Invaders
Chapter 9: Stand up, Marianne!
"Okay. Daigo-san... take care. We've lost too many in this war." Ren says as he goes to stay by Aichi's side, as he realizes that Marianne was still there, and she was alive.
"Leave it to me!" Daigo smiles as he shows his deck directly to Kenji, revealing a powerful grade 3.
"Sanctuary of Light, Brightness Dragon? I'm gonna show you the power of my deck. "Reverse" Daiyusha will take you down! Let's go."
"Then let it be!"
"Stand up, marvellous Vanguard!"
"Stand up, Vanguard."
"Sanctuary of Light, Planet Lancer."
"Dimensional Robo, Goyusha."
"Daigo, a legendary fighter. Even if Royal Paladin has got defenses, Link Joker will still invade. The sanctuary cannot be protected from Link Joker. Ride, Daitiger! Goyusha moves back." he bluntly asserts.
"You can never know before you try. Ride... Sanctuary of Light, Little Storm! With Planet Lancer's skill, I add Determinator to my hand. Attack! Check and get... Rachelle, critical trigger! Little Storm shall deliver two damage. Go, marvellous Vanguard!"
"Damage check: Daishield and Daicrane, a draw Trigger. Daitiger powers up and draw."
"Turn end."
"Draw. Ride... Daifighter! Call, Daidragon, Dailander and Daitiger. Dailander's Counterblast. Daitiger's power +4000."
Mitsusada's field:
Daidragon | Daifighter | Daitiger
Dailander | Goyusha | No card
"He might have used his hand to build this field, but it's going to be difficult to deal with it anyway." Daigo thinks, worried.
"Goyusha boosts. Daifighter! Drive check: Daikaiser, no trigger." (3 cards in Mitsusada's hand)
"Damage trigger check: Noble Stinger, a Critical Trigger. Little Storm's power+5000/critical+1!" Daigo prontly responds to that trigger.
"Daitiger and Daidragon attack!"
"I guard with Sacred Unicorn and then Marron!"
"Well done, Daigo. But don't you dare think the next turns will be as easy." Mitsusada grins.
"True. The next turn we shall contemplate your empire's demise." Daigo playfully laughs, "Stand and draw. Ride, Determinator! When I ride Determinator over Little Storm and I have Planet Lancer on Soul... I get to superior call... Little Storm! And call, Gallatin and also... Marron."
Daigo's field:
Gallatin | Determinator | No card
L. Storm | Marron | No card
"I see. Superior calling "Sanctuary of Light" units. Although, that gives you no advantage. My Dimension Police will crush it all. Justice always prevails!"
"Determinator attacks!" Daigo proceeds, ignoring Mitsusada's comment. "Drive check: Planetal Dragon." (4 cards in Daigo's hand)
"Damage check: Daikaiser."
"Gallatin!"
"Don't joke with me. Guard... Daibattles!" (Mitsusada's damage: 3) Mitsusada skilfully guards.
"Turn end.
"Stand and draw. Precursor of darkness, appear now and muster your power... Ride, Daikaiser! Goyusha boosts!"
"No guard."
"First check... Heal Trigger. Power to Daitiger and one damage is healed. Second check... Daidragon." (4 cards in Mitsusada's hand and 2 damage)
"Damage check... Planetal Dragon."
"Daitiger! Daidragon!"
"No guard. Determinator and Sacred Unicorn, draw trigger! Power to Determinator and I draw!"
"You were rushed pretty fastly to 4 damage, Daigo." Mitsusada brags.
"Let's see what it'll get you. Stand and draw! From the absolute, beautiful world... descend with your holy wings... Ride! Sanctuary of Light, Planetal Dragon! Determinator is a card in my Soul, therefore its power is 11000. Counterblast. Superior call, Little Storm! I call Determinator from my hand. Everything's ready." Daigo playfully asserts.
Daigo's field:
Gallatin | Planetal | Determinator
L. Storm | Marron | L. Storm
"That's quite the setup you got there. But it cannot beat my Dimension Police." Mitsusada prontly answers, showing no signs of weakness.
"Planetal Dragon attacks! When this unit attacks, its skill activates! All my units with "Sanctuary of Light" get power +3000!"
"That's irrelevant. No guard!"
"First check: get... Noble Stinger, power to Gallatin, critical to Planetal Dragon. Second check: Summoning Jewel Knight, Gloria." (6 cards on Daigo's hand)
"First: Dailander. Second: Daicrane, Draw Trigger. Power to Daikaiser!"
"Determinator! Due to Planetal's skill, both him and his booster, Storm, are powered up by +3000! And Gallatin with a boost from Little Storm!" Daigo exclaims, joyfully.
"Dairescue and Gorgon guards!"
"Turn end." Daigo ends his turn.
"Link Joker is justice, Daigo. You shall realize that sooner than you think. Stand and draw. (4) Daitiger moves. Daiyusha, call! Goyusha's skill activates. I send Dailander, Goyusha, Daiyusha, Daitiger to Soul!"
