Cardfight Vanguard: Setsuzoku Sensō
Chapter 4
Hell Week's Music
A day has gone by since Kokuo's crushing defeat at the hands of Setsuzoku Academy's strongest Sekai Akira, however no one dares to mock the former of the two thanks to the words said by the latter. Still….. the fight itself ends up becoming quite a hot topic of discussion between students and even a few reporters that concern themselves with the Vanguard world. The members of Umi', Kokuo, and Kisaki's shared class; however, have no interest in such a discussion as they walk into their assigned classroom.
"Ow ow ow…. my legs…. my arms…. my back." Umi groaned as her body is in a great deal of discomfort.
"I… could…. deal with it….. so can you." Kokuo mumbled as he looks as though his bones are shattering like glass with each step he takes.
"Hmph… ruffian, I didn't think you'd be able to move after being under that exercise sociopath's thumb a second time." Kisaki said in a rather cold manner to Kokuo as she refused to look him in the eyes, "As for you… Umi Kitagawa… thankfully you're able to move as it would be embarrassing if someone I approved of missed class for a reason as ridiculous as a little body pain.
The rest of the class along with this unusual trio of musketeers had cold compacts and hot compresses attached to various body parts. In case you haven't figured it out yet, the entire class was starting to feel the severe aftereffects of their homeroom teacher's idea of "a little exercise." In fact if one was here in the classroom, they'd be able to see there are a few empty chairs. Clearly that means a few students couldn't even get out of bed in the morning.
"Sure I'm sore as all hell, but at least unlike a certain someone I don't need to put up some false bravado about it." Kokuo declared in a purposefully cocky manner as he makes it quite clear he's talking about Kisaki.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Kisaki retorts as she gave off an arrogant smirk.
"Surrrrreee you do." Kokuo said in a sarcastic matter as he for some reason sets up a small pencil on the table as though it were a football.
Kokuo flicks the metaphorical football towards Kisaki with his thumb….. specifically he aims for one of her sleeves. The pencil did her sleeve yet it failed to move it, however it does cause Kisaki to shiver as though she were suddenly kicked into a room with below zero temperature. We all know in reality that it was a pain-induced shiver.
"Damn ruffian, you dare to treat a lady in such a manner?!" Kisaki yelled as she suddenly stood up from her seat.
"My mother certainly did teach me to show a lady common courtesy, but for me to show that to you…. well let's just say you could learn from Umi here." Kokuo retorts nodding his head towards his best friend as he stands up from his seat as well.
"Awwww…. Thank you for the compliment." Umi said in a tone that indicates she feels legitimately flattered.
All Umi received in turn was a sudden look from Kokuo that basically said, "We both know you don't act like a girl, so don't bother trying to give me that bull."
"Then perhaps I'll show you just who the superior gender is." Kisaki declared in an angry tone as she took out her deck.
"Sure…. why not… there's no one to interrupt us this ti-" Kokuo was saying.
"Sorry for being late again class…. I made the mistake of trying to enter the school through a gate with members of the press lined up outside of it, so put away your stuff as it is time to take attendance." Professor Ryushi declared as he walked into the class.
All Professor Ryushi does is indeed take attendance, however it takes a bit longer than one might expect since it's both the second day of school and the students in the professor's class have a good reason to be a bit despondent.
"Now… since I have yet to memorize everyone's names… please say something if I forgot to call out a name." Professor Ryushi said out loud.
"Excuse me sensei, even though he isn't actually here you forgot to call out Ulric's name." one of the students in the class pointed out, "In fact you didn't call the names of the other students who aren't here."
"Hehhh… I was going t explain afterwards…. but I suppose I should get it over with." Professor Ryushi sighed, "As a part of the principal's policies said to raise the bar for the ability expected of an academy student…. those who fail to attend certain school functions without legitimate reason such as yesterday's opening ceremonies will be or rather has already been expelled."
That piece of news has surprised and scared all of the students in the class including the arrogant Kisaki, and it's safe to say every student in the school will be receiving this news if they haven't already. Those who have heard including this class are already voicing their objections in a rather loud fashion.
"What the hell is this?!" one student screamed.
"That's complete bullshit unfair…. I didn't go to yesterday's ceremonies, so why the hell am I still here!" another student yelled.
"You didn't know about this?!" both Umi and Kokuo asked of Kisaki at the same time.
"I knew that elder… I mean the principal wanted to put policies in place to raise the level of the academy, but I didn't think it would be this strict nor did I know since I myself am a freshman after all." Kisaki explained as she herself isn't sure how to take this news.
