Dueling is Magic! Many Futures

by Wolfgang

Chapter 49: False God

Dueling is Magic!
Many Futures

Chapter 49

False God

/*********************\

"My turn!" Aporia shouted as he drew a card.

Player: Aporia
LP: 400
Hand: 8

"I Set three cards, then activate my face-down 'Reload'! This shuffles all cards in my hand into the deck, then lets me draw the same number of cards that I returned. There are five cards left in my hand, so I draw five cards!"

"You knew that I would return Granel to your hand," Z-one said.

"I did, since you did it before," Aporia replied. "I activate my face-down 'Core Reboot' to Special Summon 'Grand Core' from my Graveyard. Next I activate 'Core Grenade' to destroy Grand Core and inflict one thousand points of damage to you!"

Grand Core reemerged onto the field, but suddenly exploded. The flames swirled around Z-one for a moment before vanishing. Suddenly, the five pieces of Meklord Emperor Granel appeared and joined together to reform the robot.

Meklord Emperor Granel ∞
ATK / 400
LV 1

"When Grand Core is destroyed, it destroys all monsters on my field and Special Summons 'Meklord Emperor Granel Infinity' and its four pieces from my deck."

"Its Attack Points are equal to your Life Points, Aporia," Z-one remarked, pointing a finger at Aporia. "The weaker you are, the weaker your monster becomes."

"That's what you think," said Aporia. "I equip Granel with my face-down 'Grand Converter'. Instead of my Life Points, Granel Infinity now gets its Attack Points from its Meklord Parts! And during each of my Standby Phases, I gain two hundred Life Points for each 'Granel' monster I control." A black and red device appeared that began to wrap itself around the Meklord's joints. The green light in the chest changed to a bright red.

Granel Top
ATK / 500
LV 1

Granel Attack
ATK / 1300
LV 1

Granel Guard
ATK / 500
LV 1

Granel Carrier
ATK / 700
LV 1

Meklord Emperor Granel ∞
ATK / 3000
LV 1

"All right!" Twilight cheered. "Now Granel works the same way as the other Meklord Emperors!"

"It doesn't matter. So long as I control 'Metaion, the Timelord', I am untouchable."

"You won't control it for long. During your Standby Phase, Metaion, the Timelord is shuffled into your deck, leaving you open! You'll have to summon another Timelord if you want to protect yourself from us. I Set two cards and end my turn."

"My turn!" As Twilight drew, one of Aporia's Set cards flipped up. "I activate 'Grand Diversion'," he announced. "This card inflicts five hundred points of damage to you, Z-one!" Granel Infinity aimed its left arm at Metaion and fired a short burst of energy. Metaion slapped it aside and grinned, but Granel had already moved his arm to point at Z-one and fired another burst. Z-one was pushed back by the hit, but floated forward again to retake his place.

"Is that the best you can do, Aporia?" Z-one asked with a chuckle.

"No. This is: I activate 'Grand Crown'! When you take effect damage while I control Granel Infinity, I draw one card, and until the end of my next turn, all effect damage any player takes is converted to life gain, unless it's from a card that I control."

"Time to show off some of my magic tricks," Twilight said with a smile. "I summon 'Milla the Temporal Magician' and use her effect to take a peek at your middle card!" Twilight pointed a hoof and the card she indicated flipped up. He must have Set that card as part of his combo with 'Time Angel'. "Alright, Z-one, time to battle!"

"Twilight, what are you doing?" Aporia shouted. "If you attack Metaion, all of our monsters will return to our hands!"

"Trust me, I've got a plan. Milla, attack Metaion!" Milla lifted her staff into the air and a bright light began to shine from the end. "I play the Trap 'Magician's Circle'!" Twilight said. "If a Spellcaster-Type monster attacks, each player has to Special Summon a Spellcaster-Type monster from their deck with two thousand or fewer Attack Points in Attack Mode, if they have one." She looked over at Aporia and smiled. "See? When Z-one summons a monster, it'll cause a replay and I can cancel the attack. Plus, I'll have a new monster too! I Special Summon 'Crusader of Endymion'!"

