"This game is seeing a sharp contrast in terms of offense and defense. Lucas has dedicated himself to a brutal offensive onslaught, while Nasim has been more cautious and defensive."

"A wise decision. Novas are known for their incredible offensive output, and if he wants to defend against this next push, he'd have to set up a good defense. Let's hope he's been holding onto the right cards."

"What is Nasim doing out there?" Buzz snapped. "Five cards against an Andromedus turn is terrible. He's playing like a scrub!"

"Hey, Einstein," Trish objected, "he's only at two damage. He can take a few hits without worrying. Besides, his boss monster can build fields without using the hand. Just cool it."

"I'm not about to miss out on Spring Circuit because of this fat dumbass's mistakes," he growled, completely ignoring his teammate.

"I stand and draw," Lucas started. With a quick scan of his hand, he grinned. "I would've loved to see what your grade 3 is, but I'm about to end it here." He plucked a card from his hand. "The combat king's about to land a beautiful, brutal beatdown! I ride Supreme Fighting Machine, Andromedus Buster!" Rocket Tonfa beamed off the battlefield with a cocky wave, leaving a spot open for a new vanguard. In typical fashion, Andromedus crashed in like a superhero, with a perfectly flashy three-point landing, standing up with a pose reminiscent of Lucas's old ace. "You're so screwed."

Andromedus Buster- Grade 3/12000 Power/0 Shield/Accel Marker

"I gain an Accel II marker off that ride, meaning one more circle and one more card. And now for Andromedus's skill- I soul blast one and discard a card to deal him one damage." Andromedus performed a similar maneuver to his predecessor, opening a chest compartment and yanking out his limiter with one quick motion. The surge of electricity was deadlier than the one before it, shaking the battlebot to his core, but when the smoke and sparks cleared, he still stood proud and ready to brawl.

Nasim was unrattled. He expected to take some punishment, but if he played his trump card at the right time, it wouldn't matter what was thrown at him.

"I call- Frost Shuriken Buster, Particle Collision Rifle Buster, Drill Joust, Piston Pummel, and Gatling Fist!" Clanging his fists together, Andromedus opened the floodgates, summoning a horde of fighting machines to his side from the skies.

Frost Shuriken Buster- Grade 1/8000 Power/10000 Shield

Particle Collision Rifle Buster- Grade 3/12000 Power/0 Shield/Accel Marker

"You probably thought you were clever, getting rid of the first Piston Pummel, but I had a backup! Oh yeah, before we start the beatdown, you should know that Andromedus grants a 1k buff for my front row based on the number of cards in my damage zone- since I have four, that's 4k for everyone!"

"Woah," Sean marveled. "Lucas built a fantastic offensive formation."

"He might actually end the game here," Kiki marveled. "All before his opponent could reach his full potential."

"I dunno," Sal said. "The other guy is really calm about this. Maybe he has a trick or two up his sleeve. Those sweaty, sweaty sleeves."

"Go for it, Lucas!" Adam cheered. "Wipe him out!"

"Robertson's about to clean up when his opponent is grade 2," Nat said. "That's his style, alright."

"Kicking things off," Lucas announced enthusiastically, "Frost Shuriken is boosting Piston Pummel on an attack on Shripaala!" In a sight all too familiar to Sean at this point, the centipede robot prepared its weapons and moved gracefully towards its target.

Strength- 21000

Nasim shrugged. "Go ahead, hit me." Piston Pummel rapidly coiled itself around Shripaala and fired his fists inward with reckless abandon, seriously damaging the swordsman. Shripaala could barely stand when the battlebot beat a retreat, having to prop himself up on his sword. "Damage check...no trigger."

"Are you kidding me?!" Buzz barked. "That was the easiest thing to block!" He cupped his hand to his mouth. "Get it together out there!"

Trish rubbed her temples. "You're embarrassing…"

"I'm using Frost Shuriken's battle skill!" Lucas continued. "I counter blast one and move him to my soul to stand the unit he boosted and give it 4k! And since it's a Buster, that's another draw for me! Piston Pummel is back up, and charges again! When he attacks after restanding, he gains 5k and his guard restrict skill!" As quickly as it came back, Piston Pummel surged forward again, more frenzied than ever.

