Sunday, Kuoh Local Hospital…
Koyori P.O.V
"Koyori, over here!"
I spotted Aleit with Toshiro in the distance, waving her hand at me.
I hurried over to them. "Sorry for making you two wait."
Aleit smiled warmly. "No problem, Koyori. We just got here ourselves."
The three of us entered the hospital together.
Later inside…
Walking down the quiet corridors, we made our way toward Room 4024. Aleit and Toshiro entered first, with me following closely behind.
Inside the room, a boy with short black hair and red eyes sat on a hospital bed, sorting through cards on a table in front of him. Accompanying him was a small kitten, perched on the table next to the cards, curiously inspecting each one.
"Hey, Kazuya," Toshiro greeted.
"Toshiro, Aleit. You came," Kazuya welcomed us with a smile. His gaze then shifted to me. "You're Koyori, right? The new club member?"
"Yeah," I replied, offering a small smile. "Nice to meet you, I'm Koyori Akiyurei."
"Kazuya Hiyoto." He replied, nodding politely before turning back to his deck.
"So, who's this little guy with you?" Aleit asked, pointing at the kitten sitting on the table.
I looked down at the kitten, who was staring up at us with curious, golden-yellow eyes. Its fur was a mix of black and white, but what stood out most was the unusual third ear on top of its head.
"Oh… This little guy has been accompanying me for a while now," Kazuya said, lifting the kitten off the table. "His name is Vanya. He showed up to me one day while I was cardfighting with a patient."
Kazuya placed Vanya on top of his head, allowing the kitten to perch comfortably. Vanya seemed at ease, getting the best view via Kazuya's head.
"Gotta admit, the little guy sure is adorable," I commented.
Some hour later…
Third P.O.V
"Wait, are you saying that Vanya is a cardfighter?!" Koyori, Aleit, and Toshiro exclaimed in shock, unable to believe that a kitten could be a skilled cardfighter.
"Nope, I'm not making this up," Kazuya confirmed with a chuckle. "This little guy really does know how to cardfight. He's surprisingly skilled at it, too."
"Meow!" Vanya meowed and looked at everyone with an expression that said, "Yeah! I can do it."
"A cat that can cardfight?" Koyori mused. "Now that's something you don't see every day."
"Are you sure Vanya can really cardfight?" Toshiro asked skeptically. "I think he might have just picked a few random cards and accidentally won a game without any real strategy."
Vanya's ears twitched, and he gave Toshiro an offended look, clearly displeased with the doubt.
"Well, why don't you find out for yourself, Toshiro?" Kazuya suggested. "Trust me, this kitten is more than meets the eye."
"Meow!" Vanya meowed again, this time with a more aggressive tone. The kitten stared at Toshiro with a determined expression that seemed to say, "Don't make fun of me just because I'm small."
"Looks like the little guy isn't backing down without a fight. Such confidence…" Koyori observed Vanya's behavior with amusement.
"Fine…" Toshiro sighed. "At the very least, I can use the opportunity to practice a bit."
After a vanguard match later…
"I… I… lost?"
Toshiro fell to his knees in front of the fight table, defeated, as Vanya triumphantly secured the victory. The kitten meowed proudly, tail twitching with satisfaction.
"Well done, Vanya," Kazuya praised, giving Vanya a gentle pat on the head.
Vanya purred contentedly, basking in the admiration. His golden eyes sparkled with pride as he nuzzled Kazuya's hand.
"How about that, Vanya does indeed know how to cardfight," Koyori said, genuinely impressed by the kitten's unique talent. "Did you teach him how to cardfight, Kazuya?"
"I think he learned just by watching my matches over the past few days," Kazuya replied with a chuckle. "Honestly, I didn't expect him to pick up the game so quickly."
"Meow!" Vanya meowed again, catching everyone's attention. He stared at everyone with his golden-yellow eyes as if he saying, "Did I impress all of you?"
Koyori laughed and gently patted the little kitten's furry head. "You sure did impress me, tiger."
Vanya's eyes sparkled with joy at being called "Tiger." Koyori could sense his playful, childlike nature as she watched the small kitten mewing happily to himself.
Koyori P.O.V
While Kazuya was talking with Aleit about the school subjects he missed, I sat at a nearby table with Toshiro and Vanya, going through our respective decks.
Vanya was looking through the deck that Kazuya built for him, while Toshiro on the other hand, was still sulking that he lost to a kitten.
I honestly don't blame him for that, I would be embarrassed as well if a small animal could easily outsmart me. But at the very least, Vanya isn't an arrogant kitten who takes pride in winning, the little guy just hates being underestimated.
Moving that aside, I need to prepare myself for the next upcoming matches. Mr. Guerrero has proven that there are going to be more powerful opponents than him, I just need to be ready for it.
"I ain't losing to you a second time, you hear me, TEACH!" there's no turning back now. Get ready, Mr. Guerrero!
Meanwhile…
Third P.O.V
Moving away from our main character, a blonde-haired boy stepped out of a convenience store, the light catching on his loose red shirt, which read, "I wear red so bad guys don't see me bleed."
"So, this world is very much like my own," he muttered to himself, glancing around thoughtfully. "Gotta admit, I didn't expect to meet a younger version of my mother here."
A voice echoed in his mind. "We're in a parallel world, Harry. Of course, there are going to be some similarities."
The boy named Harry reached into his pocket and pulled out a vanguard card. The card was "Fallen Beast who Devour Light, Skoll", the Supreme Emperor of Gluttony.
