Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or Cardfight Vanguard

Responding to a few more reviews here, so enjoy:

Gilgamesh The King of Heroes:

Yeah, despite this being a fanfic and Jaune being a nice guy, he WILL be getting pissed at them. But not because of them playing vanguard to ditch him, but more because they thought he would be mad at them. He will only be mad for not telling him sooner, but he won't forgive them instantly.

RPGPersona:

That was the idea of the fic. Jaune would be like Aichi, and I've yet to decide if there will really be a 'Kai' that he strives to be, I'm more leaning on the thought of having him admire Ozpin. Yes, the assista-cat is still there, but it is Glynda's cat that she only brings with her when she's tending to the store too.

Clans used by players:

Team CRDL: Spike Brothers

Nora: Tachikaze

Ren: Either Megacolony, or Oracle Think Tank (if Oracle Think Tank, he'll change to using Genesis after the Circuit)

Pyrrha: D-Police

You'll have to wait to see any player's clans now. Also, due to some PMs and convincing points, this is now the harem: Ruby, Yang, Blake, Cinder

Now, let's begin! Stand Up! Vanguard!


Chapter 3: Semi-Final: Jaune VS Emerald!

Taking Sky's words to heart, Jaune didn't lose to any other challenger he came across in the preliminaries, and two matches later, he was entered into the main tournament. To say he was happy would be an understatement. Jaune was absolutely ecstatic that he had been able to win, and even more so that he was in the main tournament.

Nothing was able to wipe the grin off of his face that day. Nor was anyone able to wipe the smiles off the faces of his three friends up in the stands at seeing his victory.

Time passed quickly though, and soon enough it was already Sunday and time for the main tournament. Jaune stood proudly, grinning as he waited to be called up to play. Looking at his first opponent, he almost felt a twisted sense of satisfaction.

It was Dove Bronzewing.

He was able to defeat him, though with difficulty. His deck was very similar to Sky's, so Jaune got lucky in that regard. Though Jaune WAS distracted by the holograms of his units, and sparkles came into his eyes at the sight of being able to see his units as if they were real.

Jaune didn't have much luck with his next opponent either. It was as if the Universe were pairing him up against the 4 main bulliest at his school.

His second opponent in the main tournament was Russell Thrush. Once more though, his deck was incredibly similar to Sky's, so Jaune almost knew his deck inside and out, and was once again able to win the match. Ruby, Yang, and Blake cheered for their friend after he won each match, though they did have to be quiet so that they wouldn't be noticed by him. They wanted to tell him they played, not for him to find out by seeing them.

It was Jaune's opponent in the Semi-Finals that he was most worried about, however. He was able to assume Cardin used Spike Brothers, so he should have been okay on that front, but Emerald was a mystery to him. He didn't know what deck she used, her personality, nothing.

He didn't like mysteries, really he didn't.

And yet he had no choice, as he stood opposite her on the fight field, tightening his gloves as he was able to get a good look at her.

She was thin, with medium-brown skin and dark-red eyes. Her hair was a light, mint-green cut with a straight fringe and bangs, as well as two long locks on each side, in the back. She was dressed in rather simple clothing, just a pair of white jeans and a tight green t-shirt.

"We come to the first Semi-Final Match!" Peter's voice boomed. "And it is Jaune Arc, the beginner Narukami user who has won match after match to get here, and has made it all the way to the Semi-Finals on his first try!"

Oobleck nodded. "He shall be up against a familiar face from Nationals last year, Miss Emerald Sustrai of Team Fall! She has been known to change decks a fair amount, and it leaves one to wonder what deck she will be using today!"

Yang growled. "There she is..." she spoke in anger. Last year at Nationals, Emerald's team had been the one that had knocked them out of the tournament. Blake had started them off, beating their first fighter Mercury. But things had gone downhill from there when Yang lost to Emerald. Ruby got so close to beating Cinder, but she just came up short (no pun intended).

