(S2) EVENT FIELD: The Place Where They Slumber

[Lance Korilum]

The first fight, Cero faced something he had several times before.  Neu's Shadow Paladin deck.  He had beaten it before, he knew he could beat it again, and defeat it he did.

The next fight was against Kagero, a clan Cero hadn't faced much before it had been sealed away.  Not only that, it contained Vermillion's Predecessor, Dragonic Overlord and its Crossride form, Dragonic Overlord The End.  Neu managed to put up a fight, even getting The End's skill off, however it wasn't enough in the face of Cero's luck and The Blood's overwhelming power.  Cero managed to defeat the legendary crossride, claiming victory for the second game in a row against Neu.

Cero's next fight was against a clan he had never managed to defeat before, and this time was no exception.  Bermuda Triangle was a perfect counter to Cero's deck, and having to miss the base form and go straight to The Blood hindered Cero's defence drastically.  Although he fought the best he could, he was unable to overcome his natural enemy and lost.

Their final fight...  Cero knew he couldn't hold back even a millimeter.  He had to go with absolutely everything he had.  Up against a clan he had no knowledge of, Link Joker, Cero initially seemed to be at a disadvantage, but was able to push Neu to her limits as she pushed him to his equally.  Throughout the fight, Neu showed Cero power he could never have dreamed of.  First, Generation Stride.  For a single turn, Neu was able to call forth a card with unimaginable power.  Gaining the power of the card underneathe it, and a third drive check, the very thought of just facing such strength was exhilarating.  Not only that, she showed the power of Lock, preventing 3 of his rear-guards from doing anything at all, leaving him with just his Vanguard.  Despite this, Cero fought on.  No, not just fought on, he fought even harder than he thought possible, the power of this new clan enticing him and showing him new heights.  All he knew how to do was fight, so fight he would.  However...  it wasn't enough.  Neu managed to defeat him after her third Stride. 

Even though he had lost, Cero was more than pleased...  Until he looked down.  He stared in shock and horror as his copies of Dragonic Kaiser Vermillion and its evolutions all began to vanish, except for one...  The one that had been in his Soul...  To give Cero the power to face Neu head-on, Vermillion had sacrificed its very life energy to gain power...  And now its time had expired.  This brought Cero to tears.  He had failed another Avatar, just like he had Garmore...  However..  Neu said something to him.  She saw a world based on his Vanguard.  It was selfish, yet believed in the power of each and every individual...  The thought of this world brought a smile to Cero.  No matter what obstacles he faced, no matter who abandoned him, Cero would fight on.  In honour of himself, in honour of Vermillion, and in honour of Neu.

Neu +10AP

[Hope]

Eventually she spotted Jellal again. This time she wasn't going to fail. Two of her Three clans remain, and he had taken out one of them... "Glory Maelstrom..." She said to herself, thinking about the fury that the card had brought into the battle. Fighting once more, she fought her predecessor, the one whom served with her, though he never knew of her existence, he had worked with her before. In honor of his him, she resurrected his clan. Now that he was standing in her way, she had to to sadly take it away.

Two close games, far too close for comfort, but Neu was victorious.

A little chat with someone who was once like her, but overcame it felt soothing to her. Jellal's thoughts and actions, fighting for a clan which he feels passion for. Again, this brings back the idea of avatars and having an attachment to one's cards, something Neu had not felt til, at least to them, recently.

She locked Maelstrom, taking the power that she gave Jellal back.

Jellal: 0/2

One more champion left...

[OverDrive]

As the dust settled on the battle between 4 of the champions and Neu, it was now time for the final leader to step onto the battlefield, Tsubasa Hayato the last fighter standing between peace and chaos. Having heard the cries of battle that echoed throughout this wasteland he takes his first step into the battlefield and heads towards the fight table, it was clear from the surroundings that only one clan remained to be unsealed, the Bermuda Triangle.

"...I'm glad the others were able to unseal the warriors of light and shadow along with the dragons of pure flame...I have to keep my promise to Hana...and..." he thought, as he began to approach Neu at the fight table. "...I have to save Neu..let's go my...no our Paladins."

At that moment a flash of light pierced through the gate that Tsubasa entered from. Shining Blades entered the barren wasteland and headed straight towards Tsubasa, colliding with his deck and creating a strong flash of light.

"...What just...wait this feeling...it's Yukino...but not just her...It's....everyone...." he said."...But nothing happened to my deck..." he said as he began looking through it.

"No time to waste I have to settle things..." he said, as he began to walk again towards the fight table."...She helped me before..and now it's my turn.."

