SailorStar9: After getting Chapter 43 out, this is Chapter 44 of this fic. For everyone who put this fic on your favorited and followed lists and/or story alerts, thank you, but remember everyone, a lot of authors (myself included) sustain on readers' reviews.

Pairing: Kai/Ami

Disclaimers: Sailor Moon and Cardfight! Vanguard belong to Takeuchi-sensei and Akira Itō-sensei respectively. Me, on the other hand, own absolutely nothing, except the pairing and the fic idea.

Chapter 44: Lord of the Fight

"It's been a while, huh?" Asaka greeted her opponent.

"Yeah." Misaki agreed.

"What's that scary look for?" Asaka chided.

"I'm going to settle the score between us." Misaki declared.

"I wonder if you can." Asaka challenged.

"Stand up, Vanguard!"

"Godhawk, Ichibiyoshi." Misaki summoned her unit.

"Hades Ringmaster." Asaka followed suit.

"Here I go." Misaki took her turn. "Draw. I activate Godhawk, Ichibiyoshi's skill, I get to check the first five cards of my deck. I superior ride Goddess of the Crescent Moon, Tsukuyomi. Turn end."

"Tonight, let's raise the tent again of the bewitching Pale Moon Circus." Asaka announced. "I hope you'll enjoy my plethora of tricks that are graceful, yet ruthless. I ride Midnight Bunny. I Soulcharge with the ability of Hades Ringmaster. Let's go, Bunny. Show her a magnificent attack."

"No guard." Misaki declared.

"Drive check." Asaka drew a card. "And thus, ends the first act of my circus."

"I stand and draw." Misaki took her turn. "With the skill of Goddess of the Crescent Moon, I check the top five cards."

"She draws five cards and not one of them is Half Moon?" Morikawa whined.

"That happens sometimes." Izaki defended.

"No, she must have bad luck today." Morikawa decided. "Let's see, her horoscope says..." he flipped his zodiac horoscope book. "What month is she born in again?"

"I ride Goddess of the Half Moon, Tsukuyomi." Misaki continued her turn. "Soulcharge. I call Battle Maiden, Tagitsuhime. I attack with Goddess of the Half Moon."

"No guard." Asaka declared.

"Trigger check." Misaki drew a card.

"Damage trigger check." Asaka drew a card.

"I attack with Tagitsuhime." Misaki continued her attack.

"All right, the curtain goes up for on the second act of my circus." Asaka bragged. "Draw. I ride Crimson Beast Tamer. I call Mirror Demon, Turquoise Beast Tamer and Skull Juggler. Skull Juggler's Soulcharge. Skull Juggler boosts. Mirror Demon attacks."

"Damage trigger check." Misaki drew a card. "Critical trigger. I give all the effects to Goddess of the Half Moon."

"Turquoise, if you would." Asaka had Turquoise Beast Tamer boost up Crimson Beast Tamer.

"No guard." Misaki declared.

"Drive trigger check." Asaka drew four cards.

"Damage trigger check." Misaki drew a card.

"I'll close the curtain for now, having delivered two damage." Asaka ended her turn. "I hope the whole audience is looking forward to the third act, which will begin shortly."

"I stand and draw." Misaki took her turn. " Goddess of the Half Moon's skill." she drew five cards.

"You didn't find it this time, either?" Asaka mocked. "This isn't your lucky day."

"Luck?" Misaki scoffed. "I don't rely on that when I'm fighting."

"What's that?" Asaka taunted. "Acting tough? I figured you more for the heart-on-the-sleeve type."

"Shine brightly, beautiful Goddess." Misaki played her card. "I ride CEO Amaterasu! Soulcharge. I check the top card of my deck. I return the card to the bottom of my deck." she slid the card back. "I call Oracle Guardian, Red Eye. I attack Mirror Demon."

"In that case, I defend with Big League Bear." Asaka fended. "I activate Big League Bear's skill. Soulcharge."

"I attack Mirror Demon with Tagitsuhime." Misaki continued. "There are six Oracle Think Tank cards in my Soul, so she receives +3000 power."

"It's seems you're afraid of Deadly Shadow Beast." Asaka chuckled. "So you're using what you've learnt in the past, or is it that you're terrified right now?"

"You'll see." Misaki remarked.

"Fine." Asaka noted. "No guard."

