CV ch20: National Tournament arc

Ride 20

Final Match in the Semi-Final Match!!



"The semi-final match has begun!! In a last minute arrival, Rising Knights Luna has made it to the stage! Both teams have 1 win each, it comes down to this last battle!!"

Luna shuffles her deck, her starter already on the field. After that she draws five cards. However she returns two of them for a re-draw.

Ashley did the same, except she withdrew four cards instead of two, looking rather bored as she studied the cards in her hand.

Ashely's emotionless eyes looked at Luna, studying her. She could see the girl wasn't waiting nearby as her clothes seemed to be dirty and her hair was kinda of a mess.

"Seems Ashely is observing Luna." Aqua says, arms folded.

"Yeah, that's Ashely. She may not look it most of the time, but she loves Vanguard. So I bet she's looking forward to this fight, even if she doesn't show it." Helena says with a smile.

"I'm ready." Luna says, satisfied with her re-drawn cards.

"As am I." Ashley said sounding bored with the whole thing, but deep inside she was looking forward to this battle. "Stand up my vanguard!" She said sounding blandly bored. "Seven seas apprentice night runner!"

A grey skinned kid, dressed in a tattered pirates outfit appeared on the underwater field.

"Stand up my Vanguard! Silver Thorn Beast Tamer Emily!" A young girl with dirty blond hair with long ponytails on both sides of her head appears. "I'll allow you the first move if you wish." Luna says smiling.

"Very well." Ashley drew her first card. "I ride Witch doctor of the seven seas, Raistutor." A grey skinned man took over from the vampire child, dressed in balck with a skull resting at his hip, registering at 7000 power. "My grade zero moves behind it."

"My turn, I draw." Luna draws and then places a grade one on Emliy. "I ride Silver Thorn Beast Tamer Ana. Emliy moves to the lower left. Then I'll call Silver Thorn Assistant Zelma!"

The Vanguard baca me a young girl with short, bushy light blue hair while another girl with white hair appears, both at 7000 power each.

"My Vanguard attack!" Ana gets her silver whip ready to strike.

"No guard."

"Drive check, draw trigger. Power to Zelma and I'll draw." After drawing a card, Ana swings her silver whip, striking at the Witch Docter.

Ashely checked her damage and got a trigger. "It's a draw trigger too." She said. "Power to my vanguard and I draw I card."

"Zelma! Attack!"

The young girl nods as she launched herself into the air and rushes at Witch Doctor, her power at 17000.

"I guard with performing zombie." Ashley said, holding up a stand trigger and a zombie appeared in front of the witch doctor, strumming out on his guitar reducing the silver thorns attack power to just 7000.

"I end there." Luna says smiling at Ashely.

Ashley drew her card. "I ride seven seas pilliger, nightspinel!" Her witch doctor vanguard vanished, to be replaced with elegantly dressed woman, holding a sword.

"I call ruin shade to the top right and witch doctor of the seven seas raisuler." The ruinshade was a dark skinned creature drssed in a captains outfit whilst the witch doctor was dressed in a dark red robe. "I counterblast one to activate my witchdoctors ability." Ashely said.

Luna knew what that counterblast meant, after all, she battled it quite a few times...

"My performing zombie is revied behind my witchdoctor and it gains 5000 power." A dark portal opened behind the witchdoctor and the zombie crawled out, his power rising to 9000.

"And now I activate his ability." Ashley said calmly, picking up ten cards from the top of her deck. "I look through the top ten cards of my deck, select one and place it in the drop zone." She selected a grade three and dumped it in the drop zone, placing the rest on the bottom of the deck.

Luna knew that grade 3 would be trouble later, not like she could really do anything about it. Her deck isn't like Kagero where it can deal massive damage, hers was more of attacking and defending.

"Now then, my ruishade will strike!" Ashely said turning her grade 2 to one side. "Strike down her vanguard." Shade drew her cutlass and dived at the vanguard. "Using her skill, I dump two cards in the drop zone to boost her up by 2000." This brings Shade's skill boosted her up to 11000.

