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.

56. World 048: You Eat What You Are

World 048: You Eat What You Are

Three champions stood at the frontlines, flanked by thousands of online duelists. "I did not expect such a turnout. They do know what they are getting into right?" Acrates shared some concerns. Every one of them would not be dueling regular enemies. "I told them up front that we were going to attack a force greater than the Crown. Whether they listened or not, I cannot tell you." Heleil had sent her message across the official networks, since duelists were getting inside STHEREA anyway. It was better to join their forces with that of the admins, rather than chase after them. They would need it, to storm this stronghold.

"There they are." Dyzanthium pointed at the tower-impaled castle. Six faces came out to greet the invaders, Schwarzwald, Scarlet Fever, Donna, Zettai... and Miss Echo. "That cannot be her, can it? Is this a trick?" Acrates scoffed. "Unless she can be in two places at once, than no." Dyzanthium shook her head. They'd veen told that Crescent had kept the real Echo company for the last several hours. Though the fusion champion could not explain why this Echo existed. "Do you see Veyron?" Heleil meanwhile wanted to settle the score for Veyron's sake. But she did not see him anywhere, or Scura and Wagner for that matter. "No. Void will not risk the legacy items. Speaking of which.." Dyzanthium braced for the worst when she saw Miss Echo hold up two of the seven: the World Ark and World Crown. Right on cue a thousand ADIs, local and foreign, were warped into the sector from across the network's whole. "I guess we got their attention! Ha! Good." Acrates clenched his fists to psyche himself up.

The diversion was working...

...

"As I expected." Far away in the lowest levels of Scarlet Fever's dungeon, the second true attack took place with the help of the hyper-intelligent ADI Scarlet Rose. "She changed the execution files." A virtual backdoor led her and the others inside, into a wide open stone room with cobwebs and torches. "Luckily I know enough of her work to bruteforce my way through. No matter how hard she tries, she cannot prevent herself from thinking too much like me." It amused her greatly, yet her companions could not share her enthusiasm. "Luck has nothing to do with it. Preparation does. If it had not been for me, you would not be able to talk ad infinitum." Vigionaire scoffed. He knew very well what they were up against and had devoted most of his time coming up with protective measures like cloaking and silencers to avoid detection from every eye of every possible legacy item. Even then he could not be sure how long it would work. "As if you are one to judge, V. You love the spoken and written word as much as I."

"Yes we know. You can pat yourself on the back later." Charles grunted. "This is supposed to be a quick scout and rescue mission, in and out. Hydra wouldn't want us to waste time chatting." The champions could only distract Static for so long. That was why he figured they had to go in with a small crew: just him, Vigionaire, Scarlet Rose... "The boss is right. And you can leave the rescue part to me and V. Just point us in the right direction.." ...and Madam Blanche.

"Well, V would not call this luck, but it does fortunately seem like Hydra is close by. I can detect his signature in a separate section several levels above us." Scarlet Rose sent Vigionaire directions through the dueldisk. "And you still want to stay here to copy her database? That seems like an unnecessary risk to me." Vigionaire muttered. "I know what I am doing. So run along now. Charles will watch over me if the worst should happen, wont you Charles?" She smiled sweetly as she brought out a wire of light and plugged it into the wall to start a download. "Suit yourself." Vigionair did not want to waste time arguing and headed off, Blanche following him closely. "Don't be affraid to tell her off, Boss." She equipped before disappearing into the shadows.

It took a while after that before Charles got fed up with the silence. "...So why a dungeon?" He was not just going to overlook anything suspicious she might be doing. But if he wanted answers, he would have to start light. "You have been here before, Charles." Scarlet non-answered. "Yes I remember. But I don't remember you explaining why you made this lab look this way." He sighed. "I didn't? Well, you will have to excuse me. My memory is not as good as it used to be. There is nothing deep behind it. I just care about aesthetics, unlike sir Vigionair. If it is all virtual I see no reason why my workplace cannot be a little fun at the same time. Besides, I went through a bit of a phase before I became a lady of science. I am older than I look at any rate." She guessed she had not entirely lost that vibe. "I didn't ask about your age... Also this is not 'your' workplace anymore. Is it?" He pointed out while he kept staring at the glowing wire. It was starting to crackle with energy. "Not yet.." She countered.

