Chapter 6: Entertrainers duels.

Yuya's snores thundered out of the guest room, the boy sleeping peacefully despite everything that had gone on over the past few days. In truth, he was just satisfied to have a bed to sleep in now. Much better than a park bench.

He chewed at the top of the pillow squished between his arms, mumbling something about pancakes and Yuzu reflective of the apparently pleasant dream he was having. However, he was swiftly pulled back into reality, the door slamming against the wall as it was shoved open. Barely even having time to jolt upright, Yuya was sent off the bed entirely after a paper fan smacked him in the face, screaming incoherently the entire time.

"Quit yelling," Yuzu told him, shushing Yuya as he flopped around on the ground. "You're going to wake up the neighbors."

Yuya lifted himself from the floor, holding his cheek and narrowing his eyes at Yuzu. "You're the one who came running in here. I thought I was about to die."

"Well, it's my house," she shrugged, though she was beginning to get the feeling she overreacted a bit. Still, she couldn't admit defeat, crossing her arms in defiance and refusing to back down.

Grumbling, Yuya collected himself and stretched his arms out. Spying the Time Wizard alarm clock on a nearby shelf, he realized just how early it was. "Why are you waking me up right now? It's four in the morning." He stopped short of saying anything else as the fan was brandished in his face once more.

"Did you forget your promise already?" Yuzu asked, mere moments away from disciplining him again.

A few seconds passed as the gears inside his head turned. "Oh!" he exclaimed. "Right, right, I get it." They were going to practice Pendulum Summoning. But before that, he'd have to get changed out of his loaner pajamas.

With a scream, Yuzu smacked him over the head with the fan, stopping him just seconds before he dropped his pants in front of her. "Hey, now you're yelling!" Yuya shouted back, hit again for still not getting the message.

One (private) change of clothes and a light breakfast later and the two made their way to the arena. However, Yuya wouldn't be participating in these first few tests, Yuzu's father having volunteered to act as the test dummy for the time being. Yuya merely worked the control panel for the Action Field.

Though he was tasked with taking notes on any advancements these tests made in figuring out the mystery of Pendulum Summoning, Yuya found this task to be exceedingly boring. He felt the same about the stop and start "dueling" on display from the two so far, neither playing seriously as they tried to maneuver Yuzu into the position to test her Pendulum Monsters. Rather than pay attention to them, his focus was firmly on the pendant around his neck as it waved back and forth.

Neither of the Hiragis noticed him slacking off, too focused on the task at hand. On Shuzo's field, he had an assortment of his trademark Gutsmaster monsters. With the three representing the sports of soccer, kendo, and rugby, they stood tall against an empty opposing field.

"Alright, Yuzu!" Shuzo yelled, his enthusiasm boiling over. "Show me your hotblooded attitude!"

Yuzu sighed, shaking her head. "Dad, let me think first." He was always so embarrassing when he tried to be supportive.

"Ah, sorry!" he said, still pumping his fist. "You can do it!"

Groaning, Yuzu ignored him to focus on her hand. As the 42nd attempt this day, she was now more or less familiar with the cards in this new deck. That said, her current attempts at figuring out the specifics of what made Pendulum Summoning work were still proving to be as elusive as ever when she wasn't blacked out.

Now or never, though. Taking two of the cards, she announced, "Get ready, I'm going to set the Pendulum Scales with these two cards!" She placed one at either end of her duel disk as had been done countless times before. No problems so far. They were even materializing behind her as holograms now.

As Shuzo celebrated this minor victory, Yuzu took a glance over her shoulder towards the control box. "Hey, keep writing!" she shouted at Yuya, startling him enough to fall back in his chair. After she could see him collect himself and at least pretend to start taking more notes, she moved on to the next part.

"Now, I Pendulum Summon!" Taking another two cards, she laid them into the Monster Zones. "Appear, Pendulum King of Justice, White Carnation!" Raising her hand, she attempted to call out the monsters, a loud buzzing noise coming from the duel disk's speaker in place of more holograms. Looks like another illegal move.

Stomping her foot, Yuzu muttered out an, "Again?" It just kept happening.

"Hey, look!" Yuya's voice said from the intercom. "Something's happening up there!" A portal appeared between her two monsters in the Pendulum Zones, energy blasting from it as White Carnation appeared on the field. Apparently, she had Summoned something.

Rather than celebrate, this only frustrated Yuzu even more. Lifting up the Pendulum King card, she squinted at it. What was different about this one compared to the other? "I thought for sure it was going to work now."

"Yuzu," her father spoke, approaching from the other side of the field. She looked up, hoping maybe he had some genuine words of encouragement he was about to lay on her. Instead, he seemed to have an observation. "I think I noticed something. Those numbers on your Pendulum Monsters...they mean something, don't they?"

Goofy as he might be, Shuzo was still a competent pro duelist. Just as he'd said, the numbers enshrined on the red and blue crystal designs on the cards did appear to have some significance. They weren't just an artistic detail; no, they had to mean something. Why else would they be different? That would be like saying a high-Level monster was only high-Level for the aesthetic.

Level. Could that have something to do with it? It was worth a shot. "Dad," Yuzu said after a prolonged silence. "I'm ending my turn. Destroy White Carnation next."

He nodded, not fully understanding what kind of revelation she might have made but trusting her instincts nonetheless. "Got it. Gutsmaster Heat, attack White Carnation!" His monster tackled Yuzu's, destroying it and inflicting a meager amount of damage. "Turn end. Show me your hotblooded discovery, Yuzu! I believe in you!"

Starting a new turn, Yuzu went ahead with another Pendulum Summon attempt. "Come back, White Carnation! And I'll also Pendulum Summon EN-Angel Anemone!" Another burst of energy exploded from the portal, both monsters now appearing in front of her on the field.

"Hey, she actually did it," Yuya commented, still not taking notes but paying more attention than before.

"You did it!" Shuzo cried. "I knew you could do it!"

"It's because of your help, dad," Yuzu told him. "You were right about the numbers. Look." She took the cards from her Pendulum Zones and held them up. "See, Mozarta isn't a Level 1, but that's what's on this space. And Floral Prince is Level 6, not 5. That means these Pendulum Scales must be something totally different."

"I see, I see." He was doing his best to follow along, but he was also born during a time when the most advanced tactic was Special Summoning with card effects once or twice per turn.

"So I got the idea that maybe they were depending on each other," she continued. "And I was right! You can only Pendulum Summon a monster that has a Level between the Pendulum Scales. It was that simple all along."

"Ah, so that's why Pendulum King wouldn't come out!" He was starting to get it.

Yuzu nodded. "Right." Turning back, she shouted up at Yuya. "Hey, are you writing this down!"

"I am, I swear!" he replied, furiously scribbling what she'd just explained.

"Now we finally know how it works," Shuzo declared. "But there's still one thing I'm not understanding. Yuzu, how did White Carnation come back? I destroyed it. Does that mean you can even Pendulum Summon from the Graveyard?"

She shook her head. "I noticed it before," she said. "Whenever a Pendulum Monster was destroyed, it was automatically added to my Extra Deck. I think that means that Pendulum Monsters on the field always go there instead of the Graveyard. And as long as their Levels are right, you can keep bringing them back over and over!"

"Wow, you already figured all of that out," he said in awe of his daughter's progress. "You've come so far in so little time. It's...it's…" He clenched his fists hard enough for them to shake. "It's amazing! I've never felt so hotblooded!"

"Okay, settle down," she said, waving her hands in front of him.

"How can I calm down, though?" he asked. "My wonderful daughter has mastered the art of Pendulum Summon! Now all that's left to do is show everyone how it's done! We'll put You Show back on the map in no time!"

"As long as we follow my plan, that is," Yuzu added with a smirk.

"Plan? What plan." His daughter hadn't discussed a plan with him before.