Strength- 22000

Nasim smirked. The time had come to wreck his opponent's strategy entirely. "I activate my Blitz Order, Chaotic Cyclone. By sending two cards from my drop zone to the bottom of my deck, I can return an attacking rearguard to the bottom of your deck. And guess who I'm choosing?" Piston Pummel suddenly stopped in its tracks, frozen in place by a mysterious force. Slowly, his body began to collapse on itself, traces swirling around it like it was water in a drain. Bit by bit, it disappeared entirely, no trace it ever existed left on the field.

"What?!" Nat gaped. "They make cards like that?"

"Dude really hates Piston Pummel," Adam remarked. "Well, Lucas is down one good attacker."

"It's far worse than that," Midori said. "Piston Pummel also packed a superb recovery skill. Without him, Lucas won't be able to draw cards off his Busters leaving the field. With that Order, Nasim just cut off a broad swath of moves for Lucas."

"No wonder he was so confident," Erica commented. "He had a way to completely get rid of Lucas's best rearguard."

Lucas himself deflated pretty quickly. "You're kidding," he mumbled. "Whatever, I'm still in this! Particle Collision attacks next, and his counter blast adds 10k to the assault!" Eager to avenge his comrade, the battlebot charged both guns with amazing alacrity. Ferociously, he fired a pair of energy bursts, arcing their way towards Shripaala.

Strength- 31000

"Guarding that with Suryakirti," Nasim responded calmly. In front of Shirpaala appeared a pale white apparition, lightly armored with brass machinery and surrounded by eternally blooming flowers. With a great deal of concentration, the mage produced two dark vortexes in the beam's path, swallowing each shot entirely. When he closed the portals, his body scattered into a shower of lotus petals, leaving no trace of anything.

Annihilating Suryakirti- Grade 0/5000 Power/30000 Shield/Critical Trigger

Defense- 40000

Lucas twitched. "Crap, him too? Well, since the attack didn't hit, I have to retire him, then draw a card."

Sal sighed. "Knew it. That guy knows what he's doing- he's completely neutered Lucas offensively."

Kiki gulped. "This isn't good. And without Piston Pummel, Lucas can't recover as easily as before."

Nasim kept smirking. "Oops, did I just break your board? Sorry about that, but you're not the only one who wants to win."

"Oh yeah? Well let's see you shut down Andromedus!" Lucas challenged. On cue, the steel giant took flight, his weapons detaching rapidly as he ascended. Each rifle circled Andromedus as his own two hands morphed into cannons, charging energy with a vicious desire for redemption.

Strength- 16000

Nasim remained irritably confident. "Go ahead, I'm not guarding."

"Twin drive, first card...second…yes, Hook Launcher Buster! That's a draw trigger! Giving the 10k to Drill Joust, and I draw. Now eat this- Combat King's Dekacannon!" Andromedus let loose a full symphony of energy blasts, coating the arena with his attack. When he finally calmed down to witness the destruction, he found an area pocked with craters and wispy with smoke, but Shripaala merely wounded, not killed.

"Damage check...hey there, Bhadra! That's 10k to my vanguard, and one more card for me!"

"This is ridiculous!" Nat pouted. "That guy should've been flattened by now!"

"And Lucas can't really use Andromedus's battle skill either," Carlos said. "No sense in restanding if he can't without a trigger, and with nothing to restand."

"Guess that hunkering down was worth it," Erica said. "If his friends are as good, there's no wonder they made it to the finals."

Lucas hesitated. This was maddening- no offensive of his crumbled this bad in such a long time. He had to switch gears if he wanted to live long enough to strike back, and fast. "I'm not using Andromedus's battle skill," he declared, "but to cap things off, Gatling Fist lends his support to Drill Joust for one last attack on Shripaala!" Revving his weapon savagely, the last battlebot galloped forward like a knight of old.

Strength- 31000

"Guarding that with Vishnugupta," Nasim replied, "and Aja intercepts to sure things up." The centaur battlebot slammed his weapon into two unexpected guests, ending his charge unceremoniously. The last thing it saw before being ordered to fall back was the scattering of stardust and lotus petals, suggesting he at least managed to mince his opponents before failure.

Defense- 35000

Lucas grimaced. This was shaping up to be a real circus. "At the end of the turn I use Andromedus's damage effect, I can place one card from my damage zone at the bottom of my deck. You're up."

