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

Chapter 24 Secrets of the East Tower

The metallic corridors of the Eastern Tower stretched upward like the ribs of some mechanical giant, their pale lights flickering as six silhouettes stepped through the dust-filled air. The hum of Academia's systems echoed faintly, distant but alive, like a heartbeat buried within the steel.

Rin walked ahead, her green hair catching the cold light as she stared down the endless hallway. "This place..." she whispered, her voice tight with unease. "It hasn't changed at all. This was where they kept me when Academia first brought me here."

Gongenzaka clenched a fist against his chest. "Then this tower holds your past. But today, we end its hold on you."

Tsukikage moved quietly behind them, his eyes scanning the walls for movement. Battle Beast is also doing the same. "We should remain alert. If this place served as her cell, someone must be guarding it even now."

Aki stepped beside Rin, her expression soft but firm. "Are you sure you're ready to face this again?"

Rin nodded once, her gaze steady despite the tremor in her hand. "I have to be. If I don't confront it, it'll haunt me forever."

A low hum rolled through the hall, and light flooded from the chamber ahead. The massive doors at the corridor's end opened with a resonant clang, revealing a single figure standing amid the glow of the central arena.

The man's posture was proud, his coat long and trimmed in gold, his eyes sharp with the kind of cold confidence found only in Academia's highest ranks.

"My name," he announced, voice echoing through the tower, "is Apollo, guardian of the Eastern Tower. Since you've returned, I assume the Professor will be quite pleased to know his lost subject has found her way home."

Rin froze where she stood, her breath catching for just a moment. The word subject struck her harder than the metallic air ever could.

Before she could respond, Mark stepped forward, his eyes narrowing as his Duel Disk activated with a harsh click. "We're not letting anyone take her," he said firmly. "You'll have to go through all of us first."

Gongenzaka stepped up beside him, his stance resolute and immovable. "That includes me. I won't let a comrade face someone who dares speak like that."

Tsukikage's blade flickered briefly into light. "And you'll find my speed more than enough to test your title, guardian."

Aki's crimson Duel Disk flared to life, petals of psychic energy swirling around her arm. "We protect our own, Apollo. Rin isn't yours to claim."

But Rin raised her arm, stopping them all with a quiet motion. Her expression had changed—fear replaced by determination.

"No," she said firmly, stepping forward alone. "I have to do this. He's talking to me... not you. If I want to move forward, then I'll face him myself."

The air around her shimmered with tension as the others exchanged uncertain glances. Apollo's faint smirk deepened, his golden Duel Disk unfolding with mechanical precision.

Apollo's smirk widened, his golden Duel Disk unfolding fully as radiant light poured from its frame. "So, you've chosen to stand alone," he said, his tone dripping with a calm arrogance that resonated through the chamber. "Very well. I'll be glad to defeat you once more, just as I did in the past."

The energy between them flared, and both raised their Duel Disks in perfect sync. "DUEL!" they shouted. (Rin:4000)(Apollo:4000)