A/N: Hey vanguard fans. I'm back with the latest chapter. Time to kick off the semi finals. Let's get right into it.
Booster Set 2: Clash of Destiny
Featured Clans: Pale Moon, Narukami, Star Chaser, Royal Paladin, Neo Nectar
All: Cardfight Vanguard!
William: The battle between Cray and Conquest Empire is nigh.
Rose: But we shall not falter. The fate of two worlds is riding on us.
Anthony: Bring 'em on. I'll blow Conquest Empire away.
Sophia: Let's do this everybody!
Dan: Hang on, Aurora. We're coming.
Dan: Booster Set: Clash of Destiny, on sale now! Featuring Savior Rares! Bushiroad!
Clan Booster 1: March of the Empire
Featured Clan: Conquest Empire
All: Cardfight Vanguard!
Nalwa: Heh, time for us generals to go wild!
Napoleon: What fools. As if anyone can stand against Conquest Empire.
Lilith: So many new darling test subjects to experiment on.
Alexander: Go, proud soldiers! For the glory of the empire!
Alexander: Clan Booster: March of the Empire, on sale now. Featuring Emperor Pack. Bushiroad!
It was a normal afternoon at Card Galaxy. Aurora was in the middle of a cardfight while her father stood at the counter. She came to her father's shop every day after elementary school, hung out and had cardfights with the other kids, then went home with her father when it came time to close for the day. And so far today had been just like any other.
"Watch this! Since Meteokaiser Vic-ten's attack hit, I can use its skill! I stand Blaupanzer and give it 5000 power! Now I attack with Mars Blaukluger boosted by Blaupanzer!" the young Aurora said with a grin. The attack managed to deal the sixth and final damage she needed against her opponent, causing her to win the game. "Yes! I did it! I won! Did you see me, Daddy?!"
"Yes, I did. Good job, sweetheart." Ryuji told his daughter.
"I'm super strong! I bet I could even beat you now, Daddy!"
Ryuji cracked an entertained grin. "Careful there, kiddo. I don't have any plans of losing to you this soon. You're still only ten."
The ringing of the bell by the front door caused Aurora to turn her head as a new arrival walked in. It was a young boy, probably the same age as her. He had messy dark hair. He looked around, surveying the shop as he took a few steps inside.
"Welcome to Card Galaxy." Ryuji said. "How can I help you?"
The young boy was silent for a few seconds before finally speaking up. "Who's the strongest cardfighter here? I wanna fight them."
The direct nature of his declaration almost caused Ryuji to chuckle with amusement. "Well you're certainly an eager one, aren't you?"
Aurora however was far less welcoming as she stepped forward. "Just who do you think you are?! You can't come in here demanding to fight the best player."
"Yeah huh! I'm a super strong fighter!" the boy said. He took out his deck and held it out with a confident smirk. "Anthony Ferges, the future number one cardfighter! That's me!"
Aurora waved away the boy's egotism. "Yeah right. I bet you're all talk."
"What was that?!" Anthony glared. "Fine! I'll beat you first!"
"Bring it on!"
Several customers looked on as Aurora and Anthony stood across from each other at one of the tables. A fierce look of determination burned in each of their eyes as they began their game.
"Stand up! Vanguard!"
In-between dealing with customers, Ryuji glanced over at the game between Aurora and Anthony. It seemed to be more or less even for the moment. But before long the game was decided.
"Ha! Critical trigger! I give the power to Chatura and the critical to my vanguard!" Anthony grinned.
"No way!" Aurora gasped. "Three critical triggers in a row?!"
"That's right! Conquest Dragon, time to finish her off!"
Aurora took three damage, putting her at six and ending the game. Anthony wasted no time gloating at his victory. "Aw yeah! That's right! Who's the best?!"
"You just got lucky!" Aurora argued. "I would have won if you hadn't crit sacked me!"
"You're just jealous that I'm so amazing."
"Jealous?!"
Ryuji couldn't help but let out a small laugh. He could already tell these two were going to be fierce rivals.
"One more game!" Aurora demanded. "I'll prove your win was just luck!"
"Fine. I guess I can show you my awesome skills again if you really want."
In less than a minute, the two kids started another game. The second of what would eventually become countless games in the future.
"Stand up! Vanguard!"
