This chapter is a continuation of the previous chapter. Please go back and read the last chapter before reading this one.
The next morning after the catastrophe the night before, Alex sits in the waiting room in the hospital, next to Saki who looks terrified, sitting hunched over with her hands on her head in distress. Alex looks up at the TV which is showing a News Report about last night.
"Following up on last night's events," the male news reporter says, "Authorities cannot deduce why or how the warehouse district suffered such destruction. It is believed it has something to do with the large creature that appeared before the initial explosion, but authorities are unable to confirm that." Four faces then appear on the screen as the reporter continues, "Four people were in the wreckage at the time of the explosion. They have been identified as, Yuji Kyouto, Yusuke Katsunori, and Saki Tagushi, of Vanguard champions, Team Exodus, and their companion, Alex Shindou. All four of them were hospitalized, but the severity of their injuries has yet to be determined."
He says that, but Alex knows full well what's happening. She and Saki didn't sustain any major injuries, but Yuji and Yusuke lay in the Emergency Room, unconscious.
Just then, the doors to the hospital burst open, as Alex hears a voice cry out to her, "ALEX!" she looks over to see her mother, Tokoha, and her teammates, Yui and Rina, running over to her. Tokoha wraps Alex in her arms, refusing to let go, "Oh thank goodness you're safe! You're not hurt are you?"
"N-No mom, I'm fine…" Alex tells her, but struggles to pull away from her, "But… I won't be fine if you don't let go! I can't breathe!"
Tokoha finally lets go of Alex as Rina steps forward, "So what happened?" she asks, as Alex proceeds to explain the events of last night.
"Someone actually did all that?" Yui asks after hearing the story and Alex nods in response.
Just then, the doors to the Emergency Room open, and a doctor comes out holding a clipboard. Saki immediately bolts up from her chair and runs over to him. "Doctor!" she exclaims, "Please tell me! Are they going to be okay?!"
The doctor puts a hand on her shoulder, scaring her initially, but then he says, "They're going to be fine." Saki then breathes a sigh of relief as the doc continues, "Mr. Kyouto is lucky that metal shard didn't pierce any vital organs."
"Are they still going to be able to participate in the tournament?" Saki asks.
The doctor thinks for a moment, then answers, "Yes… but they're probably going to have to stay out of the action for today. We want to make sure they can still operate at full capacity before we send them out and they do anything strenuous.
Saki then backs away, nods, and says, "I understand."
"That's great news doc!" Alex adds.
Just then, the front doors to the hospital open once again. Alex turns to see who came in, and there she sees a rather tall man, with long dark green hair, and wearing what seems to be a white lab coat under a black business suit, alongside a young woman with short, fluffy purple hair, wearing a similar lab coat, but over her shoulders.
Tokoha and Alex's teammates turn to face the man as well, and Tokoha greets him saying, "R-Ryuzu?!" Alex then looks up at her mother, in shock by the name she announced him as.
Opening Theme – Just Fly Away (Gundam Build Fighters TRY OP2)
Drive 24 – Wings of Rebellion
Ryuzu walks up to the doctor, hands in his lab coat pockets, and asks, "Are they alright doctor?" The doctor nods and explains to Ryuzu their condition, who, being a former scientist, can make sense of all the doctor lingo. Saki also explains to him what happened at the warehouse the night before. "I see. Thank you doctor." Ryuzu mutters after hearing the full story and begins to walk away, but stops when he notices Alex glaring at him. He looks at her in the eyes back and tells her, "Follow me." To which Alex, along with her companions and mother, comply.
They follow Ryuzu and his secretary up to the roof of the hospital, where they find him looking out to the streets below through the tall metal fence. He then turns to the girls and once again, looks at Alex in the eyes. Alex can't help but clench her fist as she stares at the Association leader. "I'm sure you have a lot of questions." Ryuzu tells her.
However, Alex can't control her anger and starts running toward the man. Her friends try to stop her, but it's too late, Alex has already grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him down to her level, yet she's so mad she can't even muster words, and instead just grits her teeth at him.