"I didn't realize she was in the tournament..." Blake mumbled sadly.

Emerald shuffled her deck, putting it down and drawing five cards. "Sorry," she said to him, making him blink in confusion. "But you aren't going to win here."

Jaune frowned and shuffled his deck before drawing his five cards. "We'll see..." he shot back as he put 3 cards back and shuffled, redrawing. He noticed Emerald only put four cards back. The field activated as they both put hands on their units.

"Now Stand Up!" they said together, flipping them over. "Vanguard!"

Appearing on the field, their units stood opposite each other. "Lizard Soldier, Saishin!" Jaune said.

"Girl Who Crossed The Gap!" Emerald declared as she revealed her unit, a blue haired girl in a pink fluffy skirt and red and black clothing.

Girl Who Crossed The Gap

Grade: 0

Power: 5000

Shield: 10000

"Pale Moon huh...?" Jaune mumbled absent mindedly.

"I hope you don't mind if I have the first move," she said. "After all, ladies first."

This made him raise an eyebrow, but he didn't complain. "Go right ahead."

"Perfect," she drew a card. "I'll ride Midnight Bunny!" he placed the card down and her Vanguard was replaced by a girl in pink bunny clothing. "Girl Who Crossed The Gap moves back," she dragged it out the soul, putting it behind her Vanguard. "Your turn."

Midnight Bunny

Grade: 1

Power: 7000

Shield: 5000

"Draw," Jaune told her, picking up a card. "I ride Desert Gunner, Raien!" he slammed it down, before moving Saishin behind his Vanguard. "Saishin moves back. Then I call Red River Dragoon!" he placed the unit to the right of his vanguard, the red armoured warrior standing ready.

"Red River starts off the attack!" he turned it on its side as the warrior threw it's spear.

Emerald shrugged, "I don't guard." The spear slammed into her Vanguard. "Check for a damage trigger..." she turned over a card, clicking her tongue at the sight of her Hades Hypnotist. She could have used that Perfect Guard. She put it into her damage zone.

Hades Hypnotist

Grade: 1 (Perfect Guard)

Power: 6000

Shield: 0

"Then with a boost from Saishin, it's Raien's turn!" Jaune told her as he turned the cards on their sides.

7000+5000=12000

"Once again, I don't guard," Emerald told him.

Jaune nodded. "Checking the drive trigger," he turned over his top card, and he let out a small smile at the sight of his Dragonic Kaiser Vermillion.

Emerald checked for a damage trigger, only to reveal her Mirror Demon, and she once more clicked her tongue. Another good card she was forced to lose. But she put it in the damage zone regardless.

Mirror Demon

Grade: 2

Power: 8000

Shield: 5000

"That will end my turn," Jaune told her with a small smile on his lips.

Jaune:

None, Raien, Red River

None, Saishin, None

Hand: 5

Damage: 0

Emerald:

None, Bunny, None

None, Girl Who Crossed The Gap, None

Hand: 5

Damage: 2

"And it's the end of Jaune's turn!" Peter boomed. "And he wasted no time in dealing damage to Emerald, who now sits at two damage!"

"Quite!" Oobleck agreed. "And Mr Arc revealed his ace card on his drive check, so we can be sure it will make an appearance in this game! It gives on the thought on how exactly Miss Sustrai plans to return the favour?"

Emerald drew a card. "I ride Dancing Princess of the Night Sky!" she slammed it down, the blonde circus girl appearing on the battle field, smiling. Emerald then smirked and turned over a card in her damage zone, putting it face-down. "And with her skill, when she's played I can take a Pale Moon unit Grade 2 or less and put it into she soul," she looked through her deck before grabbing Barking Cerberus and putting it into the soul, then she shuffled her deck and put it down.

