Turn 2: The Demon Unleashed
"Oh? Interesting. I guess it's time to come out and play~" Damon mused.
What is this strange feeling I have...I feel...a little bit scared, actually. How...? Oscar had to keep himself from shaking. There was something clearly different about his opponent now.
"Dance for me, Destruction Wing...leave nothing in your wake! I ride...Blade Wing Reijy!" he placed the card down with such force, it was as if a shockwave of terror had emanated from the circle.
Emblem Master's figure vanished in a pillar of blood-red mist. Menacing lightning had struck the area where he once was, leaving a man clad in black and gold in the aftermath. He spread his six obsidian razor-like wings, glimmering under the moonlight. He roared in a mix of agony and rage, like a psychopath about to rampage through the land. Yet, in his eyes was a slight glow of sadness; of loneliness. [Blade Wing Reijy-10000 Power]
"When this unit appears on the Vanguard Circle, I choose one of my rearguards, and place up to three copies of it from my deck to the soul." He fanned his deck, placing three copies of Hades Carriage into the soul. "Here, Hades Carriage's skill activates. For each copy in the soul, it gets 2000 power."
His wings twitching, Reijy sliced Hades Carriage in the side, dark energy flowing from the demonic creature into the man, and in return, said demon glowing with crimson aura. [Hades Carriage of the Witching Hour-14000 Power]
"I call Killing Dollmaster" the raven-haired fighter stated, his voice laced with pure sadism.
Behind Hades Carriage appeared a young girl in a puff of crimson smoke. Several ghastly dolls floated in the air above her, like eagles ready to strike. [Killing Dollmaster-7000 Power]
"Vampir attacks Jacqueline."
"I guard with Darkside Princess." Oscar retorted, placing said card on the board. [8000 Power + 5000 Shield = 13000 Power]
"Go forth Reijy."
[10000 Power + 5000 Power = 15000 Power]
Scanning the cards in his hand, the Pale Moon player noted that he needed the cards in his hand. They were too valuable for the next turn. "No guard."
"Drive Check. Twin Drive." Damon announced, revealing the top two cards of his deck. The first flashed yellow, causing him to chuckle in glee. "Got it. A Critical Trigger."
[Drive Check-Dark Knight of Nightmareland-Critical Trigger]
"I give the critical to Reijy, and the power to Hades Carriage."
He revealed the next card.
"No trigger. How fortunate for you. Now unleash it Reijy...Blade Feather Downfall!"
[Drive Check-Succubus of Pure Love-No Trigger]
The fearsome man rose up into the air, his hands forming spheres of spilling ebony particles. He then jetted down, ramming his fists into Dancing Princess, the particles cutting into her like multiple blades. The unit screamed in pain.
"Damage Check." Oscar responded, grimacing at the results of his opponent's drive check. "Got it. Draw Trigger. I give the power to my vanguard, and draw." He did so, after placing the card into the damage zone. The second card was not a trigger, and, showing it to his opponent, Oscar set it down with the rest of his damage.
[Damage Check-Rainbow Magician-Draw Trigger]
[Damage Check-Darkside Mirrormaster-No Trigger]
"Hades Carriage." [14000 Power + 7000 Power + 5000 Power = 26000 Power]
"No guard." Oscar placed another card into his damage zone in response, frowning at the sudden turn of events.
The Carriage now had its victim, crashing and sending the already weak Princess spinning into the ground, pummeled and crushed.
[Damage Check-Midnight Bunny-No Trigger]
"I end my turn. Enjoy your next turn while it lasts." Damon chuckled darkly.
Damon
Hand: 5
Front Row: (Squallmaker Vampir)(Blade Wing Reijy)(Hades Carriage of the Witching Hour)
Back Row: (Empty)(Greedy Hand)(Killing Dollmaster)
Damage: 3 (2 Unflipped)
Oscar
Hand: 3
Front Row: (Card Dealer, Jacqueline)(Dancing Princess of the Night Sky)(Empty)
Back Row: (Midnight Bunny)(Girl Who Crossed the Gap)(Empty)
Damage: 4 (3 Unflipped)
"Woah.."
