Here, she stood on a small rooftop. How she got up there was anyone's guess (hint: she used her legs and the fire escape). She watched Zarc follow his friends, smiling cheerily as he licked away at the Popsicle that the girls had bought him.

Smiling.

He was smiling.

Somehow, that brought a smile of her own to Ray's face. The sight made her heart flutter, as if appeased. Yet no sooner had it formed did the horrifying memory that was her only link to whatever past she had rear its ugly head.

flames.

destruction.

a ruined city engulfed in death.

at the center, a black dragon who released a cry of rage as she stood before it, deck in hand.

Her features frowned, holding her hands together. The image made her shake uncontrollably. She wasn't sure why that scene frightened her so much. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that, however obscure, there was a face attached to that dragon? A face that looked exactly like that of Zarc's own. Then, of course, her own words as she seemingly dealt the final blow in their Duel.

"Forgive me… Zarc."

Ray looked up at the orange sky, extending a hand outward as if to reach out and grasp it.

"I know you, but at the same time, I don't know you." she murmured to herself thoughtfully. "Zarc, tell me… Do you perhaps feel the same way about me? Do you know I exist? Do you also have that dream?"

Only the cold, chilly wind that blew by was her answer.


"You know, I have to ask…" Zarc said as they walked, looking at Yuzu's grocery bag. "Why exactly did you buy so much ice cream in the first place? Moreover, why didn't Yuya just go and buy it himself?"

Yuzu sighed deeply. "I wish I knew myself." she said, shaking her head in dismay. "I guess I couldn't really help myself."

"You spoil Yuya far too much, Yuzu." Gongenzaka chided, shaking his head. "At our Dojo, we aren't allowed simple comforts unless the Head buys it for us as a reward for our diligent hard work!"

"Dojo?" Zarc inquired before he remembered what kind of school Gongenzaka attended. "Oh, right! I take it your father is the Head of the School?" Gongenzaka nodded deeply. "What's he like?"

The burly teen folded his arms, closing his eyes. "In a word, strict. There are a great number of rules at our Dojo, the most prominent being that we are not allowed to abuse our skills in any way, shape or form." At this, Gongenzaka's face hardened. "There was one student at our Dojo who didn't heed this, however. He often used his Dueling to torment those weaker than him. To him, strength was the most important thing. As we preached how strength in dueling was meant to protect others and strengthen ourselves, he decided to leave and considered us weak."

"Wow." the amnesiac said dryly, already picturing what the guy looked like. "Sounds like a real charmer."

Yuzu scowled. "He also picked on Yuya when we were younger, too." she said, causing Zarc to stop and look at her in surprise. "You probably heard about Yuya's father being missing, right? Well, Yusho-san disappeared on the day he was going to take on a title match with Strong Ishijima. No one knows why, and he hasn't been found yet. Because of that, a lot of people don't hold a very high opinion of him anymore."

"S...seriously?"

Ayu nodded sadly. "Mm. Gen, the bad guy Gon-chan was talking about, was a fan of Ishijima, so..."

Zarc nodded in understanding as the little girl trailed off. However, a frown settled on his face as he continued to walk with them, deep in thought. It certainly explained a few of Sawatari's quips during their Duel and why he called him the son of a coward. Still, even if Yusho had actually thrown the Duel...why was he still gone? Why wasn't he with his family? There was just something wrong with that whole situation.

It would explain why Yuya tries to put on a smile, no matter how hard things get. Zarc realized somberly. He couldn't even imagine the stigma that was put on him because of it. Even so, he put on a smile to try and block out the pain. Zarc tried to picture himself in Yuya's shoes, taking insults and jeers from people who couldn't understand his or his mother's plight. However, he couldn't picture it. Moreover, he couldn't understand how Yuya hadn't lashed out until now. I guess there's another reason why Yuya believes in Entertainment Dueling so much…

"...ou think Sawatari can really beat that Zarc guy? I mean, the guy practically demolished you and the Boss when he went and took those kids!"

Suddenly, Zarc stopped and looked up at the path above him. Yuzu noticed this and followed his line of sight before scowling deeply. "Yuzu?" Gongenzaka asked in concern. "Zarc? Is something wrong?"

"Shush!" the two hissed at him, causing him to blink in confusion before they pointed to the walkway above them. Ayu froze when she recognized the faces that walked by, carrying a plastic bag and container respectively, those being Kakimoto and Yamabe.

"I dunno. Boss seemed pretty determined. He did build his deck from the ground up. I don't remember him ever doing that."

"I'm just worried, you know? You remember what that Zarc guy was like, right? And Sawatari still wants to pick a fight with him and that Yuya kid!"

"Isn't the Boss planning something, too? I remember him saying something about striking at his weak points."

"Is that right? Know what, nevermind. C'mon! We gotta hurry. You know how the Boss can get when he's on an empty stomach!"

As the two rushed away, Zarc and Yuzu shared a look, both expressing a similar feeling. Then they turned to Gongenzaka. "Gon, take Ayu back to You Show."

"What?!" Gon balked. "You expect the man Gongenzaka to stay behind while you face that cowardly Sawatari?! Certainly not! I will go with you!"

"Don't worry, we'll be fine." Yuzu told him with a fierce fire burning in her eyes. "Though I can't say the same about Sawatari."


Twenty minutes had passed when the group of four separated. Yuto had been watching the warehouse intently, making sure that his presence wasn't known to his enemy. Soon, the other two returned and entered the warehouse, the door sliding behind them.

All I have to do is wait for them to leave and then separate. The troubled teen thought, planning out his next move carefully. In the event they are skilled, it's best to confront one of them while they're separated. Of course, I don't know for sure if LDS is connected to Academia or not. All we know about it is that it shares the same name as this "Professor" the soldiers answer to, and that they are the ones responsible for introducing the other three Summoning Methods. Of course, there's also been talk of a fourth Summoning Method called Pendulum. While we don't know anything about Synchro, I think it's safe to say that Pendulum is Standard's unique Summoning.

