Annex 027: Welcome, Oddball Guild

"So about those odds you mentioned, Cassius." The results were in and Uno would be the next to duel. Akai, his opponent, was standing right next to him. "Oh. Didn't see that coming. Well.. as a friend, I wish you luck, Uno. But as a guildsmen, I have to wish Akai more luck. So.." Cassius balanced his hands. Instead of saying anything, he just kept his mouth shut. "Whatever." Akai rolled her eyes and walked to the stage with determination. Uno waited. Emily saw him hesitating. "Hey don't get cold feet now. This is what you came here for. If someone has to lose, better to you then to anyone else." She wanted to see a full-out duel between them. "Oh it's not that. I just wanted to give my opponent the spotlight before I followed." Uno claimed. He knew perfectly well what was at stake, and he had no desire to lose. "Good to go." Once Akai stood in position, he stepped out to meet the views of the many, with his red glasses his big grin and his . This would be his first duel for the entire nation. Millions of people would see him. He had chills all throughout his body. the good kind. "Well, even if it all goes south. This moment alone makes it worth it."

"THERE HE IS, Uno lastnameunknown from the Oddball guild! Once an agent of promotion, now an adversary of all guilds! Will he be the one to introduce you to the new age of dueling?" Dom was warming the crowd up to the idea of pendulum summons. Something Uno naturally planned to show off. "Hello Akai." He met his opponent and looked at her. "We met before.. didn't we?" She had various traits that Uno's memories attributed to duelists from his short past; spiky auburn hair with bangs, a long white coat, fingerless gloves. Yet Uno could not put them all together no matter how much he tried. "Yes. Twice. When that woman invaded and before you went to the fusion guild." She stated with a half-annoyed tone. "Oh, sorry. We didn't get to talk much." She probably wasn't lying, but Uno still couldn't picture those encounters in his head.

"I'll give you a pass on that; amnesia and all. But if you wont forget me again after this duel." Akai activated her dueldisk. "I know why you're here. But this is my first tournament too and I want to make a name for myself. If you want to win, you gotta earn it!" The first turn fell on her. Akai drew five cards and placed four of them face-down in her spell/trap zone. "Voila! That is what you have to work with. My turn's over."

Akai's LP: 8000 Uno's LP: 8000

"What is this, what is this? No monsters, just spells and traps? Is this duelist insane or just unfortunate! Who knows!" Dom reacted like he usually did. Uno was starting to feel like this guy was going to overshadow him. He couldn't have that. "With a setup like that. It can only be one thing, right Akai?" Uno had an idea of what was coming, but she was not telling. "Oh well. I can pretend to be the fool." Uno drew his card. "Liven up guys! It is time for your debut in the big house!" Uno normal summoned his faithful opener, Performapal Whip Snake(4/1700/900). "You can't entertain such a wide audience by yourself, Whip Snake!" Uno then activated the effect of the Performapal Helprincess in his hand. He had normal summoned a Performapal, allowing the princess(4/1200/1200) to be special summoned in attack position. "You realize the crowd cant hear you, right?" Akai wondered if this act was for them or just for her. "I cant stop now, Akai. Anyway, show me what traps you got! Whip Snake, Direct attack!" The snake rolled itself up and sprung upwards.

"I hardly have to do anything to stop that." Akai flipped only one of her trap cards. "Abyss Strungray. This continuous trap card will summon itself as a monster card!" An electric stingray(5/1900/0) with glowing lines all over its body was summoned in face-up defense position. It occupied a monster zone as well now. "I know better than to try and fight back against that snake." If she had tried to summon Stungray in attack mode, Whip Snake would just switch its attack and defense points. This way she would take no damage. Neither would her trap monster. "Abyss Stungray cannot be destroyed in battle!" The trap monster protected its body with a field of lightning. "Trapmonsters. I guessed so. It could have been worse. At least my pals live to fight another turn." Uno held Helprincess back and ended his turn. "Sounds like you did some homework before this duel began, Akai." She took no time at all to read the effects of his cards. She just knew. "I do homework before all my duels. I know what most duelists like to use. Sure there are some who throw in surprises. I hate to say it, Uno.. but you're a tad predictable."