Upon arriving at the fight table the two exchange gazes as Tsubasa steps and begins to talk,"..It's been a while..Neu..." he said."..Sorry the re-union is not under better circumstances.."

[Kisaragi Zane]

Jellal had approached Neu for another fight. Confident in himself and his armada led by Maelstrom, he prepared himself: to free as many clans as possible in her grasps.

He was up against Bermuda Triangle this time. Jellal had taken an early smack down, being pushed to five damage while on grade 2. Jellal countered with his new ace, Glory Maelstrom: his Supreme Dragon that claimed victory over the Royal Paladins. With Ultimate Break active and only two cards left in Neu's hand, Jellal wasn't able to secure a better position and ultimately ended up taking a defeat.

Second game, Jellal paced himself, minimizing the amount of damage he needed to take. Of course, Neu was also hitting his rear guards, crippling his formation. Making matters worse, Neu had crossrode Eternal Idol Pacifica, making all of Jellal's swapping units useless, lowering the pressure of his offensives. His vanguard was dishing out 21000 power per turn provided Glory Maelstrom was the third, which took a toll on guarding for Neu. When Jellal got to four damage, the pressure was on: not wanting to deal with Glory Maelstrom's Ultimate Break, nullifying perfect guards, Neu kept tempting Jellal with vanguard swings while the back up mermaids aimed as his rear forces. Finally, Jellal was given Ultimate Break for one turn, and turned the tide by healing and securing a stand trigger. Jellal was in a good position but he was in a position where he needed to take an attack or guard and risk a one trigger to pass. He was prepared, and no guarded on Pacifica, being on the receiving end of a critical trigger. Jellal desperately checked for a heal trigger but with 3 in the drop and the final one in his hand, he knew it was over.

His one chance to defeat Neu and releasing the clans, especially his former Shadow Paladins, had slipped from him. The feeling of failure, something he hadn't felt in a long time, caused his storm, his wind to cease as he was forced out of space. He could only watch as his Maelstrom met with the fate of all those who had failed in this seemingly impossible task.

Locked.

[Hope]

"You?... are.." She lightly muttered upon seeing the familiar face.

Neu was barley standing at this point, but the rift opened up behind her and she kept herself on her feet. The energy from it kept her in tact, and her sheer willpower to reach her goal was the only thing that kept her fighting on. She's learned so much and felt so much, and Tsubasa was the one that had been beside her along with Neo as well.

"Remember our promise?" She gave a weak smile as the skies shattering slowly, causing large echoes to pass through the barren wasteland.

She placed her deck onto the table.

"Let's just have fun..."

[OverDrive]

With the first fight concluding with Neu's victory with the use of Hana's clan, Tsubasa is pushed down to 1 life line keeping him within this space as a leader of the clans. In the second match, he was able to overcome the Bermuda Triangle with Platina Ezel's Ultimate Break bringing Neu down to her last life line as well. Now it was the time for the two fighters to clash for one last time, this time with Neu's true clan, the Link Joker.

"...You're not alone...please let me help you for such is my Vanguard.." he said, as the final game was about to start.

The power of the Link Joker's locks devastated Tsubasa's field and to add onto that power Neu unleashed a power that was beyond imaging, the power to create a new future, by releasing the Generation zone and evolving her vanguard to a grade 4 stride unit! It seemed hopeless at first with all of his units locked...but the strength of the warriors back on earth and on cray finally revealed itself after merging with his deck at the beginning of the fight, allowing Tsubasa to also Liberate the Generation Zone and evolve Ezel once again, to a power strong enough to break the locks free.

"...The world is evolving...together with the clans....this unit is proof of that ..you don't have to try to change the world or save it on your own, the world is already evolving..so rest up and let us fight for our future!" he said, as he strode to the Purgation Lion Emperor, Mithril Ezel.

Let the Shadow of Despair be Purged by your Mighty Roar, Signify the Beginning of a new Era, and Stride to a New Evolution, our Avatar! Earth and Cray evolving as one, by the Shine within your Blades! Generation!! Stride!!!!
Purgation Lion Emperor, Mithril Ezel!!

Along with Mithril Ezel, Tsubasa was able to fend off Neu's strides, and thanks to a lucky 6th damage heal, as proof of his relentless desire to press on. With that the fight sent itself to it's final stage with both fighters exchanging laughs and enjoying the fight as a result.

"...No matter what happens...I will always remember this fight as I was able to enjoy it thoroughly...Platina Ezel....Ultimate Break!" he shouted, as his golden warriors charged, Ezel, then Bagdemgaus, and then...Blaster Blade Spirit the unit that started his journey and connected him with Yukino and the others back on earth, ending the game with a swift strike from his blade.

