Cardfight Training Area

"Those people are parasites and will simply be erased, there is no reasoning to be had with them", Yugure responded coldly about the Seeds. Not including Haruka, these people came to terrorize the prime timeline with their own endeavors. Mainly, destroy it for their own as Satoshi said. Frankly, the Chosen Sword didn't give a damn. These people threatened the future of this timeline, and it's her job to destroy people who do that. Queen Yukino was just someone personal to deal with, to slay her gross self. "Dealing with them will come after we stop Glendios, yes." That was the plan, after all.

Yugure wasn't surprised Satoshi learned Stride himself. Mostly because transcendence barely made sense as it is, so naturally, people would be able to awaken them without reality bangles by means which she... just simply couldn't understand. Even now, she had no idea how she got hers. It was good her friend was alright after enduring the strain of his first time though. This was great, even. It meant Satoshi is gradually growing the ability and power he should have instead of... whatever detestable thing Nebula Lord wanted to give.

Said ability and power was trying to manifest itself from his new hand mark and and blank card.

"I need to know the weapons or armaments for something like this. It's totally blank, so I'd honestly have no idea. I don't believe it's the same Star-vader energy considering you told me of void's... conversion within you. I'm not sure what I did, if I did anything, since I only killed Nebula Lord and had Ezel break your lock. This is entirely something summoned by you."

It had to be.

Then... he asked about her lie. Ugh.

"I apologize, but that was a lie. I never went to Mount Fuji, and I was never in a coma. It's... a bit of a long story."

Yugure had already told it, which is exactly what she never wanted to do. But now, it felt like there was little reason in trying to keep it from her friends.

"Even so, as someone who sees the value of striving for peace in a world trying to fight what is basically pointless battles...I can't help but try. You know that." Satoshi smiled and pat her shoulder again.

"I'll have to see if anything comes of it. Apparently I have some level of self-healing, so who knows what I'm going to be capable of."

He frowned a bit to hear that his best friend had lied to him. It wasn't a very reasonable thing to do. At least, not for natural reasons. But from the way she stated it just now...

"I'm likely to forgive you if you tell me."

Yugure folded her arms. "I went to Cray as intended, but..."

The Chosen Sword went on to inform him of the two years she spent on Cray. About how she's 22 instead of 21, and what kept her from returning to Earth. The Star-vader invasion nobody was prepared for... the Reaper invasion... and the destruction of the timeline she originally came from. Once again, the woman spoke of a traitor with venom. There was an endless stream of fury when that demonness was spoken of.

Fubuki followed the group into the room to listen to the story Yandere was going to tell.  Had Fubuki not met Cyan, she wouldn't have believed a single word of this story.  Apparently Yukino had gone to Cray to escape...  The story was rather happy at first, filled with hope.  However, it didn't last long.  The invaders...  The reapers...  Fubuki was stunned in fear from the description of the Reapers.  While everyone else left the room, Fubuki just sat there, unable to move.  That was the future in store for them...  How could anyone hope to stop something that powerful?  The bit about counterattacking was completely lost.  She simply felt hopeless, knowing such a future lay in wait for them.  Maybe it was for the best if Cyan drained this world of its life before it was destroyed anyways...  

 Eventually, Fubuki somehow found the motivation to stand up and leave the room.  She wandered the halls, in search of the exit.  While she was doing this, Cero was beginning to descend to set out in search of those who emerged from the Gates.  However, the two ended up colliding, neither realizing the other was even there.  Fubuki fell to the ground, and looked up at the person who she bumped into.  Almost immediately, she regretted her decision.  This person was exuding an aura of power and arrogance, yet it seemed almost justified.  She felt it was almost choking her.  Her hopelessness only grew looking at him.  What use was she if there were people like this and Yukino already in the resistance?  Fubuki could hardly hold a candle to them, or at least that's what she felt.  

 Cero looked down at the pitiful mess before him.  He could practically taste the fear coming off of her.  It was almost disgusting.  "Get up," he said, "and follow me."  Without even waiting for a reaction, he set off towards the nearest elevator.  Fubuki looked up after him weakly, standing up to follow him.  When they were both in the elevator, Cero inputted 1108 into the elevator, taking them down to the stadium.  Once there, Cero tossed some strange accessory to Fubuki.  "Put it on," he instructed as he walked to the opposite table.  "That will grant you a power beyond what was thought possible: Stride."  