"Isn't he in a pinch now...?"
"What just..?"
The crowd was in awe and shock. The game had just flipped over in huge favor towards Damon. The girl with the amber eyes was startled as well, before she regained her composure, pulling back her pale, almost white locks.
"Stand and draw." Oscar did so, and grinned slightly at the timing of his drawn card. "I don't know what just happened with you, but, I'll finish it here!" he pulled a card from his hand, and slapped it onto the board. "Take the stage, mesmerize, and dazzle! Ride, Dusk Illusionist, Robert!"
Dancing Princess's battered body was enveloped in an explosion of violet glow, and a new unit stood in her place. An elf in a purple suit, smiling at the audience and tipping his hat to them like a true gentleman. [Dusk Illusionist Robert-10000 Power]
"Unveil the curtains, and shine on the stage of the future! Stride Generation!" he announced, discarding a card from his hand to the drop zone. [Stride Cost-Masquerade Bunny-Grade 1+2 = 3]
Just as quickly as he appeared, the Dusk Illusionist smiled and put his hat back on, waving as he vanished in a burst of light, replaced by another elf in a dark outfit. [Miracle of Luna Square, Clifford-15000 Power + 10000 Power = 25000 Power]
"A Stridden unit gets the Power of the Vanguard before it. Its Heart." Oscar explained. "Now you'll get a taste of what Miracle of Luna Square, Clifford, no, Pale Moon is capable of. I call Robert to rearguard."
"Amusing. I hope you don't bore me." Damon mused, placing his hand on his chin.
"I'll make you eat those words. Robert, attack Vampir!"
"I guard with Hysteric Shirley."
The purple-clad magician fired a bolts of electricity from his hat, only to be countered by a newly-appearing girl's own lightning bolts. She disappeared just as quickly as she came, leaving a scatter of red motes. [9000 Power + 5000 Shield = 14000 Power]
"Tsch. Jacqueline attacks, with a boost from Bunny! With her Generation Break, as long as I have at least one face-up G Unit on my Vanguard circle or G Zone, I get to Soul Charge, and call a card from my soul." Oscar flipped over a card in his damage zone, added a card to his soul, and pulled out his Purple Trapezist from the soul.
[Soul Charge-Dusk Illusionist, Albert-No Trigger]
[Purple Trapezist-6000 Power + 2000 Power = 8000 Power]
"Then with Trapezist's skill, I swap Robert for a card in the soul." He made the motion, pulling out Darkside Princess.
[Darkside Princess-9000 Power]
"I guard with Dark Knight." Damon replied, showing the card to his opponent, before placing it into his drop zone.
The girl sent a flurry of cards out at Reijy, an estranged mystical energy wafting towards Clifford. [9000 Power + 7000 Power = 16000 Power] Instantaneously, two figures popped out beside Clifford, Robert lost in the dazzling gleams. Darkside Princess and Trapezist stood, smiling in contempt. The cards were knocked away by a knight's battle axe just before they managed to hit their target. Jacqueline frowned in disappointment at her second failed attempt. [10000 Power + 10000 Shield = 20000 Power]
"In that case, Clifford, attack!" Oscar retorted, turning the G Unit sideways.
[25000 Power + 5000 Power = 30000 Power]
"I don't guard."
"Drive Check! Triple Drive!" Oscar said, making use of the G Unit's stronger ability to check the top 3 cards. The first two were negligible, but the third caused Damon to lose his composure, if only for a short moment. "Get! Critical Trigger! Critical to Clifford, and power to Darkside!"
[Drive Check-Darkside Mirrormaster-No Trigger]
[Drive Check-Dusk Illusionist, Robert-No Trigger]
[Drive Check-Nightmare Doll, Mirabelle-Critical Trigger]
Clifford let loose a flurry of dark bolts with his staff, each striking Reijy painfully, driving him down on his knees. [Miracle of Luna Square, Clifford-30000 Power, Critical 2]
"Damage Check." Damon let the top 2 cards of his deck fall into the damage zone.