"I still can't believe that Jin asked us to participate in the Blood Throne."
Two Mounts ago…
"You want me to participate in the Blood Throne?!"
As we step back into Harry's past, we see him back at his home, sitting behind the dinner table with his family, discussing with a mysterious figure about participating in the Blood Throne as the Supreme Emperor of Gluttony.
"So what do you think, Harry?" The mysterious figure asked. "Are you in?"
"This all just so sudden. Moving to a different world… This is mind-blowing for me to even comprehend."
The mysterious figure leaned forward. "I understand, Harry. It's not every day someone is inviting you to travel to a parallel world to compete as a Supreme Blood. But think about the opportunity. You have the skills, the drive… and the Blood Throne is unlike anything you've ever experienced."
Harry glanced down, fidgeting with the edge of his sleeve, trying to process it all. "I get it. But moving to a new world, facing opponents I know nothing about… it's a lot to take in."
The figure nodded, offering a small smile. "Sometimes the greatest opportunities are found in the most unexpected places."
Back to the present.
"I guess it makes a lot of sense they'd want us to participate in the Blood Throne as the Supreme Emperor of Gluttony—and I'm pretty sure I'm the very first host you ever claimed."
"You got that right, Eagle Eye!" the Voice in Harry's head agreed.
"Alright, let's do our best on our very first Vanguard tournament, Skoll."
"Yeah! You can count on me, Harry!" the voice replied enthusiastically.
Harry clenched Skoll tightly in his hand before running off into the distance, full of excitement.
Tomorrow at School.
Harry P.O.V
My name is Harry Clenza: a boy from a different world and the Supreme Emperor of Gluttony.
Before we dive into the story, let's cut to the chase and explain how I ended up here in the first place. Let's get the obvious out of the way: yes, I am that Harry Clenza from The False Messiah on Wattpad, which means I'm Ravel Phenex's eldest child.
As for why I am here: well, let's just say it all thanks to my close friend and fellow Supreme Emperor, Jin Torgh Grimhilde—the Supreme Overlord's son.
Oh, and yes, I also attend at the same school as my sixteen-year-old mother—but as an upperclassman in this timeline. And before any of you sick freaks start making assumptions, let me be crystal clear: I'm not going to mess with this world's timeline by doing anything inappropriate with my mother's younger self. And that's a promise.
Look, I'm no fan of multiverse stories. Even God's perfect idiot himself would probably agree with me on that. I mean, sure, being part of a bigger universe seems ambitious from a writer's perspective—heck, I think the only reason these kinds of plots even exist is because "cameos" started gaining popularity after Spider-Man: No Way Home's success. But now, as the year progresses, it's just been miss after miss after miss.
The only reason Deadpool & Wolverine didn't flop at the box office was because of Hugh Jackman (The Sexiest Man Alive) and a well-scripted plot that doesn't prioritize cameos first and the story second.
But who am I to judge, right? After all, modern cinema's just one big cash grab for all of the nostalgia bait.
"Harry?"
I snapped back from my inner monologue, quickly pulling myself together and adjusting my glasses.
"Yes, Mr. Guerrero?"
"Are you still with us?" he asked.
I shook my head to refresh my mind, "I'm all ears here, sir! Just a bit distracted with Student Council stress like usual—It's really killing me that I start hearing voices in my head."
"Ah~! The auditory hallucinations," Mr. Guerrero smiled, clearly amused, as he took my fourth-wall-breaking excuse at face value. "I suppose it bound to happen to you at some point considering how stressful student council work tends to be."
"What exactly is auditory hallucinations, Mr. Guerrero?" a female student asked.
"Auditory hallucinations are a condition that messes with the brain's neural system and causes a person to hear things that aren't there," Mr. Guerrero began explaining. "It's commonly associated with conditions like schizophrenia, but it can also be triggered by stress, sleep deprivation, or certain medication—Although this condition isn't really serious from a normal perspective, it can still be quite unsettling for the person experiencing it. On a side note: despite the similarities, auditory hallucinations and multiple personality disorder are distinct conditions, though they can sometimes be considered related to each other in certain cases. However, auditory hallucinations are more about hearing voices or sounds that aren't present, while multiple personality disorder, now known as dissociative identity disorder, involves distinct identities or personality states within one person."
Looks like I successfully dodged this one for good.
"Staying focused is important to maintain a steady mind, but just because you have responsibilities doesn't mean you should ignore your own well-being."
Funny you say that, teach, but even if I overworked myself to death, I can't really die since I'm kinda "dead" to begin with—I don't know if it would be helpful for some who can die multiple times, but the info sure helps. It's better than nothing I suppose.
During second lunch break.
"Mr. Clenza! Can I have a minute with you?
Mr. Guerrero shouts my name out.
"Sure, Mr. Guerrero. Do you need something from me?" I asked, putting my Croque Madame sandwich back in my metal lunch box.
Mr. Guerrero approached my desk and pulled out an envelope with a familiar-looking seal.
"Mr. Yaegaki gave it to me this morning. He said, "Give it to him before the end of the day". I think it's your turn to participate." Mr. Guerrero confirmed.
I took the envelope from Mr. Guerrero's hand—I guess my time to shine as the Supreme Emperor of Gluttony had finally arrived.
Meanwhile…
Third P.O.V
Moving away from Kuoh Academy, we move to a location from the previous chapter: Cleria Belial's apartment.
