Cardfight! Vanguard — Override
Sendou Aichi is a timid student whose life is changed by the card game, Vanguard. But as Aichi and his friends reach new heights, the dark and troubling side of the game, combined with a war on Cray, threatens to destroy the players and their new world.
Contains violence, language, character death.
—Hitsue City: Park—
For all the warmth which the early-summer afternoon might have cast upon the city, the mood lingering about the team-mates collected close to the centre of the lush space remained as sombre as any winter evening, without a silver lining. Gazing at the clear water's surface, Aichi and Kamui hunched upon the straightened steps leading down beneath the level where children frolicked in the nearby playground, where Kai could be seen resting on a nearby bench, arms folded beneath his head, as if without a care in the world. When the reality which posed itself before the trio was anything but — Misaki's withdrawal from the team had left them in a great predicament. Of course, only three members were required, but the incomplete line-up felt wrong to proceed with — they had formed a team of four, and a team of four was how they wished to fight onward.
With a heavy heart, Aichi's sight lingered upon the surface of the pond, skating over his own and Kamui's reflections, floating towards the sky which stretched both above and below. Not a word had been spoken for some time, though periodically, Kamui would grunt and moan in a series of efforts to formulate some plan of action. Features crinkled with the discomfort which wracked his petite frame, burgundy eyes frequently shifting in both Kai and Aichi's directions, the boy exhaled heavily, slouching back and sagging his shoulders.
"Geez, I wonder what happened to put Misaki-san off playing with us," the boy mused sorrowfully. "Maybe she didn't want to be on the team even more than Kai; she wasn't there at Regionals".
"She must have had her reasons. Misaki-san and Kai-kun both present themselves as lone wolves, but neither protested when Q4 was formed," Aichi observed, vision wandering towards the brunet stationed nearby, who had opted not to play a part in the crisis meeting.
"Yeah, but… are we really a team?" Kamui sighed heavy-heartedly. "Three of us went to Regionals, now Misaki-san's pulled out altogether. And that jerk, Kai, doesn't want anything to do with us if he can get away with it". A growl resonated from clenched jaws, laced with bitterness from the consequences of such ragtag relationships which bound together the foursome,
Aichi's vision sank back to the transparent surface beneath, heart heavy whilst recalling Misaki's unusual behaviour, the distress within her demeanour and actions, even while masked behind the tough exterior she put on. A great degree of the time which had transpired since the fight had been spent wondering if it had been something he himself had said or done; Shin had been vague about it, tiptoeing around the subject, and there was no other source close to Misaki through whom they could turn in search of answers. Culminating in a frustrating dead-end, with not even a view across the insurmountable wall which stood in their way. It pained the both of them to consider that someone they had grown to consider a friend could be in such turmoil, and they were powerless to help her — worse, that they had been provoking whatever unhealed wound troubled her. For the both of them, Vanguard had been an opening into an entirely new world — one through which they could establish friendships, and grown already in ways which may have been impossible beforehand. Was that not the case with Misaki? Was there something about Vanguard which pained her? It seemed almost inconceivable, and yet…
"I thought we were, and wished we could be… That we could grow stronger together, but…" Aichi murmured despondently. "…I don't know…"
Ride 13: Crossroads of Past and Future
[Kakko to Mirai no Futamichi]
—Hitsue City: Card Capital—
Behind translucent veils, Misaki's plain bedroom had become a sanctuary for her in recent days; a breeze through the windows ajar had been all of the outside world she dared to experience. Seated on the carpeted floor, she was nestled with her back resting against the edge of the bed's underneath frame. Only the whistle of the wind filled the unkind silence; none of the voices from customers with school in session; she was free, and considered herself lucky that Shin had little intention of asserting his authority as her legal guardian – like with the previous schooldays, she'd escaped the daunting task of hauling herself up and out, to face the world and hold up a crumbled front.
Although by the time lunch had rolled around, he did arrive at her door, tapping his knuckles lightly against the barrier which separated Misaki from the rest of the world. As with each occasion prior, she had been hesitant about ushering him in, but with a faint voice, urged him to hurry. With a creek, the door opened slowly, unveiling the cautiously smiling face of her uncle.
"I brought you lunch, Misaki," he chimed, with guarded optimism in his voice.
"Thanks…" she murmured.
Since the fight, she had been more like a zombie than ever before; withdrawn further into herself than Shin could recall ever being the case. He trod towards her, laying the plate onto the coffee table which stood squarely centre of the room, and then returned upright.
"Why don't you come down? It'll do you good to have a change of scenery," he suggested lightly.
She evaded eye contact, nestling her chin into her knees. "Maybe later…" she mumbled, clearly unenthusiastic about the prospect.
Shin's lips twisted into a mixture of dismay and pondering. "You can't stay up here forever. Perhaps I should call Akari-chan to visit after-school and help drag you down".
Misaki's frame flinched; remaining rigid after the playful tease was voiced. In the seconds after, her body relaxed, a deep frown woven with the awareness that she'd given away an easy weakness to unravelling her sullen retreat. Yotsue Akari knew Misaki better than anyone; her oldest, and most loyal, friend – the persistent type, like Miwa, who stuck by, no matter how awkward her friend was. It was irritating to even sense the wry smile on Shin's face, having learned of a sure-fire plan onto which he could fall back on should all else fail in the future. Daring to meet his eye, Misaki's expression soured to see the almost-smug expression beaming down.
And so it was that Misaki found herself begrudgingly back at her station, book in hand to serve as faux distraction, so to avoid interaction with as many customers as possible. Although she could feel it coming; the perhaps inevitable, and awkward, encounter with her former-teammates – not an event she was looking forward to. In her heart of hearts, she could comprehend how having her around lifted their spirits, got them excited for the challenges ahead, and how her resignation had demolished their morale. Not just once had Kamui taken to the street and yelled for her, pleading forgiveness for whatever terrible mistake they had made, but many a time.
Heavy eyelids fell shut with the new surge of guilt which cascaded through her – the worst part of the entire calamity was they'd done nothing wrong. They shouldered guilt their own which needn't be carried, but the courage to speak of her troubles lacking only hindered her from relieving them of it. The result was the blight which struck down three spirits.
Engulfed in the book, as much as could be expected after the previous days, Misaki had failed to register the chime of the sliding entrance or arrival of the afternoon's first patron. Arms folded themselves against the far side of the counter, the figure casting a shadow across the pages of the book, which offered first indication that Misaki was no longer alone.
"I hope you're planning on getting back on the ball if you're going to take over this place one day," came a playful quip from above, all in a familiar tone.
A voice which sent a shiver racing down her spine; for reasons both positive and not so. Rigid movement averted azure hues up to the looming figure, even with the trepidation about locking eyes. Nevertheless, inevitably, they did meet, with contrasting shimmers which couldn't have been further apart. Curtained by blonde tresses, the grey hues which watched her showed no such hesitation, nor any difference than any ordinary day.
"Miwa—…" the girl spluttered. His solo appearance was both unusual and bewildering, given the absence of fellow students. "What're you doing? School isn't over yet".
The Hitsue student straightened his back, shoulders rolling in the process in a movement which ushered his forearms to cross over his chest. Rather than observe her for those rare dumbfounded expressions, his sights wandered; throughout the emptied store, wherein chairs were tucked underneath tables as if resting themselves before an afternoon's work.
"Hm, I guess you could call it truancy," he chuckled, with no apparent concern for any consequences he might face.
"You skipped school?!" Misaki questioned, in a tone both laced with astonishment and scolding, albeit faint. Guarding herself with a distant exterior had always been the plan, and by lowering such guard, she'd made herself vulnerable. Ultimately, that had been why everything around her had fallen apart, leaving her feeling so frail. When she continued, the volume and tone both dropped, similar more to an irritated mumble. "It better not have been just to come here".
"Don't worry, I attended morning classes," Miwa jested, before pointing a finger at Misaki. "Although I can't say you have much room to talk, am I right? You're skipping out on another day yourself, isn't that true? You're healthy enough to be standing, so we can all expect you to be back soon though!"
The sharpened look in the azure hues fixed onto him could only be attributed to a glare; anyone who had spent a decent amount of time with Miwa knew him to be intelligent and capable of reading the mood with much greater ease than any typical individual. So even he was aware of exactly what excuse Misaki would be pitched behind in taking days out. He had been there on the day which reignited an old corrosive flame.
"If you've come to lecture me, you're wasting your time. Even Shin-san knows I'll pull myself together soon enough," she grumbled. "But that doesn't change where I stand: I won't be re-joining the team".
An almost perplexed look was cast in response – or surprise that his motive might have been busted so swiftly, it was difficult to tell. The arms which lingered against his shirt fell to his sides, palms pressed against hips and another inquisitive look, even if playful, moulded for a matter of seconds.
"Actually, I was more wondering how you were holding up. We haven't seen you since, and I know the others are all worried – even Kai, not that he's good at showing it". The final comment preceded a small laugh with the expectation that it be disbelieved altogether; the brunet was an even tougher nut to crack than Misaki, so he couldn't blame anyone for accusing him of fibbing to paint his friend in a better light. "It wouldn't be lying to say they're desperate to have you back, but they're much more worried about you yourself. Even if you're all on different pages, I'd say you're a pretty supportive team".
Misaki's despondent veil fell once more, presenting a lack of interest in what the blond had to say. Much like to distance herself from Q4 entirely, shrugging off the grouping herself with the male trio which had occurred within Miwa's assurance. Instead her sights lowered once again to the book in her hands.
"I've never really been a part of the team; they didn't need me to get through Regionals, it won't make a difference if I'm not there when they head to Nationals," she mumbled.
"Well, that's where you're definitely wrong," Miwa responded relatively swiftly. "You being gone has had a knock-on effect, like I'd imagine you'd expect. Aichi and Kamui haven't even played since the other day; they're worried sick about you. Kai isn't so proactive, but that doesn't mean he's not thinking about you". An affirmation which drew the heavy eyes from the pages unfolded to Miwa with a look of tiredness and scepticism in them. "Kai told the others to just give you time; you'd get there. Whether you believe it or not, he's putting his faith in you to bounce back".
"I can hardly imagine he put it so kindly," Misaki muttered sharply.
A sheepish grin from the blond gave her all the answer she required. The book between her palms thudded shut and beside the register, permitting her undivided attention to hone in on Miwa.
"So what do you want?" she asked, evidently irate at his persistence. "Get to the point. You're not here just to keep tabs, of course you'd have an ulterior motive. But nothing will change; it's not the others – I just can't play Vanguard. Save your breath; it's not worth your time".
Miwa flinched, thrown aback by the breakneck transformation in the ambience – from sullen to so fierce – and far from the sharp turnaround that he might have expected. That said, it did give him a narrow insight into what made her tick, what precisely bothered her. If not those around her, then her relationship with the game; which would explain her apparent inexperience playing, despite living in a shop of which Vanguard had been the best seller for some time. That offered no solution though, so how useful the information might prove was difficult to determine, meaning Miwa found himself no closer to any sort of resolution.
It was from the back which reinforcements came to offer a beacon of hope. With a large cardboard box cradled between his arms – a corner of which was clearly digging into his chest – the shop manager stumbled out towards the counter, upon which he clumsily set down the cardboard crate and began to pant.
"Miwa-kun… I'd have never… expected you so early," he wheezed with ragged breaths.
"There's an obvious reason as to why," Misaki commented bitterly, her voice no louder than a raised whisper.
"Actually, I was stopping by to see how Nee-chan's doing; it was a lucky stroke that she was working while I was passing!" Miwa chimed, a little exaggerated in tone, but genuine feelings, knowing him. "Though she's digging her heels in about never playing Vanguard again. It's not my place to pry, but that sounds pretty strange if you ask me, coming from the resident of a card store".
"Ah, well…" Shin exhaled uneasily.
In spite of the assertion made numerous times, Miwa turned to face Misaki directly, beaming all the same. "I can't twist your arm even a little? Something I've come to learn about cardfighters is that when things get muddled, an easy way of figuring out the answers is a good game. Whatever happened, you were able to make enough progress to play once; even if this really is the last time today, you won't give it another shot?"