"I did say "without legitimate reason" did I not? I don't blame you though as many members of the teaching staff including me objected to such policy changes." Professor Ryushi declared, "Now there are still events that you will be expelled for missing regardless of how good your excuse is, however Setsuzoku Academy understands that while Vanguard is the most important thing in your lives since…. they also understand that it isn't the only thing in your lives."
Professor Ryushi goes on to explain how students with a part-time job, students with a doctor appointment, students with unavoidable family responsibilities, etc would not be expelled for not attending certain Academy Events. He then goes off to list the few school events a student absolutely will be expelled for regardless of their reason. Such events include the famous summer training camp, the more obvious end of the year exams, and a couple of additional ones in between.
"Now that's over with…. it's time to give you all a bit of a workout." Professor Ryushi informed.
The students in the class all recall the dreadful experience of being forced to jog while wearing full body weight suits resulting in a shiver being sent down all of their spines. The ones who collapsed yesterday have it especially bad as they in turn collapse one more on top of their desks after recalling the sight of that lake.
"Who did I piss off in a past life?" Umi thought.
"It's okay…. I survived 2 days…. and they say 3rd try is the charm right?" Kokuo thought as he maintains a straight face, but on the inside is absolutely dreading the thought of an increased heart rate.
"As the Academy's 7th strongest…. Such things will be a piece of cake for me." Kisaki thought as she had to will her body away from making the motions necessary to cry in a corner.
"Don't worry… I have no intentions of making you run around the campus just yet today." Professor Ryushi said.
The entire class was so relieved about the thought of not having to exercise such they don't notice their teacher said "just yet today." Or maybe a few do notice, but they're just too relieved for all the same reasons to care.
"A professional Vanguard fighter needs a strong mind to go along with a strong body, so in other words…. a pop quiz….. no that's too nice a word…. a surprise test." Professor Ryushi explained as he started pressing buttons on his touch-screen phone.
The students found their phones overridden with a new screen containing a Vanguard related question.
"Simple enter your answer, select confirm, and the programming on the pone will take you to the next question. There are 25 questions covering four clans selected at random making a total of 100 questions in all. After the results are tallied… well let's just say you want to be in the top 50% tomorrow." Professor Ryushi explained.
After the professor's words once again reminded them of yesterday's events, the entire class focuses all of their attention on their respective phones waiting for their teacher to give permission to begin.
"But don't even bother to try and cheat as while some of you might share the same clan or 2 on your test….. absolutely none of the questions are the same for anyone here. In fact…. you could say these tests were tailor made for your respective fighting style." Professor Ryushi declared as he had a slightly cocky grin on his face, "You may begin."
Umi might not have the slightest clue as to what Kokuo and Kisaki are being tested on, however she herself is being tested on the Royal Paladin clan, the Cosmic Sanctum clan, and much to her inconvenience 2 other clans she's never seen nor heard of before in her life. Furthermore these questions consisted of not only matching Card A to Effect B; but also multiple choice, essay-based, unit lore, sources of inspiration for individual card art, questions where you'd take the cards given to you to figure out exactly how to win the match that turn, and math questions based around the power/shield value of a combination of cards of the clan.
"Oh…. I know this one…. Kokuo used this card a lot when we were kids." Umi thought as she searched for a question she actually knew the answer to.
The students continue to focus on their sudden tests yet as time continues to march on the expressions on many of their faces begin to change. At first they have the focus on would expect before an exam, then the budding confusion as one encounters an increasing number of unfamiliar topics, fear as they realize they won't finish the test on time (even though their teacher didn't actually give a time limit), and finally dread begins to appear on a few faces as they realize there's no way they'll be passing this test. Kisaki's facial expression sits on the foremost extreme of these examples, Kokuo's rests somewhere in the middle, and Umi's expression lands smack dap in the lattermost extreme.
"Argghhh….. f*** this shit." Umi thought as she repeatedly taps her forehead on the section of desk in front of her.
Eventually Umi gives up, accepts the fact she won't be able to answer the remaining questions correct or otherwise, and submits her test digitally to Professor Ryushi. Umi then breathes a sigh of relief as if a massive weight was lifted off of her shoulders.
"And that makes the last one." Professor Ryushi mumbled as received a notice on his fancy phone that the last student has turned in their surprise test, "I'll give you all 5 minutes to go to the bathroom or do what you need to do, but afterwards I want you all ready to run another lap around the lake."
"Arghhhhh." the entire class collectively groans.
As much as they'd like to complain…. no one in the class…. not even Kokuo or Kisaki had the courage to go against the exercise demon before them. The entire class finds themselves once again jogging around the lake wearing weight suits that consist of 1/3rd their total weight, however the pace they're all running at is as nowhere near as fast as it was yesterday.
"Just what the f*** kind of bull**** is this ******** trying to f****** make us do?" Umi mumbled as her true nature started to bubble up to the surface while drops of sweat started to roll down the rest of her.
