Kyzylkum Desert
Within the celestial observatory, a boundary of flames had surrounded both the entrance and the walls of the cavern itself, leaving Akira, Rive and Chrono Dran trapped within the newly formed barrier as Urith and Futase stood before them. The Selector had always suspected that the former would have discovered that she wasn't as alone as she would have thought, but she didn't expect to find her along with her companions that soon. The cybernetic lens of the former LRIG flashed briefly as she turned her attention towards the draconic creature, a series of question marks popping up on the display as it scanned him. Before she had a chance to express her partial surprise, Urith was the first to speak.
"So I have been allegedly careless with my recent disposal of loose ends," she spoke smugly "And would you look at that, the history books for Vanguard are a little bit outdated."
"What the hell are you going on about Urith?" Akira muttered.
"Didn't you know?" the cruel demanoured Selector remarked "Rive Shindou over there. Isn't it odd that your saviour happens to be what's believed to be the folly of a dead man?"
"Dead?"
The girl glanced back at Rive whose gaze had not wavered when he saw Urith and Futase enter the cavern, now wondering why it was believed outside of his place of hiding that he was supposedly dead. She couldn't fathom why he would hide under that guise until she remembered when Chrono Dran had inadvertently blurted out the name Ryuzu when expressing his former distrust at her when she had told the pair everything about her. Could that person have been the reason he and the draconic creature had been in hiding the whole time and that it was pure coincidence that her destroyed blank card had landed her not that far away from them? There were still too many questions to answer and right now, it appeared that Urith wasn't going to give her time to speak with the pair without a confrontation.
"That creature..." Futase murmured with narrowed eyes as she glanced at Chrono Dran intently "He must be a unit not depicted on any card. I wonder what use he will be to Mayu in that regard."
"Mayu?" the draconic creature asked "Who is she?!"
"Wouldn't you like to know?" the Selector replied.
She walked towards him slowly, with the creature scurrying up Rive's shoulder, causing the cloaked man to take up a stance, knowing that a battle of some kind was unavoidable given the barrier around them. As the Selector drew closer towards the presumed to be dead fighter and his accomplice, Akira moved in front to shield the pair and stop her advance.
"Futase, if you want a fight with this barrier up, you got one!" she called out.
"Why should I fight you?" Futase replied "Not only were you the weakest of our ranks, but you don't even have a deck anymore."
Her expression widened somewhat when Akira displayed the deck that Rive had allowed her to borrow during their last cardfight earlier in the afternoon. What had Chrono Dran worried however was that Dragonic Dark Overlord's card had been displayed at the front, something which caused Urith to sneer upon realizing her former pawn was still planning on using the card itself.
"I have cards I can use," she muttered.
Futase merely scoffed, summoning the red fight tables in front of herself and her opponent to ready themselves for the battle to come. As they were setting up, Urith glanced towards the draconic creature who immediately grew frightened upon looking back. Like many before, Chrono Dran had felt very uneasy in the cruel demanoured Selector's presence and given the cruelty she could inflict, not that he knew at this point, none could blame him for feeling that way. Rive noticed this and quietly spoke to him.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"I always wondered what Urith was like after Akira mentioned her..." the draconic creature replied "I don't know why, but something feels really ominous about her."
The cloaked man pondered more on what his companion had just addressed, wondering what kind of person Urith was from the description that Akira had given the pair. Meanwhile on the battlefield before them, both the Selector and Futase had finished setting up their starting Vanguards and opening hands, ready to begin the fight ahead.
"Stand up, (the) Vanguard!" they announced as they turned their face down cards face up.
(Cardfight! Vanguard Unreleased Soundtrack: Яeverse Яampage)
Within auras of orange and reddish black, Robin Knight and Red Pulse Dracokid manifested onto the battlefield before their respective fighters. Akira winced as she suddenly recalled the name of the clan that had been responsible for giving her the Dragonic Dark Overlord she had and knowing what kind of stratagems they specialized in, having briefly used the power of Lock in her last fight with Kai. Rive and Chrono Dran on the other hand gasped in horror, recognizing the units from not so long ago when the outbreak of Reverse consumed this world with not even the outlying villages of the desert being safe from harm.
"So you three do recognize the terror Link Joker can inflict," Futase commented "Then again, that's to be expected from a man who went into hiding whilst he was proclaimed dead."
She then drew her first card, deciding to take advantage of the first turn and what impact this decision would hold when the lategame would eventually come to pass.
"Ride!" she announced, placing it down onto the Vanguard Circle "Warp-bend Star-vader, Fumiose!"
As Robin Knight vanished and reappeared in the back row, the Cyberoid whose facial features bore resemblance to her LRIG self appeared as her first Vanguard to use in the opening turn of the fight. It remained motionless for the present, as if uncaring of what would befall it knowing that their fighter could not wage an attack on the first turn. Seeing that Futase herself was not making any further moves to conclude her turn, her opponent immediately drew her first card and placed it down onto the Vanguard Circle.
"I ride Wyvern Strike, Garan!" she called out as Red Pulse hovered to the back row, allowing the wyvern to appear in its place "I attack your Vanguard!"
Garan leaned its head back before swinging it forwards to unleash a fireball that erupted from its jaws and crashed head on into Fumiose, sending the Cyberoid flying backwards as Star-vader, Quark Shoebill entered Futase's damage zone. Having taken notice that it was the only attack Akira could make this turn, she immediately stood her Vanguard and drew the two cards, one from her normal draw and the other from the previous trigger effect. She then placed down a card onto her Vanguard circle, causing Fumiose to vanish as Anne once again appeared as her Vanguard like in most previous fights.
"I ride Anne!" she announced "She will attack your Vanguard!"
The cyber-clad LRIG then raised her staff and unleashed several bolts of black coloured electricity that struck Garan head on, the attack then inflicting two damage as Dauntless Drive Dragon and Dragon Dancer, Maria entered Akira's damage zone. As the Selector decided to proceed with her turn without being bothered by the change in the lead, both Rive and Chrono Dran looked at one another, pondering as to which way the fight could progress.
"Well now, I didn't think anyone with what people call common sense would actually 'save' Akira," Urith chortled, grabbing the pair's attention away from the fight briefly.
"You already made her play her part to the end, yet you're not content with leaving her alone in these inhospitable wastes?" the cloaked man asked.
"A minor miscalculation on my part," the cruel demanoured Selector replied "Actually, I will admit if it wasn't for her still having just a single copy of Dragonic Dark Overlord, I never would have imagined I would find the supposedly dead and 'legendary' Rive Shindou in a place like this."
Their conversation was briefly interrupted by the sight of two Wyvern Strike, Dohas roaring loudly as they dove down towards Anne and slashed across the LRIG with their claws at the bottom of their legs. Akira turned over the top card of her deck to reveal Dragon Dancer, Monica, allowing her to draw another card. With the clash now at a standstill for the present, Chrono Dran turned back towards Urith, intending to continue their conversation to acquire more information about her beyond the Selector's initial description of her.
"Didn't you know?" she continued "That she also stole units from the fighters for our cause?"
"Stole?!" the draconic creature gasped.
"That's right, didn't she tell you?" Urith confirmed smugly "Before she decided to develop an apparent conscience when she fought Kai, she was stealing units from the cardfighters she defeated on my behalf."
Rive narrowed his eyes at the cruel demanoured Selector, uncertain of what to take from her as fact or fiction, knowing that like his companion he could sense an ominous vibe from her presence alone. He glanced back towards the cardfight taking place, watching along with Chrono Dran and Akira as they saw Futase raising up a card into the air.
