"Welp, back to Block D for me," said Sal. "According to the bracket, it's one of the Sage guys. Pray for me."
Sal scanned the play area for her next opponent. She reasoned that he couldn't be that hard to find- the Sage trio that had entered all had their uniforms on like some bizarre badge of pride. That certainly narrowed down her options, though for some reason, she couldn't quite spot him.
In my defense, I've only seen him, what, once? Not exactly a regular, either…
"Excuse me, are you Sal?"
Guess he found me first. She turned to face the voice, and was in turn greeted with a vaguely familiar sight. Hooked nose, piercing eyes, leathery black hair- yep, this is who she was looking for. "That's me. Hayato, right?"
"Uh huh. Sorry, but have we met before? You look familiar."
"Yeah, when mister Card Hobo stopped by, but that's about it."
"Ah, yes, the 'Vagabond Fighter.' Good times. Anyway, I'm heading to table eight to get things started. Walk with me?"
"Sure, sure." So far so good. Sal had doubts about how her opponent would conduct himself, given his uniform and what she heard from people's brushes with Sage students. This guy certainly seemed inoffensive enough to tolerate; certainly enough lower her guard a bit. She took a seat at the table, trying her best to think of an acceptable icebreaker. She was beaten to the punch.
"What school do you go to?"
"Sutter. And you go to Sage?"
"God, I hope so. Otherwise, I don't know why I'm wearing this uniform."
"You didn't steal it off a dead guy, did you?"
"It looked good on him, and he wouldn't give it to me, what would you do?"
They shared a wry smile. "Anyway, what's Sage like?"
"Hard," he said, shuffling his deck. "You work hard or sink. Which is a bit difficult when you're balancing clubs and such."
"Clubs?"
"Yeah, the school basically forces you to join a club or two. I think it's padding, honestly, but I can't say I'm not enjoying my time roasting movies."
"What, is there an MST club or something?"
"Technically, it's called 'Film Criticism,' but it's basically that, yeah."
"Sounds fun. We don't have anything like that at Sutter."
"I'm not surprised."
"What?"
"No big deal. Can I cut your deck?"
"...Sure." Maybe she was right to have her shields up a bit.
"Are all cardfighters ready to start?" Tyler interrupted.
"Alright," said Hayato, "let's get started."
"You're not my dad," Sal joked.
"Let round two begin!"
"Now stand up, Vanguard!"
Scattered across the Dragon Empire were grand fortress temples, dedicated to the various draconic deities of old. Each was an architectural marvel in its own right, with towering pagodas, thick walls, and a veritable army of ornate decorative statues. It was a prime target for bandits, thieves, and grave robbers from all nations. In the dead of this particular night, one such group of cutthroats looked to plunder one of the lesser known temples, protected only by a small contingent of the Empire's saboteurs. If brute force was needed to get to an early retirement, thought their leader, then so be it.
"I ride!" declared the red astral body, fading into the temple complex's courtyard. "Mountain Ogre Dracokid!"
Mountain Ogre Dracokid- Grade 0/6000 Power/10000 Shield
"I ride!" answered a black astral body. It sunk into the courtyard, creating a cloud of miasmal obsidian mist. It swirled into a small vortex before dispersing violently in a small, chilling wave. Emerging from the darkness was a ninja-in-training, wearing a nondescript white robe, wooden sandals, and a feathered complexion. Its eyes snapped open, revealing a pair of piercing red eyes to complement its needly teeth. "Fledgling Stealth Fiend, Wakashimaru!"
Wakashimaru- Grade 0/6000 Power/10000 Shield
"Hey, Nubatama. Haven't seen one of those in a while."
"What can I say, I'm a rebel. Now I believe you have the first turn?"
"Right, I draw. I ride Broken Horn Ogre."
Broken Horn Ogre- Grade 1/8000 Power/10000 Shield
"With my starter's skill, I draw an extra card, and end my turn."
End of Turn 1
Hand Count- Sal 6, Hayato 5
Damage Count- Sal 0, Hayato 0
"Alright, I draw. Now, I ride Lesser Stealth Dragon, Nagaikage."
