It is a large, built-up futuristic city, a battle is currently underway. There is an explosion atop one of the buildings and a knight, clad in golden armor and wielding a large sword, is shot down towards the city streets. He hits the ground with a crash, leaving behind a crater of where he landed. He struggles to get up as a wizard, wearing dark robes and possessing a demonic arm, floats down from the building to loom over him. The wizard points the palm of its demonic arm at the knight as a manly voice says, "Attack!" as the wizard fires a beam.
"My allies! Protect me!" another manly voice calls out as smaller knights and mages appear in front of the wounded knight to shield him from the attack. "Now it's my turn!" the same voice says as the knight stands up, "Generation Stride!" the knight is then consumed by a bright light before reappearing in a more divine attire of golden robes and an energy sword.
Standing on the streets, is a man, with messy black hair and wearing a business suit, stands across from another man with light brown hair and wearing a simple white dress shirt with black jeans, who is struggling to stay on his feet. The man with black hair smirks and says, "Heh, you're just as good as I remember."
The man with brown hair fully stands up and replies, "You haven't been slacking off either."
"What say we end this?" the man with black hair asks, as he raises his hand, commanding the wizard to take a fighting stance.
"I thought you'd never ask!" the man with brown hair responds as he raises his hand, commanding the golden knight to raise his sword.
"AMAZING! Kazuma Shouji and Taiyou Asukawa of the former Team Striders are really giving us their all this fight!" an announcer screams with a passion for what is happening, "No one has seen them fight like this in over 10 years! We are witnessing the power of legends right here folks!"
"HAAAAAAA!" the two men scream at each other as their Vanguards clash, causing the area to turn white with a flash of light.
On a bus, at another time, a boy watches the fight on his smartphone through earbuds. He watches the two men clash over and over and he smiles happily at their performance.
The bus pulls up to the stop and opens its doors, allowing its passengers to step off. The boy then steps off the bus alongside businessmen and young couples. He has a body build of that of a normal middle-aged teen, with spiky, yet flowing green hair, and his eyes are a deep crimson red. He wears a black and red blazer over a greenish-blue hoodie, gray sweatpants, and blue and white sneakers. Over his shoulder, he carries a large duffle bag. He takes his earbuds out of his ears and stuffs them into his pocket as he looks across the magnificent city of Tokyo. "The city, I'm finally here." he says. He then takes a deep breath as he takes his first steps into the bustling city, ready to forge his future.
Opening Theme – RISE OF SOULS (Battle Spirits Burning Soul Op1)
Turn 1 – Welcome to the City
The boy arrives at a large high school alongside other students wearing a similar blazer as him. As he walks up to the school, he is texting someone on his phone. The name reads "Roommate" and the latest message is from the boy as he says, "I'll be there tonight after work. Can't wait to finally meet you."
A few seconds later, the roommate replies saying, "Yeah, can't wait to meet you too." The boy then puts the phone in his pocket as he enters the school.
Inside one of the classrooms, the female teacher announces to the class, "Alright everyone. We have a new student joining us today. Come on in." The boy then walks into the classroom and faces the other students. "Why don't you introduce yourself?"
The boy bows and says, "My name is Yuji Kyouto. I look forward to getting to meet you all." As some of the other students begin talking amongst themselves.
"Why don't you tell us a little about yourself Mr. Kyouto?" the teacher asks, putting her hands together.
"Well, I'm 16 years old, I moved out here from the countryside, because this was really the only school that would accept me." Yuji tells everyone, as the students start talking amongst each other again.
"Well, we're pleased to have you Mr. Kyouto." The teacher says, then gestures toward the back of the classroom, "there's a seat open in the back for you."
"Thank you." Yuji bows at the teacher and makes his way to the desk he'll be sitting at for the rest of the semester. He sets down his bag before sitting down in the seat, not even noticing the girl watching him from the seat just next to him.
She has fluffy cyan-colored hair, aside from one portion which was white-colored and spiked out, as well as silky hazel eyes. She is wearing the female variant of the school uniform, of a dark-gray-long-sleeved jacket that only went down to her chest, underneath a black shirt with a pink tie, a gray skirt, black thigh-highs, and brown boots. She watches Yuji until the teacher announces the start of the class.
