Last time in Yu-Gi-Oh Arc-VRAINS The Circuit Of Smiles, Yuya and Zuzu have arrived in the Link Dimension and were ready to search for and find Declan's father, Leo. On the way, they met a man named Kolter, who not only takes them into his home but informs them about LINK VRAINS and an upcoming tournament where seven duelists will join LINK VRAINS's Top 3 and become the new Top 10.
Interested, they decide to join the tournament to experience LINK VRAINS for themselves. Under the identities of Ringmaster and Maestra, they split up to earn enough Vrains credits to earn their spot along with the other five winners. After each entering a new area, Maestra and Ringmaster got challenged by two duelists named Zekt and Seraph. Maestra, in the end, won her duel, but for Ringmaster, it was just beginning.
The battle for a spot in the Top begins!
Ringmaster LP: 4000
Seraph LP: 4000
"We're back on live, ladies and gentlemen, dueling fans of Den City," The MC announced. "At the moment, Ringmaster is facing off against Seraph, a duelist whose most likely of becoming a Charisma Duelist! If Ringmaster defeats him in this duel, not only will he earn his spot of becoming a member of the soon-to-be Top 10, but also rob Seraph of that honor!"
"I will make the first turn," Seraph said as five cards in digital form appeared before him. "I set a monster." A monster card appeared on Seraph's field face-down.
Ringmaster narrowed his eyes, "Face-down Defense Position…." He's had a couple of duels with face-down monsters, and he knows it is a little tricky to know exactly what the opponent plans to do with them.
Maestra, who was still in Area #6, looked a little troubled after seeing Seraph's first move, "Not knowing the set monster makes it nerve-racking." She stated.
"No question there," Kolter said while communicating through her Duel Disk. "But there are also certain disadvantages by doing that like you mostly can't activate its effect until it's face-up."
Seraph looked at Ringmaster, "I end my turn with that."
Ringmaster looked confused, "That's it? You're ending it just like that?" He honestly thought he would do a little more than that.
Seraph looked back at Ringmaster, "Trust me, that's all I need to do to plan out my victory." He then held out her right hand to him, "Now it's your turn, so show me what you got!"
"Oh, I intend to!" He stated as he placed his fingers on his deck, "My turn! I draw!" He drew his card and looked to see it was Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon, "Alright, I got Odd-Eyes."
He then looked at the rest of his hand, which was Performapal Swap, Performapal Jammershark, Performapal Friendonkey, Performapal Handsamuraiger, and Gap Power. He narrowed his eyes and noticed he couldn't Pendulum Summon any of these monsters with just Odd-Eyes. Normally, he would summon Friendonkey and use its effect to bring out Handsamuraiger, but he's not sure if he should.
Seraph looked at Ringmaster. "What's wrong? I thought you were going to show me what you got?"
"I hate to admit, but he's right," Ringmaster muttered. "I didn't become the duelist I am today by not being afraid to take any risks. So if I want to win and become a finalist, I have to face him head-on."
After placing Odd-Eyes in his hand, Ringmaster selected a different card from his hand. "Alright, time for the next act!" he proclaimed, "I'll be starting things off by summoning out Performapal Friendonkey!"
In front of Ringmaster was a blue gray-skinned donkey with boxes emblazoned with a star on either side of its saddle and a green and pink bowtie.
Performapal Friendonkey ATK 1600 DEF 600 LVL: 3
"And now that Friendonkey has joined the show, he's allowed to bring along another Performapal friend!" Ringmaster continued as he lay another card on his Duel Disk, "So come on out, Performapal Handsamuraiger!"
Another monster appeared next to Friendonkey. This one was a warrior with liger traits, as it had the hairstyle and face of a liger. It was wearing a red samurai outfit with a short white cape and wielded a long sword. If you looked at the face closely, you could see that this monster is actually quite handsome.
Performapal Handsamuraiger ATK 1800 DEF 400 LVL: 4
"Amazing!" The MC shouted. "Ringmaster quickly managed to summon out two monsters on his first turn!"
Ringmaster pointed at his monsters, "Battle! Performapal Handsamuraiger attack his face-down monster!"
After hearing its command, Handsamuraiger charged straight towards the set monster and slashed its blade right through it, revealing it to be a male angel clad in white armor under a torn cloak. He had light blue eyes, two crimson wings sprouting from his back, and he held an ornate staff in his right hand, which had a green orb on its tip.
Archlord's Messenger ATK 1200 DEF 1500 LVL: 4
"Archlord's Messenger's effect activates!" Seraph declared. "When he's destroyed and sent to my graveyard, I'm allowed to Special Summon 1 LIGHT Fairy-Type monster with 1500 or less DEF from your Deck. Come on out, Archlord's Archer!"
A female angel appeared from the sky wearing a brown tunic, white breastplate, shoulder plates, and poleyn. She had two green-feathered wings attached to her back and held an ornate bow in her hands, which she used to fire sacred arrows of yellow light.
Archlord's Archer ATK 1600 DEF 1400 LVL: 4
"Her effect now activates!" Seraph continued. "When she's summoned, I can banish 1 LIGHT Fairy-Type monster from graveyard to add one Spell/Trap that lists that specifically lists the card "The Sanctuary in the Sky" in its text from your Deck or Graveyard to your hand. I banish Messenger to add the Counter Trap Card, Divine Punishment!"
"Since Friendonkey has the same ATK as his Archer, I can no longer attack, but that doesn't mean that I'm done." Ringmaster stated. "I activate Handsome's Liger effect! When he destroys a monster by battle, I can add one Level 5 or above Monster from my Deck to my hand. I add Performapal Drummerilla to my hand!" Yuya added a monster to his hand thanks to Handsome Liger's effect.
He then took a card from his hand and placed it into his Duel Disk. "I set a card and end my turn."
Seraph placed his fingers on her deck, "My turn, draw!" He shouted as he drew his card and smiled after seeing what it was. "Looks like the luck of the mighty Lord is on my side today."
"What do you mean?" Ringmaster asked.
"Let me show you," Seraph replied. "I activate the Spell Card: Graceful Charity! This card lets me draw three cards in exchange for discarding two afterward.
Seraph drew his cards and smiled after seeing one of them before selecting and discarding two cards. "Looks like I got the card I wanted. I activate the Field Spell Card: Solemn Kingdom!"
The area around Ringmaster and Seraph started to shake as a flash of light appeared and enveloped the entire field. Once the light died down, the two duelists were suddenly in a new world, one made in a sea of clouds under a clear blue sky. What was more eye-catching than the cloud cover was the colossal structure floating on an island, clustered together by several forms of temples worn down by the ages, with the foremost one, neatly stacked with its tall pillars, was the most presentable. Its crowning jewel would be the massive pillar that may hold the temples together, with a marble sphere resting on a horned pedestal.
"So you played a big building on some clouds, huh?" Ringmaster rhetorically asked.
"Make jokes now, but soon you'll be begging for mercy once I defeat you!" Seraph retorted. "Moving on with my turn, I tribute Archer to summon Archlord's Virtue Vach!"
Archer burst into particles as a massive golden-armored angel wielding a hammer took its place.
Archlord's Virtue Vach ATK 2200 DEF 1800 LVL: 6
"Time to fight!" Seraph exclaimed. "Virtue Vach, attack Performapal Friendonkey! Mighty Mallet!"
Virtue Vach rushed towards Friendonkey, ready to strike him with his hammer.
"And if you were planning on using your set card, think again because when Virtue Vach attacks, you can't activate any Spells or Traps."
"What?" Ringmaster said with shock
Once Virtue Vach made itself over to Ringmaster's field, he slammed his mallet into Friendonkey, destroying it.
Ringmaster: 4000→3400 LP
"Now, I'll activate Virtue Vach's second effect!" Seraph continued. "When he destroys your monster in battle while I control "The Sanctuary in the Sky," I can banish a LIGHT Fairy-Type monster, like Archer, to grant Virtue Vach a second attack."
"Well, I hate to break it to you, but last I check, you don't have that Field Spell!" Ringmaster stated.
"Actually, Solemn Kingdom has an effect which treats itself as "The Sanctuary in the Sky" while on my field." Seraph retorted.
"Are you serious?" Ringmaster said with shock.
"That's not all. Since I banished Archlord's Archer from my grave, his effect destroys one card on your field." Seraph explained. "So say goodbye to your Handsamuraiger!'
Virtue Vach's mallet transformed into a golden bow as it pointed an arrow towards Handsamuraiger and released it.
