//------------------------------// // Chapter 52: The Knight of Evolution // Story: Dueling is Magic! Many Futures // by Wolfgang //------------------------------// Dueling is Magic! Many Futures Chapter 52 The Knight of Evolution /*********************\ Antinomy accelerated around a leftward corner with Rainbow Dash in hot pursuit. Paradox brought up the rear, having to take the turn slower than the others due to the size of his D-Wheel. The road straightened out and Rainbow Dash fell back beside Paradox. "What's he talking about? What's a 'super-consciousness'?" Rainbow asked. "I believe it is a new, more powerful mind created from the union of a great many other minds," Paradox answered. "How does that work?" "Similar to how the brain works, I imagine. The human brain- well, pony brains too- are made of different parts working together, and each of those is made up of thousands of individual cells. All of them work in tandem to perform numerous functions, but all of this ultimately gives rise to consciousness. In a way, you could say that we are more than the sum of our parts." "So our brains are a bunch of parts working together to make us who we are, and a super-consciousness is a bunch of brains working together as a super-brain?" "Exactly, though I worry that individual personalities will become lost like a drop of water in an ocean." "That is the price to pay for survival, Paradox," said Antinomy. "They will not be lost completely, however. The essence of who they are will still be there, even if it is not all together." Paradox grit his teeth and accelerated to Antinomy's side. "I agree that our survival is important, and even that sacrifices may be necessary, but we must not force it onto people! They must be free to choose!" "Weren't you sent back in time to kill the creator of Duel Monsters?" Antinomy countered. "I was, and Yusei convinced me to renounce my mission. He gave me hope that we can change humanity's fate without destruction!" "In a way, he was right." Antinomy accelerated. "Rainbow Dash, it's still your turn!" Dash frowned. "Sapphire Pegasus attacks Catapult Dragon!" she shouted. Her monster dove at the drake and destroyed it. "I Set two cards face-down and end my turn." "My turn!" Antinomy said as he drew a card. Speed Counters Antinomy: 4 Paradox/Dash: 4 "I activate the effect of 'Tech Genus Shield Catapult'. Once per turn, can remove a 'Tech Genus' monster in my Graveyard from play to inflict damage equal to its Level multiplied by three hundred. I remove the Level Five 'Tech Genus Power Gladiator'!" The white robot gripped the edges of its shield with both hands and moved it over its head and onto its back, pulling on the sides so that it opened and widened as it did. The shield attached itself to its back. A panel slid up vertically to turn it into a launcher-style catapult similar to Antinomy's destroyed dragon. The robot, still kneeling, leaned far forward. The ghost of Power Gladiator appeared on the catapult, also kneeling. He was launched into the air at Rainbow Dash. "I play the Trap 'Damage Refraction'! This turns that damage into Attack Points for my Sapphire Pegasus for the rest of the turn!" The airborne ghost of Power Gladiator changed into a ball of light, but was intercepted by Sapphire Pegasus. The light was absorbed into its horn, causing it to glow with a white aura. Crystal Beast Sapphire Pegasus ATK / 3300 LV 4 "In that case, I'll activate 'Tech Genus Broadsword Driver's' effect. Once per turn, I can discard one card from my hand to destroy a card on the field that's the same card type as what I discarded, and you'll take one thousand points of damage. I discard 'Tech Genus Titanium Wolf' and destroy 'Malefic Cyber End Dragon'!" The blue robot pointed its sword at the robotic dragon, gripped the handle with both hands and twisted them in different directions. The blade of the sword split along the central ridge from tip to base and spread apart. Each half of the blade tilted upward at an angle and a rail made of hard light appeared at the bottom of the valley that each half formed. The sword had become a mass driver. A transparent image of a wolf in sky-blue armor appeared above the robot, transformed into a ball of light and settled onto the light-rail at the lower end of the sword. The blade-halves began to glow at the base. The light suddenly rushed to the tips and the ball of light flew forward at high speed, launching from the driver and crashing into Malefic Cyber End Dragon. The light punched through the machine-dragon's body, bursting out of its back. The dragon exploded violently and the shock wave hit Paradox's