Alter Ego Messiah crashed into the ground as Spark Hercules stood on top of it's spindly and oversized body, his gigavolt pincer threatening the god by the neck.

Without a trace of emotion on his robotic face, Spark Hercules looked down on the Messiah, his hollow eyes glowing with the blood red intent of murder.

"This is the first time..."

The pincer severed Alter Ego Messiah's head.

"...I've ever made a God go offline."

A thin liquid, faintly glowing but clear in colour, dripped slowly from the tip of Spark Hercules' pincer.

"Rinbayashi Amou is Dead."

I was numb to the continuous bright red pop-up flashing on my visor.

All I cared about in that moment was Zyriot had become available to fight.

Rinbayashi collapsed to the floor, with the rest of them.

The rest who were cruelly murdered at the hands of D Class's leader.

Zyriot stood solemnly in his carnage of bodies.

I could imagine the crude blood pooling at his feet.

The indifference in his eyes made it hard to believe he was the same compassionate and indiscriminate man I met earlier this week.

He tautly snapped back the black leather glove on his right hand.

Zyriot truly looked like he belonged to the mafia in this moment.

Looking over his shoulder, his visor, dark green with specks of blood on it, locked on automatically.

It had locked onto a dark red visor that belonged to E Class's trump card.

Akihiro, angered by the sight before him, stared daggers at the enemy he was trained rigorously to assassinate.

These two had never met before until this moment, yet hostility filled the air.

I'm sure that, in another timeline, they would've been great friends.

But on this merciless battlefield, this merciless school known as GEN Academy...

...these two were bitter enemies that were about to fight to the death.

To Zyriot, this was another common foot soldier he was tasked with to kill.

To Akihiro, this was enemy leader who stood superior to him in every way possible.

If Akihiro died, then it would only be another number added to Zyriot's kill count.

If Zyriot died, then D Class's unity would crumble without the heart of their class.

Both of them couldn't afford to even give up an inch in this fight.

"Zyriot..."

"Ishima-san."

"...I'm going to end your reign of terror here."

"It's nice to meet you."

Their initial greetings were the complete opposite to one another.

Akihiro's unbridled rage clashed against Zyriot's controlled bloodlust.

I had faith he'd kill him.

However, there was one thing I was worried about.

Numerous cameras buzzed above them like flies under the fluorescent mall lights.

Akihiro was acutely aware of the fact he was being watched by millions right now.

His greatest weakness was not what his enemy would bring to the table, but rather himself and his own internal fear.

The pressure of all those eyes would eventually break him.

That's how he died in the last war.

He was paralysed from the thought of everyone watching and misplayed, costing him the game.

I wanted to calm his nerves.

Before the white noise kicked in, I opened up a communication line.

"Akihiro-san. Ignore the invisible crowd. Remember what you're fighting for."

In that split second I got to talk to him, Akihiro smirked.

"Ah... I guess you noticed, Commander?"

His voice sounded rickety.

"Don't worry... all that hard work we did will pay off."

Akihiro was trembling with sweat.

"I promise."

Our line got cut off the moment their cards manifested before them.

However, through the camera, I could see him mouth it to me.

"Glory to the loser faction!"

Who would've thought that one throw away line would tie our ragtag group together so tightly?

I'll have to thank Yukimura later.

"Good luck and have fun, Ishima-san."

"Same to you, Zyriot."

As Commander, all I could do was watch now.

"Stand up, Vanguard!"

"Stealth Dragon, Madoi!"

"Machining Worker Ant."

This was the answer Akihiro came to all on his own.

He found his true calling in the Nubatama clan.

They were an espionage corp that gathered intelligence, and their ranks were filled with dragons and ninjas.

"First Turn: Zyriot Feirbuster."

From here on out, I entrust everything to you, Akihiro.

"Stand and draw. I ride Mutant Gentleman, High Class Moth from the Ride Deck! Worker Ant's skill, I draw a card. Turn end."

Zyriot:
Hand: 6
Damage: 0
OXO
OOO

Akihiro:
Hand: 5
Damage: 0
OXO
OOO

"Stand and draw! I ride Stealth Beast, Jadouneko from the Ride Deck! I draw and get a Quick Shield from Madoi!"

The Ride Deck allowed him to secure Jadouneko into soul early on, which would become extremely important for later.

"Skill, activate!"

Akihiro's visor began glowing dark purple.

"You're using it this early, huh?"

"Hidden Exchange! I discard a card and draw a card!"

While it may have seemed underwhelming, this filter would help Akihiro in the long run, as a key part of his new deck was putting as many cards into the drop zone as possible in preparation for his kill turn.

"Jadouneko attacks! (8000)"

"No guard."

"Drive check! (Almsgiving Stealth Rogue, Jirokichi) Draw trigger! I draw and give power to vanguard! (8000 > 18000)"

"Damage check. (Machining Black Saturn)"

"Turn end!"

