Cardfight Vanguard: Setsuzoku Senso

by Sulmore

In the real world where Vanguard has a history equal to major league sports, it has become as explosively popular as actual sports as well as its anime counterpart. Those who wish to start their own kind of Vanguard legend attend specialized schools for the sake of their dream, but the question here is are you one of them?

2. Unknown Diner Exam

Cardfight Vanguard: Setsuzoku Sensō

Chapter 1

Unknown Diner Exam

---

Imagine….. it is the morning of Setsuzoku Academy's infamous entrance exam, and you're sitting inside a bus taking you to the academy grounds with several of your fellow young fighters. You're actually about to fall asleep, but all of a sudden the conversation going on between a teenaged boy and girl sitting in front of you seems to grab your attention.

"You had to the whole "happy kyun kyun heart" thing to the dude's omelet rice before we left. Your parents don't run a maid café for god's sake!" The teenaged boy said in a rough and annoyed tone, "I mean we almost missed our bus because of that, and you didn't even have time to change either."

The teenaged boy had short spiked black hair, slanted brown eyes, was wearing a black leather jacket, black shirt, along with a pair of jeans that is purposely torn for style's sake, and to sum it up this youngster seems to have the demeanor of a stereotypical high school delinquent.

"I had to… the guy was really nice about it, and he's one of our major regulars." the teenaged girl said in a warm and understanding tone.

That teenage girl has long bright red hair in a twin-tail style with an additional pair of long bangs that reach over her shoulder down to her chest; she also has dark emerald green eyes, and for some strange reason is wearing the kind of uniform one would expect at an old school Japanese dinner. For another strange reason you also get the feeling that this girl is the protagonist of her own story.

"Yeah yeah Umi…. I know you're just saying that so the people around you don't know what you really think." the teenaged boy said in a sudden disinterested tone as he started to stare out of the window.

"How rude Kokuo, I'm just being a dutiful dinner girl by going what's expected of me." Umi said as she felt legitimately insulted by her friend's disinterest.

"Harghhh fine." Kokou grumbled as he forces himself to look at his friend with a (heavily faked) expression of interest, "Still…. didn't see coming the fact that you'd be applying to the academy too, and to think you'd also make it past their hellish written exam. I mean it's impressive since you always said that you were only a casual fighter."

"Like I told you a month ago when I asked you to help me with some last minute training for the practical exam….. is it so wrong that a charming young lady such as myself would want to surprise their best friend by going to the same school?" Umi purposely said in a cute tone.

"Okay…. 2 things." Kokuo said as he was almost insultingly un-phased by his friend's act, "You're not that cute as we both know how you really are, and you sure as hell are not as clever as the future King of Games of the Vanguard world."

"Ha… wrong card game my friend." Umi politely chuckled.

"Shut up, and so what if it is the wrong card game?" Kokuo retorts, "Alfred and I will become the strongest, and I'll become the first King of Games of the Vanguard world."

Umi couldn't help but be impressed by the determination in her friend's voice and his goals in life; however, she still believes herself to be just as determined as Kokuo in regards to making it to graduation at Setsuzoku Academy.

"Attention passengers, we'll be arriving at Setsuzoku Academy's east gate in 5 minutes." the bus driver said over a PA system, Please make sure to gather together all of your belongings before departing the bus, and to you card fighters riding with me today….. good luck."

After five minutes have passed Umi, Kokuo, and all of the other passengers on the bus get off at a stop located right next to the outermost walls of Setsuzoku Academy's campus. The stop itself was rather far from the Academy's east gate, and in fact it was so far that ten minutes worth of walking had gone by before this pair of friends along with all of the other applicants finally reaches.

"This campus is huge!" Umi couldn't help but say aloud as she walked through the east gate, "This place is like all those fancy rich people schools you see in anime."

A large stadium on the other side of a miniature forest, a traditional Japanese style castle is resting on an island in the center of a large lake, several 5 or 6 story buildings are scattered across the landscape, and there are likely to be several other buildings and amenities that Umi can't see from her current positon as well. In summary, Umi's comparison to an anime school for rich people is likely to be very accurate….. or rather will be proven very accurate.

"Of course it's huge…. I mean even student fighters who don't go to Setsuzoku know how big it is. Didn't you do the research?" Kokuo said as he was surprised by his friend's apparent lack of this piece of common knowledge, "Granted your excuse was obviously bull, but you did say you wanted to go to the same school as me."

"Ha… oh yes of course." Umi quickly said as her attention snaps back to reality, "It's just that um…. seeing it in person… it's well very different from seeing in reality."

"True." Kokuo mumbled as he disregards his friend's strange response, "By the way you remembered to bring your registration ticket right? You'll need it to check-in and actually take the practical exam."

"Of course I have it." Umi retorts, I'm not as forgetful as you."

This pair of friends takes their first step onto academy grounds, then they take another step, then another, and this process keeps repeating for about 30 minutes until Umi and Kokuo are surrounded by a sea of trees.

"How much longer until we get to where the applicants are supposed to meet up?" Umi suddenly asked.

"Wait…. what?" Kokuo said as a look of shock appeared on his face, "You said you did the research into the school like me, so I've just been following you the whole time!"

"And I told you there's a difference between seeing it on the internet and in person!" Umi retorts in an annoyed tone.

"Well you better hope we're close because we don't have much time left to check in." Kokuo said urgently as he quickly checked the time on his phone.

"Wait hang on… I see a couple of male students coming down the path towards us." Umi said just before she started running down the large pathway, "Maybe they can tell us where the auditorium is."

"Wait…. you think we're supposed to go to the school's auditorium?!" Kokuo said as alarm bells started to go off in his mind, "Oh you idiot….. hey wait up!

The approaching pair of students were of course wearing Setsuzoku Academy's uniform for boys, of which consist of a dark faded green blazer with a white stripe wrapped around all of the edges along with a pair of matching pants. The appearance of the boys themselves weren't anything special, and if you were to put it in gaming terms…. they'd be nothing more than NPCs.

"Hey dude." The first male student said as he somewhat forcefully patted his companion on the back with one hand and pointed at Umi with the other, "Get your game on, there's a cute girl approaching us from 12 o'clock."

"Oh… definitely a high 8 if not a low 9 out of 10." The second male student said as his gaze landed upon Umi.

These two NPCs do what they can to quickly clean themselves off in a few seconds and give off the appearance of a respectable student.

"Pardon me for bothering you if you're busy, but my friend and I are a bit lost." Umi explained as she walked up to the pair of male students, "Could you please give us directions to the auditorium where all the applicants are supposed to meet for the practical exam?"

Rather than being on the receiving end of words of flirtation as you might have expected or proper directions as Umi hoped, all she gets instead is this pair of students suddenly busting out into a state of laughter for some strange reason.

"She… thinks it's in the… ha ha… auditorium." the first male student said as he's attempting to force his laughter to come to a stop.

"I know right." the second male student said showing he was able to reign in his amusement much faster, "Sorry sorry…. we're not laughing at you or anything. It's just that Setsuzoku Academy's auditorium would in no way fit all of the people who make it to the practical exam every year, and it was funny to imagine someone try exactly that."

"We're not blaming you either, especially since this guy and I reacted the exact same way when we took the practical exam last year." The first male student said as he put an arm around his buddy's shoulder for a moment.

"If not the auditorium, then where would we go?" Umi curiously asked.

"Let's see…." the first male student mumbled while he looked at the sky as if he was trying to use the sun to grasp their location, "If you and your friend go back down the path you came…. take a right turn at the first intersection and keep going down that path. It'll take you right where you and your friend need to go."

"But where do we actually need to go?" Umi retorts.

"You'll understand when you get there, so telling you now would only ruin the surprise." The first male student explained.

"Alright…. well then thank you for your time." Umi said in a grateful tone as she turned to go back the way she came.

"Oh…. wait, hold on a second." The first male student urgently said as he put his hand on Umi's shoulder, "Sorry…. I was just wondering if my friend and I could ask you something."

"Well… you two were nice enough to help me, so…. I suppose it is only fair." Umi notes.

"After the director gives his whole speech and assuming you're lucky enough to not have your practical test on the same day, my buddy here and I wanted to know if you'd maybe be willing to grab a bite later." the second male student explained, "There's this diner one of our senpai really likes, and-"

"That…. would… be a bad idea." a young man said, of whose identity I'm sure you can already guess.

"Nobody asked you!" the second male student said in a loud fashion as he turned to face the person that dared to interrupt his flirtatious advances.

It was at that moment when the pair of male students took notice of Umi's friend Kokuo glaring at them like a hunter locked onto its pray, his face was red as though signify that he's very angry, and he's breathing heavily as though excited. It is this delinquent appearance that ends up scaring the pair of male students quite a bit.

"Ummm…. can I help you with something?" the first male student asked as he forced one eye to look at Kokuo while the other had his entire life flash before it.

"If you know what's good for you…. you'll stop flirting and walk away." Kokuo declared in a stern tone of voice.

"Sorry sorry….. we'd never knowingly flirt with another man's girl." the second male student said as he was rather worried about the possibility of pieces of him being spread across this walkway.

"I suggest you go…. now!" Kokuo yelled.

This pair of students start sprinting as though their lives depend on it up until and likely far beyond Kokuo and Umi's line of sight.

"What the heck are you doing?" Umi asked as she was rather annoyed by her friend's rude behavior, "They were only trying to help."

"Ha…. like you seriously didn't notice what else they were trying to do." Kokuo retorts, "I just wanted to avoid the tiny chance of you saying yes….. and totally destroying their image of women for the remainder of their natural lifespan."

"Hmph…. do you think of me as some kind of foul mouthed woman that spews only nasty things from her mouth?!" Umi frowned.

"Yes, but you're at least one of the nicer ones." Kokuo said in a blatantly straight forward and deadpan tone, "And since it's just us, you can stop talking all fancy… it doesn't suit you."

"Jerk!" Umi yelled as she kicked her friend's right knee, "Oh by the way… why do you look like you just ran a marathon?"

Upon taking another look at Kokuo you can see that he's sweating, that his skin seemed red due to blood suddenly being forcibly pumped through his body, and he was breathing heavily due to as what Umi pointed out seemed like Kokuo had just ran a marathon.

"Are you seriously asking me that?! I had to freaking run after you!" Kokuo yelled due to momentarily snapping, "I mean you suddenly ran off like you're trying to break the freaking record for the 40k sprint several times over, and how you would even see there were students coming down the path? I was looking down the same way as you and I didn't see jack shit!"

"My senses have always been better when I'm surrounded by nature, but…. what is the future King of Games of the Vanguard world scared of a little exercise?" Umi replied in a sarcastic tone.

