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.

66. Highest Standard, Longest Fall

Redux 25: Highest Standard, Longest Fall

Templar D's LP: 6800 Templar M's LP: 8000

Iria's LP: 8000 Zach's LP: 2900

"BEGINNING TURN 06" The duel between disciples and templars continued, Zach controlled no monsters. While Iria controlled Zaborg the Mega Monarch(8/2800/1000). "ACTIVATE THE EFFECT OF KIRIN." Therefor, she was now the big target. The Majespecter Unicorn returned Majespecter Toad(4/1300/500) to the machine's hand, to return Zaborg as well. "I think not." Iria activated an effect from her hand. "I tribute Mega Zaborg and banish Tenacity of the Monarchs from my hand!" There was her one card who could be normal summoned during her opponents turn. It only needed one Monarch card banished from the grave, and a tribute summoned monster. "I tribute summon Ehther the Heavenly Monarch!" Mega Zaborg disappeared, dodging the Unicorn's effect. Then the angelic emperor(8/2800/1000) descended from the heavens, in armor of pristine gold and robes of white. "Ehther now summons a monster with 2400 attackpoints and 1000 defense points from my deck, Raiza the Storm Monarch! And she sends two Monarch cards to my graveyard; The First Monarch and Strike of the Monarchs!" Ehther raised her cape and made the emperor of the winds(6/2400/1000) appear from nothing.

On the flipside, the returned Majespecter Fox allowed the Divine Winds of the Mist Valley to special summon a Majespecter Raccoon - Bunbuku(3/1200/900). Its effect added another Majespecter Unicorn card to the M-Templar's unseen hand. And it had one more use for this Raccoon. "ACTIVATE TRAP CARD, MAJESPECTER TORNADO. THE TRIBIUTE OF A MAJESPECTER BANISHES ONE MONSTER." Templar M sacrificed Majespecter Raccoon for the Hurricane, so that Ehther would be removed permanently. "You would enjoythat, wouldn't you? Or at least the people controlling you would." Iria couldn't be sure if Marie Celeste was still listening, but she was not going to let her new toys silence her. "But I am not going to let you. I activate the Monarchs Awaken! Now your effects cannot touch my Monarch." The 'awakened' monarch lost its own effects, but at least it was unaffected by the Tornado. "PENDULUM SUMMON." With Templar M's designs failed, Templar D set its sights on Zach. It was about to pendulum summon when. "Dimensional Barrier!" Iria shot that down too. "I select Pendulum. No monsters of that type can be special summoned or use their effects this turn!"

"Iria." Zach was astounded. She kept one-upping their opponents. "Stop acting so surprised. These things are nothing compared to us.." Iria growled. The Barrier would not stop the Majespecters while Majespecter Supercell was active, but at least it it would hinder the Dinomists. "Huh?" However, Templar D chained a trap to the Barrier. "ACTIVATE DINOMIST CHARGE. IT SPECIAL SUMMONS A DINOMIST FROM THE DECK, WHICH IS UNAFFECTED BY OTHER EFFECTS AND IS DESTROYED DURING THE ENDPHASE." A neongreen tyrannosaur mech(5/2400/2200) was special summoned just before the barrier could resolve and stop it. And it even normal summoned a Dinomist Plesios(4/1700/1400) "DIRECT ATTACK." Both new Dinomechs and Dinomist Brachion(5/2000/800) rushed towards the unprotected disciple. "Creffield!"