Crusader of Endymion
ATK / 1900
LV 4

"Twilight, the Timelords are all Fairy-Type monsters," Aporia explained. "And what's more, Metaion prevents Z-one from summoning other-"

"I activate 'Endless Emptiness' by sending 'Nonexistence' to the Graveyard. Now I can ignore the effects of Timelords that prevent me from Summoning other monsters. With 'Magician's Circle' I Special Summon 'Dark Archetype' from my deck," Z-one said. The gold ring floating in front of Z-one vanished and was replaced by a pair of rings, joined at the edges. His new monster emerged from a puddle of black ooze. Massive, three-clawed arms and legs pulled the thing out of the muck. Its body was black and pink, as if it were rotting away and its muscles were visible. A tiny, grey head with beady yellow eyes emerged from the center of a metal device around its neck. A black tail whipped around behind it.

Dark Archetype
ATK / 1400
LV 4

"What? But..." Aporia stammered. "Th-that wasn't in his deck! What IS that?"

"I don't know, Aporia," Twilight stated. "But I am a mare of science. And do you know how a scientist learns about something she's never seen before?"

Aporia said nothing. Twilight grinned.

"She hits it with a stick to see what happens! Milla the Temporal Magician attacks Dark Archetype!" The young woman still held her staff in the air. A beam of light erupted from the end and shone on Dark Archetype. It struck the creature and destroyed it instantly, leaving behind another puddle of black slime.

"I activate the Trap Card 'Foolish Decision'," Z-one said. "All damage I take from this battle is reduced to zero. Next, I activate Dark Archetype's effect. If it's destroyed by battle, I can Special Summon a monster from my deck whose Attack Points are equal to the damage I took by sending monsters from my hand to the Graveyard with the same total Level. I send a Level Ten 'Timelord' from my hand to the Graveyard to Special Summon 'Zaphion, the Timelord' to the field!"

A new Timelord rose up from the black ooze. The metal was painted blue and the structures around the screen were much more ornate. Gold wings slid up behind the machine's top. The face of a human woman appeared in the screen. She had blue skin, violet hair, and a gold tiara.

Zaphion, the Timelord
ATK / 0
LV 10

"Crusader of Endymion, attack Zaphion!" The blue armored warrior-mage ran forward and threw a punch at the massive face on the front of the Timelord's body. The gauntlet struck the screen, but nothing happened and Crusader returned to Twilight.

"Timelords cannot be destroyed by battle or effects, and players take no damage from battles involving them," Z-one said. "At the end of a Damage Step where Zaphion battled, all Spell and Trap Cards on my opponent's field are shuffled into the deck."

Zaphion extended the arms of her machine to the sides and a torrent of water erupted from the screen. It washed over Meklord Emperor Granel and caused the device around its body to vanish.

Meklord Emperor Granel ∞
ATK / 400
LV 1

"Aporia, I'm sorry," said Twilight. "I had to find out what it does. I Set two cards and end my turn."

"During the End Phase of the turn when it was activated, Grand Diversion lets me Set a card from my hand," said Aporia. "You were merely acquiring information, Twilight Sparkle. That is the most valuable asset a duelist can have in any duel."

"My turn," said Z-one. His left arm drew a card from the floating deck. "During my Standby Phase, Metaion and Zaphion are shuffled into my deck." The angelic machines vanished and their cards floated into the air, then into Z-one's deck, which was then shuffled. "Zaphion's effect activates. When it leaves the field, I draw until I'm holding five cards in my hand."

"Zaphion returned to the deck, though," said Twilight. "I thought effects like that didn't activate if the card is shuffled into the deck."

"Zaphion will activate regardless," Z-one explained as he drew four cards. "I activate the effect of 'Endless Emptiness'. This lets me Special Summon Level Ten and above monsters from my hand, but the Attack Points of all monsters I control becomes zero."

"Not so fast, Z-one!" said Aporia. "I activate the card I Set with Grand Diversion's effect: 'Infinity Barrage'! If you control no monsters, you take four hundred damage for each monster I control!"

"From my hand, I activate 'Raphael's Blessing'," Z-one said calmly. "When a card or effect activates that would inflict damage to a player's Life Points, the activation is negated, then its controller and I draw one card."

"But that's a Counter Trap!" Twilight objected. "Trap Cards have to be Set face-down before you can use them, and you can't activate them in the same turn they're Set!"

