Chapter 019: Secret of the Oracle

"I'm going to defeat you, Reiji... FINAL TURN!!!"

''"Final... Turn...?" Makoto finally said something. Reiji only became more agitated.''

"The great flame king who has lived countless lives, rise up to claim what is rightfully yours! Feast on all the enemies of apocalypse! I ride the Vanguard!!! Dragonic Overlord! The Revenge!"

''Within their imaginations, Dragonic Overlord appeared once again, but this time, wrapped in golden armor blazing as the heart of the sun. This was the Revenge.''

''"A new Overlord...?" Rex also finally began to speak.''

''"This is the ultimate form of Dragonic Overlord," Asahi explained. "A form that appears when one thinks it has embraced defeat, but in reality, it was waiting for its moment to strike. This will finish you!"''

"That's not possible!" Reiji protested.

"Imaginary Gift: Force II!" Asahi said as he placed the marker on his rear-guard circle. "Call! Dragonic Overlord! Dragonic Gaias!"

I've heard of that card, Reiji thought to himself. ''But it was said that only one person had a copy... I should have known he'd need help defeating me...''

"Overlord's Soul Blast gives it an extra 10000 Power," Asahi continued. "Attack the Vanguard!"

"Tch..." Reiji decided to let the attack pass. "I needed the Counter Blasts anyways. Damage check. Second check, Critical Trigger! Power to the Vanguard."

"Overlord the Revenge, attack the Vanguard!" Asahi continued his turn. "While I have a card with Overlord in its name in my soul, Overlord the Revenge gets 10000 Power and an additional drive check. Then, Dragonic Gaias' skill: It goes into the soul to give Overlord the Revenge an extra critical! Piercing Flame!!!"

"I will not lose!" Reiji protested. "Imaginary Gift: Protect! Complete Guard!"

"Check the drive trigger..." Asahi then said. "Second check, Heal Trigger! Power to the Vanguard, then I recover one damage. Third check, no trigger."

"That's not all, is it?" Reiji asked him.

"No," Asahi answered simply. "Overlord the Revenge's skill. Counter Blast and Soul Blast, to restand it and my rear-guard Overlord. Power+10000! Drive minus 2! Attack once again, Overlord the Revenge! Piercing Flame!"

"Guard!!!!!" Reiji responded, "Cursed Doctor!!! As well, Blue Dust intercepts!"

"Check the drive trigger..." Asahi then said. Everyone was waiting to see what would happen next. A Critical Trigger would end the game.

"No trigger..." Reiji said to himself.

"No trigger..." Asahi said after a pause. "Dragonic Overlord attacks..."

"No guard," Reiji answered. "Damage check, Heal Trigger. Power to the Vanguard and heal one." Asahi slammed his fists into the table.

"Why..." Asahi said to himself. "Why couldn't I finish it?"

"Even with help from the so-called great Toshiki Kai, you could not defeat me," Reiji said as he drew his next card. "Thirteen in soul. This will end the fight. FINAL TURN!!! Kuromi, arise!!! Attack!"

Asahi didn't have enough cards in his hand to block the attack. And even if he did, Kuromi would just restand and attack again.

"I'm sorry..."

Rex smiled at the result of the fight. The machine glowed with an intense energy as Rex nodded to Makoto. Makoto did as he was bid and took Reiji's place at the fight table. Destiny walked towards Asahi. No words were exchanged, but there was an understanding between them. She then turned towards Makoto.

"Tell me, Makoto, what did you see when you looked into the machine?" Destiny asked him.

"Destruction... desolation... death..."

"And who, may I ask, was being given destruction, desolation, and death?" Destiny then asked.

"Planet Cray..."

"As I expected, this machine will cause great suffering."

"That is merely the cost that must be paid," Rex told her in response. "Perfection begs for a heavy cost."

"How heavy of a cost are you willing to pay before you realize it's too much?"

"There's no such thing as a cost too heavy..." Rex responded. "Now fight!"

Destiny sighed in frustration. "Fine."

"Stand Up... Vanguard..." both fighters said with a somber tone.

"Talisman Angel."

"Starburst Dracokid."

Destiny stared at the nearly empty board. Makoto is a masted of the Oracle Think Tank clan, it seems, she thought to herself, I must prevent him from gaining the upper hand. "You can have the first turn."