At lunch, Yuji sits on a bench on the school roof as he eats the lunch he picked up on his way to school, of a simple egg sandwich cut into a triangle shape. He takes a bite of his sandwich as a shadow approaches him. "Um, excuse me?" he hears a voice talk to him. He looks up to see the same girl he sat next to in class, "You're the new student, right?"
Yuji nods and replies, "Yeah?"
The girl bows and introduces herself, "M-My name is Stella Kurosaki, I'm a 2nd-year at this school, and I sit next to you in class. You said your name was Yuji Kyouto, right? It's very nice to meet you. I hope we can be friends."
Yuji smiles and says, "I hope so too."
"Since you're new here, I thought I could give you a tour of the school." Stella offers.
"Really? Thanks. I appreciate that." Yuji tells her. He finishes his lunch and goes with the girl to explore the school.
About half an hour later, as they are walking down the hall, Stella asks him, "So you said you're from the countryside?"
"Yeah," Yuji replies, "as funny as it is, I'm actually from Kyoto."
"Wait really?!" Stella exclaims, "Wow, you're really far from home."
"Maybe so," Yuji says, putting his hands in his pockets, "But honestly, I don't mind it." Stella looks at him confused as he continues, "I've stayed cooped up in my family's inn for most of my life, so I've always wanted to get out and explore the country." He puts a hand on his head in annoyance, "I don't even have a real grasp on modern technology. The most I know how to use is a smart phone, and even then, I only know how to make calls and text."
"I see…" Stella says.
"Yeah… and I've got a really big day ahead of me too."
"Oh really?"
"Yeah," Yuji replies, "First I got to get through my first day here, then I have to head down to my part-time job to start my first day, and THEN I head to my new home to meet my roommate."
"Wait, you haven't been home yet?" Stella asks in shock.
"No, I only got here with just enough time to grab lunch before coming to school." He explains.
"Oh…" Stella pauses for a moment and then asks, "So where are you working?"
"Card Capital 2. It's not that far from here, thank goodness."
"Card Capital 2?" Stella questions, "My friend actually works there!"
"Oh?"
"Yeah." Stella confirms with a nod, "She's really sweet. I hope you two can get along."
"I do too." Yuji says, "I look forward to working with her."
Just then, Stella hears some voices call out to her, "STELLA!" she looks down the hall to see some other girls waving her down. She turns to Yuji and bows, saying, "I'm sorry, I have to go…"
"No problem, thanks again for the tour."
"Of course!" Stella replies, "I wish you luck on your job and new life here. I'll see you around!" She then runs off to join the other girls.
"She seems pretty nice." Yuji says to himself as he walks off.
Later that day, after school, Yuji leaves the front gate on his way to his new job. He arrives at a large building in the middle of a small street with a sign painted across the second-story windows that says "Card Capital 2" Yuji checks the address on his phone through a text message from his manager. Once she confirms it's the right place, he says, "I guess this is it." He puts his phone into his pocket and walks inside.
He heads up to the second floor of the building and opens the door to the shop. The sound of a small jingling bell greets him as he opens the door and looks around the shop. The wall to his left was lined with display cases, housing various Vanguard cards, both old and new. There was a vending machine further down, as well as a red couch along the back wall just underneath the window. From where he was standing, he could only see a few wooden tables toward the back of the store, and to his right, was the counter with a few display racks for Trial Decks on the wall just behind it, and sitting at the counter itself, was a young woman who looked about his age.
She has short pale-blue hair adorned with a large white bow on the side of her head. She had alluring emerald-green eyes and is wearing an orange apron over a white dress shirt with her sleeves rolled up, as well as appearing to be reading a manga book. She hears the sound of the bell and looks over at Yuji to greet him, "Hi, welcome to Card Capital."
Yuji's heart nearly stops when seeing her, as she was so pretty, it practically took his breath away. He quickly regains his composure and tells her, "I'm here to see the manager. Today's my first day working here."
"Oh! You're the new person! Wait here, I'll go get him." the girl says as she gets up from her seat and heads through the door just behind her, as Yuji walks over to the couch to sit down until the manager arrives.
