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.

98. World 090: Who Gets To Decide Fate?

World 090: Who Gets to Decide Fate

"Abigail! You made it." Zettai flew down immediately as soon as she saw her counterpart. "Yes. I knew about this mission. At first I did not think I could help them, that I would be a burden in my current state." Abigail started to explain herself, to her enemies and her allies. "What did change your mind?" Zettai herself'd been chasing Abigail for so long, she never expected her to come back on her own volition. "The words of friends.. True friends. They reminded me.. what it means to be a duelist." The girl that gave life to Zettai was now here to fight, to duel like she once did before. "So you still are against me? If it is a duel you seek, I will not hesitate to.." Zettai desired the challenge for herself. Except she could not claim it. "Did you forget, Zettai? Echo's power will continue to work on you for the next several hours. You cannot even enter into a duel, because you cannot guarantee that it would not hurt me. That is how her wishes works." The Legendary Fisherman explained. "Urgh.. why.. that accursed.." Zettai could not lift her arms or lay a finger on any of her cards.

"Our time has not yet come." Abigail did not have anything to fear from Zettai. The only one she feared was not even here. "But you are not affected, aren't you Veyron? You have yet to lose a duel. But maybe, I can change that." She turned towards the speed duelist who she had requested to duel. "You? You want fight me?" Veryon heard Abigail's declaration, but he could only laugh at it. His grudges did not extend towards her, and she would have no reason to hate him more than the others in the chamber. "I would fight you to save you. And I would save any friend of mine." Abigail did not seem to despise him at all in fact. "A friend? What a great lie. You never saw me as a friend, Zettai. You were just like Sigment, you only took advantage of me. But you will not get this wand from me. From now on I fly solo!" He on the other hand did not have any reason to feel positive about her either.

Veyron's LP: 8000 Abigail's LP: 8000

"So that's it!" Neither did Zettai. "She is still too frightened to face me directly! That's why you're going after him, isn't it? You think taking the Legacy Item will better prepare you!" The ace duelist snarled at her human half. "I did not come here to take the Wand either. I could care less about that. I came here to help him... the real him that's still inside. I want to do for 'Juan', what Himiko did for me."

"Abigail. Is this something you want to do? You can do?" Charles wanted to say something as well, because the duelist he saw before him now sounded far more confident than the one everyone left behind. "I appreciate the concern. But you do not have to under-estimate me, Charles." She sounded like the duelist she used to be, moreso than the actual Zettai. "I do not doubt that. But I had to be sure.. I wish I could stay to see this through to the end." Charles sighed. "Wait? You're leaving?" An exasperated Vigionaire asked. "I have to. We have searched the entire tower beyond. Static is not here. I have to check back with Exeter HQ." He had to check this out. He had to be sure if his friends were safe... is his parents were safe. "Then if you must go. Go. Protect the ones you must. I will do the same here." Abigail have him a nod to send Charles off. "Thank you.. again." He nodded back and activated his bracelet to warp away.. leaving the former ace duelist to her new opponent.

-TURN 01-

"Hmph. You are not what you used to be, you are not even Zettai anymore. You should fear me, Abigail. You will!" Veyron took the first turn, he would not wait any longer. "My first monster is Girsu, the Orcust Mekk Knight!" Veyron's newest gold and silver Orcust machine looked a lot more like a human, like a mechanical knight(4/1800/0) [Zone 2] wielding a lance. "Mekk Knight?" The sight of this card shocked Crescent, because she'd never seen this Knight before. "Are you surprised? Unlike you I've learned to draw power from the items around me, even if I do not own them. Besides, the Orcust's story is closely connected to that of the Mekk Knights.. and to the World Legacy as a whole. Girsu is merely the latest incarnation of the hero whose life began as a World Chalice card. He can send one Orcust monster from the deck to my graveyard!" Veyron buried the Orcust Harp Horror so he could activate that Orcust from the graveyard later. "Girsu can also create two World Legacy Tokens to each side of the field, when I control no monsters!" The Mekk Knight cast a beam of light from his babel-tower lance to create two holograms(1/0/0) [Zones 3 & 3] of another familiar face: of a World Chalice Priestess.