"It wont ever be." A third entity claimed. "?" Scarlet and Charles turned their heads to an opening in the left wall. "I knew I tasted something in the air." The Madolche Puddingcess ADI stepped into the hall.

"Oh... hello, Madolche. In hindsight you were always the least fitting ADI, weren't you?" Scarlet Rose giggled, having expected something more threatening. "What are you doing back here?" The blonde pudding-dressed ADI did not take kindly to her laughter and activated her dueldisk to challenge Scarlet Rose. "Reclaiming what is mine. That includes you and Shaddoll Construct. Did Fever keep her down here too? I'd been hoping to complete the set. I cannot say I missed my sense of taste much, but to touch and feel again would be a godsend." Every motion and every sensation only registered to her as code. The cards that Scarlet Rose drew might as well have been made of air. "Why would I tell you that? You would eat them like you would devour Medusa and Mozarta." The Puddingcess fumed.

Scarlet's LP: 8000 Puddingcess's LP: 8000 -TURN 01-

"Oh come now. I know everything about you relates back to food and taste, but I made you to be at least a little more clever than that." The Rosemary Maestra with the Evil eye laughed and summoned her first monster: Aromage Laurel(1/800/0) [Zone 1]. "You did not make me, Scarlet Fever did. You are just another ADI. You cannot even escape your cards." The Madolche noted that her opponent seemed to still duel as if she were only the Aromage. "Yes, that is correct. She receives your thoughts but you do not receive hers. Though unless she managed to figure out my scrambling tech, she wont be following your thoughts at all right now. If you can even call them thoughts when you're following a script to the end. I on the other hand..." She did not follow any script, not anymore. "I can use a level 4 or lower plant to link summon Sunavalon Dryad!" Since Aromage Laurel went to the graveyard, Scarlet gained 500 lifepoints... and a new Link monster.

Scarlet's LP: 8500

"Sunavalon?" Puddingcess and Charles cried out in unison. . Her tiny blonde plant kid transformed into a mighty oak tree(0/LINK 1) {Down} [Extra Zone 1]. Two large green seeds hung from its branches, and a stoic face of bark emerged from the front. "Of course I decided to adapt my strategy slightly before coming into my own lion's nest. I could not discard my basis entirely, so I added an archetype that would suit it. The Sunavalon forest." Scarlet Rose also placed three cards face down in the spell trap zone. "Sunavalon Dryas cannot be attacked. And once a turn when I take damage, Dryas can also special summon one Sunvine-link monster from the extra deck to its marked zone. Then I increase my lifepoints by the amount of lifepoints I lost. What do you think, Charles? I would ask her, but she cannot actually think for herself. Not until she merges with me that is.." Scarlet Rose giggled. "I think you're taking self-improvement a little too literally." Charles sighed.

-TURN 02-

"I do not need to think. I only need facts. The fact that you are here means that others are here as well, presumably to rescue Hydra. They cannot make it far, and you will not go anywhere either." The Puddingcess played her first card, a cutesy violethaired and purple-dressed witch(4/1400/1200) [Zone 1] standing on a puzzle piece of spongecake. "So you are starting with Madolche Magileine. It can add one Madolche monster card to your hand." Scarlet Rose mused and started to scribble some notes down on her dueldisk. "Are you studying me while dueling me? You should keep those stolen eyes of yours on the game, Rose!" The Puddingcess used Magileine's effect on a card called Madolche Pettingcessoeur. This tiny blonde girl(4/1400/1400) [Zone 2] in a pink dress connected her platform made of pudding with Magileine's piece. "Ah yes, an excellent choice. That card can be special summoned if there are no monsters in your graveyard. And then you will special summon one Madolche from your deck with its level reduced by 1."