Cleria, freshly bathed, exited the bathroom with only a towel draped around her body. She hummed in delight, still savoring the warmth of the bath she had just taken. As she walks toward her closet, the peaceful ambiance of her apartment contrasts with the looming thoughts swirling in her mind.
After putting on her gray-colored lingerie, she took out a purple shirt from her closet drawer and slipped it on.
"The time has finally come…" Cleria muttered, letting out a long sigh.
She glanced over at the desk beside her bed, where an envelope addressed to her rested alongside her vanguard deck. She grabbed her deck and pulled out a card. The card was "Agglomeration Core of Honor, Gozer", the Supreme Empress of Gluttony.
"If what Marco said is true… then I can finally meet Masaomi again and not make the same mistake."
Cleria's gray eyes flashed purple for a brief second, and a growling sound echoed in her ears as Gozer's presence replaced her reflection in the mirror.
"The choice is made… The Traveller has come… The Destructoctor has declared their proposal. Purpose. Desire…. Retribution. Your wish shall be granted."
Later that night.
Nighttime arrived, bringing the excitement of the Blood Throne. This battle will be a showdown between the Supreme Emperor of Gluttony and the Supreme Empress of Gluttony. The battle between Harry Clenza and Cleria Blood Belial.
And the location that will be taking place, is none other than an abandoned church.
Koyori P.O.V
"I'm glad you invited me to watch this match, Mr. Guerrero. But are you sure it's okay for me to be out this late? I really hate making excuses for my aunt."
Mr. Guerrero gave me a reassuring smile as he pushed open the heavy wooden door.
"Relax, Koyori. As long as you have adult supervision, you're fine. And don't worry—you won't get into trouble because you've got a cop accompanying you. Well, a former cop, to be specific."
Mr. Guerrero, as your student, I completely respect your status as a former police officer, but as an adult and my homeroom teacher, could you at least be a bit more concerned about your student's safety?
I shook my head, letting out a sigh of worry. "Well, at least I know you are an adult who never backs down on your word…"
"Mr. Guerrero, you came?"
The moment I entered the church, I spotted a boy standing in front of the fight table. From what Mr. Guerrero had told me, he must be the Supreme Emperor of Gluttony—Wait a second, have I met with this guy before?
"Of course, I came," Mr. Guerrero replied. "It's only natural that someone needs to supervise the match, especially since I'm acting as the substitute referee for tonight."
"That makes sense," He said, nodding in agreement.
The guy then glanced over at me.
"Ah, you must be Koyori Akiyurei from class 2-C." He stepped forward, extending a hand. "My name is Harry Clenza. I'm part of the Student Council. Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you, too," I replied, shaking his hand.
This guy is part of the Student Council, huh? He sure doesn't look like the typical council member, more like a comic book civilian with those round glasses. And the name "Harry"? Really?
"Achoo!" Harry suddenly sneezed.
"You okay?" I asked.
"I'm good," he replied, sniffing his nose. "So, where is my opponent?"
"She should be here by now." Mr. Guerrero said, looking at his watch.
Not a minute later, a woman with matching gray hair and eyes appears from the shadow.
"Perfect timing as usual," Mr. Guerrero remarked. "Glad you could make it, Cleria."
"Does the match really have to be in this specific church, Marco?" the woman named Cleria complained. "This place brings back some bad memories for me."
"I don't decide the location, Cleria," Mr. Guerrero clarified, addressing her complaint. "I'm just here to supervise the match. From my perspective, I think the Supreme Overlord specifically chose this church to stir up a "hateful" spirit within you."
"Hateful spirit?" what's going on here? Did something happen in this place that I'm not aware?
"Well, it's working alright. I don't know what the Supreme Overlord is pulling, but it's a rather nice way to get me fired up for the Blood Throne. The more I hate, the more motivated I am for this tournament."
"Glad you're taking it very well," Mr. Guerrero seemed to be pleased with Miss Cleria's response.
"Oh, you must be Koyori, the Supreme Empress of Lust." Miss Cleria finally noticed me. "My name is Cleria Blood Belial. Marco told me a lot about you, and how your attitude during your first vanguard confrontation with him parallels the behavior of Lilith. I must admit, I am curious to see that you are really more than what Marco claims you to be?"
"Oh! Uhm… Thank you for the compliment, I guess?" I don't know being called "Lilith" is a good thing or not—but at least it seems like a compliment… right?
Third P.O.V
"Supreme Emperor of Gluttony! Supreme Empress of Gluttony! It's time for the Blood Throne to begin!" Mr. Guerrero announces. "Now may the best Supreme Blood reach the top of the Overlord's throne."
Harry and Cleria placed their starting vanguards and their decks on the fight table before drawing their starting hand. After performing their mulligan, the two Supreme Blood places their hand on their starting vanguards.
"Nice to meet you, my name is Cleria Blood Belial, the Supreme Empress of Gluttony." Cleria introduces herself.
"Harry Clenza. Supreme Emperor of Gluttony." Harry returned the greeting.
"Stand up…"
"…Fin/ End…"
"…Vanguard!"
Once the two cardfighters flip their starting vanguards over, the match begins.
"Watcher of the Dark Sun, Sol!(5000)" Harry declares.
"Sergeant Fragment Monster, Daloa!(5000)" Cleria declares.
"Dimension Police?" Harry thoughts.
"Phantom Force, huh?" Cleria thoughts.