"Not quite. I activate my Trap Card, Performapal Swap!" Ringmaster announced as Handsamuraiger exploded into a shower of confetti as soon the arrow touched it. "Through its effect, I can shuffle Performapal Handsamuraiger back into my Deck to Special Summon a "Performapal" Monster with an equal or lower Level than it from my Deck! Come, Performapal Card Canard in defense mode!"
Flapping a set of six card wings, a yellow bird wearing a pair of glasses and a top hat appeared onto Ringmaster's field.
Performapal Card Canard ATK 800 DEF 1600 LVL: 4 PS: 3
"Since Handsamuraiger's no longer on my field, Archer's effect no longer applies." Ringmaster stated.
"In that case, I'll destroy your Card Canard then!" Seraph shouted. "Do it, Virtue Vach!"
Virtue Vach charged once more and delivered a smashing blow at Card Canard with its hammer, destroying it.
"Looks like you weren't able to wage a direct attack after all." Ringmaster snorted.
"Make all the jokes you like because in the end, all your sins you'll be the reason for your downfall!" Seraph stated. "I place one card face-down and end my turn."
"At this time, Performapal Card Canard's effect activates!" Ringmaster declared. During the End Phase of the turn, it was destroyed. I get to draw one card."
"Like it'll help you." Seraph snorted.
"Sadly, he's right." Ringmaster said to himself as he looked at his hand, which contained three monsters and one Spell and Trap.
"Even with Odd-Eyes and Drummerilla, I don't have any Level 3 Monsters to summon. Gap Power won't help since there isn't a huge difference in our Life Points, and I can't play Performapal Signal since his Virtue Vach's effect will prevent me from activating it. That means I have to get a good draw on my next turn."
Ringmaster narrowed his eyes as he placed his finger on his deck, "Alright, my turn! Draw!" He looked at the card he drew and smirked, "Alright, I can use this."
"Hold on a minute, Yuya!" A voice shouted right next to him, causing Yuya to turn around and see the ghostly form of his Xyz Counterpart, Yuto, with a frown on his face.
"What is it, Yuto?" Yuya asked.
"I know that winning this duel is important, but I think it's best to not Pendulum Summon at all unless we really need it," Yuto answered.
"I understand that, but at the moment, I need it if I ever stand a chance of winning this," Yuya replied. "Sometimes, you have to take risks when needed."
''He's right! You know how many risks and gambles I've made, hoping that it would help me win?'' Another voice said, causing Yuya's eyes to turn to his right shoulder to see his Synchro Counterpart, Yugo.
"Yugo," Yuya muttered.
"Look, Yuto, I get it that you're very cautious and want to take the safe and smart way out, but there are times when it isn't enough, and you might have to take the dangerous and dumb way instead," Yugo mentioned.
"If anyone's an expert of doing dumb and dangerous things, it's you." A third voice said, causing Yuya to shift his eyes to his left shoulder to see his Fusion Counterpart, Yuri, remarking with a small mischievous grin.
"You're still annoying as always'' Yugo yells at Yuri in anger as Yuri sighs, shaking his head at how soft and idiotic Yugo still is.
''I'm just saying that you're right, but hilariously,'' Yuri replied. "If you recall Yuto, it's because of Yuya taking the risk of using his Dueltaining skills to reach the hearts of Duel Academy for them to see the error of their ways."
"But what about keeping ourselves hidden from the enemy?" Yuto asked.
"Knowing them, they've probably already detected our presence once we've arrived but decided not to do a thing about it," Yuri answered.
"They just don't want to come out to make a scene, so they can still have the element of surprise," Yugo added.
"Which means if we want to drive them out of hiding, we need to attract more attention to ourselves," Yuya said. "And the best way to do that is by Pendulum Summoning, Yuto."
Yuto was silent for a short while before responding. "Alright, if you guys insist, then let's do it!" He exclaimed.
Yuya smiles at him, and his other counterparts responding determine. ''Right!''
Yuya's counterparts disappeared to the back of his mind as he returned to his duel with Seraph.
Seraph looked at Ringmaster. Hello? Are you going to make a move or not?"
Ringmaster narrowed his eyes at Seraph. "I will, but there's one thing I need to do first."
"Whatever it is, it won't help you," Seraph stated.
Ringmaster pushed a button on his Duel Disk, which then sent a message.
At Café Nom…
Kolter, watching Yuya's duel, suddenly received a message and saw it was from him.
"Wonder what this could be?" Kolter said as he read the message and saw what Yuya asked for.
"No problem, bud. I'm on it."
Kolter immediately started working on Yuya's request but wondered why he asked him to do this.
Back in LINK VRAINS…
Ringmaster suddenly received a code from Kolter and saw a reply that he could fulfill his request. "Perfect! Time to give Seraph a show that he'll never forget."
Ringmaster then snapped his fingers as the entire area became shrouded in darkness.
"What the-? What's going on here?" Seraph asked.
Suddenly, a pair of spotlights began to dance upon the oddly unlit area before landing on none other than Ringmaster.
"Ladies and Gentlemen," he loudly declared. "Now then, everyone, if I may have your attention please, I'm about to show you all something so amazing, something so incredible, something so spectacular, that will surely shock you!"
"What is he about to do?" Seraph said with a confused look.
Back in his truck, Kolter was confused after hearing Yuya's statement, while in another part of LINK VRAINS, Zuzu, a.k.a. Maestra, knew what was about to come.
First, I activate the Spell Card: Magical Pendulum Box! I now draw two cards, but I only keep them if they're Pendulum Monsters!
Everyone was confused by what Yuya just said, "Pendulum Monster?" Nobody knew what that meant. Was it some type of new card? Seraph, however, was intrigued but wondered, "What on earth is Pendulum?"
Draw!" Ringmaster shouted as the two cards he drew were monsters.
"I drew Performapal Trump Witch and Performapal Rollerhamster!" He announced.
"So what if you got two new monsters? By the looks of them, they aren't strong enough to take down my monster!" Seraph stated.
"Who said I was going to use them on your monster?" Ringmaster rhetorically asked, confusing Seraph.
"I don't get it. What other use could those two monsters have?" Seraph asked.
"I'll show you." Ringmaster said as he held up the two cards. "I'll use Scale 4 Performapal Trump Witch and Scale 9 Performapal Rollerhamster to set the Pendulum Scale! I'm taking control of this duel starting NOW!"
Upon placing his cards on his Duel Disk, the word 'Pendulum' appeared, while two pillars of blue light appeared on the field. One contained a small witch with blonde hair braided in pigtails wearing a black mask over her eyes while wearing a blue dress and carrying a wand with a skull on the end of it. The other contained a hamster with star patterns on its body, whose lower half is a car with hamster wheels instead of regular wheels.
Performapal Trump Witch Scale: 4
Performapal Rollerhamster Scale: 9
"What is happening?" That was what everyone was asking as they were watching Ringmaster, and he wasn't done.
"I activate Rollerhamster's Pendulum effect!" Ringmaster declared.
"Pendulum effect?" Seraph asked, confused.
"That's right! In addition to their normal effects, Pendulum Monsters also have Pendulum Effects, which can only be activated when in the Pendulum Zone!" Ringmaster explained. "Once a turn, I get to roll a die, and depending on the number I rolled, I can either increase or decrease the Pendulum Scale of the Pendulum Monster in the opposing Pendulum Scale up by that amount."
The trunk of Rollerhamster's car opened up as a die fell out and landed on Ringmaster's field.
"Time to see if luck is on my side. Go, Dice Roll!"
The giant die rose above Ringmaster as it shot itself forward. After a couple of rolls, it eventually landed on the number 1.
"Yosh, just the number I wanted!" Ringmaster said, doing a fist pump. "Now I get to choose whether to increase or decrease Trump Witch's Scale by 1, and I choose to decrease it from 4 to 3!"
The number 3 appeared underneath Performapal Trump Witch as her Scale changed.
Performapal Trump Witch (PS: 4→3)
"With this, I can summon monsters with Levels 4 through 8!" Ringmaster explained as the pendulum swung faster and faster, "Swing far, Pendulum! Carve the arc of victory! My monsters are ready… TO SWING INTO ACTION!"
A portal formed as the pendulum swung in a circle, and from it, three lights shined down onto Ringmaster's field, revealing monsters.
"Get things jamming, Performapal Jammershark!" Appearing first was a grey-colored hammerhead shark with radio antennas on each side of its head.
"Go bananas, Performapal Drummerilla!" Next was a gorilla with drums on its body, drumsticks for hands, and cymbals on its back.
"And turn up the heat, Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon!" Finally appearing with a roar, and its twin dichromatic eyes shining, was Ringmaster's ace monster.
