Vanguard: Light Speed
Chapter 27
Imperial Heart II
The clash between Jacob and Isaac had finally begun with both fighters matching each other blow for blow and trigger for trigger. With Jacob at last reaching a Grade 3 Vanguard... this card fight can truly begin.
Isaac – Jacob
7 – Hand – 6
1 – Soul – 0
3 – Damage – 3
1 – Counterblast – 1
F(0) U(8) – G-Zone – F(0) U(8)
Tonfa Wielding Brawler Aak / Demonic Circuit Dragon, Zephyr – Perdition Dragon, Dragonic Neoflame / Dragon Monk, Gojo
Rising Phoenix / Dragonic Kaiser Vermillion – Burning Horn Dragon / Calamity Tower Wyvern
Empty / Empty – Empty / Empty
"I must admit this fight isn't going at as fast a pace as I originally thought." Jacob points out as he draws for the turn.
"I agree, but that's to expected given the fact that you know how I play and I know what to expect from that clan." Isaac retorts as he nods his head in agreement.
"Well then Dr. O, just what do you think they're talking about?" Sara asks, however her tone indicates that she already knows.
In fact I'd say she's only asking in order to put on a show for the audience.
"Simply put they're saving the cards in their hand for defense so they can survive each others big plays, and have enough left over to launch one of their own." Dr. O explained.
"I have to say even though we're only approaching the mid-game, I'd say this is one of the most exciting matches I've had a chance to play in a while." Isaac says to Isaac in a complimentary tone of voice.
"I have no intention of disappointing or being defeated by someone like you." Jacob declared as in this moments he was more focused
"Then go on and show me the power of the unit that represents who you are." Isaac retorts as he takes up a defensive stance himself.
"Winds that turn into infernos and flames that reduce everything to ash, these are the symbols of your rebirth by sleep! I ride Dragonic Overlord [Power: 11000]!" Jacob yelled.
The entire volcano erupts at the mere mention of that name, and in fact he units of both fighters scramble lest they wished to be burned to a crisp by this detailed simulation of a natural disaster. Once that finally subsided Dragon Overlord... one of Vermillion's only real rivals in the empire was there.
"These passive-aggressive attacks will come to an end here. I'll show you Isaac Barrett what it means to fight the Kagero clan!" Jacob yelled.
"That's exactly what I've been waiting for... now go and show me!" Isaac yelled.
Right here right now is one of the few times I or anyone has ever seen Isaac offer a truly sincere smile, but I assure you this is indeed a big deal.
"Hey Preston get up... Isaac's smiling." Teresa points out a she shakes the leg of her half asleep teammate.
"Wait seriously?" Preston asks as he sits upright as if someone injected a concentrated amount of caffeine directly into his bloodstream.
"I'm sorry, but is it that big of a deal?" Sakura asks as she's caught off-guard by the frantic expressions of her new-found teammates.
"Believe me is." Preston says as he moves to sit a little closer to the action, "Isaac's enjoyed fights before, but when he smiles like that... it means that he's actually having fun. The last time we saw him like that was... I'd say the first time he fought Cloud."
"I see... Isaac really is an amazing person huh?" Sakura thought as she's amazed by the behavior Isaac instilled in his team.
With that aside Sakura and Preston turned their attention back to the battle that be with new found focus. Right now even card fighters of their level can't predict how this match will go.
"I absolutely have to win... I have to rescue her from the kind of person she's forced to be no matter the cost." Jacob thought as unconsciously or no... he starts to look back to better times long before he was taken in by the Elchart family.
Jacob does indeed think about events deep into his past... back in fact to the point where he was just a little boy happily playing with his toys in the privacy of his own room.
"Vrooom vroom... hurry or the dragon will roast us like marshmallows." Jacob yells as he holds a toy car in one hand and a four legged dragon in the other.
He'd spend several minutes imagining he's the driver of a car moving at over a 100mph or a dragon freely flying through the sky, but the young Jacob put his toys away when he heard the tiny stomping sounds of a certain pair of little feed heard towards his room.
"Brother!" yelled a little girl as she forced open Jacob's bedroom door with what strength her tiny body could muster.
That little girl had long red hair, was looking at her big brother with loving eyes, and would have actually whacked Jacob on the side of the head with that door had he moved a second later.
"What is it stupid?" Jacob asks as if annoyed by her sister's presence, but at least he was still willing to giver her the time of day.
"Hey... don't call me that or I'll tell mom." the little girl points out as she honestly seems a little hurt by her brother's worth.
"Sorry... now really what do you want?" Jacob sighs as he feels a combination of guilt as well as fear of his mother's wrath.
"Teach me how to fight as good as you brother. There was this bully in class that was making fun of my clan, and I want to teach him a lesson." the little girl explained as there was a small amount of desperation in her voice.
"Alright, but let me warn you that I'm a strict teacher." Jacob said with a smile as he grabs a deck off of his tiny work bench.
"What does strict mean?" the little girl curiously asks as she tilts her head slightly out of confusion.
"It means... look do you want me to help you or not?" Jacob retorts with an embarrassed look on his face as he realizes that he doesn't know what 'strict' means.
Jacob's mind can't stay in the where he plays with his sister forever. No... if he wants to make such an occurrence in the present a reality... he has to focus and cut down the opponent that standing in front of him.
"No... the past is in the past. Right now any weakness I show will be a sin that leads to my own destruction." Jacob thought as he forcibly shakes the memory of a better time from his mind.
"Just how will you launch your first real attack of the fight Jacob? I have to know what it takes to beat the both of you." I thought as I struggle to stay still in my seat.
"Liberating the generation zone... Stride Generation! Divine Dragon Knight, Mahmud [Power: 26000]!" Jacob yelled as he discarded Lava Flow Dragon in order to pay the stride cost.
"Here it comes." Isaac thought.
"There it is... Jacob's G-Unit!" Sara announced in order to further stoke the crowd's excitement.
"In addition to possessing a considerable amount of power, Mahmud's skill should its attack hit will allow Jacob to retire any of Isaac's rearguards putting him in an advantageous position." Sara announced.
"Of course I highly doubt Isaac will let such a thing occur, however we'll have to wait for Jacob's attack to find out." Dr. O follows.
"Mahmud, go and attack Dragonic Kaiser Vermillion [Total Power: 31000]!" Jacob yells with his hand outstretched.
"Dragon Dancer, Anastasia will nullify that attack [Perfect Defense]!" Isaac quickly counters.