"I attack Crimson with Amaterasu." Misaki continued her attack.

"No guard." Asaka declared.

"Twin drive, first check. Second check." Misaki drew two cards. "Draw trigger. I give the effect to Amaterasu. And then, I draw."

"Damage trigger check." Asaka drew a card. "I have a draw trigger, too. Draw."

"Turn end." Misaki ended her turn.

"This is the Pale Moon Circus and the much-awaited third act will now begin." Asaka snorted. "I ride Barking Manticore. I activate its skill and draw one card from my deck. I put one card from my hand into the Soul. I call nightmare Doll, Alice and Barking Cerberus. Cerberus, take out Amaterasu."

"I guard with Dream Eater." Misaki defended.

"With a boost from Turquoise, Manticore attack Amaterasu." Asaka continued her attack. "Crimson Beast Tamer is in the Soul, so both units receive +3000 for a grand total of 22000 power."

"No guard." Misaki declared.

"Drive trigger." Asaka drew two cards. "First check. Second check. Critical trigger is activated. I give the power of Alice and the extra critical to Manticore."

"Uh oh, this makes 5 damage." Morikawa gasped.

"Whatever you do, protect against the next attack." Izaki shouted.

"With a boost from Skull Juggler, Alice attack Amaterasu." Asaka gave the order.

"I guard with Battle Sister, Ginger and Goddess of the Crescent Moon Tsukuyomi." Misaki fended.

"Anyway, that's a relief." Izaki sighed.

"No, you can't breathe easy yet." Miwa corrected.

"You understand, don't you?" Asaka asked. "You have 5 damage, I have 3. If you don't win on the next turn, your loss is all but assured."

"That's not for you to decide." Misaki snapped.

"Do you still have some spirit left?" Asaka mocked. "I wonder how long you'll be able to hold on to it. Along with the cold-blooded smile floating in the pale moonlight, let's bring the curtain down."

"Draw." Misaki drew a card. "Amaterasu's Soulcharge. I check the top card of my deck. I return it to the bottom of my deck. I call Oracle Guardian, Gemini, and Goddess of the Crescent Moon, Tsukuyomi. With a boost from Gemini, Oracle Guardian Red Eye attacks Alice."

"She attacked the rear-guard again?" Renji gaped.

"ARGA, yo!" Eiji agreed.

"And not Cerberus, which can intercept but Alice." Miwa added.

"Come on." Izaki urged. "You have to win this turn, remember?"

"That's right." Asaka shrugged. "You'll never be able to win just by protecting yourself. Whatever. Protect me, Dynamite Juggler."

"With a boost from Goddess of the Crescent Moon, Amaterasu attacks Manticore." Misaki continued her turn.

"No guard." Asaka declared.

"Drive trigger, first check." Misaki drew two cards. "Second check. No trigger."

"Damage trigger check." Asaka drew a card. "No trigger."

"I attack Alice with Battle Maiden, Tagitsuhime." Misaki continued her attack. "I activate her skill, +3000 power."

"Are you that afraid of Alice?" Asaka chided. "Even though she's such a cute doll."

"Are you gonna guard or not?" Misaki retorted.

"No guard." Asaka replied.

"Turn end." Misaki declared.

"Now I can turn off the lights when I go to sleep tonight." Morikawa heaved in relief.

"Huh?" Izaki gaped.

"I mean, that giant doll is likely to show up in a dream, you know?" Morikawa shivered. "And that'd be scary."

"What's Loser-umi talking about, at his age?" Renji mocked.

"LU is a total coward, yo." Eiji taunted.

"We;, it's a 'Nightmare' doll, so he's not wrong." Miwa chuckled. "So, she just got up to 4 damage this turn."

"If Misaki takes even 1 more point of damage during the next turn..." Izaki remarked.

"Yeah." Miwa agreed. "Q4 will lose."

"Draw." Asaka took her turn. "It's been fun, but I have to raise the curtain for the finale of my Pale Moon Circus. Listen to the crack of the whip of the queen who can stir up a storm. Come, Mistress Hurricane! There are over 8 cards in the Soul, so she receives +1000 power. And then, Hurricane's Counterblast. Come back, Nightmare Doll Alice. An assassin never lets her quarry escape. With attacks like that, you'll never be able to evade the deadly traps of the Pale Moon Circus. I call Midnight Bunny. Alice's attack Bunny's boost. If both of them succeed, this attack will even have more potential. These are my circus' proud star units. With a boost from Skull Juggler, Alice attacks Amaterasu."

