Cardfight Vanguard: Setsuzoku Sensō
Chapter 2
Opening Hell Week
Imagine….. a couple of weeks after their hellish practical exam, the first day of school at Setsuzoku Academy has finally arrived. This particular bit of news doesn't actually concern you in any way, but today you decided to stop by your favorite diner in a certain shopping district in a random suburban district of Tokyo for breakfast and to congratulate the daughter of the owners; of whom, you heard was accepted into the aforementioned school.
"Father…. honestly…. this is too much, and…. and there are customers here too." Umi said out of embarrassment as the sound of a camera flashing filled the diner's seating area.
You take in the smell of eggs on a frying pan as you take a seat inside the diner, and you get a front row seat to the sight of the diner's red haired middle aged owner take pictures of his daughter Umi in the girl's uniform of Setsuzoku Academy with the gusto that could only be rivaled by the comically doing fathers found only in anime. As for the uniform itself…. you see Umi wearing the same green blazer that male students wear, but the top few buttons are undone to make way for a white ribbon to be pinned on her chest, and she's wearing a plat skirt that's also the same shade of green as the blazer.
"But I simply must capture the historical moment of my baby girl going off to her first day of high school, and pin pictures all over the place for our precious customers to see." Umi's father said in an excited tone as he continued to take pictures with his camera, "Infact…. I HEREBY DECLARE IN CELEBRATION OF THIS WONDERFUL OCCASION, BREAKFAST FOR EVERYONE HERE WILL BE ON THE HOUSE!"
It's only natural that the diner's customers cheered in response to this declaration as they love this old man's food that much, and for the same reason it's also only natural for Umi's cheeks to turn as red as her hair due to her sheer embarrassment.
"Alright…. I'll stop….. the memory on my card is full anyway." Umi's father sighed, "By the way….. as a quick favor before you go, could you please quickly bring an order of omelet rice to the guy sitting the table near the front door?"
"Of course father." Umi answered as she slowly starts to recover from her earlier bit of humiliation.
Umi and her father push open the swinging door leading inside the kitchen, then the smell as well as the sound of various dishes in the middle of the cooking process leak onto the restaurant floor, and then that swinging door closes sealing in most of the kitchen's scent and all of the noise. Believe it or not such sound proofing is actually necessary for a reason you're about to read.
"What the freaking hell you useless father?!" Umi screamed out of anger, "Are you seriously f****** trying to humiliate me to the point where I can't show my face in public anymore? I mean god f******* damn it!"
"Ha ha…. it's a father's duty and privilege to embarrass their children." Umi's father retorts as he seems to be unaffected by his daughter's vulgar language, "Still I can't believe you called your loving father useless…. So… I guess that means you won't need the cards you dreamed of fighting with. You know…. the ones your mother and I promised to get if you got in the school."
"What?! You and mom said right after the practical exam… that you only made that promise because you never thought I'd get in the school in the first place." Umi pointed out as she realized that she should stop looking the gift horse in the mouth before it is too late, "I mean….. Oh father… I love you oh so very very much. Why…. you're the greatest father and the greatest chef every. That one super famous cooking school with a similar curricular style to Setsuzoku must be tearing their hair out for rejecting you."
I'm sure you can already imagine that Umi said all of this in the most ass-kissing tone she was capable of.
"Oh that's daddy's girl….. come here!" Umi's father said aloud as he pulled in his daughter for a bear hug.
"Can't….. breathe." Umi mumbled as her face started to turn a little blue.
"Ha ha… sorry, but I guess I had too much fatherly love to give." Umi's father smiled as he passed his child the aforementioned omelet rice, "I already placed the new cards in your deck box."
Umi takes the small plate of food to the aforementioned table, and a few of the customers of the diner not aware of her enrollment status actually think there is some kind of cosplay promotion going on. Those who are aware only continue to offer words of congratulations.
"Here's your omelet rice sir." Umi said as she placed the dish on the table.
The person who ordered this dish looked to be a year or two older than Umi, has long black hair with white streaks that reaches down to his shoulders, dark brown eyes, and he has two birthmarks on his face….. one being a crudely drawn dagger on his chin and the other a circle around his right eye that could also be mistaken for an impression from a monocle. His outfit looks as though he's ready for a day at the beach what with the white sleeveless t-shirt, trunks, and pair of sandals around his feet.
"Ah… so that's how it works. Once I get back to school…. I'll get a few guys to play a few rounds with me, so we can all have fun." the teenager happily mumbled as he failed to notice Umi due to having his nose buried in a small book, "Still… I look forward to seeing their faces as I destroy them too."
As far as Umi can recall she's definitely never seen this guy in her family's diner before. Umi also wonders why this guy isn't at home getting dressed for school, but then she remembers that she woke up particularly earlier than other kids in the neighborhood due to how far Setsuzoku Academy is from home.
"Destroy? No…. never mind." Umi thought, "Excuse me sir, but your order is here."
"Huh? Oh oh oh…. sorry sorry… ahh.. zipper is down." the teenager said as he finally registered Umi's presence, "Thank you Umi-san."
"It's no problem." Umi said as she resisted the urge to kick the guy for wasting his time, "If there's anything else you need could you please make it quick? Otherwise I'm sure my parents would be happy to accommodate you."
"Actually there is one thing…. a friend of mind that's been here a few times says you sometimes cast a spell to make the food more delicious. Could you do the same for me….. pretty please?" the teen excitedly asked as he looked as though he had just enough shame to not actually get on his knees and beg.
"Hmmmm….. alright… why not start the first day by doing something nice." Umi shrugged as she locked her fingers together in the shape of a heart, "Happy happy kyun kyu-"
Umi was suddenly interrupted by the sensation of something tightening around her waist, and she looks down only to see Kokuo of all people tying his uniform's blazer rather tight.
