Cardfight! Vanguard – Override

Sendou Aichi is a timid student whose life is changed by the card game, Vanguard. But as Aichi and his friends reach new heights, the dark and troubling side of the game, combined with a war on Cray, threatens to destroy the players and their new world.
Contains violence, language, character death.


-Hitsue City: Card Capital-

The store was buzzing with excitement; the first two fights had set the stage for those to follow. Relieved of his place in the spotlight, Aichi slipped into the crowds standing by, choosing his place behind Emi, Kamui and his friends. Izaki also managed to slide in with the group, alone without Morikawa boasting about his exaggerated strength and reputation. The student in question was standing proudly by the table in front of the gathering, beaming smugly with arms folded over his chest. Opposite him, Misaki stood with her usual apathetic expression, unimpressed that she had been selected to fight the clumsy fighter.

At the other edge of the clearing around the table, Shin stood a step back from the chart displaying the tournament's structure, having marked Aichi and Kamui both as victors and lifted the microphone in his hand closer to his lips.

"The third and fourth matches will take place now," he announced with a chirpy smile. "Tokura Misaki vs. Morikawa Katsumi. And Kai Toshiki vs. Miwa Taishi".

"Kai-kun's fighting…" Aichi breathed.

"Yup, I'm the lucky one who Kai messes with first," Miwa chuckled, pointing to himself with a thumb standing out from his fist.

"I didn't know you played, Miwa-kun," Aichi replied.

"Occasionally," the blonde answered with a shrug.

"You guys get along well; now we'll see if there's any cracks in that guy's deck," Kamui growled excitedly, his fists shivering from anticipation.

"We'll see," Miwa laughed. "Wish me luck".

"With an opponent like Kai, he might just need it," Izaki muttered.

The blonde strode towards the table where Kai stood waiting, his arms locked tightly over his chest and deck already laid in its place. A chuckle from Kamui brought the attention of those around him to the youngster.

"Kai and Miwa are the only regular high school students that come here, but we've never seen them fight one another," he commented. "If one of them fights, it's been against someone younger. So this should be good, seeing them fight someone their own age".

'I was so wrapped up in finding out how to fight Kai-kun that I hadn't realized he was matched with Miwa-kun,' Aichi thought, gazing at the pair.

"And when these fights are through, we'll know who moves onto the next round with you guys," Izaki added.

"We already know Misaki-san will go through, there's no way she can have any trouble with Lose-Umi," Kamui teased with a snort.

"What was that?" Morikawa yelled from the table.

"You heard me," Kamui scoffed.

"Go Misaki-san," the spectacled boy beside Kamui cheered.

"GM," his companion roared.

Morikawa snorted and turned away quickly, pouting whilst examining his hand; the group consisted of Monster Frank, Hell Spider, Tyrant Deathrex, Embodiment of Bahr and Stealth Dragon Dreadmaster.

"Alright, here come the next matches," Shin called into his microphone.

The four fighters each leaned forward, grabbing their chosen Vanguards and turning them over.

"Stand up!" Misaki and Morikawa declared. "Vanguard!"

"Here we go, Kai," Miwa chuckled. "Stand up!"

"Stand up The Vanguard!" Kai declared.


Ride 2: Climbing the Ranks

[Sotsugo o Noboritsumeru]

-Hitsue City: Card Capital-

The four Vanguard cards hit the tables' marked spaces simultaneously. Misaki and Morikawa's imagined formed transformed in the centre of the desert-like stage; Morikawa's resembling the same starting creature that Ninja Master M had used; Lizard Runner, Undeux [POW 6000]. Misaki's projection was cloaked in a spiral of blustering winds and light, replacing her usual body with a largely exposed torso, breasts masked with lilac fabric matching the young woman's hair. The skirt hanging from her waist resembled a flower in the manner segments were attached like petals, pink sheets lined with lilac, matching the cross made of four growing from the back of the woman's hair. White sleeves clung to her forearms, leaving her hands exposed with a white staff in the left bearing the same glowing diamond that matched the motif of her dress, a small crimson diamond emblem fixed into the weapon mimicking those across her body.

"Lozenge Magus [POW 3000]" Misaki stated.

FIGHT START
MISAKI - MORIKAWA
0 -DAMAGE- 0

On the field nearby, Miwa and Kai positioned themselves in the projected battlefield from Cray, the blonde also surrendering his human appearance for a replica of Lizard Runner, Undeux. Kai, on the other hand, closed his eyes and vanished in the wave of blinding light surging upwards, mutating his body from human flesh to forest green scales. The torso was wrapped in black armour, a beige cloth tied around its waist to secure the white trousers. Over the lower half of the reptile warrior's legs were black boots lined with yellow, matching the shield around its upper body. A brick red cape wrapped around the being's thick neck waved wildly, pinned to its shoulders by clawed clamps. Atop the monster's head was a helmet resembling a dragon, two silver fangs curling down the green snout, orange eyes giving the illusion from a distance that the creature had four eyes. Browned bandages choked the lizard's forearms, one hand clutching a thick grey axe, the other sporting a round shield of black, yellow and an orange sphere fixed in the centre.

"Lizard Runner, Conroe [POW 5000]" the brunette declared.

MIWA - KAI
0 -DAMAGE- 0

Miwa eyed his adversary's choice of avatar and smirked light-heartedly. "So, you're going for something different, are you?" he chuckled.

"Both Kai and Miwa are using Kagero decks," Kamui commented from the side-lines. "So the match comes to whoever is the better of the two players".

"But we've never seen Miwa-kun fight," Aichi said. "We have no idea how Kai-kun will do against him".

"You're picking his side?" Kamui asked, lifting an eyebrow suspiciously.

"Ah. It's not like that," Aichi yelped, waving his hands in front of him defensively.

Emi watched the two over her shoulder, curious of their relationship – a quick and sharp comment had knocked her brother back towards the timid personality she had always known, but even with that threat looming, he seemed comfortable with the boy. The two were close, good friends after just weeks of knowing one another. That fact brought a small smile to Emi's face and her large blue eyes glisten with relief.

The two tables in the centre of the gathering caught the attention of the spectators once more, lured back by Morikawa's loud boasting. The black-haired fighter smirked, puffing his chest out as though his lungs were filled to their maximum capacity.

"As the strongest, I'll move first," he announced.

"Fine," Misaki sighed, shrugging her shoulders.

FIRST TURN – MORIKAWA

"Draw!" the grey-uniformed student yelled, lifting the top card of his deck dramatically.

He turned over the card to find Juggernaut Maximum, bringing a wide smirk to his face. The addition joined the army he had built up in waiting; Monster Frank, Hell Spider, Tyrant Deathrex, Dragon Knight Nehalem and Demonic Dragon Berserker Yaksha.

"Yes, a Grade 3!" he cheered. His celebration quickly came to an end upon realizing the flaw with his hand and squawked in horror. "But I can't use it yet! My hand is too powerful!"

Misaki and Kamui sighed in unison, disappointed and frustrated that Shin had allowed the Grade 3-obssessed participant to partake in the tournament despite the obvious fate that awaited him. Aichi chuckled gently at the simultaneous display, slightly embarrassed himself to have been bullied by the clumsy classmate in the past. Morikawa quickly grasped his chin with his emptied hand, masking his exposed horror with a weak mask of stoicism.

"Well, it appears as though I'll let you off easy for now," he bragged. "Turn end".

SECOND TURN – MISAKI

A sharp light of irritation flashed across Misaki's eyes, intensifying the glare she shot to the student. "I'll make this quick then. Draw," she growled, tearing the top card of her deck away and turning it to find Silent Tom.

She slid the card into her hand and pulled another away, twisting it to unveil its identity to her opponent before throwing it onto the Vanguard circle, obscuring the Lozenge Magus she had previously called to represent her.

"I ride Dark Cat," she snapped.

The lilac-haired woman who could have been mistaken for a copy of Misaki closed her eyes and tilted her head back, accepting her role was already over while a twister of power encircled her. The slender human figure vanished into the miniature storm, replaced by a black feline whose body was largely covered in black armour and decorated with turquoise edges, circles marking where the animal's legs met its body, much like Barcgal. The head sported two large ears pointed upwards as though always prepared for a threat, orange eyes blazing from the slits in the helm and an amethyst planted in the forehead [POW 7000].

"Aww, it's so cute," Emi cooed from behind.

Misaki smiled briefly at the girl's innocent comment and admiration for the creature. Her gentle expression was short-lived and reverted back into her bitter default when her attention returned to the battle at hand.

"Dark Cat's skill activates as I have an Oracle Think Tank Vanguard," she announced. "We both draw".

