# Chapter 53: That Stance of Yours Scares Me
"Is this guy intentionally attracting the cameras' attention so I can't go all out?" Dennis wondered, watching Yūga Hōzumi run across the ice plain.
"Spell Card, Onomatopaira, activate!" After picking up an Action Card, Yūga Hōzumi began his move.
"I discard one card from my hand to add up to two monsters from my Deck to my hand—one 'Gagaga,' 'Zubababa,' 'Dododo,' or 'Gogogo' monster each!" Yūga Hōzumi sent the Action Card he'd just picked up to the Graveyard, and his Duel Disk immediately ejected two cards.
"I add Zubababa Banchou - Gagaga Coat and Dododo Dwarf - Gogogo Glove to my hand!"
"Spell Card, Dododo Draw, activate!"
"I send one 'Dododo' monster from my hand to the Graveyard to draw two cards!"
"I set one monster face-down, set two cards, and end my turn." Just as Dennis thought Yūga Hōzumi would follow up with a spectacular combo, he was taken aback by Yūga Hōzumi setting three cards in a row.
"Since you can't attack on the first turn, has he chosen a conservative defensive strategy to conserve resources in his hand?" the Commentator Uncle mused in the Assembly Hall, looking at the three dark, face-down cards on Yūga Hōzumi's field.
Just as Yūga Hōzumi ended his turn, a communication request from Reiji Akaba popped up on his Duel Disk.
"Why are you fighting a contestant?" Reiji Akaba demanded as soon as the call connected.
"He's no ordinary contestant," Yūga Hōzumi replied, sending the footage of their meeting he'd just recorded on his Duel Disk to Reiji Akaba.
After watching, Reiji Akaba's expression turned cold. "Then I'll leave him to you. Do you need support?"
Reiji Akaba broke out in a cold sweat. He'd actually had a high opinion of Dennis and was planning to invite him to join the Lancers. If Yūga Hōzumi hadn't discovered this, wouldn't he have been letting a wolf in the door?
"Support isn't necessary. Just restore the camera feed to the Ancient Ruins. It's time for the people of this dimension to know that the war has already begun."
After Reiji Akaba weighed the options, he nodded. "Then, as you wish."
"My turn! I draw!" Dennis, still oblivious to the fact he'd been completely exposed, caught up with a smile. "Alright, it's my turn. Let's finish this performance together!"
"Ladies and gentlemen!" Dennis bowed to the gathering cameras, which dutifully cast their spotlights on him.
"My opponent has established a defensive line of four set cards, as impenetrable as a fortress of bronze and iron! And now, for my next act, I shall perform a trick for the ages—one that will shatter this defense and seize victory!"
"And the prelude to this performance shall be these two!" Dennis revealed two cards. "I set the Scale 3... and the Scale 5..."
Dennis's words made Yūga Hōzumi flinch, his hand instinctively reaching for his set Cosmic Cyclone.
"I set the Pendulum Scale with Teru Teru Bozu and Wind-Up Frog!" As Dennis finished speaking, Yūga Hōzumi's hand froze, and he let out a sigh of relief.
Looking at the two pillars of light that appeared behind Dennis, Yūga Hōzumi held his tongue.
"Those scales... I thought you were about to show me some fancy combo with Plushfire. That stance of yours really scared me, you know?" Yūga Hōzumi thought. "Turns out it's just one of those random Pendulum cards Reiji Akaba sloppily printed?"
"Wind-Up Frog's Pendulum Effect, activate! When there are two cards with different Scales in the Pendulum Zones, I can draw one card!"
"Quick-Play Spell, Cosmic Cyclone, activate! I pay 1000 Life Points to target one Spell or Trap on the field and banish it!" Just as Dennis was about to draw, Yūga Hōzumi flipped his set card.
Yūga Hōzumi LP: 4000 → 3000
Two golden beams of light swirled out from the card, sending the small frog from one of the pillars of light behind Dennis to a different dimension. At the same time, the glowing 'Draw' prompt on Dennis's Duel Disk vanished.
"Pendulum Monsters are treated as Spell Cards when placed in the Pendulum Zone. And since Cosmic Cyclone banishes the card directly, your Pendulum Monster doesn't go to the Extra Deck," Yūga Hōzumi stated calmly.
"How boring! And after I so meticulously prepared a Pendulum Summoning performance for the audience." Dennis scratched his head, feigning frustration. "But my performance is far from over!"
"I set the Scale 6 Pendulum Monster from my hand, Performage Toy Nightingale!" Dennis rallied, slapping another Pendulum Monster onto his Duel Disk.
"Now, I can summon monsters from Level 4 to 5 simultaneously!"
"Appear! My Performages!"
"Level 4! Performage Trick Clown!"
"Level 4! Performage Damage Juggler!"
"Despite Yūga Hōzumi's interference, Contestant Dennis still manages a Pendulum Summon!" the Commentator Uncle roared in the Assembly Hall. "And it's two Level 4 monsters! What's next? An Xyz Summon?"
"I overlay my two Level 4 monsters!"
"Show must go on! O great magician of the skies, swing and soar across this magnificent stage! Xyz Summon! Appear! Rank 4! Performage Trapeze Magician!"
The spotlight shone on the galaxy-like vortex summoned by Dennis, from which cheerful laughter echoed. Moments later, a gorgeously dressed magician leaped out, grabbing a trapeze and performing a series of spectacular mid-air acrobatics. The magnificent performance drew thunderous applause from the Assembly Hall.
Performage Trapeze Magician ATK: 2500
"I activate Performage Trapeze Magician's effect! By detaching one Overlay Unit, I can target one monster on the field! That monster can attack twice this turn! However, if it doesn't, this card is destroyed!"
"I activate the effect of the Performage Trick Clown that was sent to the Graveyard as an Overlay Unit!"
"When this card is sent to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon it back to the field with its ATK and DEF at 0!"
"Return! Performage Trick Clown!"
"Since there are two or more monsters on the field, this card can be Special Summoned!"
"Appear! Performage Hat Tricker!"
"I activate Performage Toy Nightingale's Pendulum Effect! I target two monsters on the field with the same Level! Their Levels are increased by 1! Then, I take effect damage equal to the sum of their new Levels multiplied by 200!" (A seemingly meaningless card randomly printed by Reiji Akaba)
The Performage Toy Nightingale in the pillar of light behind Dennis sang a melodious song.
Performage Trick Clown LV: 4 → 5
Performage Hat Tricker LV: 4 → 5
As the song ended, the two now Level 5 monsters launched fireballs at Dennis. But Performage Trapeze Magician swung in on its trapeze just in time, catching the fireballs and flinging them into the air. Instantly, they exploded into a dazzling fireworks display.
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