A neutral-at-best look lingered across Misaki's features, bordering dangerously on falling back into the irritation with which she'd snapped at him with previously. However before there was any opportunity for a repeat, from Shin's direction came a faint hum, leading both adolescents to gaze in his direction; finding the manager with his forefinger and thumb clasping his chin thoughtfully. Misaki was apparently the first to respond, hardening the stern look etched into her features, in preparation of retorting when a voice spoke up prior to hers.
"Miwa-kun has a point," he mused softly, smiling in his niece's direction. "Even if you part ways with Vanguard as a player, it would give you closure to have a much calmer fight than what you felt the other day. Though I admit, you appeared to be enjoying yourself while participating in the shop tournament, and you've become much more relaxed. Wouldn't it be better to give it a shot and move on without this anchoring you forever?"
Lips tightened, Misaki's ire appeared to recede upon hearing Shin's side-line speculation; he, more than anyone, understood her inner demons and their ties to Vanguard; how interwoven they and her powerful memory were. The compliments paid during the previous fight were blind, and she'd never held them against Aichi or Kamui, and while she believed Shin to be an interfering busybody in her life, now and then, he proved much wiser than let on in appearance, action or demeanour. With a heavy sigh, her shoulders sagged.
"I guess… but I left my deck behind," she said listlessly.
"Ta-da!"
It was from directly in front of her that the sound resonated, raising her sights to find the abandoned deck resting in Miwa's hand, Amaterasu on the top as she'd been left when player and cards parted ways. Sluggish and weak movements led her hand to rise from the countertop, fingers uncurling so to reach for the stack, but made it nowhere near when a swift action reeled the cards away and Miwa wagging a finger.
"Sorry Nee-chan. I think you've got a lot of history with this deck and it might upset you again to use it while still recovering from the shock you felt last time. I might have also not taken my deck to school, so this is all I have on me. Honestly, I wasn't expecting a fight today". Against the back of his head, the fingertips of his emptied hand scratched through blond tresses in time with a weak laugh which sounded.
"But…" Misaki protested weakly, with no fight audible in her voice.
"If you're going to give up playing after today, it won't really matter to you to hang onto these cards, will it?" Miwa asked, a little teasingly.
"Don't worry, Misaki," Shin intervened, thrusting a hand into the opened great box. From which he retrieved a deck containing a Trial Deck, beaming encouragingly at her. "Why not use this? It's an Oracle Think Tank deck, so you'll still be playing with your clan. It might do you good to use a different line-up than what you're used to if sticking with the same units will drag you down".
Casting glances at the two of them, it was apparent that the circumstances left Misaki feeling a great degree of unease. In spite of that, Miwa smirked confidently. Seeing little alternative, the registrar reached over, collecting the deck box from Shin, before unfastening the apron tied behind her waist and tossing it to him in quick succession. The final move of which had the store-owner's face sag with expected defeat.
Towards the nearest table, the two relocated, with Shin forcibly stationed behind the counter, hunched with a soured frown. All while beginning to dig into the box and pull out the fresh stock. On the opposite end of the surface, Sub-Manager sprang up, perching himself close to the edge with a decent viewing spot for the unfolding match.
"If you need a breather, don't hesitate to speak up," Miwa noted as he set down the deck. "I'm not very experienced with Oracle Think Tank, but don't expect to walk all over me; that would make this whole session pointless".
In the fact of his cheerful demeanour, Misaki stood poker-faced; no differently than normal, but with the twist of forcing back unleashed sorrow as opposed to simply wearing a mask or distancing herself from nearby madness. In unison, the pair drew their hands, surveying what they had at their disposal and locking eyes as they loomed over their respective Vanguards.
"Stand up, Vanguard!"
FIGHT START
MIWA — MISAKI
0 —DAMAGE— 0
As soon as they were revealed, the twin cards began to radiate with a green brilliance, summoning the depicted units onto the lush grasslands battlefield far from the war-torn border of the United Sanctuary. But instead, a much more tranquil setting had been offered, in which two identical lilac-haired women stood in opposition of one another, sporting the revealing armour which befitted a soldier far from the front-lines. A mirror image of Lozenge Magus which provoked an unwavering stare-off between the pair [POW 3000].
"Heh heh, I guess Oracle Think Tank hasn't gotten many choices for starting Vanguards, but I figured you'd go for Lozenge Magus too – she was your choice in the tournament," Miwa chuckled. His free hand turned over, gesturing for his adversary to continue. "Feel free to take the first turn".
FIRST TURN — MISAKI
Not an audible response was offered, but not without acknowledgement of his generous offer did Misaki begin, drawing from the deck only after a nod. The new card was given only a passing glance before it was added to the hand and another selected for the first move.
"I ride Weather Girl, Milk".
From the lush greenery, a circle of light formed through two cycling lights forming half each of the Vanguard emblem, discharging the Heal Trigger maiden and recruiting the bright pink-haired sylph in her place. Her ruffled gown shimmered in the sunlight, matching many of the vibrant flowers around the scene, and wings of pink and lilac spreading out like that of an elegant butterfly. Scarlet heels clacked and the tip of her wand glowed from the white light dancing across the tip [POW 6000].
"That's all".
Although the mantle had been passed for Miwa to initiate his first turn, Miwa paused at length before the thought even entered his mind. Although she had always been distant in her own right, Misaki seemed even more detached, minimal in speech, and through no effort of exuding the cool-headed exterior which she so often presented. There was nothing to gain from an act, nor did it appear she had the willpower to muster one up. She was hebetudinous, eerily so; almost as if without life entirely. The more he considered such a drastic change, the more troubled Miwa felt. Had her earlier display of irritation been forced, to present a recovering state of mind?
Even when the seconds transpiring between the conclusion of Misaki's turn and the delayed beginning of his mounted up, she wouldn't so much as glance at him as a signal to move. Nothing of a look either of impatience or urging; when he could have easily expected of the apparently short-tempered counter girl.
"Alright, here goes. Draw".
SECOND TURN — MIWA
The sensation in Miwa's stomach was unusual, to say the least, as he found himself gazing down at CEO Amaterasu between his fingertips. A card he and the others had associated as Misaki's ace. In contrast to the calculated fervour she showed during the shop tournament, the girl stationed opposite him was barely recognizable. The blond's brow furrowed while mulling over the differences, both great and small, culminating in a fresh wave of resolve to help her stumble along. The fingertips encompassing Amaterasu's card squeezed, shuddering from the abrupt pressure applied, as he slipped it into the cards fanned out between their opposite.
"I can't be sure what it'll take to wake you up from your sleepwalking, but I'm banking on this to be enough," he quipped with a wry smile. "I ride Battle Sister, Cocoa!"
The sequence of green earthbound aura rising above lush plates of grass repeated and consumed the slender duplicate who remained, dissolving her figure and replacing it with another, significantly smaller and concealed. The lilac hair which curtained the replacing elf's face much shorter and hung in line with the hood. Through the slits of the robe, her fingers retrieved knives, glinting digits balanced carefully between each flesh counterpart, and a devious smirk on her lips through which a giggle rippled culminating in the presentation of a troublemaker [POW 6000].
"Cocoa's skill lifts the top card of the deck and gives me control as to whether it returns there or moves to the bottom," Miwa added fervently.
Prompted by the power which he'd seen only Misaki take advantage of in the past, Miwa's fingertips ghosted the back of the card resting atop the deck. Once he found himself standing at a gateway offering his foresight did Miwa find it strange to find himself adapting to a new Clan after years of playing beneath Kagero's banner. The unique characteristics of each Clan were inevitably going to have him climbing personal hurdles, but as far as he could interpret, they were mere molehills in contrast to Misaki's mountains riddled with dead-ends and gloomy passageways.
Taking the task as a challenge rather than a handicap, a smile graced Miwa's lips in time with catching sight of the Amaterasu card filed in amongst those in his opposite hand. Though he was careful about demonstrating it, he always did enjoy a challenge – a characteristic he attributed to his younger years with Kai; times he remembered fondly while across town, Misaki must have been going through hell. An unpleasant feeling crept into the pit of his stomach, even with the awareness that there was never to be a moment where every individual on the planet would be free from pain; nevertheless, there was a sense of guilt in retrospect, having gotten to know and connect with someone else who went through so much strife. Miwa shook the thoughts loose before they could cling for much longer and further delay the check, lifting the card so he alone could view its identity, and with a smile, set it back as if nothing had happened.
"Sorry about that, I gather we're working with a deadline; you're not going to want to be down here when school ends, right?" he asked with a sheepish smile.
"Shin reckons I should tough it out…" Misaki murmured, with her sights still sagging. She had never been one for eye contact, from what Miwa had observed, but she had never been focused so low. "I know I can't avoid them forever. But I just… don't feel ready".
"When will you?" the blonde opposite queried.
"Don't know," was the faint answer, scarcely louder than a breath.
There was a lull, in which Miwa contemplated what to add; she was still speaking, so that was something he hoped to either capitalize on or encourage. "Don't think about it. Just focus on us; it's just you and me here". Grey hues stole a glance of Shin feigning activity at the counter, and Sub-Manager perched on the corner with intrigue bright in the feline's eyes. "Same here on the field. There's no Kagero, so there's nothing tying us to anyone outside of here. Kai isn't here behind me, I'm fighting on my own. With these cards of yours – the deck which you put together. The part of yourself you're facing, after turning a blind eye for so long".
"…'Myself'?" Misaki repeated, eyes honing in on the deck stationed beside Miwa's active territory.
"Yeah. That's why I'm borrowing your deck – you've got to take on whatever demons are hiding inside of you; the best way I figured to do that was have you face yourself. Before the other day, you had no problem holding it together whenever you played Vanguard, but then it changed so suddenly – I can't imagine something happened just recently to put you off the game. It runs deeper inside of you, doesn't it?"
There was nothing in response; once more, silence fell over Misaki's side, lips pursed as if to hold back any outburst from surging emotions flowing through her so erratically. A sign that made it all the more imperative from Miwa's stance to solve the mystery and piece together whatever it was that had broken. If such a thing could be done; Misaki was as complex as they came – on Kai's level of intricacy behind the almost-impenetrable walls around her. On the opposite side of the table, Misaki's weary mind had latched onto the mention of the absent brunet, mystified by his sudden involvement when Miwa had insisted they were alone. Why mention him at all then? Because Kai had been the one who fought her under Kagero's flag during the shop tournament? With her memories perfectly preserved, there was no escaping the association; not after all she'd witnessed of his power.
"I won't force you to say anything; that won't get us anywhere," came the blond's voice, luring her back towards his stern grey hues. "But you can't let this keep eating you alive – however long it's been, it's done plenty enough damage to you. Don't burn out, Nee-chan. I'm not asking as a cheerleader for your team, but as a friend. And that's precisely where the others have been calling out to you from. They wouldn't ask you to torment yourself playing, if it caused you so much grief, but now that we're all connected, we don't want to lose you. Whatever's in the past, don't let it steal away your future too!"
The speech had made an impact of sorts, as Misaki's body visibly tensed; not the desired effect, but it gave Miwa hope that she was perhaps scraping together the strength to fight whatever demons lie within. From the centre of the cards propped between his fingers and thumb, he swiftly snatched up and slammed down his next chosen unit.
"I call Dark Cat [POW 7000]".
The mechanical black feline manifested directly behind Cocoa, whose primary blade had been selected from the range that she had produced a moment earlier. The devious features upon her face were replaced with Miwa's resolute gaze across the field, blond tuffs of hair protruding the curtained faces of the garment. His fingers cupped the top card of the deck, adding it to his hand, granting him time to observe Misaki follow suit.
"Oracle Think Tank's gimmick is collecting cards together and building up their power by gathering in the hand; don't you think it's a poignant message the cards are telling you?" Miwa asked firmly. "You didn't build this deck pushing everyone away; you weren't alone – and the truth is you're not now. We might be rambunctious, but that's what kids are like – gotta enjoy youth – and we're here regardless. Whatever weight you're carrying, you don't need to endure it alone; we're here for you. We're far from an ideal pack, but I'd say it's pretty fun that way. We're still getting to know each other, and it brightens up the day having such a lively pack around".
Behind the counter, Shin's efforts to portray himself as busy had already fallen flat and through the thick rectangular spectacles, he observed the fight – intrigued by what messages Miwa hoped to deliver Misaki. His hopes pinned silently on the golden-hearted adolescent. With as close to a complete understanding of Misaki's predicament as there was going to be, Shin still felt powerless as he sat back, leaving the job of cracking open Misaki's reinforced shell to someone else after countless failed attempts of his own – but looking on with optimism; if anyone had the potential to finally succeed, he truly believed it would be Miwa.