Her pale fingers stretched towards the deck, stripping it of the top layer away. She twisted her wrist, revealing Maiden of Libra, a crucial part of the strategy building in her mind within seconds. Morikawa snatched the top card of his own deck, lifting another Monster Frank. Although he was thrilled to have received another Grade 3, he worked to suppress that joy, failing immediately when a wide grin spread across his face and his eyes sparkled with affection for the emblem marking it as high level. Misaki watched the display with half-open eyes, looking exasperated with the bitter reality that she had to deal with him in front of the audience.

"Dark Cat attacks Undeux," she announced, turning the card to lay horizontally.

Morikawa yelled in horror, recoiling upon realizing he had nothing to defend his creature with. Dark Cat pounced from Misaki's side of the field, the woman picking up the top card of her deck without looking at what she had drawn – Oracle Guardian, Gemini. The enlarged cat crashed into Undeux, sending it crashing against the ground and Morikawa yelling as though he himself had been struck. From his deck, Stealth Dragon Voidmaster was transferred to the Damage Zone.

MISAKI - MORIKAWA
0 -DAMAGE- 1

With the first strike delivered against him, Morikawa shook his fist with overflowing frustration, clenching his jaws tightly and glaring across the table with a blazing flame burning within his eyes. Misaki's dulled face remained the same, unaffected by the passion that had been ignited in the student. Instead, her arms retreated to her side and her body relaxed.

"My turn is over," she stated.

THIRD TURN – MORIKAWA

"Fine, if you want to play rough," Morikawa spat, his hand crashing onto his deck and ripping away the top. "Strongest draw!"

The student fighter's arm jerked suddenly back, separating the chosen card from the rest, his eyes squeezed closed as if expecting the worst. After a moment of hesitation, his eyes opened slightly to learn what he had been granted. Misaki, Kamui, Izaki and the two youngsters either side of Emi all shot unimpressed expressions towards the delaying student, who prolonged the Draw Phase while the match alongside progressed without interruption.

Upon discovering what he had pulled, Morikawa howled in ecstasy. "Here it comes, the weak that will become stronger when I hit Grade 3!" he yelled. "Embodiment of Armour, Bahr [POW 8000]".

Just as the regulars had seen on previous occasions, the Lizard Runner standing alone on the black-haired fighter's side of the field vanished in a display of dusty winds, emerging as the blue-skinned, crimson-armoured soldier of the Dragon Empire's army.

"And now, time for some revenge, I attack Dark Cat!" Morikawa yelled, pointing fiercely at his target.

The crimson and black-armoured warrior lunged forward, drawing its large curved black and yellow blade. Dark Cat steeled itself when Misaki did nothing to evade the assault.

"Drive Trigger Check," Morikawa announced, removing the top card of the deck and finding a second Stealth Dragon, Voidmaster.

"Damage check," Misaki sighed, transferring Oracle Guardian, Wiseman to the Damage Zone.

MISAKI - MORIKAWA
1 -DAMAGE- 1

With the card laid at the opposite end of her field, Morikawa's arms began to shiver with excitement at having managed to neutralize the lilac-haired woman's lead. None of those around him shared in the celebratory display; some watching with bewilderment, others with embarrassment.

"Inflicting one damage is nothing to celebrate, Lose-Umi," Kamui yelled from the front of the crowd. "You're going to get beaten anyway".

"Never going to win" the boy wearing glasses beside him, Uno Reiji, cheered.

"NW," the brunette, Saga Eiji, added.

"What was that?" Morikawa snapped. "I'm going to win this, then you'll remember my name is Katsumi!"

"Are you done yet?" Misaki sighed, tilting her head to catch the black-haired student's attention.

"Hmph," he sounded, folding his arms tightly over his chest. "I'll let you off with that for now. But next turn, don't expect any mercy".

"That goes double for you," Misaki muttered, shifting her card back to an offensive stance.

FOURTH TURN – MISAKI

"Stand and draw," she continued, reaching for the deck and lifting the next card, adding Battle Sister Chocolat to her hand. "I ride Silent Tom".

The card crashed down over Dark Cat, replacing the armoured cat with another humanoid being. The man stood in a black suit with tattered threads hanging from the bottom of his jacket and right sleeve where his gloved hand transfigured into a gun. A matching black hat sat atop his head, masked entirely with white bandage with the exception of his mouth, sunglasses resting on his nose to shield his eyes from exposure. He was not alone, however, as a transparent woman hovered behind him – a ghostly female with no legs and dressed in a pale gown, long icy blue hair falling over her shoulders and down her back [POW 8000].

The replacement wasn't the only move the young woman planned to make, swiftly removing two cards from her hand and presenting them between her slender fingers.

"Call; Oracle Guardian Red Eye. Maiden of Libra," she barked.

The first of the additional forces to emerge was a white wolf, crimson markings decorated its body, giving the impression to the uneducated that it had been in a fierce battle and wore the blood of its victims. A necklace of azure orbs hung around the wolf's neck above a bib matching the accents across its body. Despite its fearsome appearance, the wolf remained seated and obedient, fixed in place like a statue [POW 9000]

Beside the ghostly woman hovering around her Vanguard, an angelic woman materialized, browned feather wings stretching from her pale back, matching the bandages wrapped around her chest and the transparent veil hanging from her waist, locked against her skin by a belt of purple fabric, and a similarly thin cloth hanging from her arms, the back of which hovered above the feathered decorations. The woman's dull brown hair was fashioned into long braids hanging either side of her body, petals of orange flowers tied to bands that fixed her blossom-like buns into place. Roman sandals climbed up the girl's legs, while golden bracelets clinging to her wrists matched the scales she clutched in her right hand [POW 9000].

"Wh- what?" Morikawa blurted.

"I told you I would show no mercy," Misaki repeated. "You won't last long now. I won't have to deal with you and your antics much longer".

Behind the lilac-haired woman, the regular players and customers observed the battle with awe for Misaki's level-headedness whilst dealing with the oblivious opponent. Their attention was divided, however, by the Kagero decks clashing on the table beside the fight in front of them, progressing at a similar pace.

FIRST TURN – MIWA

"Alright, Kai, here I come," the blonde student chuckled, grinning over his hand, enlarged by the addition of his sixth card; Embodiment of Armour, Bahr. "I ride Heatnail Salamander".

The light-hearted fighter threw the card down, converting his Lizard Runner to a much larger reptile. What emerged from the explosion of flame and heat was a charcoal-scaled being, its claws glowing from the white-hot temperature surrounding its body, crawling on four legs and its stomach barely off the rocky ground. Spikes pointed upwards from its shoulders; similarly, there were three tips of its Mohawk-like design rising from the top of its skull, held between two curled horns [POW 6000]. Kai maintained his stone-faced appearance, unblinking whilst examining his friend's starting field.

"I guess that's really all I can do," Miwa added sheepishly. "It's all yours".

SECOND TURN – KAI

"My draw. Draw," the brunette muttered, lifting his top card up – Embodiment of Spear, Tahr. He added the card into his hand and removed another, balancing the growth by stripping his collection of his next Vanguard. "I ride Iron Tail Dragon".

Kai's Lizard Runner vanished behind a whirlwind of flames, spitting violently to warn the rival force of the power to come. From the spiralling blaze, a violet dragon clothed in wine red armour emerged, its tangerine-skinned wings flapping to disperse the flames. Yellow accents across the armour decorated the shields fixed to the creature's torso, pelvis, legs, tail and head, matching the yellow blades that sprouted from the arms and tail [POW 7000].

"Conroe's skill moves it to the Rear-Guard when another Kagero is played on top," Kai stated, sliding the submerged card back and positioning it to the left back-row space.

"Why didn't he move it behind Iron Tail Dragon?" Izaki wondered aloud, eyeing the brunette's field. "He hasn't got anything else to play".

"That guy… he must be up to something," Kamui grunted, folding his arms tightly over his chest and snorting with disapproval.

"Iron Tail Dragon attacks Heatnail Salamander," the brunette commanded.

"Okay then," Miwa chuckled, relaxing his shoulders rather than searching for a guard.

"Check the Drive Trigger," Kai said, reaching for his deck and turning over Dragon Knight, Aleph.

Nevertheless, the burning energy building in Iron Tail Dragon's throat overflowed and erupted onto the blades attached to its armour, intensifying the threat they posed. Glowing from the heat, the dragon lunged forward, swinging its arms madly to deliver as many blows to its target as possible. Miwa's creature did nothing but lower its head and tuck its limbs underneath the shell-like back it wore, taking the brunt of the brutal attacks, but not without sustaining heavy damage.

Refusing to lose his smirk, Miwa picked up the top card of his deck and laid it into the Damage Zone, scratching the back of his head and laughing sheepishly upon learning he'd lost his Wyvern Guard, Barri.