End of Turn 5

Hand Count- Lucas 6, Nasim 3

Damage Count- Lucas 3, Nasim 4

"Now that was some excellent defensive play! Looks like Lucas is now on the backfoot, and Nasim is about to unleash his full potential!"

"And unlike last turn, Lucas won't have the benefit of a massive hand to help him against the counterattack. He's going to have to tread with extreme caution or come up empty."

"Nasim's in a great spot," Trish noticed. "Betcha he's going to wrap this game up this turn."

"He'd better," mumbled Buzz. "If he flounders after putting on a show like that-"

"Lighten up, that was freaking amazing. Crew cut had a way to kill him on grade 2 and Nasim cut his number of attacks in half. That's great."

Buzz glowered. "He dropped the ball last match, there's still a chance he'll screw up."

"You're impossible."

"I'm good."

"I stand and draw," said Nasim. He was already in a buoyant mood, but with this new card and previous setup, he was ready to seal the deal. "Let me show you what a real multiattack deck can do." He readied one of his cards. "King free from the bonds of time and space, forge the truth with your power! I ride Anomaly Hunter, Onyx Fortress Suchandra!" Shripaala, like those before him, disappeared into a rippling whirlpool of spacetime. Under his spot opened a gaping black portal, it's maw slowly giving way to a warrior whose sheer scale rivaled Andromedus to the centimeter. The very fabric of the arena's air began to quiver at the heaving bulk making its way into reality.

"Nice effect," Adam whistled.

"Don't you get it?" Nat reprimanded. "That's the harbinger of Robertson's doom! It's a bad sign!"

"Couldn't you wait for the animation to finish?" Carlos asked uneasily. Midori and Erica just sighed as Nat continued to panic.

On the stage, Nasim's ace was finally starting to take comprehensible shape. It was an armored giant, decked from head to toe in pitch black armor, decorated with golden etchings containing the great battles across time, past and future. On further inspection, one could see the warrior's demonic features, including fierce fangs, piercing eyes, moon-colored skin, and three eyes, the dominant one firmly planted in the middle of his forehead. Attached to his back was a massive crystal wheel, wrapped in chains of gold and silver, constantly turning as the seconds passed. With a wicked grin, he brought his hands together in a mudra, ready to enact his will.

Onyx Fortress Suchandra- Grade 3/13000 Power/0 Shield/Force Marker

"That little maneuver nets me a Force II marker for my VC. Next, I'm activating Suchandra's skill- when he's placed or rode on, I can bind the top two cards of my deck to call up to two cards from my bind zone to RC." The wheel on Suchandra's back spun rapidly for a minute as he rended the space in front of him with a bestial claw swipe. Time on his side of the arena seemed to slow to a crawl. "I superior call Mahabala and Anomaly Hunter, Resonating Raktapani." The wheel spun again, this time sped the flow of time as two streams of petals and sand created two new warriors- the familiar skirmisher, and an emerald green gargoyle-like demon carrying a large bell in his hands. "Since both are Anomaly Hunters, both get 5k when placed from the bind zone."

Resonating Raktapani- Grade 2/10000 Power/5000 Shield

"That triggers two skills. First, Vishnugupta- when a rearguard is placed from the bind zone, I can counter blast one and move him to my soul to draw two cards. Next, Raktapani- when he's placed from my bind zone, I can soul blast one to call a grade 1 unit from my bind zone." Raktapani held the bell forward, and without much warning, struck it repeatedly with his head, creating a din of clangs. "I superior call Shashiprabha, and since she's an Anomaly Hunter, she gains 5k too." The cacophonous concerto of Raktapani ended when a ripple of spacetime brought the conch-wielder from before.

"Guy's filling up his field pretty fast," Sean worried. "Dishing out Power boosts like candy, too."

"That's not the worst Suchandra can do, though," Kiki warned. "I think he's about to activate his most powerful skill."

"Now for the main act," Nasim smirked. "Suchandra lets me discard a grade 3 card from my hand to search my deck for a grade 4 unit and ride it." He picked up his much depleted deck, and quickly riffled through it to find what he was looking for. "The great destroyer from beyond the stars touches down here! I superior ride Interdimensional Beast, Chrono Cannon Tortoise!" With that pronouncement, the entire arena began to rumble, then shake and quake violently. Spacetime all over was churning, tearing, ripping itself apart. There was a finally a gigantic burst of energy, like a shining supernova, nearly blinding the whole crowd.