 "Stride!?"  Fubuki immediately put the accessory on.  Some of her confidence came back at the knowledge she might now be able to fight on the same level as Jelly.  

 "I see you already know about it.  Good, no explanation is needed.  Come at me and show me your power!" In order to let Fubuki show her spirit, Cero took the first turn. Fubuki wasn't able to do much at first, however, on the grade two turn, she went on an all-out assault. However, it barely scratched Cero, who pulled a heal trigger that managed to stop most of the attacks. Cero's response was to completely crush Fubuki's field, punishing her attempt at rushing him. Unable to recover from this, Fubuki was pushed into a corner. Though she attempted to counterattack, it was in vain. Once again, Cero wiped away her field, this time taking advantage of Gauntlet Buster's Limit Break.

Fubuki was on the very edge... She had minimal resources. Drawing, it was a Grade 3... Tetra-Drive. She couldn't get 4 attacks... She had to believe in the power of Stride. This was her last chance to win the game. "Generation Zone, Release!" However... Nothing happened. She tried again and again and again... But nothing would happen. No G-Unit appeared for her. Despite this, Fubuki wasn't ready to give up. She continued to fight on, even though it was in vain... When it came back to Cero's turn, impressed by her resolve, he revealed to her his own G-Unit: True Eradicator, Final Blow Dragon. With its overwhelming power, Fubuki was defeated.

Cero began to exit the arena, however before he did, he stopped, and turned back to Fubuki. "Tell me, what's your name?"

"F-Fubuki... Kaiyo Fubuki!"

Smirking, Cero continued, "I see. When you've reached your potential, find me again. I'll gladly give you a rematch." And with that, Cero was gone.

"I.... I promise I'll reach that potential... For this world... And for Jelly."

Yugure looked toward her phone after telling Satoshi her story, seeing a message from Tsubasa. Of course, Seifer also went off on his own straight toward Glendios. Sigh, the Chosen Sword needs to keep a closer eye on her boys from now on. They all either walk out in search for some reckless death battle, or don't stay in contact so she has constant tabs on them. That, or maybe she should learn about giving people personal space.

"Chaos Breaker's moving too..." She mulled over.

"Satoshi, I need to go. We'll continue this conversation later!"

Summoning Blaster Blade, the warrior ran off with sword in hand.

She had already left, but Satoshi was still mulling over what she had said. The fact that she was from "another timeline," and the detail she went into regarding what happened...part of him wasn't sure how to feel. Could it be possible she was one of these so-called seeds, too?

But her willingness to protect the original timeline by turning back her own time to fix what did not go over well...by being ready and able to deal with the threat, Yugure was doing what she had to in order to protect, just like he wanted to. In a way...

"She's just like me, whether she wants to be or not." Satoshi chuckled. "I knew you'd have it in you, Yugure." Whether together or apart, the two of them were bound to be excellent protectors of this world. Such would be the fates of the Triad of Hope, which as far as he was concerned, was back.

Or, it would be, if he knew where the hell Haruka was, or where to even begin finding him. He realized that was likely his best chance of finding out.

"Well, guess I have more scouting to do." He dashed off.

Karin burst through the entrance to the building. She was breathing heavily and was covered in melted snow and sweat, Yugure resting on her back, barely conscious. "Miss Yugure is wounded, she needs medical attention right away!" Karin shouted out to whoever was around to hear it, wasting no time in actually looking around. Finding an empty-enough table in the room, Karin laid Yugure out across it, pressing down against her wounds to stop as much of the bleeding as she could while she waiting for more professional hands to take over.

Soldiers ran in with doctors the second they heard what Karin shouted. "Oh fu-" Some of the doctors were already in a panic, seeing Yugure's horrid state. "Thank you, we'll get right on her!" The medics said, quickly calling for higher ranked doctors while those here checked her state of health. The Chosen Sword was soon to die to blood loss if it wasn't for the efforts of Karin. Her body was freezing cold, but... oddly enough, she wasn't at risk of hypothermia. Because of... Haruka.