Aurora stood outside of the stadium, taking in the fresh air. Today was the final day of the Vanguard Invitational Cup. First up would be the semi-finals, and then afterwards it would be the finals.
And her opponent in the semi-finals was going to be Anthony.
So many years had passed since their first meeting at Card Galaxy. She never would have imagined that they would go through so much together when they had first met. They had both been on a team together to win the World Tournament, and gone through adventures so crazy that Aurora herself wouldn't have believed them had she not gone through them herself.
The more she thought about it, the more Aurora was sure. Anthony was her first true rival.
Aurora took a deep breath. This wasn't going to be an easy fight, but it was one she had to win regardless. She had no intention of losing now after coming this far. After collecting her thoughts, she headed towards the front entrance and walked inside the stadium to wait for her match to start.
Anthony leaned against the wall of the stadium hallway. In less than an hour, the semi-finals would begin. And he would face off against Aurora.
Of course Anthony planned to win the entire tournament. But a high stakes cardfight against Aurora was his primary reason for wanting to participate in this tournament. He had to face several tough opponents to make it this far. And now the opponent he wanted to beat with every fiber of his being was up next.
Thinking back, the win rate between the two of them was about fifty-fifty. They had fought more times than he could count over the years, be it in casual games or shop tournaments at Card Galaxy. But this would likely be their last game for a while.
"Ready for your fight?" the sound of Elizabeth's voice snapped Anthony out of his thoughts as he watched the Scarlet girl walk up to him. "Aurora's not going to be easy to beat, you know."
"Trust me, I don't think anyone knows that better than me." Anthony assured her. "But I made my decision. I'm going to win this."
"Have you told her or Dan about what we discussed?"
Anthony shook his head. "Not yet. I don't want to distract them with unnecessary crap right now. All that matters is the fight ahead of us."
"I suppose you're right." Elizabeth admitted. "But you're going to have to tell them sooner or later."
"Yeah." Anthony nodded as he began making his way to the field. "I know."
"Rabid cardfighting fans around the world, today is the day!" Sachi announced to the crowd. "After a series of breathtaking matches over the past few days, we are finally on the last day of the Vanguard Invitational Cup! Very soon, we will have our champion! But first, we need to decide which two lucky cardfighters will be duking it out in the final round! So without further adieu, give it up for the cardfighter of the first match of the semi-finals! Aurora Fujou and Anthony Ferges!"
The crowd roared as Aurora and Anthony both walked out onto the field. As the two friends took their place, they looked at each other with confident smirks.
"Let's get this party started!" Sachi shouted. "You know the words, everyone!"
"Stand up! Vanguard!"
"Ace Starship Pilot, Dipper Major!"
Ace Starship Pilot, Dipper Major
Grade 0, Power: 5000
"Thunderwarning Dracokid!"
Thunderwarning Dracokid
Grade 0, Power: 5000
"I'm up first." Aurora said. "I ride Cosmic Brawler, Aries!"
Cosmic Brawler, Aries
Grade 1, Power: 7000
"Dipper moves back. Turn end."
[Turn 2. Hand: Aurora(5), Anthony(5).]
"My turn then. I draw." Anthony said. "Riding Thunder Pillar Dragon!"
Thunder Pillar Dragon
Grade 1, Power: 7000
"Thunderwarning moves back. And now it'll boost my vanguard's attack!"
(7000+5000=12000)
"No guard."
"Drive check, no trigger."
"Damage check, no trigger."
[Damage: Aurora(1), Anthony(0).]
"Turn end."
[Turn 3. Hand: Aurora(5), Anthony(6).]
"Stand and draw." Aurora said. "Ride! Cosmos Sabre, Lumina!"
Cosmos Sabre, Lumina
Grade 2, Power: 9000
"Calling Starshot Gunner to rear guard! Starshot attacks your vanguard!"
(9000)
"Guard!"
"Dipper boosts. Get him, Lumina!"
(9000+5000=14000)
"No guard."
"Drive check. Yes, a stand trigger! All effects to Starshot Gunner!"
"Tch, damage check. No trigger."
[Damage: Aurora(1), Anthony(1).]
"Hit him again, Starshot!"
(9000+5000=14000)
"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."
[Damage: Aurora(1), Anthony(2).]