"Could it be?!" Mitsusada is startled by the idea.
"Hero of darkness, appear before me and allow victory to the Emperor! This is a... Superior Crossbreakride... Dark Dimensional Robo, "Reverse" Daiyusha!"
"I see!" Daigo grasps the idea, "Sending Daiyusha to the Soul through Goyusha's skill allows him to get a constant 13000 power."
"Counterblast. Break Ride skill! "Reverse" Daiyusha gets power +10000/critical+1. And that's not all. If a grade 3 is revealed in a drive check, I am able to remove one of your guardians and nullify a Perfect Guard. That's Daikaiser's power: Guard Break!"
"Guard Break... that's a pain." Daigo complains.
"Dailander and Daidragon are called! Dailander's skill, Daidragon powers up! "Reverse" Daiyusha's Limit Break! Lock two rearguards and Planetal Dragon's power -10000."
Mitsusada's field:
Daidragon (13k) | "R" Daiyusha | Daidragon (lock)
Dailander (lock) | No card | No card
"This is gonna be difficult to deal with." Daigo thinks to himself.
"Go, my Vanguard! Attack Planetal Dragon!"
"Knight whose pride shall defend my comrades, appear before me! Summoning Jewel Knight, Gloria! From the top of the deck: Brightness Dragon, Gloria, Rachelle, Hirumi and Sacred Unicorn. From my hand, Noble Stinger and Hirumi! Your Guard Break cannot break through this wall, Mitsusada!"
"That will not be necessary. First check: Daicrane, Daidragon powers up. Second check: Daicrane. Power to Daidragon and draw. Daidragon attacks!" (5 cards in Mitsusada's hand)
"Double draw?!" Daigo is surprised, "No guard." he declares whilst his Damage check reveals Brightness Dragon.
"5 damage, Daigo. And I have more cards than you do. You cannot win."
"Stand and draw." Daigo ignores his remark and keeps going, "Final Turn!"
Daigo feels weak though. This fight has proved to be much more tiring and needing him to act very fastidiously in order to win. Both his mind and body are exhausted. That is not supposed to happen so often. That means Link Joker's darkness is spreading even more. Ren keeps waiting for Aichi and Marianne to come back, but all the doors are closing. Hope is fading away. Ren is worn out. Aichi cannot fight. Neither can Marianne. Daigo may be able to win that fight, but not to keep fighting and neither would Mitsusada after being unReversed. Misaki, Emi and Katsuragi are Reversed. A feeling of hopelessness takes over Earth's Cardfighters as time passes.
"I shall expel you from our sanctuary, Link Joker! Brightness Dragon, ride! And Limit Break. I pay the cost and three of my rearguards get power+5000! Gallatin, Marron and Determinator. Marron boosts Brightness Dragon!"
"Guard... Dairescue and Daicrane. Daidragon intercepts."
"First check: Rachelle, all effects to Determinator. Second check: Hirumi. Power to Determinator, and heal one. Little Storm boosts, Gallatin attacks Daidragon."
"No guard." Daidragon is retired.
"Determinator, attack!"
"Damn it!" Mitsusada thinks to himself as he sees his hand: Daicrane, Daitiger and Daibattles. "If just he hadn't gotten two triggers, I could have..."
"Will you guard, Mitsusada?" Daigo asks, a tad impatient.
"I'll bet on a trigger! First check: Daikaiser. Second damage check: Daiyusha..." Mitsusada says as he realizes his loss.
"Come back to yourself, Mitsusada!" Daigo exclaims as if ordering Link Joker away.
Mitsusada groans as the unReverse process takes place. He is unable to stay conscious, though, joining Aichi and Marianne in their unconsciousness. Daigo sits next to Ren to see how the others were, but hope is almost none. Even if Aichi were to regain consciousness, he would be too weak to fight. Same as Mitsusada. Marianne would be the only hope. Should she wake up, there could still be hope. Silent and unknowingly, every Cardfighter prays for Marianne. They scream ever so strongly that their Vanguard is saved. "Stand up, Marianne!", they scream over and over... and over. Steps are heard. A familiar person appears.
"You are..." Ren lets out a brief smile recognizing the person but quickly that smile fades.
"I'm the hope of the Souryuu people. They shall embrace Link Joker and I as their future!" Souryuu Leon asserts, revealing his Reversed state.
"Even Leon?!" Ren is startled, but yet he cannot put himself on the front line and fight and neither can Daigo.
"Suzugamori Ren... Daigo... should you accept Reverse, it will be much easier on you. Otherwise, you will suffer much more." Leon affirms.
"Daigo-san... what should we do? We're not in condition to fight, but running would mean leaving Aichi and Marianne here." he asks Daigo directly.
"Then we have to fight, Ren." he prontly answers, without thinking.
