School had finished for the day.

I was on my way heading home by myself when a man stopped me.

"Takanori-san!"

It was Mikazuchi-sensei.

I stopped as he called out to me in the corridor.

"How are you doing?"

"I'm doing fine. And you?"

"Just dandy. I see you got some new drip, very nice."

Mikazuchi-sensei pointed at the sunglasses I was wearing.

"It was a gift from a senpai."

"Oh, is that so? While it's good you're branching out to the upperclassmen, I hope you haven't forgotten about Kaido."

"On the contrary. I'm more determined than ever to make Kaido-senpai my rival now."

"That's great to hear! Anyways, I need you to come with me."

"Why?"

"Apparently, it's come to my attention that you've met a student named Shimada Kuroshi in this school."

I wanted to forget about that encounter, yet Mikazuchi-sensei dug it up without a second thought.

"I have."

"And apparently, he said some rather... concerning things."

Before Mikazuchi-sensei could continue, I abruptly cut in.

"How do you know all this?"

"Security cameras are everywhere on this island, Takanori-san. Though, I'll be honest with you, I didn't find out about this through that. I don't have the time to sift through hours of footage."

Considering he had a corporation to run alongside being a teacher, this was understandable.

"Rather, I heard it from your father."

Once again, his presence was seeping into my everyday life, even when I didn't want it to.

"Oh."

"Don't worry. I perfectly understood what the contents of your conversation with Shimada-san were referring to. Even I've been mixed up in business with the Underworld once before."

"...is that so."

Considering Mikazuchi-sensei was a close friend of him, I guess this made sense.

I sighed, ready to turn around and escape this uncomfortable situation. However, before I could, Mikazuchi-sensei drew me back in.

"It's come to my attention that you actually don't need my mentorship at all."

"...what do you mean by that?"

"Prior to your entrance exam, I had no idea that you were the Underworld's Masterpiece."

The same feeling of my rationality being chipped away from back then started to come back to me now.

"I've heard rumours of such an existence before, but never in a million years would I have thought it was you. When I first found out, I thought it unfathomable that my own student was such a legendary figure in the Underworld. If you were already that powerful, then it'd be pointless to ask for my help, since you wouldn't need it. Even a genius like me couldn't figure out why you'd be willing to waste your precious time on such a pointless venture... and that's why I decided to ask your father about it."

The swaying image of his shadow grew stronger in my head with each passing second.

"It was difficult to get an answer, but eventually, he told me everything."

I won't forgive you.

"...so you know about my past?"

"Yes. I'm sorry I had to be so forceful in finding the truth."

Mikazuchi-sensei put a hand on my shoulder.

"I'm also sorry that you went through all that repeatedly at such a young age."

There was genuine sympathy was in his eyes.

Suddenly, Mikazuchi-sensei flinched and removed his hand from my shoulder.

He laughed a little awkwardly, his hand shaking.

"A ha ha. Perhaps I am being too insensitive?"

"I'd rather we drop the topic altogether."

"Fair enough. Anyways... what I came here for is your graduation fight."

"Graduation fight?"

"You don't need my help anymore. You never needed it in the first place, actually. You're already plenty strong enough. You'd be wasting your time by following my tasks. That's why I'm going to have you graduate."

"Wait... are you saying you're going to stop being my mentor?"

"That's right. After this fight, I won't bother you anymore."

"That's..."

For some reason, it hurt.

When Mikazuchi-sensei said those words, I felt a bitter loneliness gnaw at my heart.

From the very beginning, he was the one who dragged me into this world.

Because of him, I got to taste the bitterness of defeat.

Because of him, I've met someone deeply important to me.

Because of him, I gained a purpose at this school.

And to have it end here so anticlimactically... didn't feel right.

"You're joking, sensei."

Mikazuchi-sensei was taken back a bit by my declaration.

"I'm not, Takanori-san. You don't need me anymore—"

"I need you, Mikazuchi-sensei!"

I rejected this notion and grabbed him by the collar.

Mikazuchi-sensei's eyes widened.

"I need you... I need you to teach me something that even the Underworld couldn't."

"What...?"

"I need you to teach me... that even a masterpiece can be broken!"