"That's all for my turn."
[Turn 4. Hand: Aurora(6), Anthony(5).]
"Stand and draw." Anthony said. "Wyvern Thunderstrike, Bargs! Let's ride!"
Wyvern Thunderstrike, Bargs
Grade 2, Power: 9000
"Calling Circular Blade of Strong Lightning, Grizel!" Anthony said. "Attack!"
(9000)
"No chance! I guard!"
"Then let's see how you handle Bargs's attack, with a boost from Thunderwarning!"
(9000+5000=14000)
"No guard."
"Drive check, critical trigger! That's 5000 power and plus one critical to my vanguard!"
"Damage check." Aurora said. "First card, no trigger. Second card, heal trigger! Power to the vanguard and I recover one!"
[Damage: Aurora(2), Anthony(2).]
"Ugh, of course you'd get a lucky heal." Anthony groaned.
"Oh, I don't want to hear that from you of all people! Do you even know how many times you crit sacked me over the years with your trigger luck?!"
Aurora and Anthony stared each other down for a few seconds of silence. But soon, neither of them could keep up the glares and both started laughing.
"Hahaha, you really are something Anthony. Nobody gets under my skin like you." Aurora admitted with a smile.
"And I don't know anybody as overly passionate as you." Anthony responded.
"To be honest, when we first met, I didn't like you one bit."
"The feeling was mutual." Anthony told her. A nostalgic smile was on his face. "I'm really going to miss fighting you like this."
Aurora raised a brow. "Huh? What's that mean?"
"Nothing. Forget it." Anthony said. "My turn's over. You're up."
[Turn 5. Hand: Aurora(5), Anthony(6).]
"Stand and draw." Aurora said. "You know, now that I think about it, you were the first person I fought against using Star Chaser."
"Yeah. That new clan of yours threw me for a loop back then." Anthony chuckled. "But things are going to be different this time. I'm gonna be the winner!"
"You wish!" Aurora grinned. She held out a card from her hand. "It's time to come down with the speed of a shooting star! Shine on, my avatar! Ride! Starlight Swordswoman, Hikari!"
Starlight Swordswoman, Hikari
Grade 3, Power: 11000
"Using Dipper's skill! Since I have a vanguard with Hikari in its name, I can bind him, then bind a unit with the Warpdrive ability from my deck! I choose Sagittarius!" Aurora said. "Hikari attacks the vanguard!"
(11000)
Anthony quickly held up the critical trigger he had gotten last turn. "Guard!"
"Twin drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger." Aurora said. "Starshot attacks next!"
(9000)
"Guard!"
"Guess my turn's over then." Aurora said. "During the end phase, I use Dipper's soul blast to add him back to my hand."
"A clever move by Aurora Fujou." Sachi commented. "She bound her rear guard early so she could add it back to the hand and avoid adding to her opponent's Thunderstrike. With these two being former teammates, it's safe to say they know everything there is to know about each other's playing style."
[Turn 6. Hand: Aurora(7), Anthony(4).]
"Stand and draw." Anthony said. "You've gotten a lot stronger ever since you got your Star Chaser deck, Aurora. But for me, the Narukami clan will always be the strongest! Now rain down from the heavens, savage lightning! Ride! Dragonic Vanquisher "GALVANIZE"!"
Dragonic Vanquisher "GALVANIZE"
Grade 3, Power: 11000
"Not done yet! Stride Generation!" Anthony called out. "Conquering Supreme Dragon, Exterminate Dragon!"
Conquering Supreme Dragon, Exterminate Dragon
Grade 4, Power: 15000+
"Stride skill! Bind Starshot Gunner on the rear guard, and then the Aires in your drop zone! Since two cards were bound, I draw! And add 3000 power to Grizel!" Anthony declared. "Next up is Exterminate Dragon's skill! I soul blast and draw 1 card for each of your open front row rear guard circles!"
"Anthony Ferges clears out Aurora's only rear guard, before using that advantage to add to his hand! He appears to have no blind spots!" Sachi declared. "However, Aurora Fujou's deck is Star Chaser, which utilizes the bind zone to call out more rear guards! It's a double edged sword!"
From the stands, Akari analyzed the board. "He'll need to be careful which cards he binds from the drop zone. But he doesn't have much choice in how he plays."