"Raphael's Blessing can be activated from my hand during my own turn. Now, as I was saying, I Special Summon three new Timelords from my hand: 'Lazion, the Timelord', 'Kamion, the Timelord', and 'Sadion, the Timelord'." Z-one threw three cards through the pair of rings before him. Three new Timelords appeared, one red and silver with fire burning in its shoulders; another brown and black with a wide frame; and the third green with a silver center and flowing forms.

Lazion, the Timelord
ATK / 0
LV 10

Kamion, the Timelord
ATK / 0
LV 10

Sadion, the Timelord
ATK / 0
LV 10

"Be careful, Twilight," Aporia said. "If Lazion attacks, it will shuffle all cards on our fields and in our Graveyards back into our decks. I do not know what the others do."

Twilight looked at her two face-down cards. Then which ones should I stop? she wondered. Maybe he'll test the waters with a bluff effect...

"Battle! Sadion, the Timelord will attack Meklord Emperor Granel," Z-one ordered. Sadion held his hands out with his wrists together and a tornado erupted from his palms. However, Granel stood strong against the storm. "When Sadion attacks, my Life Points increase to four thousand at the end of the Damage Step."

Player: Z-one
LP: 4000
Hand: 2

"Even if he hadn't played 'Raphael's Blessing', he could've reset his Life Points," said Twilight, dismayed.

"So why did he play it?" Aporia asked. "If he didn't need to at all, he would've held on to it."

Twilight's eyes widened. "Hey, you're right. Why play a card if you don't need to? Either he's showing off..."

"...or he didn't have Sadion in his hand! And he only played three Timelords when he could have played more, which means Z-one only had Kamion and Lazion in his hand."

"If Infinity Barrage had worked, Z-one would only have five hundred Life Points left."

"He didn't want to take the chance of one of us defeating him after this turn!"

And I was right about him testing the waters. This means I should stop Kamion and Lazion when they attack. "He's very methodical isn't he?"

"Z-one was the leader of Iliaster, a genius who was able to work out a plan that spanned millennia."

"I controlled man's development for thousands of years, using the secret society known as Iliaster to acquire the vast resources and connections required to fulfill my plan to save the future of man," Z-one said. "Not even the lives of Team 5D's were outside of my influence. I am equal to a god, with the greatest of the angels at my command."

"You're not a god, Z-one," said Twilight. "If you were, you could've stopped Duel Monsters from being created. You could've stopped Momentum from ever being invented! But you couldn't, could you? You could influence the past, but you were just part of a destiny trap, doing everything that would ensure your own future!"

"You know nothing, unicorn!" Z-one shouted.

"I know a false god when I see one," Twilight shot back.

"ENOUGH! Lazion, the Timelord, attack Granel Infinity!" The eyes of the bearded man displayed on the Timelord's front widened fiercely as the mechanical hands were raised above it. Dozens of fireballs began to take shape above the machine. It lowered its hands and the fireballs rained down like meteors at Aporia's robot.

"I play the Trap 'Break Tune'!" Twilight shouted. "This negates your attack and Special Summons a Tuner monster from my hand! Come on out, 'Arcane Apprentice'!"

Arcane Apprentice
DEF / 400
LV 2

"Then I attack with Kamion, the Timelord!" Z-one ordered.

"Oh, no you don't! I play 'Spellbinding Circle' and target Kamion! Now it can't attack as long as it's trapped inside the circle!" A magical circle appeared around the earthen Timelord, pinning its arms to its sides. The broad face in the center shook back and forth as if struggling to get free. Z-one ended his turn.

Aporia drew. "Lazion's effect activates," Z-one announced. "When you draw cards during the Draw Phase, you take one thousand points of damage!"

"But because of 'Grand Crown's' effect, damage from card effects other than my own increases that player's Life Points instead!" Aporia countered.

Player: Aporia
LP: 1400
Hand: 5

Aporia looked at the new card in his hand. "You were right to play that Counter Trap," he said. "I equip Granel Infinity with 'Grand Scope'! Now it can attack directly, but all damage it inflicts is equal to the Attack Points of 'Granel Attack'. Go, Grand Slaughter Cannon!"

