Buddyskill On!

A loud explosion rang out across the city, with a large burst of flame following, rising out of the devastated upper section of the building. Plumes of smoke rose from within it's the destroyed walls, barely concealing the two fighters emerging from it. An observer would note that one seemed to be flying, green sparks trailing behind them, while the other leapt from the building, speeding through the air like a shark through water.

"No Buddy Police Barrier to save you now, Buddy Cop!" the leaping assailant, Muichi, called as she propelled herself towards Tasuku, twisting herself midair and throwing a hard left hook at the boy.

Tasuku barely managed to avoid breaking his jaw, and retaliated in kind by kicking the other fighter back. The blow landed, but it barely seemed to phase the girl, who used its momentum to brace herself against the building. Then, just as she was about to fall, she kicked off of the wall once again, throwing herself through an open window to gain ground, while moving her hand through the air in a way Tasuku registered a second before it happened.

"Cast! Dragonic Shoot!"

The call shocked Tasuku, and it was through sheer luck that he managed to dodge the fireball headed straight towards him, spinning so that it slid by him and collided with the building behind him, confirming his worst fears.

"She can make the power of the cards real…" he muttered. "Whatever that is, Disaster or not, it's dangerous. So I'll to fight fire with fire. Time to unleash the Future Force!"

The familiar power coursed through the boy, his body and Core Gadget shining with an iridescent, blue glow as the energy caused his hair to lengthen below his waist. Even as he was transforming, though, he had to dodge another Dragonic Shoot from Muichi, the girl firing them indiscriminately at him.

"Tasuku!" yelled Jack, watching as his Buddy barely dodged the unceasing assault. He turned to Morganna, who had barely managed to brace herself against a large crate, preventing the blast from reaching her. "Run for now. We'll hold her off."

"I'm afraid I'm too weak to move," Morganna replied sullenly. "And if you can't stop her here, then she'll never stop. Go help your Buddy. I'll wait here."

Jack looked conflicted, but his loyalty to his Buddy won out and he flew out of the building, transforming into his full form once outside. Morganna had expected the golden form of Jackknife Aster, but the green dragon had opted for a different variant. Jack now wore deep blue armor around his torso and wings, his entire body looking much sleeker than before.

He's managed to evolve again, further than even I had predicted, thought Morganna, a smug grin tugging on her face. It's no wonder Sofia lost. I was right to only look ahead so far before.

"Keep out of sight and stay safe," ordered Jack, turning his sights to the battlefield. "We'll be back as soon as we can." He didn't wait for a response, instead swooping down toward his Buddy, his aerodynamic body carrying him through the air like a rocket.

Down below, Tasuku was doing everything he could to avoid the girl's attacks, but he couldn't relax with Muichi blasting fireballs at him. He ducked and weaved through the barrage to close the gap, but just as he managed to get within striking distance, the girl launched herself at him instead. She threw a hard punch, seemingly in an attempt to knock him out in a single blow, but, on instinct, Tasuku equipped Dragobrave and swung the broadsword up to block the girl's fist.

The clang of metal on metal rung out, and Tasuku realized Muichi had equipped an item as well for that strike. He caught a glimpse of the gauntlet, but she quickly pushed back, landing on the roof of one of the shorter nearby buildings.

Before she could begin casting her fireballs again, Jack emerged from the sky and charged her. The girl nimbly sprung back, avoiding Jack's swipe, and backflipped across the roof to gain distance as Jack regrouped with Tasuku, the pair hovering and facing her.

"What's the matter, Buddy Cop?" asked Muichi as she came to a stop. "Afraid to take me on yourself? Don't you have those barriers to keep me from abusing my power?" She smirked as she made her deduction. "Don't tell me the satellites are still scrapped from Yamigedo's rampage?"

Tasuku's wince was faint, annoyed that she was right. How does she know that?

"I thought you wanted to catch me! That's your whole schtick, isn't it?" taunted Muichi. "The Buddy Police Boy Wonder! Crushing his opponents with his special Impact card and 'mysterious power'. You already have that Future Force on, so bring out your Impact, and let's make this city our battleground!"

"I won't stoop to your level!" yelled Tasuku. "I have my Buddy with me, and together we'll bring you to justice!"

"Ohh, all high-and-mighty to the last," scoffed Muichi. "But, if that's the way you wanna play…" She lifted up a deck case, with a familiar looking gem embedded in it. "Then I challenge you to a Buddyfight."