Kokuo knew that his best friend was appealing to his sense of pride, and unfortunately this approach was working as Kokuo attempted to suppress the obvious effects of his recent bout of physical activity.

"Of course not….. I'm already in pretty good shape for my age anyway." Kokuo proudly declared, "Anyways did those idiots at least give you directions on how to get to the stadium from here?"

"We were supposed to go to that giant stadium we saw at the entrance? Isn't that overkill for just a practical exam?" Umi asked as she notices the sudden deadpan gaze her friend has directed towards her, "Why… why are you looking at me like that?"

"You're seriously underestimating Setsuzoku Academy's influence if you think a mere auditorium is enough space for the applicants." Kokuo pointed out as he looked at Umi the same way one would look at a complete idiot, "But since you got the directions we should get going, and we should be able to make it right before the check-in deadline."

---

Umi and Kokuo immediately followed the directions of the two Setsuzoku Academy students to the letter by going back the way they came, making a right at the first intersection, and keep going in that direction. After about 40 minutes they can see the roof of the academy's stadium just over a rather large grassy hill. Umi and Kokuo should have been able to walk the same distance in about 20-30 minutes, but for some reason Kokuo's right leg started to limp occasionally.

"And finally we're he….." Umi was saying as she and Kokuo walked around that large grassy hill from a moment ago only to be treated to a different kind of amazing sight, "Wow…. that is a lot of cards!"

Umi knew the stadium would be large when she saw it from the east gate, but now that she's seeing it in person she couldn't help make comparisons to large sports arenas….. like football for example. In addition, the several thousands of cars in the parking lot made it seemed as though they were all there for an actually football game.

"What are the Devil Bats playing the White Knights today?" Umi couldn't help but say out of shock, "Kokuo are all these people here seriously for just the practical exam?"

"Every year around 250 to 400 thousand teenagers like us take Setsuzoku Academy's written exam, out of those only 10 to 15 thousand teens make it to the practical stage, from those only 500 to 700 people get to join Setsuzoku's junior high graduates in the high school division, and counting those two groups together make around a little over 1.3 thousand freshman on average every year." Kokuo explained, "The criteria Umi….. is just that harsh."

At first Umi felt insulted when those two students from earlier laughed at her for asking directions, but after seeing this she realized that they had every right to laugh at her ignorance. In any case…. she and Kokuo start walking towards one of the check in lines, and throughout the whole process Kokou points out things like food stalls being set up to feed all of these people and members of the press busy interviewing famous/talented young fighters from middle/junior high schools all over the world. Umi is so drawn in by all of these things that she doesn't even realize that she and Kokuo are at the front of their check-in line until…..

"Um… testing…. testing. Attention all Applicants: The deadline to check in for the practical exam is in 15 minutes. As a friendly reminder only registered applicants, Setsuzoku students, and staff are allowed in the stadium at this time. Friends, family, company representatives, and members of the press must wait outside. Exceptions will be made for service animals and caretakers." A young woman said over the stadium's PA system, "After the current performance has finished, the Academy's headmaster will close the pre-exam ceremonies with a short speech."

"I can't believe it is like this every year." Umi said aloud.

"Believe me… everyone who enters from outside the school reacts the same way." an older sounding man said.

Umi's attention snaps back to reality only to realize two things. The first is that (like it was mentioned earlier) she's at the front of the check-in line. The second thing is that she finds herself now talking to who appears to be a research professor in his late 30s to early 40s, brown spike hair that goes in several seemingly impossible directions, has a 6'oclock shadow, wearing a cliché white lab coat, and is sitting at a table under a canopy.

"Do you have your registration ticket?" the old man asked.

"Ah yes." Umi answered as he passed the old man the desired item.

The old man inserts Umi's registration ticket into some black rectangular device with a monitor and a printer attached to it, of which actually prints another ticket back out.

"Umi Kitagawa, that is your correct?" the old man asked as he glanced at the nearby monitor.

"Yes that's correct sir." Umi respectfully answered.

"Alright…. on one side of the ticket you'll find your assigned seat and on the other you'll find the date and time of your practical exam." The old man said as he passed Umi her new ticket.

"Excuse me, but time and date? I thought the practical exam was today. Also, why assigned seating?" Umi couldn't help but ask.

"Despite Setsuzoku Academy's considerable resources, we have to spread all of the applicants over the course of several days for the practical exam. As for the seating…. everyone sitting in the same section as you will also be in your test group, so it's best to get to know as many of them as you can in case you have to fight with or against them during your exam." The old man explained, "If you have any further questions ask one of the other students or teachers after the pre-exam ceremonies are done as there are people waiting to check in behind you."

"I see…. thank you for your time." Umi said before walking into the stadium.

After Umi and Kokuo have gone through the line they both end up learning a few new things. The first thing is that they're part of the group of students lucky enough to have their practical exam on the first day, their assigned sections just happened to be right next to each other, and for some strange reason they're in the same test group despite the explanation from the old man from earlier about test groups being separated by seating sections. A few minutes later after going up a couple escalators and spiraling ramps, Kokuo suddenly stops Umi right before the entryway between their assigned sections.

"Look… we're going to have to go our separate ways for now, so I won't be able to bail you out if something happens." Kokuo said in a stern tone as though he were a father talking to his child, "I need you to keep up your nice girl routine no matter how tempting it gets."

"How many times have I told you that I don't simply act like a nice girl….. it's just a part of who I am." Umi retorts in an annoyed tone of voice, "But…. fine."

Thank fully Umi is able to find her assigned seat shortly thereafter, but at the same time she's once again amazed at the image of half the stadium's seats filled with teenaged applicants Once Umi gets comfortable she notices that on the field below two members of Setsuzoku's top 10 fighters are facing each other in an exhibition match, and after listening to all of the other applicants around her Umi learns that in the period of time before she and Kokuo arrived at the stadium….. there have been exhibition matches and short guest lectures by the school's staff to keep the applicants entertained as the stadium fills up. Eventually Umi starts to get impatient and is about to ask one of the applicants sitting next to her when the headmaster was going to give his speech when…..

"Attention all Applicants: Please be silent as the headmaster is about to give his speech." The same woman from earlier said over the stadium's PA system.

At that moment all conversations, text messaging chains, and hand held video-game consoles immediately disappear from the fabric of reality. Right now it is so quiet that you'd be able to hear a critical trigger drop from the other side of the arena.

"Those of you here should already know who I am, but regardless….. my name is Yuuske Takamaki, and I serve as headmaster for Setsuzoku Academy." Yuuske said in a charismatically stern tone as he spoke into a mike.

Umi and all of the other hopeful teens look down at the field despite the pair of big screens around them, and they see the famed pale skinned purple haired man from all of those other commercials standing on a quickly setup stage behind a podium.

"It is this arena that has been the constant witness to grand moments in the history of Vanguard such as Setsuzoku Academy's in-house competitions, national tournaments, and even the collision of world-class experts. It is also here as you've just witnessed… the level of skill a Setsuzoku student is expected to aspire to." Yuuske said as his voice spread across the stadium.

All of the applicants continue to be drawn in by the headmaster's stern charisma as if it were no different than the countless recruitment adds they've seen for the school in the past.

"To the 13,372 aspiring young fighters here, by passing the academy's written exam you've proven yourself to be the most knowledgeable fighters of your generation. That in itself is something to be proud of, so regardless of the results of your own individual exams…. Let no one take that away from you!" Yuuske declared, "For this year we have 30 exam proctors consisting of the Academy's instructors, graduates, and the best of our current high school division students. All of the applicants will be split amongst these 30 titans of the Vanguard world where you'll go through trials designed to test your limits as a fighter."

Even though Umi and the other 13,371 applicants are sitting in their seats…. they still can't help but have their blood streams filled with excitement and adrenaline upon listening to the headmaster's words. The best possible comparison is that all of these people are starting to feel like soldiers that are about to march off to battle.

"Applicants, look to your left and to your right. No two exams given by the 30 proctors we've prepared will be exactly the same, so pay close attention to the people next to you as they may be your greatest lifeline or the one who cuts that lifeline away!" Yuuske yelled into the mic as his voice steadily becomes more awe inspiring, "After these 5 days come to a close, at most only around a thousand of all of you here will get to leave with the privilege of wearing a Setsuzoku uniform, and at worst none of you will be granted that privilege. It wouldn't be the first time this has happened, and we change our standards for no man, women, or deity!"

As they continue to listen to the headmaster speak… even if they aren't one of the applicants, they're slowly being filled with the desire to challenge the person next to them to a fight.

"After learning these facts, do you all still have the courage to face these trials?!" Yuuske passionately yelled while maintaining that stern tone of voice.

"BRING IT ON!" one portion of the applicants screamed.

"AS THE FUTURE KING OF GAMES OF COURSE I'LL PASS!" Kokuo screamed.

"YES!" Umi screamed as she realized she got caught in the hype, "What the…. I wouldn't normally scream like that, but man… this guy really has a way with words."

"Then those of you taking their exam today…. draw your swords as someone will be along to take you to your assigned exam room shortly, and those of you assigned to the next four days…. your blades!" Yuuske said, "With my authority as Setsuzoku Academy's headmaster….. I Yuuske Takamaki, hereby declare the start of the practical exams!"

Nearly all of the applicants cheer with excitement, some as was mentioned earlier do end up challenging someone nearby to a fight, but after a few minutes people finally start funneling out of the stadium.

Once only half of the stadium's previous occupants remain, a series of guides appear before those who have their practical exam set for today in order to show them the way to their assigned exam room. Umi, Kokuo, and all of the other members of their test group are taken to a 4-story building located not that far from the east gate where our favorite pair of friends first came in.

"So….. I never knew that you had such a pair of lungs." Umi said in a teasing fashion.

Shut up." Kokuo retorts as he was too embarrassed to look his friend in the face, "You weren't exactly being quiet either."

"Oh… then what did I say? I mean if I was being loud enough for you to know….. this should be easy right?" Umi said in a playful tone.

"Well played." Kokuo said.

"Your proctor is waiting inside. Most of you should recognize her, but none the less….. be warry of her prideful temperament." the guide said as he stopped the entire test group right in front of a set of double-doors, "Still… I wish you all the best of luck."

---

This test group expected to walk into a large western-style lecture hall or perhaps an even bigger version of the average Japanese High School classroom, but what they got was the school's cafeteria or rather one of the cafeterias and yes you read that right. They can tell from the layout immediately that it appears to be a buffet style cafeteria, a few big screen TVs are scattered across the room, and their appears to be several large screens installed in at least half of the rectangular cafeteria tables.