"Trap card!" Hurriedly, Zach activated his trap card. "Pinpoint Guard! One level 4 monster from my graveyard will save me!" Zach special summoned the Melodious Songstress Solo(4/1600/1000) to the field in defense mode. Dinomist Rex's arc cannons fired at unfortunate singer. Luckily Pinpoint Guard made its revived target indestructible for the rest of the turn. Solo survived the attack. But this trap did not stop all kinds of removal. "ACTIVATE THE EFFECT OF DINOMIST REX. TRIBUTE ONE MONSTER AFTER ONE BATTLE WITH A MONSTER, TO SHUFFLE ONE OPPOSING CARD TO ITS CONTROLLER'S DECK AND TO ADD 100 ATTACKPOINTS TO DINOMIST REX." The Rex turned on its own allies, eating Dinomist Plesios. "Shuffle?" Subsequently the Songstress vanished from the field. "DIRECT ATTACK." Dinomist Brachion fired its cannons, enveloping Zach in a barrage of lights. "Gaaahh!" To end the turn, Templar D placed a trap card down. "I miscalculated again.. Maybe I really wasn't meant for this."

Zach's LP: 900

During the endphase Dinomist Rex selfdestroyed and the monster summoned by Ehther, Raiza, returned to Iria's hand as well. "Are you still talking about that?" But Iria waited before she started her turn. "It's just.. all of this is a lot like the future I have been trying to avoid. Do you remember my father?" He asked her. "How could I forget the major?" Dreamworld entertained some meetings with Creffield senior in the past. He was never that enthused by his sons choice of livestyle. "Well I checked. The Zachary Creffield of this world joined his army after all, and has gotten quite entrenched. If it worked out for him, what does it say about me? What if I shouldn't have become a duelist? I have failed the master so many times now.. I thought coming here would force me to overpower my fears. But.. I cant even be brave like Alice or smart like you.." Zach looked at his own hands. They were trembling. "You are wondering about what your life could have been?" Iria snapped. "You saw what I turned into, did you not? Master Dom did not make a mistake when he hired me. Therefor he did not make a mistake with you either, Creffield! Nobody can control everything. The fact that dueling turned out this way has nothing to do with his dream. Nobody can be perfect. Yet your aversions to this madness prove that you're not a soldier but a part of the company!"

"Perfect? Iria.." Zach was surprised. She might have been yelling, but those words were the last thing he ever thought she would say. "You think about it." Iria began her turn in earnest. "Pantheism is banished!" To start, she used Pantheism of the Monarchs' grave effect to take a trio of Monarch cards from the deck (The Monarchs Storm Forth, Return of the Monarchs, Domain of the True Monarchs). Return of the Monarchs was what the Templars allowed her to have. "Either way. I hope you do not mind if it so happens that nothing is left for you." She said with a smile tugging at her lips. "I.. would not complain." Things could not be pleasant for the opponents if she was this 'excited'. "Good." Iria activated Return of the Monarchs, her continuous spell. "I shall use one more spell from the graveyard. Strike of the Monarchs can change Ehther's attribute to water." Once the quickplay spell was banished, her Monarch gained a blue hue. "I sacrifice Ehther, for Mobius the Mega Monarch!" Like all Mega Monarchs, any tribute summoned monster would do as their sacrifice.

"ACTIVATE THE TRAP, DINOMIST HOWLING. IT SETS DINOMIST PENDULUMS IN THE PENDULUM ZONES AND SACRIFICES ONE DINOMIST TO RETURN ONE CARD ON THE FIELD TO THE HAND." But Templar D used its new trap to tribute Dinomist Brachion. "!?" The Monarchs Erupt was removed from the field, freeing the effects of their monsters. It also placed a Dinomist Pteran (scale 3) in its empty pendulum zone. "ACTIVATE THE TRAP, MAJESPECTER GUST. SPECIAL SUMMON ONE MAJESPECTER FROM THE PENDULUM ZONE." And it soon became clear why. By special summoning the cat to the field, the templars could give Majespecter Unicorn new targets and restart the Divine Wind loop. "Hold that thought!" Yet then Zach revealed his trap.. Dimensional Barrier. "I declare pendulum!" The barrier blocked the summon of all pendulum monsters, thus Majespecter Gust fizzled out. "You got that card as well?" Iria did not know why she was surprised. Dom created that trap himself. "Are we, or are we not, his disciples?." Zach nodded.

