"Mission start!"
The mission to rescue Zane-kun went on. Kazuha and I went back to the place where they held the tournament and snuck in through the back door. After we went in, something felt off. I can't sense any evil presence. As we went on, we saw nobody. No one was guarding this place? That means they had left this building? We head to the hall. Zane-kun was there with Adrian, Ivan and Kieko-san.
"Welcome back, I'm sorry to disappoint you but everyone left." he said after he saw us sneaking behind the pillar.
"What happened? Where's Clown and the others? How do you know we were coming back?" I was angry as our plan failed.
"We can talk about this through a fight." he drew his deck out. I went down and when I was getting ready to fight him, Kazuha stopped me.
"Calm down, I will fight him. You handle the others." she told me. She got everything figured it out, she knew that if I fought Zane-kun, I will make mistakes as I'll unconsciously be emotional. She's more level-headed than I thought. The others approached me and challenged me to a fight.
"Stand up, My Vanguard!" The game between Kazuha and Zane-kun begun.
"Silver Thorn Beast Tamer, Emile!" That is Kazuha's starter. Her deck revolves around the Silver Thorns sub clan. Zane-kun used his Shadow Paladins.
"Ride, Silver Thorn Assistant, Irina. Skill activated, I check the top two cards of my deck and put one unit to my soul and the other to the bottom of my deck. I put Silver Thorn Assistant, Zelma." her turn ended.
"My turn now. Stand and draw, then I ride Transient Revenger, Masquerade. Judgebau moves to the back and I attack. Drive check, got a stand trigger." he dealt a damage and ended his turn. Kazuha got a draw trigger from her damage check.
"I stand and draw! Ride, Silver Thorn Beast Tamer, Maricica. I activate Emile's skill and put Luquier and Upright Lion into my soul. I call Upright Lion and it attacks,' Zane-kun didn't guard that and took one damage, Kazuha continued with her Vanguard's attack but it was stopped. Zane-kun didn't want to trigger Maricica's skill.
"Stand and draw. Ride, Blaster Dark Revenger. Attack!" Kazuha took another damage.
"Rise, queen of dragons and tame everything with your silver whip! Cross-ride, Silver Thorn Dragon Empress, Venus Luquier. With Luquier in the soul, she gain 2000 power. Then I call Silver Thorn Beast Tamer, Ana and Irina. With Irina's skill, I put Rising Dragon in my soul."
"Venus Luquier attacks! Drive check... Got a critical trigger! I give the critical to Luquier and the power to Irina. Then, Ana skill activates. I call Upright Lion and it attacks." He guarded both Upright Lion's attacks. Zane-kun took two damage by the end of her turn. Zane-kun stride Aurageyser Dragon and unleashed a wave of attacks. He drew some cards from its skill too. He ended his turn by pushing Kazuha to four damage.
"Generation Zone released! The star of the show takes it's stage and rules the future, Stride Generation! Silver Thorn Dragon Master, Mystique Luquier. She activated her skill by putting two units to her soul and called another two units. She soul charged two cards too in the process. The Zelma she called using this skill sent Irina back to the soul and calling out Ana behind Upright Lion. Both Upright Lions got 9000 power due to their skills. She attacked Zane-kun three times and two of the attack went through, putting him at a disadvantage with five damage against the three damage Kazuha had because she got a heal trigger during her drive check. What is he planning? He can't pressure Kazuha through Diablo's skill since she filled her board during her turn.
"How naive, thought that I will lose because I can't maximize Phantom Blaster Diablo's effect. But that's not my real strength. This is my real avatar. You'll be the first person to witness this! Shake the ground and blacken the skies with your dark wings! Break ride, Revenger, Phantom Blaster "Abyss"!" That's his real avatar?! Then, he wasn't going all out when he fought the others?