Wakashimaru threw down a small smoke bomb at its feet, summoning another gout of hellish smoke. A series of howling gales cut into the pillar of smoke and dust, sculpting it into a serpentine shape. The remaining smoke peeled away, giving way to a new saboteur. A pitch black, lanky serpent, it sported a pair of thin wings, whip-like whiskers, and a cold steel throwing knife in each of its spindly hands. It snorted, breathing out a jet of thick purple smoke from each nostril.
Nagaikage- Grade 1/8000 Power/10000 Shield
"Thanks to my starter, I draw. Now, I use Nagaikage to attack your vanguard."
Strength- 8000
"I don't guard."
"Thought as much. Drive check...nothing there."
"Yeah, no damage trigger for me either."
The diminutive stealth dragon rocketed towards the enemy ogre, slashing past like an underworldly wind. The slash stung, ripping through the ogre's flesh, but it was hardly a wound to worry about. Nagaikage slithered back to his original position, flicking his tongue. "'Tis but a taste of our dark arts, brigand. I'll let you go with that warning."
"You can warn me all you like," scoffed Broken Horn. "We ain't movin' till we pick this place clean."
End of Turn 2
Hand Count- Sal 6, Hayato 7
Damage Count- Sal 1, Hayato 0
"I draw, and ride Bolt Tossing Ogre."
Bolt Tossing Ogre- Grade 2/9000 Power/5000 Shield
"Broken Horn has a special on-ride skill, but since you have no rearguards, I'm not paying the cost to use it."
Bolt Tossing snapped his fingers, producing a small crackle of electricity. "Thunder Drum Ogre, Dragon Dagger Ogre, back me up!" A pair of illuminating lightning bolts struck the courtyard, mere feet away from the head ogre, producing a pair of lackeys. One, a bulky ogre dressed in monk's robes with a large war drum slung over his shoulder; the other, a true rogue of an ogre, spinning a pair of sizable daggers in each of its hands.
Thunder Drum Ogre- Grade 2/9000 Power/5000 Shield
Dragon Dagger Ogre- Grade 1/8000 Power/10000 Shield
Bolt Tossing turned towards his freshly summoned subordinate. "Yo, Thunder Drum, soften this guy up for me, will ya?" The bulky ogre nodded before charging towards the demonic dragon.
Strength- 9000
Nagaikage flicked his tongue again. "I see no point in guarding this attack." Thunder Drum slid and pivoted, swinging his instrument into his target like a massive morning star. Nagaikage was sent flying, before using a hellish energy to teleport back to his original position. "Damage check...no trigger, it seems."
"Nice, an opening! Dragon Dagger, NOW!" The head ogre clapped his hands together, slowly drawing them apart. In between his palms formed, illuminating the entire courtyard with a fierce glow. "Have a lick of lightning, lizard!" With a hearty grunt, he slung the fresly creating blast towards his target.
Strength- 17000
Nagaikage sharpened his blades. "A foolish endeavor. I have no intention of letting you utilize that dragger dragging fool. I guard with Stealth Rogue Kunoichi, Otomeoni." As the robe-clad ogre swung his instrument towards his target, a new figure appeared from a puff of smoke; a female oni, skin as pale as rice paper with robes as black as soot. With a flurry of hand seals, the demonic maiden summoned a ring of paper seals, creating a circular barrier of sickly green flames, totally absorbing the oncoming projectile.
Otomeoni- Grade 0/5000 Power/20000 Shield/Heal Trigger
Defense- 28000
"Man, no one's going to let me proc Dragon Dagger the first time off, huh? Time for my drive check...Ogre Strongarm, a draw trigger. Well, I may not be able to break through, but I still get myself an extra card."
"Nice timing, but no amount of extra cards will help against Nubas."
"Uh, okay. I end my turn."
End of Turn 3
Hand Count- Sal 6, Hayato 6
Damage Count- Sal 1, Hayato 1
"Alright, I stand and draw." Hayato smiled a bit. "Hey, listen, it's clear you know what you're doing with these cards, but it's about time to show you what my Nubatama ninjas can really do. First up, I ride Greater Stealth Dragon, Genzo."
