"My turn! Draw!" Tuff said, before putting a card from his hand into the drop zone. "I discard one card to ride the grade 1 Stealth Rogue of Summoning, Jiraiya from the ride deck!" he said, putting the card down. "Got all that? It's a ride to one grade higher, even you could grasp that. More importantly, my grade 0 moves back, and Jiraiya's effect when placed on the V circle activates. I draw one card, and put a card from my hand on the bottom of the deck." he said, drawing and sliding a card under his deck. "I can't attack during the first turn, so I'll pass it off to you there, girly."
"I...wouldn't blame you if you didn't catch all of that." Felix admitted. "Simply put, a turn has a few phases. the Ride Phase lets you ride a card the same grade or one grade higher from your hand, or by discarding a card, ride a card one grade higher. Main Phase, where you can call cards from your hand with the same grade or lower as your Vanguard to one of those circles. Battle Phase, where your units in the front row can declare attacks by turning them sideways, and the end phase, where the turn is passed off." He said.
"...Yeah, alright. I'm guessing I draw a card like that guy did too, right?" Lilith asked, as Felix and Yato both nodded. "In that case, my turn!" she said, picking up a card rather hastily, and dropping one from her hand. "Guess I'll try this ride deck thing next, and ride Wanderer, Pink Petal Shooter!" She said, putting the card down, as it depicted a young girl with pink flower petals surrounding them while they had a large shuriken in hand. "Then, Pixie Dragon moves back...oh hey, there's more to that card." She said, looking at it. "Ooh, that explains what that other card was for." She said, picking up the quick shield ticket and adding it to her hand. "Then, skills...skills...yeah, nothing like that. So, what's with the back row if only the front row can attack?" She asked.
"Well, grade 1 and 0 units in the back row can boost the unit in front of them by resting them as well, which adds their power." Yato explained.
"Oh, sick. In that case...With a boost from Pixie Dragon, Petal Shooter attacks!" Lilith declared, turning both of them sideways.
[POWER - 13000]
"No guard." Tuff said, as Lilith raised an eyebrow.
"We'll explain that part later...but when the Vanguard attacks, you flip over the top card of your deck and check for a trigger unit. You'll know by the icon on top. Then, regardless of if you got one or not, add it to your hand." Yato explained.
"Oh, cool. In that case...drive check." Lilith said, flipping the card over. "So, uh...what's this one?" She asked, holding it up.
[DRIVE CHECK - Wanderer, Clay Wall [G0 - Draw Trigger]]
"Draw Trigger. You give 10000 Power to one of your units like with any other trigger, and with a draw trigger in specific, draw one card from your deck." Yato answered.
"Nice! In that case, the power'll go to, uh...my vanguard, I guess, and I draw one card!" Lilith said, picking it up dramatically.
"Damage check..!" Tuff said, tossing the card into his damage zone.
[DAMAGE CHECK - Stealth Dragon, Shuratoguro [G2]]
"Once a damage zone hits 6 cards after everything's said and done, that fighter loses." Felix told Lilith.
"Nice! I end my turn!" Lilith declared.
[Tuff] - [Lilith]
[Hand - 5] - [Hand - 7 (plus "Quick Shield")]
[Soul - 0] - [Soul - 0]
[Damage/CB - 1/0] - [Damage/CB - 0/0]
[Drop Zone - 1] - [Drop Zone - 1]
[FIELD]
[R] [Stealth Rogue of Summoning, Jiraiya [G1 - 8000]] [R]
[R] [Stealth Beast of Body Replacement, Kokuenmaru [G0 - 4000]] [R]
[R] [Wanderer, Pink Petal Shooter [G1 - 8000]] [R]
[R] [Youth Wanderer, Pixie Dragon [G0 - 5000]] [R]
"Then I'll give you some damage myself!" Tuff said, drawing. "I discard one card, and ride Unyielding Stealth Rogue, Hokaku from the ride deck!" He said, putting it down.
"He's such a meathead, it hurts..." Felix commented.
"Shut up! I call Stealth Fiend, Midnight Crow! his effect activates! Counter Blast! Soul Blast!" Tuff said, turning his damage zone card over, and moving the card beneath his vanguard to the drop zone.
"That's-" Felix started.
"I think I get the picture on that one." Lilith interrupted.
"From my deck, I superior call the same card as my vanguard!" He said, putting down another Hokaku.
"Geez, without a trigger, isn't he gonna have a little too easy of a time hitting me?" Lilith asked.
"Not necessarily, you see those cards in your hand with a shield icon and number on the side? When your unit gets attacked, you can call cards to that green circle in the middle to "guard" for you, adding their shield as power for that battle, but afterwards, they'll go to the drop zone." Felix explained.
