"Ladies and gentlemen!"
"Let's start shall we? Come on!"
"Thank you for waiting, don't miss it!"
"Start a countdown, 3, 2, 1!"
"Step forward and draw!"
Two young entertainers practically flew across the stadium as they recited those words. The audience looked on in awe, as both of them traversed the circus-themed stage with great ease before the show had even begun. Attention then shifted to a mustachioed man in a colorful outfit as he snapped his fingers in an exaggerated display. All eyes were now on him, as he proudly opened the main event!
"Welcome, one and all, to the face-off of a lifetime! I am Nico Smiley, and I will be your host on this journey across scenes of drama and glee! Now, everyone please welcome the star of our show, Yuya Sakaki!"
The gallery erupted into cheers as an athletic boy leapt down from the highest platform in the theater, worrying the crowd before landing perfectly upright, only he was upside-down. Flipping out of a handstand as if to scoff at the thought of danger, his antics had quickly won over the hearts of all that surrounded him. He bounced back onto his feet, his striking green and red hair grabbing the eyes of anyone that didn't already have them glued to the charismatic teen.
The young man bowed graciously, grateful that so many people had come to see his performance, "Ladies and gentlemen! We have something special for you all, so be prepared to witness a spectacle like no other!"
"Yuya speaks the truth, folks! For today, you will be witnessing a collision of elements that the entertainment world has yet to truly sink its teeth into! Today, he shall present to you all the wonder that is Pendulum Summoning!" Nico spread out his arms, welcoming the cheers as they boomed out from the crowd.
"But of it takes two to tango, isn't that right?" All heads turned to a mysterious figure, the very same that accompanied Yuya during his entrance, "I'm afraid you won't have the chance to show off that fancy summoning technique you supposedly discovered all by yourself. For you see, Yuya Sakaki, I, the Masked Mage, shall defeat you right here and now, and take Pendulum Summoning for myself!"
Upon throwing away the cape that covered up his identity, the Masked Mage revealed himself to all, donning a blue and gold mask with a design that would typically be seen during the renaissance. His hair was orange and wild, and his outfit was just as outlandish, with most being orange to match his hair, but the right sleeve and pant leg being blue, as if to use his clothing to demand for recognition. Onlookers merely watched in astonishment, unsure how this confrontation would play out.
Briefly glancing back at the spectators, Yuya smirked before pulling out a machine that he swiftly latched onto his arm, "Well if that's how you wanna do things, then be my guest!"
Across the colosseum, the Masked Mage attaches a similar device to his own arm as his face forms a similar smile, "Glad we don't have to do this the hard way."
Nico gestured towards the crowd with great enthusiasm, "Well would you look at that, folks! It seems that today's demonstration won't be so simple, for a villain known as the Masked Mage has appeared! Who knows if Yuya will be able to defeat this unknown foe and protect the power of his Pendulum cards!"
"Oh I think we both know the answer to that…" The Masked Mage chuckled underneath his breath as he winked at Yuya, who returned the favor upon noticing.
"But no matter the stakes! A typical battlefield will never do for the one and only Yuya Sakaki! It is time to power up the Solid Vision, and get this battle for the fate of Pendulum Summoning underway!" Nico proclaimed.
"Action Field, on! Field Spell: Acrobatic Circus! Activate!"
The already brightly colored arena was coated in a plethora of even more decorations, further emphasizing its existent theming. The audience watched on as the world around them was enveloped by a new level of vibrance not typically seen. Tightropes, trampolines, and trapezes, all being very real to the touch as one child discovered once they reached out to grab a stray balloon, wonder immediately filling their eyes.
Seeing everyone become gripped by the powerful air of positivity, Yuya and the Masked Mage turned to each other, ready to begin a match that they would make sure none of the viewers would forget!
"Duelists locked in battle!"
"Kicking against the earth, and dancing in the air alongside their monsters!"
"They storm through this field!"
"Behold! This is the newest and greatest evolution of dueling!"
"Action…"
"Duel!" "Duel!"
As the two of them recited the chant, a burst of light filled the space above them, only to dissipate into physical pieces that fell into the stadium.
Yuya LP: 4000 Masked Mage LP: 4000
Yuya didn't waste any time, grabbing a card from his hand and slapping it down on the Duel Disk, overflowing with excitement, "Alright, let's get started Performapal Hip Hippo!" From seemingly nowhere, a pastel hippo appeared, donning a vest and top hat (Lv 3/Earth/Beast/800 Atk/800 Def). Yuya then mounted the bizarre creature, letting it carry him across the jumble of various set pieces scattered everywhere.