Performapal Jammershark ATK 1200 DEF 1600 LVL: 4
Performapal Drummerilla ATK 1600 DEF 900 LVL: 5 PS: 2
Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon ATK 2500 DEF 2000 LVL: 7 PS: 4
Everyone in Den City became shocked after witnessing what had happened. Ringmaster, summoning three monsters at the same time, including a high-level one. Seraph got caught off guard as he had never seen or heard of it before.
"P-Pendulum Summon? Kolter wondered, "How did Yuya get his hands on something this powerful?"
Meanwhile, at SOL Technologies…
Within what appears to be a highly advanced monitor room, the staff was busy typing on their computers as multiple graphs were spiking up.
"Mr. Zaizen, we've detected an unusual level of summoning energy!" one of the staff called out, "It's coming directly from LINK VRAINS."
Analyze the signal immediately!" Zaizen ordered the staff as they quickly started working on pinpointing the signal.
After a bit, one of the staff found something. "We've managed to pinpoint the signal," she informed, "According to our readings, it appears to be something known as … Pendulum Energy."
"Pendulum Energy!?" Zaizen cried out in surprise, "How's that possible!? We've never encountered anything like this! "Do you know the duelist who made this happened?"
"I do." the staff member replied as she pulled up a photo. "His name is Ringmaster. He recently created an account to register for the tournament, but we have no records of him dueling even outside LINK VRAINS, meaning he's new to Den City as well."
"A stranger appearing not only appearing out of nowhere but showcases a brand-new summoning method that I never heard of," Zaizen muttered. "Try to see if you can find this Ringmaster's true identity, and when you do, bring him straight to me!"
"Right!" The staff replied.
Back in LINK VRAINS…
Seraph narrowed his eyes in shock that something like this happened.
"Summoning two monsters at once, one of them being Level 7!?" Seraph exclaimed to himself, "Something like that has to be illegal!"
Just then, a holo screen showing the MC showed up over Seraph's Duel Disk, also looking quite perplexed. "If it were illegal, SolTech would have intervened by now!" he explained, "Whatever that trick was, it seems to be legal."
The holo screen disappeared, leaving Strong even more perplexed. "Just what is this…!?"
"Time to get the show on the road!" Ringmaster exclaimed." Now that I have a monster stronger than your Virtue Vach, my chances of winning have increased."
"Afraid not!" Seraph rebutted. "Thanks to Solemn Kingdom's effect, if all the monsters in my graveyard are Fairy-Type, then all battle damage dealt with me becomes 0."
"What?" Ringmaster said in shock.
"Even with your Pendulum Summon, if you're unable to deal me damage, then you can't win." Seraph pointed out.
"We'll see about that." Ringmaster rebutted. "I activate Trump Witch's Pendulum ability! During the Main Phase or Battle Phase, I can use monsters I control to perform a Fusion Summon!"
"You can also Fusion Summon?" Seraph said, surprised.
Trump Witch sent a stream of cloves, spades, hearts, and diamonds towards Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon and Performapal Drummerilla, both of whom glowed. A portal of energy appeared behind Ringmaster, into which his monsters entered. Ringmaster spread his arms and chanted.
"Now, by fusing the raw strength of one monster with the ferocity of another, I'm now then going to Fusion Summon! Look to the skies and feast your eyes on Beast-Eyes Pendulum Dragon!"
A dragon appeared that had a similar body structure to other Odd-Eyes. It had light green body armor resembling bones, crimson red under armor that covered blue fur around its body and its horn, neck, and throat. He had spikes sticking out of his back with white claws at the end of them, fangs at his jaw, and had both green and yellow eyes, as well as a big orange orb on its forehead.
"Oh ho!" The MC commentated. "After showing us a brand-new summoning method, Ringmaster decides to pull out another surprise by performing a Fusion Summon! Ringmaster is clearly a powerful duelist!"
Seraph was stunned after seeing Ringmaster's monster. "Impressive. I wasn't expecting that. But like I said earlier, even if your monster's stronger, if you're unable to deal me damage, you can't win!"
"I know," Ringmaster said. "Battle! Beast-Eyes, attack Virtue Vach! Blazing Spiral Storm!"
Beast-Eyes launched a stream of fire that took the shape of its head as it roared, flying towards Virtue Vach. The attack blasted Virtue Vach and destroyed it, but a transparent barrier formed around Seraph, shielding him from damage.
"As I said, as long as I have the Field Spell: Solemn Kingdom on my field, you can't hurt me," Seraph mentioned.
After Beast-Eyes landed on the ground, both the dragon and Ringmaster turned to Seraph, "I didn't attack you to deal you battle damage, but so, I can activate Beast-Eyes Pendulum Dragon's effect!" Ringmaster stated.
"It's effect?" Seraph said.
"When Beast-Eyes destroys an opponent's monster in battle, it can inflict damage equal to the ATK of its Beast-Type Fusion Material!" Ringmaster said as his expression then grew a smirk on his face, "Drummerilla's ATK is 1600! So, you take 1600 points of damage!"
"I don't think so! I activate my Counter Trap, Divine Punishment!" Seraph abruptly stated. "Thanks to its effect, I can negate the activation of your Monster's effect and destroy it since The Sanctuary in the Sky is on my field!"
A bolt of crimson lightning shot from the temple hovering behind Seraph towards Beast-Eyes.
"Guess I'm going to have to counter your counter. I activate Jammershark's effect!" Ringmaster declared. "During the Battle Phase, when you activate a card effect, by sending the top card of my Deck to the grave, I can negate your card's effect if my card shares the same Type as yours!"
"So you're relying on chance to help you?" Seraph asked.
"Sometimes in duels, you have to take risks." Ringmaster replied. "Now, let's see what I'll get. Draw!"
Ringmaster drew his card and looked at it before revealing it to Seraph.
"The card I drew was the Trap Card, Command Performance, which means Jammershark cancels your Divine Punishment."
Jammershark's antennas released multiple radio waves, canceling the lightning bolt caused by Seraph's trap.
"No way!" Seraph yelled.
"Now, with that out of the way, Beast-Eyes effect continues!"
Beast-Eyes unleashed another stream of fire that hit Seraph in the chest, taking him aback as it sent him lying on the ground.
Seraph: 4000→2400 LP
"With that, I end my turn." Ringmaster said as Beast-Eyes returned to his side. "And since we've reached the turn's end, Trump Witch's Pendulum Scale returns to normal."
Performapal Trump Witch (PS: 3→4)
"Amazing!" the MC shouted. "In just one turn, Ringmaster has not only surprised us all with his Pendulum Summoning technique but has also performed a Fusion Summon and taken the lead in Life Points! Can Seraph come back from a devastating setback?"
Seraph laughed. "Impressive! So, this is your true strength? Certainly, it is more than I expected." He smirked as he looked back at Ringmaster. "But now it is God's turn to strike. Prepare yourself, Ringmaster! My turn! Draw!"
Looking at his card, Seraph said, "I activate the Spell Card: Spellbook Inside the Pot, which lets the both of us have to draw 3 cards!" Seraph and Ringmaster both drew their cards and added them to their hands.
Seraph looked at his current cards and grabbed one of them, "I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Celestial Transformation, which lets me Special Summon a Fairy-Type monster from my hand by halving its attack. Come on out, Archlord's Harpist!"
Emerging from a coat of glass was a female angel clad in an elegant, vanilla dress. She had grayish light blue skin and warm orange eyes, as well as white-feathered wings on her back. She held a golden harp in her hands, whose cords glowed with light blue energy.
Archlord's Harpist ATK 1200 DEF 1500 LVL: 4
"Harpist's effect activates! When she's Normal or Special Summoned, I can add one "Archlord" monster from your Deck to your hand, so I choose to add Archlord Raphael!"
A small blue energy ring formed around Seraph's Duel Disk as a card slid out as he added it to his hand.
"Also, if "The Sanctuary in the Sky" is on my field, I can banish 1 LIGHT Fairy monster from my hand, field, or graveyard to summon Raphael," Seraph added.
"No way!" Ringmaster shouted.
"So say goodbye to Harpist and say hello to Raphael!"
Archlord's Harpist burst into particles and was replaced by a male angel clad from head to toe in gray armor and a crimson shawl wrapped around his head and neck. He had bright red eyes, as well as four blue-feathered wings sprouting from his back. Lastly, he held a white staff, a pointed, crimson jewel on its tip in his left hand.
Archlord Raphael ATK 2800 DEF 2300 LVL: 8
"Oh! Seraph has summoned a high-level monster with ease! This duel is becoming even more amazing!" The MC commentated.