"...huh?! What are you saying? You're the strongest student at this school, no two ways about it! Nothing else can be done to make you better than you already are. Even if we tried, your power would become overkill. It'd be unnecessary."

"If I was the strongest, then the school would acknowledge it... Kaido-senpai would acknowledge me. Kishou-sama too. But they haven't - no one has, because I've been hiding it."

I let go of Mikazuchi-sensei and took out my deck.

"That's why I'm not going to hide my true abilities anymore in this fight. I'm going to use everything I have to seriously defeat you. And if I do, then I'll graduate without making a fuss. However, if you win, then I want you to continue mentoring me. Because beating me at my strongest is proof that I can still improve!"

A look of realisation dawned in Mikazuchi-sensei's eyes. He chuckled, pulling down his bucket hat.

"Oh... I get it now. I'm the only one who can do this because I know about your circumstances."

"That's right. You're one of the few adults that I can trust in this school, for better or for worse."

"In some ways, same here. Besides, the fact that you also reject the idea of "perfection" makes me want to mentor you even more now. Perhaps I was a bit too hasty in letting you go, since you and Kaido are more alike than I originally thought. How brilliant!"

Mikazuchi-sensei laughed, throwing his arms to the side.

"Then, I must admit something as well. The deck I used against you back in the entrance exam wasn't my true deck. If we're going to fight each other seriously, then I have to use my real deck too."

"That's fine by me. I recently changed my deck to something more befitting of me as well."

"I've heard! Claret Sword Dragon, who would've thought? But what you're about to face is something no one has ever seen before. And I mean it quite literally."

Mikazuchi-sensei took out a platinum deck box from his pocket.

"Come with me to the teacher's lounge. We'll fight there."

I nodded and followed him.

The truth is, I wanted to fight Mikazuchi-sensei under these conditions to see whether or not I could beat a God.

For all extents and purposes, Mikazuchi-sensei— no, Mikazuchi Ryuzaki, was the closest living thing to it.

His wealth, his legacy, and his past, was more than enough proof why Ryuzaki was a God.

He was a man who could transcend human mortality and ascend to godhood if he wanted to.

That's why he was the perfect opponent for me to test myself.

Whether or not I could be saved depended entirely on whether or not I could beat a God.

If someone as overpowered as me couldn't, then I knew I was still human.

However, if I could, then that meant something even more terrifying had occurred within me.

And that was the last thing I wanted.

This would be my greatest trial as the "Underworld's Masterpiece".

I want Mikazuchi-sensei to destroy that title he gave me.

We soon arrived at the teacher's lounge.

Making his way to the back, Mikazuchi-sensei gestured to a sofa.

"Here we are. Take a seat and get comfy."

I nodded and sat down, before putting my cards on the table.

"Would you like a drink?"

"No thanks, I'm good."

"Fair enough. Chabashira-san, could you get me a can of black coffee from the fridge?"

Mikazuchi-sensei called out from across the room before also taking a seat.

"Honestly, why don't you get it yourself..."

Chabashira-sensei sighed, walking over to us with Mikazuchi-sensei's drink in her hand.

"I'm talking to a student, as you can see."

Placing his drink on the table, Chabashira-sensei looked at me.

"Takanori-san, huh?"

"Yes, we're about to have a game of Vanguard. Would you like to join us?"

"I've got work to do."

Chabashira-sensei bluntly refused, turning around to return to her desk.

"Aww, don't be such a stuck-up! You can do work at any time, but it's not everyday you get to see Takanori-san go all out."

I wanted to kick Mikazuchi-sensei in the shins right now.

At that whisper of temptation, Chabashira-sensei looked at me over her shoulder curiously.

"...really?"

What a troublesome situation to be in...

I sighed and answered.

"Yeah."

"Then... is it okay if I watch?"

As if asking for consent, Chabashira-sensei reservedly asked that.

I gave Mikazuchi-sensei a blunt look saying I'd rather not let her see this fight.

However, he cheekily smiled.

"C'mon, she already knows now. What's the harm?"

"You know exactly what the problem is, sensei."

"If that's your concern, we'll keep this liaison a secret between us three. Alright, Chabashira-san? No telling anybody what you're about to witness."

"My lips are sealed."

"Great, so there's no problems then."