"Then here comes the triple drive check." Jacob retorts as he places his hand on the top of his deck.
[Drive Check - Dragonic Burnout – No Trigger]
[Drive Check – Dragon Monk, Gojo – No Trigger]
[Drive Check – Protect Orb Dragon – No Trigger]
"Anastasia's skill allows me to counter charge since I have a copy of her in the drop zone." Isaac explained.
With the flapping of his dragon partner's ridiculous wings allowing Mahmud to move at equally ridiculous speeds. This tremendously raises his inflamed sword's cutting power, but all of that strength is rendered moot in face of Anastasia's magic shield. The flames bend around the shield creating two spouts at the summit of the volcano where lava spills forth.
"With Gojo's support, Dragonic Neoflame will attack your Zephyr [Total Power: 16000]!"Jacob yelled.
"No guard." Isaac said.
"At the end of my turn Mahmud goes back to the generation zone." JH said.
Isaac – Jacob
5 – Hand – 8
1 – Soul – 1
3 – Damage – 3
0 – Counterblast – 1
F(1) U(7) – G-Zone – F(1) U(7)
Tonfa Wielding Brawler Aak / Empty – Perdition Dragon, Dragonic Neoflame / Dragon Monk, Gojo
Rising Phoenix / Dragonic Kaiser Vermillion – Dragonic Overlord / Calamity Tower Wyvern
Empty / Empty – Empty / Empty
"To think you'd already get the advantage over me... you've proven yourself to be exactly the kind of fighter I hoped for, but for that reason I will defeat you." Isaac excitedly thought.
"Though Jacob failed to inflict any damage on his previous turn, he still none the less has appeared to have forced Isaac on the defensive." Sara announced.
"This Jacob's amazing... to think he'd turn out to be this strong." one excited fan whispers to another.
"But Isaac has been in this situation countless times before, and he always resounds by hitting his opponent twice as hard as they hit him. I'd say the question we really should be asking is whether or not Jacob can hold against Isaac's attacks." Dr. O points out.
"Stride generation... Lightning Dragon Knight, Zorras [Power: 26000]!" Isaac yelled.
"Now here's Isaac's G-Unit! The power of Zorras forces Jacob to retire one of his own rearguards, and gives Isaac the ability to bind 2 cards in Jacob's drop zone potentially denying him the ability to perform legion!" Sara announced though in a far more animated tone of voice than when she did for Jacob.
"But just like how Isaac didn't let the skill of Jacob's G-Unit go off... I'm hoping that Jacob's intent is to respond in kind." Dr. O points out for the sake of showing that he's capable of being objective.
"I call Dusty Plasma Dragon [Power: 9000] in order to fill out that empty spot on my front row, and now... Dusty Plasma Dragon will go and attack your vanguard [Total Power: 12000]!" Isaac declared.
"What the... hes not going to boost? That must mean... he added that stand trigger to his deck." Jacob thought as he had a sudden look of realization upon his face, "I guard with Gojo [Total Shield: 5000]!"
"Now then... go and attack... Zorras [Total Power: 31000]!" Isaac yelled as he too outstretched his hand in an epic fashion.
"A perfect guard for a perfect guard... Protect Orb Dragon nullifies your attack [Perfect Defense]!" Jacob counters as he yelled with a great deal of passion in her voice.
[Drive Check – Hateful Djinn – Critical Trigger]
"I give all of the effects to Dusty Plasma Dragon!" Isaac declared.
[Drive Check – Mighty Bolt Dragoon – No Trigger]
[Drive Check – Dragon Dancer, Vianne – Stand Trigger]
"I stand Dusty Plasma as well as give him the power boost." Isaac declared.
"Damn... he got the stand trigger after all." Jacob thought as he bites his tongue as a result of his current misfortune.
Unlike Jacob and his Mahmud who preferred to use high speed attacks, Zorras flies as high as he can over Dragonic Overlord up until just before the point where the volcanoes ash would start to effect him. Once Zorras reached that point, he jumped off of his dragon mount using the extra weight of his large ax to speed up the rate of his fall to the ground like a lightning bolt striking the earth.
"We've fought before, but never has he launched an attack with this much intensity behind it. I can finally see what the others who fought him were saying... he really does feel like he's capable of breaking through Protect Orb Dragon's shield with his willpower alone." Jacob thought as the same fear of god Isaac has put int other fighters is put into him.
He started to have that thought the moment that super lightning charged ax of Zorras came into contact with Protect Orb Dragon's barrier, and all the energy that was built up was finally released in a very destructive fashion. Instead of splitting off into two different directions however, all of that energy travels around Protect Orb coming together as one on the other side... then that bolt strikes into the mouth of the volcano coming out the other side on its base where lava furiously drains from.
"Protect Orb's skill allows me to counter charge." Jacob said as he turned the only face down card in his damage zone face up.
"Now go Dusty Plasma Dragon... go and attack the vanguard again [Total Power: 22000 2 Crit]!" Isaac yelled.
"I could block, but... no I can't afford use any more cards in my hand than I already have." Jacob thought as contemplated the implications of taking a 2 crit attack, "No guard!"
[Damage Check – Lava Flow Dragon – No Trigger]
[Damage Check – Twilight Arrow Dragon – No Trigger]
"I end my turn." Isaac declared.
Isaac – Jacob
7 – Hand – 5
1 – Soul – 1
3 – Damage – 5
0 – Counterblast – 0
F(1) U(7) – G-Zone – F(1) U(7)
Tonfa Wielding Brawler Aak / Dusty Plasma Dragon – Perdition Dragon, Dragonic Neoflame / Dragon Monk, Gojo
Rising Phoenix / Dragonic Kaiser Vermillion – Dragonic Overlord / Calamity Tower Wyvern
Empty / Empty – Empty / Empty
"As expected of that man who is considered our nation's strongest fighter. He's completely turned the situation around with those two triggers answering the call." Sara announced.
"Oh yes... with that the ball is in Jacob's court as Isaac's presses his advantage, but don't forget that the Kagero clan is a defensive specialist." Dr. O followed.
"Now if I were in Jacob's shoes I'd-" Sara was about to say before being drowned out by a powerful voice.
"You're wrong." Isaac said overhearing the announcers words as if they had somehow offended him.
The pair of announcers were understandably speechless as they'd likely never have had to deal with a competitor going against their words before. They then turn to the man with the same curiosity as children do towards his fights perhaps waiting to see if Isaac will explain himself.
