Redux 16: Ab Aeterno
December's LP: 8000 Tempus's LP: 8000
"The weakness to your Strategy is Obvious!" Marco yelled as he ended his first turn for the third time. "Your XYZ-materials are the Key, therefor I will Erase them!" This time he used the effect of Malebranche Scarm to add a Farfa Malebranche to his hand. "Oh? He's gonna banish his monsters?!" Though not a psychic himself, Uno could tell what his brother wanted to do. Marco controlled Dante the Pilgrim(9/2800/2500), who could discard Burning Abyss monsters from the hand to draw new cards. If Farfa was discarded, a monster would be banished for the rest of the turn. "Hee, this is not even a roadbump forol'Dec." January giggled.
Decembers turn started. "I have showed you the futility of your actions. Yet you continue to cling to idle hopes." Allure of Darkness activated first this time, drawing two cards from his unshuffled deck before banishing D/D Lamia. "This will be the end of the elegance you think you deserve." December revealed the two cards he drew: Trade In and D/D Savant Newton. "A Pendulum summon? You Presume that that's Going to be enough?" Marco scoffed when he realized December was putting a pair o scales together. "I do not presume." December activated his Dark Contract with the Gate to add one D/D/D Kaiser the Conqueror monster to his hand. Then, when the duelist activated the Trade In spell and discarded the level 8 D/D/D Abyss Ragnarok from his hand to draw two new cards, he drew a second D/D/D Kaiser the Conqueror along with D/D/D Rebel King Leonidas. "Two of Them? This cannot Be.." Already the future was a lot clearer, the fragments of Decembers strategy framed a bleak image for Marco. "Any future can be, Son of Tempus."
"I set the scales, Copernicus and Newton!" The solar system savant (scale 1) and newtons cradle telescope (scale 10) dropped down on either side of the field. "Pendulum summon!" December summoned both roman Kaisers(7/2800/2100) to the field in attack position, along with the spartan warrior king Leonidas(7/2600/1200). "My pendulum summoned Kaiser, stops all opposing monster effects on the field, for the rest of this turn!" The conquerors spread their dark aura across the field, encompassing the Traveler Dante(3/2500/2500) and Virgil(6/2500/1000) in pitchblack shadows. "Rgh! But I still have Time! I always Have Time!" Marco chained with his fusion monsters effect before it was negated. Dante the Pilgrim discarded Farfa of the Burning Abyss from Marco's hand. "Your Kaisers do not stop effects from activating in the graveyard!" The discarded Farfa Malebranche resolved on a separate chain and targeted one of the two Conquerors, banishing it from the field for the rest of the turn. The other Kaiser survived and finished negating the powers of Marco's legion.
"A pointless struggle. Do you need to see more of this future?" December cast a resentful glare towards his opponent. "Or do you need more time? I will not stop for you, regardless." December entered with the Dark Contract with the Swamp King spell. "Combine, Leonidas and Abyss Ragnarok." He skipped Genghis; his spell fusion straigh-up summoned Ceasar Ragnarok the Wave Oblivion Lord(10/3200/3000) by fusing the D/D/D Rebel King on the field with the Oblivion Lord in the graveyard. "Kaiser the Conqueror, destroy two of my spells, so that your blade may strike thrice this battle phase!" The remaining Kaiser swung his weapon through the Dark Contract with the Swamp King and the Dark Contract with the Gate. The dark powers of both spells imbued the Conqueror's sword with deadly energy. "That will Do!" Marco'd seen enough to know how this turn would end. Ceasar Ragnarok would absorb Dante the Pilgrim and steal its attackpoints. One attack from Caesar Ragnarok and three from Kaiser the Conqueror would be enough to destroy Dante and his lifepoints
"Reverse!" So Marco grabbed his pendulum and turned back time once again. "Marco. This is getting insane! You're going to destroy something if you keep this up!" Uno could not imagine that this was healthy for time and space. "You always lecture Me, Christopher! Just like Father! But you are Not him!" Marco moved to his turns endphase, to the moment where Scarm's effect would activate. "One more Turn. One more Turn is all I need!" The abyssal duelist used the effect to claim the Malebranche of the Burning Abyss - Graff. If that one ever entered the graveyard, one Burning Abyss monster could be special summoned from the deck. "You future hope is now that you can use Graff to summon Farfa, to banish one of my monsters during the battle phase." December did not even pause as he spoke, he activated the same cards and effects from before. "You should already know you cannot run, not even on the untainted straight path. Your defeat has already been made manifest in over a thousand ways."
