As Matt came down the elevator again, he went up to Lilith and the others. "So, looks like I dealt with that cheater pretty good, eh?" he asked.
"Of course you did, that was amazing..!" Lilith said.
"Yeah, I've got a few ways around people like that...Makes me sick every time they show up." Matt admitted, shrugging. "Well, I'll see you in the next round, eh, Lilith?" he asked, grinning.
"You know it!" Lilith said, grinning back.
"And at the conclusion of that thrilling fight! Ladies and gentlemen, the next pair will be decided!" The announcer declared, as names starting popping out again. "And what a fight it'll be, at this rate! Felix Crestmore vs...Aoi Kasumi!" They called out.
"Aoi..?" Felix asked, slightly surprised, as the girl seemed to shyly wave at him before walking to the elevator. "Huh...This should be interesting." he commented, walking over himself.
"Go get 'em, Felix!" Lilith called out, as Felix nodded to her and entered, going up to the arena.
"U-Um...Please don't treat me any different as a fighter..." Aoi started.
"I won't." Felix said, putting his Neo-Fight glove on, as a card appeared in front of him. "You were able to give out tickets to this event, so I'm sure you're strong." he told her.
"R-Right...Do you mind if I take my glasses off, before we start?" Aoi asked, as Felix raised an eyebrow.
"Um...Go ahead." He answered, shrugging, as Aoi took them off and pocketed them, and seemed to change her demeanor, much to Felix's surprise.
"...Let's begin." She said, almost coldly.
"Felix Crestmore has the first move!" The announcer called out.
"Oh? She took them off from the get-go? She must think highly of this one." Vanir commented. "Have you ever figured out a reason for her fighting abilities and her glasses?" he asked a scientist.
"Research shows she may have a separate identity, or 'Alter Ego' without her glasses...We haven't been able to figure out why, though, but they seem to share memory and knowledge. It's mostly a change of personality that seems more akin to a fighter than Aoi normally is." A scientist said. "However, this seems to be the first time she's considered someone threatening or challenging enough to go at them from the get-go with it..."
"Interesting...This Felix Crestmore might be the challenge we need to see how far she goes with it." Vanir said.
"Stand up, Vanguard!" Felix called out, as the small robo spider from before on his shoulder hopped off, and grew a bit in size. "Enhanced Machining, Spiderborg!" he said, patting it on the head a bit, as the bot seemed happy.
"Stand up, Vanguard." Aoi said, holding her hand out, as a girl with an energy of death around them appeared, wielding a blade. "Madness Necromaster, Anais."
Granblue...But I've never seen that deck type before. Felix thought to himself. Still, she changed so drastically when she took off her glasses. She went from shy and awkward to...cold and calculating. I'd better play carefully to see what she'll do, first. he thought to himself, drawing. "I discard one card to ride Machining Spinogale from the ride deck." he said, holding out the card, as a green beetle with armor appeared. "Spiderborg moves back." he added, as the bot scuttled backwards.
Spinogale's effect is useless right now, because Aoi doesn't have any rear guards... he thought to himself, before looking back up. "My turn is over."
"Draw." Aoi said, drawing, and tossing a card. "Ride." she said, as a blue haired angel with dark wings appeared. "Necromaster, Dark Angel. Anais moves back, and I receive a quick shield ticket." she said, catching the card. "Then, Dark Angel's effect activates." she added, as her deck showed up. "From my deck, I send Necromaster, Dark Channeler to the drop zone." Aoi then said, as the card burst, and the deck vanished. "With a boost from Anais, Dark Angel attacks your vanguard." she said.
"...No guard." Felix decided.
[DRIVE CHECK - Necromaster Youth [G0 - Stand Trigger]]
"...Stand trigger. Anais stands, and I give the power to my vanguard." Aoi said, as the angel blasted Spinogale, who hid in their armor like a coward.
[DAMAGE CHECK - Enhanced Machining, Death Mantis [G1]]
"My turn is over." Aoi said.