"Ib?" Crescent blinked. "That was her name once." He replied. "By banishing Orcust Harp Horror Veyron could special summon the Orcust Cymbal Skeleton(3/1200/500) [Zone 4] from his deck. Veyron took it and the Legacy-token away as a tuner and non-tuner material for the glassfiber robot Crystron Halqifibrax(1500/LINK 2 {Downleft/Downright} [Extra Zone 2]. Halqifibrax could special summon one tuner from his deck: the final instrument called Orcust Brass Bombard(1/500/1900) [Zone 4]. "Now she is nothing more than the soul of Galatea. I will link summon her with one effect monster and one Orcust!" He used Brass Bombard and Orcust Girsu as link materials for the machine that the soul would normally inhabit: Galatea the Orcust Automaton(1800/LINK 2) {Downleft/Upright} [Zone 3]. She did bear a resemblance to Ib, now that Crescent and the other duelists could actually see the card. "It's all connected. The Creator wants to tell a story, and I can hear it better than you ever could see it. I can hear it all." Galatea returned the banished Orcust Harp Horror to the deck to set one Orcust spell card (Orcustrated Einsatz) from the deck face-down.

"And nothing else matters anymore! Not this world, not the people in it! I activate the Tower of Babel!" His field spell created a spiraling tower of golden Orcust plates that appeared to be just as a tall as the tower they were dueling in. Veyron also flipped his continuous Orcustrated Einsatz spell face-up, which created a column of golden light within the tower. And as Babel formed, the duelist ascended along with spiraling tower, disappearing from everyone's sight. "Now let me show you the previous form Girsu would inhabit!" He enhanced his voice using the World Wand, letting his words and commands echo across the beyond.

By banishing the Cymbal Skeleton, he could resurrect one other Orcust monster from the graveyard: which would be Girsu[Zone 2] in this case. "Longirsu the Orcust Orchestrator, who also requires at least one Orcust as a link material!" Halqifibrax would form the lionshare of the next link summon, while Girsu rounded out the triangular link circuit. Thus Longirsu reverted to a more human form, a darkhaired lancer (2500/LINK 3) {Upleft/Up/Downright} [Extra Zone 1] in Orcust colors. "And by using an Orcust link monster as the XYZ-material, I can XYZ-summon Dingirsu the Orcust of the Evening Star!" Longirsu abandoned his humanity once again, burying itself in golden armor drawn from the tower of Babel and transforming into a giant faceless mechanical knight(8/2600/2100) [Extra Zone 1] who wielded a large volin-like shield and a tower-tipped spear. "What do you think of me now, Crescent Aurora?!"

-TURN 02-

"You should be asking me that, Veyron. Even if you do not see me as your friend anymore, we still dueled together." Abigail claimed. It would be her doing the dueling after all. "That is true. But as you can see, I have outgrown you. I am far stronger now than I was when I dueled with either of you. Do you not agree?" Veyron laughed at both her and at Zettai. "No." But Abigail rebuffed his claims. "No!?" He twitched. "No. I do not see you as being much stronger now than you were then. You've left too many openings." She normal summoned her first monster: a young blonde knight(4/1500/2000) [Zone 3] in black and white armor. "Infernoble Knight Ogier sends one Fire Warrior from my deck to the graveyard. I choose Infernoble Knight ?! Then I activate this spell, Heritage of the Chalice, to add one Noble Knight card from the deck to my hand!" A sacred cup appeared and spilled poured a stream of flames down unto the tower floor. "I have chosen Infernoble Knight Oliver, who I can equip to one of my Fire Warriors on the field!" The flames of another Knight temporarily surrounded Ogier(2000/2000), adding 500 ATK to his current powers.

