A Legacy of Souls: Terminate the Dream

by Medigo

The virtual world of dueling has survived many threats, but the worst has yet to come. New entities born from the minds of millions seek power to shape the destiny of living. Heroes will be turned against each other as it becomes impossible to trust anyone. And in the middle of it all, one duelist struggles to return to his friends to save them from the one who has stolen his life.

59. World 051: Shedding the Moral Coil

World 051: Shedding the Moral Coil

It was an assault on the mind: the Lance of Legacy created images of gruesome murders, violent wars and every nightmare in between. "V! Blanche!" Charles could barely stand to watch it. Was this what went on inside Static's mind, what had created him? He could close his eyes, but he would be utterly helpless. "You have to get out!" He wanted to reach Scarlet's backdoor, but he could not see it anymore. He could not even see his own arms anymore. "No.." He could, they were floating up in the air of insanity. He knew they could not have been detached, yet he did not feel them anymore. He could not touch anything, including his dueldisk or bracelet. This was how Static intended to keep them trapped. "I don't know how!" Blanche at least felt more connected with her own avatar due to the power of the World Armor coursing through her. But her vision suffered just as much as everyone else's. Static had far more control over his Legacy Item, she could not block every visual. And she knew, Static came for it. She would have to fight tooth and claw to hold on to it, because there was no chance of her escaping without a duel.

"Leave them alone, Static."

"?" The nightmare illusions drifted away like fog with the wind, though they had torn away much of Scura's 'penthouse'. "You again." He locked eyes with the one man who could see through him; Vigionair. "You should have seen that coming, Static. I used this the last time you tried to overpower me." The encrypter tapped his special filter visor. "When you turned Asterisk against me to steal that thing you are holding in your hand right now!" It was he who would be dueling Static, not Blanche. He had sent the challenge first, and he knew he'd hit the true target. "Yes, you hate me for that, don't you? You want to take revenge, you want to take this back." Static planted the lance firmly on the ground. "Normally I would savor such raw feelings. But in this instance they bring me nothing but aggravation. Get out of my way, old man."

"No. Not even you can deny this." Vigionair held his ground, and bound Static by the laws of this world. "Dharma, Charles. Allow me this duel. I owe him one. You should be able to log out or retreat." During Static's seizure-inducing nightmare attack, Scarlets backdoor had been warped into nonexistence. "Especially you should leave, as the new owner of the World Armor." The longer Blanche stayed, the more they risked losing the item all over again. "Yeah okay I guess, but ehrm.. but can I take the armor with me that way?"

"Only one way to find out. Blanche hold on.." Charles placed his hand on her shoulder, and concentrated deeply. "Ewgh.." Like before, Void helped her cross over into the subconscious layer of the network. But this time it felt a little more painful. "Uhm.. boss. This aint happening." She realized why when she saw the pieces of armor lying on the floor. They'd been pulled off during the transition. "Damn. The Legacy Items cant go in there?" Charles cursed. In a way it made sense, because it had been the Legacy Items that pulled him back into the physical part of STHEREA to begin with. "Dharma. Go offline. I will stay and guard the pieces so that they will still be there when you return." They could always employ the old divide and conquer tactic. Nobody could pick the World Armor up while Blanche was gone. "You sure, Boss?" She did not feel much for leaving him behind again. "Yes. Also try to find Scarlet or Echo, they will know what to do." There simply were no better options right now. "Okay. Good luck guys.." Dharma sighed and logged out with a sigh.

"What did you to do my place?" While that went on, Chiaroscura fidgeted about with a look of horror on her face. She too had witnesses the maddening illusions. And once they passed she saw an equally dismal reality: half of her penthouse club had been erased and replaced with a large section of the castle throne room. "Punishing you for your failure. Be glad that I did not seek more retribution." Static gave her his answer with a scornful look. "Geh.. I can make up for it!" The girl stammered, as she noticed where the World Armor had ended up. However, she felt too weak from the previous duel to go right back into another fight. Static knew that as well. "You can make yourself useful by bringing in whoever is not drawn into a fight with those fools outside. After that we can talk about your future here." He gave her an easy task, one he trusted her not to screw up. "Ergh, fine." She followed the instructions with reluctance and ran out of the area. Static would save his wrath for the ones he truly despised.