"Alex…" Ryuzu says to her, "I know you're upset, and I fully understand why, but I need you to calm down."
"You know where my father is!" Alex tells him, with anger seething through her teeth, "You all knew! Mom, Kazuma Taiyou, everyone, and yet no one told me?!"
"Alex, please calm down!" Tokoha begs her, and Alex finally lets go of Ryuzu, making him straighten his tie.
Alex continues to stare at him in the eyes and says, "So? Are you going to tell me why you've been keeping it a secret all this time?"
After finishing straightening his tie, Ryuzu clears his throat and says, "I was going to tell you if you won the tournament, but seeing as you're already neck-deep into it now, I suppose I have little choice. You see, your father is dealing with a threat that could very well mean the end of Vanguard, and our world."
The eyes of the K3 members widen as Rina asks, "W-What do you mean?"
"What I mean is…" Ryuzu says, ready to unveil the truth, "Your father is on planet Cray. Fighting this threat directly, alongside his units."
Alex's heart sinks hearing this, but then Yui steps in and says, "Wait hold on, I thought Cray was a made-up world for the card game."
Ryuzu closes his eyes and explains, "I wish that were true, but you're wrong." Yui's eyes widen as he continues, "Cray is a real planet. Every single fight you've ever had, all of the units in your decks…"
"They're… all real?" Alex finishes his sentence with a heavy tone.
Ryuzu nods and adds, "As real as you or I. A long time ago, I once made contact with the units from Cray, even managing to summon one to our world."
"Wait hold on!" Rina says, raising her hand, "I don't buy any of this. There's no way Cray can be a real place. Do you have any proof?"
"All the proof you need is in what happened last night." Ryuzu tells her, "That creature that destroyed the warehouse district, it was summoned here from Cray."
"And besides, if you want more proof…" Tokoha begins to say to the girls. They all turn around to face her as she holds her right hand in front of her chest, at which time, a green glowing Neo Nectar emblem appears on her hand, which K3, especially Alex, is shocked by, "This mark means that I am spiritually connected to my Vanguard on Cray, and not just me, but your father too."
Even while the girls are still trying to process what is happening, Ryuzu says, "She's right." the K3 members turn back around as Ryuzu begins to tell them a story, as he looks directly at Alex, "20 years ago, I committed a horrible sin. I attempted to use a device, known as the Stride Gate, to fuse this world and Cray, in the hopes of ridding this world of its pain and suffering, but your father showed me the error of my ways. Unfortunately, it didn't come without punishment. I was reverted back to being a baby, I started life all over again. That's why I look so young, despite how long I've been alive."
Alex's breathing starts becoming more sporadic, as the world she thought she knew was unraveling before her.
"However, even with my punishment, my actions left an impact on the world. During my fight with your father, the Stride Gate was destroyed, and it created an unstable connection between Earth and Cray, allowing units from Cray to come to Earth by possessing people on this planet."
Tokoha walks around beside Ryuzu and says, "This was called a Diffride."
Ryuzu continues saying, "Your father and mother then created a link between their avatars on Cray and were finally able to fix the rift between the two planets. All was peaceful for the next couple of years… but now something has managed to reestablish that link, sending its warriors down to Earth in the hopes of devouring both our worlds." Ryuzu narrows his eyes as he utters the name of this higher force, "The Death Ark."
As those words leave his mouth, Alex could feel a shiver run up and down her spine, "T-The… Death Ark?"
"Yes." Ryuzu nods, "It's a phenomenon that is able to destroy worlds. It lays waste to worlds by removing all essence of life, turning it into a world of death. Alex… the man Yuji and Yusuke fought last night was one of its Acolytes."
"Acolytes?" Alex questions.
"Yes. The Death Ark is able to take the souls of people who have passed away and turns them into Acolytes, or messengers of the end time."
Tokoha holds her arm and glances away hearing Ryuzu mention Acolytes being dead people.
