Hong Kong

As the evening drew over the Chinese region, Jillian and Sharlene were walking back to the yacht they had parked in the bay. Much had been on their minds today as they walked through the city nearby to the harbour and the two of them were still feeling rather uneasy from their findings in Hong Kong as they were planning to inform Kai and his group when they would return to Japan. Their journey had brought them face to face with many local fighters having succumbed to Mayu's forces by being marked for their losses and their punishments being their units captured by the mastermind of the Selector Battles, to remain prisoners within the Pit's prison complex of her White Room.

Even to their surprise, a rather promising team that their friends previously encountered in the Asia Circuit that was well versed in Tag Fights had fallen victim to Mayu's forces as well, leaving them to ponder on how strong their opposition truly was since Kai's return into this world. As they were returning to the yacht to report the news over to the Kagero user and the rest of his group, the older twin was feeling rather anxious about the recent events and the burden that Leon had placed upon her before leaving for the other world and Sharlene could notice that.

"Um Jillian... are you alright?" she asked in concern.

Jillian stopped in her footsteps and said nothing for several seconds before slowly turning around to face the younger twin.

"With everything happening as it is, I'm really worried for Leon-sama," the older twin replied as she pulled out the deck that he had entrusted her with, gazing down at Blue Storm Dragon, Maelstrom which sat atop "Was leaving them with me a good idea?"

"I'm sure Leon-sama is fine," Sharlene said with an optimistic smile "I'm sure he's keeping a good eye on Aichi until this whole mess blows over."

"Yeah," she murmured "I hope."

As the two continued through the city back to their yacht that was parked in the docks, the younger twin kept a concerned look at her sister, wondering if she was really alright from everything that had being going on as of late. She had known Jillian to be concerned about scenarios at times when she wasn't being serious, but the fact that fighters were being marked all across their world in addition to Leon having not returned from the other, that was only serving to make her just as worried for her sister as their friend. Suddenly, the temperature around the two began to drop as they noticed their very breaths had condensed into small brief clouds.

"What's going on?!" Jillian pondered as she struggled to resist the urge to shiver.

(Selector destructed Wixoss OST: fragile 5 ~ Hontou ni Moroi Mono wa)

Before Sharlene could voice her confusion, a wall of purple flames erupted in front of them and circled around a large portion of the area that they were standing in, trapping the two of them and whoever had summoned the barrier inside.

"Isn't this...?!" the younger twin gasped.

A small "Fufufu" caught their attention towards the one who had ensnared them. She then stepped out from the shadow obscuring her, revealing the person to be the same girl that had previously defeated Kyou several nights ago. Her long pale brown hair wavered in the wind as did her frilled dress as her purple eyes then gazed upon the twins with a seemingly innocent expression within them.

"Who are you?!" Jillian demanded.

"Oh, me?" the girl replied as the wind eventually died down around them "Honestly, I would have thought she would have told you at some point if she figured it out."

As the twins simple stared at her, the girl pulled out a card from her pocket and turned it around, displaying the true form of the LRIG Remember on the image. She sneered as her eyes flashed blue for a split second before a silhouette of the LRIG replaced her body.

"Wh... What the?!" gasped Jillian.

"Then... is that...?!" Sharlene interjected.

"Indeed," the girl replied as the silhouette vanished "I am Remember. Master of my own fortunes, former LRIGs to many unfortunate individuals and one of the troupe that serves the mistress of the White Room, Mayu."

Now having that very confirmation with her mind, Jillian could only clench a fist upon realizing who this new opponent of theirs was capable of and more importantly, what she had done to one of their group. Having gotten to know Kiyoi a little more than her older twin, even Sharlene could not help but be somewhat angered at Remember.

"Then you're the same Remember that's caused Kiyoi all of her misery!" snapped Jillian.

"Misery? I just simply granted her wish," she scoffed "But enough about the ethics behind my methods. Once I defeat you two, all of the Aqua Force that remain in this world's cards will belong to Mayu and Cray's Naval Force will be all gone."

"All gone...?" Sharlene breathed in disbelief, before shaking her head "Not all of it! Leon-sama still has his units! There's no way he'd lose to guys like you!"

"Oh, the sweet joy of false hope," Remember muttered with a smile "If you two really think you stand a chance of defending the Aqua Force remnants from my hands, then by all means. I challenge you both at the same time!"

As she concluded her declaration, a red tile appeared in front of her to create a fight table for herself whilst one of double the width and having two Vanguard circles idented instead of one manifested in front of the twins. Both of them were very confused as this would indicate the sign of a tag fight, but their only opponent was the former LRIG herself.

"With the rules of this fight," she began "Both of you will take turns attacking me after each of my respective turns and the rules for tag guarding for each other will remain the same. I cannot Normal Ride during the Ride Phase of the turn after the twin who was second to take their first turn, I can only attack the player who attacked previously during my Battle Phase, but I am permitted to target any of your rear-guards for my card effects. Finally, the first side to reach 9 damage or run out of cards from a player's deck loses. Are there any objections?"

"A tag fight where the only opponent is you?" Jillian pondered "Interesting."

"I... I won't let you down Jillian!" Sharlene replied as she immediately set down her starting Vanguard on the table.

"I'm counting on you, Sharlene," the older twin interjected as the three combatants readied themselves with the cards they now had in their hands.

"Stand up, Vanguard!"

In three respective flashes of light, the first Vanguards of the two on one tag fight appeared within the field with the flames acting only as a barrier to prevent intruders from entering or anyone from leaving until the fight came to an end. Jillian's was easily recognizable as it was Blue Storm Cadet, Marios, Sharlene's was a teal coloured Dracokid that had pink horns as well as gems of the same colour that were littered across its body whilst wielding a blue coloured dagger. As for Remember, it was no surprise that her starting Vanguard would be the Level 0 version of herself as depicted in the Selector Battles and the Wixoss card game itself. Suddenly, a card from the former LRIG's deck moved out of it to the right and drop down on that portion of the table face down with a purple aura surrounding it.