There was also the Entertainment Duels that Standard held. He had seen only three, and each held so much vibrancy and cheers that, for a moment, Yuto believed he was in Heartland prior to the Academia Invasion. Smiles, laughter and the opponents brawling each other out of mere competitive drive and nothing more.

If not for that, Yuto would have been like Shun and more aggressive in his pursuit of the truth, attacking duelists for answers. He was merely the voice of reason for his otherwise hotheaded companion.

Still, what are they doing in there? Yuto was rather curious about why they had chosen to hang out in a warehouse of all places. If they were still students, surely they would spend their time in more leisurely places? It just screamed shady. As he stood up, he caught sight of two figures approaching the warehouse. One was nearing the end of his teenage years, possessing a face that was eerily similar to his own, yet much sharper with white hair and colored streaks. As for his companion-

Yuto felt his chest tighten. His eyes widened as he felt himself stumbling back in shock, reeling.

"R-Ruri…?"

But that couldn't be right. She should be in the Fusion Dimension, shouldn't she? Wasn't she captured? Her hair was different, but maybe that was just a disguise? From this distance, he couldn't tell for sure. If he could just get closer- No, what was he thinking? In this outfit, anyone would think he'd look suspicious.

Then, much to his dread, the two pulled open the warehouse door and stepped inside. Before he realized it, he was already in motion and leaped off the roof, his companion following after him.


"Sawatari Shingo!"

Zarc cringed slightly as he tapped his ear, making sure it was still working after Yuzu's rather loud screech while she aimed an accusing finger at the four stooges huddled around. Upon their entry and Yuzu's declaration, Sawatari, who had just bitten into a slice of cake, suddenly found himself choking as the stuff became lodged in his throat. He coughed haphazardly before snatching a water bottle from the table and downing it. Once it was out of his mouth, he stared at Yuzu in shock.

"Hiragi?! What are you doing here?" he questioned before noticing Zarc. As soon as he did, his eyes widened with dread and fury. "YOU! What the hell are you doing here?!"

"We overheard those two talking on our way back to You Show." Zarc replied as calmly as he could, holding in his anger as he pointed a finger at Kakimoto and Yamabe. The two flinched under his gaze, practically shriveling up in fear that he might strike at them. "They weren't exactly quiet."

"We heard them talking about what you were planning to do!" Yuzu continued. "And there's no way Yuya would ever lose to the likes of you! Not in a million years!"

As he recovered from his initial choking hazard, Sawatari managed to regain his composure. Slowly, he stood up and smirked, swiping his arm as if putting on a performance. "Well, I'd say that this is fate. Not only can I get my revenge early on you, but now Yuzu Hiiragi has fallen into my hands-"

"Duel me!"

The blonde faceplanted into the ground while Zarc sweatdropped, albeit rather amused by Yuzu cutting off Sawatari's dramatic and hammy speech with a well-timed demand. There was a fire in her eyes, one that burned like wildfire. Her Duel Disk was already latched unto her wrist. All that was needed was her deck to be inserted and then her board would be ready.

"Y-you're both doom-"

"I'll beat the snot right of you!"

"Oh Goddess of Victory, let me-"

"What's the matter?! Too afraid of losing to me or something?!"

"Will you stop interrupting me and let me talk?!"

In the background, Sawatari's three stooges snickered in amusement. Zarc had to admit, in spite of the seriousness of this whole thing, this was quite interesting to see transpire. Even so, he reached for his own deck and join the fold. He wouldn't let her duel alone, especially against someone as cheap and underhanded as this guy. However, as he grabbed his Duel Disk, he caught sight of a figure hanging in the background, just outside of the warehouse.

What? Who is that?

"There's no point in listening to a yellow-bellied, second rate coward!" the fiery-tempered girl shouted. Sawatari soon found himself twitching, a vein throbbing above his eyebrow at her words. "No, scratch that! You're third rate! No, not even that! You're a hundred-rate Duelist!"

"Hundred...rate…?"

Sawatari gritted his teeth, his hand balling into a fist. Then he lifted his head, revealing naught but fury as he quickly brought out both his Duel Disk and Deck. "You're going to regret saying that to me!" he said menacingly, equipping the Duel Disk to his wrist and slamming the Deck into the slot. Moment later, the hard-light boarded appeared. "I intended on going easy on you, since you were a girl, but now you've just pissed me off!" Zarc's eyes narrowed and turned on his Duel Disk. From behind Sawatari, his stooges brought out their own Duel Disks, though he was quick to shut them down with a thunderous snarl. "You three, stay out of this!"

"B-but, Boss!"

Not good. Zarc thought. I've only seen Yuzu duel twice, but I think we can both handle him. Sawatari is refusing help, but they might try something. He's just acting out of rage because of her pushing the right buttons. Three-on-one is a bitch, but four-on-one is just bullying.

He was about to step in and deal with the three himself before the figure outside the warehouse finally stepped inside.

"Wait a moment."

Immediately, all eyes were on the mysterious cloaked stranger, who stepped in between Yuzu and Sawatari. From Zarc's standpoint, however, it was more accurate to say that he was stepping in front of Yuzu, as if to bar Sawatari from her.

"E-eh? Who're you…?"


...it's not her.

Yuto would be lying if he said he wasn't disappointed. Now that she was in front of him, he could tell with certainty that she wasn't Ruri. Their faces were identical, but the color of her eyes was wrong. Also, even though Ruri was a duelist like him and her brother, she never had such intense fire. She would also never goad someone into a duel, no matter who they were. Especially to this degree. From the sound of it, this Sawatari had wronged a friend of hers and wanted revenge.

She was not Ruri Kurosaki...but her mere presence – the fact that she was standing before him at this very moment – was enough to make him spring into action.