He then continues, "Only by defeating these Acolytes, can we eventually put an end to the Death Ark, and you see, that is the true purpose of this tournament. To find people who are truly worthy of fighting this threat. That's why I wanted to wait to tell you. Being Chrono Shindou's daughter, it was inevitable that you would be dragged into this conflict. Only through this tournament, can you prove that you are worthy of fighting the Death Ark and reuniting with your father."
Alex can barely muster any words, as she is still processing all that Ryuzu told her…
Meanwhile, in another part of the city, Eiji Kiba is walking down the street snacking on some small bite-size cookies he bought from a local bakery after persuading the cute female baker that worked there to give them to him for free. Just as he finishes the last of his cookies, he hears a slight scream from the next block over. "WAAAH!" He looks across the street to see a young girl lying face down on the ground seeming like she tripped. The girl had long, black hair tied in a ponytail with a red ribbon and a blue headband. She was wearing a black jacket with a dark-blue shirt underneath, a pale-blue skirt with white trim, black thigh-high socks, and pink sneaker shoes. She sits up rubbing her head saying, "Oooo owie…" in a very adorable way.
Eiji, being unable to help himself, tosses the empty cookie bag away into the nearest trash can and runs over to help the girl. "Are you alright miss?" he asks, offering her a hand with a very prince charming-like face.
The girl appears to instantly become infatuated with Eiji as she takes his hand. "Th-Thank you. Mister." She says after he helps her to her feet.
Eiji is now able to get a good look at her crimson-red eyes and says, "Do I know you? You look familiar."
"M-Maybe in a dream I once had." The girl says, wrapping her arms around herself and squirming a little. "I've always been very poor, and I've waited a long time for someone like you to find me. My prince charming!"
Eiji is instantly struck by her words as he stares at her adorable expression. A slight devious smirk comes over his face. "Tell me miss. Do you live around here?" he asks.
The girl nods and says as she points to a nearby alleyway, "Y-Yes. In that alleyway over there. My parents kicked me out of my home because they don't love me."
Eiji then kneels in front of her and puts a hand on her shoulder, "Well what if I could give you a home?"
The girl's eyes light up with joy. "You mean it?!"
"Yes." Eiji replies with a nod, "Three meals a day, clean water to bathe in, and a warm bed to climb into at night."
The girl then hugs Eiji tightly exclaiming, "Oh thank you mister! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"
"Come. I'll show you the way." He says as she begins following him down the street.
However, with his back turned to her, he doesn't notice the devilish grin that comes over her face as she thinks to herself, "Not only are you rich, but you're also dumb."
After walking for a while, they come across an abandoned building and Eiji tells the girl, "Why don't we take a shortcut through here?"
"Okay." The girl nods, maintaining her innocent expression. The two of them enter the building, make their way through some old decrepit hallways to a small room, but when Eiji opens the door, he sees something he wasn't expecting to see. He sees another taller woman with yellow hair, tied in a side ponytail and yellow eyes. She was wearing a gray cap, a black sports bra under a yellow track-suit jacket, blue jeans, and brown boots. She looks up at Eiji with a menacing glare.
"You again!" Eiji exclaims, immediately recognizing her.
Flashback (Turn 20)
"That's enough!" the voice says. Everyone looks up to where that voice came from, and from the beams above, a young woman with bright yellow hair tied in a pony-tail, and wearing a black sports bra, a yellow jacket, dark blue pants, brown shoes, and a light gray baseball cap, leaps off the beam and lands between the two parties. "These two are not your slaves." The woman says.
End Flashback
"Have you come to join the fun too?" He asks her, but then he feels something sharp poke him in the back. He looks behind him to see the black-haired girl pointing a knife at his back as she closes the door to the room.
She looks up at him with an evil smile and says, "Sheesh. For someone with an empire on his shoulders, you sure are stupid."
"Wait a minute…" Eiji says, trying to process his thoughts, and then the girl's face becomes even more familiar, "Wait! Now I remember you!"
Flashback (Turn 20)
Eiji gets ready to throw a punch, and the woman takes a fighting stance, but before his fist can reach her, another figure appears behind Eiji and sweeps him by the legs.