Tasuku nearly lost his grasp on his weapon as he stared at the red gem. Muichi was too far away for him to tell, but it bore a shocking resemblance to one of Kyoya's Dark Cores. "Is that…?"

"You'll just have to fight me and find out, now, won't you?" Muichi said, pocketing her deck case and turning her back to him. "Follow me, Buddy Cop. If you're not too scared, that is!"

She let out a laugh and jumped off the side of the building. For a moment, Tasuku feared the worst, but the girl timed her jump just right and grabbed onto a horizontal traffic light, performing a quick summersault before letting go. She soared through the air and landed hard on the ground; then, despite hitting the pavement with enough force to crack it, the girl merely turned back to face him.

"This girl is unreal," murmured Tasuku. "How is she managing those leaps?"

"That Core must be giving her some sort of power," Jack surmised. "Disaster or not, she's far too dangerous to be taken lightly. Keep your Future Force active so you can withstand her hits. And, if worst comes to worst… we might need to call in Gao."

Tasuku frowned, worrying what Gao would do once he arrived. "Knowing him, he'd try and take her challenge, regardless of the risk. But maybe…"His eyes drifted back to the building Morganna was in, and he dropped his voice to a whisper, relying on his Buddy's enhanced hearing to hear him. "If I can get him to move Morganna away, we can still come out of this with a victory."

"Thinking of calling for help?" interrupted Muichi, breaking the two from their discussion. "I thought I challenged you to a fight, Buddy Cop! Or are you gonna reject my challenge? Because I'd love to keep having fun." She opened up her right palm, and a small fireball formed in it.

"No," Tasuku replied reluctantly, arms at his side as he floated down. "I still plan on accepting your challenge. I'll make sure you answer for the terrible things you've done."

"That confident, huh?" Muichi chuckled, dispersing her flame. "That's good! It wouldn't be fun without some incentive."

She led him past the crumbling buildings to a small intersection that was mostly free of debris. She jumped to the other side of the street and raised her Core Deck Case, a silent taunt and call for him to Luminize.

"Barrier or not, it is my duty as part of the Buddy Police to bring you to justice!" declared Tasuku, bringing up his Star Pulsar. "Shine Forth! Future dragons clad in stars! Luminize, Cross Dragoner!"

"Blazing like an inferno, erasing everything in its path!" A gauntlet formed on Muichi's left arm, attaching onto her fingerless glove, with her diamond shaped core stuck on the back of her hand. "Dark Luminize! Crimson Demon FIst!"

Dark Luminize, thought Tasuku, uneasy. It might not be exactly the same as a Dark Core, but it definitely acts the same. And if Kyoya has a hand in this…

"I'll take the first move," declared Muichi. "Charge and draw. I call Crimson Battler Grand Kick Dragon to the center."

Crimson Battler? Tasuku's eyes widened in surprise as he watched Muichi throw her card out to the field. A tall, muscular dragon materialized from it, bearing the blue armor he'd grown familiar with from his and Gao's bouts back in Dragon World. It gave him some comfort to be familiar with the deck, his mind going over the countermeasures he'd prepared for Gao, though the fact that the girl started out with a monster Gao didn't use kept him on edge. She was more than another copycat, like so many well meaning fans.

"Allow me to demonstrate my proficiency!" Grand Kick growled, stomping the ground in anticipation.

"Don't let me stop you. Attack!" Muichi replied, spurring her monster into action.

"For the glory of the Crimson Battlers!" The red dragon's leg tensed up before throwing him into a sprint, crossing the gap between him and Tasuku in an instant.

Tasuku raised his arms up to catch the dragon's hard kick and winced as the attack connected, the recoil pushing him back several feet while his life dropped by 3. That Impact was real! he thought as he straightened himself. Even if the core is different, the result is the same. But… is this really Disaster…?

His hand hesitated over the Star Pulsar, his mind coming up with a million different possibilities, before he found his voice. "Muichi! Before I start… tell me. Did you receive that power from Kyoya Gaen?"

"Kyoya?" repeated Muichi in disbelief, before throwing her head back and cackling harshly. She clenched her fist, once again showing off the diamond shaped gem, the surface glimmering under what sunlight shone through the dissipating smoke. "That rich boy couldn't hope to handle this power. He couldn't even handle Yamigedo's power!"

