"When a black knight's spear parts the heavens, the legend shall rise again."

Spectral Duke proudly presents: All's Fair in Love and Fights

Chapter 1

Sendou Aichi, a boy of 14, had just finished his classes and was now on his way to spend the rest of the afternoon at his favorite place. Said boy would often head over to the shop Card Capital after school most days to play Vanguard with his friends. However recently he had been wandering over to the shop for more than just that reason. Aichi had more recently been going to see a certain purple haired female that was employed at said shop. He didn't want to say he "loved" Tokura Misaki, far from it. While Aichi did highly admire the intelligent 16 year old girl almost to the same level as Kai, he hadn't seen her as "girlfriend" material. Nor any other girl for that matter. Aichi considered himself too young for such matters as of yet. For right now he would pay more attention to his card games. While paying attention to said girl on the side of course. After running for a bit he arrived outside of Card Capital and smiled. The shop was like a second home to him, a place where he would just be able to escape the troubles of the outside world for a few hours and just enjoy himself. He stepped on the pad allowing the front doors to open as he walked inside. "Afternoon Aichi." Said a voice to his left. He turned to see Misaki, magazine in hand, looking up at him smiling. She had a magnificent smile that he wished he could see more. Misaki was much too serious at times and, while she did lighten up from time to time, Aichi along with the girls' uncle enjoyed seeing the girls smile every once in a while.

"Good afternoon Misaki-san." Said Aichi bowing as he tore himself away from her gaze as he looked over to a voice calling out to him.

"Onii-san!" yelled Kamui over to him as the grade schooler caught the teens glance. "Battle me! I wanna test out my deck and I need a better opponent than Lose-umi over here!"

"IT'S KATSUMI YOU LITTLE RUNT!" shouted Morikawa as usual annoyed by the fact that the grade schooler had beaten his "unbeatable" grade 3 packed deck. "There must be something wrong with my deck! I looked it over this morning in class and it looked perfect!" Kamui just laughed.

"More like there is something wrong with your fighting skills."

"TAKE THAT BACK SHORT STACK!"

"MAKE ME LOSE-UMI!"

"IT'S KATSUMI!"

"OI!" at this all heads turned to Misaki who was now standing up having slammed her magazine face down on the counter. "I'll say it nicely once. Be quiet before I MAKE you be quiet!" Both boys standing at the dueling table nodded franticly.

"Yes ma'am!" they both saluted shuttering. Aside from pretty and intelligent did Aichi mention she could be a bit scary at times? Yeah, he should have mentioned that as well.

"Aichi, can I have a word with you? Where it's quieter?" Misaki said shooting a glance at Kamui and Morikawa who has both sunk so low to the card table they might has well have been lying on it. Aichi just looked over curious.

"Um…ok." Misaki came out from behind the counter as she motioned him to follow her. As he did he gave a side glance back to Kamui. "I'll play you afterwards Kamui-kun." The young boy nodded as Aichi followed Misaki upstairs as the sub manager leapt up on the counter to watch over the store. Once they got upstairs Aichi followed Misaki into her room as she waited for him to get all the way in before she shut the door to drown out the sound from downstairs in the shop. As he walked in Aichi looked around the girls room. He never stepped into a girls room like this aside from his mothers and sisters rooms. Misaki's room didn't look very fancy, he didn't expect it to being above a card game shop but it was nice. White comforter and sheets on her bed with a teddy bear sitting up against the pillows. A side table with a box and key sitting on top of it. Obviously where said girl kept her deck. And finally a picture of a young Misaki along with her parents wearing that same smile that made Aichi's heart get the feeling like it was going to melt. As he heard the sound of the door shut he turned to see said girl walk over to her bed and sit down on it. "So um…w-what was it you wanted to ask me Misaki-san?" he asked nervously. He didn't know if it was being in her room or just being alone with her but Aichi felt so many butterflies in his stomach he was surprised he wasn't levitating off the ground.

"Well this Friday there is a movie coming out that I wanted to go see for quite some time. Shin was supposed to come with me but he has things to do here before the shop tournament on Saturday so he's staying here late after we close. I don't want to go alone so would you want to go with me? If you don't have any plans of course." The blue haired teens heart skipped a beat. Did he want to go? He would have said "duh!" if it was in character for him. This would be his first date with…wait! Did he just think date?! No. No, this wouldn't be a date. Just hanging out with a friend nothing more. Besides he didn't "love" Misaki. He had a slight crush maybe. He did admire her yes but love? No, this wasn't a love thing. This was an "I'm-hanging-out-with-Misaki-and-I'm-excited-about-it-thing" right? Yeah, that sounded about right.

She watched him as he just stood there frozen for a few seconds. Did she perhaps come on too straight forward with it? "He is only 14." She thought to herself. "Maybe a girl has never asked him on a date like this be…wait!" Did she just call this a date?! This wasn't a date! She just asked him to go because Shin wasn't able. She didn't like Aichi like that. Although she did have to admit he had grown quite a bit over the short amount of time she knew him. It seemed like yesterday the timid blue haired boy walked into the shop for the first time as Toshki Kai taught him the game and now he was part of a National Championship winning team. "It's amazing how he's matured over this time." She told herself feeling a warm rush through her heart. Maybe…just maybe she was growing a soft spot for the boy. Not enough to call it anything serious, but a little something. After what seemed like an hour Aichi nodded.

"Alright then Misaki-san. As long as my mom doesn't have anything big for me to do, I'd love to go!" he replied with a smile. Misaki loved that smile. It was that innocent and sweet smile that could make even someone as serious as Kai or AL4's Tetsu smile. It had to be one of if not the best thing about the boy. Even with what she had gone though in her life Misaki knew that, even if it was just for a second, that smile would always be able to cheer her up.

