Welcome, to the beginning of a journey.
Are you prepared to discover a new world?
Are you prepared to find new friends, allies, and enemies?
Are you ready to see what lies over the horizons?
If you answered yes to all of these questions, you are ready to begin this journey.
It's time to take the first step.
Stand 1! New Country, New Life!
A pothole in the road jostled Akio out of his nap. The car bounced and shook as his dad continued at an even pace down the rough road.
"I thought were going to live in a city, not the country," Akio complained. He put a mouth over his hand to stifle a yawn.
"Be patient, Akio," his dad replied. The man's attention never wavered from the road. "We're not there yet. Besides, Japan is famous for its many scenic routes. Enjoy the view, take a picture or something."
"No, thanks," Akio replied as he leaned the back of his head on the headrest and leaned his seat back until it rested against the boxes in the backseat. "I'm going back to my nap. Wake me when we reach the thatched roofs." Akio closed his eyes and slowly drifted into sleep.
"Akio! We're here!"
Akio groaned and opened his eyes, squinting as the afternoon sun poured in from his window. He opened the car door and stepped onto the pavement of the driveway. Looking at the house, he commented, "The place looks alright." Contrary to his expectations, the house was not a restored building from feudal japan. It was a standard modern house, and aside from the distinctly Japanese designs and trimmings, it wouldn't look out of place in his old neighborhood in the United States.
"Some of our furniture is already inside," Akio's dad informed him. "Grabs your bags and start putting stuff away. I'll handle whatever's left."
Now most budding teenaged boys would take this moment to demonstrate their physical strength and declare that they were capable of moving the rest of the bags in. Akio, however, was not one of those teens. He left his thickly-built dad to do the heavy lifting while he went to the door with a backpack on his back and a duffle bag in each hand. He grasped the door handle awkwardly and tried to step inside, but he realized that the door was locked.
"Hey, dad! Where are the keys?" he called over his shoulder.
"Catch!"
Akio dropped the duffles instinctively as he stretched out his hands to catch the keys. But due to poor coordination or a strike of bad luck, the keys bounced off his outstretched fingers and flew into his face.
"You okay?" his dad asked.
Akio caught the keys before they could bounce to another inconvenient location. "I'm fine," he replied as he rubbed the pain out of the bridge of his nose. "It missed my eye, this time." Akio unlocked the door, picked up his bags, and stepped inside the house.
The house was empty except for a few scattered pieces of furniture covered in thin white sheets. Akio didn't waste time taking in the sights; as soon as he spotted the staircase he heaved himself and his bags up to the next floor. He peeked into the first bedroom he saw and found his dressers and bed already moved inside. "I'll move these around later," he said as he let his bags fall to the ground. He flopped down on his bed and looked at the unfamiliar trees and buildings outside his window.
"Well, it looks like I'm officially living in Japan now," he said with a sigh.
It wasn't until the next day that Akio decided to step outside of the house and explore the town.
"Do you want me to come with?" his dad ask as Akio started towards the door.
Akio shook his head. "I'll be home by dinner," he said as he stepped outside.
Since Akio didn't have a map or any other way of finding his way around, he decided to walk to where he could see the largest buildings. As he exited the endless row of houses he found himself unwittingly walking along the town's major road. After walking down the first few rows of buildings, Akio began to realize the importance of where he walked. On his left, where the sun was rising overhead, most of the buildings were decked out in white and gold. But to his right, past the dark grey strip of pavement, almost every building was decorated in a black and icy blue color scheme.
"Someone with very strange fashion sense must have designed this town," Akio commented as he observed the stark color clash. "I guess the east side is white and golden for the sun, and the west side is dark toned for the night, or sunset, or something, but it's a real bother on the eyes to look at."
"Look! Card Shop Beacon is holding a shop tournament!"
Akio turned to see a group of young teens around his age crowded around a nearby telephone pole. "Card Shop?" he echoed softly.
"I'm definitely going to participate!" said one of the teens.
"Yeah! They have some of the strongest cardfighters this side of town!" said another.
"I'd say they have the best cardfighters in the entire town!"
"Let's head over there to cardfight!"
The group moved in a swarm, presumably to the card shop they had mentioned.
"Cardfight…" Akio echoed.
"Hey, son."
Akio looked up to see his father standing over him. Despite his large build, the man moved with the stealth of a cat. "Hey, dad," the boy replied noncommittally. He returned his eyes to the steps of the house as he watched a parade of ants march across the stones.
"I found something very interesting while I was in town today."
"What?" Akio asked emotionlessly.
His father reached into his pocket and took out a deck of cards. Akio immediately recognized that they weren't ordinary playing cards. "You've ever heard of Cardfight Vanguard?"
"Yeah," Akio replied. "It's a big thing in… Japan."
Akio's father watched as his son struggled to keep his face expressionless. "You know, your mother always wanted us to get some authentic Japanese Vanguard cards," he said. "She wanted us to be able to know the history, present, and future of her home country, and this game pretty much defines the present. Who know, maybe it'll even cover the future."
Akio gave no response as he continued staring at the ants.
His dad put the cards down on the steps and turned to head inside. "Well, until we can go to Japan, I guess we'll have to do with cheap American cards, eh?"
After his dad had let the door swing closed, Akio reached over and wrapped over the deck. "Cardfight, Vanguard…"
Akio quickly checked his pockets, and then realized that he had left his deck packed in one of his bags. "Oh well, I've been needing to get japanese cards anyway," he said. "Might as well take the opportunities as they come."
Akio followed the group from a distance. While he felt a little weird stalking them, he needed to find the card shop and it would be very awkward if he randomly walked up to them. So he made sure to stay several buildings behind them and avoid staring at them.
In a matter of minutes-or so he supposed, since he had no real way of keeping track of time, he found himself standing in front of a large two story building. Above the building's sliding glass doors was a large sign that read "Card Shop Beacon" in both English and Japanese. The words were in bright gold that shone on the sign's white background.
The rest of the building was just as brightly colored. The majority of the shop was covered in pearly whiteness, while the color of gold trimmed the windows, doors, and the many artistic designs that covered the building's wall.
"Someone definitely had too much fun with this," said Akio as he shook his head. He stepped inside in the shop.
"Welcome to Card Shop Beacon! We bring the light to everyone through our cardfights!"
Akio nearly jumped back out through the doors. He turned his head to see a blonde, middle-aged woman sitting at a register next to the entrance. The woman's smile shined as brightly as the light that streamed from the glass doors. "I don't recognize your face, are you new?" The woman asked in a voice that dripped with curiosity suited for someone two decades younger than the age she appeared to be.