"Those cards? Those were Alpha's! Not only have you abandoned my deck! You've replaced them with his remnants?!" Zettai cursed her other half out. "Not remnants. I have made this deck into my own. I wanted something pure and noble.. ." And she found it. . "I will special summon Infernoble Knight Oliver from my hand as a level 1 monster, by sending one equip card to the graveyard!" The equipped Roland burned down in the new blaze created by the red-caped tuner knight(1/1000/1500) [Zone 2] with blonde streaks in his fiery red hair. "Synchro summon! Infernoble Knight Captain Oliver!" Oliver of course tuned with Ogier, setting up a synchronization spiral of five burning rings with which Oliver would achieve the rank of captain. As a synchro monster Oliver(5/2000/500) wore more plates of silvery white armor with red edges.

"Synchro monsters? Is that supposed to make me feel nostalgic?" Veyrons laughter came down from the top. "I thank you either way for the special summon! Because now Orcustrated Einsatz can banish or discard an Orcust monsters in my deck!" He used the continuous spell to send Orcust Harp Horror back to the graveyard. "No, it is supposed to make you feel pain. The Knights Ogier and Oliver can be equipped from the graveyard to any warrior on my field! And from my hand I equip Captain Oliver with the Infernoble Arms of Hauteclere!" The Captain acquired three more weapons at once, two of which just added more flames to his crimson aura. The Infernoble Arms of Hauteclere on the other hand appeared as a pair of red swords with burning blades and winged handles. "When Captain Oliver attacks, it can destroy one monster on the field!" She launched her attack against Galatea and the effect against Dingirsu. "Hmph! Dingirsu will negate both your moves! He can detach one XYZ-material to negate the destruction of one of my cards!" The Evening Star Knight intercepted Oliver's flames with his shield. And Galatea could not be destroyed as long as she was linked with Dingirsu, her body simply resisted the impact of Oliver's blade.

Veyron's LP: 7800

"One always protects the other?" The Fisherman gasped. There seemed to be no way to get through. "Not anymore. Dingirsu has no more XYZ-materials. And the monster equipped with Hauteclere can make two attacks in one turn by destroying that Noble Arms equip card!" Abigail would simply try again. Captain Oliver tossed both the second Infernoble sword and another ball of fire at Galatea and Dingirsu. "Argh! But since the Tower of Babel is on my field, my Orcust can activate their effects as if they were quick effects!" Galatea spun her scythe around one more time. Not to defend herself, but to return the banished Orcust Cymbal Skeleton to the deck and to set a new Orcust trap card (Orcustrat Crescendo) down on his field. "That wont save her!" Abigail finished her pincer strike. Dingirsu's shield shattered this time around, as did Galatea's body. Both Orcust machines died together to steel and flame. "Was that better?"

Veyron's LP: 7600

"Feh. You can only make so many improvements. It still is nothing compared to the power you wielded before!" The ace duelist did not see Veyron losing this duel. "Heh." Neither did the speed duelist. "You must think you have not left any openings either.. But is that really true?" Ogier and Oliver prevented the equipped monster from being destroyed or targeted by card effects. Yet they did nothing to hinder destruction in battle. "I know what you are talking about, and I will correct that this instant! I equip my Noble Knight with Infernoble Arms Durendal!" Abigail responded by giving Captain Oliver a large red sword: Infernoble Arms Durendal. Then she placed one trap card down and ended her turn. During that endphase, Infernoble Knight Roland could add one other Fire Warrior (Infernoble Knight Renaud) from the deck to her hand.

-TURN 03-

Veyron's turn started out quite like his previous one, he banished Orcust Harp Horror from his graveyard to special summon another Orcust Cymbal Skeleton [Zone 1] from his deck. "Then how about this? I activate my skill, Maximum Volume!" Of course he could still simply destroy that sword to set his plans back on track, banishing Brass Bombard to unleashed a spell shattering sound. "Then I activate my skill! Worthy of the Blade!" Except she negated his skill with her own.