Unfortunately, her body was still shutting down.

"Get her to the emergency quarters! And everyone get out of my way!" One of the heads shouted, soldiers opening a path as nurses proceeded to zoom off, pushing the commander through the halls on the stretch bed.

Yugure's eyes popped open.

The doctors and nurses around were surprised. The Chosen Sword looked around, trying to get a feel for her surroundings. Speaking through her oxygen mask, she inquired: "Vitals?". The medics confirmed her vitals and body are all miraculously stable. They should've seen what was coming next... Ripping off the mask and other plugs on body for monitoring, Yugure got off of the medical bed and pushed people out of her way. She threw her shirt back on, having little time to properly button it or get her tie while walking out.

Ahmes relayed everything that happened to his friend through a dream. Because of Hana's Star Travel that allowed Yugure to see where light reflected. "It's strange..." she began. "I was going to ask him if he wanted to go to the Sanctuary and become a knight."

...

She knew he was dead.

The Chosen Sword really couldn't say much else. Losing friends and family had already happened once before, and now it was simply more piled on misery. However, there'd be another person suffering soon. Someone who had nothing to do with any of this, and didn't deserve the fate of losing his brother.

"I need to see Haruto later."

The commander had two jobs left.

"I finally figured it out... That boy was the person I lost in Regionals to. Not only that... He must've been the original seed of each timeline. That's really the only way this could make sense. And Tsubasa's pulsations... and the way he died. Seeds must transfer over to the stronger person to fester and grow. Which is how Glendios wound up with Haruka before that disgusting version of me split them apart.

... Tsubasa also showed me something."

"What?" Ezel questioned.

"When he died, that same Seed didn't move. It had nobody else to go to. ... The Seed itself must've withered and died."

"Meaning...?"

"Kill the time travelers. It's simply the only way to kill off the rest of the seeds."

Yugure relayed this information to the Resistance through her cell phone while adjusting her shirt.

"We captured the Figure!" One of the army grunts announced.

"Put him in a cell, I'm going to interrogate him later!"

Something is wrong.

Star-vaders retreated. They've lost their war entirely.

... So where are the Reapers?

Why didn't they show up yet?!

Dalis' hands shuddered as she walked quickly. With purpose. With dread. The text had come far, far too late. She was hyperventilating - she realized that now. She didn't want to die. But wouldn't Yukino do something like that? She'd call it for the greater good.

She hadn't bothered to text back. She only appeared at the familiar facility and pushed past, yelling out Yugure's name. She hated the name, but it was the only way Dalis could find her. As a desperate attempt, she yelled out Yukino, and finally, finally thought she glimpsed her in the midst of the few, sparse tears that threatened to fall down her face.

She didn't want to die.

Xat after seeing the battle went back to the training area and into the room were she and tsubasa had there fight when her phone went off. She read the text and her eyes widden rembereing the talk that happen in gotam. "Amatsuki is a time traveler...I have to warn him." She said as she texted Amatsuki Becareful thier hunting time travlers. she sent it to him then went to look for Yugure.

He slept in the freezing cold for at least two hours before vaguely waking up for about two minutes. Probably the two scariest minutes of his entire life. All he remembers was being carried off on somebody's shoulder, rushed off in a direction, an area, that he was unfamiliar with.

"Shh.. It's gonna be a-okay."

Haruka didn't respond. His ragged breath weakened as he allowed himself to be whisked off in whichever direction the kidnapper was taking him. There was no use in actually trying to fight back. He was cold, frigid, and unable to move much of a muscle. Him dying in the snow was a very real possibility if someone hadn't shown up.

Fast forward to the next time Haruka woke up, he found himself lying on the floor of the Resistance lobby. He woke up, slumped next to a computer desk, lightly pillowed by a balled-up shirt. His deck was on the desk, as were a pair of glasses and a glass of water. His contacts were probably dried or fell out, as he was in-fact somewhat unable to see upon waking up...

