NOTE: Sorry, it took me so long to update this. I've just been working on other stories and school work.
This chapter takes place a bit after Kai's whole character development thing.
Please enjoy and review!
Chapter 10: Stride!
Chrono Shindou shuffled the deck of cards in his hands. Chrono now wore a white sleeveless jacket with black linings and a red shirt underneath and white pants. Misaki had led him back down to the Card Shop to teach him how to play Vanguard. He agreed, because there was nothing else to do. He also didn't want to be rude to her, since Misaki looked like some sort of gang leader.
"Are you ready, Chrono?" Misaki stood across the fight table with her deck placed in position. The lilac teenager felt a sense of nostalgia as she watched Chrono fumble with the cards in his hands. As if she's watched a scene like this multiple times before.
"Uh, yeah I think I'm ready. But, what are these cards for?" Chrono held up a small stack of cards and handed them to Misaki. She grabbed the cards and analyzed them.
"Grade 4? I've never seen these units before. Naturally I shouldn't let him use cards that aren't recognizable, but these seem important for his deck.," Misaki noticed the texture on the back of the cards were white instead of blue. She handed the cards back to Chrono. "Place these on the side of the deck. From what I read on the cards, we both need to be at Grade 3 before you can use them. You'll also need to pay the cost of having a Grade 3 in your hand to use a Grade 4. Do you understand?"
"Sure!" Chrono didn't understand at all. Misaki sighed in defeat at Chrono. The boy reminded her too much of Naoki at times.
"To start we'll both draw 5 cards and if the cards in our hands don't suit our liking, then you can do a mulligan. However, you'll only be allowed to mulligan once." Misaki explained as both of them drew 5 cards. With this being his first game Chrono didn't know if any of the cards in his starting hand were any good.
"Now that we've drawn our starting hand we can flip over our starting Vanguard and begin the game. Just follow my lead ," Misaki and Chrono flipped over the cards.
"STAND UP VANGUARD!"
"S-Stand up Vanguard!" Chrono blushed at having to yell that out.
"Ride! Reflector Angel(G0/6000)!"
"R-Ride! Gunnergear Dracokid(G0/5000)!"
Misaki took the first turn. "Ride! Battle Maiden, Tatsutahime(G1/7000). Since I took the first turn, I can't attack, so I end my turn."
Chrono nodded his head and started his turn. "Ride! Masergear Dragon(G1/8000)!" When he placed down the card Chrono felt a jolt in his head.
"Chro-"
"Chrono!"
"Huh?" The boy blinked and saw Misaki's concerned gaze. "I-I'm fine. What do I do next?"
Not fully convinced, Misaki continued to instruct him. "Dracokid is a forerunner, so you can move him to the back circle behind your vanguard," She watched as Chrono did as instructed. "With that settled, you can now attack. Units in the back row can be used to support the units in front of them."
"Alright then! With support from Dracokid, Masergear attacks!"
"No guard. Next, you do a drive check whenever your Vanguard attacks," Misaki explained.
"Drive check(No trigger)."
"Damage check(No trigger). That's my first damage, whoever gets to 6 damage first loses," Misaki said.
[Chrono: Hand: 6/Damage: 0] [Misaki: Hand: 5/Damage: 1]
"Ride! Battle Maiden, Sahohime(G2/9000)! Call Bandit Danny(G0/5000) to my back row." Misaki played her cards.
"Sahohime attacks your Vanguard!"
"Ummm...no guard?" Chrono was unsure as he looked at his hand.
"Drive check(Critical Trigger). A trigger grants extra power and abilities. Since I pulled a critical trigger, I can give my vanguard or any other unit an extra damage point and more power. I give all the effects to Sahohime! And when Sahohime lands an attack I can soul charge(3) and counterblast(1)."
Chrono felt another weird sensation as if he was struck by the attack himself. "Damage check(No trigger/Heal Trigger)." His eyes widened as the pain lessened once he pulled that trigger.
"That's a heal trigger. If your damage is the same or higher than your opponent's then the trigger activates and you heal damage. However if your damage is less then it won't activate," Misaki educated Chrono on the power of triggers.
Chrono listened, but he was more focused on what was going on with him. "What was that pain and relief that I felt? It felt so real and so...so...exciting?" Chrono confused himself with his own thoughts. Shaking his head he began his turn.
