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"A Warlike Welcome", known as "The Metropolis of Despair - Heartland" in the Japanese version, is the one-hundredth episode of the Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V anime. It first aired in Japan as a one hour special with episode 99 on April 3, 2016 and in Canada on July 22, 2017. Nicktoons aired it on January 13, 2018. It became available with official subtitles via Crunchyroll on March 28, 2017. This episode is a clip show.

Yuya reaches a new place... Heartland City, the hometown of Yuto and Shay in the Xyz Dimension. Separated from Zuzu once more, Yuya wanders along the dilapidated streets with Sylvio and Gong. Before them, Duel Academy soldiers appear. At the same time, a Duelist wielding a dragon appears to Duel.

Summary[]

Heartland City in the Xyz Dimension used to be a happy place, where people had fun playing Duel Monsters, until people started to be sealed into cards, and the "Ancient Gear Soldiers" marched in. Amid the flames that ravaged the city, people started running in order to avoid being sealed into cards themselves, but most could not escape this fate. As a "Chaos Ancient Gear Giant" tore down part of the wall surrounding Heartland City, it unleashed a blast, causing a blaze across the city, and more destruction. It was joined by another three such to continue the destruction, and all of this was witnessed through the blue eyes of one such person, who swore that Duel Academy would pay.

In the present, Yuya, Gong and Sylvio walk through a part of the ravaged Heartland City. Yuya attempts to reach Zuzu by the call function on his Duel Disk, but receives no response. They are also waiting for Shay to find other members of the Resistance. Suddenly, a near-exhausted Sylvio imagines that he has found a lake, and runs forward to jump and dive (in the dub, Gong doesn't mention Shay or the Resistance; he mentions having a better chance of finding a "tropical oasis" than "interdimensional cell service"; Sylvio says Gong is right, and also says "Last one in's a rotten banana!" when he jumps and dives). Sylvio falls on his front and performs swimming strokes despite being on dry ground, still imagining that he's in water. Gong picks him up and puts him out of his misery, only for Sylvio to point out where the water actually is. They find a middle-aged woman ahead gathering water from a fountain that, miraculously, is still working. The three Lancers run towards the fountain and Yuya calls out to the woman; she notices the Duel Disk on Yuya's arm as he approaches, and quickly gets up and runs, leaving her basket behind. Yuya calls out to her again, but instead notices what was left behind: a metal box, and a basket full of tinned food.

Sylvio carries the basket of tins on his head while Gong carries the box as they follow Yuya again. Sylvio asks if they can have one tin for themselves. Gong suspects what Sylvio's planning, and Yuya outright refuses, saying that what Sylvio's carrying is important to its owner, and must be returned. Sylvio tries to object but is interrupted by his own growling stomach. Suddenly, in the distance the Lancers spot someone falling to the ground, then sealed into a card after begging for mercy. They hide behind a wall, and the culprits reveal themselves to be Duel Academy soldiers. Soon, the Lancers retreat to what used to be a busy street, now completely ravaged with a small artificial stream flowing through. They hear more voices coming from a ravaged house with its door broken off, only partly covering the entrance. Yuya moves the door to one side and has a look. He sees the woman from before, begging him to spare her two children, the older one of which hides behind his mother and the younger with his mouth covered by his mother's hand.

As Sylvio and Gong join him, Yuya tells the family not to worry because he and his friends do not intend to cause harm. Yuya presents the mother's basket that Sylvio has been carrying. The woman refuses, and begs for them to leave. The Lancers toss their Duel Disks on the floor towards the family, and present the mother's basket again. Suddenly, the younger child runs forward towards the basket; the mother desperately calls for her son to stop. The son tries to bite off the tin in an attempt to open it; Yuya is smiling as he reaches out a hand. The mother cries out desperately again; Yuya simply peels off the tin lid for the younger son, who happily consumes the contents of the tin. Soon, the family has consumed their food and water rations and are happy. Sylvio appears to be jealous, Gong snaps him out of it. Not knowing who the Lancers are or where they are from, the mother wonders what they are doing here. Yuya says he's looking for a friend called Zuzu Boyle, a girl his age who wears a bracelet on her right arm. The mother admits that no adolescents remain where she lives, because they were all turned into cards. Yuya asks about the Resistance which was formed to fight Duel Academy (in the dub, he says he thought they could hold their own against Duel Academy). The mother thinks over the word (in the dub, she says "Not anymore"), and closes her eyes with despair.

Shay stands in front of what's left of the Spade Branch of Heartland Duel School, and recalls the time of the invasion. He was restraining a red-uniformed Duel Academy soldier while Yuto pressed for answers to questions. Shay and Yuto had learned from this soldier that the world was split into four dimensions, and the soldiers' noble mission was to unite them into one ideal world. Shay does not like what he hears; he throws the red soldier to the ground and attempts to seal him in a card, but Yuto stops him, saying that it won't solve anything, and there must be other ways to stop the war. Back in the present, Shay busts open the door of the Spade Branch, and sees that everything is all but destroyed. Back at the ravaged family home, the mother confirms that the Resistance was wiped out, including the mother's husband, the father of her two sons. The mother blames this on dueling (in the dub, she elaborates that dueling has caused nothing but suffering to them). Meanwhile, Gong has to restrain Sylvio, who continues to be desperate for food. Sylvio continues to plead until he hears Gong's stomach growl. The younger child offers one of the tins he saved up. Gong doesn't finish his sentence when he hears his stomach growl again. The children laugh. The older one is about to offer Sylvio the saved-up tin when suddenly, the door is busted open and Duel Academy soldiers march in.

