Original subtitles

I've been looking forward to this for a long time.

A very long time...

Ren's greatest wish is about to come true!

Yes. Ren himself is going up against the Solitary Fighter, Toshiki Kai.

Vanguard.

It's a card game in which you yourself become the vanguard and fight!

Imagine it! Imagination will become your strength!

Image 21 Abyss of Darkness

Kai.

Why did you leave us without saying anything?

You guys were the ones who chose to hang around me.

I didn't owe you any notice.

What a pity.

Here I thought I was the only one

who understood your feelings of isolation, and vice versa.

Isolation?

I understand it well.

I longed to be perfect like you,

which is why I eventually reached the pinnacle of Cardfighting, like you.

So I understand your isolation.

I understand being sick of your own strength,

and yet feeling that the only thing to do is keep seeking out strong opponents.

It was hard on you, wasn't it?

I thought the only one who could save you from that isolation

was someone in the same position: me.

And yet...

...is it true that you lost?

To that boy...

To Aichi Sendou?!

Aichi...

Yeah.

I lost to Aichi.

Aichi...

Kai, Miwa...

What's wrong?

Nothing. I just lost a fight earlier...

Hey!

It's him! He's the guy who beat Aichi!

Tetsu...

So you've already met Ren, Aichi Sendou...

Could this also be fate?

Huh?

Both of you possess PSYqualia. It's as if you were drawn to each other.

Wha...?!

It can't be!

Aichi...

Do you really have PSYqualia?!

U-Um, I'm not really sure,

but sometimes, during a fight, I hear a voice...

My Vanguard.

...and then suddenly, Blaster Blade is standing right before me.

He's there to guide me.

That's the image I have of it.

Throw away your cards, Aichi!

That power will alter you.

Throw away your cards and never fight again!

No!

No, I can't throw them away.

If I did that...

I'd go back to the way I used to be.

Back to being all alone, with nothing at all.

I don't want to be like that again!

Brother Aichi...

Of course he can't throw them away.

He can't, and neither can I.

Not even you, who severed all ties,

could throw away your cards, right?

Vanguard is all we have.

Yes. All we have is the world that's guided by Vanguard fights.

The world guided by Vanguard...

And as for who should stand atop the summit of that world...

Kai...

Kai, even now, I still can't believe...

...that you lost to a boy like him.

Stand up, Aichi Sendou.

Join me in a Vanguard fight.

If we fight, then I'll be able to tell whether you truly gained victory over Kai.

Come...

Don't get me wrong, Ren.

Kai...

Sure, I lost to Aichi.

But that was in order to teach him Vanguard.

I wasn't fighting him earnestly.

Huh?

What're ya talking about?!

Wait.

But...

Ren, your objective is to gain absolute victory.

Shouldn't you be challenging me, the one person you've never beaten?

There's no need for you to do it indirectly.

I'll fight you.

You'll fight me?

Now, don't you get me wrong.

I came here to save you.

Poor you, all isolated and unable to have any serious fights.

I'll save you by using my power: PSYqualia.

Then I'll have achieved perfection.

That is my greatest wish...

Absolute victory.

You think you've surpassed me, by using that power?

Fight me and you'll see.

Then let's go!

Vanguard fight!

Kai...

Stand up, The Vanguard!

I ride Lizard Runner, Undeux!

I ride Fullbau!

I ride Embodiment of Armor, Bahr!

Lizard Runner, Undeux's skill. I draw one card.

My turn is over.

It's my turn. I draw.

Ren...

He's humming, at a time like this?!

It's because it's a time like this.

Ren has been looking forward to this for a long time.

To the one thing that could relieve his boredom...

He's longed for a fight with Toshiki Kai, above all else.

All right. I'll ride you.

Blaster Javelin.

Fullbau's skill activates.

Blaster Javelin attacks your Vanguard!

No guard!

My turn is over.

I ride Bellicosity Dragon!

Breath of Fire!

But he took damage...

Ren no longer feels pain.

Neither suffering nor pleasure.

Well...

Maybe he does feel pleasure, now.

This really brings back memories, Kai.

I'm in a wonderful mood.

My turn is over.

What's wrong, Brother Aichi?

Oh, it's just...

Kai doesn't seem like his usual self.

