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

Chapter 34 Joy for Revenge

The fifth base was a storm of duels and explosions. Academia's forces had been relentless, but one by one their Duel Disks sparked out, the sounds of battle fading into silence. The air hung thick with smoke, the floor littered with shattered cards and scattered debris. Every heartbeat felt like the echo of a war that should never have happened.

Yuni lowered her arm, exhaling slowly. "Okay," she said. "Now the only thing left is the Commander."

"Yeah," Yuya replied—only to be struck across the chest a heartbeat later.

The blow threw him to the ground, dust kicking up around him. His Duel Disk flickered.

A cold voice followed. "Do you remember me?"

Yuya looked up, eyes widening as he recognized the figure.

"I haven't forgotten you," the man said, his tone heavy with restrained hatred. "I've been waiting a long time for this."

Yuya's voice broke. "You're... Kachidoki!"

Gasps rippled through the group. Everyone who had competed in the Arc League Championship froze in disbelief.

"What are you doing here?" Yuya demanded.

Kachidoki's glare hardened. "Since I almost lost to you, there was nothing left for me but darkness. When I disgraced Ryozanpaku School's Martial Art Dueling style, I was cast out—excommunicated."

His fists clenched. "No matter how much I trained, the shame and hatred never faded."

The memory was carved into every line of his face—this was not the proud fighter Yuya once knew, but a man consumed by his own loss.

Then another voice cut through the tension. "Do you want to beat up Yuya?"

Everyone turned. Standing a few paces behind Kachidoki was a man with a familiar grin and theatrical posture.

Dennis Macfield.

Yuya's eyes narrowed. "Dennis..."

Dennis twirled his arm with his usual showman's flair. "I told him about you. I said Yuya Sakaki might appear in the Fusion and Xyz Dimensions. And, well, here you are."

He didn't need to convince Kachidoki twice. The duelist's hunger for redemption had been all the motivation he needed.

Kachidoki's voice thundered through the hall. "So I came here! I'll defeat you and rise from this pit of darkness!"

A calm, confident voice echoed from beyond the smoke. "Okay then, Kachidoki. I'll leave this to you."

Everyone turned again—and there stood Dennis, now revealed at the front of the base, smiling as if nothing had changed.

"Dennis?" Gongenzaka said, disbelief heavy in his tone.

"You bastard!" Ron shouted.

Dennis gave a lazy wave. "Yo. It's been a while."

Katrina stepped forward, her anger flaring. "You were involved in kidnapping Ruri, and now you show up again—to take Yuzu as well?"

Dennis shrugged. "I was only following the Professor's orders. Besides, I'm here to make sure the Commander of this base is doing a fine job."

"What? Commander?" Sawatari gasped, staring at Kachidoki. "Does that mean—?"

Sora shook his head slowly. "Unbelievable... you even went this far, making someone from Standard the Commander?"