A few minutes later, the manager comes out from the back and walks over to Yuji. "Sorry for the wait. Glad you could make it." The manager tells him.
Yuji looks up and is stunned by what he saw… in front of him, was standing the very same man that he saw in the video he watched this morning. He had fluffy brown hair and brown eyes, wearing a white shirt, blue pants, and the same orange apron the girl was wearing. Yuji jumps back in his seat in shock, knowing exactly who the man is, "Y-You're Taiyou Asukawa, of Team Striders!"
"So, you've heard of me." The manager replies, "Not that I should be surprised."
"Y-You're like a legend!" Yuji exclaims, trying to contain his excitement.
"Heh," Taiyou mutters, scratching the back of his head, "I don't know why people still consider me a legend. I'm nowhere near as famous as Chrono…"
"You mean Chrono Shindou?" Yuji asks for clarification.
"Yeah, my former team leader."
"I heard he retired recently. Is that true?" Yuji asks.
Taiyou hangs his head for a moment, and then looks back up at Yuji and answers, "Y-Yeah… but I mean, he's got a kid now, and I've heard from his wife that she can be quite a handful. I should know… having twins of my own."
Just then, the girl comes out from the back. "Manager?" she says to get his attention.
"Yes, Saki?" Taiyou says as he turns to face her, having traded her apron for a black and red school uniform.
"Since it's slow today, and you've got the new person, I'm going to head home." She says as she reaches for the handle of the front door, "I've got someone moving in with me tonight, so I need to make sure I'm there to meet them."
"Alright. See you tomorrow." Taiyou tells her.
"See ya later." She responds as she opens the door, "and good luck new guy!"
"Thanks…" Yuji replies, then thinks to himself, "she's got someone moving in with her too? What a coincidence."
"Alright, so how about we get started. I'll give you the run down of how we operate around here." Taiyou says, putting a fist on his hip.
"I'd appreciate that… Mr. Asukawa." Yuji replies politely.
"Please, call me Taiyou, or manager. Either's fine with me."
"Um, okay." Yuji responds. Taiyou then takes him on a tour of the shop and shows him how to do everything: running the register, taking inventory, how to handle customers, and how to lock up the shop.
A few hours later, the sun has begun to set, and Yuji, now wearing the signature apron of the store, is polishing the tables while Taiyou stocks the shelves behind the counter. Just then, Taiyou's phone rings. "Hello?" he says when he answers it. Yuji is unable to make out the conversation, but he hears Taiyou exclaim, "What?! O-Of course! I'll be there right away!" and hangs up the phone. "Yuji! Can you come over here a minute?"
"Sure." Yuji replies as he walks over to the counter.
Taiyou sighs and says, "I hate to have to do this to you on your first day, but I have to leave early to deal with a family emergency."
"What?!" Yuji exclaims, "So then, what do I do?"
"Just remember what I taught you and you should be fine." Taiyou tells him as he removes his apron and tosses it under the counter. He then reaches into his pocket and pulls out a key with a Vangaro key chain attached. "Here's the key to the shop. Just remember to lock up before you leave. Can you do that?"
Yuji thinks for a moment, then puts on a confident face and says, "Yeah. I can do this."
"Alright, then I'm out of here." Taiyou says as he heads toward the door, "I will want that key back tomorrow. If I'm not here tomorrow, give it to Saki, she's the girl who was here earlier."
"You got it." Yuji says and Taiyou exits the shop. Yuji turns around and looks over the entire shop. It's peaceful and quiet. Not a single person in sight. "So… what do I do now?" he asks himself.
A few more hours later, the sun has set fully, and it is now nighttime outside. Yuji sits at the counter and yawns in boredom. "Man… working here by yourself can be pretty boring…" he says. As he tries to think of ways to pass the time, his eyes land on the rental trial decks in a basket on the counter. He then looks around to make sure nobody is watching. He takes one of the decks out of the basket, and runs over to one of the wooden tables, pulls out his own deck, and proceeds to play solitaire Vanguard, where he fights himself using both decks.
