Yet another half hour had passed in Meeple Village, and yet another round of cardfights had concluded. With the tournament almost concluded, many of the former participants had already left or were planning to leave. That wasn't to say there weren't any millers; the Sage trio had stuck around, watching from a distance, and the man who had snuck out with a backpack had returned for the final round. Just like after the first round, the Cardfight Committee had regrouped for a brief moment.

"You guys are leaving? Really?" Sean asked, a bit disappointed.

Adam chuckled nervously. "Yeah, well, I can already feel the caffeine wearing off, and Nat's going to collapse if this keeps up. Guess all that training is catching up to us."

"Bah," Nat objected. "I can keep going. Just," he stifled an otherwise impressive yawn. "Just leave me out of this."

"Don't strain yourself, Nat," sighed Midori. "There's no shame in taking the afternoon to rest."

"Anyway," Adam continued, "Nat and Midori are coming with me. Otherwise they wouldn't have a ride home."

"You sure you can make it all the way without nodding off?" asked Sal.

"Yeah, I'm sure. All I know is that I'm going to be out cold when I get home." He turned his head to Carlos. "Do you need a ride, bud?"

"Huh? Oh, no," said Carlos. "I kinda want to watch the finals. Besides, if I need to get anywhere, I can always ride with Lucas."

"Oh, mijo, you don't want to do that," said Sal. "Man's a maniac behind the wheel."

"Hey now," chuckled Lucas, "I'm not that bad anymore." Sean nodded in agreement.

"Not by much. Carlos would still be lucky to survive the journey."

"Sal, it's fine," Carlos interrupted sheepishly. "If I can't, I can always call home."

"Well, as long as you can get home," said Adam. "I gotta get going before Nat nods off."

"Speak for yourself," mumbled Nat, stifling another yawn.

"We're taking our leave," announced Midori, hoping to avoid a conflict. "Best of luck, Lucas."

Lucas nodded. "Thanks. Happy trails, guys." With that farewell, the three Committee members took off. As soon as they were out of earshot, he turned to address Sal. "So, I hear the little lady has a date after this."

Sean blinked, mouth agape slightly. "Huh?"

Sal sighed. "It's not a date. I'm just meeting up with Shu to get to know him a bit better. And you two are coming with."

"Three guys at once?" Lucas grinned. "Never knew you were so-" He was cut off with a deathly glare from Sal. "Aw, come on, it's a joke."

Sean cleared his throat. "So, uh, where are we meeting up?"

"That's up to him, I think," said Sal.

"So you guys will be busy?" asked Carlos.

"No worries, you can come with if you want."

Carlos tensed a bit. "W-Well, I don't want to intrude or anything-"

"Alright, cardfighters," announced Tyler, "the semifinals have ended. Sean and Sal, meet at the counter for your prizes. Lucas, Shu, Mr. Khalan will meet with you soon to determine who's going first for the finals."

Sean nodded. "See you guys in a bit. Coming, Sal?"

Sal shrugged. "Well, can't say no to free stuff." Both teens took a leisurely pace towards the front counter, meeting up with the genial clerk. "Hey, Ty."

"How's it going, you two. Gotta say, for your first tourney, you guys tore things up."

"Thanks. So, about those prizes…"

"Right, give me a second." Tyler reached under the counter, rummaging a bit before pulling out a weathered cardboard box. It wasn't' much bigger than two shoe boxes taped together, and was adorned with multiple yellow labels, almost all haphazardly scratched off with some color of marker ink. "Each of you can pick a set of sleeves from this box. When you're done, let me know what kind of packs you want."

"Sweet." Sal slid the box toward her, scanning the pile of sleeves for anything remotely relevant to her deck or interests. "This is quite the selection."

"I hope so. Mr. Khalan has been stockpiling this stuff for weeks. He's always looking forward to events like this." Tyler turned to the other unfortunate semifinalist. "How 'bout it, Sean? What kind of packs do you want?"

"Well, let me see," responded Sean. He looked at the shop's display. It took him awhile to find the Vanguard boxes- on any other day, he'd commend the shop for having such a range of card games for sale, but now, it seemed his game of choice was lost in a sea of colorful cardboard. There was Magic, Yu-Gi-Oh, something called Buddyfight, some Dragon Ball game- it took awhile for Sean to even spot a Vanguard display. "Um, I guess I'll take some from Dragonic Deity's Judgement."

"Good choice. Six Judgement packs, coming up."

"Wait, six? I thought people got two."

"Oh yeah, first tourney." Tyler brought up the display, emptying the last fistful of booster packs onto the counter. "In most events like this, the further you get, the more packs you get. Since you're a semifinalist, you get six."

"Ah, here we go," Sal said to herself, plucking a tightly wrapped bundle of card sleeves. "This'll do nicely."

"Excellent choice. Dragonic Berserker is an oldie, but a goodie. You're up, Sean."

Sean nodded, scooping up his prize packs and stuffing them into his pockets. Trading places with his friend, he peered into the box, his eyes greeted by a cavalcade of bizarre and unfamiliar units. It was a testament to how much he still had to learn about the game in the sense that he barely recognized any of the units emblazoned on the products. His viewing of older image fights helped, but barely. He still had to peruse the pile for something remotely recognizable.

"What's your choice, Sal?" Sean overheard, as he pushed yet another unrecognizable sleeve aside.

