Action Field: Master Circus!
Vibrant striped poles shot into the sky, holding up a massive, glowing canvas roof. Strands of multicolored fairy lights draped across the arena, casting brilliant illumination over the grand performance ring. Hovering platforms and giant bouncing hoops materialized in mid-air.
"DUEL!" Yuya and Ryo roared together.
"You can have first turn, Sakaki Yuya."
Yuya adjusted his green goggles, a sharp spark of determination igniting in his chest. "To bring joy to the audience, the show must start with a grand entrance! From my hand, I summon Performapal Hip Hippo!"
[EARTH / Beast / Level 3 / Effect / ATK: 800 / DEF: 800]
"Next, this card can be tribute summoned by one performapal monster, even if I have already normal summoned a monster from my hand. I use hippo as a tribute to summon this! Come forth, my reliable partner. Performapal Sleight Hand Magician!"
[LIGHT / Spellcaster / Effect / Level 7 / ATK: 2500 / DEF: 2000]
The elegant magician caught the spotlight. "I set one card facedown and end my turn!" Yuya announced, flashing a confident expression.
Ryo's eyes remained entirely hollow. "My turn. Draw. From my hand, I activate the Continuous Spell, Dark Contract with the Gate. I activate its effect to add D/D Berfomet from my deck to my hand."
"Dark Contract? D/D?" Kids murmured on side.
Sora explained to them what it is.
"Next, I activate the Continuous Spell, Dark Contract with the Swamp King. With its effect, I fuse D/D Berfomet and D/D Swirl Slime in my hand."
The two fiendish entities collapsed into a dark, swirling maelstrom inside the giant swamp monster that was formed behind Ryo.
The kids were shocked.
Sora was surprised. His lolipop slightly hanging out his mouth.
Yuya narrowed his eyes. As if he had expected, what Ryo is capable of
"Scream of the underworld, echo through the void of chaos and eternal blaze. Fusion Summon! Arise, Level 6! D/D/D Flame King Genghis!"
The swamp monster was erupted with hot flames. A monster descended.
[FIRE / Fiend / Fusion / Effect / Level 6 / ATK: 2000 / DEF: 1500]
"Fusion summon, huh?" Masumi muttered under her breath.
"He summoned a Fusion monster..." Yuzu gasped from the sidelines, her voice tight. "Is he from Fusion course?"
"I activate the effect of D/D Swirl Slime from my graveyard. By banishing it, I Special Summon D/D Lilith from my hand."
[DARK / Fiend / Level 4 / Effect / ATK: 1000 / DEF: 2100]
"Because a 'D/D' monster was Special Summoned, the trigger effect of D/D/D Flame King Genghis activates." He stated flatly. "Return, D/D Berfomet."
[DARK / Fiend / Level 4 / Effect / ATK: 1400 / DEF: 1800]
"Now, I overlay the Level 4 Berfomet and the Level 4 Lilith!"
The two monsters transformed into streaks of dark purple energy, spiraling up into a golden, crackling galaxy. A blast of blue light erupted.
"In order to subjugate all who dare oppose, descend from the heavens of absolute authority! Xyz Summon! Appear, Rank 4! D/D/D Wave King Caesar!"
[WATER / Fiend / Xyz / Effect / Rank 4 / OU: 2 / ATK: 2400 / DEF: 1200]
"Xyz as well... Perhaps Synchro as well." Yuya thought, in daze.
"He can also do Xyz summon!!" Hokuto was at awe.
"First Fusion, now Xyz?!" Shuzo cried out. "...He already mastered it all! I don't know if I should be proud or sad!"
Kids were surprised as well.
Ryo pointed across the field. "Battle. D/D/D Wave King Caesar, attack Performapal Sleight Hand Magician."
"Sleight Hand Magician has 2500 ATK! Your Caesar only has 2400 ATK!" Yuya yelled.
"I am aware. I detach an Xyz material from Caesar to activate it's effect. If my monsters are destroyed this turn, I can Special Summon them back from the Graveyard during the end phase. And if they are still on field during my next standby phase, I will take 500 points of damage for each."
The blue fiend charged forward, clashing against Sleight Hand Magician. The swing of hands destroyed Caeser.
Ryo LP: 4000 → 3900
"Because Caesar was sent to the graveyard, I can add a dark contract spell or trap card. I add Contract Laundering from my deck to my hand." A card was sloted out of deck. "I set three card facedown and end my turn. At the end phase, Caesar's effect triggers. Return to my field."
Particles of purple energy formed Caesar.
[WATER / Fiend / Xyz / Effect / Rank 4 / OU: 0 / ATK: 2400 / DEF: 1200]
"He destroyed his monster he went through to summon just get a card?" Tatsuya muttered. Sora also noded with doubt.
