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

Following his defeat at the hands of Yuya Sakaki and Zarc, Shingo Sawatari trains extensively in the hopes of one day exacting his revenge against them! Zarc, meanwhile, is unable to find clues about his mysterious "Supreme King" deck, though is happy to have a place among those at You Show Duel School in spite of having no memories.

However, as Zarc, Gongenzaka, Yuzu and Ayu return to You Show, they overhear two of Sawatari's followers, speaking about Sawatari's plans of revenge. Wanting to stop them, Zarc and Yuzu head to the warehouse and attempt to duel Sawatari, only for a mysterious cloaked stranger to intervene! The man offers no explanation of who he might be, only that he wears a mysterious Duel Disk and wishes to prevent Yuzu from being hurt.

Neither the masked stranger or Sawatari is able to land a solid blow on each other, exchanging mere attacks and counters. However, the masked teen turns the tables by invoking a powerful Xyz Summoning and unveiling a shocking monster - Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon! Watching as the dragon weeps at Zarc, the teen delivers the final blow. As he reveals his mask, everyone present can only stare in shock for the masked boy has the same face as Yuya!

Who is he? And why does he bear such a startling resemblance to Yuya and Zarc?!

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 05: Rest for the Wicked

"W-wait, hold on a second here." Shuzo held up his hands, staring at his daughter in confusion and befuddlement. "Mind running that by me again?"

"Like I said! Yuya was the one who beat Sawatari! Brutally, I might add!" Yuzu insisted fiercely, stomping her feet. "Or-or at least someone who looked like him!"

Gongenzaka frowned heavily as he folded his arms. "We saw the damage inside the warehouse. The extent looked as if it was caused by the effects of an Action Field. There was fire and the ground was ripped apart to shreds." he said, recalling the sight of the destruction before he folded his burly arms. "I didn't see this 'Yuto' person. Yuya, correct me if I'm wrong, but you're an only child, isn't that right?"

Yuya nodded. "Mm. Mom said she wanted for me to have a sibling, but then dad..." He trailed off, his eyes hidden by the bangs of his hair. Everyone, sans Sora who didn't quite understand, looked away in shame for bringing up such bad memories. "A-anyway, I was with Gon when he and Ayu came running back here when you two ran off to take care of Sawatari. I was with him the whole time, Yuzu! Besides, I only just learned Xyz yesterday!"

"I can attest to that." Zarc nodded. "Plus, Yuya doesn't have any of the cards that Yuto person had. Especially that card." Yuya and Gongenzaka looked at Zarc curiously at the mention of this while his face turned serious, taking out his deck and removing one card from it, that being SKSD Dark Rebellion. "Everyone here knows that Yuya and I shared a similar monster. That being "Odd-Eyes." I have three other dragons like that. That being Dark Rebellion, Clear Wing and Starving Venom. That Yuto person had a similar card to my SKSD Dark Rebellion."

At this, Yuya's eyes widened, leaping to his feet. "Seriously?!"

"Yeah. Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon." Yuzu added. "It even had a similar effect to Zarc's dragon, too!" She stared at Yuya, face frowning. It was clear she was thoroughly confused about the whole thing. More than that, though, she wanted to believe that Yuya was not the one who severely beat down Sawatari like that. She knew Yuya wouldn't do that. And more importantly, she knew that it would be a cold day in hell before he purposely hurt someone. "Yuya, you really weren't the one who did that, were you?"

The Dueltainer recoiled, looking as if he had just been visibly struck. "Y-Yuzu... Don't you believe me?!"

"I want to! But, Yuto's face...!"

"In case you two are forgetting, me and Yuya look identical too." Zarc reminded them, returning SKSD Dark Rebellion to his deck and slipping it inside his pouch. "Also... Even if they look alike, Yuto wasn't Yuya." Yuzu looked as if she wanted an explanation. The amnesiac thought back to their encounter with the mysterious boy. The expression his body gave as he dueled. The way he countered and fought. The way he ended it in such brutal fashion. The emotions that duel conveyed. "When Yuya duels...he duels to bring happiness. He wants everyone, even his opponent to smile. He always puts on a show, no matter how rough things gets. Hell, just look at how many duels we've gone just to learn more about Pendulum and how we can expand on it. Each time, the two of us have a blast putting on a performance." Yuya blushed heavily at Zarc's words, scratching his cheek and looking away in embarrassment. "However, the way Yuto dueled... It was nothing like how Yuya dueled."