"How do you know about that incident!?" yelled Tasuku. "Why didn't you tell anyone!?"

"That's for me to know and you to find out," taunted Muichi. "You'll just have to defeat me so I sing like a canary for you, Buddy Cop."

"I was planning to do that anyway, criminal! I'll bring you in to answer for everything that you've done! Draw! Charge and draw!" His motions where harsh, driven by the twisted emotions that were churning his stomach, but hours of practice left his next move committed to memory. "I Buddy Call Star Dragoner, Jackknife!" Tasuku's Buddy roared onto the battle field, his body glowing in the light. "Jackknife's skill reveals the top 3 cards of my deck, and Crossnizes with Jackarms, J Ignighter!"

Several silver armaments materialized around Jack, attaching to his arms as large blades to match his signature jackknife. "Now my Critical becomes 4!" the dragon declared.

"Next I Call Star Dragoner, Blazer to the left." A sleek, silver dragon materialized on the battlefield, briefly growling as its battle call. "Then I pay 1 gauge and life to equip Twin Star, Jack and Fang!" He held out his hands as the card materialized into a pair of guns.

"New dragons and a new toy?" taunted Muichi once more. "Guess they really can teach old dogs new tricks."

"I attack Grand Kick with Jack and Fang!" Tasuku yelled, firing a shot through the dragon's chest and blasting it away. "And now, Double Attack!" His second shot came just as Grand Kick's form disintegrated, striking Muichi in the same spot, the recoil forcing her back.

"That Future Force packs a kick," conceded Muichi as her life dropped a point.

"Allow me to help you become familiar with it! Blazer attacks!" The lithe dragon followed its master's orders, slashing at the girl and dropping her life by 2. "Now finish it, Jackknife!"

"With pleasure!" Jack growled, his wings carrying him high into the sky before he dive bombed the girl, weapons held out. "Ignite Blade!"

Muichi held up a card, but didn't react further until Jack's knife slashed through her, bringing her life down to 3. "I Cast! Dragonic Endure!" The card lit up and three lights floated up from her gauntlet to her gauge. "I can only use that card when I take damage, so thanks for going all out, Buddy Cop."

What I wouldn't give for Radiant Punisher, thought Tasuku, eyeing his hand of defensive cards while Muichi began her turn. But it doesn't matter, I can do this. I just need to hold out for one turn.

"Since you seem to be giving it your all, I better do likewise! I Call two Crimson Battlers, Double Katar Dragon to the right, and Spin Nail to the left!"

Tasuku recognized Spin Nail from Gao's deck, the thin red dragon pointing his namesake claws at him, but he was unfamiliar with the other one; the silver haired dragon brandished two gauntlets, each with a three-pronged blade at the end.

"Now I equip Chieftain Fist, Dragogeneral!" continued Muichi, as the gauntlet she had attacked him with earlier materialized over her right arm. "Dragogeneral gains one critical for each card in the soul, and thanks to its Equip Cost, it already has one! Next, I use its skill! By paying one gauge, I put the top card of my deck into its soul!"

"So it has two critical now, and it'll continue to gain one each turn…" mused Jack. "She's not holding anything back."

"I'll admit, you two are putting up a better fight than I thought," said Muichi, holding up one of her remaining hand cards. "I can't take any chances with this. I cast Dragonic Grimoire!"

Tasuku winced as he watched the spell do its work; a spectral white dragon phasing through the last card in Muichi's hand, before breaking up into three new cards.

"Blazer Moves!" stated Tasuku, the lithe, silver dragon managing to jump into position just as Muichi yelled out her own command.

"Double Katar, attack Blazer!" The dragon leapt up, arms raised and poised to end his target.

"I Cast Barracal Barret, destroying Double Katar!" Tasuku loaded his spell into Jack and Fang, blasting a volley of light directly at Muichi's monster.

"Cast, Dragobond!" called Muichi in response, throwing the shining card toward Katar. "Double Katar's destruction is nullified and my life increases by 2!"

The red dragon slashed through the projectile, then trained his eyes on Blazer once more, bringing his second blade down through the silver dragon in one fluid movement.

"When Double Katar destroys a monster, I can send all the cards in Jackknife's Soul to the Drop Zone!" Blazer roared in pain as he was torn asunder, the ground cracking as Katar's attack continued even with the target destroyed. The weapon pierced the ground, splitting the pavement in a vicious display. Fulfilling his effect, Katar wrenched his weapon out, sending a shockwave at Jack that destroyed the J Igniter on him. A thick spout of water burst from the aftermath, evidence that the last attack hit an active pipeline.