"No… no…. NO! I'm not going to take the chance of us being late because of this shit!" Kokuo yelled as his tone indicated that he was extremely annoyed.
The next surprising thing Kokuo does is pick Umi up off the ground and toss her over his shoulder, of which ends up actually explaining why he tied his blazer around her waist. Thanks to the back of his blazer covering Umi's rear….. well let's just say it prevents any unnecessary fan service after he picks her up.
"Hey put me down!" Umi yelled while flailing her legs as she strongly disliked being carried like a sack of rice.
"No!" Kokuo yelled as he turned his gaze to the bar countertop located in this simple family diner, "I'll be sure to bring her back right after class Uncle Kitagawa."
"I'm so sorry about this!" Umi said in an apologetic fashion to the unnamed customer she just served.
"It's alright…. we'll see each other again soon enough Ms. Umi Kitagawa." The unnamed teen said in a casual manner as he started to eat his food.
Umi stopped flailing her arms and legs in order to break free from Kokuo's grip when a sudden thought struck her.
"Wait….. how did that guy know my name?" Umi thought.
As for Umi's father, he saw his daughter being carried out while he was working behind the bar countertop and was thinking of days gone by rather than helping his child.
"Oh to be young again." Umi's father mumbled as he becomes lost in blissful reverie.
At that moment Umi's father is joined by a strawberry pink haired maiden in her late 30s that looks to be in her mid-20s….. AKA…. Umi's mother.
"Kokuo reminds me of you when you were his age dear." Umi's mother pointed out, "A shame he has no such interest in Umi, otherwise he wouldn't make a bad son in law."
"Ha…. but at least he wouldn't have to deal with a mother-in-law that tried to kill him with a rapier." Umi's father chuckled, "And we both know it wasn't really an accident, so please don't bring that up."
"Okay…. and I know we agreed to let Umi go there after she insisted so much, but…. you saw the way that white haired youngster was looking at her deck." Umi's mother said as her expression changed from one filled with hope to one filled with worry.
"Don't worry… no one will ever find out." Umi's father declared.
Family secret's aside, outside of the diner Kokuo continues to carry the flailing Umi over his shoulder as save for a few people getting ready for the work day, they're currently the only ones walking around in this particular shopping district.
"You can put me down now….. I mean it's not like I'm just going to run back and finish what I started." Umi pointed out.
"Nope…. absolutely not taking the chance." Kokuo retorts in an indifferent yet still highly annoyed tone.
"You are such a jerk…. I swear if you ever become the King of Games of the Vanguard world, you'll have to deal with a rebellion pretty quickly if you act like this." Umi pouts.
"Then I'll put down the rebellion." Kokuo countered.
After dealing with this embarrassing situation for a few more minutes, Kokuo and Umi finally exit the shopping district and are now walking down the road of an empty suburban street as they head towards the closest bus station. Umi is actually relieved by this fact and raises one of her flailing legs as high as it can go.
"Let me go you jackass!" Umi yelled out of anger.
It was then Umi let her raised leg drop like the blade of a guillotine and strikes Kokuo square in the spine with her knee. Ironically Kokuo falls to one knee due to the pain of this blow, but that finally gives Umi the opportunity she needs to break free from her friend's grip and most definitely cuss him out shortly thereafter.
"Ouch…. Just…. just how the hell are you so freakishly strong?" Kokuo asked as he continues to give out painful groans.
"I eat a lot of protein dumbass." Umi retorts in an admonishing tone.
"But… you can't eat meat." Kokuo pointed out as he picked himself up off the floor.
"Don't you think that I already f****** know that you dip****?" Umi yelled, "I swear people keep thinking we're dating because you still pull crap like this."
"Why would they think that?" Kokuo asked as he seems unable to comprehend his friend's statement.
"Seriously…. you're seriously asking me that you ignorant dumbf*** manga protagonist? I thought I was supposed to be the main character here!" Umi declared, "Because of the nice girl bullc*** that keeps coming out of my mouth….. I've lost track of the number of times girls have asked me about our relationship status, and after I say no… I've also lost track of the number of times they've asked me to "support their love" for god freaking sakes."
"But I've never gotten a confession from any girl….. they do keep asking me to hang out at a movie theater, the beach, or an amusement park and the like." Kokuo explained, "Not that any of that is more important than becoming the King of Games of the Vanguard world."
"You ignorant f**…. No… no… never mind. I'm just going to give myself a brain tumor if I keep going down that line of questioning." Umi shrugged, "Let's just hurry up and get to the bus station."
"That's what I've been trying to do the entire time. I mean it's kind of ob-" Kokuo was saying when he without warning receives a swift kick to the knee.
Little did these two know, two chatty old ladies would spread would spread word of their "Lover's Spat" causing the rumors regarding their relationship status to continue for some time to come. That aside, Umi and Kokuo arrive at the closest bus stop; but, not before they were treated to the sight of people climbing aboard due to Kokuo having to limp for some strange reason. Kokuo and Umi actually see a couple other Setsuzoku students aboard their bus, but as far as Kokuo is aware they're no one famous nor are they from the same neighborhood as them. After the bus reaches the halfway point to its destination, Umi takes out her deck as well as a few spares she brought with her in order to make changes to the deck so she can properly use the new cards her parents got her.
"Making changes to your deck?" Kokuo asked once he finally realized what his friend was up to.
"Yeah…. take a look." Umi said as she passed her friend one of the grade 3 units her father gave her, "I'm fairly certain I've shown told you about it before, but this was the card I always wanted to build my vanguard deck around."
"Oh… I remember this girl….not an expensive card, but still fairly rare. With her…. it allows a fighter to play a hybrid style between Ahsha's power plays and the Musketeers superior calling." Kokuo notes, "You'll definitely want to tweak your deck accordingly…. So do you have all the cards you need?"