Instead of answering him directly, Yuzu turned back to Yuya once more as he doodled a crude Odd-Eyes onto the notepad. Whatever her plan was, it definitely relied on him to work out.

Noticing that they were both focused on him now, Yuya grumbled, finally saying, "I wrote it all down, okay! What else do I need to do?"

A week passed. During that time, the two duelists were hard at work not only with training but advertising. Posters and word of mouth spread throughout Maiami City, all of it pointing people in the direction of You Show Duel School.

Apparently, the Phantom was going to show up there. Rumor had it that the girl from the event who made that new Summoning technique had been calling him out. Since she obviously had no way to contact him directly, that must have been why there were so many posters around town.

While plenty of people were skeptical of both this duel and even Phantom's existence, it didn't stop curiosity from drawing in the largest crowd You Show had seen in years. More than anything, though, people just wanted another look at those Pendulum cards.

"Okay, right this way!" Shuzo announced from a plastic megaphone. "One at a time! Take your seats! Plenty of room for everyone to see this hotblooded grudge match!" Despite his best attempts to keep control of the crowd, he was quickly losing ground and ended up trampled as their excitement continued to grow.

Backstage, Yuzu and Yuya were preparing for the show. No one from outside would spot them here so they didn't have to worry about breaking character or explaining what would definitely be an awkward situation.

"Man, this is really tight," Yuya lamented as he tugged a colorful clown costume onto himself. Despite that, he was kind of enjoying how he looked after getting a look in the mirror. Red was definitely his color.

"Solid Vision will take care of that," Yuzu told him as she placed a jingly red hat on top of his head. "It should compensate for things that don't fit a little, so you'll be able to move around."

"Wow, even I didn't know the system was that advanced," he said, flicking one of the bells on his hat.

"It should hide your identity, too," Yuzu added, placing a laughing theater mask over her face for emphasis. "And you'll still get to look like a villain, though I'm not sure all those stars make you seem that dangerous."

Yuya shrugged. "Maybe I'm really just a misunderstood hero forced to make hard choices for the greater good," he mused.

"No, you have to be a real villain," she told him. That was the image LDS had made for him, after all. If he was to convincingly play...himself out there, he'd have to conform to what the crowd expected. "That's what it says in the script," she added. "Which you read."

The long pause that followed betrayed him almost immediately. "I mean, I read about half of it," he muttered. Watching as her rage began to build because of this, Yuya had to think quickly to avoid the fan. "Okay, fine, less than half," he corrected himself. Maybe telling the truth would make it better.

Though he was braced for an attack, it didn't come. Instead, Yuzu sighed and took a few steps over to another chair nearby. Sitting down, she crossed her arms and grumbled, "Fine, then we'll improvise."

"Yeah, like always," Yuya agreed, wrongly assuming all had been forgiven. "I work better without a script, you know. I'm flexible."

"Whatever," Yuzu said. "All that matters is getting people to enroll."

"And making them smile," Yuya added cheerfully. Yuzu didn't give him a response, unsettling him a bit. "That's what Yusho Sakaki would want, you know. That's why he started this school."

Yuzu was not impressed by his carefree optimism. "That's nice, but you can't pay the bills with smiles. That's why there's fees to attend class."

"Sure, but-"

"Let's go," Yuzu interrupted, standing back up and heading towards the door. "It's time to start the show."

It took Yuya a moment to collect himself and follow behind, stunned to see this side of Yuzu emerge before a show. How could someone who learned to duel in the style of Yusho Sakaki seem to disregard the importance of making the audience smile? What happened to the girl he'd met performing in the park, the joy he saw in those movements and the dedication she'd displayed at impressing everyone who watched? Had it all just been a ploy for recruitment after all?

Beyond the backstage and the duel arena, the crowd had packed themselves in to watch the game. Shoulder to shoulder, they murmured among themselves as they waited for things to start. While many were disbelieving of Phantom's supposed appearance here earlier, something about the shared anticipation spreading through them began to change the atmosphere. This was the school with Pendulum Summoning, so it wasn't exactly impossible for him to be here, right?

Among the crowd stood a young man in purple, hand to his chin as he observed the jittering excitement of the masses. "Interesting," he commented, impressed at how much attention this was getting before anything had even begun. From the outside, this old duel school didn't seem that impressive, yet it still managed to draw in such a crowd. Maybe it was worth watching the show.

Then the lights shut off. Just as suddenly, a single spotlight illuminated the center of the Action Field, Yuzu standing before the crowd. She could just make them out on the other side of the glass, the Solid Vision thinner there to allow the duelists a better view of the spectators.

Several people clapped, some out of courtesy but many more out of recognition for her duel with Dark Diva not that long ago. Her reputation was growing, meaning so was the school's. The thought erased any sense of unease or stagefright within her mind as she prepared to kick things off.

"Welcome to You Show Duel School," she announced, a group of several monsters - some of her Melodious, a few of her father's Gutsmasters, and an assortment of others belonging to other students at the school - materializing beside and behind her to match her movements.

"Thank you for visiting us today," she continued. "I remember a lot of you from the event before. And I'm sure you remember what happened there." She clenched a fist, holding it to her chest. "I took on the criminal Dark Diva, and through those struggles, I created a new power called Pendulum Summon!"

More applause as she expected. As it died down, she grew more serious. "But that power...Pendulum Summon...it's in danger!" The crowd seemed to be getting into it, several of them appearing to be genuinely concerned at hearing this.

The gaze of each person in the stadium was concentrated only on the action field, where a few lights were trained on the exact center. Yuzu is there gaining the public's adoration and recognizing her for her previous duel against the Diva.

Before she could give a response, the spotlight cut out as another appeared further down the field. Gasps and screams shook the building as this devious new character stepped forward, cape billowing behind him.

"I see you all recognize me," he said, voice booming as he deepened it as much as he could. "Yes, it's me, the one and only Phantom!" Yuya bellowed out a chorus of laughs he thought sounded super evil, flipping his cape to try and appear even more intimidating. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately knowing him), his overacting had ruined much of the gravitas his initial appearance brought with it, only a few children still feeling genuine fear as they watched him stomp across the stage.

"He's just a clown," the stranger scoffed from the audience, unimpressed by the legendary Phantom in the flesh.

Looks like it was up to Yuzu to save the day again. Hopefully, she could keep things moving and try to force Yuya into her rhythm, restoring some of the suspension of disbelief for the crowd. "You've finally appeared, Phantom! I'll make you pay for threatening our peaceful city!" Pointing a finger accusingly, she dropped the bomb just as planned. "I don't know how you did it, you devil thief of dreams, but somehow you found a way to steal Pendulum Summon!"

There it was. The audience was immediately back on board now. Phantom could Pendulum Summon? Someone else could Pendulum Summon besides the girl from You Show? Did that mean that maybe everyone in the audience could learn to Pendulum Summon? All questions that Yuzu had wanted them to start considering.

Yuya let out another laugh, running forward and throwing his arm forward. From his hand, a snake monster appeared and uncurled to latch onto the ceiling. Swinging from it, he did a somersault in midair before landing only a few inches in front of Yuzu. Villain or not, his athletic prowess drew a few claps from the crowd just on principle.

"And that's not all I plan to steal," he said with a smirk. "I'll steal your title as the creator of Pendulum Summoning while I'm here! So let's duel for it, Juno!"

Yuzu scoffed at this, crossing her arms in defiance. "And what are you going to do with that title? Why try to fight me for it?"

"It's what I do," he argued. "I'm a thief. I steal the hopes and dreams of those around me. And if I were to steal your title from you, I'd also steal the hopes and dreams of everyone in the audience, too!"

"You really have no honor," she spat back, jumping back and activating her duel disk.

"Say what you want," he said as he copied her movements, the background characters fading out as they prepared themselves for combat. "In the end, though, I'll be the winner. Then I'll have Pendulum Summoning all to myself!"