-TURN 01-

Vigionairs LP: 8000 Static Void's LP: 8000

"Pay attention, Static! We have started" Vigionair started drawing cards: five at the start of his turn and then two more when he activated Trade In. He discarded his level 8 monster (Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon) to draw two cards. "No skills?" Charles wondered why Vigionair did not prepare one of his special cards for this. "No. Giganoto saw him duel Zettai. Static has an all-purpose anti skill card." It would be less dangerous to go in without skills. Static Void had not added his own for that same purpose. "I reveal my Photon monster: Photon Vanisher! Doing so allows me to special summon Galaxy Braver from my hand and copy that monster's level! And when I control a Galaxy-monster, I can also special summon Photon Vanisher!" In rapid succession, the cipher duelist placed down his star-armored galactic knight(4/0/0) with the single blue eye [Zone 3], and a photon-colored cybernetic sniper(4/2000/0) [Zone 4] with a lone red eye. "When Photon Vanisher appears, I can also add the Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon from the deck to my hand!" The Photon sniper fired a shot into space and made a star drop down from above, placing the shining Galaxy-Eyes card in V's hand. Yet the portal to the cosmos stayed open. "Finally... I will XYZ-Summon Starliege Photon Blast Dragon! In defense mode!"

The portal swallowed Photon Vanisher along with Galaxy Brave. "XYZ-summon.." Static muttered some words as the two cards were attached inside the overlay network, and returned to the field as XYZ-materials orbiting around a blue dragon(R4/1800/2500) [Extra Zone 1] in white and gold cyber armor. Pincer horns framed its face, while its teeth and wings glowed with the blue light of photon energy. "Yes. It may not be a fancy link monster, but I don't need that to defeat you. I know how you overpowered Zettai. I know what deck you use... Voids deck, modified with synchro monsters. But that will not work against me. When Starliege is summoned, I can special summon one Photon monster from my hand! And all monsters with 2000 or more attackpoints cannot be targeted or destroyed by card effects while I control this XYZ-monster!" The Galactic Eyes Star dragon(8/3000/2500) [Zone 3] came down from the stars to shield Vigionair in defense mode as well. After that he placed two trap cards face down.

-TURN 02-

"Now it will be your turn. But the Photon Blast Dragon can also use one of his XYZ-materials to special summon Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon from my graveyard in your main phase!" He did just that and revived the Dragon(8/3000/2500) [Zone 2] that got discarded by Trade In. As long as V kept all his cards in defense mode, Static could not overpower him with his ultimate monster.

"Hmph. I know a thing or two about your cards as well, old man. Your duel with Asterisk was at least good for that." Static eyed the last card in Vigionair's hand. "Heh, Nibiru. If that is indeed the card in your hand, I have nothing to fear. I can destroy your defender with just four summons. Count them.." The first summon was a special summon from the hand: and it materialized as a cybernetic swordsman(4/1000/1500) [Zone 1] in black armor with gold edges. The symbol of an inverted triangle was displayed on his forehead and chest. "Mathmech Nabla. It can tribute one cyberse to special summon one Mathmech from my deck." The Nabla cyberse turned itself into the tribute, leaving just a golden triangular gateway on the floor. From it, Static special summoned as the fire-red and cyberwhite swordsman Mathmech Sigma(4/1000/1500) [Zone 2]. "Then I can special summon Mathmech Addition from my hand, by giving 1000 attackpoints to another monster on the field." Another cyberknight emerged from Void's hand: this one(4/1000/1000) [Zone 3] with a blockier deepred body and a hexagonally shaped cape.

"Is this what you turned my deck into?" Charles had to ask. Between the Timelords and these Mathmechs, Static seemed to be a lot more obsessed with statistics than he let on. "Why do you care?" Void scoffed. "Because... this feels more like a deck I would come up with." The original cyberse duelist confessed. He chose this type for that simple a reason after all. "You are projecting. There is nothing you have to do with me, except this face." Static growled and took his cards off the board. "Synchro summon! Geomathmech Magma!" The tuner Sigma synchronized with the nontuner Addition, causing both to transform into a greater and taller cyberknight: Magma the red/white cyberpaladin(8/2500/0) [Extra Zone 2]. "When Magma fights and destroys a monster, I can destroy two more cards afterwards! I will blast your Starliege away, and the kill the two it was supposed to protect! Vigionair!" The GeoMathmech covered his sword in bright flames and came in with a low sweep at the Photon Blast Dragon.

"That is an accurate calculation, marred by one extra variable." Vigionair flipped a continuous trap card with a smirk. "You cannot subtract what is not there. I activate Photon Change to switch a Photon monster on my field with a different Photon monster from my deck!" The Starliege phased through a shower of galactic light and solar flares, donning the armor and body of the third and final Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon(8/3000/2500) [Zone 4]. "...Feh, so you are not as slow as you look." Even if he had the attackpower to kill the dragons, each Galaxy-Eyes could banish itself and their attacker from the field during the battle phase. Not one could be killed, and now Vigionair controlled three of them. "Had I known you would be this much of a pain. I would never have invited Asterisk to my game. You were never meant to be a part of my game." Static placed two of his own traps down on the field and ended the turn.