"Unfortunetly….. no…. despite what my father said, it seems he only got me a playset of the two grade 3 units and the one grade one unit I wanted." Umi explained in a polite tone since there are several witnesses, "I still need the new G4, the "Maiden of" G-guardian, the first GB stand trigger, and a playset of the other grade 1 unit."
"I see….. well truth be told… I know why your dad didn't put all the cards you wanted in your deck." Kokuo pointed out as he reveals a devious grin.
"Why?" Umi asked as the excitement of new cards prevents her from noticing her friend's expression.
"Because….. arghh… where are they? I know I brought them with me before I left the house…. Ah here they are." Kokuo mumbled as he started to rummage through his bag like a madman.
What Kokuo pulls out of his bag was a small stack of Vanguard cards wrapped together with a rubber band, of which Umi immediately takes and examines only to discover much to her own enjoyment that they were the rest of the cards she was missing.
"Just how…. how did you get these?" Umi asked as she had a sense of shock written all over her face, "Even if they aren't as rare when compared to the rest of the stuff I wanted…. they still have a bit of a price tag."
"I have….. a friend at Setsuzoku who owes me a favor, so I just called it in." Kokuo answered as h had to really think about the best way to give his explanation.
"You have a friend at our fancy new school? Why didn't you tell me about it?" Umi asked.
"Because you never asked." Kokuo said bluntly.
"Well regardless…. of thank you thank you thank you... Kokuo." Umi said as she just had to pull her best friend into a hug.
While Kokuo appreciated the friendly gesture, he wanted to explain to Umi that she's part of the problem as to why people question their relationship status; however, he makes the right decision by keeping his mouth shut due to wanting to avoid a kick to his other knee.
"Yeah well….. we still have plenty of time before the bus arrives, and I brought some of the spare Neo-Nectar cards I had with me as well." Kokuo pointed out once Umi let go of her, "So why don't we kill it by seeing how much stronger we can make your deck?"
Umi readily agrees to her friend's request, and they do indeed spend the remainder of trip methodically making improvements to Umi's deck. Like during the practical exam, this bus drops them off at Setsuzoku Academy's eastern gate where they find members of the school's staff as well as physical sign posts laying in weight for them. It seems that the purpose was to direct freshman of both the Junior High and High School division to an outdoor park/plaza like area. Once Umi and Kokuo get to the aforementioned location they two rows of whiteboards on their left and right sides along with a group of students crowding each one.
"What do you think all of these boards are for?" Umi asked.
"Going by the logic of every high school anime that starts on the first day of school, they-" Kokuo was saying.
"YEEES…. truly the heavens haven't forsaken me! I've been granted the privilege of being in the same class as Takamaki-sama." screamed an overly excited male Chinese freshman of the high school division, "This will only allow my skills as a fighter to experience an even faster growth rate."
"Do you think they're talking about Kisaki Takamaki, the girl who was the proctor for my exam?" Umi whispered.
"I doubt there's anyone else by that name other than the headmaster capable of getting such a reaction." Kokuo retorts as he nods in agreement.
Meanwhile another student who appeared to be a freshman of the high school division approaches the "outspoken" freshman from a moment ago, and it doesn't seem like he's going to ask if they can crack a (non-alcoholic they're teens afterall) cold one together.
"Ha…. do you really think Kisaki-sama would take the time to offer you advice?" the other male student said in an admonishing tone.
"I know I'm just an ant compared to Kisaki-sama. Her time is better spent training for the Darwin Cup, and trying to surpass the 6 fighters above her in the rankings." The Chinese male student retorts, "But I'm simply content with having the chance to improve my fighting skills by observing her in action."
Those two students continue to have a "polite discussion", but soon enough they're drowned out by both the exclamations of excitement and tears of disappointment from the other students examining these large white boards.
"As I was saying…. It looks like our class assignments are listed on these whiteboards." Kokuo said as he decided to resume the earlier conversation he was having with Umi.
"Oh…. then let's go take a look then." Umi said as she started to drag Kokuo by the arm.
By chance the whiteboard that Umi and Kokuo approached just happens to be the first in the line representing the high school freshmen. On said whiteboard they note that the information is listed according to their rank amongst all the high school freshmen, then their rank amongst all of the students of Setsuzoku, their actual names, and then the class they're assigned to. Of course the first name they see on this part of the list just happens to be….
"Ranked 1st amongst the freshmen, 7th amongst the entire school, Kisaki Takamaki, and assigned to the Seaport bulding's class 3-C." Umi said as she read the name on the top of the list, "Wow…. she wasn't kidding about being the 7th strongest in the entire school."
"She's in the school's top 10 rankings as a freshman, so being the first amongst all of the actual freshmen isn't that big of a surprise." Kokuo shrugs as Umi started to read off the names ranked 2nd and below.
"Hey… Kokou… look." Umi said vigorously shaking her friend's shoulders as she points at the name ranked fourth.
Kokuo looks to where Umi was pointing and was treated to the discovery that he was ranked 4th amongst all of the High School division's freshmen, and even more surprising was that he was also assigned to the same class as Kisaki.
"Good…. looks like I'll get a chance to show her not to underestimate fighters without a reputation like us." Kokuo declared as one could tell from the look on his ace that he was itching for a fight.
Umi then searches for her name on this board but doesn't see it, of which forces her and Kokuo to continue down this light of whiteboards until they reach the last whiteboard in the line itself.
"Oh come on….. she said I passed, so just where the heck is my name?" Umi mumbled while secretly thinking, "That b*** better not have done all of this as preparation for some elaborate f***** joke, but if she did…. then I'll wring her neck with my own two f****** hands."
"Found it."Kokuo said as he reluctantly pointed to the name written at the bottom of the list.