"Alright, just come by tomorrow and let me know so we can set it in stone. The movie starts at 8pm." The boy nodded once more as Misaki stood up and opened the door as she went through followed shortly by the boy. With that Misaki shut her room as they both ventured back downstairs where Kamui was waiting at the dueling table and Morikawa was being comforted by Izaki and Miwa.

"Don't worry. You'll get'em next time." Miwa lied as he patted him on the back. Aichi smiled, getting out his Royal Paladin deck.

"Alright Kamui-kun. Whenever you're ready!" he said placing down his starting vanguard.

"Bring it on Onii-san!" said the 12 year old, as Misaki went back behind the counter petting the sub manager behind the ear as she did, but instead of going back to her magazine she looked over at the beginning card battle.

"Kick his butt Aichi!" she thought with a small laugh and smile.

STAND UP, VANGUARD!

Both Wingal Brave and Battleraizer were flipped as the game between both Q4 members begun. After it hit around 6 o'clock Aichi knew it was time to head home. If he didn't make it home in time for dinner "she" would give it to him, and by "she" he meant his little sister Emi. His mother wouldn't have minded if he stayed out most of the night. With how he was beforehand the lady was happy Aichi was out enjoying himself with his friends more often. While Emi also liked that Aichi was out and about she was more like the mother in the family. Getting him up in the morning, sometimes making him lunch, checking up on him…sometimes Aichi thought Emi was the one who needed to get out more often. Once he got home and removed his shoes sure enough Emi was in the kitchen waiting for him, a pout on her face. "You're late Aichi!" she said as the boy laughed nervously.

"Sorry Emi. Lost track of time."

"That's what you said last time." The girl sighs. "I swear you would starve if I didn't remind you what time dinner was." Aichi laughed lightly again as his mother smiled.

"It just got done. We're sitting down now." The 3 of them sat down as they thanked for the food and began to eat. "So how was your day Aichi?" she asked making conversation.

"It was good." Said the boy taking another bite. It was no doubt to him Emi cooked most of it. His sister knew how to cook well and she was only getting better. Also due to its healthy nature he knew she had pulled an "Aichi needs to get all of the proper nutrition" line on their mother. It did warm his heart to a point to know that she cared so much. "Oh! Mom, did you have anything planned for me to do this Friday evening?"

"Not as of now, why?" she asked curious as Emi looked up as well.

"Ah well…M-Misaki-san asked me if I wanted to go to a movie that evening with her." At that Emi's face lit up in a smile.

"Aichi! You're going out with Misaki-san?" Aichi blushed. He knew this was coming.

"N-no. It's not like we're dating or anything." At this Emi's frowned. She had hoped Aichi had found a girlfriend. She would have loved to have Misaki as a big sister. "She said the shop manager couldn't go like he was going to so she asked me to." His mother smiled at the nervous looking boy.

"Then ok. I don't think I'll need you that evening." Aichi smiled. He was now officially going to the movies with Misaki.

"Thank you mom!" he said excitedly as Emi smiled once more.

"Misaki-san used that as a cover up. She totally likes you Aichi. Hehehe!" she joked as Aichi tried not to blush and failed.

"I told you Emi, we're just going as friends!" he said trying to cover up his embarrassment as Emi stuck out her tongue still smiling. Ms. Sendou just giggled to herself. Her children were adorable sometimes. Two days later, what seemed like an eternity for Aichi, Friday was upon him. He hadn't been nervous up to this point, unless you count blushing every time he saw Misaki up till today as a moment of nervousness, then in which case he was very nervous. He had never gone on a dat…whoa! He almost thought of it as a date again. "Remember Aichi, this isn't a date. You're just going to a movie with Misaki-chan and…" WAIT! He was calling her Misaki-CHAN now?! He was getting carried away. He shook his head at the thought. It was just a movie. Misaki was just a friend. As long as he remembered that it would prevent him from throwing up as soon as he saw the girl. He walked the streetlamp-lit streets to Card Capital to meet her. He had worn his usual clothes (same ones he wore though the regional tournament) seeing as how this was just an outing and not a fancy occasion. Once he got to the card shop he looked inside to see the lights still on even though the sign was turned to show the shop was closed for the evening. Inside was Shin moving tables when he caught sight of Aichi and unlocked the door for him.

"Good evening Aichi." He said as the teen walked in.

"Good evening manager." The boy said bowing as he usually did. "Is Misaki ready? The movie is supposed to begin soon." He said looking at his watch. They still had about 45 minutes but he'd rather be early than late.

"She's almost ready. I just heard her turn off the water so she's probably out of the shower." At that thought Aichi turned a deep red and turned away pretending to look at something so Shin wouldn't see him blush at the thought of his niece getting out of the shower. Luckily Shin followed up with something else. "Aichi-kun, if you wouldn't mind, could you help me move this table? It's a bit heavier than I thought." Aichi turned and nodded glad Shin hadn't noticed the awkward moment. He easily lifted the table together with the shop manager as they moved it to its new destination. "Thank you. The shop has only been closed for an hour and I'm already tired from this preparation." He said laughing as Aichi smiled. The next second both heard a door close from upstairs as they see Misaki walk down.

"Sorry if I kept you waiting long Aichi." Misaki said as she walked downstairs. Aichi didn't really mind. He did want to see the movie, but he would have waited forever if he could. The sight of her made the butterflies in his stomach try to burst out. The girl grabbed her purse off the counter top as she nudged his shoulder. "Ready to go?" All Aichi could do was nod. He was afraid if he opened his mouth 1 of 2 things would come out. Stupid words or vomit. Shin waved to the two of them as they exited the card shop and made their way to the theater.