MIWA - KAI
1 -DAMAGE- 0

"He lost an important card," Kamui's glasses-wearing companion noted.

"IC," the brunette boy beside him muttered.

Kai straightened his back and relieved the field of his presence as attacking commander. With his body fixed in place, his jade eyes set themselves on Miwa.

THIRD TURN – MIWA

"Okay, my turn again," the blonde opposite chirped. He quickly drew, grinning once discovering the card he held separately. "I've seen you play this guy enough, guess I finally get my chance to play him against you. I ride Dragon Knight Nehalem".

The blackened reptile standing as Miwa's leader vanished in a much wider tornado of fire, the radiating power rippling the dust settled on the rocky floor of the canyon and the peak reaching towards the night sky. The figure that emerged from the tower of orange and red was a knight, standing in midnight blue armour, with the exception of his upper arms, wrapped in the dull fabric of his suit underneath. A white cloth wrapped around his waist held the narrow, golden-handled sword beside him, the weapon matching the large violet and golden shield attached to his left arm. In his right was a grand steel spear, the long handle balancing the length of the blade with its own. A large tattered violet scarf was fixed around the wide neck of the armour. The helm sported a miniature dragon atop it; wings and tail sprouting out, leaving the upper half of his face masked, only green eyes glaring out from the darkness. Underneath the man was his servant; an immense burgundy with salmon-skinned wings and mustard skin along the lower half of its form. Golden and oxblood sheets of armour were fixed across the dragon's head, neck, arms, chest and legs. Under its master, the fearsome beast unleashed a low, trembling roar that shook the field [POW 10000].

Whilst chuckling over his luck, Miwa's block bangs appeared from the bottom of Nehalem's helm, his blue eyes replacing the piercing jade slits.

"You know, Kai, I've always wanted to have this kind of view," he chortled. Without hesitation, Miwa pulled three further cards from his hand, throwing them onto the field in rapid succession. "I call Berserk Dragon, Relentless Sutherland and Embodiment of Armour, Bahr".

To the left of Nehalem and his dragon, a twin-headed dragon rose from the pool of light emitted from the ground, its large body made of ultramarine scales with a breast-plate made of dark grey. Curved blades protruded from the back of the dragon's wrists gleaming with a deadly thirst. The two heads snapped their grey jaws wildly at the end of the stretched necks, wings behind each waving gradually [POW 9000].

On the other side of the field, a red-scaled dragon with beige skin across its underbelly and wings emerged, feathers sprouting from its lower legs and the wings as they sprouted from the being's back. Dark curled claws emerged from the tip of the winds, matching those from its feet and thorns from the tail. Beside the dragon, a young man with straw-like hair and black goggles atop his head. The knight's attire consisted of a purple shirt with a yellow sash and white sleeves, an orange held hanging across his chest filled with ammunition for the weapons in his hands. In the right was a large bazooka, while the other grasping a pistol. The bottom of the man's white undershirt hung loosely around his legs, joining green trousers, and decorated with sashes of yellow, blue and orange hanging from the pink belt [POW 8000].

Behind the new duo, the blue-skinned warrior that had appeared on various occasions over the past weeks also appeared, grinning wickedly with its jagged jaws [POW 8000].

"What a force," Kamui gasped. "Even he's going to have trouble dealing with all that while having just his Vanguard".

"Kai-kun…" Aichi muttered anxiously.

"If Miwa's this strong, it might be a good thing we've never fought him," Izaki said, swallowing a lump building in his throat.

"Alright, here we go," Miwa called, leaning forward enthusiastically with his empty hand balled into a fist. "Berserk Dragon attacks Iron Tail Dragon".

The twin-headed dragon stormed forward, the jaws snapping viciously in anticipation to feed on their target. Neither Kai nor Iron Tail Dragon seemed to react, but tensed their bodies in preparation of the assault. The two heads crashed into the opposing dragon, knocking it down with ease and forcing Kai to transfer his own Wyvern Guard, Barri to the Damage Zone.

"Nice, Nehalem, attack Iron Tail Dragon," Miwa commanded, becoming more passionate as he indulged himself in the game and the fact that his opponent was his long-time friend.

The blue-armoured knight pointed his spear towards the darkened skies, summoning lightning from the heavens where other planets observed the fight from afar. Miwa turned the top card of his deck to unveil another Berserk Dragon, lacking a Trigger. With his victory in the battle set, Nehalem lowered his weapon towards the opposing dragon and fired the crackling energy that had gathered in his blade. Iron Tail Dragon's anguished roar went unheard by the spectators while Kai laid down Flame of Hope, Aermo into the Damage Zone, allowing Miwa to claim the lead.

"Now, Bahr boosts Sutherland, who will attack your Vanguard," the blonde confidently declared.

Once more, Kai did nothing to defend his sole fighter. The human companion loaded his bazooka and took aim at the enemy under Sutherland's watchful eye. With their target unmoving, the weapons carrier fired his missile, landing a hit without any problem and obscuring Kai's field in smoke. For the third time, Kai drew from his deck, holding up the glowing card emitting a green aura.

"No way, that guy's luck," Kamui blurted.

"A Heal Trigger," Aichi gasped.

"Dragon Monk, Genjo. I give the power to Iron Tail Dragon and heal 1 damage," Kai stated, moving the Barri originally lost to the Drop Zone.

MIWA - KAI
1 -DAMAGE- 2

Miwa shrugged his shoulders, a drop of sweat slipping down his forehead whilst giggling at his friend's luck. "Can't take my eye off of you without you pulling something like that," he laughed. "You're so hard to read sometimes. It makes me wonder if you knew that was coming".

Kai slid his eyes closed slowly. "Not really," he scoffed. "I wouldn't want a power like that".

"There he goes acting all big again," Kamui complained, puffing his cheeks out.

"Even with that Heal Trigger, he took a lot of damage," Emi muttered. "What if he hadn't drawn that?"

Aichi looked to his sister and back towards Kai, the same question lingered about his mind. Kai's tactics so far had been risky, unlike how the blue-haired boy would have envisioned him to fight. He'd had units that could have shielded his Vanguard against the onslaught, yet did nothing, intriguing the youngster who admired the brunette, but only managed to fight him once so far. Would he use the same strategy in his future matches through the tournament?

FOURTH TURN – KAI

"Stand and draw," the brunette announced, switching his card back vertically. He reached for his deck, drawing another Iron Tail Dragon, depositing it into his hand immediately and reaching out for another. "Ride, Dragon Knight Aleph".

In the place of Iron Tail Dragon, another winged beast rose up, covered completely in oxblood scales, spikes protruding its spine and trailing down its back and tail. Atop the beast, a young man sat wielding an orange blade curling at the top, fixed between a clamp of cobalt. The rider's left arm slipped into an aquamarine draconic glove, climbing up the majority of his naked arm and leaving little between its top and the furred edge of his sleeveless jacket hanging open, with a strip of blue fabric cross his chest. Mustard-yellow shorts matching the jacket hung from his waist, fastened with an orange belt and white bandages were wrapped around his exposed legs. The hairstyle rising from the young rider's head was a mixture of orange and red, standing up as though he had suffered a shock, aided by the plates of forest green fitted around his cheeks and along the hairline [POW 9000].

"Ah, Dragon Knight versus Dragon Knight," Miwa commented happily. "Interesting".

"Call. Burning Horn Dragon. Flame of Promise, Aermo," Kai added, throwing the cards down – the former beside his Vanguard, the latter behind.

Besides Aleph, the flaming dragon rose from the circle of light that erupted; fiery scales decorating the body of the beast, several blazing yellow curling out from the body in various places; from the tops of the creature's legs, its chest, up its head and even its skull. Amidst the crown of horns, a mane of fire crackled above the various face snorting sulphuric smoke. The wings rising from its back were little more than bones, the flames that powered the dragon's life force decorating the extensions with sharp sections to carry the beast's body [POW 9000]. The second, emerging behind Aleph, was a red-skinned being, purple locks flowing down its back. The attire clothing its scolded body was white, adorned with golden jewellery, such as the choking bracelets around its wrists and the spiked shoulder ornament resting above its right arm [POW 4000].

"Flame of Promise, is it?" Miwa wondered aloud, beaming towards Kai. "So you're planning to ride him next turn".

"Aermo boosts Aleph and target Nehalem," Kai stated, ignoring the curiosity of his blonde adversary.

The smaller knight adopted the brunette's hairstyle, just as Nehalem copied Miwa's blonde bangs, and ordered his dragon forward, diving towards Nehalem [POW 13000].