"I won't let that happen!" she replied. "Pendulum Summoning isn't something to hoard for yourself. Everyone with the will to learn and the heart of a duelist has the right to learn!"

He laughed once more. "Then this duel should decide who really gets to decide what happens to Pendulum Summoning."

"If that's how you want it, then fine! My duel is one of justice, and I won't let someone like you tarnish Pendulum Summoning any further!"

"Let's see if your justice is really as strong as you say it is!"

The two took flight, the Solid Vision blades on their duel disks clashing as they and the audience began the customary chant.

"Duelists locked in battle!"

Their positions changed, Yuzu taking Yuya by the hand and twirling him into a dip as if they were dancing. This caught him off guard as they hadn't practiced this kind of thing before, though he figured she must be getting back at him for all of his improvisation. Still, she didn't look too happy about it, almost seeming sad as he glanced up at her face.

"Kicking the earth and dancing in the air alongside their monsters! They storm through this field!"

They broke off, jumping towards opposite ends of the arena.

"Behold! This is the newest and greatest evolution of dueling! Action Duel!"

A golden orb above the field burst open, Action Cards raining down like shooting stars in the darkness. As they dissipated, the full field they'd be battling in revealed itself to the crowd. It was an enormous circus area, platforms and trapeze equipment rising up from thin air and illuminated by multicolored beams of light. A perfect field for the two to show their skills.

"I think I'll steal the first turn," Yuya began, drawing his hand to begin the game. "I'll summon my friend, Entermate Discover Hippo, to start us off!" It was a signature opening move for him, the dapper pink hippopotamus materializing and tipping its hat to the audience.

Entermate Discover Hippo 800 ATK/800 DEF

Jumping onto the hippo's back, it took off to search the field for Action Cards. As he rode on top of it, Yuya placed another card onto the field. "I'll also activate Barrier Bubble!" Shimmering bubbles blasted out of the card as it appeared, loosely surrounding the two as they moved.

"And what's that supposed to do?" Yuzu asked, prompting him to explain for the audience.

He scoffed. "You can't read it for yourself?" he asked mockingly.

"For the audience, thief!"

With a chuckle, he relented. "Fine, fine. With this card on the field, my Entermate monsters are impervious to destruction once per turn each. These bubbles even wash off any damage I might take during battle, too." He set another card alongside it. "Turn end!"

"Then I'm up, draw!" Yuzu jogged along behind Yuya, the gap between them growing larger each second she wasted on foot. "I activate Foolish Burial, letting me send Majestic Knight Flora Shield straight from my deck to the Graveyard." She then placed another card, golden light shining above as it clicked into place inside the duel disk. "I'll use my own Continuous Spell called Castle of the Gods - Valhalla! With this on the field, I can instantly summon a Fairy monster from my hand as long as I don't control any other monsters. Come out, Majestic Knight Mozarta of Melodies!"

Majestic Knight Mozarta of Melodies 2600 ATK/ 2000 DEF

Mozarta appeared in a shower of light, flying next to Yuzu before grabbing her hand and taking off. They caught up to Yuya quickly after that, tailing right above him. Mozarta then tossed her forward, blocking Yuya's path and cutting him off from both the front and back.

"I'll follow that up by activating EN-Angel Gladiolus in my hand, summoning itself and increasing my Life Points by 100 for each of Mozarta's Levels."

Yuzu 8000 = 8800

Skidding to a stop, Yuya's hippo looked side to side to try and get an opening to advance as more and more obstacles began to surround the two. "You haven't trapped us yet, Juno," Yuya said defiantly.

"I'm not done," she said. "I'll now use Mozarta's own effect and summon back Flora Shield!"

Majestic Knight Flora Shield 1300 ATK/ 2300 DEF

"While I control her, all my LIGHT monsters gain 300 ATK."

Mozarta: 2900 ATK

Gladiolus: 900 ATK

Flora Shield: 1600 ATK

Yuya clicked his tongue. That firmly put both monsters over his in terms of power. With just Mozarta and Gladiolus, he would have been perfectly fine. Now, though, he was staring down the barrel of some heavy damage."

"Battle!" she declared. "Gladiolus, attack Discover Hippo!" The monster nocked an arrow, pulling back and loosing it towards the panicked hippo. The arrow sailed forward, though it wouldn't hit its target. Instead, it collided with one of the huge bubbles from before, popping it and being knocked off course.

"Too bad for you, Barrier Bubble is still in effect. That means my Hippo is just fine, plus I won't take any damage." He took the chance to act as smug as possible before the tables inevitably turned here.

And turn they would if Yuzu had anything to say about it. Immediately, she launched into another attack. "Flora Shield, go! Destroy Discover Hippo!" Drawing up energy into the face of its shield, it blasted it out towards the enemy in the gap the last attack had made in the bubble wall.

Yuya managed to jump off his monster's back before the attack connected, the hippo blown to pieces and disintegrating as he rolled into a crouch a short ways away. "Sorry, buddy," he whispered under his breath. Couldn't afford to let people see him break character there.

"Too bad for you," he said, standing back up to face Yuzu. "Barrier Bubble still protected me from damage."

That might have been true, but he now lacked an Entermate to protect himself. "The damage should make it through this time!" Yuzu said, Mozarta flying up. "Direct attack! Glorious Wind!" The monster drew a piano-styled sword from its sheath, swinging it through the air to send a blast of wind and oversized, pastel music notes into Yuya's body.

He braced himself against the tornado force, pressing the screen of his duel disk. "Trap activate! Entermate Call!" The card materialized and flipped up, the wind pulled into the image and removing its effects entirely. "You fell for my trap, Juno! This card can only be used when I'm attacked directly."

She frowned. "You're saying you planned all of this?" she asked him.

"Of course!" He laughed again, hands on hips as he stopped the action to remind everyone just how evil his character was. He continued, "Your attack is negated, and then I get to add two new Entermate monsters to my deck who have DEF less than or equal to your monster's ATK."

A pair of cards ejected themselves into his hand, Yuya holding them in the air for all to see. "I'll take my friends, Entermate Skullcrobat Joker and Entermate Ballad, and add them to my hand!" He laughed again, though this wasn't the forced, dramatic kind from before. "Your monster's pretty impressive. I really felt that attack. Got a little scared watching it coming right at me."

Yuzu scowled at him, frustrated that he was already breaking his incredibly shoddy character. Holding back a mean whisper, she just continued her turn. "In that case, I activate Advance Draw. This tributes my Mozarta to let me draw two new cards." Her monster disappeared as quickly as it had arrived. "You aren't the only one who can add cards."

This seemed to concern several people here, Yuya included. "But why would you get rid of your ace monster just to draw some cards?" he asked. He made a show of tilting his head to play up his confusion.

"There's more than one way to achieve victory," she replied cryptically. "I didn't get where I am today by just relying on one strategy." Was that some kind of veiled insult? "I set two cards. Turn end. Now Flora Shield returns to my hand due to Mozarta's effect."

Gladiolus' ATK decreased as its companion left the field. Even so, this didn't shake Yuzu's conviction. She had faith in her style of dueling and what she fought for. She'd win and prove herself superior to Phantom. For the sake of the audience, of course.

"Then it's my turn, draw!" Yuya caught himself smiling a bit too much here, returning to character a moment later. He wasn't used to playing a villain no matter what LDS might say about him. "I hope you're prepared, Juno! You left yourself wide open, so I have no choice but to take advantage of your mistakes!"

He took a card from his hand and activated it. "Entermate Cast Change! I'll reveal as many Entermate monsters in my hand as I want, then return them to my deck to draw one more card than what I had before." He held up a single card. "Get a good look at Partnaga here. He's going away now so I can draw an extra two cards!"

Taking the extra draw, he nodded at the result. "Now I'm prepared to put on a show none of you will ever forget. Let's go, Entermate Skullcrobat Joker!" The cartoonish devil jumped out of its card in front of Yuya, snickering into its hands as its effect activated.