"What else? Six packs of Rolling Thunderbolt Barrage, good sir."

"Coming right up," chuckled Tyler. Once more, he pulled out one of the store's Vanguard displays before dumping it's contents onto the counter. "You guys are cleaning us out. Hey, Sean, you need a little help?"

"No, I think I got it," responded Sean without looking up. After a few more pokes and slides, he finally found a unit he knew. "I'm taking this one."

"Hey, you found a Knight Gawain. Thought we ran out. Good find, bud."

Sean produced a small, sheepish smile as he crammed another item into his already stuffed pockets. "Thanks."

"Come on, Sean," said Sal, tapping his shoulder. "We got a final to watch." Sean nodded, waving goodbye to the clerk before heading towards the now crowded play area. From a distance, he could see both Lucas and Shu expertly shuffling their decks. Surrounding them were the remaining tournament participants, along with a few spectators that must have been from outside the event, given how Sean didn't recognize them. Sean and Sal took a position near Carlos, giving them a good perspective of the playing table. Across from them, Sean could see the Sage trio.

"Surprised to see they're still here," Sean thought aloud. Hayato and Cassidy noticed them from across the way; the former politely waved, the later beaming in response. Aster didn't seem to notice them at, his eyes transfixed on the table, ready for the game to begin.

"Same," commented Sal. "That Aster guy strikes me as the sore loser type."

"I can still hear you," said Aster, barely looking up. "I'm just here to get at least a bit of catharsis in seeing this neanderthal lose."

Hayato sighed. "Sorry about this. He can be...a little petty sometimes."

"It's not petty," Aster growled slightly, "it's a simple calculus. This Shu fellow managed to beat me. I, in turn, have beaten his new opponent. Ergo, if he could beat me, his victory is assured."

"Still a little rude, yeah?" asked Cassidy. "I get rooting for one guy, but rooting against? That's mean."

"Guessing she just met the guy?" asked Sal.

"That's kinda rude too."

"Eh."

"Well, if we're ready to start," began Mr. Khalan, checking his watch.

"Just a minute!" cried a voice from the back. Another spectator came rushing to the play area, this one a grown adult. Comfortably clad in jeans and a weathered red jacket, his fierce red hair ran all over his head, undisciplined and rowdy. He breathed a sigh of relief. "Sorry, I'm here now."

While the rest of the crowd stared on incredulously, Mr. Khalan just smiled. "Just in time as usual, Jakob."

The redheaded man smiled back. "Old habits die hard, Kasem."

First name basis? I feel like there's a history here.

Mr. Khalan cleared his throat. "Now that everyone's here, I believe it's time to get started. By virtue of a coin toss, Shu here is going first. Are both fighters ready?"

"Yes," replied Shu.

"Ready and willing," followed Lucas.

"Then we can begin the grand finals of our shop tournament. You may begin."

"Now stand up, Vanguard!"

Leviathus's fleet had racked up quite the impressive string of victories as a mercenary privateering fleet, so much so that they were beginning to become a new frequent topic with Cray's citizenry, from the humble merchants to the posh ruling classes. It was no surprise, then, when the crew received an...interesting invitation. Scrawled childishly on a piece of rough parchment, with frankly embarrassing misspellings common throughout, it invited the fleet to a fight in a forgotten sunken arena. After the crew shared a snicker or two over the letter's sloppy quality, they set sail for one of Magallanica's failed coastal arena's, a relic of a time the nation's government attempted to bring combat sports to their home.

"I ride! Living Figurehead!"

Living Figurehead- Grade 0/6000 Power/10000 Shield

"I ride! Muscle Babyface, Kid Stern!"

Kid Stern- Grade 0/6000 Power/10000 Shield

"Well, I'm up first. I draw, and ride Guardian Sorcerer, Negroshield."

Negroshield- Grade 1/7000 Power/0 Shield

"Since I rode on Living Figurehead, I get to draw a card. On top of that, since I placed Negroshield on my VC, I can draw a card, then discard one. And that'll be my turn."

He's already setting up the drop zone, but given that Negroshield only has 7000 Power, Lucas could easily swing in for multiple hits on his first turn. Let's see if Shu's first ride pays off…

End of Turn 1

Hand Count- Shu 6, Lucas 5

Damage Count- Shu 0, Lucas 0

Lucas grinned. "Alright, time to crank things up. I draw. I ride Muscle Kilo, Bursting Serr."

Bursting Serr- Grade 1/8000 Power/10000 Shield

"Thanks to Stern, I draw a card when I ride him. Next, I call Muscle Kilo, Grabby Oppo."

Grabby Oppo- Grade 1/8000 Power/10000 Shield

"Looks like Lucas is trying to exploit Shu's lower Power vanguard," observed Carlos. "Guess he's starting off with a quick two damage lead."

"I wouldn't be too sure," responded Sal. "1k Power isn't that big a gap, and if Shu gives up too much ground now, he'd be up a creek later."

"Alright, first up," said Lucas, "I'm having Oppo attack Negroshield."

Strength- 8000

"No biggie," responded Shu. "I guard with Arrogant Sorceress, Negrobrace."

Negrobrace- Grade 2/9000 Power/5000 Shield

Defense- 12000

"Okay then, I'm having Serr charge next."

Strength- 8000

"I don't guard."

"Drive check...no trigger."

"Let's see...nope, no trigger for me either."

"That's all for now."