A few turns into his imaginary fight, he declares, "Exxtreme Battler Raxis attacks the Vanguard!" He then gets up from his seat and runs to the seat on the other side of the table, picks up the hand he had set down, looks at it, and says, "No guard." He sets the hand back down and runs back over to the first seat and declares, "Okay! Twin Drive! Critical Trigger! Power to Dosledge, critical to Raxis!" he runs back over to the other seat and declares, "Damage Check, no trigger."
As he is playing this game with himself, he doesn't hear the door to the shop open, as a young man, a little older than Yuji walks in. He had bright orange hair with one portion colored white, green eyes, and was wearing a blue jacket over a white dress shirt and black jeans. He walks around the corner to see Yuji playing Vanguard with himself. The boy walks up to him and says, "Hey." In a rather raspy voice to get his attention.
Yuji is started by the boy and quickly turns around to face him. "I-I wasn't playing pretend with myself! Ah ha ha! Not at all!" he says to try and defend himself, but the boy doesn't seem to care.
"I want to learn how to play Vanguard." He tells him.
Yuji snaps out of his panicked state and says, "Uh… sure. Do you have a deck?"
"No…?" the boy replies, sounding confused, "You need a deck?"
"Yeah. If you want, I could loan you one." Yuji offers.
"That's fine." The boy says, "I don't really care."
Yuji hears this statement and proceeds to let him use the deck he was playing with a minute ago. The two of them sit down at the table together as they shuffle their decks. Yuji quickly runs over the basic rules, which the boy picks up on quickly, but just as they were about to start, Yuji asks, "By the way, do you mind if I ask your name?"
"What does it matter?" the boy replies.
Slightly annoyed, Yuji responds, "Uh… because it'll be easier to refer to you if I knew your name?"
The boy sighs and says, "My name doesn't really matter. Let's just begin."
"Come on, can't you at least give me your last name?" Yuji asks, to which the boy sighs again.
"Fujikawa." He says, making Yuji look a little confused, "Just call me Fujikawa."
"Is that your last name?" Yuji asks and the boy nods, "Alright then, let's get started. Now imagine it."
"Imagine… it…?" Fujikawa questions.
"Yeah," Yuji replies, "this battle we're about to have takes place on a far off planet known as Planet Cray." Yuji closes his eyes as he continues, "Use your imagination, and picture the battle unfolding before you."
The orange-head is a little exasperated at Yuji's monologue and says, "Look, I'm not all for playing pretend like you are apparently, so can we just get on with this?"
Yuji grits his teeth and says, "But imagination's half the battle!"
"It is?" Fujikawa questions.
"Yeah, if you can't imagine the fight happening, you'll never win a fight. You use it to predict what your opponent will do, and to surpass them." Fujikawa sighs as he gives in to Yuji's antics.
"Fine, I'll humor you." He says.
"Cool." Yuji says as he closes his eyes. "Now picture it, we're standing in an arena, in the middle of a golden city, with buildings that touch the sky."
Fujikawa closes his eyes and tries to envision the scene. There is a white flash of white in his mind, and when he opens his eyes, he is stunned to see himself in that very same scene. "WHOA! What the heck?!" he exclaims. He looks at his hands to notice he is completely see-through.
"Pretty cool huh?" He hears Yuji's voice come from the other side of the arena, "You and I have arrived on this planet in the form of spirits. However, while in this form, we're powerless to do anything to each other."
"So what do we do?"
Yuji smirks and says, "We call upon the units of this planet to aid us in our battle, and we can even take control of one of the units to command our allies. That's why we call it Vanguard. The one who leads the way."
"The one who leads the way…" Fujikawa repeats, ponding that statement.
"Now, we're finally ready to begin. You ready?" Yuji asks, and Fujikawa nods. They both then place their hands on their starters and declare, "Stand up… VANGUARD!"
"Extreme Battler, Zashid (G0/5000)!" Yuji declares.
"Flayrgal (G0/5000)!" Fujikawa declares. On Cray, Fujikawa looks down to realize he's turned into the unit he just rode. "Whoa! This is… strange."
"I can imagine it'd might feel weird at first, but you get used to it after a while." Yuji explains, "Now, why don't I go first? Ride! Extreme Battler, Sosaucer (G1/8000)! I activate Zashid's skill! I can look at the top five cards of my deck and put an Extreme Battler into my hand. Now it's your turn."