She really doesn't care what happens to the fighting area! Tasuku thought as he backed away from the small geyser.

"With no Soul to guard it, your Buddy's wide open!" laughed Muichi. "Spin Nail! Eliminate that dragon!"

Her dragon had already started sprinting when she called his name, but Tasuku already had a card ready to counter.

"His empty Soul will be his saving grace! I cast Spectrum Body!" Spin Nail thrust at Jack, but the green dragon had already turned into a ball of light, and floated back to Tasuku's hand. "Jackknife returns to my hand cards and I gain one gauge!"

"You may have saved your Buddy, but you've left yourself wide open," she grinned fiercely, cracking her knuckles as she tensed her legs. "I'm gonna enjoy this!"

She had barely begun to sprint before Tasuku threw his next spell out. "Proto Barrier!"

Muichi scowled and leapt back from the large shield. "I'm really getting sick of that. My turn is over."

Tasuku panted, adrenaline coursing through him and keeping him on edge. This girl is relentless, he thought frustratedly. It took everything I had to match her attacks. I won't last another round like that, I need to end it this turn!

"Draw! Charge and Draw! I Call Jackknife to the right!" His Buddy once again roared onto the scene, and Tasuku once again checked the top three cards of his deck. "His skill will put Dragonarms, Logisticker into the soul! Then I call Star Dragoner, Luminious Blue!"

"Surpassing the stars!" exclaimed the jagged Neodragon, striking a pose as he entered the field. "The brilliant fighter, Luminous Blue, appears on the scene!"

"Blue's power and defense increase by 1000 for every soul card on my field," explained Tasuku while Jack equipped himself with his new weapon.

"Right now, Jackknife is the only card with soul," Muichi muttered, "and it's only got one, at that. 1000 power is not much to sneeze at."

"We'll see how long you think that," Tasuku replied. "I attack with Blue!"

"You'll regret underestimating me!" cried the Neodragon, brandishing his sword. "I offer my comrades power! That power shall become mine as well! My skill activates, Luminous Charge!"

J Igniter appeared above Jackknife, once more docking with his arm, providing a new weapon.

"Blue lets Jack crossnize with a card in the drop zone," explained Tasuku. "And with the extra soul, Blue becomes stronger!"

"Always an answer to everything," scoffed Muichi, already holding up one of her cards, "but two can play at that game! Cast! Dragonic Formation! Double Katar moves to the center!"

Katar teleported to the center, baring his blades at his enemies. "You'll have to get through me first!"

"That's just what I was hoping for!" Blue roared as he charged his foe, his large sword poised to attack. Katar managed to parry the first slash with his own weapon, but was forced to stumble when Blue pulled back sharply. Seeing the opening, Blue threw a hard punch against the other's snout, stunning the red dragon. Another quick stab, and Double Katar was reduced to pixels.

"Jackknife, attack the fighter!" Muichi flinched as Jackknife's blow struck her, her life meter falling harshly down to 1 point. Tasuku raised his weapon, taking aim after his Buddy returned to his side. "Now I attack with Jack and Fang! Prepare to face justice!"

Muichi smirked back at him, throwing her last card out and creating a large, golden shield that stopped the attack cold. "Cast, Primeval Dragon Shield! The attack is negated, and I draw one card!"

"You're only prolonging the inevitable!" said Tasuku, taking aim once more. "The second attack!"

"Blue Dragon Shield!" she yelled, much to Tasuku's shock. Once again, the lance of energy was stopped; this time, by a more familiar shield. "The attack is negated, and I gain one gauge!"

Drawing two shield cards like that is incredibly lucky… Tasuku thought to himself. Gao's the only fighter I know with that sort of luck, but she couldn't be more different…

"What's the matter, Buddy Cop? Running out of gas?" Muichi mocked. "Don't tell me that was your best shot! I expected far more from the Buddypolice Boy Wonder!"

"You talk a big game, but it's only a matter of time before I put you behind bars!" Despite his exhaustion, Tasuku kept his voice firm.

"Self-righteous as always," she huffed. "Don't you ever get tired of spouting that tired rhetoric?"

"What do you mean? I only say what I believe in."

"Then you believe in trash," Muichi retorted. "You Buddycops think you're so smart, using those barriers to keep criminals locked in place while you toy with them."

