"I'd learn how to deal with those sounds by ignoring what was around me."

Scanning his five card hand, Max took a card, and placed it on the vanguard circle.

"Sea Strolling Banshee, ride. Peter the Ghostie moves to rear-circle."

"I hated each moment of it. Those sounds my mom would make..."

"Turn end."

"Made me sick to my stomach..."

"My turn, stand and draw."

"And when the noise died out..."

"I ride, Smash Boxer Dragon, Hardrod Dracokid moves back!"

"I knew it was my turn next."

"Boosted by Hardrod, Smash Boxer! (7000 > 12000)"

A naked man pushed the door of a room open, as a female was sobbing in another room. Hung on the door was the sign "Max", and inside, a young boy, in his early teens, sat by his desk, staring blankly at an open revision book. The man slowly closed the door behind him, silencing the outside world. Walking towards the boy, the man grabbed him by the hair, and with force and roughness, threw him onto the floor. On his knees, the boy's face was pulled close to the man's crotch.

"Go on, suck it."

"I don't want to..."

"What was that?"

"I... don't want to....."

"..."

".....dad, please stop-"

SMACK

(Opening here)

"It was because of that way my dad treated me..."

Max:
Hand: 5
Damage: 1
OXO
OXO

Hyakurai:
Hand: 6
Damage: 0
OXO
OXO

"I became curious on how it felt."

"Stand and draw! I ride, Witch Doctor of the Rotten Sea, Negrorook! I use the skill of Rough Seas Banshee in my hand. Pushing her into soul, and drawing a card. Boosted by Peter, Negrorook attacks! (9000 > 14000)"

"I wanted to know what that feeling of... belittling someone and making them feel like nothing as you ravage their body..."

"No guard!"

"Because... I was tired of always feeling that way myself."

"Drive check! (Seven Seas Helmsman, Nightcrow)"

"My morbid curiosity grew... when I met Wyvon. He was a model example of what I wanted my life to be..."

"Damage check! (Dragon Dancer, Fatine)"

"He was smart, out going, and not afraid of anything..."

"Turn end."

"He always had a large genuine smile... and was so happy..."

Max:
Hand: 6
Damage: 1
OXO
OXO

Hyakurai:
Hand: 6
Damage: 1
OXO
OXO

"An emotion I thought I couldn't feel..."

"Stand and draw! I ride, Martial Arts Dragon! Call, Grizel to rear-guard! Grizel attacks! (9000)"

"He had a family..."

"Guard with Dancing Cutlass! (9000 > 14000)"

"I was..."

"Boosted by Hardrod, Martial Arts! (9000 > 14000)"

"...jealous..."

"No guard!"

"That was the kind of life I wanted..."

"Drive check! (Dragonic Vanquisher "SPARKING")"

"I wanted to take it away from Wyvon..."

"Damage check! (Pirate Swordsman, Colombard)"

"I became him friend... with the intention of hurting him."

"Turn end."

"My curiosity on feeling powerful, and my jealously of him..."

Max:
Hand: 6
Damage: 2
OXO
OXO

Hyakurai:
Hand: 6
Damage: 1
XXO
OXO

"Drove me to brutally rape him the day before I left this city."

"Stand and draw! Captain of the ship sailing through the rough seas of the future! Raise your sails etched with death high into the mysterious sky! I ride, Lord of the Seven Seas, Nightmist!" Max exclaimed as the vanguard circle expanded dark blue. "Peter's skill, counterblast and putting him into soul, I mill the top two cards of my deck (Waterspout Djinn, Dandy Guy, Romario) and draw a card. Call, Rough Seas Banshee, and use her skill, putting her into soul, and drawing another card. Nightmist, attack! (11000)"

"And for once..."

"No guard!"

"I didn't feel like nothing..."

"Twin Drive!! (Sea Strolling Banshee, Dewey the Ghostie) Heal trigger, all effects to vanguard. Healing a damage! (11000 > 16000)"

"Hearing his screams and seeing him cry... it gave me a strange sense of power."

"Damage check! (Circular Blade of Strong Lightning, Grizel) Nothing."

"Something I was searching."

"Turn end..."

"For the first time in forever... I felt joy. I felt joy for doing a crime done on me several times."

Max:
Hand: 10
Damage: 1
OXO
OOO

Hyakurai:
Hand: 6
Damage: 2
XXO
OXO

"It doesn't make sense, right?"