"Indeed." Yuma nodded. "He may be giving Aurora more cards to work with, but if he holds back, it's only going to hurt him in the long run."
"Calling Brahmasta to rear guard!" Anthony said. "Skill of Exterminate! Counterblast! You have 2 open front row circles, so that's 20000 to my front row! I also call Fatine, and use her Thunderstrike to draw 1! Now Grizel attacks!"
(9000+3000+20000=32000)
"Generation guard! Protector of the Cosmos, Andromeda!"
Protector of the Cosmos, Andromeda
Grade 4, Shield: 15000
"Skill activated! Since there are at least 2 cards in the bind zone, add 10000 to the shield!"
"Boosted by Thunderwarning, Exterminate attacks!"
(26000+20000+5000=51000)
"No guard."
"Triple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! Power to Brahmasta and critical to the vanguard! Third check, no trigger."
"Damage check. First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger."
[Damage: Aurora(4), Anthony(2).]
"Brahmasta attack! And Fatine, you follow up!"
(9000+20000+6000=35000)
"Perfect guard!"
"Turn end."
[Turn 7. Hand: Aurora(4), Anthony(7).]
"Stand and draw." Aurora said. "That was a pretty good attack, Anthony. So I hope you don't mind if I respond in kind."
"Bring it."
"With pleasure! Skill of Hikari! At the start of the ride phase, I bind Canis Minor from my drop zone and countercharge!" Aurora smirked. "Stride Generation! Nebula Beast, Cosmos Pegasus!"
Nebula Beast, Cosmos Pegasus
Grade 4, Power: 15000+
"Stride skill! I bind Gemini from my deck and call it! Gemini gets 5000 power from the skill, and then another 5000 from his own Warpdrive skill! Next, I activate Pegasus's skill! Counterblast! Now, since I have 2 face up cards in my G Zone, I can call 2 cards from the bind zone! Starshot! Aries! They get 5000 power, and since two or more were called, Pegasus gains a critical!"
Anthony let out a chuckle. "Cosmos Pegasus. That's certainly a blast from the past."
"Well if you like it now, you're really gonna like it after this! Activating Warpdrives of Starshot and Aries! I send Canis Minor to the drop zone, increasing Starshot's power by 5000! And with Aries, I'll be retiring your Brahmasta and gaining 3000 power!"
"Amazing!" Sachi announced. "Without missing a beat, Aurora Fujou empties out her bind zone onto her field, gaining plenty of power in the process!"
"Calling Sun Smasher Apollo! And with his boost, Gemini will attack!"
(10000+5000+5000+4000=24000)
"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."
[Damage: Aurora(4), Anthony(3).]
"Pegasus, you're up next! And with Apollo's skill, I send it to the soul to draw and add 5000 to my vanguard!"
(26000+5000=31000)
"Perfect guard!"
"Triple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, critical trigger! All effects to Starshot! Third check, no trigger." Aurora said. "Aries boosts! Get him, Starshot!"
(9000+5000+5000+5000+7000+3000+5000=39000)
"Generation guard! Sky Guardian Supreme Dragon, Counteract Dragon!"
Sky Guardian Supreme Dragon, Counteract Dragon
Grade 4 , Shield: 15000
"Skill activated! Now you choose up to two of your front row rear guards to bind! And for each one not bound, Counteract Dragon gains 10000 shield!"
"Fine. I bind Gemini. That means you still need another 5000 shield."
"And I've got it right here! Chatura guards!"
"Turn end."
[Turn 7. Hand: Aurora(7), Anthony(4).]
"Stand and draw." Anthony said. "Well this has definitely been fun, Aurora. But it's about time I end this."
"You wish. There's no way I'm letting things end so soon."
"Then let's see you survive this!" Anthony said. "Generation Zone, release! Savage thunder, rain down from the heavens! Scorch this land with your furious lightning! Stride Generation! Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher V-TURBO!"
Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher "V-TURBO"
Grade 4, Power: 15000+
"Stride skill! Bind your rear guard Starshot and the Hikari in your drop zone! Since two cards were bound, I draw and add 3000 power to Grizel!" Anthony said. "Next, I use V-TURBO's skill! You choose one of your rear guards to retire and bind!"