Dancing Princess of the Night Sky

Grade: 2

Power: 8000

Shield: 5000

Barking Cerberus

Grade: 2

Power: 10000

Shield: 5000

"Then I call Skull Juggler!" she played the unit to the bottom left of her Vanguard "And with its skill, I Soul Charge!" she put the top card of her deck into the soul, revealing it as a Purple Trapezist. "Then I'll use the skill of Girl Who Crossed The Gap!" she flipped over her other card and slid the card into the soul, before sliding out Barking Cerberus. "Superior Call, Barking Cerberus!" she put it in front of Skull Juggler.

Skull Juggler

Grade: 1

Power: 7000

Shield: 5000

Purple Trapezist

Grade: 1

Power: 6000

Shield: 5000

"With support from Skull Juggler, Barking Cerberus attacks Raien!" she turned the cards sideways and Cerberus roared out as it charged.

Jaune glanced over his hand before making his choice. "I don't guard!" he grunted as the attack hit and he turned over his top card, revealing his Photon Bomber Wyvern. He put it into the damage zone.

Emerald smirked. "Now I'll attack with my vanguard!" she turned it onto its side and it began to literally swing towards Raien.

"I don't guard," Jaune repeated.

"Then let's see what the drive trigger has to say," she turned over her top card and let out a smirk while Jaune grit his teeth. "Poison Juggler, a critical trigger. Obviously all of the effects go to my vanguard!" With that said, her Vanguard slammed into Jaune's.

8000+5000=13000

"Damage trigger check," Jaune turned over the first card. "Draw trigger. The power goes to Raien and I draw one card," he put the card in his damage zone before he drew a card. "Second check," he turned it over to reveal a Dragonic Kaiser Vermillion, which he put into the damage zone as well.

"That ends my turn," Emerald smirked.

Oobleck's voice carried throughout the crowd. "Incredible! In one turn, Miss Sustrai has dealt 3 damage to Mr Arc, putting her in the lead! Truly, the Pale Moon clan is one that should be feared!"

Peter nodded. "Indeed! Perhaps one of the more underestimated clans, it is by no means weak, which is being proven by Emerald in this battle!"

Jaune:

None, Raien, Red River

None, Saishin, None

Hand: 6

Damage: 3

Emerald:

Cerberus, Dancing Princess, None

Skull Juggler, None, None

Hand: 5

Damage: 2

"Come on Jaune...take her down..." Yang mumbled, wishing she was the one down there facing Emerald, getting her retribution.

"Don't worry Yang," Ruby said enthusiastically. "Jaune will win! I just know it!" Blake nodded in agreement, but she was hiding her worry. Emerald was a very good player, and they knew next to nothing about her Pale Moon deck.

Jaune took a breath. "I stand and draw," he stood his two units and drew a card. "I ride Desert Gunner, Shiden!" he slammed the card down as the cloaked gunner appeared on the battlefield. "With Shiden's skill, Cerberus can't intercept this turn. Then Red River moves back, and I call Demonic Dragon Berserker, Garuda!" he moved the red armoured warrior back as the orange demon appeared in front of it.

"Garuda attacks first!" Jaune declared as he turned the two cards on their side, the creature firing two blasts of yellow lightning.

9000+8000=17000

Emerald didn't do anything, as such the attack hit her Vanguard and she turned over a card, slipping another Dancing Princessinto the damage zone.

"And just like that, they are tied!" Port boomed. "But Jaune still has an attack left!"

"With a boost from Saishin, Shiden attacks your vanguard!" he turned the two cards on their sides as Shiden readied his gun.

9000+5000=14000

Emerald quickly grabbed a card from her hand and put it on the Guardian circle. "Poison Juggler will put a stop to that!"

8000+10000=18000

Jaune grumbled. "Drive check," he turned over a card and grinned. "A critical trigger! All of the effects will be going straight to Shiden!" he grinned widely as Shiden's power grew, breaking through Emerald's guard and hitting her Vanguard.