"Since I banished Harpist, her effect activates, letting me draw one card," Seraph added. "Next, by discarding a card, I can bring back one banished Fairy monster. Return, Archer!"
The female angelic archer reappeared on Seraph's field.
"Thanks to her effect, by banishing the Nova Summer I just discarded, I'm allowed to add the Spell Card: Archlord's Ascendance, which I'll immediately activate!" The card depicted an image of Herald Arc of Light evolving into Herald of Ultimateness. "By tributing a Fairy monster I control, I can summon a different from my hand, but since I control "The Sanctuary in the Sky," I'm allowed to summon that monster straight from my deck. So, I tribute Archer to summon Archlord Michael!"
As Archer burst into particles, he was replaced by a male angel clad in white armor with black trims, wing-ornaments attached to his helmet, and a lion-head accessory on his left shoulder. Two halos, one on top of the other and one smaller than the other, glowed above his head, and his eyes were purple. He held a flaming sword in his right hand with six orange angelic wings attached to his back.
Archlord Michael ATK 2800 DEF 2300 LVL: 8
"I have to say that I'm very impressed that you were able to bring out two strong monsters with ease, but their ATK doesn't match up to my Beast-Eyes." Ringmaster stated.
"Not until I activate the Continuous Spell Card: Solidarity! Since I have only Fairy monsters in my Graveyard, all of my Fairy monsters on the field gain 800 attack points!"
Archlord Raphael ATK 2800→3600
Archlord Michael ATK 2800→3600
Ringmaster narrowed his eyes. "Two monsters with 3600 attack points … Not good."
"I activate Archlord Michael's effect!" Seraph exclaimed. "By targeting Raphael, I can grant him the ability that when it destroys a monster in battle, you take damage equal to half the destroyed monster's attack points.
"What?" Ringmasters said in shock.
"Battle!" Seraph said as he gestured to Raphael. "Archlord Raphael, attack Beast-Eyes Pendulum Dragon!"
Raphael lifted his scepter in the air, then pointed it at Beast-Eyes. A blast of light erupted from the scepter and struck Beast-Eyes, which cried out as it was destroyed. Ringmaster winced from the damage.
Ringmaster: 3400→2800 LP
"Raphael's gained effect activates! As he destroyed your monster in battle, he can now deal you half of Beast-Eyes attack points as damage!"
"I'm afraid not!" Ringmaster abruptly stated. "I'll just use Jammershark's ability to put a stop to that damage!"
"Or so you think?" Seraph said, confusing Ringmaster. "I activate Raphael's original effect! Once I can protect an "Archlord" Monster, such as himself, from being affected by either your Spell, Trap, or Monster effects, whichever I choose. The one I choose is monster effects!"
"Tch. Now I can't stop his monster from dealing me damage."
"That's right! Continue where you left off, Raphael!"
A golden orb formed in Raphael's hand as he threw it towards Ringmaster. Once it made contact, the performer winced in pain from the impact.
Ringmaster: 2800→1300 LP
Seraph smirked as he continued with his turn. Next, Archlord Michael, attack Performapal Jammershark!"
Michael raised its sword and let out a stream of flames from it, blasting Jammershark and destroying it in the process.
"Seraph has cleared out all of Ringmaster's monsters!" The MC commentated. "Just like Seraph, can Ringmaster make a comeback?"
"I place two cards face-down and end my turn.
Ringmaster narrowed his eyes. "Looks like he decided to hold back no longer," he said.
"Even so, we can't let his lead affect us." A voice said, revealing it to be Yuto's
"Yuto?" Yuya muttered as he saw his Xyz Counterpart along with Yugo and Yuri.
"There have been countless times, Yuya, that you were close to losing a Duel, but no matter what dire situation you were in, you never gave up," Yuto said.
"If I let every single loss get to me, I never would've had a Duel Runner, participate in the Friendship Cup, or meet amazing people like you and Zuzu," Yugo added.
"Even though the only person I ever lost to was you, you show me that any duelist can overcome any obstacle in a Duel, no matter how tough the opponent, and I respect you for it," Yuri noted.
Yuya narrowed his eyes at his Counterparts and smiled. "Thanks, guys. I appreciate it." He said.
"No problem."
"We're always here for you."
"Now go out there and show the aggravating angel what you're made of."
"You got it!" Yuya said as he returned to his duel.
"My turn! Draw!" Ringmaster shouted as he drew.
"I activate the Continuous Trap Card: Archlord's Authority!" Seraph declared as the card depicts an image of several Archlords commanding an army of angel soldiers. While I control this card, you have to attack no matter what, so long as I have an "Archlord Monster on my field!"
"Guess I have to get rid of your Archlords then." Ringmaster said. "First, I activate the Spell Card: Pendulum Magic! I check the top five cards of my deck, and if there is a "Magician" Pendulum Monster among them, I can add it to my hand!"
Ringmaster checked the top five cards of his deck and revealed one of them. "I add Performapal Celestial Magician to my hand!"
"I'm guessing now you're planning on Pendulum Summoning that monster?" Seraph asked.
"Why yes, I am." Ringmaster replied. "But before I do, I'll use Rollerhamster's Pendulum ability once again. Go, Dice Roll!"
The trunk of Rollerhamster's car opened up, releasing a die to fall to the ground and started rolling, eventually landing on a 2.
"Since I got a 2, I can either increase or decrease Trump Witch's Pendulum Scale." Ringmaster explained. "And just like last time, I choose to decrease Trump Witch's Scale from 4 to 2!"
Ringmaster pointed at Trump Witch, and then her scale lowered from 4 to 2.
Trump Witch (PS: 4→2)
"Now I'm allowed to summon monsters from Levels 3 to 8 all at the same time! Swing far, Pendulum, Carve the Arc of Victory! My monsters are ready to Swing Into Action!" A portal opened up and released three lights onto the field.
"Work your magic, Performapal Celestial Magician!" A magician in black and gray robes appeared first, closely resembles his appearance as Yuya's original counterpart, Z-ARC.
"Hump it up, Performapal Camelump!" Next was a yellow camel that had two humps and wearing a giant black hat with a red and orange bow tie.
"And turn up the heat, Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon!" Finally, re-appearing with a roar was his ace.
Performapal Celestial Magician ATK 1500 DEF 1000 LVL: 4 PS: 8
Performapal Camelump ATK 800 DEF 1800 LVL: 4 PS: 2
Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon ATK 2500 DEF 2000 LVL: 7 PS: 4
"Wait a minute! That's Odd-Eyes! He was sent to the graveyard when you used him to Fusion Summon!" Seraph was both shocked and irritated at the fact of seeing Odd-Eyes again.
"Pendulum Monsters that are destroyed or even leave the field when used as Fusion, Synchro, and Link Material go to the Extra Deck instead of the Graveyard. And with the right Pendulum Scales, I can bring them back." Ringmaster revealed another hidden function of Pendulum Cards, shocking everyone even more.
"What?! How is that fair?!" Seraph was now even angrier than before that this kid had a "cheating" summoning method.
"Pendulum Monsters. To think that cards like that even exist." Kolter didn't know what to say because, if she was honest, Yuya pulled off something amazing. Kolter had a small smirk on his face, "His dueling skills than I could ever imagine. I think he might be on the same level as Yusaku."
Ringmaster pointed towards Celestial Magician. I activate Celestial Magician's Pendulum effect! Since I control a "Pendulum" Monster, I get to add another one at the end of my turn."
"Add all the Pendulums you want! They aren't strong enough to defeat my angels." Seraph snorted.
"We'll see. Ringmaster said as he smirked and pointed at Trump Witch. "I use Trump Witch's Pendulum ability to Fusion Summon once more.
Seraph became shocked when he heard that, "What?! You have another Fusion Monster?!"
Trump Witch held out her wand, creating a beam that formed a colorful vortex in the ground once again.
Ringmaster pointed at his monsters with determination in his eyes, "I select Performapal Celestial Magician and Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon to Fusion Summon!" As Ringmaster said that, both Timebreaker and Odd-Eyes glowed and floated into the air.
"Trump Witch will give a little hocus to my Odd-Eyes and lend a dash of pocus to my Magician! I'm fusing Performapal Celestial Magician and Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon! I Fusion Summon! Rune-Eyes Pendulum Dragon!"
Ringmaster summoned a dragon that looked a little similar to Odd-Eyes, with some key differences. It had a small, golden ring around its head and jaw while having a large one on its back. His right eye had an eyepatch with a rune on it, and his neck also had some yellow armor around it.
