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.

45. Double-Edged Trust

Redux 46: Double-Edged Trust

Cardel's LP: 5800 Emily's LP: 8000

"Emily. Just think about this. You don't know Uno, you can't trust his power! The pendulum started all of this." At the start of Emily's next turn, Cassius threw another appeal to her feelings. "Just because I've known you longer, doesn't make you right and him wrong, Cassius." She was dueling to save Uno, to stop someone who she used to see as a friend. "Heyaaaha!" And right away, she received a large dosage of electric energy. "Emily!" Alice screamed. "Don't worry. I've had worse." Her sister grimaced. Flower Cardian Lightshower(8/3000/3000) was the culprit, burning 1500 of her lifepoints just for drawing during her drawphase. "As I was saying; I know what I see and what my sister sees. Call him Lord Fortuno or whatever... Uno is a friend. We have a better shot with him than with anyone else! l Pendulum summon two of my Samurai!" Emily trudged on and special summoned Superheavy Samurai Battleball(2/100/800) and Superheavy Samurai Soulclaw(2/500/500) from her hand, using the pendulumscales of General Jade and General Coral.

Emily's LP: 6500

"You need to learn some respect." Cardel flipped his other trap card. "I activate Fraud Freeze. While I control a Cardian synchro monster, I can reject all monsters special summoned from a players hand." Flower Cardian Lightshower raised his umbrella to the ceiling, summoning a violent storm that sent both the Samurais back into Emily's hand. "Ugh." She had nothing that could get rid of the trap or Lightshower, the synchro was immune to destruction and targeting effects. "Fine, I can still normal summon or set monsters." Emily placed one monster in face-down defense position. "Your turn."

"To continually make use of Lightshower's effects, I need to forfeit my drawphase." Cardel further explained as he skipped right to his standby phase. Cardian Moonflower already skipped this turns drawphase anyway. "But there are other ways that I can acquire cards. By banishing the spell, Flower Stacking, one Flower Cardian returns from the graveyard. My choice; Peony with Butterfly." He pulled the tuner Cardian from the graveyard. "And there are ways to summon them. I activate the spell, Flower Gathering. Four Flower Cardians with 100 attack and defense points will be special summoned from my deck." Four panels popped up from the deck, the Flower Cardians of Pine(1/100/100), Zebragrass(8/100/100), Willow(11/100/100) and Paulownia(12/100/100). "Four?" Flower Gathering did negate the effects of the monsters it summoned, but this was still a lot on the plate. "I replace Willow for Peony with Butterfly." The level 11 Cardian served as the tribute, for the special summon effect of the Butterfly tuner(6/1000/1000). "And here it begins. You had your chance to cease this nonsense. Nobody will protect you now..."

"You will remember that since Peony will draw one card now. If that card is a Cardian monster, It will be kept and your deck will be re-arranged!" The Butterfly Cardian drew a Cardian that showed a Valerifawn Mystical Beast standing under a maple tree. "Flower Cardian Maple with Deer! I can special summon it by tributing any Cardian." Poeny's effect scanned Emily's deck and moved two cards to the bottom, while putting the seemingly useless Superheavy Samurai Soul Claw on top. At the same time, Cardel tributed Flower Cardian Zebragrass to put up the Maple/Deer card(10/1000/1000). "It lets me draw a card as well." Cardel's deck gave him the evolved stage of Cardian Pine this time. "When I do, Maple with Deer destroys one spell or trap card on the field." Maple with Deer targeted and destroyed Emily's trap card; Damage Diet. "I tribute Cardian Pine for Cardian Pine with Crane." The card of the pines transformed, now the panel(1/2000/2000) showed a CraneCrane monster standing among the trees. "It too draws a card when summoned." Pine with Crane drew Flower Cardian Clover with Boar from Cardel's deck. "This monster can also use any Cardian as a tribute." Cardian Paulowniw was sacrificed, and the Cardian(7/1000/1000) of the boarsoldier took over its zone. "Clover with Boar draws as well. And if I draw a Cardian, one monster will be destroyed!" The minister took the next card from his deck.