'I apologize for having to putting this onto you, Miwa-kun,' he thought, averting his eyes back towards his niece. 'Misaki… Sorry I could never ease your pain. Please, trust in what he says and open up about your suffering; it kills me to see you erode so much'.
"Battle Sister, Cocoa attacks Milk, boosted by Dark Cat," Miwa called, shifting his Vanguard into its horizontal state. Whether catatonic or willingly, Misaki offered no additional defence. "Drive check. Critical Trigger: Psychic Bird. So I'll give all effects to Battle Sister, Cocoa".
Once the connection between his two units had been established – a network through which the large feline's power could temporarily transfer to its companion – Miwa cast a smirk not unlike the attacking Cocoa. The gowned elf launched herself into the air, firing a total of four knives in rapid succession. With the speed fierce speed at which they flew, the winged target hadn't even a chance to evade and shrieked as steel bit into flesh.
"Damage check." Misaki murmured, lifting two cards from her deck and relocating them into the zone located at the opposite end of her field. With chance in neither her voice nor eyes; both sullen and unfocused, as if scarcely registering the Dark Cat and Oracle Guardian Apollon which were set aside.
MIWA — MISAKI
0 —DAMAGE— 2
Even with that niggling away at his mind, Miwa forced a smile, pleased at accomplishing as much as he had in the first round, and with a foreign clan.
"Pretty impressive for a noob, don't you think?" he chimed proudly. "You're up. Show me how easily an experienced Oracle Think Tank player handles a new deck".
THIRD TURN — MISAKI
Despite his encouragement and upbeat handover, Misaki said nothing while drawing from her deck, turning over the new addition to her arsenal to find the dark-haired princess who had featured on the front face of the deck's display box. Misaki's azure hues lingered on the smiling face of the depicted woman, showing no lift in her mood. So not to insinuate something had gotten to her, Misaki slotted the card into those fanned between her fingers, exchanging it for another, which she placed onto the Vanguard circle.
"Ride, Sword Dancer Angel".
The wings sprouting from Milk's back began to glow, increasing in brightness until its growth was blinding, consuming the slyph's body and altering the shape of the singular figure – the curved wings sprouted feathers and separated into four and the yellow dress unravelled to become an open skirt of sapphire patterned with a scarlet banner above the ruffled bottle green ends, adorned by a golden rim. The skirt matched the fabric moulded around the woman's chest, which encircled the golden collar from which hung an intricate design against her collarbone. One of many pieces of golden jewellery which decorated the fair-skinned body – bracelets, armlets, belt, anklets and wings which clung to the woman's thighs. Likewise, the sword in the angel's possession gleamed with the metallic glory under the Cray sunlight, rubies, emeralds and diamonds embedded in the blade further increasing the otherworldly value of the majestic blade. Wrapped around the tangled ginger hair, a wide golden headband with an aquamarine dangling against its wearer's forehead shone; scarlet fabric flowed from the headpiece, its edges identical to that of her skirt ruffled in the breeze which accompanied the new Vanguard's arrival [POW 8000].
Miwa whistled at the artwork of the angel, hunched over the table to get a better look at the details. "Well! That's a unit that suits you," he commented. "Both our Vanguards, actually. Maybe I should think about experimenting with Oracle Think Tank".
At the counter, Shin's stature stiffened and he had become upright in posture, sights honed in on Miwa after hearing the playful suggestion and taking it deadly seriously. The smile on Miwa's lips softened from that of jesting to a much more genuine and kind curve.
"It's a neat clan; they bring each other together like a real team, and feed off the strength of being surrounded by their allies," he commented, raising greyed hues up to Misaki's. "I think it's the perfect clan for you – someone who acts dismissive and cold doesn't build a deck like this that contrasts them so starkly. Inside of you, you're the same as the rest of us – you want to find yourself surrounded by friends, people you can lean on and who do the same to you. Carry each other through the good and bad times, and enjoy our youth".
The vitality swelling in the blond's voice pushed Misaki's eyes away, sinking back to the table and biting down on what irregular throbs occurred in her heart. She'd never taken the time to delve into herself or attempt any psychoanalysis, and yet he was stepping up to the plate for just that reason. And though his belief brushed by some raw nerves, they were small in number compared to the true problem buried well underneath.
'Being surrounded opens up the possibility of getting hurt again. I never asked to become isolated, it's just… I'm not ready,' she thought, eyes falling shut.
"Misaki!"
The girl's eyes snapped open with a soft gasp, finding Card Capital bustling, with children, adolescents and adults alike stationed at the tables, vigorously engaging in their games. Even Shin, still clad in his high school uniform was engrossed in the field laid out in front of him – she'd never seen him so passionate, seated opposite a bespectacled blond who couldn't have been much older.
"Here I come, Mark!" her teenage uncle yelled, threatening to shoot up in the heat of the moment.
A mewl from the counter drew Misaki's eyes to the tiny Sub-Manager curled in his basket, directing an irate look towards the part-timer-turned-competitor in the shop's very own tournament.
"Misaki, you didn't answer. I was starting to think you'd fallen asleep waiting!" a voice chuckled from behind.
Turning in her seat, the young rotated to meet the sight of her spiky-haired father entering through the back entrance, a cardboard crate pressed between his thick arms. From above, a playful smile.
"Help your father navigate to the register, will you?" he requested lightly. "I think I found your ideal clan, but this needs setting down first".
The light in Misaki's eyes twinkled in wonder for only a second before the young girl launched herself off the stool and scurried in front of her father's legs, laying a hand onto his and ushering him towards his destination.
"Over here!" she chirped excitedly. "We've got to hurry so you can tell me what deck you thought of!"
"Of course, of course," the man laughed, casting a glance to the woman wandering amongst the active tables; a woman whom Misaki was almost a youthful duplicate of; a warm smile on her face as she glided through the passageways left open between spectators. "Your mother will be pleased; it was down to her that we could reach an answer. She's looking forward to what you think; the both of us are hoping we did a good job".
"You're experts at Vanguard, of course you will have!" Misaki declared enthusiastically, ecstatic for the unveiling of their decision after careful deliberation.
They were memories she treasured, but which had become dual-edged blades over the years – her parents' kindness had been unparalleled, which made their passing all the more unjust. Bereavement which Misaki could neither accept nor make peace with – instead had wrestled with alone since. Hardened feelings which carried over towards their passion, and the heart of their business which she had distanced herself from. No matter how appealing Vanguard might have been, the smiles of customers which it brought forth, for Misaki, it held so many good memories she was pained to relive. And those dark hours which she couldn't bear to confront.
"Call".
Either side of her Vanguard, two illuminated circles marked the soil, One ushering in another elf robed in the attire reminiscent of a nun, albeit with a much bright shade of blue than her fellow Battle Sisters, slender legs protected by tall white boots – both of which were adorned with minute golden decoration, bearing simple emblems. The headpiece curtaining her face was fixed by a golden band which rested atop her fiery red hair. Black gloves encased her palms, with exits for the digits which clasped the great axe's handle, hoisting the grand weapon of steel and golden accent above her head with ease [POW 6000]. On the far side, the secondary reinforcement was a simple statue of a man carved in rock, piercing eyes gleaming from within the face, and an emerald embedded in his brow [POW 10000].
"Battle Sister, Maple attacks Cocoa," Misaki said faintly, reaching for the first of her Rear-Guards "Maple's skill boosts her power by 4000 when there are four or more cards in my hand".
Inching her hand up, attention was drawn to the arsenal of four cards between her fingers, allowing the unit's skill to activate, coating her in a bright aura of white [POW 10000]. Digging her heels into the soft soil, Maple readied herself for the attack, springing out as if fired from a slingshot and dove at the adversary stationed in the line of fire. With a grunt, the charging sister began to spin, dragging after her the battle-axe, which collided with Cocoa's blades, held to defend herself. Sparks and the scratching of metal against its own held the result for a couple of seconds before the force of the much larger weapon proved itself too much and Cocoa was catapulted backwards.
"Damage check," Miwa called, tearing away the top card of his borrowed deck and stealing a glance at it, before placing the Oracle Guardian, Gemini into the Damage Zone.
"Sword Dancer Angel attacks".
"No guard".
Both hands latched onto the browned hilt of the angel's great sword, white feathered wings spread apart to carry her majestically as she headed for her position. Whilst doing so, Miwa smirked, watching from below the enemy's ascent, with a lack of Misaki's image joining the battlefield through the Vanguard.
"Am I getting stood up?" Miwa asked jokingly, holding the unsteady smile in preparation for the bombardment that was to come.
It was a question that received no answer; once Sword Dancer Angel had reached her intended altitude, Misaki reached for her deck and stripped away the top card, twisting her wrist to unveil the check.
"Oracle Guardian, Nike. Critical Trigger." Misaki stated, setting her sights onto the fellow Guardian on stand-by. "Power to Wiseman. Sword Dancer Angel gets the Critical".
Empowered by their respective benefits, the other units were embraced by auras of their own, the airbourne Vanguard yelling as she bolted through the air, descending with Cocoa her intended landing point. Having not yet recovered from the previous attack, the target was still crumpled on the grass, unable to retrieve her scattered knives before the sword crashed down, splitting the earth beneath and driving a miniature crater into the ground. While the dust settled, Miwa drew twice from his deck – victim of an early Critical Trigger in reflection of how he, too, had dealt the same vital blow to Misaki. Into the Damage Zone was deposited Battle Maiden, Tagitsuhime and a second copy of CEO Amaterasu – cards which caught his eye, leading it back towards the original in his hand.
"Wiseman attacks Cocoa," Misaki declared, swift in switching the card into position.
The statue's eyes began to glint, growing stronger by the second with the power offered from well behind the front lines [POW 15000], Lasers burst from the still optics, burning through the air with the downed Cocoa their prey. A collision which played out not exactly as planned, when the beams were intercepted by a flock of feather as vibrant green as the disturbed meadow; a shield for Cocoa, who watched on from the ground in awe [POW 16000]. Around the small fowl was a spherical barrier, working to both counter and absorb the attack. It was a stalemate lasting only seconds, and once the threat had been neutralized, Psychic Bird's wings flapped more vigorously, carrying it towards the sky and far from danger.
"I gather you're looking to get this over with as quickly and painlessly as possible, but we've got a job here," Miwa said, laying down the Trigger into his Drop Zone. "It's hardly therapy, but I plan to drag out this fight long enough that it can help you stare down some demons rather than just take what they throw at you. And I was taking far too much damage for that. Forgive me for holding you up, but I really think this is for the best".
MIWA — MISAKI
3 —DAMAGE— 2
"You don't know when to give up," Misaki grumbled. "You don't know anything".
"Then tell me," Miwa responded sternly. "I don't know, but that doesn't mean I don't want to know. Let me in and make it easier on yourself".
Troubled azure hues squeezed themselves shut; the flickers of anguish and debate wrinkled Misaki's brow and her features – as if enduring an internal battle deeper than with herself. And while it was troubling to witness, for Miwa, it offered a ray of hope; perhaps she was contemplating opening up, that she might finally express herself rather than bottle all her troubles up. And even if she were to ultimately decline, it was a window through which his efforts could hone in on and attempt to pry it open himself. His expression masked the myriad of feelings towards her struggle spilling to the surface, for the sake of urging her closer his way.
All the while, both Miwa and Shin stood perfectly in place, not to interject Misaki's inner turmoil, with gazes resolute and unwavering. Misaki's fingers resting atop the edge of the table withdrew, curling into a fist which quaked against the plastic surface. Happy faces of her parents from years ago tormented her, surrounded by the vibrant and loving atmosphere which populated Card Capital every day.
Images of a past beyond reach, no matter how much she yearned for such simpler days to return. With each minute the fight stretched itself out, the more which resurfaced, unleashed from the box into which she had locked her fondest memories to avoid the sorrow and grief which had latched onto them.
"Turn end…" she choked.
"Do you need a moment to catch your breath?" the blond opposite asked, a touch of concern leaking through in his tone.
"Just go…" Misaki responded, somewhat sharp and breathless, but without the harshness which might have come had she not been so shaken.
