NOTE: I kinda feel like I went a bit far with this one, but I needed to drive a point home.

Anyway, enjoy the chapter and review.

I do not own Cardfight! Vanguard.

Chapter 6: Hatred

Darkness…

All she could see was darkness all around her. Emi Sendou flickered in and out of consciousness as she fell into the empty void beneath her. A ragged breath escapes her lips as she tries her best to speak. Her body was too broken and beaten to properly speak words.

"Ibu..Ibuki...Kou...ji…"

Emi lets go of Ibuki's hand, ignoring the chill she felt earlier and gives her angelic smile. "Well, it was nice meeting you. Rekka and I have to go find our friend. Thank you for the fight, Mr. Tetsu," Emi says as she and Rekka start walking towards the exit.

"The pleasure is all mine Ms. Sendou," Tetsu smiled, watching the girls. Ibuki stood at Tetsu's side with a contemplating look on his face. The young man placed a hand on Tetsu's shoulder. "Tetsu? Some of the new transfer students are still a little lost. I'm sure you wouldn't mind helping them," Ibuki said.

"Really? Sure, Fukuhara is a big place after all and not all the staff here are that used to it. I'll be on my way then, make sure to lock up the room when you leave," Tetsu tells Ibuki. The white haired teen nodded his head as a response. As Tetsu left the area, Ibuki smirked and went after the two girls.

"Excuse me! Ms. Sendou!"

"Huh?"

Emi and Rekka turned around to see Ibuki approaching them. "Is something wrong?" Emi asks the older teen. Ibuki shows a small smile. "No, nothing is wrong. I just wanted to ask if you would be willing to have a Cardfight?"

Before Emi could answer, Rekka put her hand directly into Ibuki's face. "I don't think so! Emi just had a real exhausting fight and we need to find our gloomy chaperone! We don't have time to play with an edgy teen like you!" Rekka ranted. Never has Ibuki wanted to strangle a child until he met this ridiculously oversized twin drilled girl.

"Rekka!" Emi pulled her friend back and looked apologetically at Ibuki. "Don't mind her, she's just overprotective at times. I wouldn't mind having another fight while we continue to wait for Misaki," Emi explains.

"But, Emi! He looks like a creep!"

"You can't just call people creeps, Rekka!"

Ibuki swore he was going to strangle that idol by the end of this.

Emi hummed a sweet tune as she shuffled her deck. They went back into the training area for the fight and Emi hoped Tetsu wouldn't mind them using the room again. Though, Ibuki said that Tetsu wouldn't mind.

She couldn't understand Rekka's worries though, Ibuki seemed like a nice guy and Aichi always told her that strangers are just friends you haven't made yet.

"Sendou, can I ask you a question?" Ibuki asks.

"Sure!" Emi replied, smiling.

"Do you enjoy Vanguard?"

Emi paused from his question, finding it a weird thing to ask someone. "Of course I find Vanguard fun! It's a game that brings joy and connects everyone's hearts together!"

Rekka noticed the atmosphere in the room shifted immediately as soon as Emi gave her answer. She looked at Ibuki and saw that his eyes seemed darker than they were before. "What's this nervous feeling? Maybe I should've just forced Emi to decline. Just be careful, Emi."

Emi Sendou was none the wiser to Ibuki's shift in mood as the two commence their fight.

"Stand up!"

"THE"

"Vanguard!"

"Ride! Acquire Deletor, Igor(G0/5000)!"

"Ride! Bravery Seeker, Marc(G0/6000)!"

"Huh? Deletors? I've never heard of that clan," Emi stared at the Vanguard unit behind Ibuki. He didn't answer her as he took the first turn.

"I ride. Breaking Deletor, Gatrio(G1/7000). Igor moves to the backrow and I end my turn."

"Alright! I ride! Righteousness Seeker, Gangaren(G1/7000)! Marc moves to the backrow," Emi finishes her main phase.

"Now, with the support of Marc! Gangaren attacks your Vanguard!"

"No guard."

"Drive check(No trigger)."

"Damage check(No trigger)."

"I end my turn," Emi declared.