"Looking at the score-board alone is a foolish way to judge who's winning a card fight. My attack failed to turn things in my favor. It at best turned it to 65:35... no 60:40 odds in Jacob's favor." Isaac explained as if bewildered by the announcers inability to perceive something he sees as obvious.
"I honestly don't know what to make of this vanguard fans... Isaac usually isn't talkative in his fights." Sara notes.
"Yeah... it is really unusual." Dr. O points out.
"Ha... the fact that you had to say that shows how little you really know about Isaac." Preston chuckles as if the two announcers were directly in front of him to hear it.
"I know... all these people see is his strength, but I really wish people would take the time to get to know the man behind the deck." Teresa said as if nothing was out of place for Isaac's behavior in the least.
This fact contributed a great deal to Sakura's growing confusion to the unusual behavior of her new found teammates. She'd believe that any normal person would be off-put like here when it came to Isaac's recent comments, however she'd soon learn her teammates are far from her own concept of normal.
"I'm sorry and I'm sure I'll probably asking this again in the future, but is this behavior really normal for Isaac?" Sakura asks as she continues to struggle to get a grasp on what's going on.
"Oh yes it is indeed normal for Isaac." Teresa answered, but she doesn't elaborate further as she's more interested in watching Isaac's fight regardless of how it ends.
"When he's really enjoying a fight... like anyone else I suppose he doesn't mind people making observations about it, but gets really annoyed when someone outside of the person standing across from him using Isaac's words 'decides the course of the fight'." Preston explained as he was growing steadily more interested in the fight as Isaac was.
"So far you've been able to live up to the level I expected you to be Jacob Edwards, but don't stop now. I want you to show me more of what you can do." Isaac thought in a far more animated voice than he normally even uses to speak.
"Stand and draw... Isaac Barett, I'm going to show you one of the two cards I brought with me today just for the sake of defeating you!" Jacob yelled.
"Then go ahead and show me! Show me whether or not you really are destined to be the first one to defeat me!" Isaac yelled.
"Dominate the flames of your inner darkness, and turn it into your own power in your rebirth beyond sleep!" Jacob yelled.
The GIRS simulated battlefield responded to each word spoken in this passionate ride chant of Jacob's. The volcano erupted again, but this time the towering inferno of lava had consumed roughly 30 percent of the rock that it was made out of. Were this not a mere card game... their units would have been burnt to a crisp, but they were still able to escape with their lives none the less.
"Just what kind of card could possibly cause this kind of a reaction?" I whisper to myself consciously making sure that no one can hear me this time.
"I break ride Dragonic Overlord 'The X' [Power: 11000]!" Jacob yelled.
After what may seem like forever to some of the people watching, the seemingly never ending massive tower of fire finally subsides. In place of that destructive force of nature there stands the latest evolution of the Empire's ace warrior. He's wearing bright white and orange armor whilst emitting equally bright red and orange flames. It's as if these brightly colored crimson flames represent how a certain dark power was purged from his body. Once they realized just who they were looking at... every single living human soul was rendered into a state of absolute silence.
"Never have so many times in a single year have I've been speechless, but-" Sara was saying as she was obviously unsure as to just what she should say next.
"But oh my... there it is... Dragonic Overlord 'The X', a unit even more powerful and more legendary than Dragonic Overlord the End!" Dr. O announces as he only guesses at what his colleague Sara might have wanted to say.
"Dragonic Overlord 'The X' gains 10000 power and a skill." Jacob declared as he slowly raised his hand just above his deck and drop zone.
When a fighters place their hand over their deck and its not to draw a card or search through it... it's to use a particular skil that all clans have a few units with said ability, but you've seen it countless times before so you don't need to hear it from me.
"Eternal flames that never waver, drawn together from across the precipice of time... stand together and unleash the ultimate apocalyptic flame! Draogonic Overlord the End, legion!" Jacob yelled as he threw down The X's mate with such force that it seemed like he'd break the GIRS simulated holographic mat in two.
The roars of the past and the present form of the great warrior of the Dragon Empire resonate with such timing that it perfectly matches the strongest lightning bolt yet simulated by the GIRS. It was as if both of these Overlord's were saying that they're absolutely refusing to lose to Vermillion in terms of intensity.
"When my vanguard performs legion I'm allowed to add another copy of Dragonic Overlord 'The X' through his skill." Jacob explained.
"I'm truly impressed... so you had better continue to impress me Jacob Edwards. I absolutely refuse to believe after how the fight started that simply riding this card is the best you can do!" Isaac yelled as adrenaline pumping through him right now starts to reach its maximum.
"I retire Dragonic Neoflame to call another Dragonic Neoflame [Power: 9000]!" Jacob declared.
"Oh my... why call out another copy of the same card? Do you have any idea Sara?" Dr. O asks.
The man of course already knew why Jacob did that, but he chose to feign ignorance for the sake of dramatic effect when it came to the people watching.
"Dragonic Neoflame's skill can only be used the turn its placed on the rearguard, so if it's Jacob's intent to use that skill this turn... then he has no choice but to call a second copy." Sara explained in a calm and logical manner despite the excitement coursing through her.
"Dragonic Overlord 'The X' and Dragonic Overlord the End, go and crush Dusty Plasma Dragon under the weight of your combined might [Total Power: 34000]!" Jacob declared.
[Drive Check – Gattling Claw Dragon – Draw Trigger]
"I give the power to my vanguard and I'll draw [New Total: 39000]!" Jacob said.
[Drive Check – Dragon Dancer, Barbra – Heal Trigger]
"Once again I give all of the power to my vanguard [New Total: 44000]!" Jacob yelled.
Crimson flames and bright orange flames cover the swords of both of these Overlords, and once they both came into contact of their unfortunate victim the amount of explosive force released should have been enough to at last injure its allies. Still... Dragonic Overlord was known as one of the Empire's strongest warriors for both possessing the power to destroy mountains with a single swipe of his blade as well as being able to focus the power to destroy mountains into a single point.
"Neoflame's skill: Aak is forced to retire!" Jacob yelled before taking a short moment to gather his thoughts, "Dragonic Overlord's break ride skill allows me to stand The X back up!" Jacob yelled as the confidence he has in his offense this turn seems almost too much to handle.
"To be certain both Dragonic Overlord the End and Dragonic Overlord 'The X' have powerful skills in there arsenals, but given the fact that Isaac only has 3 damage... doesn't it seem like a mistake to rely on them this early?" Dr. O asks his colleague Sara for the sake of helping to keep fans engaged in the fight they're watching.