"Hello newbs… and welcome to hell." a young woman said in an arrogant fashion.

Most of the test group turned their heads to a booth in the corner of the cafeteria to see two people sitting as they drink a spot of tea. The first is a young male secretary in his early 20s, and the other person….. the young woman who spoke looks to be the same age as the members of the test group. This young woman had long snow white hair that reached halfway down her back, sky blue eyes, and skin that seems to naturally radiate light. Some of the men are already calling her an angel as they stared at her with lust-filled eyes, but the smarter fighters can clearly see that this young lady is looking down on them.

"Since you've decided to apply here you should already know who I am, but for the sake of formality… my name is Kisaki Takamaki." Kisaki said as she bowed to her test group while maintaining her arrogant tone, "I currently hold the rank of Setsuzoku Academy's 7th strongest fighter, and to those of you who managed to be miraculously blessed by luck… a fellow 1st year in the high school division. Reluctanly… I am also the proctor assigned to your exam group."

Practically all of the members of this particular test group are clearly angered by Kisaki's comment and want to say something in response; but they don't let even a murmur escape their lips as they're very well familiar with her reputation. There is one person amongst this test group who notices the change in mood, but is not literally emotionally following along with them. I'm sure some of you have already figured out who that is.

"So um Kokuo, is this girl really that big of a deal?" Umi asks, "Oh… she shares the same last name as the headmaster, so are they related or something?"

"You haven't done any research into the school's major figures have you?" Kokuo whispers as he barely resists the impulse scream in his friend's face, "Kisaki Takamaki: Age 15, user of the Stratos Guardian clan, first in Setsuzoku's history to rise to the top 10 of the school's rankings while in the Junior High division, and despite sharing the same last name she is in no way related to the headmaster. There is however a story behind that though."

"Really? What is it?" Umi asks.

"Because of a misunderstanding caused by the fact that they share the same last name, the headmaster's family and Kisaki's ended up becoming rather friendly in one another. Kisaki noted in a magazine interview that she looks up to the headmaster as if he were her actual older brother by blood." Kokuo quickly answered.

One of the other doors leading into the cafeteria opens as Umi, Kokuo, and the remaining members of their test group become lost in their own conversations in regards to the identity of their proctor. A second later a few people start to walk in carrying/pushing in a pair of carts filled with Vanguard brand deck boxes and 10 fight tables. These tables all have rubber playmats built into the table top, but that in itself isn't anything special as the average card shop all over the world would be filled with these.

"To be honest I wanted to use the tables in the cafeteria…. I mean it's perfectly reasonable since I'm being forced to do this right?" Kisaki sighed, "But no…. the student council is seriously anal about people who aren't students or members of the school staff using them.

"Excuse me….. Takamaki-sama, but…. just what are so special about those tables anyways?" one of the foreigner members of this test group asked.

"Hm… oh…. if by some miracle you impress me enough…. you'll find out in some informational documents that go along with a letter of acceptance" Kisaki explained.

The small party of workers quickly set up the 10 tables and leave while Kisaki's assistant drags the pair of carts to a more open area of the cafeteria where they can be easily seen. Kisaki herself moves to the same area a few seconds later.

"Now how was this exam supposed to go again?" Kisaki asked as she turned her gaze towards her assistant.

"Ah yes… one moment please Kisaki-sama." Kisaki's assistant said as he rummaged through a small pile of papers, "There will first be a series of group interviews with a sample size of 10 people per group. Afterwards the applicants will fight three matches ea-"

"Arghh… that's boring. Since I'm being forced to do this…. older brother won't mind if I try to make this at least someone entertaining for myself." Kisaki grumbled as she became lost in thought, "Oh.. I have an idea."

"But Kisaki-sama…. since Akira-sama knew you were being forced into this… he did come up with a simple exam format for you to use." Kisaki's assistant pointed out.

"I appreciate Akira-senpai for doing that, but…. even he won't mind as long as I give a proper exam." Kisaki countered.

"I see…. very well then. What do you have in mind Kisaki-sama?" Kisaki's assistant asked.

"You'll see." Kisaki said as he turned her gaze back towards the test group, "There will only be 5 1v1 fights going on at one time. Each of you here will pick one of the specially prepared trial decks, take a few seconds to view their contents, and then use them in one of those fights. Some of you might not like the idea of wielding an unfamiliar deck, but a pro fighter must have a diverse skill set. Plus…. you never know…. one of these boxes may contain an exact duplicate of their own deck. Any questions?"

"Ummm….. Kisaki-sama, how will our opponent's be decided?" one applicant asked.

"And what will be the criteria for passing?" another applicant asked.

"You all only need to do three things to pass my exam. The first and most obvious method is to win as no matter how it happens, it is the winner who writes history. The second method is to make your opponent pause in thought for 15 seconds as that will show the difference in strength between two fighters. The last and most difficult method is convincing me you noobs are worth Setsuzoku Academy spending its money to train." Kisaki explained, "As for your opponent….. well… it'll be me!"

There were a few members of this test group Umi included that were confused by Kisaki's declaration, but the remainder were quickly angered as they realized just how much they were being looked down upon.

"Who do you think you are?" yet another member of this test group yelled.

"I'm the strongest fighter teenaged fighter in South Africa! We're already used to battling with little resources, so don't think you'll be able to beat be that easily!" one of the foreign applicants yelled at the top of their lungs.

"I single handedly led my team to victory in the Australian national tournament….. I can easily handle this." another foreign applicant declared.

"Don't think that Setsuzoku Academy's top 10 are the only ones capable of beating pro fighters… I've done the same!" a local applicant yelled.

Kisaki doesn't even bother to dignify these comments and the ones that follow with a response, but instead she takes a few seconds to pick 5 random trial decks and place each one on a portion of the specially prepared tables.

"Make no mistake…. There are a few fighters my age outside the school that I respect, but since I don't recall any of your names…. it's clear none of you are on that list." Kisaki shrugged as she went through the contents of her selected trial decks while placing down the starting vanguards of each one, "If you still have the guts to try and prove that the difference between us isn't anywhere near as big as I know it is… all you have to do is pick a deck and fight, but the question here now is… do any of you have the guts?"

The strongest fighters amongst this test group instantly take up Kisaki's challenge for the sake of their own pride, of whom Kokuo quickly explained are all reputable talented young fighters in their own right. Then the series 5 1v1 matches begin after all parties involved go through the usual starting motions, and boy were they each exciting fights in their own right. Some of the members of the test group watching even called in the most exciting fights they've seen outside of professional matches. The five members of the test group that were fighting were all covered in sweat as they forced themselves to quickly master an unfamiliar deck. Kisaki however was still calm, cool collected, and ever so slightly bored as she looked down on her opponents.

"Well…. I think it's time to end this." Kisaki purposely said aloud.

"I still have the advantage, so there's no way you can win this turn even with your reputation." The applicant from South Africa pointed out.

"My reputation has nothing to do with it….. my skill does, but….. I'm afraid that you're missing the point." Kisaki sighed, "I'm not referring to this fight specifically, but the entire set…. So….. final turn!"

Kisaki becomes the center of attention yet again once that iconic pair of words make their way through the ears of everyone in the room.

"Majesty Lord Blaster attack, Dragonic Vanquisher "Voltage" attack, Lambros attack, Amon attack, and…. Big Belly attack!" Kisaki declared.

Majesty Lord Blaster slices its target in two, Dragonic Vanquisher smites his enemy with a massive concentration of lightning, Lambros summons a typhoon that drowns all those in his path, Amon continues to draw power from the souls of the damned, and Big Belly completes this first series of fights by eating his enemy as though it were a bit of bamboo. Each fighter does a 6th damage check, and unfortunately none of them end up being that miracle 6th damage heal trigger.

"Now then…. that was actually challenging enough to make me feel almost warmed up, but that aside….. who wishes to go up for the second set?" Kisaki asked as she continued to look down on the fighters in the test group.

Most of the test group all wanted to say that "I'm not trash" to Kisaki, but they know that they lack the ability to do so. It is for that reason they left it up to who they perceived to be the strongest fighters of their test group; however their hope along with their confidence was crushed upon seeing this result. Then as if sensing the change in mood, Kisaki walks a little closer to the members of her assigned test group.

"To reach the top of whatever form of the Vanguard world you seek, you'll have to deal with fighters much stronger than I am now. If you can't handle this much pressure… then leave now as Setsuzoku Academy has no use for such trash." Kisaki said with booming charisma such that it would make Yuuske proud.

The entire test group makes their way to the exact, but they certainly don't sprint as though a monster was chasing them like what happened in the second episode of the anime of a certain cooking manga.

"Well then….. you can mark that amongst the test group assigned to me for the first day of the practical exam… none have passed." Kisaki says to her assistant.

"That may not be the case just yet Kisaki-sama." Kisaki's assistant as he pointed towards the space that was recently occupied by a 100 people, "Look."

Kisaki follows her assistant's advice, and is actually legitimately surprised to see that there are still two other people remaining inside the room with them. I'm sure that you can already guess that these two are the delinquent looking Kokuo and the still dressed in her work uniform Umi.

"Here early to prepare for lunch?" Kisaki asked as she assumed that Umi is actually a Setsuzoku employee, "No matter…. we'll be out of your way quickly enough. We won't take long after all, will we Mr. Last One?"

"Ha….. all I see is some chick blowing hot air." Kokuo declared as he seems unaffected by Kisaki's recent actions, "They say those who talk a lot have no real ability after all."

"Ohh….. it's nice to see a recruit with a little meat on their spine, but….. you should at least show some respect to your betters." Kisaki countered as she tries to hide her annoyance at Kokuo's behavior.

"To me, you're only a fighter that happens to have a lot of people know who you are. You haven't done anything to show me your worthy of my respect…. hell… you're not even worth showing common courtesy." Kokuo said in a tone that indicates he's looking down on Kisaki.

"Ha…. it's been a while since some country bump-" Kisaki was saying.

"And umm…. I know how it looks…. It's just that there's a reason I look like this." Umi said as she wasn't sure if she should interject it what appeared to be the early stage of a (vocal) fight.

"Oh… what's your name then?" Kisaki asked as she decides to get revenge on Kokuo by giving him the silent treatment.

"Umi….. Umi Kitagawa." Umi answered.

"Let's see….. Umi Kitagawa… Umi Kitagawa." Kisaki's assistant mumbled as he rummaged through a small stack of papers only to be suddenly shocked by what he found, "This….. this can't be right."

"Give me that!" Kisaki said aloud as she took that stack from her assistant's hands, "All the information seems to be in order…. Name, Age, Gender, Birthday, Home Address, and written test score is…. not listed! How is that possible?"