"My turn!" Akai drew a card. "I assume you know how much time it takes to summon trap monsters. There are ways around it." Akai flipped another normal trap card. "Here is one; Boobytrap E! It discards one card to set a continuous trap from my graveyard." There was only one card in the grave, the one she sent out of her hand just now. "And that trap can be activated in the same turn it is set." Boobytrap E placed a trapmonster face-down in the spell/trap zone and Akai switched it to her monster zone in face-up defense position. It was a six-legged bug-like statue(7/0/2500). "Statue of Anguish Pattern! This trap monster cannot be targeted by effects as long as I control another trap! Also, whenever a trap or spell card is summoned as a monster.. I can destroy one card you control. Like so.." A third trap monster was activated, a shield and sword-wielding tiki statue(4/1000/1800). "I summon Tiki Soul. And I destroy Performapal Whip Snake." The lined pattern of of the Anguish Statue turned red. Uno's snake was covered with the same markings, and it looked like it was in pain.

"Whip Snake!" Uno had precious few seconds to make his move. The Snake could use its powers during his opponents turn as well. "Before you go, give the Stungray a parting gift!" The snake slapped the Abyssal ray(0/1900) with its tail, so that all its points were switched around for one turn. Afterwards Uno's monster blew up. "You may have the bigger cast now. But they lack a bit in staying power, Akai!" Anguish Pattern had no attackpoints and Tiki Soul could not fight against Helprincess either. At least one Performapal was safe this turn. "You might want to look again." Akai activated another continuous trap that changed into a monster. "Trap card; Shapesister!" A demonic metamorphic woman(2/0/0) oozed out a metallic puddle on the floor. "That same old gag?" This time the Statue of Anguish Pattern sent its light of pain towards the Helprincess. She cried out and disappared in a fiery explosion. "You are not a big fan, are you?"

"Neither are they." Akai referred to the duelists in their seats. Uno could make out enough of their shouting to realize they wanted to see what made him special. They wanted to see a pendulum summon. "Oh. Looks like they're all done with the opening act!" Uno really wished he had a mike to use. "So am I, Uno. You knew this was coming. I will synchro summon.." Shapesister was a tuner monster. By combining it with Tiki Soul on the field, she could special summon a level 6 synchro monster. "Totem Sentinel!" A tower of winged statues(6/2500/1000), each with a different emotion carved into its face, took the zone between the Statue and Stungray. "Of course.. synchro monsters." Uno groaned. The very next second he was assaulted by three laser beams from the totemheads, a direct attack to his lifepoints. "Time to stop playing around, Uno!" She placed one trap card face-down and ended her turn.

Uno's LP: 5500

Totem Sentinel, 6/2500/1000 Light/Rock/Synchro
1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters
During either player's turn, when a spell or trap card is activated while you control a face-up spell or trap card; destroy it.

"Wait. That effect." When Uno's draw phase came, he gained the last pendulum monster he needed to perform a pendulum summon. There was just one snag. "Since Pendulum scales are treated as spells, my Sentinel will destroy them. That is what you are talking about, right?" Akai had a cocky grin on her face. "Well that and I've never seen your card before. I might have forgotten a few things, but the long list of synchros is not one of them." He had to assume she had it made the same way Emily got Warlord Susanowo. "That is quite a specific amnesia. But you're right. I used my credits to have Dreamworld make Totem Sentinel for me, specifically so that I could counter the incoming wave of Pendulum monsters. I expected some duelists would be using them once Dom announced them. It's too bad that it had to be you."

Uno's options were limited. If he tried to use his pendulum zones, the cards would just be shattered. "Timegazer Magician.. I could summon him." Uno had a possible answer, Timegazer's monster effect prevented the first destruction of a card in a pendulum zone. "That wont work, Uno. She will just destroy the next pendulum you set. It has to happen in one turn." He could defend and stall..those were his options. "I..set a monster card." He just needed time, luck and a little help from his deck. "Imperial Custom." Fortunately, the trap that Akai had set was not a trap monster, so the Statue of Anguish would not destroy any monsters this turn. What she did flip was a continuous trap card, one that made all other continuous traps impervious to destruction. "Attack." Abyss Stungray(1900/0) was switched to attack position so it could destroy Uno's facedown Timegazer Magician(3/1200/800). "Sorry buddy. Your first appearance as a monster was a bit lackluster." Uno lamented the loss while Akai wailed on him with another direct laser attack from the Totem Sentinel. "I set a trap card and end my turn."