"Check the Drive Trigger," Kai said, removing the top card of his deck. A red glow began to shine, catching the attention of those watching whilst Kai revealed Dragon Dancer, Monica. "Draw Trigger. The power goes to Burning Horn Dragon".

The power of the Trigger surged around Burning Horn Dragon, illuminating its form with the crimson glow matching that shining from the card, whilst the dragon growled throughout the acceptance of the new strength pouring into it [POW 14000]. Both players reached for their decks, Kai drawing his own Nehalem while Miwa removed Heatnail Salamander and laid it in the Damage Zone.

"Burning Horn Dragon, attack Nehalem," Kai called, moving his hand in the direction of the enemy territory.

"Oh no, I'm not letting you try and pull this back so easily," Miwa responded sharply, pulling a card from his hand and tossing it into the Guard Circle. "Guard with Iron Tail Dragon".

The flaming dragon unleashed its spray of flames, the stream flooding towards Nehalem but ultimately unable to reach him before the guarding dragon materialized, blocking the stream's path [SLD 15000]. The flames collided with the new body and singed it relentlessly, obliterating it from the battlefield and leaving Nehalem unscathed. The aggressor growled in disappointment, glaring at the Dragon Knight standing tall in spite of its efforts [POW 9000].

MIWA - KAI
2 -DAMAGE- 2

"He's putting up a tough fight," Izaki claimed.

"Miwa-kun, he's much stronger than I would have imagined," Aichi admitted.

"Misaki-san looks like she's doing well herself," Kamui added, smirking at the table in front of the group.

"Yeah, she's got a full front-row as well," the smooth-haired boy beside him stated.

"FF," his partner chirped.

Misaki reached forward, pressing her pale fingertips against the central card of her forces, switching it horizontally. "Silent Tom attacks Bahr," she declared.

The bandaged mysterious man lifted his right hand where the fore and middle fingers had converted to barrels of a gun. Morikawa began to moan when it dawned on him that guarding alone wouldn't get him through the turn. He had one unit capable of that, using that card would then hinder his chances of playing his treasured Grade 3 cards. Misaki reached for her deck, not taking her eyes from the baffled student panicking opposite her.

"Drive Trigger Check," she uttered, revealing White Rabbit of Inaba.

The faceless man's hand shuddered from the force of the bullets ejecting themselves from his hollowed fingers, whistling through the air and crashing into Bahr's chest plate. Morikawa grunted and leaned forward, grabbing the table as though his sense of balance had been affected by the impact. Misaki rolled her eyes at the display and waited for his draw. The black-haired fighter's hand fell onto the deck, dragging away the top card and laying it into the Damage Zone, projecting a golden glow.

MISAKI - MORIKAWA
1 -DAMAGE- 2

The others witnessing all froze, though Morikawa's reaction was delayed as his eyes remained closed briefly after the Embodiment of Spear, Tahr was laid. They opened eventually to discover the glowing card, lifting his spirits immeasurably.

"Alright! A Trigger!" he yelled. "So I can give the power to my weak Vanguard, that'll do until my Grade 3s come out".

Misaki frowned whilst the power flooded into Bahr [POW 13000]. The boost meant any other attack had been rendered ineffective and her turn would be over. Aichi leaned forward, lowering his head beside Kamui's.

"I don't understand," he said. "Why did she attack with her Vanguard first?" he inquired. "That's not like Misaki-san".

"It's simple; she's not even fighting," Kamui chuckled. "She's toying with him and making him think he's got a chance".

"She has a side of her that's like that?" Aichi muttered, astounded by the suggestion that the lilac-haired woman was simply messing with her opponent rather than fulfilling her earlier intentions and finishing him off as quickly as possible.

"Everyone does, onii-san," Kamui scoffed. "Just some people like to hide theirs".

Aichi cast his eyes down, an anxious gaze towards the youngster spectators gathered in front of him, fearful that they could grow to develop their own hidden dark sides. Emi included. His sister had been nothing but helpful and innocent, it was impossible to imagine her any different; but it had also been difficult to imagine the young Kai Toshiki in another light, yet that had become reality. His eyes narrowed, irises flickering with trepidation, exposing his torn concentration and allowing Emi to pick up on his state.

"Aichi?" she uttered gently.

"H- Huh?" the blue-haired bound sounded, snapping out of his thoughts. "I'm fine".

Misaki straightened her body, clutching the cards in her hand close to her chest. "My turn is over".

FIFTH TURN – MORIKAWA

"Right, now's my chance to pull this back!" Morikawa yelled, clenching his empty hand into a tight fist. Just as quickly, he reverted it and snatched the top card – Demon Eater – adding it to his hand. For the first time since the fight began, he picked up a card from his hand and threw it onto the field. "I ride Dragon Knight, Nehalem!"

Bahr vanished in the midst of the storm kicked up by the arrival of a new power, materializing in the form of a second dragon-top knight. Proud by his achievement of reaching Grade 2, thus one step away from playing his Grade 3s, Morikawa grinned wildly, his eyes firmly fixed on his unimpressed opponent.

"What do you think?" the student asked cockily. "Are you scared yet of what my Grade 3s are going to do to you next turn?"

"Yo, Morikawa," Miwa called from the table beside him, pointing towards his identical Vanguard. "Snap!"

"Don't interrupt me when I'm intimidating my opponent!" Morikawa shrieked furiously. Quickly clearing his throat with a cough, he reverted his focus to the battlefield in front of him and leaned forward, resting Nehalem. "Now, attack Silent Tom!"

"No guard," Misaki mumbled.

"Drive Trigger Check," Morikawa called, lifting the top card to find another glow emitted from the opposite face. "Huh? Draw Trigger? Then I'll add the power to Nehalem".

Inserting the retrieved Dragon Dancer Monica into his hand, Morikawa quickly drew once more, pulling a second Embodiment of Armour, Bahr. Lightning crashed into his Dragon Knight's weapon, surrounding it with an overwhelming force [POW 15000]. The bolts flew across the air, crashing violently into the black suited-man, who moaned in anguish.

"Damage check," Misaki said, drawing Dream Eater. Her pale face became illuminated by the aura radiating from the card, the same shade as had come from Morikawa's previous Draw Trigger.

She laid the card in the Damage Zone, its power quickly surrounding Silent Tom [POW 13000]. Though with Morikawa's Battle Phase at an end, the boost would serve no purpose, the Trigger serving only to add to Misaki's hand as she drew another Oracle Guardian, Red Eye.

MISAKI - MORIKAWA
2 -DAMAGE- 2

"You're just lucky you don't have to face my Grade 3s just yet," Morikawa laughed, waving his card-filled hand leisurely, fanning his boisterous attitude with the formidable arsenal to come.

"But that's not the case, quit stalling, Lose-Umi," Kamui yelled, pressing his hands either side of his mouth.

"QS!" he companions barked in unison.

"Shut it, you little punk!" Morikawa snapped in response, transforming from proud to furious in an instant. He quickly forced himself to settle and resume the fight, smirking cockily once more. "Well, I suppose that's the end of my turn. But next turn, it's all over".

"At least make a bluff you can try to pull off," Misaki quipped dully.

SIXTH TURN – MISAKI

"Stand and draw," the young woman spoke, setting her cards in place once more and drawing Dark Cat from her deck. That, however, was minor compared to what was already waiting within her hand. She carefully plucked the card from the rest and held it above the Vanguard Circle, dropping it on top of the growing stack heavily.

"Hikari o kagayaku utsukushi megami yo! Raido! Shi Ii Oo Amaterasu!" [1]

The ground trembled to coincide with the rising of the stormy dust and winds encircling Silent Tom and his transparent companion. In their place, a woman hovered above the ground, the setting sun blazing behind her elegant form. Her pale body was clothed in loose garments; a short-sleeved white shirt with mustard-yellow detached sleeves lined with orange. Around her waist, a large blue ribbon attached her white shirt and the skirt matching the hanging sleeves. Her legs were mostly covered by white boots, decorated with vertical red stripes in the centre, matching those around the edges of her white sleeves. The woman's sun emblem tied together her dark hair, dyed lilac quickly to match Misaki's, an aquamarine stone hanging in front of her fringe and a silver mirror positioned underneath her chin [POW 10000].

"That's Misaki-san's strongest card," Aichi stated.

"A Grade 3!" Morikawa cried gleefully, gazing with fascination at the card. A moment later, it dawned on him what danger it posed to him. "Huh? Oh no, it's a Grade 3 on her side!"

"Amatersasu's skill; I Soul Charge one, then check the top card of my deck," the pale-skinned woman claimed, transferring Evil-Eye Princess Euryale from the deck to the stack underneath the new Vanguard. Her next task was checking the top card of her deck; where she found Battle Maiden Tagitsuhime. "I'll leave this on top".