"That's her Grade 5 unit, right?" Sharlene pondered as she turned to Jillian.

"Yeah," the older twin replied "We gotta beat her before she gets to Grade 4 for a Superior Ride on the turn after."

With that grim knowledge in mind, they watched Remember draw her first card to begin the fight.

(End Music)


Card Capital

(Cardfight! Vanguard Unreleased Soundtrack: Presence of the Void)

Once Kai and the rest of the group had eventually returned to the alleyway that was to the left side of Card Capital with the partially injured Emi to explain all of the events that had been occurring since he first arrived into Ruko's world and why Aichi had gone there in the first place, Misaki and Shingo had eventually joined them, shocked to find the Royal Paladin user's sister in the state she was currently in. Emi still held her head down, feeling utterly humiliated from her earlier loss to Ulith and still trying to deny that she was responsible for Aichi's previous descent into darkness along with his self-sealing nearly a year prior. The cruel demanoured Selector had indeed been triumphant in her recent venture without revealing any more secrets in regards to what Tawil was holding in store for those that knew about the other half of Ut'ulls.

Whilst Miwa, Ruko and Tama watched on in concern for the Bermuda Triange user, Kiyoi and Yuki kept neutral expressions whilst Kamui could only hang his head down in shame, feeling that most of the responsibility for today's events and what happened to the person he cared about were now shouldered on him. He briefly opened his mouth, wanting to speak out to Emi, but immediately shut it in the hope of not making things any worse than they already were. Eventually, when he sensed that she had calmed down enough from her recent struggle, Kai sat down on the bench beside her and began to tell the tale that all of them were now experiencing for themselves in one way or another.

Despite being unable to express anything but sadness the whole way through as even as the others around her began sharing their personal involvements in the battle to end the Selector System in Ruko's world and stopping the war Mayu had declared upon their own. Kamui was initially hesitant to tell his side of the story, both out of guilt for not telling Emi about Aichi's whereabouts earlier and knowing it would cross over into his discovery of Kiyoi's tragic past, but a stern gaze from the latter eventually broke him out of his stupor and got him to talking about his own adventures as of late, even apologizing over and over to the Bermuda Triangle to which she eventually accepted, but only after telling him to stop repeating with his apology.

"With this, you now know everything that has been happening as of late," Kai concluded as he looked to young girl beside him "Is there anything else you wish to ask?"

"... No..." was all she could utter.

"Gosh... I knew she'd be upset, but I didn't think it would end up this bad..." Kamui muttered in shame.

"Of course I'm upset...!" Emi replied "The fact that Aichi doesn't trust me...! It just hurts thinking about it!"

"What did Ulith say to you?" asked Misaki.

"That I... my worries about him ended up being part of the reason he went crazy over that power he now has control over," the Bermuda Triangle user answered depressingly "And why he ordered four people to wipe my memories of him."

She then shuddered as she thought about Aichi in utter worry, unable to think of what madness or cruelty that Ulith had planned for him and the fact she still believed that she had a hand in causing past incidents involving him was only making her even more upset and very uneasy.

"I thought sometimes I worried about him too much..." she sobbed "But I didn't think I pushed him that far!"

"I knew it..."

Emi then gazed up at Kai who was looking down upon her with a serious glint within his eyes, having witnessed the trickery that Ulith had utilized before to break down Aichi in their previous battle.

"Ulith is a skilled manipulator unlike any we have seen," he spoke "She preys on the weaknesses and emotional turmoil of the people she challenges in the Selector Battles and the fights she's had so far."

"What do you mean...?" she asked.

"She sensed your suspicion on Aichi leaving this world without telling you the real reason why," the Kagero user explained "Once she discovered that was indeed the case..."

"Then... you're saying even though Aichi lied to me... Ulith tricked me?!" she gasped.

The long silence that had followed after her realization had only confirmed the Bermuda Triangle user's suspicions, leaving her even more humiliated from her earlier defeat and mental torture than she had already been before. Seeing the very situation before her was playing out very familiar, even down to the very cause of why Emi was so upset at the truth of the events she had now learned completely, Ruko came to the other side of the bench and sat down beside her.

"Emi..." she spoke, gaining her attention "I know... Aichi shouldn't have lied to you about travelling to my world. I can understand why you would feel that way."

"But I can't understand why he would do it in the first place," Emi huffed "Then again... I don't think you would probably understand why he would either."

"Actually, I do."

The Bermuda Triangle user blinked briefly in confusion as she was now curious to why the Selector had replied to her mutter the way that she did, considering that she too had no knowledge of Aichi's deception to his sister before coming across her during the fight against Ulith.

"Before Kai ended up in my world, even before I got infected with Reverse," Ruko continued "I had to keep my mouth shut about the Selector Battles from both my grandmother and Ayumu. There was no way they would believe me about talking LRIGs, body swaps or unfair outcomes before my mother found onii-chan. I think Aichi thought that you wouldn't believe anything about other worlds."

"I... guess you're right," Emi sighed "Even if I'm mad at him for not telling the truth, I suppose I would have never believed him in the first place."

"Even so, we should probably have you meet up with Neve and Ratie later so you three along with Gaillard when he arrives can clear things up between you," said Misaki.

"Thank you Misaki..." the Bermuda Triangle user replied as she gazed down at her Mark of Penalty "How on earth am I gonna explain this whole mess to mother? For one thing, she might not believe us about the other world went to or that Ulith came from there."

"I'll come with you if it makes things any easier," Kai spoke as he stood up "She'll be bound to know that I'm here whether you tell her or not."

(End Music)

Emi then stood up onto her feet and led the Kagero user on the way over to her house where they would have to disclose the details of her recent fight and the result of what had happened to them respectively to Aichi's mother. Everyone else watched on feeling very remorseful, even if not all of them had shown it within their outward expressions, with some now having had an idea of what Ulith was capable of. None were more devastated by the turn of events than Kamui who simply walked away on his own shortly afterwards, with Kiyoi just staring at him before he disappeared down a corner of the street they were all standing in. She then went after him as if she had something of her own to say to him after the events of this day had transpired.