"Going down?" the figure, with a much higher pitched and cocky voice says. After Eiji falls over, everyone can get a good look at the person. It was a smaller woman with a long black ponytail tied up by a large red ribbon and wears a blue headband, a black jacket with a blue t-shirt underneath, a pale blue skirt, black thigh-highs, and pink boots.
End Flashback
Eiji groans when he immediately knows who the two women are. The yellow-haired one is Riku Momoya, and the black-haired one is Kyoko Hinotaka.
"Eiji Kiba." Riku says, "You have committed crimes against women. You say you're offering them peace from their already miserable lives, but you only make it even more miserable for them, forcing them into love with you and using their bodies to satisfy your own twisted desires."
Eiji won't even answer her, and instead grits his teeth, to which Kyoko pokes him with her knife again and says, "What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?"
Eiji then stares at Riku dead in the eyes as she says to him, "I will finally put an end to your scheme here." She then pulls out her deck and says, "Fight me… Eiji!"
Eiji then begins cackling under his breath, before bursting out into full-on laughter. "You? Fight me?" he asks, "You must be mental!"
"Not as mental as you." She responds, turning his words back on him.
"But fine, I'll cardfight you." Eiji tells her, but then glares at her with his lustful eyes, "However… since we are on my turf now, you have to play by my rules."
Riku was initially going to say no to his request, but then an idea popped into her head. "Alright. I'll play by your rules, but to make it fair, you have to follow my rules too. I'm not a hostage like all the other girls you've taken here."
"Very well, what's your rule?" Eiji asks her.
Riku then reaches into her back pocket and pulls out a high-tech-looking glove and tosses it to the rich kid, "You have to wear this for the entirety of the fight."
"That's it?" Eiji questions, taken aback by the very simple request as he puts the glove on his hand. "Now then, my rule for you is…"
Before he can even finish, Riku completes his sentence saying, "Each time I take damage, I have to take off a piece of clothing. Right?"
Eiji smirks and says, "That's it."
"Fine, but how about this:" Riku proposes, "Each time I heal damage, I can put a piece of clothing back on."
"That is… acceptable." Eiji says, "Then I assume we're ready to go?"
"I suppose." Riku responds. The two of them find a fight table in the building. Kyoko now stands beside Riku as she and Eiji begin their fight by declaring in unison, "Stand up…" Eiji adds, "the…" "VANGUARD!"
Meanwhile, back on the hospital roof, Alex is now sitting on a nearby bench, having just finished processing everything, as everyone else looks over her. She holds her hands in her lap and says, "So let me get this straight? You're saying my father is on Planet Cray fighting this… Death Ark…?"
"Yes." Ryuzu nods, "But he's not alone. There are several legendary cardfighters at his side. Ones who have retired from the professional scene so that this fight could be done in secret."
"But why?! Why keep it a secret from everyone? Especially me?!" Alex asks, standing up from the bench.
"Alex, it should be obvious." Tokoha tells her, "If word were to get out that the Association was fighting some extraterrestrial force, there would be panic considering what has already happened in the past. The world doesn't want a repeat of the crisis 20 years ago."
"But why keep it a secret from me?!" Alex questions, starting to raise her voice, "This is my dad we're talking about!"
Ryuzu huffs and says, "Because we knew that you would want to help him or even go to Cray to see him."
"Alex…" Tokoha mutters, putting a hand on her shoulder, "I don't mean anything mean when I say this, but you are more like your father than you know."
"What do you mean?"
"Your father was always brash and wanted to do everything himself so as not to put burden on others." Alex can then feel her mother's grip on her shoulder tightening, "It was one of the things I disliked about your father the most. I always hated when he'd leave me or Shion out of whatever was going on." Her breath starts to become sporadic, "There was a time when your father was kidnapped due to his brash nature, and as a result, it almost resulted in him losing his cards, and maybe even seriously hurt."
Alex is nearly speechless from this.
