It's a late-night, and at a small traditional-style house, Tokoha sits at her desk, next to her bed, in her room working on a laptop. Her room has faded orange walls with light pink baseboards and flower stickers along the walls. Her bed had pink bed sheets, and there is a TV on top of a small cupboard on the opposite end, and also a tall dresser against the back wall in between the TV and the bed.
As Tokoha is typing the keys on her laptop, she hears a knock at her door which is just behind her. She glances back at the door and says, "Come in." The door opens slightly and a young man, about in his mid-twenties, peaks into the room. He has bluish-green hair and wearing a white t-shirt and sweat pants. "Oh, Mamoru." Tokoha says his name.
"Are you still up?" the man asks her with a slight smile on his face, "You realize you have school tomorrow right?"
"I know," Tokoha tells him, "but I wanna get these posters done so I can take them to get printed in the morning."
Mamoru chuckles slightly and says, "You're adamant about this huh?" as he walks into the room.
"Yeah, and I'm gonna do it!" Tokoha tells him with a cheerful expression.
Mamoru kneels down beside Tokoha and pats her on the head, "Alright, just don't sleep too much later. You'll need all the energy you can get to get this thing started."
Tokoha giggles a little and says, "I won't." Mamoru then stands up and walks out of the room. Tokoha then looks back at her laptop screen at the poster design that says, "Join the Vanguard Club!"
Opening Theme – STORY (Luck & Logic OP)
TURN 3 – The Flowers of Tomorrow, Tokoha Anjou
The next morning at school, as the sun is just barely over the horizon, Tokoha and Kumi walk down the hallways carrying the rolled-up posters, as well as a few rolls of tape. "This club is going to be amazing!" Kumi exclaims in excitement.
"I know right?" Tokoha replies.
Meanwhile, Chrono walks down the hallways looking at his deck. "I got to school earlier than usual today." he says to himself as he puts his deck back in his pocket, "Guess I'll just look through my deck while I wait for class to start."
Then, just as Chrono and Tokoha are about to turn the same corner, they collide with each other. "AH!" they both shout in surprise as Tokoha spills the posters and tape she was carrying onto the floor. "Sorry about that." She apologizes, but then quickly realizes who she bumped into, "Chrono?"
"Huh? Oh hey Tokoha." He greets her.
"I'm sorry, I didn't see you coming around the corner." She apologizes again and goes to pick up her posters.
"No I was the one who was distracted." Chrono explains, "Here, let me help." Chrono then bends down to help her pick up the posters but then notices something. The posters were held closed by tape, and when they fell, one of them unrolled itself. Chrono picks up that poster, looks at it, and says, "Vanguard Club?"
"Yeah." Tokoha replies as she snitches the poster from him and begins rolling it up, "It's been something I've been trying to set up for a while now. I figured it would be a great way for the people in this school to learn and play Vanguard."
"That's great and all, but why not just invite them to the card shop?" Chrono asks her as he finishes picking up the tape rolls.
"Because the store is a public place and some people have social anxiety," she says as she takes the tape rolls from Chrono, "so I figured a smaller place like this club would also be a good way to help people get over that social hurdle."
"Hey…" Kumi interjects in her typical soothing tone, "Why don't you join the club Chrono?"
"No thanks…" Chrono replies almost immediately.
"Why not?" Kumi asks.
"Because if I'm gonna to play Vanguard, I'll just go to the card shop." He tells her as he grabs his back and turns around to walk away, "Later."
"That's fine and all," Tokoha tells him, "but you haven't really joined a school club yet."
Chrono stops at hearing this. "Hmm?" he mutters.
"And wouldn't you rather join a club doing what you love rather than joining something you have no interest in?" Tokoha asks him, "You've pretty much rejected every other club, so this seems like a perfect chance to join something you'd be interested in. Besides, you might even make more friends than you would have at the card shop." Chrono thinks for a minute, but then Tokoha butts in and says, "I'll take your silence as a 'yes'."
"Hey! Wait! I didn't say I'd join yet!" Chrono exclaims in annoyance, but Tokoha and Kumi have already walked off.
"You're so cool Tokoha! You recruited our first member!" Chrono can hear Kumi say in the distance. He then hangs his head down and sighs.
Throughout the day, Tokoha and Kumi hang up posters around the school, hand out flyers when not in class, and talk to the staff about finding a room to set up in. Meanwhile, Chrono watches it all happen from a distance.