"Dark dragon, reborn from the dark fires of nothingness... revive now and revive the unending nightmare!" she announced before slamming down the card on top of Anne's "Ride the Vanguard!"
Anne was swallowed up by a series of black and red flames, causing her to scream loudly as she vanished before a very familiar silhouette began to rise from the inferno. Akira recognized the shape, having seen the former LRIG fight using that dragon during their attack on Singapore and now she suspected she was about to be on the receiving end of the powers those opponents suffered at the hands of. Schwarzschild burst out of the blaze and landed on the ground with a giant thud as it spread its wings and roared loudly with Futase announcing its name.
"Enigmatic Star-vader, Schwarzschild Instrumental Dragon!"
Enigmatic Star-vader, Schwarzschild Instrumental Dragon/Grade 3/Twin Drive!/POW: 11000/Link Joker/Cyber Dragon/Star Gate
"Schwarzschild...!" Akira muttered as she glanced up at the commander who chuckled darkly.
"Oh? I noticed you watch some of Futase's fights, but you were resourceful enough to know my name," Schwarzschild commented with a sneer "It would seem your reputation precedes you... 'Aki-lucky'."
The Selector scowled at the dragon's use of one of her 'elaborate' nicknames she liked to use to taunt her opponents in the Selector Battles, though it didn't unnerve her as much as she expected and she felt she had to thank herself for putting her misdeeds behind her to lessen the impact. In response, the commander manifested two locks in its claws and hurled them at the rear-guard Doha and Red Pulse Dracokid, trapping them in black spheres after the rings surrounded and closed in on them. The cards turned face down on Akira's table, causing her to clench her teeth at realizing that Futase was using the skill to lock her board this early.
"Attack!" the former LRIG declared as Schwarzschild hovered into the air and held its upper two claws in front of its chest panel, manifesting an orb crackling with energy.
"No guard!" Akira replied, deciding guarding early may not be a wise move at this point.
"Twin Drive!" Futase called out revealing her checks as a second copy of Anne and Star-vader, Paradigm Shift Dragon "Critical Trigger!"
Schwarzschild's orb grew larger in size before it hurled the large ball of energy right at the Vanguard Doha, detonating on contact and causing a large explosion that forced Akira to her knees.
"Damage check!" she called out revealing Dragon Dancer, Arabella as her first check.
Then upon turning over the second card, her eyes widened in horror as it was revealed as Dragonic Dark Overlord, much to the amusement of Urith who laughed at the sight. Scowling, the Selector simply pushed the card into her damage zone, bringing up her total to four.
"How ironic," the cruel demanoured Selector chuckled "The one card you desperately held onto until this evening has now chosen this moment of all times to abandon you!"
"B... But, at least this way, it won't be able to break my seals whilst it is stuck in her damage zone!" Chrono Dran replied before turning to Akira "Akira, don't worry! With that card stuck in your damage zone, it shouldn't pose any threat to your health!"
The Selector however did not respond as she just glared at her damage zone, now seeing that luck of all times had come back to bite her as her only surviving copy of Dragonic Dark Overlord was now stuck in the damage zone with seemingly no way to get it out without the aid of a Heal Trigger. Deciding that being angry over this rotten turn of events wasn't going to help her, she decided to instead focus on the game ahead, knowing there were plenty of other Grade 3 units in this deck that could still put the pressure on her opponent.
(End Music)
"If I can't finish you off without Dark Overlord, that's just something I can deal with," Akira muttered "Even if that's gone and I have a locked column, I can still break through this bind to finish you!"
"Heh," Schwarzschild scoffed "Go ahead and try."
The Selector responded by simply drawing a card to start her next turn after standing Doha's card. She obrserved over the cards in her hand from right to left including the one she just drew and when her right eye noticed the card named Breath of Origin, Rolamandri, an image began to form in her mind on how to proceed. Deciding to use it in a short while, she took out a different card from her hand and placed it on the Vanguard circle, causing Doha to vanish from the battlefield.
(Cardfight! Vanguard G NEXT OST: Saori Fight)
"Ride, Dauntless Drive Dragon!" she called out, as the red armoured Flame Dragon appeared in the wyvern's place.
Dauntless Drive Dragon/Grade 3/Twin Drive!/POW: 11000/Kagero/Flame Dragon/Dragon Empire
"Oh?" Urith noted with a curious smile, having not seen this unit amongst those captured for Mayu.
"I call Breath of Origin, Rolamandr!" she announced as a humanoid salamander appeared behind Dauntless "With its skill, I put the top card of my deck into my damage zone and at the end of the turn, I can put any card from my Damage Zone I want and put it back into my deck!"
After turning Dragonic Dark Overlord's card was turned face down, she placed the top card of her deck named Spiritburn Dragon. Although one could tell that she should have been disappointed at losing a Critical Trigger this way, Chrono Dran and Rive were quick to notice her true intentions with that skill and it was something that amused Urith.
"No! She's going to put Dark Overlord back into her deck at the end of the turn with that skill!" the draconic creatured cried in worry "If she does that...!"
"Then she will undo the seals I can sense you put on the card," the cruel demanoured Selector concluded, her eyes glancing straight into Chrono Dran's own "I knew she could be easily used as a cheap attack dog for my purposes until she outlived them, but it seems she wants to speed up her demise this way."
"Is that so?"
Urith blinked for a moment, but did not lose her composure as she glanced at Rive who had asked her that question in response to her prediction.
"Up until she fought this Kai she brought up, she has been playing to your every whim," the cloaked man replied "But let me ask you this? Is that girl on the battlefield really the same Aoi Akira you knew until today?"
She said nothing back at him and instead glanced back towards the fight that was unfolding, sensing that things would certainly prove to be interesting in the coming turns now that Akira would get Dragonic Dark Overlord back into her deck at the end of this one. And if Chrono Dran's worries were proven to be true when this move would take effect... well, that would be all the more entertainment for her.
"I call Berserk Dragon!" Akira called out as the familiar two headed Flame Dragon appeared to the right of Dauntless "Counter Blast and retire Robin Knight!"
Berserk Dragon glared at the lone Cyber Beast who squirmed in panic as two large fireballs built up in the jaws before firing off one after the other and striking their target directly. It shocked it with multiple electrical discharges, causing it to vanish as the card entered Futase's drop zone much to her partial annoyance. That only grew when Akira then rested Dauntless Drive Dragon's card and revealed Cruel Dragon's own from her hand.
"Roaring inferno, unleash the turbulent storm of flames that leaves nothing in its path! Superior Break Ride!" she called out "Cruel Dragon!"
Dauntless vanished from the battlefield as a series of cracks spilt the ground beneath where it stood until it fell apart and unleashed a column of flames where the large Flame Dragon burst out from and took flight, gazing down at Schwarzschild who narrowed its eyes back at it.
Cruel Dragon/POW: 11000 - 18000
"I call Gaias!" Akira continued as the wyvern along with the teal armoured Tear Dragon appeared to the right of her Vanguard "Cruel Dragon attacks Schwarzschild!"
Cruel Dragon flapped its wings as it flew higher into the air before unleashing a torrent of flames towards its enemy who simply stared on as the attack came closer and closer towards it.
"No guard," Futase spoke out, not concerned with the damage she would recieve.