Worthy of the Blade, Skill Card
Spell and Trap Card(s) you control cannot be destroyed this turn.

"So that's the skill she imagined." The Fisherman nodded with a look of approval.

Veyron looked rather pleased as well. "I see your weapons are unbreakable and your grip firm." He normal summoned a new card: a bronze cybernetic dog(1/500/800) [Zone 2]. "But now I take Magical Hound and Cymbal Skeleton as my link materials!" The pair turned into another Galatea Automaton(1800/LINK 2) {DownLeft/Upright} [Extra Zone 2]. "Gah, back to square one." Cierze cried out. "Not quite. Once per duel, when Magical Hound is in my graveyard, I can return it to my field by returning one spell or trap on the field to the players hand." Of the three cards currently equipped to the Captain, the Knight Oliver would be in his way the most. That's why he sent that warrior back to Abigail's hand to special summon the mechanical hound[Zone 1]. "And Longirsu can return as well!" He banished Cymbal Skeleton yet again, and special summoned the Link 3 Orcust[Zone 3] this turn around. "His effect sends one monster to the graveyard without destroying it!" Two banished Orcusts (Brass Bombard, Harp Horror) were sent back to the deck as a cost, to let the Orchestrator send his spear into the heart of Captain Oliver and extinguish his flame for good.

"Yes, but his death will not be in vain! When a Noble Knight equipped with a Noble Arms dies, I can add Heritage of the Chalice back to my hand! And when the Infernoble sword of Durendal is broken because its wielder lost his life, I can special summon one level five or lower Fire warrior from my graveyard!" With swift precision, Abigail dragged the two cards out of her graveyard. The Chalice spell entered her hand and Infernoble Knight Roland(1/500/500) burst back unto her field in defense mode. "Heh. At least you are keeping me entertained, Abigail!" Veyron reactivated the Einsatz spell to send another Orcust Cymbal Skeleton to the graveyard. But now you will have to show me how you can handle true pain! I link summon Orcustrion! The materials are one Orcust and one effect monster!" Longirsu and the Magical Hound crossed into the light and released an enormous blast of noise. Veyron showed his audience the ultimate Orcust machine: the robotic organ giant Orcustrion(3000/LINK 4) {DowLeft/Up/Down/UpRight}. The linked Galatea{DownLeft/Upright} and it charged into battle, slashing down the defending Roland and bombarding Abigail directly.

Abigail's LP: 5000

"Kgaah!" Abigail covered her ears and trembled. "Hang in there!" Crescent tried to shout, but the noise overpowered her as well. "I told her as much. She is not ready for this.." Zettai looked on with a grim sense of satisfaction. "?" However, despite the ringing pain in her head, the trembling of her legs and the all-around feeling of disorientation : Abigail did not fall.

"Rgh.. Was that all?" Once her hearing came back, she could continue their duel. "For now. I am glad to see that you're handling the power of the legacy well. You would have made a fine wielder you know, as Zettai or otherwise. We could have spread the sound of legacy together." Veyron placed another trap card down and ended his turn. "I would never...even if I now know. That there's already darkness inside of me. But there is darkness in everyone." Abigail glared at Zettai, who now had an expression of frustrated disappointment. Then, as they were in the endphase, she could activate the effect of her fiery tuner knight Roland again. "Yes, Abigail. That is why we must destroy the old corrupt world. That is after all what peace is.. a unified sound. The sound of all worlds in harmony, brought together by a great crisis. Ands if Static or anyone else has to crack some eggs before then, so be it!" Yet Veyron activated his Orcust Crescendo countertrap to negate the effect of her monster, and to banish Infernoble Knight Roland for good. "I feel like you and Zettai are the only ones who ever understood me, who ever gave me a chance! So now I am giving you a chance to join us! To join me!"