"Break ride skill, I superior call Adroit Revenger, Treynon and it gains 5000 power and my vanguard gets 10000 power. Then I call Dorint and Blaster Dark Revenger. With Dorint's skill, I unflip one damage. Blaster Dark retires one of your rear guards. To fully set up my field, I call Treynon on top on Blaster Dark. Now, seek my mate! The dark knight that stands side by side with the abyssal dargon, Legion! Revenger, Blaster Dark "Abyss"!" it's unpredictable what Zane-kun was going to do next, this formation is just too crazy!
"Both Treynon's skill activates. I pay one counterblast and my vanguard gets a skill. If you don't retire a unit when my vanguard attacks, you can't call any units to your guardian circle."
"That's means I have to retire two units at the same time? That's crazy!" Kazuha was shocked after hearing all that. Zane-kun smirked and attacked her rear guards relentlessly. Kazuha wasted a lot of hand cards to guard. Zane-kun's Legion attacked next. Kazuha managed to stop it although he drive checked two critical triggers.
"Now, Legion skill activated! I sacrifice three of my units to stand my Vanguard! Abssyal Rivival! Then I attacked once more. You need to retire two more units to guard, but you don't have enough rear guards.. right?" Kazuha fell into his trap perfectly. She was defeated and Reversed. For my side, all I did was just turn Kieko-san back to normal... What should I do?
"It's useless, I control the people I reversed. Defeat me to turn everyone I reversed back to normal." Zane-kun answered as he swiped his hands in front of Kieko-san and reversed her again. How did he do that?
"If that's the case, then why bother having me fighting her!" I yelled at him angrily. That's just a waste of my time.
I had no choice but to do this for everyone.
The game went on. It was the hardest battle I fought so far. Both of us were foiling each other's plan and attacked aggressively, trying to finish of the other as fast as possible. Zane-kun attempted to finished me with Phantom Blaster Diablo but it failed. His turn ended with both of us at four damage.
"Generation Zone released! Spark up my stage and descend into the future, Stride Generation, School Etoile, Olivia! Lauris skill, I return Spica back to my hand and draw one card. Then I call Spica, Kura, Shizuku and Riddhe."
I had used up all my hand cards, making his my final turn.
"Shizuku's Harmony skill lets me add a Lauris to my hand. Now Riddhe attacks! Next, Spica attacks with a boost from Shandi. Spica skill activates and I return Riddhe to call Riddhe. Then, Riddhe attacks again. Following up, Olivia attacks! With her skill, I return Spica, Shandi and Kura and call back Shizuku and Spica. Shizuku skill adds another copy of Lauris to my hand." I launched several attacks while controlling my field. He stopped my Vanguard's attack but with two critical triggers I got from my drive check, things get easier. He had five damage now.
"With four cards left, there's no way you could stop me! Spica attacks and I activate her skill one more time and call Lauris. Lauris, finish up this game and turn everyone back to normal!" It hit! The attack went through! Zane-kun has six damage! Everyone turned back to normal. Zane-kun fainted after that.
(Back to Zane's POV now...)
I woke up. The darkness that was possessing me was gone. What happened? Oh yeah, Tatenashi-san defeated me and I was turn back to normal.
"Zane-kun, are you okay?" Tatenashi-san asked.
"I'm fine, and don't call me Zane. It will blow our cover." I warned her.
"It's alright, everyone knows our situation. I told them when you are fainted." she explained.
"No wonder you two are so close, you're lovers." Ivan smirked. He got hit again.
"Hey Zane-kun, do you remember anything? Everyone who was Reversed by you lost their memories of being Reversed." she kept questioning me. Can she give me a break?
"Yup, I remember. I still have my conscious even after I was Reversed. Maybe it's because I'm not the owner of this body."
I told everyone the truth. As I expected, they were startled. Even I was astonished to see everyone lost their memories.
"You're a meanie, Zane-kun! You almost Reversed everyone in the team, leaving me alone!" Tatenashi-san pouted and punched me.
"I have to pretend being reversed or else who knows what Clown will do to me. Also, during the time I was reversed, I reversed almost every player from the tournament."