Uno's LP: 3000

"Now, come on deck!" Uno pulled the next card and inspected it. "A spell?" It was inevitable that would draw a non-monster card. He had only drawn monsters so far. But this was the worst timing. "..maybe I can. No, wait Uno. If you strike first, she will just counter. You have no idea what trap she set this time." If it was a trap monster, he could kiss all his plans goodbye. "I set these two cards." He went with a safer approach. The spell card and the monster card were placed face-down on the field. "What is he doing? Why isn't he fighting back?" The spectators grew restless. This duel bored them, they wanted to see it end.

"That Akai. Uno got a bad match-up." Cassius shook his head. He knew Akai as a very reflexive duelist; back when she first tried to join the guild she switched decks time after time to lock down her opponents. "But Uno can still win, right? He has to!" Alice did not want to believe it was over, even while she could see Uno slowing down.

"Have you given up? Or are you gambling?" Akai was confused too. "Either way." As her turn began she flipped her trap and summoned the Tiki Curse trap monster(4/1800/1000). "I'm choosing your fate now." Anguish Patterns effect was activated. Akai could choose to destroy either Uno's monster or his other card. "I will destroy.." She wanted to destroy the latter, as any logical duelist would. She could just destroy his monster with an attack. However, Uno did not look remotely concerned.. at first. "Your.." It was when she showed her own hesitation, that he stopped smiling. "He is trying to bluff me with that spell!?" That was the cue Akai would act upon. "...monster!" The Statue sent its pain to the set monster card, destroying it.

"Well. Goodbye Fire Mufflerlion." Uno did not look saddened. "Oh. Oh!" That was when Akai realized she had made a mistake, when that smile came back. "A double bluff!" When Performapal Fire Mufflerlion died, Uno activated his set quickplay spell card; Illusion Balloons. "What can I say? I was still pretending.. That stops now!" Five balloons popped up on the field. "Illusion Balloons! When a monster of mine is destroyed, I can excavate the top five cards from my deck! If there is a Performapal among them, I may summon him!" One balloon after the other popped, revealing the next card in Uno's deck. "Is there even a performapal strong enough to stop my Sentinel?" Akai's studies also told her that Uno always needed Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon to do the heavy lifting. "I will let you in a secret, Akai. There are so many Performapals than I can put in my deck. Every duel I try something a little different.." The last balloon popped, the cards (Magical Star Illusion, Command Performance and the Performapals Kaleidoscorpion, Silver Claw and Elephammer) were displayed. "Today you can meet Elephammer!"

The card Uno chose was a blue elephant(6/2800/1800) with a colorful hammer at the end of its trunk-nose. "Gah." His monster barely surpassed her synchro monsters attackpoints. Just 100 attackpoints stood in the way of her victory. "I can't believe you tricked me..I had you. I shouldn't have gone against my first instinct." Akai switched Stungray to defense mode but kept the Totem in attack position. If it had to die, she was not going to let it go to anything weak. "Yet you did. And I am very grateful..and glad. A duel is not just who has the best cards, it is a performance of two minds!" The turn passed back to Uno and he drew again. "I know you people want to see big sweeping moves each turn, but sometimes you gotta have the slow build-up." Uno yelled as loud as he could. They had to hear something. "But don't worry, I'll give you what you want! I set the scale, Performapal Pendulum Sorcerer!" Uno placed a redcoateded tophat wearing magician in the blue pendulum zone. "Aren't you getting ahead of yourself? Totem Sentinel is still here!" So Akai activated her synchro monsters effect. The top totem fired a blast at the Sorcerer.

"Nope. Because I have another quickplay spell, Pendulum Impenetrable!" Uno played the spell from his hand, it protected the pendulum zone and deflected the blast. "Cards in the pendulum zone cannot be destroyed or targeted by effects this turn!" So Uno was free to place another card in the red zone. "Performapal Lizardraw!" The orange lizard joined the wizard, and the two columns glowed. "You are going to pendulum summon with those?" The Sorcerer and Lizard carried the scales of 2 and 6; only level 3, 4 and 5 monsters could be called out this way. "No, actually. I activate Performapal Lizardraw's pendulum effect." The lizard disappeared from the pillar of light. "Lizardraw can be tributed when a Performapal sits in the other pendulum zone. It tributes itself to draw a card from my deck! That card.." Uno gained a monster. "Is Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon!" He activated it, as a spell card. The scale 4 dragon filled in for the sacrificed Lizard. "Scale 2 and 4? That is even worse!?" Akai stammered. Now Uno could only summon level 3 monsters!

