So far, all I had to do was ride Arctic Pengu...His turn starts after that, but Arctic Magi is behind my Vanguard, like usual. Azure thought to himself, as Maxon drew.

"Ride. Phantom Hitman." He declared, as a woman with a visor appeared, wielding a rifle. "Noma moves back, and I acquire a Quick Shield ticket." Maxon added, as the card flew into his hand. "You seem confused." Maxon remarked, as the Hitman rushed forward, blasting at the Penguin.

"It's just that I've never seen a clan like that..." Azure commented, as the damage was dealt.

[DRIVE CHECK - Phantasm, Fluffo [G2]]

[DAMAGE CHECK - Crystal Dragon [G3]]

"You may not believe it, but some stranger took my deck and replaced it with this one, these Phantom Commanders." Maxon commented, Azure's eyes slightly widening.

"Really..?! That's what happened to me with the Abyszards..!" Azure said.

"Strange...There must be some purpose to handing us these decks, then." Maxon remarked. "When Hitman's attack, or the attack they boosted hits, I can bind a card in my hand face-up and draw one card. I bind Phantasm Fluffo. My turn is over." He added.

[Azure] - [Maxon]

[Hand - 5] - [Hand - 6 (plus 'Quick Shield')]

[Soul - 0] - [Soul - 0]

[Bind - 0] - [Bind - 1]

[Damage/CB - 1/0] - [Damage/CB - 0/0]

[Drop Zone - 0] - [Drop Zone - 0]

[FIELD]

[R] [Arctic Pengu [G1 - 8000]] [R] - [R] [Phantom Hitman [G1 - 8000]] [R]

[R] [Arctic Magi [G0 - 5000]] [R] - [R] [Phantasm, Noma [G0 - 5000]] [R]

A deck that binds it's own cards...Strange, but I should just keep the pressure on for now, and see what happens. Azure decided, tossing a card. "Ride! Abyszard Legacy, Martin! In addition, I call Abyszard Legacy, Lou, and attack your Vanguard with her!" He declared, as the girl blasted at Hitman, only for Maxon to hold out a card.

"Order, activate..! Quick Shield!" Maxon declared.

[POWER - 10000]

[Hitman Power - 13000]

"In that case...Magi, help Martin attack the Vanguard..!" Azure called out, as the two mages blasted forward.

"No guard." Maxon declared.

[DRIVE CHECK - Arctic Assassin, Blue [G0 - Critical Trigger]]

"Critical Trigger..! I give all of the effects of my vanguard." Azure said, as the blast knocked the hitman back considerably.

[DAMAGE CHECK - Phantasm Assassin, Noir [G2]]

[DAMAGE CHECK - Phantasm Rabbi [G0 - Draw Trigger]]

"Draw Trigger." Maxon said, drawing.

"At the end of the turn, since Lou was normal called, she returns to my deck." Azure said, as Lou vanished. "My turn is over."

[Azure] - [Maxon]

[Hand - 5] - [Hand - 7]

[Soul - 1] - [Soul - 0]

[Bind - 0] - [Bind - 1]

[Damage/CB - 1/0] - [Damage/CB - 2/0]

[Drop Zone - 0] - [Drop Zone - 0]

[FIELD]

[R] [Abyszard Legacy, Martin [G2 - 10000]] [R] - [R] [Phantom Hitman [G1 - 8000]] [R]

[R] [Arctic Magi [G0 - 5000]] [R] - [R] [Phantasm, Noma [G0 - 5000]] [R]

I see...He can't normal call his units, or they'll return to his deck. While it may seem like a drawback at first, it also protects his rear guards from removal early on. Maxon thought, before drawing and tossing a card onto his Vanguard circle. "Ride. Phantasm Strategist. Noma's skill." Maxon said, counterblasting and moving Noma into the soul, and discard a card. "When a unit with the Overtake ability is put onto the Vanguard circle, I look at the top 5 cards of the deck. I add up to one card with the Overtake ability from among them to my hand, and bind another card from among them." Maxon explained, as he bound another card. "I bind Phantom Ghoul Dragon, and add Cross Dragon Overtaker to my hand." He declared.