[Damage Check-Succubus of Pure Love-No Trigger]
[Damage Check-Squallmaker Vampir-No Trigger]
"I activate Clifford's skill, calling Dancing Princess of the Night Sky from the soul to rearguard. She also gets extra power." he moved the aforementioned card from underneath his Vanguard to the position previously occupied by Jacqueline, sending Jacqueline to the drop zone. [Dancing Princess of the Night Sky-8000 Power + 2000 Power = 10000 Power]
"Two more attacks..."
"And on top of that, they're both powered up..."
"Is this it?" the crowd murmured, doubtful of the outcome of this fight.
"Dancing Princess attacks Carriage!" Damon quietly placed the card into his drop zone.
"Darkside Princess attacks with a boost from Trapezist! With her skill, that's another 5000 power!" Oscar exclaimed.
"Guard. Cursed Doctor. Succubus. Vampir intercepts." The youth threw down two cards from his hand, and moved Squallmaker Vampir from his field with the rest of his guardians.
"Aw. That's too bad. Oh well. At least it was fun, right? Darkside Princess moves back into the soul, and Clifford to the G Zone. That's all."
Oscar
Hand: 4
Front Row: (Dancing Princess of the Night Sky)(Dusk Illusionist, Robert)(Empty)
Back Row: (Midnight Bunny)(Girl Who Crossed the Gap)(Purple Trapezist)
Damage: 4 (2 Unflipped)
Damon
Hand: 1
Front Row: (Empty)(Blade Wing Reijy)(Empty)
Back Row: (Empty)(Greedy Hand)(Killing Dollmaster)
Damage: 5 (4 Unflipped)
"Stand and draw." Damon drew a card, and stood his units.
Oscar glanced over the cards in he had left for defense. 'A perfect guard, and 20000 shield. It should be enough to survive this turn.'
"Final Turn." Damon declared, smirking, earning gasps and murmurs from the crowd.
"In his current situation? No way." the girl muttered.
"Is something exciting gonna happen?" Scarlette wondered aloud, excited.
"Just try and fulfill that promise." Oscar retorted, slightly worried.
"Take me to the lonely pinnacle of strength, and reveal it! The potential I seek! Stride Generation!" his opponent yelled, slapping a card down, and placing his own G Unit on the field. "Abominable One, Gilles de Rais!" [Stride Cost-Blade Wing Reijy-Grade 3]
The moon resonated, and took on a blood-red hue. Reijy was surrounded in a crimson whirlwind of blood and aura, and once it dissipated, in his place was a large, crimson throne. A border of gold adorned it, and the very chair emanated an aura of superiority. Atop it sat Gilles de Rais, looking down upon Robert and the Pale Moon units. He adopted Damon's raven hair and dark eyes, now glowing with crimson bloodlust. "All of immorality is right here." he murmured, a malicious smile stretched across his pale, moonlit face. [Abominable One, Gilles de Rais-15000 Power + 10000 Power = 25000 Power]
"That unit..." the pale-haired girl breathed.
"What's wrong, Ellen?" Scarlette pressed.
"Just watch. This may truly be Final Turn."
"I activate Dollmaster and Greedy Hand's skills." Damon announced, first moving Dollmaster into the soul, and placing the top two cards of his deck in with her. Greedy Hand followed, and Damon fanned his deck, picking out a single card and inserting it underneath his vanguard.
[Soul Charge-Cursed Doctor-Heal Trigger]
[Soul Charge-Flag Breaker-No Trigger]
[Soul Charge-Dimension Creeper-No Trigger]
"This brings the soul count to thirteen." he commented. "I activate the skills of the two dimension creepers in my soul, soul charging four." His opponent could only look on in horror.
[Soul Charge-Cursed Doctor-Heal Trigger]
[Soul Charge-Flag Breaker-No Trigger]
[Soul Charge-Blade Wing Faolan-No Trigger]
[Soul Charge-Hysteric Shirley-Draw Trigger]
"That amount of cards...do you want to lose by deck out?!" Oscar made out.