His eyes then drifted to the older teen beside her. Their features were definitely similar, but the silver-haired teen was older than him but a few years. He also lacked that 'edge' that he possessed. The eyes of someone who stepped unto the battlefield, yet he could also see that he was struggling with something. Some unknown battle being waged within. He understood those feelings as well. He was still unsure whether to feel anger at Academia, or just sadness from this whole situation of being forced to use a children's card game as a tool of war.

?

His gaze shifted to his companion and friend, who stared at the teen with an expression that he had never seen before. And, unless his eyes were playing tricks on him, it was...crying?

Dark Rebellion…?

"And who the hell are you supposed to be?" the one called Sawatari snapped angrily, returning his attention to him. "Some knight in shining armor?"

Yuto didn't answer. Instead, he let his actions speak for him. He swung his arm, parting his cloak to reveal his Duel Disk. Immediately, the system registered active opponents' Duel Disks active and entered standby mode, ready to begin a Duel at a moment's notice. The hard-light board, sharpened like a knife, also emerged and was ready for combat. Yuto took a breath, trying to calm himself as he prepared for yet another Duel that he wanted no part of.

"That's a strange Duel Disk you have." Sawatari noted the differences between the Duel Disks of Standard and Xyz. That clued him somewhat on where LDS stood, assuming the students were aware of what they were becoming a part of. "I take it that means you won't answer. Fine!"

"H-hey!" the Ruri-lookalike girl protested fiercely at his interruption. Yuto cringed. Even her voice sounded the same. But it was the opposite of hers. Ruri was gentle and the biggest voice of reason whenever Shun got out of hand. Her tone was fierce, befitting a duelist. "Don't butt in! This is between me and him!" Her hand, carrying her deck, went to insert it into her Duel Disk. Immediately, his hand grabbed her wrist, stopping her. "What do you think you're-?!"

"I don't want you to get hurt anymore." Yuto said without thinking. Afterwards, he cursed his careless blunder. Still, it seemed to have caused her to look at him, momentarily stunned. Yuto then looked at her friend and quietly asked, "I know you have no reason to trust me, but… Would you please make sure she doesn't interfere?"

The teen looked confused. He had no reason to agree to his request, though thankfully, he gave a nod if with a hint of suspicion about his actions and pulled Yuzu back. Offering a nod of thanks, Yuto stepped forward and raised his Duel Disk.

Sawatari huffed, running a hand through his hair. "You try and play cool, but in the end, you're going down. Compared to how I was when I fought Yuya Sakaki and Zarc, I've gotten stronger! Why don't I test my strength against you first?!"

The link was registered as soon as the Duel Disk activated. When it did, the two yelled in unison,

"DUEL!"

Yuto: 4000 LP
Sawatari: 4000 LP

TURN 1
Yuto's Hand: 5
Sawatari's Hand: 5

"I'll take the stage first!" Sawatari declared as he took two cards from his hand and placed them face-down on the board. "I set one card and one monster face-down on the field and end my turn!"

He's playing cautiously? Yuto thought, intrigued slightly. Given his current temper, he would have thought he would start off bold and strong. The two behind him seemed to think so as well, given their surprised expressions. Regardless, it was time to start the attack.

A roar resounded beside him. Beneath his mask, Yuto smiled. You'll have your chance, my friend. He assured his companion. Just wait.

TURN 2
Yuto's Hand: 6
Sawatari's Hand: 3

"My turn. Draw." Yuto declared as he drew his sixth card. Taking a look at his hand, he looked back at the field. If his opponent was going to be playing cautiously, he would as well. "I set five cards face-down on the field and end my Turn." With a sweep, he followed Sawatari's example, though only a single card remained in his hand.

Naturally, his actions drew forth confusion between the spectators. Sawatari looked unimpressed, letting out a scoff. "If you think Traps and Spells will help you, let me prove you wrong." he said with a sneer before began his Turn. "It's my Turn! Draw!"

TURN 3
Yuto's Hand: 1
Sawatari's Hand: 4

After taking the card, he flipped his set monster card. "I tribute Yomi Frog to perform an Advance Summon!"

[Yomi Frog / WATER / Level 1 / Aqua / Effect / ATK 100 / DEF 100]

"A Common Monster?" the Ruri-lookalike called out in surprise. "He really did change his Deck?!"

Sawatari let out a prideful harrumph, folding his arms over his chest as the winged toad broke apart into motes of light while a cold wind began to gather around, slowly forming into the Monster he was intending to bring into the fold. "As the perfect Duelist, I must improve! Even if I have to resort to using such crappy cards! That's why, without further ado, I Advance Summon Mobius, the Frost Monarch!"

At his call, the wind exploded and formed into a towering silver warrior, clad from head-to-toe in armor and a flapping blue cape.

[Mobius, the Frost Monarch / WATER / Level 6 / Aqua / Effect / ATK 2400 / DEF 1000]

Yuto's eyes narrowed. Advance Summon. No move for a Special Summon, yet. Is it possible he doesn't know any? It was too early to tell. This was amateurish at best, yet it was faint. Small, but there. A sharpened edge, if a bit dull. Which will he do first? Attack, or Effect?

"I activate Mobius' Effect!" Sawatari declared his next move with fervor as Mobius raised its hands together, gathering a mass of cold wind betwixt its palms. "When successfully Advanced Summoned, I can destroy up to 2 Spell or Trap cards set on the field! Say goodbye to your face-downs!" Mobius released a solemn, iron yell as it threw the collected winds. It exploded at Yuto's feet, destroying two of his cards in the process. He felt the chilling winds blow up against him, but otherwise smirked. E had no idea what he just destroyed, after all. "And my next trick is to Advance Summon again, using the Spell: Advance Carnival! It lets me perform another Advance Summoning if I've already performed one this Turn!"

He already has one Monster on the field. That being Mobius. Which means…

"I tribute Mobius, the Frost Monarch to Advance Summon Mobius, the Mega Monarch!"