With the card placed back where it belonged, Misaki's hand slid across the cards already in her possession and snatched two, holding them skilfully between her slender fingers.

"Call; Oracle Guardian Gemini, White Rabbit of Inaba," she reported.

Behind Amaterasu, two nude dolls with blonde curled hair appeared, hovering due to the power of four small white wings sprouting from their backs [POW 8000]. Beside the peculiar dolls, a small rabbit with pale pink fur hopped onto the battlefield. Atop its head was a small crown of faint amethyst patterning around a blue jewel, similar to the enlarged gem fastened to the creature's back like a saddle, sprouting wings made of solid white feathers [POW 6000].

"I activate White Rabbit's, Soul Charging another card, but this time, from my hand," Misaki claimed, sliding the Dark Cat she'd drawn a moment before underneath her Vanguard.

"Amaterasu's Soul is really building up," Reiji mumbled.

"BU," Eiji replied with a nod.

"Red Eye gets a boost from White Rabbit," Misaki declared, resting the two whilst naming them. "Attack Nehalem".

The rabbit remained seated whilst streams of energy poured out of its tiny body, passing on its strength to the wolf seated tamely in front of it [POW 14000]. The larger animal jumped to its feet and shivered with power. Its eyes snapped opened, firing a crimson beam across the field, piercing Nehalem's armour. The knight groaned, pressing his hand against the afflicted area and the shield in front of the majority of his body. Morikawa grunted, moving the Hell Spider at the top of his deck to the Damage Zone, hissing due to the lack of a Trigger.

"Red Eye's skill Soul Charges a card when its attack successfully hits," Misaki stated, sliding Battle Maiden Tagitsuhime underneath her Vanguard, the heart of her army. Her hand didn't retreat from the card, but pressed it down and turned it horizontally. "CEO Amaterasu, boosted by Gemini, will attack Nehalem".

"Damn…" Morikawa growled; he had nothing to guard with effectively. There was no doubt Misaki herself knew that and was using that to her advantage.

The dolls with odd limbs began to glow, transmitting their power to the superior being in front of them [POW 18000]. Amaterasu rose from the ground, stretching her arms out either side to create a divine silhouette against the setting sun burning crimson.

"Twin Drive," the woman stated, sliding the top two cards from her deck, revealing Scarlet Witch Koko and another Oracle Guardian Red Eye.

"No Triggers, but she's still got its skill," Izaki said.

Aichi eyed the lilac-haired woman's figure, recalling having had that very power devastate his chances in their first fight a couple of weeks earlier.

In spite of the threat this Twin Drive mechanic of the game posed, relief rushed through Aichi's body, already doing all it could not to shudder. There hadn't been any triggers, meaning that Amaterasu wouldn't make it through Blaster Blade's enhanced strength. The attack would fail.

"Phew," Misaki sounded, unsettling the boy. "Amaterasu has a certain ability. When you have 4 or more cards in your hand, her power increases by 4000".

"Ah!" Aichi gasped. Until the Twin Drive, she'd been holding 3 cards – that ability had pushed her over the top. "She's got 5 cards in her hand. I see, so that's why those Draw Triggers mattered. It was to activity this ability of Amaterasu's".

"It's too late to realize it now," Misaki responded, smirking.

The large orb burning rose from behind the hovering figure, soaring higher into the sky and well above the battlefield. In an instant, it exploded, launching rays of light that pierced the ground and exploded. In the centre of the storm, Blaster Blade yelled with no way to defend himself against the brutal assault.

"Amaterasu's skill – with more than 4 cards in my hand, her power grows by 4000," Misaki announced for those unfamiliar.

The floating woman smirked, lifting the grand sphere resembling the sinking sun without moving a muscle [POW 22000]. Nehalem glared at the display without flinching, steeling his companion for the inevitable bombardment in contrast to Morikawa's sweat-drenched brow and gritted teeth. Just as before, the orb dispersed, raining thick bolts of light that crashed against the ground surrounding Nehalem. A frustrated Morikawa grunted, pulling the top card of his deck, Tyrant Deathrex, and throwing it into the Damage Zone. Misaki's body relaxed and withdrew from the field, her right hand dropping by her side.

MISAKI - MORIKAWA
2 -DAMAGE- 4

"Libra doesn't have the power to take on Nehalem," she reported. "My turn ends here".

SEVENTH TURN – MORIKAWA

"Now I can get revenge," Morikawa snapped, drawing fiercely from his deck. "Strongest draw!"

He added the Monster Frank he'd recovered to his hand, gazing at the collection of Grade 3s he had brought together and grinned. With a Grade 2 on the field, it would be their time to shine and he could put the cards he'd been longing to show off to use: Juggernaut Maximum, Demon Eater, Monster Frank, Demonic Dragon Berserk Yakasha, Hell Spider and Tyrant Deathrex. Snatching the card he'd just drawn, he lifted it above his head and threw it down over Nehalem's card with a fierce swing of his arm.

"Now I'll show you what a Grade 3 can do!" he yelled.

In place of Nehalem, a sickly pale man appeared, stitches across his arms, face and exposed chest signifying its form was made of several others. A green bandana was wrapped around the top of its head, brass cuffs clamped on its wrists, thick bolts planted in its neck and a wrench hanging from an iron chain acting as a fashion accessory. The clothes it bore were just as tattered and dirtied as its body; an open yellow vest without sleeves and purple trousers, held by a brown belt with a golden skull in the centre [POW 10000].

"And not just one, but all of them," the student laughed, holding up two further cards – Juggernaut Maximum and Hell Spider.

The former was a blue-skinned giant, red and white stripes painted down its chest, arms of immense muscle only sporting flat shoulder pads and bracelets of red, with blackened spikes and broken chains hanging. White trousers with implanted pads protected its legs, grey shoes with large spikes protruding threateningly were fixed with blue material and tongues lined with red. In the centre of an incomplete square of red foam sporting six tall spikes, the head was fitted inside a grey helmet with a guard for the monster's mouth, yellow eyes glaring out underneath the skull design and golden horns that broke through [POW 11000].

The latter was a sickly yellow creature with hairs standing in various points across its unusual body; standing on its two legs and six arms, a mane of dark brown hair snaked along its spine. Small white spikes lined a blue patch above its face of piercing blue eyes and wide jaws, thick skin opening up with a curled tooth attached to each one, separate from the rest of its mandibles [POW 10000].

"I use Hell Spider's amazing Counterblast," Morikawa called, turning over the top two cards in his Damage Zone. A spray of sticky white material erupted from the abnormal creature, latching onto Red Eye, who struggled, only making the sticky substance sink deeper into its fur. "Red Eye has to rest next turn. The power of Grade 3s are just that intimidating, aren't they?"

"Not very as I have my own to fight with," Misaki sighed. "And not just that, Juggernaut Maximum's skill decreases its power by 2000".

The muscular brawler sank onto one knee, moaning from the sapping of its power and watched by its comrades unable to do anything to aid it [POW 9000].

"What?" Morikawa howled in horror. "What did you do?"

"It's not what I did. Juggernaut Maximum loses power if there is no other Spike Brother on the field," Misaki answered.

"Ah crap!" Morikawa whined, his right hand pressed against the side of his head as the shock wracked his body.

"What an idiot, you can't even build a deck full of Grade 3s properly," Kamui barked.

"Nice going, Lose-Umi," Reiji laughed.

"LU," Eiji chanted.

Emi rotated her head from the taunting children to her brother, noting how engrossed he had become in watching the game – his eyes remained fixed on the battlefield rather than coming away to acknowledge the laughter of the boys beside her. She herself had yet to discover the appeal of the game, but if it had been enough to get him out of bed in the mornings and give him something to do after-school rather than return with injuries across his body, that was good enough for her. With a subtle smile, she looked back to the fight whilst Morikawa hollered at the mocking trio.

"I'll show you. Here we go," he snapped. "Monster Frank attacks Amaterasu".

"I will not guard," Misaki answered.

Without any support of its own, the monster stomped towards the goddess whose boots remained off the ground, maintaining her ability to soar to warn the attacking enemy force of the power they would have to contend with.

"Twin Drive," the dark-haired fighter shouted. In quick succession, he revealed another Demonic Dragon Berserk Yaksha and Lizard Runner, Undeux – no Trigger.

The scarred fist of the monster crashed into Amaterasu, causing the woman to cry out from the impact, although the damage would be minimal. Misaki drew Battle Sister Chocolat and laid it into the Damage Zone.

"Alright, we're on a roll now," Morikawa laughed, stretching his right arm forward. "Hell Spider attacks".