"Stand and Draw! Ride! Smokegear Dragon(G2/10,000)! Call! Twinmaser Dragon(G2/9000) and Steam Rider, Burnham(G1/6000) to my back row!"
"With the support of Dracokid, Smokegear Dragon attacks!"
"No guard."
"Drive check(Critical trigger)! Yes, I pulled one!" Chrono exclaimed, excited. He covered his own mouth at his excited shout and Misaki giggled at his enthusiasm.
"Damage check(Draw trigger/No trigger). I give the power to my vanguard," Misaki declared.
"Twinmaser Dragon attacks with support from Burnham!"
"Guard(19,000)!" Misaki prevented Chrono from attacking further, ending the boy's turn. Chrono clicked his tongue in disappointment of not being able to do more.
[Chrono: Hand: 5/Damage: 1] [Misaki: Hand: 4/Damage: 3]
"Stand and Draw! Passing her knowledge onto the next generation! I ride! Regalia of Wisdom, Angelica(G3/11,000)! Call! Tatsutahime(G1/7000) to the back row and Battle Maiden, Sahohime(G2/9000) to my front row!" Misaki declares.
"Sahohime attacks your Twinmaser Dragon!" Misaki pointed at Chrono's rearguard.
"No guard." An image appeared in Chrono's head of his rearguard getting retired. He dismissed it quickly to pay attention to the fight.
"With support from Bandit Danny, Angelica attacks your vanguard! And when Angelica attacks a vanguard, I can soul charge(1) and gain +1000!"
"That's 17,000! Hngh! I guard(20,000)!" Chrono grit his teeth.
"Twin drive is an ability that only G3's are granted. Twin Drive check(Critical Trigger/Stand Trigger)! I give the Critical's effects to Angelica and the Stand's effects to Sahohime."
Chrono felt as if he had been punched in the stomach. "D-Damage check(No trigger/No trigger). Dammit," He cursed.
"Stand Triggers allow you to re-stand rear-guards only. Since I re-stood Sahohime she can attack again. Sahohime attacks again with support from Tatsutahime!" Misaki rushed Chrono.
"N-No guard. Damage check(Draw trigger)." Chrono drew a card.
"Sahohime's skill activates. I can counterblast(1) to soul charge(3)." Misaki did just as she had said with her cards.
Chrono frowned as Misaki had turned the tables on him, he needed a way to get the lead back...wait. "When did I start getting so into this game? I was just doing this, because Misaki had asked, but I can't explain it. This feeling in my chest...I'm…I'm…"
"Chrono! Are you alright?" Misaki asked, concerned. She's been noticing that throughout the game Chrono has been acting weird. Grunting, messaging his head, and now gripping his own chest. "Are you ok, do we need to stop the game?"
"What? No! I'm fine! We can keep playing!" Chrono dismissed her worries and started his turn.
"Stand and Draw!" Chrono's eyes widened at the card he drew. He felt a pulsing sensation throughout his whole body as he held the card in his hand. "Are you calling out to me? Fine, I'll answer your call!"
"Lead me to the future! Open a new world! Ride! Chronojet Dragon(G3/11,000)!" Chrono slammed the card down onto his Vanguard circle. The card shone in a blue light as it stood on the Vanguard circle and Misaki felt her breath hitch.
"The feelings that Chrono and that card radiate almost reminds me of Aichi," Misaki thought as she stared in shock.
Chrono continued his turn. "Call! Smithereen Colossus(G3/10,000), Steam Fighter, Amber(G2/9000), and Steam Soldier, Tauge(G1/6000)!"
"Amber attacks Sahohime!"
"No guard." Sahohime was retired.
"Next, Chronojet Dragon attacks your vanguard with support from Dracokid!"
"Guard(21,000)!"
"Twin Drive Check(Critical/Heal Trigger). The heal trigger doesn't activate, but I do give the power and critical to my Colossus!" Chrono declared and Chronojet's attack was stopped.
"Colossus attacks with a boost from Tauge! Colossus skill activates, I can pay the cost(1) and he gains +3000 boost!"
"Tch! No guard. Damage check(Heal Trigger)." Misaki heals her damage as Chrono's turn comes to a close.
[Chrono: Hand: 4/Damage: 4] [Misaki: Hand: 3/Damage: 4]
"Stand and Draw! Goddess who appears in response to the call of the regalia of wisdom! Use your sword of intelligence and foresight to cut through the tangled skein of fate! Break Ride! Omniscience Regalia, Minerva(G3/11,000)!"