"With pleasure," Makoto responded. "Ride. Starburst Squire. With Starburst Dracokid's skill, I draw one card."

"My turn," Destiny then said. "Ride! Witch of Cats, Cumin! Attack!"

"No guard."

"Drive check, Draw Trigger! Power to the Vanguard and draw. My turn is over."

Makoto thought for a moment as he silently drew a card. "Ride. Silent Archer, Tenma. Skill activated, CEO Amaterasu goes into the soul from my hand, so I can add this Starburst Dragon to my hand."

Shoot, Destiny thought to herself, he's almost got everything in place already.

"Call two Starburst Squire. Attack. Skill of the attacking rear-guard. Discard one to give it 5000 Power."

I see, Destiny noted to herself, ''Rex's influence is making him reckless. I must guard early and take away his advantage engine.'' "Cumin will guard that one!"

"The vanguard attacks. Skill of the boosting Squire, discard one to add 5000 Power."

24000 Power already... I still cannot allow this attack to hit. "I'll guard that attack as well!" Destiny said as she threw down a Heal Trigger.

"Drive check, no trigger." Makoto said. "You know you can't deny yourself Counter Blasts forever."

"We'll see about that..." Destiny answered him.

"She had to guard with a Heal Trigger already?" Hanako asked Asahi, who was now sitting with her watching the fight. "This is bad."

"Actually, Hanako," Asahi corrected her, "It's the right strategy for Destiny."

"Huh?"

"Makoto's entire strategy revolves around drawing cards. And if he can't draw cards, he's in immediate trouble. Makoto has only five cards in his hand right now. Definitely not in the position he wants to be in right now."

"I stand and draw," Destiny said as she began her next turn. "Ride. Dragwizard, Morfessa. Attack the rear-guard."

"Hmm... No guard..."

"Drive check, Draw Trigger. My turn is over."

"You will not prevent me from getting what I desire," Makoto told her.

"And what is that?" Destiny asked him.

Makoto paused, not sure what to say. Destiny found a crack in Rex's wall of control. However, Makoto remained insistent. "I have to win this... I ride Starburst Dragon!"

"But he can't use its skill!" Hanako protested.

"It doesn't matter," Asahi told her. "He's not exactly in control of himself right now."

"Call! Silent Tom! Weal Crane! Luck Bird! Silent Archer, Tenma!" Makoto now had a full board, but only two cards in hand, three after using Luck Bird's skill. "Boosted by Luck Bird, Tenma attacks!"

"No guard. Damage check, no trigger."

"Starburst Dragon attacks, boosted by Starburst Squire! Skill activated."

Destiny had eight cards in hand. She could safety block the attack, which she did without a word.

"Grr... Twin Drive Check! No trigger. Draw Trigger! Power to Silent Tom! Attack!"

"35000 Power? I'll let that pass," Destiny told her opponent. Destiny now had two damage to Makoto's one. She was not fazed, however, as she thought she found a way to get through to Makoto. "Stand and draw. Let's begin. Ride! Guided by the hands of fate, and granted the power of dragons, appear! Dragwizard, Luard! Imaginary Gift: Force II!" Destiny put the marker on her Vanguard circle.

"So Destiny went with Force II..." Asahi observed.

"Is that good?" Hanako asked him.

"If she does what I think she's about to do..." Asahi answered.

"Call! Mihikarihime! Cumin! Knies! A Soul Blast for Luard!"

"What is this?" Makoto asked her.

"The future has been opened! Superior Ride! Oracle Queen, Himiko!"

Rex's smile turned into a painful grimace. "Somehow, Himiko is still trying to interfere with my plans..."

"Imaginary Gift: Force II!" Destiny placed this marker under Knies. "Luard's skill: Counter Blast to draw 1, then superior call Pleione. Her skill allows me to set the top two cards of the deck and add one card to the soul. Then, Himiko's Soul Blast 5. I send a Draw Trigger from my soul to the bottom of the deck, and it activates three times!"

"Three times?"

"Once for each grade of your vanguard," Destiny continued to explain. "This is Himiko's Soul Drive Check! 10000 Power to the front row and draw three cards!"

This is not good... Makoto said to himself.

"Listen to me, Makoto," Destiny told him. "Tell me what you desire the most." The words shook Makoto to his core.

Makoto remembered his parents, who by now were both long dead. Then, he saw his friends: Asahi, Agrise, Baku and Kotaro, and finally Hanako.