"I know you probably want to take a blunt instrument to the side of our teacher's head right now, but do your best to hold it in." Kokuo pointed out as he patted Umi on the top of her head whilst jogging alongside her.
"You bet you're a** that I wa-" Umi was about to yell.
"Some of you probably think I'm being needlessly cruel with your education right?" Professor Ryushi asked as he spoke into a megaphone, "If you think so….. go ahead and say it. I won't hold it against any of you."
It doesn't help the professor's case either as he addresses his student from the back of a golf cart while another member of the school's staff drives.
"Yes you are!" most of the class yelled together in unison.
"I figured most of you would say as such." Professor Ryushi sighed, "Well allow me to explain why I make you go through such intensive workouts."
Professor Ryushi had his entire class focused upon him, but they didn't forget to maintain their jogging pace less they wish to suffer his wrath either.
"I'm sure you all noticed at times when watching professional fights live…. thanks to the combined imagination of the involved parties you can feel as though you're watching the units themselves battle each other on the Planet Cray whether it be a snowy mountain or a sweltering dessert." Professor Ryushi explained, "The heat, cold, and or whatever else as a result of this imagination is at its worst for the fighters involved. This is why… KEEP THOSE LEGS UP…. I put great emphasis in your physical conditioning."
"Excuse me….. pro…. Professor, but….. what….. what does that have to do with Vanguard?" another student asked as he rapidly gasped for air whilst maintaining his jog.
"Some of the top professional fighters can make up their lack of practical skill through the strength of their imagination, then through such a powerful imagination they can make their opponent feel as though they're personally being burned/frozen/crushed/sliced/etc in reality resulting in a psychological blow that in turn lowers their performance. Now for legal reasons I can't actually swing a sword at any of you." Professor Ryushi continued to explain.
That wasn't a joke for the record…. If Professor Ryushi thought he could get away with swinging a real sword at his students for the sake of strengthen their physical bodies….. he'd do it in a heartbeat.
"But by strengthening your physical bodies in a variety of conditions, you end up strengthening your mind, and thus you increase your ability to resist the blows to your psyche such imaginative fighters will have." Professor Ryushi concluded, "Kokuo Rettousei, you should know exactly what I'm talking about….. especially since Sekai Akira is such an imagination oriented fighter."
"Yes… I was so amazed by his imagination that I forgot to think about the best way to fight, but if the chance prevents itself….. even if I still end up losing…. I won't make that mistake twice." Kokuo said aloud though no one seemed to notice that he clenched his fists as he spoke.
"Good….. now then…. PICK UP THE PACE YOU MAGGOTS! AT THIS RATE YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO HANDLE A LIGHT BREEZE LET ALONE A BLADE OF WIND!" Professor Ryushi screamed, of which had the effect of instantly causing his students to pick up their pace.
No one ended up collapsing once the PE class from hell came to an end today, but that was only because of the time constraints. Umi, Kokuo, Kisaki, and the rest of their classmates had general education courses up until close to noon for lunch, however since it is still Hell Week….. these teachers included intensive lecture and surprise quizzes as well. Everyone was just happy that they didn't have to run a lap around the lake each time. Kokuo headed towards one of the school's advanced training facilities while Umi walked to the closest cafeteria for lunch.
"Alright….. get a little food in my gut…. then off to the Academy Library… to spend hours….. reviewing every clan that's ever existed ever." Umi thought as she patiently waited in the lunch line.
Umi was also wallowing in dread as she thought about the number of cards she'd have to memorize, however her mood takes a turn for the better once she reaches the front of the line. It was there she saw her favorite chocolate desert….. a slice of sachertorte chocolate cake…. the last one of this batch in fact. This fact alone immediately improves Umi's mood.
"My god… it's the legendary sachertorte… it's been 5 months since I've had anything with chocolate in it. Why…. why did my parents both have to be allergic to chocolate to the point where even smelling it triggers their allergies? Whatever….. this is clearly a sign of good things to come." Umi thought as she was practically an inch short of crying tears of joy.
Umi naturally directed her hands towards this delectable pasty while fantasizing/debating about how she'd consume it, however just as her fingers were about to touch the edge of the plate another hand unexpectedly takes it. Unfortunately Umi is unable to see the face of her cake thief as he's already walking towards the cafeteria's exit, however she can tell that he's wearing Setsuzoku Academy's sports jersey and sweat pants that comes with the PE uniform under a fully body weight suit that is clearly much heavier than the one Umi had to wear. She was about to run after him when one of the cafeteria workers got her attention, of whom was the one Kisaki once mentioned to be the 3rd strongest fighter on the school's staff
"You motherf****** piece of s*** you dare to f****** take my cake. I swear I'll *****, then ******, and finally ********* until you beg for mercy that will not come." Umi thought as she comes a hair's breath away from screaming that out loud.