Granel Attack
ATK / 1300
LV 1

Granel Infinity aimed its arm cannon directly at Z-one and fired a pinpoint shot at him. It struck the mask and sent him spinning backwards through the air. The Timelords on his field turned and followed him. Twilight and Aporia ran after them as well.

Z-one slammed his empty hand onto the ground to slow down and steady himself. He turned to face Aporia and Twilight as they ran to catch up to him. The mask had been destroyed on Z-one's left side. Twilight gasped.

Inside the armored body was black liquid, bubbling and rippling like the ocean in a storm.

/*********************\

Next time on Dueling is Magic! Many Futures

'Z-one' is revealed to be an imposter! With his mask destroyed, Twilight and Aporia's opponent reveals himself. The team press the thing for answers, but the duel becomes more and more frenzied and desperate as Aporia's field is relentlessly assaulted and Twilight's own resources are depleted trying to protect him! Information is all in this duel, but who has enough to know that they'll win?

Chapter 50

The Truthful Liar

/*********************\

Featured Card

Dark Archetype
DARK
Level 4
Spellcaster/Effect
If this card is destroyed by battle: You can send any number of monsters from your hand to the Graveyard (min. 1), then Special Summon 1 monster from your deck whose ATK is equal to the battle damage you took and with a Level equal to the total Levels of the monsters sent to the Graveyard by this effect.
ATK / 1400
DEF / 400

Author's Note:

And. More. Shenanigans! Yeah, I've been making some new stuff for the Granel archetype. Grand Converter is a pretty obvious card too, when you think about it. Granel Infinity gets its ATK from its controller's LP instead of from its Meklord Parts, which means it gets weaker as its controller's life does.

And let's talk about the cards featured in this duel, eh? There are other cards besides that Aporia has used and will use, but I'm trying to make them as generic and non-situational as possible. Good card design means useful cards that apply to a specific situation, but can be used elsewhere as well.

Did you notice the presence of Reload here? This card actually shows up pretty frequently in the YGO franchise, but almost never gets played. You can even see it in the hands of Turbo Duelists on a number of occasions, despite the fact that playing it will cost them 2000 LP in damage. I decided to let Aporia play it here, especially since it proved pretty useful once all five Granel pieces went back to his hand.

So, the presence of Dark Archetype... well, a while back we got a glimpse of something dark that was a "reflection" of sorts of its victims. I will confirm that this is the same shadow. Those of you who know your YGO history already know what this is. Those of you who don't, just stay tuned for the next chapter!

Let's talk about Z-one's other cards as well. By now, you should know that the Timelords are based on archangels, specifically the ones associated with the kabbalistic Tree of Life. But what about his Traps? Well, as it turns out, those are all derived from aspects of tarot cards. Foolish Decision from The Fool, Magician's Adage from The Magician. I've also created a few more, such as Raphael's Blessing, which is derived from The Lovers. The angel depicted in the classical artwork of the tarot card The Lovers is none other than Raphael (who, himself, is one of the Timelord cards). The card prevents harsh and scathing conflict (effect damage) and provides a blessing to the two involved (the two players drawing a card). The other cards I created, along with Empress' Staff, will be appearing in the next chapter.

Comments

[Utopianking]

Interesting additions to all decks. I had suspicions about this duel from the beginning, but Dark Archetype really confirmed them.

[Regreme]

Nice card creations for this chapter.:D

[ShadowLight96]

Very well done chapter bro

[Maxout020]

Dark Archetype is a Spellcaster?! :Looks it up: Well shut my mouth, it is! And here I thought it was a Fiend. (Can you blame me?)

And I'm gonna take a guess here and say the Z-ONE impersonator is a certain someone who claims to always tell the truth and named himself after that trait.

Am I warm?

[Wolfgang]

7979658 You ain't seen nothin' yet!

7979662 Thanks, always great to see you guys enjoying this.

7980089 Yeah, I was pretty surprised myself, but I pretty much had to take advantage of this.

[Maxout020]

8061034 Keep reading and you'll find out.

[Blazewind strike]

So your thoughts on the new Time Lords?

[Wolfgang]

8133883 I think they're pretty good. Very well balanced, yet still true to their anime appearance. I hope we get the full gamut of cards Z-one played.

[Blazewind strike]

8149444 Yeah, I do wonder how they will play into the Link Format with the new rules though.