Cross Dragon Overtaker...? Azure thought, before looking at his deck, noticing it was glowing light blue. Are my units...excited? He realized.

"Strategist's Overtake 2. Because I have 2 or more cards in my bind zone, he gains 3000 power." Maxon added, as the unit engulfed in energy. "Strategist attacks your Vanguard." He declared.

[POWER - 13000]

"No guard." Azure declared.

[DRIVE CHECK - Phantasm Lover [G0 - Heal Trigger]]

"Heal Trigger. I recover one damage." Maxon said, moving a card to his drop zone, as the Strategist pointed forward, as a ray of darkness hit Martin, knocking him over.

[DAMAGE CHECK - Abyszard Magi [G1]]

"My turn is over." Maxon declared.

[Azure] - [Maxon]

[Hand - 5] - [Hand - 8]

[Soul - 1] - [Soul - 2]

[Bind - 0] - [Bind - 2]

[Damage/CB - 2/0] - [Damage/CB - 1/0]

[Drop Zone - 0] - [Drop Zone - 2]

[FIELD]

[R] [Abyszard Legacy, Martin [G2 - 10000]] [R] - [R] [Phantasm Strategist [G2 - 10000]] [R]

[R] [Arctic Magi [G0 - 5000]] [R] - [R] [R] [R]

"I don't know how his deck works, so I'll play solid..." Azure decided to himself, drawing, nodding to himself. "Come forth, my friend! Ride!" Azure declared, tossing the card, as the familiar Wolf appeared, howling. "Abyszard Frostbite Wolf! Imaginary Gift: Force 1, I put it on my Vanguard circle. Arctic Magi's skill! Azure added, counterblasting and moving it to the soul. "From my deck, I take one card with the Frostbite ability and put it on a rear guard circle. Come! Abyszard Sage, Frozen Magi!" He added, tossing the card to an empty column's back row. "In addition, Frozen Magi's Frostbite 1." Azure added, counterblasting. "From my deck, I take one card with a lower grade than my Vanguard, and put it on a rear guard circle. Come! Abyszard Legacy, Lou!" Azure declared, tossing the card, as Lou appeared, and winked back at Azure. "Lou's skill when placed from my deck. Soul blast!" Azure added, moving Magi out of the soul. "I counter charge 1, and Lou gains 3000 power. Frozen Magi, help Lou attack the Vanguard..!" Azure declared.

[POWER - 21000]

"No guard." Maxon declared, taking the hit.

[DAMAGE CHECK - Phantasm Fluffo [G2]]

"Wolf, attack the Vanguard..!" Azure added.

[POWER - 23000]

"Again, no guard." Maxon declared.

"In that case, twin drive..!" Azure declared.

[DRIVE CHECK - Abyszard Core [G1]]

[DRIVE CHECK - Abyszard Frostbite Wolf [G3]]

"No trigger..." Azure said, as Maxon looked at the card that flew into his damage zone.

"No trigger." Maxon remarked.

[DAMAGE CHECK - Phantom Hitman [G1]]

"My turn is over..." Azure said.

[Azure] - [Maxon]

[Hand - 5] - [Hand - 8]

[Soul - 1] - [Soul - 2]

[Bind - 0] - [Bind - 2]

[Damage/CB - 2/1] - [Damage/CB - 3/0]

[Drop Zone - 1] - [Drop Zone - 2]

[FIELD]

[Abyszard Legacy, Lou [G2 - 10000]] [Abyszard Frostbite Wolf [G3 - 13000]] [R] - [R] [Phantasm Strategist [G2 - 10000]] [R]

[Abyszard Sage, Frozen Magi [G1 - 8000]] [R] [R] - [R] [R] [R]