14000+5000=19000 Critical=2

The mint haired girl grit her teeth. "Damage trigger check..." she turned it over, this time revealing a Grade 3, Midnight Invader. It was no great loss to her apparently, since she put it in the damage zone without much of a care. She turned over the second, and grimaced just slightly as she put a Poison Juggler into her damage zone.

Midnight Invader

Grade: 3

Power: 10000

"Tremendous!" Oobleck's voice carried. "Despite guarding, Mr Arc was able to get a trigger and break through Miss Sustrai's defence and take the lead away from her!"

"A great show of strength from Jaune!" Peter agreed. "But how will Miss Sustrai respond to that viscous attack?"

Jaune:

None, Shiden, Garuda

None, Saishin, Red River

Hand: 6

Damage: 3

Emerald:

Cerberus, Dancing Princess, None

Skull Juggler, None, None

Hand: 4

Damage: 5

"That's it Jaune!" Yang cheered. "Show that bitch who the boss is!"

"Yang!" Ruby said in shock at her sister swearing.

The busty blonde soon winced. "Sorry sis, but I'm just super excited!"

Blake nodded in agreement with Yang. "Yeah, I mean, we never saw Emerald lose a card fight at Nationals, maybe she'll finally have a loss and we can get some hope!"

"I stand and I draw," Emerald said, standing her units and drawing a card. "I must admit, you did better than I thought you would," she admitted. "But it ends here for you!" she grabbed a card and smirked. "When her thorny whip cracks, even dragons fall to their knees!" she raised the card up before slamming it down onto her Vanguard circle. "I ride Silver Thorn Dragon Tamer, Luquier!" Answering her call, a black clad and glasses wearing unit appeared on Emerald's side of the field, cracking her whip with a sadistic grin.

Silver Thorn Dragon Tamer, Luquier

Grade: 3

Power: 10000

"Superb!" Port's voice boomed. "A card from the new expansion set, and a powerful one at that! The new queen of the Pale Moon clan, Silver Thorn Dragon Tamer, Luquier has entered the battle field! And a dangerous card at that!"

Emerald smirked. "I call a second Skull Juggler!" she placed it behind her vanguard. "And soul charge!" she put the top card of her deck into her soul, smirking as it was another Barking Cerberus. "Luquier's limit break!" she declared, turning over three cards in her damage zone. Luquier smirked as she cracked her whip. "With her limit break, I can superior call up to one Grade 0, 1, 2, and 3 from the soul to rear-guard!" She slid two cards out from the soul and onto the rear-guard. "Come! Barking Cerberus, Midnight Bunny!" she put Cerberus in the front and Bunny behind. "And when I superior call a unit from the soul, Luquier's power increases by 3000 for each!"

10000+3000+3000=16000

"And just like that, with only two cards used from her hand, she fills up her entire rear-guard!" Port announced. "Truly, the Pale Moon is powerful! And Emerald is about to begin her all out attack!"

"With a boost from Midnight Bunny, Cerberus on the right attacks Shiden!" she turned the card and Cerberus howled as it charged towards Jaune's vanguard.

"I don't guard!" he declared, grunting as his vanguard got slammed into. "Checking for a damage trigger!" he turned it over, clicking his tongue at the sight of his Dragonic Deathscythe. He put it in the damage zone.

Emerald smirked. "With a boost from Skull Juggler, I'll have Luquier attack Shiden!" Luquier laughed as she jumped towards Shiden, ready to strike him with her whip.

16000+7000=23000

Jaune grit his teeth. "Not so fast!" he grabbed three cards from his hand and put them on the guardian circle. "I guard with two Yellow Gem Carbuncle and my Old Dragon Mage!"

9000+10000+10000+5000=34000

Emerald grit her teeth here. "I check the twin drive!" she announced. "First check..." she turned it over, revealing another Luquier. "Second check..." she revealed Rainbow Magician, a draw trigger, and grit her teeth. "I give the power to my standing Cerberus, and I draw one card." she drew her card as Luquier's attack was stopped, and grit her teeth again.