Entermate Skullcrobat Joker: 1800/100

"Skullcrobat Joker's effect! When this card is summoned, I can add Entermate Barracuda to my hand!" He took the card as it was ejected, picking up a second to go with it. With a single swift movement, he placed both cards down on his duel disk. "I'll use the Scale 2 Entermate Ballad and the Scale 5 Entermate Barracuda to set the Pendulum Scales before you, Juno!"

Yuzu couldn't hide that hearing that stung. It was one thing to practice with Pendulum and another entirely to see it right in front of her in a real duel, especially one with a crowd. And she hadn't even been the one to start it off. It somehow felt shameful.

The rose-themed monsters rose up beside Yuya in columns of light, their respective numbers underneath them. A pendulum began to swing between the two. "How's it look? As good as it felt to do it yourself? You were such a good teacher for me. Still, there always comes a time when the student surpasses the master, so let me show you what a real Pendulum master can do!"

He raised a hand, calling out, "Swing, pendulum of the soul! Draw an arc of light across the ether! Pendulum Summon! Appear, my monsters!" A portal opened between the two monsters, energy blasting from it onto the field in front of him. "Entermate Silver Claw, Entermate Pendulum Sorcerer, serve me!"

His monsters stood side by side with one another, the silver wolf and red-and-silver-accented magician taking the stage beside Skullcrobat Joker.

Entermate Silver Claw: 1800/700

Entermate Pendulum Sorcerer: 1500/800

Yuya took the chance to mount Silver Claw, flipping onto its back and riding off like he had earlier in search of an Action Card. They were being awfully elusive today. Oh well, they'd turn up eventually.

Yuzu followed close behind, though she was once again outpaced by her opponent. She was quickly growing more frustrated with all of this, both being left in the dust and Yuya's constant mistakes. He continued breaking character for cheap entertainment, not that his performance in character up to this point had been very convincing either. For all his talk of making people smile, his cheap acrobatic stunts and too-goofy-to-take-seriously attitude wouldn't have much lasting impact on the crowd or the registration papers.

A short ways off, Silver Claw jumped up to a circular platform, letting its rider off. "Battle!" Yuya declared, his monster growling. "Silver Claw, slice up Gladiolus!"

Howling into the sky, Silver Claw dove for the enemy monster, glowing golden as it flew through the air. "Silver Claw's effect activates! When Silver Claw attacks, all my Entermate monsters gain 300 ATK until the end of the Battle Phase!"

Silver Claw ATK: 1800+300 = 2100

Pendulum Sorcerer ATK: 1500+300= 1800

Skullcrobat Joker ATK: 1800+300 = 2100

"And now that it's the Damage Step," he continued, "I activate Entermate Ballad's effect in the Pendulum Zone!" The monster began to sing, glowing a similar gold to Silver Claw. "Gladiolus loses 600 ATK!"

Gladiolus ATK: 600 – 600 = 0

Now she was truly defenseless. A monster with zero ATK was the same as no monster at all. That seemed to be the philosophy the enemy was working under, Silver Claw tearing right through Gladiolus and slamming into her before finally stopping.

Juno LP: 8800 – 2100 = 6700

Even worse, her own effect now came back to haunt her. After summoning itself, Gladiolus came with a curse, inflicting as much damage as it had restored Life Points when it came to the field. A purple aura overtook Yuzu, choking her as her points fell once again.

Juno LP: 6700 - 800 = 5900

Yuya took a running start, leaping off the platform and grabbing one of the trapeze bars hanging in midair. Swinging from one side to the next, he flipped up onto a higher platform, bellowing out another dramatic laugh before pointing down to Yuzu. "Now, Juno, take the full force of my next two attacks!"

Action Cards didn't seem to be an option right now, Skullcrobat Joker and Pendulum Sorcerer barreling forward towards Yuzu before she even had time to search the area. They laid into her like an assault from the world's most flamboyant street gang, both attacks connecting and obliterating all but a quarter of her total starting Life Points.

Juno LP: 5900 - 2100 - 1800 = 2000

Knocking onto her back, Yuzu wasted no time in jumping back up to face her foe. Reactions from the crowd were mixed, unfortunately. Some looked appropriately concerned that their hero was being pushed this hard, though others were actually cheering for Phantom. Yuya seemed to be taking the latter quite well, giving a bow directly to the audience.

As the Battle Phase came to an end, so too did Silver Claw's boost. "I set a card face-down to bring my turn to a close," he declared, his monsters working their way skyward to stand around Yuya on his platform. "What do you think so far? Are you surprised to see how well your student has learned?" He laughed once more. "It looks like your crown is slipping from your head, Juno. Soon, I'll have stolen your most prized possession. Pendulum Summoning will be all mine!"

She didn't reply immediately, too focused on finding a way to recover. "Draw!" At least this new card would help her get on the way to doing that. "I activate Pot of Greed and Avarice!" she said, sliding the card into her duel disk. "I banish the top ten cards from my deck in order to draw two more."

It was a steep cost, that much was for sure. Both Yuya and the crowd seemed shocked that she'd sacrifice so much of her deck for this strategy. Still, there was no negation, so it was still two free cards.

The large pot depicted on the card materialized, the purple side licking up ten cards from the top of Yuzu's deck before it turned around, the green face belching out two more for her to draw. It disappeared after that, everyone waiting to see whether this gamble paid off.

Cracking a smile, Yuzu was ready to start her comeback now that she'd seen what she was able to draw. "First, I'm going to activate my set card, Angel's Blossom!" The card flipped up, shimmering. "I return Mozarta from my Extra Deck to my Main Deck, then add EN-Angel Anemone to my hand!"

Now everything was in place. Taking two of the cards in her hand, she slid them onto her empty field just as Yuya had done earlier. "I use the Scale 1 EN-Angel Amaryllis and the Scale 9 EN-Angel Anemone to set the Pendulum Scales!"

Both duelists were able to play at full power now, the crowd in awe of seeing two sets of Pendulum Monsters hovering behind their owners. They waited with bated breath, Yuya included, for the moment she'd summon her monsters.

That would have to wait, however. Yuzu had something else in mind now, placing another card on the field. "I activate Majestic Recruitment next, placing three Angel Counters onto itself." What the purpose of that wasn't apparent at the moment, though it did serve to further stoke the fires of anticipation for the upcoming Pendulum Summon.

Then, in what seemed like a miraculous turn of events, one of them actually found an Action Card. Yuzu snagged it from the ground next to a pillar as she ran by, catching Yuya off guard and causing him to jump back onto Silver Claw and return to the lower levels. He'd spent too much time boasting up top, neglecting the crucial element of finding cards inherent to Action Duels.

As soon as Yuya touched down nearby, Yuzu raised a hand to the sky. "I activate my monster's effects in the Pendulum Zones. As long as you control more monsters than I do, I can excavate the top cards of my deck and summon a new monster from the cards I get with a Level between my current Pendulum Scales."

"One and nine," Yuya commented. "That means anything with a Level from two to eight."

"Exactly," she said, the crowd hyping themselves up at this unorthodox means of pseudo-Pendulum Summoning. "For Amaryllis, it's five cards. For Anemone, it's four. Now go, both of you!"

For the first effect, five cards ejected from the top of her deck, appearing as huge holograms behind her as she inspected their real counterparts in her hand. "Come out, Majestic Knight Royal Breaker!" As the four remaining cards were shuffled back into the deck, an armored warrior came crashing onto the field in front of Yuzu, twirling a massive warhammer overhead.

Majestic Knight Royal Breaker: 1900/1300

"Next is Anemone's effect!" she called out, four more cards repeating the process again. "Let's go, Majestic Knight Percival the Brave!"

Majestic Knight Percival the Brave: 1600/800

"Since Percival is a LIGHT Pendulum Monster, Anemone's other effect gives it an extra 200 ATK, too," she added as the monster appeared beside its comrade.