D-Wheel, causing him to spin around on the highway and almost lose his balance. Rainbow Dash dove and grabbed the back of the D-Wheel. She flapped and angled her wings to try and help him regain balance. Paradox leveled out and accelerated to catch up with Antinomy as he sped away. Rainbow Dash let go and flew up beside her partner. Life Point Count Antinomy: 4000 Paradox/Dash: 3000 "I Set a card face-down and end my turn. During the End Phase, I activate Titanium Wolf's effect in the Graveyard. If the only monsters I control are at least two 'Tech Genus' Synchros, I can shuffle Titanium Wolf into my deck. My turn is over, so let's see what you've got, Paradox!" Antinomy accelerated around the next turn. Paradox grit his teeth. "My turn!" said Paradox as he drew his card. Speed Counters Antinomy: 5 Paradox/Dash: 5 "I send 'Rainbow Dragon' from my Main Deck and 'Black-Winged Dragon' from my Extra Deck to the Graveyard to Special Summon 'Malefic Rainbow Dragon' and 'Malefic Black-Winged Dragon' from my hand!" Portals opened up beside Paradox and the two serpent-like dragons flew out above the highway. Black and white armor covered their bodies, wings and faces, and each one roared. Malefic Rainbow Dragon ATK / 4000 LV 10 Malefic Black-Winged Dragon ATK / 2800 LV 8 Paradox looked over to Rainbow Dash. "Rainbow Dash, let me borrow your power a bit longer!" Dash nodded to him and flew high up above the highway. "Battle! Malefic Rainbow Dragon, attack Broadsword Driver with Spectral Surge!" Malefic Rainbow Dragon opened its maw and spat out a stream of blinding light edged in a rainbow. The blue robot held its sword above over its head, pointing straight up. The blade split down the central ridge and energy arcs danced between the two halves of the blade. "I activate Broadsword Driver's effect," Antinomy announced. "Once during my opponent's turn, I can remove it from play until the End Phase." The robot twisted the blade and slashed it straight down, cutting a hole open in the space in front of it. It flew into the rift and vanished, the light beam missing it by a split second. "Then I'll redirect the attack to Shield Catapult!" Malefic Rainbow Dragon twisted its body and turned its head, dragging the beam toward the white robot on Antinomy's field. The beam struck the robot's shield but seemed to slide off of it and was absorbed into the edges. The edges of the shield glowed in a shifting rainbow. "Shield Catapult's effect activates as well," said Antinomy. "When it's targeted for an attack, I can negate that attack and have your attacking monster lose one hundred Attack Points times its own Level." The rainbow energy traveled from the edges of the shield to the "TG" insignia along circuit-like paths. The insignia began to glow and a translucent rainbow beam fired from it, striking Malefic Rainbow Dragon in the chest. It roared as its power decreased. Malefic Rainbow Dragon ATK / 3000 LV 10 Paradox grimaced. "I Set two cards and end my turn." "My turn," Paradox said. Speed Counters Antinomy: 6 Paradox/Dash: 6 Antinomy turned his D-Wheel to the side and drifted down the highway, watching Paradox and Rainbow Dash approach. "Battle! Broadsword Driver, attack Malefic Black-Winged Dragon! Cutting Drive!" Broadsword Driver aimed its transforming sword at the black dragon and twisted the handles to open the blade. A metal rod appeared on the underside of its right wrist and the robot placed it between the two halves of the blade. The blade halves began to glow and the rod suddenly shot forward, punching through the black dragon's chest and destroying it. Player: Paradox LP: 2800 Hand: 0 SPC: 6 "I activate my monsters' effects. By discarding a monster, Broadsword Driver destroys Malefic Rainbow Dragon and deals 1000 damage to you, and by banishing 'Tech Genus Wonder Magician' from my Graveyard, Shield Catapult inflicts fifteen hundred damage to you." The blue robot fired a blast from its sword and destroyed Malefic Rainbow Dragon. As it did so, a shock wave erupted from the dragon, causing the white robot to short circuit. "I play the Trap 'Malefic Shock Wave'! If you activate a monster effect while I control 'Malefic World', that monster's effects are negated and it cannot respond to Malefic Shock Wave's activation with any of its effects. The only downside is that my 'Malefic' monsters cannot attack this turn." "But since it's your turn, Antinomy, that doesn't matter!" Rainbow Dash said. Life Point Count Antinomy: 4000 Paradox/Dash: 1800 Antinomy smiled and turned back to the road as Paradox and Rainbow Dash passed him. "Well played, Paradox. I end my turn." "My turn!" shouted Rainbow Dash. She