Aurora glanced down at her field. "Aries."
"I also get to bind 2 cards from your drop zone! On top of that, my vanguard gains a skill! Now all of my front row units get 3000 power for every card in your bind zone until end of turn! And let's not forget Thunderwarning's skill! Since your rear guard was retired, another card from your drop zone gets bound!"
"That puts Aurora's bind zone count at seven." William noted. "And Aurora doesn't have anymore rear guards to bind."
"He won't be able to reach his vanguard's thunderstrike ability." Elizabeth said. "Aurora using Apollo last turn made a huge difference."
"He's still got a lot of power going to his units." Rose pointed out. "With Aurora at four damage, it won't be easy for her to survive this."
"I call Chatura and Thunder Pillar!" Anthony said. "Boosted by Fatine, Chatura attacks! With its skill, add 3000 power!"
(8000+3000+21000+6000=38000)
'If Chatura's attack hits, he'll be able to bind a card from my drop zone, giving him the 8th card he needs.' Aurora thought. 'I have to block this attack at all costs.' Quickly wasting no time, she discarded a heal trigger. "Generation guard! Star Cross Barrier, Crux!"
Star Cross Barrier, Crux
Grade 4, Shield: 15000
"Skill activated! I replace the Hikari in my bind zone with the Irene in my drop zone! Add 5000 to the shield!" Aurora explained. She then held up a critical trigger from her hand. "I also guard with this!"
"Boosted by Thunderwarning, here comes V-TURBO!"
(26000+21000+5000=52000)
"Activating the skill of Irene in my bind zone! I counterblast, soul blast, and discard a card to call her! Perfect guard!"
"Triple drive…"
Aurora looked at her hand. 'I had to use most of the defense I had to block those two attacks. I don't have enough to stop Grizel. If he pulls a critical trigger… I'm finished.'
"First check, no trigger. Second check, heal trigger. I can't heal, but I'll add 5000 power to Grizel. Third check… stand trigger! All effects to Chatura!"
Aurora gasped. 'Dammit! It may not be a critical, but that's still not a good sight!'
"Grizel attacks with a boost from Thunder Pillar!"
(9000+9000+18000+5000+8000+6000=55000)
"No guard. Damage check, critical trigger. All effects to the vanguard."
[Damage: Aurora(4), Anthony(3).]
"Chatura, finish her off!"
(8000+3000+21000+5000=37000)
"Apollo! Capricorn! Luminia! Help me out!" Aurora called out, throwing down the three cards from her hand. "I guard!"
Anthony clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Turn end. With Vanquisher's thunderstrike, a card from your drop is bound. Then, I countercharge and draw."
[Turn 8. Hand: Aurora(2), Anthony(7).]
"Stand and draw." Aurora said. "With Hikari's skill, I bind Luminia from my drop zone and countercharge."
"Alright! Finish him off, Aurora!" Madoka cheered.
"That's gonna be easier said than done, I'm afraid." Dan noted. "Aurora managed to survive, but she's still in a tight spot. She doesn't have much in her hand. And on top of that, Anthony's only at 3 damage."
"But… she can still win, right?"
"I don't know." Dan said. "But if anyone can do it, it's Aurora."
"Generation Zone, release!" Aurora declared. "Clustering stars, join together! Form the constellation of my future! Stride Generation! Galaxy Dragon, Star Shimmer Dragon!"
Galaxy Dragon, Star Shimmer Dragon
Grade 4, Power: 15000+
"Stride skill! I bind Sagittarius from my deck, and call Luminia from the bind zone! She gains 3000 power and a skill! With Luminia's warpdrive, I look at the top 3 cards of the deck, bind Gemini, and call Sagittarius!" Aurora said. "Now I use the skill Luminia gained from Hikari! She binds herself and calls Gemini from the bind zone! Warpdrive of Gemini! Add 5000 power! Next, Star Shimmer's skill! Counterblast and soulblast to bind the top card of my deck and call Luminia once again from the bind zone! With her warpdrive, I bind Aquarius and call it out! Lastly, I call Aries from my hand!"
"And just like that, Aurora Fujou fills up her entire board!" Sachi announced. "Will she be able to clinch the game here?!"
"Let's go! Boosted by Sagittarius, Gemini attacks!"