The creature coughed, unleashing another spray of sticky white threads hissing whilst flying across the field. Amaterasu glared at the substance in disgust, having already seen Red Eye immobilized by its power. Misaki tore a card from her hand and presented it to her opponent.

"Guard with Battle Sister Cocoa," she responded more viciously.

The slender nun materialized on the field, paled purple locks hanging from the back of her hood and a grin on her face that could challenge Miwa, appearing thrilled to be assisting the leader of the clan [SLD 15000]. The threads latched onto her form, provoking a disgusted squeal and the new figure to vanish, leaving Amaterasu unharmed. Morikawa scoffed and turned Juggernaut Maximum into its resting position.

"Juggernaut Maximum attacks," he declared.

"What? Why would he do something like that?" Reiji questioned.

"DS?" Eiji wondered, tilting his head in confusion.

"Juggernaut's Soul Blast," Morikawa hollered. "I take a card out of the Soul and he gains 5000".

Misaki, Kamui, Reiji, Eiji and Izaki gazed at the field with shocked expressions, having never considered that Morikawa would have ever been capable of playing strategically. The student tore Nehalem from the Soul and transferred it to the Drop Zone, its transparent form vanishing from the support within Monster Frank. Juggernaut Maximum rose from its sunken position, flexing its muscles with renewed fervour and roaring in a display of marking its return [POW 14000].

"Now he's strong enough to attack," Morikawa called. "Watch the power of my Grade 3 deck at its best".

The muscular monster charged fiercely across the field, tackling Amaterasu as though they were battling in a sports game. The divine woman crashed against the ground, the first contact she had made with the Cray surface since her appearance, witnessed by her horrified followers.

"Damage check," Misaki said, returning immediately to her default stoicism. She laid down Meteobreak Wizard, levelling the amount of damage the two had sustained.

MISAKI - MORIKAWA
4 -DAMAGE- 4

"No way, Lose-Umi's pulling back," Kamui blurted.

Morikawa puffed his chest out, laughing loudly, much to Misaki's irritation. The woman squeezed her blue eyes shut to mask her growing frustration with the younger player.

"When you're done," she growled. "Juggernaut Maximum returns to your deck, due to its skill".

"Eh? Daaamn…" Morikawa growled, snatching the card and shuffling it into his deck quickly. "My turn's over. But the next one will be the last".

EIGHTH TURN – MISAKI

"Stand and draw," Misaki stated, standing her cards with the exception of Red Eye. She proceeded with her draw as normal, adding it to her hand. "Amaterasu's skill".

Checking the top card of her deck briefly, she slid it into the growing stack underneath her goddess and drew once more, examining what she had waiting. Her eyes closed and the card slipped under the deck.

"I appreciate your belief in me," she uttered.

"Eh?" Morikawa sounded dully.

"'The next one will be the last'. You were correct," Misaki claimed. "With a boost from Gemini and its skill, Amaterasu attacks Monster Frank".

"Heh, putting up a fight even when it's hopeless," Morikawa laughed, pulling two cards from his hand. "Guard with Bahr and Undeux. Now your attack won't go through.

Power coursed through Amaterasu's body, flooding her slender form with the very strength she had experienced briefly before [POW 22000]. But before she could put that to use, the Kagero reptile and crimson-armoured warrior materialized in front of the grimy target [SLD 25000].

"Ah, you won't break through now," Morikawa scoffed.

"We'll see," Misaki mumbled. "Twin Drive. First check".

Her pale fingers reached the deck, turning over Dark Cat and adding it to her hand. Tension rose from the audience behind, all eager to see if Misaki was really to fulfil her claim that the fight would end with her current turn. It was a tall order with one card left to draw, but Misaki's skills seemed to be that on a level entirely separate from their own, the kind of level that Kai was waiting at. Aichi's eyes slid to the brunette, whose match with Miwa continued regardless of the developments of the fight beside them.

"Second check," Misaki spoke, luring him back to the table in front. Misaki's fingertips brushed the back of the top card, her eyes sliding closed as though in prayer for the miracle to occur. She pulled the card away, opening her eyes to a golden glow – Battle Sister, Ginger. "Critical Trigger".

"N- No way!" Morikawa hollered.

"All effects go to Amaterasu," Misaki declared fiercely, tapping the card with its new support.

A further stream of power plunged itself into the woman's back, a ray of light from the disappearing sun illuminating her slender figure, growing powerless compared to her miniature replica [POW 27000]. Her sphere rose higher, exploding into a shower of dusk light that pierced the ground and struck Monster Frank in the chest, the creature moaning slowly while the burning sensation coursed through its body.

Morikawa grunted, turning over his top two cards – Demon Eater and Tyrant Deathrex, neither able to recover damage. They fell into the Damage Zone, completing a set of six and completing his defeat.

MISAKI - MORIKAWA
4 -DAMAGE- 6

FIGHT END

"The winner of the fourth match is Tokura Misaki" Shin announced proudly.

The spectators applauded the young woman, who stood frozen and unsure where to look. She settled on turning to Shin, the green-haired man smiling happily. She collected her cards delicately, sliding them together into one neat stack, while Morikawa scratched at his head with his palms, cursing repeatedly in disbelief.

"I must have read tomorrow's horoscope, that's the only explanation," he hissed in frustration.

Misaki shrugged her shoulders and rolled her eyes, beyond caring what the student's excuse would be. Similarly; Kamui, Reiji and Eiji appeared exasperated with Morikawa's antics and swinging between the extremes of bragging and blaming another force for his failure. Aichi smiled at Misaki, who moved beside Shin while all eyes moved to the opposite table, the fight having progressed a steady pace compared to where it had left off when Miwa called Morikawa.

After joking about his identical Vanguard, Miwa turned back to the match at hand, standing his cards and drawing from his deck. His persistent smile obscured any hint about the luck regarding his draw.

FIFTH TURN – MIWA

"My turn," the blonde spoke in a sing-song manner. He threw down the card he had just drawn, laying it onto the Vanguard Circle. "I ride Vortex Dragon".

Gales suddenly surrounded Nehalem and his dragon, lifting the dust of the canyon floor to obscure the replacement of the Dragon Knight with the new being. A shriek pierced the tornado and the cobalt dragon soared through the storm, its armoured wings fixed in a curved shape, beige strips of skin hanging from the bones' supports. White claws protruded the sounded hands and feet, others emerging from the knees, waist, chest, shoulders and peak of the wings. Several sprouting from the head pointed backwards, leaving the blood-red eyes' sights clear [POW 10000].

"Vortex Dragon's skill Soul Charges a card," Miwa claimed, moving the top card of his deck underneath the card. "Then I'll retire Berserk Dragon for Garnet Dragon, Flash".

The twin-headed dragon vanished and in its place was a creature standing on its hind legs, its dark grey body towering next to the floating Vortex Dragon. Garnet cloth was wrapped around the upper chest and shoulders, melding into the tattered wings sprouting from the top of the beast's spine. Hanging beside, its right hand mutated halfway down to resemble a scythe rather than completing the limb. A sash matching its upper chest was wrapped around the waist, holding shorts of the same to the creature's body, obscuring where its tail sprouted from. The head was also bloodied, leaving only a sly blue orb fitted above the eyes and the blonde locks hanging down the back as distinct features from the spreading colour [POW 9000].

"Flash attacks Aleph," Miwa declared, pointing towards Kai's Vanguard.

Kai plucked a card from his hand, laying it down horizontally in front of his targeted unit. "Guard with Dragon Dancer Monica".

The young woman summoned materialized in front of Aleph, tensing her arms in preparation of the diving beast [SLD 14000]. Flash swung its arm wildly, damaging the arrival heavily and causing her to vanish from the field, though leaving it unable to fulfil its original objective and force a retreat.

Miwa leaned forward, pressing down on his Vanguard. "Vortex Dragon attacks Aleph," he commanded with a devious smirk. "And its skill gives it 2000 power as I Soul Charged earlier".

The dragon shrieked and darted forward, its wings unmoving whilst diving towards its target [POW 12000]. Kai closed his eyes calmly and snatched two further cards from his hand, laying them down in the Guard Circle.

"Guard with Gatling Claw Dragon and Iron Tail Dragon," he stated bluntly.

The two named dragons formed in front of Aleph, allowing the shorter Dragon Knight to sigh with relief [SLD 19000]. The air around Vortex Dragon began to shine, pulsing with blue light as its speed increased.

"Twin Drive," Miwa stated, reaching for his deck and pulling the first card. His grin grew and a chuckle escaped while his face glowed from the light beaming out of the card. "Flame Seed Salamander: Stand Trigger".

