Chapter 17: Pendulum
Blue Dusk awoke to the sound of Hope's alarm clock, AKA Discord griping about Turvy sleeping in Hope's room. He sat up in bed and grabbed his deck off the bedside table. Despite hooves not having the dexterity of magic or claws, he held the cards neatly.
"Virgo, Siat, Tempest," he muttered, reading the cards as he looked through them. Then he came to the Arcana Force card Trixen gave him. The fact that Trixen said one of Dusk's friends would bring destruction disturbed him. For a second, the card glowed.
"Oblivion," a voice whispered.
"What the…?" Dusk put the card back into his deck and placed it into his duel disk, which was also on the table. "That was weird."
Dusk wasn't able to interact with duel spirits like Hope, so he was confused.
"Maybe Trixen gave this to me for a reason," he thought, "Perhaps I'll need this."
Dusk got out of bed and left his room.
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Dusk, Hope, Dagger, Crown were standing in the Crystal Stadium. Discord was in front of them, a microphone in his eagle claw.
"Mares, gentlecolts, and all the other names for genders," he began to announce, "Starting with the semifinals, we'll be using some new cards. Pendulum monsters!" The crowd was confused. "Yeah, I thought you'd be like that. Pendulum monsters are these new cards that will be put into pendulum zones on the duel disk. They shall be used for mass summoning. Each pendulum monster will have scales. You may special summon monsters from your hoof whose levels are between the two zones.
"Now, Zach and I have formulated pendulum monsters specifically for the decks of the competitors, along with duel disks that possess the pendulum zones required for this summon."
Discord magicked up four tablet-like devices. "Please remove your decks from your duel disks and put on these duel disks."
Hope was able to use her magic to levitate her deck, though the others had to get creative. Dagger was able to hold his deck while removing his disk and placing it into his cloak. Crown had to set her duel disk on the ground before removing her deck. Dusk extended one wing and angled it so he could sit with his deck balanced on it.
Discord levitated the steely-grey tablets to their owners, "Also, these duel disks have a magical connection to your extra deck boxes."
Dusk placed the duel disk on his left foreleg. Then a section extended, allowing for Dusk to insert his deck.
"Now," Discord continued, "Let's see who's going to be our first matchup for the semifinals."
The screen began to randomize pictures of the competitors. Dagger's was the first too be chosen. Then it was Dusk.
"The first duel will be between Blue Dusk and Dagger!"
Hope wished Dusk luck as she and Crown left the field. Discord teleported up to the stands.
Dusk and Dagger stood across from each other and activated their duel disks. A beam of black energy, bordered with red, extended from each of the disk tablets, forming blades.
Blue Dusk: 8000
Dagger: 8000
In the stands, Zach was staring a computer screen.
"Do the cards show up?" Discord asked.
Zach shook his head, "The duel disks aren't picking up Envious Archfiend or Eternity's End. Of course, I never expected the latter. What I'm looking for is the Element, but it's not there. Why?"
"I'll go first!" Dusk said, drawing his card, "I summon Constellar Rasalhalgue (ATK 900). Now I tribute him to special summon Constellar Antares (ATK 2400) and use Antares's effect to return Rasalhalgue to my hoof. I'll set one card and end my turn."
"Nice turn," Dagger observed as he drew, "You are going to use Rasalhague's effect again to summon another Constellar, possibly allowing the summoning of Messier Seven during your next turn. Too bad this will not be allowed. I activate Blaze Accelerator. Now I send Volcanic Scattershot from my hand to the graveyard and destroy Antares."
The lizard flew from the cannon, but Antares disappeared.
"I activated my face-down Compulsory Activation Device," Dusk explained with a smirk, "So I don't lose Antares."
"But my Scattershot still has its effect."
Dusk: 8000-7500
"I'll summon Volcanic Slicer (ATK 1800)," Dagger continued with his turn, "I use its effect."
Dusk: 7500-7000
"I'll set this and end my turn."
Dusk drew, "I summon Rasalhague and tribute him to bring back Antares, so Rasalhague gets returned to my hoof. Now I use Mystical Space Typhoon on your Blaze Accelerator." A tornado blew away the cannon. "Constellar Antares, attack Volcanic Slicer!"
Dagger: 8000-7400
"I'll end my turn."
