The Rise and Fall of History II: Opposing the Present

by Medigo

The world of dueling has reached its climax. Many stories have been told through these cards, and the final story brought everyone together. People are united and yet, an unknown world suffers in their shadow. The fallen one returns in the midst of their peace, pursued and still a stranger to those around. There is not much time to save both his home and his friends.

26. That Name no Longer has Meaning

Redux 65: That Name no Longer has Meaning

Anastasia's LP: 4800 Uno's LP: 1300

"brother. is something troubling you?" The duel was stalling, one side was lost in his own thoughts. "I.. uh.. Anastasia. Did I ever do work, that involved the other timeline?" There was a mystery in front of Uno that he himself could never solve. "work? i wouldn't know. you kept things to yourself. father had tasks for you, which we were not to worry about." Neither could his sister. "Then it could be that I did do it. That I acted as UNO? But if that's the case.. who took over when I went missing?" He and Zach met UNO, a faceless voice-modded hologram of him. Who was that? Was there a second Uno? "Uno. Is there something wrong?" Alice and Eric were growing concerned too now. "No, nothing. Just some plain old curiosity." He laughed it off. For now he would have to keep playing. Anastasia was not aware of this, but she could help him in other ways. "Dark Rebellion XYZ Dragon can absorb half the attackpoints of another monster!" Uno detached two materials from his XYZ-Dragon(4/2500/2000), who in turn sapped 1500 attackpoints from Kozmo Dark Destroyer(8/1500/2000). "You've waited long enough! Here come the attacks!" The dragon(4000/2000) coated its body with its stolen energy and it drove its bladed jaws right into the Dark spaceship.

Anastasia's LP: 2300

"i see." The destruction of the Destroyer activated its death-clause. "this time it will be kozmo sliprider." Dark Destroyer banished itself and special summoned a smaller Kozmic ship from her deck; a red wingfighter(5/2300/800). "when the sliprider appears, one spell or trap is destroyed." The spacejet fired lasers from its wings towards the Iris in the Sky. Uno's field spell wound up in the graveyard. "Hey. Couldn't you have negated that effect?" Eric yelled. Uno also controlled Odd-Eyes Vortex Dragon(8/2500/3000). The fused dragon could negate spells, traps or monster effects once a turn. "I could. But I'm worried that's what she wants me to do." Uno eyed Anastasia's face-down traps. Either one could be bad news. "you are learning, brother." A smile briefly crossed Anastasia's face. "Heh, well. Fool me once, shame on me! Now, my second attack!" Uno ordered the Vortex Dragon to attack Kozmoll Wicked Witch(4/1900/300). The attack hit and burned the target to cinders. "Hm?" The Wicked Witch could've saved herself if Anastasia allowed it, which was what Uno expected. "She must be trying to conserve LP." He placed a trap card down. "That was my turn, Anastasia."

Anastasia's LP: 1700

"i see that too." The Lady drew a card. "your fusion did not exist until you created it." She looked at the Vortex Dragon and walked over to it. "Uh..hey?" There was no rule against it, but it was still weird to see her approach his monster and pet it as if it was a real beast. "it is beautiful, uno. but you do not understand yet how you made it, do you?" She asked. He shook his head. "i will help you with that too. i will make it so that you can only win that way. kozmotown, i want my destroyer again." With her field spell of Kozmotown, Anatasia returned the banished Kozmo Dark Destroyer to her hand. That drained 100 lifepoints for each levelstar on the eight-star machine. "Ah.. you're almost.." Alice gasped when she saw how little life Anastasia retained.

Anastasia's LP: 800

"i am used to dueling like this." Anastasia mused and activated a spell card, Emergency Teleport, the psychic summoning card. It special summoned another Kozmo Farmgirl(3/1500/1000) from her deck. "it never ends, does it uno?" She immediately banished the Farmgirl. Her effect special summoned the Kozmo Dark Destroyer(8/3000/2000) from her hand, and the spaceship targeted Dark Rebellion XYZ Dragon for destruction. "Unless you change things yourself! I activate Odd-Eyes Vortex Dragon to stop your Destroyer!" Vortex Dragon returned a pendulum monster in the extra deck, Performapal Kaleidoscorp, to the main deck. By paying that cost, it could succesfully negate and destroy Kozmo Dark Destroyer. "but the cycle keeps going." Dark Destroyer banished itself all over again. "i choose kozmo landwalker from my deck." This time the ship's effect special summoned a ground-based vehicle; the four-legged spider-tank(6/2400/1200). "and.. some die before they see the changes. i activate kozmojo." Now her trap was revealed. "one kozmo dies, and one other card is permanently banished." Kozmojo targeted Kozmo Sliprider and Odd-Eyes Vortex Dragon, destroying the first to banish the second. "Dang. Dark Destroyer was a sacrifice."