"What do you mean?" Shuzo asked curiously.

Zarc closed his eyes. "When Yuto dueled Sawatari... He dueled as if he was fighting a war. As if losing would end with his death. And above all else... I only felt sorrow from him."

Both from him... he added mentally. And Dark Rebellion.


"Shingo Sawatari has been hospitalized?" Ray asked with large eyes. No sooner had she returned to the main corporate building did Nakajima fill her in on what happened while she was out. "When did this happen?"

"Around the time you stepped out." Reiji explained. "According to the recording we retrieved from his Duel Disk's memory, the person who attacked him was Yuya Sakaki." Ray's eyebrows knitted together, looking at her brother in confusion. Yuya Sakaki had sent Sawatari to the hospital? That didn't sound right. She's seen his profile. He was the type to duel for the fun of it, not out of sheer sadism. Reiji pulled up the video recording in question. As it played, she then understood why Reiji believed it was Yuya Sakaki. The appearance of the masked teen was virtually identical, save for the different colored hair and eyes. However, what caught her attention was a major difference, one that Reiji pointed out. "However, when we looked at the readings, 'Yuya Sakaki's' Xyz Readings are far beyond anything we've ever seen. They match the energy readings we recovered the other day and equal Pendulum Summoning's output in every way."

"In other words..." Himika Akaba narrowed her eyes. "Denizens from the Xyz Dimension have infiltrated Standard as well. How troublesome."

"Now that I think about it, weren't there reports of a duelist using Xyz attacking several LDS students and faculty?" Ray recalled. "Is it possible that they're the ones responsible?"

Her brother folded his hands, leaning back in his chair. "It's a likely possibility. They've likely mistaken us for being in league with Academia. I cannot fault them for that, given that our enemy was the one who founded this company." he reasoned. "If possible, I'd like to clear up misunderstandings and gain their cooperation. However, they're a rather resourceful bunch. They didn't stay long enough for us to identify their DD Wavelengths and track them. In a sense, they're performing hit-and-run tactics."

Ray pursed her lips. The recording of Yuya Sakaki's doppelganger and Shingo Sawatari was being analyzed thoroughly, carefully constructing a detailed analysis of their styles. It was common for them to do so these days, as they were constantly searching for Lancer candidates. From the look of it, Sawatari had showed signs of improvement. Not by a large margin, but it was noticeable enough to garner attention. Her eyes drifted to the monster that was summoned in the last Turn of the duel. Its appearance as very familiar to her, though she wasn't sure why. She felt this way before, when she saw Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon for the first time in the tag duel between Sawatari, Yuya and Zarc. She also noticed how openly weeped, unknown to anyone other than Zarc and the doppelganger himself.

"Brother," she called. "What's the name of that boy's dragon?"

Her inquery earned her a curious look from Reiji, but he nonetheless indulged her. "Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon." he answered. "Its abilities are very similar to one of Zarc's own cards: Supreme King Servant Dragon Dark Rebellion, much in the same way Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon is to its SKSD counterpart. It could be possible that Xyz Dragon may be related to Zarc, in the same way Pendulum Dragon is." He paused briefly before his eyes steadily grew wider in realization. "Or, perhaps... Zarc is more connected to this war than we originally believed."

"How do you mean, Reiji?" Himika asked her son in confusion, unsure how that amnesiac boy could fit into something so grand.

"To start with, it is not uncommon to find two monsters with similar effects, despite being from different archtypes. It also isn't uncommon to find two monsters from different archtypes to look similar, either. However, in the case of Zarc's dragons, Yuya Sakaki's Odd-Eyes and our Xyz Stranger's Dark Rebellion, the similarities are far too coincidental. Also, there is the fact that the latter two's dragons share the name of their respective summoning method."

Ray was the first to reach the idea that Reiji was coming up with, as evident by her surprised look. "You mean...there could be other dragons similar to Zarc's?"