-TURN 03-

"That is rich. You mean to tell me you had no idea what you were bringing into your games? That you invited Asterisk on a whim?" Vigionair felt that only made things so much worse. "He told me why he invited us. He needed people who were adjusted to the virtual world. People like me and Asterisk who used it early, through demos or other methods." Charles did not want to say too much, but he figured Vigionair had gained access to STHEREA long before players were officially allowed to enter. "Is that so? Tch, the pattern does not imply a random selection." Static had managed to invite the friend of a famous hacker, another famous hacker herself, the daughter of the renowned Shintaro family and her bodyguard, several top duelists like Dharma and Zettai. "No. He still needed to make it seem like it all meant something, as if we deserved to be there. And the only reason he invited me, was because I did not stand out too much among everyone else."

"I see. All the easier it is to impersonate someone. But that game is over now, Static. And this one will be your last!" Vigionair drew the next card and reactivated Photon Change. "When I sacrifice Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon with this trap, I can add one Photon card to my hand and special summon one Photon monster from my deck!" The third Galaxy-Eyes transformed itself into a brilliant star and split up into two cards: the spell of Photon Hand and the robotic space droid Photon Orbital(4/500/2000) [Zone 1]. "Photon Hand! Since I control Galaxy-Eyes, I can control any one of your monsters!" V extended his open hand and paid 1000 of his lifepoints to activate the spell. Photonic light emanated from his hand and targeted the Geomathmech.

Vigionairs LP: 7000

"Hmph, I did more than impersonate you.. Charles. I can duel like you too." Static flipped his first spell card: Cynet Backdoor. "I banish my cyberse for one turn, and draw a cyberse from my deck with less attackpoints than it!" He hacked a door open into cyberspace and hid the Magma mech inside. Photon Hand resolved without a target to control, while Static claimed the Mathmech Nabla from his deck. "I know why you are upset. It was your fault it happened in the first place! You were the one who got Asterisk interested in virtual dueling." Static Void chuckled. "That is absurd. He was a duelist before me, he would have been interested regardless. He had always been that way, he was the one teaching me in that regard." Vigionair denied the accusation and ignored the setback. "And I can always learn new tricks! I link summon Galaxy Eyes Solflare Dragon!"

"A link monster?" Charles had never seen the encrypter use one of those before. Solflare required two monsters and one had to have more than 2000 attackpoints. Vigionair used Photon Orbital and another Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon and constructed a radiant portal for the new Galaxy-Eyes(2000/LINK 2) {Downleft/Downright} [Extra Zone 1]. Solflare used the same standard shape of the other Photon Dragons, but its inner body and six sharply edged wings burned bright like a red sun. "Yes, I have to update myself often. Solflare adds one Photon card back to my hand! I take Photon Vanisher! Next, I normal summon Galaxy Cleric! This card can return five Photon or Galaxy cards to my deck to draw two cards!" The next visitor(4/1500/600) [Zone 5] from the galaxy wore white robes with a hood and a silver mask with one glowing sphere as an eye. With his golden scepter the Cleric rewound time for five cards (Photon Hand, Galaxy Brave, Starliege Photon Blaster and the two Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragons) and prepared for the next summon. Vigionair special summoned the Photon Vanisher [Zone 4] once again and activated its effect to redraw one of the two Galaxy-Eyes Dragon cards.

"Now, since I control a Galaxy-Eyes monster, I can also special summon Galaxy-Eyes Afterglow Dragon from my hand in defense mode!" The first Galaxy Dragon opened its wings and released a stream of stars and light. The light turned into a dragon of its own: Afterglow Dragon(8/3000/2500) [Zone 2] the glowing shadow of Galaxy-Eyes. "Now, a double XYZ-Summon! I call out Number 62: Galaxy-Eyes Prime Photon Dragon and Starliege Photon Blast Dragon!" Four photonic beams of light blasted upwards into the stratosphere and converged back down on the zones marked by Solflare Dragon. Photon Vanished and Galaxy Cleric were attached to the re-summoned Starliege(R4/1800/2500) [Zone 3]. But that did not draw as much attention as what the Galaxy Dragon and its Afterglow double transformed into: a gigantic deep-blue armored Photon Dragon(R8/4000/3000) [Zone 1]. Prime Photon's tail extended almost infinitely, while his crystalline wings and body glowed an eternal blue. "A Number? It will take more than that, Encrypter."