"Wait… not listed? Umi, didn't you take the written test?" Kokuo asked

"Nope." Umi bluntly answered.

"Then how the hell are you even here?!" Kokuo and Kisaki yelled at the same time.

History will remember this moment as one of the very few times that Kokuo and Kisaki were in agreement about anything….. ever.

"Some guy with white hair and severe social anxiety came into my family's diner, one thing led to us having a card fight, and afterword he gave me a business card saying if I was interested in pursuing Vanguard as a career…. to call the number on the business card." Umi calmly explained.

"White haired guy with social anxiety….. no…. there's no way Akira-senpai would have done something like that let alone talk to someone he doesn't know." Kisaki thought.

"Oh alright." Kokuo said as he calms down and easily accepts her friend's explanation.

"You're seriously fine with this?" Kisaki asked as she expcted Kokuo to be as up in arms about this issue as her.

"Umi certainly isn't the nicest girl I've ever met, but she's no liar." Kokuo said.

"Besides Kisaki-sama, the headmaster personally reviews the applications of everyone who makes it to the practical exam. If he didn't say anything about this… then it is effectively same as having his approval." Kisaki's assistant pointed out.

"Hahhhh…. Very well." Kisaki shrugged as she decided to drop the issue, "You there ruffian, what's your name?"

"Kokuo Rettousei." Kokuo answered.

"Well….. then… I'm looking forward to teaching you how to respect your betters." Kisaki declared as she got her arrogant game-face on.

"You don't have the ability, but I will admit that test you gave was actually quite clever… even if it was only something you came up with at the top of your head." Kokuo pointed out as he cracked his knuckles.

"Oh? Do tell me what you thought the purpose was." Kisaki retorts.

Kisaki didn't show it on her face at that moment, but Kokuo's observation actually had the effect of raising her opinion of him by a couple of small notches.

"Even if those guys had the guts to fight you….. they were still fearful of you because of you reputation, so they thought that they'd find the way to victory by seeing how the people next to them fought you. They made their first mistake by focusing on someone else causing them to subconsciously change the way they held the cards in their hand allowing you to see it at times. I saw that because of their observation… they resisted the urge to use their own cards to guard your attacks on the people next to them, of which means their second mistake was that on some level they started to think of these 5 1v1 fights as 1 5v5 fight instead. Their final mistake was playing cautiously with the decks they randomly chose, of which allowed you to control the pace of the fight, of which in turn allowed you to perfectly time your own moves in order to make the disruptive power of their first two mistakes all the more effective." Kokuo explained as he took a deep breath, "Forgive me for the long-winded speech, but what you were testing was not the adaptability of their skillset…. rather the theme of your test was the ability to ignore distraction and focus on your own fight."

"Eh… really?" Umi asked of her delinquent looking friend.

"Yeah…. if you looked at the people playing the cards rather than just the cards themselves… you would have noticed this too." Kokuo explained to Umi just before returning his gaze to Kisaki, "It was actually all pretty impressive, so I guess I should say…. as expected of a member of Setsuzoku's top 10."

"Bravo… bravo… what truly impressive powers of observation." Kisaki said maintaining her arrogant tone as she clapped her hands and praised Kokuo, "It seems like there might actually be a freshman worth my time this year, but….. that's only if you pass my test after all."

"Bring it on girly!" Kokuo declared as he started to get his game face on too.

Tensions are high, sparks are flying, and it appears you'll be in for a good fight between these two. At least it seemed this way until Kisaki's assistant revealed a key piece of information.

"Pardon me…. I don't mean to ruin the mood, but there's no one by the name Kokuo Rettousei assigned to this test group." Kisaki's assistant interjected.

"What?" Kokuo says out of shock, "But the ticket I received at check-in told me to go here today."

"I see….. then would you mind if I examined your slip?" Kisaki's assistant asked as he held out his hand towards Kokuo.

"Sure." Kokuo said as he passed his ticket over.

"Oh….. I see what the problem is." Kisaki's assistant mumbled as he held Kokuo's slip directly under one of the cafeteria's light bulb.

"What's the issue with my friend's slip?" Umi asked.

Kisaki, Umi, and Kokuo all gather around the assistant just to see what the problem is. The assistant then rubbed his fingers on a couple of points on the slip creating a smudge of ink mostly on his fingers and a little bit on the slip.

"My guess is the needle that actually injects ink onto the paper broke due to the constant use today, and by some fluke leaked so naturally on the paper that you didn't notice." Kisaki's assistant explained in a polite tone, "Your assigned exam room is actually down the hall."

"Oh… well.. ha… isn't… that good." Umi pointed out as she was barely able to resist the desire to laugh in her friend's face.

"Ha ha ha….. I wonder… ha ha." Kisaki said as she busts out laughing due to having no such reservations of friendship, "I wonder how it feels to say such cool things only to…. ha ha ha.. only to have this rubbed in your face?"

"Shut up!" Kokuo yelled as he couldn't help but turn red due to how humiliating this incident was, "Umi, you better not lose to this bitch!"

"Excuse me?" Kisaki said due to feeling legitimately insulted.

"And you." Kokuo said as he turned to face Kisaki, "I'll pass my test whatever it may be, and show you just how strong the fighters hidden in shadow can be!"

Kokuo was referring to the talented fighters that have yet to be discovered with that remark; but that aside the man himself quickly takes his slip back, exits the cafeteria, and then the steadily lowering volume of heavy footsteps can be heard for the next 30 seconds or so. Meanwhile it took Kisaki about 10 minutes to calm back down as he continued to laugh at Kokuo behind his back.

"Yes well… now that you're ruffian friend is off to his proper exam room, do you wish to continue with your own?" Kisaki asked, "You saw how easily I defeated the fools who faced me, and how easily I scared away the others who were watching."

"Kokuo may indeed have a rough personality, but he is no ruffian." Umi said with a smile.

The physical appearance of Umi's expression clearly indicates that she's giving off the same kind-hearted smile that kept the customers of her family's dinner coming back for more, but in this situation she's giving off a hostile aura to indicate a state of anger. Kisaki's assistant is visibly affected, but Kisaki herself seems to be so used sensations of a similar level that she doesn't even register it as unusual anymore.

"I'm here to find my way in life through the Vanguard world, so of course I can't give in now." Umi declared.

"Hmph… very well. Bring the trial decks over." Kisaki grumbled, "But at least despite your outer appearance… you have more guts then the other cowardly applicants."

Umi once again begins to feel the pressure of the situation as the card of randomly made custom trial decks appears before her. Still… she's not going to back off now.

"Rest assured that despite your friend figuring out my exam, I shall not change any of it so the same 3 passing conditions will still apply." Kisaki declared, "Speaking of which, just as I said before the start; feel free to pick any of the customized trial decks before you. Perhaps you might get lucky and wield a strengthened version of your own deck."

Our teenaged proctor picked up a dark purple deck box with the same indifference as she had for all of her other opponents, and at the same time Umi picked up a blue deck box.

"Once again like the others, I shall give you a few seconds to look through your selected deck." Kisaki said as she did the same.

Rather than look through the deck from one end to the other, Umi follows her delinquent looking friend Kokuo's advice and only examines the card on the top and the bottom of her randomly selected deck. Kisaki on the other hand simply skims through one end of the deck she selected all the way to the other.

"Yes!" Umi thought as she couldn't help but inwardly do a fist pump out of happiness.

"Oh…." Kisaki mumbled as she easily takes note of her opponent's relieved expression, "From that reaction I take it you got a deck you're familiar with?"

"Why yes…. as the contents of this deck almost perfectly matches with my mother's old deck." Umi answered.

Though Umi couldn't actually say that with any certainty as again she only looked at the card on the top and the bottom of the deck she selected. Speaking of decks, Umi notices Kisaki's cheek twitch slightly as Setsuzoku's 7th strongest examines the deck she randomly selected.

"Oh dear….. I'm sorry if I took all of the good luck in the room." Umi said in a nice tone as she takes her opponent's reaction to mean that Kisaki ended up selecting a clan she was either unfamiliar or lacked compatibility with.

"It doesn't matter if you really did end up using all of the luck in the room." Kisaki declared as she and Umi moved to one of the fight tables, "A truly powerful fighter needs strength that can suppress luck just as much as they need strength that brings it about."

Truly wise words to live by.

"Still…. I'm inclined to agree with your statement." Kisaki notes, "I don't exactly have much compatibility with this clan."

"My….. what a clever saying." Umi said in an amazed tone as she went through the motion of shuffling her borrowed deck, "And sometimes situations like that is a part of life."

"It's something our school's strongest fighter…. Sekai Akira said to me when we fought for the first time." Kisaki retorts, "And I agree."

"I've never actually seen what he looks like, but I heard that Akira-san uses the rare Cosmic Sanctum clan." Umi notes.

"How do you not know what he-" Kisaki was saying out of shock as if she didn't believe Umi's statement, "Nevermind….. we have a fight to playout."

"As Takamaki-sama had declared earlier, you'll be able to take as much time as you want within reason between turns while she only is allowed 15 seconds." Kisaki's assistant said to Umi before turning his attention back to Kiskai, "Rest assured Takamaki-sama, I shall ensure your reputation by keeping track of the time to the millisecond like with all of the previous fights.

"I'm ready to begin at any time, so I suggest that you not waste it." Kisaki declared in an arrogant fashion as she placed down her starting vanguard and did her re-draw.

"I'm ready to begin my exam at any time Ms. Takamaki-sama." Umi said in a cheerful matter.

"Very well." Kisaki said as she both found Umi's response annoying for some reason and turned to momentarily face her assistant, "Could you please do the honors?"

"As you wish Takamaki-sama… ahem." Kisaki's assistant said as he took a deep breath. "Let the last exam fight….. begin!"

"Stand up, Vanguard!" both fighters yelled.

---

Imagine…. you've appeared in the market square of a village in the outskirts of the United Sanctuary's borders, but rather than a simple farmland village; this place is located deep in an ancient stone labyrinth beyond many a booby-trap that nearly resulted in your end. You see several simple yet comfortable wooded houses with various kinds of metalwork sticking out, in one section of this village you see an ancient alchemist giving lessons to children, in another section you see a small group of villagers using a combination of magic circles to put together some kind of cannon, and the remaining denizens seem heavily interested in watching your battle as it's about to unfold.

"Maiden of Noisette [Power: 5000]!" Umi declared

"Weapons Forger, Gayde [Power: 5000]." Kisaki declared.

"Labyrinth Foundry?" Umi said with a confused look, "Oh my…. I do believe that I've never seen that clan before."