"No guard!"

The sword came down with a rush of bubbles on the field, dealing Luna her first damage and the damage revealed was a grade 2.

"Next up is my vanguard, supported by my grade zero!" The two combined their powers as the woman pirate dived for the silver thorn assistant, their power levels combined ended in 13000.

"No guard!"

"Drive check.." Ashley pulled a nullifier. "No trigger." The blade came down, dealing Luna, her second damage.

The damage was a grade 3, but it wasn't Luquier, but a new unit, and surprisingly wasn't a Silver Thorn.

"Huh, what was that?" Ashley blinked for a moment, momentarily stumped as she watched the card slide over to the damage zone.

"Nothing's wrong." Luna smiles as she glances at Miracle Pop Eva in the damage zone. 'I was hoping to get her first, kinda like a big reveal. Oh well, I have her already.' She thought in her head.

Ashley gave a shrug. "Okay." She says, turning her last remaining rear guard for an attack. "Supported by the powered up performing zombie, my witch doctor attacks." The witch doctors power rose to 17000. The doctor raised his hand, summoning glowing skulls that flew at the vanguard.

"No guard." Luna says as the attacks hit, bringing her to three damage. However, a green light shines! It was a heal trigger. "Sweet! I recover one damage with the heal trigger."

"I end my turn, end phase, my revied performing zombie is returned to the drop zone." The zombie turned to dust, being washed away.

Luna stands her units and draws. "I ride Silver Thorn Beast Tamer Maricia! Then I call Silver Thorn Upright Lion!" Her Vanguard changed and a lion appears on the top right and roars.

"Then I move Emily into the soul and check the top five cards of my deck, then I can put one grade 3, grade 2 and grade 1 into the soul." With that said, Luna moves Ana, Rising Dragon and Luquier into the soul and then she shuffles her deck.

"I call another Zelma behind Maricia and use her effect. I move my other rear guard Zelma into the soul and call out Silver Thorn Rising Dragon to the top left. And because a pale moon was called out of the soul, my lion gains 3000 power."

Ashley permitted herself the rare luxery of a smile, well it was more of a quirk of her lips. 'She's setting up the soul perfectly for a powerful strike later on, whilst also increasing her units for this turn.' She thought in her head.

"Okay Upright Lion! Let's get rid of that Ruin Shade! Attack!" The lion roars and runs at the shade pirate, claws at the ready.

"I don't guard." Ashley said, the lion's strike reducing her rear guard to flittering lights.

As the lion jumps back and lands by Maricia's side, the Vanguard smiles as it was Luna's image. "With support from Zelma, I attack!" Luna holds her arms out and a thick spiral with thorns rush at the Vanguard, the power being 16000.

"I don't guard." Ashley said calmly.

"Drive check, critical! Power to Rising Dragon and I'll keep the critical!" The thorns grow bigger and Rising Dragon roars, ready for his turn. The thorns hit the Vanguard, hard!

"Damage check." Ashely took her first damage which was a draw trigger. "Power to my vanguard and I draw." She checked her third damage and it was a grade 1. "Nothing."

"Rising Dragon will attack! Because he fights along side a Silver Thorn Vanguarf, his power increases by 3000! That's a total of 17000 because of the 5000 trigger." With that, the dragon hastily rushes at the Vanguard.

"Nice try but I intercept with my witch doctor card." Said Ashley, sliding the card over. "Thanks to my trigger and the intercept, the shield is 19000."

"That's my turn." Luna says with a smile on her face, she was having so much fun.

"This battle sure is heating up! Both fighters are giving us a good fight! But with the next turn, the fights will get much hotter!!"

Ice was watching from a different room and was all by himself.

Ice grumbled, slupring on the slushie he had bought, almost crushing the can. "Typical goodie toe shoes luck..."

Ashley drew her card. "Pirate commander leading a ship full of cursed soilders." She said. "I ride!" She placed her card down. The grade three was a man, dressed in fine robes and a coat with a large hat and sword. "Lord of the seven seas, night mist."