"My turn, Draw!" Yuya shouted. "I activate the effect of Performapal Sleight Hand Magician! By discarding a 'Performapal' card from my hand, I destroy one face-up card you control! I discard Performapal Friendonkey to destroy Wave King Caesar!"
Sleight Hand Magician fired a beam of magical light, vaporizing Caesar.
Ryo's face didn't flinch. "Since it was sent to graveyard again, I can add another spell or trap card." He took another card.
"Yuya just saved him 500 points of damage." Sora Muttered. "Destroying a monster aside, he also saved Ryo in a way."
"Ryo," Yuya called out. "You said Pendulum is just a universal joke... and I am not capable and suitable for it. But I'm going to show you that the bonds I made with these cards are real, and they are mine! With the Scale 1 Stargazer Magician and Scale 8 Timegazer Magician, I set the Pendulum Scale!"
The two massive pillars of light shot behind Yuya.
"I activate quick-play spell, Dark Contract with Zero. For each D/D/D monster I control plus 1, I can negate the effects of spell or trap cards on the field. I only have Genghis, that means two. I negate the effects of your Stargazer Magician and Timegazer Magician." He said flatly. "Pendulum cards are counted as spell cards when they are in Pendulum zone after all."
"He even knows that?" Yuzu was shaken.
"I activate Stargazer Magician's effect!" Yuya yelled. "I can negate the effect of a spell card once per turn!"
"The effect of Dark Contract with Zero cannot be negated. And it will go to graveyard. As it is not a continuous spell, but the effect will stay intact."
Two dark rings released from the card gone to Stargazer and Timegazer Magicians. The rings entangled, wrapping on them very tight.
"I can still summon monsters simultaneously through level 2 to 7!" Yuya countered." Swing, pendulum of souls! Draw an arc of light across the sky! Pendulum Summon! Appear, my monsters!"
Two massive beams of light struck the circus ring.
"First, Performapal Whip Snake!"
[EARTH / Reptile / Level 4 / Effect / ATK: 1700 / DEF: 900]
"And my ace, my partner! Odd-eyes Pendulum Dragon!"
[DARK / Dragon / Pendulum / Effect / Level 7 / PS: 4 / ATK: 2500 / DEF: 2000]
"I activate Whip Snake's effect! I swap the attack and defense points of your D/D/D Flame King Genghis!"
D/D/D Flame King Genghis ATK: 2000 → 1500 / DEF: 1500 → 2000
"Battle!" Yuya shouted. "Odd-eyes Pendulum Dragon, attack D/D/D Flame King Genghis! Spiral Flame Strike!"
"At this moment, I activate my facedown Trap," Ryo interrupted. "Contract Laundering. I destroy 'Dark Contract' cards in my Spell & Trap Zones of my choice, and draw cards equal to the number, and I gain 1000 Life Points for each destroyed cards. I destroy Contract with the Gate and Contract with the Swamp King."
Ryo's both Dark Contract cards shattered. He drew 2 cards, and his Life Points climbed, with golden light around him.
Ryo LP: 3900 → 5900
"The attack continues!" Yuya pressed on. "Odd-eyes Pendulum Dragon, destroy Genghis! And when Odd-eyes battles a Level 5 or higher monster, the battle damage is doubled!"
Odd-eyes unleashed a massive blast of red fire, completely vaporizing Genghis.
Ryo LP: 5900 → 3900
"Next up! Performapal Sleight Hand Magician, attack him directly!"
The elegant magician tipped his hands, firing a barrage of concentrated magical energy straight at Ryo.
Ryo LP: 3900 → 1400
Ryo took steps back by the attack.
"I'm breaking through to you, Ryo! Performapal Whip Viper, attack him directly!" Yuya pouring all his emotions into the declaration. Whip Snake lunged forward, sinking its fangs. conjuring a energy sphere before Ryo, unleashing the final shockwave.
The area exploded across the arena. The digital life counter on the big screen beeped rapidly.
Ryo LP: 1400 → 0
The display on screen showed the result of battle: Ryo LP: 0.
"He did it!" Yuzu cheered, wiping a rolling tear from eye across her cheek. "Yuya won!"
"Ryo's life points dropped to zero..." Gongenzaka whispered, a heavy weight lifting from his chest as he sighed. "The duel is over. You played good, Ryo. But justice falls equally on everyone."
"Xyz and Fusion was certainly a big surprise. But they weren't that much of big deal." Sora said with carefree smile, finishing his lolipop.
Kids and Shuzo remainied silent. Unable to function with both good and bad feeling swirling in them.
Himika's mouth hunged low. Her face showed clear disbelief, as if she was betrayed.
"I had high hopes." Yaiba said.
"Me too. Can't believe I was captivated by his style." Hokuto said with frowned eyebrows.
"You two, shut up." Masumi said. "Did you two forgot who's son he is?"
After hearing her, they remembered what they just spoke standing beside Himika.