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

Chapter 19 Thunder vs Neo Sawatari

The heavy metal door slid open with a grinding hiss. Yuya and the others stepped into the control room, only to freeze in shock. Standing before them was a tall boy with sharp eyes, dressed in a black jacket, his dark hair falling just past his shoulders.

Johan's expression shifted from disbelief to alarm. "No way... you're Manjome..."

The boy gave a confident smirk. "Thunder," he corrected, his tone cold and deliberate. "So you finally made it. I've been waiting for your arrival." With a flick of his wrist, he activated his Duel Disk, the familiar hum filling the air.

Yuya blinked. "You're telling me he's the commander?"

Kezan frowned. "You know him, too?"

Yuni stepped forward cautiously. "The original one, yeah. Not this... revival version. Something feels wrong about him."

Rio's sharp gaze caught a faint, eerie glimmer in Manjome's eyes. "Wait—there's something there. Hey, guys, do you see that? It looks like a bug inside his eyes!"

Sawatari tilted his head, squinting. "Bug? I don't see anything."

Those who bore Pendants exchanged grim looks. Yuni nodded. "He's being controlled by a Parasite. That explains the strange aura. We'll have to free him."

Manjome's Duel Disk flared to life, projecting red holographic light across the floor. "Finished whispering yet? I asked—who among you dares to face the great Manjome Thunder?"

Sawatari stepped forward with his trademark swagger, flipping his scarf dramatically. "If you think you're great, then allow me—the magnificent, incomparable New Neo Sawatari Shingo!—to be your opponent!"

Katrina folded her arms, muttering under her breath. "They sound exactly alike..."

"I know, right?" Yuni sighed with a half-smile. "Sawatari, it's all yours. Use this Number card to your advantage—it might help break the Parasite's control."

Sawatari caught the glowing card, twirling it between his fingers with a grin. "Much appreciated. Time to show this guy what real greatness looks like."

He slammed the card into his Duel Disk. "Field Magic—Crossover!"

Light burst across the floor as dueling platforms materialized beneath their feet, the mechanical arena rising around them.

Both duelists raised their hands and shouted in unison, voices echoing through the chamber— "Duel!" (Manjome:4000)(Sawatari:4000)

Manjome drew his first card with a confident flourish, his eyes focused like a sharpened blade. The air around him pulsed with mechanical energy as circuits flared along the platform. "My turn! I summon V-Tiger Jet!"

A silver jet burst into existence, its engines glowing an electric blue as it hovered behind him, the sound of its turbines echoing through the room. (ATK:1600/DEF:1800/Level 4)

Without pause, Manjome snapped another card onto his Duel Disk, his confidence unwavering as the hologram shimmered. "Next, I activate the Magic Card—Frontline Base! Once per turn, I can Special Summon a Union Monster from my hand. Appear—W-Wing Catapult!"

The ground trembled slightly as a white aircraft with twin cannons unfolded its wings and joined formation beside the jet, its engines glowing faintly beneath the neon light. (ATK:1300/DEF:1500/Level 4)

Kezan clenched his fists, the tension thick enough to feel across the control room floor. "He's not holding back... Manjome-senpai's going all out right from the start."