I can't help but feel like I'm watching an older version of the Kishou-Kurosaki duo right now...

"...fine, you can watch."

Due to their combined persistence, I gave in and let Chabashira-sensei observe. At the very least, she's my homeroom teacher, so it could be worse I suppose. It could be Hiden-sensei who's watching instead.

"Thank you, Takanori-san."

Chabashira-sensei moved her office chair from her desk to between the sofas me and Mikazuchi-sensei were sitting on.

"By the way, did you bring your visor today?"

"I keep it in my bag for convenience's sake."

"Great. Put it on."

I raised an eyebrow, but I did as he instructed. Then, both Mikazuchi-sensei and Chabashira-sensei put on their visors as well.

"Now, we can use this."

Mikazuchi-sensei grinned and clicked his fingers.

Immediately, the table we were fighting on started to glow, and our surroundings had begun to seal off.

A wall of neon blue hexagons separated us from the outside world.

"What the...?"

"This is a new technology that the R&D at this school have been working on. We call it the Transportable War System, or TTS for short."

The more I learn about this school, the more I notice that they really like to use shorthand terms for their technical aspects.

"Basically, with TTS, we can fight using the mechanics exclusive to war time. Isn't that neat?"

"Huh. Does that mean I can use things like the Ride Deck and Fighter's Skills now?"

"That's right. The school is planning to roll it out to everyone later this month. That way, you can get better practice for war time, even from the comfort of your own home! To activate the technology though, you'll need to use a War Glove, or G Glove for short."

I looked at the hand Mikazuchi-sensei snapped his fingers with. On it was a black glove with an intricate dark green pattern etched into it, like futuristic wiring.

"And I'm guessing it works with a click?"

"Yeah, the glove will sense the two visors engaging and turn any surface - not just tables - compatible with the war system."

"How impressive..."

I was genuinely surprised by how intuitive and innovative this system was. The school must have been working on this for awhile then I'm guessing.

When it gets publicly released, it'd be an unprecedented new technology to everyone in the school, meaning the playing field for figuring out how to optimise its usage would be equal. Not even the upperclassmen would know what was the best way to use it is.

"Anyways, enough about the TTS. Let's get this fight going on!"

"Right. With my strongest, I'll beat your strongest."

"Stand up, the, Vanguard!"

"Promising Knight, David!"

"Cardinal Fang, Phovi!"

I flinched, having never seen that card before in my life.

"...what in the?"

Mikazuchi-sensei smiled at me.

"Hey. Isn't this irresponsible of you?"

Suddenly, Chabashira-sensei crossed her arms and chided him.

"You heard what Takanori-san said, right? With his strongest, he'll beat my strongest. And this is my strongest, Chabashira-san."

"Still though, this isn't something you should be using carelessly."

It seemed like a major deal that Mikazuchi-sensei was using these cards, as Chabashira-sensei got increasingly irritated at him. I'd never seen her look so mad before.

"I know, but I can trust Takanori-san with this secret. After all, he entrusted us with his. It's only fair."

Chabashira-sensei was about to speak harshly, but stopped.

"...you're right. Sorry."

"It's fine, your concern's justified."

"However, this better be a one time thing."

"It is, don't worry. Just relax and enjoy the show."

Mikazuchi-sensei chuckled, making Chabashira-sensei sigh.

"Mikazuchi-sensei... what is that card anyways?"

I pointed at his starter. Even the border and layout of the text was different.

"This is the future of Vanguard, Takanori-san."

"The future of Vanguard...?"

"In this future, clans don't exist anymore."

My heart nearly skipped a beat when I heard that.

"Instead, they've been replaced by the evolved versions of our current nations. And this is my nation."

Mikazuchi-sensei picked up his starter.

"Brandt Gate. Formerly known as Star Gate."

I was shocked.

"What happened...?"

"That's information I cannot disclose at the current moment. However, what I can do is give you a taste of their power."

"...I guess it's better than nothing."

Up against an unknown enemy, a hot feeling began to grow in my heart.

It was the same feeling from back then, from when I fought Kishou.

Thanks to him, I now knew what that burning emotion was.

I understood it was excitement.

Since Mikazuchi-sensei wasn't holding back at all, neither will I.

"If it's okay with you, I'll start us off."