"Alright then…" Fujikawa draws a card, and proceeds with his turn, "Ride! Sunshine Knight, Jeffrey (G1/8000)!"
"Your Flayrgal has the same skill as my Zashid. It lets you look at the top five cards of your deck, and put a unit with a Unite skill from among them into your hand."
"Alright…" Fujikawa does that and manages to add a card. He then proceeds to try and call another unit, "I call Knight of Inspiration, Lulash (G1/8000). With his skill, discard and draw. Boost by Lulash, Jeffrey attacks the Vanguard (8000-16000)."
"That's a no guard." Yuji says.
"I drive check now, right?" Fujikawa asks, and Yuji nods. He flips over the top card and reveals a card with a yellow symbol, "Critical Trigger. I give all effects to the Vanguard (16000-26000/Crit 1-2)."
"Okay, Damage Check (none/none). No trigger." (Yuji: [][]). "My turn now, Ride! Extreme Battler, Tempest Fist (G2/9000)! I also call Extreme Battler, Dosledge (G2/9000) and Extreme Battler, Ganbarugun (G1/8000)! Tempest Fist attacks the Vanguard!"
"I…" Fujikawa hesitates for a moment, trying to remember what to do, and then he makes a play, "Guard (10000)."
"Drive Check (Front). Front Trigger! Add 10000 power to my entire front row!"
(8000-18000) (9000-19000) (9000-19000)
"That means the attack goes through right?"
"Yep." Yuji nods.
"Fine, Damage Check (none)." (Fujikawa: []).
"Alright, Dosledge attacks the Vanguard!"
"No guard." (Fujikawa: [][]).
"Tempest Fist's skill ([X][]), when my rear-guard finishes an attack, add 5000 power, and stand! Minus 1 drive (19000-24000)! Now, Ganbarugun attacks the Vanguard!"
"Guard (15000)!"
"Tempest Fist attacks the Vanguard!"
"No guard." (Fujikawa: [][][]).
"I end my turn."
"Stand and draw. Ride! Knight of Spring's Light, Perimore (G2/9000)! Using his skill ([X][][]), I call another Perimore, add 5000 power with its own skill, and draw one card (G2/9000-14000). Using this one's same skill ([X][X][]). Call Dawning Knight Gorboduc and add 5000 power since I've called two or more units this turn (G1/8000-13000).
Board State
(XXXX) (G2/9000) (G2/14000)
(XXXX) (G1/8000) (G1/13000)
"Boosted by Lulash, my Vanguard attacks (9000-17000)!"
"No guard." Yuji declares.
"Drive Check (Heal). Heal Trigger. This lets me recover 1 damage, right?" Yuji nods in confirmation. "Then I heal 1 damage and give 10000 power to my rear-guard Perimore (14000-24000)." (Fujikawa: [X][])
"Damage Check." Yuji says, confidently flipping over the top card (Critical), "Critical Trigger. Add 10000 power to my Vanguard (9000-19000)." (Yuji: [X][][])
"Boosted by Gorboduc, Perimore attack (24000-37000)!"
"I'll guard that, and then Dosledge intercepts (15000+5000=20000)!"
"I end my turn."
"Right, stand and draw." Yuji declares. "You're not doing too bad for you first game. You sure you've never played before?"
"Well… my sister is into Vanguard, and she's the one who encouraged me to start playing in the first place."
I see. So I assume you learned a little through her?"
"Not really. She didn't teach me anything."
"Eh, at least you're learning now. Right?" Yuji asks, offering him a kind gesture.
He tries to hide it, but Fujikawa cracks a slight smile at Yuji's comment, "Yeah… whatever." He says, trying to hide his gratitude.