Nagaikage sheathed his blades before his body dissipated into a hellish black smoke. It swirled in a rapid dust devil before it scattered, revealing another serpentine figure. Unlike Nagaikage, who was comparatively skin-and-bones, this dragon packed a similar tall build but with more bulk and armaments. Wearing what looked like a blood-red gi, he hung a medallion with a mavelovent magatama around his neck. His scales were a deep midnight violet, mixing menacingly with his deep red eyes. Completing the visage was a pair of what looked like elk horns, etched with various cursed characters.
Genzo- Grade 2/9000 Power/5000 Shield
"First, I activate Nagaikage's on-ride skill. When he's rode on, I can draw a card. Now for Genzo's on-place. By counter blasting and soul blasting once each, I can draw a card and give him 6000 Power."
"Two extra cards off of one ride. That's a nice combo."
"Thanks for noticing. Now I call- Stealth Fiend of Giant Tonfa, Kossetsu; Stealth Beast, Hagane Garasu; and Pack Stealth Beast, Buntai."
Genzo performed a number of typical ninja hand seals before slapping the ground. "Assemble, beings of stealth!" After a howling gale, a trio of smoke pillars burst from the earth, form which emerged a triad of demonic ninjas. One was a well-built ogre in monk's robes, with well pronounced fangs, a tonfa the size of his entire abdomen slung over his shoulder. Another was an avian demon, resembling an anthropomorphic crow- its wings were outfitted with tempered steel, and it carried a dagger in one talon and a set of throwing stars in the other. Finally, there was a shaggy canine demon, dressed in typical ninja garb, with patches of silver fur peeking out from his mask and boots.
Kossetsu- Grade 2/9000 Power/5000 Shield
Hagane Garasu- Grade 2/9000 Power/5000 Shield
Buntai- Grade 1/8000 Power/10000 Shield
"Alright, time for some combos. First up, I activate Hagane Garasu's on-place by discarding a card- I draw, and you may discard a card."
"May?"
"You don't have to, but if you don't, I get to counter charge one and give Garasu 6000 Power. What'll it be?"
Sal furrowed her brow a bit. It was way too early to be pitching cards like this, and with only one card in her damage zone, a few more hits wouldn't be the end of things. "Yeah, I'm keeping my cards."
"Suit yourself. That's one CC for me, and 6k for my rearguard. Next, Kossetsu's on-place; with a soul blast of one, I can choose one of your rearguards, and return it to your hand. I'm bouncing Thunder Drum."
"Oh yeah, bouncing," Sal said, returning a card from field to hand. "This'll be a pain."
"Don't think that's the end of it. Since I bounced a grade 2 or greater card, you have another choice to make- discard a card, or he gets 10000 extra Power."
"That's one heck of a boost. Stopping that is worth a discard."
"A wise decision. With that boost, he would have been much harder to block. Still, I'm not finished. By moving Buntai to my soul, I can choose one of your rearguards in the same column, and bounce it. Obviously, I'm returning Dragon Dagger to your hand."
Sal obliged. If this kept up, she would have to choose between having rearguards with no cards to guard with, or having cards to guard with and no rearguards for attacking. She forgot how much she hated fighting clans like this.
Genzo snapped his fingers. "Kossetsu, you shall strike the first blow. Go now." The armed demon chuckled darkly, preparing his enormous weapon before trampling towards the enemy commander.
Strength- 9000
"Like that'll hit!" scoffed Bolt Tossing. "I guard with Ogre Strongarm!" As Kossetsu swung his titular weapon downward, a squat ogre emerged from the earth, catching the weapon with his arms, holding it in place with brute force and pluck. Unable to muscle past this new obstacle, Kossetsu drew back his weapon before flash-stepping back to his vanguard.
Ogre Strongarm- Grade 0/5000 Power/5000 Shield/Draw Trigger
Defense- 14000
Like his predecessor, Genzo flicked his tongue. "Very well. I am your next opponent." He performed a number of familiar hand seals before thrusting both arms in forward, both now engulfed in a shadowy fire.
Strength- 15000
"Can't block all of them. I don't guard."
"Works for me. Drive check...awesome, Backstab Stealth Fiend, Uragiri. That's 10000 Power for Hagane Garasu, and an extra critical for my vanguard."
"Oof."