10000+5000=15000

Rainbow Magician

Grade: 0 (Draw Trigger)

Power: 5000

Shield: 10000

Jaune put his three cards into the drop zone, sighing in relief, but as he looked over his hand he knew he had gotten lucky. She now had five cards in he hand while he only held thee. Things weren't looking to be in his favour...

"With a boost from Skull Juggler," Emerald spoke up, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Cerberus attacks your vanguard!"

Jaune grit his teeth as his unit was hit, and revealed Thunder Break Dragon, before putting it in his damage zone.

"You may have lived this turn," Emerald warned. "But next turn you won't be so lucky. I end my turn."

Jaune:

None, Shiden, Garuda

None, Saishin, Red River

Hand: 3

Damage: 5

Emerald:

Cerberus, Luquier, Cerberus

Skull Juggler, Sull Juggler, Midnight Bunny

Hand: 5

Damage: 5

"And at the end of that turn, the score is all tied up!" Oobleck exclaimed hastily. "But Jaune Arc looks to be in despair, and his field is still quite empty! Things are not looking up for him! Does he have what it takes to win the game this turn?!"

Peter nodded in agreement with Oobleck's words. "Indeed! We shall just have to wait and see what Jaune does now!"

Ignoring their debate, thoughts were running wild through Jaune's head. Fuck, fuck, fuck! That was too close for comfort! If she'd gotten a critical trigger, I'd have just lost the game! Maybe I should just quit...I...who was I kidding? The regionals? I got lucky to make it this far...sorry Ozpin, but I don't have what it takes to win...

He was about to quit, honestly he was, when he heard a voice yell out. "GO JAUNE! BEAT HER!"

His eyes widened at the familiar voice and he glanced up. "Ruby...?" he whispered.

Emerald had also looked up and grit her teeth. "Team Aegis...!"

"Yeah Jaune!" his eyes looked to Ruby's side and grew wider, seeing it was Yang who was now standing and cheering for her. "Kick her ass!"

"Don't let her beat you!" Blake's voice agreed, and he saw all three of them were standing up...cheering for him...soon enough, the entire crowd began to cheer, rooting for Jaune, wanting him to win.

"Everyone..." he whispered before he closed his eyes. And when they opened, they glowed with power, small blue spirals in each of his eyes, the tips traced with pink. "You don't have to tell me that!" He told them loudly. This is my only chance! He thought to himself. If I can't win the game this turn, then I don't deserve to win the tournament! I trust my deck! I trust that it will bring me through this! This is my... "FINAL TURN!" he declared.

That made everyone blink. "Jaune Arc declares Final Turn!" Peter's voice boomed. "He must have some extreme confidence that he can win! Will he be able to follow through with his declaration?!"

Emerald laughed at him. "Oh please, you won't win this turn, there's no chance that I'll let your attacks go through!"

Jaune ignored her, standing his units before he drew, and he grabbed a card. "Break out of the cage that binds you!" Jaune roared. "Spread your heavenly wings and descend onto the battlefield, incarnation of thunder!" He slammed it down. "Ride The Vanguard! Dragonic Kaiser Vermillion!"

In a flash of lightning, Jaune's ace card appeared on the battlefield before it let out a devastating roar, shaking the surface of Cray. "I call Dragonic Kaiser Vermillion and Red River Dragoon!" he placed both cards onto the left column, Vermillion in the front, Red River behind him.

Taking a breath, Jaune looked over his field before they focused on Vermillion. "In order to reach new heights, we must surpass ourselves, and shatter the limits in front of us!" Jaune flipped over three cards in his damage zone as Vermillion's eyes glowed and it let out a powerful roar. "Limit Break! Vermillion gets 2000 power! And his next attack will strike your entire front row!"

11000+2000=13000

Emerald's eyes widened. "My whole front row?!"