It's as if Kai has gone back to the way he used to be.

Well, it's complicated...

But back when I saw him with Ren, he was in a really terrible state.

So it's probably coming back to him now...

The time when strength was all that mattered to him.

Kai...

Knowing Kai, he should be okay.

What do you mean, Misaki?

Since Aichi's in no shape to fight now, Kai was acting to protect him,

by making it sound like Aichi's far below Ren's level.

You think so?

I can't be sure, but I doubt that he was like this back then.

Misaki...

You're right. This is the Kai we know now.

Well, if you two are so sure, then I guess I'll believe in him, too.

Kai...

There are people here who feel that way about you now.

So I'll also have faith that you're not the guy you used to be.

I guess you'll have to be the one to take the lead.

Is it coming?

Ride The Vanguard!

The vanguard of darkness...

Blaster Dark.

S-So that's Blaster Dark...

It really does look just like my Blaster Blade.

Blaster Dark...

Yes. The jet-black knight who will lead you to the abyss of darkness.

So...

Now it begins.

His PSYqualia is manifesting?

So this is...

Ren...

Here I come, Kai.

Let's battle with everything we have.

So this is PSYqualia...

I call.

Denizens of the shadows, our adversary lies before us.

Attend me.

Ren's Blaster Dark has a skill that gives it an extra drive.

How will he handle it?

Subjugate him.

No problem!

Guardians, protect me!

Flame of Hope, Aermo!

Embodiment of Spear, Tahr!

Take this.

Drive check.

I can see... everything.

A critical trigger?!

I-Incredible!

He drew a trigger!

So that's PSYqualia!

You're mistaken.

Drawing triggers is not the essence of PSYqualia.

Blaster Burst.

Now it's your turn.

But I can see everything.

Even the image of your defeat.

The image, huh?

Ren...

Even though we're fighting together,

we're looking at completely different things.

It's just like we were back then.

Even when we were together, we were heading in different directions.

I sought serious fights.

All you wanted was victory.

And that's how you came upon PSYqualia.

Is that power real or fake? You can use me as your benchmark!

Ride The Vanguard!

Dance, Flames of Apocalypse!

Dragonic Overlord!

All right! Here it comes!

That's Toshiki Kai's Dragonic Overlord...

I know. I'm counting on you.

Imaginary Gift! Force!

Dragonic Overlord gets +10,000 power!

And then I call!

Follow me!

Lizard Soldier, Raopia and Dragon Knight, Nehalem!

At your will!

Burn the servants of darkness to ashes!

Dragon Knight, Nehalem gets +5000 power.

Furthermore, Lizard Soldier, Raopia's skill.

Dragonic Overlord's skill!

+10,000 power!

Dragonic Overlord... Eternal Flame!

My Vanguard, allow us...

Yeah.

I'm counting on you.

There's no way he can block that with just three units!

Ram 'im, Kai!

Twin drive.

First check.

Second check!

No trigger!

Even with the Imaginary Gift bonus, Kai's attack still got blocked!

He didn't just block it.

Huh?

Ren was so certain that Kai wouldn't draw any triggers to raise his power...

...that he played the ideal hand, without wasting any extra units.

Looks like your Overlord's power-up skill went to waste, too.

Nehalem attacks your Vanguard!

Yes, I know.

I'll just take this one.

Yes, there it is! That's the expression I wanted to see.

He's got Kai on the ropes?!

I don't believe it!

Now do you understand, Kai?

You can't deny the future that my units have whispered to me about.

And now...

...you see how magnificent my power is.

My turn's over.

Stand and draw.

Let's go with you.

Lurking deep within the shadow palace,

one who rules those beyond the bounds of law...

Ride The Vanguard.

The Dark Dictator.

A dark Alfred!

Imaginary Gift, Force.

That gives Ren's Dark Dictator +10,000 power.

We're nearly there.

Kai...

Three months ago, your Kyou Yahagi encountered something most dreadful.

Late one night at Team Asteroid headquarters, I was nearly about to doze off...

When from far, far away...

...I could hear the most awful humming.

How very strange, I thought to myself.

Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I ventured toward the source of the noise...

Only to find...

Find what?

R-R-Ren!

Come on, tell me how it ends.

Image 22 A Serious Fight

N-N-Nothing, it was nothing, really!