Later that day after classes, Tokoha, Chrono, and Kumi walk down the hallway together as they head to the room that has been designated as their club room. Tokoha and Kumi walk side-by-side, as Chrono tails shortly behind them. "It's too bad we couldn't recruit anyone today…" Kumi says in a saddened tone.
"It's okay. There's always tomorrow!" Tokoha says, and Chrono cracks a slight smile at her determination.
They then arrive at the room and Chrono asks, "So is this it?"
Tokoha nods her head and says, "Okay, let's go in." She opens the door, and they are greeted by a very old classroom that has signs that it hasn't been used in a long time. The chairs have been turned upside down and placed on top of the desks and cobwebs have been strung between the legs of the chairs and even desks. There were also cobwebs in the corners of the room, boxes of old school supplies were stacked almost to the ceiling in the back of the room, and the room reeked of mildew.
"Ugh… Is this seriously the room we're using?" Chrono asks as he covers his nose to protect it from the smell.
"The principal said he was going to let us use one of the old classrooms… but I didn't think it'd be this bad." Tokoha explains as the three of them walk into the room. Tokoha walks over to the window sill and runs her finger across it to see the 3 layers of dust that has formed on it.
Chrono looks at the wall and touches it, only for some of the paint to fall off, startling him in the process, and causing him to say, "How old even is this room?"
"I think it used by the art club before they changed rooms." Tokoha explains, "From what the principal said, that was nearly five years ago."
"Long before we were even here." Chrono says in awe.
"Welp! If we're going to turn this room in to the Vanguard Club room, we better get cleaning!" Tokoha says as she rolls up her sleeves and pulls out a bucket and mop.
"Where did she get those from…?" Chrono questions and Kumi giggles. The three of them then spend the next hour cleaning the room. Dusting away all the cobwebs, taking the old boxes back to the school storage area, cleaning the windows and floors, putting away the old chairs and desks in place of some new tables, and getting rid of the old blackboard in place of a modern whiteboard and some dry erase markers to go with it. The three of them then stand at the entrance and look at the room, proud of the work they've done.
"Haaaaahh…" Chrono sighs as he slumps over one of the new tables, "I'm exhausted…"
"I didn't expect to have to do that much work," Tokoha says as she scratches her cheek, "but we did it, and now the Vanguard Club is now open for business!"
"But it's almost time for us to go home…" Kumi says as she points to the clock and it says 4:45pm.
"We still have a little bit of time," Tokoha says, "so why don't we official kick off the Vanguard club with a Cardfight?"
"I'm down for it." Chrono says, "Why don't we fight Tokoha since we didn't get to do it at the shop the other day."
"I'd like to Chrono, but I think Kumi should fight you instead." She tells him and Chrono looks a bit confused. "I've been teaching her how to play, and she's wanted to fight an actual opponent for a while now, and since you're both still relatively new, I figured it was a good opportunity."
"Thank you Tokoha, I promise I'll do my best!" Kumi says as she puts on a brave face.
Chrono scoffs a little and says, "Alright, if you insist."
Chrono and Kumi stand at opposite ends of the table as Tokoha stands between them to act as a judge. Chrono draws his cards and puts down his Vanguard quickly, but Kumi takes her time deciding on her hand. "Hmmm… What should I start with?" she thinks out loud and Chrono gets a little irritated. Kumi then finally chooses a starter and fixes her hand, "Okay I'm ready!"
"Alright!" Chrono says.
"Kumi will go first, and then Chrono." Tokoha declares.
Then the two of them grab their starters and declare, "Stand up… VANGUARD!"
"Chrono Dran (G0/6000)!" Chrono declares.
"Solar Maiden, Uzume (G0/6000)!" Kumi declares.
"Oracle Think Tank?" Chrono questions, having not seen this clan.
"It's a clan that specializes in reading the future." Tokoha explains.
"What does that mean?" Chrono asks.
"You'll see." Tokoha tells him with a slight wink.
"Okay here I go! Ride!" Kumi declares, "Sprout Witch RoRo (G1/8000)! Using Uzume's skill, I draw a card."
"My turn! Ride!" Chrono declares, "Bearing Rover (G1/8000)! Using Chrono Dran's skill, draw a card and add a Quick Shield to my hand. I call Steam Maiden Memenne (G1/6000)! Attack the Vanguard (8000-14000)!"
Bearing Rover flies up and punches RoRo in the face as Kumi screams, "AHH!" (Kumi: []) "Ride!" Kumi declares, "Cobalt Witch PuPu (G2/9000)! Using her skill! Discard a card. Imaginary Gift: Protect!"
"Already?!" Chrono exclaims, "Wait, what does that one do?"