I lead them to a spacious room. When I opened the door, everyone who I reversed was there. They turned back normal. Thank goodness.
"Don't tell me you trapped everyone you reversed here so they won't continue to reverse others and when you're defeated, they can turn back to normal. So during the time they were reversed, they won't have to worry being harmed because you kept them here!"
"Hah..How can you always read my mind?"
"Hmmp..How many years have I know you? I can read your thoughts like a book perfectly!" She bragged.
No time to play around here now. I told everyone where thier HQ was. They raided the Bushiroad company's building and turned it into their nest. There are total of 10 people including Clown started this warfare. To stop the reversing of people and their attack, we need to defeat Clown and the other nine members.
We all head to the tower. There's a dark ring on top of the building. It emitted an evil aura. We were spotted as soon as we stepped into the building. Two of the main members halted us but Ivan and Adrian challenged them.
"Move along everyone! We will handle this situation!" Adrian shouted.
"Got it! I'll leave them to you. Don't get reversed again!"
"Hah! That won't happen again! we just let our guard down last time because it was our friend!"
"Where are we going, Zane-kun?" Tatenashi-san asked.
"I'm getting back Jullian's Aqua Force. I knew it was taken by one of the members but I never been in this building before." I told the girls.
The game between Ivan and Adrian against the two members was about to end.
"Now, let finish this game up and regroup with they others!" Adrian was getting fired up.
"Generation Zone released! Burn my scorching spirit and turn it into the power I desire, Stride Generation! Supreme Heavenly Emperor Dragon, Dragonic Overlord the Ace! Skill activated! I pay two counterblasts and lose a drive check to activate a skill. Then I call Dragonic Burnout and use its skill to retire one of your units. This allows Energy Flame, Aethonic skill to go off by unflipping two damage." Adrian set up his final formation and attacked.
"My vanguard attacks. Drive check... Got one draw and one critical trigger! The Ace and Burnout each get 5000 power and the critical to the Ace. Now the Ace skill activates! By discarding two cards from my hand, I stand Dragonic Overlord the Ace and it gains 5000 power. Heavenly Perdition!" The two members lost in the tag fight and disappeared?!
The rest of us continued climbing to the highest level and we were stopped by one of the main members, the one who Reversed me. He still wore the same black coat, making him easily recognised by me.
"Seems like you betrayed us. Sorry for not introducing myself, I'm Drander, one of the Main members. Can't believe after Reversing so many players you turned back to normal, it's so disappointing. I had high hopes for you, even though you were planning things behind Clown's back." he grinned.
"Enough with the talk, let's fight." I cut him off and we battled. He was indeed using my Aqua Force. The deck didn't get any upgrades and we knew each other's deck, so each player's moves were predictable. But it wasn't anymore when he strode a Reverse unit, Wielder of Storm, Admiral Savas "Reverse". That is Savas's evolution? He continued by attacking three times with his rear guards.
"My vanguard attacks! With Savas's Stride bonus skill, I retire one of your rear guards. From my drive check I got a critical trigger. My turn doesn't end here. Savas Reverse's skill activates! By locking five of my rear guards and discarding three cards, I stand my Vanguard again! This is what I called Swirling Storm Revenge! Now Savas, destroy your owner!" That was this unit's power? By sacrificing his comrades to gain superior power? I quickly protect myself with a perfect guard.
"I'm not done yet! Savas's second ability activates! I unlock two units and stand them back." I stopped those attacks too. At the end of his turn, the units that stood up were retired.
"In the end you can't defeat me! My resolve is stronger than anyone, I have the will to end all of this! To do that, I need to take back what's mine! Final turn! Stand and draw. Seek my mate! The dark knight that stands side by side with the abyssal dargon, Legion! Revenger, Blaster Dark Abyss. I activate three Treynon's skill at once! Then I call Blaster Dark Revenger. With Dorint's skill, I unflip one damage. Now all rear guards, attack the vanguard!' He guarded all of them. My vanguard attacked and he retired three. As I calculated, I got two trigger from my drive check. After activating my Legion skill, my vanguard attacked again. He can't guard it since he need to retire three units.