End of Turn 2

Hand Count- Shu 5, Lucas 6

Damage Count- Shu 1, Lucas 0

"So much for exploiting a lower Power vanguard," said Sean.

"I dunno," observed Sal. "Shu had to waste a card from his hand to prevent a two damage lead. He may run out of steam faster than expected."

"Well, given what he guarded with," said Carlos, "I don't think it'll be a waste in the long run."

"What did he guard with, again?"

"Negrobrace."

"Oh yeah," realized Sean. "That card can pull other cards out of the drop zone."

"So he's still setting up the drop for later," observed Sal. "Guess he'll be in this for the long haul."

"I draw," began Shu. "I ride Envy Shade."

Envy Shade- Grade 2/9000 Power/5000 Shield

"When Envy is placed, I can discard a card to mill the top two cards of my deck, then bounce a card from my drop zone to my hand. Let's see...Flaming Shade will be added to my hand."

Looks like he's trying to stock up on defensive cards. A good move, given Brach's front row boosting skill.

"Next, I call Bloody Shade and Headless Grenadier."

Bloody Shade- Grade 2/9000 Power/5000 Shield

Headless Grenadier- Grade 1/8000 Power/10000 Shield

"Already busting out Grenadier, huh?" Sal observed.

"He's dangerous?" Sean inquired.

"Very. If an attack he boosts hits, he can pop himself to let the player draw two."

"That's a ton of advantage off of one unit," added Carlos. "And he'll need every bit of it."

"Time to get things rolling," stated Shu. "I attack with Bloody Shade first, and use his battle skill- by milling the top two cards of my deck, I give Bloody Shade an extra 4k and an on-hit skill."

"Which is?" asked Lucas.

"If he hits, I can counter blast one to draw a card and retire one of your rearguards."

Strength- 13000

"Gotcha. Well, if you're going to get that much advantage, guess I gotta stop ya. I guard with Muscle Kilo, Jobber Poll."

Jobber Poll- Grade 1/8000 Power/10000 Shield

Defense- 18000

"Then I'll have Grenadier boost Envy for another attack on Serr. For every five cards in my drop zone, Envy gets a 3k boost."

Strength- 20000

"Well, I need counter blasts. I don't guard."

"Drive check...no trigger."

"Damage check...nothing here either."

"Since Grenadier boosted a successful attack, I can retire him to draw two. And that's my turn."

End of Turn 3

Hand Count- Shu 6, Lucas 5

Damage Count- Shu 1, Lucas 1

"Is it me, or is this fight...kinda slow?" questioned Sean.

"Well, now that it's time for Lucas to attack, I bet it's going to get much faster," mused Sal.

"I stand and draw," began Lucas. "I ride Muscle Mega, Showboat Anco."

Showboat Anco- Grade 2/9000 Power/5000 Shield

"When I ride on Serr, I can move him to an open RC. Next up, I move Oppo to my back row, then call another Anco and Muscle Mega, Rocksteady Iliac."

Rocksteady Iliac- Grade 2/9000 Power/5000 Shield

"Things are going to get a lot faster from here," said Carlos. "That's at least four attacks heading Shu's way."

Anco turned and grinned towards his towering ally. "Ah Iliac, ol' reliable. I can always count on you, my adamant friend." The golem-like alien let out a repeating low hork, like a laughing seal. "Be a dear and open things up for us, will you?" This time Iliac roared in acknowledgement, beginning his plodding, heavy steps towards his opponent. His lumbering journey caused the entire arena to rumble, the fragments of stone and coral left behind from the arena's hay day bouncing and clattering with each step.

Strength- 9000

Envy remained motionless and unperturbed. "Bloody Shade, intercept this simpleton." With his trademark banshee-like wail, the crimson ghoul bolted from his position towards the rock alien. He tossed both of his hatchets towards Iliac's abdomen, each rusted weapon digging itself into the alien's rocky skin. This hasty assault proved fruitless for Bloody Shade- with a powerful downward swing, the mountainous fighter crushed his assailant into a fine red mist. Regardless, when Iliac then took a swing at Envy, the other shade effortlessly dodged, tossing a pair of knives into the alien's chest. With a quartet of ghastly weapons embedded in his body, Iliac finally found his wounds to be unbearable, and thus staggered back to his vanguard.

Defense- 14000

Anco hummed. "Not bad, not bad. Iliac's not easy to stop. But now, my dashing comrade here will attack!"

The other Anco flashed a bawdy thumbs-up. "Leave it to me, handsome!" He then lept skyward, briefly vanishing into a twinkle in the night's sky, before descending right foot first.

Strength- 9000

Once more, Envy didn't even flinch. "I guard that pathetic attempt with Apprentice Warlock, Negronova." From the saturated earth emerged a gaunt sorcerer, appearing more annoyed than frightened or determined. With a flick of his wand, he summoned an otherworldly green barrier in front of his formation. The rearguard Anco crashed into the barrier, ricocheting comically off it like an oversized pinball hitting a sickly green bumper.

Negronova- Grade 1/8000 Power/10000 Shield

Defense- 19000

The vanguard Anco sighed. "Such a shame. I thought for sure that dynamic specimen would break through. Oh well." He cracked his knuckles. "Serr, baby, back me up."

"When Anco attacks a vanguard, I can counter blast one to restand a rearguard and buff it by 3k. I restand my rearguard Anco, and his battle skill kicks in- when he stands during my battle phase, he gains an extra 5k."