swiped her hoof over her deck and a card followed it. She looked at it, then at her hand. How is it I can go head to head with Twilight even after making a bunch of mistakes, but I'm basically just support for Paradox here? All I can do is keep us in the game while Paradox does all the heavy lifting! She grimaced. "Rainbow Dash, what's wrong?" Paradox asked. "I feel like I'm not really doing anything in this Duel, Paradox," said the Pegasus. "All I've done is keep our heads above water, but do you really need me for that?" "I lost to Antinomy before, and I'd have lost again if it weren't for you. Don't give up, Rainbow Dash! We'll figure out a way forward and become stronger together!" "Stronger together..." She looked at the card she just drew. Hey, this is... I didn't know you guys could fuse! Wait... Something clicked in her mind. "Oh man, I think I know what Yusei is trying to do! He's looking for the Numeron Code!" "The Numeron Code? What's that?" Paradox asked. "The first Duel Monsters card! Look, I'll explain later, right now we need to win this. I summon 'Crystal Beast Amber Mammoth', Set a card face-down, and end my turn." A gray mammoth with four tusks and an oval-shaped amber on its forehead appeared running beside Rainbow Dash. A face-down card also appeared and vanished. Antinomy drew a card. "My turn! Broadsword Driver, attack Crystal Beast Sapphire Pegasus! Brave Rail!" Broadsword Driver flew into the air and raised its sword over its head. It swing the blade down as it descended toward Dash's monster. Sapphire Pegasus flapped its wings and pushed itself out of the way. Amber Mammoth trumpeted in defiance at the approaching blade. "Amber Mammoth's effect activates and becomes the target of your attack," Rainbow Dash said. "And that lets me use this Trap Card: 'Amber Crystal Circle'! Amber Mammoth's Attack Points go up by the Attack Points of every other 'Crystal Beast' monster I control!" Crystal Beast Amber Mammoth ATK / 3500 LV 4 T.G. Broadsword Driver MAXX-11000 ATK / 3000 LV 10 Amber Mammoth parried the sword with its tusks and knocked the blue robot back with its trunk. It charged forward and rammed its amber crystal into the robot's chest, denting it and causing it to explode into fragments of light. Player: Antinomy LP: 3500 SPC: 8 "Broadsword Driver's effect activates," Antinomy announced coolly. "When it's destroyed, I can draw one card and Special Summon a 'Tech Genus' Synchro Monster from my Extra Deck with a lower Level, and treat it as a Synchro Summon. C'mon! 'Tech Genus Flash Moth'!" A blue portal appeared and a column of light shot out. A massive moth-like creature emerged. Its body was white with pale green armor around its thorax. The top of the abdomen had six pale green chevrons pointing forward. The wings were long, angled and translucent, and had printed electronic circuitry running through them. Hidden on its back were two small, rectangular exhaust ports pulsing with energy that pushed it forward. T.G. Flash Moth INX-1000 ATK / 100 LV 2 "When Flash Moth is Special Summoned, its effect activates," Antinomy continued. "It targets and destroys a monster on the field with the same Type, and if it does, I add a 'Tech Genus' monster from my deck to my hand." "Flash Moth is an Insect-Type monster, and I don't see any other bugs," Rainbow Dash pointed out. "Looks like you're not destroying anything!" "Not quite, Rainbow Dash. Look closer at Flash Moth," Paradox said. "Most Tech Genus monsters have an effect that treats them as both their original Type and as Machine-Type. Flash Moth has that same effect." "But there's only one other Machine on the field..." Rainbow Dash thought for a second, then grinned. "That means he's gonna lose Shield Catapult!" Flash Moth turned to the white robot. It's eyes flashed and two pale green beams hit the robot and destroyed it. "Looks like you're all out of robots, bub!" Dash taunted. "Am I? The point of evolution is to adapt in the face of adversity," Antinomy replied. "First, I add 'Tech Genus Titanium Wolf' to my hand with Flash Moth's effect. Next, Shield Catapult's effect activates! When it's destroyed, I can draw 1 card and Special Summon its Synchro Materials from my Graveyard." As Antinomy spoke, he drew a card and the monsters "Hyper Librarian" and "Slipstream Dragon" reappeared on his field. T.G. Hyper Librarian SCX-1100 ATK / 2400 LV 5 T.G. Slipstream Dragon DRX-1200 ATK / 2400 LV 5 "Oh no... he's going to summon his ultimate monster," Paradox said. "What's his ultimate monster?