Akio nodded hesitantly. His heart was still pounding from the scare the woman had given him. "I just moved to town yesterday," Akio replied. Then he remembered that people in Japan greeted their elders by bowing, so he dipped my head in a quick bow. "Pleased to meet you, Miss."
The woman laughed, her BLANK eyes twinkling. "There's no need for you to be formal around me," she said with a smile. "Call me Hina! Everyone is friends here at Card Shop Beacon!"
Akio looked around at the many young cardfighters in the shop. Most of them looked like they were still in elementary school. "Uh... great?" Akio responded with no small amount of perplexity.
"Did you come to participate in our tournament?" Hina asked eagerly.
Akio shook his head. "I was just exploring around town. And I'm not really a great player." He didn't add that it would be embarrassing to struggle in a tournament full of kids half his size.
"Oh, it doesn't matter!" Hina exclaimed. "The tournament has a division for every skill level! Which clan do you use?"
"Well, I use the Nova Grapplers-"
"Cool!" Hina exclaimed. "Not too many of our fighters use that clan, but I've seen some people do really well with the aggressive play style of the Nova Grapplers! You should totally join our contest!"
"Yeah…" Akio eloquently remarked. "But I'm afraid I don't have my deck on me. So…" He shrugged.
"Don't worry, I can lend you a trial deck so you can go a few rounds!" Hina informed him.
"Th-thanks, but I wanted to spend my day exploring town," Akio replied. He bowed. "Sorry."
"There's no need to apologize!" said Hina with a shake of her head that sent her blonde curls bouncing madly. "Go on and have a great day! Just remember, my shop's doors are always open! Come back any time!"
Akio bowed again before leaving. Once he was sure that he was out of sight, he rubbed his hands over his ears. "No woman in her thirties should be able to sound that high-pitched and loud," he said as he tried to correct his shattered hearing. "I'm definitely not going back there unless I absolutely have to."
Akio decided to continue his walk where he left off and headed back to the dividing road. Then, while looking over at the other side, he decided to see if the darker side of town was any better than the blindingly bright side he was currently on. He crossed over... and found that it was pretty much the same, aside from radically different color scheme, of course.
"At least sightseeing is going to be easier on the eyes," he commented as he continued his stroll. He saw many small shops along his walk, but there was nothing that made the darker side town substantially different from the brighter side.
"What's this?" Akio asked aloud as he spotted a sign on a telephone pole. "Cardfighting… and Card Shop Shadows? Hm, maybe I'll be able to get my cards from there. But this address… without a map or something… how am I supposed to use it?"
"Need some help, kid?"
Akio turned around to see an overweight man with long, messy grey hair peering over him. The distance between was so small that Akio could almost see the man's eyes underneath his bushy eyebrows. Akio jumped back with a yelp.
"Ho ho, didn't mean to frighten you," the man said with a laugh. "It's just that you looked a little lost."
"Well, I'm trying to find a place called Card Shop Shadows," said Akio. "But I'm a bit new to the area. I don't suppose you've heard of it?"
The man scratched his bald chin. "Actually, I know the place very well," he replied. "And you're very close to it. Just go down this road until you reach the florist, make a right, and go straight down until you see the shop. You won't miss it, trust me."
"Thanks!" Akio replied. He took off in a jog, eager to finally get his authentic Japanese cards.
The grey-haired man stifled a laugh and shook his head as he walked away.
Akio eyed the entrance to the card shop warily. While Card Shop Beacon had been impeccably bright, Card Shop Shadows was shrouded in darkness.
Literally.
The two-story shop was painted several shades of grey darker than the surrounding buildings. It's walls were the color of coal, and had the grainy texture to match. Gothic patterns and spider-web designs spanned across the building in a shiny obsidian color. Below the windows of the second story was a sign that read "Card Shadows" in icy blue print, which made it stand out among the otherwise dark and dull coloring of its surroundings.
"Maybe this one won't have a crazy person behind the counter." Akio tried to reassure himself to stay positive. "After all, a place this dark and creepy can't have anything but dull, ordinary people." Pep talk completed, he bravely stepped inside the shop.
"Welcome to Card Shop Shadows, young one."
To Akio's credit, he did not scream. Instead, he jumped high enough to hit his head on a ledge that protruded from the top of the door frame. Then he sank to his knees, groaned, and gave the floor intimate contact with his face.
"Are you hurt?"
Akio groaned again as he pulled his face from the floor. "I think so," he replied as he climbed to his feet. He glanced around the card shop, and found that once again the majority of the cardfighters were children. And most of them had stopped what they were doing to watch him. He gave a hesitant smile and wave, and then turned to the person who had welcomed him to the shop.
Piercing dark grey eyes stared back at him. The gaze was so sharp he could swear it was cutting into his very soul. "Once again, I welcome you to my shop," the owner of the eyes said. "My name is Miss Yuzuki Jinseimoto."
Akio pulled back his focus to take in the speaker's full appearance. Standing behind the register was a woman with long, silky black hair. Her purple lips were pursed in thoughtfulness, and her eyes... well, they were what they were. "H-Hello," Akio greeted her as he gave a hasty bow.
The woman's lips curled in a way that Akio could not call a smile. "An American for sure, if my senses do not betray me," she said.
"Yeah..." Akio replied sheepishly. "Is it really that obvious?"
"Your Japanese is very good, but your accent is strong," she replied. Her eyes remained trained on his, never wavering, with an unreadable glint. "And your face betrays your heritage."
Akio nodded. "You're good," he complimented her.
"It is a simple observation," she replied. "Now, what brings you to my shop? Perhaps a you are looking for Cardfight?" I opened my mouth to reply, but she held up a hand and closed her eyes. "No, that is obviously not right. You are not here for a challenge, so perhaps you came to find something else here?"
Akio waited for her continue.
The woman opened her eyes. "Well? What did you come here for? It is rude to leave a woman waiting"
Akio took a half step back. "Sorry," he apologized. "I thought you were going to tell me what I came here to do."
"Why would I do that?" She asked. "I asked you the question for a reason. I'm not psychic."
Akio scratched the back of his head awkwardly as his cheeks gave a rosy glow. "Oh, well I... I was just looking around town," Akio replied. "I'm new here, so I just wanted to see what was in the area."
"But you are a cardfighter." The woman's tone made it clear that this wasn't a question.
"Kinda... I'm not really that good."
"Well, if you wish to sharpen your skills, we have several trial decks-"
Akio waved his hands. "I'm good, but thanks," he said. "I... I think I'll explore around town a bit more. It was nice to meet you miss."
"Goodbye, young one. Our paths will cross again, in the future."