"Sure."

"Stand and draw! I ride Cardinal Noid, Routis! Unfortunately, I can't use Phovi's skill."

Strangely, his starter would only let him draw if he went second. Additionally, it didn't give him a Quick Shield ticket either.

"However, I can use Routis' skill! When I ride him, I search my deck for one World card and add it to my hand!"

"World card...?"

"You'll see. I add Eclipsed Moonlight!"

Mikazuchi-sensei took out a blue bordered card from his deck and showed it to me.

"That's all, turn end!"

Yuuto:
Hand: 5
Damage: 0
Ritual: 0
OXO
OOO

Ryuzaki:
Hand: 6
Damage: 0
OXO
OOO

"Stand and draw. I ride Cherishing Knight, Branwen from my Ride Deck!"

It was my first time using Claret with this style of Vanguard. Obviously, I took advantage of the fact that we were discarding to ride and discarded grade 1s to fuel Claret's cost later.

Unfortunately, I didn't have time beforehand to prepare my deck to be optimal for this, so I still had Dumphood in my main deck. However, I did put Blaster Dark in my Ride Deck.

"Branwen's skill, check top five for a grade 3... and whiff. David's skill, draw a card and get a Quick Shield ticket. Then, I call Skull Witch, Nemain!"

However, because of the Ride Deck, I could safely mulligan for Nemain without worrying about having targets to ride up with. That was one of the biggest advantages I gained from this style.

"Nemain's skill, I rest her and superior call Dumphood Dragon from my deck!"

At the very least, I could filter out that grade 2 and have it be an attacker or interceptor.

"Branwen attacks! (8000)"

"No guard!"

"Drive check! (Mage of Entwined Roots, Awalgin)"

"Damage check! (Cardinal Noid, Thumborino)"

"Turn end."

Yuuto:
Hand: 7
Damage: 0
Ritual: 1
OXO
XOX

Ryuzaki:
Hand: 6
Damage: 1
OXO
OOO

"Stand and draw! I ride Cardinal Noid, Cubisia! Are you ready to step into the night? I counterblast to play my set order, Eclipsed Moonlight!"

Suddenly, I could see a blood red moon hang above our heads.

"Set order?"

Mikazuchi-sensei had placed down a new type of order that I'd never seen before either.

"Unlike normal orders, when I play a set order, it stays on the field to give me an effect! In Eclipsed Moonlight's case..."

Mikazuchi-sensei took out a card from under his green and white bucket hat.

"I call a Shadow Army token to rear-guard and my World becomes Dark Night!"

Night fell over us as a purple cube appeared next to Mikazuchi-sensei. The cube mechanically unfolded itself, releasing into the world a sinister black figure wrapped in darkness - the Shadow Army token.

"Cubisia's skill! When I play a World, one of my units get +5k! I give the power to my Shadow Army! (15000 > 20000) Next, I call Cardinal Draco, Alviderd and Detonation Mutant, Bobalmine! Alviderd's skill, since my World is Dark Night, he gets +2k! (10000 > 12000) Battle! Cubisia attacks! (10000)"

Without holding back, Mikazuchi-sensei rushed me without hesitation.

"No guard!"

"Drive check! (Cardinal Draco, Enpyro) Front trigger! (20000 > 30000) (10000 > 20000) (12000 > 22000)"

I was planning to guard at least one of these attacks, but because of that trigger, it would become much more difficult to do so.

"Damage check! (Cherishing Knight, Branwen)"

"My Shadow Army attacks! (30000)"

The soldier made of shadows slunk into the floor, before reappearing in front of me and blasting me in the face.

"No guard! (Grim Revenger) Critical trigger! All to vanguard! (8000 > 18000)"

Luckily, I hit a damage trigger in return.

"Boosted by Bobalmine, Alviderd attacks! (22000 > 30000)"

"Darkside Trumpeter guards! (33000)"

"Bobalmine's skill, he goes into soul and I countercharge! Alviderd's skill, I retire my token to retire Nemain!"

Unfortunately, he had the means to snipe my rear-guards. In that case, I better be careful about when I call my Lluails.

"Turn end!"

