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

Chapter 12 Battle Beast

The oppressive humidity of the Predator Jungle made every breath feel heavy as the tension among the Lancers continued to mount. The twisted lesson had already taken several lives, and the survivors were running out of both allies and courage. Seeing three more Academia members turned into cards lying cold on the dirt, Gongenzaka furrowed his brow and asked, "More Academia students carded? Just who is doing this?" His deep voice carried unease that none of them wanted to voice aloud.

"And to think we can't even free them until we're safe..." Yugo muttered, clenching his fist against the grip of his Duel Disk. "This is really frustrating." The helplessness in his tone mirrored the dread that hung over the entire team.

"It's too dangerous to stay separated. We need to find Sawatari, Crow, and Michael quickly," Mark said, his eyes scanning the map feed on his Duel Disk, the flickering lights representing dwindling signals across the forest.

"Sawatari! Where are you!?" Michael's voice echoed across the humid jungle as he and Crow darted between towering roots and twisted vines, their urgency growing by the second.

Elsewhere, Sawatari was already running for his life, crashing through the thick vegetation with the sound of heavy footsteps following close behind. "Who is that!?" he shouted, breath ragged as he glanced over his shoulder. "This guy's been chasing me this far... who the hell is he!?"

The ground suddenly crumbled beneath him, and Sawatari lost his footing with a startled yell. He tumbled off a steep cliff, branches tearing at his clothes before he landed roughly on a slope of soft mud. Gasping for air, he lay there for a moment before groaning, "It looks like I lost my pursuer."

He tried climbing back up the incline, brushing dirt from his coat, only to freeze when two familiar figures appeared above him. "We've been looking for you, Sawatari," Crow called down, relief softening his hardened expression.

"Oh, it's just you two—Crow, Michael. You scared me!" Sawatari said, forcing a shaky laugh that quickly died when Michael raised a finger to his lips.

"Quiet," Michael whispered, his sharp eyes scanning the shadows between the trees. "Someone's here."

The three looked around cautiously, and moments later, two Academia soldiers stepped from the brush, Duel Disks already armed. "Found them!" one barked. "The Lancers!"

"So you're the ones pursuing me!" Sawatari shouted, pointing a trembling hand in defiance.

"We'll be your opponents," Crow said evenly, his expression hardening as his Duel Disk activated with a metallic snap.

As the Duel began, holographic projections shimmered through the fog—monsters clashing, spells bursting into flashes of color. Then, without warning, a mechanical voice echoed through the forest: "Intrusion Penalty: 2000 LP!"

All five duelists froze, their movements halting mid-motion. Sawatari's jaw dropped. "Are you shitting me!? Who's interrupting the Great Ultra Hyper Strong Duelist Sawatari Shingo!?"

"There's no one else here..." Michael said grimly, his gaze darting around the battlefield.

"Is my Duel Disk broken?" one Academia soldier asked, frantically checking his screen.