"Poor Emi..." murmured Ruko.

"Tama feels bad for Emi..." Tama interjected.

"I guess we're just as at fault for not telling her sooner either, huh," Miwa pondered.

"I did try to warn Sendou-kun something like this could happen..." Shingo muttered "But then again... I can't fault him entirely for thinking Emi wouldn't believe him about that other world."

Misaki said nothing, having more or less agreed that he had indeed made a point regarding how Emi found herself into the situation that she did. A part of her couldn't help but ponder about Futase who was indeed still a part of Mayu's troupe in spite of what was really going on and Schwarzschild Dragon's influence over her actions. All the while, they could do nothing for now and await for an opportunity to make their next move as the sun continued to set over the horizon.


Hong Kong

Back within the arena that the barricade of flames had created, the fight between Remember, Jillian and Sharlene was seemingly going in the twins' favour at the end of the eighth turn with the former LRIG being pushed to five damage whilst Remember Morni, Star-Reading Miko was her current Vanguard with no rear-guards on her side of the field. Meanwhile, the twins had a mere two damage in comparison with Jillian having Gregorios as her Vanguard and Spyros to his right with both Marios and Wheel Assault in the back row whilst Sharlene had Storm Rider, Damon as her own Vanguard and Tidal Assault next to it with Bubble Edge Dracokid behind the latter.

Although they had a seemingly guaranteed lead before even getting to Grade 3, the older sibling couldn't help but feel uneasy by the fact that this was seeming rather easy for them. Remember had not called a single rear-guard throughout the fight and only guarded against a single attack throughout the eight turns that had already passed on. Sharlene noticed this and gazed back to their field, worried about what their opponent had in store for them and whether she could help Jillian in the slightest as they could do nothing but watch their opponent draw her next card.

"I must say, I expected more from a few of the last of the Soryu tribe," she muttered in a seemingly innocent tone as she glanced upon it "I already foretold your fate before I challenged you like this and what I have now is only a boost to my fortune telling."

"Boost...?" Sharlene pondered in confusion.

"You can't be serious..." Jillian muttered "If you wanted to get closer to your 'perfect' fortune telling, you would have used an Oracle Think Tank deck instead."

"I don't need to," Remember replied "The answer should have been right in front of you from the cards in my damage zone. In fact, I think it's time to show you... the force of the Aqua Force known as the wind!"

(Cardfight! Vanguard G Z OST: Valeos Fight)

A sudden gale of wind erupted from around the former LRIG as Jillian and Sharlene could only gasp in shock, awe and horror at the same time from what they just heard and witnessed. It was and it shouldn't have been possible to them from what they knew about their opponent from Kiyoi and Kamui, one question was now indeed on their minds. How did Remember have access to the sacred wind that Leon commanded as his own when he went into battle with his own Aqua Force and more importantly, why? They didn't have time to ponder as Remember slammed down her chosen card on top of her Grade 2 form.

"Ride!" she announced "Remember Twilight, Miko of the Blue Wave!"

The Remember that was on the field was enveloped in a raging torrent of water as a shimmering blue light glowed from within to indicate the changing of the form. The towering torrent then suddenly froze into a column of ice that then shattered instantly, revealing the new form of Remember as an LRIG. She wielded a staff with a crescent moon at the tip and had a dark blue cape flowing behind her usual outfit with the skirt now being much longer than it normally was.

Remember Twilight, Miko of the Blue Wave/Grade 3/Twin Drive!/SLD: 0/POW: 11000/Aqua Force/Magallanica/Human;LRIG

After moving the staff she wielded to her left, more units began to appear to the left and right of the imaged LRIG, all of which wasn't recognizable by either of the twins. One was a green coloured amphibian Dragonman with a yellow mohawk and the usual white uniform that most Aqua Force units already possessed whilst wielding two sets of rifles with ammunition dangling from underneath the barrel. The second was Code Art WTC, a blue SIGNI that was normally associated with Kiyoi during her time as Piruluk. The third unit was another unfamiliar Aqua Force unit, this time being an Aquaroid with wild dark blue hair and wielding a multi-barrelled minigun in his hands pointing towards his opponents.

"Did she say... Blue Wave?!" Sharlene gasped.

"But... where did she get those units?!" Jillian interjected.

"WTC's skill!" Remember cut in as she pointed towards the younger twin "Freeze Sharlene's Tidal Assault!"

In an instant, Tidal Assault was enveloped in a prison of thick ice, unable to move or make a sound from within. This only led to Jillian gritting her teeth as she refocused her attention back to Remember herself.

Because it's two on one, Remember can still choose either of our rear-guards for card effects unlike Tag Fights, she muttered within her thoughts She's trying to ensure Sharlene's frozen rear-guards cannot intercept as she's attacking me now.

"Furthermore, Brutal Trooper returns to the top of my deck," the former LRIG continued as the Dragonman vanished from the field as she shuffled the deck "In exchange, whenever my Blue Wave Vanguard like my new power attacks on the second battle or later, I can draw 1 card."

She then glanced towards Code ART WTC's card and rested it immediately as the Electric Machine SIGNI moved the holographic circles around her together, creating an electric beam that erupted towards Spyros who braced for the coming attack.

"Guard!" cried Sharlene as she placed down a card on her side of the table.

Battle Siren, Mallika then emerged in a flash of light to intercept the beam as she screamed in pain upon being struck by it, before shortly afterwards vanishing in a flash of green sparkles. A roar of water was then heard as the imaged Remember then raised her staff and flew towards Gregorios with a wave of water following behind her as she advanced.

"Remember attacks your Vanguard!" the former LRIG declared "With the skill granted by Brutal Trooper, I draw 1 card!"

Jillian glanced to the damage zone that she and Sharlene were sharing for the duration of the fight before turning back to her hand, eventually making a decision for herself.

"No guard!" she announced.