"Yes I think she knows, Scarlet. I know, you know. You do not have to talk to yourself all the time, Scarlet." Charles grunted. He would definitely have prefered to duel Madolche himself. Puddingcess acted less bothered, doing exactly what her opponent predicted. Pettingcessoeur special summoned the Madolche Anjelly: a long-brownhaired fairy(3/1000/1000) [Zone 3] with a white dress and a red jello platform. "Even if she stays quiet, I will not. I activate Madolche Salon. Each turn I can normal summon one additional Madolche." The continuous Salon spell opened the doors for Madolche Hootcake: a scholarly-looking owl(3/1500/1100) [Zone 4] standing over a piece of hotcake. "And I can tribute Anjelly to specal summon one Madolche from my deck." The Madolche was allowed to do the talking in this case as well. "!?" Scarlet did however activate her continuous trap: Skull Invitation. One skull-faced ghost haunted she who dared to send Anjelly away.

Puddingcess's LP: 7700

"That trap?" It surprised Charles more than either of them. Skull Invitation inflicted 300 points of damage each time a card got sent to the graveyard, but this damage affected both players. "All part of the plan, Charles." Scarlet assured him as she kept writing things down.

"Healing and damage? Is this your important new strategy, Rose? You could not have picked a worse opponent." Puddingcess let out her royal laugh as she resolved Anjelly's effect and special summoned the blue-haired postman of the Madolche: Messengelato(4/1600/1000) [Zone 3] on his icecream-waffle platform. "I add Madolche Chateau to my hand!" Each time a Messengelato monster got special summoned to a field with beast-type Madolche monsters on it: the player could add one Madolche spell or trap card to their hand. Puddingcess received her field spell via his mail and she expected more. "Hootcake special summons another Madolche Messengelato!" The cake owl could banish Madolches from the graveyard to special summon level 4 or lower Madolches from the deck. "I add Madolche Ticket to my hand!" Another messenger Madolche(4/1600/1000) [Zone 5] dropped by, delivering a continuous spell from the deck this time. "Now all the ingredients are on the table. Let's make the appetizer! I link summon Madolche Sistart!"

Puddingcess's LP: 7100

Immediately the Skull Invitation revisited Puddingcess with a double haunting. Both Hootcake and Messengelato had to go to the graveyard to become link materials for Sistart: a grey-haired nun(1500/LINK 2) {Downleft/Downright} [Extra Zone 2] standing over a piece of fruitpie. "Yes, not all cards can avoid going to waste. But in the end I waste nothing!" Puddingcess activated her two spells in a row: Madolche Ticket and the field spell Madolche Chateau. The latter covered the whole dungeon laboratory with floors of cake and towers of pies covered in whipcream. All Madolche like Sistart(2000 atk) gained 500 attack and defense points on this field, and all Madolche in the graveyard would be shuffled back into the deck. This set off a chain of rapid events. "I special summon Madolche Messengelato and set Madolche Promenade!" Madolche Ticket could send one of the two returning Madolche, Messengelato [Zone 5] to field instead since Puddingcess controlled a fairy-type Madolche. Finally, Madolche Salon would set one Madolche trap card from the deck to my field when a Madolche returned from the graveyard to the deck.

"Then I summon the main course: Madolche Teacher Glassouffle and Madolche Queen Tiaramisu!" The fatal taste would be delivered by a double rank 4 XYZ-summon. The Messengelatos got attached to the greenhaired and green-dressed Teacher(R4/2300/2500) [Zone 5] seated in her chair of soufflé. Magileine and Pettingcessoeur were used as XYZ-materials for the silverhaired Queen(R4/2700/2600) [Zone 3] of all Madolche seated in her chocolate throne. "Glassouffle targets Tiaramisu, so now she cannot be touched by other monster effects for the rest of the turn." Puddingcess invoked the wrath of Skull Invitation once again, since detached XYZ-materials also had to fall into the grave. But Puddingcess had no problems with such a minor loss. Her own cards would cause far more damage. "I set a trap card, and activate my Skill! Eat No Evil! You know what it can do, Rose. So why don't you explain it to Charles?" No explanation was really necessary, the effects on Madolche Sistart(3500 atk), Glassouffle(3800/2500) and Tiaramisu(4200/2600) were quite clear to see.