Yuuto:
Hand: 6
Damage: 2
Ritual: 2
OXO
XOO

Ryuzaki:
Hand: 4
Damage: 1
OXX
OOO

"Stand and draw! Glorification is only fitting for those in the light. Arise from the abyss, and ride! Blaster Dark!"

"Blaster Dark's skill, I counterblast to make you retire a rear-guard!"

"I retire Alviderd!"

"I move Dumphood to the front and call another Nemain! Her skill, I rest her and superior call Abyssal Owl! Owl's skill, since our grades are the same, I soulblast to draw! Then, I call Blue Espada Dragon and use his skill! I look at the top three cards of my deck for a Claret Sword and add it to hand!"

Unfortunately, there were none when I checked, but I did hit two grade 1s in my top three, which was good because I'd be milling these cards.

"I whiffed, so I put all the cards I checked into my drop zone. However, this brings me to five grade 1s in drop zone, meaning Espada gets +10k! (8000 > 18000) Finally, since you have no rear-guards, I discard a card to get drive +1! (10000/1d > 2d) Awalgin's skill, since he was discarded, I check top three and put a card from among them into my drop zone! The rest go on the bottom of my deck."

I put another grade 1 into drop zone. Since Mikazuchi-sensei rushed me, I was going to rush him back.

"Blaster Dark attacks! (10000/2d) Crossing Diablo!"

"No guard!"

"Twin Drive!! (Darkside Trumpeter) Critical trigger! Power to Dumphood, critical to Dark! (5000 > 15000) (10000/1 > 2/2d) (Belial Owl) Critical trigger! Power to Blue Espada, critical to Dark! (18000 > 28000) (10000/2 > 3/2d)"

"Double crit?!"

Not even Chabashira-sensei could hide her surprise. Mikazuchi-sensei snickered.

"What a sack! Damage checks! (Cardinal Noid, Cubisia, In the Darkness Nobody Knows, Cardinal Prima, Nabilem) Alright, a Heal trigger! Thank goodness, I heal a damage and give power to vanguard! (10000 > 20000)"

In one swift attack, Mikazuchi-sensei was pushed to four, but subsequently returned back to three.

"Boosted by Abyssal Owl, Dumphood attacks! (15000 > 20000)"

"Bobalmine guards! (25000)"

"Blue Espada attacks! (28000)"

"No guard! (Cardinal Draco, Aeblood) Ah, a wasted front."

"Turn end!"

Yuuto:
Hand: 6
Damage: 2
Ritual: 7
XXX
XOX

Ryuzaki:
Hand: 3
Damage: 4
OXO
OOO

"Stand and draw! From the birth of this universe, through its expansion, and up until the very end, the seeds of this world have been planted. And now, reap the fruit of generations. Descend! Cardinal Deus, Orfist!"

This was Mikazuchi-sensei's true avatar. The overseer of the world, Orfist.

Interestingly, there was no Imaginary Gift, but rather an icon I'd never seen before.

"The night is still young. That's why we'll go deeper! I soulblast one to play the set order Hollowing Moonlit Night! I draw a card and my World becomes Abyssal Dark Night!"

The blood red moon eclipsed the sun, blotting out the light, and seeping us further into the darkness.

"I call Cardinal Noid, Thumborino and use Orfist's skill! Since my World is Abyssal Dark Night, he gets +5k (13000 > 18000) and I counterblast two to call three Shadow Army tokens to rear-guard! In addition to that, I activate my Skill!"

Mikazuchi-sensei's visor began glowing magenta.

"Chronos Coffin! Regardless of my World, I call a Shadow Army token to rear-guard!"

Orfist spun his scythe, spitting out four purple cubes into the darkness. All of them popped open, releasing four Shadow Army tokens into the world.

Somehow, Mikazuchi-sensei had managed to fill his entire board out of thin air.

"Battle! Boosted by a Shadow Army, Orfist attacks! (18000 > 33000) Cubic Law!"

"Belial Owl guards! Dumphood intercepts! (10000 > 40000 > 45000) Two to pass!"

"Only two? Easy."

Mikazuchi-sensei grinned, causing Chabashira-sensei to speak up with a surprised tone once more.

"You don't mean... you think you're going to check that, are you?"

"At this stage of the game? Ha ha ha! Statistically, it's almost impossible."

"Even if it's slim, there's still a chance."