"Toy with them?" Tasuku parroted, bewildered. "We do it to apprehend violent criminals so that they don't use their monsters to cause collateral damage!" He looked pointedly at the torn up street, marred from her monsters' ferocious attacks.

"Don't give me that!" Muichi growled. "You know full well you could use your Buddies to help take down any criminal that put up a fight. Instead, you force them into a fight that's televised for the general public!"

"That's not my fault!" Tasuku shouted. "Or the Buddypolice's. I know it has its share of problems, but the media was always something that I knew couldn't be controlled. It wants to paint us in a favorable light to the citizens!"

"And you think showing that you could destroy a fighter's deck case if they lose would give them security?" Muichi shot back. "Tell me, oh vaunted Buddy Cop Boy Wonder, what would happen if a criminal were to win one of your fights?"

"The Buddypolice Barrier-" Muichi interrupted with a loud snort, but made no comment. "-would dissipate, and we'd send another officer to apprehend the culprit."

"As I thought," she said coldly. "Then it just becomes a war of attrition."

"Don't pretend that you're in the right!" shouted Tasuku. "If we're fighting to capture the criminal, they pose a great enough risk to warrant it. And you've done yourself no favors in dissuading my judgement on you."

"I don't know why you're so rattled about me. If anything, I'm doing you a favor," gloated Muichi. "I'm here to capture the rogue monster Morganna whose terrorized Legend World for more than a few years, and has even harassed one of your friends."

The statement made Tasuku pause for a moment. Drum had told them about his encounter with the sorceress before - though only an abridged version, after Gao had pestered him about it - but he'd promised not to discuss it with anyone else. "How do you know so much about Morganna?"

"As I said before, you'll have to beat me to find out," Muichi said proudly. "But with the way things are looking, that truth may be forever lost to you."

"I wouldn't be so flippant with me," Tasuku said sternly, his frustration getting the better of him. "If you haven't noticed, I all but literally have your back against the wall. Your life is at one, and you have no hand cards! This fight will end on my next turn! Just you wait!"

"We will see. Draw, Charge and Draw." She smirked as she revealed her card. "Lucky me! Another Dragonic Grimoire." Once again, the spectral dragon emerged from the card, immediately breaking into 3 new ones. As she looked at her new hand, her eyes widened, and her smirk widened to a near manic smile. She glared with a frightful intensity, holding one card up high. "Finally! I Buddycall!"

She threw her card to the side, a massive burst of purple energy swirling from the spot. It hissed against the water when it made contact, steam billowing from the wall of fire that surrounded Muichi's call. It obscured the monster's appearance, but from the large silhouette it cast, they knew she had called out a large dragon.

"I'll pay a gauge to give Dragogeneral another soul card, bringing its critical to 3!" she continued and lifted her arm up, letting one of her gauge float into the palm of her hand before she thrust it at Tasuku. "Now, my Buddy! Attack!"

The large dragon, still obscured by mist, strode up to the officer. It hefted a large weapon at its side, bracing its feet for what seemed to be a large recoil. Dark red eyes filled with malice and hate glared at Tasuku, intent on hitting him with the full brunt of its weapon. And yet despite all of that, he couldn't help but wonder why they seemed somewhat familiar.

Those eyes… I know I've been stared down by them before… He stared back at the monster, his mind racing to put a name to that face. Then, as if representing his own revelation, the mist around the monster's face cleared just enough. Wait…

"You're…" he weakly called out, but was unable to finish his thought. A large beam of energy lanced out at him and consumed him in blackened light, throwing him back several meters. He had just barely managed to catch himself before he heard Muichi's voice yell out.

"Spin Nail!" His eyes shot open, and he barely managed to dodge the red dragon's signature weapon, only to be backhanded when Spin Nail lashed his tail out. The boy's cheek stung from the fierce strike, but he forced himself to ignore it to pay attention to the fight.

"This will end it!" Tasuku was still shaking from the force of the last attack, but managed to open his eyes the moment Muichi yelled, "I attack you with the Chieftan's Fist!"

Muichi charged forward, appearing in front of Tasuku in the blink of an eye. Before he could react, the girl shot her fist out, slamming it hard into Tasuku's abdomen. The boy gagged and stumbled back, but was quickly caught by an uppercut Muichi delivered shortly after. Muichi whipped her fist back, turned on her heel and slammed it once again into the poor boy's stomach, sending him through the building behind them.