As Mobius dispersed into light and frigid winds, another silver-armored warrior appeared in his place. This one was even larger than the first, even adorned in large spikes that touched different parts of his armor with menacing yellow eyes. It stood proudly before him as it crossed its arms, staring him down like a peasant.

[Mobius, the Mega Monarch / WATER / Level 8 / Aqua / Effect / ATK 2800 / DEF 1000]

"A Level 8 Monster with 2800 ATK?" the teen muttered, surprised and perhaps worried for Yuto, who otherwise stared the monster down with no cause for concern. "But that should have made him release two monsters."

"Mobius, the Mega Monarch's Effect." Sawatari clarified for him with a smirk. "I can Advance Summon him by releasing a Monster that was also Advanced Summoned. And just like the old Mobius, his Effect lets me destroy your face-downs! This time, I can destroy up to three!"

Yuto sighed, resisting the urge to take off his mask and face-palm. I was wrong. He realized his mistake as he stared at Sawatari as if he were the most pitiful man on the face of the planet. He has nothing to do with Academia. He's coming at me with intent, but his skills are so dull and predictable. I can finish this up next Turn, I suppose.

Yuto didn't even react as his remaining cards were destroyed and sent to the Graveyard. He also didn't respond to the jeers the three stooges gave him. Sawatari glared at him smugly, huffing his chest as he put his hands on his hips, looking as if he already won. "What a shame! You came in here, looking all tough, but you're going to get wiped out so pathetically! You didn't even summon a Monster! Not that it matters! I'll take you down in no-"

"Are you done?" Yuto interrupted his speech, causing him to faceplant for the second time today. "Hurry up and get on with your Turn."

"W-why you…!" the blonde snarled before he aimed his finger at him. "I'll teach you to disrespect me, the great Sawatari! Battle! Mobius! Attack this guy directly!"

Mobius, the Mega Monarch's eyes glowed fiercely as its spikes began to become cloaked in raw power. Ramming a foot into the ground, the cold winds around it gathered as if to increase its strength before charging forward like a bull on a rampage.

Without even blinking, Yuto began his counterattack. "I activate the Trap: Phantom Knights Dark Gauntlets, from the Graveyard."

"W-what?!"

"From the Graveyard?!"

"Is that even possible?!"

Had they been Academia soldiers, they wouldn't have been so surprised. If anything, they would have made moves to counteract them. Another point against them that ruled out Fusion Dimension's presence here. Regardless, this level of resistance would have been child's play on the battlefield, had Yuto been fighting someone else.

"When I control no Monsters and this card is in the Graveyard, I send 1 "Phantom Knights" Trap or Spell to the Graveyard and Special Summon Phantom Knights Dark Gauntlet. Furthermore, when Special Summoned this way, Phantom Knights Dark Gauntlet gains 300 DEF points for every "Phantom Knights" card in my Graveyard. I have three Phantom Knights Dark Gauntlet, therefore I send three "Phantom Knights" to the Graveyard and Special Summon Dark Gauntlet, each with 900 DEF points!"

In a black haze, three monsters emerged before Yuto, barring Mobius' charge. They had no actual bodies, instead nothing but dark aura surrounding intimidating black gauntlets with a metal helm possessing dark eyes, glaring back at Mobius in defiance.

[Phantom Knights Dark Gauntlet / DARK / Level 4 / Warrior / Effect / ATK 300 / DEF 600]
Phantom Knights Dark Gauntlet: 600 + (3 x 300) = 1500 DEF

"As I now control a Monster, Mobius, the Mega Monarch's attack is directed to one of my Dark Gauntlets."

Sawatari looked startled, but then regained his composure and smiled confidently. "So you now have a Monster to defend you. But it doesn't matter! Mobius will-!"

"I also activate the Counter Trap: Phantom Knights Dented Spike Shield." Yuto continued without missing a beat, once again cutting off the blonde in mid-rant, eyes unflinching as Mobius continued to charge, regardless of the new obstacle. "If my opponent declares an Attack against a DARK Monster I control, I can negate it's attack and destroy it. However, if it's targeting a "Phantom Knights" Monster I control, not only can I negate the destruction of my own monster, I can destroy the Monster attacking it."

"E-eh?!" For a moment, Sawatari was cut offguard. Mobius was now getting dangerously close to Dark Gauntlet. Even worse when a spiky black shield formed in front of it, ready to turn the charging giant into a pincushion instead. Yuto half-expected him to panic, though to his mild surprise, Sawatari recovered quickly enough. "I-I activate my face-down, The Monarch's Awaken! This prevents my monster from being destroyed!" The cold wind that gathered around Mobius thickened when it met the shield. Rather than being blown away, the icy winds blew apart and sent Mobius back to Sawatari's side while turning the spiky shield to ice, promptly shattering soon after.

...not bad. Yuto amended his previous statement. He's not an amateur.

The blonde looked quite irritated, evident by his face before he crunched his eyes closed in resignation. "I set one card face-down and end my Turn."

"Very well. Then it's my Turn. Draw."

TURN 4
Yuto's Hand: 2
Sawatari's Hand: 2

"From my Hand, I Summon Phantom Knights Crack Helm." A blue flame danced together with the rest of the armored gauntlets, this one possessing a partially cracked helmet with a red tail and neck muffler with plain metal hands floating by it.

[Phantom Knights Crack Helm / DARK / Level 4 / Warrior / Effect / ATK 1500 / DEF 500]

"Then I activate the Quick-Play Spell: Phantom Knights Blunt Pike. I choose 1 monster on the field and increase its ATK by 1000. However, any damage that monster inflicts is reduced to zero."

There were two plans Yuto had for this card. The first was the one he was going to attempt, though it had no consequence if it backfired. The second would be the most likely to occur, given the current situation and his misappraisal of Sawatari.

As it turned out, he was going for the second plan as Sawatari almost immediately called out, "Thanks to The Monarch's Awaken, Mobius, the Mega Monarch can't be affected by other card effects!"