Rune-Eyes Pendulum Dragon ATK 3000 DEF 2000 LVL: 8
Seraph took a step backward in shock when he saw the dragon summoned. Everyone in Den City gasped in shock, while the MC chuckled in excitement and clapped his hands.
"Marvelous!" The MC shouted. "Ringmaster has amazed us once again by bringing out another Fusion Monster! Could he and Maestra possibly know each other?"
"Next, I activate the Spell Card: Scale Sweep!" The card showed an image of a pendulum swaying back and forth really fast, causing a huge wave of wind to form. "With this card, I can tribute a "Pendulum" Monster like Camelump to return cards from your field back to your hand equal to the tributed monster's Pendulum Scale. Ringmaster explained.
Camelump burst into particles as two gusts of wind suddenly formed.
"I know what you're trying to do. You're planning on getting rid of both Field and Continuous Spell, but I'll activate them again on my next turn." Seraph pointed out.
"Are you sure about that?" Ringmaster asked, confusing Seraph. "Since the monster I tributed was Pendulum Summoned, instead of going back to your hand, the selected cards return to your deck!"
Seraph's eyes widened. "What?" Two twisters spun out towards the cards, hitting them as they turned into particles and returned to Seraph's Deck. At the same time, the field returned to the ruin-like area it once was.
"With Solidarity no longer out, both my monsters lose 800 points." Seraph pointed out.
Archlord Raphael ATK 3600→2800
Archlord Michael ATK 3600→2800
"I now activate the Spell Card: Gap Power!" Ringmaster declared. "When your Life Points are higher than mine, I can increase the attack points of one of my monsters by half of that difference until the end of the Battle Phase. The difference is 1100, and half of that is 550! I increase Rune Eyes's attack points!" The dragon roared as it glowed.
Rune-Eyes Pendulum Dragon ATK 3000→3550
Kolter smirked. "Smart move; he used the massive difference in Life Points to his advantage."
"Not only that, but the number of times Rune-Eyes can attack my opponent's monsters changes based on the Level of the Spellcaster I used to summon it!" Ringmaster explained
Seraph looked shocked when he heard that, "What did you say?"
A silhouette of Performapal Celestial Magician appeared as Ringmaster held up two fingers. "Since Celestial Magician was Level 4, Rune-Eyes can attack twice!"
As Seraph gasped in shock from hearing that, Ringmaster continued. "Battle! Rune-Eyes Pendulum Dragon attack Archlord Raphael and Michael! Double Spiral Sky Shot!"
The dragon's large ring became locked in three orbs of light, creating a triangle of electrostatic energy. The dragon then fired two beams of blue energy, destroying both monsters. The force of the attacks sent Seraph flying with a shout.
Seraph: 2400→900 LP
The MC threw out his arm while he looked excited, "Ringmaster pulled off an astonishing move and wiped most of Seraph's field! Can he recover from this?"
"Since I no longer control any "Archlord" Monsters, Archlord Authority's effect destroys itself," Seraph stated as his trap exploded.
"I end my Battle Phase, and at the end of the Battle Phase, Gap Power's effect ends, so Rune Eyes's attack points return to normal."
Rune-Eyes Pendulum Dragon ATK 3550→3000
"I end my turn with two face-downs. Now that my tun is over, Trump Witch's Pendulum Scale returns to 4, and Celestial Magician's effect activates, letting me add a Pendulum Monster to my hand. I add Performapal Kaleidoscorp!"
Trump Witch (PS: 2→4)
Back in Den City…
"Yuya has now taken the lead in the duel," Kolter said. "But knowing Seraph, he'll bounce back. Do you think he'll win, Zuzu?"
In LINK VRAINS Area #6…
"I can't say," She answered. "I know Yuya's good, but something tells me that Seraph hasn't shown his full strength yet."
"My turn! Draw!" Seraph drew, and seeing what he got, he laughed. "God has brought me the key to victory once again! I activate the Spell Card: Card of Demise! This card lets me draw until I have five cards, but at the fifth Standby Phase of this card's activation, I must send my entire hand to the Graveyard." He then drew fours cards, and upon looking at what he drew, he smirked.
"I activate the Spell Card: Archlord Faith's Edge!" The card depicted an archangel blasting a stream of lightning bolts from his hand while his wings were molting. "Since I control no monsters, I'm allowed to summon 2 Level 6 or lower Non-Effect monsters from my deck. Come forth, Sacred-Wings Pegasus's!"
Tow white horses with golden trims and two wings sprouting from their backs appeared onto Seraph's field. Their wings contained celestial energy, which glowed with beauty.
Sacred-Wings Pegasus ATK 2600 DEF 2000 LVL: 6 x 2
"But they won't be out for long because I'm sacrificing them to summon Archlord Razichel!"
A beautiful female angel in a white dress with silver armored stockings, long blonde hair, green eyes, and a nice smile. She had six wings, had a halo over her head, and a little book in her hand.
Archlord Razichel ATK 2500 DEF 2900 LVL: 10
"Since she was successfully summoned, I can add another "Archlord" Monster from deck to my hand, like Archlord Zerato!" Seraph said as he added the card to his hand. "But he won't be staying there for long because since Razichel was Tribute Summoned, I can summon an "Archlord" Monster from my hand by ignoring its summoning conditions," Seraph added. "Rise and fight, Archlord Zerato!"
A flash of light appeared, and emerging out from it was a male angel wearing a red scarf with large white wings and a mask over his face. He carried a cutlass sword with him.
Archlord Zerato ATK 2800 DEF 2300 LVL: 8
"And Seraph once again summons two high-level monsters! Is this the start of his comeback?" The MC commentated.
"You bet it is!" Seraph said with a smirk as he activated one of his cards. "I activate the Continuous Spell Card: Burden of the Mighty! With this, your monsters lose attack points equal to their Levels times 100!"
"Say what?" Ringmaster gasped as Rune-Eyes groaned.
Rune-Eyes Pendulum Dragon ATK 3000→2200
"Battle! Razichel attacks Rune-Eyes Pendulum Dragon! Angelic Force!"
Archlord Razichel formed and unleashed a stream of light energy from its hands directly at Rune-Eyes.
"Whenever Razichel battles a Special Summoned Monster, she gains 500 attack points!"
Archlord Razichel ATK 2500→3000
"Not so fast!" Ringmaster declared. "Go, Wall of Disruption! This trap lowers your Razichel's ATK by 800 for every monster you control until the end of this turn. As you control two monsters, Razichel loses 1600 attack points!"
"If you thought I didn't have a counter prepared, then you've sorely underestimated me!" Seraph stated. "I activate the Counter Trap Card: Wiretap! This card negates an opponent's Trap Card and shuffles it back into the Deck!"
Ringmaster grunted as his trap got removed from the field, and nothing was stopping Razichel's attack.
The energy blast then pierced through Rune-Eyes and destroyed it, making Ringmaster wince in pain from the attack.
Ringmaster: 1300→500 LP
"This duel is over, Ringmaster!" Seraph declared. "Archlord Zerato, attack Ringmaster directly with Sacred Surge!"
Zerato flew up as wings glowed yellow and released a barrel of green feathers down towards Ringmaster, but he wasn't worried.
"It will never be that easy, Seraph!" Ringmaster declared. "I activate the Trap Card: Performapal Signal!"
A train signal in the shape of a bowtie appeared on the field, causing Seraph to gasp in surprise.
"This card allows me to draw 1 card, and if the card is a monster, I can send it to the Graveyard to negate your attack!"
Ringmaster drew and smiled in relief. "The card I drew is Performapal Sword Fish!" Showing it to Seraph, he then discarded it. "I send it to the Graveyard to negate Archlord Zerato's attack!"
The train signal flashed red, and a barrier appeared around Ringmaster, which reflected Zerato's attack.
"Whoo boy! This is truly a clash of titans, and I honestly can't tell who's going to win!" The MC said with enthusiasm.
"Curse you!" Seraph said in anger. "I'll get you next turn. I end with two face-downs."
"My turn!" Ringmaster declared. "Draw!" He looked at what he drew and smiled. "I play the Spell Card: Pendulum Exchange!" The card showed some businessmen at the stock market exchange, looking at the stock going up and down, and some people making a trade, but instead of money, they were using Pendulum cards.
"By sending one Pendulum Monster card from my hand to the Extra Deck, I draw cards equal to the monster's Pendulum Scale," He explained. "I send Scale 4 Performapal Kaleidoscorp to my Extra Deck so that I can draw four cards."
He sent the Performapal to his Extra Deck and then drew four new cards.
"With my Pendulum Scale already set, I'll once again Pendulum Summon!" A portal opened up and released three lights onto the field.