"Not if his attack hits and he has a copy of Dragonic Overlord the End in his hand or gets one in his next drive check. Doing so will at least force Isaac down to three cards in his hand, and even if he can't do that... as aggressive as Isaac is; it'll still improve Jacob's chances my forcing the concept of 'defense' on Isaac's mind given his aggressive play style." Sara explained.
"Then that would mean if this attack fails... the fight will be going from an even match up to being against Jacob's favor." Nolan mumbles.
"No Nolan... you're-" Cloud was about to say.
Do you recall this bits in anime where characters who are distances apart from one another seem to have conversations with each other when describing something dramatic? Well you see Dalette, the others , and I were having this same conversation... where Virgil said something very similar if not exactly the same as what Nolan said.
"...wrong." Dalette said to Virgil as if finishing Cloud's sentence, and proving my point about the whole across the map conversation bit.
"What do you mean Dalette?" Virgil asks as back then like the rest of us lesser fighters... he couldn't see what the true flow of the fight really was.
"Jacob so far is the first to have done what no other fighter who's faced Isaac has managed to do, and that is to not break under his overwhelming presence. It's almost like he has something equally strong to keep him going." Dalette explained not even realizing just how right on the money she was.
"Okay so he's got a lot of will power... what does that have to do with the current situation?" I ask as I wonder what that had to do with the fight apparently not being even in Dalette's eyes.
"Against any other opponent... Isaac would have already had the field set up in his favor for his combo with Dragonic Kaiser Vermillion break ride and The Rebound, but because Jacob hasn't buckled... he's not only held his own but denied the use of Isaac's strongest attack to its full effect." Dalette explained.
"Oh I see, and by putting even more effort into the Kagero clan's already defensive nature... Jacob will be ready to launch another massive attack on his next turn." I point out.
"Exactly, and so even if Jacob's attack were to fail miserably... the fight's flow would only move closer to being equal rather than against him." Dalette retorts.
"Dragonic Overlord 'The X', go and attack the being that dares to call itself your equal within the Empire [Total Power: 49000]!" Jacob yelled.
"Ha ha ha... no guard!" Isaac laughs as he too is aware of how the current situation is working against him.
"Twin drive check..." Jacob said as he placed his hand on the top of his deck, "I will win Isaac... not even someone like you can stop me from finding her."
[Drive Check – Lava Flow Dragon – No Trigger]
[Drive Check – Perdition Dragon, Buster Rain Dragon – Critical Trigger]
"I give all of the effects to Dragonic Neoflame!" Jacob yelled.
That tactical decision of Jacob's caught quite a few people off guard. I mean conventional card fighting wisdom dictates that it's best to get Isaac to 5 damage as fast as possible, but then again he's also the kind of fighter that makes such points moot.
"He's gone from denying Isaac the ability to use his best combo to its full effect to denying Isaac the ability to even use it."
"It's as though Jacob had personally broken all of the dragon's fangs." Nolan notes.
"Ha ha... I'm really enjoying this." Isaac thought.
[Damage Check – Dragon Dancer, Vianne – Stand Trigger]
"I giveall of the effects to Vermillion." Isaac said.
"Can he do it? Will Jacob be able to use the power of
"With Gojo's support, Dragonic Neoflane attacks your vanguard [Total Power: 21000 2 Crit]!" Jacob yells.
"I guard with Hateful Djinn [Total Shield: 10000]!" Isaac counters.
"Then I end my turn." Jacob said.
Isaac – Jacob
5 – Hand – 9
1 – Soul – 2
4 – Damage – 4
0 – Counterblast – 2
F(1) U(7) – G-Zone – F(1) U(7)
Empty / Empty – Perdition Dragon, Dragonic Neoflame / Dragon Monk, Gojo
Rising Phoenix / Dragonic Kaiser Vermillion – Dragonic Overlord "The X"/Dragonic Overlord the End / Calamity Tower Wyvern
Empty / Empty – Empty / Empty
"Oh this really isn't good." Preston quietly mumbles under his even more quiet breath.
"So wait... I just want to make sure before I say anything, but this is definitely something unusual for even you guys right?" Sakura asks as she wishes to make sure her new teammates don't give her a new reason to be marveled.
"Ohhhhh yes Sakura... this is definitely something unusual even for us. It's been a while since I last saw someone force Isaac on the defensive. I don't like admitting this, but... this guy... this Jacob might actually be able to beat Isaac before I do." Preston said for someone as even as hotblooded as him can't help but be worried about his leader.
"What do you think of this Teresa? I mean if Vanguard Monthly's articles are to be believed... you understand Isaac more than anyone." Sakura asks as she too could no longer deny that the intensity of the fight was effecting her.
"Huh? Oh don't worry... Isaac has come back from the brink before, and he can do so again. To him... losing to anyone but his teacher is something he'll refuse to accept without a fight." Teresa attempts to say calmly after registering Sakura's question.
"Okay." Sakura mumbles as she decides to take her teammate's words at face value.
Teresa tries hard to maintain the facade that she's the mothering force behind the team, but her body betrays the words she tells Sakura. She tightly squeezes her legs with her hands to the point where her nails may go through her pants... as if this was all to keep her nerves in check. Despite how Teresa almost religiously worships Isaac... even she could no longer deny the fact that the odds weren't in his favor.
"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha... I didn't think it would... here at a regional tournament of all places." Isaac said as suddenly and without warning bursts out laughing.
This suddenly renders the crowd of people watching the fight myself included silent yet again, so after the oh so many exciting reasons we've had to be silent before this should hardly be surprising. It was however surprising simply because Isaac was laughing. The man is up there in the "Titans of the Stoic" personality... and the most you see of him is the occasional slight smile or chuckle caused by whatever happens to trigger his sense of humor. Such a reaction would be considered to be expected if one takes that factor in account.
"What could possibly be running through his head?" Jacob thought as though he hid it well underneath his exterior, he was also caught off guard by Isaac's sudden outburst.
"Sorry, sorry." Isaac says to Jacob as he happens to wipe a tear from his eye, "It's just that its been a long time since someone other than my master could push me this hard in a fight."
"I'd stand no chance of actually defeating you if I couldn't do this much." Jacob points out as he pushes Isaac's unusual behavior out of his mind.
"True... ha ha, but..." Isaac said taking a moment to catch his breath as a last burst of laughter passes through his mouth, "When I saw you fight at the expo I had hoped you'd be able to push me harder in a fight than any other fighter in our age group, and as I've said you've lived up to that and more."