Zyriot:
Hand: 6
Damage: 1
OXO
OOO

Akihiro:
Hand: 9
Damage: 0
Drop: 1
OXO
OOO

"Stand and draw. I ride Machining Scatter Horn from the Ride Deck! Scatter Horn's skill, I look at the top six cards of my deck and add Ornamental to hand, then I put a card from my hand into my soul. I call Hornet and he attacks! (8000)"

"Quick Shield! (13000)"

"Scatter Horn attacks! (9000)"

"No guard!"

"Drive check! (Machining Meteorbullet)"

"Damage check! (Stealth Beast, Jagunrou)"

"Turn end."

Zyriot:
Hand: 6
Damage: 1
OXX
OOO

Akihiro:
Hand: 8
Damage: 1
Drop: 1
OXO
OOO

"Stand and draw! I ride Stealth Dragon, Fuurai from the Ride Deck! When I ride him, you discard a card then draw a card! If you discard a grade 0, I get to draw!"

"In that case, I discard High Class Moth, a grade 1, and draw."

"Fine by me. Next, I call Stealth Dragon, Magatsu Gale! Gale's skill, I counterblast and soulblast to draw and give him +6k! (9000 > 15000) Then I call Stealth Rogue of the Night, Sakurafubuki! Sakurafubuki's skill, when called, if I have three or more units, I discard one to give him +3k! (8000 > 11000) Then, since I have one or less face up damage, I draw and countercharge! I call another Sakurafubuki and do the same thing! (8000 > 11000)"

Even though he couldn't countercharge, Akihiro could still get the filter part of the effect as he was only at one damage, which was face up.

"Sakurafubuki attacks! (11000)"

"Scatter Horn guards. (14000)"

"Boosted by Sakurafubuki, Fuurai attacks! (9000 > 20000) Fuurai's skill, I counterblast and bounce my front row Sakurafubuki to my hand to give Gale +6k! (15000 > 21000) And since Fuurai's on vanguard circle, I draw a card!"

"No guard."

"Drive check! (Stealth Dragon, Magatsu Gale)"

"Damage check. (Machining Stag Beetle)"

"Magatsu Gale attacks! (21000)"

"Shelter Beetle guards. (24000)"

"Gale's skill, he goes into soul to bounce Sakurafubuki back to hand! Turn end!"

As a mirage deck, one of the advantages Akihiro had over Zyriot was that he could easily return all his rear-guards to hand to prevent him from paralysing them or gaining benefits from them being at rest.

Zyriot:
Hand: 4
Damage: 2
OXX
OOO

Akihiro:
Hand: 10
Damage: 1
Drop: 4
OXO
OOO

"Stand and draw. A triple pincer hold forged from the toughest metal. A deadly spark-show that shows the supremacy of science and nature. I ride my avatar, Machining Spark Hercules, from the Ride Deck!"

"Imaginary Gift: Protect I. I move back Hornet and call Machining Meteorbullet and Machining Stag Beetle. Stag Beetle's skill, I call Scatter Horn and High Class Moth from my soul as rest. Meteorbullet's skill, I rest Hornet to give him +10k. (12000 > 22000) Spark Hercules' skill! I counterblast two to stand all my rear-guards and give them +5k! (12000 > 17000) (22000 > 27000) (9000 > 14000) (8000 > 13000) (8000 > 13000) Then, I rest all of your units and they get -5k until the end of your turn! Cerberus Grip!"

"Fuurai loses 5k! (9000 > 4000)"

Fortunately, this wouldn't affect Akihiro at all as he had no rear-guards and he could ride over his de-buffed vanguard. The only troublesome bit was being reduced to a 4k base, but he could afford to take some damage here.

"Boosted by High Class Moth, Spark Hercules attacks! (12000 > 20000) Electrocute him, Toxin Spear!"

"Mijingakure perfect guards!"

"Twin Drive!! (Machining Cybister, Scissor-shot Mutant, Bombscissor) Critical trigger! All effects to Meteorbullet! (27000 > 37000/1 > 2) Boosted by Scatter Horn, who has boost from Meteorbullet's skill, Stag Beetle attacks! (17000 > 31000)"

"Kurogane and Ganbaku guards! (4000 > 19000 > 34000)"

"Boosted by Hornet, Meteorbullet attacks! (37000 > 50000/2)"

"No guard! (Stealth Dragon, Magatsu Breath, Stealth Beast, Mijingakure) Draw trigger! I draw and give power to vanguard! (4000 > 14000)"

"Hornet's skill. When an attack it boosted hits, I look at the top six cards of my deck, add Spark Hercules to hand, then put him into soul. Turn end."