FOURTH TURN – MIWA
"Alright then. Draw," Miwa responded with apprehension whilst retrieving his next card from the deck. "I ride Oracle Guardian, Red-Eye".
Encircling Cocoa, who had taken the lull in action as an opportunity to climb back onto her feet and dust herself off, was the light signalling the mantle passing over to the next Vanguard. Taking up residence in the central position of the formation was a stone pillar, atop which a white kitsune was seated. Bright blue beads hung around the creature's neck, from which a sheet of scarlet matching the markings across the animal's body hung over its chest [POW 8000].
"And call, Maiden of Libra," Miwa added fervently.
Alongside the statue, a secondary light which opened up and granted access to the angel whose wings and attire consisted of mocha in contrast to the array belonging to the angelic opposition. The plaits which dangled from buns adorned with blossoms drifted daintily in the Cray breeze, which additionally provoked the chiming of her golden scales wielded by one hand [POW 9000].
Rather than dive straight into battle, Miwa had opted for a moment of quiet, focusing his sights on his opponent, who still showed no signs of perking up any time soon. Instead of the typical smile that he might have offered as a means of coaxing her to open up, his lips were pressed in a neutral line.
"Will you answer me something?" he requested. "It's not about what's bothering you, so don't worry about that".
Not with a sound did Misaki offer her acceptance to hear the question, but with a glance long enough for Miwa to garner the signal. With the tentative channel opened, the blond rehearsed in his mind exactly how he wanted to convey his point a dozen or so times within a matter of seconds.
"You're not visualizing Cray or anything going on there, are you?" he finally asked. "You seem more disconnected from the fight, and I figured it might be a logical step if you're looking to cut ties with Vanguard".
The question hung in the air, with trepidation as to whether it would receive any acknowledgement from its hearer, for several stretched seconds before Misaki's lips just about parted.
"No… you're right". As if relapsing back into the distress which had her near paralyzed a moment earlier, Misaki's voice grew frail and shaky, unlike anything Miwa, or any of the customers, could have ever imagined hearing from the strict store worker. For the first time, she felt vulnerable.
It threw Miwa for a loop, who found himself with nothing on his face but the mild astonishment which pushed past all intentions of holding it back. No quips or smiles; he stayed still in both voice and body. After the admission, there was a pregnant pause while Misaki either collected herself or attempted to straighten out her thoughts. She, once more, was the one to break it.
"Customers iterated it plenty of times; imagining themselves on Cray. I figured it was some form of escapism, with all the pressures people face. Once I was pushed into playing, I gave it a shot. Cray was rather beautiful; it was soothing to be there, away from the everyday madness. But I wasn't ready". Suspense grasped the silent air, tempting Miwa to so much as glance in Shin's direction. But for the sake of assuring Misaki that nothing would change his intentions or shake him, his sights remained firmly locked onto her eyes, even as she continued to evade his. "At the shop tournament…"
Mention of the event sent a pang through Shin; his heart sinking at the mere possibility that an event which he had routinely organized, and done so recently with the hopes of igniting the passion in his ragtag regulars, could have had an adverse effect. Worse; negatively affected his cherished niece. The hole which was left in his chest throbbed guilty, with an air of dismay about him that distracted Sub-Manager from the set-up across the shop's front-left quarter.
Misaki's frame quivered as it contended with her fierce emotions threatening to overflow. With a shaky breath, her head lifted. With a flash of remembrance; to the flames which flickered among the wreckage in the crossroads. The flames which threatened to feast on her parents and steal away what remained of them. Embers which she had battled to look at without returning to that tragic night since. "When I fought Kai… we were there. The attacks—…"
"Hey, don't force yourself!" Miwa interjected, noting the increasing ferocity which wracked Misaki's body with the passing seconds of recalling the fight in question.
"Misaki…" Shin murmured, lowering his head. "I had an inkling but… I was convinced there was nothing I could do. And it truly seems it… so all along; you've been carrying such tremendous heartache. And while you did, I failed in taking care of you like I promised Nii-san".
Sensing the souring mood, Sub-Manager lifted his rear, pacing towards Shin and resting a paw onto the hand nearest, nestling against the knuckles which tensed at the base of digits pressed down so firmly they could have tried to claw their way through the polished surface. The touch, as soft and delicate as it had been, snapped Shin out of the despairing spiral he stared down, teetered on the brink of, and guided his sights towards the feline whose tail swished slowly. Within the large eyes that gazed up was assurance, and comfort. A stare which had its intended effect as, with a long exhale, the store-owner appeared to recover himself.
"Let's focus on the game right now. Like I said, Kai isn't here right now, it's just us. This might be about helping you out, but pushing yourself is only going to backfire on you," Miwa spoke with caution, as he leaned forward and rested his fingertips onto the first card of his battle plan. "Dark Cat boosts Oracle Guardian, Red-Eye, attacking Sword Dancer Angel".
Tensing its body, the feline's strength began to leak in the ethereal lights which wafted towards the statuesque canine, whose eyes began to glow mechanically [POW 15000]. From those glaring optics, beams burst and burned through the air, colliding with the angel across the meadow, who shrieked and toppled backwards, with feathers scattering from her ruffled wings. In Miwa's hand, a duplicate of Silent Tom revealed itself, posing no greater threat to the targeted unit. Unfazed and disconnected, Misaki listlessly drew from her deck, turning over Dream Eater; a Draw Trigger whose effects activated with its unveiling as the unit destined for the Damage Zone.
"Draw Trigger," she uttered blankly. "Power to Sword Dancer Angel [POW 13000], and I'll draw once".
MIWA — MISAKI
3 —DAMAGE— 3
In time with the statement, Misaki's fingers laid themselves atop the deck, stripping away the next card and slotting it into her growing arsenal.
"Red-Eye's skill: Soul Charge," Miwa announced, turning over the top card of the deck to reveal a copy of Lozenge Magus, slipped beneath the stack situated in the centre of his field.
Misaki's azure hues lingered on the thin pile. 'He's down two Heal Triggers. But it's simple to understand what he's doing,' she thought, raising her sights to observe the blond. Grey eyes filing through the cards propped against his fingers intrigued her; what precisely he hoped to achieve for himself and the active members of Q4, she couldn't fathom. She'd no intention of going back, not with such raw emotions launching her into a tailspin. Distancing herself had been for the sake of protecting herself from the very same inner-turmoil that had uprooted the lifestyle into which she'd recently settled. 'Amaterasu has always been the figurehead of my deck, and he's stated this is a fight against myself, so it's natural that he'd want to pit me against her. So he's setting up the Soul and Damage Zone for her Megablast…'
Miwa's sights lifted from his hand, catching Misaki's eyes on him and countered the dispirited look with a beam. His frame tilted forward, reaching out for the singular vertical card remaining prepared for attack.
"Maiden of Libra attacks Battle Sister, Maple".
From the bandaged woman's back, the mocha-feathered wings stretched, ruffled by the breeze which accompanied her call to the forefront of the battle. The golden scales clasped in her right hand began to shimmer, drawing her opposite hand to balance the base upon whilst modifying its placement adjacent to the Sister. A charge brief before the golden rays discharged from the artefact. It was an effort which failed to connect with its prey, but intercept by a rooster adorned by scarlet feathers and beige threads, who squawked once struck [SLD 11000]. The small form absorbed the light, dissipating afterwards with its crow reverberating ghostly. Miwa straightened his back, conceding to the turn of control over the battlefield and lack of progress during his turn. Having lost the reigns of battle, his hands withdrew from the front lines, with the one empty clasping onto his hip, allowing his posture to shift towards his left.
"That's me done for now. You're up".
FIFTH TURN – MISAKI
"Draw," Misaki said, pulling the top card and granting it only a glance to assess what she had acquired before moving onto the next phase of her turn. Her slender fingers guided the card towards the centre of the reinforcements gathered above the field, snatching the neighbouring card.
"I ride Goddess of Flower Divination, Sakuya," she called, throwing down the card.
Taking the place of the fiery-haired angel, a woman with fair skin and luscious black hair streaming down behind, whilst parting to emerge from both sides in thick strands. Cherry blossoms decorated her dark mane, fashioned across the central segment of a great bow forged at the top of her crown, branches of petals sprouting from either side beneath the curled tresses. Draped around her neck was a turquoise beaded necklace, with a taijitu nestled into her collarbone. Thick shoulders were propped and extended beyond the bones of its wearer, of amaranth pink bordered with on each side of the cloth, including the thick stripe traversing the centre of the garment. A pale pink robe blanketed the window between the luxurious shade, stretching to further conceal the noble's arms, hanging loosely about her hands with ruffled fabric; great openings which captured the rose petals shed from the bouquet caressed parallel to her abdomen. From her waist, the amethyst coat trailed freely, adorned by a sash of Tiffany Blue and a further translucent veil [POW 10000].
"Sakuya's skill returns all Rear-Guards to my hand".
"I suspected you protected Maple for the sake of using her as a boosting unit, but perhaps not. Withdrawing everyone will do your hand, and Sakuya, wonders, huh," Miwa mused with a weak laugh midway through his admission.
"She…"
Both Miwa and Shin froze upon hearing the soft utterance. Although a singular word without context or subject left the paused dialogue terribly vague. Neither could wrap their head around what Misaki could have intended to voice when her breath hitched and their bodies snapped rigidly. The palm pressed against Miwa's hip ascended swiftly, albeit shakily, intending to brush away any notion that she might feel to force herself into opening up, in a repeating motion, but his lips parted in time with hers.
"Sakuya was… m— my mother's favourite unit".
Lilac tresses veiled Misaki's watering eyes, the lengthy locks which commonly rested upon her shoulders swayed in the space between her hunched shoulders and the placement which her lowered head led them to drop. To have heard the mention of the girl's mother, Shin's shoulders sagged, eyes behind thick frames falling closed.
"Your—" Miwa repeated, trailing off as quickly as he began.
"My parents… who owned this shop; they built it up from nothing. My mother… likened this card to me," Misaki spoke, with a trembling voice, unsteady breaths interrupting the efforts. "Sakuya's divination determines the future of an entire nation, within Vanguard's lore. And I… with my ability to remember everything absolutely; she believed… that it could charter my future in the same way". Her hand compressed into a fist against the edge of the table unfolded, reaching gradually for the first of her Rear-Guards, fingernails beneath the peak of Battle Sister, Maple before she peeled it away from the field. "They loved Vanguard, and poured their hearts into it… this place, and building the foundation for a future we could share. But I lost them… They were taken away from me".
A lump in her throat prevent immediate continuation of the recollection. Likewise, Miwa could feel his oesophagus swell from the sudden build-up of secondary grief and dismay that tragedy should befall someone so young, and ultimately scarred her in a familiar manner. His chest grew tight in collaboration with the pang which struck within what felt more like a void of aching; both at the revelation, and the impact it had on Misaki, irrespective of how many years had passed since the trauma.
"Vanguard meant everything to them. I couldn't face it. Their smiling faces were there every time; it was how I had come to associate Vanguard with them. I thought… distancing myself from it, to stop tormenting myself every day because they were no longer around, would help. So I wasn't constantly thinking it over, so it didn't rule my every waking minute".
In the same, unhurried fashion, Misaki's fingertips ripped Wiseman's card from the opposite end of her formation, leaving Sakuya without allies.
"I tried to numb myself to it, focus on keeping myself busy so not to dwell on it. But burying my head in the sand never changed anything. Days and weeks, months and years passed. In all that time, I never moved or discovered the way forward. I became a disgrace to my parents' hopes. I couldn't escape; how can you when what you're trying to hide away from is all around you? But the world kept moving and I had no choice but to push through". Her frame quivered, alerting Shin to the rare build-up of festering grief boiling over. "I knew they'd have wanted me to keep playing, to enjoy it and escape from what happened the way they played for all sorts of reasons far beyond competition or fun. But it was so much easier to shut myself off, even though I knew I was letting them down, betraying their wishes. My father promised to teach me how to play, but he was taken away before he had the chance; I learned by watching from a distance. The future they mapped out for us was stolen in a freak accident".
As she inhaled sharply, tears rained from the fringe which obscured her eyes from outside view, forming miniature puddles on the cardinal tabletop. Although both evidently concerned, neither Miwa nor Shin made any advance towards Misaki, for fear of making the wrong move, the concern they may invade space which she wanted to herself or urging her through the motions faster than she was capable of transitioning. Miwa's brow furrowed in the same manner as Shin's, visibly unnerved and disheartened that, for so long, Misaki had been carrying such a tremendous weight upon her shoulders and heart.