"Midnight Crow attacks your vanguard!" Tuff said, resting the card.
Hmm...Probably not a good idea to waste these cards yet. Lilith thought, before moving the top card of their deck to the damage zone. "Since it's a rear guard, I just damage check, right?" He asked, as the two boys nodded.
[DAMAGE CHECK - Maiden Wanderer [G2]]
"My vanguard attacks yours with a boost!" Tuff added, resting the card and the rear guard behind it.
"...No guard again." Lilith decided.
[DRIVE CHECK - Intensely Spicy Battler, Cap Si Cy [G0 - Critical Trigger]]
"Critical Trigger! I give the critical to my vanguard, and the power to my rear guard Hokaku!" Tuff declared.
"Critical?" Lilith asked.
"When your vanguard is hit, you do damage checks equal to the number of your opponent's criticals. So by increasing it by one, that's two damage." Yato answered.
"Right...Damage check." She said, putting both cards into the damage zone.
[DAMAGE CHECK - Regal Wanderer [G1]]
[DAMAGE CHECK - Blue Flower Wanderer, Shinobu [G2]]
"Then, Hokaku!" Tuff said, resting the rear guard.
[POWER - 22000]
"Now's as good a time as any to try this out...Guard!" Lilith said, picking up a card from her hand and tossing it down.
[GUARD - Wanderer, Petal Dracokid [G0 - 15000]]
[TOTAL - 25000]
"So it doesn't hit, right?" Lilith asked, the boys nodding again. "Nice! How's that?!" She asked.
"Tch. Whatever, I end my turn." Tuff commented.
[Tuff] - [Lilith]
[Hand - 5] - [Hand - 6 (plus "Quick Shield")]
[Soul - 0] - [Soul - 0]
[Damage/CB - 1/1] - [Damage/CB - 3/0]
[Drop Zone - 1] - [Drop Zone - 2]
[FIELD]
[Unyielding Stealth Rogue, Houkaku [G2 - 12000]] [Unyielding Stealth Rogue, Houkaku [G2 - 12000]] [Stealth Fiend, Midnight Crow [G2 - 9000]]
[R] [Stealth Beast of Body Replacement, Kokuenmaru [G0 - 4000]] [R]
[R] [Wanderer, Pink Petal Shooter [G1 - 8000]] [R]
[R] [Youth Wanderer, Pixie Dragon [G0 - 5000]] [R]
"I think I'm getting the hang of this...In that case!" Lilith said, drawing and discarding a card. "Ride! Blue Flower Wanderer, Shinobu! Call! Maiden Wanderer, and Wanderer, Saver Dragonewt!" She said, filling a column. "With a boost from Dragonewt, Maiden Wanderer attacks...your rear guard Hokaku!" She said with a grin.
"If a rear guard is hit...it gets sent to the drop zone." Felix commented as Tuff moved the rear guard out. "Which gives her one less attack to potentially worry about."
"With a boost from Pixie Dragon, Shinobu attacks your vanguard!" Lilith added with the grin still on her face, resting the units.
"Fine, no guard."
"Drive check!" Lilith said, looking at the revealed card.
[DRIVE CHECK - Wanderer, Petal Dracokid [G0 - Stand Trigger]]
"Alright! ...What's this one?" Lilith asked.
"...A stand trigger will give 10000 Power to a unit, and you can stand one of your rear guards, putting it back up in the position to attack." Felix explained.
"Oh. Then heck yeah, I'll stand Maiden Wanderer and give her the power!" She said, as Tuff moved his top card to the damage zone.
[DAMAGE CHECK - Stealth Fiend, Ogre Spider [G3]]
"Then, my powered up Maiden attacks your other rear guard!" Lilith said.
"Why, you-!" Tuff started, before moving the rear guard to the drop zone.
"She's attacking the rear guards relentlessly..." Felix noted.
"She may not realize it, but she's being tactical. His hand size is low, and he'll have to drop cards to either replace his board, or protect the units either way...Not to mention she limited his counterblasts by doing this, as well." Yato guessed. "Are you sure this is her first time?"
"I'm positive...but she's always had one hell of an instinct." Felix admitted.
"Alright! I end my turn!" Lilith said. "Man, I'm starting to really enjoy this."