(Match Start: Cleria's turn)
Cleria starts the turn by drawing a card from her deck. "Ride, Acceleration Fragment Monster, Zilara!(8000). Daloa moves to the back using forerunner."
"Zilara's skill." Cleria looks at the top five cards of her deck. She adds her ace card Gozer and a grade two Monster card. After revealing the two cards to her opponent, she shuffles the rest of the cards back into her deck before ending her turn
(End Turn)
Harry: Hand 5, Damage 0, Soul 0
Cleria: Hand 7, Damage 0, Soul 0
(Harry's turn)
"Alright, it's my turn. I draw." Harry put the drawn card into his hand. "I play the normal order, "Amazing Fantasy Issue #15: Eagle Eye!"."
Harry discarded a grade two blood unit from his hand as the cost. He goes through his entire deck and adds: the grade one Dudley Burner and the grade two Fallen Ignition Phoenix, Suzaku.
"From my hand, I superior ride Dudley Burner(7000) as stand. Sol moves to the bottom left. Using Dudley Burner's skill…"
Harry reveals the Skoll in his hand to Cleria, "I put this card on the bottom of my deck and draw two—Lastly, I call Fallen Rouge of Inferno, Kagutsuchi(8000) to the top left."
(Battle Phase)
"With a boost from Sol, Kagutsuchi attacks Zilara."
(13,000 VS 8000)
"No guard. Damage check…" Cleria's damage check reveals a set order.
"Dudley Burner attacks Zilara."
(7000 VS 8000)
"No guard."
"Drive check—No trigger!"
The attack didn't hit, so Harry ended his turn.
(End Turn)
Harry: Hand 6, Damage 0, Soul 0
Cleria: Hand 7, Damage 1, Soul 0
(Cleria's turn)
"Draw. Ride, Abomination Fragment Monster, Ngatang(10,000). Skill activates." Cleria discards a card from her hand to add a normal order called "Material Contribution" to her hand.
Cleria moves to her main phase and calls: Fusion Monster, Bugreed(8000) to the top right and Damage-counter Fragment Monster, Ngodz(8000) to the top left.
"I set the set order, "Composite Fusion!"" Cleria slams the set order into the order zone, causing a monstrous roar to appear out of nowhere.
"What was that-?!" Harry could hear the voice as he felt a shiver down his spine.
(Battle Phase)
"Ngodz attacks your vanguard. Using its skill, I give itself +10,000 power for this battle."
(18,000 VS 8000)
"No guard. Damage check…" Harry's damage check reveals a grade three. "…no trigger."
After Ngodz finishes attacking, Cleria puts it into the order zone and draw a card. "Bugreed attacks your vanguard." Cleria swings with her other rearguard.
"No guard. Damage check." Harry's damage check reveals a draw trigger.
(Dudley Burner: 7000 + 10,000)
"Thanks to Bugreed's skill. I can draw a card. With a boost from Daloa, Ngatang attacks Kagutsuchi!"
(15,000 VS 8000)
Harry took immediate action and call a 15k shield guardian to the guardian circle. "I guard with Wind Wanderer, Kolan!"
(15,000 VS 23,000)
"Drive check—No trigger."
Cleria put the revealed card into her hand before ending her turn.
(End Turn)
Harry: Hand 6, Damage 2, Soul 0
Cleria: Hand 7, Damage 1, Soul 0
(Harry's turn)
Harry felt the intense pressure as his heart pounded rapidly in his chest. Who could blame him, though? This was, after all, his very first Vanguard tournament. And to some extent, his opponent seemed far more experienced than him.
His fingers trembled slightly as he clutched his cards tightly, trying to steady himself.
"You okay over there?" Cleria asked, breaking the silence.
"Oh! Uhm… I'm fine, Miss Belial. I'm just a bit nervous, that's all." Harry couldn't help but laugh off his nervousness. "This is my first time participating in an actual Vanguard tournament, even before I became a Supreme Emperor. And not only that, my first opponent is none other than you, Miss Belial. I feel like I'm going to disappoint you for not being experienced enough."
Cleria put on a calm, reassuring smile. "There's nothing for you to be nervous about, Harry."
"Just like you, I'm very new to this whole thing. You're not the only one who's actually shaking or trembling here—and don't worry, I literally just learned how to play Vanguard, like, four days ago. How about you? How long have you been playing Vanguard?"
"Three years now," Harry answered the question instantly.
"Wait, three years?!" Cleria exclaimed, clearly surprised. "Then what's with you being all nervous? You should at least be more confident than me!"
Harry blinked, slightly taken aback.
"That's your concern?!" Harry thought, momentarily bewildered. "She's more concerned about my lack of confidence than the fact she's only been playing for four days?! Adults sure have it rough, huh?"
Koyori and Mr. Guerrero couldn't help but chuckle lightly at the side over Cleria's overdramatic remark about Harry.
Harry starts his turn by performing his stand and draw.
"Ride, Fallen Ignition Phoenix, Suzaku(9000). Using its skill, I draw one card and vanish your Bugreed."
Cleria slides her Bugreed into her drop face down.
"Everything is now in place. Since both Suzaku and Kagutsuchi are on the board, I move Sol into the soul." Harry slides Sol into the soul and grabs his deck. "From my deck, I can superior ride this card as stand."
Harry pulls a card from his deck and holds it in his hand, closing his eyes for a brief moment as he feels the fiery aura emanating from it.
"I hear it… flames of anger and hatred," Harry whispers under his breath.