"Oh man, this is getting exciting." Luna says smiling as she could feel her heart pounding in excitement.

"I call ruin shade and dancing cutlass behind it." Ashley said. "I soulblast two cards and use cutlass's ability to draw a card." She thought about it. "I call skeleton swordsman to the open space next to my vanguard."

"Seems she's going all out." Helena says giggling as she and Aqua kept watching.

"Yeah. Out of the three of us, she's the only one to use the Granblue. Makes sense, I can't really see her using a Bermuda Triangle. 'It's too cheerful' is what she says!" Aqua says with a big grin.

Ashley leaned in. "Ruin shade attacks your rising dragon." She said calmly as the pirate rushes at the dragon.

"Mmm...I don't guard." Luna says as her dragon gets stabbed by Ruin Shade and it vanishes in a purple light particle.

Ashely had once again used her shades ability, duming two cards into the drop zoe for extra power. "Supported by night runner, nightmist attacks your Vanguard." With his skill, nightmists power, bolstered by the grade 0 rose to 17000.

"I don't guard." Luna says, knowing she was at two damage, and guarding would be a waste at this point and time.

"Twin drive check...Critical trigger. Power to my skeleton swordsman." Ashely flipped over another card with a smirk. "Heal trigger. Power once again to my skeleton swords man...and I recover one dagae." She said, taking away the damage that she had flipped over.

Now she had the same damage as Luna and her vanguard had a double critical.

"Damage check, first, draw trigger! Power to my Vanguard and I draw. Second check, draw trigger! Power to my Vanguard." Luna says drawing again as her Vanguard was 19000.

"With support from dancing cutlass, my skeleton attacks your vanguard!" The pair combined their powers for 23000.

"I guard!" Luna says as a marionette appears, it was also a draw trigger."

"Just managed to get through." Ashely sighed. "I end my turn."

Luna stood her units and draws. "Time for my new act! I ride Miricle Pop Eva!" A blue skinned woman appears, a smile on her face. "I call another Rising Dragon and Irina." Rising Dragon appears in the top left and Irina is behind him. "With her skill, I check the top two cards of my deck and soul charge one." With that, Luna draws two cards and soul charges Upright Lion in the soul.

Ashley simply watches with a six card hand. Then looks up at her opponent, ready for her attack.

"Upright Lion, attack Ruin Shade!" Luna says as the lion runs up, claws out.

"I don't guard."

The lion jumps on Ruin Shade and destroys her. "Now, I attack! And when Eva attacks, a can soul charge and I gain 1000 power!" Eva strikes at the Vanguard with 18000 power.

"No guard."

"Twin drive, heal trigger! Alright! I recover one damage and power to Rising Dragon. Second check, critical trigger! Power to Rising Dragon and I keep the critical!" Luna says striking the Vanguard.

The damage hit home, hard. Ashley checked her first damage, which was nothing, then the second. "Nothing." she said calmly, placing it on the table. She was back at four damage, perfect.

"Rising Dragon attacks!" Luna says as the dragon roars as his power rises to 29000.

"No guard."

It slams into the Vanguard, causing it to be pushed back and then flies backward.

"I end."

In the room, Ice was still watching Luna on the tv.

"Nn..." He grumbled, now munching n the ice in his slushie that he had sucked dry now. "What a goody toe shoes..I'll chrush her.."

Ashely drew her card. "For the deepest darkest creatures of the sea, there can be no peril...I break ride!"

She said slapping her card down. Nightmist was replaced by a large creature with purple skin, a skull for a head, clad in purple, barnacled armor and many tentacles, carrying a coral staff. "Seven seas sage plegeton!"

"A break ride..." Akaihono says, worried about what was gonna happen at this point.

"The breakride effects. First off, my vanguard gians ten thousand power and I can chose two rear guards to call from the drop zone." Ashely picked up her cards. "Ruin shade and brutal shade, calling them to the right and back right." The units appeared with a swossh of sea water. "Additionally, the both gain 5000 power each!"