"Without a critical trigger, you can't defeat me!" He seem worried.
"I won't disappoint you again. Drive check.. Got two critical triggers!" He's finished.
The final battle begun. All of us miraculously met up on the way to defeat Clown. After a small discussion, we found out that we already defeated all the nine members! All left is that Clown. That bastard congratulated us for making to here.
"Now let the game begin! You four can challenge me at the same time! Let's break this alien's record." he pointed at Adrian, Ivan, Kazuha and Kieko-san. He knew that the both of us weren't from this planet? How? Those four were pissed off and took up his challenge.
The game started off weirdly. Usually you want to preserve your damage as less as possible but he just let everyone pushed him to five damage. He kept omega locking everyone's rear guards and limited everyone's option.
"Now let the horror begin! Generation Zone released! Bring despair and make everyone fall for me, Stride Generation! Death Star Vader, Omege Loop Glendious! I activate its skill! Lock all units and omega lock all lock cards! Infinite Misery! Then I end my turn." What! He just ended his turn without attacking? Everyone was rendered to useless and can't do anything but attack with their vanguards. It was stopped with a perfect guard.
"Final turn! Stand and draw... Omega Glendious skill activated! I won the game if you had five or more locked cards. Now, count your locked cards!"
All four of them having five rear guards fully locked!
This is the most powerful skill that brings your hopes to despair! World End!" The game just ended. Everyone lost. This card is too broken!
"Now who's next?" He asked. I walked towards him. Tatenashi-san grabbed my sleeve.
"I'm going with you."
"It's better if I go alone, you'll help me halt these guys back." I pointed at the rest of the gang who just got reversed again once more.
"Why does everyone keep ordering me to all these pesky stuff!" She pouted.
"That's just because you are dumb after all.." I laughed.
"Be careful, I don't want to lose you again." she muttered.
"I promise, I will come back to you." I turned away and faced Clown.
"Hey you, how did you know Tatenashi-san and I weren't from this world?"
"You should ask yourself. When we connected planet Cray with Earth, another loophole suddenly appeared out of nowhere. I guess that was your doing that brought you to travel to this world as the same time as us."
I see.. So it was from the book that brought us here after all.
After that, the last fight begun. The same thing happened again. I was just powerless against Omega Glendious. Things got even worse when I fall into the same situation as everyone else. All of my rear guards were omega locked! I was scared. Am I going to lose everything again? I lost my resolve. What can I do now? It's all over...
Then I remembered.
"Stride Generation! The One Who Rules the Storm, Commander Savas! Then, Savas attacks!" I remembered, Savas's evolution. It was given to me after defeating Drander.
"Hah, that's all you got? What can you do with just a Vanguard? Haha, too bad but I'm going to nullify it." Clown gave a hideous laugh.
"Commander Savas's skill activates! Return all cards to my hand and I discard two cards. Then I call five more units out! Then, if I have Savas as a heart, all rear guards gets 2000 power. Let's go, Replenishing Storm Wave!" Clown was shocked. He even trembled in fear after I drove check two critical triggers. He didn't even attack me during his last turn and forgot to drive check. With that hand size, at least two attacks will be sufficient. He was finally defeated! Tatenashi-san cheered in joy and the world found back its light. The dark ring above us shattered and all evil things and the main members were sucked up by the distorted portal opened after all they black rings broke. Everyone who was reversed reverted back to normal.
"Thank you, Zane! Thanks for saving our world!" Adrian shook my hand.
"You did it, Zane-kun! I'm so happy now!" Tatenashi-san held my hand tightly.
"Next time, don't pull off any funny stunts!" I flicked her forehead.
Soon, another portal opened up. We were sucked into it.
We didn't even had the chance to say goodbye!