"Twin Drive!" Akira called out, her first card being revealed as Wyvern Strike, Garan "Second Check!" Her second card then came out as Demonic Dragon Mage, Apalala "Critical Trigger! I give power to Berserk and the Critical to Cruel!"
Cruel Dragon/Critical: 1 - 2
Berserk Dragon/POW: 9000 - 14000
The fiery stream from Cruel Dragon intentsified in heat and force as it struck Schwarzschild in the chest, igniting to cause a large explosion that forced Futase to cover her face as Fumiose and Anne-ThiЯD entered her damage zone, providing no trigger effects for her Vanguard to defend with. That was a good sign for Akira as she knew it would now mean her opponent would have to guard the next attack or take the two damage again to lose the fight.
"I activate Dauntless' skill!" she declared "I discard Monica, Garan and Dauntless from my hand to stand my Vanguard!"
Cruel Dragon's eyes lit up as the cost was paid, allowing it to swoop down from above and charge towards Schwarzschild who was still reeling from the earlier attack, much to its partial annoyance. However, Rejection Dragon along with two Annes, a Paradigm Shift Dragon, Pixie Powder and Schwarzschild manifested in front of the attacking Flame Dragon and projected a barrier to ward it off.
"Quintet Wall!" Futase announced.
"Then here I go again!" Akira replied as the first check of her second Twin Drive commenced, revealing Dragon Dancer, Therese "Heal Trigger!" Then after moving Maria's card from her damage zone to her drop zone, her second card revealed itself as another Monica "Draw Trigger! I give all the power from these triggers to Berserk!"
Berserk Dragon/POW: 14000 - 24000
"Finish it, Berserk Dragon!" she announced loudly "With Gaias' skill, add 1 Critical!"
As the two headed Flame Dragon took flight and began building fire in its jaws, it leant back its necks to allow the flames to boil at their most fiercest and then brought its heads back forward to unleash two large streams of flames that came soaring towards Futase and Schwarzschild who looked on without saying a word or reacting until it came close enough to make contact with the Cyber Dragon. When it did, it engulfed the former LRIG's side of the battlefield in a large explosion, seemingly ending the fight in Akira's victory who stared on into the smoke that was beginning to clear away.
"I take back my earlier comment of you being the weakest when you were on our ranks, Akira," Futase's voice spoke out, causing the Selector to narrow her eyes "But it appears you were unaware that I decided to run a mix of Quintets and Perfect Guards."
(End Music)
The smoke then cleared to reveal Schwarzschild unharmed due to Promethium appearing in front of it and projecting a barrier to shield the commander from the blast which ultimately dealt no damage. When the Cyberoid vanished, Akira said nothing more other than shuffling Dragonic Dark Overlord's card back into her deck to signal the end of her turn. At this moment, the locks around her Wyvern Strike, Doha and Red Pulse Dracokid came undone, freeing them of their imprisonment for the moment.
End of Turn 6
Akira vs Futase
Hand - 5 : 6
Damage - 3 : 4
Akira's Formation:
Berserk Dragon - Cruel Dragon - Wyvern Strike, Doha
Dragonic Gaias - Breath of Origin, Rolamandr - Red Pulse Dracokid
Futase's Formation:
EMPTY - Enigmatic Star-vader, Schwarzschild Instrumental Dragon - EMPTY
EMPTY - EMPTY - EMPTY
"Three damage to four..." Chrono Dran murmured "At least Gaias' skill forced Futase to use up some of her hand."
"The loss of Robin Knight will affect her ability to Lock Akira's board effectively," Rive interjected "But I'm suspecting that Locks alone aren't Futase's endgame."
Urith said nothing back to the pair, but instead sneered at Futase as she started her turn and called Lanthanum and Paradigm Shift Dragon to the rear-guard, the units question also materializing on the battlefield. The Cyber Dragon that was considerably much smaller than Schwarzschild and had six red blade-like wings as well as a large spine in addition to bearing the black rings like nearly all other Link Joker units.
"Prepare yourself Aoi Akira," the former LRIG spoke "I will see to it for Mayu's sake that you will be silenced once and for all."
"You wish," the Selector retorted.
"Hmph. Schwarzschild's skill!" she announced "I Lock Berserk and Rolamandr!"
(Cardfight! Vanguard G NEXT OST: Dominate)
Schwarzschild manifested two Locks within its upper two claws and hurled them at the two headed Flame Dragon and the humanoid Salamander. The rings encircled before units before sealing them in black spheres and turning the cards on Akira's table face down.
"I call Photon!" Futase called out, the Cyberoid commander manifesting to the left of Schwarzschild "Lock Doha!"
Photon pointed one of his two swords at Doha, the black rings then immediately materializing and encircling the wyvern before trapping it inside a black sphere. Lanthanum radiated brightly as its power increased by the recent chain of Locks cast on Akira's side of the battlefield.
Demon Claw Star-vader, Lanthanum/POW: 11000 - 13000
"Next, Paradigm Shift Dragon!" she continued, the Cyber Dragon in question suddenly vanishing from the rear-guard "I shuffle it into my deck and Lock Red Pulse Dracokid!"
Once again, Red Pulse was caught by the same black rings that had it trapped during the previous turn and was sealed within a black sphere, the card also turning face down on the table to allow Lathanum to power up again. Akira did not reply verbally, but her eyes narrowed upon realizing the situation she was in as she looked to her opponent to see her raising a hand over her Vanguard circle.
"Seek the mate!"
Four cards rearranged themselves from the drop zone to the top of her deck before a black and red aura scanned through the pile, eventually pulling out a card of her choice right into her hand.
"The stained soul that fights on my behalf, descend now and destroy those who oppose you!" Futase declared as she threw down Anne's card beside Schwarzschild's "Legion!"
Anne then manifested besides Schwarzschild as the two of them were enveloped in a black and red aura that flowed out of them like smoke, signalling the completion of the Legion that Akira had to face.
Enigmatic Star-vader, Schwarzshild Instrumental Dragon & Despairing Melody Star-vader, Anne/POW: 20000
"Now Link Joker has Legion?!" gasped Chrono Dran.
"For a creature that can be assumed as a unit, your isolation has certainly proven to dull your knowledge," Urith remarked smugly "This is Schwarzschild's new speciality."
Rive said nothing in reply, but kept a narrow gaze directed at Schwarzschild and Anne, wondering what kind of skill the two of them could perform now that their union had been achieved. Meanwhile, Akira could see that from her vantage point that the Cyber Dragon and the LRIG were glancing down upon her, one in a far more sinister manner than the other. Even to this day when she was initially on the same side as her opponent, she still could never quite understand why Anne in general, never even spoke out aloud following her servitude to Schwarzschild. She didn't have time to ask any questions as she watched Futase turn over two cards from her damage zone and reveal the Anne she had acquired in her last turn's Drive Check, simply dropping it into the drop zone.
"Legion Persona Skill!" she declared "Unlock all of your Locked cards, match their power to Cruel Dragon's and Dominate them!"
"Dominate?!" the Selector muttered as she watched the Locks become partially undone apart one by one "What is that?!"
Doha, Berserk Dragon, Rolamandr and Red Pulse were freed from their bindings, but at a terrible price as the rings which had not shattered began shocking them with bolts of electricity until their eyes become a blank red colour. They then suddenly turned their attention towards Cruel Dragon and began growling at it, raising their weapons and preparing to shoot fire at it, much to Akira's shock.