Harry's eyes flash purple behind his glasses as he locks eyes with Cleria. "Avenge our undying soul and ignite the flames of fury! Blood ride!" Harry drops the card down on the vanguard circle.
The card immediately enveloped itself in purple flames as the sounds of a wolf's howl and a phoenix's cry echoed throughout the room. The scene smoothly transitioned to a city nestled within a vast forest.
Standing above the high tree buildings of Gale Forest, we see Cleria standing as Ngatang, staring up at the tree where Harry's units are positioned.
A figure dropped from the tree and struck a superhero landing, followed by purple flames resembling bird wings trailing along its feet. The flames engulfed the figure's body before transforming into a red and black cloak, with a hood covering its upper torso.
"Supreme Emperor of Gluttony! Fallen Beast who Devours Light, Skoll! (12,000)"
Skoll stands as a wolfman wearing what appears to be an assassin's outfit, complete with a hooded cloak draped over his head. Under his hood, Skoll has crimson red hair, matching red wolf ears and tail, and shadowy purple eyes. From top to bottom, Skoll's assassin outfit features many belts and pouches strapped around the suit that hold a vast variety of weapons and gadgets alike; notable highlights of the suit are its chains of "Edyamadulr" wrapping both arms and metal boots that store the "Himei-o-tsutsumu-maken" machetes.
Skoll pulled back his hood and deployed his machetes from his boots.
"Alright, Slavitza Jovan," Skoll said, resting his right machete on his shoulder. "Let's get the ball rolling and give the readers what they came for."
Returning to the real world.
"Imaginary gift, Protect I!" Harry puts the gift into his hand before moving Kagutsuchi to the back. "I call Fallen Gale Archer, Azoul(9000) to the top left. Using its skill, my opponent vanishes one card in their drop."
Cleria vanishes one card in her drop.
(Battle Phase)
"Let's do this! With a boost from Kagutsuchi, Azoul attacks Ngatang!" Harry swings with his rearguard.
(17,000 VS 10,000)
"No guard. Damage check—I got a critical trigger."
(Ngatang: 10,000 + 10,000)
"Azoul's skill, by moving it into the soul, I draw two." Harry slides Azoul into the soul before drawing two cards. "Skoll attacks Ngatang!"
(12,000 VS 20,000)
Cleria places a Heal Guardian on the guardian circle, "With its skill, I reduce your vanguard's critical by 2."
"Twin drive…" Harry's drive checks reveal: a draw and a grade three. "Guess I end my turn there."
"That wasn't a bad play you just did, Harry." Koyori chimed in, complimenting Harry's efforts.
"Thanks, Koyori." Harry scratched the back of his neck, feeling slightly embarrassed by the compliment. "This game is really fun. I don't see why Sitri wants to disband a club based on this game. The game itself is very competitive and engaging."
"Ah-!" The mention of the Cardfight Club made Sumire's eyes widen. She had almost forgotten about the ongoing issue with the Student Council's decision to disband the club.
(End Turn)
Harry: Hand 12, Damage 2, Soul 3
Cleria: Hand 7, Damage 2, Soul 0, Vanished Card: 2
(Cleria's turn)
Cleria analyzed the board before glancing at the cards in her hand.
"I don't know if what I'm doing is good enough," she thought, a flicker of doubt creeping in. "No. Stop looking down at yourself, Cleria. You've got this! If you want to meet him, you have to do this. You can do this…You can do this… WE can do this..."
"…It is time!…"
The voice of Gozer echoed in her mind, calling her out like an angel reaching out to her. The moment for Cleria to shine had finally arrived—the declaration, the proposal, the desire. Everything would soon be judged.
"Stand and draw." Cleria took Gozer's card from her hand and revealed it to Harry. As she did, her eyes turned a deep purple, and her body began to emanate a powerful negative aura, visible only to Harry's eyes.
"I hereby declare the death sentence of the universe. Fear the terror of the Supreme Empress of Gluttony! Blood ride!" Cleria slams the card onto the vanguard circle, causing the scene to shift from Harry's eyes to Skoll's.
Transitioning to Gale Forest, the sky suddenly cracked. The crack spread outward, shattering into fragmented pieces that dissolved into nothingness, revealing a gaping black hole at its core.
From within the dark abyss of the black hole, a monstrous howl echoed, sending a shiver through the air.
Emerging from the black hole, a spectral figure slowly descended. Its presence was godlike, emanating an overwhelming aura of power. The very atmosphere seemed to bend around it, as if the world itself recognized the force it carried. The figure's arrival signaled an impending doom—a judgment that would shape the future.
"Agglomeration Core of Honor, Gozer!(11,000)"
Gozer stands as a ghost-like entity made out of pure dark matter. Her form radiates a feminine grace, with flowing curves seamlessly integrated into the ethereal construct of her body. Her long grey hair billows like mist, cascading all the way down to her feet. Her eyes glow a deep, unsettling purple, their pupils resembling the endless void of space itself. Draped in a robe woven from cosmic energy, it shimmers with stars that twinkle and shift across its surface, as if the vast expanse of the universe is contained within her very being.
"The time of judgment is upon us!" Gozer declared. "Choose the form of the destructor!"
"Ah shoot! I shouldn't have made a Ghostbusters reference! I am screwed!" indeed Skoll, indeed.
Returning the real world.
Cleria uses "Composite Fusion's" skill to put the Tilanth in her drop into the order zone. She then proceeds with her Stride phase and discards a grade three from her hand, "Stride Generation! Heat Wave Beast, Geomaglass!"