Majestic Knight Percival the Brave ATK: 1600 + 200 = 1800

A portal opened between the two monsters floating above her. "And now, for the moment you've all been waiting for," she began, silence falling over the arena as they await those magic words. "The doors of the dimensions will open again. A power born from the bond between separated lovers! Pendulum Summon!"

Energy rushed out of the space between Yuzu's cards, monsters appearing on her field backed by the cheering of the crowd. "Flora Shield returns," she said, "but now we're welcoming a new monster to fight alongside us. Heavenly guardian, protector of the helpless and the protector of humanity. Come forth! Level 7! Majestic Knight Pendulum King of Justice!"

Yuzu's monster completely dwarfed everything else on the field, duelists included. It barely had room to stand within the arena, making the once spacious Action Field seem too cramped to function. The crowd was loving this.

Majestic Knight Pendulum King of Justice: 2500/2000

And so was Yuya, it seemed. "That's awesome!" he cheered, laughing and clapping his hands. "So this is what you had planned. You're really something else, Yuzu!"

Regardless of whatever positive emotions she might be feeling from these compliments, this simply couldn't be forgiven. He broke character again, and this time he even used her real name.

Maybe getting smacked around by her attacks would teach him a lesson. "Like before, Anemone increases my monster's ATK," she said, the mechanical creature drawing back its fists at its sides as the slight boost in power set it ablaze in golden flames.

Majestic Knight Pendulum King of Justice ATK: 2700

Now was the time to strike. This duel had been in Yuya's control for far too long. "Battle!" she declared. "Percival, destroy Entermate Silver Claw!"

Yuzu's monster reared back, shouting as it lunged at the enemy with its hammer above its head. "You should know that isn't going to work," Yuya told her. "Our monsters have equal ATK. Plus, I still have Barrier Bubble on the field."

Yuzu smirked. "Aren't you forgetting something?" she asked. "Flora Shield still has an effect. My LIGHT monsters all gain an extra 300 ATK!"

Majestic Knight Pendulum King of Justice ATK: 3000

Majestic Knight Percival the Brave ATK: 2100

Majestic Knight Flora Shield ATK: 1800

Majestic Knight Royal Breaker ATK: 2200

Yuya grit his teeth. His monster and his Life Points were still safe for now, something clear to see as Percival's hammer bounced off one of the bubbles floating around his monsters. However, he knew all too well that Yuzu wouldn't just be attacking for fun. Her monsters were strong enough to make this next hit stick.

"Now, Pendulum King of Justice, finish where Percival left off! Attack Silver Claw with Majestic Slash!" In one swift motion, Silver Claw was cleaved in half, exploding and sending a shockwave back towards Yuya. "You might not take the damage from battle, but my monster's effect inflicts effect damage equal to your monster's ATK!"

Phantom LP: 8000 – 6200.

"Turn end," she said. Continuing to attack wouldn't accomplish anything, especially with Flora Shield in Defense Position. "During the End Phase, I remove an Angel Counter from Majestic Recruitment." Taking a small bow similar to Yuya's from before, she stopped there for now.

Yuya hopped to his feet, quickly recovering from the damage. He took a deep breath, collecting his thoughts before proceeding. "Draw!" he said, grinning from ear to ear. Forget characters at this point; he was having too much fun now that Yuzu's biggest and best monster was out there. He had no choice but to play as himself. Otherwise, he couldn't get serious.

Jumping up, his remaining monsters boosted Yuya higher into the air. Landing on a platform, he spread his arms wide as a spotlight closed in on him. "Ladies and gentlemen!" he announced, not a single trace of the villainous persona from before to be seen. "Our dazzling Juno has finally shown us how much she's capable of! Now that her ace monster is out, it seems like victory is only a turn or two away. What can a simple thief like me do now?"

Jumping onto a trampoline, Yuya removed both his monsters from the field, springing up even higher than before. "I've got it!" he announced. "If you're using your strongest monster, I'll just have to use mine, too!"

Doing a flip, Yuya took a card from his hand to replace the two he'd just removed. "Appear! The Dragon with wondrous and beautiful dichromatic eyes! Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon!" His monster materialized underneath him, allowing him to land on its back before he hit the ground and screeching into the air.

Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon: 2500/2000

Patting the monster on the side of its head, Yuya took off again. "Get ready, Juno," he said. "The fun has just begun!" This was the signal for the portal between his monsters to activate, energy flowing out from it. "Pendulum Summon! Come back, Entermate Silver Claw, Skullcrobat Joker, and Pendulum Sorcerer!" The three rejoined Odd-Eyes as they moved across the room, his field now filled almost to bursting with monsters despite Yuzu's efforts from the last turn.

"Summon whatever you like," Yuzu said defiantly. "None of your monsters are strong enough to take down Pendulum King of Justice." Though his mass summoning had unsettled her at first, it all seemed performative now. Unless something changed in the next few seconds, there wasn't much Yuya could do to turn this around.

A few seconds later and Yuya wagged his finger. "Hold on there," he said. "I'm not just going to attack, you know. First, I need to finish setting the stage!" Pendulum Sorcerer began to glow, the set Ballad and Barracuda doing the same. "Pendulum Sorcerer's effect! I can destroy two of my cards to add a new pair of Entermate monsters to my hand!"

His Pendulum Scales disappeared, shocking the crowd. He might have used Pendulum Summoning this turn, but was it really going to be okay to just throw it away now? Even Yuzu wasn't sure what he might be planning now.

"Thanks to those two, I get to add Entermate Odd-Eyes Unicorn and Entermate Partnaga to my hand, then set the Pendulum Scales again!" Just as the other two had before, these new monsters appeared in columns of light behind their owner, a 3 and 8 under the appropriate cards.

"Not bad," Yuzu complimented. "You must really know your stuff if you can do something like that. Destroying your own Pendulum Monsters to gain an advantage is pretty advanced."

Yuya laughed. "Why, thank you," he replied, standing to bow on top of Odd-Eyes. "I'm just following your example, though." A moment later, he shifted back to making plays. "Now, Partnaga activates! I target Odd-Eyes, then give him an extra 300 ATK for every Entermate card I have on the field. Can you count how many I have now?"

"It's five," Yuzu grumbled. This situation was quickly getting out of hand, demonstrated by Partnaga's tail-hand reaching out to pat Odd-Eyes, granting it an huge increase in strength.

Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon ATK: 2500 + 1500 = 4000

"Battle!" Yuya declared, Odd-Eyes roaring once again. "Go, attack Pendulum King of Justice!" he ordered, his monster gathering a spiraling ball of red energy within its mouth before blasting it out at the target. "But that's not all. When my Odd-Eyes monster attacks, Unicorn's effect activates! Now Odd-Eyes gains the same ATK as Silver Claw for the rest of the Battle Phase!"

Odd Eyes Pendulum Dragon ATK: 4000 + 1800 = 5800

Mid-flight, the attack doubled in size. If this attack connected, it would surely end the game right there. Yuzu couldn't let happen. "Action Magic, Evasion!" she declared, placing the card she'd picked up earlier into the duel disk. "My monster can dodge your attack now!"

Despite her card's immense size, Pendulum King of Justice managed a small hop backwards, just barely escaping Odd-Eyes' blast with barely a centimeter of room to spare.

"Good dodge!" Yuya complimented, laughing at the bizarre movements of the enemy monster. "But you can't stop all of us! Go, Silver Claw! Attack Percival next!" Just like before, Silver Claw's effect boosted the ATK of its allies.

Silver Claw ATK: 1800+300 = 2100

Pendulum Sorcerer ATK: 1500+300= 1800

Skullcrobat Joker ATK: 1800+300 = 2100

"That won't work!" Yuzu said. "Percival won't be destroyed by battle the first time each turn!" Her monster met Yuya's head on, slamming into Silver Claw. The force from both knocked the other backwards, though neither was destroyed thanks to Barrier Bubble.