Meanwhile, the Masked Mage was unimpressed, "If that's the best you've got, then the secrets of Pendulum Summoning will be mine in no time at all! I summon Performage Trick Clown!" With that, an explosion of color brought forth a vaguely humanoid imp with face paint, wielding a cane as it precariously balanced itself atop a miniscule ball with impeccable dexterity (Lv 4/Light/Spellcaster/1600 Atk/1200 Def). The Masked Mage then stuck out his arm in one swift motion, grinning wildly as he proceeded to make his move, "Trick Clown, attack Performapal Hip Hippo!"
Performage Trick Clown then leaped off from the ball it used, and reeled back its foot before striking it with enough power to send it flying towards its target. Yuya signaled for Hip Hippo to dodge, as the mammal saw the sphere hurtling through the air with enough speed to shatter the wind around it. With a yelp, Hip Hippo jumped just in the nick of time, the extra height causing Yuya to spot something on a nearby ledge.
Yuya hopped off of his partner and grabbed the stray card laying atop the platform. "Sorry to disappoint, Mister Mage, but Hip Hippo is going nowhere! Action Spell: Tenacity, activate!" As the ball rebounded off the wall, it came back and struck Hip Hippo, but left the pink pal with nothing more than a sizeable bruise as it laid on the ground, wincing in pain, "Might need more than an Action Card for that though…"
Nico Smiley suddenly interjected from the commentary booth, "What an incredible move by our very own Yuya Sakaki! While summoning such a weak monster might have seemed like a poor choice to some, Hip Hippo's speed on the battlefield allows for anything to be possible when Action Cards are a factor, thanks to being able to be activated during either player's turn! For example, Tenacity can protect a monster from being destroyed by battle that turn, as long as it is the only monster that duelist controls!" It wasn't until after his little scphele however that Nico noticed that no one was even paying attention, all eyes still on the duel. He then turned away, muttering to himself, "Sometimes I wonder why I ever bother…"
The Masked Mage merely laughed at his opponent's attempt at a defensive maneuver, "Excellent job protecting your monster, Yuya Sakaki, but while Tenacity stops your Hip Hippo from being destroyed by battle, surely you know that you'll still receive damage equal to the difference between the Attack Points of our two monsters, yes?" Yuya then turned his head upon hearing an odd swishing sound, only to be met with the same ball colliding with his face, pushing him off the platform from which he stood.
Yuya LP: 4000 3200
"That's not all I'm afraid, as now I activate the Spell Card Tremendous Fire! You lose an additional 1000 Life Points, at the cost of me losing 500 myself!" The Masked Mage remained stoic as he was instantly engulfed in a tornado of flames. The same to happen to Yuya, who screamed out in response, much less resilient than his opponent.
Yuya LP: 3200 2200
Masked Mage LP: 4000 3500
As Yuya grew agitated as he lifted his body off of the ground, "Alright, no more mister nice Yuya! I summon Performapal Whip Snake!" With his command, out came a violet cobra with similar top hat to his hippo, along with a distinctive bowtie (Lv 4/Earth/Reptile/1700 Atk/900 Def).
"Now I activate Whip Snake's ability! Once per turn, I'm allowed to flip the stats of one of your monsters right on their head!" Whip Snake then lurched out and knocked the ball out from under Trick Clown, which then fell flat on its behind (1600 1200 Atk/1200 1600 Def). "Okay Whip Snake, time for that clown's curtain call!" A sharp lash of Whip Snake's tail then met Trick Clown, as it disappeared in a similar manner to when it first showed up, vanishing in a puff of colored smoke.
Masked Mage LP: 3500 3000
The Masked Mage's smile was unperturbed however, and instead he laughed even more boastfully, "Is that the best you can do? Surely you can hit harder than that!" As if to point out how weak the attack was, Performage Trick Clown then reappeared as if nothing had ever happened.
"W-Wait, what?!" Yuya stood there in shock, wondering why his opponent's monster was suddenly back.
"When my Trick Clown is destroyed, I can pay 1000 Life Points to bring it back immediately with zero Attack and Defense Points. A true bait and switch." (1600 0 Atk/1200 0 Def)
Masked Mage LP: 3000 2000
"Sorry to disappoint, but that won't help you one bit! I attack Trick Clown with Performapal Hip Hippo!" Yuya then directed a second attack, allowing Hip Hippo to get his revenge for the injury earlier. Trick Clown was rammed into with immense force, shattering the imp once more, leaving the Masked Mage defenseless yet again, though that wouldn't remain the case for long.
"My turn!" Upon seeing the card he drew, the Masked Mage's grin grew ominously large, "Since there are at least two monsters on the field, I'm allowed to Special Summon Performage Hat Tricker!" On command, a mysterious hat came down onto the battlefield, only for a cape to fall out from inside and wrap itself around it, followed by a pair of goggles at the front tying it together (Lv 4/Earth/Spellcaster/1100 Atk/1100 Def).