"Red Pulse will be the first to attack... your Vanguard!" Futase declared "If a dominated unit's attack fails to deal damage, it will be Locked again. In addition, you won't be able to intercept until all of the dominated attacks are finished"
"Tsk!" Akira hissed as she realized she would have to take the brunt of four attacks from her own units before throwing a card onto the guardian circle "Monica guards!"
The Dragon Danccer appeared to the right of Cruel Dragon and took the brunt of the shots from Red Pulse's firearms, screaming in pain before disappearing from the battlefield. With the failure of this attack, the electricity that was coursing through the Dracokid's body pulled him back into the black rings which re-imprisoned him in a black sphere, Locking him once again as the card turned face down.
"Next, Rolmandr!" Futase announced as the Salamander began to manifest a fireball in its hands.
Akira looked to her damage zone, seeing that if she wanted to take the three dominated attacks without relying on a Heal Trigger, she would have to guard one of them and that would leave her with less and less shield to use to defend against Schwarzschild and her opponent's other rear-guards. Frowning, she closed her eyes and gritted her teeth, putting her hand towards the top of her deck.
"Damage Check!" she declared, pulling away the top card and slowly turning it over.
When it was fully turned over, she opened her eyes and looked down at it, seeing that it was another copy of Spiritburn Dragon and as she finally realized, the one card that could still give her a chance to survive the coming onslaught. She then turned it around to Futase who groaned in annoyance when she saw what had been revealed from this damage check.
"Critical Trigger!" the Selector announced "I give all the effects to my Vanguard!"
"GRR!" Futase hissed as she watched Cruel Dragon power up "But, as your Vanguard's power is now higher than your dominated units, their attacks will fail and they will be Locked!"
Doha and Berserk Dragon then roared loudly and spat a barrage of fireballs at the large Flame Dragon who deflected them all with his wingspan alone, thanks to the trigger effects reinforcing their durability for the present. The two units, Akira's only remaining intercepts, were then re-Locked as they were sealed within black spheres and their cards turned face down, powering up Lanthanum again.
Demon Claw Star-vader, Lanthanum/POW: 15000 - 19000
"Oh? So she endured it?" Urith muttered with a slight smile "Her gamble for the present appears to have paid off."
"The trigger effect has saved her for now..." Chrono Dran murmured worriedly "But..."
"Her front row... is now sealed," Rive concluded.
Futase frowned at this sudden development, having not expected a trigger effect to once again bring an end to her string of Dominate attacks intended to shred her opponent's hand. Worse still, unlike her previous fight with Kamui where it took him four attacks before he got a damage trigger to end the last dominated attack, Akira had pulled a trigger on the second dominated attack of this turn, leaving her with a decent hand size to still defend herself with.
"No matter," she muttered before regaining her composure and throwing out three cards onto her rear-guard circles "Call!"
Two Fumioses and one additional Schwarzschild appeared onto the battlefield, each one having their sights set on defeating Cruel Dragon who whilst powered up by the Critical Trigger was still otherwise vulnerable to being attacked by all the units present on the former LRIG's side of the board.
"You did well to luck out on a trigger just now, but this next attack will be different!" Futase announced "With a boost from Fumiose, my rear-guard Schwarzschild attacks your Vanguard!"
The rear-guard Schwarzschild's black ring emitted bolts of electricity that ran across the red coloured portions of the Cyber Dragon's armour until it reached the jaw, creating an orb of crackling energy that grew bigger and bigger with every passing second. When it was large enough, it thrust forward its neck to unleash a large devastating blast that struck everything in its path on the other side of the battlefield, including both Cruel Dragon who fought to stand its ground and Akira who was finding it hard to stay on her feet.
"RGH! AAAAAAAGH!"
The force ended up being so great that the Selector was then sent flying into the air, much to the horror of Rive and Chrono Dran who were watching the fight whilst Urith sneered in triumph.
"AKIRA!" the draconic creature cried out.
Akira eventually landed on the Vanguard Circle that was carved onto the pedestal, the hard rock hurting her back much harder than she had hoped on impact as her fifth damage back at her table came out as Wyvern Strike, Garan. She groaned as she struggled back onto her feet, her knees being weakened from the drop she had taken onto the pedestal. She reached out with her right hand whilst her left was miraculously still holding firmly to the remaining defensive cards, the table itself then moving straight to her new position as she looked on at Futase.
"This will end it!" she announced as Schwarzschild and Anne began to charge up for their next attack.
"I Guard with Theresa!" Akira responded as the Dragon Dancer appeared and manifested a green barrier in front of Cruel Dragon.
Futase did not respond as she immediately went on to conduct her Twin Drive, still confident even if she only got a single trigger that it would be enough to end the fight. She turned over the first card to reveal Barrier Star-vader, Promethium before unveiling the second card as Weiss Soldat.
"Both effects go to Lanthanum," she spoke as the Cyberoid recieved the trigger effects.
Demon Claw Star-vader, Lanthanum/POW: 19000 - 24000
Akira could only clench her teeth as Schwarzschild and Anne unleashed twin beams that struck Theresa and caused her to vanished. She knew that with Fumiose's boost, the power of the Cyberoid would increase to the point where she would need a minimum of 20000 shield value in order to block the next attack. Despite knowing her hand did not contain that exact value, she was still determined to ride through the coming storm and let her next turn come to her.
"Akira, this will be the final attack!" Futase declared as she rested both Fumiose and Lathanum's cards "Disappear, forever!"
The Cyberoid ignited its pyro claws which immediately caught ablaze as it then ran towards Cruel Dragon and leapt into the air, intending to bring its weapons down upon the Flame Dragon and end this fight in its card holder's victory. However...
"Perfect Guard!" Akira declared as she revealed Dragon Dancer, Maria, the woman in question appearing and projecting a barrier to deflect Lanthanum's near infinite strikes until it finally gave up.
"WHAT?!" exclamed Futase.
The Selector panted as she put the card straight into her drop zone, the earlier fall having still taken its toll on both her limbs and her consciousness. Her opponent was annoyed by this development, but chose not to dwell on it, noting that with her reacquired Promethium and her opponent's units being Locked, Akira's next attack would be doomed to failure and then she could easily take victory by Locking her board again. However...
"Tsk tsk tsk..."
Futase turned her head towards Urith who was mockingly using that phrase to grab her attention in a somewhat mean spirited way.
"You had your chance to beat her," the cruel demanoured Selector spoke softly before frowning "Is that really all you could do with seven attacks thrown her way?"
"W... What are you talking about?!" she scowled "I have a Perfect Guard in hand and Akira's front row rear-guards are Locked! Unless the next two cards in her hand allow her to redo the Break Ride combo and get another three to activate Dauntless' skill, her next turn won't get her anywhere!"
Urith simply chose to playfully keep her expression the way it was, annoying her colleague as she turned back to Akira who was breathing heavily as she drew her next card. Her eyes narrowed to see that fortunately, it had revealed itself to be Dragonic Dark Overlord despite it having been shuffled back in from her damage zone in her last turn. She then looked to the other options in her hand, trying to make sense of the situation.
My front row is Locked, so I can't make use of Dragonic Dark Overlord's skill... she muttered in her thoughts On top of that, her hand has Promethium and there's that card in the bind zone she'll ride next turn... What should I do...?
Before she could process her thoughts, Dragonic Dark Overlord's card suddenly became enveloped in a black aura as she gasped, realizing that the seals Chrono Dran had cast had now been undone. Unable to react in time, the aura's grip suddenly took ahold of her once more, causing her to scream out in pain as the draconic creature and Rive looked on in horror.