"Well then, let me add my own link to this chain." Before the cards resolved, she activated a quickplay spell. "Chain Summoning! I can normal summon three times this turn, if this card was activated at the third or higher link in a chain!" The spell placed its effect on her field. The climate shifted from heavens warmth to the ice-cold glaciers of Mobius(8/2800/1000). "Now Return of the Monarchs reacts to the summon of my new Monarch.. and gives me Mega Granmarg." Finally, after all the spells and traps, Mobius' effect came into play. "Mobius the Mega Monarch destroys up to three spell or trap cards on the field. And when the sacrifice's element favors the emperor, those cards cannot be activated!" Ehther's brief stint as a water-attribute monster prevented the Templars from using those cards. Majespecter Supercell, Dinomist Ankylos and Dinomist Pteran were buried under layers of ice and pulverized into shards.

"I activate another card from the graveyard, Eidos the Underworld Knight. It's banished to special summon a monster with 800 attackpoints and 1000 defense points from my graveyard! Edea the Heavenly Squire!" Ehthers divine vassal(4/800/1000) returned to life with the help of the underworld vassal. Even better, Edea's Vassal summoning power could be used even when she was special summoned. "Edea special summons Mithra the Thunder Vassal!" Zaborg's own servant(4/800/1000) appeared on the frozen fields. "I can and will sacrifice Mithra for Raiza the Storm Monarch!" Iria used her second normal summon to tribute summon the Raiza Monarch(6/2400/1000) and return the wind emperor to the field. "The card I will remove from the field, is Divine Winds of the Mist Valley!" Raiza returned the field spell to the top of Templar M's deck. And the bonuses kept on coming.

The tributed Mithra handed out another extra tribute summon with its effect. Meaning Iria could do it two more times. "I special summon Landrobe the Rock Vassal from my hand, by switching your monster to face-down position." The hooded servant in earthgold armor broke through the ground and bowed down before Iria. Its effect forced Majespecter Unicorn into a face-down defense position. "The third summon! I will tribute Landrobe for Granmarg the Mega Monarch!" The robed vassal was swallowed by the earth, sacrificed to bring life to his greatest emperor Mega Granmarg(8/2800/1000). "Say farewell to Kirin." Mega Granmarg himself could destroy one set card on the field, while drawing a new card for Iria. Two rocks smashed the face-down Kirin into a fine powder, ending its reign of terror once and for all.

Her hand reclaimed the Vassal Mithra in the same move. Landrobe's effect triggered with its tribute; moving one monster with the same stats at it from the graveyard to Iria's hand. Edea's effect was also reset with her sacrifice, and the banished Tenacity of the Monarchs spell card was retrieved. "Mithra." Iria re-special summoned the thunder vassal, through the creation of a Vassal token(1/800/1000) which she gave to Templar D. After that she revealed a Thestalos Mega Monarch from her hand to activate her Tenacious searching spell. "Tenacity of the Monarchs adds The Monarchs Storm Forth to my hand. Which I shall activate!" The storming spell targeted the vassal token. "I can use a token on the opponents side of the field as a tribute. The token and Mithra will be offered for the last normal summon." The token and her creator dove into a fountain of flames. "Thestalos the Mega Monarch!" The blazing spike-armored monarch(8/2800/1000) arrived at the domain, sending its firestorms towards the Majespecter Templar. "Now that I summoned him, Mega Thestalos burns one card in your hand. I choose Majespecter Kirin - Unicorn!" The more recently acquired Kirin was now lost to the graveyard. And its master also lost 200 lifepoints for each of Kirin's six level stars.