"Yuya Sakaki was the one who revealed the power of Pendulum Summoning, but is he truly the one who created it? No matter how skilled you are, even if you were at Yuya Sakaki's age, it would be impossible to create a Summoning Method, especially one as powerful as Pendulum Summoning. For all we know, Pendulum Summoning could be a lost art of Standard, and Yuya Sakaki was the one who revived it. Zarc possessed his own Pendulum Cards, but he possesses greater knowledge of them. He's even shown signs of discovering what lies past the possibilities of Pendulum Summoning." Reiji stood up, adjusting his glasses and staring at the screen, which showed several of Yuya Sakaki's other duels. Including the mock ones he had with his fellow Pendulum User. "Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon didn't even exist until that boy revealed Pendulum's power. Before then, it was simply just known as Odd-Eyes Dragon. Zarc possesses a Pendulum Dragon of his own: Supreme King Servant Dragon Odd-Eyes. And now someone from the Xyz Dimension has appeared with a dragon bearing the name of his homeworld: Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon. Zarc has a Supreme King dragon also known as "Dark Rebellion." If my theory is correct..."

"...then there should be dragons also bearing the names of his remaining SKSD dragons." Ray finished. "A Clear Wing Synchro Dragon and Starving Venom Fusion Dragon. And each hailing from their own respective dimensions."

Reiji nodded. He then looked towards one of the people working that their stations. "Bring up every Duel that Yuya Sakaki has participated in, following the discovery of Pendulum." They nodded and immediately went to work. Moments later, the screen lit up with data according to the young man's preference. "In every duel that Yuya Sakaki has performed a Pendulum Summoning, the energy signature is far beyond anything we've ever seen. None of Standard's duelist, even with Fusion, Synchro or Xyz could match these levels. Even I can't reach them." A recording showed the unveiling of Pendulum for the first time in Yuya's duel against Strong Ishijima. "However, whenever Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon appears, the energy rises substantially. Similarly, Shingo Sawatari's duel with our Xyz friend demonstrated an Xyz reading far beyond anything we've seen from Xyz users here in Standard. According to the readings, the energy leveled matched Yuya Sakaki's Pendulum own energy level, whenever Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon appears. It could be because of Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon."

"An interesting hypothesis." his mother noted, stroking her chin. "And one that holds value. If I remember correctly, Zarc's Summoning energy levels are the highest we've seen to date, surpassing Yuya Sakaki and that boy."

"And Zarc possesses an "Odd-Eyes" and "Dark Rebellion." Assuming this hypothesis is correct, we may encounter the duelists holding the "Clear Wing Synchro Dragon" and "Starving Venom Fusion Dragons." Their energy levels would match Yuya Sakaki's." The young man adjusted his glasses again as he folded his arms. "The main point, however, is that Zarc is the main focal point. Power far beyond anything we've seen, and a deck that is virtually unmatched. His only inhibition is Yusho Sakaki's teachings. Were it not for that, he would easily be the strongest duelist in history."

His eyes narrowed sharply, breaking through the glare in his glasses momentarily. "...it could be possible, however unreasonable, that Zarc may be the true creator of Pendulum Summoning."

The room had gone silent. The idea sounded ludicrous, but at the same time, it also had its merits. Zarc was an unknown. A stranger who appeared out of nowhere. His deck was unrecognized by a system that could not be hacked and was constantly being updated for each new duel taking place and for each new card introduced into Duel Monsters. Himika looked at the screen, showing the various data that was being displayed, from Sawatari's information to Yuya Sakaki's dueling to Zarc's own deck. It was like a jumbled mess that she was trying to make sense out of. Could it truly be possible? Was this Zarc person the true creator of Pendulum? If so, then why had it gone so long unnoticed? When and how had he created it?

The more she tried to think, the more confused she became. Himika could only instead sigh, shaking her head. "...while we are on the subject of Yuya Sakaki, there is a matter that needs discussing." she said, bringing her children's attention to her. "We've recently gotten a call from Sawatari-san."

"Let me guess..." Ray deadpanned. "Shingo Sawatari is relying on his father to get revenge on Yuya Sakaki, believing he was the Xyz Duelist?"

"Not...exactly."


"W-what do you mean you're not going to press charges?!"

