This chapter is a continuation of the previous chapter.
Chrono is on his way back to Card Capital after his battle against Yusuke, but he can't shake the brutal defeat Yusuke handed him.
Flashback
"This world is cruel Chrono…" Yusuke says starting to sound a little crazy, "people will do anything to benefit themselves and get ahead of you, so they can fulfil their own selfish desires!"
Yusuke smiles wickedly and gives Chrono a malicious gaze "All effects to Gilles de Rais (43000-58000-73000-88000/Crit 2-3-4-5)!" Gilles de Rais fires his energy spears at Chrono causing massive explosions and making Chrono cry out in agonizing pain. (Chrono: X X X [] [] []).
End Flashback
"Who was that guy…?" Chrono thinks to himself. He then soon arrives at Card Capital Z and sees Yuji sweeping the floor like he did before.
"Hey man, how'd it go?" Yuji asks him as he walks through the door, but then notices his gloomy face. "Did something happen?" he asks.
Chrono simply glances at him and then looks down at his feet. "The… guy I faced…" Chrono begins to say, "he… was so strong…"
"What clan did he use?" Yuji asks him out of curiosity.
Chrono hesitates for a second but then tells him, "Dark Irregulars." Yuji then starts to look concerned.
"What did he look like?" He questions.
"He…" Chrono begins but hesitates, "he had white hair that was blue in the front and…" before he could finish, Yuji gasps and drops the broom he was holding. "What's wrong?" Chrono asks him, but Yuji runs over to Chrono and aggressively holds him by the shoulders.
"What was his name?! Did he say?!" he asks in desperation.
"Um…" Chrono tries to say, but is concerned by the situation, "Yusuke Katsunori I think…" Yuji then lets go of Chrono and steps back in shock. "Yuji?" Chrono tries to talk to him, but Yuji hangs his head.
"Chrono…" he says and then looks up at Chrono determined, "there's something I need to tell you. Yusuke… he's… he's the third member of Team Exodus." Chrono then steps back in shock.
"What?!" he exclaims.
TURN 8 – Yuji Kyouto
"Yusuke was on Team Exodus with you?!" Chrono asks Yuji in shock, "I thought he was still in jail?!"
"He was, until recently." Yuji explains, "I don't know how he got out of jail, whether they let him out or he broke out, but he's out, and what his new goals are I have no idea."
"So what are you going to do?" Chrono asks him, and he pulls his deck out of his back pocket.
"Fight me Chrono." Yuji declares.
"Huh?!" Chrono exclaims, surprised by this.
"I have to get stronger!" Yuji explains, "I can't let Yusuke keep doing whatever he wants. I need to stop him before he can do anything else." He then hangs his head again in regret, "I failed to stop him before, and I can't fail this time! So fight me!"
Chrono thinks for a second and then tenses up, "Alright." He agrees and the two of them gather at a fight table and declare, "Stand up, VANGUARD!"
"Gunnergear Dracokid (G0/5000)!" Chrono declares.
"Extreme Battler, Victhead (G0/5000)!" Yuji declares. "I'll take the first turn! Ride! Extreme Battler Kendhol (G1/8000)! Moving Victhead with Forerunner."
"Ride! Mazergear Dragon (G1/8000)!" Chrono states, "Attack the Vanguard (8000-13000)!" Mazergear's attack hits Yuji square on (Yuji: []).
"Ride! Extreme Battler Kenbeam (G2/10000)! Call Extreme Battler Sever-Temper (G2/9000) and Extreme Battler Jerohawk (G1/7000)! Attack the Vanguard!" both of Yuji's attacks land on Chrono (Chrono: [] []).
"Ride! Smokegear Dragon (G2/10000)! Call another Smokegear (G2/10000)! Boosted by Dracokid, my Vanguard Smokegear attacks the Vanguard (10000-15000)!"
"No guard." Yuji declares.
"Drive check (Draw (Sentinel))! Draw Trigger! Power to my Rear Guard Smokegear (10000-20000) and I draw 1 card." (Yuji: [] []) "My Rear Guard Smokegear now attacks the Vanguard!"
"Guard (Shield: 10000+5000=15000)!" Yuji declares.
"I end my turn." Chrono declares, "Now show me your worst Yuji!"
"Fine, I'm holding nothing back!" Yuji declares raising his voice and holding a card high in the air, "Ride! Exxtreme Battler Victor (G3/13000)! Imaginary Gift: Accel! I gain 1 additional Rear Guard circle! I call Extreme Battler Gunzork (G2/10000), Extreme Battler Kendhol (G1/8000), and Exxtreme Battler Danshark (G3/12000-22000).