Both twins watched closely as Remember then moved her right hand towards her deck to reveal the first card of her Twin Drive for her other 'self's' attack on Gregorios. She then stopped as she then smirked to herself before pursing her lips and deciding to say something out aloud.

"Oh dear. It seems the arrival of the wind has brought the beginning of your misfortune," she said, keeping a mockingly innocent tone to her voice "Critical Trigger, all effects to my Vanguard."

"W... But you haven't checked for a trigger yet!" Sharlene gasped "Even then...!"

The former LRIG then immediately turned over the card to reveal Jet-ski Rider, causing the twins to gasp out aloud as the imaged Remember then recieved both the power and the Critical from the trigger effects. She then reached out for the second card, moving her hand towards her deck before stopping just short to perform the same motion as she did before.

"Critical Trigger," she murmured with her smile increasing "Everything is applied to Foivos."

She just got a lucky guess with her first prediction...! Jillian muttered in her thoughts There's no way she can just guess the trigger checks that easily!

Unfortunately, to her's and Sharlene's shock and horror, the second check of Remember's Twin Drive had indeed revealed another Critical Trigger, this time being Brutal Trooper which shone brightly. The Aquaroid that Remember had named Foivos raised his minigun as he received both of the trigger effects to power up for his turn to attack. The imaged Remember then soared into the air above the wave as it then froze into complete ice before she shattered it with the touch of her staff and sent bits flying right at Jillian and Gregorios, heavily wounding the latter. Two cards then flew into the damage zone, those being Wheel Assault and Blue Wave Soldier, Kitchen Sailor.

"Damn it..." she muttered at her frustration of the inability to heal any damage due to Remember's count "I give 5000 power to Gregorios!"

Gregorios then stood back onto his feet with the power of the Heal Trigger aiding him through a green aura that had surrounded him.

Blue Storm Marine General, Gregorios/POW: 9000 - 14000

Sharlene could only stare at Jillian in concern, realizing that Remember had now been holding back all of this time just to use the sacred wind of the Aqua Force she had now been given and not only had their opponent infused it with some of her own cards, but she now also had access to units they had never even heard of before. The two then gazed back to the former LRIG as she gazed to Foivos who took aim with his minigun as it begun to spin and whir loudly.

"Foivos' skill triggers at the beginning of the third attack," she explained as she turned over another Blue Wave unit in her damage zone by the name of Beragios "Add 2000 power and stand him at the end of the battle!"

Blue Wave Marine General, Foivos/POW: 14000 - 16000

Foivos then unleashed a barrage of light blue bullets that came soaring in fast towards Gregorios before a Wheel Assault stepped in to block the attack with a green barrier created in front of him. After he vanished, Foivos then took aim at the Blue Storm Senior and let loose another round of fast bullets at him.

"Accelerated Command!" Sharlene called as the unit manifested to protect Jillian's Vanguard from a second attempt of heavy damage. The older twin however didn't seem that pleased.

"Sharlene, you do know I have my own defensive cards!" she called.

"B... But...!" the younger twin replied "I can't just let you lose Leon's prized cards to Remember!"

"I know that! But we've still got four damage! We can pull through this turn just fine!"

A sinister giggle caught their attention back towards Remember who was observing their conversation with some amusement, now taking into account the situation before them.

"Sisterly love, huh?" she pondered "It's such a shame Sharlene. You could have risked extra damage if you only knew what was in store."

"What are you talking about?" Jillian question.

An icy breeze swept throughout the battlefield, dropping the temperature around them despite the boundary of the fiery walls not far behind any of them. Remember then turned over two cards in her damage zone before removing two cards from underneath her Vanguard in addition to two cards from her hand before placing them into the drop zone.

"At the end of the fourth attack of the turn, my Limit Break triggers!" she announced as a blue Vanguard circle flashed above her. Then she pointed towards Jillian's entire field. "I Freeze rear-guards you control up to the number of attacks that didn't hit any of your units this turn. Then, if the number of frozen rear-guard you have is 3 or more, I stand my Vanguard!"

The imaged Remember then giggled before pulling down her staff and pointing it straight at the three rear-guards that Jillian had, unleashing three seperate beams that struck them and encasing them in huge chunks of ice. The younger twin suddenly gasped at the predicament the two of them were now in due to her earlier defences and now, guilt was beginning to settle in her heart.

"To think this would have only happened if your idiot twin didn't guard all of my rear-guard attacks," the former LRIG chortled in her mockingly innocent tone "And now you're going to pay the price for her incompetence. I attack your Vanguard!"

As the imaged Remember came soaring in towards Gregorios, Jillian remained defiant on her own, not making a move at all. Remember's evil smile then softened a little as drew her card from Brutal Trooper's effect before moving to conduct her second Twin Drive.

"Consider yourself lucky this time," she said "None of my checks will reveal any Triggers."

She then turned over her checked cards to be Emerald Shield, Paschal and a second copy of Foivos which she then placed into her ever increasing hand size. The imaged Remember then struck across Gregorios with the tip of her staff through a massive smack. Blue Storm Dragon, Maelstrom and Tidal Assault entered the damage zone this time, bringing the total count up to six and leaving the twins only three damage away from defeat.

"I'll end my turn," the former LRIG concluded.

(End Music)

End of Turn 9

Jillian and Sharlene vs Remember

Hand - 4 : 2 : 9

Soul - 1 : 1 : 1

Damage - 6 : 5

Jillian's Formation:

Front Row - EMPTY : Blue Storm Marine General, Gregorios (VG) : Blue Storm Marine General, Spyros (Frozen)

Back Row - EMPTY : Blue Storm Cadet, Marios (Frozen) : Wheel Assault (Frozen)

Sharlene's Formation:

Front Row - EMPTY : Storm Rider, Damon (VG) : Tidal Assault (Frozen)

Back Row - EMPTY - EMPTY - Bubble Edge Dracokid

Remember's Formation:

Front Row - Code Art WTC : Remember Twilight, Miko of the Blue Wave (VG) : Blue Wave Marine General, Foivos

Back Row - EMPTY : EMPTY : EMPTY

Whilst Jillian did her best to keep herself from frowning over the result of the onslaught that Remember had laid down, including the entire of her rear-guard frozen for quite some time due to Sharlene's earlier worry, she turned her attention over to the twin in mind. She noticed that she was feeling very disappointed in herself for putting them at quite the disadvantage now that the former LRIG had acquired a powerful new form and the sacred wind to herself.