"... but?" Jacob retorts quickly sensing that there's some kind of point to Isaac's slightly long-winded speech.
"But even though it's clear that you're still rusty with that clan... ha ha ha ha ha... I didn't think you'd be stronger than me." Isaac shockingly reveals as he apparently had another burst of laughter ready deep within him.
The hordes of excited fans watching this fight were yet again turned to silence yet again in response to Isaac's shocking revelation. This was more shocking than Isaac's revelation of having a master for two reasons. The first being that someone without his master's (or rather my father's) decades of experience being stronger than Isaac... especially since he actually been playing Vanguard for about 2 or so years longer than Jacob. The second reason is that Isaac in a nonchalant bordering on emotionless manner admits that his master is a stronger fighter than him... where as with Jacob... well actually Sara as you'll read soon enough states the reason for me.
"This is... oh so very much unexpected." Dr. O points out as he's at a loss for words.
"To think I... I mean we'd get to see Isaac say something with such heart. Could... could it be true? Could Jacob really be stronger than Isaac like he says?" Sara mumbles into her microphone.
"But... I have no intention of losing to anyone other than my master just yet. Still... I have to congratulate you as well." Isaac declared as his face quickly and easily turns back into the serious expression we know him for.
"What for?" Jacob retorts this time more curious than anything else as to what his opponent was referring to.
"My intention was to save this at least until the top 64 in the national tournament, but your strong enough to the point where my only chance to reverse the situation if not win is to use it now." Isaac explained as a more devious expression appears on his face.
"Just what is he tal... wait... could it be... does Isaac have another Narukami unit that I haven't seen before?" I thought as I on instinct look back to my fight with Isaac and his revelation of The Rebound.
"Liberating the generation zone!" Isaac yelled as he discarded the copy of Mighty Bolt Dragoon in his hand.
Isaac doesn't place the cards or card he used to pay the cost for Stride as the case may be in the drop zone like how most people normally do. Namely the normal way is to place the card or cards in question on the drop zone forcefully or no, but in Isaac's case he holds Mighty Bolt Dragoon over the drop zone and lets gravity do the rest.
"Break through the sealed cage with your shards of the emperor's spirit, and descend towards our destined future my embodiment of thunder! Stride Generation!" Isaac yelled as he picked up the card on the top of his pile of face down G-Units.
"No he couldn't be..." I mumble to myself, but honestly at this point it doesn't take a genius to figure out the identity of the G-Unit Isaac is about to play.
A lightning bolt touches ground dead center of what remains of this active volcano, but it was far from any ordinary bolt of lightning. It was as if a lightning god like Indra or Zeus forced their wrath upon the mortal realm, however when that lightning came into contact with the lava within the volcano... it certainly produced something akin to a powerful explosion, but it also caused that lava to splash outwards in all directions as if a big rock was dropped into a lake from high up.
"Stride Generation! Dragonic Kaiser Vermillion 'The Resonance' [Power: 26000]!" Isaac yelled.
Once that splash inducing bolt of lightning hit the ground... the burst of light it generated should have disappeared as quickly as it appeared, but no that wasn't the case here. The light lasted for several moments as if there was actually a bulb plugged in somewhere, however more to the point there was a overwhelming figure flying within that light.
"No... it can't be..." Jacob whispers to himself in shock.
That figure has something to the shape of a bladed tuning fork with wings of pale blue light reaching farther than The Blood's wings, vastly more protruding red sections of armor compared to The Blood's yellow, his head has 3 lighting bolt shaped horns... one pointing forward with the other two pointing in the opposite direction, and his sword maintains the same aesthetic design as his The Blood form though his blade takes a more nimble shape similar to but not quite a katana.
"Another Narukami I don't know... oh come on that's so unfair!" I say aloud... more actually of jealousy than anything else.
It's effect aside, of which you'll see soon enough... I was jealous because honestly the unit looked pretty bloody bad ass. It also served as a kick in the behind to help set me on the path to surpass Isaac, but that's a story for another time.
"Dr. O... when it comes to card knowledge... yours... far outstrips mine. Do you know anything about this card?" Sara asks as she's once again at a loss for words.
"After seeing Isaac's The Rebound for the first time... I had done some research and discovered a few rumors of its existence, but I didn't stop there... I did some research to see if there were other such units related to this legendary card." Dr. O mumbles as he struggles to collect his thoughts though he's doing a far better job of it than Sara.
"What did you find out?" Sara retorts.
"I found absolutely nothing even hinting at the suggestion of a Vermillion G-Unit, but for it to be recognized by the GIRS... it has to be indeed an official card. Still I suppose that's to be expected of the company that makes the card game, and their love of tossing a few unexpected cards into the mix." Dr. O calmly explains.
"Then I suppose we'll have to wait for Isaac to reveal its effect before we can make any further judgments." Sara notes.
Speaking of effects...
"Vianne [Power: 4000], The Blood [Power: 11000], and Rising Phoenix [Power: 5000] to the rearguard." Isaac declared.
"Will he use Rising Phoenix's power to draw?" Jacob asks himself.
"I won't be using Phoenix's skill." Isaac declared.
"For him to not use that skill Vanguard fans... my guess is that The Resonance's ability has something to do with the cards in its soul. Of course... whether its a simple soul blast cost or part of an activation condition... we'll see soon enough." Dr. O announced as things were back to business as usual for him and Sara.
"Let's get this show on the road... I now activate the skill of Dragonic Kaiser Vermillion 'The Resonance'!" Isaac yelled.
"Go ahead and show me what this mysterious unit can do, and I'll show you that it's nowhere near enough to beat me. Still... try and make this more fun for me than you already have." Jacob thought as he had a smile on his face that indicated he was enjoying the fight just as much as Isaac despite what's at risk for him.
Jacob felt disgusted with himself once he realized that he was actually starting to enjoy the fight a little. He was fighting like his life depended on it for the sake of his family... for his sister, so to him feeling any pleasure other than getting the information that he wants from Isaac would be an insult to their memory.
"No... no... I have no right to feel this way." Jacob thought as the concept of enjoyment seriously bothered him.
"What's wrong? Have you lost your fangs already? If so then there's no point in me continuing!" Isaac yells as he holds his free hand over his damage zone.
The solution to this dilemma... namely Jacob's sudden turn of thought is actually quite simple. No true strong fighter... no matter who they're fighting, what they're risking, or who they are as a person is ever beyond the point of enjoying an intense clash at some level.