But how did he even get here? There was almost no way he could fall asleep and be whisked here. That person... who were they? Haruka had no real recollection of the small venture he had with his half-dazed state. All he could vaguely recall was a feminine voice. Not necessarily female, but it was a rather high-toned to be specific.

He stood up, feeling the pain of a sudden migraine. He had somewhere to be. Coffee to make. Right... coffee...

"H-Hey... can someone get a cu-"

"Right here, sir."

A familiar voice. The smell of... Royal Brew. Haruka sniffed, turned his head, and saw what he believed to be the biggest plot twist of his life.

Butler-san, semi-geared in Resistance equipment, was serving coffee to the soldiers and researchers around the lab. He nearly re-fainted before giving a huge grin, nearly sprinting to the man. Butler-san held out a fist. With his ludicrous British accent, he said...

"Brofist, my good sir."

Haruka's jaw dropped, brofisted the man, got a delicious cup of coffee and proceeded to sit on the desk he woke up next too. Everyone was... celebrating? Not entirely. They seemed way less stressed, but apparently things weren't 100% fixed yet. Something was off apparently, meaning no one should be off their guard. Haruka jovially sipped his coffee, awaiting news on the situation.

"Hey, uhm, did you see Yukino or, uh... A girl carrying her maybe? Come through here?"

"Yes, Miss Karin I believe her name was. Word spreads fast, sir. She is apparently one of the newer recruits. Miss Espoir is somewhere in the facility, I assure you. Safe and sound."

Haruka breathed a sigh of relief once more, finally unslumping his shoulders and giving a mini-victory cry. However, he still felt something was missing. What was it now....

Yells. Cries out in the room. Haruka snapped his vision 180 degrees to see... What was her name again? It had been years since these two formally spoke...

"H-Hey there... Hey, are you okay?" Haruka set his coffee down, rushing over to the girl. She seemed to be having a near heart attack, crying and yelling out for, er, Yukino?

He had no words. Haruka was really bad at words. Reaaaaally bad at words.

"I-It's gonna be fine, what's wrong...?"

Dalis' eyes lit up like a hunted animal, batting away Haruka before he got close. She needed Yukino, Yugure, whatever her name was. Nobody else would understand, they would get the message too, they'd kill her on the spot. She pushed him away, turned away and ran this time, she did not walk. She continued to yell out, as loud as she dared. With fumbling hands, she got her phone out. She considered dialing the number, but she was in no state to talk right now. She sent a shaky text, requesting her presence face-to-face immediately.

Things just kept getting worse for Dalis.

"Bring me my jacket", the commander demanded of the grunts nearby. One of the higher ranking generals stated that Father Espoir needed to speak with her. She'll return home to do such later. Additionally, one of them talked about packing up soon, yet the soldier girl didn't even pay him any mind. Too many things to do, including figuring out where the Reapers are. It made no sense for the elites to not swoop in and bail out the Star-vaders at some point, yet, they never moved this year for this timeline. Why? Why?! The Chosen Sword was visibly agitated by the secret movements of the bizarre horrors.

Reports of how people who vanished - Hana - weren't back yet flooded in too.

Probably the distortions caused by Stride and the presence of multiple Seeds. That Gear Dragon is piling on more garbage than necessary.

Suddenly, Dalis' voice rang out. Twice, calling both the Chosen Sword's names. Panic was detected in tone, and the overprotective soldier in her immediately dashed toward the entrance.

"Dalis?! What's wrong?!"

Falling mostly on his back, he let out a painful sigh. He was more or less okay, but it was still not pleasant hearing the sound of your back cracking after you fall on it. Medical bills, please...

Yukino came rushing down the stairs to her aid. Apparently they had a deeper connection than Haruka originally remembered of the rivals. He scratched his chin, watching the interaction before sitting back up and leaning against one of the wall desks that encompassed the lobby.

"She sort... came in like that."

Small information, but information nonetheless. He was ecstatic to see Yukino was okay, and that she came out of the fight in the wintry storm much better than she went into it. He was relieved. Haruka was overjoyed... But now wasn't the time for smiles and giggles. Something entirely wrong was happening right now, so he sat back and watched as the two spoke. And cried. Those both happened.