"Then what do you say to two Numbers? I activate my second trap: Eternal Galaxy! I can attach my XYZ-monster and all of its materials to a Galaxy or Photon XYZ-monster that is four ranks its superior! Come, Number 92: Galaxy-Eyes Photon Lord!" A galaxy army that went on the offense had no need for the Starliege Dragon. His body imploded into a neutron star and released light in the shape of a new Galactic power: the deepblue armored knightLord(R8/2500/3000) [Zone 3] with his blade of photons. "Now there are two rank 8 XYZs on my field: you could say their combined rank rating is sixteen! Multiply that by two hundred, and that is how much attackpower Prime Photon Dragon gets when he enters damage calculation! And I have yet to reach my limit! I activate the spell, Memories of Hope! I can draw one card for each Number on my field!" Simple math dictated that he would draw two cards; a pair of traps. Vigionair sneered silently, he would not even get to use them if this battle phase succeeded. "The Battle Phase! Solflare attack..."

"Attack the Token?" Static revealed the second set card. "Because that is the only thing you will strike, old man. I activate Spool Code, which negates your attack while I have three or more cyberse monsters in my graveyard." The quickplay spell blocked the first attack, dissipating the solar flame blast of the Galaxy-Eyes link dragon. Then it created three spool tokens(1/0/0) [Zones 1,2,3] in defense mode.

"Damn, it was that kind of card.." Vigionair had counted on some resistance, but not a card that could produce the exact number of shields Static needed to avoid all damage this turn. "But that is why I struck with the weakest card first. Even if I cannot hurt you, I will use my full power! Number 62! Attack!" Against an opponent like Static, V would need the strongest monsters he could create. As the Prime Photon Dragon battled the token, it detached the Afterglow Dragon XYZ-material, and bathed in its light. "When Galaxy Eyes Afterglow Dragon is detached during the battle phase, I can special summon one Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon from my deck and double the attackpoints of all XYZ-monsters I control!" Galaxy-Eyes Afterglow brought out the last Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon(8/3000/2500) [Zone 2] that had been returned to the deck before, while the powers of Number 62(8000 atk) and Number 92(5000 atk) were permanently raised. Prime Photon Dragon(11200 atk) also gained its 16th rank powerboost, for what little good that could do. It, Prime Photon Dragon and the Galaxy-Eyes Photon Lord blasted the three Spool tokens away.

"That must have been disappointing." Familiar laughter filled the throne room in the wake of the galactic onslaught. "Schwarzwald!?" Charles turned around to face the black baron. It appeared that Chiaroscura had brought him and Scarlet Fever back with her. "Indeed, we meet again Charles Adami. Sooner than I expected I must say. Did you come here just to rescue my foolish better half? That was not too bright, you traded two souls for the price of one." The disappointed Schwarzwald shook his head. "We did more than that. We saved Scura's soul as well, if you want to call it that."

"Psh. Will one of you two shut this guy up already." The unamused terror girl snarled at Charles for reminding her of her failure. The Legacy Item just lying there at his feet did not help her mood. But before anyone could accept her proposal, Static Void made one thing clear. "You will not duel him, he is not yours." The only one to crush Charles would be HIM. "What? Why? What if he gets away now?" Chiaroscura yelled. "He could, but he wont. It is not in his nature to abandon comrades." Schwarzwald countered.

"Even if he could, most escape routes have been locked away. I am sure my other self showed you the way in, but finding a way out is gonna be trickier. Especially if you want to keep that armor." Scarlet Fever sermonized with a mirthful tone in her voice. "The quickjump and logout block can easily be overcome, Scarlet Fever. Hmph,... Fever. Now that I can compare you two, I can appreciate the Scarlet that helped us get in." Vigionair grunted as he placed two trap cards down and prepared to end his turn. "Really? What would be the variables be that make you choose her over me? I can only see sentimental reasons, and those are worthless as quantifiers." Fever derisively stated. "If you believe that, if you believe that science is the goal rather than a pursuit, then you are truly lost." The encrypter realized there would be little reasoning with the likes of her. "And where have your pursuits led you, mister Vigionair? Can they save you from this dead end that you have found yourself in?"