"it was. allthough i wouldn 't have minded either outcome." Anastasia pointed her finger at the XYZ-dragon next to her. "he is next. i need you, kozmo goodwitch." As Sliprider was destroyed, it could also banish itself and special summon a lowerleveled Kozmo from the deck. It was Goodwitch the kinder pixie-winged sister(4/1800/1000) of the Wicked witch. "i will give her some of what lifepoints remain, so she can make your dark monster hide in face-down defense." The Goodwitch sprayed Dark Rebellion XYZ Dragon with bubbles, which flipped its position. "Uh oh." Dark Rebellion's defense was only half as great as its attack. "my landwalker will attack it." The Landtank easily stomped the defending dragon into the ground. "and my witch will attack you." Goodwitch grabbed her sword and lit up the blade of light. "Can't let that happen yet, sister! I activate Performapal Call!" Uno's trap stopped the witch dead in her tracks. "Performapal Call negates one attack and then it gives me two Performapals whose combined defense is lower than your monsters attack!" The Goodwitch had 1800 attackpoints, so Uno could add Performapal Extra Slinger and Skullcrobat Joker to his hand. Their defense added up to 1200.

Anastasia's LP: 300

"i am glad to see that you are so good at staying alive, brother." Anastasia passed the turn back to him. "Yeah well. We're both just about at our limit, so..something's gotta give!" Uno pulled his next card, wondering if it would be something miraculous. ".." Instead he got a simple trap card. "Hrm. I set Performapal Extra Slinger!" The red pendulum zone was handed over to a young boy (scale 6) in star-studded clothes. "If I do not pendulum summon this turn, Extra Slinger can inflict 300 points of damage for each pendulum monster in my extra deck!" Performapal Partnaga, Odd-Eyes Light Phoenix, and the Gazer magicians surrendered some energy to the Slinger. "That's 1200 damage!" The Slinger fired four starbit pellets with his slingshot. "He got her!" Eric cheered prematurely. "No, she is.." Alice saw her activate the trap she had set three turns ago. "Soul Point." Anastasia uttered its name loud and clear. As the four shots hit her, her body absorbed the damage and rejected it. "i believe i told you how this would end, brother. i wont let any simple performapal break my limit."

Point of the Soul, Continuous Trap
Destroy this card if your lifepoints are higher than your opponents.
Reduce all damage that is higher than your current lifepoints to 0.

"No wonder she wanted her life so low." Alice realized the endpoint of her strategy. It would take something special to get Uno out of this. "What the? That card can't be fair!" Eric protested. An all purpose damage nullifier was something not even the guilds would use. "Is that something you made?" In fact Uno did not think anyone but her could use it. "you preferred making new monsters out of old ones, through fusion, synchronization or overlaying. i.. liked to make spells and traps." She admitted to that much. "Well. I wish you could give me tips on how you do it." Uno placed his trap card down. He also summoned Performapal Skullcrobat Joker(4/1800/100), so that he could use its effect and search his deck for a Performapal. That was Performapal Pendulum Sorcerer in this instance.

"it cannot be told, Uno. it must be felt. you will be ready when the time comes. you have to be." Anastasia started her turn with the effect of Kozmotown to unbanish Kozmo TinCan. The field spell only asked for 100 of her lifepoints when it targeted the level 1 robot. "the town shuffles kozmo cards to my deck, to draw new cards." Now she used Kozmotown's secondary effect; moving Kozmo Tincan back into the deck to draw a a new card. "my pretties... attack." Kozmo Landwalker stormed towards the Joker acrobat and crushed it underneath its metallic feet. "Oh I have another trap! Performapal Revival!" With his Performapal destroyed, he could revive one of his other Performers. He special summoned Performapal Sleight Hand Magician(7/2500/2000) from the graveyard in defense mode, since he had no idea what could be in her hand now. Its defense was higher than Goodwitch's attackpoints at least. "Landwalker." His precautionary summon only half payed off. Anastasia banished the Goodwotch to summon another landtank(6/2400/1200) from her hand. "destroy the magician." Alas, though it was technically stronger, in defense mode the red wizard had to admit defeat and death to the attacking Landwalker. "brother, the longer you wait, the less chance you have that it will work. please.. try it, for the family." She placed a trap card and ended her turn.

Uno's LP: 700

"The longer I wait.." Uno looked at his own deck. "How much time do I really have?" Four years, that was how long both worlds supposedly could coexist. Did he even have time to play around, when Tempus was no longer alive? Would have have to fix everything? Could he even do that? When he couldn't even control what powers he did have? He was afraid to even draw his next card.