Strength- 17000

"That's an extra 8000 Power," Sean marveled, "and he still has a booster in the back row."

"The fourth attack is going to be a big one," agreed Sal. "And blocking this one won't be a cinch either."

Shu scratched his chin a bit. "Not sure I want to use any more cards for the defense, especially since I'm only sitting at one damage. I'll let that attack through."

"Works for me," said Lucas. "Drive check... Muscle Babyface, Unflappable Pyra, eh? Well, since it's a draw trigger, I get an extra card, and give 10k Power to my rearguard Anco."

"Oof, good timing. Lesse, damage check...no trigger."

"For my last attack, I'm having Oppo boost my souped up RG Anco for another assault on Envy."

Strength- 35000

"Well, no sense in wasting cards on an attack that big when I need counter blasts. I don't guard. Damage check...Ravenous Mimic, a critical trigger. Well, that's one less trigger for me to work with…"

"To cap off my turn, I'm using Oppo's skill. Since I have five or less cards in hand, I can move him to my soul and draw a card. And that'll be it for now."

End of Turn 4

Hand Count- Shu 5, Lucas 6

Damage Count- Shu 3, Lucas 1

"Lucas just took a huge lead," Sean thought aloud. "If Shu doesn't do something drastic, he's going to get buried when Lucas rides Brach."

"Well, Granblue matches up poorly against Novas anyway," answered Carlos. "Still, Shu's about to break out his own grade 3, and that might turn things around."

"We can only hope," sighed Sal. "Given how bad the matchup usually is, this might be an anticlimactic final match."

"I stand and draw," Shu stated rotely. "Let's see if this guy can even things out a bit. I ride Sea Serpent King, Leviathus."

A pitch black portal appeared beneath Envy, who sank into the maw of darkness without expression. Within seconds, a creeping wave of chilling black waters began to seep into the arena, covering the aliens up to their ankles. As the motley crew began to question the sudden leakage, their slipshod wondering was interrupted by the emergence of a massive geyser. Like a colossal obsidian pillar, the column of water gave way to the feared sea monster, fresh off his recent conquests of enemy fleets. His arrive caused the air to chill substantially, like a sort of early death.

"First the water ruins my boots, now the cold ruins my spandex," groaned Anco. "This fight isn't worth it."

"Worthless fop," grumbled Leviathus.

Leviathus- Grade 3/12000 Power/0 Shield/Protect Marker

"By riding him, I gain a Protect II Gift for my front row. Now for his once-per-turn skill- by counter blasting one and milling the top two cards of my deck, I can call two cards from my drop zone with different grades and give each an extra 5k. I superior call Bloody Shade and Cold Steel Swordsman, Negrofoil."

Negrofoil- Grade 2/12000 Power/0 Shield/Protect Marker

"After calling two units, I can soul blast one and discard a card to give my vanguard 15k. Now for Negrofoil's on-place. I can discard a card to mill two and bounce a card from my drop zone to my hand. I'm adding back...Negromend. Finally, I use Grenadier's skill from the drop zone- with one counter blast and one discard, I superior call him and boost him by 4k."

"Grenadier just doesn't die, does he?" chortled Sal. "That loop is annoying as all get-out."

"Let's get down to business," said Shu. "I'm attacking your rearguard Anco with my Blood Shade. Since there are over ten cards in my drop zone, he gains another 4k."

Strength- 18000

"Nice idea," said Lucas, "but I'll need him for later. I guard with Color Commentator, Jabber."

Jabber- Grade 0/5000 Power/15000 Shield/Critical Trigger

"Well, that was a bust." Shu hesitated to take his next action. "Alright, for my next attack, I'm having Negrofoil attack your vanguard."

"Why would he attack the vanguard if he wanted to thin Lucas's ranks?" wondered Sean. "Wouldn't that just give him more counter blasts to work with?"

"Normally, you'd be right," Sal explained. "But Shu has a lot of ground to cover. And-"

"Since he's attacking a vanguard, I can activate Negrofoil's battle skill," stated Shu. "I counter blast one to draw a card and add 5k to this thrust."

"Oh, so even if Lucas gets an extra counter blast to work with," Sean realized, "Shu still gets a card out of that attack. He's stockpiling cards to use for next turn's defense."

"On top of the 5k from his battle skill," Shu continued, "he gains 5k more from the Protect II Marker."

Strength- 27000

Lucas looked at his hand. "I'll need most of this for my next push...I don't guard. Damage check...no trigger."

"Finally, I'm having Grenadier boost Leviathus for the third push."

Strength- 39000

"If Lucas let's this through, Shu'll net four cards off this attack," awed Carlos. "That's gotta be more than enough for him to survive until his next turn."

"Yeah, but I don't think Lucas can afford to block this attack. I'm guessing he's trying to hoard cards for his next big wave of attacks," reasoned Sean. "Not to mention, he can't get one of those flashy stampedes off of one counter blast."

"Not a bad analysis, Sean," Sal commented. "You really are getting better."

Lucas shrugged. "Not guarding that, either."

"Your call," Shu responded. "Twin drive, first check...Flotsam Witch Doctor, Negromend- a heal trigger. Guess I'll give the 10k Power to my vanguard, but recovering one is really nice. Second check...no trigger."

"Checking for a damage trigger...and I got one. Concession Jerk, Chugg just netted me a draw trigger. That's 10k to my vanguard Anco, and one more card for me."

