7. Yu-Gi-Oh Arc-V: A New Story of Pendulum (Fusion Arc)

Chapter 9 It's All Relative

The wind howled through the empty courtyard as the group stood before a massive, steel-plated building marked Duel Monsters Laboratory. Its glass panels reflected the stormy sky above, giving it an eerie, almost sentient gleam.

"So this is the Duel Monsters Lab..." Rumi whispered, her tone carrying both awe and unease. Behind her, Kaito, Ron, Rebecca, and Condor stepped closer, the hum of nearby generators breaking the silence.

"But still, I wonder why we're here in the first place?" Ron muttered, adjusting his Duel Disk with a frown. His voice echoed faintly against the metallic walls, swallowed by the emptiness around them.

A calm yet imposing voice answered from ahead. "The universe was formed in a logical manner. However, the creation of the four dimensions has broken down the logic."

Everyone turned sharply. A man in a long white coat stood under the flickering lab light, a Duel Disk already fastened to his arm. His glasses reflected the cold glow of the laboratory's monitors.

Rebecca gasped, her voice trembling. "No way..."

"You know him, Rebecca?" Condor asked, scanning the stranger warily.

"He's Dr. Zweinstein, a Dueling Physicist," she explained, her tone caught between admiration and fear. "He proposed the Grand Dueling Unification Theory and even won ten Noble Awards. He's one of the greatest minds in dimensional science."

The man smiled faintly, eyes glinting with curiosity rather than kindness. "You must be the Lancers. Tell me—do you really believe it's fine to let the four dimensions break the structure of the universe itself?"

Rumi met his gaze, her expression hardening. "As long as the people are happy, what's the problem with that?"

Her words struck the cold air like sparks, but Zweinstein didn't flinch. Rumi continued, her voice sharpening. "Then answer me this, Doctor—do you think it's fine to sacrifice humanity just to complete the Arc Area Project, merging all four dimensions into one?"

The scientist's faint smirk returned. "You are confined by the illusions of your so-called reality. Perhaps a duel will remind you of what is truly real."

He raised his Duel Disk. The red ring of activation pulsed around him, bathing the floor in crimson light.

Rumi's hair fluttered as she stepped forward, determination blazing in her eyes. "I'll duel you," she declared, snapping her Duel Disk open. "And I'll show you that this world is as real as good!"

The moment their Duel Disks locked onto each other, the Action Field shimmered to life. Platforms of light unfolded across the lab, forming bridges, towers, and shifting panels of energy. The hum of data streams filled the air like static.

Dr. Zweinstein adjusted his glasses, his voice calm yet analytical. "Dueling is the culmination of arithmetic, physics, chemistry, and all logical thought. He who commands dueling commands physics itself."

"But logic alone can't win you the duel," Rumi said, gripping her card tightly. "I believe in my deck—and my cards believe in me."

The scientist's expression hardened. "Belief is coincidence. Logic is truth. I will use this duel to correct your misunderstanding."

Rumi's Duel Disk flared, matching his light for light. "Duel!" (Rumi:4000)(Zweinstein:4000)

"I'll take the first turn," Dr. Zweinstein announced, sliding a card into his Duel Disk. "I activate the Field Magic: Relativity Field!"