The punch to the stomach hurt more than it should, and in the span of a second, Tasuku found himself hurtling through the air. Gravity became a foreign concept for a brief moment before it was reintroduced painfully as his back connected with the building, along with a crack of what he dearly hoped was concrete.

He had no time to process his crash course in physics though, for he was introduced to a new friend: momentum. The building's walls were brittle from Yamigedo's assault, buckling and breaking every time he hit another wall, doing little to slow his trajectory. Tasuku's world became a series of painful, staccato bursts as he was propelled through various walls and utilities.

Time quickly lost meaning, the pain in his stomach, coupled with the relentless crashes he'd been forced to endure, prevented him from thinking much of anything. Still, after much too long a time for him, Tasuku found himself out of obstacles, and mercifully slammed to the ground.

It was a short lived mercy as, seconds later, a gauntlet covered hand clasped onto his collar and he soon found himself being pulled upwards. Tasuku's mind was in a panic; despite her lithe build, she was somehow able to hold him up one-handed, and even cross the gap between where they started and the building as fast as he'd been launched.

"Who… are you?" he rasped out grasping weakly at the girl's arm. "Why are you doing this?"

The girl was silent for a long moment, and when she spoke, it was in a low tone, a far departure from the growl she had used earlier. "I have come for the sorceress, Morganna. I was expecting Mikado, so you," she turned hard on her heel and hurtled the boy back across the field. "Are in my way!"

As he hurtled through the air, once again at gravity's whims, Tasuku couldn't help but wonder. Gao… what does the universe have against you? And after you finally defeated Yamigedo… He tried desperately to straighten himself out so the impact wouldn't hurt, but his limbs refused to listen. If I can just make it through this…

"Tasuku!" Jack's voice rang loud and clear, the green dragon swooping in from above and catching his Buddy before he could hit the ground. Luminous Blue joined soon after, putting himself between Muichi and the two Buddies. "Speak to me, please!" Jack's voice was choked, and Tasuku couldn't help but smile at the care given.

"I'm…fine…Jack…" he said between pants, leaning on the bigger dragon to stay stable. "Just…a little dizzy."

"We have to call in backup, wait for Gao to-"

"No!" Tasuku cried. "I won't subject him to this kind of punishment!" He managed to steady himself after several deep breaths, and took his place across from Muichi. "I can still handle this. I Cast!" he winced as pain shot through his arm, but grit his teeth through it, holding his card as high as he could. "Jackknife Linker! My Life becomes 1, and, for this attack phase, my Life cannot be reduced."

"It can't-" Muichi growled in annoyance, glaring daggers at the boy, before a look of realization hit her, and her frown turned into a smile. "Just for the Attack Phase, then?" She chuckled at Tasuku's dumbfounded, looking as if she would lunge at him again.

She's plotting her next move, but it's fine, Tasuku thought. Even after the Buddycall, she only has 2 Life left. Once she ends her turn, any attack can win this. Pain shot through his side as he attempted to straighten himself. If my body can hold out until then, I can…

Then she spoke two words. Words that had usually meant victory for him, but now meant only despair.

"Final Phase."

The quiet ambiance of the city was hushed, the fair all but forgotten as a large crowd of people looked at the smoke coming from the construction area. Gao and Drum where among the front onlookers, nearly stunned speechless at the massive explosion that occurred moments prior.

"This is crazy," said Drum. "What could've struck the building that hard?"

Gao's teeth were gritted in a mix of anxiety and fear. "That's where Tasuku was headed…"

"Doesn't take any of my secrets to know where they're battling," Drum muttered. "But from the sound of it, they're on the move. Even with my scope, it'll take a while to find them…"

Gao looked on anxiously as his Buddy scouted the area, but both stopped when a frightened voice shouted. "It's got Tasuku!"

The duo turned to see a small group of kids crowding around a child holding a pair of binoculars. The boy was stock still with fright, leaving several of the citizens to try and locate the problem. Try as they might, the boy repeated the same action, a hard pointing gesture to an area that had yet to be filled with smoke.

"Drum," he called, but his buddy was one step ahead of him.

"I'll handle this," Drum said, focusing his vision on where the boy pointed. "With one of my Seven Secrets, Super Decker Scope!" A small scope flipped from his visor, the smoke filtering from his vision as it zoomed in. A second later, he gasped as he watched Tasuku get thrown like a rag doll, saved only by Jack's quick maneuvering. "That is Tasuku! And he's being manhandled!"

