Aichi Sendou, Misaki Tokura and Kamui Katsuragi, the champions of the Japan nationals and VF Circuit. Everyone in Japan knew those three...
At Miyaji Middle School...
"Yay! I win!" Emi exclaimed happily.
"No fair!" Shingo cried.
"I won, Shingo! It was a fair game." Emyisaid.
"Well, you're so weak!" Shingo insulted.
"Hey! I won! How could you say that I'm weak?" Emi complained.
"You might have won, but your brother is much stronger than you. You'll never be able to be as strong as him."
"Of course he's strong! He won the VF Circuit. I know I won't be able to be as good as him."
"The point is, you are much weaker than him."
"I will try my best to train and be like him but..."
"No buts. If you want to be as good as him, then prove it. I'll be watching at Card Capital tomorrow."
"Fine, I'll prove you wrong!" Emi shouted as she left.
"Maybe Shingo was right. Maybe I'm weak. Aichi is so strong. He won the VF Circuit and I'm very proud of him but..." she thought in her head, "NO! I will get stronger and be better than him. I'll do whatever it takes."
Later at Emy's house...
"I'm home!" Aichi said.
"Well, well, well. My little champion is home. Come and have dinner. Emy has been waiting for you for a long time." said Shizuka Sendou, the mother of Aichi and Emi.
"Mom, don't call me that." Aichi blushed a little.
"Why not? You won the VF Circuit and I'm very proud of you."
"Can we just eat dinner now? I'm starving."
Emi got jealous when she heard her mother praised Aichi.
"Ok, my little champion. Let's have dinner." Shizuka joked.
Just as Aichi and his mom was about to eat, Emi stood up and walked to her room.
"I have no appetite!" she exclaimed.
The next day at Card Capital...
Emi walked in the card shop with her deck. Her mother had told her that Aichi had went to that shop that morning. And there he was, playing with Kamui. Just at this moment, Shingo stepped in.
"Liberator of Round Table, Alfred, crush him!" Aichi exclaimed.
"Please be a Heal Trigger, please be..." Kamui checked for a damaga trigger, but nothing...
"I lost again?" Kamui sobbed.
"You can always do better next time." Aichi tried to cheer him up.
"He's so strong! It's time to prove yourself, Emi Sendou." Shingo teased.
"I'll show you! Just watch and learn!" Emi exclaimed.
"Aichi! I challenge you!"
"Emi? Why would you..." Aichi couldn't finish his statement.
"Just come and face me!"
"Alright, whatever you say." Aichi sighed.
Stand up the Vanguard!
PR ISM-Smile, Coro
Grade:0 Power: 5000 Clan: Bermuda Triangle
Wingal Liberator
Grade:0 Power: 5000 Clan: Gold Paladin
Emi
"I'll go first! I draw." Emi said.
"Ride, PR ISM-Romance, Mercure!
Grade:1 Power: 7000
Turn end."
Aichi
"I stand and draw a card. Ride, Little Liberator, Marron!"
Grade:1 Power: 7000
"Using Wingal Liberator's skill, it moves behind Marron. Wingal Liberator boosts Marron and he is charging in at your vanguard. Thanks to the skill, another 3000 is added. Drive trigger check.
7000+5000+3000= 15000
"Damage Trigger Check!"
"Turn end."
Aichi VS Emi: 0 VS 1 Damage
Emi
"My turn, stand and draw. I ride PR ISM-Romance, Lumiere. Calling another Lumiere beside it.
Grade:2 Power:9000
"Call, two PR ISM-Smile, Coro behind each Lumiere. Supported by Coro, my rear guard Lumiere attacks. Because Coro has PR ISM in its card name, 3000 power is added.
9000+5000+3000= 17000
"I guard with Liberator of Hope, Epona."
Shield: 10000
"Now my vanguard attacks. 17000 power."
"No guard."
"Drive trigger check. Sweet! A Critical trigger. Giving both effects to my vanguard."
"Damage trigger. First check, and the second, nothing."
"I'm done."
Aichi VS Emi: 2 VS 1
"Emi, what is happening? You suddenly showed up and challenged me."
"Because I am jealous of you. Everyone thinks you are the best while I'm just a weakling. Even Mom keeps praising you. Mom has never praised me as much as she did to you. Everything I did, you were always better."
"Oh, Emi. I didn't mean to hurt you."
"Just hurry up and finish your turn!"
"That was marsh." Kamui whispered.
"You mean harsh?" Misaki asked.
"Yeah. Whatever." Kamui said. He really needs to improve his English.
Aichi
"Alright! I stand and draw. Stand up, my avatar! Ride, Blaster Blade Liberator!"
Grade:2 Power: 9000
"Call,Liberator of Loyalty, Phallon.
Grade:2 Power: 9000
"Blaster Blade Liberator's counterblast, retire your rear guard PR ISM-Romance, Lumiere. Now, Phallon attacks your vanguard. With his skill, 3000 power is added.
9000+3000=12000
"Damage trigger check."
"Wingal Liberator boosts my vanguard on his attack. Go!
9000+5000=14000
"No guard."
"Drive trigger check. It's a critical."
"Damage check. First and second."
"Over to you."
Aichi VS Emi: 2 VS 4
Emi
"Hahaha. Final Turn! Stand and draw. I ride, PR ISM-Promise, Labrador."