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Wait... three Synchros, and one's a Tuner. Is this that 'Delta' thing you were talking about?!" "It is, Rainbow Dash!" Antinomy interrupted. "I activate 'Urgent Tuning'! With this Trap Card, I can Synchro Summon during the Battle Phase. Level Five Slipstream Dragon tunes with the Level Five Hyper Librarian and Level Two Flash Moth!" Antinomy accelerated forward, with Slipstream Dragon close behind him. The dragon vanished, leaving its five stars behind to form tuning rings. Hyper Librarian and Flash Moth entered the rings and were stripped down to their stars as well. They formed a line and were engulfed in a column of light. "Limiter removal, Level Max! Regulator open! All Clear! Infinite power, break through time and space to open the unknown world! GO! Delta Accel! C'mon! 'Tech Genus Halberd Cannon'!" A halberd emerged from the light and swung around in a wide circle, dissipating the light and revealing the bulky robot holding the weapon. Its eyes flashed as it flew out over the highway and brandished its weapon. T.G. Halberd Cannon MAXXX-∞ ATK / 4000 LV 12 Paradox's eyes widened as he stared up at the black robot. "Paradox, are you okay?" Rainbow Dash called out. "Paradox! Snap out of- uh-oh..." Rainbow Dash looked up and saw the robot diving toward Amber Mammoth. "Halberd Cannon attacks Amber Mammoth!" Antinomy ordered. Halberd Cannon raised its weapon and swing it down. "Trap Card, 'Rainbow Life'!" Dash shouted. "I ditch a card from my hand and all damage we take this turn increases our Life Points instead!" A rainbow barrier appeared around her and Paradox as the blade of the halberd connected with Amber Mammoth. The shock wave hit the barrier but was absorbed and turned into warm light. Amber Mammoth, meanwhile, had become a huge chunk of amber on Dash's field. Life Point Count Antinomy: 3500 Paradox/Dash: 1300 "Your field is empty, friends," said Antinomy. "On my next turn, my 'ultimate monster', as Paradox described it, will finish this Duel once and for all!" "You're not the only one with an 'ultimate monster', pal! And since you destroyed Amber Mammoth by battle, I can summon mine! Go, 'Ultimate Crystal Magic'!" A Trap flipped up below Rainbow Dash. "I can send all seven 'Crystal Beasts' from my hand, deck or field to the Graveyard and Fusion Summon an 'Ultimate Crystal' monster. Take flight, 'Rainbow Overdragon'!" All seven Crystal Beasts appeared around Rainbow Dash, then flew into the air in streaks of multi-colored light. They swirled into a rainbow-colored circle, bright white light flashing in the middle. Rainbow Dragon's roar echoed over the highway as two gigantic wings emerged from the circle, followed by a serpentine shape. The seven Crystal Beasts flew after it and disappeared into its body. The intense light faded, revealing the monster's form. It was Rainbow Dragon, but bigger, more majestic. Its armor was now polished silver and lined with gold, though the armor on its front was purple in color. Seven different colored orbs could be seen behind the purple armor. Gold armor closed around its chest and connected to the gold on the fore wings. The wings themselves had hundreds of feather-like scales, giving them an angelic appearance. Further back on the dragon's body were two smaller, leathery wings with purple skin. The fins on the side of the dragon's head were larger than the original's and had the same purple skin. Armor plating covered the top of its head and surrounded its horns. It roared, a rainbow of light shining from the jewels inside its body, then beat its wings and joined the duel. Rainbow Overdragon ATK / 4000 LV 12 "This duel's not finished yet, bub. In fact, it's just getting started!" Rainbow Dash smirked. Time for me to do the heavy lifting! /*********************\ Next time on Dueling is Magic! Many Futures Rainbow Dash has summoned her new ace monster, Rainbow Overdragon! With Paradox effectively out of cards, can Rainbow Dash stand up to the might of Antinomy's "Halberd Cannon"? Can Paradox get back into the fight? Or has Antinomy evolved beyond both of them? Chapter 53 Counterattack! Rainbow and Arrow /*********************\ Featured Card Rainbow Overdragon LIGHT Level 12 Dragon/Fusion/Effect 7 "Crystal Beast" monsters (This card is always treated as an "Ultimate Crystal" card.) Must be either Fusion Summoned, or Special Summoned by Tributing 1 Level 10 "Ultimate Crystal" monster (in which case you do not use "Polymerization"). Once per turn: You can banish 1 "Crystal Beast" monster from your GY; this card gains ATK equal to the banished monster's, until the end of this turn. (Quick Effect): You can Tribute this Fusion Summoned card; shuffle all cards on the field into the Deck. ATK / 4000 DEF / 0