"I'm not surprised that someone who rarely stepped outside of a kitchen doesn't know about this clan." Kisaki said in her usual arrogant fashion, "It's a fairly new clan that gets its combat strength from a combination of alchemy and technomancy. As for how this clan functions gameplay wise… well, telling would defeat the purpose of this exam."

"I see… he did always say one of the most fun kinds of fights you can have is a battle against an opponent you know to be strong, but at the same time you know nothing about them." Umi mumbled aloud.

"Oh, who said that?" Kisaki asked.

"My friend Kokuo." Umi quickly answered, "And…. now that I think about it, I'm inclined to agree with my friend's train of thought."

"Hmph… I suppose even a random brute can have a good idea if they get lucky." Kisaki shrugged as she becomes annoyed just by thinking about the man, "Still… if I was allowed to use my real deck, you'd be questioning the sanity of that idea right now."

"I can agree that he can have a rough manner of speaking at times, but he is still my friend so could you please not talk about him like that?" Umi asked with a smile that seemed both scary and out-of-character for her.

"So hopeful applicant, do you mind if I start this lesson on alchemy by going first?" Kisaki asked in a condescending tone that indicates she intends to make the first move of this fight regardless of Umi's answer.

"Oh no… I don't mind in the least." Umi answered in a warm tone, "It would be a great honor to see Setsuzoku Academy's 7th strongest fighter in action even if you're not able to use your real deck."

"It's good that you respect your seniors." Kisaki shrugged, "But for now… I ride Material Transporter Gadget [Power: 7000]! Gayde moves to the back through its skill."

The tiny gnome with a hammer suddenly into a human-sized brownish gray sphere, with metallic tubes for arms/legs, it has a large gear wrapped around it as though it were a vertically wrapped tutu, and it has a large container on its back akin to a dump truck used at construction sites in terms of appearance.

"Since the rules don't allow for me to attack first, I'll end my turn for now." Kisaki sighed.

"Then I draw." Umi said as she went through the aforementioned action, "I ride Maiden of Waterpot [Power: 7000], and I'll move my starter to the backrow."

Now it's time for Umi's flowery-loli to go through a transformation of her own….. specifically she transforms into a maiden that appears to be in her teenaged years, with pink hair in a twin tail style, as well as a pair of bangs that reach down to her chest, and as if to honor her namesake she wields a pair of waterpots that may or may not be deadly weapons.

"And now….. Maiden of Waterpot attacks your vanguard [Total Power: 7000]!" Umi declared.

[Drive Check – Maiden of Damask Rose – No Trigger]

Speaking of whether or not they're weapons, Maiden of Waterpot is able to easily approach the metaphorical pickup truck that Material Transport Gadget is and begins to pour water upon it. That in itself may not sound remotely threatening, however the water is being "poured" with such for that it leaves a pair of deep dents in Material Transport Gadget's armor.

[Damage Check – Rust Bucket Gadget – Draw Trigger]

"The power shall go to my vanguard of course." Kisaki declared in a haughty manner as she drew a card from the top of her deck.

"Then I shall end my turn, and I'll leave it to you." Umi retorts.

Kisaki – Umi

6 – Hand – 6

0 – Soul – 0

1 – Damage – 0

0 – Counter Blast – 0

F(0) U(16) – G-Zone – F(0) U(16)

Weapons Forger, Gayde / Empty – Empty / Empty

Empty / Material Transporter Gadget – Maiden of Waterpot / Empty

Empty / Empty – Empty / Maiden of Noisette

"Now then….. how to quickly finish this waste of time." Kisaki thought as she quickly glanced over the series of unfamiliar cards in her hand.

"10 seconds remaining Kisaki-sama." Kisaki's assistant declared as he glanced at his watch.

"I ride Junk Dragon Rider, Mikaela [Power: 10000], and I'll call another copy of Material Transporter Gadget [Power: 7000] to the backrow." Kisaki declared.

All of a sudden the round mascon shaped gadget transforms into a flying monstrosity in the form of a dragon the size of the average sedan with a metallic wingspan to match, but it is not a clean/uniform existence. It's a dragon made of rusted patches of metal, it has a malfunctioning flickering lightbulb for one of its eyes, and through a hole in its armor you can see broken gears turning along with grease leaking from pipes.

"Since the draw trigger put another card in Kisaki's hand…. will she save it for something down the road? Or will she add it to her first round of offense?" Umi thought.

"Mikaela will attack Maiden of Waterpot [Power: 17000]!" Kisaki declared.

"Should I….. no…. it's too early for that." Umi thought before declaring out loud, "I'll take that attack."

"Very well then….. drive check." Kisaki mumbled.

[Drive Check – Smelt Breath Dragon – Critical Trigger]

"All of the effects will go to Mikaela [New Total: 22000 Crit]!" Kisaki declared.

Mikaela quickly closes the short distance between herself and Maiden of Waterpot before letting loose a massive breath attack filled with a concentrated amount of rust particles. As the foggy breath clears, you can see cuts on Waterpot's skin from the metal fragments contained in the attack as well as dark blotches of skin due to the toxicity of the attack.

[Damage Check – Maiden of Passionflower – No Trigger]

[Damage Check – Maiden of Gladiolus – No Trigger]

"So what do you think of that?" Kisaki asked.

"Think of what?" Umi retorts as she fails to see the point behind this particular inquiry.

"That in the hands of a Setsuzoku student, even a metaphorical piece of junk can be a dangerous weapon." Kisaiki explained in a haughty manner, "By some miracle you're able to get past me….. that is the level of skill your will be expected to aspire to."

"I see." Umi replied, "But if you don't mind, I'd like to say one thing first."

"Oh? Just what is it that you wish to say?" Kisaki asked as her curiosity was piqued.

"If I'm fortunate enough to become an official student at Setsuzoku Academy…. then I shall indeed put forth the effort that is to be expected of me." Umi declared with a smile, "But just because you've luckily managed to get a critical trigger with your opening attack….. it doesn't mean that you're at that level either."

"Ha…. so an applicant actually dares to talk back to a member of Setsuzoku's top 10." Kisaki said as she suddenly broke out into laughter, "I don't know why you're hiding behind that nice girl act, but….. you've at least raised my opinion of you by a few notches."

"I'm afraid I don't know what you mean by an act." Umi said with a convincing confused expression written on her face.

"Fine…. keep it to yourself." Kisaki mumbled, "But I'll end my turn so you can show me how you'll meet the standards of a Setsuzoku student."

Kisaki – Umi

6 – Hand – 6

1 – Soul – 0

1 – Damage – 2

0 – Counter Blast – 0

F(0) U(16) – G-Zone – F(0) U(16)

Weapons Forger, Gayde / Empty – Empty / Empty

Material Transporter Gadget / Junk Dragon Rider, Mikaela – Maiden of Waterpot / Empty

Empty / Empty – Empty / Maiden of Noisette

"I ride Maiden of Damask Rose [Power: 9000]!" Umi declared, "Then I call Maiden of Lotus Flower [Power: 9000] and Maiden of Delphinium [Power: 5000] to the rearguard."

The twin-tailed flower-girl transforms into a busty maiden with blond hair wielding a staff/cane made from a vine. She's joined by another young purple haired maiden wearing a dress made from the leaves/petals of various plants. The complete newcomer to the "Maiden of" series however has white hair tied together in twin-tails like Maiden of Waterpot, wears a dress made from petals of her namesake like Delphinium, and she appears to be surrounded by glowing magenta colored lotus flowers that seem to be floating in a small puddle of water.

"Maiden of Lotus Flower huh?" Kisaki thought, "That reminds me… Sekai suddenly took a heavy interest in that series a while ago. I wonder if he found anything interesting in his research?"

"I don't mean to be that kind of girl, but isn't it rude to your opponent if you don't take them seriously?" Umi asks as she takes not of Kisaki apparently being lost in thought.

"So far you haven't proven yourself worthy of the effort." Kisaki said in an admonishing tone, "You should be honored with the level of focus I'm granting you."

"I can certainly understand how I might not seem like anything special from your perspective." Umi said with a smile that greatly contrasts with how she actually feels, "I suppose I'll have to put in the extra effort."

"As you should." Kisaki declared while at the same time thinking, "Why did the tension suddenly rise? Could it be a couple members of the top 10 are fighting nearby?"

"I move Noisette into the soul in order to give my vanguard and Lotus Flower the ability to draw a card should their attacks hit your vanguard." Umi explained as she turned a card in her damage zone face down, "Now my vanguard will attack yours [Total Power: 9000]!"

"No guard." Kisaki replied.

"Drive check." Umi declared.

"My vanguard has a base power of 10000, so she'll have to get a trigger for it to hit." Kisaki thought, "And even if it does….. Maiden of Damask Rose's skill isn't anything threatening to me, and I can block her second attack easily enough if it comes to it."

[Drive Check – Maiden of Dandelion – Critical Trigger]

"I give all of the effects to Damask Rose [New Total: 14000 2 Crit]!" Umi said as she tapped her vanguard with the aforementioned trigger.

[Damage Check - Bulwark Thaumaturge, Ilya – No Trigger]

[Damage Check – Archaic Alchemist, Ars – No Trigger]

"Since my vanguard's attack hit, I'll draw a card through Noisette's skill and a copy of Maiden of Rambling Rose to my hand through Damask Rose's skill." Umi explained, "Now my Maiden of Lotus Flower will attack [Total Power: 14000]!"

"I guard with Smelt Breath Dragon [Total Shield: 10000]." Kisaki said calmly as she placed the critical trigger on the guardian circle.

Each floating flower surrounding Maiden of Lotus flower begin to suddenly emit beams of light that all gather together to form a tight sphere of solar energy in front of the aforementioned maiden, and then that large sphere suddenly fires off an even bigger beam of solar energy. Yes Maiden of Lotus Flower did indeed use an attack eerily similar to a franchise about colorful creatures that go through a metamorphosis and not evolution, but that beam is quickly nullified by the breathe attack of a dragon that's so hot that it could melt metal.

"I end my turn." Umi said.

Kisaki – Umi

5 – Hand – 6

1 – Soul – 2

3 – Damage – 2

0 – Counter Blast – 2

F(0) U(16) – G-Zone – F(0) U(16)

Weapons Forger, Gayde / Empty – Maiden of Lotus Flower / Maiden of Delphinium

Material Transporter Gadget / Junk Dragon Rider, Mikaela – Maiden of Damask Rose / Empty

Empty / Empty – Empty / Empty

"You're still not going to beat me." Kisaki said as she drew for the turn, "Still….. I can appreciate an opponent with a little spirit, but what I want to see is the real you showing that spirit."

