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

Chapter 42 Shadow and Prison

The air around the Duel Lodge felt heavier than usual. The clouds hung low, shrouding the graveyard in a gray mist as Yuya, Yuni, Yuzu, Reisho, Katrina, and Vivian walked cautiously through the rows of worn stone markers. The wind whispered through the dead trees, carrying faint echoes that almost sounded like cries.

Yuzu shivered and hugged her arms. "I... somehow have a bad feeling about this..."

Katrina tilted her head. "What do you mean by that?"

Before Yuzu could answer, the ground beneath them began to tremble. A deep rumble echoed through the earth, and Reisho's eyes widened. "What's going on here?"

The ground cracked open beneath Yuya and the others, and in an instant, they were rising—lifted by a massive, unseen force.

"Brother! Everyone! What is going on?!" Yuni shouted, gripping the edge of the floating platform as they soared higher into the air.

They looked down only to see the graveyard shrinking beneath them. The land twisted upward like a tower of stone, encasing them within an enormous circular cage. Iron bars shimmered into existence around them, sealing them inside.

Vivian's eyes widened in disbelief. "Is this some sort of... prison?"

A blinding flash erupted from above, and suddenly bolts of lightning rained down along the bars. The energy surged through the prison, shocking everyone with violent force.

"Ahh!" Yuzu cried out, sparks flickering across her Duel Disk.

Yuya gritted his teeth, electricity crackling around him. "What... is going on here?!"

Yuni looked upward through the haze of static—and froze. High above them, suspended like a phantom fortress, loomed a colossal construct made of obsidian and gold, its core glowing with a deep crimson eye. A massive number shimmered across its surface—68.

Yuni's voice trembled as she pointed. "Brother! Everyone! That's it! This entire thing... it's a Duel Monster! Numbers 68: Sandalphon, the Fiendish Sky Prison!"

Reisho's glasses caught the reflection of the glowing prison sigils. "So the graveyard itself was a trap to awaken it..."

Yuzu's eyes darted between the bars of the cage and the floating monolith. "That... that's a Number Monster?!"

The air rumbled with a guttural metallic roar as the prison's walls pulsed with energy. Chains of light slithered around the bars, tightening their hold.

Yuya clenched his fist, his Duel Disk already activating with a snap. "Then we'll just have to do what we always do—defeat it!" His eyes burned with determination as the red light of his Duel Disk lit up the gloom.

Yuni stepped closer, her voice firm despite the fear in her expression. "Be careful, Brother. This isn't like the others. Its aura feels... different."

Lightning surged again from the sky prison, scattering dust and debris across the platform. Yuya stood firm, raising his arm as the Duel Disk projected its radiant blade.

"Whatever it takes, I'll break this prison and free everyone trapped inside!"

The holographic field shimmered to life around them, the graveyard fading into a vast arena of swirling storm clouds.

"It seems like your bond is interesting," a cold, unfamiliar voice murmured.

Yuni froze. The air behind her distorted like a ripple through space. When she turned, a tall hooded man stood several meters away—his cloak fluttering against the wind, his face hidden beneath shadow. The eerie glint of his Duel Disk pulsed with crimson energy.