Zyriot:
Hand: 6
Damage: 2
XXX
XXO

Akihiro:
Hand: 7
Damage: 3
Drop: 4
OXO
OOO

"Stand and draw! Wrapped in smoke, the forbidden scroll releases an odious aura that consumes all without a trace! Clones of the night, descend like a meteor shower to punish the opposition! I ride Covert Demonic Dragon, Magatsu Storm, from the Ride Deck!"

"This is my Imaginary Gift! Protect II!"

"What an unorthodox choice."

"Heh, I get that a lot. No one ever expects me to whip out the worst gift in the game, but Protect II has never let me down."

"If it works for you, I don't see a problem with it. Besides, your Magatsu Storm... it can negate attacks with it's own skill anyways, so you don't necessarily need Protect I."

"Talk about an observant eye."

A bead of sweat dropped down Akihiro's brow. He didn't expect Zyriot to already be aware of Magatsu Storm's skills.

"It just means you can be more flexible with which type of Protect you go into. I quite envy that."

"Being stuck to only one option does sound like it sucks. I call, Magatsu Gale! (9000 > 14000) Gale's skill, counterblast and soulblast to draw and get +6k! (14000 > 20000) I call two Sakurafubuki! The first Sakurafubuki's skill, discard a card to get 3k! (8000 > 11000) Since I have one or less face up damage, draw a card and countercharge! The second Sakurafubuki's skill, discard a card to get 3k! (8000 > 11000) No draw or countercharge this time though."

Slowly but surely, cracks began to appear in Akihiro's plays as the mounting pressure from the audience started to get to him.

In particular, I think using the second Sakurafubuki's skill was a misplay, as he went -1 just for +3k, which wasn't worth it. He could afford to call Sakurafubuki down without using the skill, since he could bounce it back to hand later.

"I call Stealth Dragon, Fuurai and Stealth Beast, Jadouneko! Boosted by Sakurafubuki, Gale attacks! (20000 > 31000)"

"No guard. (Machining Spark Hercules)"

"Boosted by Sakurafubuki, Fuurai attacks! (9000 > 20000) Fuurai's skill, I counterblast and bounce my other Sakurafubuki to hand to get +6k! (20000 > 26000)"

"No guard. (Machining Hornet)"

"Boosted by Jadouneko, Magatsu Storm attacks! (12000 > 20000) Be blown away into the blackest depths of the night sky, Shuriken of Banishment!"

With a snap of his wrist, Magatsu Storm, who was standing on top a tiled roof, launched his oversized ninja star at Spark Hercules with extreme precision. As it glided through the air, the sound of the wind being sliced apart vibrated sharply, like a sword slashing through paper.

"Protect I, perfect guard!"

Seeing the shuriken fly towards him, Spark Hercules created a clear hexagonal shield that completely blocked it, causing the ninja star to ricochet off the barrier and crash into a poor house lined along the pathway.

"Twin Drive!! (Stealth Dragon, Daidoku, Stealth Dragon, Kurogane) Critical trigger!"

Akihiro's excitement didn't last for long, as his face dropped when he realised he had no standing rear-guards to pass the trigger effects on to. It was yet another misplay, as he wanted to attack with Jadouneko's boost last to bounce his field, but by calling it behind his vanguard, he was forced to attack with both his rear-guards first, resting them.

"Damn it... I give all to Magatsu Storm then! (20000 > 30000/1 > 2)"

I hadn't seen Akihiro make a blunder like this during practice before. This, alongside the increased sweat on his brow, were clear signs that he was starting to falter under the pressure. I bet his hands were beginning to feel clammy as they gripped onto his cards.

"Jadouneko's skill! At the end of the battle he boosted, if I have a Magatsu vanguard, I put him into soul to bounce all of my rear-guards to hand! Magatsu Storm's skill! When a rear-guard is bounced, I soulblast a grade 3 to draw a card and call three cards from my hand with +5k!"

"But you don't have a grade 3 in soul?"

"That's where Jadouneko's other skill kicks in! While in soul, if I have a Magatsu vanguard, it gets grade +2! So I can soulblast it for the cost instead!"

This was why getting Jadouneko into soul early with the Ride Deck was extremely important. It counted as a grade 3 in soul, which gave Akihiro access to what should've been a turn 4 play on turn 3.

"I draw a card and call Daidoku (9000 > 14000) and two Sakurafubuki (8000 > 13000) (8000 > 13000) from my hand to rear-guard! Jagunrou's skill from my hand, when I call a rear-guard using a card's ability, I counterblast to call him to rear-guard! (8000 > 13000)"

Even though he had blundered earlier, Akihiro used his versatility and quick wit to play around his missteps. This time, he even used up all his counterblast to ensure he'd get full value from using both Sakurafubuki's skills.

"Sakurafubuki's skill, twice! I discard two to give them both 3k (13000 > 16000) (13000 > 16000), draw two, and countercharge 2! Boosted by Sakurafubuki, Daidoku attacks! (9000 > 25000)"

"No guard. (Mutant Gentleman, High Class Moth)"

"Boosted by Sakurafubuki, Jagunrou attacks! (13000 > 29000)"

"Bombscissor guards. (42000)"

"Turn end!"