"Real me?" Umi asked with a confused expression, "I'm not trying to hide anything about myself. I just am the way I am, and I am indeed taking you seriously."

"If that's how you want to play it….. then fine…. I won't bring it up any further." Kisaki retorts as she separated one card from the rest of her hand, "Bring forth the foundation of the past into this battle! I ride Archaic Alchemist, Ars [Power: 11000]!"

The mechanical beast of burden and the lady writing her disappears in a column of light only to be replaced by a young man with gray hair parted to the right, yellow eyes, he's wearing a dark blue shirt/pants with green stripes near the edge, along with a toga-like over piece with red stripes/rope hanging off it, with a golden belt, and in his right hand he wields a katana-like sword with curved dips into the already curved blade itself.

"I call another Junk Dragon Rider, Mikaela [Power: 10000]." Kisaki declared, "Now with a boost from Gayde, Mikaela will attack Maiden of Lotus Flower [Total Power: 15000]!"

"I'll stop that with my Maiden of Dandelion [Total Shield: 10000]!" Umi quickly countered.

Mikaela's dragon partner quickly fires off another shot of its toxic rust-filled breathe attack, but it's quickly blocked by a metaphorical human wall consisting of fluttering dandelion seeds. The toxic breathe attack quickly turns them into mulch, but not before Mikaela's dragon partner is forced to end its attack due to its mechanical lungs being on empty.

"I'm fully aware of how useful Maiden of Lotus Flower's skill can be, so of course I'll get rid of it." Kisaki thought, "Or barring that….. make you pay a heavy price in order to protect it."

"Then I'll have Ars attack your vanguard [Total Power: 18000]!"

[Drive Check – Archaic Alchemist, Ars – No Trigger]

[Drive Check – Explosive Mage, Sylvestris – No Trigger]

Compared to the other mechanical or magical attacks of the members of Labyrinth Foundry, Ars' attack is incredibly straight forward by comparison. He simply draws his sword, takes an attacking posture, dashes across this simple alchemist village's open market, and slashes it across Maiden of Damask Rose's such that it slices open a bit of her clothing.

[Damage Check – Maiden of Dandelion – Critical Trigger]

"I end my turn." Kisaki said.

Kisaki – Umi

6 – Hand – 5

2 – Soul – 2

3 – Damage – 3

0 – Counter Blast – 2

F(0) U(16) – G-Zone – F(0) U(16)

Weapons Forger, Gayde / Junk Dragon Rider, Mikaela – Maiden of Lotus Flower / Maiden of Delphinium

Material Transporter Gadget / Archaic Alchemist, Ars – Maiden of Damask Rose / Empty

Empty / Empty – Empty / Empty

"I hope you can show me the power expected of someone who claims to be familiar with that deck now that it's your turn again."Kisaki pointed out.

"All she's doing is going through the standard opening moves, but to think a Setsuzoku student could give off this much pressure from that alone…. top 10 or not," Umi thought as her hands shook slightly from the tension, "It's taking everything I have just to keep a straight face….. but to win-"

"I'd like to be able to enjoy this fight, even if it is only by a little bit." Kisaki arrogantly declared.

"No… forget winning…. it'll take everything I have just to put up a decent fight." Umi thought, "I'm positive that this school will show me the way to my future, so I won't give up."

"While Kisaki-sama may have enforced a time limit upon herself, that doesn't mean you can dilly dally either." Kisaki's assistant pointed out as he wishes to prevent a long pause in the fighting."

"My apologies." Umi said to Kisaki's assistant like a good girl, "I ride Maiden of Rambling Rose [Power: 11000]."

"Here it comes." Kisaki thought as she took up a defensive posture.

Against Umi, Kisaki actually thought that such an action was completely unnecessary; however, she still did so due to the fact it has been instinctively beaten into her as a result of Setsuzoku Academy's training and education.

"Maiden of Rambling Rose's skill: I soul blast 2 cards in order to superior call a copy of Maiden of Delphinium [Power: 5000] from my deck." Umi explained.

A green vine suddenly shoots out from the ground behind Maiden of Rambling Rose only to form into the flower bulb of her namesake, and then after a few seconds that flower blooms revealing a certain made with hair of a slightly different shade of purple.

"And now….. stride generation!" Umi declared as she discarded a copy of Maiden of Trailing Rose from her hand, "Protector Lotus Maiden of Yggdrasil [Power: 26000]!"

All of a sudden a human-sized version of one of the lotus flowers that float around Maiden of Lotus Flower appear on this market square shaped battle field. Petal by petal that large flower slowly opens up only to reveal a blond haired maiden dressed in an outfit that is also made of flower petals that is akin to a belly-dancer's outfit in her appearance, and in her right hand is a golden staff with a lotus flower embedded at the top.

"Since it's now the start of my main phase…. I'll use the skill of my two Maiden of Delphinium, and grant them the right to call themselves Maiden of Lotus Flower for the turn." Umi declared.

"And here comes the domino chain of effects." Kisaki thought as she already knew what Umi was intending to do.

"I call another copy of Maiden of Lotus Flower [Power: 9000] in order to activate the bloom skill!" Umi declared, "Four units of my choice get +4000 power!"

Three of the flowers floating around the first Maiden of Lotus flower float on over to those who share her namesake, and then these three lotus flowers as well as one of the flowers floating in front of Maiden of Lotus Flower shoot a beam of light towards the units that share the same name…. strengthening them.

"I call Maiden of Waterpot [Power: 7000], and then Protector Lotus Maiden of Yggdrasil's skill: +5000 power and a skill to my front row units." Umi explained, "Now that the seeds have been planted…. with a boost from Waterpot, I'll attack your vanguard with the Maiden of Lotus Flower I just called [Total Power: 25000]!"

"Believe it or not I actually like to do a little gardening in my spare time as well, but I'm afraid I can't allow your field to bloom so….. generation guard…. Dark Element, Dizmel [Total Shield: 15000]!" Kisaki suddenly countered as she discarded a heal trigger, "Dizmel's skill: You can't hit or target my rearguard Mikaela with your effects.

"It'll be okay….. I still have 2 more attacks left barring stand triggers or card effect." Umi thought, "With a boost from Delphinium, Maiden of Yggdrasil will attack Ars [Total Power: 35000]!"

"I'll nullify your attack with Bulwark Thaumaturge, Ilya [Perfect Defense]!" Kisaki countered.

[Drive Check – Maiden of Sweet Berry – No Trigger]

[Drive Check – Maiden of Zephyranthes – Critical Trigger]

[Drive Check – Maiden of Rambler – No Trigger]

"I give all of the effects to my other Maiden of Lotus Flower." Umi declared, "And now I'll attack with her as well [Total Power: 32000 2 Crit]!"

"Very well…. I'll allow you to plant these seeds this time." Kisaki declared as she signaled her willingness to take this attack, "But it's up to the luck of the soil as to whether or not they grow into anything good."

Much like the Maiden of Lotus Flower from earlier, the floating flowers based off of her namesake once again release several beams of light that in turn gather together to form a large sphere of solar energy, but this time the sphere and the beam it fires shortly thereafter is a far greater size.

[Damage Check – Explosive Mage, Sylvestris – No Trigger]

[Damage Check - [Damage Check – Rust Bucket Gadget – Draw Trigger]

"Since my attack hit your vanguard, I get to check the top 5 cards of my deck for a copy of a unit I have in play and superior call it." Umi explained as she picked up the top 5 cards of her deck.

Upon gazing the first of the five cards Umi's face though serious was still hopeful, however that face steadily changed into that of despair as she worked her way down the line. Such a reaction could only mean one thing for Umi.

"There's… there's nothing I can superior call." Umi said as she somehow barely avoids losing all sense of hope, "I…. I end my turn."

Kisaki – Umi

4 – Hand – 5

2 – Soul – 1

5 – Damage – 3

0 – Counter Blast – 3

F(1) U(15) – G-Zone – F(1) U(15)

Weapons Forger, Gayde / Junk Dragon Rider, Mikaela – Maiden of Lotus Flower / Maiden of Delphinium

Material Transporter Gadget / Archaic Alchemist, Ars – Maiden of Rambling Rose / Maiden of Delphinium

Empty / Empty – Maiden of Lotus Flower / Maiden of Waterpot

"Now I don't normally say something like this since it is a bit cliché, but….. since this is the last fight I have to do today and I already said it once before….. why not?" Kisaki mumbled aloud as she drew for the turn.

"Why not….. what exactly?" Umi asked as she couldn't even begin to guess what Kisaki was thinking.

"Simply put…. Final turn." Kisaki declared, "Liberating the generation zone…"

"My hand isn't strong enough to be able to block a powerful attack." Umi thought, "Maybe I should…. no…. the 6th damage still hasn't been revealed, so I still have a chance."

"Show that even in the future, no one shall be able to escape alchemy's might! Stride generation… Synthetic Dragon, Quick Reload Dragon [Power: 26000]!"

The human alchemist is quickly replaced by a mechanical dragon on 4 legs, but unlike Mikaela's dragonic steed….. this one is sleek and smooth as though it were fresh off the assembly line or in this case the alchemist's table. This creature looks as though plates of polished stainless steel were stacked on top of one another to form its body, wings, as well as its head, however it has two dark colored horns that seem to be made out of another metal entirely.

"Ars' stride skill: I get to superior call from my hand Explosive Mage, Sylvestris [Power: 9000] and Mechquipped Engineer, Luca [Power: 9000]." Kisaki explained as an arrogant smirk appeared on her face, "In addition, the units superior called through this effect get an additional 2000 power each and get +1 grade."

"Plus 1 grade?" Umi asked as if she couldn't even contemplate the existence of such a skill.

"Yes…. since the cat is out of the alchemist's bag, I might as well explain that the Labyrinth Foundry clan focuses on raising the grade of its units in order to unlock unique abilities. I suppose you can think of it like turning copper into gold….. only way more destructive." Kisaki explained, "Weapons Forger, Gayde's skill: Since I placed a unit on my vanguard circle, plus 1 grade to Material Transport Gadget. Then Material Transport Gadget's skill: At the start of my main phase I give plus 1 grade to Luca."

Each unit that had their grade increased was suddenly bathed in light, and of course they also changed in appearance. Any rusted patch of metal, worn-away cloth, and chipped sword all now looked as though they were brand new. A perfect symbol of their rise in grade don't you think?

"I call Innovative Electrochemist, Jair [Power: 7000] and now I'll activate the skill of Quick Reload Dragon!" Kisaki declared, "My vanguard's grade goes up by 3 and gains a skill."

"Please don't be something that gives a massive power boost. Please don't be something that gives a massive power boost. Please don't be something that gives a massive power boost." Umi thought as she started to pray to the proverbial god of card games.