Yuto smirked. "But it doesn't prevent it from being destroyed, does it?" he asked, causing Sawatari to flinch. "In that case, I apply Blunt Pike's Effect to Crack Helm." A phantom spear appeared above him, stabbing into Crack Helm. As a result, the blue fire within grew, seeping out from inside the helmet it resided in. "Furthermore, I activate Crack Helm's Effect. When I send a "Phantom Knights" card to the Graveyard, it gains 500 ATK."

Phantom Knights Crack Helm: 1500 + 1000 + 500 = 3000 ATK

"Heeeh?!" one of the goons cried in shock. "Its ATK is higher than Mobius' now?!"

"Battle." Yuto declared. "I attack Mobius, the Mega Monarch with Crack Helm. Remnant Will-o-Wisp!" With a moaning creak, the flames inside Crack Helm's "skull" flowed into its hands, which then flew straight towards Mobius, breaching its shield of cold wind and slamming straight into its body, destroying it and reducing it to mere shards.

Sawatari gritted his teeth, feeling the shockwave of the blast and nearly found himself knocked over. However, when he recovered, he blinked in confusion. Wait...I felt that? But, we're not on an Action Field…!

"Due to Blunt Pike's Effect, you don't take any Battle Damage." Yuto glanced at the current set-up of his field, taking account Sawatari's apparent strategim before he closed his eyes and placed his last card on the board. "I set one card face-down and end my Turn. Both Blunt Pike and Crack Helm's Effect end as well."


"T-this is intense..."

Zarc could only nod in agreement, watching the duel between the masked boy and Sawatari in amazement. The blonde bastard, as much as he hated to say it, had improved quite a bit. That being said, the masked boy was no slouch either. He countered each time with a near perfect defense, never giving an inch and retaliating with equal force. Yet, even though they struck with the intent to defeat the other, neither had even so much as laid a dent to their life points.

It was nerve wracking. More importantly, it would have been incredible to see as an Action Duel. What would Yuya say if he saw this?!

And yet… Zarc frowned heavily, staring at the masked boy in apprehension. What is this feeling I'm getting from him? I feel something from him. It's strange. I can't tell what it is, but… There's something else with him.

It was like a lingering presence, hanging in the shadows like the masked boy before he revealed himself. Something that resonated with sorrow and rage. Had Zarc not known any better, he could have sworn it's presence felt like that of Yuya's Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon.

"My Turn!" Sawatari called out, bringing all eyes on him. "Draw!"

TURN 5
Yuto's Hand: 0
Sawatari's Hand: 3

"If I don't have any Traps or Spells set on the Field, I can activate Yomi Frog's Effect from the Graveyard! During the Standby Phase, I can Special Summon it back to the field!" In a burst of light, the winged frog that was Yomi Frog returned, bouncing to the field with a croak before lifting itself up with its wings. "Then I release Yomi Frog to bring Mobius, the Frozen Monarch back to the field!"

On cue, the frog vanished into a twister of icy winds, which then formed into an armored figure glaring down at the masked boy as if he were a bug. Yuzu cursed, clenching her fists. "It's that Monster again! That means his next move is-!"

"I activate Mobius' Effect! I can destroy up to two Trap or Spell Cards on the Field! Say goodbye to that face-down!" Sawatari called, sending another chilling blast of cold wind at the masked boy and destroying his face-down in the process. Zarc couldn't tell what sort of expression he was making, but he could tell by his posture that he seemed to be completely calm, despite being on the receiving end of brutal assault after brutal assault. "And now I activate the Spell: Monarch's Triumphant Return! When I control no cards besides a "Monarch" Monster on my field, I can Banish it and Special Summon another "Monarch" Monster from my Graveyard! I Banish Mobius, the Frozen Monarch and Special Summon Mobius, the Mega Monarch back from my Graveyard!"

In a flurry of ice and snow, Mobius' form vanished from view. Then, with a triumphant roar, the Mega Monarch returned as the winds exploded, revealing its form to all.

"Since it wasn't Advance Summoned, it can't destroy any Spells or Traps, but that won't matter! Now, Battle! Mobius, take down Crack Helm! Icy Impale Rush-!"

"I activate the Trap: Phantom Knights Wandering Martyr from the Graveyard." the masked boy interrupted Sawatari for the third time today, bringing a smile to Zarc's face. "If a Phantom Knights monster I control is targeted, I can Special Summon Wandering Martyr to the field in Defense Mode." Just as Mobius charged, a black and red haze formed, defending Crack Helm as it stood beside the two copies of Phantom Knights Dark Gauntlet. Compared to Crack Helm and Dark Gauntlet, however, this monster had an actual body, albeit bound in leather straps in a fashion not too different from that of a mummy with blue flames flowing out from the gaps. "Furthermore, Wandering Martyr becomes the new target of the attack instead."

[Phantom Knights Wandering Martyr / DARK / Level 2 / Warrior / ATK 200 / DEF 200]

However, Wandering Martyr did not remain on the field long as Mobius slammed straight into it, skewering it into tiny pieces that were sent flying. A powerful gust of cold wind blew against Zarc and Yuzu, much to their confusion. They weren't on an Action Field, so how would they be able to feel such cold wind?

The masked boy stared back at Sawatari, who glared at him with such intensity that it almost looked as if the masked boy would suddenly burst into flames. "...are you done yet?"

"Tch!" Sawatari scowled as he set a card down on his board with dissatisfaction. "I set one card face-down and end my Turn! Are you happy now, you annoying bastard?!"

At first, they didn't expect an answer from the masked boy. He seemed content with being silent and further annoying the blonde by countering with Traps and Spells before he broke the silence in a strange way. "...I'm surprised. You're not bad for an amateur."

Sawatari looked positively scandalized. "E-Excuse me?!" he cried in perfect English.

"You have an 'edge,' but it's dull. Nowhere near enough to beat me, anyway. The only thing driving you is nothing but petty revenge." Through the goggles, Zarc could see the boy's eyes and reeled back from the sheer intensity they gave off. In the darkness of the warehouse, they glowed like fire, bright and yet at the same time sad and filled with fury. "This...will be my last Turn. Draw!"