Genzo's body flickered, vanishing soon after. Bolt Tossing whipped his head from side to side trying to locate the disappearing dragon. Suddenly, he felt a sudden chill to his back, along with a menacing hiss. "You're far too slow," a familiar voice spat. Genzo dug his hands into the ogre's back, engulfing his opponent in the same hellfire that coated his own arms. As the enemy vanguard yowled in burning pain, the dragon teleported back to his formation.
"Damage checks," huffed the ogre, scraping embers off his body. "No triggers. Dammit…"
Genzo crossed his arms. "Hagane Garasu, I put you in charge of our final assault. The steel winged demon let out an avian screech before taking flight. Rearing back, it tossed all weapons within its talons towards the charred ogre, a hail of razor sharp cold steel.
Strength- 25000
The ogre's breath was shallow, but his thoughts were clear- he couldn't surrender such a large lead. "I guard with Ancient Dragon Shaman!" An aged serpentine dragon, adorned with plants and wooden masks, slithered up from the courtyard. He tossed one of his masks towards the incoming shower of steel, which ballooned exponentially to block every single star and knife like an ornate shield.
Ancient Dragon Shaman- Grade 0/5000 Power/20000 Shield
Defense- 29000
"Since Garasu's attack whiffed, I can retire him to draw an extra card."
"Jesus, how many times are you going to draw?"
"As many as it takes to win. But for now, I'll have to end it here."
End of Turn 4
Hand Count- Sal 5, Hayato 7
Damage Count- Sal 3, Hayato 1
"Okay, I stand and draw." Sal examined her hand, and furrowed her brow. There was no way she could end it this turn- dealing five damage in one turn with her current deck was too tall an order. On top of that, she had to push back hard enough to take back the lead, while leaving enough in her hand to survive her opponent's next bounce-fest. Committing too much to offense will leave her with nothing to guard with, and being too cautious would mean she'd remain behind in damage with nothing to show for.
"You okay?" interrupted her opponent.
"Yeah, I'm just thinking about my next move."
"That's good. I thought you were just giving up. I mean, I know I can pilot this deck pretty well, but…"
"I'm fine." She drummed her fingers. "I think I got it. First, I ride Wicked Mountain King, Shuten-Denji."
Shuten-Denji- Grade 3/12000 Power/0 Shield/Accel Marker
"With him, I gain an Accel II Gift- one more rearguard circle, and one more card for me."
"Cool, more cards for me to rip. Thanks."
"Next up, I call Dragonic Twinaxe, Thunder Drum Ogre, and Dragon Dagger Ogre."
Dragonic Twinaxe- Grade 2/9000/5000 Shield
"I'm activating Twinaxe's skill- by discarding a card, I can bind one of your rearguards, then buff him by 3k. Say goodbye to Kossetsu."
Hayato shrugged. "You may have gotten rid of him, but you had to drop a card to do so. Guess I don't have to worry about your hand if you're going to destroy it for me."
"You're just full of quips, aren't you?"
"Can't help it, it's just my nature."
"Well, anyway, since I bound one of your rearguards, I can use Thunder Drum's skill- with one countre blast and one soul blast, I can draw a card. So basically, he covered Twinaxe's discard effect."
Shuten-Denji gnashed his teeth. "Not the best formation, but I can make this work. Yo, Thunder Drum, Dragon Dagger, I'm counting on you to create an opening!" The larger of the subordinate ogres nodded before banging on his namesake instrument. A stormcloud began to gather above Genzo, crackling with illuminating electricity.
Strength- 17000
Genzo's eyes lit up as he snapped his fingers. "Nagaikage, I summon thee!" From the earth burst a familiar monster, surging towards the oncoming storm cloud. Before a single bolt could be dropped from the cloud, the demonic dragon began circling the summoned object rapidly. Within seconds, the thunderhead broke into wispy pieces, scattering the threat to the winds.
Defense- 19000
Shuten-Denji tightened the grip on his weapon. This guy wasn't making it easy. "Man, this is some bull. Let's see how you handle my attack!" He brought his kanabo up over his head. "I'll make you suffer!"
"Since you have no rearguards in your front row, this attack is critical, and if you want to block from hand, you'll have to call two or more."
Strength- 12000/2 Critical
"Ah, I get it. You rode that guy hoping to shred my hand advantage, right?"