"Shin urged me to give it a chance; we'd seen how Aichi went from solitary to suddenly becoming encircled by people. The confidence it gave him. Shin said over and over how he hoped the same would happen for me, and didn't doubt that it would if I gave it a shot. But I was still alone". Her sights lingered on the unaccompanied Sakuya, a reflection of Misaki herself. "I was still hesitant to trust someone I dared to get close wouldn't be snatched away without warning again. I wasn't ready, I can't—!"
There was another pause; a break in the outpouring for Misaki to catch her breath and attempt to reinforce the fortifications which held back an utter emotional collapse. Miwa's arms dangled by his sides, cards laid face-down on the edge of the standing table, as fingers hiding within the shadow cast by the table's edge curled inwards so tips dug into his crumpled palm.
"Do you know… what it's like to waste years just about getting through every day? Not to make anything of all that time but just about making it through?" Misaki asked, her voice cracking under the pressure of the intense emotions threatening to choke her.
Miwa's neutral expression gazed at her brief after the question was posed, and without flinching, answered with a firm tone. "I do".
Misaki's body flinched, head rising in astonishment to have heard such response from someone she perceived as one without troubles, who seemed perfectly together. Gone was the concern for outward appearances, the mask of an emotionless exterior, with streams of tears glistening down her cheeks beneath enlarged eyes. She made no noise or verbal questioning his return.
And it was no lie or exaggeration – he wouldn't. Miwa was a kind-hearted individual who listened to others' problems and helped in whatever manner he felt possible. A supporter in many ways, but never with his own grievances which needed venting.
"Kai moved away when we were kids. I lost my best friend, and I lost my way. For a long time, I struggled to figure out what I could do, and hid myself away from everything carrying on as normal. My world fell apart the day he left, he looked just as bummed out, and it was the last time I thought I'd ever see him. My way of dealing with it sits at the other end of the spectrum to yours; I threw myself into trying to engage with people, keep myself busy. But it was never really the same, and I paid the price for the time I'd wasted mourning; months, friends… it was pretty messy".
A fist rose, unfurling as Miwa's eyes gazed down as if it held the life he'd seized back from the clutches of despair within it. His sullen expression persisted for a moment longer before eyelids fell and all emotion vanished briefly, only to be replaced by a tender smile.
"So believe me when I say you're not by yourself. We've all gone through our traumas; I'd say Q4 and those around are a bunch of kids going through tough times and feeling adrift at sea. But if we band together, we're not exactly alone – we've got each other. You've never been alone in grieving for your parents". Grey eyes relocated their attention, transferred from the tearful girl ahead to the man stationed behind the front counter. "Tenchou's been going through the same agony, and he's always been here to support you when you felt like leaning on him. Though I guess you were trying to stand on your own feet all this time".
Misaki's sights followed Miwa's in rotating in order to place her uncle in the centre; despite his worries continuing strongly regarding his responsibility to support Misaki, he offered a reassuring smile after hearing his intended role voiced as he'd have hoped to play it. News which had seemingly struck Misaki into a stupor.
"Your parents nudged you to Oracle Think Tank, didn't they?" Miwa chimed, recapturing Misaki's sights. "There was a reason behind that; they observed how Vanguard brings people together. Something special to them, and to you – a means for you to connect with others. And that's exactly what Tenchou intended when he posed the idea of joining the shop tournament".
Puzzled eyes inched wider with the realization sinking in, with tears continuing to leak, and falling down after them onto the selection of cards. Miwa's words rang strongly within her whilst filing through those before her. Fingers uncurled from her other hand, injecting themselves between the cards and stripping away half, each filed between two digits. No longer with the lethargic look in her eyes – but with optics alive once more – she threw down the chosen units onto the spaces encompassing Sakuya.
"Oracle Guardian, Wiseman. Dark Cat. Battle Sister, Maple. Meteor Break Wizard," she called, voicing energy absent prior to the charge.
Radiance ignited from the ground surrounding the noble, ushering in close to a full party in her support; three familiar units [POW 10000/7000/6000] accompanied by a silver-haired man, clothed in an ensemble of white and green tight against the skin of his torso, enwrapped with black and a white cape further extending. Black trousers expanded from his legs, tucked within the white boots underneath; miniature white wings clipped into his tresses at either end of a small crown [POW 10000].
"Dark Cat's skill allows us both to draw," she continued, enacting in time with the declaration, allowing then a pause for Miwa to follow suit. "Furthermore, with five cards in my hand, Sakuya's skill boosts her power by 4000".
Around the divine figure, a bright miasma empowering Sakuya, whose body relaxed after the influx of additional energy [POW 14000]. With the formation in a satisfactory state, Misaki's fingers hovered above the first of her attackers, shifting the card horizontally.
"Oracle Guardian Wiseman attacks Red Eye," she declared, raising the fingers pressed at each end of the card so two digits would take aim at the quarry.
Irrespective of their sharing the banner 'Oracle Guardian', Wiseman's eyes began to burn brilliantly at the command issued, shooting narrow rays, which burned into the front face of the kitsune's chest.
"Damage check," Miwa announced, twisting his wrist to unveil the card drawn as a duplicate Maiden of Libra. Nevertheless, his spirits were raised, stemming from Misaki's apparent revival since their heart-to-heart. In turn, it encouraged him; the endeavour hadn't all been for nought.
"Battle Sister, Maple boosts Goddess of Flower Divination, Sakuya, who attacks Red Eye," she added, equally firm in delivery.
From the secondary line, the nun's battle-axe spun in a display of talent in handling such enormous arms. A thick stream of energy pooled from the weapon, connecting the two units and furthering Sakuya's collected strength [POW 20000]. The woman's arms rose, clasping still the bouquet precariously, with the vibrant rose petals pointed in Red Eye's direction. In a hasty move, Miwa tore two cards away from his hand, tossing one into the Drop Zone and launching the other into the Guard circle between the two parties.
"Perfect Guard: Battle Sister, Chocolat!" he bellowed.
Misaki shot him a look in time with the smaller nun manifesting into the line of fire, round spectacles agleam with fright and knees knocking, even with her tiny hands brandishing a loaded turret [SLD 0]. Though she'd paused in a second of bewilderment, Misaki proceeded nonetheless; lifting up the first of the cards she was permitted.
"Twin Drive". The first flick of the wrist disclosed the first to be Oracle Guardian, Apollon – while Grade 3, a small relief for Miwa, who had dreaded the appearance of Triggers at a critical moment. However, the card's appearance was a double-bladed edge; as apprehension washed over him at the prospect of potentially wasting a Perfect Guard on an unnecessary occasion. "Second check: Victory Maker. Draw Trigger; I'll give the power to Meteor Break Wizard".
A sigh of relief exited without conscious thought, Miwa's shoulders slackened in the instant before he readied himself for the next in the sequence of assaults, stiffening his back and meeting Misaki's gaze with one back accompanied by a smirk. The two of them falling back into more natural attitudes and actions; it was a sight which brought a smile, too, to Shin's face.
"Meteor Break Wizard attacks Red Eye".
The mage's greyed locks began to ruffle, in the absence of any breeze, from the power billowing inside of him [POW 15000]. Gloved palms gravitated towards each other, permitting space between them for a sphere of white magical energy to gather, crackling with bolts of additional power beyond his solo capabilities. A brilliant light which posed no threat to his vision, if his lack of facial expression was anything to go by – his sights fixated themselves of the charged energies, only realigning themselves so to lock onto the target. Miwa's shoulders squared, indicated his readiness to take on such an attack without additional support, freeing the wizard to spring up from the soil, muscles across his upper body tightened in line with the orb's release no differently than an offensive move in a ball sport. The battleroid braced itself without movement; once the two forces connected, lightning bolts circulated around the motionless Vanguard, suggesting that there was every chance its systems could short-circuit as a result of the two electrical forces colliding.
To dissuade any fears of such possibility among the kitsune's allies, the surge passed without any external red flags, and with the electrocution finished, the stationary unit's eyes began to glow, no differently than if it had been booting from slumber. Beside the assaulted Vanguard, Maiden of Libra smiled with relief evident, a hand laid atop her chest to soothe her frantic heart. Far behind their positions, Miwa overturned the top card of the deck, greeting him with a soft emerald glow.
"Heal Trigger," he announced, catching Misaki's eye briefly before turning his attention to the business exclusive to his territory. The Lozenge Magus card rested at the base of the column, in exchange for another, which travelled across the field and fell into the Drop Zone. "Power to Red-Eye, though it's a tad too late for such support".
MIWA — MISAKI
4 —DAMAGE— 3
"Turn end," Misaki responded, without any particularly clear feeling in control.
Atop the counter across the room, Sub-Manager hoisted its small frame up onto all four paws, treading across to Shin's arm and manoeuvring its head beneath the palm of the store-owner's nearest hand. A small gesture which snapped Shin out of his stupor and finishing the job; his hand moulding itself around the feline's head, offering soothing pets. A distraction which earned Sub-Manager's purrs; a rhythm of congratulations aimed at the cat for succeeding its mission of offering the troubled man something to divert his mind, even if for just a moment. Nevertheless, through the thick-framed spectacles, Shin's attention remained primarily, and intensely, on Miwa, who seemed unfazed by the fight turning more violently against him as time passed. Showing no signs of unease as he reached forward to the deck and stripped away the next card.
SIXTH TURN – MIWA
Grey hues lingered on the arrival of Battle Maiden, Tagitsuhime briefly, to deduce her role in the turn to come. However, he had priorities far higher in mind. The new card infiltrated his hand, fingers travelling to the first of the collection and held it above his head. An action which left Misaki, Shin and even Sub-Manager puzzled. Miwa's expression was unlike any Misaki could have recalled prior when his eyes opened; fierce and stern, as if he had gone into the turn on a mission, reluctant to allow his typically light-hearted demeanour interfere.
"There was a reason I wanted to use your deck for this fight. The cards within it are allies you've carried since the tragedy; they've been begrudged by your feelings, but they're also the closest to mirroring you in Vanguard. This wasn't planned to be a mirror match, but a fight where you could confront yourself and your demons. Bypass them and find your own way forward, without being shackled by the past, even if it meant choosing a path without Vanguard," he spoke resolutely, with a voice much more rigorous than on any other occasion. It heralded a turning point in the fight – although she had already spilled her heart out about the loss of her parents, Misaki's honest fight had yet to commence. "Hikari o kagayaku utsukushi megami yo!" They were words she could recognize, even without a flawless memory; Misaki's azure hues inched wider to have heard the same incantation which she would have ordinarily chanted, while Miwa's arm descended fiercely, launching the card onto the Vanguard Circle."Raido! Shi Ii Oo Amaterasu!" [1]
A tremor seized the meadow, putting all in attendance on-edge for the impending event. Red Eye's optics gleamed sharply, preceding the abundance of energy circulating around its motionless form, from which movement began after a lengthy delay. Long locks flowed from the back of the figure which the light melded itself into the shape of. Upon her brow, the crown of the sun. Arms extended from each side, cloaked in thick fabric hanging loosely, and the garments which concealed her form wove themselves from the fur of the predecessor Vanguard. White boots pointed their toes towards the flailing plates of grass beneath, and the brilliant dissipated, allowing Amaterasu's presence to grace the battlefield [POW 10000].
"You had been building up to her…" Misaki muttered under her breath. Her vision honed in on the Drop Zone, falling one card short of the necessary price for the sun goddess' Megablast. A strategy which she couldn't deny had come as somewhat astonishing, given the fight had been Miwa's self-proclaimed first experience handling Oracle Think Tank.
"I'll Soul Charge, as per Amaterasu's skill," the blond stated, slipping a new copy of Dark Cat into the stack compiled beneath his current leading unit. Once more, his fingers transferred to the deck, lifting the top card briefly and then removing it altogether "And move the top card of the deck to the bottom".
"All along, the fight had been just to set this up, wasn't it? Amaterasu was the unit who I always turned to," Misaki commented, a little sourly.