Kai's eyes narrowed slightly, though the display diverted Aichi's attention from what was happening at the table in front. The blue-haired boy's expression dipped in concern for the brunette having realized he wasn't the one to draw a Trigger. Miwa chortled briefly while switch Garnet Dragon, Flash's stance.

"I've never been one to gamble, but I'll stand Flash and give the power to Vortex Dragon [POW 17000]" he reported.

Kai eyed his friend suspiciously. "What are you up to? That won't be enough to get through".

"Like I said, gambling," Miwa joked. His blue eyes skated back to the deck and reached out once more. "Second check".

Both the High School students and Aichi watched intensely as the card was drawn and quickly shone brightly once more, radiating a golden glow. Miwa scratched the back of his head and laughed lightly.

"I've always wanted to try it your way," he said, turning the card to unveil Embodiment of Spear, Tahr. "Critical Trigger Getto!"

Kai's eyes flashed, shooting a hollow glare towards the blonde, while Aichi sucked in his breath, astounded that Miwa had managed to draw two Triggers for the same battle. More so because his gamble had paid off and Vortex Dragon only grew stronger. Miwa tapped the Vanguard's card, signalling it would be the one to experience the benefits of his draw [POW 22000].

The dragon crashed into Iron Tail Dragon, quickly mowing it down and collided with Gatling Claw Dragon quickly afterwards. Despite the dragon's large armaments, the power radiating from Vortex Dragon overwhelmed its defences and dismissed the guardian, leaving Aleph alone and vulnerable. The small rider yelped and searched for any other assistance that could come his way, but failed to identify any potential allies before Vortex Dragon's charge resumed and it crashed into the ground, the rocky bottom torn apart and a crater left where the collision had taken place.

"Check the Damage Trigger," Kai said, picking Dragonic Overlord and Blazing Core Dragon.

MIWA - KAI
2 -DAMAGE- 4

"Oh, you lost one of your Dragonic Overlords," Miwa chimed. "Sorry about that. But guess there's some unfinished business to take care of. Flash attacks Aleph".

"No guard," Kai responded.

The grey and garnet creature lunged at Aleph, slashing at its small form with its deformed arm. Kai drew from his deck again, laying Embodiment of Victory, Aleph at the bottom of the growing collection of damage. Miwa whistled at the development.

MIWA - KAI
2 -DAMAGE- 5

"That's probably a bad sign," he chuckled, pointing towards the latest victim of the damaging campaign. "Flash's skill gives 3000 power to Sutherland because its attack hit, plus he has Bahr's boost. Go on, Sutherland, hit him again".

Reath loaded another missile into the large bazooka in his possession and rested the weapon on his shoulder [POW 19000]. His assault, however, was delayed as he worked to line up his shot correctly under his companion's watchful eye. In that time, Kai threw down two cards from his hand into the centre of the field.

"Guard with Tahr and Nehalem," he declared.

The appearance of the two was sudden, materializing simultaneously in front of Aleph [SLD 24000]. The shock of the sudden emergence of the pair caused the blonde attacker to gasp and shudder, unintentionally firing his missile before prepared. The bullet crashed into the pair, exploding on contact and obscuring Kai's field in smoke. After a moment, the reality of what had taken place became clear when Aleph was revealed unharmed and his allies gone. Miwa smirked and slackened his shoulders.

"Hm, you let me think I stood a chance of winning right then," he laughed. "You're cruel today, huh? Alright, alright, my turn's over".

SIXTH TURN – KAI

"Stand and draw," Kai uttered, reverting his cards to offensive positions.

'Kai-kun made it through the last turn, but he's taken a lot of damage and his hand was depleted by that last battle,' Aichi thought, watching the fight in the corner of his vision, taking particular note of the fact that there was only one card left in Kai's hand. The brunette drew, lifting the card to reveal to himself and Aichi that he'd drawn Lizard Runner, Undeux. But his other hand was the first to move.

"Kono yo no mono o yakitsukusu hoshiroku no honoo! Raido za Bangaado! Doragonikku Oobarodo!" [2]

A pillar of flames erupted from the ground, spiralling towards the skies growing overcast. From the thick tower, the burgundy-armoured dragon that the regulars recognized as Kai's ace card made its appearance. Indigo scales scaled the centre of the dragon's form and coloured the guards attached to its large wrists. Pink accents across the armour reflected the dispersing flames, white horns ripping through the plating at the edges of its waist, chest, shoulders, back and forehead. Miniature wings sprouted from the helm, matching the much larger bones standing out from its shoulders, tattered beige skin hanging from the grand additions. In its right claw, a large silver curved blade glinted amidst the heated space [POW 11000].

"Conroe boosts Burning Horn Dragon. Now, attack Vortex Dragon," Kai stated, moving the respective cards whilst naming them. "Burning Horn's skill gives it 3000 power as the Vanguard as 'Overlord' in in its name".

The attacking dragon pulsed with power, unleashing a wave of fire from its jaws [POW 18000]. Miwa shrugged his shoulders, neglecting his Vanguard's need for a guard and reached for the deck.

"Check the Damage Trigger," he said, moving Lizard Runner, Undeux into the Damage Zone.

MIWA - KAI
3 -DAMAGE- 5

"Aermo boosts Dragonic Overlord and attacks Vortex Dragon," Kai declared, pointing towards the enemy leader. His hand quickly shifted to the attacking card, removing a card from the stack. "I activate Aermo's Soul Blast. Now its boost will be 6000 points stronger".

The burned figure's streams of energy grew thicker and flowed faster into Dragonic Overlord, the new power enlarging the muscles across its body, met with a pleased growling [POW 21000]. The dragon's jaws quickly filled up with searing flames, rolling and growing swiftly in size. Miwa pulled a card from his hand, laying it in the Guard Circle ahead of his Vortex Dragon.

"Guard with Flame Seed Salamander," he declared, moving to the left front-row units. "And Sutherland intercepts".

The miniature creature in the midst of a flame emerged on the field in front of Vortex Dragon, joined swiftly by the human-dragon duo of Sutherland [SLD 25000]. Kai reached for his deck without taking his sharp eyes from the battlefield.

"Twin Drive," he spoke bluntly. "First check". He turned over the card, greeted by the warm red glow of Gatling Claw Dragon. "Draw Trigger. Power goes to Dragonic Overlord".

The dragon growled lowly, having regained its ability to effectively strike its adversary [POW 26000]. Droplets of sweat slid down Miwa's face, coupled with an anxious grin while Kai drew Wyvern Guard, Barri and made his move to complete the attack.

"Second check," he said, pulling Blue-Ray Dracokid, which began emitting a golden light. "Critical Trigger. Getto".

Miwa chuckled nervously, aware the effects were installed into Dragonic Overlord's already immense strength [POW 31000]. The dragon unleashed its overflowing power, its tidal wave of flames surging across the field faster than in its previous battles. Despite their efforts, both Flame Seed Salamander and Sutherland were swallowed by the force and eradicated with ease, with enough power within the blaze to continue onwards [POW 16000]. Vortex Dragon was engulfed all the same and, inside the flames, began shrieking helplessly.

"Damage check," Miwa declared, lifting the two top cards from his deck and moving them to the Damage Zone – Flame of Hope, Aermo and Blazing Core Dragon.

MIWA - KAI
5 -DAMAGE- 5

"Turn end," Kai stated, standing rigidly behind his resting forces.

SEVENTH TURN – MIWA

"Alright, here we go," Miwa called, shuffling his cards in preparation to retaliate. "Stand and draw".

The blonde turned over his card to find Dual Axe Archdragon. He beamed at the result of his draw and capable replacement on the front-line for the lost Sutherland. It was that moment when Shin announced that Misaki had triumphed in her fight with Morikawa, distracting the pair and casting their eyes towards the young woman. They were both aware of her status as a formidable opponent and the next hurdle for the victor of their match. Miwa locked eyes with Kai, as if the pair were exchanging promises of coming out on top and progressing to face the store worker. With the fight in front of him over, Aichi quickly diverted his focus wholly to the students' fight, eager to see what more was to come of the pair.

"Looks like we've got a bigger audience now," Miwa claimed, holding his new card close to his face and throwing it down. "I call Dual Axe Archdragon".

In the emptied space, an immense dragon dwarfing even Garnet Dragon, Flash arose. Its gigantic body was covered in crimson and indigo armour, lined with gold, leaving only the neck, thighs and tail naked. The creature spread its giant wings, blood-red skin clinging to the skeleton extensions, the shape similar to the blades rising from the metallic sleeves. Hanging from the dragon's left hand was a large axe made of cylindered burgundy encased in black and fitted with a golden blade. From the dragon's shoulders and helm, orange spikes sprouted, reaching upwards, glistening while the creature unleashed its deadly roar [POW 11000].