"That's why we didn't tell you. We were afraid you'd jump ahead and do something you'd regret." Tokoha tells her as tears begin forming in her eyes. She then takes Alex into her arms and says, "I already lost the love of my life! I couldn't bear to lose you too!" Tears fall from her eyes like a river, "Not only are you my daughter, but you're also the only piece of him I have left!"
"Mom…" is all Alex can say as she looks at her crying mother.
"That's why we didn't tell you." She says, "To protect you. Because we knew you'd try to do exactly what your father would do." She finally lets go of her daughter, who looks down at the ground.
"S-So it was all… for my safety?" she asks, and Tokoha nods, "but what if I'm ready to fight?" Ryuzu narrows his eyes, "I saw what these people are capable of! I can't stand by while they hurt more innocent people, let alone my friends. I want to fight! So please let me!"
Ryuzu stares at her for a moment, and she stares back, hoping that he will let her join the fight against the Death Ark.
Meanwhile, back at the abandoned building, the fight has entered turn 6. Both Riku and Eiji are tied at 3 damage (Riku: [X][][]) (Eiji: [X][][]). Because she is at 3 damage, Riku has taken off her shoes, jacket, and sports bra, revealing the white floral patterned bra underneath. Riku has 3 cards in her hand while Eiji has 5. Riku now prepares to ride into grade 3. "Wings of rebellion!" she declares, "Soar high and smite down my enemies with holy justice! Ride! Rebellion Seraph, Yomiel (G3/12000)! Call Amputation Angel (G2/10000)! Using her skill ([X][X][])! Rescue 1! I deal my Vanguard one damage, and then heal one damage. Rescue Check (Heal). Heal Trigger! Add 10000 power to my Vanguard (12000-22000) and heal one more damage (Riku: [X][X][] - [X][][] - [][]). Now, Yomiel's skill activates!"
"What?!" Eiji exclaims.
"Whenever I heal, you have to heal and take the same amount of damage." Riku explains as she puts her jacket back on.
Eiji groans as he reaches for his deck. "Fine, I heal two damage (Eiji: []). Damage Check (none/none). (Eiji: [][][])" upon putting the cards into his damage zone, Eiji is then hit by a very strong electric shock from the glove he is wearing, causing him to scream, "AAAARRRRRRGGHHH!" the glove has been shocking him every time he's damaged, as it was an old Fighter's Glove from during the days of Team AL4.
"How does it feel," Riku asks, "the pain that you've inflicted on others! Hygienist Angel's skill! Each time my opponent takes damage, add 3000 power (10000-13000-16000)!"
Board State
(G2/10000) (G3/22000) (G2/16000)
(XXXX) (G1/8000) (XXXX)
"Amputation Angel attacks Azure Tempest Sailor, Mio!"
"No guard." Eiji declares, retiring his unit.
"Boosted by Sectio Angel, Yomiel attacks the Vanguard! Yomiel's skill! Rescue 1! I heal one damage and take one damage. Rescue Check (Critical). Critical Trigger! I give the power to Hygienist Angel (16000-26000), and the critical to Yomiel (22000/Crit 1-2)!"
"Damage Check (Heal). Ha! Heal Trigger!"
"I don't think so!" Riku exclaims, surprising Eiji, Yomiel nullifies any triggers from damage dealt by her skill!"
"You're kidding me!" Eiji exclaims as he just puts the card into his damage zone and heals one damage, before being hit by the shock from the glove.
"Hygienist Angel's skill! Add 3000 power (26000-29000)!"
Eiji looks through his hand and declares, "I guard (15000) (15000)!"
"Twin Drive (none/Heal)! Heal Trigger! I give the power to Hygienist Angel (29000-39000) and heal one damage (Riku: [])! You know what that means!"
"Yeah, I know! Damage Check (Draw)." Eiji is then horrified by the pull. Not only was it a draw trigger, but it was also a sentinel, and he gets nothing from it, only an electric shock.
"One more time Hygienist Angel! Add 3000 power (39000-42000)! Attack the Vanguard!"
"No guard. Damage Check (none). (Eiji: [][][][])" Eiji is then hit by another electric shock, each one more intense than the last, "AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH! Ugh…" his breathing becomes heavy, his body weakened from the constant shocks.