The goddess heading the squad opposing Misaki's units appeared to tense, her black locks transforming gradually to blonde, her eyes once opened to features mirroring Miwa's, lips woven into a smile. His shoulders rolled, the wrist rooted beneath the cards in his possession flicked, producing a wave akin to fanning himself with the cards.
"Can't get anything past you, huh, Nee-chan?" he quirked. Although it was a brief moment of light-heartedness – as quickly as he had reverted to normal, that serious demeanour assumed control once more. "But that's precisely it".
To his assertion, Misaki had nothing to say; no movement to physically answer either. The sensation around the boy standing across the table was something she failed to find words for; it was almost surreal to witness him behaving in such a manner, even knowing his motive behind the fight and his intentions, as well-intended as they appeared to be. But he himself had lowered his guard and invited her in; just as she had professed her grief, he had offered an inkling; to the anguish he suffered after losing someone dear to him.
"I'm no expert on the matter, nor can I make assumptions about what you've been through, how you've coped," he said, sounding almost downtrodden at the reminder that she had been through such trauma at such a young age. Scars which she had carried secretly for years after the fact. "But, I can't bear to see you throw your life away. You've got so much to live for – and they would have encouraged you, I'm sure. They sound like loving parents, who worked all they could to offer their daughter the best possible future, even if they couldn't share the experience with you. But they encourage you still, they could never rest knowing what their passing brought about; the pain it caused you. I imagine you've been through the motions, and come so close to the end by your own strength, but you're still stuck, aren't you? You've been bogged down by the despair before accepting what happened… Not that I blame you; how could you make such a leap when it happened so fast, when you were just a child? And looking ahead… it must have been terrifying. It's scary, to open yourself up again after something terrible happens; when someone you treasure is ripped away from you. Hoping and fighting to mend the void inside of you… it's a pretty scary prospect; when you're afraid it'll only tear itself open wider".
"Miwa…" Misaki breathed, taken aback by the admissions, spoken so familiarly as if first-hand experience; while simultaneously feeling herself soften to have heard such raw emotions, feeling her own grievances seize hold of her tired heart yet again.
"I turned away from Vanguard for a while after Kai moved. Like you, it reminded me of him… and the fun times we'd lost," the blond continued, clenching his vacant hand. "But while soul searching, I figured he was in much greater pain than I was; he'd not lost just me, but everything he knew. So I resolved myself to pick myself up and carry on, to keep hoping until the day I could find him again, and help him through the tough times. Wallowing isn't my thing, and it kills me to see others dragged so far down. Which is why I needed to fight you, and urge you to fight yourself".
A pang struck Misaki's chest; a throb from her heart stumbling. Out of anxiety and trepidation, while experiencing a bout of surprise; that her depression could have spurned him into action for such a reason. Not for Q4, not for any of its members, or even himself – he came, with an earnest fighting spirit, for her alone. To reach in and pull her from the pit into which she fell as a child.
"They had fun, didn't they?"
"—Huh?"
"Your parents. They enjoyed Vanguard with all their hearts, right? I can't see any other reason why they would have built up a business around games if they didn't have a passion for them. And they wanted to share that with you. I know the association can be difficult to separate, but… I imagine they'd have wanted you to carry on having fun, and support you over your shoulders all the way. The game itself isn't defined by anything or anyone, but it's a way we can express ourselves, distract ourselves, enjoy ourselves. In a harsh world where demands on us as young adults are everywhere, we can escape to a planet where none of that matters and just have fun – because it's not as though there's many chances unless we go searching for it. However they played it, I'm sure that they would have continued the same way, with you, today if they were here. And, because they're not here, they must be proud of you".
Misaki's head tilted so to conceal her eyes, visibly swimming from tears threatening to spill over. "…How? How could they be? When my life stopped the day they passed away? I stopped enjoying it, I stopped… moving. Living. It's no different than if I had been there and died with them".
"Let me ask you something: say it was you that day, would you have wanted your parents to stop functioning, and chain themselves to such overwhelming grief?"
The manner in which the blond posed the question… it was almost detached. He had no hesitation about it. Aspects of its delivery which sent a chill racing down Misaki's spine as she contemplated the scenario. Terrifying as it were.
"Of course not…" she answered shakily.
"Then please, stop tormenting yourself. This world is cruel enough, without you tearing into yourself day after day. Though chances are you'll be doubtful, we can all see you're a good person, even if you hide that behind walls to protect yourself. One day, I'd like to get the pleasure of seeing the real you, hearing you and getting to know you. I know have the strength to keep fighting whatever life throws at you, without the cost of self-destructing. So there's something I'd like to know: what will you do to survive?"
Misaki's frame froze outright with the next issue presenting itself before her. She'd no ready answer; no intelligence through skimming texts could help; no knowledge from the prodigal research and memorization – there was no leg upon which to stand. Her focus had always been struggling through, pushing out all progress once she had found herself against a wall in the process of dealing with her grief. There was no fore-planning, no goals, no aspirations or dreams. Just making it through each day.
"You ask how your parents could be proud of you; I think the answer is obvious," Miwa added tonelessly, eyes falling shut gently in time with the fist to travel leisurely to his chest, knuckles pressed to skin overlapping his heart. "Because you're an incredible person in so many fields. And you've made it this far all on your own. You don't need to fight all by yourself. You can enjoy yourself, you can embrace Vanguard without feeling guilty about your loss, because they would have wanted you to live. For them, and for yourself. Tenchou, who saved you from winding up who knows where, has always been here to support you, waiting for your earnest smile to return. Kai and the others… they're the same; though some of them might not show it so well, we're all here as well. We're all damaged and lonesome to some degree, anyone who isn't by this age is incredibly lucky — or maybe we're just unfortunate! — but in any case, understand that you're not alone. Don't look at Vanguard and lament the loss of your parents - it's what still connects you. Because of this game, they're standing beside you every time you fight. Just how the rest of us will be there with you. So what you said before… about losing everything, and being alone… It's not true. You just haven't been able to see how you're genuinely surrounded by friends and family who love you. So keep fighting! Live, for the future they wanted to see with you".
The passion which reignited in Miwa's voice as the monologue progressed shook Misaki from the stupor into which she'd fallen, enlarged eyes with tears streaming emerged from the bangs which veiled her face when her head snapped up to meet with the source of the encouragement. Bemusement primarily marked her expression, but also a yearning - a desire to do as had been proposed to her. Perhaps an urge in the heat of the moment, or something which might prove to possess true longevity; she wanted to live, and look ahead. Finally, someone had given her enough reason to believe she had a right to release herself from the anguish of the past; set clear instructions as to how she could reclaim her life and where to start, extended a hand for her to take and clutch onto as life depended upon it. To have seen that spark flicker within her, Miwa's features melted into a soft gaze and smile; both in comfort and pride that she could bat away the thorny vines which had shrouded the way forward for so long and emerge from the woods in which she had wandered so alone, without any guidance for which route to take. To see her scale the pit and enter into the sunlit world above once more.
"How do you feel? Should we leave it?" he asked gently.
There was brief hesitation on her end, hands unsteady. Fingers without the responsibility to balance her cards reached down to the table and gripped, then curled themselves into a fist her own. "No… It's not over yet," she spoke, with such resolve that it startled Shin. The tone resembled the Misaki he knew, granting him hope that the intended purpose of the whole meeting was finally taking effect. "I still haven't faced all my demons. I haven't confronted myself in full yet. Keep playing".
"Alright, as you wish," Miwa answered tenderly. "Call; Scarlet Witch, Koko and Battle Sister Cocoa".
On the opposite corners of Amaterasu's formation manifested the two units; the sister adorned in her personalized garment, standing with one leg firmly forward so to allow flesh to emerge from the slit skirt whilst wearing the same mischievous smirk as had been an ever-present feature during her time on the battlefield [POW 6000]. In the emptied right-hand side, fiery red hair flowed from the slender mage who accepted the call to battle; fashioned in a lengthy high-ponytail. An orange shirt clung to her frame, connected with mocha shorts in a union concealed by the belt constructed of white diamonds fastened to one another by means of a zigzagging orange accent running across the top. Sandals separated sole from soil, at the base of calves concealed by loose white leggings which dangled from orange ribbons circulating the witch's thighs at the midway point. Behind the woman's stature floated six tails from the jacket with loose shoulders, each lined with orange and adorned with a similarly-coloured diamond. Golden jewellery encircled her brow and wrists, the latter spawning white gloves to blanket her nimble hands, in which rested a silver sceptre, from which sprouted the shapes in likeness of excavated crystals deep within a mine, glittering through translucent orange [POW 10000].
"Cocoa's skill: I'll check the top card—" Miwa began, snatching up the first card and raising it so a glance cast towards the corner of his sockets would suffice. "—And return it on top of the deck".
The return to the deck's top indicated to Misaki it was to be crucial come the battle phase of Miwa's turn, leaving her to wonder if it had been a Trigger, set in preparation to run down her forces. Though she had little time to speculate the possibilities, as Miwa was immediately reaching for his Vanguard, shifting Amaterasu's card into a resting stance.
"CEO attacks Sakuya [POW 17000]".
Coming off the back of a premature check, Misaki wasn't about to leave her units at risk for the possibility of a duo of Triggers manifesting, tearing away three cards which scattered across the wide Guardian Circle.
"Oracle Guardian, Nike. Dream Eater. Victory Maker". Each by their name materialized onto the battlefield as a blockade between the sun goddess and her target [SLD 30000].
A smirk formed upon Miwa's lips, at the prospect he may be considered a worthwhile opponent whilst wielding a Clan largely foreign to him; the formation of such extensive defences flattered him — she was through perceiving him as anything less than a player capable of winning whilst she herself played seriously. Fingertips brushed the back of the deck, peeling away both cards for the goddess' Twin Drive — unveiling Silent Tom and Psychic Bird. Unfortunate that he would fall just short of penetrating the collection of reinforcements when activating Amaterasu's skill by the last minute bolstering of his hand [POW 22000], though thankful that she wouldn't gamble away a chance to accomplish what he hoped for her to achieve out of the fight before it may conclude.
"Maiden of Libra gains the effects of Psychic Bird's Critical Trigger," he decided.
Well behind the initiated assault, the winged woman embraced the power enveloping her form, energies surging beneath her skin, charged in preparation ahead of the anticipated follow-up expected of her to exact [POW 13000]. Upon her spread the shadow of Amaterasu, mirror raised above her head with brilliant radiance unleashed in a multitude of rays that collided with the ground, piercing through the surface. Despite the intensity of the incoming barrage, Sakuya remained unflinching; remaining resolute whilst her defenders endured the strikes, allowing to nullify each beam before any may endanger their leader. Before her, they crumpled, disintegrating from the field and perishing with the knowledge she behind their guard remained safe.
"Cocoa boosts Maiden of Libra [POW 19000]".
"Guard; Oracle Guardian, Nike [SLD 20000]".
Another failed effort; even when enhanced by both Trigger and Rear-Guard, the maiden's spell couldn't bypass the defence called upon with numbers just sufficient to prevent the attempt. Though his tongue clicked against the roof of his mouth, Miwa's lips retained the smirk accompanying his enjoyment of the thrill — pleased to recognize that his opponent's movements and responses had increased vastly in speed; a far cry from the sluggish display which dominated much of the match prior to Amaterasu's rise. One more effort, with force just bordering on sufficient to inflict some damage, so long as—
"Security Guardian".
As anticipated, the formation of particles gravitated to the front lines, summoning from their union the named unit to block the scarlet witch's path. Shoulders hunched, head hanging level with sights fixated on the resting squadron beneath his shadow cast, wearing a defeated smile. Naturally, it would be a difficult task to overcome an arsenal as bolstered as those gathered between Misaki's fingertips; he had expected the turn to prove difficult in inflicting very much damage, though to fail outright hadn't been a presumption. After a moment of allowing the turn to sink in, his torso straightened, head hoisted up in final gesture to face her, smile wiping away the disappointment from his stumble, to happily lend her the control of battle.
"Pretty remarkable, you got me. Turn end".
SEVENTH TURN – MISAKI
Taking in not the full weight of Miwa's compliment, Misaki reached for the deck once more, stripping away the next layer, surveying the options within her hand into which it arrived, and then the active formation above. A field readily prepared for a fierce assault, even if she were to deny additional forces, when Miwa's hand could be whittled away. From the checks of past, her understanding of what precisely he held all but guaranteed the turn would be an uphill challenge; even as he had demonstrated his level of skill in days of attending the store — someone who could easily step up to the stage of officially sponsored competition. And she had no doubt in mind that had he been more fortunate in match-ups during the shop tournament, it would have been he a member of Q4. So she couldn't take him lightly, even as it appeared his back be pressed to the wall.
