Cardfight Vanguard Dimension!! Neptunia x Vanguard Story!

Chapter 23: To Find One's Self...!

"Mmh...?"

As if a fog was clouding her mind, Saikoa awakened from what seemed to be a few hour nap.

"I see you are awake." Nome Tatsunagi, or at least that's how people saw him currently, greeted his subordinate.

"Nome...Tatsunagi...?" Saikoa groaned and rubbed her eyes.

"Hm? Ah, it seems I was a little late... You're normal again. No matter." Nome smiled and snapped his fingers. "Let us fight, Saikoa. I will remind you of everything you need to know."

"Um...okay...?" Saikoa nodded and followed his instructions, preparing her deck as Nome did the same. "Stand up...!"

"Stand up."

"Vanguard."

"Jet-ink Fox."

"Star-vader, Dust Tail Unicorn. I draw. And I ride Prison Gate Star-vader, Palladium. I draw and end my turn."

"I draw... I ride Monoculus Tiger. Draw and obtain a Quick Shield. I attack."

"I guard."

"Drive Check. No triggers. I end my turn."

"Then I draw. I ride Bisection Star-vader, Zirconium. I attack."

"No guard?"

"Drive check. No trigger."

"Damage. Draw Trigger. I draw. Then I draw for my turn. I ride Binoculus Tiger. Attack."

"No guard."

"Drive Check... No trigger."

The fight was going relatively smoothly for both sides.

"Hmph. I ride. Star-vader, Chaos Breaker Dragon. I use his skill. Counter blast and give you a Force Marker. Whichever you wish to use is up to you." Nome sends Saikoa a Gift Marker, to which she makes it Force 2. Nome smiles, and simply attacks. "Drive check. Critical Trigger. All effects to Chaos Breaker."

"I draw for my turn." Saikoa was now starting to get into the game, and as she drew, her head started to swell. She found it more difficult to breathe as she looked upon the card she drew.

"Well? Ride it." Nome smiled, knowing exactly what she drew.

"I... I...!" She resisted, and felt its dark power course through her. It was cold, and she didn't like the feeling of it. So she started to reject it.

"Do not fight it, Saikoa...! Let the power of the Reverse take hold once again! Become the strongest fighter this world has ever seen!" Nome called out, encouraging her.

"N-No...! I don't want...that kind of power...!" Saikoa resisted. "Because...relying on a power...that isn't my own...is a weakness... Right...Ali...?!" She moaned as her body started to tingle. Her hands went numb, and it feels as if she had suddenly lost consciousness.

———

Saikoa shoots her eyes open, and looks around in a panic. Darkness. Nothing but darkness... Behind her, she could hear what sounded like a low, predatory growl. She pivots around and sees her avatar, Leo-pold. But something was different about him. His fangs were larger. He was covered in white armor, and had black and red glowing rings all over his body.

"Leo-pold...? What are you doing...?!" She gasps from what her partner has become.

His glowing red eyes were locked onto her. He soon got down into a crouch, and prepared to lunge.

"Leo-pold, it's me...! Saikoa...! Don't you remember...?!"

The giant leopard roared and jumped at Saikoa. Out of pure instinct, Saikoa ducked.

"Please stop this! This isn't you!"

It seemed as if her words were having an effect on her parter.

"Please try to remember...! I'm your friend! Your Vanguard! And you're mine! We don't have to submit to him...! We can...become free!" Saikoa lunges at Leo-pold next, but not in an aggressive manner. She hugged the giant beast.

———

The dark aura around Saikoa disappeared.

"Hahahaha! Yes, that's right! Be my pawn and become Reversed!" Nome exclaimed.

"Never!" Saikoa shouted over him.

"What...?!"

"I will never...fight for the likes of you! I will NOT be your pawn! I WILL NOT BE A SLAVE TO YOU ANY LONGER!!" She exclaims. "Refusing to be led by the blind...! Time to leave them all BEHIND!! Break free, my Avatar! School Punisher Leo-pold "R"!! Become your own master!!" Saikoa slammed her card down, as Leo-pold let out a loud and victorious roar.

"What?! How did you...do this?!" Nome growled.

"Through something you will never have. A genuine bond with my Vanguard!! Accel II! I draw a card! I call another Leo-pold "R" to rearguard! Lock away this evil power and use it for yourself! Rules of Nature!! I lock my rearguard Leo-pold to make any cards I mill from my deck be treated as a Normal, Trigger, and Order card simultaneously! I counter blast and mill my top card with Leo-pold "R"'s skill! Hell Lottery! Since it's treated as all card types, I receive all of the benefits! I get another Accel II! I draw! Look at the top 5 cards of my deck and call two units! I call two Geograph Giants to my Accel circles! They get 8k extra power on top of the 5k provided by the Accel circle! Then Leo-pold "R" gets the continuous skill of giving my Front Row 5k power, and he gets an extra critical! I call Barcode Zebra, Binoculus Tiger, and two Monoculus Tigers!"

"This can't be happening to me...!" Nome started to panic.

"Leo-pold "R"! Attack with support from Monoculus Tiger! Monoculus's skill, I soul blast and mill my top card! Since it's treated as all card types, I can choose which effect I want to use! I choose, no Trigger units to the Guardian Circle!! Barcode Zebra's skill, he gets 5k for every card I mill this turn!"

Nome looks at his hand. He had a perfect guard. He couldn't afford to take this attack, but he only had enough shield value to survive the turn if no triggers were pulled. He couldn't take the risk. "No guard!"

"Twin Drive! First! Front Trigger! 10k to my front row! Second check! Critical Trigger! Critical to Leo-pold "R", power to Barcode Zebra!"

Nome is now forced to take 3 damage, pushing him to 5!

"Binoculus Tiger! His skill! Counter blast and mill! I draw a card! And Barcode Zebra gets another 5k!"

"I guard!" Nome protects himself from this attack.

"Geograph Giant!!"

"Guard!"

"My other Giant!"

"Perfect Guard!"

"Now Barcode Zebra! Monoculus Tiger's soul blast! Mill, and no Trigger units to the Guardian Circle! Barcode gets anothe 5k! 57k attack with now Trigger units allows to guard you!"

Nome couldn't stop this attack. He growled, and takes the attack, losing the game as a result!

"Grrr...!! I...refuse to leave this body...so soon...!!" As Omega Glendios struggled to keep his control over Nome, Saikoa rushed out of the room. She was expecting someone to stop her, but she made it out just fine. And with that, she rushes out and to Alice's house.

As the shortstack girl ran, she spotted someone in the distance. A group of people. "ALICE!!!" She shouts and tackles the lavender haired girl to the ground.