Yuji chuckles, and then holds up a card in his hand, "Let's go partner! Let's show him our fighting spirit! Ride! My ultimate champion!" On Cray, a glimmering star shines in the sky, as a comet-like object begins to hurl toward the battlefield. With a loud crash, making the ground shake, a giant white robot with blue armor plates lands like a superhero behind Yuji. He leaps into the air, all the way up to the robot's head, and gets inside the cockpit. The room is black, until Yuji says, "Status Check!" and pushes some buttons to make several green virtual screens appear around him, as he sits in his chair, hands on the handles, "All systems green! Let's do this! My Vanguard!" the robot roars to life, brandishing twin silver blades, as Yuji declares the robot's name, "Exxtreme Battler… RAXIS (G3/12000)!"
"Whoa…" is all Fujikawa can mutter as he stares at the giant robot looming over him.
"I call Dosledge (G2/9000) and Extreme Battler, Malyaki (G1/7000)! Activating Raxis's skill (Soul 3-2)!" Yuji declares. On Cray, he pushes some buttons and swipes on a pad before saying, "Calling for Backup!" in reality, he simply just picks up cards from his deck. "I rest my Dosledge, and look at the top three cards of my deck and call up to one Extreme Battler from among them. I call Extreme Battler Banguet (G1/8000)! Now using his skill, I can stand one rear-guard! I stand Dosledge! With Dosledge's skill, since he stood 1 time by an ability this turn, add 10000 power (9000-19000)! Next, with Malyaki's skill, add 4000 power when a rear-guard stands (7000-11000)! Lastly, I call Clay-doll Mechanic (G1/8000)!"
Board State
(G1/8000) (G3/12000) (G2/19000)
(G1/8000) (G1/8000) (G1/11000)
"Time to battle! Dosledge attacks the Vanguard!" The robot raises its gigantic metal hammer and slams it against Fujikawa's Vanguard (Fujikawa: [X][][]). "Boosted by Clay-doll Mechanic, Ganbarugun attacks the Vanguard (8000-16000)! Ganbarugun's skill (Soul 2-1)! Stand Dosledge and add 5000 power to Ganbarugun (16000-21000), and with Malyaki's skill, add 4000 power to himself (11000-15000)! Now Dosledge's skill! Since he stood 2 times this turn, I can Soul Charge (Soul 1-2)!"
"I guard (15000)!"
"Dosledge attacks the rear-guard Perimore!"
"No guard…" Fujikawa states as his unit is sent to the drop zone.
"Boosted by Banguet, Raxis attacks the Vanguard (12000-20000)! Raxis's skill ([X][X][])! Stand Dosledge! Dosledge's skill, since he stood 3 times this turn, add another 10000 power, and you can't guard with sentinels during his next attack (19000-29000) (Malyaki: 15000-19000)!"
"I'll just use it now then, Complete Guard!" Fujikawa exclaims, surprising Yuji.
"Whoa, you had that saved up?!" he exclaims.
"Yeah, since the start of the game."
Yuji smirks as he declares, "Twin Drive (none/Critical). Critical Trigger! I give all effect to Dosledge (29000-39000/Crit 1-2)! Clay-doll Mechanic's skill! Since I used a counter blast with Raxis's skill, retire him and counter charge ([X][][]). Boosted by Malyaki, Dosledge attacks the Vanguard (39000-58000)!"
"No guard." (Fujikawa: [X][][][][])
"I end my turn. You learn fast."
"What do you mean?" Fujikawa asks, confused by Yuji's statement.
"You anticipated not being able to use a sentinel against Dosledge, so you used your perfect guard to block my Vanguard and kept yourself at 3 damage." Yuji explains, "That's usually not something a rookie knows how to do during his first fight."
"Yeah well… call it luck." Fujikawa says and then draws a card. "Ride! Sunrise Ray Knight, Gurguit (G3/11000)! I can stride now, right?"
"Yup, go for it." Yuji encourages him.
"Alright then, Generation Stride! Golden Dragon, Spear-X Dragon (G4/26000)! Gurguit's stride skill ([X][X][][][])! Look at the top four cards of my deck. I call Demonic Crystal Mobilization, Coiras (G2/9000)! Using his skill (Soul 3-2), since I have zero cards in my hand, add 10000 power, and he gets boost (9000-19000)! Corias and Gorboduc switch places. I activate Spear-X Dragon's skill (Soul 2-1) (G-Zone 0-1)! I call Perimore (G2/9000-14000) and Knight of Treasured Bow, Vitrinus (G2/9000)!"