"Follow up, Skullcrobat Joker!" The opening made by Silver Claw's attack proved the perfect opportunity for Yuya's next monster to swoop in and get the kill. A quick jab through Percival's armor was all it took to destroy the monster. Just as before, the bubbles protected the attacker from destruction.

"When my monster is destroyed, Majestic Recruitment gains another Angel Counter," Yuzu said, her card returning to the status from the last turn.

"One day you'll have to show what that card does," Yuya smirked. "Hopefully it's going to be soon, since I end my turn. What are you going to do now, Juno?" His monsters returned to their original ATK value.

She didn't reply, the Angel Counter she'd just gained vanishing as the turns passed. "Draw!" she finally said, trying to focus on what to do next. It didn't help that the crowd had entirely turned on her, Yuya soaking in the applause as if he was the hero this entire time.

"Why are you doing this?" she finally asked. "Do you just want to make me upset?"

Yuya cocked his head, still smiling. "I'm just doing what I always do; I'm spreading smiles. Why would anyone want to duel if they can't make other people happy? It's what Yusho Sakaki would want."

He was just mocking her now. He had to be. Any pretense of playing a character was gone now just so he could mess around. All that planning meant nothing to him as long as he got the attention he desperately craved. Did he even really care about pleasing the audience like he said or was this all just self-aggrandizement?

Yuzu shook her head, fed up with this charade. "Your selfish and naive entertainment isn't going to satisfy anyone," she said, these words seeming to dig a bit deeper for Yuya than her normal criticism. "You're just an amateur trying to steal the spotlight like you steal everything else. You call yourself an Entertainment Duelist with your outdated gimmicks and cheap gags? Not at my school! I'll show you and everyone else what real entertainment is!"

Raising a hand, Yuzu activated her Pendulum Monster's effect. "Amaryllis excavates the top five cards of my deck, letting me summon the Majestic Knight Flower Magician among them!" With the appearance of the new magical monster, their fields were tied in number of forces once again.

Majestic Knight: Flower Magician: 1200/0

"I then activate this card, Poison of the Old Man. It lets me either inflict 800 damage to you or gain 1200 Life Points for myself. This time, I'm going to be restoring my own Life Points. And with Amaryllis' effect, that doubles to 2400. A magical green aura enveloped Yuzu, almost feeling as refreshing as she imagined the drink to actually be as depicted on the card.

Juno LP: 2000 + 2400 = 4400

"Now, Royal Breaker and Flower Magician activate their effects. First, Royal Breaker allows me to destroy a face-up Magic or Trap card because I gained Life Points, so Barrier Bubble is finally popped for good!"

Yuya grit his teeth, this new counterattack seeming even more effective than the last. His main source of defense was gone now, meaning his monsters and his Life Points were vulnerable for the first time since the start of the duel.

"Next, Flower Magician lets us both draw a new card." A good draw to say the least, though it seemed Yuya also managed to get something of value in the exchange. Whatever, though. If all went well, he'd never get the chance to use it.

"You were wondering about Majestic Recruitment earlier," Yuzu said. "Now I think it's time to show you what it can do. I remove two Angel Counters from my card to summon a Level 3 or lower LIGHT Fairy from my deck in Defense Mode!" Her choice was Majestic Knight Harmonious Nympha, a blue-armored woman rising up from a spout of water and twirling a trident in her hands.

Majestic Knight Harmonious Nympha: 1200/1000

With its Counters gone, Majestic Recruitment was automatically destroyed. It had served its purpose, though. "Nympha's effect," Yuzu explained, "gives all Majestic Knight monsters on my field an extra 200 ATK." This was already on top of all the additions they were already receiving from her other cards.

Pendulum King of Justice ATK: 3200

Flora Shield ATK: 2000

Royal Breaker ATK: 2400

Flower Magician ATK: 1900

Nympha ATK: 1700

A full field of powerful monsters and a clear path towards victory was good news for Yuzu. Just for some added insurance, though, she played another card. "I activate Majestic Healing. Now, whenever I inflict damage with one of my LIGHT Pendulum monsters, I'll gain 200 Life Points. I'll also get to place an Angel Counter on Majestic Healing.

Yuya was still entirely dumbfounded by what was going on around him, sitting on his dragon and gawking as all of this happened around him. Yuzu wasn't about to let this chance pass her up, sprinting forward and watching him and Odd-Eyes lurch back in surprise. This let her slide right between her opponent's legs, snagging an Action Card he'd missed in the process.

"Action Magic, Power Gem!" she declared. "With this, Royal Breaker gains another 800 ATK!"

Royal Breaker ATK: 2400 + 800 = 3200

As the crowd cheered, Yuzu moved in for the kill. "Battle! Royal Breaker, smash Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon flat!" The dragon boosted its master off its back, facing down the enemy with a screech. It was all ultimately fruitless, though, the hammer coming down and crushing it into dust without any issue.

Phantom LP: 6200 – 700 = 5500

"Now, Pendulum King of Justice, attack Silver Claw again! Majestic Slash!" Just like before, Yuzu's monster tore Silver Claw in half with a single swipe. This time, however, both the effect and battle damage connected, blasting Yuya backwards across the floor.

Phantom LP: 5500 - 1800 = 3700

Phantom LP: 3700 – 1400 = 2300

"Majestic Healing's effect gives me 200 Life Points now that I've inflicted damage with a Pendulum Monster," she added. "And Amaryllis doubles that to 400!" The card also gained an Angel Counter, a golden aura surrounding Yuzu as she recovered her Life.

Juno LP: 4400 + 400 = 4800

Angel Counter (Majestic Healing): 1

"Now it's your turn, Flora Shield! Destroy Pendulum Sorcerer!" Her monster sent a blast of energy from its shield towards Yuya's card, Pendulum Sorcerer crumbling in the beam with the runoff hitting Yuya himself once again.

Phantom LP: 2300 – 500 = 1800

"Majestic Healing activates once again, giving me another 400 Life Points!"

Juno LP: 4800 + 400 = 5200

Angel Counter (Majestic Healing): 2

"Flower Magician, take out Skullcrobat Joker and clear his field!" Beneath the enemy monster's feet appeared a pink sigil, freezing Skullcrobat Joker in place. This allowed Flower Magician to glide up and gracelessly bash it over the head with a thorn-covered cane, destroying it and activating Majestic Healing's effect for a final time.

Phantom LP: 1800 – 100 = 1700

Juno LP: 5200 + 400 = 5600

Angel Counter (Majestic Healing): 3

"It's too bad about Recruitment forcing me to summon in Defense Mode," Yuzu said. "If that wasn't required, I'd have already won." The numbers didn't lie there. "Make the most of your last turn after this, Phantom. On my next turn, I'll bring you to justice!"

The crowd seemed to love that line, roaring with approval as the successful turn came to a close. Fickle as they were, they were at least back on her side now. And unless Yuya could pull off a true miracle here, that's where they'd stay.

It seemed like a miracle was exactly what Yuya was counting on, though, as he hadn't given up despite his earlier attitude. Whatever funk had overtaken him after Yuzu's insults appeared to be clearing, a smile returning to his lips as he let out an overly loud, somewhat forced laugh.

Several seconds passed like this, the crowd quieting as things became more and more unsettling. Then Yuya stood up, stretching his legs and taking a breath before he raised his duel disk again.

"That was a really good hit," he congratulated her. "But Juno, you should know better than to think you've won already. I always have an extra trick up my sleeve just for situations like this!" Yuya was over the suave and charismatic villain route. Playing the role of plucky underdog was much more appealing now.

Yuzu bit her lip, unsure of what to make of the current situation. It was undeniable that Yuya was cornered here. Even with that mystery card in hand, his chances of actually making a meaningful attempt at beating her were slim to none. What could he possibly be planning?