"Far from it... I said that I'd be the first one to put a loss on your record, and I intend to follow through!" Jacob said as he shakes his head and starts to truly remember why he's here on the battlefield.
"Good... I counterblast 2 , soul blast 1, and turn a face down copy of The Resonance in my G-Zone face up." Isaac explained as he performed the exact motions he described.
"What kind of power does that card have?" Jacob asks as he mentally braces himself for whatever is to come.
"The Resonance gains 5000 power, +1 critical, and the ability to attack your front row all at once." Isaac said with a more relaxed expression.
"There has to be more than that... The Resonance seems to be no more than a slightly enhanced version of The Blood, but even though it has the advantage of triple drive... there's just no way Isaac's the kind of fighter who'd use it for that reason alone. It must have something extra behind it." I thought as I clenched my fist wishing I was the one up there instead.
This fight was the best possible reminder to show a lot of people... not just me how far we'd need to go to surpass these two. Then as for the fact that I wished I was fighting on this specific stage, it actually didn't matter to me which of these two I faced... I just felt like I had to fight one of them here and now.
"Dragonic Kaiser Vermillion 'The Resonance', decimate Jacob's front row with a single display of your power [Total Power: 36000 2 Crit]!" Isaac yelled as he seemed to truly believe that this card would bring him victory.
Make no mistake Isaac did indeed have that belief, but this time it seemed less like his usual number about destiny and more... more like unwavering faith in a trusted ally.
"To be certain there's a lot of attacking power behind Isaac's center line, but if Jacob has a single perfect guard in his hand... then he can make all of that power worth nothing at all." Sara yelled as the intensity of the fight seemed to fuel her secondhand passion for announcing.
"Lightning that heralds absolute fate, stride through the shadow of the dark clouds! Vermillion Piercing Bolt!" Isaac yelled.
"Piercing bolt? No... it couldn't be..." Jacob mumbles as he finally realizes the hidden ability of The Resonance.
"Yeah... it's exactly as you suspect. Since I have 2 face up units in my generation zone, you can't use grade 1 or higher units to guard." Isaac said with a devious smile on his face.
"Amazing... normally even with units that have the ability to deny their opponent perfect guards... they at least still have the option of using their intercepts to make up the difference." Sara announced.
"With the power of The Resonance seems to deny Jacob even that. I know that Jacob has several grade 0 units in his hand, but will it be enough to defend against an attack such as this?" Dr. O follows up.
"I absolutely refuse to be beaten by someone like you [Total Shield: 35000]!" Jacob yelled as he placed practically half the cards in his hand on the guardian circle.
There were four grade 0 units gladly willing to throw their lives away for their leader in the face of overwhelming enemy force. Buster Rain Dragon, Gattling Claw Dragon, and 2 copies of Barbra were standing in the way of this G-Unit variation of Vermillion.
"Triple drive check." Isaac passionately said as he placed his hand on the top of his deck.
[Drive Check – Demonic Circuit Dragon, Zephyr – No Trigger]
[Drive Check – Voltage Horn Dragon – No Trigger]
[Drive Check – Malevolent Djinn – Critical Trigger]
"Dragonic Kaiser Vermillion 'The Blood' gets all of the effects." Isaac said as he actually shows an expression of disappointment on his face to someone other than my father.
This latest evolution of Vermillion pulled back his sword arm as he gathered a great deal of power within it, and then he thrusts his blade forward releasing a lighting bolt to surpass all other lightning bolts. The piles of bodies placed in its way failed to stop the attack and Jacob's Neoflame was caught in the crossfire, but their sacrifice wasn't in vain as they were able to redirect that massive amount of power around Dragonic Overlord.
"Okay... all that leaves is his rearguard atta-" Jacob thought or was trying to think when both were drowned out by yet another flash of light as well as the sound of a powerful explosion.
That force of nature in which Dragonic Overlord was able to dodge kept going creating a canal of lava as it kicked up the hard and heated rock like a knife through butter. Beyond that it hit a volcano deep in the distance... destroying it in a manner bordering a nuclear explosion. The resulting shockwave reached as far as what remained of their battlefield.
"I'll have to be more careful using this card in the future." Isaac thought instinctive raising his arm over his eye to protect himself from the simulated volcanic ash.
With that thought... I believed that Isaac was referring to his tactical situation, but it turns out he'd meant that he had underestimated the scale the GIRS would show off the destructive power of his The Resonance.
"That's some serious power. I'd hate to take the brunt of something like that outside of a card fight, but this won't stop me. Still... it was enough to force me a step back." Jacob.
Dr. O, Sara, the crowd of people here, the others on Team Star Ocean as well as Strike Shadow, my team, and I all realized that this single card's power had forced that flow of the match back in Isaac's favor. Make no mistake though the man who had lost control of the flow realized this the moment the effect of The Resonance was confirmed.
"Since I was able to retire one of your units I can activate Vianne's skill. By shuffling her back into my deck I can counter charge and draw 1 card." Isaac said.
"Phew... that was a close one Jacob. You'll really need to be careful on your next turn." Cloud though as he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Dragonic Kaiser Vermillion 'The Blood' with Rising Phoenix's boost will attack Dragonic Overlord [Total Power: 21000 2 Crit]!" Isaac declared in a somewhat melancholy manner as he's disappointed that he couldn't end the fight this turn like he'd originally hoped.
"I guard with Barbra and Dragonic Burnout [Total Shield: 15000]." Jacob calmly counters.
"I end my turn, and with that The Resonance goes back to the G-Zone." Isaac says.
"I might be able to last another turn or two, but... no... my next turn will be my first and last chance for her sake. It looks like that I'll have to bring a G-Unit." Jacob thought as he gets rid of the unease in his heart with a simple quick shake of his head.
Isaac – Jacob
6 – Hand – 3
0 – Soul – 2
4 – Damage – 4
1 – Counterblast – 2
F(3) U(5) – G-Zone – F(1) U(7)
Rising Phoenix / Dragonic Kaiser Vermillion "The Blood" – Empty / Dragon Monk, Gojo
Rising Phoenix / Dragonic Kaiser Vermillion – Dragonic Overlord "The X"/Dragonic Overlord the End / Calamity Tower Wyvern
Empty / Empty – Empty / Empty
"This is really not good." Cloud mumbled as he to realized his teammate's situation.
"What do you mean Cloud?" Nolan asks taking notice of her teammate's words as she seems to only have a partial grasp on the situation.
"He might be able to last another turn or two if he gets lucky, but the chances he'll have what he needs to land the killing blow are nearly zero." Cloud explained as he paused for a moment in order to catch his breath.