December activated Allure of Darkness, banished Lamia and drew Trade In/Newton the Savant. He activated Dark Contract with the Gate to take the first Kaiser the Conqueror from his deck. And finally he activated Trade In to discard Abyss Ragnarok and draw Kaiser the Conqueror and a D/D Lilith monster. "What? It's different this time?" Eric tilted his head. He didn't see how December changed the outcome of his deck. "The randomization is always different for a dueldisk, at different times. He must be waiting for the right moment to play his cards." Adamant reasoned. "And or he just used the Gate Contract to take the second of two Kaisers from his deck, instead of the first." Uno still was flabbergasted that someone could duel like this. "D/D Lilith! Return Abyss Ragnarok!" Once December normal summoned the rose-serpent demon(4/100/2100) with the crown of fire petals, one of the D/D monsters in the graveyard could be returned to Decembers hand. And he he chose the traded Oblivion Lord. "Pendulum summon!"
And once December set his scales of Copernicus and Newton, Abyss Ragnarok(8/2200/3000) was special summoned along with the two Kaiser conquest kings(7/2800/2100). Rgh!" Marco had to activate the fusion Dante's effect now, and it discarded Graff who in turn special summoned Farfa the long grey-haired goblin Malebranche(3/1000/1900) in defense mode "Abyss Ragnarok, bring ruin to the fused Pilgrim!" But the Oblivion Lord's effect did not just destroy cards, it banished them. The Ragnarok demon sacrificed D/D Lilith and targeted the newest Burning Abyssal. Its pendulum ribbons stretched out and constricted Farfa until all life left its body. "How many Times must this Happen?" Marco's four monsters faced Decembers three Kings who could dish out seven attacks altogether this turn. The outcome was obvious. "You can't win this!" Uno could see it, everyone could see it. "marco.." And his sister could see it too.
"Guys?" Uno gasped. "Even more of them?" The Inquisitor flinched. Anastasia, Alice, Eric and Adamant arrived on the island with Uno's pendulum. "Sister.." Of course she would figure out what he'd been doing. And even though Alice dropped off her father and Eric's mother at the portal first, there was enough time within the five minute interval to get the others here. "You've been dueling all this time?" They updated themselves on the situation quickly. "Yeah, and Dec is kicking his butt!" January happily proclaimed. "And yet he will Never achieve Victory!" The now furious Marco braced his pendulum for another timejump. "The crystal!? You're still doing that time cheat?" Eric loudly objected. "How many times has it been now?" Alice did not know what was more shocking. The fact that Marco could get away with it, or that December could adjust to it every time. "several times.. he can do it as long as he wants." Anastasia moaned. Unlike her, her brother could control when and where time would reset.
"marco..." His sister spoke up. "please. just let it end. it has gone on for so long. they're all tired, we are all tired.. you can not keep this going forever." She was pleading with him, with a tone that he was not used to hearing. "You are One to Talk! You can keep Going no matter What, sister! Have you even Told them what you are Capable of?" Marco threw the accusations back at her. "She has." But Adamant was quick to jump in. "It is not the power that condemns, but the way it is used. One who keeps erasing his own mistakes, will never learn from them and will only destroy those around him. You no not deserve another chance, Marco Amadeus Nisell." And Adamant knew all about second chances. "Adamant.." In fact Alice wondered if Adamant was also not talking about himself. He sounded like it. "What do you know?" Still, Amadeus did not heed his words.
"Tsss.. Amadeus. As much fun as this is this, maybe you should use your pendulum in a different way?" June pointed her finger at December. "December.. Let me connect his mind with yours, let him see his own future. Marco can choose for himself how his continued resistance will turn out." She held up her hand. "What?" Marco did not get a say in the matter. Once December gave the nod, June unleashed her power. "Why are You?" Marco could see right into Decembers mind, into the visions of futures that did not or did not yet exist. "Why are you Letting me See this?" Marco saw everything, every outcome. If the lord tried to do something different like XYZ-summoning Beatrice the Eternal Lady, December would counter with three Kaiser Conquerors at once. If he tried to go back to the very beginning of the duel, shuffle his deck differently.. then December would also shuffle his deck differently and draw the cards he needed to smash down anything Marco could put up. "How is This possible? Only my Father could ever Defy me! Why does Fate always Bend to your Whims, who Gave you the Right?"