"Pretty much. You gonna guard?"
"Sorry to disappoint, but no. Even if you get two critical triggers, I'll hang on without dropping any cards from my hand."
"If you say so. Twin drive- first check...nothing. Second...Javelin Dracokid, a critical trigger. One more critical for my vanguard, and 10k Power for Twinaxe."
"So that's three damage checks. Let's see, first...no trigger. Second...no trigger. Last...nice to see you again, Otomeoni. That's 10000 Power to my vanguard, and one less damage for me."
"GIGAVOLT AVALANCHE!" Shuten-Denji smashed his supercharged kanabo into the earth, sending a towering surge of electricity towards the enemy vanguard. Genzo was quickly consumed by burning, paralyzing energy, causing the normally stoic dragon to shout in agony. After the light subsided, one could see a battered Genzo, haggardly trying to prop himself up on the now devastated courtyard. The dragon took some shallow breaths, wiping some violet blood from its maw. It stood defiant, ready to strike back.
Shuten-Denji growled. "We're not done yet! Twinaxe, you're up!" His lizard-like minion snorted before bursting forward, leveling its weapons for another blow against his opponent. "Since there aren't any rearguards across from him, he gets 5000 extra Power!"
Strength- 32000
"Guess I'll take that, too. Damage check...no trigger."
Sal sighed. "Well, I got as much mileage as I could have. I end my turn."
End of Turn 5
Hand Count- Sal 5, Hayato 6
Damage Count- Sal 3, Hayato 4
"I stand and draw." Hayato smirked. "Looks like I've got a clear path to victory. Sorry, but this is where I end the game. If you had more cards, you might've been able to stop me, but…"
"The game isn't over yet, hoss."
"It's about to be. Master of mountains, meet the unholy master of the nine great seals. I ride Dragonic Stealth Fiend, Ryobukuji."
Though heavily injured, Genzo managed to form a number of unfamiliar hand seals before tossing a fistful of smoke at its feet. As it vanished into the dark of the night, the entire courtyard became subject to a bone-gnawing chill. Suddenly, the arena became surrounded by balls of phantom flame, all without warmth but each a ghastly bright hue. From the earth arose a new shadowy figure, easily as tall as Shuten-Denji, though not as bulky. Its skin was a coal black, with much of it etched with deep red characters denoting ancient curses. Attached to its back was a nine-spoked wheel, each end capped with a silver depiction of the nine classic hand seals. It drew its cold steel odachi, finally opening a pair of intimidating emerald eyes. It struck a stance, it's long crimson hair flowing in the chilling wind.
Ryobukuji- Grade 3/12000 Power/0 Shield/Protect Marker
"Thanks to this guy, I gain a Protect III Gift for my RC- any rearguard on that circle cannot be chosen by card effects. Hope that doesn't throw off your bind game too much."
"Nah, it's cool."
"Awesome. Next, I call Scheming Stealth Dragon, Kuromakicongo."
Kuromakicongo- Grade 3/12000 Power/0 Shield/Protect Marker
"Since you have five or more cards in hand, I can counter blast one to force you to discard. Oh, and he gets 5000 Power for each grade of the discarded unit."
Sal blinked. "That's pretty busted." She gazed at her hand. Ditching a grade 0 would prevent any buffs, but she'd need them to survive this turn. She could ditch a grade 3, but that would mean a big beater staring her down. Still, any card with a defense shield would be far more helpful than one without. "Guess I'll discard a grade 3."
"Hey, thanks. That's a whopping 15000 boost for Kuromakicongo. Next up, I call Dreaded Stealth Beast, Saketsume."
Saketsume- Grade 3/12000 Power/0 Shield/Protect Marker
"Now, I activate Ryobukuji's once-per-turn skill. I counter blast one and discard a card to return two of your rearguards to your hand, and force you to discard two cards. I'm bouncing Thunder Drum and Twinaxe."
Sal sighed. "Alright, that's two less cards for me."
"Since I bounced two, my vanguard gains 12000 Power. Oh, and Saketsume's skill kicks in- every time one of your rearguards is bounced, he gets 5000 Power, so that's a 10k boost for him."
How many buffs can he dish out in one turn?
