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

Chapter 10 A New Threat of Numbers

A scream tore through the Duel Lodge at dawn. The entire household jolted awake—Yusho and the rest of the Sakaki family, the Kamishiro siblings, the Hiiragi family, and the Kurosaki family all rushed toward the sound, fearing Academia had launched a sneak attack.

They burst into the main hall to find Yuni kneeling on the floor, trembling. Her Duel Disk lay beside her, the lights on it flickering weakly.

"Yuni, what's wrong?" Yusho asked as he hurried to her side.

"They... they're gone..." Yuni whispered, tears welling in her eyes.

Yuzu crouched beside her, voice soft but frantic. "Gone? What do you mean, they're gone? Yuni, please—tell us."

"All of my Numbers!" Yuni shouted, her voice cracking. "They all disappeared!"

The shock rippled through the room. Gasps and worried murmurs filled the air until a sudden light flared beside Yuni. Astral appeared in his solid form, his expression grave.

"When we awoke," Astral said, "every one of the one-hundred-and-eight Number Monsters had vanished. Not a single card remains."

Yuya clenched his fists. "How could this happen? Who would take them?"

"It can't be Academia," Yuni said bitterly. "They don't even know how the Number Cards work."

"Maybe there's a clue nearby," Katrina suggested. She scanned the room, then stopped abruptly. "Wait—something's carved into the desk."

Everyone crowded around her. Etched into the wood was a faint, glowing symbol.

"What is this?" Condor asked.

Yuya studied the mark closely, recognition flickering in his eyes. "It's Astral language... that symbol means '96.'"

"'Ninety-six'?" Shark repeated, confused.

Astral's face drained of color. "No... it can't be. Don't tell me he's still alive."

"Who's still alive?" Vivian asked. "What do you mean?"

"Number 96—Black Mist," Yuya said grimly. "He's a fragment of Don Thousand's power, left inside Astral during their ancient battle."

Reisho folded his arms. "Then you're saying he's come back—and he's the one who stole the Numbers?"

"There's a strong possibility," Sarah added quietly.

Vivian squinted at the carving again. Beneath the glowing numeral was a faint line of handwriting. "There's something else... words under the number."

Ryu leaned in. "What does it say?"

Vivian read the inscription slowly. "Wait for you outside."

Yuni's eyes widened. Without hesitation, she bolted for the door.

"Yuni, wait!" Yusho called after her, but she was already gone, the door slamming against the frame.

Shun exhaled heavily. "Losing the Numbers really hit her hard."

Yuya stared at the doorway, his voice low. "Yeah... but something tells me this is only the beginning."

The group burst out into the courtyard, weapons and Duel Disks ready. Morning mist hung low over the ground, veiling the outlines of seven figures standing in perfect formation, their shadows long and still. The air itself felt heavier, humming faintly with an oppressive pressure that made even Astral's glow dim.

Yuya froze, heart pounding. Each stranger radiated an aura that shimmered like shattered Numbers—dark light pulsing through their skin in living veins of energy. Something about their presence felt wrong, as if they weren't entirely human.