"Akira!" cried Chrono Dran.
"It's worse than that...!" Rive interjected, pointing towards her table.
Akira struggled through that familiar pain to find to her horror that the aura had now spread to every other card in her deck and was having an adverse effect on them, even the ones on her board and in her drop zone as well as the ones she held in hand. Their colour was beginning to fade as black particles began flaking off of them.
"What the... hell?!" she coughed.
"That's the extent of that aura which should have disposed of you," Urith spoke, sneering as Akira looked back at her angrily "Very soon, every unit in your deck save for Dragonic Dark Overlord will turn blank... and your nonexistent Vanguard's power will become zero."
"WHA... AAGH!"
The Selector fought through the pain just in time to see her non-Locked units crying out in pain as black particles began to consume each and every one of them, including Cruel Dragon who could no longer find the strength within in itself to keep fighting as it fell straight to the ground.
"Oh, and don't think about trying to rip up the card," the cruel demanoured Selector continued with a sneer "If you do, you'll automatically be disqualified and the aura will finish you off."
"D... DAMN YOU!" the Selector cried out as the aura tightened its grip on her.
She screamed loudly in pain as her veins began to become tight and bolded out across her body until she felt she could no longer take it, falling straight to the mural on the pedestal she landed on with her cards being scattered on the platform. Futase looked on with disinterest until she glanced back at Urith who said nothing more, confirming her suspicions. Akira felt her vision fading and her body slowly becoming numb as she glanced across the mural towards Dragonic Dark Overlord's card, still emitting the harmful aura that was affecting her this badly.
T... This can't be how it ends! ... Not after everything I've done today...! Kai...!
Within the back of her thoughts, she imagined the Kagero user with his back turned to her, his jacket flowing in the breeze as he looked on into the unknown, ready to face his next challenge.
Kai! ... I want... I want to fight you... again!
Before she blacked her, she held her hand over Dragonic Dark Overlord's card, not noticing the etchings on the Vanguard Circle mural of the pedestal she was on glowing beneath her. Before anyone else in the cavern could say a word or react to this situation, the pedestal suddenly glowed in a blinding white light, forcing everyone to cover their eyes.
"W... WHAT IS THIS?!" growled Urith as she tried to fight through the light with little success.
...
Akira opened her eyes to find that not only was she supposedly not in the grip of the aura that ate away at her health, but that she was back at the rocky plain where she saw part of the battle between Dragonic Overlord and Dragonic Dark Overlord, in the form of "The ABYSS". This time however, the confrontation seemed to have already been at its end as the black Abyss Dragon was on its knees with parts of its shadowy mass missing, unable to keep its full physical form manifested with part of the wings and its torso faded as a result of the fierce clash. The tall red Flame Dragon on the other hand held its Sword of Apocalypse pointed directly at its head, the clear victor of their clash.
"W... Why?!" the black dragon screamed out "Even when they twisted my body... Why can't I even beat you?!"
"Even after being a prisoner of war, you still never understood," Overlord growled "If power was all you craved, even before you were captured, then I would never lose to scum like you."
Dragonic Burnout and the tall red Flame Dragon that fought Dark Overlord earlier approached the scene, now seeing that the conflict was at an end. Akira pondered what was going to happen next, seeing that the Abyss Dragon she called her avatar had been at their mercy now.
"Blast Bulk, Burnout, carry him back to the Empire," the Wind of Apocalypse spoke "There's something abnormal about its..."
Before it could finish, the skies suddenly turned a dark red as all four dragons looked up just in time to see a giant meteor penetrate Cray's atmosphere and fall right from orbit. What was even stranger was that it appeared to be falling straight towards all of them, as if it wasn't just a coincidence. Dark Overlord suddenly reacted in pain as a holographic screen depicting Photon appeared before them.
"Subject: Dark Overlord, it appears you have failed us all," the commander spoke in his cold tone "Since it has come to this, I will eliminate you and the real Overlord at once with the meteor you see above your heads."
"W... WHY?!" it screamed back "I thought we agreed I would be the one to defeat Overlord on my own terms! Not like this!"
The Selector gazed at the one she called her avatar, seeing that this day, both of them came to an agreement with their morals on their own terms, for their respective opponents they wanted to defeat fairly. Overlord on the other hand snarled at the commander who did not flinch in his fierce demanour.
"So you would rather destroy us both to satisfy your own ambitions," it snarled "You were simply using that imposter as a pawn, just as we all suspected."
"That would be correct," he replied emotionlessly, making Dark Overlord widen its eyes in shock "By my calculations, even if you attempt to fly away, the impact radius will be enough to ensure you perish. Farewell."
And with that, the holographic screen vanished away as Akira stared at her avatar, seeing that even if she didn't know its entire circumstances, both only wanted the same thing. To defeat their rival fairly and at their most powerful. She stared up at the approaching meteor before looking back at the four dragons, wondering what would happen next. Burnout turned its head towards Blast Bulk.
"If we don't destroy enough of the meteor to lessen the impact, the shockwave will destroy all our outposts on the border as well as ourselves!" it growled in realization.
Dragonic Overlord then gazed up at the approaching falling star, staring at what appeared to be its impending doom approaching closer and closer towards it. It brandished its Sword of Apocalypse and immediately took flight towards the falling meteor with the intention of intercepting its path and beginning its attack on the giant rock. When it eventually met it, it roared loudly and ignited the blade of his sword in its Eternal Flame, piercing the meteor one strike after the other to break off the rock that comprised it. Despite managing to break a sizable amount off, it could sense that time was running out and that there was a chance that it could not break off enough to prevent a lessened impact.
"HEY!"
The tall red Flame Dragon heard a familiar voice as Dragonic Dark Overlord soared through the clouds to reach the meteor, taking on its shadowy form as it crashed into the right side, sending a large chunk falling off the form. Dragonic Overlord and its dark doppelganger exchanged a glance with one another before they immediately understood what the other was thinking. Together, the two of them covered one side each breaking off as much rock as possible from the meteor to lessen its overall size. They were making good progress but the ground was fast approaching and time was running out.
As Dragonic Overlord continued hacking away at the rock on his side, his Swords of Apocalypse suddenly became stuck inside the meteor and it couldn't pull it out. It growled in fury as it tried blasting the rock around its weapon with fireballs to no avail. Sensing the distress of the Wind of Apocalypse, Dark Overlord in its shadowy form dove inside the meteor itself and spread its dark aura around the giant rock, sending cracks across it until it loosened the hole where the blade was stuck.
"Listen to me! If we continue as we are now, we'll be too late and the impact will destroy us all and some of the outlying outposts!" its voice called out "If I crack the meteor from the inside with my mass, I can lessen the impact and give you enough time to get clear!"
"And what of your fate?" Overlord replied.
"My fate was decided long ago when I first wanted to dethrone you out of spite..." the Abyss Dragon's voice echoed before the Sword of Apocalypse fell out of the meteor "Now go! My... No, YOUR clan needs you!"
The tall red Flame Dragon upon noticing how close they were to the ground eventually caught the Sword of Apocalypse in mid fall and flew as far as from the crashing, but shattering meteor as possible. Then after a few seconds had past, it eventually crashed into the ground and shattered, the resulting shockwave knocking Overlord out of flight and straight onto the hard ground, still feeling it rumble from the tremors caused by impact. It wasn't until the rumblings eventually ceased did it was finally joined by a battered, but otherwise alive Burnout and Blast Bulk. The three Flame Dragons glanced at the site of the impact, wondering what became of Dragonic Dark Overlord.