[Emi Sendou: Hand: 6/Damage: 0] [Ibuki Kouji: Hand: 5/Damage: 1]

"Draw! Ride! Rotting Deletor, Izret(G2/8000)! Call! Pursuing Deletor, Egotte(G2/9000)!" Ibuki's units appear behind him in a flash. Emi and Rekka flinch back at the terrifying looks of the Deletors.

"Izret attacks your Vanguard!"

"No guard!"

"Drive check(Critical trigger). I give the power to Egotte and the extra critical to Izret."

"Damage check(No trigger/Stand trigger)! I give the stand's power to my vanguard!"

"Hmph, Egotte attacks your Vanguard! His skill activates! When I have a Vanguard with 'Deletor' in its name, he gains +3000!"

"Guard(22000)!" Emi stops his attack from hitting.

"I end my turn," Ibuki declares.

"Stand and Draw! I ride! Provocation, Seeker, Blumental(G2/8000)! Call! Natural Talent Seeker, Valrod(G2/10,000) and Seeker, Youthful Mage(G1/7000)!" Emi smiles at her knights standing tall behind her. "Let's do this! With support from Marc! Blumental attacks your Vanguard!"

"No guard."

"Drive check(Critical trigger)! The power goes to Valrod and the critical to Blumental!"

"Damage check(No trigger/Heal trigger). I give the heal power to my Vanguard." Ibuki said.

Emi puffs her cheeks in annoyance at the sight of a heal. "With support from Mage! Valrod attacks your Vanguard!"

"No guard." His damage wasn't a trigger.

[Emi Sendou: Hand: 3/Damage: 2] [Ibuki Kouji: Hand: 5/Damage: 3]

"You said that Vanguard was a game that was fun? Right, Sendou?" Ibuki asks.

"Yeah! Aren't you having fun, Ibuki?" Emi responds back with a frown. She hadn't seen him smile during the whole match. She found that weird.

"No." He answered simply. Emi froze in her tracks at his answer.

"W-why not?" She stumbled over her words. He didn't answer her and drew his next card.

"Stand and draw. Erasing everything in front of you! Turn this world into nothing! Ride! Docking Deletor, Greion(G3/11000)!" With a thunderous noise a frightening creature loomed over Emi and Rekka. A sudden chill washed over both of them at its monstrous appearance.

"His skill activates, when Greion is placed on the Vanguard Circle my opponent has to bind two cards in their hand face down. Vanish Delete" Ibuki pointed at her hand with a piercing look. Emi hesitated for a moment before discarding two cards in her hand.

"Next I'll call Idolizing Deletor, Gulm(G1/7000)." Emi noticed he called it to the backrow and didn't call anything else. "Now, I'll activate Greion's other skill. By counter blasting(2) cards with "Deletor: in their names and retiring one of my "Deletor" rearguards...I will delete your vanguard!"

"HUH!?" Emi shouted in shock as Greion's hand grabbed Blumental into a death grip. The grip tightened enough to make the unit cry out in pain. Emi's hand shot towards her chest and she started to cough as if she was feeling the pain of the unit.

"Vanish Delete."

Blumental turned to dust within Greion's hand and vanished into the air. Emi fell to her knees coughing up a storm as she watched in horror. Rekka fell to her butt as flashbacks to that day started to play back in her mind. Suiko and others all turning into dust within seconds of each other.

"Are you having fun, Emi Sendou? The new Vanguard of Royal Paladins."

It was at that moment Emi realized why she felt warning signs from the moment she met Ibuki, why Rekka was hesitant to trust him, and why she was hurting.

"I-It's you...you're the one Alfred and Blaster Blade warned me about. Ibuki you're the threat to Cray and Earth," Emi pieced it all together.

Ibuki stared at her. "Worry about that later, Sendou. We still have a game to finish."

Rekka jumped up and rushed towards Emi, but before she could reach her friend, Greion grabbed Rekka and started to squeeze, slowly.

"GAH!" Rekka cried out.

"STOP!"

"Then, get up and let's continue the fight," Ibuki stated, with a sadistic tone.

"No! Emi we need to run!" Rekka yelled, before Greion tightened his grip on her. Emi panicked at seeing her friend getting hurt and glared at Ibuki.