TURN 6
Yuto's Hand: 1
Sawatari's Hand: 0

"Last turn?" Kakimoto frowned. "What's that mean?"

"He can't mean to end the Duel here, can he?" Yamabe wondered.

Sawatari scoffed. "Alright then, Mr. Knight! Give me your best shot! Let's see the card in your hand!"

"You won't need to. I have no intention of using it. After all, the tools of your defeat are already out on the field." the masked boy answered before he raised his voice. "Using the Level 4 Phantom Knights Dark Gauntlet and Crack Helm, I construct the Overlay Network!"

Zarc's eyes immediately widened when he felt the presence surrounding the masked boy intensify. It was unveiling itself inside the vortex as the two Monsters out on the masked boy's field dived straight into the swirling pool of lights and stars. Slowly, a shape could be seen, building and growing. Becoming more defined.

It's coming!

"N-no way!" Ootome shouted in shock. "He can use Xyz?!"

The vortex of light exploded as the Monster within was finally released, hidden only by a cloud of dark smoke and cackling electricity. Yet, even so, Zarc recognized its obscured form easily and promptly felt his jaw become intimate with the floor. "It...can't be?!"

"Treasonous fangs from the pitch-black darkness, oppose the foolish and crass opposition! Descend now!"

As the smoke began to dissipate, allowing the creature's form to be revealed, Yuzu took a step back as her eyes widened in shock. "No way...!"

"XYZ SUMMONING!" The masked boy cried with all of his heart as a black dragon manifested before them, jaw bearing two sharp stags that stretched outward like tusks, and its wings had a purple orb engraved into them. Yellow, piercing eyes glared out at its enemies as purple lightning danced across its form alongside two orbs of light that danced around it. "Rank 4!"

"That's..." Zarc gasped. "Dark Rebellion-?!"

"-Xyz Dragon!"

[Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon / DARK / Rank 4 / Dragon / Xyz / Effect / ATK 2500 / DEF 2000]

For a moment, there was nothing but stunning silence. Everyone looked at the masked boy in shock, awe and disbelief. Sawatari's three stooges shook, unable to tear their eyes away from the dragon before them, knowing full well that Xyz was a course meant for top students at LDS. Sawatari was gaping like a fish, practically frozen and as stiff as a statue. Yuzu and Zarc both stared at the masked boy and then at the dragon, both of them left utterly speechless. In this silence, Dark Rebellion growled, bearing its fangs down at Mobius, the Mega Monarch with the intent on crushing it for all it was worth.

"Z-Zarc..." Yuzu found herself able to breath when she remembered how to. "That...that dragon... Isn't that your...?"

Zarc offered nothing in response. Instead, all he could do was stare at it.

And in a brief moment, Dark Rebellion stared back.

...Zarc...sama...

"E-eh...?" A sudden bout of light-headedness overcame Zarc, nearly falling over and unto his face were it not for Yuzu catching him. He looked at Dark Rebellion, catching something falling down its jaw before it vanished as if it was never there in the first place. "That was...?"

Soon, Sawatari managed to find his voice again. "S-so... You know Xyz Summoning." He cleared his throat, putting on a brave face in spite of the shaking in his body. He gripped his wrist in an attempt to calm himself down, yet he could still feel himself trembling. "Big-big deal. Mobius has 2800 ATK points! And that dragon only has 2500! Do the math, will ya?!"

"No, this duel is over." Zarc said, even though Sawatari couldn't hear him. "If that really is Dark Rebellion, then it's Effect-!"

The masked boy swiped a hand, giving out his order to finish the Duel once and for all. "I activate Dark Rebellin Xyz Dragon's Effect! Using 1 Overlay Unit, I can target a Monster my opponent controls and reduce its ATK points by half! Afterwards, Dark Rebellion gains ATK points equal to that amount! Treason Discharge!" With a cry that sounded more like a roar of sorrow and happiness put together, segments of Dark Rebellion's wings opened up, creating a flurry of electricty and thunder as it crushed one of the orbs of light in its mouth before that lightning captured Mobius, causing it to step back.

Mobius, the Mega Monarch: 2800 - 1400 = 1400 ATK
Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon: 2500 + 1400 = 3900 ATK

"N-no way...!" Sawatari backpedaled, his eyes wide in fright. Suddenly, the reality of his situation became all the more clear. If this kept up, he was going to lose...again! "No way! I can't lose here! It's impossible!" Then his eyes widened, remembering he still had his trump card in the form of his face-down. "That-that's right... As long as I have Icy Shot, I can still-!"

"I activate Dark Rebellion's Effect once again! Treason Discharge!" Another blast of lightning wrapped around Mobius, this one forcing him to bend the knee.

Mobius, the Mega Monarch: 1400 - 700 = 700
Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon: 3900 + 700 = 4600

Sawatari's face broke into a grin. That's it! This is right where he had him! Sure, he'd take a lot of damage, but his defeat will be worth it! All of this horrible pain! Had this duel gone another way, perhaps that might have been true, yet the blonde teen always seemed to be forgetting that each of the masked boy's counters were because he destroyed his Traps and Spells and sent them to the Graveyard. Another such counter would have taken place once the boy declared his attack and Sawatari revealed his trap card.

However, the masked boy had one last trick up his sleeve. Had Sawatari's plan gone through, he would have ended this Duel with the card Mobius had destroyed earlier. Now, however, victory lay within a different card. One that sealed Sawatari's fate.

"From the Graveyard, I activate Phantom Knights Wandering Martyr's Effect! If this card is in the Graveyard when I perform an Xyz Summon, I can tribute 1 monster I control and equip Wandering Martyr to an Xyz Monster, thereby granting it 1 additional Overlay Unit!"