"Since Grenadier's boost was successful, I can pop him to draw two. And that'll end my turn."

End of Turn 5

Hand Count- Shu 8, Lucas 6

Damage Coun- Shu 2, Lucas 3

"Woof, eight cards in hand," observed Sean. "With that on top of that heal trigger, he can easily survive one of Lucas's big pushes."

"I dunno," Sal said. "With that many cards in hand, Lucas can fuel one heck of a turn. He may survive, but will Shu have enough to mount a counterattack?"

"Well, a Granblue deck can always pump units out of the drop zone," Carlos answered. "I'm guessing that if he let's through enough attacks, he'll have enough counter blasts to not worry about his hand."

"I stand and draw," began Lucas. After quickly scanning his hand, he grinned. "I might not be able to end the game this turn, but this'll still be big. First, I ride the lord of the ring, Muscle Ultima, Undefeated Brach."

Anco grinned. "It's been fun, darling, but I think it's time for the boss to take a whack at ya." With a mighty bound skyward, the alien disappeared into a twinkle. Several seconds later, a giant figure crashed into the arena, sending a massive rippling wave across the water's surface. From the impact emerged the alien's leader- a towering mountain of muscle and heroism.

Undefeated Brach- Grade 3/12000 Power/0 Shield/Accel Marker

"You've finally arrived," Leviathus rumbled. "I assume you're the one who sent the invitation."

"Damn straight," Brach said, cracking both sets of knuckles. "I heard you're unstoppable, and I'm itching to see if that's true."

"Then show me your true power, and I shall show you mine."

"Bring it on!"

"Thanks to Brach, I just gained an Accel III Gift- that's an extra rearguard circle for me. Next, I call- Muscle Mega, Boomerang Thorac; Muscle Kilo, Kneelift Semi; and Concession Jerk, Chugg."

Boomerang Thorac- Grade 2/9000 Power/5000 Shield

Kneelift Semi- Grade 1/8000 Power/10000 Shield

Chugg- Grade 0/5000 Power/5000 Shield/Draw Trigger

"Now for Brach's once-per-turn- by soul blasting two cards, my entire front row gains 5000 Power. And they're all heading your way."

Brach chuckled darkly. "Let's see if you're all you're cracked up to be." He snapped twice. "For attack numero uno, Chugg will boost Iliac!" Just like in the last round, the golem-like alien roared and began his lumbering charge. With each step, a sizable ripple was sent throughout the arena's waters, generating several small waves crashing against its crumbling walls.

Strength- 19000

Leviathus snarled. "What a pathetic attempt. With Ravenous Mimic, that pitiful assault is blocked." As Iliac drew close to the sea serpent, a demonic object jumped up from the waters, unhinging its lid to deliver a voracious bite. The possessed chest was as outmatched as it was undersized; Iliac brought his hands together, reducing his opponent to splinters and teeth shards between his palms. This show of strength, while impressive, ground his momentum to a total stop, making any further attempts a waste of time. Grumbling in disappointment, the rock alien slumped back into position.

Ravenous Mimic- Grade 0/5000 Power/15000 Shield/Critical Trigger

Defense- 27000

"Oh, we're just getting started," grinned Brach. "For attack number two, Semi will boost Anco! Get to it, you two!"

"Yessir, sirdy sir!" acknowledged Anco, charging forward with his arms outstretched.

Strength- 22000

Levithus slithered and shifted his position. "First Mate, Sharpeyed Vasco will guard, and Bloody Shade will intercept." The blood red shad ebay Leviathus's side bolted towards the oncoming alien, and another pirate, a waterlogged living corpse, popped out from the water to join the defense. Both were felled quickly to Anco's running clothesline attacks, reducing both to ghastly mist. Anco, hopped up on his own inflated confidence, leapt forward in a flashy flying scissor kick, only to be knocked aside by a swipe of Leviathus's tail. Anco crashed and crumpled aside his vanguard, whimpering and rubbing his head.

Sharpeyed Vasco- Grade 1/8000 Power/10000 Shield

Defense- 27000

"No big deal. Since my vanguard is grade 3, at the end of the battle Semi boosted, I can move him to my soul to restand Anco and give him an extra 4k, on top of the 5k gained of Anco's own battle skill."

"And all that on top of the front row buff from Brach," muttered Shu. "This is getting dicier than I thought it would."

"Next up, for attack number three, Thorac comes in swinging. Thanks to the Accel III Marker, he gains an extra 15k."

Strength- 29000

"Well, gotta let a couple attacks through anyway. I don't guard. Damage check...zilch."

"Now, for attack number four, Serr boosts Brach for an attack on Leviathus. When Brach attacks, I can counter blast one and discard a card to give Brach an extra drive check, and allow myself to restand and buff a rearguard. I restand Iliac with an extra 5k. Thorac's skill also kicks in- when my vanguard attacks, I can counter blast one and soul blast one and restand him with an extra 5k."

Strength- 25000/3 Drive

"Well," Shu responded, "since you're running critical triggers, there's a chance you'll check one. I'm not sure eating a crit will do me favors. So," he plucked a card from his hand, "I'm throwing up a Perfect Guard with Negroshield."

Defense- Perfect Guard

Lucas smiled slightly. "Putting up a PG huh? You may have stopped Brach, but I still have a triple drive, and that sentinel just cost you an extra card. Lesse, first check...no trigger. Second check...yeah, Jabber! A critical trigger! I give all effects to Thorac. Third card...nothing."