"Oh Akai.. You'd be amazed at what you can do, even with these scales!" Uno raised his hand to the sky. "Ladies, gentlemen, and people from Dreamworld. You have come from far to witness this. So let it be shown!" Uno took three cards from his extra deck; pendulum monsters that had either been destroyed or tributed, and one monster from his hand. "I pendulum summon my Magician and Pals!" Timegazer Magician appeared. The Performapals Fire Mufflerlion(3/800/800), Lizardraw(3/1200/600) and Hip Hippo(3/800/800) followed. Akai was utterly baffled. "You actually did...wait, huh?" Not only were there five monsters on the field now, four of them were covered in a strange glow. "You didn't think my other Pendulum would just be a prop, did you? When a pendulum summon takes place, Pendulum Sorcerer adds 1000 attackpoints to all Performapals!" The Sorcerers magic enhanced the powers of the Lion(1800/800), Hippo(1800/800), Lizard(2200/600) and the most important performance beast, Elephammer(3600/1800). "Speechless yet?"

"Oh, I should mention one more thing.." Uno switched towards the battle phase. "Elephammer's power." The elephant slammed his hammer-snout down on the stage, sending a rumbling wave throughout Akai's zones. "You didn't." Akai's trap monsters and Imperial Custom were all pushed back into her hand. "Haha! I didn't. Elephammer did! The big lug can't help but send all traps and spells off the field when he attacks." The effect did not target, so the Anguish Pattern Statue was not immune. Imperial Custom did not stop non-destruction effects. Tiki Curse and Stungray could only defend against monster attacks. "That just leaves your number one." The actual attack connected. Elephammer bonked the Synchro totem in its faces and sent each piece rolling away like balls in a game of croquet.

Akai's LP: 6900

"Now! Watch closely. Blink and you will miss it!" Uno directed his gaze towards the skybox in the upper ring. "This one's for you!" Lizardraw and Timegazer Magician jumped on top of the backs of Fire Mufflerlion and Hip Hippo. They charged Akai and created a ring of fire and magic. "Ah!" She was hit four times but the attacks were visualized as once combined maneuver that depleted her lifepoints all at once. It was a level of detail no duelist had ever seen in a dueldisk match. More importantly, the winner had been decided. "Finito!"

Akai's LP: 0

"AMAZING! THAT IS THE POWER OF PENDULUM! EVEN WITH A SCALE WIDTH OF ONE, HE MANAGED TO GO FROM NOTHING TO EVERYTHING! THE FIRST ONE-TURN KILL OF THE TOURNAMENT!" Naturally Dom could not contain himself. Uno assumed that this was exactly what he wanted; just another man to sell his cards for him. "Hey.." Because of Dom and the feedback he received from the crowds, Uno could hardly hear the words of the duelist right in front of him. "Hey Uno." Still, Akai had something to say. "Yes?" Uno expected some bitter retort, about how the rest of the guild would pay him back for this. What he got was a gesture. "That was a fun game, wasn't it?" She wanted to shake his hand. "Oh? Yeah! Thanks! It was. You were tough." He was all too happy to accept. "Yeah. I know. You got me with your double bluff. That was on me. Still, you must have wanted to win a little bit more than I did." Akai had never been fooled before. Mostly because she had never seen anyone act so smoothly while being desperate.

"That's true." That was one victory. Would it be enough to earn the masters trust? He did not think so. He still had to duel Iria and Zach. . "They will be even stronger. That's just the way things are, Uno. If the first round is this close, we'll need a lot of new tricks for them.."

(To be Continued in Annex 028: Sitra Achra)

New Cards used by Uno
Performapal Elephammer
Performapal Pendulum Wizard

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Illusion Balloon
Pendulum Impenetrable

Cards used by Akai Diaz
Totem Sentinel

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Abbys Stungray
Boobytrap E
Statue of Anguish Pattern
Tiki Soul
Shapesister
Imperial Custom
Tiki Curse