"Christ!" Lucas groaned, shielding his eyes. When he finally adjusted, he gaped. "Christ…"

Nasim's vanguard had been replaced with a near deific beast. Completely robotic, it towered over everything like a mountain of black metal. It resembled its namesake- a quadrupedal reptilian creature with a jagged head and heavy features- but it's overall construction was closer to a walking fortress. It's "shell" was like a resplendent stained glass dome, housing some sort of shining energy, and its body was coated with guns, turrets, and cannons. Attached to each flank was an energy cannon with barrels nearly as wide as the beast's head. Simply by shifting its weight, the supermassive creature caused spacetime to wobble on its edges. Suchandra could have met Andromedus in the eye, but the tortoise absolutely dwarfed him.

Chrono Cannon Tortoise- Grade 4/15000 Power/0 Shield

"That thing's enormous!" cried Nat. "Is that really just one unit?"

"What's Andromedus going to do to fight that, climb it?" Adam gaped.

"As amusing as that sounds," Midori said, "it's likely to be retired at the end of the turn, like most of Gear Chronicle's grade 4s. Still, it's...imposing. Needlessly so, in all honesty."

"Since Suchandra was rode upon, I can activate his skill again!" Nasim continued, relishing in the crowd's disbelief and awe. Rarely did he get attention like this. "Binding the top two cards of my deck, then superior calling Anomaly Hunter, Cannonade Tejasvin!" Space crackled, shattering apart and allowing a battlebot to step through. Towering and roughly hewn together with brass plating, it had large artillery pieces for arms, and a litany of cannons hovering behind it in a perfect circle. Clomping onto the battlefield on it's two thick legs, it scanned the opposition with a trio of robotic eyes, acquiring targets at lightning speed.

Cannonade Tejasvin- Grade 3/13000 Power/0 Shield/Force Marker

"Since he's an Anomaly Hunter, he gains 5k when placed from the bind zone! And to cap things off, Tortoise's passive is active- since I have at least five cards in my bind zone, he gets 10k and an extra drive check!"

Lucas maintained a brave face, but knew the odds at this point was dire. Without a Perfect Guard, there was no chance at stopping this new vanguard. On top of that, the opposing formation was racking up boost after boost. He'd only be able to hang on by the skin of his teeth at this point.

Meanwhile, Trish was having a field day. "Crew cut is so screwed! Nasim's got everything in place to scrap him!"

Buzz nodded. "The fat bastard might not disappoint after all."

"Let's go- Shashiprabha will boost Raktapani in the opening assault against Andromedus!" The gargoyle screeched primally, lifting his bell before slamming it against the ground. The percussion was enough to send a solid soundwave towards his opponent, flying like a fighter jet towards the battlebot.

Strength- 27000

"I guard with Laser Halberd!" Lucas shot back. "Drill Joust will intercept, too!" Drill Joust sortied on command, joining ranks with the robotic pikeman before being torn to shred by the sonic wave. Raktapani howled with an apoplectic rage, once again banging his skull against the bell.

Defense- 32000

"Too bad. Since Raktapani's called unit boosted, it has to return to the bottom of my deck. Next up, Mahabala boosts Tejasvin! If this hits, I can spin one of your rearguards!" The gear colossus took a firm stance, each gun loaded in quick succession. With nary a warning or signal, every gun fired in perfect harmony, sending a hailfire of metal and gunpowder towards Andromedus.

Strength- 31000

"He's attacking with his other rearguard before the vanguard," Sean noticed. "If Tortoise has triple drive, he could've really stacked up Tejasvin with two or more triggers, but…"

"And what does that tell you?" Sal asked. "Come on, you fight Lucas all the time, you should know."

Sean darkened. "It means Tortoise must have a way to call more rearguards or restand them. Well this just went from bad to worse."

"You can do it, Lucas," Kiki pleaded. "You have to."

"Guarding that, too!" Lucas answered defiantly. "Gatling Rivet Buster!" The storm of shells finally hit Andromedus's formation, creating a thick smokescreen. When the dust cleared, the crowd was greeted with an unharmed Andromedus, folding it's arms in a show of resolution.