[Tuff] - [Lilith]
[Hand - 5] - [Hand - 5 (plus "Quick Shield")]
[Soul - 0] - [Soul - 0]
[Damage/CB - 2/1] - [Damage/CB - 3/0]
[Drop Zone - 3] - [Drop Zone - 3]
[FIELD]
[R] [Unyielding Stealth Rogue, Houkaku [G2 - 12000]] [R]
[R] [Stealth Beast of Body Replacement, Kokuenmaru [G0 - 4000]] [R]
[Maiden Wanderer [G2 - 10000]] [Blue Flower Wanderer, Shinobu [G2 - 10000]] [R]
[Wanderer, Saver Dragonewt [G1 - 8000]] [Youth Wanderer, Pixie Dragon [G0 - 5000]] [R]
"Why, you..!" Tuff said, drawing, and discarding a card. "Ride! Stealth Fiend, Morote Surveillant!" he declared, putting the card down. "Imaginary Gift: Accel 1! I don't have first stride...but I'll call another Shuragoto, and attack your vanguard!"
"Grade 3s have twin drive, an ability that lets them perform an additional drive check." Yato told Lilith. "Pick your next course of action wisely."
"In that case...No guard!" Lilith decided.
"In that case, twin drive!" Tuff said, before clenching his fists at the results.
[DRIVE CHECK - Stealth Fiend, Ogre Spider [G3]]
[DRIVE CHECK - Stealth Fiend, Midnight Crow [G2]]
"Damage check!" Lilith said, picking up the card, and tossing it to the damage zone.
[DAMAGE CHECK - Devoted Wanderer, Holy Mancer [G2]]
"Shuragoto attacks next, then." Tuff said, as Lilith put another card into the damage zone.
[DAMAGE CHECK - Regal Wanderer [G1]]
"Fine, I end my turn." Tuff said.
[Tuff] - [Lilith]
[Hand - 6] - [Hand - 5 (plus "Quick Shield")]
[Soul - 0] - [Soul - 0]
[Damage/CB - 2/1] - [Damage/CB - 5/0]
[Drop Zone - 3] - [Drop Zone - 3]
[FIELD]
{Stealth Dragon, Shuratoguro} [R] [Stealth Fiend, Morote Surveillant [G2 - 12000]] [R]
[R] [Stealth Beast of Body Replacement, Kokuenmaru [G0 - 4000]] [R]
[Maiden Wanderer [G2 - 10000]] [Blue Flower Wanderer, Shinobu [G2 - 10000]] [R]
[Wanderer, Saver Dragonewt [G1 - 8000]] [Youth Wanderer, Pixie Dragon [G0 - 5000]] [R]
"So, what was that about a stride, anyway?" Lilith asked.
"Well, after the ride phase, before the main phase, if both players have a grade 3 vanguard, or you started the turn as a grade 3 vanguard, you can discard cards from your hand with a total grade of 3 or higher to release the generation zone, and take one of those red G Units and put it on top of your vanguard, and it'll get the name and power of the original vanguard, as well as a triple drive, but put it face up in the G zone at the end of the turn." Felix answered.
"I see..." Lilith said. "Still, I know for a fact I picked this one right." She said, putting her quick shield ticket next to the drop zone. "I ride from the ride deck! Blue Rose Wanderer, Enki!" She said, practically slamming the card down, revealing a black-haired young man with white streaks, in white and blue attire. "Then, imaginary gift, right?" She asked, looking at her gift markers, reading over them.
"You only get to pick one for the fight, the rest of the gifts you acquire will be that type." Yato explained.
"Alright...In that case, this works." Lilith said, putting it beneath her vanguard. "Imaginary Gift: Force 1! Then, I'll release the generation zone!" She said, dropping another card, and taking the top card of her G zone and looking at it. "Yeah...Given the circumstances, this one looks pretty good!" She said, smacking it down on her vanguard circle, depicting Enki with dual blades, and a more mystical energy. "Wanderer of the Azure Rose, Enki "WONDER SOUL"! Then, uh..." She said, sliding it up a bit. "Enki's effect when I stride!" She said, counterblasting. "From my deck, I take a unit card with Wanderer in its name and call it." She said, looking through her deck, before putting a card down. "Blue Flower Wanderer, Shinobu, add 5000 power. Then, because I called something with Resonance ability, uh..." She started, reading it again. "...My vanguard can get grade minus 1 or minus 2 until the end of the turn. I'll go with..." She said, reading again. "Oh, so that's how it works...grade minus 2."
"Lowering the vanguard's grade?" Felix asked. "Wait a minute...Both of those Enkis have two clans." He noticed.
"Neo Nectar and Royal Paladin..?" Yato asked, surprised.
"What kind of card is that..?!" Tuff asked.
"Well, uh...Question, what happens if I try to call where a rear guard is?" Lilith asked.
"The old one goes to the drop zone." Felix answered.