"I end my turn." Riku declares as she puts her shoes back on, "Now you know the pain I, and all the other women people like you harmed have gone through."
"Shut… up!" Eiji shouts, "Your sad excuse of a rebellion is starting to get on my nerves!" Eiji stands his remaining units and draws as a look of fury comes over his face, "I'll show you just how powerful I truly am! Not just in my company, but in Vanguard too! Commander of the Azure Tempest! Lewis's Soul Drive activates ([X][][][])(Soul 4-3)! On Cray, the captain, dressed in a dark navy uniform, throws off his coat, revealing his upper body covered in tattoos like a Japanese Yakuza. His eyes then glow an ominous blue as he draws his sword from its sheath, "Add 3000 power, 1 Grade, and 1 Drive (G3-4/12000-15000/drive 2-3)!"
Kyoko, who is now sitting on a box in the corner of the room as she watches the fight, shrugs and says, "Riku's got 1 damage, and you got 4. What makes you think you can win this turn?"
A sinister and twisted smile then washes over Eiji as he says, "Oh just you wait! I call Azure Tempest Siren, Hesper (G1/8000)! Using her skill! I rest Nerissa, and look at the top three cards of my deck and call an Azure Tempest unit! Azure Tempest General, Cuteria (G2/10000)! Next, with Nerissa's skill (Soul 3-2), if she rests by a card's ability, I can stand her and add 10000 power (G1/8000-18000)!"
Board State
(G1/8000) (G4/15000) (G2/10000)
(XXXX) (G1/18000) (G1/8000)
"Let's battle! Boosted by Hesper, Cuteria attacks the Vanguard (10000-18000)!"
"No guard." Riku declares (Riku: [][]), taking off her shoes again.
"Cuteria's skill (Soul 2-1)! At the end of her battle, if it was the first battle of the turn, I can retire her to rest one rear-guard and stand another rear-guard and add 5000 power to that rear-guard! I rest Nerissa and stand Hesper (8000-13000)! Nerissa's skill (Soul 1-0)! Re-stand her and add 10000 power (18000-28000)! Azure Tempest Cadet Naomi attacks (G1/8000!"
"Huh?!" Kyoko exclaims in confusion.
"But… your unit only has 8000 power." Riku tells him.
"I'm aware! All I need her to do is pointlessly ram into your Vanguard!" Eiji exclaims while, on Cray, Naomi charges at Yomiel, only for her sword to hit the angel without her flinching.
"But… why?"
"I activate the skill of another Naomi in my hand ([X][X][][])! I superior call her and add 5000 power (G1/8000-13000)! Next I use Lewis's skill ([X][X][X][])! I retire the Naomi that just attacked and call Azure Tempest Sailor, Mio and add 5000 power (G2/10000-15000)! Also, since Lewis is Driven, Mio gains a skill! Mio attacks the Vanguard!"
"No guard." (Riku: [][][]). She again takes off her jacket.
"Mio's skill! At the end the battle, if it was the third or later battle of the turn, I counter charge ([X][X][][]), and with the skill she got from Lewis! I retire her and gain 3000 power!" On Cray, Lewis gets behind Mio, grabbing her by the arms, and then thrusting his sword through her chest, causing her blood to spill into the water (Lewis: 15000-18000).
Riku is horrified imagining this, but Eiji just smiles manically.
"Naomi attacks the Vanguard (13000)!"
Riku thinks for a moment and says, "I'll guard that (15000)!"
"Lewis's skill once more ([X][X][X][])! I retire Naomi and call Azure Tempest Siren Parthenia and add 5000 power and a skill (G1/8000-13000)! Now, Lewis attacks the Vanguard!"
Riku is a little confused as to why he didn't boost his Vanguard, but she declares, "Guard (20000)!"
"Triple Drive (none/none/Critical)! Critical Trigger! I give the power to Parthenia (13000-23000) and the Critical to Lewis (18000/Crit 1-2)!"
"Why would he give the crit to his Vanguard if the attack didn't go through?" Kyoko questions.