"Oh, I'm not done. I call Conniving Stealth Rogue, Kamamaru."
Kamamaru- Grade 1/8000 Power/10000 Shield
"By soul blasting one, I activate his skill. We both return a rearguard to our hands. I'm returning Kamamaru."
Sal returned Dragon Dagger Ogre to her hand. "Why would you return something you just called?"
"Because then I can discard him to force you to discard a card. Also, since I bounced one of your rearguards, that's another 5000 Power for Saketsume."
"Great…" Sal stared at her now empty field. She was staring down three powerful attacks with no intercepts and only four cards in hand. Not only that, but she had to make a comeback with her most powerful rearguards gone. This was going to suck.
"Finally, I call Guardian Stealth Dragon, Gekko Wing."
Gekko Wing- Grade 0/5000 Power/0 Shield/Draw Trigger
"Hang on, why would you call a draw sentinel to RC?"
"You'll find out. Patience, grasshopper."
"Summoning art!" cried Ryobukuji, as the wheel on his back began to spin rapidly. He stretched his arms to his sides. "Infernal Surfacing Jutsu!" To his flanks emerged two columns of violet smoke, as well as one to his back, revealing three sizable demonic entities. The first was a bipedal dragon with forest green scales, silver armor, lengthy raven hair, and a comically large furled scroll on his back. The second was a towering but lanky feline demon, with charcoal gray fur, black spots resembling seals, and sporting a pair of lengthy, curved claws that could rend any armor. The third was an amphibian-like wyvern, with kunai strapped to its talons and thick steel tapered to its wings.
Shuten-Denji grimaced. He was totally exposed, his lackeys having been spirited away by some mysterious force. At this point, all he could do was hope and grit his teeth.
Ryobukuji chuckled, though to the ogre's unrefined ears, it sounded more like repetitive hissing. "You stand alone, brigand. You have no hopes of survival. Sakestume, strike the first blow!"
"At once, my vanguard!" roared Sakestume. It tore through the courtyard with a feral rage, claws dragging through the earth like it was soft sand.
Strength- 27000
The ogre braced himself. He'd need as many resources as possible to survive and mount a counterattack, so blocking this attack was unwise at best. "I don't guard." Soon after, he bore the full brunt of a pair of powerful slashes, ripping through his armor and straight into his flesh. He tried to swat back at the attacking demon, but it had teleported back to his vanguard. "D-damage check," he spat, putting pressure on his fresh wound. "No trigger."
Ryobukuji pointed his weapons straight at Shuten-Denji. "This is the end, my dishonorable opponent." The wheel on his back began to spin, each of the hands glowing with a phantasmal violet flame. Soon, the demon's sword began to alight with the same light, and he raised the sword for a powerful strike. "Behold the blade of the nine seals! MAKUFUKEN!" He swung his sword downward, sending a piercing wave of demonic energy towards the ogre.
Strength- 24000
Sal hesitated. She needed most of her hand to make a comeback, but if she didn't guard an attack, she'd be finished. After some consideration, it was clear she didn't have a choice. "I guard with Javelin Dracokid."
Javelin Dracokid- Grade 0/5000 Power/15000 Shield/Critical Trigger
Defense- 27000
"You sure you want to leave it at that?" asked Hayato. "You realize that if I get a single trigger, that card is wasted, yeah?"
"Hey, I have to block one of your attacks, right? Might as well block the one with the least Power."
"And here I thought you were the smart one of your little group."
"...Whatever. Are you doing a twin drive or what?"
"Thanks for reminding me. Twin drive- first check...nothing. Second check...no trigger this time either."
"Guess I am the smart one."
As the cursed wave approached Shuten-Denji, a weapon-wielding dracoling appeared to defend his desperate boss. Twirling his dual-tipped throwing spear, he created a green circular barrier in front of the two of them. The chilling attack crashed against the barrier, splintering into several streams of violet flame trailing outward. As the attack subsided, the dracoling lowered his weapon, turning towards his leader. "Keep at it, boss," he whispered, before fading into dark smoke.
