Cardfight Vanguard Dimension!! Neptunia x Vanguard Story!

Chapter 9: In The End... Part 2

"Slash through everything with your cursed blade...! Cover the world in the darkness of death! Descend, my Avatar! Star-vader, Chaos Breaker Dragon!" Alice slams her ace down. "Infinite Zero's skill! When rode upon, and I have four or more damage, I lock Algos and Radiate Assault! Chaos Breaker's skill, I lock Tidal Assault and give you an Imaginary Gift: Force 1!" Once again, Alice throws Azura a Force marker, who puts it on her Vanguard. "I call Colony Maker and use her skill. Call Zirconium, and use his skill! Lock a card from the top of your deck! Also, Chaos Breaker's original Critical becomes 2!" Alice prepares for her attack. "You want to know what's on my mind...? To be honest...I don't know!" Alice turns Colony Maker's card to the right to attack Azura.

"No guard." Azura takes her damage.

"But for some reason, when I think about that day I lost...my heart rate spikes, and there's this infuriating tightness in my chest...!" Alice attacks with Zirconium next.

"No guard." Azura takes a fifth damage.

"But the worst part about it, when I remember Yoshi's love confession to you, the feeling gets worse, and it feels like I'm about to pass out!" Alice swings with her Vanguard next. "And when I think back even further, this isn't the first time it's happened...! And I've never had that same treatment...! Why?! What is it that you have that I don't?! Is it the hair...?! Is it your body...?! Is it...me?!" Alice breaks down right in the middle of the fight.

"Perfect guard." Azura blocks the attack.

"What is it that people around us find you more appealing than me?! Twin Drive! First check! No trigger! Second check! Heal Trigger! I heal a damage!" Alice is back to 4 damage now. "I know I tend to have violent tendencies...! I know my body isn't as developed as yours is...! And I know I'm not as beautiful as you are...! But even still...I'm a human too! I'm a girl, and I have feelings too! So why does everyone fawn over you and worship you as some kind of Goddess while I'm always stuck in your shadow?! Tell me!!"

Azura draws her card to start her turn. "You're right, Alice. You are human, and you're my sister, and I love you just as a normal sister should." Azura says. "I don't know why people are so fond of me either, if I'm honest. And to be even more honest, I envy your position. I wish people would leave me alone a lot. If it was possible to change our positions, then I would agree in a heartbeat. But for your questions... The answer is simple. Everything."

"What...?"

"I have everything you don't. And vice versa. I am me, and you are you. There will always be differences between us, whether they be positive or negative. And to change that, you need to accept all there is to you, and run with it!" Azura raises her card up. "Witness it...! A dragon from the depths of the ocean's abyss...! Rise from the deep dark depths and deliver justice unto our foes! Rise up, my Avatar! Blue Storm Dragon, Maelstrom! Imaginary Gift: Accel 2! I draw a card, and call Storm Rider, Diamantes and Tidal Assault! Then I retire Radiate Assault to call another and use his skill to soul blast and allow my on hit skills to activate regardless of if they hit or not. I use Maelstrom's skill, counter blast, and give my front row 3000 power! I attack with Maelstrom!"

"Perfect guard!"

"Twin Drive! First check! No trigger. Second check! Critical Trigger! All effects to Tidal Assault! Tidal Assault attacks!"

"I guard!"

"Tidal Assault's skill, counter blast and stand him with minus 5000 power!"

"I guard!"

"I end my turn." Azura says. She would have been able to do more if not for her locked cards clogging up her front row, but for right now, that was it. And at the end of her turn, all of Azura's cards are unlocked. However.

"I activate Chaos Breaker's skill. Soul blast, and retire the unlocked Algos AND get rid of two of your Imaginary Gifts on your field! I remove Tidal Assault's Accel circle and the Force Marker I gave you. And for every Gift Marker removed from this skill, I get two Force Markers for myself!" Alice takes back the Force marker she gave Azura, and puts it onto her Vanguard for a total of 30k extra power. "Next, Palladium's skill. Counter blast and retire him to force a locked card onto an open rearguard circle."

Azura places down the card on her remaining Accel circle.

"I draw, and activate Chaos Breaker's skill again, to give you a Force marker and lock Diamantes!"

Azura does everything calmly.

"I retire Colony Maker to call Blast Monk of the Thundering Foot, and Star-vader, Craving Claw, and attack with Thunderibg Foot supported by Craving Claw! His skill, when he attacks, I bind your rearguard face down! Vanish Delete, the last Tidal Assault, then I soul charge!"

"I guard that attack."

"I attack with Zirconium!"

"I guard!" Azura is down to her last two cards.

"Attack with Chaos Breaker!"

Azura looks at her hand. Maelstrom and Diamantes. Azura listens to her cards for a moment, receiving a roar of reassurance. "No guard."

"Twin Drive! The first! Critical Trigger! The second! Draw Trigger! All effects to Chaos Breaker and I draw!"

Azura closes her eyes, and takes her damage. "Heal Trigger. I heal a damage. Second check. No trigger. I lose." She admits.

Alice sighs. After picking up her cards, she and Azura meet in the middle of the gym. "I'm sorry about all this, Azu... I just really needed to get that off my chest..." She says, and hugs her sister.

Azura returns the hug with a gentle smile. "It's okay, I understand." She says, and the two pull away and start walking to an ice cream parlor. "So, what attracted you to Yoshi?" She asked.

"What did it...? Well...how strong she was, honestly..." Alice says with a blush. "How she stood proud and unflinching in the face of my lock..."

"Hehehe. Typical Alice. I mean, hardly anyone can beat you." Azura giggles.

"So, um...did you respond to her feelings? What did you say?" Alice asked nervously.

"I told her to give me some time." Azura lied as naturally as she breathed. In reality, she was smitten with Yoshi herself for a while now, and was just waiting for Yoshi to say something to her first. Azura was simply gathering information about Alice's preferences. For a friend.

"I see..." Alice sighed in relief. "Don't get me wrong, I don't want to steal her away from you, or anything like that... That wouldn't be right."

"Then why do you want to know my answer to her confession?" Azura smiles.

"I just wanted to know if you rejected or accepted. If you accepted, that would've been heartbreaking, sure, but at the end of the day, I still want her to be happy." Alice says as she eats some peach ice cream. "...even if it hurts like hell for me..."

"That's very kind of you, Alice. And very mature." Azura says and puts her arm around Alice's shoulder. "Shall we head home? Or would you like to go to a card shop?"

"You can do whatever. I'll be heading home." Alice says.

"Alright then. I'll be heading to a shop then." Azura says as they split off at an intersection.

"Be safe." Alice waves to her.

"I will!"