"Break ride?" Chrono asked.
"An ability that is only activated when you have 4 damage. It's riding a G3 over another G3 to gain another ability. When I ride Minerva over Angelica, she gains an extra +2000, then Angelica's skill activates. When I break ride over this unit, I can soul blast(3), draw 2 cards, and gain an extra +10,000 until the end of the turn," Misaki finished explaining to the astonishment of Chrono.
"I call! Battle Maiden, Mizuha(G3/10,000) and Goddess of Trees, Jupiter(G2/9000)!" Misaki sets up her attack plan.
"Jupiter attacks your vanguard and when I have a Vanguard with "Regalia" in its name, she gains +3000."
"No guard. Damage check(Draw trigger)! I give the power to my Vanguard and draw a card," Chrono said.
"With a boost from Bandit Danny, Minerva attacks your Vanguard!"
"Um? Perfect Guard? Right?" Chrono asks, and Misaki nodded her head.
"Twin Drive check(Draw trigger/Critical Trigger)! I give the power of both triggers to Mizuha and the critical to Minerva!"
"Why?" Chrono asks.
"Because, I can activate Minerva's Limit Break. Which allows me to soul blast(3), counterblast(1), and discard 3 Genesis cards from my hand to restand Minerva. She also gains another +5000! So once again my Minerva attacks!" Misaki declared.
Chrono's face morphed into disbelief at such a strong card. He looked at his hand and noticed he didn't have the necessity to guard her attacks. With her overwhelming power and extra critical it was game over for him. "Dammit! Dammit! Dammit! Just when I was starting to actually enjoy something, it gets ripped from me again!"
"Chrono!"
"Huh?" Chrono heard a voice call his name and he was suddenly ripped from his spot in the Card Shop. He felt himself be teleported to another place that he didn't know. When Chrono looked below him he saw his Gear Chronicle units facing off against Misaki's Genesis units. Minerva was about to deliver the finishing strike against Chronojet Dragon.
"CHRONO!"
"HUH!?"
He turned around to find a small blue and white unti floating in front of him. It reassembled Chronojet Dragon a bit. Chrono didn't know what to think about the little guy in front of him.
"Are you having fun, Chrono?"
"What?"
"Are you enjoying Vanguard, Chrono?" It asked again.
"Am I...having fun?" Chrono's mind flashed back to his fight with Misaki so far, to all that she's taught him, and how far he's come in the fight. For the first time in his life, Chrono was feeling excited about something, he gained the drive to see something through to the end. Tightening his hand into a fist, he extended it to the small Dragon.
"Yeah! I'm having fun playing Vanguard!"
"I knew you would, Chrono!" The little Dragon returned the fist bump with Chrono. A light burst forward from their contact and Chrono was back inside of the Card Shop. He smiled at Misaki, which shocked her even more.
Chrono hadn't smiled since he arrived here.
"No guard, Misaki! Damage check!" Chrono turned to his damage and to Misaki's utter shock he pulled two Heal Triggers. Keeping himself in the game.
Misaki allowed a smirk to grace her lips. "It's not over yet, Chrono. I still have another attack left. With support from Tatsutahime, Hizuha attacks your vanguard!"
"Intercept(31,000)!" Chrono declared, stopping Misaki dead in her tracks. The lilac beauty couldn't believe that Chrono had managed to survive her turn. "I guess he really is special, huh?" She smiled.
Chrono began his turn. "Stand and Draw!" He looked at the G3 in his and towards the extra deck that sat next to his actual deck. Chrono smirked and knew what he needed to do. Almost as if meeting that small dragon gave him the answers he needed to use his deck. Chrono took the G3 from his hand and slammed it into his drop zone. "GENERATION ZONE, RELEASED!"
"Generation zone…" Misaki was rendered speechless as Chrono's drop zone glowed a rainbowish color. His extra deck shined a bright color of red and blue as a card flew into the boy's hand.
Chrono's world exploded into a space-like rift. He felt his entire being tingle with power and excitement. In front of him was a red gate that opened the path for him to take. Chrono spread his arms out wide and screamed at the top of his lungs.
"Now, show me the world that I truly desire! STRIDE GENERATION!"