Templar M's LP: 6800

"Wow, Iria." Zach'd never expected such a set-up in his wildest imaginations. Four emperors of different elements roamed the throne hall, three of them Mega monarchs. "The stage has been completed." Iria clenched her hand. "I will take care of Templar M. You can have the rest." Mega Thestalos, Mega Mobius and Raiza combined their attacks to create a twister of fire and ice. It flew straight towards the Majespecter drone. "What is this?" But while the drone took the ice and fire blasts, it avoided the wind storm. Rather, Templar D intercepted that direct attack with its drone body.

Templar M's LP: 1200 Templar D's LP: 4400

"They can not do that!" Iria protested. "They can, they're using Martels method of dueling." Zach explained. While Templar M was hiding behind Templar D, M could not be attacked. "Martel? Who makes the rules here?" Angered, Iria attacked Templar D one more time. The damage somehow evened out in the end. "I reactivate The Prime Monarch." There were enough Monarch cards in the graveyard again, so Iria started her turn by letting the Prime trap return The First Monarch. "Well two can play that game." Iria stepped forward. "Zachary, stay behind me. As long as you do, they cant attack you." She placed two traps face-down and ended her turn. "You have changed a little too, havent you Iria."

Templar D's LP: 1600

"BEGINNING TURN 08." Still hiding behind Templar D, Templar M started its turn. As Crow (scale 5) was activated to pair with Majespecter Cat(scale 2); three Majespecters could be pendulum summoned: Majespecter Toad and Raccoon from the extra deck and Majespecter Fox from the hand. All were special summoned in defense mode. Is that all?" Iria quickly reactivated The Monarchs Erupt to negate their effects. "Good." The enemy was not trying to attack Zach. It looked like for now, Iria's cover was holding up. But so was that of the enemy. Templar M was covering Templar D now with its three defenders. "Tch." The disciples could not afford that much time, nor could they afford to let Templar D summon again. "Zachary, what are you doing?" Still it took her off guard when Creffield came back to the frontline. "If I have to attack, I have to stand besides you." Zach smiled, as the turn moved to him. "Just tell me, do you have anything that can get rid of one of them?"

"The last time you trusted me... I suppose I can repay the favor. Let's just hope that it turns out more favorably this time." Iria flipped her trap: Oath of Companionship. "As I control no extra deck monsters, I take control of one of yours: Templars!" The Oath card controlled the Majespecter Toad which was summoned from the extra deck. "You knew exactly what I wanted." Only two shields were in the way now. Let's do this. I activate Ostinato! When I control no monsters, I can fuse two Melodious in my deck to special summon a Melodious fusion monster!" A musical tune broke out, played by Shopina the Melodious Maestra and Opera the Melodious Diva. "I fusion summon Bloom Prima the Melodious Choir!" To fuse Bloom Diva, one needed a Melodious and a Melodious Maestra as fusion materials. Ostinato took those two and created the blue-haired angel(7/1900/2000) in the yellow flower-dress. Bloom Prima(2500/2000) gained 300 attackpoints for each of her fusion materials.

"And like you would say, Iria. That's not all! I reactivate Grand Concerto for Mozarta!" It was time for round two of the Melodious masterpiece. Mozarta(7/2600/2000) was summoned by the concert-hall spell. "Mozarta will special summon an angel from my hand, Melodious Diva Tamtam!" The Maestra directed her fellow musicmakers with her baton and drew Tamtam the tambourine playing diva(4/1000/2000) with purple hair and puffed up green sleeves and pants. "If Tamtam is special summoned while I control a Melodious monster, she can take Polymerization from my deck!" Zach grabbed the fusing spell. "I activate Polymerization, and combine Mozarta with Tamtam!" The fusion vortex swallowed the Maestra and her Diva. "I fusion summon.. another Bloom Prima!" The second dual-material Melodious Choir(6/2500/2000) bloomed on the battlefield, singing in tandem with the first. "A fused Tamtam can reduce one Melodious' attackpoints by 500 and inflict 500 points of damage! Go, Tamtam! Target Bloom diva and the Dinomist templar!" Bloom Prima Deux(2000/2000) absorbed the spirit of Tamtam and sounded a short but powerful song to disrupt the front templar drone.