"Thorac just keeps getting bigger," awed Sean. "Looks like that Perfect Guard might have saved Shu from being at five damage, but he may not have the cards to stop Thorac and the others."

"Yeah, not gonna lie," Sal said, "but this looks real bad for Shu."

"For attack number five," Lucas continued, his smile widening, "I'm having Iliac attack again."

Strength- 19000

"Trying to soften me up so Thorac can hit, huh?" observed Shu. "A decent plan, but for now, I'll use Negrofoil to guard. Thanks to his Protect II Marker, he can intercept with a 10k Shield."

Defense- 22000

Brach's confidence was slowly beginning to fade, being replaced with a building, frustrated anger. So far, only one of the five thrusts had broken the pirate's defenses. Not even his own assault couldn't make it through thanks to that smug, meddling sorcerer. It was maddening- the best offense he had mustered in a long time, and it was being brushed aside like a mother cleaning up her child's toy soldiers. Perhaps the sea snake was all he was cracked up to be.

"This is getting ridiculous," he growled. "Fine! For the sixth attack, Anco will attack again!" He turned to his subordinate with a petrifying glare. "Don't screw up this time."

Anco gulped. "Yessir…" He moved to a sprinter's stance. "I gotcha this time, You sack of scales."

Strength- 23000

Leviathus, for the first time since the onslaught began, braced himself. He knew eventually he'd have to stop defending, and given how powerful the bony alien had become, he'd have to hold some sailors in reserve. "I don't guard."

"Finally!" Anco rocketed from his stance, rushing towards his target before taking a forceful bound. Put his newfound strength to work, he brought his boot to Leviathus's bottom jaw via a devastating roundhouse kick. "Hope that hurt!"

Leviathus settled his body, spitting out a loose fang. "Damage check...no trigger."

"Finally did something right," Brach muttered under his breath. "Time to finish this! Thorac, crush 'em!"

"No problem!" obeyed Thorac, spinning both his weapons. With a pair of intense swings, the bony alien flung his weapons, each shining with a stellar light. An onlooker could see the fiercely shining boomerangs illuminate the arena as they traveled.

Strength- 44000/2 Critical

Leviathus had prepared for this moment. "I guard with two Negromends!" On command, two feminine figures sprang from behind the towering monstrosity. The medics joined hands, pooling their magic reserves to muster a sickly green barrier. Despite their monumental strength, the two weapons bounced off of the barrier like marbles, making their way lamely back to their owner.

Negromend- Grade 0/5000 Power/20000 Shield/Heal Trigger

Defense- 52000

"Hey, not bad. Guess I have to leave it at that. Oh, and since Thorac was on an Accel III Marker, he has to be retired."

End of Turn 6

Hand Count- Shu 2, Lucas 5

Damage Count- Shu 4, Lucas 3

"Excellent, I stand and draw," answered Shu. He drummed his fingers, examining the three cards left in his hand. "I hope you don't mind me looking through my drop zone, do you?"

"Go ahead, man."

Shu picked up his drop zone, which at this point nearly matched the number of cards left in his deck. As he rifled through the thick stack of sleeved cards, Carlos rubbed his budding beard a bit. "I'm not sure Shu can come back from this."

"What makes you think that?" asked Sean.

"Take a look- no units on field, barely anything in hand, and if he wants to win, he'll have to deal three damage."

"Ah. So he'll have to make columns too big to block or get lucky with his trigger checks."

"More or less," agreed Sal. "He's probably out of defensive cards, too, so surviving another turn is as unlikely as pulling a VR out of one pack."

"Interesting analogy."

"You have a better one?"

"...as unlikely as finding Atlantis."

"Mine's better."

"Thanks for waiting," said Shu, putting down his drop zone. "First, I'm using Leviathus's skill- I counter blast one and mill two to call Deep Trench Dragon, Imprisoned Dracoshark and Negronova from my drop zone, and give 5k to each."

Imprisoned Dracoshark- Grade 3/12000 Power/0 Shield/Protect Marker

"He's bringing out the big guns," Sal noticed aloud.

"What, Dracoshark?" Sean asked. "Is he a big deal?"

"He used that card to beat both Adam and Sal," Carlos explained. "It gets 1000 Power for each card in the drop zone."

"And given how stacked the drop zone is," Sean realized, "it's hitting for an ungodly huge number."

"Following up on that," Shu continued, "I soul blast one and discard a card to add 15k to my vanguard. Now for Negronova's skill- when he's placed from the drop zone, I can soul blast one to call a grade 2 or higher unit from my drop zone. I superior call an Envy Shade, and buff her by 3k since my drop zone has more than ten cards in my drop zone. Last up, I call Vasco from hand to rearguard."

"Man, a nearly full formation after taking a huge beatdown," Sean observed. "He's good."

"Well, his back's against the wall," Sal said. "If he doesn't go for the win here, he's sunk."

"For my first attack," Shu stated calmly, "I'm having Negronova boost Envy Shade. Envy gets an extra 3k for every five cards in my drop zone."

"I see," Lucas said. "And how many cards are in your drop."

"18."

Lucas scratched his head. "So that's an extra 9k," he thought aloud. "Plus the 5k from the Marker, and the 8k on Nova…"

"42," Shu answered. "I'm attacking for 42k."