The moment that Furio Sawatari heard that his son had been hospitalized, he had been panicked and furious. No sooner had he received the phone call had he barreled into the hospital, demanded to know what room his son was and then dash straight through the halls. Sawatari, on his part, didn't look that beat up. His hospitalization was mostly caused by his three flunkies overreacting. At worst, the only thing truly damaged was his own pride. There were several bandages and medical gauze on his body, mostly centered on his face with three or four bandages and a large gauze placed over his cheek, where a particularly nasty cut had formed.

However, he was not dressed in medical scrubs. He had discarded them and was in the process of buttoning up his shirt when his father came in. Since he hadn't suffered serious harm, he saw no reason to stay. Furio, however, after hearing the story from the three, decided that he should demand that Yuya Sakaki pay.

No sooner had Furio said that did Sawatari's expression shift into annoyance and rebuke his father. "I meant what I said." Sawatari told his father, irritation visible on his face as he tossed on his jacket and went to grab his Duel Disk. "That person wasn't Yuya Sakaki. If anything, he's just someone who looks like him. I don't know why that is, and I don't care."

"How can you say that, Shingo?!" Furio asked. He had been surprised-no, shocked that his son wasn't after the least bit of revenge. Surely he was just joking, right? Unless, could it be, did that rapscalion Yuya Sakaki threaten his beloved son?! That must be it! The idea settled in Furio's head, causing a vein to throb above his eyebrow. "Did that Sakaki boy threaten you?! Is that why you won't do anything?! Don't back down! Don't forget, you're-!"

"I told you to butt out of my business, old man!" Furio recoiled as Sawatari glared at his father, practically daring him to even so much as try that again. "It has nothing to do with you! I already said that guy wasn't Sakaki, so drop it!"

He didn't even let his father get a word in before he rounded on his heel, Duel Disk in hand, and loudly slammed the door behind him.


"...that is surprising." Ray admitted, surprised by Shingo Sawatari's behavior. "I didn't expect him to be so determined. He must have taken his second loss in a row quite hard if he's swallowing his pride."

"It may even serve to increase his capabilities." Reiji remarked before he turned to Nakajima. "Has there been any word about the ones from Xyz?"

"No, sir." the man answered with a bow. "We're currently in the middle of tracking them as we speak. Given the reports we've received, it seems likely that there is only a small number, so they shouldn't be too hard to find. What should we do, if we encounter them?"

"Nothing. They're weary of LDS as it is. We don't need further complications. Also, what about the cards?"

Nakajima smiled slightly as he turned his head. The woman next to him stepped up to Reiji, producing a briefcase, which she opened. Inside was a new Duel Disk, colored neon pink with dark yellow trims. The LED screen was circular rather than rectangular shaped. Beside it were two Decks, each face-down. "We've only recently completed them, but we've finished the simulations." Nakajima told him as Reiji took one of the decks, looking through the cards and examining each thoroughly. "Of course, all that's left is to test them in an actual duel. As you've requested, we've also made a new Duel Disk for Ray-sama."

Ray blinked. "For me?" she asked, pointing to herself. Reiji nodded. Slowly, the girl approached and removed the Duel Disk from the briefcase. It felt very light in her hand, yet at the same time also somehow heavy. She then took the deck as well, looking at the cards. "You...had some made for me?"

"You forget, Ray." Reiji smirked. "I am not one to bask in glory by myself. If I am to achieve something, it will be with another. I'm having cards made for Reira as well, though those will take some time. I had yours placed on top priority."

Himika couldn't help but grin at the excited look on Ray's face. Reiji always did have a habit of spoiling his siblings, even if they weren't truly related to him. Of course, she also had a reason to be excited. They now had the same power as Yuya Sakaki on their side. The power of the Pendulum. Honestly, it would have taken much longer for the cards to be completed, were it not for the inclusion of Zarc and their many duels to explore its possibilities. Reiji would no doubt be able to explore these possibilities himself, given his talents, but it also raised the question of how far they had explored Pendulum's powers themselves. Despite her son's insistance on the matter, she couldn't help but feel somewhat apprehensive about the boy. Yes, he may be young and his heart was in the right place, if a bit naive, but what was there to say that he may not fall into temptation? That he may be swayed into joining the opposing force for whatever reason.