"C'mon, Drum!" Gao cried, his Buddyskill flaring to life. "We gotta hurry!"

Tasuku's entire body was tense, his ears almost ringing despite how quietly the girl had declared her next move. "Did you say Final Phase!?"

"Inverse Arts, Gokuenabare Uranoudachi!" Swirls of crimson energy spiraled around the girl, and her Buddy's silhouette appeared behind her, blood-red eyes gazed down upon the Buddypolice Cop and his dragon. It enveloped the girl, cloaking her in in a violent vortex of energy.

And though the pair knew it couldn't be so, they found a terrible familiarity with the eyes gazing at them.

"What is that!?" Tasuku yelled.

"This is the power of my Impact, Gokuenabare Uranoudachi. It will hit you for damage equal to the combined Critical of my item and my Buddy!" she replied, grinning wildly. "You said I couldn't damage you during the Attack Phase, well here's my answer to that!" She yelled as she threw out her fist, and a massive lance of energy cascaded from the spiral behind her.

Tasuku looked on in shock as the tidal wave that was the Impact hurtled towards him. He was stock still, uncontrollable fear rooting him to the spot. His Buddy had no such loss, and shouted as he threw himself in front of Tasuku. "Stop! Don't do this, Dr-!"

A massive explosion ragout, engulfing the area in smoke. Many of the remaining buildings collapsed, their already weakened foundations destroyed from the shockwaves of the fight. When the dust settled, Tasuku Ryuenji lay face down, his loyal Buddy, Jackknife Dragon, now back in SD form, lay on top of him in one last desperate act to keep him safe.

"Game Over," the girl declared smugly. "Winner: Muichi Gokuyama"

"They're over here," Drum shouted, leading Gao between the buildings. He winced the further they flew, covering his sensitive nose from the pungent smell of ash. "Better get out a mask, kid. This smoke is way too thick."

Before Gao could respond, another explosion drew their attention, but neither could do much of anything when the shockwave hit them. The two flew high, doing their best to avoid any fallen debris while they waited out the storm. It took countless minutes, but at last the massive output of energy settled, leaving a large crater where a busy street intersection once was.

And in the middle of it lay a blue haired boy, alongside a small green dragon.

"Tasuku!" Gao yelled, coming down to the fallen Buddy Cop. Tears stung his eyes as he saw how battered his friend had become. "Tasuku, answer me, please!"

The boy winced in his grasp, but his sharp intake of breath brought relief to the young Sun Fighter. "G-Gao…" he said weakly.

"Hang in there, pal," Gao reassured. "Help is on the way. We'll get you back on your feet in no time."

"I wouldn't be so sure," another voice called. Both Gao and Drum watched as a red haired, older girl stepped atop a pile of debris. "I made sure he won't be interfering for while."

"What did you do to him!?" Drum growled lowly as he stood between the humans, glaring harshly at the girl.

"Nothing he didn't have coming. He became an obstacle, and so I removed him." She adjusted her shoulder, and brought Morganna into view. "And to the victor go the spoils."

"Morganna!" Drum shouted. "So you're the one who was chasing after her!"

"I am," she replied easily. "And she gave me quite the case."

"If you had a score to settle with that Morganna, I could understand," Gao's voice trembled with barely restrained fury. "But causing this much destruction…hurting my friends…" his arms shook as he clutched Tasuku tighter, until he finally yelled out. "Why would you do all this!? What are you after!?"

"Oh, I'll be glad to tell you, if you can defeat me," she grinned widely, holding up her deck case. "He was just a warm up, Mikado.You're who I'm really after."

Gao stared her down, already reaching for his own deck case, but loud sirens interrupted their standoff. The girl sneered as nearly 20 cars came flying over the remains of the crumbling city, all headed to their location.

"It's gotten too crowded. We'll meet again, young Sun Fighter," she said hastily. "You won't have anyone to help you then!"

Her eyes flashed briefly, and a miasma seemed to radiate from her. It quickly took shape, a bipedal dragon with red eyes that seemed to stare right through them. She lifted up her arm, and Gao just barely caught a flash of purple on her gauntlet, before she threw a glowing card up. A portal opened, and both she and her dragon vanished inside it, leaving the quartet stunned and a ravaged battle field in her wake.