-TURN 04-

"I do not understand you, Veyron. I understood Juan! He would not have given up on the world!" Abigail started her turn with her reclaimed Heritage of the Chalice spell to add the Infernoble Knight Astolfo to her hand. "Snd I will not give up until I hear from him! I can special summon Astolfo by banishing one fire warrior from my graveyard. And their level will become equal to the banished cards!" Astolfo the majestic redhaired knight(1/500/200) [Zone 4] in white clothes and black armor broke into the field via a geyser of erupting flames. The fire consumed Infernoble Knight Ogier and turned Astolfo(4/500/200) into a knight of a higher class. "Heh, at this rate you're going to show off every knight of the round table." Veyron chuckled as he reactivated Orcustrated Einsatz to send an Orcust Harp Horror to his graveyard. "I just might! As when I control a Fire Warrior, I can special summon Infernoble Knight Renaud as well and return one equip spell from the graveyard to my hand!" A crimson-haired black knight(1/500/200) [Zone 3] rode in on a black horse, pulling the Infernoble Arms of Durendal out the graveyard along the way.

Astolfo soon joined him in racing towards a newly opened link circuit. "Link summon! Isolde, the Tale of Two Noble Knights!" The pair of Flame Knights transformed into a pair of Holy knights represented by one card: Isolde(1600/LINK 2) {Downleft/Downright} [Extra Zone 2] the dark maiden and the fair maiden. "Isolde adds one warrior from the deck to my hand, but I cannot use that warrior for the rest of the turn!" The blonde Isolde in the red dress held up her hands and presented Abigail with the Blue Flame Swordsman. "Isolde can also send a number of equip spells from the deck to my graveyard, and summon a warrior with the same level as that number!" The silverhaired Isolde in the dark dress bowed silently as she buried four equip spells (Noble Arms - Clarent, Infernoble Arms - Joyeuse, Necroquip Prism and Assault Armor). Her silent offering brought in the Noble Knight Pellinore: another horse-riding knight(4/1900/500) [Zone 3] with stark white hair and gold-lined black armor. "Pellinore takes one of my equip spells and destroy it, to destroy one of your cards as well!"

"Then this time you were too slow, Abigail!" Veyron chained both Galatea's effect and a trap card to the special summon of Pellinore. "I activate Orcustrated Release! It sends two machine monsters to my graveyard to special summon monsters from my graveyard!" First Galatea returned the banished Cymbal Skeleton to the main deck to set a new Orcust card (Orcustrated Return) down on the field. Then she and Orcustrion disappeared from the field as sacrifices and, because his opponent controlled her own link monster, the trap special summon two monsters instead of one: the same Orcustrion[Zone 4] and the Orcust Dingirsu[Zone 3]. "Dingirsu sends one monster on the field to the graveyard when it's special summoned!" He pointed the Evening Star's effect towards Pellinore and skewered him with its golden lance. "Damn. So that's what he meant with being too slow." Cherry bitterly muttered.

"There will always be a few setbacks." Abigail said as she discarded her Blue Flame Swordsman to re-special summon the Infernoble Knight Oliver(1/1000/1500) [Zone 5] as a level 1 monster. "And there's always a way to bounce back!" Oliver had more than one way to upgrade into a captain too. "I can special summon Captain Oliver from my graveyard, by sacrificing one warrior monster and equipping that warrior to him!" She sent the Knight Oliver into the flames of sacrifice to resurrect her synchro Infernoble Captain(2000/500) [Zone 5]. Captain Oliver then equipped the Knight Oliver to give himself(2500/500) a brief powerboost. "If he is summoned this way, he also becomes a tuner monster!" Which gave her the ability to synchronze the synchro with another normal summoned the Infernoble Knight Maugis(4/1500/1000) [Zone 3]. He was a magical knight with blue/red hair, white robes and black armor. And in his hands he held a staff made of flame. "I synchro summon Infernoble Knight Emperor Charles!" Like all knights, the Infernobles followed a king.. or in this case an emperor. Charles(9/3000/200) [Zone 5] took on the form of a lightred-haired knight in royal dark and red armor. In his hand he held a great electrified sword.