And nothing happened. "..." He drew a trap card, Level Guard. "Looks like your chain ends here." Emily sighed a breath of relief, her monster was safe. "You smile now..." Cardel sent Level Guard into his graveyard. "When so many synchro combinations remain." He activated the effect of his tuner; Cardian Peony with Butterfly(2/1000/1000) reduced the level of all Cardians to two. "Synchro summon, Flower Cardian Boardefly!" The synchro materials were the Clover with Boar(2/1000/1000), Maple with Deer(2/1000/1000) and the tuner. "Another.." The endresult was a warrior(6/2000/2000) with the antlers of a deer, a butterfly-vambrace and a chestplate shaped like a tusked boar. "As long as Boardefly is on the field, all Cardians can inflict piercing damage. And each turn it can banish one Cardian from the graveyard to negate the effects of all cards in your graveyard until my next turn!" Boardefly banished Cardian Zebragrass. "Not if I use them first!" Emily wanted her graveyard free of traps, so she banished her destroyed Damage Diet to activate it. Now all effect damage was halved this turn. "Heh. Lightshower, attack her monster!" The four-card Cardian released another torrent of lightning upon Emily's set card. Bolts scattered across the room. "Ngh."

Emily's LP: 5500

"Heh yourself." The brightness of the attack faded, revealing the target himself. "What is this?" Cardel scowled as he saw a still living blue samurai(4/0/2000). "This is Superheavy Samurai Blue Brawler, a monster that can't be destroyed in battle. What did you expect?" Piercing attacks were not that dangerous, when her monsters defense was as high as the attackpower of Cardels remaining Cardians. "You continue to mock me." He kept attacking anyway. Flower Cardian Pine with Crane(2/2000/2000) rammed its flat body into the Blue Brawler, resulting in a damage-free impact that pushed both back. "When Pine with Crane battles, I can draw one card." Cardel claimed one more card from his deck. "And so this waste of time continues. End turn." As his turn ended, and Emily was forced to use her next drawphase, Lightshower inflicted another 1500 points of damage to the girl. "Your attitude fits for one who follows a fool like Uno. But impudence cannot save him, or the world."

Emily's LP: 4000

"You're wrong, Uno's not a fool! He's trying very hard to save everyone! Because he cares about everyone! Not just... not just the ones he can save!" Alice suddenly shouted. "That's right. Cassius, you should already know this. You met him, he cared about you too." Emily glared at the synchro duelist. For once Cassius could not find any words to utter. "You've been part of this Circle for too long. Maybe I should be fighting for you too!" Emily normal summoned the Superheavy Samurai Battleball from her hand. "That too is pointless. No effect can target my Cardians while I control Lightshower." Battleball could not use any of his Flower Cardians as synchro materials for her synchro samurai. "Like I don't know that." But she didn't need his monsters. "Superheavy Samurai Soulclaw can be equipped to one Superheavy on the field!" She gave her monster claw to the Blue Brawler(4/500/2500). "And I can also unequip Soulclaw, to summon it to my field!" The red-nailed claw(2/500/500) fell from the Brawlers arm and scuttled across the floor. "And then I can use the pendulum effect of Superheavy Samurai General Jade, to raise my Samurai's level by 1!" The green general targeted Battleball(3/100/800). "She's going to.." Cassius' eyes went wide with awe.

"Synchro summon!" The Battleball tuner synchronized with Soulclaw and Blue Brawler. "In defense mode, Superheavy Samurai Beast Kyubi!" The three Samurais came together as a gigantic centaur(9/1900/2500) in white armor. "Kyubi gains 900 defense point for each of your special summoned monsters! And he can of course attack with that defense!" Three tails of bursting flames erupted from the back of the Beast to give it(1900/5200) more power, one for each of Cardels Cardians. "Go, destroy Cardian Boardefly!" Kyubi blasted forward like a jetfighter, and raised his axe of fire. "Damn it." The death of Boardefly cost him greatly, Cardel lost 3200 lifepoints. "Thanks to General Coral, Kyubi can attack again!" The red general ordered the Beast back into battle. Kyubi(1900/4300) charged Flower Cardian Pine with Crane and obliterated the panel. "I set one trap card and end my turn!"

Cardel's LP: 300

"Emily.. why did you leave Lightshower alone?" Alice wondered, since Kyubi could have attacked that monster too. "So he can choose whether he still wants to keep skipping his draw phases or not." Emily grinned. "Go on, keep joking around. It will not change reality." Cardel begrudginly entered his drawphase so he could draw a spell from his deck. Now the effects of Flower Cardian Lightshower were sealed until his next drawphase. "You have no idea what powers you are dealing with. I activate the spell De-Synchro!" That spell on the other hand would prove very useful. "Your desynching?" De-Synchro did exactly what its name implied, it returned one synchro monster to the extra deck to revive all of its synchro materials. "To go one combo further, yes I will!" Lightshower split up into its components; the Flower Cardians Moonflower(6/2000/2000), Cherry Blossom with Curtain(3/2000/2000), Willow(11/100/100) and Zebragrass with Moon(8/2000/2000). With no more Cardian synchros on the field. Fraud Freeze selfdestructed.