A chill ran up Akio's back as she said those words. He gave a quick bow and stepped outside, heading back to the main road.
"First I'm smothered in smiles, now I'm shivering in fear," he muttered to myself. "Is there any card shop here that is normal?"
"You could check out Card Shop Horizons!"
Akio whirled around to see a familiar wide-waisted man with long and messy gray hair standing behind him. Akio jumped back in surprise. "Where did you come from?" he asked. For a heavyset guy, Akio was surprised by his stealth. "And what are you doing here?" Akio added, factoring in the possibility that the man was stalking him.
"I'm grocery shopping!" The man replied with a smile. Akio couldn't help but notice that the man wasn't carrying any bags, and they were a good walk away from the market. "And I couldn't help but overhear your question. This town's crazy about cardfighting, but Card Shop Horizons is a very tame place for fighters who aren't ready to deal with the madness. If you go right down this road you'll see a sign pointing you in the right direction; you can't miss it!"
Akio looked down the street and mulled over the man's words. It certainly was tempting, the chance to find a shop that wasn't run by a crazy woman. "I think I'll do that," he said as he turned back around. "Thanks mister-" Akio paused when he realized the man had disappeared while his back was turned. "Okay..." he said slowly as he looked around failed to find the potential stalker. "Well, hopefully the card shop is as tame as he said. I don't think I can deal with any more surprises."
For the third time that day, Akio found himself standing in front of an authentic japanese card shop, hoping that he would be able to walk in, buy his japanese-print cards, and walk out. The building before him was certainly less fancy than the previous shops. It was built from top to bottom of dark, aged wood. The curves of the shingles on the sloped roofs made the building appear to be pulled straight out of a history book. The windows and their frames were definitely of modern design, and so was the door, but the building still managed to hold that charm of japanese culture.
The door was made of wood instead of glass, so Akio could only hope that there would be no surprises waiting for him inside. "Please don't have a crazy lady sitting near the door. Please don't have a crazy lady sitting near the door." With this mantra on his lips, the teen stepped into the shop.
"Prepare to face your end! This is the Final Turn!"
Akio winced and almost ran right back out, but then he realized that although the voice was feminine, it didn't come from nearby him. A quick look to his side revealed that the register next to the door was abandoned. Akio turned back to the rest of the shop, and was rewarded by the sight he had dreamed of.
Several tables and chairs were laid out as fighters of varying ages went about their cardfighting. While elementary school kids still dominated the shop, he could easily find some players his age. One of such players was currently facing off against a tall, blond teenaged girl who had confidence written all over face. Said face, by the way, had no Japanese features to speak of. And when Akio thought about it, her japanese had a heavy accent too.
"I call Dual Axe Archdragon to my rear guard! And behind him I call Mahoraga! I also call Kimnara!"
[Dual Axe Archdragon - 10000]
[Demonic Dragon Mage, Mahoraga - 5000]
[Demonic Dragon Mage, Kimnara - 6000]
"And using Kimnara's skill, I counterblast and put him in the soul. Now, I'll be forcing Lollipop from the field!"
"Not again," said her opponent, a boy with blue-grey hair that was cropped around his ears. As he placed the card into the drop zone, Akio could clearly see the boy's fear in his golden eyes were wide with fear despite the glint of his glasses.
"Yes, again," the blonde replied with a smirk. "But that's not all, now I activate my Avatar's soulblast! Five cards go out, and I'll be retiring your Battle Sister, Pudding! Eat up, my dragon of destruction!"
"She's got you now!" Akio turned to see a smaller boy with bright pink hair hugging the back of a chair as he watched the battle intensely. "Rachel isn't the Card Shop Champion for nothing. You really shouldn't have challenged her."
"I can win this," said the blue-haired boy. "I can still guard without my intercept."
"Yeah, but did you forget that four of my units on the field get a power bonus when your rearguards are retired, Susumu?" The blonde asked.
"Of course not!" Her opponent replied indignantly. He pushed his wire-rim glasses up his nose. "However, according to my calculations you'll have to pull a critical trigger or a double trigger in your drive check if you want to deal the final 2 damage. Give me your best shots, Rachel. Hit me with your strongest attacks! I will not be defeated so easily!"
The grin on the blonde's face stretched even wider. "Oh, I'm not done yet."
Susumu took a step back. "What?"
"I was going to launch an all out assault now, but since you told me you were ready to guard, I'll have to stay on my main phase for a bit longer," Rachel explained she pointed a card at Susumu's remaining rearguard. "Battle Sister, Waffle needed to leave the field first.
"But you can't do anything!" Susumu exclained. "You've already used your soul blast, and I know you don't have another copy of Kimnara in your hand. You can't retire my last rearguard when she's in the back row!"
Rachel facepalmed. "Idiot! Never say your opponent can't do something when they obviously know their own deck better than you do." She grinned again. "Now, prepare to get schooled. I call Gattling Claw Dragon!"
[Gattling Claw Dragon - 4000]
"An extra four thousand boost for your vanguard means that one trigger will win you the game!" Susumu exclaimed in realization.
Rachel shook her head. "I just told you that I'm going to target your rearguard! Were you even listening? Pay attention and learn something! Using Gattling Claw Dragon's skill, I use up my last counterblast, move him to the soul, and retire an opponent's grade zero rearguard!"
Susumu nearly dropped his cards in shock. "No! This can't be!"
"Just move Waffle of the field already," Rachel ordered.
"Intense isn't it?" The pink haired boy asked Akio. "Rachel's crushing that guy so badly that he'll think twice before challenging her again."
"I guess," Akio replied. He could swear he could feel Rachel's intensity heating up the air around the table. "But I didn't really see the other turns, so I wouldn't know."
"Just take a look at the field," the boy replied with a laugh. "Susumu is only at grade two and is sitting at four damage, while Rachel is at grade three and only at two damage."
Akio blinked. Then he looked at the field. True to the boy's words, Rachel only had two face down cards in the damage zone. "Wait, I don't remember seeing her ride this turn," Akio said in surprise. "Was her opponent grade locked or something? How long as this match been going on?"
"They're only on the…" The boy counted off on his fingers. "Fifth? Rachel superior rode to grade three on her second turn… which was the third turn of the game. Yup! Definitely fifth turn!"
"She pulled of a superior ride?" Akio echoed. "Isn't that like, near impossible? Or at least very difficult, especially so quickly?"
The younger boy shrugged. "She does it all the time, so I don't think it's too special," he replied.
Akio could only watch in awe as the match played out before him.
"First Dual Axe Archdragon will attack with support from Mahoraga! Due to Mahoraga's skill, he's at twenty thousand power! And due to Dual Axe Archdragon's skill, there's another three thousand!"