Board State
(G2/14000) (G4/26000) (G1/13000)
(G2/9000) (G1/8000) (G2/19000)
"Boosted by Vitrinus, attack the Vanguard (14000-23000)!" Fujikawa declares, starting to get more fierce, and desperate.
"No guard." (Yuji: [X][][][])
"Boosted by Lulash, Spear-X Dragon attacks the Vanguard (26000-34000)!"
"Complete Guard!"
"What?!" Fujikawa exclaims.
"You weren't the only one holding onto a perfect guard since the beginning." Yuji taunts him, and Fujikawa grits his teeth,
"Triple Drive (none/none/Heal). Heal Trigger! Recover 1 damage and add 10000 power to Gorboduc (13000-23000) ([X][X][][])! Boosted by Corias, Gorboduc attacks the Vanguard (23000-42000)!"
"No guard." (Yuji: [X][][][][]).
Fujikawa slams his fists on the counter in a fit, "DAMMIT!" he exclaims, "I was so close!"
"Whoa hey, chill out man." Yuji tries to console him, "You almost had me…" Yuji blatantly lied, knowing Fujikawa made a bunch of mistakes in his panicked strategy to try and win. "You're doing good. So why don't we kick things up a notch?" Yuji places his hand over his Vanguard and declares, "Activating Raxis's Soul Drive!"
"Soul Drive?" Fujikawa questions.
"By paying a cost ([X][X][][][])(Soul 2-1), Raxis permanently gains 3000 power, 1 grade, 1 drive, and he becomes Driven (G3-4/12000-15000/drive 2-3)!"
"W-What does that mean?!" Fujikawa asks, starting to grow panicked.
"You'll see! I activate Raxis's skill (Soul 1-0)! Call for back up! Rest Dosledge and call another Ganbarugun over Ganbarugun that's already there (G2/9000)! I now call Unknown Adamski (G1/8000)! Using his skill ([X][X][X][][]), Stand Dosledge and attack with it! Dosledge's skill! Add 10000 power (9000-19000)!"
"I activate Gurguit's skill ([X][X][][])(Soul 2-1)! I call Curable Angel to the guard circle (Shield: 20000)!"
"Unknown Adamski's other skill! If the attack from the unit it stood didn't hit, that unit can stand again! Dosledge's skill! Soul Charge (Soul 0-1)!"
Board State
(G1/8000) (G4/15000) (G2/19000)
(G1/8000) (G1/8000) (G1/11000)
"Let's go! Ganbarugun attacks the Gorboduc!" The attack hits, and Gorboduc is retired, "Dosledge attacks the Vanguard!"
"No guard…" Fujikawa mutters, having lost heart that he'll win (Fujikawa: [X][X][][][]).
"Boosted by Banguet, Raxis attacks the Vanguard (15000-23000)!" the giant robot raises its twin swords and prepares to strike them against Fujikawa, "Raxis's skill ([X][X][X][X][])! Normally, he can only stand 1 rear-guard with his skill, but if he's driven…" Yuji says as he places each of his hands on Ganbarugun and Dosledge, "he can stand two rear-guards instead!" and turns them right side up.
Fujikawa sighs in defeat after looking at his hand and says, "No guard…" on Cray, Raxis leaps into the air and plummets toward Fujikawa's Vanguard, and when their swords clash, a bright white light fills the area, followed up by an explosion. When the smoke clears, Raxis is all that stands in the area, and Fujikawa is reduced back to a spirit before fading away (Fujikawa: [X][X][][][][]).
Fujikawa looks down at his cards, as a shadow looms over his face. Yuji walks behind him and pats him on the back. "Hey come on," he says, "don't beat yourself because you lost your first game. Take this as a learning experience. I mean heck, I didn't win any games when I first started."
Fujikawa looks up at Yuji with an annoyed expression and says, "Whatever. Mind if I buy the deck?"
"Of course not," Yuji replies, "I'll ring it up for you." After they complete the payment, Fujikawa stuffs the deck into his pocket as Yuji tells him, "Have a good night, and feel free to come back anytime."