Luna's eyes widen, seeing the great power increcese for the units.

"And I'm not done yet." Ashley said calmly. "When my mage is placed on the vanguard circle, I can call a rearguard from the dropzone." She picked pa card. "So..I shall replace my grade zero behind my vanguard with the evil shade."

"Oh man." Luna says. "Seems this turn is gonna be tough..." The purple hair says grinning nervously with some sweat on her head.

"First my powered up ruin shade will attack..." Ashely paused. "Your Upright Lion."

"Mmm...I guard with Silver Thorn Barking Dragon!" A dragon appears and uses 10000 shield power to protect Upright Lion.

"Next my skeleton look out, with support from dancing cutlass, will attack your rising dragon." Ashely says calmly. (13000)

"No guard." Luna says as her dragon gets striked down and vanishes in purple light.

"And now its time for my vanguard." Ashley said. "My vanguard's power is already at 21000, with evil shades abilities, I drop two cards from my deck and power him up by another four thousand, giving my dark mage a power level of 31000." Ashley finally let a grin show. "And now the depths of the black sea shall open again."

"No guard." Luna says, knowing she couldn't block that fully.

"Oh but I'm not finished yet." Ashley said calmly as she turned over two of her damage cards. "I activate two of my cards abilities from the dropzone." She said with a quirk of her lips.

"When my vanguard with seven seas in his name attacks, I can call these cards from the drop zone!" She retired her skelton swordsman and her ruin shade. "I call two seaven seas, undead dragon, prisoner dragons." The dragons were bony, freeing themselves of ice cages and roar. "When they are called from the drop zone, they both gain two thousand power, meaning both of them have a total of 13000 each.

Luna gulps at this, meaning she has to deal with more attacks.

Though for now she had to contend with her opponents vanguard's attack, a tornado of black sea water and magic flew at her vanguard.

"Twin drive." Ashley said. Her first check revealed a grade three..her second..."Stand trigger." She said calmly. "I add 5000 power to the dragon in front of the resting cutlass, standing cutlass too." The black tornado hit the performer.

Luna gets hit hard by the attack as she was imagined as Eva. Her damage reached four with no trigger, but instead a grade 1.

"Next up comes my rearguard undead dragon supported by my brutal shade." Ashley said calmly as she smiles softly. "Combined together with the power up y dragon recived and your vanguards got a blast of 25000 comin at it." The dragon let loose a blast of black water at the performer again.

"No guard!" Luna says getting hit again and it revealed a critical trigger. "Power to myself!" She says powering up to 16000.

"Time to finish this." Ashley said. "With the revived cutlass giving him a boost, my last dragon strikes for a power level of 23000!

"Guard!" Barking Dragon appears and slams into the other dragon to prevent more damage. Though this left Lana with two cards in hand.

"My turns over." Ashley grumbled. "at the end phase of the turn, my evil shade and brutal shade disappear from the field." Two portals appeared underneath the units and swallowed them down.

In contrast to luna, Ashley still had six cards in her hand and at least one was a nullifier.

Akaihono and Hito watched Luna, worried about their friend. Suddenly Luma turns her head and smiles at them and gives a thumbs up. Then she draws and holds up a cards. "Your Silver Whip brings even the mightiest of dragons to their knees! I ride my Avatar! Silver Thorn Dragon Tamer Luquier!"

Luna smiles softly as she appears as Luquier and she rises on Eva. "Break Ride!! 10000 power is added as well as a skill! I pick two rear guards and move them into the soul." Zelma and Irina move into the soul.

Ashly frowned. "That's...You've weakened your own attack formation." She said, a tinge of exasperation entering her voice.

Luna puts her right hand above her chest, eyes closed. "No, I'm about to unleash my true power, me and Pale Moon are linked! Limit Break!" Luna turns over three damage. "I call one of each grade from my soul! Come forth! Upright Lion, Emily and Irina!"