[5000 + 15000 + 10000 + 3000 = 33000] vs [8000]
"A column of over three thousand power!" Akio exclaimed breathlesly.
"It's cool, isn't it?" the kid said with a nod. "It takes a near perfect formation for Rachel to get this much power in her attacks. I wonder when this guy's going to realize that Rachel's way out of his league?"
"No guard!" Susumu declared.
[Damage Check - Battle Sister Cocoa, No Trigger]
"Now my avatar attacks, and with his skill, he gets an extra nine thousand! Blazing Flare Dragon, tear him apart and feast on his flesh!"
[10000 + 9000 = 19000] vs [8000]
"It's nullified!"
[Battle Sister Cocoa - Nullify]
Rachel leaned back. "Huh, so you kept that nullify a secret from me. That means all of this talk about calculations was a bluff to make me think you only had trigger shielding in hand. Clever." The corners Rachel's lips curled up in a smirk. "But you only have one card in hand. Assuming it's not a quintet wall, You won't be able to stop my final attack. Which means a critical trigger will win the game for me. Actually, a stand trigger would too, since your vanguard only has eight thousand power."
"It's unwise to put your trust in uncontrollable luck," said Susumu. "You've been lucky so far, but I will survive this turn."
"We'll let the cards decide on that. Now, Twin drive! First check!"
[Drive Check - Iron Tail Dragon, No Trigger]
"Nothing there, but I still have another chance!"
"Good luck, you'll need it," said Susumu snarkily.
Rachel quickly flipped up the deciding card.
[Drive Check - Flame Seed Salamander, Stand Trigger]
"Thanks for the luck bonus Susumu, I got a stand trigger!" The grin on Rachel's face bordered maniacal while Susumu blanched in horror. "All to Dual Axe Archdragon! Now he attacks your vanguard, Mocha! With his skill, he's up to eighteen thousand."
[10000 + 3000 + 5000 = 18000] vs [8000]
"A heal trigger can save me!" Susumu lifted the top card of his deck.
[Drive Check - Battle Sister, Lollipop, No Trigger]
"Now my Avatar on the rearguard deals the final blow. And remember, he's also powered up because your rearguards were retired! Go Blazing Flare Dragon! Roast him alive and feast on his remains! Immortal Flame!"
[10000 + 9000 = 19000] vs [18000]
"That's brutal," Akio commented in a whisper.
"That's her play style," his fellow observer replied with a grin. "All out offense so her opponent can't even try to go for a counterattack. She's awesome!"
"I suppose that's one way to describe her…" Akio said hesitantly.
Susumu looked down at the one remaining card in his hand. "I... don't guard," he said. "Probability-wise I still stand a chance of victory if I just get one of my four remaining heal triggers..."
[Damage Check - Silent Tom, No Trigger]
"And that's game!" Rachel said decisively.
"I lost," mumbled Susumu as he sank to the floor. "How could lose when I spent all this time honing my skills? I made sure to analyze everything about the game…"
Rachel sighed as she collected her cards. "First off, being a nerd doesn't automatically make you good at using the Oracle Think Tank clan," she said. "This clan is horrible for you. Your play style relies heavily on playing whatever rearguards and you obviously like having cards in your hands for defense, so you should use the Royal Paladins or something. You didn't even get to take a third turn and that much was already clear."
"B-But I was certain-"
"Well, I am certain that I destroyed you," Rachel interrupted. She gathered the last of her cards and turned her back on her defeated opponent. "This was a waste of my time. If you want to challenge me again, you'll have to become a lot stronger. And get a new deck. Seriously."
Trembling, Susumu didn't say a word as he hurriedly swept up his cards and ran out of the shop. Akio watched him go and, and then turned back to the person who would now haunt his cardfighting nightmares.
"That's another new customer gone!" The pink haired kid called out to Rachel. "At this rate we'll be the only two left in here!"
Rachel didn't flinch or turn around. "Put a sock in it, Haruki."
Akio raised an eyebrow. "Won't the shop owner be mad if you chased away all of his customers?" he asked.
Rachel's eyes flashed open as she turned to Akio. "Well, well," she said with a menacing grin. "What do we have here? A new customer?"
Akio shivered as Rachel leaned forward and sized him up and down with predatory eyes. "Hm, how much experience do you have with cardfighting?" she asked.
"I-I've b-been playing on and off for the past couple of weeks," Akio replied shakily. "I don't think I'm up to your level."
She paused, and leaned back. "Would you look at that, someone who knows his own limitations." The pleased look on her face did not comfort Akio in the slightest. "Take out your deck and lets cardfight!"
"Uh... I really don't think I'm the opponent you're looking for," Akio said sheepishly. "Besides, I don't have my deck on me."
Rachel crossed arms as her faced downed with a pout. "Oh well," she said with a sigh. "In that case I'd better get back to work." She slipped her deck into her pocket. Then she walked up to the register and grabbed the apron that was lying on the chair behind it.
"Wait, you're the manager of the store?" Akio asked in surprise.
Rachel snorted. "Yeah, right. She put a hand on her hip and gaze Akio a deadpan look. "Do I look old enough to run this place?"
Akio blinked very slowly as he looked up and down. A tall, blue eyed, blond haired image of the american beauty stereotype, posed like model from a magazine, was standing in front of him, asking if she looked like an adult. "Well..." he eloquently replied.
"Good answer." Rachel ducked below the counter. "So, what clan do you usually use anyway?"
"Uh, Nova Grappler," Akio replied.
"Hm, interesting. Heads up!"
Akio winced and extended his hands. The object that was thrown bounced off his outstretched hands and fell to the ground. Cards spilled out over the floor. "What's this?" Akio asked as he started sweeping them together.
"A Nova Grappler trial deck. We keep these around for people who want to test the waters, so to speak," Rachel replied as she stood up. "Now, you can face me."
"But I don't know the cards..."
"He's got a point, Rachel," said Haruki. "There's no way he could beat you with an unfamiliar deck unless you had a severe handicap. Like... an unbalanced deck with a clan you've never used before and you have to start the game with only three cards in your hand!"
"I'm not that bad," Akio deadpanned. "And that was an oddly specific choice of handicap for someone who has never seen me play."
"Trust me, you'll need it," Haruki insisted.
"I don't hold back when I'm fighting," said Rachel. "But consider this a learning experience. Even if it's not your deck, it couldn't hurt to get some practice in, am I right?"
"I guess," Akio said hesitantly. "But I'm pretty sure you could easily find someone stronger to fight. Why do you want to fight me?"
Rachel flipped her long hair over shoulder and gave Akio a small smile. "'Cause I like you, duh."