Gatling Rivet Buster- Grade 0/5000 Power/20000 Shield/Heal Trigger

Defense- 32000

Nasim kept smiling. His opponent must be absolutely exhausting his defensive cards, leaving little to block the coup de grace. "Chrono Cannon Tortoise has his guns trained on Andromedus! With the Force II marker, he's critical!" The gear beast opened it's mechanical maw, revealing a third cannon hidden in its mouth. The dome on its back shone like a white dwarf, powering the guns on its flank, accumulating all matter of unknown and mysterious particles.

Strength- 25000/2 Critical/3 drive

Lucas gritted his teeth. It'd take most of his hand to block this, but if he did, he'd leave himself vulnerable to whatever post-battle skill Tortoise packed. Attacking with the vanguard last was a sure sign there was some way to squeeze more attacks out of this turn. He had to cross his fingers on this one. "I don't guard."

"What?" Carlos asked in disbelief. "But he knows the guy's running critical triggers. If he pulls even one, it's all over!"

Nasim must have realized it too, because he was grinning with a wicked elation. "Trying to tough it out, big guy? Too bad I have three chances for a crit. First check...no trigger. Second...Bhadra comes around again! I draw a card, and give the Power to Tortoise! Third...Pundarika, a heal trigger! I recover one, and give Tortoise another 10k!"

"Big turtle," Erica commented. "That puts the score at 5-to-3."

"That's...bad," Adam admitted. "Man, Lucas is just not having much luck against his opponent's grade 3s?"

"Fire away, Tortoise!" Nasim cried. "Obsidian Supernova!" Each of the three guns on the goliath fired a massive wave of otherworldly energy. The combined blast was so thick and blinding it covered the whole arena in one catastrophic coating of a beam. The firing lasted for several long seconds before gradually dissipating. Despite the gigantic attack, the arena was unscathed; the same, sadly, could not be said for Andromedus. He was battered and fraying at the edges, missing chunks of his chassis and stuck in a defensive crouch because moving would be too painful. "That...felt great."

Lucus's brow knitted in disgust. "Damage checks...first...second...H-Hook Launcher Buster, a draw trigger! I give the Power to Andromedus, and draw a card!"

"Oh, it's going to take a lot more than that to keep holding on. After the battle Tortoise attacks a grade 3 vanguard, I can counter blast one and discard three cards to choose a grade 3 card from my soul, ride it, and give it 10k and a crit!"

"But doesn't that mean-" Sean gasped.

"I superior ride Suchandra from my soul!" Tortoise let out a space-warping roar as it's body began to be consumed with a mysterious light. After the entire frame was coated, it began to crack like a strained window. It soon shattered, Suchandra leaping out with a fierce, determined glow. "Since I rode him, I get another Force II marker, and activate his on-place skill- binding the top two cards of my deck, then superior calling Aja and Vishnugupta over Tejasvin and Mahabala!" Suchandra barely landed before he was soon flanked by a new pair of warriors. The assault seemed never-ending.

"Lemme guess," Lucas commented bitterly. "Since those two are Anomaly Hunters, they both get 5k."

"It gets worse for you. See, when Aja is placed from my bind zone, I can counter blast one to return one of your rearguards to the bottom of your deck. Say goodbye to Gatling Fist!" Aja lurched backwards, then staggered forward to fire one of his chains at the last subordinate battlebot. The chains coiled and tightened around it, dragging downward into nothingness at a gut wrenching pace. "All alone again, huh?"

"Don't think for a second I'm out, pal."

"I'm shaking. Too bad the fight's ending here. Suchandra attacks!" The ivory tower of a demon entered a warrior's stance, the wheel on his back picking up speed and accumulating some sort of odd particle energy. When he lifted his head to locate his target, the wheel was spinning with such intensity and ferocity that it created a halo around him. "Samsara Reverse!" With a proud sweep of his arms, Suchandra sent the ring of energy towards his opponent, the air around it fluctuating wildly as it flew closer and closer.

Strength- 23000/3 Critical

"Nasim's ending things with a bang!" Trish cheered. "Even if that guy guarded, it'd take so much he'd be wide open for Aja!"

Lucas huffed. He didn't have a choice here. "I guard with Deflect Staff Buster!" The lone defender for the attack zipped towards the battered Andromedus, quickly going to work to save his leader. By the time the energy ring made its way to them, it was being blocked by a sturdy barrier. If all went right, Andromedus would live to fight another day.