"I guard with Lozenge Magus." Misaki defended.

"In any event, you're keeping up a steady guard." Asaka remarked. "But how long can that last? With a boost from Turquoise, let's go!"

"I guard with Battle Sister, Chocolat." Misaki fended. "I discard one card for the perfect defense."

"Perfect guard?" Asaka mocked. "But, drive trigger. First check. Second check. Skyhigh Walker. It's a stand trigger. Stand, Alice. And then, I add +5000 to your power. So go on, Alice. This time, make sure your attack on Amaterasu goes through."

"I guard with Chocolat." Misaki pulled out another Battle Sister, Chocolat."

"I never thought she's be able to pull off a perfect defense twice." Asaka hissed.

"This is as far as it goes." Ami stated. "Narumi-san doesn't have a chance to attack anymore."

"Is that so?" Kai wondered.

"Cerberus attacks Amaterasu with a boost from Bunny." Asaka continued her attack.

"Tagitsuhime, Red Eye, intercept." Misaki used two units to block.

"Awesome!" Morikawa gaped.

"She held through four attacks." Izaki was impressed.

"Misaki!" Emi beamed.

"That's great, girl." Miwa praised.

"GG, yo!" Eiji agreed.

"It should be GM." Renji corrected.

"This is the first time anyone has made me bring down the curtain so humiliatingly." Asaka spat. "I acknowledge your ability, Tokura Misaki. But that didn't do anything but buy you some time. After I make it through the next turn, you'll be finished."

"Yes, that's true." Misaki admitted. "If you make it through. I stand and draw. In our last fight, your foresight was better than mine. But it's different this time. This field, no, this fight is controlled by me. Gentle light that illuminates the darkness, your smile will envelop the world. I ride Goddess of the Full Moon, Tsukuyomi! Counterblast! I draw two cards from my deck. I put one card from my hand into the Soul. And then, one more Counterblast."

"I see.." Kai realized the same thing Ami did.

"That is what Misaki's been aiming for." Ami smiled.

"I call Psychic Bird." Misaki continued her attack. "I activate its skill. I draw one card from my deck. I call one more Psychic Bird. I activate its skill and draw again. I call Dark Cat. I activate its skill. When this unit enters the field, if the Vanguard is an Oracle Think Tank unit, both fighters may draw a card. I'm going to draw. How about you?"

"I'll draw." Asaka replied.

"I got it." Misaki smiled. "I cal Evil-eye Princess, Euryale. Euryale's skill, I bind one card from your hand. So you can't use that card during this turn. And then, call. Beautiful Evil-Eye Maiden, Euryale."

"Seriously?" Morikawa and Izaki twitched.

"That girl doesn't show any mercy." Miwa chuckled.

"Woo... that's ruthless." Ami whistled.

"Bind!" Misaki bound yet another of Asaka's cards.

"I don't know what you're trying to do, but for your three attacks turn, I can still suffer 1 damage and be okay." Asaka retorted.

"Three attacks?" Misaki echoed. "Oh no. All I need is one. With a boost from Goddess of the Crescent Moon, attack Mistress Hurricane. Goddess of the Full Moon, Tsukuyomi!"

"18000 power." Asaka muttered. "I need to... Candy Clown and Turquoise, protect the Vanguard."

"Drive trigger check." Misaki continued her turn. "First check. Battle Sister, Ginger, and I give the extra critical to Goddess of the Full Moon."

"Don't tell me you've..." Asaka gasped.

"Godhawk, Ichibiyoshi, Goddess of the Crescent Moon, Goddess of the Half Moon and Amaterasu." Misaki listed the four cads she used. "With their skills, I sent 16 cards to the bottom of my deck. And this is that first card. Second check. This is also Battle Sister, Ginger. I give all the effects to Goddess of the Full Moon. That's 28000 power."

"Critical 3..." Asaka breathed. "I don't believe it..." she was shocked after the attack landed.

"Oracle Think Tank predicts the future." Misaki added. "I told you, didn't I? This fight is controlled by me."

"Are you going to interfere with this fight?" Kai asked his partner, seeing Ami's stance tighten as Aichi and Ren took the stage.

"Only when I have to." Ami replied.

SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.