"Snap out of it Sharlene!" she shouted, getting the younger twin's attention immediately "We haven't lost this fight yet and I need you to pull it together!"

"But... You can't get to the fourth attack on your turn anymore," Sharlene sobbed "I got paranoid and..."

"Don't worry about me for now," Jillian replied "Right now, I need you to get us on the offensive and continue on with our attacks!"

"Even so..." she stuttered "How are we supposed to beat an LRIG... let alone one that can predict all of her triggers...?"

(Selector Spread Wixoss OST: Lies, Desire and Broken Mess)

The lack of an answer from her older twin eventually caused her to shake her head and begin her turn, pondering over what little she could do after throwing away most of her hand to defend Jillian out of paranoia.

"Ah, but don't worry," Remember interrupted with her innocent tone "It's not like being the last of the Soryu tribe has brought too much attraction. It's not like you two will be able to manage the feats they and their clan have. Reading the waves, reading the waves..."


Flashback

"... reading the time. If you really are capable of that and none are before you, then the only thing that awaits them is a grim fate or worse, death."

Within one of the darker sections of the winding corridors of the White Room, close to the almost pitch black areas of the giant prison known as the pit, Remember within her form as an LRIG before claiming the body she would now be standing within the present day, was standing within one of those on the edge of the darkness facing a taller humanoid figure masked within the shadows.

"So then, you actually contacted us willingly before Mayu sent me after him," she scoffed "This is certainly a turn of events."

"Don't be mistaken," the figure replied, his voice being rough, but somewhat calm "My master's essence simply has ties with Mayu. She tells me you have a unique ability with fortunes and that I may be of a little assistance to you."

"You would be correct," Remember replied in her innocent tone before frowning "Mine has had no failure, until one of my former compatriots and that annoying fighter got in my way!"

A simple grunt was heard from the shadowed figure as he merely sighed, pondering if Mayu had made the right decision in letting him see this particular LRIG that had been serving under her watch.

"Very well then," he spoke as he brought his black gloved hand into the light.

Remember then handed several cards to the figure's open palm as she kept her right hand on top of the pile. Moments afterwards, a swirling wind enveloped the two along with a blue aura as the cards began to glow a bright white. Remember's purple eyes shone brightly as her sneer deepened before she felt some extra cards manifest beneath the pile she had placed in the figure's hand. Eventually, the sensation disappeared as the LRIG removed the cards and saw that the efforts of her companion had created two new cards for her, including the one named Remember Twilight, Miko of the Blue Wave.

"Do not merely use this power as entertainment," the figure spoke gruffly "Your primary mission outside of your hauls for Mayu is to acquire the remaining Aqua Force for the Pit. You were already reprimanded once, so I won't hesitate to remove it if I find that you prove to be less useful to her's and Chaos Breaker's cause."

A purple aura then surrounded him, revealing the shape of his shadow for several seconds before he had vanished. To where though, that was an answer only the inhabitants of Mayu's White Room would ever know. And that included Remember herself as she began to leave the corridor with her new cards in hand, keeping a calm and collected smile to herself.

"My fortunes will no longer fail me again," she hummed to herself "Thank for you for the gift, Apostle."

(End Music)


Reminiscing the events once more, if only to herself with the exception of the words the shadowed figure had told her, Remember now turned her attention back to the twins in front of her who still weren't quite sure about what to expect now that their opponent had not just the LRIG forms of herself to contend with, but Aqua Force units they never even heard of before until now. Taking Jillian's words into account, Sharlene drew her next card whilst trying to keep her nerves in check, especially with how little she held into her hand out of her earlier panic.

(Cardfight! Vanguard Unreleased Soundtrack: Thunder of Narukami)

"Here... I go!" she called as she raised a card into the air "Level every hurdle to the ground, bring forth the glory of victory! That is your mission! Ride!"

After placing down the card on top of Damon, he disappeared in a blinding blue flash before the shadow of a much larger creature began to emerge. When the light faded, the new unit that the younger twin had brought into play was a Tear Dragon, but one with a rather strange shape. It was a mix of teal and dark blue colours and its wings were on the side of its thighs rather than the black. The unit also wielded a giant sword within its claws and had teal green eyes. Jillian could not help but be a little surprised at the appearance of this unit, knowing who had used it before.

"Last Card, Revonn!"

Last Card, Revonn/Grade 3/Twin Drive!/SLD: 0/POW: 11000/Aqua Force/Magallanica/Tear Dragon

Remember simply remained rather smug at the appearance of Revonn, not concerned in the slightest with the little bit of offense that Sharlene had now managed to bring to the battlefield. Light Signals Penguin Soldier then appeared onto the field beside Revonn, glowing a bright blue shortly afterwards.

"With Penguin Soldier's skill, I draw a card!" the younger twin called "Then I move Bubble Edge Dracokid to the soul!"

As the starting Vanguard she had disappeared from the battlefield, Jillian could not help but express confusion, knowing what the skill that unit possessed on its own. But it didn't seem to matter to Sharlene as she turned over the only card on her side of the shared damage zone, causing an aura to surround Revonn as the humanoid like Tear Dragon powered up.

"Penguin Soldier attacks Remember!" she declared as the small Grade 1 unit charged towards the imaged Remember.

She however blocked it with ease by holding out her staff to deflect the attack and knock back Light Signals Penguin Solder back to the twins' side of the field.

"Next, I attack with Revonn!" Sharlene declared "Here's my Limit Break!"