Templar M's LP: 700

"I am affraid this is it, Templars! Bloom Prima can attack twice, and both of them will! The First and Second Movement!" The weaker of the Choir angels surrounded the Majespecters Fox and Raccoon with sound and flowers, cutting into it from all sides and tearing them to pieces. "And now the Third and Fourth Movement! The Final piece!" The stronger Bloom Prima targeted the machines themselves with two direct attacks. A second wave of music and petals struck the majestic and dinomic drones and finished them for good.

Templar M's LP: 0 Templar D's LP: 0

"Thankfully, that chaos is finally at an end." Iria felt like she could finally breathe again. "You were great as always, Iria. I can see why you are so pleased with that deck." Even though Dom made her a brand new pendulum set, she went back to the Monarchs. "Was it not the same for you?" Zach had rejected new cards from the master before even trying them out. "It was. I think.. I know what changed for me." Zach looked down on his own cards. "It might sound crazy, but it feels like the Melodious aren't my own anymore. I feel.. worse when I play them." It reminded him too much of Martel. This was the deck the puppetmaster wanted him to keep after all. "It is not as crazy as you might think." And Iria surprised her by understanding him, just a little. "Perhaps the master can make you something new, once we return home." She suggested with an almost-smile. "Home. I would like that." He shook his head. "I am talking too much again. We should be moving, finding the others."

"Yes. I'd like to see anyone try to stop us now."

...

On the other side of the building, another pair of duels ended favorably for the human side. "You know.. It is quite interesting to duel someone for a change, who has no mind to read." Three templars dropped down before June. As she, Alice and Adamant had to take care of a sudden templar attack, they werent any closer to finding the portal. "A good reason to not send in thinking reinforcements. Do you sense anything yet?" There had to be at least some minds in this tower, besides his and Alice's. "Nothing on this floor. I.." Her voice trailed off. "..June?" Something draw her attention. "Someone is here. It feels strange.. " She shuddered. "Strange? Like.. things you've seen before strange?" Alice asked her. "Hard to say. I'm not that old..." June traced her hand against the wall. "That I can feel anyone at all, is suspicious. But someone is up there. That way." June pointed at another stairwell. "Let's go." Adamant ordered. Any sign of life had to mean something.

Where they wound up was a lounge area of sorts. "Greetings!" A grinning short-haired man waited for them there, sitting comfortably in a large chair. "Ah! It's..It.'s... " Alice shrieked, but realized halfway through that she had no idea who this guy was. "We haven't met in person. The name is.." Ichirou began his introductions. "Ichirou." And Adamant cut him off. "Oh you haven't changed one bit." Ichirou laughed. "Why is he here?" Adamant did not like this at all, Ichirou would not show himself without a 'good' reason. "He isn't.." June grabbed a pillow from another couch and tossed it at Ichirou. "A hologram?" It phased right through him. "Of course. I am not that eager to part with my thoughts, miss June." The man chuckled some more. "But you sensed someone, didn't you? Well, let me introduce you to a friend of ours.. and yours, Adamant." Ichirou raised his hand and switched the lights in the room on to reveal a figure standing in the corner. "! It's that guy!" Alice had definitely seen his face before. "You're.." Adamant recognized him too, somehow. "Did you forget me, champion?" And this man certainly knew Adamant. "Kyle. The name is Kyle."

(To be Continued in Redux 024: Justify the Means)

New Cards used by Iria Silver
Mobius the Mega Monarch

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Chain Summoning

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Dimensional Barrier

New Cards used by Zach Crawfield
Tamtam the Melodious Diva

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Ostinato

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Pinpoint Guard
Dimensional Barrier

Cards used by Templar Series M
Majespecter Tornado
Majespecter Gust

Cards used by Templar Series D
Dinomist Rex

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Dinomist Rush
Dinomist Howling