Trading card games.
Some think it's pointless. Some think of it as just a mere game, just like any other games out there. Some think of it as a hobby, a pretty expensive hobby at that. Some people think it's childish, and try to bully others who enjoy it. For some people, it is what changed their lives.
Cardfight! Vanguard. The most famous and most-played trading card game in the world. It has had a huge impact on people's lifestyle. Schools hold Cardfight! Vanguard tournaments every now and then, as if it was a sport. People watch Cardfight! Vanguard matches on TV and live as if it was a football match.
Kreuz Academia, Year 2019.
"Hajime, are you listening?"
A deep, yet plain and monotone voice was heard from the front of the class. The bespectacled teacher readjusted his glasses, looking at the blonde-haired student half-sleeping on top of his math book.
"Hajime?"
"…Hmmm…?"
The student raised his head up, looking at the teacher with a sleepy look. "What is it, Edo-sensei?"
"Have you been listening to me the whole time?" the teacher asked.
"Mmm… of course, Sensei." the student replied.
"You don't sound very convinced. Now do Exercise 13C, number 1. Make sure to draw the vectors too."
"Mhm.. of course.." Hajime stood up, still with a half-asleep look, and lazily walked towards the whiteboard, picking up the marker on the teacher's table. Compared to the other students, he was really short; if one was to guess his age by height alone, he'd most likely be an 8th or 9th grader. He fidgeted around for a while in front of the whiteboard, all of the other students watching. Two girls sitting to each other giggled while looking at him. "He's one of those Cardfight-crazy guys, isn't he? No wonder he's confused." Said one of them. Just as she finished speaking, Hajime finished answering the question. Complete with the Cartesian graph. "Good job, Hajime." The teacher gave him a pat in the back, to which he smiled and replied. "It's nothing, Sensei. Number 1s are always easy." He remarked as he walked back to his table.
"Nice one, Hajime-san." The raven-haired girl complimented, looking at him with an even more sleepy look.
"It's nothing, really." He smiled at her remark.
"Yeah, whatever…" She replied back and fell asleep on her table.
42 minutes 55 seconds later…
The math teacher packed up his countless math books and his laptop as he stood up, picking up the guitar that was on his table the whole time. "Yeah, students, it's time to go home. See y'all later." He said as he began leaving the class, playing a sad-ish tune along the way with his guitar.
Almost all of the students ran out of the class right away when the teacher left. Almost.
Two students stayed on their seats. Namely, Hajime and Seira.
"Oi, Seira, wake up. Class is over." Hajime poked the back of Seira's head, to which she replied by waking up suddenly, knocking his hand backwards.
"That's good to hear. So, are we going to check out that Cardfight Club thing or?" She nudged.
"Yeah, sure. I don't know if we're gonna pass, though.." He replied with a frown.
"It's Kouen-senpai, right?" Seira asked.
"Yeah. I've heard about most of our school's Cardfighters rejected from the Club by him."
"Are you worried about it, Hajime-san?"
"Better than not trying at all. C'mon, let's go!"
The two students ran upstairs to the third floor. The third floor had only five rooms: Physics Lab, Biology Lab, Chemistry Lab, English Language Lab, and Computer Lab. The first room in the hallway would be the Physics Lab room. Also known as the Cardfight Club room.
"This is it, ri—"
"Dragonic Overlord the End, attack Hexagonal Magus!"
Just as the two arrived, a loud voice could be heard from inside, followed with a male student walking out of the room with a slightly disappointed, but overall plain look. The male was almost twice as tall as Hajime, and had a short black hair. Despite the height difference, they were of the same age. Hajime raised his head to look at him, and he only glared back without saying anything. After ten seconds of pointless staring, the tall male left the two.
"Looks like he didn't make it." Seira said.
"Yeah. We gotta be careful.." Hajime replied.
As soon as the two walked in the room, they were greeted by a familiar loud voice from the middle of the room.
"Isn't there any strong Cardfighters in this school!?" The red-haired male shouted, stomping at the ground. The two juniors had a mini-heart attack when they heard his loud voice all of a sudden.
"I-Is that Kouen-senpai..?" Hajime asked, looking at the raven girl with a slightly worried look.
"Yeah… I'm sure that is.." Seira replied with a deeper frown.
"Hey! You two over there! You trying to join the Cardfight Club!?" The senior shouted at the two of them. He was a little taller than the male they met in front of the Physics Lab room before. "Y-Yeah..?" Hajime replied. "You better show your strength to me, then! Right here, right now! If you're worthy, you will be accepted in my army!"
"Er.. okay." Hajime said plainly, taking out his deck box. "Dragonic Overlord the End, was it..?"
"Heh, you're pretty sharp, boy." The senior replied. "I'm sure that girl over there told you already, but my name is Kouen."
"I'm Hajime. Pleased to meet you. Now then, let's begin." He picked a card out of fifty cards in his deck box, and placed it on the Vanguard circle on one of the playmats. Kouen did the same, standing on the other side. They shuffled their decks and placed them on the deck zones, drawing five cards from their decks. Both of them placed their hands on the cards on their respective Vanguard circles.
"Imagine it." The senior closed his eyes.
"Yeah, imagine it." The junior followed.
"Stand up, the Vanguard!"