Sawatari's confidence and bravado fell apart as the sole remaining Dark Gauntlet let out a creaking moan, dispersing into black wisps while Wandering Martyr's from emerged from it before becoming a ball of light that danced around Dark Rebellion, who let out yet another roar. At this moment, he finally realized...

...he was screwed.

"I tribute the last of my Phantom Knights Dark Gauntlet to equip Phantom Knights Wandering Martyr to Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon! I activate Dark Rebellion's Effect for the final time! Treason Discharge!"

Torrents of electricity ran through Dark Rebellion's body, releasing another cry. This time, Zarc could catch what looked like tears falling from its face as it readied itself for the final blow.

Mobius, the Mega Monarch: 700 - 350 = 350
Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon: 4600 + 350 = 4950

"W-wait!" In a pitiful attempt to stave off defeat, Sawatari resorted to the one thing he hated more than anything. Pleading. "Wait! Hold on! Time out! Uncle! Wait a minute! Stop!"

But the masked boy wouldn't allow him to surrender. He was going to show him what it meant to fight. "Battle! I attack Mobius, the Mega Monarch with Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon! Rebellious Lightning Disobey! !"

With a beat, Dark Rebellion charged forward, ripping apart concrete in its advance while thunder raged wildly, destroying whatever pieces of debris it came into contact with before it reached Mobius, the Mega Monarch. With a final roar, this one of victory and rage, its thunder-lanced fangs pierced into its body and thrusted its head upward, slashing the icy ruler apart. In the next second, a powerful explosion rocked the entire warehouse. Yuzu was nearly sent off her feet from the force of the blast until Zarc shielded her from it, his back becoming the target for flying pieces of debris. He bit back a yelp of pain when he felt sharp pieces shoot into his flesh, but bared with it.

The smoke began to settle. The warehouse was a mess. Small patches of fire could be seen everywhere, even up on the steel beams above. Soot laced the floor alongside scorch marks. The ground had been torn into shreds while various sizes of scattered concrete and debris littered the floor. Sawatari's three stooges were clocked out, lying on the floor and groaning. Sawatari was on the ground, back against the wall. He had taken the brunt of the blast, evident by the tears and burn marks on his clothes, along with the scrapes on his face.

Shingo Sawatari: 4000 - 4000 = 0 LP

WINNER: (Yuto)!

"H-how...?" Yuzu whispered as she stepped out of Zarc's grasp. "How is this even possible? We-we're not on an Action Field, so any physical impact created by actual mass shouldn't be possible."

"Tell that to the warehouse." Zarc muttered dryly, trying not to move as to not agitate the wounds in his back. "It's a wreck." He then looked over to the masked boy, who appeared unharmed by the explosion. "And somehow, our mystery man isn't harmed."

"Zarc!" Only now had Yuzu noticed the shards of concrete in his back, realizing that he had gotten those because of her. Guilt immediately flooded her heart. "Are you alright?!"

The amnesiac offered her a small grin. "Compared to when Sawatari hit me and Yuya with Infernal Flame Emperor? Definitely, Yuzu."


Dark Rebellion had cried.

It was crying because of that man. Zarc, the Ruri-lookalike named Yuzu called him. Why he didn't know. He looked at his deck, expecting an answer from his old friend, though it had fallen asleep once the battle had ended. No doubt exhausted from all the excitement. Yuto closed his eyes, taking a breath before he looked at the destruction created by his hands. The sight made his heart twinge with guilt.

He truly was granted no peace. Everywhere he seemed to go, conflict and destruction always seemed to follow. Still, at least no one died. That was a good thing, wasn't it? He looked ahead and found Sawatari, still breathing and conscious. He had to give the guy props. Not many people were still awake after a powerful blow like that. Removing his goggles and mask, he began to approach Sawatari. The sound of his feet clacking against the torn ground brought the blonde out of his groans of pain and looked up. For some reason, shock appeared all across his face when he saw him unmasked and muttered in dread and realization.

"S-Sakaki...Yuya...?!"

Yuto frowned. Yuya? Who was that? No, nevermind. That wasn't important. What was important was the information he needed, though at this point it was mostly for verification. He pulled out one of the pins that Shun had managed to grab off the jacket of one of the LDS students, showing it to him. "This badge is given to everyone at LDS, isn't that right?" he questioned. "How is Leo Duel School connected to Academia?"

"W-what?" Sawatari winced, clutching his side in pain from his own confusion. "A-Academia? What is that?"

Yuto stared at him, looking for signs of deceit. He then sighed and closed his eyes. It was official. LDS wasn't apart of Academia. Well... That was good to know, at least. Still, it was odd how a company had the same name as the revered "Professor" of the Fusion Dimension. Perhaps there might be a connection between the two? It seemed there was still a lot he needed to investigate. Turning on his heel, he whipped around and headed for the entrance of the warehouse, intending to leave. The last thing he needed was to deal with investigators from LDS.

"Y-Yuya?!"

He stopped and found Ruri-no, Yuzu. That was her name. He needed to remember that and the fact that this girl was not and never will be Ruri Kurosaki. She stared at him in absolute shock, mouth agape in disbelief. Yuto was once again confused before he noticed the same expression on Zarc's face when he saw what he looked like beneath the mask.

"What-what in the world are you doing here?" Yuzu questioned, unable to find the same fierce and fiery tone that she once passionately used. She was utterly stunned and thrown off by his appearance. "A-and what's with the get-up?!"

From the sound of it, this Yuya person and he must bear a great resemblance. If Yuto was forced to move about in public, he was going to need to make it clear on who he was. "My name isn't Yuya." he stated clearly as he looked at Yuzu and Zarc in the eye, voice leaving no room for arguments. "Nor do I know any person by that name. My name is Yuto." He then turned away, back facing the two. "If at all possible, please pretend you two never saw me here."