Puddingcess's LP: 6800

Eat No Evil, Skill Card
Until the end of the turn, all monsters you control gain 300 ATK for each spell and trap card you control.

"Yes they have had their fill, and yet this meal is leaving me disappointed, Puddingcess." Rose claimed. "Disappointed? What does that mean?" The Madolche felt a twinge of curiosity. "That every action you made, fell exactly within my estimates. There is not an ounce of creativity in you after all this time. I failed when I made you." Scarlet said with a wistful tone. "Every action? You could not have.."

"She did." Charles interrupted. "Every card you played, is written down here." He could read off actions that were not even made yet, Scarlet had stopped making notes once she narrowed down which cards were already in her opponent's hand. "I first thought you might have been alive, like Sundown or the Fisherman. But you really are just another puppet for Scarlet Fever. You really do love talking to yourself."

"Ha. Very well, I am a disappointment. But this disappointment is still enough to overcome a failure like you. You have no answer to my XYZ-monsters." The Madolche's boast was not hollow, Queen Tiaramisu had the ability to remove monsters without targeting them. Not even a skill like Legacy of Millennium could defend against that. "Oh but I do. I activate my trap cards, Blessed Winds and Dried Winds/" Rose revealed how she would escape: Blessed Winds could return one dead plant monster (Aromage Laurel) to the deck to increase her life by 500 points. And Dried Winds would always destroy one monster each tuen a user's lifepoints went up. "It is true that Tiaramisu would pose a great challenge to me, but even Charles could see her summon coming." Scarlet snapped her fingers and sent the hot winds after the Madolche Queen. A single gust dethroned her and her XYZ-materials, sending three more cards to the graveyard. Rose's life kept going up, while Skull Invitation kept taking her opponents life away.

Scarlet Rose's LP: 9000 Puddingcess's LP: 5900

"Then I suppose you will also see this coming." The pouting Puddingcess lashed out through a direct attack. Due to SunAvalon Dryas' effect, the Madolche Sister could sidestep the giant tree to bombard Scarlet Rose with a hail of fruits.

Scarlet Rose's LP: 5500

"Of course. Though I thank you for the treats, I prefer my own source of energy and nutrition." Rose closed her eyes and spread her arms to bathe in the light of Sunavalon Dryas. Like she said, the Sunavalon would restore the life she lost and special summon a Sunvine monster from her extra deck at the same time. "I summon Sunvine Gardna." The chosen card was a wooden five-eyed golem(600/LINK 1) {Up} [Zone 2] with great shields strapped to its arms and legs. "When it is attacked, it will halve the damage it takes and end the battle phase."

Scarlet Rose's LP: 9000

"But not all damage." The Madolche could settle for that. Her Madolche Teacher got off her chair and buried the Sunvine Gardna under a pile on souffle cakes. This time Scarlet lost a card, causing Skull Invitation to add 300 points of effect damage to the battle damage. Puddingcess did not have any more monsters that could attack this turn anyway. "I end my turn." The effects of her skill card on Sistart(2000 atk) and Glassouffle(2300 atk) evaporated during the endphase.

Scarlet Rose's LP: 7100

-TURN 03-

"Scarlet. How much longer will this take?" Charles was starting to worry that they had lost too much time already. "It will end on this turn, Charles. Can I trust you to be patient until then?" She could not make it go any faster than that. "If trouble comes, I will be the first to know." At the very least Scarlet could trust Charles to know what her next plant did: the Lonefire Blossom(3/500/1400). It tributed itself to special summon a plant from the deck: the scholarly blonde Aromage Cananga(3/1400/1000) [Zone 2] in his long brown coat. "Cananga?" Her plant choice caught him off guard. Cananga did get its powerdraining effect due to Scarlet Rose's superior lifepoints: taking 500 attackpoints away from the Madolche Sistart(1500 atk) and Glassouffle(1800 atk). On the other hand, Lonefire Blossoms sacrifice activated Skull Invitation again.