Akio face flushed furiously. "Well, I uh, I guess one match wouldn't hurt."
Haruki shook his head and put a hand over his mouth to smother his laughter.
Rachel immediately ditched her apron and vaulted over the counter before Akio could get second thoughts. "Let's do this!" She cheered as she sent a fist into the air.
"You ready?" Rachel asked.
Akio nodded.
"Good, now let's imagine." Rachel closed her eyes. "Our spirits on the surface of the planet Cray. We have no power there, but to call on the inhabitants of the world to aid us in combat."
"Yeah..." Akio replied non-committally as raised an eyebrow. It was only now that he realized that he was up against a fighter who took the game very seriously.
"And now it is time for us to fight. Picture it, as we ready our starting vanguards." Rachel's eyes flashed open. "Now!"
"Stand up, Vanguard!"
"Stand up, my Vanguard!"
"Battleraizer!"
[Battleraizer - 3000]
"Dragon Knight, Sadegh!"
[Dragon Knight, Sadegh - 5000]
On the surface of the planet Cray, two beings sprung into existence. The first was red humanoid robot. It raised his fists in preparation for a fight. The second was a young human boy. He stood with nothing but determination in his eyes and flaming spear in hand as he faced the towering battleroid.
"I'll take the first turn," Akio said, not wanting to get trapped in the position of Rachel's previous opponent. "I draw, and I ride Tough Boy!"
[Tough Boy - 8000]
"Moving Battleraizer to rearguard, and I end my turn."
Akio's Turn End
Hand: 5
FR: empty/Tough Boy/empty
BR: empty/Battleraizer/empty
Damage: none
"Hm, you're looking good so far," said Rachel thoughtfully as she examined the formation of the battleroids. "I ride, Iron Tail Dragon! Using his skill, I move Sadegh to the rearguard."
[Iron Tail Dragon - 7000]
"Now I call a second Iron Tail Dragon, and a Gattling Claw Dragon!"
[Iron Tail Dragon - 7000]
[Gattling Claw Dragon - 4000]
"Now with a boost from Gattling Claw Dragon, my rearguard Iron Tail will attack your vanguard!"
Gattling Claw Dragon fell to the ground, exhausted from transferred its power to Iron Tail Dragon. With a grateful nod, the small armored dragon flew towards the much larger battleroid.
[7000 + 4000 = 11000]
"No guard."
The silver armored robot stood calmly as its opponent approached. Iron Tail Dragon let out a screech as it whipped its signature tail across the giant's front plating. With a screech and a shower of sparks, the tail cut through Tough Boy's armor, leaving a angled gash across his front. The Battleroid did not flinch, but merely stared back at the dragon as it returned to the opposite side of the battlefield.
[Damage Check - King of Sword, No Trigger]
Rachel examined Akio's face carefully. Seeing that taking the damage hadn't caused him to react, she continued. "Now with a boost from Sadegh, my vanguard attacks!"
Sadegh tossed his spear to Iron Tail Dragon, who caught the weapon in it's mouth. Sadegh gave a nod, and after nodding back, the dragon took off.
[7000 + 5000 = 12000]
"No guard."
[Drive Check - Blue Ray Dracokid, Critical Trigger]
"Perfect!" Rachel cheered. "That's all going to go to my vanguard as I take the lead by a long shot!"
Iron Tail Dragon whipped its tail across the battleroid's front armor, leaving a diagonal cut that helped form an X on Tough Boy's armor. The battleroid tried to stand its ground, but when Iron Tail Dragon followed up quickly by stabbing its inner workings with Sadegh's spear, it was forced stumble back as it's rarely used pain receptors kicked in.
Akio clenched my teeth together. "Alright, I just have to be careful from now on," he said to himself as he moved his hand to the deck. "Three damage on the first turn is bad, but I still can win this. Double damage check."
[Cannon Ball - Stand Trigger]
[Mr. Invincible - No Trigger]
Akio groaned as he placed Mr. Invincible in the damage zone.
Rachel raised an eyebrow, and then announced, "That's the end of my turn."
Rachel's Turn End
Hand: 4
FR: empty/Iron Tail Dragon/Iron Tail Dragon
BR: empty/Dragon Knight, Sadegh/Gattling Claw Dragon
Damage: none
"I draw," said Akio. "Hm… I ride, King of Sword! And I call NGM Prototype, and a pair of Shouts!"
[King of Sword - 10000]
[NGM Protoype - 8000]
[Screamin' and Dancin' Announcer, Shout - 7000]
[Screamin' and Dancin' Announcer, Shout - 7000]
"Now I rest Shout, discard Battering Minotaur, and draw a card." Akio gritted my teeth as he looked at the card he drew. "Now I do the same thing with my other Shout, discarding Queen of Hearts!" Akio's lips formed a taut line as he drew another card, and then sighed in defeat. "I call Storm to rearguard."
[Super Electromagnetic Lifeform, Storm - 9000]
"You're trying to get a grade three unit," Rachel deduced. "Tough luck."
"I've still got a chance," Akio stated. "Now, Storm attacks your vanguard!"
[9000] vs [7000]
"No guard."
Iron Tail Dragon braced itself as the female alien unleashed a powerful wave of electricity. The dragon screeched in pain, but the fire in its eyes refused to die.
[Damage Check - Flame Seed Salamander, Stand Trigger]
"Hm," said Rachel thoughtfully as she moved the card to the damage zone. "A draw trigger would've been better, but oh well. Power to my Vanguard!"
"King of Sword attacks next with a boost from Battleraizer! Using Battleraizer's skill to give an extra boost!"
[10000 + 3000 + 3000 = 16000]
Rachel glanced at the cards at her hands, and sighed. "No guard."
[Drive Check - Queen of Heart, No Trigger]
Iron Tail Dragon flew into the air bravely as the King of Sword marched forward. The mighty battleroid swung its sword at the dragon, who tried match the blow, tail for blade. However, the battleroid's blade proved to be the stronger of two, and the the dragon was sent crumbling into the ground.
Rachel winced as she flipped over the top card of her deck.
[Damage Check - Blazing Core Dragon, No Trigger]
Akio looked at his last remaining rearguard. Thanks to him using Shout's ability in vain, he lacked the power to even try to attack Rachel's vanguard. "Now NGM prototype attacks your rearguard Iron Tail Dragon!"
[8000] vs [7000]
Iron Tail Dragon watched the incoming battleroid approach with narrowed eyes. It knew it wouldn't survive the assault, but it refused to back down in the face of its own demise.
"Dracokid guards!" Rachel countered.