When Yuya(?) replied to the two of them in an oddly cold and morose tone, as if he was attending a funeral, Yuzu suddenly found herself regaining her senses. As Yuya(?) turned to leave again, she immediately rushed up to him and grabbed him by the shoulder. "Wait just a minute! What do you me-"

Without any warning, a bright pink light erupted from her hand, causing her to shut her eyes in shout in dismay. It lasted for maybe two or three seconds before the light faded. When she opened her eyes again, she found herself staring at nothing but a blackened wall covered in soot, and Yuya(?) nowhere in sight. Blinking, she looked around. All she found was the unconscious stooges and Sawatari, who had passed out shortly after Yuya(?) had left him.

"W-what the...?" Zarc questioned, equally as baffled as she was. "Where did Yuya-?"

"YUZU! ZARC!"

A familiar voice, one laced with panic, reached their ears. Two figures then stepped into view of the entrance. One was Gongenzaka, and the other was Yuya, dressed in his usual attire.

"Yuya!"

"Are you two alright?!" Yuya asked worriedly as he stepped inside the warehouse. "Gon and Ayu told me what-WHAT THE HELL?!" He let out a cry of shock, stepping back when he saw the state of the warehouse. "What the heck happened in here?! Did you guys have an Action Duel indoors or something?!"

"It looks like a typhoon and a wildfire broke out in here!" Gongenzaka exclaimed, equally as shocked. "And the concrete floor has been ripped apart!"

Yuya turned to Zarc and Yuzu, frowning heavily. "What were you guys doing?" he asked in concern. "Gon and Ayu told me you two were going after Sawatari."

"W-we were..." Zarc chuckled awkwardly, scratching his cheek. "But then a guy in a mask showed up. He's the one who did this."

"E-eh?"

"Guy in a mask, my foot!" Yuzu stomped, glaring at Yuya. "You were the one who did this, Yuya!"

Yuya stared at Yuzu. For a moment, he thought he misheard her and merely blinked. Gongenzaka frowned at Yuzu's words and folded his arms. "What on Earth are you talking about, Yuzu?" he asked in befuddlement. "Yuya was with me the whole time when we rushed over here!"

"...eh?"

-Chapter...END-


Yuya: There's someone else who looks like me and Zarc?

Sawatari: I told you to butt out of my business, old man! It has nothing to do with you!

Himika: I believe I found a way to test out those new cards of ours...

Sora: A powerful Xyz-user... Could it be...?

Yuto: Why were you crying... Dark Rebellion?

Next Scale: Rest for the Wicked


Card Information

Phantom Knights Spike Dented Shield / Trap / Counter / If an opponent's monster declares an attack against a DARK monster you control: Destroy that monster. If a "Phantom Knights" Monster you control would be destroyed by battle: You can banish this card from your GY; Negate the destruction of that monster, and if you do, destroy the monster that attacked.

Phantom Knights Blunt Pike / Spell / Quick-Play / Increase the ATK of 1 monster on the field by 1000, also, any battle damage it inflicts becomes 0. These changes last until the end of this turn.

Phantom Knights Wandering Martyr / Trap / Normal / If a Card you control would be destroyed by a Card Effect: You can negate the destruction of that card. If a Phantom Knights Monster you control is targeted for an attack: You can Special Summon this Card as a Normal Monster (Warrior-Type/DARK/Level 2/ATK 200/DEF 2000), and if you do, Change the attack target to this Card. (This Card is NOT treated as a Trap Card). If you Xyz Summon a DARK monster while this card is in your GY: You can Tribute 1 "Phantom Knights" card you control; Attach this card from your GY to that DARK Xyz Monster you control as an Xyz Material.

Monarch's Triumphant Return / Spell / Normal / If you control a Tribute Summoned Monster with "Monarch" in its name and have no cards on the field: Banish that card and Special Summon 1 Monster with "Monarch" in its name from your Graveyard.

A/N: ...well. It's about damn time my YuGiOh muse finally started to cooperate with me! It was a pain in the ass these last three to four months! But at last, I finally got this done!

So, you remember how I said that the duel from this chapter would stick to canon and that Yuzu and Zarc would just be observers? Well, I got into reading the YuGiOh Arc-V manga recently. This is a quick heads up to anime-only YGO fans, but the manga storylines usually tend to be very different than the anime storyline. Sawatari has usually been a hammy, comedic prick that you slowly come to love just for the comedic relief. Imagine my surprise when I read the manga and that, while kind of a prick and still just as hammy, he was a damn good duelist! Thanks to Zarc's presence, Sawatari is slowly coming unto the path of how he is in the manga and becoming a competant Duelist. Not to say he was by the time of the Maiami Championship Arc, but if you have seen the manga, you'll know what I'm talking about!

And speaking of canon divergences, Yuto has revealed his name as well! I always found it was weird why he, like Yuri and Yugo, didn't try to tell her that she had the wrong person. Here, he makes it clear that he isn't Yuya. Of course, this makes Yuzu's Duel against Masumi less one-sided, since the major reason behind her loss was that she was so distracted about Yuto and Yuya being the same person. Does it mean she'll win? Hm... We'll see.

Anyway, credits go to Donjusticia once again for writing out the duel! I think it's safe to say that, by this point, he is my duel writer buddy. If that makes any sense whatsoever. He is also the one who created the cards as listed above, with the exception of Monarch's Triumphant Return.

I also have one last announcement to make. Initially, I wanted to do a Fate/Extra and YuGiOh! VRAINS crossover story, but due to reasons here in real life, I've decided to hand the project over to another writer, who has just started out here on Fanfiction. His name is "TheStrangerThatCameFromNowhere" and, while he has yet to post any stories, he is very passionate about his work. If anyone can do justice to this crossover, I believe it is him. If you guys ever see his work, please give him your support. He's a YGO newbie in every sense of the word, way worse than I was before I got into the series proper, so be sure to help him out in any way you can!

One day, look forward to TheStrangerThatCameFromNowhere's "Fate/VRAINS!" Coming who-the-fuck-knows-when 2018!

That's it for now! Till next time, everybody!