"Let Rekka go and I'll fight!" Emi shouted at Ibuki. The man smirked and Greion tossed Rekka back over to the side. She hit the ground roughly and laid on the floor in pain. The sight of her friend hurt infuriated Emi.

"It's still my turn, Sendou. Egotte attacks your vanguard!"

"No guard...damage check(Draw trigger). I draw a card and give the power to Valrod…"

"With support from Igor! Greion attacks!"

"N-no guard…"

"Twin drive(Critical trigger/Critical trigger)! All effects on Greion!" Ibuki declared fiercely. Emi stared in horror as Greion struck her and she cried out in pain. Two cards from her deck revealed themselves to be double stand triggers, but not heals. Her hand shakily reached for the third card. Lifting it up, her face brightened up.

"Heal Trigger! I'm not done yet! Ibuki!" Emi declared with an equal amount of ferocity to match his.

Starting her turn, Emi gained a new sense of determination. "That heal wasn't luck, it was my cards telling me not to give up here! I have to fight not just for myself, but for Rekka and everyone else here! I'm going to save the world!" Emi's Psyqualia flashed in her determined orbs. An image appeared in front of her and it was an image of Blaster Blade striking down Greion!

"He bares his fang in front of his enemies while his sword pierces the sky! Ride! Seeker, Sacred Wingal(G3/11,000)!" The giant blue dog appeared behind Emi, growling fiercely in anger at Ibuki.

"SEEK THE MATE!"

Her deck shined brightly as a card flew directly into her hand. "He fights for his comrades with a sense of justice! And never loses his way! LEGION! BLASTER BLADE SEEKER(G2/9000)! His skill activates! By counter blasting(1) I retire your Egotte!" Emi declared. The unit was destroyed by Blaster Blades' skill. Ibuki didn't look worried in the slightest.

"Call! Blue Flame Seeker, Taranis(G3/10,000) and Messegal Seeker(G0/5000)!" Emi threw down the rest of her hand to attack.

"With support from Mage! Valrod attacks Greion!"

"Guard(26,000)."

"With a boost from Messagal! Taranis attacks your vanguard!"

"No guard. Damage check(Draw trigger), all power to Greion and I'll draw."

"Marc lends a boost! My Legion attacks Greion! End this battle and let's save the world!" Emi shouts and her Legion charges towards Greion.

"Perfect guard."

A unit stands in the way of her Legion and prevents the attack from ever connecting. Emi's Psyqualia dissipates as fear takes over her instantly. Ibuki stares into her fearful eyes with his purple glowing ones. Emi's heart sank at the sight of Ibuki's own Psyqualia.

Ibuki Kouji had overwritten her image.

"If you're done trying to play hero, then I'll just bring playtime to an end," Ibuki's poisonous words echoed through her soul. "Erasing everything from existence! Shrouding everything in fear! Delete this meaningless world! Ride! Daunting Deletor, Okiszz(G3/11,000)!" A black glowing creature emerges from within Greion and stands in its place. It's haunting gaze pierces Emi's soul. "Look into my eyes, Sendou!" Emi stared into his eyes and suddenly everything went dark.

Emi opened her eyes to find herself standing in a barren wasteland. Looking to her side she found Wingal looking back at her. "Huh? Wingal, why are you…?" Looking down at herself she found white armour covering her body with a big white and blue sword in her left hand. "Is this Blaster Blade's sword? Am I on Cray again? But how?"

"Because of me."

Emi and Wingal look up and found Okiszz looming over their heads. A black tendril shoots out towards Emi, but Wingal knocks her out of the way and gets wrapped up instead.

"Wingal!" Emi shouts in concern. The large dog struggles to break free from the death grip he's trapped in. The heroine rushes forwards to save her friend.

"Delete End"

"WINGAL!"

The dog gave one last bark before he turned to dust and faded from existence. Emi collapsed onto the ground and tears burst forward as she cried for her fallen friend. Her sadness shifted into anger and she raised her blade in fury.

"IBUKI!"