Deflect Staff Buster- Grade 0/5000 Power/30000 Shield/Critical Trigger

Defense- 52000

"Thank goodness," Kiki sighed. "With that much Shield, not even double triggers will break through."

"Right, but what about Suchandra's twin drive?" Sal quizzed. "If he hits a trigger, I don't think Lucas will have enough to defend against the other game-winning attack on the board."

"In other words," Sean concluded, "it all comes down to what's checked."

Nasim shrugged. He didn't need this to hit that much if his luck held. "Twin drive, first...Vikantra, a critical trigger! Yes! I give everything to Aja! Second...no trigger." The ring soon fizzled out, not landing a single ember on Andromedus. The strain from the defense soon took its toll on Deflect Staff, however, and it plummeted to the ground, completely out of fuel and power. "For game, I'll have Vishnugupta boost Aja!" The last warrior roared like a demon possessed, committing all of his vim and vigor into sending several chains towards the deflated Andromedus.

Strength- 37000/3 Critical

Lucas threw down the last two defensive cards in hand. "I guard with Coil Flail and Frost Shuriken!" The two called guardians lasted mere seconds, as they were torn to shreds by the assailant chains. Still, they served their purpose, allowing Andromedus to cling on for another turn.

Defense- 42000

Nasim's confidence fled with amazing speed. "What?"

"Huh?" Trish exclaimed, dumbfounded.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Buzz yowled. "How?"

For a brief second, Lucas left his defensive defiance and enjoyed a brief taste of satisfaction. Seeing his opponent panic, even if his own position wasn't prime to exploit it, was worth savoring.

Nasim cleared his throat. "At the end of my turn, all units called with Suchandra's skill return to the bottom of my deck. And...and with that, my turn's over."

End of Turn 6

Hand Count- Lucas 2, Nasim 7

Damage Count- Lucas 5, Nasim 3

"What a turn! Two superior rides in a row, five drive checks, and a whopping five attacks from a Force clan! This puts Nasim comfortably in the lead!"

"Indeed, that was an impressive display. If Lucas can't pull out another miracle, he's not going to last much longer. Let's see if his luck holds out."

"Well this sucks," Sal sighed. "It's like the semis all over again."

Kiki nodded uneasily. "He's got to deal three damage against a seven card hand, and with no rearguards left."

"I think he'll be fine," Sean said. "He hasn't been hitting his triggers lately, so he's bound to get a lucky draw sooner or later. All he needs are attackers, and he can make it work."

"Nasim couldn't finish it," Buzz grumbled. "Great, we're basically down one."

"BS," Trish countered. "He's got seven cards in hand, and can take two hits before caving. Crew Cut has gotta get lucky if he wants to win this."

Lucas looked at the two cards he had left- Andromedus and Particle Collision. Both great cards, but he'd need to marshal more forces if he wanted to muscle past that hand. He shook his head- it was a long shot, but he was a master at those. Giving up during the finals would be unforgivable. "I stand and draw." He glanced at the fresh draw- Gatling Fist. Not a great start, but he had a way to keep digging. "I'll start by riding Andromedus on top of my old one." The heavily damaged, near trashed battlebot began to glow until he was nothing but a pure white silhouette. The frame staggered upright, a proud showing of his tenacity and pugnaciousness. When the light scattered, the blows and damage were largely gone, and Andromedus was infinitely more energetic.

"All comes down to what he draws off the gift," Carlos murmured.

"Thanks to that ride, I get another Accel II Gift." Lucas drew another card, and after a quick glance, his eyes widened. "Perfect, I needed this! I call Collision Particle Rifle, Gatling Fist, and Piston Pummel!"

Nasim hollowed at the sound of the last unit called. "Again? How many times-"

"Great!" Adam clapped. "With Piston Pummel, he has a fighting chance!"

"Sevens cards won't mean much if he has to guard with two at once," Erica agreed. "And with Andromedus, he can easily restand him."

"Robertson might actually pull through," Nat awed.

"Jumping right in, going out swinging!" Lucas declared. "First, Piston Pummel charges straight for Suchandra!" The third of the robotic centipedes rushed headlong towards its much larger opponent, inhibitors removed due to the desperation of the scenario. "Don't forget that Andromedus gives my front row 1k for each card in my damage zone, and since you put me at five last turn, this'll hurt!"