"I'm afraid he won't be sticking around for long however, as I now tribute my Hat Tricker in order to summon Performage Stilts Launcher!" The cape and goggles then retreated into the hat, only for two long stilts to shoot out from inside it, along with a tall creature that gripped them with an intense look in its eyes (Lv 6/Earth/Spellcaster/2200 Atk/0 Def). "Now, Stilts Launcher! Exterminate that Whip Snake!"
Before Yuya could react, a stilt was blasted at Performapal Whip Snake with immense force, shattering his monster in an instant, "Drat…!"
Yuya LP: 2200 1700
"Oh, and don't think that's the end of it." With an acrobatic leap, the Masked Mask swiped a nearby card and dangled it to make sure his opponent saw, "You're not the only one who can make good use of Action Cards, you know. I activate Wonder Chance, granting my Stilts Launcher a second attack! Now, destroy Performapal Hip Hippo!"
Yuya tried to find an Action of him own, but before he could even spot one, Hip Hippo was shattered without any chance to react, sending him to the ground, face first, "Grk…!"
Yuya LP: 1700 300
The Masked Mage grinned, setting a card in his Spell/Trap Zone, face-down, before ending his turn.
"Oh dear, this looks like bad news for Yuya…!" Nico finally started giving his opinion once again, just in time to remind Yuya why he was dueling in the first place, "At this rate, the Masked Mage will win his Pendulum cards before he even has a chance to use them! The magic of Pendulum Summoning will be lost forever!" Upon hearing that though, Yuya scoffed at the thought.
Just as a duel can swing in one person's favor, it can swing back just as easily. Leaping back up, Yuya spread his arms in order to draw the audience's attention, "Ladies and gentlemen! I hope you're prepared for a comeback like no other!" Gasps consumed the crowd as Yuya smiled confidently.
"Is he gonna do what I think he's gonna do?"
"It's finally time to see it with our own eyes!"
"I'm so excited!"
Yuya's smile only grew wider upon hearing the audience's excitement, encouraging him to get this show on the rode! In his hand he held Timegazer Magician, but that wasn't enough on its own to Pendulum Summon. That didn't matter though, since because Yuya had the cheers of the crowd on his side, he was certain he would get the card he needs! With one powerful movement of his arm, he smirked once more as he welcomed his good friend Stargazer Magician to the party.
Climbing up onto a small pedestal, Yuya began his big moment, "I apologize for the wait, but it is finally time for the moment you have all been waiting for! I use Scale 1 Stargazer Magician, and Scale 8 Timegazer Magician to set the Pendulum Scale!" He then slapped the two cards down onto the far zones of his Duel Disk enthusiastically, evoking the word 'PENDULUM' to appear between them in bright, vivid colors, as if the machine wanted the people's attention as much as the one wearing it.
Everyone was left in awe, mouths were agape at the glowing Duel Disk Standing tall, Yuya continued with his proclamation, having won over the crowd once more, "With this, I'm able to summon multiple monsters between Levels Two and Seven!" Overhead, a giant pendulum was visible through the open ceiling, eyes shifting towards it as it swung between two columns of light. Stargazer Magician and Timegazer Magician then rose up from the base of said columns, a 1 appearing above the former, and an 8 for the latter. With everything now in place, Yuya commenced what the entire duel had been building up to.
"Sway, Pendulum of the Soul! Draw your arc of light across the ether!
PENDULUM SUMMON!
Come forth, my monsters!
Performapal Trampolynx!
Performapal Thunderhino!
Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon!"
From a portal formed from the pattern carved by the pendulum, three beams of light unleashed a new monster onto the field. A violet cat with a round midsection (Lv 2/Earth/Beast/400 Atk/400 Def), a rhino with drums surrounding it (Lv 3/Light/Rock/200 Atk/1800 Def), and a red dragon with mismatching eye colors, and prominent bones sticking out of its head, chest, and most dominantly its back (Lv 7/Dark/Dragon/2500 Atk/2000 Def). Everyone had been left speechless upon witnessing what they just had. Some had been convinced people were pulling their leg prior to this, while others had no idea what the spectacle would actually look like. Either way, they had now seen Pendulum Summoning for themselves, in all of its glory.
No matter how many times he saw it, Yuya Sakaki couldn't get over the sight of so many joyous smiles. That was what drove him, and what gave him the passion to succeed, "Time to give them a finale they'll remember for the rest of their lives! Odd-Eyes! Attack Performage Stilts Launcher!" On command, the dragon shot a stream of violent flames at its foes, sparks hurtling towards it.
Regardless of being outnumbered, the Masked Mage kept his calm composure, "You may have Pendulum Summoning on your side, but I'm afraid you're still doomed to lose, Yuya Sakaki! I activate my face-down card, Forbidden Lance! I reduce the Attack Points of your Odd-Eyes by 800!" (2500 1700 Atk)
"Egads!" Nico interjected, "If this attack goes through, Yuya will be done for!"