Somehow, Akihiro had managed to turn things around, even when his nerves were eating away at him. Zyriot had been pushed to five damage and his hand was reduced to three cards. There was a very high chance Akihiro would be able to clinch it next turn.

Zyriot:
Hand: 3
Damage: 5
XXX
XXO

Akihiro:
Hand: 5
Damage: 3
Drop: 10
XXX
XOX

"Stand and draw."

I'm sure Zyriot was beginning to feel worried about the stability of his position. Judging by the look on his face, it seemed like he had underestimated Akihiro because of all the weak enemies he fought beforehand.

"Earlier, I noticed that your attack pattern wasn't optimised. Was that on purpose or was that an accident?"

"Oh, uh... that was an accident. I was being careless and got ahead of myself. If I could redo things, I would've saved Gale for last so I could use him to bounce Fuurai or Sakurafubuki for the extra soul next turn. Oh, I'd still use Jadouneko though, to bounce my entire board and use Storm's skill."

"I see. Sorry for asking that weird question. I was just curious, because the girl I fought before you - Rinbayashi-san, I believe her name was? It seemed like she was holding back from killing me, which was puzzling."

"Really? Well, I guess she's always been a bit of an oddball."

"Never mind that, I suppose. I'm impressed by your quick thinking. You rebounded from that very gracefully. Usually, I have to go back and watch replays of my fight to see where I could've done better."

"Eh, I kinda got used to it. I did the same silly mistakes with my old deck too. They're pretty similar, cuz they were both multi-attack Protect decks. Only difference is I can actually pump out five attacks more flexibly with Magatsu."

"Once again, I'm envious of you. More specifically, your ability to able to identify your mistakes immediately and correct upon them so fast. I respect that."

"Uh... thank you? It feels kinda weird that you're complementing me... especially cuz we're opponents, you know?"

"I don't think so. Have you ever heard of the proverb, "Wise men learn many things from their enemies"? It basically means, by fighting you, I'll learn how to improve myself."

"I'm not great at English, but I think I get the gist? By facing countless enemies, you get stronger by copying an aspect of them that you lacked."

"That's exactly right. In the beginning, I wasn't the leader that everyone sees me as today. When I first enrolled in this school, I was an enemy of D Class - more specifically, the delinquents. I tried to forcibly unite everyone, but that didn't work because I was lacking something important. It was through my uphill battle of trying to unify the class that I learnt what I was lacking to earn the delinquent's trust."

"And what was that?"

"Respect. I had to show them respect if I wanted them to respect me. It was that simple."

"Huh. Well, for what it's worth, I respect you, Zyriot."

"Thank you. And I respect you too, Ishima-san. That's why I must thank you again."

"For what?"

"For pummelling me to the brink of death, of course. The taste of dirt is the best thing a man can ever experience. Without being beaten down to the ground, you'll never know what you're missing as a person. Without realising it, you've taught me a valuable lesson about what I need to do to become stronger."

The air surrounding Zyriot began to warp dramatically.

It was growing colder, staler, more vicious.

The indifferent look in his eyes began to fade.

Zyriot snapped back his gloves soaked in blood.

"So that's why, as The Shooter of D Class, I'm going to repay that favour tenfold."

Akihiro gulped.

"The most legendary kingpins walk down an animal path of turmoil and loneliness to grow their empire. Sitting at the top, upon a mountain of skulls and countless bodies, is a bioengineered masterpiece made from the combination of science and nature. When faced by the mob boss - who said you could move? I persona ride my avatar, Machining Spark Hercules!"

"Imaginary Gift: Protect I! In this fight... I will show you, and everyone else watching us, the pinnacle of strength I've acquired from my rich experiences with others, both good and bad. It's do or die!"

Akihiro quivered as a menacing dark green aura engulfed Zyriot.

"By the end of this, you will bow down before the king. Firstly, High Class Moth's skill. I rest him and put a card from my drop zone to the bottom of the deck to countercharge and paralyse your Daidoku from intercepting this turn. Next, Spark Hercules' skill. I put High Class Moth into my soul to give him +5k for each of your rested units. You have four, so +20k. (12000 > 32000) Finally, Meteorbullet's skill. I rest Scatter Horn to give him +10k. (12000 > 22000) Skill, activate."

Zyriot's visor began glowing dark green.

"Machine Duplication. I call a grade 1 or less card from my soul to rear-guard as rest. I call Machining Hornet. Now, are you ready to meet the queen of this syndicate?"

At this point, Akihiro was drenched in sweat.

He weakly shook his head no, terrified by the sudden switch in Zyriot's personality.

Even I got chills listening to the detached and callous tone in his deep and grainy voice.