Strength- 42000

Lucas chuckled. "Thanks, that would've taken me all day. Well then, I guard with Muscle Babyface, Charismatic Leva and Jabber."

Envy, overflowing with an unholy power, slung a pair of glowing knives towards the opposing vanguard. What should have been a pair of devastating piercing blows, however, failed. From the back of the alien rabble emerged a pair of truly bizarre defenders- a multi-mouthed beanstalk of an alien and a female figure that looked like she walked out of a pulp novel. Each took a dagger for their leader, both disappearing into stardust with a yelp of pain.

Charismatic Leva- Grade 0/5000 Power/20000 Shield/Heal Trigger

Defense- 47000

Leviathus let out a rumbling growl. This horde of halfwits was putting up a better fight than he anticipated. "Bah, fine. I will be your next opponent, then!" Miasma began to slowly cascade from his mighty maw as his eyes began to emit a sickening red light.

Strength- 27000

Brach uncrossed his arms and dug his feet into the arena as best he could. He'd need the rest of his defensive forces to block that glorified fish, so letting this through was his best option. "I don't guard."

"My twin drive," Leviathus stated, the miasma leaking from his mouth becoming thicker and darker. "First check...no trigger. Second check...Living Bomb, a critical trigger!" His horns began to emit a frightening glow, illuminating the darkened arena in a coat of hellish light. "I give the Power to Dracoshark, but the extra damage stays with me! Your situation has become irrecoverable!"

Brach put his arms in front of him in a defiant defensive stance. "We'll see about that, you rotten eel…"

Leviathus finally unhinged his jaw, releasing a flood of otherworldly hellfire upon the enemy formation. "STYGIAN NEGROSTORM!" The torrent of flames bathed Brach's formation in a paradoxical cold wave. It was an unbearable cold, inflicting near lethal burns to Brach. The flames themselves quickly subsided, but the pain remained ever present and insufferable. The alien leader crumpled to his knees, taking in large, haggard gasps of the salty coastal air.

"BOSS!" shouted Anco. Iliac likewise let out a concerned rumble, using his immense bulk to help prop up his leader.

"I'll be fine," moaned Brach. "I'm checking my damage triggers. First...second...nothing for either."

"This is the end," said Leviathus with an uncharacteristic sadistic glee. "Your endless appetite for meaningless combat has been your undoing. Vasco, unleash Dracoshark!"

"Aye-aye, cap'n!" Vasco saluted. With a quick swipe of his ghastly nails, he broke the key phantasmal chain retaining the writhing sea monster. With a mountrous, voracious roar, the beast charged towards the deeply pained alien. A ferocious torpedo, it threatened to topple the entire enemy formation with it's brute force and lightning speed.

Strength- 53000/2 Critical

Brach, while barely being able to stand, was not about to fold. Such a poor showing would sully the reputation of the entire Nova Grappler league. "Pyra," he coughed, "you know what to do!" Mere meters away, the full bulk of Dracoshark slammed against an unforeseen barrier. A mere feral beast, it tried to force it's way past with a repeated bashing. This rage proved to be beyond foolish, and the only thing it had to show was a battered body and exhausted spirit. Had it been paying attention, it would have noticed the guardian behind it.

"Damn good job, Pyra," groaned Brach.

Defense- Perfect Guard

Pyra giggled, releasing her barrier as the sea monster finally collapsed from exhaustion. "Saving your fine behind is always a pleasure, boss."

"Shoulda seen that coming," Shu shrugged. "You've been holding on to that for a while, huh?"

"Yep," Lucas smiled, moving Pyra to his drop zone. "Dracoshark is one hell of a power card, but even he can't break a PG."

"You mean he's been accounting for Dracoshark the whole game?" Sean realized.

"It's good practice," Sal nodded. "If you want to stay ahead, preparing for your opponent's best cards is really important."

"Even in a losing matchup, it pays to know what your opponent is likely to play," Carlos added.

"So Lucas did his homework and held on to the one card that'd shut Shu down," Sean concluded. "Man, if only he approached algebra that seriously."

Shu sighed. "Well, since it's the end of my turn, I have to retire Dracoshark. And now I pass things over to you."

End of Turn 7

Hand Count- Shu 3, Lucas 1

Damage Count- Shu 4, Lucas 5

"I stand and draw," said Lucas. He then broke out into his trademark toothy grin. "Wanna see what else I've been holding onto?"

"You don't mean…" Sean gasped.

"I'm proud to introduce the ultimate fusion of muscle and metal. Meet the fighter who always stands to the occasion, who never gives up 'til the bell is rung. I ride Muscle Apex, Unrivaled Brach MAX!"

Unrivaled Brach MAX- Grade 3/12000 Power/0 Shield/Accel Marker

"That card," Shu said. "Welp, I'm not winning this one."

"Giving up already?"

"Nah, gotta see this through. Scooping isn't the best way to end a tournament."

"Heck yeah, gotta put up a show. When I place MAX on my VC, I can soul blast a grade 3 card to draw a card, then call a card from my hand to RC, and if it was grade 2 or greater, my front row gets 5k." Lucas picked up the top card of his deck. "I superior call Undefeated Brach. Next, I call Semi to one of my Accel III circles."

Shu smiled wryly. "Well, this is going to hurt."

"Let's get started, then. Chugg boosts Iliac for my first attack."