"With a boost from Jair, my Luca will attack your vanguard!" Kisaki declared, "Luca's skill: Counter blast 1 and Sylvestris goes up by another grade Luca gains an additional +5000 power [Total Power: 23000]!"

[Damage Check – Maiden of Gladiolus – No Trigger]

"Jair's skill: Counter blast 1, move him into the soul, and I get to superior call a unit 2 grades less than the boosted unit." Kisaki explained, "Superior call… Explosive Mage, Sylvestris [Power: 9000]."

"Uh oh." Umi thought as she could imagine the already thin tightrope she's walking upon becoming even thinner.

"Now then… Quick Reload Dragon….. attack [Total Power: 26000]!" Kisaki declared.

"I'll nullify that attack [Perfect Defense]." Umi countered as she discarded a copy of Maiden of Sweet Berry from her hand.

[Drive Check – Railgun Animatronic, K-9XG – No Trigger]

[Drive Check – Smelt Breath Dragon – Critical Trigger]

[Drive Check – Bionic Healer, Rua – Heal Trigger]

"I give the effects of both triggers to my vanguard, and I heal 1 point of damage [New Total: 36000 2 Crit]!" Kisaki said.

The mechanical dragonic work of alchemy opens its gaping only to reveal not a synthetic tongue, but the barrel of what is guaranteed to be a heavy duty ion cannon. The four legged mechanical beast then arcs its back as if taking a massive breathe of air, and then a few seconds later it fires off a beam of faded green light nearly the size of its own ability. It would undoubtedly destroy Maiden of Rambling Rose were the two to make contact, but thankfully Maiden of Passionflower was able to channel her Dryad magic and create a barrier that was just barely powerful enough to block the attack.

"That was a close one." Umi thought as she wiped a drop of sweat off her brow, "Wait… why didn't Kisaki boost with Material Trans…. oh no!"

"It is as you suspect. Synthetic Dragon, Quick Reload Dragon's skill: If the total grade of my vanguard is 7 or greater…. by discarding 2 cards from my hand, Quick Reload Dragon gets to stand back up." Kisaki explained as she knew what Umi was thinking without even looking at her.

Quick Reload Dragon once again opens its gaping maw revealing it's now heavily melted mess of an ion cannon only to cough it out a second later. Then all of a large magic array forms in front of Quick Reload Dragon, which then sucks up all nearby usable raw metal like a vacuum, and then all of that metal begins to form a brand new ion cannon as it passes through the magic circle form earlier.

"Now unless the one unknown card in your hand happens to be a heal trigger or another perfect guard, I do believe this will be checkmate." Kisaki smirked, "Now then….. Synthetic Dragon, Quick Reload Dragon….. attack [Total Power: 43000 2 Crit]!"

"I… I won't guard." Umi said in a reluctant tone.

[Drive Check – Railgun Animatronic, K-9XG – No Trigger]

[Drive Check – Innovative Electrochemist, Jair – No Trigger]

Quick Reload Dragon then once again fires off a massive beam of light, however now there three differences when compared to its last volley. The first is that the color of the beam is a darker shade of green, the second thing is that the size of the beam is at least 50% bigger compared to the last shot, and the last difference is that this time there is nothing in the path of the beam to block the way forward.

[Damage Check – Maiden of Rambling Rose – No Trigger]

[Damage Check – Maiden of Trailing Rose – No Trigger]

Final Result

Kisaki – Umi

4 – Hand – 3

3 – Soul – 1

4 – Damage – 6

3 – Counter Blast – 3

F(3) U(13) – G-Zone – F(1) U(15)

Weapons Forger, Gayde / Explosive Mage, Sylvestris – Maiden of Lotus Flower / Maiden of Delphinium

Material Transporter Gadget / Synthetic Dragon, Quick Reload Dragon – Maiden of Rambling Rose / Maiden of Delphinium

Empty / Explosive Mage, Sylvestris – Maiden of Lotus Flower / Maiden of Waterpot

---

"Well that's certainly disappointing." Umi mumbled; holding in her sorrow as she collected the cards of her borrowed deck, "And I was certainly looking forward to life as a Setsuzoku Academy student.

Umi may have smiled as she tried to take her loss like a man, however the look of disappointment in her eyes were quite clear.

"When did I ever say that you wouldn't be allowed to enjoy the privileges of being a student at our school?" Kisaki said as if she was somewhat confused, "By "our" I mean you as well. I mean do you take me to be like a certain blond chick that goes to a certain cooking school with only a 10% graduation rate?"

"Excuse me?" Umi and Kisaki's assistant said at the same time as they both had a surprised expression on their face.

"To think you'd forget as well my lovely assistant." Kisaki lightly chuckled, "Before this little practical exam of mine began, I did say that there were three ways you'd be able to pass."

"Oh yeah…. that's right… she did say something like that." Umi thought as she recalls the short speech Kisaki gave before all of the cardfights started.

"1. Win the fight as it is the winners who write history. 2. Make me have to think about what to do next for more than 15 seconds in between moves, of which at least proves you have the ability of an above average student. 3. Prove you have ability worth Setsuzoku spending its resources upon you." Kisaki explained, "You had successfully met the third condition in our fight just now."

"But why?" Umi asked as she found herself still unable to understand her proctor's train of thought, "I mean… the way you were talking to everyone at the start as well as all throughout those fights looked like you were trying to find some excuse to fail the entire testing group… because well…. you thought the whole thing was beneath you."

"It is a waste of my time, I do think it was beneath me, and I did try to get out of it." Kisaki said in a rather blatantly arrogant manner, "But as one who holds the title of Setsuzoku Academy's 7th strongest fighter, I would never dishonor it by doing my duties with a half-ass effort."

"Oh." Umi mumbled as she was caught off guard by Kisaki's sense of duty.

"I know I'm highly arrogant and extraordinarily prideful, but I've proved myself to have the ability to match. Also…. believe it or not I don't normally act anywhere near as arrogant as you just saw. I merely took it up several notches for the sake the exam. I'm pretty sure your friend suspected as such too." Kisaki declared, "But… anyways whether you're talented or not….. what Setsuzoku needs are dedicated students and not lazy ones."

"I see." Umi said in an understanding fashion.

At first all Umi saw was someone who was the very epitome of arrogance, but now she finds herself starting to admire Kisaki slightly after listening to her explanation of how she doesn't let her arrogance affect her duty towards the school. Still…. now that the excitement of the situation had passed, Umi was looking forward to telling her parents the same for the sake of the promise they made.

"But still…. why?" Umi asked, "Or rather what did I do to prove I had ability that was worth a passing mark?"

"What….. you haven't figured it out? Well…. there are two reasons." Kisaki answered, "For one you were able to keep your cool compared to the rest of the trash in this test group. For two, you knew there was a massive difference between our abilities but despite that you kept yourself dedicated to the path you believed would lead you to victory. To accomplish these two things against me is more than worth a passing mark as…. once again we need dedicated students at Setsuzoku."

"I see….. I have no further questions." Umi said as she's lost in contemplation in regards to this new piece of information.

"Well I had nothing else to say anyway, so you-" Kisaki said.

"Umi, you done?" Kokuo said in what Umi knew to be his usual rough manner as he stuck his head through the doorway.

"Well if it isn't the king who invaded the wrong lands." Kisaki said in a condescending manner as she referred to the earlier incident of Kokuo going to the wrong examination room.

"Well if it isn't the queen who could only rely on trickery." Kokuo retorts in an equally condescending manner as he refers to his earlier explanation of Kisaki's test.

"Why you… no… getting mad like this is beneath your station." Kisaki quietly mumbled to herself, "Since your expression hasn't changed I take it you passed your exam?"

"Yeah, but… it was a lot weirder than your test." Kokuo explained as he actually shivered whilst recalling his recent trial.

"Well you have to have pretty decent potential if you could pass that guy's messed up sense of testing." Kisaki pointed out.

From that one can once again conclude Kisaki knows exactly who the proctor for Kokuo's exam, but at the same time one can also hear a twinge of respect hidden in her admonishing tone.

"Now that I'm an official student of Setsuzoku, I look forward to seeing what a member of my school's strongest can do." Kokuo said in a challenging tone.

"Ha…. if your personality is still the same after your first week of school I'll consider taking you up on your offer." Kisaki laughed.

"Fine….. Umi, let's go." Kokuo said in annoyed tone, "We might still have time, but we wouldn't want to miss our train home regardless."

"Oh yeah… I'm coming." Umi said as she hurried to her best friend's side.

Umi and Kokuo were just about to walk through the door, but for some reason Kisaki decides to get their attention again.

"The final documents as well as your set of school uniforms will be mailed to your homes within the next few days." Kisaki explained, "Umi Kitagawa, though the purpose of Vanguard is to build bonds nor do I know your relationship with that barbarian who tries to call himself a king, you should choose your friends more carefully.

Umi doesn't say anything in response… rather she only nods her head in acknowledgement while she and Kokuo at last enter the hallway. A few minutes of silence pass between them as they walk until Kokuo decides to say something.

"How was she?" Kokuo curiously asked.

"You know I'm not into pairs of coconuts." Umi answered in a joking fashion.

"Idiot, you know that's not what I meant." Kokuo said in an annoyed tone as he immediately gives Umi a quick noogie in response.

"Ouch… you really shouldn't an innocent maiden like that, but I know… you meant her skill as a fighter. In short, I last." Umi said as she rubbed her head, "She really is a monster like you said. I mean for our fight the she said she had the least compatibility with the deck she used, but it still took everything I had just to give her a light workout."

"You did better than I thought you would. Oh and… though my exam was utter hell, I managed to finish it pretty quickly and checked around the area." Kokuo said, "You won't have to worry about anyone hearing you until we get to the main entrance, so you can quit it with your nice girl act for now."

"I see…. well then." Umi said as she took a deep breath, "The hell you jackass… how many times have I told you it's not a f***ing act! Every time I think someone other than you or my parents are nearby, this nice girl bull crap just spills out of my mouth like a blown dam."

"Yeah surrrrrre it is." Kokuo retorts in a deadpan tone that indicates he doesn't believe this explanation as much as he's used to actually hearing it.

"Dick, if you want to be the King of Games of the Vanguard world you should really be nicer to your subjects." Umi said in a rough sounding admonishing tone.

"You are the last person I could possibly want as a subject." Kokuo said, "But all of that aside…. might I have your unfiltered opinion of Kisaki?"

"I thought she was just your typical stuck-up scholastic alpha bitch that needed to be taken down a peg, and in fact I tried to teach her a lesson. Turns out she's a stuck-up alpha bitch I wouldn't mind having as a friend." Umi explained, "But my opinion on her skill is still the same unfiltered."