"I activate the effect of Moonflower!" The synchro geisha drew from his deck, and found another Flower Cardian Paulownia. "As I have drawn a Flower Cardian, I may summon it!" He put down the Paulownian cardian(1/100/100) to his field. "And by returning one fallen Cardian to the deck, Cardian Willow can draw an extra card." The 11th level Cardian shuffled Cardian Willow with Calligrapher into the deck, so that Cardel could do what he did best; draw one card. "Now. This is the power I was referring too." Moonflower reactivated its level altering effect on all of his monsters. "By synchronizing five Cardians.." The synchro tuner(2/1000/1000), Willow(2/100/100), Paulownia(2/100/100), Zebragrass with Moon(2/2000/2000) and Cherry Blossom(2/2000/2000) were mashed together. "I can synchro summon Flower Cardian Lightflare!" This five-card combo created the heavenly swordsman of purple and gold; the Gokou-warrior(10/5000/0).

"That many?" Alice shuddered at the sight of it. "5000 attackpoints.." Even Adamant was astonished; this was the strongest synchro monster he ever layed eyes on. "Lightflare negates one spell or trap card each turn." Cardel moved to the battle phase. "And while it exists, no monster can use its effects against Cardians in a fight. Let me show you." Lightflare fired five beams of light from the halo on its back. The first hit weakened Superheavy Samurai Kyubi(1900/2500), negating its defense-boosting effects. "I can activate my effect too!" While she still had time, Emily discarded Superheavy Samurai Soulfire Suit from her hand. "My Samurai's attackpoints are reduced by 800, but it cant be destroyed this turn!" The Beast Samurai(1900/1700) had to give up even more defense, but at least it survived the five lights with its suit of fire. "So you managed to save your defender. But there is nothing you can do with it now." The minister let his turn end. "He's right, Emily. I know your deck, you cannot top Cardian Lightflare." Cassius exclaimed. Kyubi(1900/2700) regained some of its power when her turn began, but not nearly enough.

"Cassius. When we were kids, I told you that I would never quit.. no matter what. And that you shouldn't either. I guess only half of you learned that lesson." Emily would not give up, not now not ever. She got this far. "My turn!" She normal summoned the card her deck gave her, Superheavy Samurai Drum(1/300/300). "I synchro summon the Superheavy Samurai Warlord! Susanowo! In defense mode!" Drum and its one level tuned with the nine levels of Samurai Beast Kyubi. Together they created Emily's strongest synchro monster, the master of war Susanowo(10/2500/3800). "Since I have no spells or traps in my graveyard, Susanowo can take one of yours and set it on my field!" Emily extended her hand. "I will take your De-Synchro card!" Cardels disk spat out the spell. "You will what?" Emily caught De-Synchro and placed it on her field. "I will use it to return your synchro monster to the extra deck!" She flipped De-Synchro face-up. "I see. Since the synchro materials are not in her graveyard, nothing will be summoned back." Adamant was impressed. Sadly he knew nothing would come of this.

"You should remember your own lessons. Flower Cardian Lightflare negates your spell!" The five-card warrior drew his sword and sliced the De-synch spell to pieces. "Oh no.." Things looked worse than ever; Alice wanted to close her eyes. "Hey remember Alice.. I told you to never quit too. I am doing this for you too!" In the end, her sister was the one who made her want to be this strong. "Uh..yeah!" And if Emily was confident, Alice could be too. "That's what I like to hear!" Emily put on her biggest smile.. as she flipped her other face-down card. "Rise to Full Height! The defense points of my monster are doubled!" The trap caused Susanowo to stand up on both his feet, making him(2500/7600) tower over even the strongest of synchro warriors. "Incredible!" Cassius gasped. She found a way. "You would not dare!" Cardel gestured angrily at her. "I think I proved the opposite a long time ago, minister! Superheavy Samurai Susanowo, attack Flower Cardian Lightflare!" The warlord took his weapon and slammed it down upon Lightflare's head, cracking it and his body into pieces.

Cardel's LP: 0

"Ugh!" The explosion of his monster knocked the minister back against the prison forcefields. "Gwah!" The shock of the energy knocked him out, and he dropped to the ground. "A little rougher than I wanted it to be, but.." Emily bent over and pikcpocketed his keycard. "Now we can get out of here." She slid the card through the lock on Uno's cell. The barrier switched itself off. "I will get him." Adamant moved in and picked the duelist up, carrying him over his shoulder. "Is he..going to wake up?" Uno was still unconscious, this did not look like mere exhaustion to Alice. "I don't know. First we should get out of here. Alice, you still have that crystal, right? You can.."

