The Rise and Fall of History: A Past Unseen

by Medigo

The world of dueling has reached a standstill. Many stories have been told through these cards, and the final story pits every side against each other. It is a game no more. Duelists are divided, and an unknown enemy watches from afar. In the midst of all this chaos is one man who brings a new power that can forever end the conflict; a stranger to this world and to himself.

24. Red where Red is Due

Annex 024: Red where Red is Due

August's LP: 7000 Team Dreamworld's LP: 8000

Red Dragon Archfiend was a card that every synchro duelist knew. "Scarlight?" But the demonic horned dragon(8/3000/2000) that flew in the air now was not that card. The dragons body and wings carried more scar-like red marks and its right claw was wrapped up in bandages. It was if this Red Dragon had been wounded in a great battle. "Is this one of your new creations?" Not even the synchro guild runner had seen this variant before. "Not to my knowledge." Zach shook his head. "The dueldisk is not rejecting it. How.." This was a card that could not exist. Then there was the tattoo of a dragon burning brightly on Augusts body. This duel seemed like a dream. "That card is new?" Only Uno, for reasons he could not remember, did not feel that weirded out by this. "Where did you get that card, and what is up with your tattoo?"

"You couldn't possibly understand my power, and I have no interest in telling you. Debris Dragon!" August summoned a dragon monster for once; a wind-type(4/1000/2000). "Come back, Bixi!" A normal summoned Debris Dragon could special summon a monster with less than 500 attackpoints, like the water wyrm Bixi(2/0/2000), from the graveyard. "Synchro summon!" Debris Dragon was a tuner too, but it could only be used as a material for dragon synchro monsters. "Arise and Reshape the essence of life and death, Final Material Dragon!" A third synchro monster(6/2400/1500) now showed up on the stage. This was another card that Zach did not recognize, though it resembled a normal dragon card in name and shape; Prime Material Dragon. "Their effects." Zach did not want to be in the dark anymore, so he had his disk analyze these new cards. "Oh dear."

Final Material Dragon, 6/2400/1500 Light/Dragon/Synchro
1 Dragon-type Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters.
Monster cards you control cannot be destroyed by card effects.
When a player takes damage from a card effect: This card gains ATK equal to the damage taken.

The discipe first looked at the level 6 synchro and then at the level 8 dragon. "Scar-Light Red Dragon. All special summoned monsters besides the Red Dragon will be destroyed. And we will lose 500 lifepoints for each destroyed monster." With the protection effect of Final Material Dragons, August would not lose any monsters. However Zach had protection too. "You cannot destroy my Divas." Elegy(5/2800/1700) and Aria(4/2400/1700) saw to that. "I can do worse!" August fired back with a spell card. "Dragoroar! I banish four elements from the graveyard, to send one card you control back to your deck!" The spell card banished Bi'an of the Earth, Bixi of the Water, Debris Dragon from the wind and Unmasked Dragon from the fire. The spirits of the wyrms and dragon combined their roars and chased Elegy away. "Gah. Dragoroar does not target." It was one of the few cards that could break Zach's lock. Aria(2100/1700) and Sonata(1700/1500) were weaker now as well. "They are ready for you, Scar-Light Red Dragon! !" The archfiend wrapped his right claw in hellish flames. It punched the air to release three fireblasts. Performapal Fire Mufflerlion(3/800/800) and Zach's Divas were hit and reduced to a pile of ashes. "Argh!" The heat was on.

Team Dreamworld's LP: 6500

"What was that?" Both Uno and Zach could feel the flames as if they were real. "That was just the dawn..." 1500 lifepoints had been taken away, so Final Material Dragon(3900/1500) gained 1500 attackpoints. August also switched Baxia(7/2300/2600) of the Brightness Yang Zing to attack mode. ".. the last dawn!" The material dragon attacked first and killed Performapal Friendonkey(4/1600/600) with its slithering wings of moving matter. Next, Baxia overwhelmed Zach with a flash of pure light. "Ngggh!" Zach's skin felt as if it was soaked in burning oil.

Team Dreamworld's LP: 1900

"Scarlight, their life is yours!" The archdemon of dragons drew its head back to prepare its direct attack. It howled and shot out a blast that barreled towards the duelists like a meteor. "Performapal Call!" Foregoing his usual lines, Uno activated his trap card as quickly as possible. "I negate your direct attack!" The trap deflected the meteor, making it blow up against the wall of Dreamworlds Tech instead. "Ahhh!" Dom cried out in terror. "My windows! It is gonna take days to repair them!"

