7. Yu-Gi-Oh ARC-V A New Story of Pendulum (Synchro Arc)

Chapter 6 Visit to Security

None of them had slept. Yuni, Reisho, Ruka, and Katrina sat quietly in the living room, their eyes shifting often toward the couch where Officer Ushio lay unconscious. The early morning sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting long shadows across the floor.

The door slid open, and Yugo's voice immediately cut through the silence. "Huh? Guys, why is a Security officer here?"

Behind him, Yuzu blinked sleepily as she walked in with Vivian, Ryu, Risu, Rua, and Satoshi. Vivian yawned, rubbing her eyes. "And why are you all up so early? It's barely morning."

Katrina stretched her arms with a tired groan. "Actually, we never went to bed. We were awake all night."

"Now that you mention it..." she added, stifling another yawn, "I feel like I could pass out any second."

"Same here," Yuni admitted with a weary smile.

Reisho crossed his arms, his expression more serious. "We had no choice. Something happened in the middle of the night, and it kept us from sleeping."

Ryu's gaze fell on their glowing arms, his brow furrowing. "Wait a second. Why do you still have those marks? Shouldn't they disappear?"

Risu stepped closer, her eyes sparkling as she pointed. "Whoa, those look awesome! Where'd you even get those marks?"

Yuni shook her head. "We didn't choose them. They're called Signer Marks."

"Signer Marks?" Rua tilted his head.

"Signers are six duelists chosen by the Crimson Dragon," Yuni explained. "Each one bears a mark: the Head, the Tail, the Arm, the Foot, the Wing, and the Heart. So far, the Heart hasn't appeared in this world. But my brother Yuya, myself, Reisho, Katrina, and Ruka... we're the current five Signers."

Yuzu gasped softly. "Wait—so Ruka's one of them too?"

Ruka nodded and quietly held out her arm, showing her mark.

Rua's eyes lit up. "That's so cool! Maybe I'll get one on my arm too!"

Everyone else sweatdropped at his childish enthusiasm. Yuni's gaze lingered on him for a moment, thoughtful. Could Rua be the one destined for the Heart Mark... just like before?

Breaking the silence, Yuni said, "Last night, all of our marks began glowing. We could feel my brother dueling someone. Normally, when a Signer Dragon is summoned, the marks resonate. But this time... it hurt. It was like being burned from the inside."

Reisho's tone was grim. "When we ran outside, we found this officer. He wasn't himself—he was being controlled by a Dark Signer."

"Dark Signers?" Yugo asked sharply.

Katrina folded her arms. "They're duelists resurrected by the Earthbound Gods. Their goal is to drag this world into the underworld. Unlike us, they use Dark Synchro Summons."

"Dark Synchro?" Ryu repeated.

Yuni nodded. "A Dark Synchro uses a Dark Tuner and a non-Tuner monster. The monster's Level is created by subtracting the non-Tuner's Level from the Dark Tuner's. Last night... he summoned a Level minus 4 Dark Synchro Monster."

Ryu's jaw dropped. "Negative Levels? That's absurd. I didn't even know that was possible."

Yuni clenched her fists. "And it was a Shadow Duel. The damage wasn't holographic—it was real. Every hit felt worse than anything Yuto or Kurosaki described from their battles."

"Seriously?" Satoshi muttered, his eyes wide. "So it's not just Solid Vision feedback?"

All four of them nodded.