Cleria plays the set order, "Venom Magic, Blood Stock". Thanks to its skill, Cleria can add a blood unit to her hand. She adds a Repulsive Fragment Monster, Elpceldor to her hand. On top of that, Cleria also discards two Blood units from her deck.
"I call Repulsive Fragment Monster, Elpceldor(8000) to the bottom right! Thanks to its skill, I can set the "Proton Chain Fusion" from my drop into my order zone." Cleria paid the counterblast and discard cost before placing the set order into the order zone.
Cleria calls Martian Fragment Monster, Dusklar(10,000) to the top right.
"I call Termite Fragment Monster, Seruolt(4000). Using its skill, I put it into the soul to countercharge one. My opponent vanishes one card in their drop."
Cleria slides Seruolt into the soul and unflip one card in her damage zone. Simultaneously, Harry flips one card in his drop.
(Battle Phase)
"With a boost from Elpceldor, Dusklar attacks your vanguard. Thanks to "Composite Fusion", I can give the attacking unit 10,000 power and 1 critical."
(28,000 VS 13,000)
"I guard!" Harry drops two cards from his hand with a total combined shield of 20k
(28,000 VS 33,000)
Cleria moves Dusklar into the soul to give her vanguard a skill. "Since my order zone has three set orders, I can look at the top three cards of my deck and add one card from among them," Cleria adds Bugreed into her hand.
After shuffling the deck, Cleria attacks with her vanguard.
"Skill activates! I draw one card and give your vanguard -5000 power. And then…" Cleria grabs the top seven cards of her deck and calls: Demolition Fragment Monster, Akstallar(11,000) to the top left and Reducing Monster, Weaking(6000) to the bottom left.
(Skoll: 12,000 - 5000)
(31,000 VS 7000)
"No guard…"
"Triple drive…" Cleria's first and second drive checks were a draw and grade 2.
(Akstallar: 11,000 + 10,000)
"Third check—I got critical trigger! Power to Akstallar and the critical to my vanguard."
(Akstallar: 21,000 + 10,000)
(Geomaglass: 26,000/ Critical +1)
"Damage check…" All of Harry's damage checks were all blank. Harry is now at five damage.
"With a boost from Weaking, Akstallar attacks your vanguard!"
(37,000 VS 7000)
Harry discards a card from his hand, "Complete guard!"
Cleria moves to his end phase and resolves all of her end of turn skills. After countercharging one, Cleria concluded her turn by holding nine eight cards in her hand.
"Okay, it's your turn, Harry."
(End Turn)
Harry: Hand 8, Damage 5, Soul 3, Vanished Card: 3
Cleria: Hand 8, Damage 2, Soul 3, Vanished Card: 0
(Harry's turn)
"Right." Harry nodded. "Stand and draw."
"I need to end this quickly." Harry thought.
Harry discarded the card he drew for the turn and reached his hand toward his G zone, "Blood Stride! Supreme Emperor of Gluttony, Rai-zyer Skoll Vermeille!"
As the scene transitions to Gale Forest, we see Skoll Vermeille standing with his arms extended outward, ready to attack.
(Insert "Battle - "Vengeance" for reclamation" from SMT V Vengeance)
Skoll Vermeille gripped his "Ile & Nel Glider Chainsaws" tightly, waiting in anticipation. As he did, his phoenix wings slowly ignited, flames roaring to life like a furnace. Skoll Vermeille lowered both arms, and a battle mask materialized, covering his entire face. His face
"Here we go—maximum effort." you could totally tell he was dead serious when he quoted a line from Deadpool.
Returning to the real world.
Harry Moves to his main phase and call Venom Succubus of Greed, Cleria(8000) to the bottom right. He then activates its skill to call Venom Saint of all Greed, Masaomi(9000) to the top right.
"I call Fire Jecker(9000) to the top left. Thanks to its skill, my opponent mills the top two card of their deck, and I draw a card."
Cleria vanish mill the top two cards of her deck.
"Skoll Vermeille's skill!" Harry paid a soulblast of three. "I vanish Akstallar and Weaking. I choose there units and they get +6000 power. On top of that, I put the Skoll in my drop to my hand."
(Fire Jecker: 9000 + 6000)
(Kagutsuchi: 8000 + 6000)
(Masaomi: 9000 + 6000)
"I play the normal order, "Venom Magic, Blood Reifalnation!"." Harry puts the order into the soul and put four cards from his drop on the bottom of the deck. "And for each of my blood units, I can draw a card. I have five blood units, so I draw five cards—I call Fallen Hell-beast of the Inferno, Mol-do(8000) behind the vanguard."
Cleria flips one card in her drop. Harry then soulcharges one and draw two more cards.
(Battle Phase)
"Masomi attacks Gozer!" Harry swings with his rearguard for 29k.
(29,000 VS 11,000)
"No guard. Damage check—I got a critical trigger!"
(Gozer: 11,000 + 10,000)
"Masaomi's skill…" Harry slides Masaomi into the soul and soulcharge one. He calls the Skoll he added to his hand to the top right.
"With a boost from Mol-do, Skoll Vermeille attacks your vanguard!"
(39,000 VS 21,000)
"By returning Ngodz's back into the deck, I nullify the attack." Cleria negates the attack.
"Triple drive!" Harry's drive checks reveal: a critical, a grade on, and a heal.