[Blue Ray Dracokid - 10000]
[8000] vs [10000 + 7000 = 17000]
Just as the battleroid's arm was about to crush Iron Tail Dragon, a smaller dragon pushed it aside. The rescued dragon could only watch helplessly as its comrade was destroyed in a single blow. Iron Tail Dragon roared and flared its wings in a show of aggression, but NGM Prototype merely returned to its position on the opposite side of the field.
"I put Battleraizer back into my deck, and I end my turn."
Akio's Turn End
Hand: 2
FR: NGM Prototype/King of Sword/Super Electromagnetic Lifeform, Storm
BR: Screamin' and Dancin' Announcer, Shout/empty/Screamin' and Dancin' Announcer, Shout
Damage: King of Sword; Cannon Ball; Mr. Invincible
Akio face grew a concerned frown. "Wait, why did you waste a guard for your grade one rearguard? It's nothing special."
"Dude, you should have seen what she did last game-"
"Haruki!" Rachel interrupted. "Don't give him hints!"
"Just leveling the playing field," Haruki said with a grin. "Besides, it's not like he can stop you now."
Rachel rolled her eyes. "Fine." She looked Akio in the eye. "Prepare to see the forbearer of destruction, I ride Blazing Core Dragon!"
[Blazing Core Dragon - 9000]
"And using his skill, I counterblast and put Iron Tail Dragon and Gattling Claw Dragon into the soul, to superior ride from my deck!"
Akio's eyes widened. "No way, a superior ride!" he exclaimed.
"I already told you Rachel does them a lot," Haruki pointed out. "Why are you so surprised?"
"Well," Akio replied. "I've never actually seen someone-"
"Hey!" Rachel interrupted as she glared at the two. "We're in the middle of a fight here!"
"Sorry, Rachel," said Haruki as he slumped forward against the chair.
"I'm paying attention," said Akio. "You were superior riding?"
Rachel nodded, as she pulled a card from her deck, and shuffled it. "From the depths of the earth, arise my Avatar to feast on the charred flesh of my enemies!" She recited as she held the card in front of her face. "I superior ride, Blazing Flare Dragon!"
[Blazing Flare Dragon - 10000]
The body of Blazing Core Dragon became swallowed in a vat of flames so intense that they gave off pure white light. Gattling Claw Dragon and Iron Tail Dragon willing allowed themselves to be pulled into the unrelenting heat. Then, the flames began to fade, revealing the body of a flaming, bipedal dragon. Gattling guns lay mounted to his right shoulder, and in his right hand he carried a sword whose blade was made entirely of searing flame. The creature let out a mighty roar. A roar in honor of the sacrifice of his comrades, and a roar in celebration of a victory to come.
"And now I call Bellicosity Dragon to rearguard!"
[Bellicosity Dragon - 9000]
"Now, he attacks your NGM Prototype."
[9000] vs [8000]
"I intercept with Storm!"
[9000] vs [8000 + 5000 = 13000]
"Now my Vanguard attacks with a boost from Sadegh!"
Sadegh knelt and offered his flaming spear to the great flame dragon in front of him. Despite the weapon being of clearly inferior design, Blazing Flare Dragon placed his flaming sword on the ground, and took up the spear. With a roar, he rushed forward, ready to destroy anything that dared to stand in his path.
[5000 + 10000 = 15000] vs [10000]
"I intercept with NGM Prototype, and I guard with Queen of Hearts! It'll take two triggers for that to pass!"
The impassive battleroid moved to stand in front of the taller, new model robot. A smaller battleroid, one designed to be a companion King of Sword, also moved into front. The king expressionlessly watched the two offered themselves up as living shields.
[5000 + 10000 = 15000] vs [10000 + 10000 + 5000 = 25000]
"You're guarding that much?" Rachel asked as she raised an eyebrow.
Akio nodded. "You may have taken the lead, but I'm not planning to let you make it any bigger until I get a few more attacks in."
Rachel shrugged. "If you say so. Now, Twin Drive!"
[Drive Check - Dual Axe Archdragon, No Trigger]
[Drive Check - Demonic Dragon Mage, Mahoraga, No Trigger]
With a snarl, Blazing Flare Dragon fired it's at NGM Prototype, shattering the outdated battleroid's armor and igniting its inner workings. The flame dragon didn't waste any more time or ammo on it, knowing that NGM was finished. Blazing Flare Dragon focused its attention on the Queen of Hearts. With a feral roar, he stabbed the small battleroid with Sadegh's flaming spear. The spear ripped the heart of the Queen of Hearts, and the robot exploded immediately.
Knowing that his power was spent, Blazing Flare Dragon looked up at King of Sword. The towering battleroid's face was still as devoid of emotion as it had been since the battle began. With a hiss of disgust, Blazing Flare Dragon returned to his side of the field and return the spear to its owner, who took it back graciously.
Rachel's Turn End
Hand: 4
FR: empty/Blazing Flare Dragon/Bellocity Dragon
BR: empty/Dragon Knight, Sadegh/empty
Damage: Flame Seed Salamander (D); Blazing Core Dragon
"No damage on me this turn," Akio said triumphantly.
Rachel gave him a deadpan look. "Looks like I was expecting too much from you," she said as she shook her head.
"What does that mean?" Akio asked. He gestured to his damage zone. "I stopped your attacks cold."
"Yeah, but now you have no front row rearguards and your hand is awfully small." She shook her head again. "And last time I checked, you were short on a grade three, which means your hand won't be recovering anytime soon."
"Well, sometimes you got to take a chance and hope for the best," Akio said with an uneasy smile. "I stand, and I draw!" He drew the card slowly, knowing that his tiny chance of victory rested on the card he drew this turn. "Perfect! I ride, Gold Rutile!"
The body of the King of Sword was absorbed with light as Akio's spirit moved to a different vessel. From the blinding brilliance rose a battleroid of gleaming grey. In one of his hands was a golden blade that banished even the shadows from its presence.
"Now I, uh..." Akio's face knotted with worry as he looked at the remaining card in his hand. A Shining Lady. A grade zero. With a mere five thousand power.
"What's wrong? Don't have a good offensive formation?" Rachel asked smugly.
"It's fine," Akio replied. He looked at the Shining Lady in his hand again, and then at the pair of Shouts on the field. "I move one of my Shouts forward, and then I attack with my Vanguard!"
Swift as lightning, the battleroid raised its sword and charged for Blazing Flare Dragon.
[10000] vs [10000]
"Blue Ray Dracokid will be stopping that one!" Rachel countered.
[Blue Ray Dracokid - 10000]
The small gunning dragon threw itself on its opponent's blade in an attempt to shield Blazing Flare Dragon from the blow.