Strength- 19000

"I guard that with Living Bomb."

Living Bomb- Grade 0/5000 Power/15000 Shield/Critical Trigger

Defense- 27000

"Trying to hang in there, huh? I doubt you can block everything, though. My rearguard Brach attacks Leviathus next."

Strength- 17000

"Guarding with Flaming Shade."

Flaming Shade- Grade 0/5000 Power/15000 Shield/Critical Trigger

Defense- 27000

"Next, the Semi on my Accel III circle comes in swinging."

Strength- 23000

"Envy Shade intercepts. Thanks to the Protect II Marker, her Shield increases to 15k."

Defense- 27000

"You're not making this easy. Well, for my fourth attack, Anco is coming atcha."

Strength- 14000

"I guard with Bloody Shade."

Defense- 17000

"Man, you've done a great job staving me off so far. Too bad you're out of defensive options."

"Sad, but true. It all comes down to my damage checks."

"Well, let's see what my own checks have to say. Serr boosts MAX for another assault on Leviathus. And now for MAX's battle skill- I move Semi, Chugg, and Anco to my soul to restand Iliac and my rearguard Brach and buff them both by 5k."

Strength- 25000

"Hmm, should I guard this? I can't decide…"

"Can't check the twin drive until you do. So hard to choose, yeah?"

"Good point. I don't guard."

"Twin drive check...first card...second card...Leva, a heal trigger! I recover one damage, and give the 10k Power to my rearguard Brach!"

"Well, this just got a lot hairier. Damage check...no trigger."

"To cap things off, I'm having my rearguard Brach go in for the win."

Strength- 32000

Shu sighed. "It all comes down to this. Damage check...no trigger. You got me."

"Gotcha now!" shouted Brach. In a recalcitrant final act, Leviathus attempted to topple his assailant with a swipe from his tail, but all for naught. With an athletic bound, Brach easily cleared the incoming appendage, landing firmly on the sea serpent's forehead. He wrapped all four of his hands around his opponent's right horn. Normally an imposing symbol of Leviathus's strength, it snapped like a dry twig, extracting a pained wail from the sea monster. "THIS'LL HURT!" Brach declared, using all of his titanic strength to drive the horn into Leviathus's skull. With one final shriek of pain, the formerly indomitable monster collapsed onto the arena's floor, his body slowly fading into a hellish miasma.

MAX shook his head as the other pirates retreated in terror. "That was not worth it. Last time we fight Granblue, boys."

End of Turn 8

Hand Count- Shu 0, Lucas 2

Damage Count- Shu 6, Lucas 4

Lucas Wins

"The winner of our little tournament," Mr. Khalan projected, "is Lucas Robertson!" A small but raucous volley of cheers emitted from the crowd.

"Man, what a fight," guffawed Jakob. "Even with the bad matchup, the Granblue player did really well. But man, that final push was nothing short of epic." He grinned like an overly enthusiastic tween. "This gen of cardfighters is better than ever."

Aster, who had been watching the last couple of turns with bitter disappointment, sneered. "Bah." Without another word, he adjusted his tie and left towards the exit. Hayato followed close behind, offering some lame comfort. Cassidy hesitated before sighing and trailing behind her classmates.

"Well, it certainly was entertaining," Sal commented, as she and her friends approached the table. "You really are too skilled for your own good, Lucas."

Shu smiled wryly as he gathered his cards. "No kidding. Uphill battle or not, that was the best cardfight I've had in awhile. Reminds me of…" He paused, like the words on his tongue were too bitter to tolerate.

"Of what?" Sean asked.

"Never mind. Anyway, where are we meeting up?"

"Oh yeah, Sal's date," Lucas grinned.

"Not a date," Sal corrected. "You, Sean, and Carlos are coming too."

Shu carefully placed his cards back in his deck box. "Ah, a whole get-together. This should be fun."

Carlos tensed up, eyes like a startled kitten. "Y-you sure you want me to come? Don't want to be a third wheel here."

"Well, you'd be more like a fifth wheel," Sal corrected, "but yeah, you're welcome to join."

"Um…"

"I'd say yes," Sean suggested. "It's not like it's an execution."

Carlos nodded. "Alright, I can come."

"Awesome," Lucas grinned. "Let's get going!"

"Hold up!" Tyler warned, as Lucas began to stand. "You guys still have to pick out your prizes!"

Lucas blinked. "Oh...right. Coming, Shu?"

"Already there," Shu called from the front of the counter.

Lucas blinked again, clearing his throat as his friends shared a short laugh at his expense. "Right, uh, I'll be right back."

"You do that, champ," Sal smiled. As Lucas sped off to the counter, she turned towards her other friends. "There's a decent pizza place in this center. How's that?"

"That works," Sean responded. "I just need to let my folks know." He fumbled through his pockets for his phone. With a few taps and swipes, he began to message his sister:

Hey Erica, I'm going to be hanging out with friends for a while.

who is this?

...Your brother?

no, he doesn't leave the house. this must be someone else.

I'm serious.

i know. i'll tell mom and dad. have fun!

Sean shoved his phone back into his pocket. Despite having spent over two hours surrounded by familiar faces, he was looking forward to spending more time with them. It would be a long day, but in the best way possible.

A/N: And we are finally done with our first tournament arc! Jesus, that took forever. Hope you enjoyed it anyway! Stay tuned for a major update concerning this fic, and stay safe!