"Cut right through, Performapal Dag Daggerman!" Appearing first was a male performer dressed in a blue suit and holding daggers in his hands appeared.
"And sting your way to victory, Performapal Kaleidoscorp!" Next was a scorpion with shields for pincers wearing a top hat and had a kaleidoscope as a tail.
Performapal Dag Daggerman ATK 2000 DEF 600 LVL: 5 PS: 2
Performapal Kaleidoscorp ATK 100 DEF 2300 LVL: 6 PS: 4
"Even if you summon multiple monsters, they're still weakened by my Burden of the Mighty!" Seraph pointed out.
Performapal Dag Daggerman ATK 2000→1500
Performapal Kaleidoscorp ATK 100→0
"But thanks to Dag Daggerman's special ability, by discarding a "Performapal" monster from my hand, like Springoose, I get to draw a card!" Ringmaster stated as he discarded one card and drew another.
"Next, by sending Cards of Compensation to the graveyard, I can activate the Spell Card: Magical Thunder!" Ringmaster exclaimed. "Now I can destroy any card on the field, and I choose your Burden of the Mighty!"
The spell glowed as lightning materialized from it and destroyed Seraph's Continuous Spell.
"Seraph's Burden of the Mighty has been destroyed!" The MC commentated. "And with it gone, all Ringmaster's monsters attack points return to normal!"
Performapal Dag Daggerman ATK 1500→2000
Performapal Kaleidoscorp ATK 0→100
Back at Café Nom, Kolter was viewing Yuya's duel. "Even with Burden of the Mighty gone, Yuya's monsters are still weaker than Seraph's," Kolter noted. "But something tells me that he isn't done with his turn."
"Since I sent Cards of Compensation to the graveyard, its effect activates, letting me draw two more cards! Finally, I summon Performapal Bot-Eyes Lizard!"
A purple humanoid lizard with an orange vest and a red umbrella appeared alongside Dag Daggerman and Kaleidoscorp.
Performapal Bot-Eyes Lizard ATK 1600 DEF 1200 LVL: 4
"Bot Eyes Lizard's effect activates! Since he was summoned, I can declare the name of an "Odd-Eyes" Monster and treat him as that monster! I declare Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon!" Ringmaster shouted as his lizard's form changed to that of his ace monster.
Ringmaster then pointed at Performapal Trump Witch. "Finally, I activate Trump Witch's Pendulum effect to Fusion Summon without Polymerization!" Ringmaster declared. "I'll fuse Dag Daggerman and Bot-Eyes Lizard, whose now treated as Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon!"
As his two Monsters swirled inside a multi-colored vortex formed by Trump Witch, Ringmaster chanted.
"Nimble master of daggers! Become the bright light dwelling in the eye of the dragon! Become one and awaken a new power! Fusion Summon! Come forth! Courageous dragon burning with sublime eyes! Brave-Eyes Pendulum Dragon!"
A Monster resembling Odd-Eyes clad in thicker and more ornate armor appeared on Ringmaster's field while letting out a resonant roar.
Brave-Eyes Pendulum Dragon ATK 3000 DEF 2000 LVL: 8
"Brave-Eyes Pendulum Dragon's effect activates." Ringmaster declared. "When this card is Fusion Summoned successfully, the attack of all Monsters my opponent controls becomes 0, and this card gains 100 ATK for every Monster that was affected."
Brave-Eyes released a giant wave of flames as it headed straight towards Seraph's field.
"I don't think so!" Seraph abruptly stated as he activated one of his set cards. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Forbidden Chalice! It negates your monster's effect but gains 400 ATK!''
A wave of sparkling water washed over the Brave-Eyes, giving and taking power.
Brave-Eyes Pendulum Dragon ATK 3000→3400
"No matter! I have other tricks up my sleeve! Kaleidoscorp, it's time to release some razzle-dazzle. Kaleidolight!"
The hole in Kaleidoscorp's tail glowed and fired a light beam, hitting both Archlord Razichel and Zerato.
"What's happening to my monster?" Seraph said in shock.
"Kaleidoscorp's special ability works when you have any monsters that were Special Summoned. Luckily for me, you used Razichel's effect to Special Summon Zerato. What now happens next is thanks to you." Ringmaster said happily
"What does that mean?" Seraph asked.
"You'll find out soon. Next, I have to choose a monster. Brave-Eyes." Ringmaster said, turning to his Brave-Eyes, Touching its hand causing him to glow yellow.
Both of Seraph's monster's glowed as well, firing two beams of light at Brave-Eyes. "Thanks to, Kaleidoscorp's special ability Brave-Eyes has become a real threat." Ringmaster said as Brave-Eyes split into two. One red and the other blue. "In addition to Brave-Eyes's normal attack, he's now allowed to attack your Archlord Zerato as well!"
"What!?" Seraph yelled in shock.
"Battle! Brave-Eyes Pendulum Dragon attack Archlord Razichel!" One of the mirages charged towards Razichel. "Scorching Mega Flame Burst!"
"I refuse to admit defeat!" Seraph exclaimed. "Since Razichel is battling a Special Summoned Monster, she gains 500 extra attack points!"
Archlord Razichel ATK 2500→3000
"Even with that attack boost, my monster's still stronger!" Ringmaster stated. "Continue your attack, Brave-Eyes!"
Following his master's words, a massive wave of flames erupted from Brave-Eyes's mouth, piercing through Razichel's chest and destroying her, with the ensuing shockwave sending Seraph skidding backward.
Seraph: 900→500 LP
"One down, one to go." Ringmaster said. "Finish this, Brave-Eyes! Searing Flame Strike!"
Once again, a massive wave of flames erupted from Brave-Eyes's mouth as it headed straight towards Zerato.
''I don't think so! I activate the Trap Card: Half Shield!" Seraph declared. This card will cut the battle damage I take from your dragon's attack will be cut in half.''
Appearing in front of Zerato was a shield with a glass side and a metal side. Brave-Eyes's flames hit the shield and went through it, but with force weakened. Seraph ignored the slight pain he felt when the attack hit.
Seraph: 500→200 LP
"Things do not look good for Seraph!" The MC commentated. "With 200 Life Points, no monsters, and no cards in his hand, he needs to pull a game changer on his next turn or else he'll lose! Is this the end for the future Charisma Duelist?"
"I have to say I didn't expect you to pull off that last move. This is duel just gets more fun and exciting with every turn, huh, Seraph?" Ringmaster asked.
Seraph looked at Ringmaster with an annoyed look. "Fun? Are you saying that I'm supposed to have fun while dueling?"
Ringmaster became confused by Seraph's response. "Well yeah. Dueling's all about having fun and a great time while entertaining everyone and bringing smiles to their faces."
"Maybe to you and everyone else in LINK VRAINS, but I'm different," Seraph said. "I work hard to get where I am, unlike you who got lucky with an unknown summoning method that I never even heard or seen before."
"Just because I have the ability to Pendulum Summon doesn't mean I'm lucky." Ringmaster rebutted.
"Your beliefs are childish. We have the right to have fun, but there's a balance we must maintain. As strong grown-ups, we have the responsibility to lead the young and weak ones. If even we, the strong grown-ups, focus only on having fun, then it's like neglecting our role and falling prey to sloth. We can only loaf away our time once we've created the perfect utopia for future generations. I won't sin! The Lord gifted me with strength, and as such, I'll carry out the duties given to me by Him, and I'll teach you of the balance I speak of!"
"Look, Seraph, I'm not going to argue against your ideals, but I refuse to stand here and let you say that my Pendulum Summon is an act of sin," Ringmaster exclaimed. "I set a card and end my turn, meaning that the effect of your Forbidden Chalice wears off."
Brave-Eyes Pendulum Dragon ATK 3400→3000
In LINK VRAINS Area #6…
"Looks like Yuya has taken the lead, Kolter," Maestra said. "But after seeing Seraph's reaction, I believe he's now planning to go full force against Yuya?"
At Café Nom…
"I agree with you," Kolter said. "I hope that Yuya has something planned for whatever Seraph throws at him."
Back in Area #5…
"My turn! I draw!" Seraph said, drawing the top card of his deck. "Whenever I have 1 or fewer cards in my hand, I can activate Archlord Razichel's effect from my graveyard to banish her along with Zerato to draw two more cards!"
A silhouette of both Razichel and Zerato appeared in front of Seraph as they burst into particles of light that flew into Seraph's deck, which then glowed as he drew.
Upon looking at the cards he drew, a smile formed on his face. "Yes! Just the cards I need to attain my victory!" He declared.
"This can't be too good," Ringmaster muttered to himself.