"I see now..." Nolan mumbled as she had a look of realization on her face, "If Jacob can't put Isaac in the ground now... then he'll be free to follow up with two triple critical attacks or... assuming Isaac has two more copies... a 2 critical attack with no perfect guards."
"Exactly... if Jacob has the card that I hope he does in his G-Zone... then he'll meet the minimal requirements for his winning image during only this turn." Cloud explained as he looked towards his dark suit wearing teammate as if silently cheering him on.
"If I've been keeping track of Isaac's hand correctly... he has at least 20000 shield worth of cards, but if two of the remaining 3 unknown cards are his last sentinels-" Nolan starts to mumble.
"Then Jacob is completely screwed. Right now he only has the offensive strength to deal with 1 perfect guard not 2." Cloud interrupts as he instantly realizes where Nolan was going with her point.
"Are you on your last legs already? Your words from not to long ago seemed to have suggested the opposite." Isaac points out as he wonders why his opponent hasn't made a move yet.
"I was simply contemplating my next move. Rest assured that my resolve hasn't wavered in the least, and in fact I intend to repay you for the kindness you've showed me as it would be rude not to." Jacob calmly retorts as he goes through the starting motions of a fighter's turn, "In fact like you... I'll pay back my debt with a card I was hoping to save until nationals as well."
"Interesting... then show me what your mystery card can do." Isaac retorts wishing he could literally lock swords with what Jacob's about to play next.
"Could it be that at least two of the cards in his G-Zone are... no that's impossible." Dalette mumbles to herself as she seems to be the first to realize what Jacob has in mind.
"What is it boss lady? What do you think he's about to play?" Virgil asks as he overhears her mumbling.
"Another legendary unit... brace yourself as we may see the claim of Isaac's first loss come to pass." Dalette answers as she starts to believe in Jacob.
Another legendary unit is indeed what Jacob is about to play next, and I'm sure that some of you readers have already figured out who I'm talking about but why spoil the surprise.
"Liberating the generation zone!" Jacob declared in a calm expression.
In fact I'd say this is the most calm he's been throughout the entire fight. He knows this is his last chance, so he isn't going to let the slightest bit of emotion get in his way.
"Ruler of all under heaven, unleash the imperial heart and flames that united the world in my future!" Jacob yelled.
A column of flaming magma burst forth from the ground reaching towards the sky like how it did when Jacob rode "The X", but this time it occurred on a scale that would be international news were it to happen in the real word. In any case the column burst forth from behind Jacob's units and stretched for what could have been miles from Isaac's perspective.
"To create this kind of a reaction in the GIRS... just what card is Jacob about to play?" Sara yelled in order to further excite the crowd already mystified by this visual display
"Damn in... I knew they were both stronger, but I never thought the difference would be this big." I whisper to myself as my self-confidence starts to take a hit.
As for what emerges from this seemingly world ending tower of magma is the crimson reaper in its latest form wearing quite a bit of oriental armor.
"Stride Generation... Supreme Heavenly Emperor Dragon, Dragonic Overlord 'the Ace' [Power: 26000]!" Jacob yelled.
"Oh my... here it is... here it is... the G-Unit evolution of Jacob's own legendary grade 3!" Dr. O announced.
"Forgive the pun Vanguard fans, but I never expected Jacob to have this kind of ace up his sleeve." Sara follows.
"I use the Ace's skill, and I call Dragonic Overlord [Power: 11000]." Jacob said.
"Placing a form of your ace on the rearguard... it seems like this fight will be close to a mirror match until the end after all." Isaac points out in a nonchalant manner.
"The end result won't be something you'll approve of." Jacob declared as he mentally prepares himself for what will likely the last series of attacks he'll declare in this fight.
"To feel the brunt of a legend's power is always exciting... go ahead and show me that you can win this turn like you intend." Isaac said as he showed his willingness to take what Jacob had in store head on.
"Dragonic Overlord 'the Ace'... attack the vanguard [Total Power: 26000]!" Jacob yelled.
"Anastasia will nullify that attack [Perfect Defense]." Isaac counters.
"Damn... so Isaac had a third perfect shield after all." Nolan mumbles as she shakes her head in disappointment.
"It's not over yet... not until the last card is played." Cloud interjects, but even he could no longer keep his cool with all of the tension in the room.
"Twin drive check." Jacob said with a serious expression as he placed his hand on his deck.
[Drive Check – Demonic Dragon Mage, Rakshasa – Critical Trigger]
"I give all of the effects to my rearguard Dragonic Overlord." Jacob declared.
[Drive Check – Dragonic Overlord the End – No Trigger]
This sequence of events should have been visually simple... enemy vanguard swings sword, sword meets barrier created by sentinel unit, and then the sword is stopped by that barrier. All of this still happens, but the moment the Ace's blade comes into contact with Anastasia's barrier... there's a lot of blow back of the explosive kind into this Dragonic Overlord's face... bordering on a near nuclear level. I was humbled by the fact that the Ace could take his redirected power to the face and not have a scratch on him. Its a clear testament to not only his offensive power, but also his defensive strength as well.
"Ha ha... is this your way of saying that you won't accept anything less than defeating me with your vanguard?" Isaac asks as a small chuckle escapes his lips.
"I see... so that's his strategy to win." Dalette mumbles as if having realized what Jacob's plan is.
"Hmm... what do you mean?" Virgil asks.
"If I explain what I think Jacob's trying to do we'll just end up missing the rest of the fight, but the gist of it is that critical trigger forces Isaac to re-think how to divide his defenses seeing as how most people would impulsively apply all of the effects to his vanguard." Dalette explain.
"How so?" I curiously ask.
"Let's assume that before Jacob's attack that two of the three unknown cards in Isaac's hand were perfect shields. If he were to use both of them on Jacob's vanguard that would leave Isaac only two cards to guard with. One of them is guaranteed to be a 10 k shield so." Dalette was explaining.
"Oh I see if the other card isn't a 5k shield or a 10k shield should Jacob give it another power boost... Isaac won't be able to defend, and if he only had the one sentinel then Isaac will have to take Jacob's next attack." I interrupt as I quickly realize where Dalette was going with her point.
I could tell that Dalette was a little miffed with me interrupting her, however the gist still is that Jacob intends to force Isaac to seriously think about taking his vanguard's next attack.
"Since I have a copy of Anastasia in my drop zone I counter charge 1." Isaac said.