At that, Maxon drew. "...You can feel it, can't you? The desire for each side to see what the other can do." Maxon said, holding up a card, Azure slowly nodding. "In that case...I think it's time we found out. Manifest, the midnight black dragon!" He declared, before tossing the card down, as a pillar of dark purple light appeared over Strategist, and what took his place was just that, a midnight black dragon, with dark purple wings, as it roared. "Cross Dragon, Overtaker! Imaginary Gift: Force 2!" He added, putting it on his Vanguard circle, before tossing a card into his drop zone. "I use the grade 3 Phantom Ghoul Dragon to release the Generation Zone! Generation Stride!" He declared, as the dragon engulfed in a purple shell, before breaking out as a light purple dragon with white wings. "X-Dragon, Parallel Dragon! Stride Skill!" Maxon said, counterblasting. "I look at the top 3 cards of my deck, and bind up to one card from among them. I bind Noir." He said, as he moved it to his bind zone, and the rest went to the bottom of his deck. "Then, I superior call Fluffo from the Bind Zone." Maxon added, as a vortex opened, as a dog with a black helmet hopped out of it.

"A superior call from the bind zone..?!" Azure asked, surprised.

"That's right. In addition, for each grade of the unit that was superior called, my Vanguard and the unit I called get 3000 Power. Fluffo is a Grade 2." Maxon added.

[Parallel Dragon - 34000]

[Fluffo - 16000]

"In addition, Fluffo's Generation Break 1. When it's called from the Bind Zone, I give it 5000 power for the turn." Maxon added, as the dog let out it's best impression of a howl.

[Fluffo - 21000]

"In addition, Parallel Dragon's effect. Every time a unit is superior called from the bind zone, he gets 4000 Power." Maxon added.

[Parallel Dragon - 38000]

"Then, Noir's effect. I can superior call her from the bind zone by paying the cost." Maxon said, soulblasting, as another vortex opened, as Noir leapt out from it, winking. "Parallel Dragon's effect activates again." He added.

[Parallel Dragon - 42000]

"In addition, Order, activate!" Maxon declared, holding out what appeared to be a moon shining over Cross Dragon Overtaker, before flipping a card in his damage zone face-down. "Overtaker's Advent. I bind the top 3 cards of my deck face-up." He said, revealing another Fluffo, Strategist, and a grade 1 unit. "Then, I superior call one unit in my Bind Zone." Maxon added. "I superior call the Phantasm Scout that was bound by this effect, add 4000 power." He said, as a youthful boy clearly trying to be 'sneaky' appeared behind the dragon.

[Scout - 12000]

"Then, If I've superior called from my bind zone two or more times this turn, I draw one card. In addition, Parallel Dragon's effect once again." Maxon said, Azure's eyes slightly widening.

[Parallel Dragon - 46000]

Just like me, he fills his field without using his hand... Azure thought to himself.

"Parallel Dragon's Overtaker 3." Maxon then declared, flipping another copy of itself up. "Drive plus 1. Both fighters bind a card from their hand face-up, and draw one card." He said, binding a card, Azure looking at his hand, before binding Frostbite Burst, before the two boys drew. "Scout's Overtaker 2." Maxon added, resting it. "I bind up to two cards in my drop zone face-up." He added, moving Noma and Strategist to the bind zone, before his eyes took on a purple shine, Azure's eyes slightly widening.

Psyqualia..! But is it type 1, or the type 2 that Ray and I had..? Azure wondered.

"Let's go..! Noir, attack the Vanguard!" He declared, as the assassin rushed forward. "Overtaker 4, I add 10000 Power!" Maxon declared.

[POWER - 20000]

"No guard..!" Azure said, taking the hit.

[DAMAGE CHECK - Abyszard Disciple [G0 - Stand Trigger]]

"Stand trigger..! I give the power to my Vanguard, and stand Frozen Magi!" Azure said, as Maxon rested his Vanguard.

"In that case, Parallel Dragon!" Maxon declared, as it charged a spiral of dark energy, Azure tossing a card from his hand into the drop zone, and then a card onto the guardian circle.

[POWER - 46000]

"Your draw left me with a chance..! Blizzard Stormer, Abyszard Gardragon!" Azure said, as the dragon took the blast head-on.

"In that case, Quadruple Drive..!" Maxon declared.