"That's right!" Jaune nodded in confirmation. "With a boost from Saishin, Vermillion will attack!" Vermillion raised its sword as lightning struck it, and it swung towards Emerald's font row.

13000+5000=18000

Emerald grit her teeth. "I guard with Candy Clown and Rainbow Magician!" she placed the two cards onto the field, and they appeared in front of Luquier.

Candy Clown

Grade: 0 (Heal Trigger)

Power: 5000

Shield: 10000

"Checking twin drive..." Jaune turned over the first card, revealing Malevolent Djinn. "Critical trigger! All effects will go to my rear-guard Vermillion!" a powerful roar was heard as its strength grew. "And the second check..." he flipped it over and Emerald gasped. It was another Malevolent Djinn. "Critical trigger! All effects go to my rear-guard Vermillion!" its roar grew louder.

11000+5000+5000=21000 Critical=3

"Taste this!" Jaune yelled out. "Strike them, lightning of the apocalypse! Vermillion Thunderbolt!" Lightning arced from the sword and struck both Cerberus, though Luquier got protected by Emerald's unit, and they all fell into the drop zone.

"Guarding only defends one unit?!" Emerald yelled out.

"It isn't over yet!" Jaune roared. "With a boost from Red River, Garuda attacks!" he turned the two cards onto their sides, and Garuda fired its cannons.

Emerald, panicking, was quick to guard. "I guard with Poison Juggler!" she said, revealing a critical trigger that was in her hand. The cannon's slammed against her defender, and it fell into the drop zone.

"It ends now!" Jaune told her. "With a boost from Red River, my rear-guard Vermillion will finish this!" His ace card roared as it raised it's thunder coated blade, glaring evilly at Luquier.

21000+8000=29000 Critical=3

Emerald looked down frantically at her hand. She held a Luquier and a Mirror Demon. Nowhere near enough to stop the attack. Swinging its blade, Vermillion struck it's target, slicing straight through Luquier. "Damage check..." she turned over her top card. Hades Hypnotist. She dropped it, putting her hands on the table as she looked down with wide eyes. "I...lost..."

The holographic field faded away as the Judge raised his arm. "The Winner: Jaune Arc!"

The crowd cheered loudly at the announcement, and Peter's voice boomed over it. "And there you have it! Our second finalist, going on to face Cardin Winchester, is the newcomer: Jaune Arc! What a turn of events, to have beaten a member of the team that won Nationals last year!"

"Quite!" Oobleck agreed. "We can expect many great things from Jaune Arc in the future, that is something we can be certain of!"

Jaune took deep breaths, before blinking as the glow faded from his eyes. "I did it!" he cheered out, throwing his arm into the air with a wide grin.

Emerald looked up and glared at him. "You...next time will be different!" she told him as she gathered up her cards and hurried away.

Jaune was too busy grinning to be mad, before he remembered something. He looked up, to see the cheering forms of Ruby, Yang, and Blake. It brought a smile to his lips to see his friends there, but a frown soon came to his features. They had some explaining to do...


Emerald walked down one of the hallways, clearly angry. "That little punk! Next time, I'll show him how it's done! I'll use my proper deck, and he'll be sorry that he ever messed with me!"

"A problem, Emerald?" a smooth and silky voice said from the darkness in front of her, making the mint haired girl pale.

"Y-yeah Cinder!" she nodded. "There's this new brat in the tournament, but he had skills! He was able to beat me! How could we have not of heard of him before now if he was that good?!"

'Cinder' hummed in thought. "How indeed...perhaps we should do a background check on this young man...what is his name?"

Emerald mumbled before she spoke up. "Jaune Arc...!"

Cinder drew in a breath of shock, and Emerald had a puzzling look, but her cool and calm voice spoke to Emerald. "Jaune Arc you say...? I will be sure to do a background check on this man..." golden eyes stared out of the darkness, directly past Emerald and at the man in question. "Personally..."