"By banishing two LIGHT Fairy monsters, like Archlord's Raphael and Michael, I'm allowed to Special Summon Archlord Gabriel from my hand!" Seraph declared.
A male angel clad in golden armor and a dark green waist cape emerging from its waist. A halo glowed above his head, and his eyes were crimson. Six yellow angelic wings emerged from his back, and he held a large, ornate trumpet in his right hand.
Archlord Gabriel ATK 2900 DEF 2300 LVL: 8
"Oh! Seraph has summoned a brand-new high-level Monster!" The MC announced.
"Amazing!" Ringmaster said. "That thing looks powerful!"
"I discard a card to activate Gabriel's effect to review one of my banished Fairy-type monsters by negating its special abilities," Seraph explained. Arise once again, Archlord Raphael!"
Appearing next to Gabriel was the gray-armored four-winged, blue-feathered angel.
Archlord Raphael ATK 2800 DEF 2300 LVL: 8
"Next, I equip Archlord Gabriel with the Equip Spell Card: Sword of the Archlord Star, which will increase his attack points by 800!" Seraph declared as Gabriel's trumpet vanished and was replaced by a long shining silver blade, and a golden aura formed around him, showcasing his growing strength.
Archlord Gabriel ATK 2900→3700
"Now it's stronger than Brave-Eyes." Ringmaster said.
"That's why I activated it," Seraph stated as he held out his hand. "Battle! First, Archlord Raphael will attack Performapal Kaleidoscorp!"
The angel aimed its scepter at the red scorpion as it fired a bolt of crimson lightning, destroying it in the process.
"Time for the second and final attack! Archlord Gabriel attacks Brave-Eyes Pendulum Dragon! Holy Sword Slash!" Archlord Gabriel flew high up into the air as he swooped down at a tremendous speed and slashed Brave-Eyes in half, causing an explosion to cover Ringmaster's field.
"Yuya!" Maestra shouted as she saw the explosion covered the field on the screen in the area, she was in.
"Looks like the power of justice has finally made you submit," Seraph said. "Now to collect my credits and head to join the other finalists. So—
"Hey now! What makes you think this duel is over? Don't go deciding things on your own."
Much to Seraph's shock, the smoke cleared immediately afterward, revealing the still intact form of Ringmaster with his Life Points untouched.
"You…survived my attack?" Seraph narrowed his eye at Ringmaster. "How?"
"Just before your attack connected, I activated my Trap Card: Half Performance," Ringmaster responded. "Thanks to it, I only took half the battle damage, meaning instead of taking 700 points of damage, I only took 350."
Ringmaster: 500→150 LP
Ringmaster slowly got back to his feet before he held out his hand. "Not only that, but Half Performance also has a second effect, which lets me Special Summon a Performapal" Monster from my Deck with ATK equal or less than the damage I just took." He took a card from his deck and showed it, "So, I summon Performapal Changeraffe!"
A bright yellow giraffe with a flowing braid of red hair and chain surrounding its long neck and body materialized onto Ringmaster's field.
Performapal Changeraffe ATK 100 DEF 500 LVL: 1 PS: 4
"I activate Changeraffe's effect!" Ringmaster declared. "When this card is Normal or Special Summoned, I can target one monster you control and prevent it from attacking and using its effects. I select your Archlord Gabriel!"
A flurry of chains sprung from the Performapal's body as they headed straight towards Archlord Gabriel.
"I activate Archlord Gabriel's second effect!" Seraph exclaimed. "During either player's turn except during the Damage Step, whenever you activate a monster effect, I can banish one LIGHT Fairy-Type monster from my grave to negate that effect and destroy that card! I banish the Archlord Tactician that I discarded earlier to negate Changeraffe's effect!"
"Say what?" Ringmaster gasped as Gabriel's wings glowed and launched a shower of its feather at Changeraffe, which sliced it into two as it burst into particles.
"Since I banished Tactician, its effect activates, allowing me to add any Fairy-Type monster I want to my hand," Seraph said as he took a card from his deck and added it to his hand, without showing it to Ringmaster. "Without any monsters on your field to protect you, you're wide for my final attack."
"Final attack? You must be mistaken. You've already attacked with both your monsters." Ringmaster pointed out.
"Or so you think?" Seraph said, confusing Ringmaster. "You see, Sword of the Archlord's Star has another effect. After the equipped monster attacks, I'm allowed to summon my most powerful monster! Come to me, Archlord Morningstar!"
A pillar of light appeared between Gabriel and Raphael. As the light faded, a male angel clad in white armor that had golden trims and a transparent waist cape emerged from its waist. A halo glowed above his head, and his eyes were yellow. Six brown angelic wings emerged from his back, and he held a bright gold and silver shield and a glowing sword.
Archlord Morningstar ATK 3000 DEF 2800 LVL: 8
Ringmaster stared in awe at the monster. It seemed to stare down at him with a stern, bold look. It's beautiful, he thought.
"Next, Archlord's sword equips itself onto Morningstar," Seraph added.
The sword vanished from Gabriel's hand while at the same time, Morningstar's vanished as well and was replaced by the Equip Spell as his power rose.
"Because Morningstar is now equipped with Archlord's Sword, he gains 800 points while Gabriel loses 800!"
Archlord Morningstar ATK 3000→3800
Archlord Gabriel ATK 3700→2900
"Yuya doesn't have enough Life Points to survive," Kolter stated.
"No way…" Maestra uttered in disbelief.
"Morningstar…attack Ringmaster directly and end this duel! Heavenly Grace!" Seraph exclaimed as Morningstar's sword glowed light blue and released the energy it built up as it swung its sword at Ringmaster.
"YUYA!" Ringmaster and Kolter yelled.
Ringmaster smirked as he revealed the last card in his hand to Seraph, "I activate Performapal Inflater Tapir's effect! By sending this card to the Graveyard, I can reduce the battle damage I would take from this battle to 0!"
A monster resembling a balloon elephant wearing a top hat appeared before him and sucked up the damage from the explosion.
"Your persistence is really starting to bug me! Just give up already!" Seraph yelled with an aggressive tone.
"I won't ever give up against someone who refuses to equally respect an opponent even if they're different from everyone else!" Ringmaster shouted with a determined look.
"Whatever. Archlord Sword's third effect activates!' Seraph continued. "After Morningstar attacks, I'm allowed to add a Spell Card from either my deck or graveyard to my hand and the one I choose is the Field Spell, Solemn Kingdom, which I'll immediately activate!"
Once again, the massive temple surrounded by clouds replaced the entire field around them.
"That will end my turn," Seraph concluded. "You may have survived this turn, but that doesn't change the fact that my advantage is overwhelming. With my three mightiest soldiers on the field and my Life Points being higher than yours, your chances of victory are incredibly small.
"Even so, I refuse to stop now! My turn! Draw!" Ringmaster shouted as he drew. "I activate the Spell Card: Pendulum Halt! Since I have at least Pendulum Monsters face-up in my Extra Deck, I can draw two cards, but in exchange, I can't add any more cards from my Deck to my hand for the rest of the turn!"
Ringmaster drew as he looked at both cards and smiled before turning to Seraph.
"Looks like God is now on my side?"
"What?" Seraph said.
Ringmaster held out his hand, "I activate Performapal Springoose's effect! By banishing this card from my Graveyard, I can return two cards on my field to my hand. I return Performapal Trump Witch and Rollerhamster to my hand!"
A portal opened up on Ringmaster's field, and emerging out from it was Springoose as it then flapped its wings which blew towards Trump Witch and Rollerhamster as they turned back into cards and were added to his hand.
"What are you planning?" Seraph asked.
Ringmaster looked at one of the cards in his hand. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His eyes opened, and he smiled while extending his arms out in the air.
"Ladies and Gentlemen!" Yuya shouted his catchphrase, causing Seraph and the citizens of Den City to be surprised. "We have a special show in store for you, for today only. What you're currently witnessing is history in the making. The very first duel of a popular LINK VRAINS duelist against a newbie who uses an unknown summoning method known as Pendulum!"
Excited murmurs grew within the Den City's plaza.
Maestra, mouth open, gazed at Ringmaster intently.
"Oh, excuse me!" Ringmaster continued. "My opponent came prepared with monsters, but I seem to be missing my own. How silly of me!"
"That guy," Kolter said as he laughed at Yuya's antics.
"Haha." Ringmaster chuckled and rubbed his nape, feigning embarrassment. Winking, he said, "Not to worry, everyone! I've got a wonderful treat for you, but before I do, please feast your eyes on this!"