"The protect gift acts as a sentinel. Kumi can use it to nullify your attacks." Tokoha explains.
"Seriously?!" Chrono questions in distress.
"I call Battle Maiden Tsubaki (G1/7000)! Attack the Vanguard (9000-16000)!"
"ARGH!" Chrono screams as he imagines his Vanguard getting hit by a magical spell.
"Drive check (Critical)! I got a Critical Trigger! All effects to PuPu (16000-26000/Crit 1-2)!" (Chrono: [][]).
"Ride! Smokegear Dragon (G2/10000)! Using Memenne's skill! Draw a card and discard a card. I call Lost Break Dragon! With his skill, bind a card in my hand and draw. Boosted by Memenne, Smokegear attacks! With the skill, add 5000 power (10000-16000-21000)!"
"No guard."
"Drive Check (Draw)! Draw Trigger! Add 10000 power to Lost Break and draw (10000-23000)! (Kumi: [][]). Lost Break attacks the Vanguard! With the skill, add 3000 power (20000-23000)!"
"I guard (15000)!"
"I end my turn." Chrono declares.
"So far, the damage count is 2 to 2," Tokoha states, "but this is where Kumi rides to Grade 3." She then looks at Chrono and says, "You better be ready."
"Witch of Iron Will, protect me in this fight! Ride! Scarlet Witch CoCo (G3/12000)! Imaginary Gift: Protect! Using CoCo's skill! When rode from grade 2, draw a card. Using RoRo's skill in the soul! When I ride a grade 3, call her to the rear-guard (Soul 3-1) (G1/8000)! I call Seablue Witch NiNi (G2/9000). Using her skill! Send to the soul and look at the top three cards of my deck, then I can arrange them in any order."
"She can do that?!" Chrono exclaims.
"That's one of the specialties of Oracle Think Tank." Tokoha tells him.
"I call PuPu! Using CoCo's skill! Counterblast ([X][]) and Soulblast a grade 3 (Soul 2-1)! I draw two cards, and discard any number of Witch units from my hand. Then I get a Protect gift for each card I discard!" Chrono is surprised by this effect. "I discard three units, so I get three protect gifts!"
"No way! That means she can nullify 5 of my attacks!" Chrono exclaims in fear.
"It's over yet." Tokoha says.
"Boosted by Tsubaki, CoCo attacks the Vanguard (12000-19000)! Scarlet Dreadnought!"
Chrono scoffs and calls, "Perfect Guard!"
"Twin Drive (Draw/?)! Draw Trigger! Add 10000 power to PuPu and draw a card (9000-19000). Second check (Critical)! Critical Trigger! All effects to PuPu (19000-29000)!"
"A double trigger?!" Chrono exclaims.
"Using Tsubaki's skill ([X][X]) (Hand 10-9)! Draw a card and look at the top card of my deck. I'll leave it on top. Boosted by RoRo, PuPu attacks the Vanguard (29000-37000)! PuPu's skill! I reveal any number of Sentinel cards in my hand, then PuPu gains 5000 power for each one revealed. So since Protect gifts count as Sentinels, I have 6 Sentinels in my hand!"
"WHAT?!" Chrono shouts in shock.
"Five protect gifts, plus a draw trigger! So add 30000 power to PuPu (37000-67000)!" On Cray, PuPu fires a huge beam of blue magical energy that completely shrouds Smokegear.
"AHHHHHHHHHHH!" Chrono screams as his Vanguard is hit by a devastating attack (Chrono: [][][][]). He puts a hand on the table to support himself as he pants heavily.
"That's four damage! Way to go Kumi!" Tokoha cheers for her friend and Kumi giggles in happiness.
Chrono chuckles a little and says, "Okay… You're pretty strong, but I'm just getting started too! Stand and draw! Lead me to the future! Open up the world! Ride! Chronojet Dragon (G3/13000)! Imaginary Gift: Force! To the Vanguard (13000-23000)! Using Chronojet's skill! I discard any number of cards from my hand who have a total of 3 or more grades. Since Bearing Rover counts as a grade 3 when discarded, I discard him! Then I search my deck for a grade 4 unit and Superior Ride!"
"Grade 4?!" Kumi questions in surprise, thinking units only went to grade 3.
"Show me the future I desire! Chronodragon Nextage (G4/25000)! Using Memenne's skill! Next I call Steam Scara Irkab and Steam Mechanic Nabu (G2/10000) Using Irkab's skill ([X][][][])(Hand 2-1), and Nextage gains 1 drive check!"