"Because the more you use your pendulums power, the more power you give me. I do not remember my world or how I gained my gift. But.." December showed his own pendulum crystal to his opponent. "..this crystal surpasses yours. I was nothing before Tempus and Tempus will be nothing after me. This is the final hour." December entered the battle phase and declared his seven attacks. "No." The last shred of fighting spirit crumbled inside of his body. Marco dropped to his knees and let the pendulum slip out of his hands. "My lord!" Inquisitor Silver called out in vain as all Burning Abyssals were destroyed by the Kaisers and Abyss Ragnarok. Their masters lifepoints soon followed. "I can not.. win." Everything Marco saw was what was going to happen, all of it was the truth. There was nothing he could to stop it.
Marco's LP: 0
"He.. did it. Finally." June and the others were overjoyed to see it end. Though they did not yet fully comprehend what this moment meant. "So.. that's it? It's over?" Eric was the first to name the feeling. This was the end. "All enemies have fallen. In this world at least." Adamant knew there were still more threats to deal with, but for now this was a joyous occasion. "But.. what's next?" Uno did not know if they knew where the travelers would go from here. "First we claim what is ours." August grunted and grabbed two objects from the fallen Amadeus; his pendulum crystal and a certain synchro monster. "My soul burns whole once again." August returned the Red Dragon Archfiend card to his own deck. "How dare you!" The Inquisitor still offered words of protest, even while her lord held his tongue. "Silence!" December shouted. "This has not yet been resolved. Why are you here? You were told to leave this dimension" He turned his attention towards Alice and the others. "But Anastasia felt something was going to happen! She asked me to bring her here!" Alice boldly explained. She refused to be scared of him now. "Ana?" But that was not the problem. "What did you feel? Marco?"
"no.. not him.. it's.."
She did not have an answer, she did not understand what she felt or why she felt it. But soon she would, they all would. "Huh?" It happened to Alice's pendulum first. "Ow!" The crystal exploded with searing hot sparks of energy. "What did you do?" August growled at her. "I didn't do anything!" She asserted. The crystal was out of her control, it floated above the ground in a ball of light. "What is it doing?" Adamant asked the travelers. "Dunno. They never did that before.. whohey!" January was the second to notice the effects; his crystals flared up. "It's happening with all of them!" June was forced to detach her crystals from her earrings, before they wrapped themselves in their own bright bubble. "Why!?" August failed to contain his crystals, or the one he took from Marco and Anastasia. "Something is.. being summoned." Only December managed to keep his pendulum in his hand. But even from there it released a beam into the sky. "Gah!" All seven crystals created a pillar so bright, its shape was burned into the retinas of everyone around. "Summoned? Who?"
"father.." Anastasia's eyes grew wide, her mouth twisted into a smile. "What!?" Even Marco sprang back to life as he looked up. "Father? You mean!?" Uno opened his eyes, and a pounding tremor struck the core of his being. Inside the pillar of light was now a man, an old tall man with a long white beard and robes of many colors. On his left arm was a dueldisk extended like a scythe's blade. On his right arm was a golden chain. He carried the appearance of the grim reaper, but this was undoubtedly him. The memories all came flushing back to Uno. "Tempus.." This was the man who pulled him from his life and his world, who made him into Christopher Uno Nisell. "But.. I thought.." This despite being told that he had long since passed away; Alice remembered Anastasia saying she'd seen his death herself. "How can you still be.. alive?" And so did Marco. It might have taken place centuries ago from his point of view, but the memory was no lie.
"My sons."