"When Maugis leaves the field, I can return three banished or dead Infernoble Knights and/or Noble Arms cards to my deck to draw one card!" This way Abigail could recycle the banished Knights Ogier and Roland along with the equip spell Hauteclere. In return, she acquired a powerful warrior in service of another realm. "...I special summon Immortal Phoenix Gearfried!"

"Gearfried?" Zettai's left eye twitched as her better half banished the Necroquip Prism from her graveyard to bring out the undying Phoenix Paladin(9/3000/2200) [Zone 2] from her hand. "I might have tossed out half of Tycho's original deck, but Immortal Gearfried possesses too much power to be cast aside." Abigail imagined Tycho sharing some glimmer of pride if he were here to see this. But she felt happy enough with the duelists watching her now. "When a card is equipped to one of my monsters, Emperor Charles can destroy one card on the field! Allow me to demonstrate!" Immortal Phoenix Gearfried could take the warriors Oliver as his own equipment, but Maugis possessed this kind of grave-effect as well. One equipment already lit the spark of Charles' destructive fury. He raised his blade to the sky and summoned a lightning bolt from the clouds. Orcustrion vanished within the blinding thunder impact. "Now, you can show me how much pain you still feel.. Veyron!" Abigail equipped the Durendal greatsword to Charles. "I attack the Evening Star!" Immortal Phoenix Gearfried however would lead her battle phase. "Veyron! If that monster attacks, it will make your monster into an equipment!" Zettai warned her companion.

"I can see that. She truly is amazing. But skills can only get you so far! I activate Orcustrated Attack! When I am under attack, I can tribute one Orcust to target and banish one monster you control!" Veyron removed his XYZ-monster before it fell under the spell of Gearfried's effect and reflected the initial attack towards Isolde. Gearfried could not be targeted by card effects, and killing the wielder of Durendal would just bring another monster back to the field. So he would just go after the monster with the least amount of insurance. "But that wont stop the attack itself!" Abigail adjusted to the new board by making Gearfried attack Veyron directly. "Oof.." The paladins sword slashed straight through his avatar, leaving a large gap in his shoulder.

Veyron's LP: 4600

The second she did, a thunderous impact struck. "Uh... what was that?" To Cherry and to everyone else it felt and sounded like a great explosion going off many floors below, the waves of which were hitting them only now. "Are we under attack?" Zettai flew up into the clouds to see what enemies could be roaming the air. But all she found were the broken areas of the tower beyond itself. "The place is crumbling?" The lower floors were losing structure, even though the higher floors remained afloat in the air. Yet as far as she could tell, nobody from the outside had caused this damage.

"It's the champions! They must have done it!" Cierze let out a cry of victory, giving away a bit too much. "The champions? They did what?" Veyron flinched and turned a hateful glare towards the duelists. "You... this whole assault was just a diversion? What have you done?" He noticed that the legacy items around the arena ring were also starting to flash with bursts of intermittent light. The trembling of the arena also intensified, and cracks began to appear in the walls of the top floor. "Yes, we were a diversion. The true attack was on the tower itself.. ." The Fisherman admitted. "Though I am not sure if this was the way it was meant for it to happen."

(To Be Continued in World 091: Break Their Downfall)

New Cards used by Veyron GT
Girsu, the Orcust Mekk Knight
Magical Hound

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Crystron Halqifibrax

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Orcustrated Einsatz

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Orcustrated Release
Orcustrated Attack

Cards used by Abigail Sterling
WORTHY OF THE BLADE

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Infernoble Knight Ogier
Infernoble Knight Oliver
Infernoble Knight - Roland
Infernoble Knight Astolfo
Infernoble Knight - Renaud
Noble Knight Pellinore
Infernoble Knight - Maugis
Immortal Phoenix Gearfried

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Infernoble Knight Captain Oliver
Isolde, Two Tales of the Noble Knights
Infernoble Knight Emperor Charles

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Heritage of the Chalice
Infernoble Arms - Hauteclere
Infernoble Arms - Durendal