SailorStar9: With Chapter 8 uploaded, this is Chapter 9 of this fic. For everyone who put this fic on your favorited and followed lists and/or story alerts, thank you, but remember everyone, a lot of authors (myself included) sustain on readers' reviews.

Pairing: Kai/Ami, side!Miwa/Minako

Standard BS Disclaimers: Sailor Moon and Cardfight! Vanguard belong to Takeuchi-sensei and Bushiroad respectively. Me, on the other hand, own absolutely nothing, except the pairing and the fic idea.

Chapter 9: Countdown to Despair

"You have a message from Takuto-sama." Takuto's secretary picked Kai up at the airport. "He said 'I'm satisfied with the results this time.'"

Kai simply remained silent as he focused on Ami's dwindling aura. I can barely feel her now. He wondered. I haven't been away for that long, have I? His attention was caught when he spotted Miwa by the roadside. "Long time no see." he stepped out of the car.

"Yeah." Miwa agreed. "It has been awhile, hasn't it?"

"You wanted something?" Kai asked.

"There's this rumor spreading around the Net about an increasing number of weird Cardfights happening here and there around the world." Miwa stated, closing the distance between them. "One day, suddenly, someone's personality changes and they're way stronger than before. And they try to increase the number of people like them. This all started around the time you and Ami disappeared. What a joke. But it all fits."

"If I'm the one, what of it?" Kai challenged.

"I didn't wanna believe it." Miwa sighed. "Why are you doing this? Why did you have anything to do with this? Talk to me, Kai, what exactly did you do?" his attention was diverted with Takuto's secretary showed 'Reversed' Takuto on the screen of an open laptop.

"Hello, Cardfighters all over the world." 'Reversed' Takuto greeted. "I trust you're all enjoying yourselves as you strive to win a fight today? It pleases me immensely. Friends and comrades and frenemies, growing as fighter: I know how fulfilling that can be. And yet, nothing lasts forever. No matter how fun your days are, they'll eventually come to an end. And that day is right before you. This may seem sudden, but your world is going to be destroyed. This is unavoidable. The world will be dominated by Link Joker. Cardfighters, I'm sure some of you are aware of the phenomenon known as 'Reverse'. Link Joker is the very one controlling that phenomenon. When a Cardfighter loses to a Reversed fighter, he becomes Reversed, too. If he's Reversed, his personality changes, and he becomes very strong, but what really happens is that he becomes a solider of our Link Joker army. With an increase in their numbers, we have become more powerful than ever. Take a look at this." the screen fizzled to show the black ring in the sky. "This is a gate. If you look up in the sky, you'll see them, here and there all over the world. Even now, the number of Reversed fighters is increasing. The gates will open wider the more life-force they absorb from the Harmony Goddess' human form and resulting in more Reversed fighters. And when they drain very last bit of Harmonia's life, they eventually cover the Earth and this planet will be smothered in the darkness of nothing in the blink of an eye. All life will fall into darkness. This has all become possible because of you Earth fighters. Thank you very much. By way of gratitude, I'm only telling you fighters about this today. I hope you spend the scant remainder of your peaceful days in despair. For a world ruled by Link Joker, despair is a perfect fit."

"I never thought you'd be mixed up in something like that." Miwa remarked after Takuto's image fizzled out after the announcement.

"So, what do you intend to do, Miwa?" Kai asked.

"If we fight and I win, you'll wake up, right?" Miwa countered. "I couldn't call myself a buddy of yours if I just let this go. I'll put all my strength on the line..." he was cut off when Kai slammed a fist into his stomach.

"Shut up and listen carefully." Kai hissed lowly. "Leon and I already have a plan to get Ami out; I've come too far to have you interfere with this. Meet up with Aichi and the others and give this card to Aichi." he slipped a card unit to Miwa discretely. "Tell him to use this card to defeat Takuto. Once Takuto is defeated, all the Link Joker rings will disappear."

"Kai, you..." Miwa sucked in a breath. He never was... The blond realized before crumpling onto the concrete floor.

"Let's go." Kai told Takuto's secretary and the pair left, leaving Miwa alone.

Back in Card Capital, having escaped the Reversed students due to Shin's help, the others, minus the Reversed Kamui, were having an emergency meeting.

"We dropped off Emi and Mai, but..." Shin mused.

"I hope Gouki, Rekka and the others are okay." Misaki sighed.

"We got no choice." Ishida admitted. "We gotta take them down one by one, turn them back to normal."

"We won't be in time." Misaki argued. "There are probably thousands, even tens of thousands of Reversed fighters all over the world."

"There's a time limit." Komoi realized. "Until those gates are big enough to cover the Earth..."

"Then, what the heck are we supposed to do?" Ishida snapped.

"Chewing my head off won't do any good." Komoi protested.

"There is a way to end this quickly." Miwa stated, entering the shop. "Defeat Takuto and all the black rings will vanish."

"Miwa?" Aichi blinked.

"Here." Miwa tossed the card to the younger teen. "Kai wants me to pass this to you."

"Why is Kai caught up in this?" Aichi realized the implication.

"It's something he and Leon came up with." Miwa explained. "I don't know the details, but you'll probably have to ask Leon about their plan. And speak of the devil." he grinned when said Aqua Force user stepped in.

SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.