A blue Vanguard circle flashed above the charging Revonn as it brought up its blade in preparation to strike the imaged LRIG who remained motionless in the face of the attack coming her way. The Wheel Assault that was in Jillian's portion of the damage zone turned itself over as another blue aura enveloped the Tear Dragon who was now halfway across the battlefield.

"Since I have my entire front row in rest, Revonn gains 3000 power and a Critical!"

Last Card, Revonn/POW: 13000 - 16000/Critical: 1 - 2

"No guard," Remember remarked smugly "Not that it matters. Your next Twin Drive will have no triggers."

"Now she's even predicting our triggers?!" Jillian muttered.

"I... It can't be true!" Sharlene replied as she turned to her deck "First check!" She turned it over to reveal her own Emerald Shield, Paschal. "Second check!"

Upon turning over the card, it only came out as a second Tidal Assault, shocking both of the twins that their opponent was once again exactly correct within her predictions. Revonn slashed down the imaged Remember who screamed in pain from the assault as the real Remember then turned her attention towards her deck and performed her two damage checks. The cards Foivos and Remember Morni entered the damage zone to join the five cards that were already there.

"No Triggers either," the former LRIG scoffed "And with that, your turn ends and Tidal Assault thaws."

The ice that had imprisoned Tidal Assault finally shattered, setting the Aquaroid free as he landed back on his feet and took up a defensive stance to prepare himself for the next wave of attacks to come his way.

"Stand and draw," Remember spoke as she began her turn "I call Brutal Trooper and return him to the deck. Furthermore call! Beragios!"

A new Aqua Force unit that was dressed in the clan's usual naval attire and wielding a sabre in his right hand appeared behind the imaged LRIG as Code Art JV let out a shower of sparks towards Penguin Soldier, retiring it from the battlefield.

"Next, Remember attacks Revonn!" she declared "With Brutal's skill, draw 1 card!"

Sharlene pondered on her options before looking back to Jillian for a brief instance and then looking back to Remember with her decision made.

"No guard!" she declared.

"Oh? You do realize if I pull a double Critical Trigger, this will be the end for you and the units you two wield," the former LRIG muttered "But let's see if the wind is in my favour."

She then reached out to her deck to perform her Twin Drive and make another prediction before frowning suddenly, much to the confusion of the twins.

"Your gamble has paid off," she muttered before regaining her smile "This time."

She then turned over her first card as Blue Wave Soldier Senior, Beragios and added it to the ten cards she already had in her hand before revealing the second as another copy of Remember Twilight, Miko of the Blue Wave. The imaged Remember that was on the battlefield then summoned several missiles of ice around her with her staff before aiming them towards Revonn and firing them at it. The Tear Dragon barely fended itself through the onslaught as missiles of ice crashed around it and Sharlene as she turned over her damage check to reveal it as Battle Siren, Mallika which shone brightly.

"Draw Trigger!" she called "I give power to my Vanguard!"

"In that case, Foivos attacks Tidal Assault!" Remember announced as the Marine General effortless took out the last rear-guard Sharlene had on her field before ending the turn to pass over to Jillian.

"I'm sorry I couldn't give us much," the younger twin sighed.

"It's alright," she replied "You did manage to stop her from getting another attack with her Vanguard by getting less than three rear-guards. Leave this next turn to me."

Sharlene smiled back in response as the older twin drew her next card before glancing over the options in her hand, knowing that she had to do something to deal with the colossal hand Remember had now gotten from her last few rounds of attacks in addition to the three frozen rear-guards she currently had on her board. Picking out the card that she had in mind within her hand, she held it high into the air.

"Dragon spun into existence from the warp of the wind and weft of the sea, live up to the legend in your ideal form!" she announced "I Ride Blue Storm Supreme Dragon, Glory Maelstrom!"

Gregorios vanished in a roaring column of water that erupted beneath him before the shape of the Aqua Force's Vice Admiral appeared within the raging current. The water dispersed to reveal Maelstrom within its strongest form as it roared out loudly at Remember who didn't even flinch in the presence of itself. Jillian then turned her attention to the cards she held and made a decision.

"I call Gregorios, Hermes and another Spyros!" she declared as the frozen Spyros and Marios vanished from her field to make use of the three new units she called into play before turning immediately to her battle phase "Glory Maelstrom attacks Remember with Hermes' boost! Ultimate Break!"

A purple Vanguard circle flashed in front of Maelstrom as it roared loudly once again and power up before unleashing a stream of purple energy towards the imaged LRIG.

(End Music)

"Alright!" Sharlene cheered "Remember can't guard with Grade 1 or higher units and she's got 7 damage!"

"Guard!" the former LRIG announced as Jet-ski Rider and Brutal Trooper came her defence, joined by Code Art JV from the front row who created a barrier around them to protect the imaged Remember from Maelstrom's assault "You still don't get it. I control the flow of this fight, thanks to my superior fortune telling and the wind that only confirms it for me!"

"We'll see about that Remember!" Jillian replied "Twin Drive!"

"Too bad for you! Your next Twin Drive will...!"

(Cardfight! Vanguard Unreleased Soundtrack: Break Time*)

She suddenly stopped as a huge gale of wind flew past her as Maelstrom roared loudly in tandem, causing the bluish glow in her eyes to suddenly switch on and off erratically.

"What the hell?!" she cried "Is Maelstrom somehow interfering with my fortunes and the wind I command?!"

"First check!"

Jillian's voice then caught the former LRIG's attention as she could only watch as her opponent then immediately turned over the first card to reveal Blue Storm Soldier, Missile Trooper.

"Critical Trigger!" she announced "All effects go to Spyros!"

Blue Storm Marine General, Spyros/POW: 9000 - 14000/Critical: 1 - 2

She then turned over her second card as Angler Soldier of the Blue Storm, another trigger that came at the perfect timing for her as the card shone brightly.

"I give the power to Spyros again!" Jillian declared "And I use the Trigger Effect to free Wheel Assault!"

