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

Chapter 33 Brothers' Duel

The evening breeze swept gently through the Duel Lodge courtyard. Inside, Yuzu and Hana were chatting over tea when the door slid open. Their conversation stopped immediately as they noticed Yuni stepping in—her arms marked with shallow scratches and faint burns.

Yuzu's eyes widened. "Yuni, what happened to you? What's going on?"

Yuya sighed, setting his Duel Disk on the table. "It's a long story... We just got back from the ruins that held Vector's memories."

Hana blinked. "Seriously? That's the one on the deserted island, right? Must've been packed with traps."

"Yeah," Yuni said with a tired laugh. "And if that wasn't enough, Number 96 ambushed us there, too. Just like before—he forced Astral into a duel and used those same traps against me."

Yuzu frowned, stepping closer. "You're lucky you made it out alive."

Yusho's calm voice came from behind. "I'm just glad you're all safe and sound." He gave a faint, approving nod.

"Thanks, Dad," Yuni said with a smile, though her exhaustion showed. "But we can't rest yet. There are still a lot of Numbers out there we haven't recovered."

Vivian folded her arms. "She's right. The sooner we track them down, the better."

"Speaking of which..." a new voice interrupted. The group turned to see Michael and Thomas entering through the doorway. Both held Duel Disks at their sides—and in their hands, several glimmering cards.

"If you're looking for Numbers," Michael said, "we've already found some."

Thomas nodded, flipping the cards in his hand to reveal them. "We're not sure why, but they just... appeared in our decks out of nowhere."

Yuni's eyes narrowed. "What? Which ones?"

Michael spread out his three cards on the table. "These three came to me—Numbers connected to OOPArts. And Thomas found three linked to Gimmick Puppets."

Thomas scratched the back of his neck. "Weirdest thing is, I felt something trying to control me when they appeared... but it didn't work. Guess they failed to take over."

Yuni crossed her arms thoughtfully. "Strange. The Numbers usually test their users before bonding... but for them to show up willingly?" She frowned. "That's new."

Yuya looked intrigued. "So you haven't tried using them in a duel yet?"

Thomas shook his head. "Not yet. Why—are you suggesting we give it a shot?"

Yuni smiled faintly. "It might be a good idea. You can treat it as practice—to see how those Numbers behave when you use them. Better that than letting them sit dormant."

Hana leaned forward, her eyes sparkling. "Now that you mentioned it, I want to see that too! Especially how those Numbers work in a real duel."

Michael and Thomas exchanged glances, then nodded in agreement.

"Alright," Michael said with a grin. "Guess it's time for a test run."

"Let's head to the arena," Thomas added. "We'll see what kind of power these Numbers have."

Yuni folded her arms, watching them go with a faint, knowing smile. "Then let's see what secrets they're hiding..."

As the group moved toward the practice hall, the faint glow of the Numbers shimmered between their cards—quietly pulsing, as if waiting for the next duel to begin.