(Fire Jecker: 15,000 + 20,000)
(Skoll: 12,000/ Critical +1)
Harry recovered a damage from his damage zone before continuing with his onslaught, "Skoll attacks Gozer! Skill activates—For this battle, Skoll gains power equal to the attacking unit."
(21,000 VS 21,000)
"No guard! Damage check—I got a heal trigger! Power to my vanguard."
(Gozer: 21,000 + 10,000)
"Second check, no trigger." Cleria is now at four damage.
"With a boost from Kagutsuchi, Fire Jecker attacks your vanguard."
(49,000 VS 31,000)
"I guard with Bugreed, Zilara, and Gozer! Thanks to Geomaglass' skill, Gozer gets 10,000 shield!" Cleria guards the attack with a 25k shield.
(49,000 VS 56,000)
(End Insert)
"At the end of my turn, I put the called Skoll into my hand." Harry bounce the rearguard Skoll into his hand before returning Skoll Vermeille to the G zone. "I end my turn."
Harry glanced at Skoll he just bounced into his hand, "As long as I have you in my hand, I can survive Miss Belial's turn."
(End Turn)
Harry: Hand 15, Damage 4, Soul 4, Vanished Card: 2
Cleria: Hand 5, Damage 4, Soul 3, Vanished Card: 5
(Cleria's turn)
"Stand and draw." Cleria skipped both her ride and stride phases before moving straight to her main phase.
"She skipped her stride phase?" Koyori wondered.
"Gozer's skill. By discarding a card from my hand, I can call three cards from my order zone. I call: Elpceldor to the bottom right, Ngatang to the top left, and Tilanth(7000) to the bottom left. And then, your vanguard loses -10,000 power."
(Skoll: 12,000 - 10,000)
"I play the normal order, "Material Contribution"." thanks to the order, Cleria got to draw two new cards while simultaneously reducing any of her rearguards' counterblast by 1.
"Daloa, Ngatang, and Tilanth. All of the components are in place. By sending three Monsters with different card names into the soul, I can perform Blood Stride!"
Cleria goble all of the chosen rearguards into the soul in one swoop. She then grabs the top card of her G zone, "Blood Stride! Supreme Empress of Gluttony, Gozer Grantella!"
(Gozer Grantella: 26,000 + 20,000)
Cleria paid a counterblast to superior call Akstallar from the deck to the top right. SHE also activates Ngatang's skill to put another "Composite Fusion" from her drop into the order zone.
"Gozer Grantella's skill…" since Harry has more than ten cards in his hand, Gozer gains 25k power and 1 critical, as well as a skill.
(Gozer Grantella: 46,000 + 25,000/ Critical +1)
"By binding the Moduskirk in my drop, I can also perform Blood Fusion without using an order card!"
"Blood Fusion?" Koyori muttered in confusion.
"It's an easy way to call out Blood units from the deck or G zone without relying on Striding." Mr. Guerrero explained.
Using Moduskirk's skill, Cleria returns three cards from her hand back into the deck to call Supreme Empress of Gluttony, Gozer Pedoleon(15,000) to the top left. And thanks to its skill, Cleria draws two cards and countercharge three.
Harry clenched onto his hand cards, feeling the intense pressure.
(Battle Phase)
"With a boost from Elpceldor, Akstallar attacks your vanguard. Skill activates! Add 15,000 power!
(34,000 VS 2000)
Harry discards a heal trigger from his hand and grabs the top card of his G zone, "Generation Guard! Interdimensional Beast, Allumage Phoenix! By sending Mol-do to the bottom of the deck, add 10,000 power to the shield! On top of that, intercept and guard!"
(34,000 VS 37,000)
"At the end of the battle, Akstallar moves into the G zone and my vanguard gets 10,000 power."
"So how much power does Gozer Grantella have?" Koyori asked, trying to count on her fingers.
"81,000…" Mr. Guerrero responded.
(Gozer Grantella: 71000 + 10,000)
"It's getting more power!" Harry muttered in a panic.
"Let's see if you have enough cards to guard this attack!" Cleria taunts. "Gozer Grantella attacks your vanguard! Thanks to its ability, when this unit battles, my opponent cannot activate any AUTO or CONT abilities!"
"What?!" Harry and Koyori were beyond surprise.
With this ability, Harry can't PG the attack, increase or decrease any unit's power and shield using his G guardians, and on top of that, to guard this attack, Harry is required to at least guard with five or more cards from his hand.
"I can't do anything… No guard." Harry had no other option to prevent the attack.
Moving to Gale Forest.
Skoll looked in horror as he witnessed the sheer magnitude of Gozer's destructive power firsthand.
A massive energy beam shot out from Gozer Grantella's tail, ripping through the clouds and sending out a power shockwave that blasts everything around its perimeter. Gozer Grantella let out a deafening roar before slamming her massive tail down with unrelenting force.
The beams went down and hit Skoll's body. Skoll's scream echoed throughout Gale Forest as the impact of Gozer Grantella's "Traveler's Beacon" disintegrated Skoll's entire body.
"…Judgment has been delivered…" Gozer declared telepathically as she regressed into her humanoid form.
Gozer stood above the mass destruction she had unleashed upon Gale Forest, her celestial form towering over the ruins like an unassailable deity. The scene cuts to black followed by the faint snarling sound of Gozer Grantella.
Returning to the real world, we see Harry at six damage. His damage check were: Kagutsuchi and Masaomi. No trigger!
"The winner is… The Supreme Empress of Glutonny!" Mr. Guerrero declares Cleria the winner.