"There is your bomb, Cassius. Don't ask me how, but this guy turned his hologram into the real thing." As if there was any doubt about it before. Not with Uno. "Now Performapal Call will also add two Performapals from my deck to my hand, if their combined defense does not go higher than the attackpoints of the Red Dragon" Uno decided to go with Whip Snake and Partnaga, whose defense points equaled 3000. "...End turn." August, who had not been as surprised by Uno's last ditch rescue as Uno expected, quietly passed the turn to his opponents. "Odd..." August was not looking at him. Was he distracted in some way? "I set Partnaga as a spell and summon Whip Snake!" Uno activated the scale-3 Pendulum spell in the blue pendulum zone and normal summoned the whipping snake(4/1700/900). "Two snakes for the price of one, August!" Uno activated the pendulum effect of Partnaga. The yellow/red snake coiled around the purple snake, giving him(2300/900), 300 attackpoints for each Performapal card Uno controlled. "Whip Snake switches a monsters defense and attackpoints once each turn!"

"Then come to me! My dragons can take it!" August raged on. Scarlight and Baxia had too many defense points for the snakes to overcome. "Well, most of them can.." Uno grinned as his Performapal targeted Final Material Dragon(1500/3900) instead. "Get that one, Whip Snake!" The snake rolled into a spring-form and jumped down on top of the material dragon. The synchro monster got pounded into a fine jelly. "That's for slinging your fireballs all over the place! Your duel is with us, August. Do not involve the audience." Naturally his words had helped build August's fury. "Audience? You think the other duelists are just spectators? Just because they do not know, does not mean they are not involved!" Final Material's death still served a purpose. While August ranted, the Yang Zing Creation trap special summoned another Taotie - Shadow of the Yang Zing(5/2200/0) form his deck. "Know what?" Uno placed another trap card down and ended his turn "That nobody is safe. Any damage you see is nothing in the face of the enemy's destruction. Any damage I create is worth everything if it can stop Tempus."

August's LP: 6200

"Tempus? I do not know who this person is, but he is not my master! Dom couldn't even hurt a fly. All I see is a madman who likes to spread terror and mayhem!" Zach wanted to hear no more, not until they could ask the questions. "I activate Fusion Gate!" So he played a field spell card. "!?" The same on Meridian had been using in Uno's last duel. "You use Fusion monsters?" That was not something Uno thought he would do as an independent guilds-man. Cassius looked a little stunned as well. "You look surprised. Being part of the company that makes the cards works better than being in a guild who asks for cards." It was no trouble at all for a disciple to enhance his own deck. "My shock has more to do with your choice of extra deck support, Creffield." If Cassius had been asked, he would have told him Synchros worked better for a special-summon happy deck like his. "It's in my bones, I joined Dreamworld before the coming of Synchros and XYZs. Anywho, that's enough chitchat."

Zach activated Fusion Gate; banishing two fusion materials in his hand.. "By fusing any Melodious angel with a Melodious Maestra!" Canon the Melodious Diva and Mozarta the Melodious Maestra were thrown into the Gate. "I can create Bloom Diva the Melodious Songstress." A pink flower sprouted at the center of the fusion field. "I also activate the Trap card: Fused Hurricanes!" While his monsters came out of the vortex of fusion, the gate itself kept the storm going. "Fused Hurricanes destroys a spell or trap card, for each monster I fused this turn!" The fused energy from Mozarta and Canon broke free from the hurricane and slammed into Augusts traps. Oasis of Dragonsouls and Yang Zing Creation were destroyed. Destroying the Oasis also killed the wyrm that it had revived, Baxia the Brightness. Ultimately, Dloomdiva(6/1000/2000) blossomed and revealed herself as a clear-eyed fairy in a blue dress.

Fused Hurricanes, Normal Trap
Activate only when a Fusion monster is Fusion summoned.
Destroy as many Spell/Trap Cards as possible, up to the number of monster cards that were used as a material for that Fusion Summon.

"Oh. She's so pretty and scary-looking." Alice marveled at the sight of this new Diva. "I guess. But only 1000 attackpoints?" Emily scratched her head. She could not see how this thing was going to help.