{Did you believe.. I would not notice? That I did not see the crystal you possessed?} Her voice chimed across the room. "Hgh...what?" It was not coming from any mouth or machine, it was heard directly inside everyone's head. "Lady Vesper!" Cassius hailed the name of the voice. {I saw through your deception, Once I was within my sanctuary, Emily. It appears I was forced to step in. I thought Cardel could take care of you and I could continue with the pendulum desynch undisturbed. But this is a minor delay. The process has already begun from the moment we got here. And the closer you are to me, the weaker your pendulum will get} With every uttered word, Emily's grip on her body loosened. "She's.. sending me back." She groaned and grabbed her head. "Emily! What can we do?!" Alice held her hand, as if it could keep her here. "I'm sorry. It's too late now." Emily could feel herself going, her own body calling for her. "Alice. I have to go. Don't worry about me, I have friends to protect me. Just save Uno and save Amelia.. you're her sister too. Tell dad what I said too. I will tell mom.. when I find her.. I.."

"Em?" Her sister stopped talking. "No!" She was gone, Emily's eyes closed. "!?" Then they snapped wide open, as the other personality returned. "Wh-wh-what?" And she was besides herself, mentally. "Where.. did I go? Who was she? What's happening?" Amelia retracted her hand. "She? You.. you heard her?" The only one Amelia could be talking about was Emily. "I .. she was standing there, looking like me, talking to me and telling me that she wouldn't hurt me. Then she had that.. game.. that duel. I thought.. it was a dream." But it wasn't, that was clear now. "That was the synchronization, Amelia. It wasn't finished yet. Once it's done, you will.." Cassius tried to approach her. "No! I don't want it!" She backed up into a corner. "That's enough, Cassius. You have lost both her and Emily." Adamant grabbed the synchro duelist's shoulder. "You are the one who should give up, Adamant. Alice's pendulum will not take you to freedom." Cassius insisted. There were noises coming from the other side of the door, Vesper had informed the others..

"Then we will fight our way out." Adamant crouched down to pick up Cardels dueldisk and replaced the Cardian deck with his own. "Fight?" Amelia flinched. "But I can't.." Emily's dueldisk was still on her arm. She couldn't begin to understand how it was supposed to be used. "You do not have to. I.." Adamant's orders were overpowered by an unexpected outburst of alarms. "Ah? Do they have to do that too?" Alice covered her ears. "No. This is different." Cassius' stammered. "It's a perimeter breach! Someone found us! Who?" He yelled. "Who indeed." Curious, Adamant opened the door and peered outside. "I think there's your answer."

The cave was now a warfield, as a dozen templars flooded into the lair and targeted the Circle duelists. "The Union? How? They couldn't have followed us here!" Cassius could not believe it. This place had been kept a secret for years. "No.. Lady Vesper!" Cassius got up and ran head first into the brawl. "Cassius!" Adamant put down Uno again and turned to the Brandts. "Stay in here. Protect Uno and Amelia, Alice." She nodded and he pursued Cassius. Unfortunately he lost sight of the duelist in the madness. Instead he came across a Templar drone that almost identified him as a potential threat too. "stand down" But the voice of its new master made it back off. "Lady Anastasia?" This raid of templars was spearheaded by Lady Nisell herself. "you are here, then Uno will be here too." She seemed glad to see him. "Anastasia? How did you track us down?" He asked the lady. "That would be thanks to us!" More duelists entered the fray; Tory, Iria and Stonewell. "Our anonymous boss gave us a tip, that some unusual network activity was going on inside this mountain. We brought the news to the Nisells and she used Iria's pendulum crystal to teleport us to the entrance of the tunnel right away!" Tory explained. "Yes, as it turns out, their employer was not working for the Circle." Iria had concluded, though she did not know which options that left for this unknown benefactor. "That's not the first time someone received an anonymous tip. Hm, we will leave that for another time, then. But it is good that you are here. The Circle is planning to eliminate the power of all pendulum crystals."

"never." Anastasia shook her head. "i will not let them. nobody will leave this cave.. The circle will be the one that is eliminated."

(To be Continued in Redux 045: Follow the Lightning)

New Cards used by Emily Brandt
Superheavy Samurai Beast Kyubi

New Cards used by Cardel
Flower Cardian Maple with Deer
Flower Cardian Pine with Crane
Flower Cardian Boar with Clover

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Flower Cardian Boardefly
Flower Cardian Lightflare

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Flower Gathering
De-Synchro

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Fraud Freeze