Umi focused her gaze on that spot and saw she was ranked as the weakest fighter amongst 1,236 freshmen, then ranked a small chunk below the middle point amongst the rankings for the entire school, but at least she could find solace in being in the same class as Kokuo and a potential cathartic release by being in the same class as Kisaki. Still…. being ranked at the bottom amongst freshmen did some damage to Umi's confidence.
"I didn't think you'd end up ranking this low, but…. since you technically didn't take the written exam…. well I can't say that I'm surprised either." Kokuo said as he gave Umi a consoling pat on the back. "Still…. you wouldn't be the first person to rise from nothing to glory….. so… let's get going to class."
Umi silently nods as she follows Kokuo through this large amusement park sized campus. Their destination the Seaport building is one of the taller structures next to the lake where Umi and Kokuo saw that old school Japanese style castle during their entrance exam, but for some reason Kokuo starts limping slightly as he and Umi approach the building. It seems an unknown person applied a great deal of force to one of Kokuo's feet due to an insensitive comment the latter of the two made earlier. After entering their assigned classroom they notice three things. The first is that it is a large western style lecture hall with rows of seats higher off the ground as one climbs the stairs, the second thing is that they're 28 other students in the class with them, and the last thing is that Kisaki is sitting in the center of the first row from the bottom with none of the other students seemingly having the guts to sit within three rows of her.
"Is this seat taken?" Kokuo asks in an indifferent manner after walking up to Kisaki.
"No go ahea…. you!" Kisaki said as she could already feel her blood pressure start to rise, "When I saw the name Kokuo Rettousei listed as the 4th strongest freshmen… I honestly thought…. no…. I truly hoped it was just someone else with the same name, but to think it would be the ruffian after all."
No one in the classroom noticed this detail… not even Umi and Kokuo, but even though Kisaki was still looking down on the latter of the aforementioned pair….. there was a ludicrously subtle smile on her face almost as if…. as if Kisaki was happy to see him.
"Yeah well…. we were interrupted due to that little issue with my practical exam." Kokuo shrugged as he took a provoking stance, "But since we still have a few minutes before the teacher arrives… why don't we settle things with a little exam of my own?!"
"Why not?" Kisaki declared as she got up from her seat, "I could certainly kill the time by trouncing some random fool who doesn't know his place!"
Kokuo had the attention of the remainder of the class the moment he said those words. To think someone would dare challenge the Academy's 7th strongest fighter on the first day of school. Granted there's an obvious difference in skill between the 4th strongest freshman and 7th strongest period especially at the start of the school year, however the other students believed that Kokuo would at least be able to put up a decent fight simply because he has that rank. In fact the other students were about to spread the word amongst the entire school when….
"Alright…. class…. sorry for being late, but I was in a meeting." an older sounding man said as he closed the door to the classroom behind him.
Umi recognized the newcomer teacher as the same person who was manning the check-in table during the practical exam. His outfit was the same as last time but this time hair was neatly combed back, his face was clean shaven, and he was carrying a large box under his arm.
"I know technically I'm early, but the sooner we start the sooner you all can explore the school." the professor said as in an highly agreeable tone, "Anyways… I'm Hikaru Ryushi, head of the school's physical education department, despite my name I was born and raised in England, and I'll be your home room teacher."
Umi turned to face Kokuo to see if he recognized the teacher, but what she sees is Kokuo sweating and shaking profusely as though he saw a ghost. There were a few others who had the same reaction Kisaki included, however their reactions weren't as bad as Kokuo. The remaining students only had looks of extreme really worry on their face, and Umi is understandably confused by these varied reactions but it is soon rectified when….
"F*** why did my demonic proctor have to be my homeroom teacher?" Kokuo said cursed under his own breath, "Did I piss off the gods of fate in my past life?"
"I thought I'd be rid of him when I got out of the middle school division." Kisaki mumbled.
"Oh shit…. we have the Demon King of Exercise as our home room teacher." one of the other students said as he sat upright in his seat, "Well whatever…. it's just the first day of school."
"You dumb ass." one of the female students said in an admonishing tone, "I know you've heard how the freshman of the high school division always look like they're about to collapse after the first week of school. There's no way in hell things are going to be that simple."
"I don't see what the big deal is…. the teacher seems perfectly nice." Umi thought as she fails to understand the apprehension of her classmates.
"I'm going to take attendance now, so with the exception of Kisaki Takamaki as she already has one….. when your name is called I want you to approach my desk and take one of these." Professor Ryushi said as he held a tablet smartphone.
The students who graduated for Setsuzoku's junior high division seem unaffected by this, but the students who entered from the outside drool at the sight of what they recognize to be one of the latest model smartphones. The latest model cellphones used by the average person cost anywhere between 300-500$, however the model in the teacher's hand costs a whopping 3,500$ and most definitely has a performance worth the price. For example, if it had a physical keyboard and CD port, you'd have no problems playing the latest PC games on the maximum graphic settings.
"Ulric Kobayashi!" Professor Ryushi declared.
"Here!" Ulric said in tandem.
Ulric himself was no one special…. simply a background character, but the professor quickly begins explaining the features of these expensive digital bars of gold after he finishes taking attendance.
"From the moment of admission Setsuzoku students are granted these specially customized smartphones. In addition to functioning as a normal phone, it comes with a few applications exclusive to students or staff of the school." Professor Ryushi explained, "Unless you can afford the costs you are required to return these phones upon your graduation or expulsion, however should you graduate within the top 10% of your class you'll be allowed to keep these phones as a gift."