A second Upright Lion appears as Emily appears behind the soul called Lion and Irina appears behind the other Upright Lion.

"Now, both Luqiuer and the first Upright Lion gain 3000 power for each called Pale Moon units!" Luquier grows to 30000 and Upright Lion grows to 18000 and the second lion, grows to 15000.

Ashely quirked a small smile. "Not bad Luna...you caught me off guard there."

Luna smiles. "Thanks, but this is just the start! My left Upright Lion attacks!" As she says this, the lion roars, frowning to 22000 and it runs at the vanguard, claws out.

"No guard." Ashely says as the lion hit the Vanguard, dealing damage to Ashely and she got no trigger.

Ashely looked at her damage and something made her...want to smile. "That's it..." She said softly as she gazed upon the field. "That's it..come on! Show me what you can do!"

Helena and Aqua smiles at Ashely's sudden change in emotion.

"Hehe, here I come! Limit Break skill activates! I call two units from the soul! My two resting rear guards retire and I call Luquier and Ana! And with that, 6000 power is added to me and Upright Lion!" Luna as her Vanguard became 36000 and Upright Lion became 24000. Luna swings her whip with support, bringing her power to 43000.

Ashley looked down at her cards. even if she nullififed the first attack, she was finished. "I don't guard."

"Twin drive! First...critical! Power to my rear guard Luquier and I keep the critical!" Luna does the second check and gets a grade 3. The whip strikes Ashely's Vanguard.

"Damage check." Ashley reached down and picked up her card, she examined it for a few seconds...then turned it round...it was a grade three.

"THE WINNER IS TEAM RISING KNIGHTS!!!"

The stadium cheers loudly as Helena, Aqua, Akaihono and Hito run out onto the field.

Ashley collected her cards quietly, a small smile on her face. "That wasn't a bad game Luna." She said with a warm smile.

Luna looks at Ashely and smiles. "Yeah, I had fun fighting you." She says grinning proudly.

Ashly nodded as Luna's teammates ran up to her, returning to her own team as they offered their commiserations.

Luna smiles as she looks at Akaihono and Hito. "I did it guys." She says happily.

Hito gave her a hug. "I knew you would come." He said pulling back from her with a smile.

"I heard you and what you said." Luna says smiling at the boy. "Thank you." She says giving a loving smile.

Hito blushed and looked away. "F-Forget it...hehehe..." He chuckled awkwardly and Akaihono smiles.

Soon Akaihono, Hito and Luna are on the stage with Kiryu, Ice and Savior.

"Tomorrow we'll be the final match between these two teams! Team Rising Knights which have proved to be really good! But their opponent is Team World, which has three of the strongest players, Savior, Ice and Kiryu himself!"

Kiryu looks over at Akaihono and the others and gives them a smile. Savior turned his head too to look at the three, his expression unreadable as he surveyed the three. Ice simply ignored the three.

"We hope to see a great fight tomorrow with you six!"

Luna walks over to them and walks up to Ice. "Hey, I want you to be my opponent tomorrow." She says, surprising everyone by this sudden declaration.

Ice didn't turn to her. "Fine." He said coldly.

Kiryu smiles, getting an idea as he walks up. "Attention, due to Luna's declaration, I say we assign the battles now. Luna will fight Ice, Savior will fight Hito and I'll battle Akaihono. Do you all agree these conditions?" He asks them.

"Yeah." Akaihono says nodding. This was his chance to fight Kiryu, and maybe he could save him like Skyrina saved him from Psyquila.

"Then tomorrow it'll be decided! Savior and Hito will go first, followed by Ice and Luna. And then Akaihono and myself." Kiryu says smiling.

Savior and Ice looked at one another. this was it. They both knew what the other was thinking...this was the fight they had been waiting for.

Akaihono watched Kiryu, who was waving at the crowd. 'I'll beat him, I must.' He says in his head.

Up in the stadium, the hooded figure walks off. "Tomorrow...well he prevail?" The person asked themselves as they walked off...


To be continued...