"While true, I'm more likely to rip the two to pass, which is what I'm actually betting on."

"Oh..."

"No wonder you're a history teacher."

"Math was never my strong suit at school... w-wait, that's besides the point!"

As she got embarrassed by him, a bit of Chabashira-sensei's cute side leaked out slightly.

"Ha ha, you seemed excited at the prospect of me checking it though."

"Well it's not every day I get to watch someone use the overDress cards... naturally I'd want to see what they're capable of."

Chabashira-sensei had carelessly mentioned what kind of cards Mikazuchi-sensei was using - overDress, huh? I hadn't heard of that before either.

"Maybe next turn. For now, just keep your lips hushed. You might've just revealed too much to Takanori-san now, y'know?"

"Right... my bad."

I still wasn't sure what they were talking about, but Mikazuchi-sensei proceeded with his drive checks regardless.

"Twin Drive!! First check! (Cardinal Prima, Nabilem) Heal trigger! Man, getting a trigger on the first check of a two to pass is a pain. I'm feeling confident, so I give all to Orfist (33000 > 43000) and heal a damage!"

Now he only needed one more trigger to break my guard.

"Second check! (Detonation Mutant, Bobalmine) Ah well, you can't win them all. Boosted by a Shadow Army, my Shadow Army attacks! (15000 > 30000)"

"No guard! (Perennial Knight, Rimmon)"

These attacks were ridiculously large to guard against on a 10k base...

"Boosted by Thumborino, my other Shadow Army attacks! (15000 > 23000) Thumborino's skill, when she boosts a Shadow Army, she gets +15k! (23000 > 38000)"

I calculated the risk and decided it was better to take the damage than try to guard.

"No guard! (Abyssal Owl)"

"I retire all the rear-guards in Thumborino's column and draw a card. Turn end!"

Yuuto:
Hand: 5
Damage: 4
Ritual: 7
OXX
XOX

Ryuzaki:
Hand: 5
Damage: 3
OXX
OXX

"Stand and draw! Only the strong have the right to wield this sword! A true dictator overcomes adversity with strength, and strength alone! I ride my avatar, Claret Sword Dragon!"

"Imaginary Gift: Force II! (13000/1 > 2) Claret's skill, I check top three and discard any grade 1s from among them! I put two and Claret gets +20k! (13000 > 33000/2) Nemain's skill, I rest her and superior call Strict Order Knight, Lluails! I call another from hand! Since my entire field is grade 1s, both Lluails get +15k! (5000 > 20000) (5000 > 20000)"

I felt confident that my four attacks would be enough to cripple him beyond recovery, since he only had five cards in hand and was sitting at three damage.

With two attacks a guaranteed two critical, he'd have to take one and be pushed to five and guard the rest, or guard both critical attacks and take the rest.

Either way, I was sure that I could kill him on my next turn. So let's unleash everything, Claret.

"Claret Sword attacks! (33000/2) Septimum Eraser!"

Claret pulled down his mask, his eyes glowing a brilliant amber.

"No guard! Come on, crit me!"

He leapt into the air, throwing his sword back to gain momentum, while his ragged cape waved behind him like a proud flag.

I could end the game here if I checked a critical. I grasped tightly onto the top card of my deck and flipped it over anxiously.

"Twin Drive!! (Cherishing Knight, Branwen, Skull Witch, Nemain)"

Unfortunately, despite my heavy filtering and compression of the deck, I was unable to get a trigger when it mattered most.

"Damage checks! (Cardinal Draco, Alviderd, Cardinal Deus, Orfist)"

Claret swung down at Orfist mightily, breaking past his spinning scythe to lodge the sword's hook deep into Orfist's unnaturally blue core.

"Claret Sword's skill! I counterblast and bind seven grade 1s from my drop zone to restand the vanguard with drive -1! (33000/2/2d > 1d) Skill, activate!"

For the first time, my visor began glowing red.

"Third Fist! When I bind a card, my vanguard gets drive +1! (33000/2/1d > 2d)"

Thanks to my Fighter's Skill, I could offset the drive -1 cost and get a total of four drive checks with Claret.

"Boosted by Lluails, Claret Sword attacks! (33000 > 53000/2/2d) Nihil Bloodriver!"