Her fingers reached forward, pressed upon the Rear-Guard with no back-up, with a sharp twist that set the card horizontal. "Oracle Wiseman, Nike attacks the Vanguard".
"Silent Tom," was Miwa's sharp response, launching the duo into the Guardian Circle with swiftness that they could charge into the fray and take the pointed blast.
Another grab for the field, Misaki had moved with intention of following up with her central column, only to pause when the two goddesses in direct opposition entered the focus of her vision. Amaterasu — of her typical play from days current, her present state — and Sakuya — both icon of her childhood, with foresight of the future ahead as clearly as Misaki's own remembrance of the past — that they engage in battle, it hadn't yet sunk in that such clash was to occur. This was precisely what Miwa had urged all along, even as he'd entered with no anticipation that she would be wielding units with such deeper meaning. But she understood, what motivation he hadn't spoken aloud so much, whilst fixated on waking her from the daze; to seize the future, carry the past with her rather than bury it, and overcome her static present, growing as he'd made clear her parents would have desired. They were goddesses who watched over her, leading her on when her legs hadn't the strength to walk.
Atop her hand, the ghostly addition of another. Misaki's eyes directed themselves from the union, to the side from which the limb entered, to be met with her mother's warm smile, as clearly as if she were opaque. To bear witness to her gentle face after so many years of viewing it in memory alone stole the breath from Misaki's lungs. Upon them, she felt another stack, and twisting her head about sharply, her father occupied the other side. For whatever reason, without tearful plea for their return, they had come nevertheless, to offer support unending — assurance upon her friend's words that she had never, nor would onward, be alone. Words couldn't describe to her the sensations welling within, overflowing in protest of barricades which kept the wider world at bay; she could feel the tears which lined her eyes, warm tears as opposed to the cool she felt strangely familiar in the last days. Their hands guided hers onto Sakuya, allowing herself additional pause before making any movement — how she wished they would remain the three of them in the moment together. Yet living in a stagnated state had brought nothing but pain the past decade, she understood, she herself had expressed. Their appearance had been their blessing to move forward, and allow time to resume before she be encased in frozen state forever, trapped always as spectator to the moving world. She believed herself to hear a crack when snapping her wrist to set the goddess's card around.
"Sakuya attacks Amaterasu".
Her words came calm; bearing neither recently recovered enthusiasm nor a lack of feeling altogether, but a tranquil command. Maple set down her great axe, instead operating primarily to offer up her energies through arms outstretched, palms pressed to the divine's back, with a gentle push forward that could urge her forth. A step, two, and Sakuya sprang into the air, arms spread among gusts of petals swirling around her in uniform [POW 16000].
"Guard!" Miwa hollered, quick to lay down a duo of cards; one Psychic Bird and the other, Tagitsuhime. Though his hand wouldn't withdraw, but hover in a moment's deliberation, then ultimately retreating whilst leaving Maiden of Libra stationed as she were.
Upon the battlefield, the two guardians took position, the blonde Amaterasu smiling in both gratitude and apology for asking such a service [SLD 25000]. Beside her, the brunette angel who had been requested to remain cast an expression both of thanks her own and apprehension about how they could expect to resist the force of their adversary in the midst of preparation.
"Twin Drive". The first flick of her wrist, Lozenge Magus returning to the game, emitting a gentle light. "Heal Trigger".
"Too bad you're in no need for one, huh?" Miwa quipped, glancing at the trio of cards at rest in her Damage Zone, falling short of his own numbers.
"Even so, the boost is enough — the power goes to Sakuya," Misaki responded firmly. Back to the deck did her hand fall, quick to turn over another card, to be greeted by another warm glow. "Critical Trigger".
"You're kidding! Man, is this going to hurt," Miwa yelped, recoiling with arms raised from the astonishment colliding into him all at once.
"Sakuya gains all effects". About the hovering deity, both auras ignited, empowering her substantially; gifts she received with a soft hum, black tresses dying lilac in tangent with crossing of the threshold into strength capable of overpowering the defences gathered in her shadow. "Sakuya's skill activates: when there are four or more cards in my hand, she gains 4000 extra power".
Miwa stumbled once more. "I was afraid of that—"
At her peak, the petals cascading around Sakuya began to illuminate themselves, charged for the moment at hand [POW 30000]. Sakuya's eyes opened, her resemblance to Misaki solidified as she peered down upon the Amaterasu bearing Miwa's own, arms spread swung themselves majestically, unleashing the gusting petals in spiral descent upon the opposition. The two units gathered shielded themselves, whilst remaining rooted to the spot in order to fulfil the duty they have been called upon for, the sister clenching her teeth while the bird cooing beneath the pressure applied upon them. Unfortunately, they were doomed to fall short and were dismissed by the sheer force, leaving Amaterasu open, the goddess's expression of stupefaction before she herself would be engulfed in the storm, forcing back the units gathered around, lest they also become casualties.
Feeling himself sweat some, Miwa's attention fell quickly down to the matter at hand, of the deciding checks. "I was holding off to have a safety net in place for the next attack, but looks like I'll be lucky to last until then".
"There's only one Heal Trigger left for you to draw," Misaki stated.
Hearing such a claim, which he knew she would only speak factually, Miwa flinched, his body stiffened briefly at the dreaded odds against him; exchanged again for a playful smile once the raised stakes were processed. "You know, you'd be good a playing mind games. We should count ourselves lucky you're not that type of girl".
A brief pause offered him chance to debate whether it best to hope for such a miracle, or whether to accept defeat where he stood, even before any result be unveiled. The aim of the fight had never been to win; the result was never relevant in his mind, he may have simply gotten too into the moment once Misaki's fire reignited. He had, after all, wished to spar with her and see what she was capable of, once she allowed herself open some — he could most certainly feel content with the experience now the chance had come. Unto the deck, his hand fell, slow to pull away the first card.
"Damage Check," he said, twisting his wrist around to find Battle Sister, Chocolat. "No Trigger".
Into the Damage Zone, the sister retreated, leaving space for whatever lay underneath the logo of the next card to join. In the process of turning back to the stack, it had come to Miwa's attention that his heartbeat had intensified, as though they were playing a much riskier game, as if there were a need to triumph. He couldn't help but smile at how he's let himself been swept up so. Once he touched the awaiting top, he pulled sharply, not to draw out the most crucial moment.
"Second Check". His heart jumped whilst turning over the draw, whatever the result may be. To his astonishment, Amaterasu gazed up, prompting a playful smile in face of defeat — the most fitting to decide the end. "Looks like mission accomplished".
MIWA — MISAKI
6 —DAMAGE— 3
After placing the card neatly into the column, his sights lifted away, meeting the sight of Misaki and halting upon witnessing into what stance she had risen — and it was no exaggeration to deem it stunning. Misaki's posture was that exuding confidence of any passionate player; her head raised high, shoulders squared and sights set firmly ahead. It was a spectacle relieving to bear witness, he remained still, captivated in awe.
FIGHT END
All remained still and quiet for a moment, allowing the turn of events to process for each party, neither player moving quite immediately to gather up the cards laid out. From the counter, Shin pulled back, having noticed himself too deeply invested in viewing the fight, fortunate that no customer had wandered in and been promptly ignored. Though in softening his focus, his eyes once upon Misaki grew wide — as he gazed upon the ghostly visage of the girl's parents around her. Gone once his eyes blinked, if they had truly been there. Nevertheless, it stole his breath to have seen, even if they may have been imagined.
At the table, Miwa's shoulders rolled, smiling earnestly at his opponent, whose body relaxed in turn, with it dawning on her how she'd thrown herself in. Upon her cheeks, a soft glow of embarrassment, thankful that it was as Miwa had stated all along: it was just the two of them.
"Feeling any better?" the blond asked. "I'll say again — no-one will force you to play, that's a decision for only yourself. Whatever you choose, we'll be behind you, that's what friends do".
After further brief silence, Misaki appeared to respond, meeting him in the eye, seeming both hesitant, yet far more expressive than he'd seen of her previously. "I think so, yeah," she responded, somewhat weakly, with sights lowering to the layout of her field. "Having it all put into perspective, it feels like I can see things a lot more clearly, rather than it all being tangled. All along, I knew how much they enjoyed Vanguard, and that they'd hope I would play. The longer I put off trying my hand at it, the harder it became — all at once, I was in constant pain from the fear of disappointing them, but unable to separate their love for it with how much losing them hurt. I can't guarantee I would be any good as a team-mate, there's no definite that this won't still be something I have to deal with in chunks, but…"
Her voice trailed away, unable to articulate in words precisely what thoughts suggested. Before she could fathom how to convey them, her deck slid into view, Amaterasu on top facing her. The sudden appearance of the cards lured her vision upwards, to Miwa standing by the corner of the table, arm outstretched.
"Figured you might want this back, they are you cards," he quipped lightly. "If you're feeling up for playing, then take it easy. No-one's expecting big things, half of Q4 are newbies at the game, and even Kamui is prone to slipping up. Even if it's a team heading for Nationals, it's going as a bunch of kids who met a couple of months ago, and who're going for the first time, so focus on having fun rather than results. Your parents would never be disappointed, though if you feel like you want to do something to make up for not playing all this time, why not go, and just enjoy yourself? If playing in front of that many people doesn't scare you off, I can assure you it'd help Aichi — we all know he's bound to be a nervous wreck, maybe having someone else who's scared will make it a little easier on him".
Taking his words into consideration, Misaki mulled over the scenario, of rejoining the team and simply experiencing the love for a game so dear to her parents without anything additional to sour the sensation. For the first time, to truly indulge what they had always been passionate for for what it was worth. Her hands cupped about the deck, hoisting it from his palm, and clasped them to her chest. The approaching footfalls of Shin's approach drew the sights of both.
"Actually, Misaki… there was something your parents wanted you to have," he spoke, somewhat meekly though with a soft smile. A hand extended, closed into a fist briefly before unfolding to unveil a small key resting in the centre, decorated with the curves of a heart at its peak, into which, a string had been woven. "Though because you were struggling so much, it never felt right to give it to you. I was hoping that a day would come when you felt ready".
It was a turn which left Misaki at a loss for words; she understood swiftly the key was intended for a music box which had been in her room since childhood, though never had she any interest in searching out the means of unsealing it, always believing it to be nothing more than how it appeared. Yet the appearance of the key insinuated there had been much more to it than meets the eye. Fingers unfurled, slow in nearing the item, and lifting it delicately as though it may vanish yet again if she were too quick. She drew back the hand, gazing upon the deck in one, and key in the other; her parents' legacy, all which they could hand to her for the time being. She cradled the pair, as treasures finally their worth understood, tears prickling at the corners of her eyes. As she presented herself as no more than a vulnerable child, Shin stepped forward, wrapping his arms about her and embracing his niece; an expression so long he hadn't the possibility of exacting, with how mature and independently she carried herself, reluctant to allowing his affection to showcase.
Miwa retreated a step, permitting the pair to have a moment of solidarity, his hand brushing against the tabletop, with a glance cast upon Sakuya, and those surrounding her, in hopes that the message of the fight would be capable of sticking to her, not to be lost to time. Back around to the pair his vision rotated, fishing his phone from the pocket of his blazer.
"Actually, there's somewhere I think might help you better assure you that the rest of us understand," he suggested. His offer garnered both Misaki and Shin to peer his way curiously, bemused by what he had in mind.
Within a matter of hours, the shop had become far more lively, populated by a high number of youngsters who had flocked after the conclusion of the school day, voices mingling into one another. Having considered it a sight which warmed the hearts of his brother and sister-in-law, Shin felt himself with greater appreciation than ever before. His hand brushed across Sub-Manager's head and down the feline's back with each circling for further pampering that the mascot executed, purring loudly with satisfaction.
Though upon the quiet rumble of the door sliding open, the cat sprang away, leaping into the arms of the girl who entered, eliciting a warm laugh, and nails lightly scratching behind erect ears.
"Tenchou!"