Ringmaster picked up a card from his hand and showed it. I activate the Magic Card: Amazing Pendulum! When I have no cards in my Pendulum Zones, I can add 2 face-up Pendulum Monsters from my Extra Deck to my hand." He reached out and revealed two cards he picked up, "I add both Performapal Camelump and Celestial Magician back to my hand."
Ringmaster smirked as he held up the two monsters from his hand, "I reset the Pendulum Scale with Scale 2 Performapal Camelump and Scale 8 Performapal Celestial Magician! I'm taking control of this duel starting now!"
As he placed the two cards on his Duel Disk, Camelump and Celestial Magician appeared in the pillars of blue light along with their scale numbers.
"And this premiere performance is going to have you near the edge of your seat," Ringmaster announced as the Pendulum swung in between the pillars. "I can now summon monsters between Levels 3 and 7 all at the same time. Swing far, Pendulum! Carve the arc of victory! My monsters are ready to swing into action!"
A portal opened up between the scales as three lights appeared and slammed onto his field.
"Keep on rolling, Performapal Rollerhamster!" First appearing was the hamster performer riding a car with hamster wheels instead of regular ones.
"Flatten the competition, Performapal Flatrat!" Next was a rodent-like creature wearing an apron and a chef's hat standing on top of a rolling pin.
"And turn up the heat, Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon!" Lastly, appearing for the third time was his ace monster Odd-Eyes.
Performapal Rollerhamster ATK 800 DEF 1800 LVL: 3 PS: 9
Performapal Flatrat ATK 500 DEF 500 LVL: 5
Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon ATK 2500 DEF 2000 LVL: 7 PS: 4
"Furthermore, I summon Performapal Trump Witch!"
A young witch holding a small staff appeared on Ringmaster's field.
Performapal Trump Witch ATK 100 DEF 100 LVL: 1 PS: 4
"Just because you brought a bunch of monsters doesn't make a difference. Especially since you can't use your Trump Witch's ability to Fusion Summon anymore." Seraph stated.
"Who said I was going to Fusion Summon?" Ringmaster said as he raised his right hand as it glowed with blue light. "Appear, the entertainment circuit that connects to the future!" A bolt of blue lightning shot out of his hand and hit the sky, creating the Link portal.
Seraph gasped. "Wha-?!"
Kolter's eyes widened. "That's-!"
"Link Arrows authorized!" Ringmaster shouted. "The summoning conditions are two or more Effect Monsters. I set Performapal Trump Witch, Rollerhamster, and Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon in the Link Arrows!"
Ringmaster's monsters turned into whirlwinds of energy and entered the top, bottom-left, and bottom-right arrows. A pulse of energy erupted from the circuit.
"Link the Circuit! I Link Summon! Appear! Link-3! Odd-Eyes Cylancer!"
The monster that emerged from the portal was a cybernetic dragonic humanoid warrior who wore a red and beige plate armor lined with blue over his chest, upper legs, and upper arms. He wore a helmet that looked and shaped like Odd-Eyes's head, lined with golden data streams. The warrior wielded a great lance in the form of a pendulum in his right hand as he stood in the Extra Monster Zone.
Odd-Eyes Cylancer ATK 2300 LINK-3
"H-He Link Summoned!" Seraph said in shock.
Everyone else in Den City gasped in surprise.
"Yuya has a Link Monster?!" Kolter exclaimed in surprise. How does he have one?!"
The MC smiled in excitement as he shouted in the mike, "Unexpected! Ringmaster has managed to perform Link Summoned!" The audience cheered in excitement as a result.
Seraph stared slack-jawed at the warrior in front of him before he looked at Ringmaster. "I must admit I never saw this coming, but as long as I have my Field Spell, all battle damage I take will revert to 0!"
"I beg to differ." Ringmaster stated.
"What?!" Seraph gasped
"Odd-Eyes Cylancer's effect activates! If it is Link Summoned using a Pendulum Monster as material, I can select one face-up card on your field, like Solemn Kingdom, and negate its effects!" "Go Cryptic Cancellation!"
The Link Monster pointed his lance towards the Field Spell and then released a stream of blue energy.
"No matter! I'll use Gabriel's effect to put a stop to it!" Seraph stated.
"Actually, you can't!" Ringmaster abruptly stated. "Since I use Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon as material to Link Summon Cylancer, you can't activate any effects responding to this card's effects."
"No!" Seraph shouted as the stream of blue energy hit his Field Spell and erased the light surrounding the entire area.
"Now, without its effect, you're once again free to take damage." Ringmaster pointed out. "Battle! Odd-Eyes Cylancer attacks Archlord Morningstar!" The knight leaped into the air.
"What?" Seraph gasped. "You're attacking even though his monster has lower attack points? Have you lost your mind?"
"Not quite," Ringmaster answered. "Odd-Eyes Cylancer's additional effect activates! When it attacks a monster, I can shuffle a Pendulum Monster from my Extra Deck back into my Deck. Then, until my next Standby Phase, Cylancer gains attack points equal to that monster's attack points! I return Odd-Eyes to my Deck!"
The pendulum-shaped weapon glowed blue, while at the same time, the warrior's body was surrounded by an aura of the same color.
Odd-Eyes Cylancer ATK 2300→4800
"Now Yuya's monster has more points than Morningstar!" Kolter stated.
"He's going to win!" Maestra added.
"I still have one more trick up my sleeve. From my hand, I activate the effect of Honest!" Appearing in front of Morningstar as a man with bright feathered wings took to the field.
Ringmaster gasped. "What's going on?"
"During either player's Damage Step, I can use Honest's effect," Seraph said. "By revealing the card to my opponent and when a Light-Attribute monster I control battles, I can discard it, and that monster gains attack points equal to the attack points of the opponent's monster it is battling!"
"What did you say?" Ringmaster roared in complete shock.
"Odd-Eyes Cylancer's attack points are 4800. This means Morningstar gains 4800 attack points!"
Archlord Morningstar ATK 3800→8600
Seraph laughed with a victorious grin, "Finish this, Morningstar! Heavenly Grace!" Seraph declared as Morningstar readied himself. He took the air after a boost from Honest and lunged at my opponent. "This duel is over!"
"I'm afraid not!" Ringmaster abruptly stated
"What?" Seraph yelled as he returned his attention to the field.
"When the ATK of a Monster on the field changes, I can release Flat Rat and return the ATK of one monster to original value!" Ringmaster explained as he released Flat Rat, and the rat-like Monster rolled its body and turned into colorful energy that enveloped Morningstar.
Archlord Morningstar ATK 8600→3000
"No… No, this can't be happening. I was so close to defeating you!" Seraph exclaimed.
"Let this be a lesson, Seraph, that you should never treat a duelist based on their skills, but themselves! Everything's set now, Cylancer. Let's bring an end to this duel! Spiral Cybernetic Lance!"
The warrior held his lance as blue energy in the form of data wrapped around it. He then pointed his weapon towards the dragon's blast and cut straight through it, slashing through Morningstar as he fell to the ground and exploded upon impact, causing a giant explosion that sends Seraph flying across the field.
Seraph: 200→0 LP
Everyone watching was in silence at first, but they cheered at the top of their lung a few seconds later.
"There you have it, folks! The winner is Ringmaster!" The MC announced.
"Woo-hoo! That was awesome!"
"Heck yeah!"
"I want to see him duel again.
"He won!" Kolter cheered. "Of course, he would win, anyway, but wow! That was awesome."
"Good job…. Yuya." Maestra thought as she smiled.
Ringmaster waved his hand and made random victory poses to the screen.
"The fun has just begun!" He said to the screen.
At an apartment in Den City...
"Curse him! Curse Ringmaster!" Seraph was now Johnathan Saint Carter; his real-life identity was throwing off some tantrum at his private manor. His manor was on the top floor of an expensive apartment building.
"I can't believe I lost to him! I'm ruined! I got to find a way to get back to him!" He shouted.
Just then, his doorbell rang.
"Hmm? Who is it?" He checked who it was by using his security terminal to see who was outside his door.
"Who are you?" He asked through the speaker.
"Good evening, Mr. Carter. My name is not important at the moment, and I would like to speak with you about a special offer."
"Sorry, pal, but I don't accept anything from a salesman, and I'm not in a good mood either," he replied.
"Oh, that's too bad. I was going to offer you a way to defeat any duelists you want, like Ringmaster, for example," The man said sadly (in a sarcastically way).
"Hold on. Let me open the door," John decided.
And that wraps up Chapter 10. Hope you guys enjoyed it. As you know, follow favorite and review this story. Cards in bold are OC's, and thanks to Dvdryms for design for Rollerhamster and SakushiRyu for the Archlord's. Until next time.