"That's the fifth!" Eiji mutters to himself, which Riku overhears, "Parthenia attacks the Vanguard (23000)! Parthenia's skill! When it's the fifth or later battle, I can choose one of my rear-guards, move it to another rear-circle, and add 5000 power! I move Hesper to my left front row circle (13000-18000)!"
"No guard." Riku declares (Riku: [][][][]). With a scoff, she then takes off her jeans, revealing a pair of panties that match her bra.
"Parthenia's skill she obtained from Lewis! I retire her and add 3000 power to Lewis (18000-21000)! Hesper now attacks the Vanguard!"
"Amputation Angel intercepts (5000)!"
"Lewis's skill ([X][X][X][X])! I retire Hesper and call Azure Tempest General, Hristina (G3/12000-17000)! Hristina attacks the Vanguard! With her skill, at the fifth or later battle, if Lewis is my Vanguard, add 10000 power (17000-27000)!"
Riku hesitates for a moment, and then says, "No guard." Hristina jabs her sword through Yomiel. Before Lewis grabs her and stabs her with his sword. (Riku: [][][][][]). Riku decides to take off her panties, but her waist is below the table, denying Eiji the pleasure of seeing it.
He scoffs at this and says, Hristina's skill that she got from Lewis. Retire her, and add 3000 power to Lewis (21000-24000)."
"But now you've got nothing left to attack with." Kyoko tells him, "You disposed of your entire brigade, just like you do in real life."
"Oh, but I'm not done yet!" Eiji tells her, "I activate Lewis's final skill! When he's Driven, if I've battled seven or more times this turn, and have one or fewer rear-guards! I can discard two cards (Hand 2-0)! I add 10000 power to Lewis, 1 Critical, and stand him, at the cost of minus 2 drive (24000-34000/Crit 2-3/drive 3-1)!"
The two girls' faces shrink in horror. "That ain't good!" Kyoko exclaims.
"Boosted by Nerissa, Lewis attacks the Vanguard (34000-62000/Crit 3)! If you don't guard this, you'll need three Heal Triggers to stay alive! You have no chance! You're MINE!"
"I guard (20000) (5000)!" Riku declares.
"That's not nearly enough! You've LOST!" Eiji screams at her, but then Riku points to one of her guardians.
"Cleanshake Angel's skill. For every two cards in both of our damage zones, add 5000 to the shield (5000-45000)."
"What…?!"
"That makes my total shield 65000!"
Eiji grits his teeth and says, "It's not over yet! Drive Check (none)!" Eiji is then horrified by his pull. Not only did he not get a trigger, but he also didn't get anything to guard with. He then stands there, hanging his head, with the looming fear of defeat hanging over him.
"Well? Say it." Riku demands him.
"I… end… my turn." He replies.
"Then it's my turn! Stand and draw! I retire Sectio Angel since I have another Sectio Angel in my damage zone. Yomiel's Soul Drive Activates! Add 3000 power, 1 grade, and 1 drive (G3-4/12000-15000/drive 2-3)! I call Druggest Angel (G1/8000) and Scalpel Angel (G1/8000)! Using Scalpel Angel's skill! I put a card from my damage zone into my hand, and then search my deck for any card and put it into my damage zone."
Board State
(XXXX) (G4/15000) (G2/10000)
(XXXX) (G1/8000) (G1/8000)
"Boosted by Scalpel Angel, Yomiel attacks the Vanguard (15000-23000)! Yomiel's skill! Rescue 2! I heal two damage and take two damage. Rescue Check (none/Heal). Heal Trigger! Add 10000 power to Hygienist Angel and heal one damage (10000-20000) (Riku: [][][][])!" As Riku is putting her panties back on, she tells Eiji, "And since I healed, you have to also heal and take two damage." Eiji does not say anything as he does what she says, making him scream from the electricity again. "Hygienist's skill! Each time my opponent takes damage, add 3000 power (20000-26000)!" The attack hasn't even gone through yet, but Riku knows he can't guard, so she declares, "Triple Drive (none/Heal/?)! Heal Trigger! I add another 10000 power to Hygienist (26000-36000) and heal one more damage (Riku: [][][])!