Grade:3 Power: 11000
"Her counterblast. I put the Coro at the bottom left back into my hand. Supported by Coro, Labrador charges in. Labrador's limit break! Call, PR ISM-Romance, Lumiere, another Coro behind it and PR ISM-Image, Vert at the other side of Labrador. Labrador gets an extra 10000 power and plus one critical."
"No guard."
"Twin Drive. First check, second, critical. Giving the critical to my vanguard and the power to Lumiere. 3 Damage coming at you."
"Damage trigger check. First, second, and third, heal trigger. Trigger activated."
"Huh! My Lumiere attacks with a boost from Coro. With her skill, another 3000 power. Do't forget the power from the trigger.
9000+5000+3000+5000= 22000
"By discarding a card, I nullify your attack with Halo Liberator, Mark."
"It's not over. Vert is coming at your vanguard."
11000
"I can't take anymore damage. Armament Liberator, Gwydion stops your attempt."
Shield: 5000
"Uhhh! I don't have anymore attacks."
Aichi VS Emi: 4 VS 4
"Wow! He survived." Miwa said in surprise.
"Of course, what else do you expect from my number one student?" Morikawa boasted.
The battle is getting more intense.
"I already have four damage. If I don't finish the game this turn, the game will be hers. With only two cards in my hand, it is quite tough. However, I must finish her this turn." Aichi thought to himself.
Aichi
"I stand and draw. Even in solitude, only your strong soul, unafraid of any fight, knows true friendship! I ride... Wolf Fang Liberator, Garmore."
Grade:3 Power: 11000
"And now, his limit break! Flipping three cards in the damage zone, I take the top card of my deck. Superior call, Future Liberator, Llew."
Grade:1 Power: 6000
He goes behind Phallon. Because I still have an open rear-guard circle, I can do it again. Superior call, Knight of Elegant Skills, Gareth. He goes beside Wingal Liberator."
Grade:1 Power: 8000
"Where are all the grade 3s? And why did Aichi put Gareth behind, not in front?" Morikawa complained.
"I'm sure he is planning something." Miwa said.
"I still can survive this turn. I have three more cards and two defensive ones and there's still intercepts. I can guard his two attacks." Emi thought.
"Supported my Wingal Liberator, Garmore attacks."
11000+5000=16000
"Lumiere intercepts and I guard with Drive Quartet, Bubblin. I'm safe as long as you don't get a trigger."
"Twin drive. First, second, critical! Giving both effects to Garmore. The attack is successful."
"No! You have not won! I WILL get a heal trigger!"Emi exclaimed as her eyes turned blue.
Aichi got shocked when he saw her eyes. It was as if she has psyqualia.
"First check, second, a heal trigger! Power to my vanguard. And I recover one damage."
"That was a lucky one. Since Wingal Liberator boosted a successful attack, I can soul charge and from the soul, I call, Blaster Blade Liberator. He goes in front of Gareth."
That was the whole reason he left an open space in front.
"No! I don't have enough defense." Emi exclaimed.
"Supported by Gareth, Blaster Blade Liberator attacks."
9000+8000=17000
"I guard with Gunslinger Star, Florida."
"Now, Llew supports Phallon on his attack. Because there are three other rear guards with "Liberator" in its card name, Phallon gets an extra 4000 power."
9000+6000+4000= 19000
"I can't guard with a Grade 3. All I need is a heal trigger. Damage trigger check, nothing..."
Aichi VS Emi: 4 VS 6
Winner: Aichi Sendou
"No! How could I lost after training so hard?" Emi cried.
"Emi, you could have just told me, I would help you train." Aichi said.
"Stop pretending to be nice. I won't listen to you again." Emi cried and ran out of the shop. As she ran past Shingo, he said," You're still so weak after all."
"Emi! Where are you going?" Aichi asked.
"I'll chase her." Kamui offered, and he went off to chase Emi.
After 30 minutes...
Kamui went back to Card Capital. "I lost her."
"What? Relax, inhale, exhale. Maybe she is at home already. She won't go off like that. Thanks everyone." Aichi said.
So Aichi went home and expected Emi to be there. However...
"Mom, I'm home. Is Emi home yet?" Aichi asked.
"No, she has not come back." Shizuka told him.
"Oh no! I think she just ran away from home!"
Aichi shouted.
"I found a letter in her room. Come here and read it with me." Shizuka told Aichi.
This is the content of the letter:
Dear Mom,
I can't take it anymore. Everyone seems to like Aichi but not me. It's not that I hate him, but I just want to be as great as him. By the time you read this letter, I would have travelled far. I want to improve my cardfighting skills and show everyone that I can be a great cardfighter too. I want to make you proud. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine, because when I come back, I'm going to be a whole different person. I'm gonna be the best cardfighter, to win against Aichi. Thank you for everything you and all my friends have done for me and I'll never forget Misaki and Kamui. I will do everything I can to achieve my goal. Please wish me luck. See you soon!
Your daughter,
Emi Sendou
"Oh no! What do we do now? She's still a little girl." Aichi asked.
Emi was his only sibling. He did not want to lose her.
"It's impossible to find her now. We don't know her whereabouts. All we can do now is to wish her luck. I still can't accept the fact that she is gone. Where are you Emi?" Shizuka cried.
"Mom, I'm sure she'll come back soon. We need to wish her luck."
"Please come back soon, Emi."