"Stand and draw! The souls lost within the clouds, will be gathered in this very strike! I ride, Dragonic Vanquisher "SPARKING"!" Hyakurai exclaimed, the vanguard circle expanding orange. "Generation Zone, release! Voltage at full capacity, bust into the heavens! Generation Stride, Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher "VBUSTER"! Stride skill, counterblast, and you bind a card in your drop zone face up!"

"Why would I feel happy for hurting someone with a pain I'd experienced myself?"

"The perfect Granblue counter... bind Romario." Max said.

"That question... wracked in my head for ages. It tortured me... and because of it, I didn't hurt anyone else."

"I wonder if you walked into this match knowing that. I call, Martial Arts Dragon! VBUSTER's skill! Soulblast and G Persona Blast! Bind a card in your drop zone face up!"

"It saved me from hurting other people."

"Bind, Waterspout Djinn..."

"Even though hurting Wyvon might've been a mistake... from that mistake, I got taught not to repeat it."

"Your lack of a response tells me yes... It's inspirational, seeing you try to win against your fatal weakness. Tell me, what do you actually gain from this fight? And then, 3000 power to the front row! (9000 > 12000) (26000 > 29000) (9000 > 12000) Hardrod's skill! Resting him, and you bind a card in your drop zone face up!"

"I put my wants of power into this card game: Vanguard."

"Bind, Cutlass..."

"I felt empowered when I beat other people with my deck. My own strategy. My own identity."

"The silent type, huh? Martial Art's Thunderstrike 2! Adding another 3000 power to himself! (12000 > 15000) Martial Arts will attack first! (15000)"

"I entered a tournament... and won money. When my dad found out... he began forcing me to give him the money I won."

"Slash Shade, guard! (11000 > 16000)"

"If I refused, I'd get hit. So, I had no other choice but it hand it over. I would've quit playing tournaments for money, but..."

"VBUSTER attacks next! (29000)"

"He forced me to play in them. He used me as a tool to get money. And if I didn't win... I'd get hit. If I won, I would escape it."

"No guard!"

"It was a constant cycle of misery. You can't win all the time... and when I lost, it got worse every time. He'd get so mad..."

"Triple drive!! (Summon Lightning Dancing Princess, Anastasia, Brawler, Streetfight Dragon) Critical trigger! Critical to vanguard, power to Grizel! (12000 > 17000) (1★ > 2★) (Lightning of Triumphant Return, Reseph) Critical trigger! Critical to vanguard, power to Grizel! (17000 > 22000) (2★ > 3★)"

"Soon, this game I loved..."

"Damage checks... (Ice Floe Swordsman, Nightsnow, Rampage Shade) Critical, all to the vanguard! (11000 > 16000) (Mick the Ghostie and Family) Stand, all to vanguard! (16000 > 21000)"

"Became miserable..."

"How annoying... Grizel! (22000)"

"I didn't want to play anymore..."

"Generation Guard! Eclipse Dragonhulk, Deep Corpse Dragon! (21000 > 36000) Skill, milling two (Skeleton Cannoneer, Sea Strolling Banshee) adding 5k Shield! (36000 > 41000)"

"Yet... I was forced to..."

"Turn end."

"But that fateful summer... I had entered a tournament."

Max:
Hand: 8
Damage: 4
Bind: 3
OXO
OOO

Hyakurai:
Hand: 8
Damage: 2
XXX
OXO

"And I met Rino... who was friends with Wyvon."

"Stand and draw! Generation Zone, release! Swing down from the sky, and storm the enemy with your soulless sword! Tempest-calling Pirate King, Goauche, Stride! His skill, counterblast, soulblast, and emptying four cards in my soul! For each card I sent from soul to drop zone, I call one card from drop zone to rear-guard! Appear, Skeleton Cannoneer, Rough Seas Banshee, Rough Seas Banshee and Negrorook to rear-guard! They all get 1000 power for each face up card in my G Zone! (9000 > 11000) (9000 > 11000) (4000 > 6000) (4000 > 6000) Hollow, Skeleton and Negrorook! Skeleton's skill, counterblast, retire Hardrod, and draw a card! I'll follow that up by putting both Rough Seas into soul and drawing two cards! Skeleton Cannoneer begins our attack! (11000)"

"For some reason... Rino made me feel something."