Finally, the relief that spread throughout Dalis was a welcome change than the ice-cold grip of fear. She stumbled towards where she thought the voice was coming from and finally saw Yugure, and laughed, laughed in pure desperation at the fact she was willingly coming to her own demise. She walked up to Yugure, gripping her shoulder tightly and almost falling as she struggled to catch her breath.

"T-the text... you sent out about... the seeds." She breathed, more tears welling up in her eyes. "Yuk-... Yugure, it's too late. I saw it too late. I already fought one, I think, I'm sure. I won, but... Yuki, I don't want to die like this..." She whispered, almost collapsing from the tears wrecking her body. Not like this, she wanted to scream. Not like this.

While the battle was over for now, and Glendios was defeated, things were far from normal. As evidenced by several of the staff rushing a still comatose Seifer to an emergency room within the headquarters, a mask placed over his nose and mouth to help him breath, as it seemed he was incapable of doing so himself at the current time. After managing to place him in the room, they had him hooked up to an IV drip and a vitals monitor, attempting to stabilize the male's condition. Sad to say it wasn't working right now.

Yugure found both Haruka and Dalis. While Dalis was a concern, the soldier's weary heart was happy to see her beloved safe and sound. Definitely looking better than he was out in the cold. They'd have to relax at some point, but right now came her friend's issues. Dalis' tone wasn't the only thing in a panic - the woman's actions emphasized on it to. Before the Chosen Sword could even inquiry, she spoke of the text. It was... too late? Wait-

"W-wha..."

Dalis fought against a Seed and won. From the sounds of it, she didn't exactly kill him either. Meaning... it was now with her. Amazing, the war against Star-vaders end, and then something else horrible happens. What kind of curse is this?

Yugure reached out, gripping onto Dalis' shoulders.

"Calm down, you're not going to die."

That was all she could offer. The commander wouldn't let another friend die because of this curse, but at the same time, she didn't exactly have a solution to get it out without... well, someone else taking it. That in itself was already out of the question.

"Tell me all that happened with the Seed you encountered, and tell me how you feel right now. Do you feel any bursts of pain or pulsations? Just slowly inform me of your entire situation, I'm not going to let you get hurt."

Xat continued to search for Yugure but stopped at the medical bay and looked at Cipher, she was about to go in when she got a text.

"Right. Thanks for the update. I'll be on my guard. Watch yourself, too. If they knew you were working with me, things might not be so nicely bundled up for you either. Careful, okay? -Amat;SUKI"

"He is right you know, If they find out your working agenst them they might come after you. It's best to stay in the resestance and warn him if anything happens or changes. What ever choose you make we will be right there with you." Shirayuki told her as xat looked back at Cipher, and rembereing all the damage that has been done, as well as the death of Tsubasa.

Could she really do it? Could she turn her back on these people, and her comards? She then looked back at her phone and sent a text back with her mind made up.

"I will thank you. I will stay here and let your ally Xateramusa" She sent the text and walked away from Ciphers room and turned down anouther corrador. Her choose was made now it was time to see what her future held for her. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the new card she gained looking at it before placing it next to the cosmic snowfall Shirayuki card.

It was then that it occurred to her; she had never got the chance to explain to her friend about her time in Europe. Clutching the hand on her shoulder, she gently lifted it off and raised her eyes to Yugure, calming her breathing and forcing herself to calm down as she had done many times before.

Nervously, she nodded. "When... when I was in my tour in Europe. I was Reversed by someone I don't remember. It's hazy, and painful to think about. When I came back to my senses, it was still there, and it wouldn't go away. I couldn't stop it. I came back to Japan as soon as I could, thinking it would be a safe haven. That's when I came back; when Stride was being tested." She explained in a shaky voice, but she forced herself to stay together. "Since then, I've not been around as much. I never left my home. I kept trying to fight off the Reverse, thinking I could beat it. Then, at one point, down at the beach, I did. Or, well, the Reverse just... left. It slowly began to ebb away, but then I met a stranger. We walked by each other, but we collided and it caused my Reverse to... to come back. We fought, as I do when I need answers. And... he was a seed. I didn't know, but we fought, and I won and..."