"So that means it has Triple Drive?" Kumi asks.
"Yep." Chrono replies with a smirk.
"This is the unit that beat me, but I'm sure you can surpass it Kumi!" Tokoha cheers and Kumi looks over and nods.
"Let's go! Irkab attacks PuPu!" Irkab fires a beam from his book, turning PuPu into dust. "Next, with a boost from Memenne, Nextage attacks the Vanguard (25000-31000)!
"It's nullified using my protect gift!" Kumi declares.
"Triple Drive check (Critical/?/?) Critical Trigger! All effects to Nabu (10000-20000)! Second check (none), Third check (Heal). Heal Trigger! Power to Nabu and heal 1 damage (Chrono: [][][]) (20000-30000). Next I use Nextage's skill (Hand 3-1)! Retire him and Ride Chronojet from the soul, then add 15000 power (G3/23000-38000)! Imaginary Gift: Force! I give it to Nabu (30000-40000)! Nabu attacks the Vanguard! With Nabu's skill, bind a card in the drop zone (Bind 1-2)! Now you can't call grade 1 or higher units to guard with."
Kumi looks at her hand and board and thinks to herself. "I've got five sentinels in my hand, but I can't use them all because I don't have enough discards. I've only got 2 damage. If I take the hit from Nabu, I'll have two extra damage to use on my next turn, then I'll just nullify Chronojet's attack." She then looks at Chrono and declares, "No Guard! Damage Check (none/Draw). Draw Trigger! Power to the Vanguard and draw." (Kumi: [X][X][][])
"Chronojet attacks the Vanguard! Using his skill ([X][][])! For this battle, you can't guard with sentinels!" Kumi nearly faints at this.
"That skill completely stops Kumi's strategy. Well played Chrono." Tokoha compliments him in her mind, then turns to Kumi, who is panicking, and says, "Don't worry Kumi, he can't win unless he draws a Critical Trigger.
"Oh, you're right." She replies and says, "Okay No guard!"
"Twin Drive check! First (none)! And now for the second!" Chrono flips over the card and… (Critical). "Critical Trigger!" Both Kumi and Tokoha gasp at this turn of events, "All effects to Chronojet (38000-48000/Crit 1-2)! Get in there!" Chronojet flies toward CoCo at amazing speeds and uppercuts her into the air as the image fades to white… (Kumi: [X][X][][][][]).
The room falls silent for a few seconds before Chrono cheers, "YES! Alright!"
"Too bad… I lost the game…" Kumi says.
"Don't feel too bad," Tokoha tells her as she puts a hand on Kumi's shoulder, "I lost my fight against him too. Someone who play started playing recently, Chrono is really strong." Kumi looks at her and nods.
Chrono then walks over to her, extends a hand, and says, "Yeah, and even though I won, you had me on the run there for a second. Tokoha's really taught you well. I'd love to fight you again some time."
Kumi smiles cheerfully and takes Chrono's hand, "I'd like that too."
Tokoha watches the two of them shaking hands and looks at Chrono's happy smile as opposed to his normal grumpy frown and smiles herself. She then says, "Well, I'd say that was a great way to kick things off." She stands next to the both of them and puts her hands on her hips declaring, "Starting tomorrow, the Vanguard Club will hold its first official meeting!"
"Okay!" Kumi cheers.
"Sure!" Chrono replies.
"Wait Chrono, you're staying?" Kumi asks.
"Yeah." He replies and looks at Tokoha, "if Tokoha says this can be a way for me to play Vanguard with friends, I don't see why not. I think I've already made a new one today." He then looks at Kumi, who smiles back. "I'll stay in the Vanguard."
"That's great!" Tokoha says and puts her hand in the middle, "From this point on, we are the founders of the Vanguard Club, and we will make this club a place for students to relax and enjoy Vanguard."
"Yeah!" Kumi says and puts her hand on top of Tokoha's. The two girls then look at Chrono who smiles and does the same, and thus marked the beginning of the Vanguard Club.
Ending Theme – Days of Dash (Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo ED)
[Next Time]
Tokoha: That fight was so close Kumi! I thought your Multi-Sentinel strategy would work!
Kumi: It's alright Tokoha. I still had a lot of fun!
Tokoha: We should make adjustments to your deck to make sure you can beat Chrono next time!
Kumi: Okay, let's do it! We'll show him just how strong I am!
Chrono: Why do I feel like I'm being treated as the bad guy here?
NEXT TIME on Vanguard GV: The Royal Knight, Shion Kiba! Don't miss it!
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