"No guard! (Smash Boxer Dragon)"

"That urge I had buried so long ago... came back to me so suddenly."

"Goauche, attack! (26000) Skill of Slash Shade in drop zone, when my "Seven Seas" Vanguard attacks, I can counterblast one and retire Cannoneer to call him from the drop zone! He gets 2k! (9000 > 11000)"

"I wanted to ruin Rino..."

"Anastasia, perfect guard!"

"I told myself no... then Backlion approached me."

"Triple drive! (Dancing Cutlass, Pirate Swordsman, Colombard, Rampage Shade) Critical, all to Negrorook! (11000 > 16000/1★ > 2★) Slash Shade, attack! (11000)"

"He asked if I wanted to join something called the Яeverse."

"Streetfight Dragon guards! (11000 > 21000)"

"He said the Яeverse would save me from my problems."

"Negrorook, attack! Hollow skill, adding 7000 power! (16000 > 23000/2★)"

"I don't know why... but I accepted. There was something so charming in the way he said... "save me"..."

"Generation Guard! Mystic Wisdom Creation, Brahma! (11000 > 26000)"

"It made me... believe. Believe that... maybe my suffering could cease... because of this... "Яeverse"."

"Negrorook retires from Hollow. End."

"And instead what happened... was one of the worst years of my life."

Max:
Hand: 14
Damage: 4
Bind: 3
XXO
OOO

Hyakurai:
Hand: 4
Damage: 3
XXX
OOO

"Shortly after becoming Яeversed, my dad was arrested on suspicions of sexual assault and abuse. Me and my mom were questioned throughly."

"Stand and draw! Generation Zone, release! Voltage at full capacity, bust into the heavens! Generation Stride, Conquering Supreme Dragon, Dragonic Vanquisher "VBUSTER"! Stride skill, counterblast, and you bind a card in your drop zone face up! Then, since I strode a unit with Thunderstrike, you retire and bind a rear-guard!"

"Everything after this... was a blurry chain of events. What I do remember is... hearing mom decline everything out of fear."

"Bind Peter and retiring and binding Slash Shade..."

"But for me... I told my whole story of how my dad treated us."

"Thunderstrike 5! Grizel's and Martial Art's Thunderstrikes! (9000 > 18000) (9000 > 12000) VBUSTER's skill! Soulblast and G Persona Blast, bind a card in your drop zone!"

"My dad got sent to jail. Me and my mom were put through therapy. Because I was less hurt than my mom... they let me go earlier."

"Bind Sea Strolling..."

"With that, I began plotting my plans to... ruin Rino."

"3000 power to the front! (18000 > 21000) (26000 > 29000) (12000 > 15000) Call, Plasmatron Dragon, and his skill! Bind another card from your drop zone face up!"

"Backlion said I could do whatever I wanted... but I had to lure out this boy, Yza, out of hiding."

"Bind Rough Seas..."

"Zeon told me Yza and Rino were friends."

"Thunderstrike 7! 5000 power to the front row, and my vanguard gets drive+1 and critical+1! (21000 > 26000) (29000 > 34000/1★ > 2★/3 > 4) (15000 > 20000) Grizel attacks first! (26000)"

"So everything fell into place. My Яeversed self, who felt empowered and hungry, ruined not only Rino... but Wyvon as well."

"Generation Guard! Eclipse Dragonhulk, Deep Corpse Dragon! Skill, mill the top two cards of deck, (Undying Departed, Grenache, Seven Seas Master Swordsman, Slash Shade) and adding 5000 Shield! (11000 > 26000 > 31000) Dewey's skill! Binding him and another heal trigger in drop zone, I countercharge 1!"

"Shortly after that... Backlion backstabbed me. Let me go of the Яeverse."

"Thunderstrike 9! VBUSTER attacks! (34000/2★/4)"

"Like I said, my memories are hazy, but... the next thing you know, I'm being interrogated over raping Wyvon and Rino."

"Waterspout Djinn, perfect guard!"

"I knew he betrayed me... it couldn't be anyone else..."

"Quadruple Drive!! (Smash Boxer Dragon, Dragon Dancer, Vianne) Stand trigger! Standing Grizel, power to Martial Arts! (20000 > 25000) (Dragon Dancer, Fatine, Fertility Eradicator, Youki) Heal trigger! No heal, but I can give power to Grizel! (26000 > 31000) Martial Arts attacks! (25000)"

"Luckily for me... the lack of substantial evidence let me off fairly free... but they would keep an eye on me."