She let the words hang there unfinished, for they didn't need to be said. She collapsed into tears, having just triumphed over fear only to have it swarm back as a painful reminder.

Dalis being Reversed back in Europe explains a lot about Venus Luquier. That card was an aftermath of the Silver Thorn ringleader being unreversed, and apparently utilizing void somehow for her circus acts. Of course, Dalis didn't sound like she was doing the same thing. This fact of the past was still rather unsettling, but more so for the performer. Yugure folded her arms, listening closely to the story, trying to imagine it. The return to Japan for Transcendence testing and being out of sight a lot added up so far.

She was still fighting.

The story against the Seed was still what it was summarized as through Dalis' upset tone while crying. Crouching down, Yugure continued to hold a gentle tone over her usual stoic one. "Why didn't you tell me of your Reverse earlier?" Starting with a question, the Chosen Sword avoided pressuring about the Seed for the time being.

Satoshi arrived back at the base. His heart was still a little heavy from what he had witnessed, but it was important to keep going forward. Unfortunately, the text he received from Yugure wasn't exactly the most positive one. The next thing on the agenda was to take out the seeds. This likely included Cyan, which made the farmboy feel relatively uneasy. She was a girl with her heart in the right place, even if it involved wiping out this world. But if it had to be done...

Another message buzzed on his cell. It was from Haku. It was brief.

Strange gun appeared in your office while I was cleaning.

A...gun? Just appeared? He didn't really know how to respond, so he decided he'd deal with it later. He decided to take a seat in the lobby, looking over the blank card once more.

Satoshi couldn't quite explain it, but when Tsubasa was in the process of striking down Glendios, he had felt something warm in his pocket where this card was. He suspected something had changed, but nothing showed on the card itself. Possibly something to mention to Yugure later, since the two of them still had some things to tie up with their previous conversation.

He could hear some distant crying. While he felt the urge to go and check on where it was coming from, he considered what had happened the last time he had tried to console someone stricken with grief, and thought better of it. Getting pushed away enough times had taught him to not even bother anymore, even if he was close with these people. Someday, maybe that'd change.

"I couldn't... I didn't get a chance." She stuttered out weakly, barely managing to breath out the words. "You were always so busy with... everything, really. I couldn't interrupt you and... I was just afraid." Dalis was refusing to make eye contact or even look at Yugure. Her eyes were fixed firmly on the floor, distant and saddened.

"I wanted to. I should have. But I couldn't." She said weakly, raising her arms as if she was surrendering. "And now it's too late. The Seeds in me, and now I have to die to save the world." Her eyes finally raised now, to look at Yugure and offer a weak, comforting smile. "At least I know it'll be worth it."

"Over my own dead body", Yugure snarled, clenching her teeth angrily. "Those parasites came to hinder our timeline, even carrying over the Seeds. They had to die for it. You... you did absolutely nothing wrong, and you're not going to die to save the world. Nobody else is!"

The Chosen Sword stood up after her declaration. Link Joker and these cancerous time travelers have caused enough damage for a lifetime. With resolution, the girl looked down at her despair-ridden friend. Nobody else was making the sacrifice Tsubasa had to make. Yugure spoke an extra tidbit directly to Dalis afterward. "I asked why you didn't tell me because I wanted to understand if you didn't trust me or not. I was busy, yes, but my comrades' lives come first before everything else. That includes yours."

Yugure wanted Dalis to trust her all the same in finding a solution to this that didn't mean anyone's death.

One of the staff members that had previously rushed with a certain brunette, made his way hastily around the complex, looking for certain people to tell. There were three he saw: Satoshi, Haruka, and Yukino. While the brunette probably wasn't well known, it was at least somewhat known that these three were friends of his, and they had the right to know. To each of the people this particular staff member spoke to, he relayed the same thing: "You should come to the ER. We've got bad news." It was vague to say the least, but lately all there has been is bad news, save for Glendios being defeated. If the three so chose to make their way to the ER, they'd come to the sight of Seifer laying in a bed, strapped up to a vitals monitor and a mask to help him breath while in this vegetable state.