"In that case, I'll use the ability of Wonder Soul." Lilith said, moving a card out of her soul and flipping a card in her G zone over. "I look at the top 7 cards of my deck, and call two Wanderers from among them." She said, checking her cards. "I'll superior call Holy Mancer and Steadfast Wanderer, Mist." She declared, calling over Wanderer Maiden and putting Mist behind Shinobu. "Resonance!" She added. "Because I have a unit as the same grade but different name as my unit with the resonance ability, that unit is in resonance, and all of my units happen to have resonance, including Wonder Soul, who's currently a grade 2!" She said.
"Resonance..?! I've never heard of that keyword before!" Tuff said, shocked.
"In addition, because the units I called are in resonance, I draw two cards, and discard one." Lilith said, picking up the two cards, and dropping one of them. "Shame I don't have the necessary amount of cards in my G zone for the other part...but that's fine. While Dragonewt is in resonance, she gets...resist?" She asked. "Oh, neat. Then, while Mist is in resonance, she gets 5000 Power and 5000 Shield." She added. "Now, with a boost from Saver Dragonewt, Holy Mancer attacks your vanguard!"
[POWER - 18000]
"Tch, no guard. A damage trigger might help." Tuff said, looking at the card.
[DAMAGE CHECK - Stealth Rogue of Summoning, Jiraiya [G1]]
"Damn..!" Tuff remarked.
"With a boost from Pixie Dragon, Enki attacks your vanguard! Because he's in resonance, he gains an additional drive, so that's four of them, if my math's not wrong!" Lilith said.
"For once." Felix joked.
"Shut it." Lilith retorted.
"Complete Guard..!" Tuff said, putting a card down and discarding another, as Lilith raised an eyebrow, looking at it.
Oh, I see...by dropping a card, I can't hit with this attack...So that explains the zero shield. She thought, before flipping her cards over.
[DRIVE CHECK - Lazy Wanderer, Alain [G0 - Critical Trigger]]
"Critical Trigger! I give all of the effects to Shinobu!" Lilith cheered.
[DRIVE CHECK - Wanderer, Petal Dracokid [G0 - Stand Trigger]]
"Not a stand trigger..!" Tuff said, worriedly.
"Oh yeah, a stand trigger! I give the power to Holy Mancer, and stand her!" Lilith said. "Man, this new deck must really like me."
"Highly likely, actually." Felix said, before blinking at the sight of the next card.
[DRIVE CHECK - Wanderer, Devoted Healer [G0 - Heal Trigger]]
"Another one! ...Wait, what's this type?" Lilith asked.
"A heal trigger. If you have the same amount of damage as your opponent or more when you check it, you can put a card from your damage zone into the drop zone, effective healing it." Yato answered.
"Oh, sick! In that case, I'll give the power to Holy Mancer, and recover a damage!" Lilith said.
[DRIVE CHECK - Heavenly Wanderer, Sigmund [G3]]
"Ah, well, not all of them can be triggers." Lilith commented.
"I think you got more than enough, going by the amount of sweat on the other guy's face." Felix commented.
"Oh, word? In that case, Mancer attacks again!" Lilith said, as Tuff looked at his hand.
Dammit..! Too many grade 3s and grade 2 cards without shields! If I can just get a damage trigger here... Tuff thought, before taking the top card of his deck and putting it down.
[DAMAGE CHECK - Gateway Stealth Rogue, Ataka [G1]]
"Seriously..?!" Tuff asked.
"You sound pretty nervous, guess this is the end, huh? Shinobu attacks your vanguard! When she attacks in resonance, add 10000 more power!" Lilith declared. "So that means her total power is...uh..." She said, starting to count on her fingers, as Felix facepalmed.
"43000 Power." Yato said, sweatdropping and nervously laughing.
"...Uh, yeah, that much!" Lilith said.
"Damn..!" Tuff said, tossing his top 2 cards.
[DAMAGE CHECK - Fox Tamer, Izuna [G0 - Front Trigger]]
"Huh? What's that?" Lilith asked.
"That's a Front trigger, exclusive to clans with Accel. The front row receives 10000 Power, but that's probably not helping him right now." Felix answered, as the last card was revealed.
[DAMAGE CHECK - Stealth Fiend, Morote Surveillant [G3]]
"No way...I lost...to some NOVICE?!" Tuff asked, shocked.
"Woo! I did it! I won!" Lilith cheered.
Still...Neo Nectar and Royal Paladin isn't a combination of clans for a card I thought I'd ever see...and that Resonance keyword...What's going on with that deck? Felix couldn't help but wonder.