[10000] vs [10000 + 10000 = 20000]
"Checking for a drive trigger…"
[Drive Check - Shining Lady, Critical Trigger]
"I'm giving all of the effects to Screamin' and Dancin' Announcer, Shout," Akio announced. "Now for the second check."
[Drive Check - Grapple Mania, Stand Trigger]
"Perfect, another trigger! I add the power to Shout! Oh…" The realization kicked in. "If I had put all of the effects to my vanguard I would have gotten the lead already."
"And if you had moved both of your Shouts forward you would have gotten two opportunities to attack instead of one," Rachel added.
"Yeah, but I getting a double trigger is only luck," said Akio. "My gut tells me to never rely on luck to win my fights, so I made the safer choice. Now, Shout attacks your vanguard!"
[7000 + 5000 + 5000 = 17000] critical +1 vs [10000]
Rachel shrugged. "No point in guarding. Stopping your vanguard's attack was wasted too much of my shield anyway."
Blazing Flare Dragon roared with anguish as the alien octopus rattled in a loud, endless string of random words and phrases.
[Damage Check - Berserk Dragon, No Trigger]
[Damage Check - Gattling Claw Dragon, Draw Trigger]
"Well done my dragons," said Rachel as she placed Gattling Claw Dragon in the damage zone. "I get to draw."
"I end my turn with the lead I wanted," said Akio with a satisfied smile.
Akio's Turn End
Hand: 3
FR: Screamin' and Dancin' Announcer, Shout/Gold Rutile/empty
BR: empty/empty/Screamin' and Dancin' Announcer, Shout
Damage: King of Sword; Cannon Ball; Mr. Invincible
Rachel rolled her eyes. "I expected to see the relentless attacks of Nova Grappler, but instead I got a half-baked assault," she said with a sigh.
"I'm not using my normal deck-" Akio began.
"That's no excuse for this pathetic excuse for a fight!" Rachel retorted. "You still have a lot to learn about basic attack and defense strategies."
"I told you I'm not up to your level," Akio reminded her. "I get it, I'm weaker than you. Happy?"
"No, I'm not happy!" Rachel replied as she slammed a hand on the table. "I thought you were someone who knew his own limitations and kept going despite his disadvantage. In turns out you're only a weakling that uses weak excuses to excuse his weakness!"
"That's a little harsh," Haruki commented.
"It's the truth," Rachel declared.
"I don't make excuses for my weakness!" Akio protested. "I just… I'm just not very strong. It's a fact, not an excuse."
Rachel narrowed her eyes. "With that mentality, the match was mine the second our spirits arrived on the surface of Cray," she said coolly. "You think your weakness is just an acceptable fact of life? Well, prepare to pay the cost for your weakness! This is the Final Turn!"
"What's up with you and that catchphrase?" Akio asked. "It's really arrogant."
Rachel shrugged. "I saw it on TV once," she replied. "A lot of what I use when I play the game I learned from watching others on television." Her eyes narrowed. "Now, prepare to face your demise! I ride Blazing Flare Dragon on top of Blazing Flare Dragon!"
Blazing Flare Dragon became surrounded in searing flames. When the flames had died down, he was still standing there unchanged.
Sadegh tilted his head curiously, but declined to comment.
[Blazing Flare Dragon - 10000]
And I call two Mahoraga and a Kimnara!"
[Demonic Dragon Mage, Mahoraga - 5000]
[Demonic Dragon Mage, Mahoraga - 5000]
[Demonic Dragon Mage, Kimnara - 6000]
"Now to pull out my signature technique!" Rachel leaned over the table and gave Akio a wide-but far from reassuring-smile. "Retire! Retire! Retire!"
"That's an… interesting name…" Akio commented.
Haruki facepalmed.
"Laugh now," said Rachel as she pointed an accusatory finger. "But it will be your undoing!"
"I wasn't-"
Rachel didn't give him time to finish. "I counterblast and move Kimnara to the soul! Now I retire the octopus in the front row!"
"You're on a roll, Rachel!" Haruki cheered. "Take him out!"
"Now I use my Avatar's soulblast to retire your other octopus!"
"It's Screamin' and Dancin' Announcer, Shout," I replied irritably as I put the card in the damage zone. "You could at least call it by name."
"Whatever," Rachel said offhandedly. "Now if you had another rearguard I would have Sadegh take it out, but it looks like I'll just have to finish you with what I have."
Akio glanced at Rachel's side of the field. There was a Blazing Flare Dragon in the front row, a Mahoraga in the back and another in the front, and Sadegh behind the vanguard. In his hand he had three trigger units. He let a smile creep up to his face, confident that Rachel wouldn't be able to land three damage on me this turn.
"Oh, and I almost forgot." Rachel smirked as she pulled out the last card from her hand. "I call Dual Axe Archdragon!"
[Dual Axe Archdragon - 10000]
Akio gritted his teeth as his confidence plummeted. "Do your best, it won't get past me," he declared.
"Oh, don't worry," said Rachel. "I will. First, Mahoraga attacks! With his skill, since I retired two of your rearguards during my main phase, he gets an extra ten thousand power!"
With an evil chuckle, the half dragon, half human mage summoned a spiral of flame from his staff. Heaving his staff up a high, he unleashed the fiery blast at the battleroids' proud leader.
[5000 + 10000 = 15000] vs [10000]
"I guard with Cannon Ball!"
[5000 + 10000 = 15000] vs [10000 + 10000 = 20000]
"Now, my Avatar attacks with the support of Sadegh! With his skill he gets an extra six thousand power!"
Blazing Flare Dragon turned and gave Dragon Knight, Sadegh a nod. The young dragon knight nodded in return, and bowed low as he handed his spear to the mighty flame dragon. Blazing Flare Dragon picked up the gift in his claws, grabbed Sadegh by the shoulder, and pulled him to his feet.
Sadegh stumbled in surprise. He looked up, and saw the dragon offer him the hilt of his signature flaming sword. Sadegh reached out tentatively to the fearsome weapon, as though he was afraid to break it. With a hearty laugh, Blazing Flare Dragon rose to the skies. He spied the champion of the battleroids, and charged forward, with Sadegh's spear in tow, for his rematch.
[5000 + 10000 + 6000 = 21000] vs [10000]
"No need for me to guard," said Akio. "You called 'Final Turn' for nothing. I know I'm not the best player around. In fact, half of these kids here probably have enough experience to beat me. But at least I'm not arrogant like you. You need to pull a critical trigger to win the game this turn, but you've already used up two out of what I'm guessing is your four. It's not happening."
Haruki gaped. "Wow, that was the longest string of sentences I've ever heard you put together!" he exclaimed.