"Waterspout Djinn, perfect guard! Skill, countercharge!"

"And soon... people hated me. Even if I wasn't sent to jail, the rumours spread quickly."

"Grizel! (31000)"

"I was alone."

"No guard! (Lord of the Seven Seas, Nightmist)"

"No friends. No family. No sense of identity. My name, Max Nagito, had lost meaning..."

"You did well surviving my assault... now it's your turn."

"My whole life revolved me doing things for others."

"I'm not gonna go down... without a fight..."

"Getting beat up all the time... Hurting others... Struggling to survive when I could've ended it..."

"Maybe it's better if you stayed put. If you can't win, why go against it?"

"But... I found a beacon of light at the end of it all... It wasn't in anyone else. It was in... myself."

"...no. I've had enough of not doing anything." Max said, tightening his fists. Tightly gritting his teeth, he stared at his masked opponent with a strong determination burning in his impassioned eyes. "I gave into the darkness too many times... and I'm not going to be dragged there once more by moping around letting myself get kicked around...! Even if this battle has no use, or won't improve me... it's still a step... and I need to take a step forward...!"

"The light of evolution... that's what I needed to follow."

"And No friends. No family. No sense of identity." here I thought you were a silent type. Bring it on. Show me your resolve!"

"And that is why... I became part of this group. To begin my evolution to the next stage!!"

Max:
Hand: 9
Damage: 5
Bind: 9
OXO
OOO

Hyakurai:
Hand: 7
Damage: 3
XXX
OOX

"Stand and draw! Captain of the ship set sailing through the rough seas of the future! Raise your sails etched with death into the mysterious sky! Break ride, Lord of the Seven Seas, Nightmist!" The vanguard circle exploded dark blue, and began spinning underneath the card. "Limit Break! Nightmist gains 10000 power, (11000 > 21000) and I superior call two units in my drop zone! Call, Rough Seas Banshee and Negrorook! They both get 5000 power! (4000 > 9000) (9000 > 14000) Hollow Negrorook! Then, I'll push Rough Seas to soul and draw a card!"

"No Stride?"

"I'll carve my future my own way!" Max roared, paying counterblast two and soulblast two. "A single drop of influence can change the world! Descend like snow, my double-edged future!! Superior break ride from the drop zone, my avatar! I ride, Ice Floe Swordsman, Nightsnow!!" The vanguard circle expanded snow blue, and began spinning wildly underneath the card.

"Double Break Ride?!"

"I'll destroy it right here - my old self! LIMIT BREAK!!! Nightsnow gains 10000 power, (11000 > 21000) and I superior call, Rough Seas Banshee and Sea Strolling Banshee! Both get 5000 power! (4000 > 9000) (6000 > 11000) Sea Strolling's skill, soulblast and drawing a card! Rough Seas' skill, into soul and drawing a card! I call, Colombard to rear-guard! Call, Slash Shade, and using Nightsnow's Limit Break!! Counterblast and retiring Slash Shade, I call from my drop zone Grenache with 5000 power! (5000 > 10000) Hollow! I call Rampage Shade behind vanguard! Negrorook, attack! Hollow skill, adding 7000 power! (14000 > 21000)"

"No guard! (Eradicator, Dragonic Descendant "Sigma")"

"Boosted by Rampage Shade, Nightsnow, attack! Freezing Barrage!! (21000 > 25000)"

"Anastasia, perfect guard!"

"Twin Drive!! (Cody the Ghostie) Critical, power to Grenache, (10000 > 15000) critical to Colombard! (1★ > 2★) (Rough Seas Banshee) Critical, power to Grenache, (15000 > 20000) critical to Colombard! (2★ > 3★)"

"Anastasia's Thunderstrike 4! When she retires from guardian circle, I draw a card!"

"Boosted by Sea Strolling, Colombard attacks! (9000 > 20000/3★) Skill, counterblast, and superior call from drop zone, Skeleton Cannoneer! Hollow! His skill, counterblast, retire Plasmatron, and draw a card!"

"Generation Guard! Sky Guardian Supreme Dragon, Impede Dragon! (11000 > 26000) Skill, G Guard Blast and you retire and bind a rear-guard! Skill of Youki, binding her and another heal face up, I countercharge one!"