With that the two fighters close off the game, with Neu having understood that she is not alone in her quest to save the world by sealing the clans, but rather that the earth and cray will develop with the clans and achieve a grand era of peace. Neu's cards begin to disappear but Neu decides to use her power to save one unit...the grade 4 Harmonics Messiah.

"...Thank you...for the incredible fight...and now...let's unseal the clans together!" he said, as he held her hand and the two raised their stride units with their free hands to the sky, sending a flash of light across the worlds to signal the beginning of a new era.

[Hope]

I desire to feel like a human, to long be alone in this world. I want everyone to be happy, let's all just have fun... together. In the end I'm still a little girl. Haha... I guess that's how it since my childhood was taken away from me, and by a game at that! How ironic!

It was just her style, Neu fought with confidence that hid the feelings inside her that were anything but that. The first two games were more or less stale, just that, it was things she has seen and heard. She didn't want to be told that she wasn't alone, because if it were that easy then she would be all fine and dandy. It's not that either, Neu's way of Vanguard was selfless in its entirety, she didn't worry about herself because she didn't see any worth in her own existence other than giving it up to help others.

Ezel from the future?... Man the rift must be playing tricks on me or I'm just in need of rest at this point... either way it looks quite beautiful. Breaking my lock? Well let me show you, guess I'll just lock em again!

She enjoyed herself, feeling a warmth in her heart. Neu felt human, as if, she was only now getting all the things that she missed as a child, reverting back to herself when she was younger. Her mother and father had forced her into the competitive world of Vanguard in order to save the family, but eventually they were unable to stop themselves from enslaving her and making her their tool, in order for them to keep rising up in the world. The power corrupted him and she was their strength. In her thoughts, she was the one that corrupted her own parents. According to those who raised her, Neu Edelweiss was boring to play Vanguard and served no other purpose. Sometimes she wondered why she didn't grow to hate Vanguard. But... was that it?

My mission to do this... to purify Vanguard... Cray.... Earth?... Is it because I hate Vanguard?...

Tsubasa's hand reached out to her. The fight itself was exciting, something far beyond the caliber of any she has fought, but it wasn't even about strength anymore, it was just pure enjoyment. That's what it was and she loved every moment of it. In the end, she broke thorugh Tsubasa's defenses with Harmonics Messiah, but he managed to pull through with a heal at the sixth damage.

Haha!... I see, I wouldn't have it any other way. You're certainly strong, but let me tell you that you just got lucky this time!... I uh.. Ah! Nevermind! Good Game!

Her Link Joker deck, no longer allowed to exist within the space began to disappear. She looked at them and something seemingly weighed down in her heart. It was strange, she actually felt attached to Link Joker now. Of course, without a doubt in her mind, she knew that she would meet with them again. She used a bit of her power to save one card, Harmonics Messiah. From this, the rest of her deck would come, and she would be able to fight again one day. As for Schwarzschild, it represented her past, the one that was held back and unable to move forward. As it vanished, her green eye turned back to a bright orange, and she held her Messiah units close to her. Harmonics...

She took Tsubasa's hand. She nodded and smiled, "Mhm, let's unseal them together."

The remaining bit of her power went into this act, her third stride. Amnesty Messiah used its power to unseal the clans which were locked away and awake the heroes. This of course, was alongside Ezel, Tsubasa's avatar. The space completely crumbled and the sky began to fall. Amnesty's large figure stood behind Neu and slowly faded long with the card that was on the table. Neu's vision began to blur and she turned her head to the gateway which led back to the New York Stage. She gave a faint smile at the figure of light that stood in front of her, the one that made her feel loved, made her feel human. The power of the Rift was no longer allowed in the space as well so it separated from her, slowly exiting her body. Neu wanted to thank everyone, but he was the one here, the first to free her from the spell. This was the least she could do.

She walked towards him and kept on smiling, she was feeling happier than ever. This was perhaps the most joyous moment of her life. She wanted to go to him, to thank him. Neu took a step forward and opened her mouth. "Tsubas-..."

However, she couldn't seem to make a single sound.

"Tsubasa... Tsubasa.." She tired again, her lips moved to form his name, but she was unable to actually vocalize it. She was out of air, unable to breathe. Neu kept walking towards him regardless. Making one last step, she appeared in front of him, her shoulders slouched over and her arms dangling, but she was still holding onto her last card.

"Tsubasa." She was still unable to say it. "Thank y-.." Her heart had stopped. She fell over towards him, falling slowly, with her eyes closed.

In her hand the Harmonics Messiah had turned into the Grade 0 card, Neon Messiah.