Fujikawa simply waves as he walks out of the shop, hands in his pocket, and holding a slumped-over posture.
Soon after he's left, Yuji pulls his phone out of his pocket and checks the time. It's currently 9:48pm. "Whoa, it's that late already?" Yuji looks around the shop, as stillness has returned after that intense cardfight. "Guess I should lock up and head home." Yuji hangs his apron up in the backroom and clocks out before turning out the lights in the store and locking it, just like Taiyou showed him.
Later, Yuji arrives at the apartment building his roommate told him to come to in the text. "Guess this is it." He says and begins to walk up the stairs to the sixth floor. "Room 607…" he reads the text message aloud. He walks around the sixth floor until he finds the apartment labeled 607. "Well… here it is. My new home. I just hope my roommate is nice." Yuji reads the next text that says the front door was left unlocked for him. Taking that hint, Yuji opens the door and walks inside the apartment. "Hello? It's me, the new roommate!" Yuji shouts, to try and get their attention, but there's no response. "Hello?"
The apartment had an odd smell of must, despite how clean it looked. The wood floor was recently polished, and the gray walls were clean as can be. The dark-blue sofa had dark-green cushions neatly arranged on it, and the kitchen, which can be seen from the living room, was nice and tidy, with the dishes placed on the dish rack, and the utensils hanging from hooks over the sink.
Still not having heard a response, Yuji takes his shoes off on the concrete slab by the door before stepping onto the wood floor. He sets his duffle bag on the couch as he walks toward the hallway in the back, in an attempt to look for his roommate. "Um, hello?" he says as he opens one of the doors, but his eyes were not ready for what he finds.
Inside the room, he sees a young woman, about his age, with light-blue hair and emerald-green eyes, wearing nothing but some light blue panties, and a matching bra that covers her small chest. They lock eyes with each other, and it takes them both a minute to realize what's going on. Yuji then realizes something… it's the same girl he saw working at Card Capital earlier! They both blush in the heat of the situation, but before the girl could do anything, Yuji screams, "WHAA! Sorry!" and slams the door shut. He holds his back to the door and takes several rapid breaths, trying to forget what he saw. He decides to head over to the couch and sit down, before looking through the texts with his roommate to make sure he's in the right apartment.
A few moments later, the girl walks out of that room, now wearing a simple, loose-fitting green tank-top, and a blue skirt, still choosing to remain barefoot. "Oh hey… sorry about that…" Yuji apologizes, noticing her immediately. She walks over to him, puts her hands on her hips, and asks him, "Okay… who are you, and what are you doing in my apartment?" just then, she makes the same realization, "Wait a minute, you're the boy I saw at Card Capital."
"Yeah… my name is Yuji Kyouto," he introduces himself, "Taiyou said your name was Saki. Right?"
"Yeah, I'm Saki Tagushi." The girl introduces herself, but then goes firm again, "So are you going to tell me what you're doing in my apartment so late at night?"
"Well… I was looking for my new roommate's apartment." Yuji explained, "He said apartment 607, and that's what this is… right?" he looks back at the open door and reads the label that clearly says 607.
Saki's body posture then stiffens when she hears what he said, "Wait… your roommate told you to go to 607?"
"Yeah…?" Yuji confirms, questioning where the girl is going with this.
"I-I'm supposed to have someone moving in with me tonight as well… and I also told her apartment 607." She shows him her phone, and the text messages she had with her roommate, and Yuji's face almost goes pale when he realizes… it was the EXACT same conversation he's been having with his roommate.
"Uh… huh…" he mutters, growing concerned. The two of them look at each other, and they finally put two and two together… they were EACH OTHER'S roommates!
"EEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?!" they both scream after making this realization… and realizing the years to come… were going to be interesting…
Ending Theme – Ne ba gi bi la! ~ Never Give It Up (by Psychic Lover)
[Next Time]
Having discovered Saki is his roommate, Yuji tries his best to get acquainted with her, however, she seems to be shutting herself off from him. Yuji initially pays no mind to this, but he soon discovers the clan that Saki uses... Bermuda Triangle? But when he questions her about it, she gets defensive. Next time on Vanguard Exodus – "Beautiful Mermaids!" Don't miss it!