Not only that, but as things stood, Yuya Sakaki was woefully unprepared. Reiji considered him Lancer material, but he withheld judgement until he saw his skills in battle with his own eyes, and by Yuya facing him in battle. She doubted the day would come - after all, what were the odds of a meager performer facing off against a corporate CEO - but even so, it wouldn't hurt to be prepared. On the other hand, though, provided Yuya Sakaki and Zarc had made progress with Pendulum...

Slowly, a smile filled her face. It was hardly one of good intentions. "Reiji," she called to her son. "I believe I found a way to test those cards..."


"They're not with Academia?" Shun frowned heavily, staring at Yuto. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean what I said. I dueled with one of them." Yuto explained to him, sitting across his friend and atop a crate. "His skills weren't impressive, but he wasn't a complete amateur. If he really was Academia, he would have put up more of a fight. He also didn't seem to have any knowledge of Fusion from what I saw. I also interrogated him myself. He didn't know anything. It seems like LDS isn't affiliated with Academia, but that doesn't mean they don't have a connection with them." He took a bite of the hot dog that Shun had snagged for him. It tasted pretty much the same as the ones back home, except by now, the flavor had tasted somewhat dull. Most food usually did. He couldn't enjoy it as much as he used to. "I did a little bit of digging on my end afterwards. It seems "Professor Leo" was the one who founded LDS and built the Solid Vision System used today. However, several years ago, he mysteriously disappeared. Afterwards, his son took over as CEO when he was only 13 years old."

It didn't take Yuto long to discover this information. It had been a bit difficult, though, as he noticed several men in suits wandering about. He didn't want to risk anything, so he took precautions. It had been relatively easy to look up information on LDS on the public library, however, just as it was easy sneaking out undetected.

"In other words, Fusion's leader is the one who founded the company." Shun snorted, disgust forming. "And his son is the man in charge now?"

Yuto frowned, recognizing the look on Shun's face. "Don't think about it." he warned him. "Your planning on challenging Reiji Akaba and getting answers. That's not just reckless, it's suicidal!"

"Then what do you propose we do, Yuto?!" Shun snarled. "Every second we're here, we're further away from finding Ruri! These Standard duelists are a joke! If LDS really isn't with Academia, and if they invade, they'll be worse off than Heartland!"

"I know that! And that's why we have to play it smart!" Yuto insisted. "Don't forget. As far as we know, we're the only members of the Resistance that made it here. And we're up against an entire corporation with knowledge of all the Summoning Methods, including our own."

Yuto's reasoning seemed to calm Shun down, but the boy knew it wouldn't keep him pacified forever. He was anxious. Worried. In a way, he was right. The more time they wasted, the farther and farther away his sister was. Yuto wanted nothing more than to rush in himself and find get answers, but he knew that wasn't the best choice. Right now, they needed to be smart. They were in enemy territory. Who knows what could happen here? For all they knew, Fusion most likely already had pawns here.

Of course, being in Standard has also raised a few other questions. Questions that Yuto himself wanted answers to, especially after what happened yesterday.

Why were you crying... Dark Rebellion?


Sora had not been present for when Yuzu and Zarc had returned, nor was he there when they were discussing the mysterious stranger that had appeared and wiped the floor with Sawatari. However, he had caught a few bits of information. One of this bits had the gears in his head turning while he munched on a sugar-powdered donut he had bought earlier today.

A powerful Xyz-user...

From what he's seen so far, the Standard duelists weren't really much. Based on what he's seen from footages of well-known duelists and from tournament matches that the principal showed off in class, he could tell that Xyz users here weren't worth much. Hell, they wouldn't even be able to win a duel against someone from the Xyz Dimension, even if they tried! It was laughable, really. However, what he learned from the anklebiters brought up an idea that he hadn't even thought of before.

Could it be...?

It was entirely possible that stragglers from Xyz had made it to Standard. If that was the case, then it made being sent here for an infiltration mission even better. It brought a twisted smile to his face. He couldn't get too excited, though. He still had a mission to complete. He needed to probe Standard's defenses. Once he's confirmed that for himself, then he would be free to hunt them down. Cripes, just thinking about it was enough to make him giddy!