"Give the world a big ohayou, and if the world says ohayou back, a miracle happens..."

"Ohayou..."

Makoto found himself in a flashback. He saw his father, Naito Sakaki, give a younger Makoto a lesson on the importance of imagination.

"You'll never actually enjoy the game if all you think about is who has more damage," his father told him, his words reaching across time and hitting Makoto in the present. "If you and your opponent fight with all your strength, your imaginations won't be fighting each other. They'll be working together."

Then, Makoto and Naito Sakaki spoke at the same time. "More people get enjoyment out of Vanguard when two people sit at a table and create something magical."

"Something magical..." Makoto realized.

Back in the middle of the Vanguard fight, Makoto had returned to normal. He had been freed from Rex's influence.

"What?!" Rex protested. "No! You can't do that!"

"What happened?" Makoto asked, his head suddenly aching.

"Don't worry," Destiny comforted him. "We are having a real Vanguard fight now. Himiko attacks your Vanguard!"

"Imaginary Gift: Protect!"

"Twin Drive! Critical Trigger! Draw Trigger! Pleione attacks!"

"No guard! Damage check, no trigger either time." Makoto was now at three damage.

"Knies attacks your Vanguard!"

"Oh no you don't!" Makoto began to respond. "Guard!" Makoto threw down two cards to block the attack worth 28000 Power. Destiny's turn was over.

"Oh no..." Hanako observed. "What happens if Makoto wins?" Makoto, hearing the voice of his little sister, turned towards her and gave her a thumbs up, signaling that he was going to be okay.

"I realize now I don't know what I want," he told Destiny. "But if this machine is going to cause great damage, I can't allow that. I stand and draw. Dragon born of starlight, spread your wings and take flight! I ride once again Starburst Dragon!"

Reiji turned towards Rex Kido with utter disdain. He was planning something.

"Imaginary Gift: Protect I! Starburst Dragon gets 10000 Power when it rides on top of a grade 3. Call! Weal Crane! Next, Luck Bird's Soul Blast lets me draw a card, which puts Weal Crane into the soul, giving two of my rear-guards 10000 Power as well."

"He's given the front row a serious boost!" Hanako observed excitedly. "Go for it, Makoto Onii-chan!!!"

"Starburst Dragon attacks Oracle Queen, Himiko!" Makoto declared boldly. "Skill activated: Starburst Pulse!!!" Makoto then looked at the top five cards of his deck, showing Destiny two normal units from among them. Himiko was losing 10000 Power.

I could use a Complete Guard to block that attack, Destiny was planning in her mind, but a guaranteed double trigger means I can't block all these attacks. "That's a no guard..." Makoto would have a better chance against Rex anyways...

"Twin Drive Check, Critical Trigger! All effects to the Vanguard. Critical Trigger! All effects go to Silent Tom. Attack!"

"No guard." With that, Destiny had six damage. She had allowed Makoto to win.

Makoto must have noticed, as he walked over to her to ask "Why did you allow me to win?"

"Rex Kido must be stopped," Destiny answered almost before Makoto could finish his question. "I figured you should be the one to do it."

"That's fun and all, but I believe you're too late," Rex told them. "With this next fight, my machine will activate and Operation: Transcendence will fully commence!"

"Speaking of the machine," Reiji said from behind Rex, "I need that machine..."

Rex turned around. "Are you challenging me?"

"If that means I can achieve my perfect world, fine."

"Well, now," Rex noted. "This is certainly an unusual development. Okay. I'll fight you. And if you win, you can be the first to use the machine at full power."

"I will win," Reiji answered him. "To unlock the past, present, and future I truly desire!"

Rex turned towards the machine, expecting it to reveal the future. What he saw made him smile.

"You seek ultimate perfection, young Reiji," Rex said to him. "The only way to do that is to defeat me."

"Fine. Whatever." Reiji said as he walked to the table. "Vanguard is about one thing. And that is the strong dominating the weak. And no Vanguard fighter is stronger than I." These words reflected the words he spoke to Makoto before their first fight, which resulted in his loss.

"We will see about that," Rex answered back, as he walked towards the other end of the table.

"Stand Up! The! Vanguard!" Rex said to his opponent.

"Stand Up! My! Vanguard!" Reiji did the same.

'Tournament of Champions (Canceled)