Board State
(G3/22000) – (G2/10000) – (G3/13000) – (G2/9000)
(G1/8000) – (G0/5000) – (G1/7000)
"Boosted by Kendhol, Gunzork attacks the Vanguard (10000-18000)!" Yuji declares.
"Guard (Shield: 9000)!" Chrono states.
"Boosted by Victhead, Victor attacks your Vanguard (13000-18000)!"
"No guard."
"Twin Drive (1st Heal)! Heal Trigger, recover 1 damage (Yuji: []). (2nd Front) Front Trigger! Add 10000 Power to all Front Row units (22000-32000) (18000-28000) (13000-23000) (9000-19000)!" Victor's attack lands on Chrono ([] [] []). "Danshark attacks the Vanguard!"
"No guard." Chrono declares again ([] [] [] []).
"Boosted by Jerohawk, Sever-Temper attacks the Vanguard (19000-26000)!"
"Complete Guard!" Chrono declares blocking the attack.
"I end my turn." Yuji says, sounding unsatisfied. "Is this seriously the best you can do Chrono?" he asks him sounding annoyed. "Show me your Imagination! Don't hold anything back!"
"Fine then!" Chrono declares and prepares his turn. "Stand and Draw! Now open the door and guide me to the future! Ride! Chronojet Dragon (G3/13000)! Imaginary Gift: Force! Apply it to the Vanguard (13000-23000)! Liberating the Generation Zone!" Chrono places his card in the drop zone and then imagines himself flying through a starry vortex with a bright light at the end. He clinches his fist and chants, "Now show it to me! The future I truly desire! Generation STRIDE!" as he is engulfed in a bright red light. "Interdimensional Dragon, Faterider Dragon (G4/38000)! Chronojet's Stride Skill (X [] [] [])! Send Sever-Temper to the bottom of the deck! I call Summit Crest Gear Wolf (G1/7000), Paradigm Dragon (G2/10000), and Steam Maiden Millia (G1/7000)! Using Faterider's Skill! Send Gunzork to the bottom of the deck, then I call Steam Maiden Elul from my deck replacing Smokegear (G3/12000). Now add 5000 Power to all of my units! And since a unit was placed on the bottom of the deck, add 3000 Power to Gear Wolf with its Skill!
Board State
(G2/10000-15000) – (G4/38000-43000) – (G3/12000-17000)
(G1/7000-12000) – (G0/5000-10000) – (G1/7000-12000-15000)
"Now Elul's skill (X X [] []) (Soul 2-1)! Send Danshark to the bottom of the deck and add another 3000 Power to Gear Wolf with its skill (15000-18000)! Boosted by Gear Wolf, Elul attacks the Vanguard (17000-32000)!"
"No Guard!" Yuji declares (Yuji: [] []).
"Boosted by Dracokid, Faterider attacks the Vanguard (43000-53000)!" Chrono declares.
Yuji looks at Chrono, then takes a card from his hand and places it in the drop zone. "Liberating the Generation Zone!" he shouts.
"What?!" Chrono exclaims in shock.
"Generation Guard! Righteous Superhuman, Blue Prison (Shield: 25000)!"
"G-Generation… Guard?" Chrono wonders.
"It's a form of guarding in which you call a defender from the future." Yuji explains. "You can perform a Generation Guard by discarding a Heal Trigger when the opponent attacks. Next I use Blue Prison's skill! Stand 1 Rear Guard and add 10000 to the Shield (25000-35000)! And Guard on top of that (Total Shield: 35000+10000=45000).
"Grr…" Chrono snorts, "Triple Drive (none/none (Sentinel)/Critical). Critical Trigger, all effects to Paradigm (G2/15000-25000/Crit 1-2). Boosted by Millia, Paradigm attacks the Vanguard (25000-37000)!"
"No Guard." Yuji declares ([] [] [] []).
"Alright, I can win this!" Chrono thinks to himself. "Using Paradigm and Millia's skills (Chrono: X X X X)! Stand them both and add 7000 and 3000 Power to them respectively (G2/37000-44000) (G1/12000-15000)! Time to end this! Boosted by Millia, Paradigm attacks again (44000-59000)!"
"Generation Guard! Righteous Superhuman, Blue Prison (Shield: 25000). Using his skill, stand a Rear Guard and add 10000 to the Shield (25000-35000). I stood Victhead, so use his skill (X [] [] [])! Send to the soul and call 2 Grade 2 or lower units! I call 2 Extreme Battler, Zeos (G2/10000 each)! I also guard on top of that (Total Shield: 35000+15000=50000)!"
"N-No way…" Chrono says in horror that Yuji managed to survive all of his attacks with one card left in hand.