[DRIVE CHECK - Cross Dragon, Overtaker [G3]]

[DRIVE CHECK - Phantasm Rabbi [G0 - Draw Trigger]]

"Draw Trigger..! I give the power to Fluffo, and draw one card!" Maxon declared, drawing.

[DRIVE CHECK - Phantasm Striker [G0 - Critical Trigger]]

"Critical Trigger! I give all the effects to Fluffo!" Maxon said, Azure's eyes slightly widening at the triggers.

[DRIVE CHECK - Phantom Hitman [G1]]

At that, the blast knocked Gardragon to the ground, as they disappeared.

"Fluffo, attack the Vanguard!" Maxon said, as the dog rushed forward.

[POWER - 41000]

"No guard..!" was all Azure could say.

[DAMAGE CHECK - Abyszard Frostbite Wolf [G3]]

[DAMAGE CHECK - Arctic Pengu [G1]]

"...My turn is over. Cross Dragon Overtaker's second effect. At the end of the turn, I can choose any number of my rear guards that were called from the bind zone, and bind them face-up." He said, before moving all of his rear guards back to the bind zone.

[Azure] - [Maxon]

[Hand - 3] - [Hand - 12]

[Soul - 1] - [Soul - 1]

[Bind - 1] - [Bind - 9]

[G Zone - 0] - [G Zone - 2]

[Damage/CB - 5/1] - [Damage/CB - 3/2]

[Drop Zone - 3] - [Drop Zone - 2]

[FIELD]

[Abyszard Legacy, Lou [G2 - 10000]] [Abyszard Frostbite Wolf [G3 - 13000]] [R] - [R] [Cross Dragon, Overtaker [G3 - 13000]] [R]

[Abyszard Sage, Frozen Magi [G1 - 8000]] [R] [R] - [R] [R] [R]

He's building up his bind zone...I have to stop him before he gets too far..! Azure thought to himself, closing his eyes, visualizing a pattern with his own cards. I see it..! I have a plan! He thought. "My turn..!" Azure declared, drawing, before tossing Core into the drop zone. "I release the generation zone! Generation Stride!" He declared, as the familiar woman appeared. "Abyszard of Will, Roya! Stride Skill! From the top 10 cards of the deck, I put Abyszard Prince on a rear guard circle!" He said, tossing the card to his open front row spot. "Add 5000 power!" He declared.

[POWER - 15000]

Normally, I would use Prince's effect to put this Magi in my hand on the rear guard circle...but I have a better idea to save my Counterblasts..! Azure decided. "Roya's skill!" He said, counterblasting and turning a copy of it face-up. "I add Frostbite Burst to my hand, and superior call Abyszard Magi from my hand!" He said, tossing it behind his Vanguard. "Add 4000 power, and Roya gains 1 Drive!" Azure added.

3 cards facedown in my damage zone...perfect. Now I just have to believe in my cards... "Frozen Magi's Frostbite 1!" He declared, counterblasting one more time. "From my deck, I take Arctic Pengu, and put him in my last back row spot!" He said. "In addition, Pengu's skill! When placed from the deck, with a soul blast, I give a unit in my front row 5000 power! I give the power to Lou!" Azure declared, Lou engulfing in energy.

[POWER - 15000]

"Lou attacks Cross unboosted!" Azure said.

"No guard." Maxon said, as the damage zone had an additional card.

[DAMAGE CHECK - Phantasm Scout [G1]]

"Lou's Frostbite 3!" Azure declared, as Lou moved to the soul. "From the top 3 cards of my deck, come! Abyszard Legacy, Martin! Add 4000 power!" He said, as Martin took Lou's place.

[POWER - 14000]

"Prince attacks your Vanguard next..!" Azure declared, as he rested Prince, but not Pengu.

[POWER - 15000]

"No guard." Maxon decided again, as he took the 5th damage.