"I activate my Trap, Entermate Revival!" The card sprang up, Yuya jumping into the air once again. "Since my monster was destroyed, I get to summon an Entermate card from my hand or Graveyard. Time for an encore, Entermate Discover Hippo!"

Yuya fell directly on top of his monster as it rose up from the ground, both raising an arm to wave to the crowd before setting off in search of an Action Card once more.

Yuzu scoffed, jumping into Pendulum King of Justice's hand as the monster lumbered along behind Yuya. "This was your last resort?" she asked. "It's a good effort, but I'm not sure what you can do with just that monster."

"Don't underestimate my hippo!" he called back, the two making a jump onto a trampoline to get to a higher platform. "I've learned from dueling you that you can always find a way to come back if you're just willing to try!"

A nice sentiment, but she wasn't sure what he was hoping for now. "It almost sounds like I've won you over," she said. "Could it be that my justice is going to purify the heart of the evil Phantom?"

Yuya didn't respond at first, only muttering, "There!" as he jumped from his monster's back. Barely catching the edge of another platform, he pulled himself up and added the Action Card he'd touched to his hand. "There we go. This should do the trick."

He turned to face Yuzu now, the two nearly eye level given her monster's size. "Maybe you already have," Yuya finally said. "I've learned a lot in this duel, Juno. Both about myself and about you." This seemed to confuse her, so he continued. "You said earlier that my dueling is childish. Maybe you're right about that, but isn't that the point of Action Duels?"

The crowd had fallen silent, hanging off these unexpected words from Phantom. "Action Duels are about fighting it out as hard as you can side-by-side with your monsters, but most of all, they're about having fun. And that's something I noticed you aren't doing much of, Juno." This actually managed to get at least one gasp from someone in the crowd.

With a smirk, Yuya nodded his head. "Your justice might have changed my heart, but it's corrupted yours! You're so set on it that you've forgotten what it feels like to enjoy a duel!" He pointed towards her. "Juno! I'm not going to steal Pendulum Summoning anymore! You're right about passing it on to others. Instead, I'm going to steal your heart!"

Yuzu's face turned as red as her suit. "What's that supposed to mean?" she muttered indignantly.

He gave her a wink before replying "It means I'm going to make you remember how to have fun and free you from these rough, adult-like duels you've been stuck with!" Placing his fingers on top of his deck, he shouted, "It's my turn, draw!"

Unbeknownst to everyone though, tucked away in a hidden corner of the arena, another figure stood. Dressed in the Maiami City school uniform, and with a glowing card perched within his hand, the figure gazed pensively at the duel. 'Hmm, this Phantom… He seems to be quite new to this, missing out on basic features of the Duel whilst prostituting himself to the audience. If anything, not only is that Juno quite the looker, but I bet she's got a trick or two up her sleeve.' He glanced down at the glowing card in his hand, the fact it was doing so still shocked him. 'But still, that card, Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon… What's with this reaction?

On the field, Yuya looked over his hand now that he'd drawn his card. He could already see every move he'd have to make to win this duel. If he did that, there was no way Yuzu wouldn't come to his side. As important as getting new students was, he was now more sure than ever that she'd need to rediscover her sense of fun if she was going to teach them anything resembling Yusho Sakaki's Entertainment Duel.

"Let's start things off," he said, "by saying goodbye to our friend, Entermate Partnaga. I activate this card's effect in the Pendulum Zone by targeting my Discover Hippo. Now my monster gains 300 ATK for every Entermate card on my field. Between Partnaga, Unicorn, and Discover Hippo himself, that's a whole 900 ATK!"

Discover Hippo stood up on its hind legs, taking Partnaga's tail and shaking it to gain a glowing aura of power. Though it was still fairly weak, this was only the beginning of what his turn had in store.

Entermate Discover Hippo ATK: 800 + 900 = 1700

"Now, ladies and gentlemen!" Yuya repeated, arms spread as he soaked in the attention. "It's time! Time for the final Pendulum Summon of this duel! So swing, pendulum of the soul! Let's welcome back my fallen friends in the Extra Deck!" Bursting forth from within the pendulum's arc, Odd-Eyes, Pendulum Sorcerer, Silver Claw, and Barracuda all returned to the field to join Discover Hippo.

Entermate Silver Claw: 1800/700

Entermate Pendulum Sorcerer: 1500/800

Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon: 2500/2000

Entermate Barracuda: 500/1100

Diving onto Odd-Eyes' back, Yuya declared an effect activation. "Since Pendulum Sorcerer was just summoned, I'll use his effect to destroy Partnaga and Unicorn in my Pendulum Zones, then search for Entermate Cheermole and Entermate Drumming Kong to add to my hand!"

As the two cards dispensed themselves into his hand, the spectators awaited the moment he'd activate them. It didn't come, however. Not immediately, at least. Instead, he activated a new card. "Magic Card, Pendulum Storm!"

Yuzu jumped in surprise, knowing full well that that card meant nothing good was about to come.

Confirming her fears, Yuya explained its effect. "Pendulum Storm destroys all the cards in the Pendulum Zones, then allows me to destroy another Magic or Trap Card you control along with them. Say goodbye to Amaryllis and Anemone, plus the Majestic Healing you were so fond of!"

Yuzu shielded herself from the wind, cursing under her breath at the massive loss of resources. Not only did that mean her monsters were going to lose ATK, it also meant Majestic Healing's secondary effect to boost a battler's stats in a pinch was now gone for good. Though he still didn't have a monster strong enough to do any major damage to her, it was still very irritating.

Pendulum King of Justice ATK: 3200 – 200 = 3000

Flora Shield ATK: 2000 – 200 = 1800

Flower Magician ATK: 1900 – 200 = 1700

"Now I'm going to set the Pendulum Scales again with Cheermole and Drumming Kong!" His Scales were now at two and five; limiting, but it wouldn't matter much if things went his way for the rest of the turn. "This means I get to use Cheermole's effect, increasing my Pendulum Monsters' ATK by 400 each."

Finding the courage to reveal itself from behind her pom poms, Cheermole shook them a bit to rally the other monsters on Yuya's field, quickly returning to shielding its face after.

Entermate Silver Claw ATK: 1800 + 400 = 2200

Entermate Pendulum Sorcerer ATK: 1500 + 400 = 1900

Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon ATK: 2500 + 400 = 2900

Entermate Barracuda ATK: 500 + 400 = 900

"Your moves are impressive," Yuzu complimented, "but your monsters still aren't strong enough to get past mine." Despite saying this, she was fully aware his turn wasn't over yet. What else could he be planning?

Taking a card in his hand, Yuya smiled widely and slammed it into his duel disk. "Are you sure about that? I'm activating the card that will ensure my victory, Smile World!" The field was enveloped by multicolored smiling faces, flowers, stars, and more, all of them happy as could be as they tinted the whole field in rainbows. "Smile World increases the ATK of every monster on the field by 100 times the number of monsters. They're all just so happy here!"

Ten monsters in total meant 1000 ATK for all, the creatures all smiling and laughing as their stats increased.

Entermate Silver Claw ATK: 2200 + 1000 = 3200

Entermate Pendulum Sorcerer ATK: 1900 + 1000 = 2900

Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon ATK: 2900 + 1000 = 3900

Entermate Barracuda ATK: 900 + 1000 = 1900

Entermate Hip Hippo ATK: 1700 + 1000 = 2700

Pendulum King of Justice ATK: 3000 + 1000 = 4000

Flora Shield ATK: 1800 + 1000 = 2800

Royal Breaker ATK: 3200 + 1000 = 4200

Flower Magician ATK: 1700 + 1000 = 2700

Harmonious Nympha ATK: 1700 + 1000 = 2700

"I don't see the point of a card like that," Yuzu told him. "All our monsters just gained the same amount. What now?"