It was then the professor went on to explain that you register ownership of the phone via thumbprint and your student ID number, how to transfer the contents of your personal phones to the school ones, the warranty should the school phones be damaged in an accident, and their purpose in regards to student safety. He gives the example that if a school building collapses for whatever reason with students inside, then by using the GPS chip inside the phone while cross-referencing ownership; the school can know who is trapped inside and where to send rescue workers. The professor then goes on to explain the miscellaneous uses of these fancy phones… such as swiping them in front of a vending machine in place of a debit card.
"Alright… even if you forget all that you can find everything I said in the ownership manual, but it's to move onto explaining how the school's ranking system works and how your new phones relate to that." Proffesor Ryushi explained as he seemed occupied with pressing buttons on his own phone.
It was due to the professor's very inputs that the lights in the lecture hall darken, and what was originally thought of as a chalkboard that is really a giant touchscreen lighting up. The first thing seen on this screen was something similar in appearance to the special kinds of tables with screens embedded into them that Kokuo and Umi saw in the cafeteria. Then right next to it is a picture of a list of names containing the identity of the academy's 50 strongest fighters.
"To motivate students to train even harder, they're granted privileges according to their rank. There are several privileges a student can be granted, however the two most important ones are a monthly stipend granted to students that they can spend at any store that has a Setsuzoku logo attached and discount at all Setsuzoku owned card shops both on and off campus. As you rise in rank the greater the stipend, the greater the discount, and more privileges you get….. but know that if you're caught abusing the privleages granted to you…you'll be punished accordingly." Professor Ryushi explained as he started rubbing his throat for some reason, "I've been speaking for a while, so… Ms. Takamaki, if you don't mind why don't you explain you're what your favorite student privilege is? And while you're at it… could you please explain how our ranking system works?"
Rather than say anything, Kisaki moves to the front of the class and starts pressing buttons on her phone… presumably to link it up to the touchscreen/blackboard behind her.
"One of the most popular privileges is that those who are able to graduate from here in three years get whatever's left of their stipend in the form of a check and currency of their choice, but my personal favorite are the student dormitories. Those who rank in the top 50% of their year can choose to reside in the dorms for free if they want and if you don't rank in the top 50% of your year, you can still stay there if you pay the required fees, but regardless the quality of your dorm room is determined by your overall ranking amongst the entire school." Kisaki explained, "Those in the top 10 like me get to stay in luxury apartments and can have things like food delivery paid for by the school rather than our own stipends."
The mouths of the other students couldn't help but salivate at the thought of potentially free gourmet meals and potential checks capable of turning one's eyes into dollar signs, but then the point of all this was to motivate students to improve their skills even harder by showing them what they could have.
"The ranks of you noobs are determined by your grade and win/loss percentage of card fights. There are two ways you fools can raise your rank." Kisaki said in her usual admonishing tone, "The first is to raise the overall scores of the former until it is higher than a person above you on the rankings, but your actual grades will only be known by you and your teachers. The second method is to naturally defeat the incompetents above you in a ranking match, of which leads me to explain another of the purposes of the phones mercifully granted to you by the school."
"Thank you Ms. Takamaki, but I think I'll explain the rest from here after all." Professor Ryushi interrupts.
In response Kisaki only offers a respectful bow to her teacher and returns to her seat, and afterwards the professor enlarges the picture of the strange looking table that was shown a moment ago.
"These tables are littered all over the campus from the card shops, to the multiple eateries on campus, and even small openings in the miniature forests we have where they're stored in an underground container. We ask that whenever possible you use these tables for fights between your fellow students." Professor Ryushi explained, "As for how to use them…. please pay attention to the video that I'm about to play."
The video itself is just a simple voiced slide show. First it starts off by showing that students must insert their phone into a terminal just under the table, then the screen or rather touch screen turns on revealing a digital Vanguard mat with a randomly selected art design, then the players place their decks onto the required zones where their contents are scanned in order to avoid cheating after the fact, and afterwards players go through the required motions before starting their fight. The touch screen fight table then records each card they place down, offers confirmation prompts as abilities are activated, and automatically calculates increases or decreases to a unit(s) power as required. This is done to minimize human error, and after the match the result is uploaded to the school's server and a copy of the game record is downloaded to each player's phone for the sake of future review.
"Wow…. this would help my game a lot." were the thoughts of freshmen all over the academy.
"Now than there may be times when you want to fight someone, but your friends aren't available. That is where our specially designed match finder app comes into play." Professor Ryushi explained, "First you set your search criteria…. as in do you mind walking across campus or want to fight someone close to you? Do you want to challenge an underclassman or upperclassman? Well regardless…. after an opponent is found directions that lead to the closest one of these special tables that are available are sent to both fighters."
To avoid what will be a long-winded explanation….. the professor then goes on to explain how you won't know who your opponent or your partner (if a tag-fight) is until you arrive at the selected fight table, and like MOBA games such as League of Legends… you'll be punished accordingly if you dodge a match. Another method one can use to find an opponent is a ping function that lists all students (or teachers if they're interested in playing a match for fun) by their student ID (or actual name if you have their cell number) within a set distance, pick an ID off the list, send a challenge, and see if they accept as through this method they can refuse.
"Some of you are probably getting tired after just listening me talk for a while, and it just so happens your first class after homeroom is P.E with me." Professor Ryushi said in a polite manner as he resisted the urge to yawn, "There's a locker room on the first floor of the building and a couple pairs of the school's gym uniform. Use the bathroom if you need to, find the locker with your name on it, and meet me outside in 10 minutes."
The students who took entered Setsuzoku's high school division from the outside like Umi all certainly felt the need to stretch their legs, but soon… ohhh soon would these fools understand why Kokuo, Kisaki, and a few others had the fear of god written on their face a few moments ago.
"MOVE IT MAGGOTS! YOU'RE NEARLY AT THE HALF WAY POINT, SO DON'T YOU DARE LET YOUR KNEES TOUCH THE GROUND!" Professor Ryushi screamed through a megaphone as though he were a hardcore drill sergeant, "ONE TWO ONE TWO!"