"I have to thank you Chrono," Yuji tells him drawing his card and standing his remaining units, "you put up quite a fight. However…" he pauses for a second and then shouts aggressively "The real battle has only just begun! Let's go, my true Vanguard! To a world full of endless possibilities! Generation Ride! Exxtreme Battler, Raxis (G3/12000)!"
"No way!" Chrono exclaims in fear.
"Behold Chrono, this is my true Vanguard!" Yuji tells him revealing the last card in his hand as a Grade 3. "Imaginary Gift: Accel! I gain 1 Accel circle! And due to Raxis's skill, if I have an Exxtreme Battler in my soul, add 3000 Power (12000-15000)! And this power can transfer over to G Units."
"Say what?!" Chrono exclaims.
"Liberating the Generation Zone!" Yuji imagines himself flying through a starry vortex. He clinches his fist and chants, "Together with all our might, I will overcome my doubts and fight through to a perfect future! Generation Stride!" as he is engulfed in a bright white light. "Exxtreme Battler, Raxis Prime (G4/30000)! Imaginary Gift: Accel! Gain 1 Accel Circle! Raxis's Stride skill (X X [] []). My G Unit gains 4000 Power and a skill (30000-34000).
Board State
(G2/10000) – (G4/34000) – (G2/10000)
(G1/8000) – (XXXX) – (G1/7000)
"Boosted by Kendhol, Zeo attacks the Vanguard (10000-18000)!" Yuji declares.
"No guard… Damage Check (Heal). Heal Trigger, recover 1 Damage." (Chrono: X X X []).
"Zeo's skill, when it finishes attacking, if my Vanguard is still standing, I can stand it!" This Zeo attacks again!"
"Guard (Shield: 7000)!"
"Boosted by Jerohawk, my other Zeo attacks the Vanguard (10000-17000)!"
"No Guard." (Chrono: X X X [] []).
"Zeo's skill! Stand it and attack again!"
"Guard (Shield: 7000)!"
Chrono smirks thinking he's going to win, but Yuji looks unfazed and reaches for his Vanguard. "Let's win this old friend." He to it, "Raxis Prime attacks the Vanguard! Using his skill (X X X X)! When he attacks the Vanguard, add 10000 Power and 1 Critical (34000-44000/Crit 1-2)! Then if I have 3 or more Accel Gifts, add another Critical and a skill (Crit 2-3)!"
"Complete Guard!" Chrono declares.
"Triple Drive (none/Critical/Front). Critical and Front Trigger! All effects to Raxis Prime (44000-54000-64000/Crit 3-4)! I now activate Raxis Prime's Final Skill!"
"What?!" Chrono exclaims in shock.
"If I've made 5 or more attacks this turn, Raxis Prime Stands and gets Drive -2!"
"S-Standing the Vanguard!" Chrono exclaims in horror.
"Raxis Prime attacks the Vanguard one last time! This is the end Chrono!"
Chrono looks at his hand which only contains a lonely Chronojet Dragon with no shield. "No Guard…" he says in defeat.
"Drive Check (SCritical)! Super Critical Trigger! All effects to Raxis Prime (64000-79000/Crit 4-5)!"
Raxis Prime rapidly descends at Chronojet, and even though he's about to lose, Chrono gives Yuji a kind smile and he gives one right back. Raxis raises its sword slams down on Chronojet splitting him in two (Chrono: X X X [] [] []).
After the fight, Chrono and Yuji sit down on the couch near the back of the store drinking cold sodas. "Ahhh!" Yuji exhales pulling the soda can away from his mouth. "That was a great fight Chrono." He tells him.
"Yeah." Chrono replies, "You're a lot stronger than I thought."
Yuji the stares at his soda can, "But I'm still not strong enough…" he says in gloom, "I failed to stop Yusuke the first time because I was weak. So when Saki told me he got out of jail, I made a vow to myself that I would get stronger, so that I wouldn't fail him again!" He then starts to squeeze his soda can tighter to where it crimples a little.
"Yuji…" Chrono mutters.
"Even though he's changed for the worst, he's still my best friend." Yuji says and then stands up off the couch. "So I am going to get stronger, so that next time…" he glances at Chrono, "I can save him."
Chrono gives him a warm smile and stands up as well. "I'm the same way." He tells him and extends a hand to him, "I want to get stronger to. So let's do it together."
"You got it Chrono." Yuji replies and takes his hand firmly and the two shake hands, offering to help make each other stronger and better players.
Next Time:
Chrono meets a young boy named Taiyou who seems a little down.
TURN 9 – Taiyou Asukawa