Yuya only gave a knowing smile in her direction. "The stage is set!" he declared. "Now it's time to attack! Pendulum Sorcerer, destroy Harmonious Nympha!" Though it may have been in Defense Position to spare Yuzu any damage, her monster wouldn't stand up to the enemy's assault either way. It crumpled under a single blow from Pendulum Sorcerer, taking its effect with it as it left the field.

Pendulum King of Justice ATK: 4000 - 200 = 3800

Flora Shield ATK: 2800 - 200 = 2600

Royal Breaker ATK: 4200 - 200 = 4000

Flower Magician ATK: 2700 - 200 = 2500

Now it's your turn, Silver Claw! Tear Flora Shield to pieces!" Silver Claw's effect activated as it lunged for its prey, raising four out of five of Yuya's monsters' ATK by 300. It was more than enough to break Flora Shield's shield, cutting it to pieces and sending the remaining damage right at Yuzu.

Entermate Silver Claw ATK: 3200 + 300 = 3500

Entermate Discover Hippo ATK: 2700 + 300 = 3000

Entermate Pendulum Sorcerer ATK: 2900 + 300 = 3200

Entermate Barracuda ATK: 2100 + 300 = 2400

Juno LP: 5600 – 900 = 4700

Flora Shield's absence also meant another decrease in power for Yuzu's monsters, Smile World being the only thing keeping them above their original values.

Majestic Knight: Pendulum King of Justice ATK: 3800 – 300 = 3500

Royal Breaker ATK: 4000 – 300 = 3700

Flower Magician ATK: 2500 – 300 = 2200

"Let's go, Odd-Eyes! Hit Pendulum King of Justice with all you've got! Spiral Strike Burst!" The dragon let loose a torrent of spiraling flames directly towards Yuzu's monster, the creature shielding her from the damage as it barely withstood the struggle.

"Pendulum King of Justice won't be destroyed by this battle!" Yuzu told him, heart pounding as she tried to predict what he'd do next while trying to identify anything that looked like an Action Card in the area.

"But you still take the damage!" Yuya shot back. "And when Odd-Eyes battles a Level 5 or higher monster, that damage gets doubled!"

Juno LP: 4700 – 800 = 3900

Though it survived, Pendulum King of Justice fell to one knee. The attack had obviously weakened it. Now that it was vulnerable, was Yuya's aim to destroy it?

"Action Magic, Copy Magic!" Yuya declared, finally using the card he'd obtained earlier. "With this, I can copy the effect of one of the Magic Cards used earlier in the duel. I think I'll take a page out of your book and use Power Gem on Discover Hippo!" With a shout, his monster's ATK grew even further, now a full 3000 points higher than when it first arrived on the field.

Discover Hippo ATK: 3000 + 800 = 3800

Leaping from Odd-Eyes, Yuya mounted Discover Hippo. The two road forward into battle together, the duelist declaring, "Attack Flower Magician!"

This would definitely hurt, but Yuzu was confident it wasn't anything to worry about. That hippo might be surprisingly strong now, but it still lacked the strength necessary to finish her off.

As if sensing her doubt, Yuya activated another effect. "Drumming Kong, effect activate! When my monster attacks, I can have it gain an extra 600 ATK!" From the Pendulum Zone, the ape beat its drum-chest, Discover Hippo running even faster towards its target.

Discover Hippo ATK: 3800 + 600 = 4400

"Now I use Barracuda's effect! If my Entermate monster's ATK is different from its original ATK, I can have my monster gain that difference as ATK for the turn! Right now, Discover Hippo has 3600 more ATK than he started with, meaning my friend here ends up with a total of 8000 ATK!"

Discover Hippo ATK: 4400 + 3600 = 8000

This was utterly absurd. How could a monster that started out with only 800 ATK grow ten times as powerful? To make matters worse, the crowd had turned on her yet again, whooping as the hippo continued its charge at Yuzu's defenseless monster. She was done for now.

At least, she would be if not for her Trap. "Angel's Shield, activate!" she declared. Flower Magician raised its hands, a gleaming barrier forming between it and Discover Hippo. "During this turn, one of my Majestic Knight monsters can't be destroyed in battle."

"But you'll still take the-"

"No, you'll take the damage!"

"What?" What a shocking turn of events.

"That's right," Yuzu said. "Any battle damage I'd take from a battle involving Angel's Shield's target is sent right back at you!"

He couldn't believe she was able to turn this around. And after he went to all the trouble of boosting his monster's power to a full 8000. Was he really going to lose here? Could he maybe have misjudged things? Were his ideals really as shallow as Yuzu had said?

No, that couldn't be it. He couldn't give up. Yusho Sakaki never gave up. He never ran away. There had to be a way out. There just had to be. He couldn't accept defeat like this.

It was as if their brains had synched up at that very moment. Completely on chance, both duelists caught sight of a single Action Card positioned near the center of the field. It was roughly an equal distance between the both of them right now, meaning whoever went for it first would no doubt grab it. And whoever managed to grab it would likely be the one to decide the winner.

Yuya jumped from Discover Hippo's back, Yuzu leaping off her monster's hand at exactly the same moment. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as they both moved through the air, almost defying gravity with how long it felt like they hung there. The crowd, the field, and even their monsters all faded out. All that was left in the entire world now was the two of them and the card they were reaching for.

Crashing into each other in the air, both Yuya and Yuzu tumbled to the ground at the exact moment Discover Hippo banged into Flower Magician's barrier. The monster did its best to push through but was clearly outmatched, falling backwards with a whimper as the energy from its charge was directed back towards Yuya.

His body moving on instinct, Yuya's hand motioned to slip a card into his duel disk. Had he grabbed it? He couldn't even tell, just hoping beyond hope that he had. A second passed, the sound of the attack flying right at him drowning out any other noises.

Then he felt a rush of wind against his side. Looking over, it was a card back. On his screen, he could see it clear as day - it was the Action Card and it was activating now.

With a smile, Yuya stood up. "Action Magic, Showstopper!" he declared, Yuzu looking absolutely dumbfounded by the fact he'd managed to beat her to the punch. "This card negates the battle damage I would take," Yuya read, the card sucking up all of that energy and seeming to balloon up to double its size. "And then, I target a monster on my field," he continued, pointing towards his dazed hippo on the ground. "And then...we both take the damage?"

"Wait, what?" Yuzu questioned. Did she hear that right?

"We take...half of the target's ATK as damage," Yuya repeated, slowly absorbing the text of the card he'd played. "Which means...4000 damage!"

The entirety of the audience let out a collective, "Huh?" as the Showstopper card started to crack, bright yellow light shining from inside it. The two duelists looked to each other in disbelief, not even bracing for the impact that was to come.

And come it did, the card exploding right next to the both of them and sending them hurtling into the walls. It was a complete and utter mess ending in a draw.

Juno LP: 3900 – 4000 = 0

Phantom LP: 1700 – 4000 = 0

Everything fell silent for the next several seconds, holograms fading out as Phantom and Juno lay on opposite ends of the plain arena as confused as everyone else. Eventually, the stranger in purple began to clap, this inspiring another to do the same. Then another. Then another. Before they knew it, the crowd was lit up with excitement yet again. Though this may not have been the conclusive ending they desired, seeing the full force of two expert Pendulum Summoners duke it out like this was what mattered most.

Turning over, Yuya and Yuzu struggled to get to their feet. That last blast had more than knocked the wind out of them, Solid Vision or not. Even from opposite sides of the field, though, they remained locked in conflict if only through their eyes. Neither was satisfied with how things had ended here, both in terms of the duel's results and what it meant for the two of them. This wasn't over. For now, though, they'd just have to take a bow and move on, but only for now.

Yuya: This duel was intense, I can't wait to have another one.

Yuzu: You'll have to improve first.

Shuzo: Daughter, who is that new student?

Yuzu: Ehh, it can't be, a new You Show student.

Yuya: I can't wait to find out who he is, in the next episode of Yugioh Arc v Lost Pendulum: In the Predator's Fangs.