[DAMAGE CHECK - Phantom Ghoul Dragon [G3]]

No triggers...I have a chance..! Azure thought to himself. "Martin attacks your Vanguard with a boost from Frozen Magi..!" He declared. "Martin's Frostbite 3! When he attacks while boosted..!" He said, turning his last damage zone card face-down. "I look at the top 4 cards of my deck, and from among them..!" Azure started, as the top 4 cards slowly appeared in front of him, his eyes slightly widening. "You came for me..." He realized, before tossing it, retiring Prince in the process. "Abyszard Legacy, Lou..! Add 4000 Power..!" He said.

[Lou - 14000]

"In addition, Lou's Soulblast!" He added, soulblasting out the other one. "Counter Charge 1, and add 3000 power to Lou!" Azure declared.

[Lou - 17000]

[POWER - 22000]

"Guard." Maxon said, tossing a card.

[GUARD - Phantasm Striker - 15000]

[TOTAL - 28000]

"I'm not done yet..!" Azure said, resting Lou, but not Pengu.

[POWER - 17000]

"Guard." Maxon said, tossing a card.

[GUARD - Phantasm Strategist - 5000]

[TOTAL - 18000]

"Lou's effect..!" Azure added, moving her to the soul. "From the top 3 cards of my deck..! Come! Crystal Dragon!" Azure declared, putting the card down. "Add 4000 Power! Crystal Dragon's Frostbite 3, add 5000 more power!" Azure declared.

[POWER - 22000]

"With a boost from Magi, Roya..!" Azure then declared, resting his Vanguard and her booster.

[POWER - 50000]

"Complete Guard. Phantasm Rabbi." Maxon said, tossing the card, and dropping a card from his hand.

"Quadruple Drive..!" Azure declared.

[DRIVE CHECK - Abyszard Disciple [G0 - Stand Trigger]]

"Stand Trigger..! I give all of the effects to Martin!" Azure declared.

[DRIVE CHECK - Abyszard Sage, Frozen Magi [G1]]

[DRIVE CHECK - Abyszard Disciple [G0 - Stand Trigger]]

"Another Stand Trigger..! I give the power to Crystal Dragon, and stand Frozen Magi!" Azure said, as the unit stood up.

[DRIVE CHECK - Abyszard Core [G1]]

I have one counterblast left...but I intend to use it well! Azure decided.

"Crystal Dragon attacks your Vanguard!" Azure declared, resting the unit.

[POWER - 32000]

"I release the Generation Zone." Maxon said, tossing his heal trigger into the drop zone. "Generation Guard. Phantasm Soul Savior, Eirina." He declared. "Overtaker 3, add 5000 to the shield. Overtaker 6, add 10000 More." He said.

[Generation Guard - Phantasm Soul Savior, Eirina - 30000]

[TOTAL - 43000]

"Then with a boost from Frozen Magi..! Martin attacks your Vanguard! Frostbite 3!" Azure added, counterblasting, and looking at the top 4 cards of his deck. "Come forth...My friend! Abyszard Frostbite Wolf!" He declared, calling it over Crystal Dragon. "Add 4000 Power!"

[Wolf - 17000]

[POWER - 32000]

"Once more, I release the Generation Zone." Maxon declared, as another Eirina appeared. "With the same Overtaker ability, add a total of 15000 to the shield." He declared.

[Generation Guard - Phantasm Soul Savior, Eirina - 30000]

[TOTAL - 42000]

At that, Azure's eyes slightly widened, before slowly resting his last units. "...With a boost from Pengu...Wolf attacks your Vanguard..." Azure said.

[POWER - 25000]

"Guard." Maxon declared, tossing two cards out, which became two guardians.

[GUARD - Phantom Hitman - 10000]

[GUARD - Phantasm Assassin, Noir - 5000]

[TOTAL - 28000]

"...I end my turn..." Azure said.

I couldn't clinch it...With the rest of the cards in my hand, and 5 damage, there's no way I can... Azure started to think, before hearing Maxon speak up.

"...I've seen enough." Maxon said. "The real reason I wanted to fight you was because a fight reveals things about a person that words wouldn't." He said, simply, before the field disappeared. "I think I can trust you with my request." He said, Azure looking slightly surprised.