"Rampage Shade goes! Boosted by Grenache, Cannoneer! (9000 > 29000)"

"No guard! (Martial Arts Dragon)"

"Turn end... my Hollow units retire! Grenache's Hollow, when retired, I countercharge two! Then, Nightmist's break ride retires Sea Strolling."

"Time for the finale." Hyakurai said.

Max:
Hand: 14
Damage: 5
Bind: 10
OXX
OOO

Hyakurai:
Hand: 5
Damage: 5
XXX
OOO

"Stand and draw!! "SPARKING"'s Thunderstrike 4! I countercharge one, and you bind a card in your drop zone face up!"

"Binding Slash Shade..."

"You may have not realised it... but, while playing this game, I've accumulated GB7."

"I know what's coming... and I'm not scared of it!!"

"Oh... you will be once I'm done! Generation Zone, release! The power of your godly fist cannot be contained any more! Conquering Supreme Dragon, Closer Dragon, Stride!!" The vanguard circle exploded dark red. "Generation Break 8! All rear-guards are retired, and you bind all cards in your drop zone face up! Closer Dragon gains a skill!"

"Retiring Colombard, and binding all my drop zone face up..."

"Thunderstrike 20! I call, Plasmatron Dragon and Dragonic Descendant Sigma! Closer Dragon's CONT skill! All my units get 2000 power for each bound card in our bind zones! You have twenty, and I have four! Adding 48000 power! (11000 > 59000) (26000 > 74000) (9000 > 57000) Plasmatron's Thunderstrike 4! Counterblast, and he gets 2000 power for each of your bound cards! (57000 > 97000) Begin the assault, Plasmatron! (97000)"

"Waterspout Djinn, perfect guard!"

"Closer Dragon! (74000)"

"Waterspout Djinn, perfect guard! Skill, countercharge!"

"Triple drive!! (Fertility Eradicator, Youki) Heal trigger, healing a damage, all to Sigma! (59000 > 64000) (Plasmatron Dragon, Smash Boxer Dragon) Sigma, attack! (64000)"

"Generation Guard! Eclipse Dragonhulk, Deep Corpse Dragon! Skill, milling the top two cards of deck, (Witch Doctor of Rotten Sea, Negrorook, Dandy Guy, Romario) adding 5000 Shield! (11000 > 26000 > 31000) Cody the Ghostie, Rampage Shade, Rough Seas and Nightcrow! (31000 > 66000)"

"Good attempt... now try again! Sigma's skill, counterblast and discarding a card... Restand, and attack! Apocalyptic Eraser! (64000)"

"No guard... damage check... (Ice Flow Swordsman, Nightsnow) You... win..."

As Max fell to his knees, Hyakurai picked up Max's G Zone, and looked through it. Putting the stack of cards down, Hyakurai collected his belongings and turned around, back facing to Max and Maverick. A loud bang, and a blinding flash followed, disappearing before their eyes. Max stared at the ground in defeat, and bit his bottom lip.

"You did good." Maverick knelt beside Max and put a hand on his shoulder.

"That... was unbelievable..." Max said, closing his eyes.

"You got him on the ropes. It looked like he was after the Zeroth Dragon..."

"Yeah..." Max stood up, and wiped his mouth. "After this is over... I'm going to become a better person... I swear it..."

"Dedication. That's all you need to achieve your goal." Maverick said, standing up. "Let's go meet up with Payic. We need to warn everyone else about Hyakurai!"

"Understood." Max said, grinning. After packing away his FICA, Max and Maverick began walking down the streets of Nanxun once more.

"Life makes you suffer so you can become a better person."

(Ending here)

Next time on Z World:

Question and Answers 4

Submit your questions now!

================================

A/N

Volume 4 is done and dusted!

Here's your goof of the week:

Am I even allowed to show this?

Max: Yes that's very accurate

Wyvon: *squint*

I would call this chapter "Cycle of Buttfucking" but #28: Cycle of Buttfucking doesn't have as a nice ring as #28: Snow does

Ghost Yza: Why not call this chapter God's Snow? That's basically his cum

Drake would sue me

Ghost Yza: Why?

Sounds too similar to God's Plan

Ghost Yza: God's Sticky White Plan to impregnate all girls with his sperm :3

Okay... let me just... *murders Ghost Yza*

That's all, Fox out!