"Don't be an idiot. You've just gone through a fight with one of the best Cardfighters in the world that was Reversed. Leon is another one. If you try too hard, your body will not resist." Ren directly exposes the consequences of reckless fighting.
"What's gonna be, Ren... Daigo?"
"Please. Something... save us!" Ren silently hopes.
"Souryuu Leon... isn't it?" a woman's voice is heard near Ren and Daigo.
"What?!" Leon wonders about who she is.
"M-Marianne!" Ren exclaims, happily as he sees Marianne standing up, strongly.
"I heard them all, Ren. Every Cardfighter in this world prayed for me. Prayed so that I can save Vanguard. I shall not let them down. Leon... you stand no chance. You either give up or you're gonna get destroyed in our fight."
"Ludicrous! You think I, the Souryuu's child, would give up at the declaration of an ordinary woman like you."
"Then you shall get beaten until you are unReversed."
Their fight does not take long. Even with Maelstrom "Reverse"'s tremendous power, Marianne deals with it lightly and finishes the game easily with a new ace: Empress of Essence, Venus. An astonishing card that may be the hope in defeating Link Joker's power. Leon comes back to his senses rapidly enough, without losing consciousness.
"What happened?" he asks, still a little confused. "I was Reversed, wasn't I?"
"Yeah. Do you remember by whom?" Marianne asks, not showing any sign of being tired.
"My memories are fuzzy... but I'm pretty sure it was Kai Toshiki."
"Kai-kun..." Aichi's weakened voice is heard.
"Aichi-kun..." Ren prontly answers. "It's good you're up. But try to rest for the moment."
"W-what happened?" Aichi asks, but then realizes. "I-I was R-Reversed... right?" he asks, as if he already knew the answer.
"Yes." Ren answers, bluntly.
"I'm sorry, Ren-san. It seems that you unReversed me. But... m-more importantly, Kai-kun..."
"Aichi-kun... you should rest. We'll take care of the Reversed fighters."
"Who is she?" he asks, pointing at Marianne.
"Name's Marianne. Top fighter. And that's all you need to know." she answers, impolitely.
"Kai-kun..." Aichi groans painfully, "Can you save him, Marianne-san?"
"You idiot! Even now you're thinking about Kai Toshiki. At this moment, you're worthless to him. Realize that, Sendou Aichi." she answers, very bluntly, without regard to Aichi's feelings.
"Marianne!" Ren tries to interrupt, bothered by the way she is speaking.
"I don't have time for chitchat, Sendou Aichi. Before we even get to Kai Toshiki, we'll have to get by Katsuragi Kamui, Tokura Misaki and Sendou Emi."
"Emi?!" Aichi's eyes open widely. "She was Reversed?!"
"Yeah. Thanks to you." Marianne answers, even though she is unsure of the information due to the lack of evidence.
"You don't know that." Daigo defends Aichi instantly.
"Yes, I do." she answers, looking extremely certain of her position, even though she is not.
"We can either stay here and debate who Reversed who and let the world rot or go save it. Which do you lot choose?" she asks, stopping the development of the previous topic of the conversation.
"I don't think you have a choice." a voice, Tokura Misaki's, is heard as many steps are heard approaching them.
"Tokura Misaki, Sendou Emi, Katsuragi Kamui and..." Marianne starts.
"Kai-kun..." Aichi completes.
"If we win this..." Daigo says.
"We will have a chance to expel Link Joker once and for all!"
"Expel Link Joker?" Kai asks, with an ironic tone, "Impossible. Alpha Link cannot be beaten by the likes of you. And even if you do beat Alpha Link, Omega Grandiose will take care of you all."
"Omega Grandiose?! What's that?" they all wonder, but Aichi addresses it through a direct question to Kai.
"Link Joker's ultimate weapon. The key to destroying this world."
"Destroying the world?!" Aichi asks.
"Aichi... Link Joker will bring this world to an end!" Kai declares, bluntly.
"It seems Link Joker has made you even more arrogant, Kai." a voice, known to be Miwa's, is heard.
"Miwa..." Kai says as he directs himself to the sound, realizing Miwa's arrival.
"I'll make you remember, Kai. With this card!" he reveals one of the cards in his deck, a Kagero.
"That card is...!" Kai backs off, surprised.
"Yeah... that is Dragonic Overlord Rebirth! Dragonic Overlord's new form. Its strongest form. Kai, I'll guide Kagero's leader and bring you back to your senses!"
Preview – Chapter 10: Reduce everything to ashes!
"This is Dragonic Overlord's true power, Kai." A fierce fight for the future of the world begins. Since Marianne has woken up, even though rather different than she was before, hope has arrived and so have reinforcements. The fight against Link Joker may have a future. "Reduce everything to ashes with your apocalyptic flames, Overlord Rebirth! This is the end, Kai!", Miwa's fight lasts for a long time and so do others. Each one of their aces come at their full power in the hardest fight they could possibly have. "Emi, I swear I'll bring you back!", Aichi exclaims.