"Do you think the crash destroyed it?" Blast Bulk asked gruffly.
None could say, but they all agreed the crash site still needed to be investigated if they were to learn about what happened to the Abyss Dragon. The vision around Akira went forward several minutes until she found herself at the crash site, seeing her Dragonic Dark Overlord was now mostly a puddle of shadowy goo with only a fraction of its body still in physical form.
"Did my avatar... die...?" she breathed in disbelief, uncertain of what to make out of this vision.
Glancing over what remained of the meteor, she could see several crimson crystals along with some shattered fragments lay across the crater where they radiated with a bright glow. Dragonic Overlord, Burnout and Blast Bulk eventually arrived at the crater by flight and dropped down inside of it, glancing down at what remained of Dragonic Dark Overlord.
"Its life seems... faint," Burnout commented, glancing down at its head.
As it then pulled itself away from the body, a groan could be heard from the mass of Dragonic Dark Overlord as it struggled to move its intact arm from its current position. Not seeing where it was placing it, it had gotten the defensive stances of the three Flame Dragons trained upon it, not that it knew. Its right claw touched the intact cluster of crimson jewels, causing its body to radiate with a bright red colour. The goo that previously made up its shadowy mass suddenly reformed into the missing portions of the body of Dragonic Dark Overlord. The shattered fragments that lay around the crater suddenly hovered into the air, causing Overlord to glance around at them before they suddenly shot right into the body of the Abyss Dragon, creating a blinding red glow that consumed the entire environment with Akira included.
Kyzylkum Desert
Within the blinding white light, Akira's eyes slowly opened as she found herself the way she had ended up, only something was very much different. The aura she felt eating away at her health had fainted and her right hand was now grasped firmly on Dragonic Dark Overlord's card which was glowing a bright red. When the light that previously enveloped the cave died down, she got back to her feet, turning around to face Futase once more with the card she now held.
"W... What trickery is this?!" gasped Futase "That aura should've destroyed her deck!"
"M... My deck..." the Selector breathed before looking over her cards on the table, seeing they were all back to normal.
She glanced down at the glowing card that was formerly Dragonic Dark Overlord's, still obscured in that faint red glow leaving her initially unsure of what to do with it. The longer she stared at it though, information unknown to her was now flowing in about the fate of her avatar and what it had now become, even if the vision alluded to as such without telling her. She then held it up into the air, as if she was about to ride it.
"From the blazing embers of a fallen star, a dark dragon has now enlightened his destiny!" she announced aloud, causing a whirlwind of flames to surround her.
"W... What is this?!" Urith exclaimed as she watched what was happening.
"May the crimson jewels ignite and forge a path to our victory!" Akira yelled aloud as she slammed the card down onto her Vanguard Circle "Ride the Vanguard!"
(Cardfight! Vanguard V Series Unreleased Soundtrack: Kai's Willpower)
Cruel Dragon vanished from the battlefield as a spiral of flames burst out of the ground and penetrated the barrier, continuing to soar through the open mouth of the mountain observatory as a silhouette began to rise through the uplifting inferno. It then slashed away the column to reveal itself as a very familiar unit only it now held a completely new appearance. As this happened, the whirlwind surrounding Akira intensified as the scar on her right cheek suddenly went ablaze, flames sprouting from it fiercely. Eventually, they began to shrink in size until the final ember disappeared, the once noticable and harsh wound now gone in an instant, much to the shock of Chrono Dran.
On the battlefield, the new unit was the same black dragon all could recognize from its presence alone, only its once shadowy mass was all gone, allowing it to fully have a physical presence once more. White coloured armoured with gold trims covered its chest and the edges of its wings as a helmet with the same colours covered over its head with several clear gemstones embedded on the ear-like structures. In its right claw was a large sword with several crimson jewels embedded in circular slots across the blade itself and its black coloured body was glistening like as if it were an onyx gemstone itself. Its yellow eyes glared directly at Schwarzschild as Akira announced the unit's new name.
It was no longer Dragonic Dark Overlord.
"DRAGONIC... COMET!"
Dragonic Comet/Grade 3/Twin Drive!/POW: 11000/Kagero/Flame Dragon/Dragon Empire
"Impossible!" exclaimed Urith "She REWROTE the card?!"
"It's not the card."
The cruel demanoured Selector within one of her rare moments of utter shock and disbelief turned to Rive who had made the statement, with Chrono Dran immediately having an understanding of what he was talking about.
"Akira has rewrote her imagination and her fate," the cloaked man spoke "She's no longer within your grasp."
Meanwhile, Futase could only stare up at Dragonic Comet in utter disbelief whilst Schwarzschild growled in fury, glaring directly at Dragonic Comet who stared right back at the commander in equal fury.
This cannot be...! it snarled When Photon and I dropped that meteor from Cray's orbit, it should have disposed of both Dark Overlord and the original! So how in the name of Gyze is it still standing and evolved even further?!
Akira glanced up at her new avatar, partially amazed at its appearance as it spread its wings, roaring triumphantly as it felt free from the ones who twisted its original body for the first time in years. She touched her right cheek, realizing that her once large scar was now healed by the flames that ignited from it. The Selector then closed her eyes in ponder, thinking about how this situation came to be.
Kai...
Opening her eyes again, she took the last card in her hand and placed it over Dragonic Gaias' own, causing the teal armoured Tear Dragon to leave the battlefield. A human female with green eyes and long black hair wearing an outfit comprising of a dress and several dragon scales appeared in its place, radiating in a bright red aura as did Dragonic Comet itself.
"I retire Gaias and call Dragon Dancer, Arabella!" Akira announced "With her skill, add 5000 to Comet!"
She then turned over a card to pay the cost for Arabella's skill, then immediately turned over another card and move Cruel Dragon's card out of the soul to her drop zone.
"In addition..." she continued "With Comet's skill, add 5000 power!"
Dragonic Comet/POW: 16000 - 21000
"21000 power without a Break Ride or boost?!" Chrono Dran gasped.
Urith despite having the knowledge of Futase's Perfect Guard from her last turn, sensed that there was something different about the appearance of Dragonic Comet if Akira was willing to power it up that desperately. The former LRIG on the other hand seemed to be somewhat unconcerned despite being surprised by the appearance of the former Abyss Dragon.
"No matter how much you power up, you cannot break my defenses!" she snapped "The moment you attack, I will...!"
"You'll do what exactly?" Akira interrupted before thrusting out her hand "Dragonic Comet attacks your Vanguard without a boost!"
Shocked expressions littered her opponent and everyone else in the cavern as they gasped at the fact that despite declaring her attack, the Selector was choosing not to boost it with Rolamndr. Schwarzschild on the other hand narrowed its eyes in confusion, growling under its breath and wondering what Dragonic Comet had in store if its opponent was willing to wage the attack this way.
The black Flame Dragon raised its sword and with the assistance of the red jewels embedded in the blade, coated it in crimson coloured flames as it took flight and dove down towards its opponent.
"Perfect Guard!" Futase announced as Promethium appeared in front and projected a barrier that held the sword at bay.
The Cyberoid normally had no trouble protecting its commanders with the barriers it could project and save for the odd occasion, they were otherwise normally inpentrable. This time however, it was one of those odd occasions. Undeterred by the force of the barrier in front of it, Dragonic Comet roared loudly as it shoved the flame coated blade straight into the barrier, cracks beginning to appear and spread across the green coloured circle as it continued to apply more pressure.