It was like listening to the whispers of a calculated yet deranged murderer who was in complete control of the situation.

"Too bad. The queen spins a web of silk that will ensnare you in her trap. I call, Machining Ornamental!"

"Ornamental's skill, I rest all other rear-guards and soulblast a grade 3 Machining to activate both of her skills. Firstly, all rested rear-guards get +5k. (12000 > 17000) (22000 > 27000) (9000 > 14000) (8000 > 13000) Secondly, during your next stand phase, you can only stand up to two units. Your existence is negligible, Royal Ensnarement."

Emerging from the underground circuit of burrowed tunnels that housed criminal activity was Machining Ornamental, a techno-organic spider hybrid that paralysed everyone on the battlefield, friend and foe alike, just from her presence alone.

"Now bite the dust. Spark Hercules' skill."

Akihiro, who was caught in a sticky web of trouble, was now about to become further tangled up in it, as Zyriot initiated the second half of his most deadliest combo.

At that moment, a flashing pop-up appeared on Zyriot's visor as his dark green aura grew exponentially.

At first, Zyriot raised his eyebrows.

Then, he smirked widely.

"Whew. I'm in "The Zone", huh?"

Instinctively, Akihiro took a step back.

Even I staggered back slightly.

A surge of power had just been injected directly into Zyriot's veins.

"Chabashira-sensei... what the hell is going on?"

"Don't be afraid. This isn't abnormal."

"But... does that mean this is normal?"

"If it was, then I would've specified that."

"What do you mean...?"

"In war time, there exists a hidden feature that neither class was made aware of."

"H-huh?"

"An extremely rare occurrence happens when a player and their avatar are perfectly in sync."

The Machining Spark Hercules on Cray had become the Zyriot Feirbuster from Earth.

"When pushed to the very edge, both the body and mind become desperate to survive."

Zyriot was at the brink of death, sitting at five damage.

"When pushed to their very limits, both the heart and soul gain the willpower to surpass them."

Zyriot had poured everything he had remaining into this turn.

"When these two concepts that sit on opposite ends of the scale are perfectly balanced, something awakens deep within the player."

Zyriot walked forward, his body half beaten and his face half covered in blood.

"They enter a heightened state known as The Zone."

Zyriot's dark green aura exploded in size, expanding and sending shockwaves throughout the planet.

"And while in The Zone, they can unleash the third exclusive feature of war time."

"BALANCE BREAKER!"

"HO RIEMPITO UN CIMITERO DA SOLO/DYNASTES COLT!"

The mass of aura gathered in his hand, ripping his leather glove apart from the sheer power Zyriot was summoning forth.

A semi-automatic rifle, the colt AR-15, with a barrel shaped like a Hercules beetle's thoracic horn and a pair of elytra stuck to the body of its chamber, loaded itself inside of Zyriot's right hand, which was also where glossy black armour began to grow on his body.

Designed after the hard shell of a Hercules beetle, the armour ran from his fingertips up to his upper right chest, with some of the shell leaking to his neck and lower face. From the back of his armour, four spider legs popped out, drooping forward and hanging loosely from his sides like a vorpal claw.

Scrambling for answers, I looked to Chabashira-sensei for an explanation.

"This is the Balance Breaker. A forbidden power that can upset the balance of the world. When feelings of a user become so strong that it could change the flow of this world, a "bug" in the system unlocks the ultimate state of a player's true ability."

She calmly informed me about the phenomenon I had just witnessed before my eyes.

"Then... this power, it isn't meant to exist...?"

"Who knows. Not even I'm privy to that sort of top secret information."

Even though it terrified me in this moment, I also wanted to use it.

I wanted to break the balance of the world and see for myself what my "true ability" was.

I wanted to unleash my Balance Breaker.

"Spark Hercules' Balance Breaker! I counterblast two, stand all my rear-guards, and they get +10k until end of turn! (17000 > 27000) (27000 > 37000) (14000 > 24000) (12000 > 22000) (13000 > 23000) Then, I rest all of your units, and they get -10k until end of your turn!"

"M-Magatsu Storm loses 10k?! (12000 > 2000)"

"This is my deck's most lethal combination. When the king and queen unite, there's no stopping them!"

Zyriot pointed the gun to Akihiro's forehead.

"Any last words?"

Akihiro opened his mouth to speak.

The sound of a gunshot rung out.

Zyriot pulled the trigger.

Smoke blew from the tip of his rifle.

Blood gushed from the hole in his head.

Akihiro, or rather, Magatsu Storm, fell to the floor, twitching.

This unforgiving coldness exuding from Zyriot right now reminded me of Kaido.

A darkness buried so deep in their psyche that not even I could comprehend it.

It was almost feral.

How his eyes were glazed over without remorse.

He was someone who walked the fine line between sanity and insanity.

For a moment, I genuinely thought Zyriot had killed a man in his past life.

And now he was going to kill Akihiro in cold blood.