Strength- 19000

Nasim gulped. His hand might have been large, but not the best to stop a repeat attacker like Piston Pummel. He could take a couple of hits, but with a formation like that, he still had to tread carefully or go belly-up. "I-I guard with Raktapani and Aja!" The two guardians slipped up from portals on the ground, pooling their otherworldly magic to forming a solid wall. Piston Pummel managed to pivot into a retreat before slamming into it, scraping against it. For a comeback, it was an anticlimactic showing.

Defense- 23000

"Gatling Fist, go!" The smallest of the battlebots thrust both its arms forward, quickly transforming them into a pair of machine guns, firing away with barely any intention of aiming.

Strength- 13000

"Guarding with Shripaala!" The dragonic warrior touched down seconds afterwards, managing to block most of the bullets with the flat of his blade. After the cacophony of lead against steel, he disappeared into a void under him, his job done.

Defense- 18000

"Lucas has already shredded three from his hand," Sal noticed. "He might be able to pull this off after all."

"Come on, man," Sean murmured. The last couple of actions were encouraging, but he didn't want to jinx it.

"Particle Collision attacks next!" Lucas persisted. "Using his battle skill, I counter blast one to add 10k to this attack!" The barrels on the battlebot's guns began to glow an otherworldly luminous shade, slowly taking square aim at its target.

Strength- 32000

Nasim gulped, hesitating. He could block this attack no problem, and given what would follow if he did, he probably should. But it'd take at least 20k Shield, which he'd need for later when Andromedus attacked. He had to take a chance here. "I don't guard."

"What?" Buzz snapped. "Doesn't that moron know what's gonna happen?"

"Not sure he had much of a choice," Trish said. Still, it wasn't a good spot to be in, given what the attacker could do.

Particle Collision fired both guns at full blast, sending twin beams of energy towards Suchandra. Each impacted the giant in the gut, sending him toppling backwards. "Damage check…" Nasim said. "No trigger."

"Activating Particle Collision's on-hit ability!" Lucas said, picking up steam. "Since his attack hit, I can stand one of my rearguards! Piston Pummel is back at it, and he attacks again! When he attacks after being restood, he gains 5k and his guard restrict!" Once again, Piston Pummel clunked it's weapons into place before surging forward.

Strength- 24000

Nasim was ready. "Activating Suchandra's defense skill! By soul blasting one card, I can call a card from my drop zone to GC! I superior call Pundarika, and since I'm not calling from hand, the guard restriction doesn't matter!" Once again, Piston Pummel's assault was cut short by a mystic barrier, which it again only managed to avoid at the last second. "At the end of the battle, the guardian is bound."

Cherished Pundarika- Grade 0/5000 Power/20000 Shield/Heal Trigger

Defense- 33000

"Fine by me, that's not all I got! Andromedus is coming in next!" Andromedus took flight, launching upwards like a rocket, once again preparing all of his guns for his impressive salvo. The sight of ten guns trained on Suchandra was somewhat uplifting for Sean.

Strength- 17000

"Guarding with Suryakirti! Doesn't matter if you hit double triggers, you aren't breaking through!"

Defense- 43000

"How many times is Andromedus going to be shut down today?" Nat despaired. "Come on…"

"Actually, I think that guard might have sealed the deal," Carlos said. "He can restand himself and another rearguard, so that's two more attacks. And if he restands Particle Collision and it manages to break through-"

"That means Lucas clinched it," Erica realized. "And that guy is probably running out of defensive cards to begin with, so he's unlikely to keep guarding for much longer."

"But it also comes down to the drive checks," Midori cautioned. "At the moment, his offensive output isn't threatening enough to force the extra guarding necessary to secure victory."

Lucas nodded. "Alright, twin drive- first card...come on, second card...sweet, Spike Salvo! I draw a card, and give 10k to Particle Collision!" Andromedus fired every gun at his disposal, showing the arena in beam charges, only for Suchandra to stand unflinching behind yet another mystic barrier. "Using his after battle skill, I counter blast one and discard two cards to restand him and another rearguard! Particle Collision, get back in there!"

Buzz groaned. "And just like that, Nasim's toast. Got my hopes up for nothing. What a-"

"Finish that sentence and I'm breaking those shades," Trish threatened. Come on, hang in there, you have to…

"Just getting warmed up! Andromedus is swinging back in!" Andromedus, energetic as ever, put as much power as he could into another takeoff. This time, his guns trailed in front of him, ready to unleash his other great finisher.