"And now for you, August!" Zach started the battle phase. "Bloom Diva attacks Red Dragon Archfiend." The songstress took a deep breath and fired away with her song. "What are you doing, Zach?" Cassius did not know his new fusion card, so to him this looked like suicide. "Haha. I understand your concern. Not to worry, Bloomdiva cannot take damage. As for her opponent." The Dragon archfiend naturally tried to fight back, swinging a claw at his attacker. "Bloom Diva destroys any special summoned monster it battles!" The Songstress merely increased the power of her attack, creating a whirlwind that swept pink petals around Scarlight. "The damage will equal the difference between our monsters attackpoints!" Augusts mighty dragon was torn to pieces by the storm, and the remaining petals struck August. "Raaaaghh!" It seemed his body agonized after effect damage just like Zach's. "Just stop this insanity. You can not fight against us both!" Zach ended his turn.

August's LP: 4200

"Can't I?" August did not even wait for the pain subside. "This will not end until I say so!" He activated his own field spell, a cosmic gathering of galaxies was displayed on the floor and in the sky. "Celestia!" The field spell had a destruction effect that required only three wyrms in the graveyard. "Nice try, but Bloomdiva cannot be destroyed by card effects." Zach said, all sure of himself. "Her turn will come. The first to die is that Snake!" Baxia, Jiaotu and the first Taotie were all banished from Augusts graveyard, and their spirits pulled Performapal Whip Snake down into its grave. Uno winced. "... and what do you have in store for Zach?" August would not have such a disturbing smile on his face if he was cornered. "Something he will never see coming!" August normal summoned another Jiaotu of the Darkness(2/0/2000) tuner. It synchronized itself with the wyrm Taotie; seven stars were put together. ""Rose that grows in the garden of eternity! Bloom here, watered by pale moonlight! Black Rose Moonlight Dragon!"

"Black Rose Moonlight?" Yet another new version of an older synchro dragon had been synchro summoned. This time it was Black Rose Dragon, the rose-winged and thorn-tailed dragon(7/2400/1800). Where was he getting these cards from? "Your flower is less than nothing, before my Rose!" Black Rose Moonlight activated its ability straight out of the gate. It could return one level 5 or higher monster to a players hand. "Return your Melodious Songstress!" The Black dragon shrieked at the blue fairy and made her flee back into Zach's extra deck. "Aye! Her one weakness!" Zach had nothing that could stop bouncing effects. "Now. Fall!" Black Rose Dragon raised its thorny vines into the air and sent them towards Zach. "Nobody is falling on my watch! I activate the continuous trap card; Performapal Pinch Helper! It negates a direct attack and summons a Performapal from the deck to the field, with his powers sealed!" Uno special summoned Performapal Sword Fish(3/600/600) in defense position, while at the same time forcing the vines to back off. "You are wasting everyone's time, servants." Seething, August ended his turn.

"Thanks, Uno. You saved us both again." Zach thought that would have been the end. "I suppose I did. I.." Uno froze as he placed his hand on the top card of his deck. "Hey, wait a second. Why is your field spell active?" It took him until his turn to realize that Fusion Gate was still on the field. "Because two field spells can exist at the same time? Didn't you know about that rule?" Zach answered. "Could've sworn it was different." Uno did not know if he had to blame his amnesia or not for this subconscious impression he had. "Then I can.." With Fusion Gate, he could create another fusion monster. "I can.." Uno could still feel it burning against his chest, the jewel had not calmed down after August revealed his mark. "Not Rune-Eyes. Something even stronger." Uno was just one movement away from drawing his next card. With it would come a way to fusion summon, he was certain of that. "I..need."

"No.." He let the card go and let his eyes gaze through the hole in the side of the building. His friends were there, Alice was there. "No, you will not. Uno. You do not need it! We are our own guild!" He smiled, at her perhaps. She wouldn't see it. "I set the scale!" He drew his card and activated it. "Stargazer Magician!" The white mage returned to the red pendulum zone. Without another Magician or Odd-Eyes card on the field, Stargazers scale was raised from 1 to 4. "Uno? Can you even pendulum summon like this?" The partnering Partnaga's scale was 3. No levels existed between 3 and 4. And Stargazer was usually placed in the blue zone, not the red zone. "I can, Cassius. It is a pity I have to show off this trick to such a small audience, but.." Uno activated a quickplay spell card. "Pendulum Shift! My Pendulum monsters scale will be raised to any number between 1 and 8!" Uno's spell charged up Stargazers scale to the max. "Get it? Like this I can pendulum summon exactly what the final act desires! I summon Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon and Performapal Fire Mufflerlion!"Odd-Eyes(7/2500/2000) made his grand entrance at last, along with the Fire lion in his extra deck.