Tempus spoke, once he landed on the ground with both his feet. There was a gentleness to his voice, like that of a kindly old grandfather. "I.." But there was an unfettered strength to it as well, one that made Marco quiver with fear. "What is death, to the Nisell family?" Tempus opened his hand, causing the pillar of light to shatter and proved himself to be a real and physical. "This moment had been prepared for, exactly as I foretold. The reunion of all pendulum crystals has brought me back, to finalize my design.. a thousand years in the making." Looming white eyes gazed over the duelists. If he was blinded by age, his actions did not reflect that. "Your design?! You mean to say that all of this.. all of our pursuits.. all of the worlds you destroyed.. was just a part of your plan?" August stepped forward and tried to take back his pendulum crystal now that it was no longer putting out energy. "All of it was." Tempus clenched his open hand. "No!" August's crystal shot away from him embedded itself into Tempus' hand. "That is mine!"
"You know not what you speak of, my child." Tempus shook his head. "All of you, all of your blessings.. would not have been possible without me." The remaining crystals pulled themselves towards Tempus as well. "!?" And Uno's own crystal formed the crowning piece, it planted itself on the old mans forehead. "Have you forgotten, my son? This was given to you, to hold and to use in my absence. Yours was the original, the crystal all other pendulums were carved from." The one crystal to rule them all. It was no wonder that Uno could keep drawing from the powers of the other crystals. "You.. wanted this. You asked me." More and more Uno remembered his fathers final words. "You wanted me to keep going to new world after world, to reset time again and again. But you never told me why. Why?" Everything fit together and none of it made sense. His whole world was falling to pieces. "I will reveal all in due time, just know that it has all been worth your sacrifices. Now you can return to me, my children and we can be a family again."
"Ana?" To Uno's surprise, his sister obeyed Him without a second thought. "i.." She only hesitated when saw saw her little brother, and the pitiful look he gave. "i am sorry. i waited so long.. and now he's all i have left." She closed her eyes and joined Tempus. "F-father!" Marco followed her example and hurried over to the pair. "Amadeus..." Tempus regarded his other son with mixed expressions. "I know of your transgressions, my son. I know what fate you wished upon Fortuno." Marco immediately froze up. "Father, I was only.. he Was going to Ruin all you Strived for! I just wanted.. What you wanted!" He stammered out excuses and apologies. Yet as weak as they sounded, he seemed to placate his father. "You could not have disrupted my design. I anticipated it." Tempus gave him a warm smile. For a moment, Marco believed in that smile. "However, I know you will not grow from your mistake, unless you receive punishment." Tempus threw his hand into the air. "Father No!" Marco screamed as he was spirited away by a bolt of transparent flames.
"Ah!" Alice shrieked. "What have you done?" Adamant demanded an explanation. "He is not gone. He was merely banished to a space outside of time. Once he has reflected on his sins, he may join us again." Tempus lowered his hand. "What? Return him at once!" Angered, Silver activated her dueldisk. "There are simply too many." Tempus sighed and activated his own dueldisk. From all appearances this should have been the beginning of a duel. "Guh.."
Tempus'LP: 8000 Silver's LP: 0
Yet, it was over in an instant. "Wh..what the heck?" Eric blinked and Iria fell down unconscious. "He.. what just happened?" Uno could not explain it, nobody could follow this duel with their normal eyes. "He froze time around him and his opponent, defeating her in an instant from your perspective." But December still possessed the power of foresight. He could still see what took place inside frozen time, ahead of what his own eyes would see. "He can do this? Just what kind of man is he?" Adamant was astonished. Tempus' abilities seemingly transcended what every other pendulum user was capable of. "One unlike anything that the world has experienced before. I cannot.. read into his mind." Whether or not that was because of Tempus taking the crystal for himself, it did not change the reality that Tempus was a duelist beyond June's capabilities, beyond that of everyone. "We should fight him together!" August would not back down now, not when the enemy's true face stood before them. "Yeah, this is what we prepared for!" January shouted. They were ready.
"No."
"No?" The one thing to stop them, was their leader. "I can see his future, I have seen how he duels. He will be too strong if we duel him together. What must happen, happens between us." December started drawing his cards. "Prepare yourself, Tempus. Your madness has come to an end." Tempus too began to draw his cards. "I have been prepared. You will see the truth, at the end of the duel.. my son."
(To be Continued in Redux 015: The Man behind the Curtains)
New Cards used by December
D/D Savant Newton
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Trade In