(10000+5000+8000+16000=39000)
"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."
[Damage: Aurora(4), Anthony(4).]
"Boosted by Aquarius, Star Shimmer attacks!"
(26000+7000=34000)
"Generation guard! Sky Guardian Supreme Dragon, Counteract Dragon!"
Sky Guardian Supreme Dragon, Counteract Dragon
Grade 4 , Shield: 15000
"You already know how this skill works, right?" Anthony smirked. "And we both know you're not about to bind any of your front row rear guards, which puts Counteract at another 20000 shield!"
'Damn. That's a really annoying g guardian to deal with.' Aurora thought to herself. "Triple drive! First check, no trigger. Second check, no trigger. Third check, no trigger."
"Aurora Fujou fails to pull even a single trigger from her triple drive!" Sachi announced. "That's bound to hurt her going forward!"
"Activating Star Shimmer's skill! Generation Break 3! I bind Gemini and Aquarius, and discard 2 from my hand to stand Star Shimmer with drive minus 1!" Aurora said. "Next, Luminia attacks with a boost from Aries! Luminia's skill gives her 2000 power for every other Warpdrive rear guard I have out!"
(9000+4000+7000=20000)
"As if I'd let that through! Guard!" Anthony said, holding up a trigger from his hand.
"Star Shimmer attacks once more!" Aurora declared.
(26000)
Anthony looked at his hand. 'I've got a sentinel in my hand. But Aurora can still get off another attack with her vanguard after this. I can't risk her pulling a critical here though.'
"I guard with Brahmasta and Dragon Dancer, Vianne! Also, intercept with Chatura and Grizel!"
"A shield of 25000. Combined with his vanguard's power, that puts Anthony at 36000." Marcus noted.
"Aurora needs two triggers to break through this." Sarah said.
Aurora placed her hand on her deck. "Twin drive. First check… stand trigger. I stand Aquarius and add 5000 power to my vanguard. Second check…"
All eyes were on Aurora. If she didn't pull this trigger, her chances of winning were going to be slim to none. Everything depended on this one card.
"Hey, Anthony…" Aurora said. "We sure have had a lot of cardfights over the years, haven't we?"
A reminiscent smile came to her friend's face. "Yeah. I can't even count the number of times we faced off. But this has been the best one yet."
"I couldn't agree more." Aurora nodded. "And that's why I won't allow myself to lose this." She took the top card of her deck and flipped it over. "Critical trigger. All effects to Star Shimmer."
Anthony let out a chuckle. "Of course you'd pull it."
Star Shimmer charged up a blast of energy before firing it down at Dragonic Vanquisher. When the smoke cleared, the last two cards were resting in Anthony's damage zone.
[Damage: Aurora(4), Anthony(6).]
"And there you have it, folks!" Sachi announced. "The winner of this exciting match, and the first of our two finalists is Aurora Fujou!"
Aurora and Anthony gathered their decks and walked up to each other, shaking hands. The crowd cheered loudly in appreciation for the fight they had just witnessed.
Anthony had a small smile on his face. "Man, I really wanted to win this last fight with you."
"Can't win 'em all." Aurora quipped back. Suddenly her eyes narrowed. "Wait… last fight?"
"Yeah. After high school, I'm leaving Japan." Anthony explained. "Elizabeth invited me to participate in the Euro League."
"The Euro League?! That's amazing!"
"Yeah. And since I was born in Spain, I should have no problems being eligible." Anthony said. "So once high school ends… we won't be seeing each other much anymore."
Aurora couldn't describe her envy for Anthony being able to participate in such a huge event. His dream of going pro would finally be realized. But at the same time, she couldn't help but feel sad. Her closest childhood friend would be moving far away.
"Tell you what then." Aurora said, raising her hand up to offer a fist bump. "I'll be sure to win this tournament. And in exchange, you be sure to take the Euro League by storm."
Anthony nodded his head and accepted the fist bump without a second thought. "Heh, sounds good to me."
Aurora: That was an awesome fight.
Rose: Indeed. And it will be interesting to have another fierce competitor in the Euro League. The flowers of romance sure are blooming, aren't they Elizabeth?
Elizabeth: ROSE!
Dan: Only one more game left before the finals. I wonder who's going to win.
Next Time: Cosmic Showdown