This class of high school students are drenched in sweat as after they changed into their gym uniform, Professor Ryushi's attitude suddenly changed as he forced his class to run a lap around the giant man-made lake.
"Just what the HELL IS THIS?!" Umi screamed from the top of her lungs as she continued to jog down the assigned path.
That time Umi screamed from her true nasty mouth self rather than the appearance she claims just comes out of her mouth involuntarily, but no one says anything about this as they're all thinking the same thing anyway.
"This…. psychopath…. was my exam proctor." Kokuo explained as he panted for air while running alongside Umi.
You'd be horribly wrong if you think that these teenagers are running an ordinary lap as Professor Ryushi made each student wear a full body weight suit that made them feel as 50% heavier. Then as if adding insult to injury the professor is running alongside them wearing the same thing, however he's not even remotely sweating.
"YOU THERE, PICK UP THE PACE OR I'LL MAKE YOU RUN ANOTHER LAP!" Professor Ryushi screamed at another student further behind from where Umi and Kokuo were.
"He… he made our entire test group do… the same damn thing except it was on a track field only the weights were doubled, and we had to cardfight each other at the same time….. without stopping!" Kokuo yelled as they continued to gasp for air, "My opponent collapsed about halfway…. through….. I only passed…. Because…. I was the only one who finished the required number of laps."
"That…. explains…. why…. you couldn't get out of bed…for the following week after the exam." Umi mumbled as she starts to pant for air as well.
"THIS IS THE FIRST TRIAL FOR THE FRESHMEN OF SETSUZOKU ACADEMY'S HIGH SCHOOL DIVISION MAGGOTS, HELL WEEK!" Professor Ryushi screamed, EVERY YEAR FROM JOGGING TO STUDYING TEXTBOOKS, YOU'LL GET TO GO THROUGH WHAT THE ACADEMY'S CURRENT 10TH RANK FIGHER CONSIDERS A LIGHT WORKOUT!"
"The hell….. if the 10th…. is physically fit enough to treat this a light workout…. then how freaking strong are the others above him?" Umi mumbled.
Including Umi, Kokuo, and even Kisaki only 8 students out of their entire class actually manage to finish a lap around the lake while wearing the weight suits….. the remainder have collapsed on the route either from exhaustion or overexertion. After passing some rather powerful aspirin the survivors and sending someone to pick up those who collapsed, the professor then explains that like all of the other freshman of both the High School and Junior High Division….. once their homeroom and the first class following it concludes, they're free to do whatever they want for the rest of the first day of school. A few may decide to go home, however the rest naturally choose to explore the rest of the school. As for those among the professor's class who could still move, they drag their tired bodies to the closest cafeteria due to an overwhelming need to replace the calories they had just burned as they feel that they won't be able to drag themselves back home without it.
"Come on…. let's get in line." Kokuo said as he and Umi walk into this cafeteria.
Umi and Kokuo noticed that the cafeteria was about half filled with 150 people as they leaned off of whatever they could to remain standing. Eventually however they do reach the front of the line where they find an 80 year-old cafeteria lady looking at them with pitying eyes.
"Professor Ryuishi's students?" the cafeteria lady asked.
"Arghhh….. I swear that dumbass is an exercise freak, he damn well knows the current 10th ranked is in far better physical condition than most teens his age so he shouldn't push you kids that far." The old lady said in both an annoyed tone and a tone that indicates she knows Professor Ryushi quite well.
"What does that have to do with anything?" Umi asked.
"He should have mentioned Hell Week to you younglings right?" the cafeteria lady asked, "It's the first trial youngsters like you go through in your freshman year. You all get to experience a downscaled version of the normal training regiment of whoever holds the 10th place spot in the academy, and if you don't prove you can hack it… you get the boot to your rears out of here. It's a shame too since the current 10th is as much of a freak as Ryushi."
"How so, old lady?" Kokuo asked as he's too tired to bother being socially sensitive right now.
"Old lady?! Why you damn bra… no forget it… ya'all just went through hell so I'll let it go." the cafeteria lady said as she momentarily looked as though she was going to whack Kokuo with a ladle, "Thankfully he's graduating this year, but the reason Hell Week's gonna be difficult for you lot is because the current 10th has zero interest in reaching the top of the rankings….. hell he's only ranked 10th because he didn't know he was challenged the last 10th to a ranking match, but it practical skill.."
At this moment the stereotypical image of a complaining old person disappears as this cafeteria lady starts to look at Kokuo and Umi with a deadly serious expression.
"The current 10th ranked in terms of actual practical skill is only slightly weaker than our current 1st ranked Sekai Akira." The cafeteria lady said as she instantly dismissed her serious gaze, "But enough about that…. you're holding up the line, and since you kids just went through hell…. consider lunch to be on me."
Umi and Kokuo immediately offer grateful words of praise as they take their lunch trays filled with food, however they couldn't help but think deeply about what this old cafeteria lady had just told them. Kokuo takes it especially hard as he can't even begin to imagine the sight of someone who possesses strength, but has no interest in using it to rise to the top of the world.
"Nice job you dumbass ruffian... she might have been willing to offer you two a free lunch, but…. you should know that cafeteria lady next to elder bro….. the head master and Professor Ryushi is the 3rd strongest fighter on the school's staff." Kisaki shockingly revealed as Umi and Kokuo just happened to have walked right by the table where she was sitting.
There was also several empty bottles of water on the table where Kisaki was sitting for reasons that should be obvious, however Kokuo is legitimately surprised by this piece of news to the point where he almost drops his tray. Once he and Umi actually try the food, Kokuo is grateful that he didn't actually drop his try due to how delicious it was. Why he thought it was several folds better than the cafeteria food served at his old Junior High despite the influence his state of exhaustion has on his judgement.
