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

Chapter 20 Parental Love

With the fall of the second base, the Resistance finally began to regain control of their territory. The damaged streets of Heartland were being repaired, banners of the Resistance hung once more above the rooftops, and the people who had been hiding slowly returned to their homes. Hope was spreading again, even if the scars of battle still remained.

Among the returning fighters was Manjome, now free from the Parasite's influence. He walked through the camp with Sawatari at his side—or rather, arguing beside him. What started as a reunion of gratitude quickly turned into a full-blown debate.

"You should be thanking me!" Sawatari exclaimed proudly, puffing his chest out. "Without the great Neo Sawatari, you'd still be drooling under that Parasite's control!"

"Tch, don't get cocky!" Manjome snapped back, folding his arms. "The Manjome family's prestige is leagues above yours. I didn't need your help to begin with!"

The two glared at each other, sparks practically flying between them. Several nearby soldiers sighed, already used to this kind of scene, while a few tried halfheartedly to separate them before it turned into another shouting match.

Vivian, watching from a short distance, placed a hand on her forehead. "I never thought it would turn out like this..." she muttered under her breath.

Yuya chuckled softly, arms crossed as he leaned against a nearby crate. "Well, some people just have personalities that clash perfectly. It's almost like they're long-lost siblings or something."

Reisho adjusted his glasses, observing the pair with a thoughtful look. "You know, though these four dimensions have been remade, it's still strange seeing so many familiar faces from different eras gathered together like this. The timelines should've diverged long ago, yet here they stand side by side."

Mark nodded in agreement, his tone reflecting equal parts wonder and unease. "Yeah... I know what you mean. It's strange, but somehow comforting too. Like the world is finally trying to heal itself."

As the commotion between Manjome and Sawatari finally died down, Yuya turned to Katrina. "By the way, where's Yuni? I haven't seen her since we returned."

Katrina straightened her gloves, her usual calm expression hiding faint concern. "She's still working on Sergey's condition and trying to contact Reiji through dimensional transmission. She hasn't rested much these past few days."

Yuya frowned slightly, the weight of his worry showing in his voice. "It's true... but she shouldn't handle everything alone. We should've offered to help her sooner."

Reisho nodded in quiet agreement, his gaze following Yuya's as they began walking toward the Different Dimension Ship, its metallic hull gleaming under the pale afternoon light. Around them, mechanics and duelists worked together to restore its systems, preparing for whatever mission lay ahead.

As the group boarded the ship, the hum of the engines echoed through the air—a reminder that their fight was far from over. Yet, in the midst of rebuilding, there was a faint sense of calm—a brief, fragile peace before the next storm.

In the command chamber of the Different Dimension Ship, the faint blue light from the monitors illuminated Yuni's focused expression. She stood before a wide projection of the dimensional network, its energy lines pulsing like veins of light across the holographic map.

"Burno," she said, breaking the silence, "how is the transportation system between the Synchro Dimension and the Standard Dimension?"

Burno typed rapidly on the console before answering, his voice steady but cautious. "We can only travel to either of those dimensions for now. But we can't come back unless a return transportation system is already established in that destination. That's why travel between Fusion and Xyz works—we've already placed transport points there—but the other two are still inaccessible."