She then pointed the card towards the frozen back row unit as it shot out a beam of light that pierced through the ice before shattering the prison completely, setting Wheel Assault free and allowing him to take an offensive stance back at his full power. Meanwhile, Maelstrom's beam did not penetrate the barrier enough to hit the imaged Remember, but the impact was great enough to create a large explosion that retired the guardians and shake the battlefield enough to force the twins' opponent to the ground.

"Spyros with its extra power and Critical attacks Remember!" the older twin continued.

"Guard!" her opponent declared as a unit by the name of Blue Wave Engineer, Refit Sailor appeared to take on the full brunt of the attack by Spyros' warcraft.

"Next, I attack Foivos with Gregorios!"

"No guard...!" Remember hissed as Gregorios blasted Foivos off of the battlefield with his rifle.

"Finally, with a boost from Wheel Assault, Spyros attacks your Vanguard again!" Jillian declared.

With a rush of water beneath his warcraft, Spyros soared across the battlefield towards the seemingly defenceless Remember who could only take up a defensive stance hurriedly. Suddenly, a green barrier came between the two and knocked Spyros off course and soaring back to Jillian's field as it was revealed that Paschal had dropped in at the last minute to save the former LRIG as she held up the card.

"Perfect Guard!"

"Darn it...!" the older twin groaned "I almost had her before she got to Grade 4!"

"But her front row rear-guards are gone and so is half of her hand!" Sharlene replied "Just leave the rest to me!"

Jillian now happy with the extra enthusiasm her twin had nodded in agreement as the two of them shared a high five before turning their attention back to a very frustrated Remember who was less than pleased with what Maelstrom had done to interfere with her abilities. She slammed a fist on the table in frustration before drawing her next card to start the turn.

(End Music)

"How annoying...!" she snapped "But with this next evolution, the remainder of the Aqua Force will belong to me and the wind will further benefit my abilities!"

(Cardfight! Vanguard OST: PSY Qualia tono Tatakai)

She then slammed down her next card on top of the Grade 3 Remember that was her Vanguard and as the twins could clearly see, it was indeed a Grade 4 unit. A blinding white light enveloped the Remember on the battlefield, changing up both her appearance and her staff drastically until the light faded to reveal the next form that she had undergone.

"Behold as a sweeping tide washes away all hope for a peaceful future and ushers in a new chaotic age!" she announced "Ride! Remember Eclipse, Neo Miko of the Blue Wave!"

Remember Eclipse, Neo Miko of the Blue Wave/Grade 4/SLD: 0/POW: 13000/Aqua Force/Human;LRIG/Magallanica

"So that's her Grade 4!" gasped Sharlene.

Jillian could only nod in agreement with clenched teeth knowing that she was going to have to do everything possible to outlast all of Remember's attacks to pass the turn back to Sharlene in the hope of finishing the former LRIG off.

"Remember's Limit Break!" Remember announced as she turned over two cards in her damage zone and took the previous form of herself out of the soul and put it in the drop zone "I Freeze all of your rear-guards Jillian!"

Without warning, all of the older twin's rear-guards were encased in ice much like how some of hers were the last time she had used such a skill. She could only stare at the four cards she held, wondering what else her opponent had up her sleeve.

"Furthermore, since you have 4 or more frozen rear-guards, my other self gains a Critical and can Stand at the end of the fourth battle my Blue Wave or Code Art rear-guard waged an attack!" the former LRIG continued "I won't let Maelstrom interfere with my fortunes again!"

Immediately afterwards, two copies of Foivos in addition to another Beragios and Code Art KEY appeared in an instant to her rear-guard as the one in front of the Electric SIGNI was the first to immediately wage an attack. He leaped into the air and fired his minigun away at Maelstrom before Gregorios moved in front to Intercept the attack.

"Not bad," Remember scoffed as her flashing eyes eventually turned back into a stable glow of light blue along with the wind swirling around her "But you cannot defend yourself against this!"

The imaged Remember then summoned a colossal tidal wave that came roaring right towards Maelstrom who could only remain in place whilst Jillian was making a decision.

"Blue Storm Guardian Dragon, Icefall Dragon!" Sharlene called out "Quintet Wall!"

Icefall Dragon along with Mallika, Medical Officer of the Rainbow Elixir, Damon, a second Revonn and Battleship Intelligence came to the defence of Maelstrom as they formed a barrier to deflect the wave that crashed into it, shaking the ground as it dispersed into water droplets.

"My next Twin Drive will be one Critical and one Draw!" Remember declared as she revealed the first card to indeed be that, another Brutal Trooper "I give all of the effects to Foivos!"

Blue Wave Marine General, Foivos/POW: 9000 - 14000/Critical: 1 - 2

She then turned over the second card as another Code Art KEY which shone brightly as the imaged Remember glowed a bright yellow to show she would be the one to recieve the Trigger effects.

"Don't fear your misfortune! Accept it!" Remember called out with glee as the other Foivos made its first attack against Maelstrom.

"Guard!" declared Jillian as Brutal Trooper took the brunt of the bullets from the minigun.

"Foivos attacks again with a boost from Beragios!"

The Marine General then whirred up his minigun again before shooting off more rapid fire bullets that were headed for Maelstrom before Spyros and Angler Soldier moved in to block the attack before vanishing shortly afterwards. A golden glow enveloped the imaged Remember as the real one discarded two cards from her hand before standing her Vanguard back up for a final attack.

"Furthermore, with Beragios' skill, when my Blue Wave Vanguard stands, he stands as well!" the former LRIG declared "It seems like I'll defeat you without Judgement in effect after all."

"We're not done yet!" replied Sharlene "We'll hold out for Leon-sama's sake and I'll beat you with Revonn next turn!"

"Yeah, do your worst LRIG!" interjected Jillian "We know all of your tricks now!"

"Then let's see how knowing..." she replied as she rested the card "Will save you now!"

The imaged Remember with Beragios' boost then soared into the air and created another wave that came soaring towards the twins entire side of the field as Revonn and Maelstrom both prepared for the worst. She then waved her staff to turn the raging tide into a giant heap of ice which then shattered into large chunks that came crashing into the Vice Admiral and creating a large cloud of smoke from the impact that covered half of the battlefield from that end. However, a flash of green light dispelled the smoke in an instant revealing that Jillian used up her own Paschal to save herself by throwing away the last card in her hand.