Ryobukuji grinned. "Oh, this is no time to celebrate." He tossed his sword skyward, performing a number of rapid hand seals, the characters on his body lighting up with a hellish red. "Ninja Art: Vampiric Drain!" He snatched his sword from the air before his entire body glowed crimson. Suddenly, Shuten-Denji felt the pressure of nine earths come down on him, causing him to crumple and scream in pain. He felt the color and energy drain from his body, growing cold and haggard.
"Since Ryobukuji's attack didn't hit, I can soul blast one to draw a card, and force you to discard one."
"Are you kidding me?"
"Nope. Now, what are we discarding this time?"
Sal sighed as she moved yet another card from her hand to her drop zone. "How many times are you going to make me shred cards?"
Hayato chuckled. "Well, I don't have to anymore. I doubt you can do anything with no field and just two cards in hand. Now, I attack with Kuromakicongo. With his skill, I return Gekko Wing to my hand, and you can't guard with cards with the same grade this battle."
"Isn't Gekko Wing...oh, that's why you called him. Can't guard with grade 0s now."
"Yep, really limits your options, eh?"
Strength- 27000
Sal looked at the two cards she had left in hand. She needed each of them to make anything resembling a counterattack, and even if she let this attack through, she'd survive. "Yeah, I'll let that through. Damage check...no trigger."
The demonic dragon popped the scroll off his back, unfurling it dramatically. Running his forefingers across the gilded surface, he managed to create a number of ghastly characters which hovered around him. With a flashy flick of his wrist, Kuromakicongo sent the characters towards Shuten-Denji like a hail of darts. Each dug into the already battered ogre with a fierceness unparalleled. The ogre staggered a few steps before falling to his knees, only managing to find some uprightness by propping himself on his weapon. "Just get me to my turn," he begged to himself.
"Well, I wasn't able to end the game here, but I did good enough. I end my turn."
End of Turn 6
Hand Count- Sal 2, Hayato 5
Damage Count- Sal 5, Hayato 4
"Okay, I stand and draw." Sal drummed her fingers. Not many options here…
"You know, I wouldn't blame you if you scooped right here and now."
"Mm-hm," Sal acknowledged, not looking up from her hand.
"Look, you have no field and only three cards in hand. You have to deal two damage to me to win, and with five cards in hand, I can easily block one of them. There's no chance you can come back from this."
"Hey, dude."
"Yeah?"
"You talk too much. I ride Shuten-Denji on top of my old Shuten-Denji. That's another Accel II Gift, meaning an extra rearguard circle and one more card for me. Next up, I'm using my vanguard's skill- with one counter blast, I can choose one of your columns, and bind all rearguards there. I'm choosing your left, binding Kuromakicongo."
"Sorry, did you forget about my Protect III marker?"
"That prevents rearguards from being chosen, but I'm choosing a column. That guy is still bound."
"Ah. That's a good point. Welp, so long old friend." He moved Kuromakicongo to his bind zone.
"Next, I call Dragonic Twinaxe. With his skill, I discard a card to bind one of your rearguard. Sakestume is bound, and Twinaxe gets an extra 3k."
"Well, I'm out of rearguards, but you're down to one card. That's only two attacks I have to brush off."
"Not even close. See, since I discarded Wild Charge Dracokid, I can soul blast one to draw a card and give a unit 3k. Shuten-Denji gets the boost."
"Well, that's a good combo, but my point still-"
"I'm not done. I call Bolt Tossing Ogre and Dragon Dancer SouSou."
SouSou- Grade 1/8000 Power/10000 Shield
"Since you have no rearguards in your front row, I can move SouSou to my soul to draw a card and give up to four front row rearguards plus 3k. That's a boost for my vanguard, Bolt Tossing, and Twinaxe." She drew a new card. "Just what I needed. I end my main phase by calling Conquest Dragon, Crossbolt Calamity Dragon to rearguard."
Crossbolt Calamity Dragon- Grade 3/12000 Power/0 Shield/Accel Marker
Hayato blinked. "So that's four attacks. You started with two cards in hand and ended up with four attacks."
"Well, I'm the smart one, right?"
"Yeah, should've seen that coming…"
A rejuvenated warlord turned at the forces he assembled. "We may be all that's left, but that just means more for us when we thrash those tryhards!" He raised his weapon. "LET'S GO!" His companions rose in a rowdy clamor, causing a series of thunderclaps to break out. "Crossbolt, you're up first!"