"Good to kno…. Hmm." Kokuo was saying when he suddenly notices something down the hallway, "Two Setsuzoku students dead ahead, so put you're nice girl act back on."

"For the last f***ing time you piece of sh-" Umi was saying when all of a sudden she offers a slight bow to the approaching students as they enter earshot, "Oh good afternoon."

Security cameras, like it was mentioned earlier for the safety and security of everything and everyone going in and out of academy grounds. Little did Umi and her friend Kokuo know, in the Academy's main security office there was a rather handsome teenager (or ikemen as the locals call it) watching them with great interest on one of the security feeds. That young man had white hair, blood red eyes, was wearing a formal white shirt, and dark green pants.

"I was worried since Kisaki-san happened to have been in charge of her test." The white haired teen sighed, "But I guess I was worried for nothing."

"Worried for nothing?" an older man suddenly chuckled in a serious tone, "Ha, normally you're worried about….. well everything actually."

As if surprised by the new presence, the white-haired teen quickly turns around only to discover a familiar figure in the form of Setsuzoku Academy's headmaster Yuuske Takamaki.

"So that is the girl you asked me to have bypass the written exam and directly take the practical exam?" Yuuske asked as he and the white-haired teen turn their gaze back towards the same monitor from earlier, "I suppose it's also coincidence that you asked me to have Kisaki to be put on the list of entrance exam proctors?"

"You're "little sister" is talented, but arrogant. Failing to find a man capable of defrosting that spicy ice queen, I figured being assigned such a duty would be humbling for her." the white-haired teen said in a joking fashion, "That being said…. the fact that Kisaki-san ended up being her proctor was just a coincidence, and you of all people should know I don't have the authority to mess with the entrance exam. That being said…. what did you think of her performance?"

"Of the girl you recommended? Or your underclassmen?" Yuuske retorts.

"Both actually." the white-haired teen shrugged.

"Even though she did so without authorization, the way she set up her own practical exam was unexpectedly clever and through for someone doing it the first time. In short…. I approve." Yuuske said in a nonchalant manner, "As for the other girl… I won't question Kisaki's grading criteria and even though Setsuzoku prefers dedicated students over talented ones... Umi Kitagawa has not shown the ability expected of a Setsuzoku student. Plus once word spreads of how she got in (and it will spread), she'll only have a target on her back because of you. This leads me to ask why you're so interested in this girl?"

"Because…. she has a card that interests me." the white-haired teen said in a curious tone of voice as he moved closer to the security monitor, "And about the target on her back thing….. if she can't handle even that….. then there's definitely no place for her here at Setsuzoku.

"Oh? From your tone, I'll take that to mean you can't acquire this card through the academy channels granted to you. Still…. to think there's a card so rare that it required Setsuzoku Academy's strongest fighter Sekai Akira to go through such round-about methods to get at." Yuuske said as he suddenly recalls another important issue, "Ah yes…. by the way, have you decided what you are going to say during the opening ceremony?"

The now revealed to be Sekai Akira starts to profusely sweat, shake uncontrollably, and have all of the color drained from his face the moment those words come out of Yuuske's mouth. Why it is almost as if whatever respectable image Sekai had built with the last few lines was instantly destroyed.

"Ohh…. umm…. I…. I'm su… sure that with… my position…. I can… get… someone else to do it…. yes… that's it." Sekai declared as he mumbled like a nervous wreck.

---

To Be Continued

Kisaki: Hmph…. do not think getting your foot in the door gives you an excuse to kick your feet up. No matter….. you'll learn soon enough just how fearsome Setsuzoku Academy's High School Division really is.

Kokuo: Ha….. a king must constantly overcome hardship in order to maintain his worthiness of the throne.

Umi: Next time on Cardfight Vanguard: Setsuzoku Sensō "Opening Hell Week"!

Yuuske: Beware the first trial of Setsuzoku Academy!

---

Sulmore: To those who were looking forward to seeing their submitted OC in the first chapter….. I'm totes sorry, but you'll definitely be seeing the first of them in the next chapter.

Terminus Zwei: Totes…. seriously… who actually says that anymore.

Sulmore: Oh and sorry to those of you who expected the first chapter after a few days…. I knew that this was going to be a long chapter, but I totes underestimated the length.

---

OC Card List

Neo Nectar "Maiden of" Series

Sulmore: The following two cards were created by me, and balanced by my special friend Terminus.

Terminus Zwei: Oh come on…. special friend….. really?!

Grade 0

Maiden of Dandelion (Critical)

Race: Dryad Power: 5000 Shield: 10000

[Auto][Place this unit on the top of your deck] When this unit is placed on (RC), if you have a grade 3 or greater vanguard with "Maiden of" in its card name, you may pay the cost. If you do, search your deck for up to one grade 2 or less "Maiden of" unit, call it to (RC), shuffle your deck, and if you have two or more units with "Maiden of" in its card name on your vanguard circle, draw a card.

Grade 2

Maiden of Lotus Flower

Race: Dryad Power: 9000 Shield: 5000

Bloom-[Auto](RC) Generation Break 1: When your other "Maiden of Lotus Flower" is placed on (RC), if you a grade 3 or greater vanguard with "Maiden of" in its card name, choose up to four of your rearguard units with "Maiden of" in its card name, and those units get [Power]+2000 for every unit with "Maiden of" in its card name on your (VC) until end of turn.

[Auto] Generation Break 1: When this unit is placed on (RC), if you have a grade 3 or greater vanguard with "Maiden of" in its card name, choose one of your grade 1 or less rear-guards with "Maiden of" in its card name, search your deck for up to one card with the same name as that unit, call it to (RC), and shuffle your deck.

---

Labyrinth Foundry

Sulmore: The following clan was created by Vanguard Fanon Wiki user Kazuya Tachibana, and Kazuya….. if you yourself happen to read this one day I apologize if the aesthetic description I gave does not match with your image of the clan. The one exception being Ars whose picture I found on what I'm assuming to be your Wattpad page. To the readers, if you see a card that I forgot to list below please let me know and I'll correct it.

Grade 0

Weapons Forger, Gayde

Race: Gnome Power: 5000 Shield: 10000

[AUTO]:Forerunner (If a unit of the same clan rides this unit, you may call this unit to (RC).)

[AUTO](RC) Generation Break 1 (Active if you have one or more face up G units in total on your (VC) or G zone): When your other unit is placed on your (VC), choose up to one of your units, and that unit gets grade+1 until the end of the turn.

Smelt Breath Dragon (Critical)

Race: N/A Power: 5000 Shield: 10000

Rust Bucket Gadget (Draw)

Race: Workeroid Power: 5000 Shield: 5000

[ACT](RC):[Put this unit into your soul] Choose up to one of your units, and it gets [Power]+3000 until end of turn.

Bionic Healer, Rua (Heal)

Race: Sylph Power: 5000 Shield: 10000

Grade 1

Material Transport Gadget

Race: N/A Power: 7000 Shield: 5000

[AUTO](RC): At the beginning of your main phase, choose up to one of your other units, and that unit gets grade+1 until the end of the turn.

Bulwark Thaumaturge, Ilya

Race: Elf Power: 6000 Shield: 0

[CONT]: Sentinel

[AUTO]:[Choose a card from your hand, and discard it] When this unit is placed on (GC) from hand, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose one of your vanguards that is being attacked, and it cannot be hit until end of that battle. If there is a "Bulwark Thaumaturge, Ilya" in your drop zone, Counter Charge (1).

Innovative Electrochemist, Jair

Race: Human Power: 7000 Shield: 5000

[AUTO](RC) Generation Break 1 (Active if you have one or more face up G units in total on your (VC) or G zone):[Counterblast (1) & Put this unit into your soul] At the end of the battle this unit boosted a grade 3 or greater unit, you may pay the cost. If you do, search your deck for up to one card with grade-2 or less than the boosted unit, and call it to (RC).

Grade 2

Dragon Rider, Mikaela

Race: Human Power: 10000 Shield: 5000

Explosive Mage, Sylvestris

Race: Elf Power: 9000 Shield: 5000

[AUTO](RC) Generation Break 1 (Active if you have one or more face up G units in total on your (VC) or G zone): When this unit attacks a vanguard, this unit gets [Power]+3000 until the end of the battle.

Mechquipped Engineer, Luca

Race: Smithroid Power: 9000 Shield: 5000

[AUTO](RC) Generation Break 1 (Active if you have one or more face up G units in total on your (VC) or G zone):[Counterblast (1)] When this unit attacks a vanguard, if it is boosted, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose one of your other units, and that unit gets grade+1. Then, if the total grade of this unit and that unit is 5 or more, this unit gets [Power]+5000 until the end of the battle.

Grade 3

Archaic Alchemist, Ars

Race: Human Power: 11000

[CONT](VC) Generation Break 2 (Active if you have two or more face up G units in total on your (VC) or G zone):During your turn, all of the units in your front row get [Power]+2000/grade+1, and if this unit's grade is 5 or greater, this unit gets [Power]+3000/[Critical]+1.

[AUTO](VC):[Counterblast (1)] During your turn, when your G Unit Stride, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose up to two cards from your hand and call them to (RC), and choose up two to of your units, and those units get [Power]+2000/grade+1 until the end of the turn.

Railgun Animatronic K-9XG

Race: Mecha Beast Power: 10000

[AUTO](VC) Generation Break 1 (Active if you have one or more face up G units in total on your (VC) or G zone):When this unit attacks a vanguard, this unit gets [Power]+6000 until the end of the battle.

[AUTO](VC):[Counterblast (2)] When this unit is placed on (VC), you may pay the cost. If you do, search your deck for a grade 2 or less card, call it to (RC) and that unit gets grade+1 until the end of the turn.

Grade 4

Synthetic Dragon, Quick Reload Dragon

Race: Mecha Dragon Power: 15000+

[Stride]-Stride Step-[Choose one or more cards with the sum of their grades being 3 or greater from your hand, and discard them] Stride this card on your (VC) from face down.
[ACT](VC) Generation Break 2 (Active if you have two or more face up G units in total on your (VC) or G zone)::[Counterblast (1) & Choose a face down card with the same name as this unit in your G Zone, and turn it face up] Until the end of the turn, this unit gets grade+1 for each of your grade 2 or greater rear-guards and "[AUTO](VC):[Choose two cards from of your hand, and discard them] At the end of the battle this unit attacked a vanguard, if this unit's grade is 7 or greater, you may pay the cost. If you do, [Stand] this unit, and this unit gets grade-4/drive-1 until the end of the turn.