"By discarding one random card and a card with Overlord in its name... the Ace stands back up with a 5000 power bonus." Jacob explained.
"Logical as always... you had better win, so this way it'll make taking the title of the team's ace back from you all the more sweeter." Cloud thought as he silently cheered for his teammate.
"Now with the support of Calamity Tower Wyvern, Dragonic Overlord 'the Ace' will attack Dragonic Kaiser Vermillion [Total Power: 36000]!" Jacob yelled.
"Very well then... let's leave it to destiny to decide who comes out of this fight alive! No guard!" Isaac declared as he excitedly stares death in the face.
"Then I'll brush destiny aside if it dares to get in my way! The final twin drive check!" Jacob yelled.
[Drive Check – Dragonic Burnout – No Trigger]
"After abandoning you for years... I know I have no right to ask this of any of you, but for the sake of the times we did fight together and for the sake of my family... my deck... give me strength to end this." Jacob whispers to his deck at a volume inaudible to anyone else.
Jacob's desire for victory came to a peak at this moment... it was so strong that a very small tear rolled down the side of his face. Regardless of how this fight ended as you'll see soon enough... no one would dare make the claim that Jacob Edwards is a fighter with a burning passion in his heart.
"And second check." Jacob said as he picked up the top card of his deck, but for some reason likely nerves pauses for a second before he picks it up.
The power of the GIRS recreates something in this moment that all card fighters should be able recognize almost instantly... namely I'm talking about the pale yellow glow of a certain kind of card.
[Drive Check – Demonic Dragon Mage, Rakshasha – Critical Trigger]
"I give the critical to The Ace, and the power will go to The End [New Total: 36000 2 Crit]!" Jacob yelled.
The more larger Dragonic Overlord stands over Dragonic Kaiser Vermilion like a Pharaoh to the common man, though in reality it's just that The Ace is 30-40% bigger than the leader of the Narukami clan. The Ace raises his blade above Dragonic Overlord and swings it down as if administering almighty justice, however even if the difference in power is overwhelming Vermillion swings his own weapon in response, the two meet, and an explosion ensues. Once the smoke clears, Dragonic Kaiser Vermillion is reveled to be resting on one knee covered in scorch marks while The Ace is unharmed save for a single scorch mark on his sword. That in itself is an impressive accomplishment as few warriors other than Blaster Blade have managed to do such a thing.
[Damage Check – Dusty Plasma Dragon – No Trigger]
"The 5th damage... Could we be on the precipice of witnessing an upheaval in modern Vanguard history?" Sara announced.
"Only if the next card Isaac reveals isn't a heal trigger, but I must admit my hair is standing on end waiting for the result regardless. Using Isaac's words... it'll be up to 'destiny' from here on out." Dr. follows.
"And the second damage check is..." Isaac said aloud as he picked up the top card of his deck.
[Damage Check – Dragonic Kaiser Vermillion "The Rebound" - No Trigger]
Final Results
Isaac – Jacob
4 – Hand – 4
0 – Soul – 2
6 – Damage – 4
0 – Counterblast – 4
F(3) U(5) – G-Zone – F(2) U(6)
Rising Phoenix / Dragonic Kaiser Vermillion "The Blood" – Dragonic Overlord the End / Dragon Monk, Gojo
Rising Phoenix / Dragonic Kaiser Vermillion – Supreme Heavenly Emperor Dragon, Dragonic Overlord "the Ace" / Calamity Tower Wyvern
Empty / Empty – Empty / Empty
"It... it's over." Dr. O mumbles as he literally starts pinching himself to make sure that he wasn't dreaming.
"Wi... winner of the first fight, Jacob Edwards of Team Star Ocean." the judge declared after a moment's pause as the result was so shocking that even he couldn't speak straight.
Oh believe me a lot more than just a tournament judge and an announcer were shocked by this upheaval of a result. Another person and I took these chain of events particularly hard, of which the identity of that other person should be quite obvious as you'll read soon enough.
"Isaac... lost?" Teresa and I coincidentally say simultaneously despite the fact that we were actually miles apart at the moment.
As for what happens from here... well that's a tale for another time.
To Be Continued
Nolan: Amazing... who could expect such a result.
Jacob: You had better keep your word.
Isaac: Don't worry I will.
Virgil: Have you heard? The next round will be a tag-fight.
Kiba: Next time on Vanguard: Light Speed "SGZ"
Dalette: SGZ? What's that? Well at least it gives me an excuse to bring out the deck I use only for tag-fights.
Narukami
Grade 0
Hateful Djinn (Critical Trigger)
Power: 4000 Shield: 10000
[Auto](RC):[Put this unit into your soul] When your vanguard attacks, if you have a grade 3 or greater vanguard with "Vermillion" in its card name, you may pay the cost. If you do, draw a card, choose one of your vanguards, and it gets +5000 power until the end of that battle.
Grade 3
Dragonic Kaiser Vermillion "The Resonance"
Power: 15000+ Triple Drive
Stride (Released when both players' vanguards are grade 3 or greater)-Stride Step-[Choose one or more cards with the sum of their grades being 3 or greater from your hand, and discard them] Stride this card on your (VC) from face down.
[Act](VC)[1/Turn]:[Counterblast 2, Soulblast 1, & choose a face down card named "Dragonic Kaiser Vermillion "The Resonance"" from your G-Zone and turn it face up] If you have a heart card with "Vermillion" in its card name, until end of turn this unit gets +5000 power, [Critical]+1, and "[Cont](VC): This unit battles every unit on your opponent's front row in one attack." If you have 2 or more face up units in your G-Zone this unit gets until end of turn "[Auto](VC): When this unit attacks a vanguard your opponent cannot call Grade 1 or greater units to the (GC) from his or her hand".
Lore: In one of Cray's alternate futures, the Dragon Empire is shocked to its core by the reappearance of Vermillion the former leader of the Narukami clan after decades past where everyone thought him dead.
His drawn and aged appearance revealed a man who has spent years training, and upon his return he challenged the current leader Abraxas to a dual to the death in order to regain his command. The battle was intense... mountains and forests were destroyed in the process.
In the end the former leader of the Narukami clan was victorious, and upon inflicting the killing blow Vermillion absorbed the soul of the defeated Kaiser allowing to him to his current form.
With his new power unexpectedly being ridiculous in comparison to the Empire's other Kaisers... some of whom even dared to compare it to rivaling the power of the dragon that ruled all under heaven from one of Cray's other futures.
Now he stands ready defeating the Empire's enemies one at a time in order to bring it further glory.