[Felix] - [Aoi]
[Hand - 5] - [Hand - 6 (plus "Quick Shield")]
[Soul - 0] - [Soul - 0]
[Damage/CB - 1/0] - [Damage/CB - 0/0]
[Drop Zone - 1] - [Drop Zone - 2]
[FIELD]
[R] [Machining Spinogale [G1 - 8000]] [R]
[R] [Enhanced Machining, Spiderborg [G0 - 5000]] [R]
[R] [Necromaster, Dark Angel [G1 - 8000]] [R]
[R] [Madness Necromaster, Anais [G0 - 5000]] [R]
It's like she's a whole different person... Felix thought to himself, drawing, and then discarding a card. "Ride. Machining Dragonfly. With a boost from Spiderborg, I attack your vanguard." he declared.
"No guard." Aoi said.
[DRIVE CHECK - Machining Gold Ladybugger [G0 - Critical Trigger]]
"Critical Trigger. I give all effects to Dragonfly." Felix declared, as the dragonfly let out a fireball that hit the angel violently.
[DAMAGE CHECK - Necromaster Shaman [G2]]
[DAMAGE CHECK - Forbidden Necromaster, Adrienne [G3]]
"...My turn is over." Felix said, looking at his hand.
[Felix] - [Aoi]
[Hand - 6] - [Hand - 6 (plus "Quick Shield")]
[Soul - 1] - [Soul - 0]
[Damage/CB - 1/0] - [Damage/CB - 2/0]
[Drop Zone - 2] - [Drop Zone - 2]
[FIELD]
[R] [Machining Dragonfly [G2 - 9000]] [R]
[R] [Enhanced Machining, Spiderborg [G0 - 5000]] [R]
[R] [Necromaster, Dark Angel [G1 - 8000]] [R]
[R] [Madness Necromaster, Anais [G0 - 5000]] [R]
"...I will not play your slow game forever." Aoi remarked, before drawing and tossing a card into the drop zone. "Ride!" she suddenly called out, much to Felix's surprise. "Necromaster Shaman!" she called out, as a skeletal mage appeared. "Because I rode on top of Dark Angel, his effect activates!" she added, holding out two cards from her deck. "From my deck, I send two cards with the Death Rite ability to the drop zone!" she said. "Dark Angel, Bullet Lord!" she declared, as the two units disappeared.
Death Rite..? Felix wondered.
"Shaman attacks your vanguard!" Aoi then called out, as the unit rushed in, again surprising Felix.
"Uh...No guard..!" Felix said.
[DRIVE CHECK - Necromaster, Sacred Arms [G0 - Critical Trigger]]
"Critical Trigger. I give all effects to Shaman!" Aoi declared, as the blast intensified, as Felix staggered back a bit from the recoil of Dragonfly getting blasted.
[DAMAGE CHECK - Machining Dragonfly [G2]]
[DAMAGE CHECK - Machining Anomaly [G3]]
"My turn is over." Aoi then said.
[Felix] - [Aoi]
[Hand - 6] - [Hand - 7 (plus "Quick Shield")]
[Soul - 1] - [Soul - 1]
[Damage/CB - 3/0] - [Damage/CB - 2/0]
[Drop Zone - 2] - [Drop Zone - 5]
[FIELD]
[R] [Machining Dragonfly [G2 - 9000]] [R]
[R] [Enhanced Machining, Spiderborg [G0 - 5000]] [R]
[R] [Necromaster Shaman [G2 - 9000]] [R]
[R] [Madness Necromaster, Anais [G0 - 5000]] [R]
"She said she's not playing the slow game, but...She didn't call anything?" Lilith asked, confused.
"Her opponent's playing Megacolony, so she's rightfully being cautious with her rear guards early on...But that wasn't a sentence for that turn. It's for when she hits grade 3." Matt warned, narrowing his eyes. "...Then she'll show that despite her stature...She's dangerous to anyone who gets in her way." he told Lilith, who looked surprised to hear it. "I have no doubt Felix is strongly intelligent, but so is Aoi...This is just her without that modesty clouding it. It's a game of chess, so to speak. Each one having to try and outdo the other's strategy."
"In that case...I'm putting my hope in Felix!" Lilith decided. "He's been my best friend since I was a kid, so I'm sure he'll pull through!" she declared.
"Aoi..." Felix started, before shaking his head and smiling. "You're amazing. I knew I was right to look forward to this fight." he commented, slightly surprising her. "But from here on out, this is where the real fight begins."
"...It better be." Aoi said, seemingly grinning back at him.