"This'll be so much fun~"


Before long, night had finally arrived. At this time, Yuya was already back home and in bed, though he couldn't find sleep waiting for him. It hadn't even come to him in an hour. When he realized the reason why, he couldn't help but sigh and sit upright, looking back at his deck, which sat on his dresser. Leaning over, he grabbed it and began to sort through it, pulling out a few cards and setting them into specific piles.

When I first met Zarc, I was pretty shocked. Yuya thought wryly as he stopped at Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon. In his mind, he envisioned the dragon roaring at him, nuzzling its head against his hand before he set the card in his Extra Deck pile. I mean, what're the odds of meeting someone who's got the same face as you? If it wasn't for the fact that we're at different ages, people wouldn't be able to tell us apart. He stopped again when he reached a few new cards, one that made him feel so anxious. God he couldn't wait to use them in a duel! However, his gaze settled on one of the cards, that being one with a black border around it. Looking at the card, he couldn't help but frown and stare up at the ceiling.

"There's someone else who looks like me and Zarc?" he muttered to himself, wondering what sort of person this Yuto guy was. If he protected Yuzu, he had to be a good person, right? And he had a card similar to Zarc's. The more Yuya thought about this person, the more he wondered if he would ever meet him. Sighing again, Yuya gathered his cards back and set them back unto his dresser before falling back unto his bed, hands behind his head. "Yuto, huh...?"

Strangely, as Yuya closed his eyes, he could envision what Yuto would have looked like: a dark shrouded figure with Dark Rebellion behind him, yellow eyes locked onto him and thunder broiling with anger and sorrow.


In the morning that followed, there had been no jolly greetings. Everyone had gathered in front of You Show Duel School, the three little ones huddled around Yuzu, Yuya and Zarc while the older individuals present stared at the sight across the street with a sense of trepidition and anxiety. Yuzu stared at the individuals approaching their school apprehensively, though Shuzo held his daughter close, glaring at the group. Gongenzaka held his ground, but the others could tell he too was nervous. Yuya swallowed a hefty lump, briefly thinking of recoiling but managed to stand his ground. Zarc's teeth clenched tightly as he narrowed his eyes, hands balling into fists.

After coming within three feet of the group, a woman dressed in red with a snake's smile addressed them. "My name is Himika Akaba, Chairwoman of Leo Corporation and Headmistress of Leo Duel School. May we come in?"

-Chapter...END-


Shuzo: I refuse! I will not give up the school me and Yusho Sakaki built!

Yuya: Ladies and gents, it's time for a new member of the Sakaki Circus to debut!

Reiji: So, you've crossed into the threshold of possibility...

Himika: I believe there's only one way to settle this debacle, Hiiragi-san... That is to say, a Duel to settle this matter.

Yuya: SYNCHRO SUMMON!

Next Scale: LDS' Xyz VS Pendulum's Synchro


A/N: ...I won't lie. This was...not my best chapter. Like, ever. The bit with Reiji sounded cluttered, so if I have to, I'll have to fix it. This was a breather chapter, as writing four long chapters, each with duels back to back, is very tiring even if I'm taking the time to write other chapters of my other stories in between.

On the plus side, Yuya's getting to learn new summoning methods early, since Zarc is here. Its been a while since we had a duel with Yuya, so our master magician gets to strut his stuff! And in style, too.

Chapter after next will feature Yuzu and Gon's duel, however. And the chapter after that...well, let's just say it is one that you all have been waiting for to happen for a very, VERY long time. Its another tag team, but who are the duelists?! It is surely going to involve Zarc and Yuya, but who will be the opponents?!

...come on, do I need to say it? XD

Also, in case you all haven't heard by now, "TheStrangerThatCameFromNowhere" has published Fate/VRAINS! It has two chapters out right now, but from what I've been hearing and seeing so far, he's got a decent fan base. Hell, he even posted an Overlord/Fate crossover and has a Sapwn/DC story in the works too.

Time for me to get my ass in gear!

That's it for now, everyone. Heads up, though. I don't know when the next chapter will be published, or the chapter after that. I'm already working on the third upcoming chapter, however.

'till next time, everybody~!