Strength- 17000

"P-Pundarika! I guard with Pundarika!" Nasim saw the writing on the wall, but still clung to some vague sense of hope.

Defense- 33000

Lucas was ascendant. "You can't run forever! Twin drive...Gatling Rivet, yes! I recover one damage, and give the 10k to Piston Pummel! Second...no trigger." Andromedus did his usual spectacle of a Spiral Galaxy Smash towards his opponent, running again into the last in a series of seemingly endless barriers. Despite going full throttle against it, the battlebot just couldn't break past the shield. Frustrated, he retreated, taking solace in the fact his teammates would finish the job.

"Lucas is racking up those triggers," Sean commented.

"Makes sense," Sal shrugged. "It'd been a while since he hit one, so he was bound to get lucky sooner or later."

"And with those two, Particle Collision and Piston Pummel can easily hit Suchandra," Kiki said. "He's likely to win this fight!"

"Particle Collision attacks one more time! Counter blasting one to add 10k to this attack!" Crackling with excess charge, the battlebot once again trained both guns on Suchandra, preparing for the biggest energy burst yet. It's entire frame seemed to tremble against the strain of the gathering storm.

Strength- 41000

Nasim stared uncomfortably at the two cards he had left. Neither had a damage shield, meaning guarding was out of the question. He knew that if Particle Collision hit, Lucas would have another attacker up and ready, which would end the game in his favor. Even with a massive hand advantage, he couldn't beat this guy. "I don't guard," he grumbled hoarsely. Particle Collision let loose, nearly destroying the guns with the violent burst of beam energy fired. It slammed into Suchandra, bathing the giant in searing particles for five agonizing seconds. "Damage check...no trigger." Why couldn't have that been a heal?

"This is it! Piston Pummel will deal the final blow!" Cleared of any other obstacles, Piston Pummel cocked each weapon with confidence. After a string of misfortune and humiliation, it was finally time to end the grueling battle, and he had the honor of delivering the final stroke. It charged forward, not bothering with its usual snaking motions- just a headlong charge to victory.

Strength- 33000

Nasim couldn't even look up. He blew it, and now he'd probably never be able to talk to Buzz again. "No guard," he mumbled again. Piston Pummel ran circles around a staggering Suchandra, whipping in and out, dealing powerful discharges one at a time. Each struck a precious last holdout in Suchandra's defenses, and when the last piston fired off, the giant could barely bring itself to stand, let alone fight. As it slowly collapsed, his armor began to rust and fade away, peeling away into a gathering storm of lotus petals. When his head finally hit the floor, most of his body had already faded away, and the vessel sunk into the arena like a melting snowball. The machine powered down- the battle finally ended.

End of Turn 7

Hand Count- Lucas 3, Nasim 2

Damage Count- Lucas 4, Nasim 6

"Now that's how you kick off the final showdown! It was a tight back-and-forth, but in the end Nasim just couldn't take Lucas's relentless offense!"

"It certainly was exciting, watching both fighters try to make the most out of their decks' multi-attacking strategies. It was a good showing, all around."

Lucas finally exhaled. He got a little too caught up in his final few moves, but could he really blame himself? A lot was on the line. Before he could gather his cards, he was swarmed by his teammates.

"Great job!" Sean cheered, giving Lucas a few hearty pats on the back. "We're already up one!"

"Didn't think you could pull it off for a while," said Sal, delivering a playful sock to his free arm. "But you sure know how to end a game in style."

Kiki nodded. "You were fantastic. I-Inspiring, even."

Lucas was grinning from ear-to-ear. "High praise! It wasn't putting Shades into the ground, but that still felt good." He began to crack his knuckles one at a time. "Honestly, making this 2-0 and not giving him a chance to play at all would be even better."

"I'll try my best, then," Sal replied. "Going home with the gold this early would be wicked."

Meanwhile, under the cheers from the crowd and the congratulations across the machine, Nasim was solemnly gathering his cards. There would be no welcome, no consultation, not a single ounce of sympathy for him. Trish may be ambivalent at best, but there was no looking Buzz in the eye ever again. He was what he was all those years ago before meeting his former best friend- a loser.