(Match Ended)
Koyori P.O.V
The match was intense, almost a bit too real for lack of a better word. With every attack, I can imagine what the fight was like. The impact was truly out of this world. No pun intended.
Still, though, I definitely learned something valuable from this match. And I should probably be a bit more cautious when facing up against Miss Cleria—I'm definitely not much of a monster fan, but I can sorta tell what kind of things Gozer is into.
After Miss Cleria and Harry receive their respective "Lose" and "Win" stamps, both begin scooping up their decks. Once everything was packed, the four of us exited the church together.
Cafe Reincarnation.
"Here you go. Please enjoy it," the cafe manager said warmly, placing our orders in front of us.
This place, as Mr. Guerrero had described, was one of the best gathering spots in Kuoh for both elderly people and lovers of old-school aesthetics. And honestly, I could already feel the charm. The soothing, timeless tunes of Frank Sinatra's "Fools Rush In (Where Angels Fear to Tread)" playing softly in the background added a layer of nostalgia and warmth that was hard to resist.
For first impressions: I can definitely like this place for the nostalgic feel alone. 10/10, would definitely recommend.
"So, what's next, Marco?" Miss Cleria speaks up. "I assume the Blood Throne is going to be a wild ride for the four of us, especially if there are still ten other Supreme Bloods remaining."
"Well, we're definitely in for a challenge when facing the other ten—And if I'm being honest with myself, I'm not looking forward to facing HIM anytime soon…"
Mr. Guerrero seems uncertain of himself. Is he talking about another Supreme Blood? By the looks of it, this person can be much more stronger than him.
"Sounds like the coming weeks will be busy for us," Harry chimed in as he placed his cup down gently on the table. "In any case, I should probably up my game while also balancing out my student council duties."
Looks like Harry had already started mapping out his priorities for the challenges ahead.
"Excuse me…" the café manager approached our table with a warm smile. "Does anyone want to order anything else?"
"No, we're all good here," Cleria replied, returning the smile. "Thanks for asking, Shuri."
"Alright, but if there's anything you need, just let me know, okay?" the café manager, Miss Shuri, said warmly before excusing herself and returning to the counter.
On the way back home…
As I was heading back, I pulled out my phone and messaged Aunt Miki to let her know that I was on my way back.
Aunt Miki replied to my message with: "Okay, but don't be out so late, Koyori".
"Ow-!" while I was distracted from messaging, I accidentally bumped into someone and dropped my phone. "I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there."
The person I bumped into was a woman with long black hair and golden-yellow eyes. She bent down to pick up my phone. "Are you okay?" she asked.
"I'm okay, ma'am. Just a bit distracted."
"Well, you better be careful next time. Here is your phone." the woman hands back my phone.
"Uhm, thank you, ma'am."
After taking my phone back, I bowed once more to the woman before quickly parting ways with her.
"I seriously need to stop going out so late…" I muttered under my breath.
The Blood Throne is one thing, but living with my aunt's family comes with its own limits. The only reason I'm even allowed to stay out this late is because of Mr. Guerrero's supervision. Any later, and Aunt Miki would definitely have something to say about it.
Third P.O.V
The woman who Koyori bumped into glanced back at her, noticing the way Koyori was stressing out.
"Some people sure have quick anxiety…" the woman pondered, a single sweat drop running down her forehead.
The woman continued walking down the dimly lit neighborhood streets. As she passed by a vending machine, her reflection appeared—but it was not her own. Instead, a demonic figure cloaked in deep purple stared back at her.
She stopped in her tracks, her gaze fixed on the reflection that flickered through the machine's clear glass. As she stared at her reflection, both her eyes and the reflection's began to glow ominously in unison.
The woman lets out a sigh before facing her reflection. "How much longer do you intend to hide yourself behind my shadow, Gleeriza?"
There was a brief silence before a voice, faint and almost uncertain, whispered inside her mind.
"…Aren't you curious? It's rare of you to even talk with me, Kuroka…"
"Yeah, I know. But you know, talking with you like this, my own reflection nonetheless, it's definitely making me slowly lose my mind—a bit uncanny as well."
"Do… you hate me for being your shadow?" Gleeriza's voice asked, soft and uncertain, as if the question weighed heavily on her.
Kuroka puts on a reassured smile before replying, "Of course not. I already accept you as my true self—You are me, and I am you. There's nothing between us, nothing hidden behind the mirror. We are one in the same, Gleeriza."
Gleeriza quietly gasped, a soft smile forming beneath her hood. She whispered, "…Thank you for accepting me, Kuroka."
As her words faded, Gleeriza's form began to dissolve from the reflection, seamlessly blending back into Kuroka's own image. Kuroka's eyes gradually returned to their original color.
"I made up my mind." Kuroka reached into her pocket and pulled out a vanguard card.
The card was "Undead Queen of Ruinfalls, Gleeriza", the Supreme Empress of Greed.
"This time, I will be the one to save you… Father."
(The End)
(RedJoker Vanguard card lore: Agglomeration Core of Honor, Gozer)
"A celestial being of unknown origins, believed to have existed for countless eons before the creation of the universe itself. As the progenitor of a sub-species of extraterrestrial being known as "Fragment Monsters", Gozer is said to wander across the universe, traveling across time and space, and judges those who make contact with it. Being a part of the Supreme Blood, it is rumored that multiple Gozers exist in different universes, guiding or terrorizing the world as the "Queen of Monsters"."