# Chapter 69: The Tier-Zero Deck Called Entertainment
The next morning, Yūga Hōzumi and Yuto set off together, leading a 50-person squad of the Resistance Army.
After leaving the Orion District, the group headed straight for the Obelisk Force's new base on the east side.
Upon arriving, they found a concealed spot to hide. Yūga Hōzumi then looked toward their old acquaintance, the blond-haired Reynold, who had led the way.
"What's Kaito's usual procedure when they come here?"
"Chief Kaito usually smashes their main gate open with monsters and charges in with the comrades. Then he finds the leader of the enemy's camp himself. The rest of us can handle the small fry. So, Big Brother, do you have a different plan?" Reynold asked, looking at Yūga Hōzumi.
"That plan is very much in his style. Let's do that. But remember, I don't expect any great victories from you. Prioritize your own safety above all else. We hit and run, understand?" Yūga Hōzumi instructed.
"Understood!" The Resistance Army members wearing red scarves behind him nodded in unison.
After giving his instructions, Yūga Hōzumi exchanged a glance with Yuto, and they both placed two cards on their Duel Disks.
Hope and Dark Requiem Xyz Dragon appeared, one on the left and one on the right. A flash of a blade and a blast of dragon's breath struck the main gate of the Obelisk Force base simultaneously.
The main gate and the surrounding walls shattered on impact. Yūga Hōzumi and Yuto charged forward, leading the others through the breach. The enemy's reaction wasn't slow; soon, several small squads of the Obelisk Force met Yūga Hōzumi and his group.
"So, the ones eager to die have arrived." The man at the front wasn't wearing the standard Obelisk Force uniform. Instead, he wore a black overcoat, his short hair stood on end like steel needles, and his left arm had been modified into a bionic arm, on which a Duel Disk was mounted.
Seeing this, Reynold frowned and whispered to Yūga Hōzumi, "This guy isn't from this camp. We don't have any intel on him."
"Of course I'm not from this camp," the Bionic-Arm Brute said with a cold laugh. "Lord Aster Phoenix has been greatly annoyed by your recent little movements, so he sent me to take care of you."
"Looks like that guy finally woke up from his sickbed, huh? So he didn't dare come himself this time and sent you to die instead? Makes sense. After all, that old geezer isn't always around to save him," Yūga Hōzumi scoffed.
"Feeling smug just because you beat Lord Aster Phoenix once with a sneak attack?" the Bionic-Arm Brute said with a frown.
"That guy over there, the original commander of this place, is all yours," Yūga Hōzumi said, ignoring the man's rebuttal and turning to Yuto.
"Leave it to me." Yuto nodded and headed in the direction Yūga Hōzumi had indicated.
"You think one person is enough to deal with me?" the Bionic-Arm Brute sneered. "You remnants certainly have a lot of confidence."
"I've already crushed your Commander. You think I can't deal with you?" Yūga Hōzumi said lightly.
"What?!" the Bionic-Arm Brute exclaimed in shock. "It was you who sneak-attacked Lord Aster Phoenix?"
"That's right. And for the record, your Commander wasn't sneak-attacked. He was crushed by me, one-on-one," Yūga Hōzumi said, activating his Duel Disk.
"Duel!"
"My turn!" Yūga Hōzumi declared.
"I summon Performapal Skullcrobat Joker in Attack Position!"
"When this card is Normal Summoned, I can add one 'Performapal' monster, other than another 'Performapal Skullcrobat Joker', from my Deck to my hand."
"I add Performapal Monkeyboard to my hand!"
A clown with exaggerated makeup appeared before Yūga Hōzumi, letting out strange cackles.
"A clown?" The One-eyed Strong Man sneered. "This is what you used to defeat Lord Aster Phoenix? Don't make me laugh. You look more like a clown than your monster does."
Yūga Hōzumi gave the man a pitying look. He likely had no idea what he was about to face.
The deck Yūga Hōzumi was currently using, EMem, had once dominated the entire metagame, setting the record for the fastest a Pendulum deck had ever hit the Forbidden & Limited list. When duelists spoke of this deck, an unavoidable question was which was stronger: prime Dragon Rulers or prime EMem.
And what kind of deck were the Dragon Rulers? Did he even understand the power of an archetype with three banned cards and one limited card?! As for this EMem deck, it was on another level entirely. To this day, the record for the shortest time from release to being banned, held by Monkeyboard and Performage Plushfire, remains unbroken.
"I set the Scale 1 Performapal Monkeyboard and the Scale 6 Performapal Lizardraw in my Pendulum Zones!"
Two pillars of blue light rose behind Yūga Hōzumi, momentarily stunning the Bionic-Arm Brute.
"Performapal Monkeyboard's Pendulum Effect activates! I add one Level 4 or lower 'Performapal' monster from my Deck to my hand. I'll add Performapal Pendulum Sorcerer!"
"Performapal Lizardraw's Pendulum Effect activates! Since I have another 'Performapal' card in my other Pendulum Zone, this card is destroyed, and I draw one card."
"I set the Scale 5 Performage Plushfire in my Pendulum Zone."
"I activate the Spell Card, Wavering Eyes!"
"This destroys all cards in both our Pendulum Zones. Since at least one card was destroyed, you take 500 damage! And since two cards were destroyed, I can add one Pendulum Monster from my Deck to my hand."
A whirlwind tore through the pillars of light behind Yūga Hōzumi, destroying both cards.
Bionic-Arm Brute LP: 4000 → 3500
"I add a second Performage Plushfire to my hand!"
"The effect of the destroyed Performage Plushfire activates! When this card on the field is destroyed by battle or a card effect, I can Special Summon one 'Performage' monster, other than itself, from my hand or Deck."
"Appear! Performage Damage Juggler!"
"I set the Scale 3 Performage Mirror Conductor and the Scale 5 Performage Plushfire!"
"Swing, Pendulum! Pendulum Summon!"
"Appear! Level 4! Performapal Pendulum Sorcerer!"
"Level 4! Blackwing - Zephyros the Elite!"
"Level 4! Performage Plushfire from the Extra Deck!"
The three monsters that appeared in succession left the Bionic-Arm Brute dumbfounded.
"No wonder you're so arrogant. So you've mastered a new summoning method?" the Bionic-Arm Brute said, his face darkening.
"Performapal Pendulum Sorcerer's effect activates!"
"When this card is Special Summoned, I can target and destroy up to two cards I control, then add a number of different 'Performapal' monsters from my Deck to my hand equal to the number of cards destroyed."
"I destroy the Performage Plushfire in my Pendulum Zone and the one in my Monster Zone! I add Performapal Monkeyboard and Performapal Guitartle from my Deck to my hand!"
"The effects of the two Performage Plushfires that were just destroyed and sent to the Extra Deck activate!"
"From my Deck, I Special Summon Performage Trick Clown and a second Performage Damage Juggler!"
"I overlay the three Level 4 monsters: Performage Trick Clown, Blackwing - Zephyros the Elite, and Performapal Pendulum Sorcerer!"
...
I got home late today, so the update is a bit behind schedule. Also, it's the usual request for your continued readership. My editor told me that this week's follow-up reads dropped by 200, so next week's recommendation spot is looking shaky.
Everyone, even if you want to "hoard" chapters to read later, could you please do me a favor and scroll to the end of the latest chapter each day? This is really important for a new book.
(end of chapter)