"Boosted by Ornamental, Spark Hercules attacks! (32000 > 54000) Electrocute him, Full-powered Toxin Spear!"

Even though it was Spark Hercules who was attacking, all I could imagine was Zyriot unnecessarily shooting rounds of bullets into Akihiro's lifeless body.

An obscene amount of steel shells surrounded Zyriot's feet as he unloaded a whole magazine's worth of lead bullets into him.

There was so much blood flying across the screen, it was almost cartoonish.

"Magatsu Storm's... skill..."

From Akihiro's dying breath, he uttered a phrase that made the bloodthirsty Zyriot stop in his tracks.

"When your vanguard attacks... I can counterblast and retire Daidoku and Jagunrou... to nullify the attack!"

Miraculously coming back to life, Akihiro sprung up like a zombie, his astral body donning Magatsu Storm's form once more.

"Jagunrou's skill... when he's retired, I search my deck for a copy of him and add it to my hand... Daidoku's skill... when he's retired, I draw a card...!"

"Tch. Twin Drive!! (Jewel Flasher) Critical trigger! All to Meteorbullet! (37000 > 47000/1 > 2) (Shelter Beetle) Critical trigger! All to Stag Beetle! (27000 > 37000/1 > 2)"

Zyriot's flurry of bullets passed through Magatsu Storm like a ghost, as it turned out what he was shooting at was simply a shadow clone made to divert the enemy.

The real Magatsu Storm was still crouching atop the temple's tiled rooftop, readying his shuriken as a faux shield against the two double critical attacks that were about to head his way.

"Boosted by Scatter Horn, Stag Beetle attacks! (37000 > 61000/2) Insect Railgun, Full Burst!"

"60k shield... I only need to guard with 60k shield...!"

Akihiro took four cards from his seven card hand and slammed them onto the guardian circle.

"Noroi, Kurogane, Fuurai, and Jagunrou guards! (2000 > 32000 > 47000 > 52000 > 62000)"

"Boosted by Hornet, Meteorbullet attacks! (47000 > 70000/2) Insect Bomber, Full Deploy!"

"N-no guard! (Stealth Dragon, Magatsu Gale, Stealth Rogue of the Night, Sakurafubuki)"

A fleet of Meteorbullet swarmed Magatsu Storm from above, blitzing him in a fury of shrapnel and explosives.

"Hornet's skill. When an attack it boosted hits, I look at the top six cards of my deck, add Spark Hercules to hand, then put him into soul."

"Holy crap..."

Akihiro visibly gasped for air after barely surviving Zyriot's militaristic turn by the skin of his teeth.

"To think I missed the mark a little bit... no, that's not right."

Zyriot bitterly lowered his gun, but the murderous look in his eyes grew more fervent.

"You're one of the toughest people I've ever faced before, Ishima-san. But that's what makes killing you worth it. Next time, I swear I won't miss."

Akihiro gulped.

"Turn end."

Zyriot:
Hand: 6
Damage: 5
XXX
XXO

Akihiro:
Hand: 3
Damage: 5
Drop: 16
OXO
XOX

While staring at the ceiling and it's gaudy lights to catch his breath, a look of realisation dawned on Akihiro's face.

"I think I finally get it... what you said earlier, about learning from your enemies."

"Oh? Did you have a sudden epiphany on how to improve yourself?"

"That's right. During your last turn, you've opened my eyes to the part of myself that's been lacking the most."

"And what would that be?"

"That I'm only one-tenth of the cardfighter you really are."

A small chuckle escaped Zyriot's lips.

"Sorry, what?"

"When you used the Balance Breaker, it made me realise just how far behind I was as a cardfighter when compared to you."

"That's not true. You've given me a run for my money this entire time. We're much closer in skill than you think."

"I'm not talking about skill, or ability, or anything like that. I'm talking about heart. The bond you have with your avatar, Spark Hercules, is what I envy from you the most."

Akihiro squeezed his fist and raised it to his chest.

"And that's what I've been missing this entire time in my career as a cardfighter. An avatar that I could call my own. But that's going to change in this fight."

A wicked aura erupted from under Akihiro, consuming him in a jagged dark purple light.

"I'm going to show you my true avatar."

OST: FuerZa

"Ornamental's skill means I can only stand two units, so I stand both of my Sakurafubuki, and draw."

Akihiro took a deep breath.

"Entering the gates of hell, the arbiter of the lost night marches under the rose dyed moonlight! Clones of the despot, descend like a meteor shower to begin the frenzied midnight hour! I persona ride, Covert Demonic Dragon, Magatsu Storm!"

"This is my Imaginary Gift! Protect II! I call Magatsu Gale (9000 > 19000) and Magatsu Breath! Breath's skill, when placed, if I have a Magatsu vanguard, he gets +3k! (8000 > 11000) Magatsu Storm attacks! (12000) Be blown away into the blackest depths of the night sky, Shuriken of Banishment!"