-TURN 04-

"We will see, wont we?" As control came back to Static, so did the Geomathmech Magma [Zone 1] banished by Cynet Backdoor. This turn it would be able to attack directly. "I activate Galaxy Eyes Solflare's effect! I can destroy one monster by discarding one Galaxy and Photon card from my hand!" V would get rid of it before Static could even formulate an attackplan with it. And since Solflare Dragon treated a 'Galaxy Eyes Photon Dragon' as both Galaxy and Photon at once, it only needed to discard that card to create the flames of destruction. A miniature sun got thrown Magma's way and incinerated it from head to foot. "It would seem the sun burns better than the volcano." Schwarzwald laughed.

"All I see is a dying candle in a storm." Magma did leave Static with one advantage: when it died it added a Mathmech card (Mathmech Subtraction) from the deck to the hand. A storm that sleeps in my extra deck... I can special summon Mathmech Sigma from my graveyard, if there are no monsters in my extra zone. But it will be banished if it leaves the field afterwards." His first material [Zone 2] burned a hole through the ground to return. "I can also special summon Mathmech Subtraction from my handand subtract a thousand attackpoints from another monster!" The second material, a robotic red swordsman(4/1000/1000) [Zone 3] with a torn crimson scarf around his neck. "I don't plan on going out any time soon, Static! I activate the Legacy Barrier!" Mathmech Subtraction intended to weaken the Galactic Knight, but its effect slammed dead first into a star-filled barrier. "And there is one of your pursuits." Static recognized this custom continuous trap from his duel against Asterisk: the targeted Galaxy-Eyes Photon Lord could no longer be affected by other card effects. "Let me show you one of mine! I XYZ-Summon Primathmech Alembertian!"

"You have XYZ-monsters as well?" A stunned Charles cried out. The crimson Mathmechs opened their own overlay network portal on the ground and XYZ-summoned a large robot(R4/2000/0) [Extra Zone 2] made of gold and black metal. Alembertian wielded a combined mechanical sword, large thrusters were attached to its back, and a triangular red crystal adorned its chest. Its effect would allow Static Void to add a Mathmech card from the deck to his hand. "Galaxy-Eyes Photon Lord's effect activates!" Vigionair would not let him get away with a search this time. The Galactic Number detached one of his own XYZ-materials (Galaxy Cleric) and launched it towards Alembertian like a comet. "It can negate one monsters effect each turn, and destroy that monster if it is a Galaxy card I detach!" The detached comet tore a scorching hole right through the XYZ-Mathmech. It fell to pieces right in front of Static.

"Hmph. The desperate last flame. You are out of tricks now, old man." Static Void moved right on and normal summoned another inverted triangle Mathmech Nabla(4/1000/1500) [Zone 1]. He also activated a common spell from Void's own arsenal, One-Time Passcode. "This spell special summons a Security Token which I can sacrifice!" The security camera droid(4/2000/2000) was sent away by Nabla, so that Static could special summon a different Mathmech from the deck: Mathmech Multiplication the jetbooster droid(4/500/2000) [Zone 2].

"The XYZ-monster was a diversion?" Vigionair cringed when it dawned on him that these two Mathmechs would lead to the formula that defeated Zettai. "Yes. I special summoned Multiplication, who can double the level of my other cyberse monster. And Nabla.. is also a tuner monster." Multiplication crossed its thin sparkling swords and gave Nabla(8/1000/1500) a charge of star energy. "So I can synchro summon Geomathmech Final Sigma!" Nabla tuned with the Multiplier. By adding eight stars to four synchronic circles, Static created the ultimate synchro cyberse and evolved form of the original Magma. Sigma the Final Mathmech(12/3000/2500) was born. "The Final Sigma inflicts double damage to other monsters! And as long as it stands in my extra zone it cannot be affected by other cards except Mathmech cards... Mathmechs like Nabla and Multiplication!" The two monsters used as synchro materials activated their effects as soon as they entered the graveyard, with Multiplication doubling the attackpoints of the synchro Mathmech(6000/0), while Mathmech Nabla allowed it to make two attacks in one turn.

"Oh and by the way, this was the card that helped me convert Zettai. But you wont be so lucky. Time to sleep, forever, Vigionair!"

(To Be Continued in World 052: V For Vengeance)

New Cards used by Vigionair
Photon Vanisher
Galaxy -Eyes Afterglow Dragon
Galaxy Cleric

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Starliege Photon Blast Dragon
Galaxy-Eyes Sol Flare Dragon
Number 62: Prime Photon Dragon

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Trade In
Memories of Hope

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Eternal Galaxy

New Cards used by Static Void
Mathmech Nabla
Mathmech Addition
Mathmech Subtraction

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Geomathmech Magma
Primathmech Alembertian

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Cynet Backdoor
Spool Code
One-Time Passcode