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

Chapter 23 Duel of Destiny

The faint hum of the corridor faded as the five stepped through the library doors. The heavy air carried a scent of rusted ink and forgotten memories. Sona led first, her flashlight beam slicing through clouds of dust that danced like ghosts. Each cautious step echoed against the towering shelves ahead.

"Feels like no one's been here in ages," Sho whispered, his voice trembling more than he wished.

Sora frowned, glancing up toward the ceiling lights. "Then why are the lights still on?"

Before anyone could answer, the illumination above them flickered violently, a hollow buzz escaping the fixtures—then vanished completely, swallowing the hall in perfect black.

"Who turned off the lights!?" Sora's voice rang out, strained with irritation and fear. His hand shot toward his Duel Disk, instinctively ready for trouble.

A heavy silence followed, thick enough to feel. Their footsteps halted; even breathing seemed dangerous. Then, from somewhere deep in the darkness, came the sound—click—a single card sliding against a wooden desk.

"Who's there?" Manjome demanded, his voice lower than usual, every syllable weighed with tension.

A faint hum answered—soft, deliberate—followed by a calm, unshaken voice.
"Welcome."

A pale glow emerged across the central table, casting moving shadows against the shelves. Cards were laid in precise symmetry, their holographic edges radiating faint blue light. The figure seated behind them didn't stir; only the reflection in his eyes moved, watching them approach.

A quiet laugh rolled through the still air—calm, confident, and unsettling. "What do we have here, if it isn't Edo Phoenix... and the other Academia rebels."

Edo froze, breath catching as recognition struck harder than fear. "Saio... Takuma?"

The man leaned forward, light tracing the silver in his hair and the sharp calmness of his gaze. His smile held no malice—only certainty.

"Edo," he said smoothly, "it's been too long. Fate has a curious way of arranging reunions, doesn't it?"

Edo's tone steadied, though the tension beneath it burned. "What are you doing here, Saio?"

Saio brushed his fingertips across the cards, as if reading invisible constellations drawn between them. "The Professor gave me a purpose—to guard Academia's threshold. This place, this moment, it was foretold. My destiny is to face you here."

Sona stepped closer, her voice breaking the silence. "Edo... you know this man?"

Edo didn't answer immediately. His eyes stayed locked on Saio, that cold blue glow painting lines of shadow across his face. "Yeah," he said finally, low but steady. "He used to be my manager. Before all of this."

Saio's fingers lingered over the spread of cards, moving with reverence until they stopped on one. He turned it over slowly—a Tarot of the Tower, its image showing a great structure struck by lightning, bodies falling into the flames below. The symbol's glow reflected in his eyes.

"The Tower," Saio murmured. "The sign of collapse, of divine correction. This card has spoken. You stand in defiance of the path, Edo. If you continue, destruction will follow. That... is destiny."

Edo's jaw tightened as his hand curled into a fist. "Enough of that," he snapped, his voice cutting through the heavy air. "I'm tired of hearing that word!"