Correcting his mistake from last turn, Akihiro initiated the battle phase with his vanguard attacking first.

"Jewel Flasher guards. (27000) Two to pass."

"Twin Drive!! (Stealth Beast, Jadouneko, Stealth Dragon, Daidoku) Boosted by Sakurafubuki, Gale attacks! (19000 > 27000) Katana of Banishment!"

"Ranpli guards. (32000)"

"Gale's skill, I put him into soul to bounce Sakurafubuki to my hand! Boosted by Sakurafubuki, Breath attacks! (11000 > 19000) Scroll of Banishment!"

"Shelter Beetle guards. (27000)"

"Breath's skill, I soulblast and discard a card to bounce both him and Sakurafubuki to my hand! Magatsu Storm's skill!"

The remaining cards in Zyriot's hand was a Protect I, Spark Hercules, and one other unknown card. He must've been feeling pretty confident that he could guard next two attacks with ease.

"When a rear-guard is returned to my hand, I soulblast a grade 3 to draw a card and call three cards from my hand to rear-guard! I call two Sakurafubuki and..."

Akihiro's dark purple aura exploded suddenly.

"My true avatar!"

Akihiro had entered The Zone.

"An infinite nightmare lead by the dragon of imperfection! Feast upon your lies and sins until justice has been served! The vigilante heavy brigade punisher of the purgatory will plunge you deep into the underworld until you blackout completely! I persona call my avatar, Shura Stealth Dragon, Fuzencongo! (12000 > 22000)"

"All of them get +5k! (22000 > 27000) (8000 > 13000) (8000 > 13000) Sakurafubuki's skill twice! I discard two cards to give them +3k each! (13000 > 16000) (13000 > 16000) Sakurafubuki attacks! (16000)"

"Cybister guards. (22000)"

Zyriot was down to two cards left.

His Protect Gift and Spark Hercules.

Akihiro had one more attack left.

His Fuzencongo boosted by Sakurafubuki.

Everything came down to this single attack with his avatar.

"Boosted by Sakurafubuki, Fuzencongo attacks! (27000 > 43000) Fuzencongo's skill—!"

At that moment, a flashing pop-up appeared on Akihiro's visor.

His eyes widened in shock.

"Is this...?"

Then, they narrowed in confidence.

"It is..."

A thread of purple light trickled in front of him.

Grabbing hold of it, Akihiro smirked.

"Thank you for choosing me... Fuzen."

His dark purple aura grew exponentially, flaring upwards like a beacon of light.

Until eventually, it touched the sky.

And shattered it, going beyond.

"BALANCE BREAKER!"

Zyriot couldn't believe what he was witnessing.

I couldn't believe what I was witnessing.

Akihiro had unexpectedly awakened his own Balance Breaker during the climax of this fight.

"YÒNG TĀ LÍNZHŌNG QIÁN DE HŪXĪ XIĚ XIÀ DE BÈI ZǓZHÒU DE JUÀNZHÓU/TIMES PURGATORY!"

This could be the moment that changes everything.

No...

This is the moment that changes everything.

The Shura Stealth Dragon, Fuzencongo on Cray had become the Ishima Akihiro from Earth.

Drawn in black blood, a tattoo of a dragon slithered up the bruised skin of Akihiro's arms and face before converging as an intricate pattern of scales on his back, where two ripped dragon-bat hybrid wings violently sprouted from.

The excess of dark purple aura calmed down, gradually sloping down from its tall beacon shape, and reconfigured itself in Akihiro's hands as a locked up golden scroll tightly wrapped in thick, rusted, silver chains.

"Fuzen's Balance Breaker! When she attacks, if I have five damage, I soulblast a grade 3 and bind any number of cards in my drop zone! For each card bound, she gets +5k, but thanks to Times Purgatory, she gets +15k instead! I bind all twenty two cards in my drop zone, giving her +330k! (43000 > 58000 > 73000 > 88000 > 103000 > 118000 > 133000 > 148000 > 163000 > 178000 > 193000 > 208000 > 223000 > 238000 > 253000 > 268000 > 283000 > 298000 > 313000 > 328000 > 343000 > 358000 > 373000)"

All at once, Akihiro broke the 100k, 200k, and 300k benchmark simultaneously.

This was the first time I've ever seen an attack this powerful in Vanguard before.

But Zyriot couldn't care less.

In his mind, it didn't matter how much power Akihiro accumulated on Fuzen, because he had a perfect guard to nullify it.

However, that naive preconception was about to be flipped on its head.

"Then, you can't call any sentinels from hand to guardian circle!"

"...huh?"

It took Zyriot a few seconds to even process it.

That his last line of defence had been rendered useless by Akihiro.

Ironically, the Balance Breaker had nothing to do with this.

The sentinel restrict was part of Fuzen's regular skill.