The voice spun Shin's head about, quick to smile at the girl into whom Sub-Manager had pounced; braided castleton-green hair styled neatly into a bun adorning the back of her head and bright violet eyes squeezed shut whilst enjoying the excitement. Her attire was more than merely familiar to Shin; the very same high school uniform Misaki donned on most days, albeit with her ribbon fastened and skirt incredibly short in comparison, exposing her legs freely.
"Ah, Akari-chan," he greeted her cheerily. "Thank you for stopping past the last few days. Though she hasn't said it, I'm certain it means a lot to Misaki".
Lifting her face from Sub-Manager's fur, the girl beamed. "Of course I'd swing by. Misaki's important to me, and her vanishing from school all of a sudden had me worried sick! How is she? Any better today?"
The smile on Shin's face cast away all concerns in the girl's heart immediately. "Yes, I believe so. You could expect her to show up tomorrow without saying anything ahead of time".
Elation glittered in Akari's eyes, her face brightening even more as she inhaled. "Really?! Aaahh, it feels like way too long. We haven't gone this long without seeing each other for months. Is she well enough that I can go up and check in with her?"
"I'm afraid she isn't home right now," Shin responded, laying a hand on the counter to support himself whilst tilting forward. "There was somewhere she needed to go, but she should be back before sundown". From within his apron, the muffled chime of a ringtone intervened, forcing Shin to make an apologetic gesture before fishing it out, his face brightening at the number on screen. Before there could be danger that the call end prematurely from his failure to answer, his thumb tapped down, swift to bring the device to his hear. "Ah, hello Rive—!"
A bemused look spread across Akari's face; she had been under the impression Misaki had fallen unwell, without prying into what precisely had caused her absence from school, believing had there been more to the story, she would have spoken of it. Though to hear she was healthy enough to venture out soothed her, and spurned the desire to linger long enough for her return. The nuzzle from the cat climbing her shoulder ceased the curiosity, earning a delighted squeal and resume of indulging his favourite spots.
—Hitsue City: Cementery—
After disembarking the train, Misaki had reason to question where they were heading, recognizing the route as one she travelled on multiple occasions. Along the way, she'd questioned if perhaps the destination could truly be the same as that of her own travels, with confusion as to why Miwa would decide to lead her there. Emerging from greenery of trees, shrubbery and meadows, the blacks and greys of the vast resting ground — the very same which she had attended on the day of Regionals, to visit her parents' grave. If perchance his intention was to have her visit them, she failed to understand what more he intended to achieve, though he was the same who had soothed her through means of a cardfight, another feat she'd deemed impossible. Through the aisles of pillars into which family names were carved, the pair moved slowly and peacefully, Misaki withholding her questions until they halt movement altogether. Yet along the course, she'd come to realize their pathway was veering from her typical, prompting many questions anew.
It was when she peered over the blond's shoulder to see another standing in wait ahead that it dawned on her. Gazing upon what she presumed to be their destination was none other than Kai. A raised arm from Miwa alerted the brunet that they had arrived, turning his head in their direction. But not a holler as typical would burst from Miwa's throat, instead he likewise postponed words until the duo closed the distance and ceased.
"Yo, looks like you made it with time to spare," the blond quirked.
"I was tempted to brush off whatever you had in mind, but you wouldn't stop texting," Kai commented blankly.
"Don't tell me you dragged him out of school to beat us here?" Misaki questioned suspiciously, squinting at Miwa from beside his shoulder.
"Hey, hey!" he laughed gently, waving hands defensively. "Kai's the one always skipping out on class if he can get away with it. You'd be surprised how little he'd show up if I didn't drag him to school every morning".
The brunet's brow furrowed marginally, seeing the commentary as unnecessary and irrelevant. Sliding hands into his pockets, he turned to face the pair directly. "So what exactly did you have in mind?"
"You got the jist from the texts, I imagine," was Miwa's answer, peering Misaki's way quickly after and raising his hands a second time. "No specifics, promise. Truth is… when I said we understand, what I meant is Kai knows exactly what you've been going through".
In the process of averting her eyes from Miwa to Kai, the angle at which she stood relative to the grave allowed for the characters inscribed to linger in view; a shallow inhale accompanied her focus redirecting once more in order to align them instead from the corner of her vision to centre. So familiar was the scene, yet not 'Tokura' which marked the slab, but 'Kai'. Disbelief flickered in her enlarged eyes, pulled away to meet with the brunet again, having been oblivious all along. When Miwa had spoken of understanding her predicament in standing still, it hadn't been just himself in mind, but Kai as well — the three of them, together, had endured copious suffering.
"Kai… I—"
"It's fine, you don't have to say," he uttered before she could finish, glancing to the grave in the corner of his eye. "When Miwa filled me, it became clear pretty quickly. Tokura, if it's too much, don't force yourself. No-one's giving up, but we're not about to push".
Her head shook gradually. "I understand; Miwa drove it home already. I guess worrying about falling short in comparison to the three of you had me worrying about too much all at once. I would have never guessed… I was thinking too narrowly, of course you're going to have your own problems, I just couldn't imagine they were all that big".
Between them, Miwa stepped, roughly planting a hand on a shoulder of each with a grin. "You're like two peas in a pod — explains why you're both such grumps". Immediately, as expected, the pair aimed icy glares in his direction, causing a sharp withdrawal of his hands and a shaky smile, as if plea not to come under attack. "N- Now, now! I just mean you've got someone else who understands you a ton, so don't forget to talk to each other if you need".
From her skirt pocket, a buzz distracted Misaki from the scene, reaching and removing her phone, tapping to open a message just delivered.
Akari [17:37] | Shin-san said you're back tomorrow! Can't wait missed you (*≧▽≦)
"What's that?" Miwa asked.
A smile graced Misaki's lips, softening the expression cast upon the screen. "Someone who's always been there".
As her sights raised, she recognized that both boys' lines of vision had also altered, twisting on the spot, with a step backwards to clear the way for Kai's view, and finding the scene which had captured their sights. Following the path which had brought herself and Miwa to the scene, were Kamui and Aichi, each clutching bouquets in their arms. How precisely they had come to suspect the trio might be present she couldn't begin to speculate — it was hardly somewhere suited for the five's reunion. Nevertheless, she allowed their approach in full before questioning.
"Misaki-san…" Kamui whimpered, quick to throw his head down apologetically. "We're sorry! We didn't mean anything!"
Aichi was quick to follow suit. "We had no idea that you had been going through so much, and that we were making it worse, we're truly sorry".
It was astounding; Misaki found herself unbalanced at the insinuation they had come to discover the truth. "N- No, it's fine…" Her cheeks grew flush, avoiding gazing directly upon them. "You couldn't have known… And you wouldn't have intentionally said anything, so you don't need to feel guilty. How… did you find out though? No-one other than Miwa knew, and he just found out a few hours ago".
In his direction she cast another glower, resulting in a third instance of his taking a protective stance before a misunderstanding could occur. However, it offered no assistance in solving the mystery, leading her back around to the younger pair as they straightened themselves.
"We stopped by Card Capital and Tenchou told us," Kamui responded.
"That guy…" Misaki grumbled, fist clenched and trembling with frustration; between Akari and the pair, he was proving himself to have loose lips. Not something new, though she'd have imagined he would keep under control during such a sensitive time. The pair stiffened, feeling chills run down their spine. A concern Misaki brushed off with a dismissive wave. "You came all the way here because of that?"
"We wanted to set things right. If you weren't feeling able to play, we didn't want you to feel forced," Aichi explained somewhat hastily. "With the Nationals thing coming up, we were afraid you would keep pushing yourself until you hit your limit — or hit it again — and the idea of you pushing on while in so much pain just because of us just didn't sit right".
"Yeah, it's not fair on you to make yourself play if you're not enjoying it," Kamui added, jumping in as soon as a break opened itself for his additional input. "We'll go to Nationals as a team of three so you don't need to feel like you have a responsibility to come when you're not feeling it".
A glance over her shoulder, Misaki's eyes met with Miwa's, and then Kai's, returning to the duo in front of them with a smile. "It wouldn't be Q4 if there were just three members in the team".
The comeback surprised them both, exchanging equally curious and puzzled looks before they would return the gaze she aimed upon them. "Does that mean—"
Misaki's arms folded, adopting a more assertive posture befitting of her public appearance. "You know that if you went ahead with an open slot that loudmouth Morikawa would never stop pestering you about joining in my place. And I'm not having someone like that represent Card Capital in front of the country".
The pair's eyes lit up to hear that their team be not just completed as desired, but that Misaki could confidently assert her place without the essence of pressure upon her shoulders to do so. Kamui had braced himself to leap up and howl in elation when the realization of where they were situated locked his knees before they could propel him upwards. Instead, he cleared his throat, straightening the limbs and ushering up instead the bouquet resting still in his arms.
"We brought these because we thought it would be best to thank your parents for everything," he claimed.
"Without them, Card Capital wouldn't have been there to bring us together, and we wanted to show appreciation for more than just that, but for being there for you while they could be, and to offer our condolences," Aichi elaborated, his arms about the plastic wrapping inching inward protectively about the flowers resting upon them, the cover crinkling.
Miwa stepped forward, urging the three ahead. "Then let's go, we won't have long before the sun starts setting. Come on, Kai".
"Go on ahead, I'll follow in a moment".
There was no questioning the decision, nor inquisitive expression. Rather, he continued to gesture onward the others, allowing for the privacy he had intruded upon by arriving before certainty that the other had sufficient time; he had been the one to summon Kai to the site unexpectedly, after all. While the four traversed the aisle, Aichi couldn't help but peer back when noting Kai's remaining behind. Briefly, he wondered, though a vague memory penetrated the fogginess.
PREVIEW
Kamui: It's finally here! We're really going to Nationals!
Reiji: Now everyone gets to see the power of the Great Kamui-sama!
Eiji: TP!
Kamui: But man, it's exciting and scary thinking about how tough everyone's going to be. We're just starting out.
Reiji: Hmm, yeah, that's true. It'll be Q4's first time, but there could be teams who make it every year.
Eiji: EY.
Kamui: Uuhh… what if I mess up? Emi-san would see! No, no, nononono! Next time: "Cardfight! Vanguard Override, Chapter 14 — Onwards, As a Unit". DAAAAAAAARRRRHHHHHH!
Reiji: Rest in peace, Kamui-sama…
Eiji: RIP…
[1] "Shine radiantly, beautiful goddess! Ride! CEO Amaterasu!"
It's been stupidly long since being here, and incredibly grateful for anyone who clicked to read, especially if it's someone who's been waiting far too long for this. The past few years have been particularly difficult, and more recently, after getting closer to a better place, it was technical problems with Word that hindered working on this. The latter has been solved by remembering the site has its own document manager, which will be the primary tool in writing these until things sort themselves. Please know that despite the enormous gaps in updates, my passion for writing both this and The Neo-Domino Purge has never faltered, it's been a lot of self-doubt and struggling with the world outside this passion that have been the hurdles standing in the way; over the past few years, while this in particular has been waiting an update, I've been working to map out the full course of its contents, including both scenarios for G and the V-Reboot; the notes of these developments can be found on my Tumblr. As well as that, this chapter was worked on primarily at three different stages during the past couple of years, so if the writing style is mismatched, I fully intend to come back and repair it so it can retain a consistent flow.
I fully intend to get these projects written out, and long contemplated a notice to assure that they were still coming, though know the association with those kinds of updates and being perceived as a death flag, so held off. I'm happy to say that despite all this time, my love for Vanguard is still real; it suffered a tumultuous time during G (reasons both unconnected to the franchise as much as there were tied to it), though to see the manga being adapted so lovingly has reinvigorated it and then some, so I hope not to allow this streak of slowness to keep up. Additionally, I'd like to apologize if the cardfights themselves dip in quality; when this began, a friend who understands the card game was the one who would plan out the details for both this and NDP's duels (many of which have yet to come in their respective stories), though with adult life responsibilities, I'd rather not trouble him, so will be doing my best to handle them myself, and have other friends with equal comprehension of the game who I can turn to for fixing mistakes. Despite all the time I've loved Vanguard, my ineptitude at getting the hang of card games continues to blight actually handling the most technical part. All in all, thank you for sticking with this story, or for coming to read if it's your first time, and being patient with me, I hope to be able to pay you back and make the wait worth it, sorry to have kept you so long.
— CuteYami, 18th September 2018