The yellow-uniformed soldier reports that he has found five targets. Yuya, Gong and Sylvio quickly arm their Duel Disks and confront the soldiers. While the family huddle in fear, the yellow-uniformed soldier taunts the Lancers, saying that they've been waiting for a challenge. Yuya defiantly states that duels are not for war, they're for smiles. Outside, the Duel Academy soldiers look around in surprise when they see the Action Field Spell "Crossover" being played. Back in the house the family are hiding, the two boys peek out to see the duel and are also awed by "Crossover", only for the mother to remind them that it's dangerous outside. The Duel Academy soldiers do not recognize the Duel Disks of Yuya, Gong and Sylvio, and wonder if they're part of the Xyz Dimension's resistance. Yuya states that they are Lancers, and recalls the day they were introduced to the public by Declan Akaba. Yuya says the Lancers were formed in order to stop the interdimensional war. The soldiers do not recognize the term, and believe Yuya is talking rubbish (in the dub, they say that the Lancers won't stop the war). Gong asks if the soldiers do not realize they're invading the Xyz Dimension (cut from the dub). One of the red soldiers says they're merely following through with the Professor's orders, which the yellow soldier says is part of the Arc Project. Yuya hears this term for the first time, and Sylvio is not pleased that it involves destroying a city and turning people into cards. Yuya says that duels that take things away from people are wrong; dueling is meant to be for fun, and making people happy, and this is what they have been fighting for, even in the Synchro Dimension.

Yuya remembers what Crow said about the Commons-Topsiders struggle, and how Sector Security always favoured the Topsiders. It was part of Jean-Michel Roget's plan to take over New Domino City, and he even registered his own henchman to take part in the Friendship Cup, in order to assert his power. Yuya set out to win the tournament, in order to show people how fun dueling can be. He also wanted to win for the sake of his new allies, Shinji Weber and Crow Hogan. He remembers what Shinji vowed to do at the Friendship Cup. Yuya knew that before the tournament even ended, the Commons began to riot. Then, Roget declared martial law only for Zuzu to knock him over while restrained, and she managed to reach out to Yuya. Then, through Duel Palace hospitality worker Sam, Yuya learned what Jack Atlas wanted to tell him as well. The words of Zuzu and Jack made Yuya who he is today, and he repeats the message he started with: that duels are not for war, they're for smiles.

Meanwhile, Shay walks away from the fallen Spade Branch, remembering that he had cornered another red soldier during Duel Academy's invasion. The red soldier had been interrogated for what he knew about the Professor, and Shay learned that the Professor's son was called Declan Akaba. Shay thought about what he could do with this new information, while sealing the student in a card. Eventually, he drew out Declan in Standard. But when he accepted Declan's condition to participate in his Arc League Championship, he thought it would get him to Lulu sooner. Meanwhile, during the Lancers' duel against the Duel Academy soldiers, Yuya has played "Smile World". He tells the soldiers that a Resistance member used to be their enemy, but now, he works with the Lancers. But not only him; Yuya remembers how Celina and Sora both turned away from Duel Academy after finding out the truth about them. He was able to understand them through dueling. And if everyone works together, they can bring peace, as he had learned from his duel with Jack Atlas. With that, the Lancers perform a Pendulum Summon together, of "Superheavy Samurai Warlord Susanowo", "Abyss Actor - Superstar" and "Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon". The three monsters' combined attacks blow the Duel Academy soldiers away.

The children that were watching the duel from inside their home, are still awed by the lingering "Smile World". Their mother starts to regain faith in dueling as well, just as the Action Field dissipates. Yuya remembers the moment he won the Friendship Cup. Unfortunately, it was not the end for Roget. He initiated a machine inside Sector Security which threatened to drop New Domino City into a void between dimensions. Roget was blown into a wormhole shortly afterwards, and the machine stopped. Yuya was finally reunited with Zuzu, and ready to go home with her. But the wormhole reappeared again, and absorbed Zuzu, before absorbing Yuya, Sylvio, Gong and Shay.

Yuya's reminiscence is interrupted when Sylvio attempts to seal the yellow soldier into a card using his own Duel Disk, but has trouble figuring out how it works. Yuya stops him, allowing the three soldiers to run away. But they are caught in an explosion the moment they turn right. When Yuya, Gong and Sylvio see what's going on, the three students are carded. The person responsible, with his "Galaxy-Eyes Cipher Dragon" behind him, sees the three Lancers, and concludes that there's more to do (in the dub, he says "Looks like this is my lucky day. I love it when the prey comes to me".)

Featured Duel: Gong Strong, Sylvio Sawatari and Yuya Sakaki vs. Duel Academy Duelists[]

At the start of the Duel, the Field Spell Card "Crossover" is activated, as per the rules of an Action Duel. It will allow the players to use Action Cards, but they may only have one in their hand at a time.

Only a small portion of the Duel is shown. At that point, the Duel Academy Duelists control no cards. Yuya has activated "Smile World" and has "Stargazer Magician" (Right Pendulum Scale 1) and "Timegazer Magician" (Left Pendulum Scale 8) in his Pendulum Zones. Yuya, Gong, and Sylvio appear to perform a Pendulum Summon of three monsters together. "Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon" (2500/2000), "Superheavy Samurai Warlord Susanowo" (2400/3800) and "Abyss Actor - Superstar" (2500/1800), the latter of which has been targeted by "Abyss Script - Fantasy Magic". They then go on to defeat their opponents.

Featured cards[]

The following cards appeared in this episode. Cards in italics debuted here.



Action Field
Spells & Traps



English adaption[]

  • Kite Tenjo narrates the attack on Heartland at the beginning of the episode with scenes used from the Arc Project Intro.
  • All flames and fire are coloured purple.

Mistakes[]

In other languages[]

Language Title
Italy Italian Un Benvenuto Bellicoso
Thailand Thai ฮาร์ตแลนด์ เมืองแห่งความสิ้นหวัง
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