Just as Claret pushed deeper into Orfist's chest to crush him, the hook of his sword struck a diamond shaped stone hidden inside of him, causing it to glow neon blue.

Instead of stepping back cautiously, Claret continued to shove the sword deeper, grinning fearlessly. However, that bravado was short lived as he was suddenly propelled away from Orfist by an unknown magnetic force.

"Violate Dragon, perfect guard!"

The stone cracked as Violate Dragon burst open from Orfist's chest, roaring while crawling out onto the field like an alien. Claret's damned smile grew even wider as a new challenger stepped up to him.

He got up and violently swung again, this time at an angle to try and catch Orfist off guard. However, the now airborne Violate noticed this and used his powers as a sentinel to create a spherical shield around Orfist to protect him.

"Twin Drive!! (Darkside Trumpeter) Critical trigger! All to Blue Espada! (8000 > 18000/1 > 2) (Belial Owl) Critical trigger! All to Abyssal Owl! (5000 > 15000/1 > 2)"

Ultimately, it was a pointless endeavour to attack, as not even the Claret Sword could penetrate a sentinel's perfect guard.

"Blue Espada attacks! (18000/2)"

"Enpyro guards! Since your vanguard is grade 3 or greater, he gets +5k shield! (33000)"

This was my first time witnessing a 20k shield Front trigger before.

"Boosted by Lluails, Owl attacks! (15000 > 35000/2)"

"Violate Dragon perfect guards again! However, this time, since I have two or less cards in hand, I don't need to discard to nullify!"

And now a costless sentinel? So much has changed...

Thanks to that skill, Mikazuchi-sensei was able to keep the last card in his hand instead of discarding it.

"...turn end."

Yuuto:
Hand: 8
Damage: 4
Ritual: 1
XXX
XXX

Ryuzaki:
Hand: 1
Damage: 5
OXX
OXX

"I'm kind of disappointed that's all you've got. I expected far more better from you."

"Sorry for being unable to live up to your wild expectations."

Mikazuchi-sensei chuckled.

"Though, I can't be too hard on you. The real game starts here, after all."

"Yeah. Everything becomes more intense on turn 4."

"That's right! So, before I proceed... are you ready?"

"I'm prepared. Bring it."

"Don't say I didn't warn you."

Mikazuchi-sensei entered The Zone.

"Final Turn."

OST: Night Hawk

"Stand and draw! The mystery of time and space is superseded by the world's law and order. With this cloudy apple picked from the garden of Eden, rewrite the false chronicles of humanity and transcribe the cardinal truth unto this devoid era! Be drawn into the moon and descend again! Persona ride, Cardinal Deus, Orfist!"

The unknown icon on Orfist's card began to glow mysteriously.

"Instead of Imaginary Gift, this the power used in the distant future: Persona Ride! I draw a card, and for the rest of this turn, my front row gets +10k! (18000 > 28000) (15000 > 25000)"

Persona Ride... suddenly, this term used to refer to riding your avatar twice now had a powerful effect attached to it.

"Orfist's skill! I counterblast two and call two Shadow Army tokens to rear-guard! (15000 > 25000) Now that everything's prepared, let's get this show started."

Mikazuchi-sensei's eyes became bloodthirsty.

"When you stare into the abyss, the abyss stares back at you. Set this field to my image, Eternal Landscape - World Ravine!"

Just when I thought we couldn't be submerged further into darkness, Mikazuchi-sensei proved me wrong.

In the blink of an eye, the scenery before us transformed into the insides of a pitch black chasm, with the only means of escape being a strip of the night hanging above our heads.

Even when this far away from the sky, I could still make out the blood red moon that eclipsed the sun.

"World Ravine's passive skill, all my Shadow Army tokens get +5k! (25000 > 30000) (25000 > 30000) (15000 > 20000) (15000 > 20000) (15000 > 20000)"

So this is what Kurosaki meant when she said I'd find out about what Eternal Landscapes were. This was yet another feature of war time. It seems to act similarly to those set orders Mikazuchi-sensei used earlier.

"Battle! Boosted by a Shadow Army, my Shadow Army attacks! (30000 > 50000)"

Considering how big the swings would be, it was better to take this attack and guard the other two. If I was lucky, I might hit a damage trigger.