"Very well," the imposing dragon nodded. He ascended as quick as a thunderbolt, he crossed his double-headed halberd, both beginning to crackle with a powerful electricity.
Strength- 12000
Ryobukuji maintained a calm appearance as he tried to formulate an acceptable plan. The rabble had regrouped far better than he anticipated, and he could only two or so more blows before his forces would be forced to retreat. Not only that, but because he was on his own, Shuten-Denji's attack would be far harder to defend against. If he let this attack through, and got a damage trigger, the situation would prove to be salvageable. "I do not guard."
"Perfect! Eat this!" A massive bolt of lightning erupted from Calamity's crossed halberds, bathing his opponent in thousands of deadly volts. There was a pained shriek from the other side of the courtyard, lasting until the bolt faded to its last crackles.
"Damage check," groaned Ryobukuji. "Alas, no trigger." Defending just got far more difficult.
"Alright, we've got an opening! Bolt Tossing, you're next!" The subordinate ogre smirked, prepping another bolt of lightning for his demonic opponent. "Don't forget, this bad boy gets 1000 Power for each of your units bound during this fight!"
Strength- 20000
Ryobukuji growled. "Buntai! Defend your lord!" As the smaller lightning bolt approached the demonic ninja, a familiar canine flashed onto the earth. With a single bound, the hound met the bolt, but instead of being shocked, he vanished again, having been replaced with a charred, split log. "An old trick, but quite effective, wouldn't you say?"
Defense- 22000
"Time to get rid of that PG you have. Shuten-Denji attacks, and since you have no rearguards in your front row, he goes critical."
Strength- 18000/2 Critical
Hayato shrugged. "I'll admit, I'm a little cornered here. I guard with Gekko Wing, and by discarding a card, I activate his perfect guard ability. And since I need two or more attacks to guard this attack, I also guard with a Ryobukuji from hand. He may not have a defense shield, but I don't need one right now."
Defense- Perfect Guard
"You sure? That'll leave you with only one card."
"Which should be just enough to get me to my turn. I'm cornered, but not dead yet."
"If you say so. Twin drive- first check...no trigger." In her head, she crossed her fingers. If that guy wasn't bluffing, she'd absolutely needed a trigger to break through. "Second check...Ancient Dragon Shaman, a heal trigger. That's 10k Power for Twinaxe and I recover one."
Hayato broke his composure a bit. "Oh. Good."
"Shuten-Denji may not have been able to end this, but my next attack will. To cap things off,
Twinaxe swings in."
Strength- 35000
Hayato sighed. "Looks like I'm sunk. Damage check...critical trigger. Welp."
Roaring like a thunderclap, the dragonic warrior tore his axes across his opponent. Ryobukuji's breathing became shallow, as the characters on his body began to fade from his body, and the wheel on his back began to splinter and rust. As he let out one last rattled breath, his body began to unfurl into a wispy obsidian smoke. It dissipated into the biting wind, leaving no trace of any struggle.
"It's over!" roared Shuten-Denji. "Take everything that's not nailed down!" His lackeys cried in acknowledgement, and throughout the night, ogres and monsters could be seen streaming out of the complex, carting away piles upon piles of precious treasures…
Hayato smiled wryly as he began to gather his cards. "That was a close game. You did well that last turn."
"What can I say," Sal smiled. "I'm the smart one."
"You're not going to let that go, aren't you?"
"Oh heck no."
"Fair enough." Hayato shuffled his deck a bit before storing it. "Gotta say though, losing to a drive trigger kinda stings."
"I've been there. Still, you knew what you were doing with those ninjas."
"Well, not enough to win."
"Can't win 'em all, yeah?"
"Yeah, that's true. Listen, don't want to be rude, but do you mind if I take a step back? There's a game in progress I want to see the end of."
"Sure, sure."
With a token thanks, Hayato left the table. Sal stared at her cards a bit before she began to gather them. That game was far too close for her liking. If not for that heal trigger, she'd be collecting some participation packs. Was this her ceiling? Had she gone as far as she was going to?
A/N: Well, that took longer than expected. Sorry about that. Hopefully I can crank out the next chapter in two weeks. Until then, stay safe and indoors.