"Uno! You did it before! Just try to remember what that felt like!"

"Wha-huh?" Alice's bright voice pulled him out of his trance this time. "Don't think about the bad times, when you couldn't do anything! Think about happy memories, maybe that will make you feel stronger.." This was the same advice her family always gave her, when she was scared or remembering the dark times too much. It always helped her. "...happy memories." Anastasia repeated the words, as she watched this interaction between the two. "You.. are right. I can do this." The pounding in his chest went away, his heart was calming down. "I can do anything!" The light of his pendulum started to glow slightly. "Draw!" He pulled a card from his deck. "A Magician?" He definitely had never used this one before, was it a pendulum monster. Yet it was exactly what he needed. "I summon this monster, Tuning Magician!" This was his creation, a young mage(1/0/0) with long pink hair and neon green lights on her robe-like armor. "When Tuning Magician is summoned, I lose 400 lifepoints and my opponent gains 400 lifepoints!" The Tuner transferred some of Uno's life to Anastasia.

Anastasia's LP: 700 Uno's LP: 300

"Huh? It hurts you when you summon it? How is that.." Eric did not see why Uno created something so harmful, until Point of the Soul destroyed itself. "Of course! Now he can hit her lifepoints again!" With his life decreased, Anastasia's trap was rendered inoperable. "this is your answer?" Anastasia seemed surprised. "Yeah! And this is just a warm-up!" Uno placed Performapal Pendulum Sorcerer (scale 2) in his other pendulum zone. "I Pendulum summon my pals and wizards!" Four beams of light shot down. In a single flash, Performapal Partnaga(5/500/2100), Odd-Eyes Light Phoenix(5/2000/1000), Skullcrobat Joker(4/1800/100) and TimeGazer Magician(3/1200/600) appeared. All in attack mode. "Since a Performapal was pendulum summoned, the Pendulum Sorcerer can add 1000 attackpoints to all my Performapals!" The Partner snake(1500/2100), light phoenix(3000/1000) and Joker(2800/100) all powered up. Now he could certainly make mincemeat of her monsters and lifepoints.

"your friends, you have a bond with them. you got stronger in that other world. but..i want to see more." Anastasia flipped her face-down quickplay spell, Limiter Removal. "Gah!" The spell doubled the attackpoints of all her machines, of both Landwalkers(4800/1000). They would be destroyed during the endphase, but that hardly mattered since their destructions would just summon new Kozmo cards. "You used it now? You... want to see me break my own limits." Limiter Removal could have been sprung on him during the battle phase. "I already made fusions and XYZs." He had Tuning Magician, she was a tuner. The math spoke for itself. "All that's left is.." The light that still burned inside his crystal turned pale blue. "Synchro!" He took three monsters. "I tune Tuning Magician with Performapal Skullcrobat Joker and Timegazer Magician!" Eight stars were thrown into the tuning rings. "A synchro monster?" Eric and Alice cried out in unison. "This is my creation, my new magician! Synchro summon! Enlightenment Paladin!" The rings turned to gold and were cut up by two blades. Those blades belonged to the temporal white knight; Enlightenment Paladin(8/2500/2000).

"Enlightenment.. Paladin." Anastasia called it out in awe. "When Enlightenment Paladin has a pendulum summoned Magician as one of his synchro materials, he returns one spell from my graveyard to my deck!" The Paladin slammed his swords together and spun them counter-clockwise. The motion turned back time itself. "I take Union Attack!" It was the very card he had discarded at the start of the duel. "First Partnaga gives the Paladin a boost with his power!" There were four 'Performapal' cards on the field, which meant four powerboosts for the Paladin(3700/2000). "And then Union Attack adds the attackpoints of ALL my monsters to Enlightenment Paladin!" The phoenix and snake gave their fire and energy synchro performer(8200/2000). "This is it is, Anastasia! The climax of the show! Enlightenment Paladin attacks!" The enlightened spellcaster spun towards one of the Landwalkers and slashed it clean in half. "The damage inflicted with a Union Attack is negated. But Enlightenment can inflict its own damage! It takes 1 lifepoint away for each attackpoint it defeated. You lose 2400 lifepoints!" The cut left behind a powerful wave of holy flames. "Ah.." Anastasia was overwhelmed.