"Let's see how you deal with this; Vortex Dragon attacks Dragonic Overlord," Miwa yelled, stretching his hand towards his friend's central card.

Kai pulled a card from his hand, twisting it to reveal the identity of the shield. "Guard with Blue-Ray Dracokid" he responded quickly.

Miwa reached for his deck, droplets of sweat clinging to his forehead and cheeks. "Twin Drive," he uttered, turning over the first card – Blazing Flare Dragon. "Second check". A blue aura shone from the card – Lizard Soldier, Ganlu. "Ah, a Stand Trigger. Guess I shouldn't have gone with Vortex Dragon first". The blonde scratched the back of his head in embarrassment, chuckling sheepishly and set his sights on his newest unit. "I'll give the power boost to Garnet Dragon, Flash".

Vortex Dragon crashed into Dragonic Overlord, though failed to deal any damage, racing by and retreating in the air. Kai's narrowed eyes remained fixed on Miwa, watching as he rested the two cards at the left edge of his field.

"Bahr boosts Dual Axe Archdragon," he stated. "Attack Dragonic Overlord".

With the power granted by its ally, Dual Axe Archdragon's body shivered with tremendous strength [POW 18000]. Miwa smirked deviously, pleased that his monster had become so powerful while Kai's options were swiftly decreasing. On the edge of the opening for the tables, Aichi gazed in awe, amazed by the levels Kai and Miwa were pushing each other to, backing one another into a corner relentlessly.

'They're amazing,' he thought. 'There's no doubt Kai-kun is strong, but to think that he and Miwa-kun were this strong…'

"Wow, just look how high they're racking their power," Reiji cried.

"HH," Eiji exhaled.

Dual Axe Archdragon threw itself forward, diving at the opposing leader with heavy swings of its weapon. Kai plucked Gatling Claw Dragon from his hand and placed it in the Drop Zone, slamming down his response in the centre.

"Wyvern Guard, Barri," he growled.

"Ah, your perfect defence," Miwa noted.

From the murky distance, the silver-armoured knight soared in on his red craft, racing past Dragonic Overlord and crashing into the swinging weapon aiming for the Kagero superior. The machine exploded, halting Dual Axe Archdragon's charge.

"There's no stopping you, is there, Kai?" Miwa asked with a quick chortle, resting his final unit. "Garnet Dragon, Flash attacks".

The grim creature charged forward, readying its deformed arm. With one card in his hand, Miwa was doubtful of Kai's ability to guard; he had used many of his lower graded cards to shield himself from countless attacks, so he would have to run low eventually. Having had his attention diverted by Misaki's fight and catching Miwa's confident experience, terror flooded through Aichi at the prospect that there was even a possible threat to his dream rematch with Kai. Out of impulse, he leaned forward, muscles across his body tightening.

"Kai-kun!" he cried out.

Kai's jade eyes closed and he twisted the final card in his possession, shocking Miwa, whose beliefs had been turned on their heads.

"Guard with Lizard Runner, Undeux," the brunette declared.

The card Miwa had started with emerged on the field once more, taking its place in front of Dragonic Overlord and suffering the blow from Flash's assault, leaving Dragonic Overlord unscathed and ending Flash's mission prematurely [POW 4000]. Aichi sighed with relief, though his outburst hadn't gone unnoticed by the youngsters around him, Izaki also shooting him a surprised look while Morikawa snorted with arms crossed over his chest. The outburst wasn't something Aichi would have normally allowed, but he'd lost himself in the moment. His cheeks flushed from drawing attention to himself and his siding with Kai revealed, his head tucked between his shoulders and shrank from the crew of regular players around – he hadn't even needed to worry.

"Well, isn't that a pain in the butt?" Miwa chuckled while Kai transferred his shield to the Drop Zone, shrugging his shoulders when forced to confront the reality that his best chance to win the fight had slipped by. "My turn's over".

EIGHTH TURN – KAI

Kai's hand fell onto his deck, fingers tense as the tips brushed the back of the card. The brunette's eyes snapped open and set themselves on Miwa, the blonde eyeing his friend with bewilderment over his movements.

"Final Turn!" Kai exclaimed in English.

Across the spectators were mutters and gasps, those unfamiliar with Kai's tendencies questioned how he could possibly claim the fight was going to be over by the end of his turn, but a small smile came to Aichi's face. He'd believe. Kai tore the top card of his deck away and threw it onto the table in the empty space along his front-line.

"I retire Burning Horn Dragon and call Dragonic Overlord," he bellowed. On the field, a replica of his central unit rose, roaring just as its twin had once arriving on the battlefield. Kai pressed his fingers down on the edge of the card, sliding it horizontally. "The Rear-Guard Dragonic Overlord attacks Dual Axe Archdragon".

"He's going for the Rear-Guard?" Izaki questioned.

"Dragonic Overlord's Counterblast," Kai declared, flipping 3 of the cards in his Damage Zone. "Eternal Flame!"

"Guard with Berserk Dragon," Miwa called, holding the card out, beads of sweat slipping down the edges of his face.

The twin-headed dragon reappeared in front of the axe-wielding beast, taking the raging flames that erupted from the second Overlord. The manoeuvre had the spectators puzzled, Kamui stroking his chin whilst pondering over what Kai's strategy could possibly be.

"That doesn't make sense," he mumbled. "He must have known how easily it would have been to guard that, but he wasted it rather than saving it for his Vanguard".

"Eternal Flame has a drawback that could have cost him ending the match here and now," Misaki murmured from her place beside Shin.

"The Vanguard Dragonic Overlord attacks Vortex Dragon," Kai announced, resting his ace card. "And I activate Aermo's Soul Blast".

Miwa sounded his disappointment, watching Kai reduce Overlord's Soul for Aermo's ability, powering it up beyond what his forces could handle [POW 21000]. Having blocked the Rear-Guard's Eternal Flame, Miwa had surrendered any chance of guarding against a second attack – either way, Kai had snatched the match from him at the last hurdle. Even with frustration towards himself resting on his shoulders, Miwa smirked, accepting that, as close as it had seemed, he was still far from Kai's league.

"No guard".

"Check the Drive Trigger," Kai called, lifting Flame of Promise, Aermo and Vortex Dragon from his deck.

With a low roar, the leading Dragonic Overlord launched its stream of flames, crashing into Vortex Dragon, who curled its wings and tucked its head in to brace itself for the inevitable. Struck by the searing flood, it screeched and its battered body dissolved while Miwa dropped his final card – Relentless Sutherland – into the Drop Zone, bringing his campaign to an end.

MIWA - KAI
6 -DAMAGE- 5

FIGHT END

"The third match is over," Shin hollered into the microphone. "Winner: Kai Toshiki!"

Cheers erupted from the crowd gathered around the two tables; the first round over and the four continuing on decided. Kai collected his cards without catching Miwa's gaze upon him and strode towards the tables set up in the back half of the store. He paused whilst passing Aichi, Kamui, Emi and their companions, allowing others time to move and create an empty trail for him to travel through. His eyes opened sharply, watching Aichi in the corner of his right socket.

"You called out to me," he mumbled. "Did you doubt me?"

"Ah!" Aichi sounded timidly. "N- No, that's not it at all…"

Kai closed his eyes and proceeded onwards. Torn by the doubt he had in himself and the desperation to live up to Kai's expectations, Aichi's fists tightened and shivered, eyes falling towards the floor in disappointment – he'd given the brunette the wrong impression. Emi picked up on her brother's state and eyed him anxiously; even if Vanguard was changing him, it still had a long way to go. As Kai moved towards the table, Aichi could feel the distance between where he longed to be and where he stood growing.


PREVIEW

Kamui: Wow, this tournament's getting good.

Miwa: Guess my luck ran out, you guys have one heck of a fight ahead of you.

Aichi: That's right, if Kai-kun has advanced, I just have to face Kamui-kun to reach him.

Kamui: I'm not gonna let you win, Onii-san. I'm going to fight with everything!

Aichi: Right. Next time: "Cardfight! Vanguard Override, Chapter 3 – The Charging Soul". This time, I'll make my feelings clear.


[1] "The beautiful Goddess, shining radiantly. Ride! CEO Amaterasu!"

[2] "Burn everything in this world to dust with your apocalyptic fire! Ride the Vanguard! Dragonic Overlord!"


I apologize if the chapter has come out too long; experimenting with having two full fights written out. Please forgive me if there are any errors in the fights, these were the first I planned by myself. Unfortunately, it's unlikely I'll be able to update again before late-May/early-June as I've coursework and Finals coming up. After that, I'll work on upating this and the other fics more regularly.

- CuteYami, 15th April 2012