Card Lores:Chronodragon Nextage

 Monthly Bushiroad (November 2015 Issue)

This is "Chronojet Dragon" who has empowered himself with his own power in the future through "Stride Fusion". He possesses power that he could interfere the spacetime of Cray simply by being there, therefore he had been reluctant to act unless necessary. Nonetheless, he couldn't tolerate the savage act of "Claret Sword Dragon", of distorting the very spacetime of Cray solely for one's desire, so he borrowed the power from his future and released his true form "Nextage". The future is where countless possibilities exist for an individual. Supposedly, he who masters "Stride Fusion" is able to empower himself with as many forms as his possibilities exist, but he insists on using the form "Nextage". How he, one who narrows down his own possibilities, views the knight and the girl that show infinite possibilities...

Monthly Bushiroad Short Novel (November 2015 Issue)

The First Demise

"I had desired power."

Power that would not lose to anyone.

"I had tried to show my value."

To prove the value of my existence.

"Be it unorthodoxy or heterodoxy, I have been glad to have a hand in it."

The pursuit of my ideal, without caring of anything.

"I have reached. Yes, I should have reached. "

The thoughts of the distant past is circulating in my brain.

"More powerful than anything, more godlike than anything. In the realm of those ones."

---

The civil war in United Sanctuary. The walls have fallen, black smoke was arising from the mountains nearby, warcries and screams echoed on the battlefield.

"Lord Claret...Grandmaster."

"Do not say it, Branwen."

"No, please allow me to propose. We should retreat immediately."

The awakening of new power in two warriors had slightly tilted the scales, but the grave difference in number was still there---just as everyone was convinced of the defeat of the capital-defending knights, the knights were saved by reinforcement of surprise.

"We are 'Gear Chronicle'. Under the order of our master, we come to assist the white kingdom 'United Sanctuary'! "

As the man who led the front---the young man who called out his own name "Balih" later---said the words, warriors armed with unidentified weapons entered the capital like avalanches.

"If you want to run away, go anywhere you like."

"Grandmaster,"

"I have no intention of moving from here."

In addition, "Gear Chronicle" used ways of teleportation, which cannot be interfered by common ways of coordinates disturbation, to send the disoriented reinforcements other nations into the capital. They are rallied and form a single force.

"...if Grandmaster do not escape, I shall stay here."

"I will put it simply. You are blocking my way, just disappear. I am saying with this meaning."

The reinforcements cannot reach the capital for sure---the rebels have underestimated their opponents. This surprise attack reduced the number of "Shadow Paladin"'s forces quickly. The assembly of bandits and rogues was only powerful in numbers, and the few leaders could not suppress the chaos. Now, in a situation beyond Claret Sword's plan, "Shadow Paladin" was totally disconcerted.

"I cannot accept that order...please allow me to stay with you till the en---"

And it came to this talk. The joined forces of "Gear Chronicle" and United Sanctuary was coming near the main camp where "Claret Sword Dragon" was.

"Is it...if you desire, I shall make this your end."

"Eh"

The red blade in Claret's hand opened deep wounds on Branwen's chest.

"Eh...Lord...Clare..."

"The leadership over the knightly order was nothing more than a result, of my pursuit of power by all means."

Branwen fell with despair on her face. Her armour collided with the ground and made a heavy sound.

"I have always planned to slay and abandon chess pieces like you. This is one step early, though."

Branwen was still alive, her shoulders were shaking slightly. Somehow due the wound that opened from the top of armour, but not solely because of the deepness of the wound,

"I...we, are..."

Shedding tears, Branwen looked at the one whom she admired. But the dragon, whose face was stained with insanity, looked at her no more. He looked at another direction, for he has sensed someone's aura from far beyond.

"I have waited for this time! Come...show me that mighty form again!"

---

The soldiers of the coalition force had reached the main camp of "Shadow Paladin" and regained the inertia, but they were stopped by a hand sign from Balih.

"It's not our war from now on."

His awe-inspiring actions and words were not opposed by the soldiers, but the soldiers couldn't but be confused.

"Lord Chronojet Dragon would bring that dragon to his end. We would bring the remaining enemies to their end. Follow me."

With stream blasting from an unidentified machine, Balih flew towards the direction instead of towards the rebels' main camp. The confused soldiers followed him gradually.

(This is the best I can do as the captain of the bodyguard squadron. Master, may the fortunes of war be with you.)

---

The two dragons confronted each other. One dragon was Claret Sword Dragon, holding the dimly-reflecting red blade in ecstasy. Another dragon was,

"..."

Chronojet Dragon, a strangely-shaped being with a form totally different to dragons in this world, and the leader of "Gear Chronicle" foreign to planet Cray.

"Hahahaha! Come, get serious! Show me your true strength!"

Claret Sword's sword was swung heavily in clamant laughter, but Chronojet evaded the attacks like water flowing. However, the evader didn't counter attack.

"Ku...you intend to go easy on me."

Claret Sword had been in a good mood, but his nerves were irritated by Chronojet, who did nothing but performing evasions.

"Then..."

Claret Sword took distance, and storms and tornadoes swirled behind him. Belt-like magic circles began to arise. That was the precursing sign of "Stride".

"...!"

Seeing this, Chronojet turned 180-degree from mere evasion to approach the storms at drastic speed. He had been waiting. The moment Claret Sword used Stride.

"What!?"

Chronojet is able to interfere all Strides. Many times had he returned beings wrongly summoned by Stride to their original eras. And he had used some sort of sealing techniques to prevent those who caused Rampage and those who Strided wrongly from opening the Gates of Stride. In fact, if Stride couldn't be used, Claret Sword stood no chance to win, as it was expected. But,

"...!?"

As Chronojet was going to perform the Unsummoning Technique, it was blown away. On its flanks were marks of being gouged.

"Too bad. The fact you could come here, is within my plan."

Behind the uncannily smirking Claret Sword, blue glow was lit in deep darkness.

"This Stride, created by me, is not the Stride you know. The empowerment of Stride...right, I shall call this Over Stride."

The massive shadow, with shape greater than the confronting dragons, appeared.

"This Aurageyser Doomed, is summoned from a future that should not have existed, a world that should no have existed."

The form, totally covered in armour and riding on its steed, resembles a knight. Its hollow eyes seemed gazing at Claret Sword.

"This is utterly different from your out-fashioned tricks. That is why, even you, who know everything about Stride, cannot stop its activation!"

Chronojet, after looking up the black hollow image, jumped backwards. Just like the previous, Aurageyser's attack, at lightning speed, scratched Chronojet's body.

"Yes, Over Stride is the power beyond Stride. It's not even wrong to call it the power that could create lives from a possibility that should not have existed!"

Though Chronojet somehow dodged the deadly blow, the damage on it was severe. A portion of its abdomen was gone, and the last attack almost deformed its chest.

"Yes, I have surpassed you, surpassed 'Gear Chronicle'! I have reached 'that being' in my ideal!"

Though Claret Sword was speaking a lot, he was likely keeping alert. For he did not leave the attack range of Aurageyser Doomed.

"And now, I will prove!"

Chronojet changed his mind. And,

"By killing you, who possess the same level of power of 'that being', with my power."

It could not but give up saving its opponent.

---

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