Scarlet Rose's LP: 6800

"Ah, but.. Dryas can react to effect damage as well." The healing tree regenerated Scarlet's life once more, and released another Sunvine plant from its seeds. This one took the form of a green-skinned pixie(600/LINK 1) {Up} wearing a rose-skirted pink dress. "I summon Sunvine Healer. When she appears, I gain 300 lifepoints for each link marker on my Sunavalon monster. In addition, Aromage Cananga can return one card on the field to the hand when I gain lifepoints. And naturally, Dried Winds will reactivate as well." After the Scarlet duelist recovered double of what she lost, she could sweep nearly half of Puddingcess's board away. The earth-toned Aromage dismissed the tempting cakes of the Madolche Ticket continuous spell, and the arid winds of her continuous trap choked the poor Teacher Glassouffle to death. Skull Invitation joined in on the fun too, hurting the Puddingcess for the loss of Glassouffle and her last XYZ-material.

Scarlet Rose's LP: 7400 Puddingcess's LP: 5300

"Now the downside should be clear. Dryas has only one link marker and can only use its effect once a turn. But as they say, a tree can grow for a long time." In this case, Rose infused the energy of Sunvine Healer into the Sunavalon. "I link summon Sunavalon Dryades! It takes one Sunavalon link monster and another plant monster as link materials!" A multitude of smaller trunks burst through the ground to support to expanding crown of the healing tree. Dryades(0/LINK 2) {Downleft/Downright} [Extra Zone 1] also spawned many more orange seeds than Dryas could ever carry. "So that's why you used Skull Invitation?" Charles realized that Dryades can could summon Sunvine monsters twice instead of once. It had already recovered the 600 lifepoints Scarlet lost when Sunvine Healer disappeared into the graveyard, by special summoning a second Sunvine Gardna(600/LINK 1) [Up} [Zone 1] from the extra deck. "Indeed." Rose enjoyed his growing appreciation for her strategy, and it would go even further than this. "I link summon Sunavalon Dryanome! The materials are two plants or more: Dryades and Gardna!" Finally the canopy of the Sunavalon(0/LINK 3) {Downleft/Down/Downright} reached the size of a small forest, with ferocious purple vines coming up from the soil.

"I have seen enough then. I activate Madolche Promenade to target Messengelato and negate the effects of the final Sunavalon!" Puddingcess clamped on to her final defense, a trap that could seal a monsters powers and return one Madolche from the graveyard to the deck. "So you waited until this moment? I will commend you on your timing, but not your choice." The ADI calmly retaliated with her last card: a purple-haired plant girl(1/0/0) [Zone 4] wearing a dress of spiraling vines. "When an effect targets my plant summoned from the extra deck, I can special summon the Sunvine Maiden and negate that effect." The Promenade never came to be. Sistart failed to rescue Messengelato from the graveyard because the Maiden had littered the floor with thorned vines. Skull Invitation took 300 more lifepoints away from Puddingcess for the lost trap, and 600 from Scarlet due to her link summon. But of course, Dryanome could heal damage like that and special summon another Sunvine plant from the extra deck. "I choose Sunvine Thrasher!"

Puddingcess's LP: 5000

"The Thrasher?" Puddingcess gulped. The grassblade-armored sunavalon knight(800/LINK 1) {Down} [Zone 1] revealed himself. Five claw-like thorns extended from the Thrasher's back, and an orange visor covered its faceless head. "Indeed. Thrasher gains 800 attackpoints for each link marker on one of my Sunavalons." The knight absorbed three doses of natural energy into his sawtoothed blade, as it(3200 atk) stepped on Dryanome's roots. "But one is not enough." Scarlet claimed and took the Sunvine Maiden as a link material to summon a second Sunavalon Dryas tree(0/LINK 1) {Down} [Zone 3] under the shadow of Dryanome. "Fortunately Dryanome can use its power three times in one turn. And so can the Sunvine Thrasher." The familiar string of Skull Invitation-damage, Dryanome-healing and Sunvine-summoning happened all over again, leading to Scarlet special summoning another immediately powered-up Sunvine Thrasher(3200/LINK 1) [Zone 2]. "By now you should be able to admit that you cannot win. Do I still have to go through the motions?"