"Thanks…?"
Rachel snorted. "Just because you can give a fancy speech doesn't mean you know what you're talking about," she said. "I called final turn because I wanted to end the game on this turn. Do I know for sure that I'm going to win? Nope. That's impossible. However…" her words trailed off as she looked deep into Akio's eyes. "That's not going to stop me from trying. Twin Drive!"
[Drive Check - Wyvern Guard, Barri, No Trigger]
"Dracokid, come to me!"
[Drive Check - Blue Ray Dracokid, Critical Trigger]
"No way!" Akio exclaimed as he took a step back. "You just… called the card?"
Rachel smirked. "I like to think of it that way," she replied.
Haruki shook his head and resisted the urge to bang his head on the nearest wall as Akio opened and closed his mouth like a fish attempting to breathe on a sidewalk.
"Critical is obviously going to my vanguard, and Dual Axe Dragon will be taking the power."
Gold Rutile stood ready as Blazing Flare Dragon. Reading his blade, he prepared to parry the first blow. However, Blazing Flare Dragon began the fight by throwing Sadegh's spear into the battleroid's left arm. Gold Rutile's feared Garuda Blade fell from his limp hand.
But Blazing Flare Dragon wasn't finished there. Using his mounted gatling gun, he fired off a series of rounds that severed Rutile's other arm at the shoulder. The battleroid was now facing the dragon unarmed, in all senses of the phrase. Blazing Flare Dragon wrenched the spear from Rutile's limp arm, and summoned an inferno from his core. All of the power, all of the hope, all of the life given to him by his supporters came out in a fiery blaze which left his opponent in little more than a charged wreckage.
[Damage Check - Death Metal Droid, No Trigger]
[Damage Check - Oasis Girl, No Trigger]
"Now for the final blow!" Rachel declared. "Archdragon, with the support of Mahogara, finish off what my avatar started. Destroy that pile of junk!"
Cackling evilly, Mahoraga summoned a spiral of flames. The flames flew through the air and circled around Dual Axe Archdragon. The flame dragon bellowed as he rubbed his axes together.
[5000 + 10000 + 10000 + 3000 + 5000 = 33000] vs [10000]
"I…" It was then Akio realized that the two grade zeroes in his hand weren't enough. "I don't guard…" he said in defeat.
Archdragon charged forward with an ax in each hand and a spiral of fire circling him as if it had a mind of its own. He fell upon the helpless Rutile, and threw one of his axes into the chest of the battleroid. Then he circled around, and grabbed his remaining axe with his both hands. With a mighty roar, he brought the axe down with the flame that encircled him.
[Damage Check - Battleraizer, Stand Trigger]
Gold Rutile exploded into tiny metal fragments. Akio's spirit, having lost its vessel, was once again returned to its powerless state. It faded away, leaving Rachel's forces alone on the surface of Cray.
Fight End
Akio:
Hand: 2
FR: empty/Gold Rutile/empty
BR: empty/empty/empty
Damage: King of Sword; Cannon Ball; Mr. Invincible; Death Metal Droid; Oasis Girl; Battleraizer
Rachel:
Hand: 2
FR: Demonic Dragon Mage, Mahoraga/Blazing Flare Dragon/Dual Axe Archdragon
BR: empty/Dragon Knight, Sadegh/Demonic Dragon Mage, Mahoraga
Damage: Flame Seed Salamander (D); Blazing Core Dragon (D); Berserk Dragon; Gattling Claw Dragon
"What a waste," said Rachel as she packed up her cards.
"You're the one who challenged me," Akio reminded her as he did the same.
"And you're the one who doesn't deserve to use the Nova Grapplers," Rachel retorted. "By what you showed me today, I don't even think you could beat anyone in this shop even with your normal deck."
"Hey," Akio said sharply. "Don't forget it was a close match! I pushed you to four damage!"
Rachel laughed. "You pushed me to four damage? That's a rather selective bit of memory." She walked to the counter and put on her apron. "I only guarded how many attacks in our battle? Oh yeah, two; one for my rear-guard, and one for my vanguard. Frankly, I only guarded against your vanguard to see how lucky you could get with the triggers. The only attack that actually came close to threatening me was the one on my rearguard Iron Tail Dragon.
"Now during our fight you called me arrogant. Maybe you believe that, but that's because you don't understand how strong I am and how weak you are. That other guy I was playing, Susumu? He at least put an effort into his fights. His imagination was passable, and his passion was evident, just slightly misguided. I came at him full force and only some lucky triggers allowed me to beat him with only two damage. You, on the other hand, only managed to put me at four damage when I barely even tried to fight back. In fact, I could have let all of your attacks on my vanguard through and I still would have won."
"So?"
"So, you're not good enough to be considered a real cardfighter," said Rachel. "You lack skills, drive, and most of all, spirit. You're just a weak, pathetic, loser."
Akio froze, unresponsive. Then he clenched his jaw, walked up the counter, and set the trial pack down without making eye contact with Rachel. "Thanks for the cardfight," he said stiffly as he turned to the door.
"Nice meeting you!" Haruki called cheerfully as Akio walked out.
Akio responded by slamming the door shut behind him.
Haruki turned to Rachel. "Amachi's going to kill you for scaring away two more customers," he said.
Rachel shrugged. "Probably."
Well, that certainly was a wild ride.
Originally I had planned to save this chapter for a few weeks to do some fine tuning and stuff... but that's what this site is for! Broadcasting my work and learning how to improve!
Now, there's a lot I can say about this story, but for fear of info dumping the first chapter, I'll just say what's essential.
This is not planned to be a stand alone story. Rather, this only the beginning of a very long story with multiple arcs. Originally I had planned this to be a crossover (with something that doesn't matter right now)... but since 1. It didn't work out even in the rough drafts and 2. No one looks at crossovers anyway, I decided to save the crossover elements for the second major arc/story. If you can see the thinly-veiled leftover crossover stuff, congrats, but don't spoil it for the others ;).
Yeah, so every character who's gotten a mention in this chapter is important in some way or another. For the sake of provoking reviews, I'll be asking some questions. (Feel free to send a normal review though!)
1. Who do you think this story will revolve around? (Try to guess who in the chapter are main characters, secondary characters, and reoccurring characters)
2. What do you think of the characters you've seen so far? (Feel free to dislike all of them. I see that as a believable possibility)
3. What about the chapter itself needs improvement? And what elements did you like/want to see more of? (Be as brutal as possible. I need to improve... badly.)
I said I wasn't going to info dump, so that's the end of this A/N. Just remember, reviews are food for a writer's soul! Namely, mine! RainEStar, out!