Eiji does not say anything as he does his damage check (Eiji: [X][X][X][X][]), and since Riku healed, he has to heal and take another damage, giving Hygienist more power (36000-39000), and him more shocks.
After getting her pants back on, Riku declares, "Druggest Angel's skill! When a card is put into your drop zone from the damage zone, add 5000 power (8000-13000)! Boosted by Druggest Angel, Hygienist Angel attacks (39000-52000)!"
Eiji is completely out of options. Nothing to guard with, five damage, and can't do anything on his next turn either. He's completely alone. As such, he decides to get desperate. "I won't let it end like this!" He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small black bottle. He flicks off the cap and sprays a substance into Riku's eyes, causing her to scream in pain.
"RIKU!" Kyoko exclaims, rushing over to help her friend. Meanwhile, Eiji scrambles to gather up all his cards and runs out the door. Kyoko spots him running away and shouts, "Where do you think you're going you bastard!" She chases him out the door and through the building. Eiji then kicks a wall right next to him, causing the wall to collapse between him and Kyoko, cutting her off. She watches him flee through the debris and shouts, "COWARD!" but realizing there's nothing she can do to catch him, she heads back to Riku to attend to her.
The two girls head down to the building's old bathroom, which still seems to have running water. Kyoko puts Riku's head in the sink and attempts to wash the pepper spray out of her eyes. "Argh… it burns!" Riku exclaims.
"Easy, easy… I've almost got it all out." Kyoko tells her. After raising her head from the sink, Riku's eyes are now red and swollen. "I can't believe that SOB really juked us like that."
"We'll find him again…" Riku says, rubbing her eyes, "I promise. He can't escape us for long."
Meanwhile, back at the hospital, Alex stamps her foot and begs, "Please! Let me fight this… Death Ark! This is my family we're talking about!"
Ryuzu has been silent for a while, but he finally speaks up, "I understand you have good intensions Alex… but… you're still young and naïve. If you think you're truly ready to fight this force, which you experienced first-hand last night…" Ryuzu then pulls out a deck of Vanguard cards and holds it to Alex, "Then I want you to prove it to me!"
"Ryuzu… are you sure?" Tokoha asks.
Both Yui and Rina stare at Alex, anxious as to what she's gonna say. Alex grits her teeth, clenches her fist and says, "Fine!" as she pulls out her deck and holds it to him, "I'll beat you just like my father did!" The two of them stare at each other dead in the eyes, neither of them batting an eyelid. Alex thinks she's ready to face the Death Ark, but does she have the same strength as her father…?
To be continued…
Ending Theme – Play the World (BOFURI Ending)
[Next Time]
Alex declares that she is ready to face the dangers that lie ahead for her and her family, but Ryuzu wants her to prove it, and so the two have a heated fight with Alex giving it her all to show to Ryuzu that she can save her father.
Next time on Vanguard X: "The Gears of Fate" Don't miss it!
A message from Team K3 to the reader:
Alex: Hi everyone! Thank you so much for enjoying another chapter of Vanguard X! At least… we hope you enjoyed it.
Yui: We know the author has had some ups and downs with the series. He's been focusing on the wrong areas, and he hopes that he can improve it going forward.
Rina: But first… we really want to know if you're still interested in this series. The author has put so much time and effort into it, and he loves this series to death. He'd really hate to see it go because no one's enjoying it anymore, especially with the new direction the Vanguard anime has taken.
Alex: We hope we can make future chapters more exciting and better focused going forward, but it all depends if you guys want to continue seeing it.
Rina: Feedback is also very much appreciated. The author would really love to know how he can improve this series. So please, we ask you to, let us know your thoughts in a review or a comment on our Discord server.
Alex: Please tell us what you like about the series and ways to improve it. All of it is very much appreciated.
Yui: We hope next time, we can make this a really good series for you all!
Alex: But until then, always remember… Stand up… VANGUARD!