"It doesn't matter, because it ends here." Damon replied, placing the last card in his hand down. "I've saved the best for last. Lunatic Masquerade's skill. Because I have ten or more cards in the soul, he gets 4000 more power. Gilles de Rais." He turned another copy of Rais over from his G Zone. "With 15 cards in the soul, he gains power and his attack cannot be guarded by grade 1 or higher units."
Lunatic Masquerade and Rais were both enveloped in crimson aura, with 15 dagger-like lights forming around Rais. [Abominable One, Gilles de Rais-35000 Power][Lunatic Masquerade-11000 Power]
"Attack."
It's no good, I can't block that now that Mirrormaster is disabled... Oscar thought. "No guard!" The raven-haired youth drive checked. 'As long as he doesn't get a critical...'
"First."
[Drive Check-Blade Wing Reijy-No Trigger]
"Second."
[Drive Check-Blade Wing Reijy-No Trigger]
"Third."
[Drive Check-Blitz Ritter-Critical Trigger]
Glaring down, Rais raised his hand, before letting it fall, as the sickly gold arrows struck down at Robert, cutting him down. [Abominable One, Gilles de Rais-Power 46000-Critical 2]
Oscar watched helplessly as two cards fell into his damage zone, making a total set of six. He had lost. There was a moment of silence, before Damon picked up his cards, leaving the premise, ignoring the gasps and whispers behind him.
Damon got out of bed, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "Where...how..." he mumbled, peering around, and taking in his newfound environment. It was his own room, and his things were neatly set on his desk. The raven-haired youth crawled out, finding a note stuck on his deck case. Promptly after reading it, he crumpled it and dropped it into the trash. I'm strong...no, he's strong. The other me...and that's fine as it is. I'm just the vessel for the demon.
So, I've decided to do a Chapterly Vanguard, where I either: showcase a key card in the chapter, do a deck profile of a featured character, or discuss the featured clan! This time, it's going to be the Card Showcase!
Abominable One, Gilles de Rais
Grade 4/15000+/Triple Drive!
Dark Irregulars/Vampire
Behold, all of immorality is over there.
Card Effects:
[Stride] (Released when both players' vanguards are grade 3 or greater!)-Stride Step-[Choose one or more cards with the sum of their grades being 3 or greater from your hand, and discard them] Stride this card on your (VC) from face down.
[ACT](VC)[1/Turn]:[Choose a face down card named "Abominable One, Gilles de Rais" from your G zone, and turn it face up] If the number of cards in your soul is ten or more, this unit gets [Power]+10000 until end of turn. Then, if the number of cards in your soul is fifteen or more, until end of turn, this unit gets "[AUTO](VC):When this unit attacks a vanguard, until end of that battle, your opponent cannot call grade 1 or greater cards from hand to (GC).". If the number of face up cards in your G zone is two or more, this unit gets [Critical]+1 until end of turn.
Lore:
This legendary vampire is feared for his malice, surpassing all in the millenium he lived. It is well-known that he was once a human, but who converted him into a vampire is still a mystery. The old and the young, males and females, humans and dragons, demons and ogres...innumerable lives owe their deaths to this vampire. Rumours claimed that he had once feasted on the blood and flesh of a deity.
His most fearsome attribute is that he destroys and slaughters for no meaning. Never did he wreak havoc for the obsession of war or domination. It is simply the ultimate nature of a demented yet mighty being to devastate and devour as he wills.
Gilles de Rais the vampire had spent centuries gorging on the living ones since his vampiric birth. He single-handedly drove a multitude of species to the edge of extinction, and sent one quarter of Dark Zone's residents to their afterlife. The power-thriving lords finally put aside their own pursuit of Dark Zone domination and joined hands before he became literally invincible, and the coalition managed to put an end to this mightiest vampire of the time.
During the expedition, the archdemon leading the coalition of lords could not but tremble, pointing his shaking finger to Gilles de Rais and instructed the army, "Behold, all of immorality is present there."
Afterwards, the name of the destroyer "Gilles de Rais" itself has become a horror that almost none would dare to speak out, and from some time on, only the title "Abominable One" is remembered by the mortals.
Disclaimer: Lore credit goes to Bushiroad's official lore for this card.