"W... What is this?!" Schwarzschild exclaimed in fury.
"There's no wall that's unbreakable!" Akira replied "Twin Drive!"
She revealed the first card as Dauntless Drive Dragon and the second one as Demonic Dragon Mage, Apalala, the latter glowing brightly as she turned it over.
"Critical Trigger!" she announced "I give all the effects to Dragonic Comet!"
Dragonic Comet/POW: 21000 - 26000/Critical: 1 - 2
Dragonic Comet roared loudly as it received both of the effects before pulling his sword up into the air and immediately swinging it back down into the cracked barrier, shattering it like glass and striking Promethium, causing it to vanish. However, Schwarzschild and Anne remained unharmed as the former glared at its opponent, as if it could sense that for some reason, its attack was far from over.
"W... What is this?" Futase murmured "The attack failed, yet Comet... shattered the barrier..."
Akira then took a deep breath as she assessed the situation, sensing that the time was right to unleash the true power of her new avatar for the first time. Then at the top of her lungs...
"LIMIT BREAK!"
With that loud bellow, a orange coloured Vanguard circle appeared and flashed above Dragonic Comet as two cards from the Selector's damage zone turned face down followed by her throwing out the last two cards she had in her hand into the drop zone.
"Since you guarded with a Sentinel whilst Comet was in rest, I discard 2 cards from my hand!" Akira declared as flames enveloped her Vanguard circle before Comet's card stood in an instant "I Stand Comet!"
"W-WHAT?!" Futase exclaimed with her left eye twitching in disbelief.
"Now I see...!" Chrono Dran gasped "The remaining shield from Futase is 15000 and without a boost, those alone would defend unless a Critical Trigger was acquired! Akira attacked without a boost to force Futase to choose a do or die option!"
"So this was her plan from the emergence of Comet," Rive commented "If she had boosted, Futase would definitely have dropped the Perfect Guard. But because she didn't, she forced her to make a choice that would have not mattered. She either guarded with 15000 shield and lost or as we have seen..."
"She used a Perfect Guard and still lost..."
Urith glanced at Akira, sensing that she clearly underestimated the girl her former pawn had now transformed into this day following her fight with Kai. A part of her was annoyed at this for even happening, yet a part of her was not disappointed as she reclaimed her smile.
Good... she murmured in her thought This will be a real treat for me. I get to dirty my hands in making Sendou squirm unimpeded whilst watching you struggle at the same time. Continue to amuse me, Aoi Akira.
"With a boost from Rolamandr, Comet attacks Schwarzschild!" Akira declared as she rested her entire middle column.
Dragonic Comet roared loudly as fire built up in its jaws with a defenceless Schwarzschild growling at how helpless it and Anne were at the hands of their evolved opponent. Eventually when the flames reached their peak, it let them loose in one large blast, causing it to writhe in pain whilst Futase screamed loudly as she could only watch as Paradigm Shift Dragon and Fumiose ended up in her damage zone, ending the game in an instant. When the flames died down, all of the units on the battlefield as well as the barrier faded away, the fight now being over. Akira breathed heavily to regain some of her lost strength, but eventually relaxed as she walked down from the pedestal and closed her eyes to relax herself. The deed had finally been done.
(End Music)
"My Vanguard..."
She opened her eyes to find herself back within the confines of her imagination, only Dragonic Comet was now standing before her with no further damage to this plane of her self being inflicted unlike the last time she and Chrono Dran visited this place.
"Hey Comet..." she spoke "We did it, didn't we?"
"Yes. Yes we did," it replied.
"So... what does this mean now?" the Selector asked "When I saw that vision, Burnout was considering taking you to the Empire."
Dragonic Comet closed its eyes, recalling what had happened following his evolution into this form following the moment the jewels had embedded themselves within his body and helped him regain his physical mass.
"I was certainly dragged back to the home I abandoned back then," it explained "But following a trial of my current state and research on the abnormality of the jewels in that meteor, I was permitted to train with the real Overlord as my master so that a new troop for Kagero can be established to help fight on the front lines."
Akira said nothing, now fully understanding what had happened in the events following her defeat to Kai and Dragonic Comet's previous defeat to Dragonic Overlord when it was previously called Dragonic Dark Overlord.
"Even though I was defeated long before your fought Overlord's Vanguard... my card still siphoned life force from you," it muttered "... Please forgive me."
"Hey, who said it was your fault?" the Selector replied with a dry tone "That's Urith's doing, not yours. And besides... you are still my avatar after all.
Comet simply chuckled, now sensing the approval that both it and Akira had for one another, disappearing from the plane of her imagination leaving only its voice behind.
You won't be in this fight alone now... you will have allies.
With the blink of her eyes, Akira found herself back in reality with something now in the grasp of her right hand. Bringing what was there up to her, she could see additional copies of Dragonic Comet and new units with the word Gem in each of their different card names. Now she could understand what Comet's last words to her meant as she now had a new deck to use as her own. She then looked ahead just in time to hear and see Futase screaming as her cybernetic lens was shining brighty and causing her to writhe in pain.
"I-Impossible...!" she cried out "How could I lose... to the weakest Selector in that world?!"
And with that, she immediately vanished, likely being summoned back to the White Room as punishment by Mayu for failing to dispose of the loose end she had noted. With Urith now alone, she watched as Akira ran over to rejoin Chrono Dran and Rive who glared at the cruel demanoured Selector who simply shrugged playfully in response to their gazes.
"Wonderfully done, Aki-lovely," she mockingly congratulated "Clearly, I have underestimated you."
"Urith...!" she growled "Things aren't over between you and me yet!"
"But of course," she replied before glancing over to Rive "And you need not worry. I have no interest in simply debunking the claim of your death. No, I'd rather watch this world perish believing they died after you."
The cloaked man said nothing as the three watched Urith hold out her blank card and announce "OPEN!", causing her to vanish in a flash of white light, leaving the trio alone within the celestial observatory. Before she spoke, she held out the remaining 49 cards of the deck she had used throughout that fight and handed them back to Rive, to which he kindly accepted.
"Now... about this Ryuzu Dran blabbed out," she spoke, her eyes narrowing.
"Very well then," the cloaked man spoke as he sat down "Come Dran."
(Cardfight! Vanguard G OST: Ryuzu Myoujin)
Chrono Dran reluctantly accepted his request and hovered down to the ground, the three of them then sitting upon the sand that made up the ground in this cavern.
"Seven years ago, Myoujin Ryuzu was a man who wanted to reach out to the Planet Cray," he began "Believing he wanted coexistence and to attain the power of miracles, I once worked alongside him."
"And I'm guessing it somehow turned sour...?" the Selector pondered in assumption.
"You would be correct..." he replied "On that day, I brought my son to his premises to watch the experiment. However what I didn't know was..."
His eyes closed as his memories of the day flashed throughout his mind, with Chrono Dran feeling worried for him as he turned to face Akira whose expression held one of inquisitiveness. Sensing that she had been through a lot this day and protected him from Futase with her last fight, the draconic creature continued the tale for his companion.
"At the time, I was stuck in a timespace between this Earth and Cray," he spoke "The only one who could hear my voice was Rive's son. When I emerged through that portal for the first time to meet him. Before we realized it, the portal suddnely overloaded and we were both knocked unconscious. When I woke up, I found myself in this desert with Rive, he told me everything that had happened. Ryuzu was planning on summoning me and eleven others of my kind to imprison in Depend Cards to create a Perfect Future and Rive's son was the key to that."