Dagger drew, "I'll activate Card of Sanctity to allow us to draw until we have six cards." Dagger looked at his replenished hand, "This is interesting. I place scale one Volcanic Blazer in my left pendulum zone and scale seven Volcanic Infernus in my right." Two red columns of light appeared beside Dagger. Within those beams were two reptile-like monsters. "Pendulum of fire, swing through the ashes of civilization. Rise and burn the world, Volcanic Hammerer (ATK 2200), Volcanic Slicer (ATK 1800). When the Volcanic monsters are summoned, Blazer allows me to add Blaze Accelerator from my deck or grave to my hand and Infernus burns you for five hundred pints of damage each."
Dusk: 7000-6000
"Volcanic Hammerer, attack Constellar Antares."
Dusk: 6000-5900
"Slicer, attack directly!"
Dusk: 5900-4100
"I'll end my turn."
Dusk drew, "Your card didn't just give you the ability to pendulum summon. I set the pendulum zones with scale one Constellar Dubhe and scale six Constellar Megrez." A knight in white armor and a woman in a white dress appeared in blue columns of light. "Pendulum of light, swing through the stars and allow their envoys to appear. Pendulum summon! Constellar Algiedi (ATK 1600), Constellar Siat (ATK 100), Constellar Pollux (ATK 1700)." All three Constellar knights stood in a battle stance. "When I pendulum summon, Megrez changes all of my pendulum summoned monsters to the level of the highest monster I summoned, four. Now I normal summon Constellar Siat and make it level four."
"With these four monsters, I build two overlay networks. Go, xyz summon, Constellar Omega (ATK 2400) and Constellar Praesepe (ATK 2400). Constellar Praesepe, attack Volcanic Slicer and use your effect (ATK 2400-3400)."
Dagger: 7200-5600
"Constellar Omega, your turn. Attack Volcanic Hammerer!"
Dagger: 5600-5400
"Now I use the first effect of Dubhe, I can xyz summon during my battle phase, so long as I use two Constellars to summon it. I build the overlay network and Extend Xyz Summon Number 24: Twilight Blaze Lord (ATK 2500). Twilight Blaze Lord, attack with Dawn Inferno Blade!"
Dagger: 5400-2900
Dagger looked almost completely unfazed from the attacks, despite losing half of his points in one turn, "Is that all?"
"Um, I guess?"
Dagger drew, "I activate my Blaze Accelerator. Now I send Volcanic Rat to the grave to destroy your monster."
"I use the second effect of Dubhe," Dusk countered, "He can shield any xyz monster I control from destruction once per turn."
"Then, I pendulum summon once more. Come forth, my second Hammerer (ATK 2200)."
Dusk: 4100-3600
"Now I use the effect of Hammerer, I can burn you for damage equal to the combined levels of all Volcanics in my grave. The levels add up to sixteen, so you take 3200 points of damage." The creature engulfed Dusk in fire, causing him to yell a little in pain.
Dusk: 3600-400
"I'll end my turn."
Dusk panted a little as he drew his card. The card he saw was Arcana Force XV – The Fiend.
"I use the second effect of Megrez! I can tribute an xyz monster I control to bring out the monsters used to summon it. Return, Praesepe and Omega!"
"Why did you summon those two? You will lose anyways."
"Because, I have a card that somepony else gave to me, a card that represents your master. I tribute my two monsters and summon Arcana Force Fifteen – The Fiend (ATK 2500)!" The card glowed brightly as it was played. A large coin appeared in the middle of the field and began to spin. It eventually landed on heads. "Bingo! I attack, which allows me to destroy your monster and inflict five hundred points of damage, along with allowing a replay."
Dagger: 2900-2400
"One last attack," Dusk thought, "And this is all over."
"Fiend, attack Dagger directly!"
The monster flew towards Dagger, than mysteriously stopped.
"What's going on?" Dusk called out.
"I use Kuriblaze. If A fire monster I control is destroyed, I can stop a direct attack and inflict you with five hundred points of damage. You lose."
Dusk: 400-0
The Fiend disappeared and Dusk fell to his knees. The entire crowd was silent, unable to even cheer.
Discord finally broke the silence, "Dagger is the victor. The next duel will be between Hope's Light and Ruby Crown."