"No guard! (Mage of Entwined Roots, Awalgin)"

Or not. Oh well, luck was never my strong suit.

"Boosted by a Shadow Army, my other Shadow Army attacks! (30000 > 50000)"

"Darkside Trumpeter, Death Feather Eagle, and Branwen guards! (13000 > 28000 > 43000 > 53000)"

"Boosted by a Shadow Army, Orfist attacks! (28000 > 48000) Cubic Law!"

"Belial Owl, Abyss Healer, and Nemain guards! (13000 > 43000 > 63000 > 73000) No pass!"

With that, I was safe from his turn.

"That's what you think, huh?"

However, the tone Mikazuchi-sensei adopted was the opposite of that.

"It's time to turn your world upside down. Twin Drive!!"

He lowered his bucket hat with a smile.

"First check! (Cardinal Draco, Barbizonde) Critical trigger! All to my Shadow Army token! (30000 > 40000/1 > 2)"

Wait, why did he pass the trigger effects over there?

"Second check! (Star Dragon Deity of Infinitude, Eldobreath) Get, Over Trigger!"

...huh?

"This is the Over! A trigger so broken, you're only allowed one copy of it per deck! When I check it, I remove it from play, draw a card, and give one of my units +100 million power!"

What the hell?

"All to my Shadow Army token! (40000 > 100,040,000/2) But that's not all. Since I got it in my drive check, I can activate its additional effect!"

What is that?

"Eldobreath's skill! I double the power and critical of all my front row units until end of turn! (30000 > 60000/1 > 2) (28000 > 56000/1 > 2) (100,040,000 > 200,080,000/2 > 4) Horizon Limit - Destroy Star!"

A new trigger...?!

"And since Orfist's power was doubled... the attack now has enough power to hit. (56000 > 76000/2)"

The moment Mikazuchi-sensei checked that card, everything changed.

After getting over the initial shock of that insane trigger, I composed myself to stay calm.

In this situation, I only had one option left: to check a 6th damage heal.

It was no different from last time... except, I needed to pull this feat off twice.

While a subtle change, its impact on whether or not I'd survive was massive.

Getting two 6th damage heals was infinitely harder than getting just one.

The probability of it happening was extremely unlikely.

You weren't safe until the second check.

In the end, the outcome of this fight was left in the hands of fate.

I had no control over my destiny whatsoever.

Even so, this was all I could do now.

There was no turning back.

Part of me hoped I'd lose.

The other part of me hoped I'd live.

I took a deep breath and emptied my mind of otherworldly thoughts.

"Damage checks."

I believed.

"The first! (Abyss Healer)"

I-I got it!

"Heal trigger! I heal a damage and give all to Claret! (13000 > 23000)"

I just need another... come on!

"The second! (Abyss Healer)"

Alright!

"Heal trigger! I heal a damage and give power to Claret! (23000 > 33000)"

Against all odds, I managed to pull off the extraordinary and get two consecutive heal triggers.

"Wow, one lucky check after another! It's like your deck responded to my impossible feat with it's own!"

Mikazuchi-sensei laughed, enjoying himself too much in this fight of defying percentages.

"However, it will end here."

In less than a second, his tone became serious once more.

"BALANCE BREAKER!"

My eyes widened.

"Ad te mihi in ultima lectio/Star Heritage!"

Mikazuchi-sensei's magenta aura, calm and tightly controlled, flowed around him like a low hum of radiation.

"I stand one of my Shadow Army tokens!"

Suddenly, it all made sense.

The reason why he put all the trigger effects on his rested token.

He was planning to use his Balance Breaker from the very start...

Getting that Over Trigger was simply a lucky addition.

"My Shadow Army token attacks! (200,080,000/4) Countless Twelfth............"

"overSLAAAAAAAAAAAASH!!!!!!!!!!!!"

This was impossible to guard.

This was impossible to survive.

This was game over.

"No guard."

The blood red moon started oozing uncontrollably.

In this ravine, two hundred million and eighty thousand Shadow Army tokens came out of the woodwork.

And all at once, they charged at me.

I accepted my fate and welcomed the darkness without resistance.

The shadows piled on top of me until I was no more.

What a fitting end.