"And how exactly did this Ryuzu want to get this Perfect Future?" Akira scoffed "It almost sounds like something out of a bad fantasy anime."
"Ryuzu planned on using our power to acquire his Perfect Future by..." Dran paused briefly in his speech "By sacrificing Cray."
The Selector's expression became one of shock as she let this information sink in, vaguely recalling everything she had been saying prior to her last fight with Kai during her rampage on this world's cardfighters and how it like them deserved to burn for all of her bad luck in the Selector Battles.
"So... where's Rive's kid now?" she asked.
"He... has no memory of these events and like everyone else... believes I'm dead," Rive concluded "I couldn't let my presence linger near my son so Ryuzu would find him after that day. I left him with my sister in secret."
Silence fell across the cavern as Akira let the story both of her companions tell her flow through her mind, giving her a clear understanding of what this Ryuzu was about and why he was the reason Rive was in hiding from the rest of the world. She sighed as she realized she was now in the same position as he was in relative speaking, given that she had no idea where she was and how to get back to her own world.
(End Music)
"The reason I'm telling you this is because of an event taking place that has Ryuzu's upcoming presence," Rive spoke "For a while, we've been looking for a fighter to take this after none from the villages I visited decided to accept it."
"Take what exactly?" asked Akira.
He reached into his cloak and brought out a brochure containing several pieces of paper including an advertisement depicting a large cruise ship and a single ticket that lay inside its pocket. The Selector took ahold of the advertisement to read what it was all about.
Vanguard Battle Cruise.
The ferocity of the Asia Circuit is relived in luxury on the sea itself.
Ticket for one.
"A fancy cruise liner?" she scoffed "What would that guy be doing there?"
"We believe from rumours by the local villages that the Vanguard Association will be on that ship," Chrono Dran replied "If they are there, so will Ryuzu."
"Are you... just giving this to me?" the Seletor muttered, sensing there was more to what they are saying.
"That will depend," he said "If you are willing to not inform the outside world of my true presence, especially my son, then I will allow you to hold on to those."
Akira pondered over Rive's offer, knowing that she would only be going to that cruise ship to investigate Ryuzu on his behalf and not for her own benefit. At first she felt slightly hesitant, but upon recalling she had no other way back to civilization, let alone to this world's version of Japan, she would still be stranded here with the pair before her. She felt this could be her ticket to see Kai again and to test out her skills with the new deck she now had in hand in addition to Dragonic Comet now being her true avatar.
"Alright then," she said "Help me get to that cruise and I'll do your little investigation."
"Very well then," Rive replied before looking to Chrono Dran "Dran, if you would?"
Chrono Dran nodded and walked on his small wheel-like feet to Akira, placing his hands on her head and glowing brightly, a brief jolt of electricity surging through her as she cried out in pain.
"ACK!" she groaned "What the hell was that for?!"
"Sorry...!" he cried "That wasn't supposed to happen that way... but at least, I've established a mental connection with you this way."
"So you can see through my eyes and ears if I get close to Ryuzu or if I go out of line," she concluded "That's expected."
Rive then rose to his feet, motioning for Akira to do the same as Chrono Dran hovered back onto his shoulder. When she did, the three began to leave the observatory behind them to make the arrangements at the cloaked man's shelter. On their way there, that was when the Selector had a question of her own to ask, yet it was not as intrusive.
"By the way, are you any good with scissors old man?"
I'm not that old...! Rive muttered in his thoughts whilst also sweatdropping.
(Selector Infected Wixoss OST: Daily Life ~brasted piano~)
Later that evening, Rive and Chrono Dran were waiting outside the shelter as if they were expecting something to emerge from within, having returned with Akira earlier despite her present absence. They looked to one another, having complied with her request for scissors and their profficiency for one reason or another that only the three of them knew about. Eventually, they saw a silhouette leave the shelter and come into the open moonlight where her presence was revealed.
It was indeed Akira, yet something was noticably different about her appearance from her head alone to surprise almost anyone. With her request, Rive had cut off a large portion of her hair until it now reached the length of an inch or two below her jaw, giving off a very different feel to the Selector as anyone who recognized her would soon find out. Although she had decided to put her old ways and more importantly her manipulative and sadistic attitude behind her, a small hint of smugness was still present in her expression.
"How does it feel?" asked Chrono Dran.
"Never felt better," she replied "You really know your stuff."
"Well, my son's hair used to be quite bushy, so I still have some experience from that," Rive replied "Now I've contacted a nearby village and they have agreed to get you transport to the Battle Cruise arranged tomorrow morning."
He then walked forward towards her with a large brown cylinder shaped bag with one handle attached to it and handed it over to the Selector who put it on her back.
"You'll have to find some new clothes on your own, but I've packed in plenty of water and some items to make a makeshift bed," he explained "And also..."
He then reached into his pocket and handed her several notes, all of which she could recognize in a currency that was foreign to what she knew, but also not as unfamiliar given what she had learned prior.
"That should be enough to cover for some food for a while," he said "I would give you a certain reminder, but from what you've been through today, I have a feeling you already know."
"'Use it well, use it wisely'," she recounted as she put the notes into her wallet "If it were the old me here, I'd let my impulses with that kind of money get the better of me."
"You have learned well," Rive commented "Let us get some sleep. We'll leave for the village early in the morning."
As he and Chrono Dran went straight to the shelter to turn in for the night, Akira brought out her new deck with Dragonic Comet's card sitting at the top. She glanced down at the card itself and then up at the moonlit sky, wondering how the rest of a certain fighter's day had gone in her absence.
"Wait for me Kai," she said with a smile "The real Akira's coming back soon enough."
(End Music)
And there we go! With that, this concludes the triple update to bring Akira's role in Arc 4: Side Vanguard to a close and brings everyone up to date with Stand Up, the LRIG! First of all, my sincerest apologies for being four days overdue with the last update, you can thank the 503 admin error for interrupting one of my attempted document saves of this chapter and making me unable to get it out sooner. But thankfully, it has all been sorted and Ride 106 is finally out!
When I say this is the end of Akira's role in Side Vanguard especially with those details out, that doesn't mean I plan on leaving the G related threads with her character route offpage. That's right, when I finish up the last chapter of Side Vanguard (eventually when we get there), I will be writing a short spinoff fic chronicling Akira's adventures aboard the Battle Cruise as she looks into getting back to Japan to face Kai and investigate the event for Ryuzu's presence under Rive's request. At present, a working title hasn't been drawn up, but I would like to hear your opinions for this in the reviews as well.
For now, please share your thoughts and criticisms and I'll see you later this month with the next chapter of Stand Up, the LRIG! where we turn back the clock to replay the afternoon's events from Ruko's perspective. Until then!
Story Original Card(s) debuting this chapter:
Dragonic Comet
Grade 3
Twin Drive!
POW: 11000
Kagero
Flame Dragon
Dragon Empire
[AUTO](VC)[Limit Break 4][1/Turn]: At the end of the battle this unit attacked a Vanguard, if a Sentinel was placed during that battle, {COST|Counter Blast (2) & Choose two cards from your hand and discard them}, [Stand] this unit.
[ACT](VC)[1/Turn]: {COST|Counter Blast (1) & Soul Blast (1)}, choose one of your units with "Dragonic Comet" or "Gem" in its card name, it gets [Power]+5000 until end of turn.