"Persistent to the end, huh," Remember muttered as she conducted her Twin Drive, revealing another Beragios and then a third Code Art KEY "Draw Trigger."

"This is our chance now Sharlene!" cried Jillian "Don't let her get another turn or she'll bring out that Grade 5 in her bind zone!"

Sharlene didn't have to be told twice as she could already tell from her nerves by just looking at the dark purple flames that were emitting off of the face-down card that was there.

"I can do this," she breathed as she drew her next card "I will defeat you Remember and we'll be one step closer to helping Leon-sama in his fight over in that other world against Mayu!"

"Then by all means Sharlene," Remember goaded as she glanced over the cards she now held "Go ahead and try."

(End Music)


Japan: Sendou Household

Soon, Emi and Kai arrived at the house that was home to Aichi as the evening drew over the horizon behind them. They knew that they had no other option but to tell the truth to his mother about what had happened to his sister and the real reason about where he had gone. Despite knowing that this was the right thing to do, Emi felt strange that she was the one feeling nervous about the coming ordeal than the Kagero user beside her.

"I'm really worried," she murmured "It's one thing to tell mother that I've been caught up in the mess other fighters have experienced, but explaining why you came back without Aichi, let alone where you ended up..."

"Do not worry about me Emi," he replied firmly "Your concern must be with us getting the truth of Aichi's whereabouts and why I have ended up back in this world without him out to your mother."

"Right," she replied, breathing in to calm herself.

She then walked up to the door and knocked on it three times before stepping back off of the doorstep and waiting patiently for a few moments. Soon, the door opened up and out into the front entrance came a woman with teal coloured hair and matching eyes. Although she had expected to see Emi at this time of the evening or a little later, her gentle expression turned into a little bit of a surprise as her eyes landed on the unfamiliar boy that stood in front of her.

"Oh, hello there," she greeted, unable to hide her confusion before looking to Emi "Is this a friend of yours?"

"Actually, he's a friend of Aichi's," she corrected for her "He's Kai Toshiki, the guy he's mentioned to you about several times since he started playing Vanguard."

"Well then," she said with a warm smile "It's nice to finally meet you in person Kai. Aichi's told us a lot about you and I've been interested in seeing you for the first time."

"The feeling is mutual," he replied "But I'm afraid we haven't come here on a happy note. Earlier today, Emi got attacked by someone who has been marking cardfighters and stealing their units for their mistress."

His explanation alone was enough to suddenly send Aichi's mother into a state of worry as she looked down to her daughter who could only hold out her hand with the Mark of Penalty on, confirming her worst fears.

"I'm sorry mother," she said, feeling very guilty for what happened "It's just like the news said about what happened to other cardfighters."

"Did they hurt her badly?" she asked in concern, turning back to face Kai.

"Shin and Misaki have treated her injuries," he answered "We're only thankful that they were light after the fight had concluded. And there is also another matter on I imagine is now on your mind. On why I have suddenly returned without Aichi."

"I suppose you have an explanation for this too?" the mother asked, resisting the urge to raise an eyebrow.

"It's a long conversation that the others already had with me," Emi replied "It's hard to believe, but it's the truth. Let's go inside and we'll tell you the story from the beginning."

Although confused by how her daughter had worded things for her, her mother nodded in agreement and invited the two inside before shutting the door behind them.


And there we go! After a much long delay, I finally managed to get the next chapter of Stand Up, the LRIG! uploaded from its 2-3 months hiatus and looking forward to completing the rest of this side of the arc! Will Jillian and Sharlene defeat Remember and keep their units safe from the grasp of Mayu? Or is there worse to come? Find out next time in the new chapter! Hope you've enjoyed and I'll see you next time!

Who gave Remember access to the sacred wind and who did she acquire the Blue Wave units from? That's a mystery I'm certain Vanguard fans to this day will easily figure out.

*This first plays in Episode 106 when Naoki Break Rides Discharging Dragon.


Story Original Cards debuting this Chapter:

Remember Twilight, Miko of the Blue Wave
Grade 3
Twin Drive!
SLD: 0
POW: 11000
Clan: Aqua Force
Race: Human;LRIG
Nation: Magallanica
[AUTO](VC)(Limit Break 4)[1/Turn]: At the end of the battle your rear-guard with "Blue Wave" attacked a Vanguard, if it was the fourth attack of the turn [COST|Counter Blast (2), Soul Blast(2) & Choose two cards from your hand and discard them], Freeze one of your opponent's rear-guards for every attack that didn't hit their Vanguard and had a card on (GC) during those battles. Then if your opponent has 3 or more Frozen rear-guards, [Stand] this unit.
[CONT]: If your starting Vanguard didn't have "Remember" in its card name, you cannot Ride this card.
[CONT]: This card is also treated as a card with "Piruluk" in its card name.

Remember Eclipse, Neo Miko of the Blue Wave
Grade 4
Twin Drive!
SLD: 0
POW: 13000
Clan: Aqua Force
Race: Human;LRIG
Nation: Magallanica
[ACT](VC)(Limit Break 4)[1/Turn]: [COST|Counter Blast (2) & Soul Blast (1) Grade 3 card with "Remember" in its card name], Freeze all of your opponent's rear-guards. Then if the number of frozen rear-guards they have is 4 or more, this unit gets [Critical]+1 and "[AUTO](VC)[1/Turn]: At the end of the battle your rear-guard with "Blue Wave" or "Code Art" attacked a Vanguard, if it was the fourth battle of that turn
[COST|Choose 2 cards from your hand and discard them], (Stand) this unit" until end of turn.
[CONT]: If your starting Vanguard didn't have "Remember" in its card name and/or your Vanguard doesn't have "Remember" in its original card name, you cannot Ride this card.
[CONT]: This card is also treated as a card with "Piruluk" in its card name.