From the very beginning, Zyriot had lost the moment Akihiro started his turn.

"Become trapped in this timeless purgatory! Punish them, Malefic Black Paradox! (373000)"

Akihiro snapped the chains off the scroll and unfurled it open.

On it, painted in black ink, was a Chinese dragon spewing fire.

Imbued with Akihiro's wicked dark purple aura, the drawing came to life.

Escaping the boundaries of the scroll, the massive spirit of a purple dragon roared with its jaws wide open.

It's battlecry sounded like something straight from hell.

Then, emerging from the dragon's back was the spirit of a woman.

Vaguely resembling a knight, she had long dishevelled black hair and paper white skin.

Her armour, made from a complex weave of tungsten metal and calcium protrusions, fit snugly against her lithe figure.

However, what I was most mesmerised by was her mutant appearance.

As if she was cursed by a witch or fused with a monster, large swathes of her face and hands were coated in shrivelled up bubbly patches that resembled unevenly spread black tar.

On her face, the shape of her ruby red eyes were unnaturally reptilian and a singular vampiric fang stuck out from the corner of her pink lips. On the sides of her head, two curled horns swirled outwards, their blunt tips coated in dried blood.

Completing her nightmarish appearance were two ripped dragon-bat hybrid wings, exactly like Akihiro's, and a macuahuitl - a type of sword that looked like a club and was embedded with prismatic blades made from obsidian - sheathed on her back.

Despite these "ugly" deformations, I was captivated by her appearance.

There was something cathartic about seeing such a beautiful woman be corrupted with the blemishes of a beast.

Even though she was imperfect, that's what made her perfect.

"I am Fuzen. He is Congo."

Declaring her true name, it was revealed Fuzencongo was actually two separate entities acting as one unit.

The woman housed in the scroll was Fuzen and the dragon carrying it as her guardian was Congo.

Fuzen riding on Congo's back was symbolic of that partnership.

"And this searing pain... won't stop."

Together, they were the emissary of nightmares.

Like a violent gust of wind, the phantom duo rushed through Zyriot.

"N-no..."

To hold Zyriot in place, Congo sunk his fangs into him with a crunch, crushing his bones.

Drawing her macuahuitl, Fuzen somersaulted off the dragon's back and silently swung down.

In one swift motion, Fuzen hacked Zyriot down the middle, splitting him in two like an apple.

"Guard...?"

Then, time rewinded.

Zyriot was sent back to the moment before Congo ate him.

Then, it repeated.

To hold Zyriot in place, Congo sunk his fangs into him with a crunch, crushing his bones.

Drawing her macuahuitl, Fuzen somersaulted off the dragon's back and silently swung down.

In one swift motion, Fuzen hacked Zyriot down the middle, splitting him in two like an apple.

Then, time rewinded.

Zyriot was sent back to the moment before Congo ate him.

Then, it repeated.

To hold Zyriot in place, Congo sunk his fangs into him with a crunch, crushing his bones.

Drawing her macuahuitl, Fuzen somersaulted off the dragon's back and silently swung down.

In one swift motion, Fuzen hacked Zyriot down the middle, splitting him in two like an apple.

Then, time rewinded.

Zyriot was sent back to the moment before Congo ate him.

Then, it repeated.

To hold Zyriot in place, Congo sunk his fangs into him with a crunch, crushing his bones.

Drawing her macuahuitl, Fuzen somersaulted off the dragon's back and silently swung down.

In one swift motion, Fuzen hacked Zyriot down the middle, splitting him in two like an apple.

These five motions repeated endlessly in a loop.

This is what Akihiro meant by "Times Purgatory".

Zyriot was perpetually stuck in time, forced to replay the moment of his death over and over again with no escape.

To hold Zyriot in place, Congo sunk his fangs into him with a crunch, crushing his bones.

Drawing her macuahuitl, Fuzen somersaulted off the dragon's back and silently swung down.

In one swift motion, Fuzen hacked Zyriot down the middle, splitting him in two like an apple.

On the three hundred seventy three thousandth loop, Zyriot's visor cracked.

"D-damage... check... (Machining Spark Hercules)"

Zyriot was dragged out of the simulation.

From head to toe, his skin was pale as a ghost and his body was smothered in blood.

It looked like he had been through a surreal and sinister nightmare.

"And that's all she wrote."

Like putting the final nail in a coffin, Akihiro closed his scroll.

Zyriot's visor shattered, falling apart into little glass shards.

He fell face first into the ground, joining the pile of bodies he made.

A pop-up appeared on my visor.

"Zyriot Feirbuster is Dead."

Against all odds, Akihiro had managed to do the impossible.

He had killed D Class's seemingly invincible leader.

Akihiro wobbled, planting his left fist into the table to stay upright.

Then, he raised his right fist into the air.

"GLORY TO THE LOSER FACTION!"