"Time to dig in." Umi mumbled aloud as she sticks her spoon in a pile of mashed potatoes.
She was about to stick it in her mouth too when all of a sudden Kokuo grabs the wrist of the hand with the spoon in it rather tightly.
"Don't…. look closer." Kokou explained as he pointed his finger at the spoon, "There are bacon bits in it, and remember… you can't eat meat."
"Oh… thank you for the save Kokuo." Umi said in a grateful tone as she lets her spoon fall onto the tray, "Well there are still plenty of other things here I can eat that's not meat."
"Say…. you've heard about how Kisaki-sama was a proctor during the practical exam?" one student whispered to another.
"Yeah I have….. this about the rumor where she passed 3 people because she thought they'd make good underlings?" the other student whispered back.
"I heard from a senpai in the Journalism club that not only is the rumor true, but they've already confirmed the identity of two of them." the one student whispered.
"That quickly?" the other student asked as he grows more interested with this issue, "The Academy is pretty tight lipped about their recordkeeping, so I figured it would take them a couple weeks if the rumor proved to be true at all."
"Have you forgotten that the 6th ranker, Kagawa Tsukiyo is the president of the journalism club?" the first student pointed out, "But unless the third person Kisaki-sama approved of reveals themselves or is revealed by Kisaki-sama…. it'll be a while until Tsukiyo-senpai finds out since she's already used up her administrative access privileges for the month."
"Hmmm…. looks like it's only a matter of time before you become famous." Kokuo whispers to his friend as he overheard the talking students' entire conversation.
"With my rank people will dismiss it as some kind of mistake…. not that I need some f***ing press hound attack dogs on my ass either." Umi whispers to Kokuo in a volume low enough so only he can here, "Still…. I wonder what kind of people the other two she passed are."
Then as if by divine providence…..
"My senpai said that the two people Kisaki-sama approved of were the 2nd strongest freshmen Suzuran Kitashirakawa and 3rd strongest Ryuga Akaimaru." The one student said, "If the pattern holds up, the last person Kisaki-sama approved of is probably the 4th strongest freshmen Kokuo Rettousei.
If Kisaki herself heard that….. she'd probably say something like "There's no way I'd ever approve of such a ruffian!" out of spite.
"Attention all freshmen of Setsuzoku Academy's High School Division still on campus: Please report to the school's main auditorium immediately for the opening ceremonies." A young lady said over the school's PA system.
"Tsukiyo-senpai at her finest, but we should get going now since this cafeteria is far from the main auditorium…. otherwise we'll get stuck with shitty seats." The other student said.
"Speaking of which….. I wonder why we didn't have the opening ceremonies…. In…. well the morning?" Umi points out.
"We'll just have to go there and find out." Kokuo notes, "This time I brought a map, so we'll definitely not have to spend time wandering around the school following someone who should have done HER research."
"Oh… let… it… go." Umi moaned before she breaks off into, "Let it go….. let it go….. can't hold it back anymore!"
"Don't you…. even…. dare finish that sentence!" Kokuo declared as he looked as though he was about to throttle Umi witnesses be damned.
Throttling aside… Umi, Kokuo, and all of the other freshmen in this particular cafeteria end having to take like how a certain student said….. crappy seats in the back of the auditorium…. or rather seats in the row at the very back of this group new students huddled around the auditorium's stage. Still…. it isn't until 10 minutes after the remaining freshmen arrive that anything starts to happen.
"Hey… Kokuo, wake up…. get up you dumbass!" Umi whispered into her friend's ear, of whom fell asleep within the last 10 minutes.
"I will be king under my own terms, and not yours." Kokuo mumbled as he regained consciousness, "Wha…. did I miss the opening ceremony?"
"No….. it's just about to start." Umi explained as she pointed towards the stage, "Look."
What Umi pointed at was Setsuzoku Headmaster Yuuske walking up to a podium placed on the stage while a few random members of the school's staff, including Professor Ryushi are lined up behind him.
"To the Freshmen of this Generation of Setsuzoku Academy's High School Division: My apologies for the delay, but let's just say an unexpected event popped up that I had to book." Yuuske said as he bowed slightly, "To the 1,236 of you admitted this year, congratulations for making it through the front door, but as some teachers should have explained…. your first trial has already begun!"
Most of the teens here think of their first class of the day and shake with fear in response; whether it be physical activity like with Professor Ryushi or some other form of intense lecture.
"Your first trial is Setsuzoku Academy's infamous Hell Week! Some of your teachers might have already explained, but every year during the first week of school, freshmen will go through a series of specialized lectures and activities designed to simulate what is considered a light training regimen for whoever holds the 10th rank at the time. In this case it's the 3rd year student Aadyn Rogers, but be warned this year's Hell Week will be vastly more difficult as in terms of practical skill…. Aadyn would actually be ranked as the second strongest fighter in the school!"
Though the man himself has yet to make an appearance, those who came up from the Junior High division were already familiar with this Aadyn Rogers strength while the remainder were shocked to find that his reputation apparently didn't match his actual strength. In fact a few students regardless of how they got into the school already think they have a foot in the grave due to this news.
"Did all of you here not imagine at one point in your lives…. becoming as strong as the characters from the multiple Cardfight Vanguard animated series like Toshiki Kai, Aichi Sendou, or Chrono Shindou?! Similarly, did you all not come here because you imagined yourself reaching the peak of your own form of the Vanguard world?!" Yuuske yelled.
The headmaster begins to speak with the same charismatic voice that drew so many young fighters in with his recruitment adds, and like those adds these students start to instinctively lean in their seats towards the headmaster.