"Which is exactly why I'm gonna make sure that doesn't happen!" Yuya leapt onto the back of Thunderhino, with Trampolynx in tow, an Action Card in his sights! Grabbing Trampolynx's tail, Yuya tossed the circular cat in front of their path, and jumped back off Thunderhino, and onto his other companion, utilizing its springy stomach in order to make his way up to the Action Card, and nabbing it just in time! "Action Spell: Spell Swing, activate! Since you activated a Spell Card that targeted one of my monsters, I can change that target to another applicable one, and I choose your Stilts Launcher!" (2200 1400) (1700 2500)
With his last line of defense gone up in flames, the Masked Mage's demeanor had finally broken away from its typical frozen state, "Well then, it looks like you've bested yet another one of my dastardly tricks, but I'm still going to win in the end!"
While the Masked Mage was already quite riled up, it would soon go further beyond that, as Yuya stood atop Odd-Eyes proudly, "I'm afraid the show's already over! See, since your Stilts Launcher was Level 5 or above, the damage Odd-Eyes deals to you, is doubled!" The Masked Mage's eyes widened as Odd-Eyes leaned back before launching another fireball straight at him, finally ending their duel.
Masked Mage LP: 2000 0
Winner: Yuya
The onlookers burst into endless amounts of cheering, Yuya riding Odd-Eyes around the arena as he proudly welcomed their joy. Meanwhile, the Masked Mage smirked from beneath his mask as he lay defeated on the ground, nonetheless satisfied with the result. All the while, Nico Smiley continued to give commentary over a duel that had already ended, "What a spectacular finish! Against all odds, Yuya Sakaki has turned the Masked Mage's own card back on him for an incredible comeback victory!"
Backstage, Yuya was busy stretching after working his muscles so hard, "Thanks for filling in for my usual opponent, Dennis. I don't know what we would've done if we couldn't find a replacement!"
Dennis Mackfield removed his mask, glad to no longer have hide his face any longer, "The pleasure is all mine! It was an honor dueling the pioneer of Pendulum Summoning himself!"
Yuya merely forced a laugh as he rubbed the back of his head, "You flatter me. I'm more impressed by you and your own performance out there! I can tell why they asked you to take the position! It really has been great meeting you!"
Yuya stuck out his hand, to which Dennis simply responded with a lighthearted chuckle, "There's no need to speak as if it will be our last encounter! As fellow Entertainment Duelists, we are destined to cross paths, fated to join together with our common goal of spreading joy to the masses!" Confusion swept over Yuya as Dennis struck a triumphant pose, clearly passionate regarding what he spoke about. Despite this, it was hard not to stare.
"There's that Pendulum Energy again… Would it kill that kid to be more subtle with that stuff? Makes it difficult to for other readings to stand out…" A disgruntled man sat alone in a dark room, watching bright monitor as it flickered silently, "Sigh… Oh who am I kidding… Even without any disruptions, this hunk of junk never picks up anything. I've resorted to talking to myself for cripes' sake… Huh…?"
The man suddenly reached for a nearby landline and immediately began talking to someone on the other end, "Mr. Akaba? I think we may have finally found something… There's been an unusual spike in Xyz Energy…"
A voice could be heard on the other end; one that was slow, cold, and calculating, "Xyz Energy? That's not too unusual, now is it? It is the most popular summoning method here in Maiami City, after all."
"Yes but… the output is far higher than anything normal we've received befo-...! Sir…!" The man suddenly froze up.
"... Yes?"
"Y-You won't believe this but…! We just got readings for…!"
"... So, it appears that it is finally time." Placing the phone down, the owner of the ominous voice thought to themselves quietly, "Are they really making the first move though…"
I don't really know what to say here, other than please let me know how I can improve, because I really want this to turn out well. Also since this is meant to act more like a prologue, this is actually a bit shorter than what chapters after this will be like. Nothing crazy, but I'm willing to say this this is around two-thirds of the average length I'll be aiming for. Also, I'll be including any original cards if they're introduced in that chapter, such as Spell Swing.
Thank you to Blue88 for pointing out that I forgot to mention Dennis setting Forbidden Lance. I've added a short sentence that amends this. Also I'll take the time to also mention the reason for the cards having their English names, despite the characters having their Japanese names. I play the TCG a lot, so using the Japanese names for the cards would be torture on my muscle memory, so I've decided it wasn't worth the additional headaches down the line, and opted for the English names.
Spell Swing (Action Spell)
When your opponent activates a Spell Card that targets exactly 1 monster (and no other cards) on the field: Target a different monster that would be an appropriate target; that Spell now targets the new target.