"Ha! It doesn't matter what you do, Uno!" August's synchro monster activated its effect again. "Black Rose can also return special summoned monsters, if a level 5 or higher monster is special summoned." The dragon of roses pushed Odd-Eyed Pendulum Dragon back into Uno's hand with a beat of its wings. "Dangit." Zach got nervous. All Uno had left were weak Performers. "Oh.. hold on." He had two weak performers. "Bingo." Uno sacrificed both Swordfish and Fire Mufflerlion. "I tribute two monsters to summon Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon! Your dragon cannot do anything against normal summons!" Two Performapals vacated the stage. Their roles were over, and Odd-Eyes got his second chance. "This is your solo act, Odd-Eyes!" Uno had Performapal Partnaga add 300 attackpoints to Odd-Eyes, twice. There were two Performapal cards, Pinch Helper was still on the field. "And there is your counterpart! Make this attack count!" The two dragons charged each other, but it was clear who would come out triumphant. The boosted powers of the Pendulum dragon(3100/2000) laid waste to the Moonlight Rose dragon. "Grehhhgh.. Damn you!" Thanks to Odd-Eyes' effect, the battle damage had been doubled.

August's LP: 2800

Now it was Zach's turn. Is his deck was nice to him, he could end the duel with a free direct attack. "!?" Sadly it was not, he drew Celestial Transformation, which could not help him. "Oh, not now."

That was a cue for someone else to interfere. "Sad, Creffield." The voice or Iria Silver was transmitted through his dueldisk. "Silver?" A cage of energy followed her words, both Uno's and Zach's dueldisks cast a wide barrier around August. "What is this?" August tried to touch the walls. He only received shocks as a reward. "This is a trap for you." Iria explained coldly. "What? Hey, we were still in the middle of a duel!" Uno protested. Things were finally going their way. "I will not let the fate of this terrorist depend on a game. The outcome is unclear, I see no need to let it go on." She did have a point. Neither Uno nor Zach could predict what August would do once he got his next turn. That he had one at all was the only undeniable fact. This did not temper the mans fury. "You cowards! Too affraid to finish the fight? You..." Yet then August got very quiet. "...? What is he doing now?" Uno's opponent had that distant gaze again. The same one June often had.

"Who cares? He's not going anywhere." Emily and the others thought it was safe again to come out, and walked through the hole August had made. Only Dom was held back by his guards. "I know you like a good duel, but this is more then a game to this guy." She preferred this solution. "But they would have won!" Alice insisted anyway. "We will have to see about that later." Zach sighed. As usual Iria had gotten her way over his. "Uno.." Unlike him though, Uno did not lower his dueldisk. "Uno?" Uno appeared to be just as detached as August. It was not that he could not hear Zach. It was who else he could hear now. "You said too much already... We know where he is now, that is enough.. Let January get you.." There were new voices in his head, garbled distorted voices that did not sound like they came from people's mouths. Was this some kind of back-and-forth between August and an unseen accomplice? His pendant still gave off light. Was that picking up on their conversations? "Guys, he.." It was too late to use this information. "Hmph." August just turned his blank expression into a bare-teeth scowl... and he left. "...is going." August was gone before anyone could blink.

"Whoa! He turned invisible again!" Alice gasped. "He did? Then he should still be in the barrier! Do you still have him?" Cassius asked the disciples. "This is.. this is not possible." Iria's response was clear. August had escaped. "Wow.. Do you think he got beamed up? Like on those spaceship shows?" Alice's mind went to the only piece of information that could explain what happened here. "Let's not go crazy." Her sister was less willing to accept a world in which that was possible. "I am sure there is a logical explanation for it." Zach used the standpoint his associate always cited. Iria herself was unusually silent. There was nothing that could tell her how this happened, not man nor machine.

"Is this the kind of dueling you have been seeing since you left?" James was the most disturbed of them all. This seemed less like a game and more like a war. "No. It is not, sir Brandt. That man was not a normal fan of the master'." Zach said, assessing the damage done to the wall. "But surely you are not going to keep the tournament going after all of this?" James asked, exasperated. "I am afraid that is not up to me. And I know my master. He will just strengthen security measures, because he wouldn't let something like this ruin his fun. If any of you want to drop out of the tournament because of this, now is your chance.."

"Stop now? When things got even more interesting?" Uno chuckled. "No. I think I'll keep going, Zach."

(To be Continued in Annex 025: Objects in Motion)

New Cards used by Uno
Pendulum Shift
Performapal Pinch Helper

New Cards used by Zach Creffield
Bloom Diva the Melodious Choir

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Fusion Gate

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Fused Hurricanes

New Cards used by August
Debris Dragon

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ScarLight Red-Dragon Archfiend
Final Material Dragon
Black Rose Moonlight Dragon

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Dragoroar
Celestia