In an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city. Kouji Ibuki slept peacefully as he patiently waited for more fighters to delete. However his slumber was disterbed by the sudden burst of power that came from within the city.
Kouji Ibuki sat up in alarm and gasped at the sight of the huge ray of light that reached far out into space. He felt Oksizz stir from within him, demanding to know where that burst of power came from. Ibuki didn't know, but he intended to stop whatever it was from interfering with his plans.
Toshiki Kai and Leon Soryu paused their fight at the sudden burst of energy that was pulsating from Japan. From within the house, Jillian dropped the plate of food she held in her hands and stared out the window.
Kai started sweating, not from fear, but from excitement. "What is that outstanding power?"
Leon smirked and turned to Kai. "I'm not sure, but all I know is that a new wind has started blowing. And this wind will shake the very foundation of Vanguard."
Within the deep abyss of darkness, Emi Sendou continued to fall endlessly. Though, from within this cold abyss, she felt something warm touch her skin. Peering open one eye, Emi saw a shooting star racing across the abyss.
The darkness around her started to fade more and more as the shooting star glowed brighter. Emi didn't understand or know what was happening, but all she could now feel was the warm sensation of a new life.
Before she could question more, a hole opened up beneath her and swallowed her spirit whole.
A young girl with emerald green hair placed a bouquet of flowers down onto a gravestone. Her father placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
Suddenly, she felt a pull in her chest and gazed up at the sky. Her eyes widened at the giant beam of light that enveloped the sky. Her father turned towards her, concerned.
"What's wrong, Tokoha?" Yoshiaki Anjou asked his daughter.
The 11-year old girl turned to her dad, just as confused as she was. "I...I don't know, Dad. But, I felt as if someone was calling out to me and that he needed me," Tokoha explained. Her father smiled and hugged Tokoha.
"It's ok, sweetheart. I miss your brother too," He tried to comfort Tokoha. The young girl didn't smile though, she wasn't talking about her brother. But, someone else that she couldn't recognize.
A young blonde boy lowered his fencing sword to stare outside of the opened window in astonishment. His fencing partner also lowered his sword and took off the helmet.
"Is something the matter, Master Shion?" Iwakura asked.
Shion Kiba turned to look at his butler, confused greatly. "I'm not sure, Iwakura. I just felt some sort of pulling in my chest. As if someone was calling out to me," Shion explained. Iwakura placed a comforting hand on Shion's shoulder.
"Do you think it's your parents?" Iwakura asks.
"No...I'm not sure who it is," Shion responds and looks back out the window.
"Ride! Interdimensional Dragon, Chronoscommand Dragon(G4/15,000)!" Chrono declared. Misaki could only stare in awe at this unit she's never seen before.
"Call! Smokegear Dragon(G2/10,000)!" Chrono sets up his attack formation.
"Now, Smokegear attacks Juniper!"
"No guard." Juniper was retired.
"Chronoscommand attacks your vanguard with a boost from Dracokid!"
"No guard!"
"Triple Drive Check!"
"T-Triple!?" Misaki exclaims.
"First check(No trigger)Second check(Critical Trigger)Third check(Critical Trigger)! All power to Chronoscommand!"
"GO AND FULFILL MY FUTURE! CHRONOSCOMMAND!" On the planet cray the large time dragon launches a blast at Minerva and her field, wiping out their forces completely.
Misaki placed her sixth damage in the damage zone and released a breath of air. Chrono gave her a difficult fight, and he even managed to win it. His first cardfight and he managed to win. "Reminds me of Aichi and Kai." Misaki thought.
"I can't believe I won!?"
Misaki turned her attention back to Chrono. The boy was analyzing his deck and was grinning from ear to ear at all his cards. Misaki's vision was suddenly filled with images of the past . When all of her friends would gather inside this small shop to play Vanguard. She saw each one of them within Chrono. She didn't even realize that she was crying until Chrono pointed it out.
"Misaki! What's wrong!? Why are you crying!?" Chrono asked, concerned. He was shocked when she pulled him into a hug, and continued to cry.
"Thank you, for coming into our lives, Chrono."
Chapter End
NOTE: Chrono isn't going to cardfight much, because he's the only character at this point using G4's and his deck requires those to function properly. That doesn't mean he won't have his impacts. We'll also be switching back to our actual protagonist now as well. So look forward to Emi's mini arc as well.
Leave a review and have a good day.