"The former no matter how good is a work of fiction where the strength of the fighters within are determined by writers, however the latter…. What you see within your imagination is something you all can grab with your own two hands!" Yuuske declared, "Which is why… starting with your generation of high school division freshmen, I intend to raise Setsuzoku Academy's already high standards to a whole new level! That means the knowledge all of you from the Junior High division have on future trials are now worthless!"
The Junior High division graduates among those present were shocked and immediately started to claim that it was unfair, but the headmaster Yuuske himself continued to be unaffected by such complaints.
"It's my job to ensure the best possible environment to in turn ensure the development of the best fighters possible, but… the reason we're having the opening ceremony now is so you all could experience Hell Week without any warning." Yuuske said in a normal tone of voice, "I look forward to seeing you all complete all of your trials during your three years at Setsuzoku Academy, but for now…. I shall leave a few words for the Academy's strongest fighter and Student Council President…. Sekai Akira to say."
The lights in the auditorium begin to dim as the director walks backstage, and a single spotlight gently focuses its gaze on the now empty podium.
"Um…. director… do…. Do… I really… have to talk in front of all these people?" Sekai nervously asked, "I mean…. you…. you pretty much said everything I need to say…. so… um…. what's the point?"
"If you want to get over your anxiety issues….. you'll have to do things like this eventually." The director pointed out.
What the director and this unseen youngster failed to realize was that there short exchange was overheard by the entire high school freshmen class. They could all realize this unseen youngster seemingly barely worked up the courage to speak to the director, so a lot of the people here thought that there's no way this person could possibly Sekai Akira right? Regardless….. one person here had a completely different thought.
"That voice…. it couldn't be…. could it?" Umi thought as she seems to recognize Sekai's nervous utterance.
The white-haired youngster slowly walks up to the podium, however for some strange reason only a few of the freshmen actually notice that he's covered in sweat and shaking as though he were a blender trying to make a smoothie.
"It is him!" Umi couldn't help but say urgently once she saw Sekai.
"Him?" Kokuo asks.
"That's him….. that's the guy who came into my family's diner and gave me the business card." Umi explained as she was barely was able to hold in her surprise.
"Oh…?" Kokuo mumbled as if to signify his curiosity was piqued.
"Oh god…. They're all starting at me….. I wish I could just huddle up behind the podium until they all go away, but….. if I were to do that the director would murder me. There….. there has to be a way for me to get out of…. Talking….. so think…. damn you." Sekai thought.
All the freshmen saw was Sekai gazing upon them as he attempted to work out a solution to his current predicament within his mind. To them it seemed as though Sekai wanted to pressure the freshmen with his gaze, and that in turn dismissed any notion in their minds that Sekai Akira was anything less than a dominating figure. They'd probably be banging their heads against the wall if they knew the truth, but speaking of which…. the eyes of the man himself go wide as if having an epiphany.
"Oh… please let someone have the balls to do it…. please let someone have the balls to do it…. please let someone have the balls to do it, so… I don't have to talk." Sekai thought.
Sekai then pressed a few buttons on his school provided phone, of which in turn causes a mic shaped icon to appear on the touch screen of the phones of all the freshmen here.
"You….. all should know….. who I am…. so excess words are unnecessary." Sekai said in a deadpan tone, "If….. you have questions,,,,, press the buttons on your phone….. and ask them. It'll be broadcasted… through the auditorium's….. internal PA."
Silence… that's all there was as none of the freshmen believed themselves to have a question worthy of the time of Setsuzoku Academy's strongest fighter. There is one fighter here however who has a demand more than a request.
"Sekai Akira, I challenge you to a cardfight!" a male freshman yelled.
"YES….. SOMEONE HAD THE BALLS TO DO IT! NOW I DON'T HAVE TO TALK TO PEOPLE!" Sekai thought as he internally breathed a massive sigh of relief.
All of the freshmen turn their gaze towards the one who spoke, and that person happened to be none other than Kokuo. He had one hand on the button in his phone, and his other hand had his deck with a copy of its ace at the forefront pointed at Sekai as though it were a sword.
"What the f*** is this idiot doing?" Umi thought as she couldn't help but hide her face behind her hands.
If someone were to ask Umi about her relationship with the rather loud young man next to her…. she'd most definitely swear to the 18 levels of hell and 33 heavens that she'd never met Kokuo before.
"My King of Future Knights, Alfred II and I want to see for ourselves why you hold the title of strongest!" Kokuo declared.
To Be Continued
Umi: Arghhh…. why am I friends with f****** dumba** of an idiot?!
Kisaki: Hmphhh…. as brave as he is foolish, but the academy needs those who are dedicated to also know their place. Wouldn't you agree Tsukiyo-senpai?
Umi: Next time on Cardfight Vanguard: Setsuzoku Sensō "Opening Hell Week II"
Sekai: Ummm…. this…. interesting matchup it will be….. one who… is supposed to rule all under heaven…. versus… one who wants to reach the places beyond the heaven.
Royal Paladin
Grade 3
King of Future Knights, Alfred II
Power: 11000 Race: Human
Effect: Sorry, but you'll have to wait until the next chapter to find out.
Lore: Though named Alfred II and looks to be an exact double, he is in actuality the direct descendant of the great king centuries into the future who let the United Sanctuary through the two rebellions of the Shadow Paladins, The War of Liberation, the War against the Invaders, and the Demiurge incident. Make no mistake though….. despite the similarity in appearance to his great ancestor, he considers himself to be a stern king who is a source of strength to his people rather than a king who draws his strength from them.
Thanks to a combination of help from the Zenon and Chronojet of his timeline, the destruction of the stride gate, and help from the Zenon and Chronojet of the past….. Alfred II infiltrated the retinue of his great ancestor. His reason for doing so known only to the figures just mentioned and the few who came with him from the future was to "Stop a band of rogues who would dare to "steal" the United Sanctuary's future!"