More black tendrils come rushing at her, each one meeting its end by her blade as she rushes towards Okiszz. "FIGHT ME, IBUKI!" Emi continued cutting down tendrils and jumped on top of one. Running on top of it she pointed her blade forward and shot a blast at Okiszz. The blast hits home and Okiszz groans in pain.

"ENOUGH!"

Multiple tendrils latch onto Emi's limbs and retrains her in the air. Ibuki Kouji's spirit form floats down towards Emi. Both fighters give one another venomous glares.

"Why?" Emi spits out.

"Why, what?" Ibuki asks, back.

"WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS!? WHAT KIND OF SICK JOY DO YOU GET OUT OF DESTROYING CRAY!?" Emi ranted in fury. Ibuki places his hand on the armor's chestplate, before looking her in the eyes.

"I hate Vanguard."

"Wha-"

"DOCKING DELETE!"

Suddenly all of the armor covering her body disappeared and Emi was released into a spirit form just like Ibuki. Her blue orbs widened in shock as Blaster Blade appeared before her and Ibuki. "B-Blaster Blade.." A black tendril wrapped itself around Blaster Blade, the knight looked at Emi and gave her an apologetic smile.

"I'm...sorry."

"DELETE END!"

"BLASTER BLADE!"

The knight disappeared into dust just like her elder brother had weeks ago. Any feeling of anger or sadness disappeared from her body completely. Emi didn't even have the strength to cry, she just hung in the air limply.

Emi Sendou was defeated.

Ibuki floated there silently as the girl lost the strength to keep going. "There's something you should know, Sendou." She made no move to indicate that she was listening, he continued anyway. "You told me earlier that Vanguard is a game that connects hearts. I used to believe the same."

Emi's eyes looked at him, surprise evident on her face. Ibuki continued talking. "I used to believe that Vanguard was a game that would connect your heart to those of others. But, at every turn all I ever received from others was disgust and rejection. Vanguard brought me loneliness, so I'll destroy Vanguard and rid myself of this loneliness."

As Emi listened to Ibuki all she could think about was her brother. The thought of how similar Ibuki and Aichi ar-.

"I'm nothing like Aichi Sendou," Ibuki cut her thoughts off, shocking Emi.

"H-h-how…"

"Psyqualia users can look into each other's emotions and memories. I've been looking through your head this entire time and I'm disappointed," Ibuki frowned in pity.

"Aichi Sendou is pathetic."

That sentence revived all of Emi's previous rage in an instant. Her eyes blazing in hot fury she lashes out at him. "DON'T YOU DARE INSULT HIM! YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT MY BROTHER!"

"I know that he's a weak fool who was pathetic enough to get attached to a single card as if it was his only life line. A weak fool who died an even more pathetic death," Ibuki spat, disgusted. If Emi wasn't restrained she would've clawed his eyes out for the words he spoke about her brother.

"However, you're even worse than him. You're a nobody who deluded herself into believing that she's anywhere near important," Ibuki said.

"Shut up! I have no reason to listen to you! I was chosen to save Cray by Alfred and Blaster Blade!"

"Only because every other option wasn't available at the time. If they tried any harder, they could've just convinced Toshiki Kai to become the Vanguard of both Royal Paladins and Kagero. Instead they chose you, because of your blood relation to Aichi Sendou," Ibuki's words were like knives cutting through her soul.

"Y-you're lying!" Emi stuttered.

"I have no reason to lie to you, child. There is nothing about you that stands out in general. Everything special about you revolves around your brother, that's the only reason a single person even gives you the time of day."

"Shut up! Shut up! SHUT UP!" Emi didn't know how much more she could possibly take at this point. But, at the same time she couldn't find fault in his words. People really only interacted with her, because of Aichi. Was she really important? But, she was certain of one thing and that was Ibuki was lying to himself. As she looked into his heart, she saw something that contradicts him completely.

"Ibuki...you…"

"This is goodbye, Emi Sendou. Disappear from this world," He placed his hand on her head and bore into her broken eyes.

"I'm sorry….everyone…."

"DELETE END!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Emi screamed in pure agony as her spirit vanished into nothingness in front of Ibuki.

Emi Sendou vanished from the world.

Chapter End