Anastasia's LP: 0

"there it is." Anastasia moved her hand across her field and withdrew all her cards at once. She conceded. "You know, I get the feeling you let me win." Uno wasn't that oblivious. Even if he disregarded her use of Limiter Removal, she could have used Kozmo Landwalker's effect to negate its own destruction by destroying another Kozmo card she controlled. "there was no need to continue. you got something back that you thought you had lost. do you now understand why you can do it?" He nodded slowly. "I think so. I always had this feeling that these cards were than just pictures. They were part of the past, a world with magic. Now, for whatever reason, these cards are all that's left of their power. And I guess we are in tune with that?" Sometimes he swore he could hear the cries of the monsters, like they were alive and calling out to him. "our souls are in tune, we have special spirits. that is what our father told us. he could hear their voices too, to ask them for their powers. the cards are frames from a story only few can remember, people like us." She seemed to get a bit misty-eyed as she spoke of him, which made Uno wonder. "Anastasia, this duel was great. But I still.. cannot remember him. Do you have a photo of him somewhere?" If he could just see Tempus' face.

"oh.. it never occurred to me to show you." Anastasia clicked a few buttons, and produced a two-dimensional picture. "he left no trace, no grave; he did not want to be recorded. after his end, he was cremated. all we have is our memories of him. i drew this to remind myself of him." It was a crude but clear drawing of a mans face. He had a long flowing beard, white hair and thick eyebrows. "He's older than I thought he'd be." Eric said. "So that's who started everything?" Alice felt the room get a little colder. "Tempus.." To Anastasia this guy was like a saint. To them He was the man who doomed the world. "Ehr.. I hope you don't mind me asking. But how did he die anyway?" Eric didn't want to let that question gnaw at his brain anymore. "he died the way of most, his body had seen too many years." The answer was cruelly simple. "Oh. I'm so sorry." Alice said, to her and to Uno. "he went in peace. that is what mattered."

"oh.. I believe it is time for dinner." The lady stared at the giant clock against the walls. There was one on every floor of this tower. "Oh boy. I can't wait!" Eric rubbed his hands together. He hadn't eaten anything good since the tournament.

When they arrived the table was already set, a dozen plates hid their tantalizing contents behind silver covers. "What's this?" However the meal could not begin right away, as Marco, Adamant and a few soldier duelists were positioned around the entrance. "We have an Announcement to Make. I Thought it would be Tasteless to not give you this Information as soon as Possible. We have Good and Bad news." Marco tossed a card at Uno. "What is this? The good news?" There were numbers on the map; coordinate numbers. "Verily! We have found one of your targets, the Brandt household. It was proving too Difficult to search by Full names, but we narrowed it down to a Town and a Street." Hearing this, Alice could barely control herself. "You mean you found her? You found Emily?" She was so happy, she felt like jumping. "That's great.. but what is the bad news?" Uno had to ask. "The ones who Attacked you in the Tunnels. Inquisitor Silver and her Templars found Nothing when they scoured the Underground wreckage, not even Bodies. They must have Escaped using an exit We didn't know of." That was the bad news. "No.." Alice stopped jumping. "Oh no.." Dame Phoebe got away. "Are you sure?" She looked at Adamant. He nodded silently. "But then.. I said no to her.. Dad.. She's going to.."

...

"I am going to cut off his head and serve it to that little Alice on a platter!" An enraged guild leader paced through her dimly lit lair. Phoebe came so close, and that girl ruined everything. "Uhm. Hmm. No. I don't think that.. would be a good idea, plan." There were others with her in the lair; an unknown woman, Martel and Ichirou. "MC is right. If you had listened to her to begin with, the situation wouldn't have spiraled out of control. Now they are out of our reach, protected by Millennium." Ichirou, was quite happy to talk about Phoebe's recent failure. "Aw. Are you sweet-talking MC now?""Burn in hell, Ichirou!" Dame and Phoebe growled. "It's true though, Dame. We... can't damage our bargaining chips now! They're the only leverage we have left. Be-sides, it's not as if they stop us. We have the portal, and we have Martel." MC, the unknown woman, talked with a nasal tone while she hid behind a swarm of computers and flatscreens. "We need to send them a message, new terms. We can settle this without making a... mess." She proposed. "A message. I will do that." The puppetmaster spoke up. "I still feel my pieces, they wont stay asleep for long. I can't control them, but they can hear me."

Hearing this, Phoebe finally stopped. "Oh? Heheeh. Well, I know what you can say to get them to dance to our tune."

(To be Continued in Redux 064: Quiet Moves)

New Cards used by Christopher 'Uno' Nisell
Performapal Extra Slinger
Tuning Magician

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Enlightenment Paladin

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Union Attack

New Cards used by Anastasia Nisell
Kozmo Sliprider
Kozmo Landwalker
Kozmo Good Witch

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Emergency Teleport
Limiter Removal

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Kozmojo
Point of the Soul