"Fresh Sistart can negate her own destruction by sending one Madolche from the graveyard to my deck." Puddingcess protested and used the effect of her link monster to return Madolche Messengelato to the deck. As the battle phase began, a barrier of gelatin softened the impact of Thrasher's blade. Only Puddingcess took damage.

Puddingcess's LP: 3300

"Yes that is true. But what else is true?" Scarlet Rose inquired as she made the second Thrasher attack the Madolche nun as well. This time she returned Madolche Pettingcessoeur to the deck, and deflected the slashing sword with a wall of waffles. "The Blessed Winds are still on the field." Puddingcess had an answer to the question as well, but it did not please her. "Correct. And Blessed Winds can also send one plant monster to my graveyard to increase my lifepoints. Ergo.." The continuous trap released its divine wind across the fields, taking the second Sunvine Thrasher away to start the healing.

Puddingcess's LP: 1600 Scarlet Rose's LP: 7800

"We have reached the conclusion." The great tree Dryanome used its power for the third and final time. The damage from Skull Invitation got reversed, and the third Sunvine Thrasher(3200/LINK 1) [Zone 2] jumped out of the extra deck. "Some might call this irony. But the fact is you would have survived this turn if you had been allowed to add disruptive shields like Chouxvalier. Alas, I presume the other me wanted to optimize your decks as much as possible, and the best Madolche layouts leave no room for cards of lesser importance." The doctor's mindset had only doomed her own creations. "Well, you can take solace in knowing that you will be a part of me again. So.. Sunvine Thrasher, attack Madolche Fresh Sistart" Whether or not Sistart defended herself did not matter at this point, the blade of Sunvine Thrasher would damage the Madolche ADI either way. "We have..."

Puddingcess's LP: 0

"Now then, bottoms up." A smile appeared on Scarlet's face, a smile that caused her jaws to unhinge and her mouth to open wide. Puddingcess offered no more resistance and turned into pure energy and data. Rose inhaled her and slammed her teeth shut. "Did you have to make that look that way?" Charles felt like she'd dragged him into a horror movie against his will. "No. But I so rarely get to indulge myself these days. You could stand to take some liberties for the sake of enjoyment yourself, Charles." Scarlet Rose said, making some chewing noises with her mouth. "She tasted sweet by the way." She took only a few traits from her newest meal, the bloodred ribbons around the waist and on the chest. "Oh and the download is done too. Thanks for babysitting it, Charles. Though if anyone here is the caretaker, it is me." She casually pulled out the wire and absorbed it into her body.

"... "Are you sure you're not just losing your mind?" Charles had to ask. "Not the way I see it..." Scarlet Rose clapped her hands together. "Now let's see if we can help the others find your semi-visible friend, before the other me finds out that I have eaten our young. Ah, such is life."

(To Be Continued in World 049: Not Going Back)

New Cards used by Scarlet Rose
Aromage Cananga
Sunvine Maiden

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Sunavalon Dryad
Sunvine Gardna
Sunvine Healer
Sunavalon Dryades
Sunavalon Dryanome
Sunvine Thrasher

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Skull Invitation
Dried Winds

Cards used by Madolche Puddingcess
EAT NO EVIL

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Madolche Magileine
Madolche Pettingcessoeur
Madolche Anjelly
Madolche Hootcake
Madolche Messengelato

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Madolche Fresh Sistart
Madolche Teacher Glassouffle
Madolche Queen Tiaramisu

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Madolche Salon
Madolche Ticket
Madolche Chateau

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Madolche Promenade