"Thank you for the treat grandma." The cake thief said in a joking sarcastic tone.
"Who are you calling your grandma you damn brat?!" the old lunch lady yelled all the while passing the cake thief of a plastic container to hold his loot in, "Come behind here and I'll smack you on yours til you know who your grandma is!"
"Ha ha…. sorry, but maybe another time." the cake thief chucked as he left this cafeteria.
Umi was actually about to run after him when one of the cafeteria workers got her attention, of whom was the one Kisaki once mentioned to be the 3rd strongest fighter on the school's staff
"Sorry kid…. that was the last piece we had for the day, but we are making them again tomorrow so I'll see about saving you a piece." the old lunch lady sighed, "I swear this is why I keep telling the line of stoic-dumbasses that become the principal that I get giving privileges to encourage growth, but things like giving the ability to skip the lunch line to-"
Umi doesn't even let this respectable member of the school's staff finish her sentence as the former runs after the villain that would dare to steal her rightful piece of delicious chocolate cake.
"The hell… how'd he get so far? It's only been a few seconds." Umi mumbled aloud especially since there was no one else around as she came out of the cafeteria.
The reason Umi said that was because the moment she came outside…. she saw the cake thief jogging at a fast pace while already being at least half a mile down one of the roads leading away from the cafeteria.
"Oh hell no! You're not getting away you mother******!" Umi thought as she chased after the cake thief.
Umi's pursuit of this cake thief (while at the same time remaining undetected) proves difficult simply due to how fast he was moving despite the weight he was carrying, and the only reason she doesn't lose him outright is due to the cake thief occasionally slowing down as he makes a turn on one of the academy's many pathways. Eventually the cake thief stops right before a clearly used trail into one of the school's forest filled sections in order to tie his shoes.
"Bloody… f******* hell…. does….. this guy….. have rockets….. attached….. to his god damn f******* legs?" Umi thought as she hid behind a nearby tree whilst gasping for breath.
"Alright….. when I get back…. I'll put you in the fridge, finish up my workout, get a few guys together for that game I've been reading about, and I guess….. I'll go from there." the cake thief mumbled referring to his loot as he took his first step on this forest path.
"Fridge? Wait….. is he seriously going into the forest? I mean I know sensei said they have those fancy fight tables placed all over campus, but I mean come on…. really?" Umi thought as she started to follow the cake thief into all the tall pieces of greenery, "What does this guy live in a log cabin or something? Wait hold on… where have I heard that guy's voice before?"
Umi loses sight of the cake thief almost immediately after entering the forest, however she continues to follow this well-traveled forest trail hoping it will lead her to him. Umi is able to handle this unexpected hike for a bit at first, but due to the exhaustion brought about by the earlier workout and the fact that she's not wearing the right kind of shoes. What would have likely have been a mere 10 minute walk ends up taking 30, of which after the latter aforementioned time has passed…. Umi walks past a rather large tree into a clearing within this small see of trees.
"Holy hell…. he really does live in a log cabin!" Umi said aloud.
There was indeed a log cabin in the center of this forest clearing about the size of a 1 story suburban home by western standards, then right next to this cabin was a large metal canopy akin to what one might find in a park, a public charcoal grill again akin to one what might find in a park, then in the center under the metal canopy there were a couple of the Academy's fancy fight tables, and then there was one metal/plastic rectangular lunch table capable of seating around 10 people on both sides of the fancy fight tables.
"Wow….. this really looks like that it would be a nice place to play." Umi mumbled aloud as she momentarily forgot about her desire to throttle a cake thief.
"It is isn't it." the cake thief said as it sounds as though he's standing right behind Umi.
The first thing that Umi notices though doesn't immediately register as she turns around is that the cake thief is none other than the same young man she saw in her family's diner on the first day of school before Kokuo carried her off. The second and most important thing she noticed is that this young man is hanging upside down from a tree branch like a monkey, and that his face was only an inch away from hers.
"Ahhhh!" Umi screamed from shock as falls on her backside, "Ouch….. I think I landed on my keys."
The cake thief lifts himself back upright and jumps off the branch he was hanging on almost instantly after Umi fell out of concern for her wellbeing.
"You okay?" the cake thief asked as he holds his hand out to Umi in an offer to help her up.
"What the hell are you doing scaring a girl like that?!" Umi yelled as she cursed out the cake thief though she still accepts and is grateful for his help, "Wait… you're that guy I saw in my family diner!"
"Ha ha… sorry sorry, and the omelet rice was indeed delicious." the cake thief lightly chuckled before his expression turned somewhat serious, "But ya know…. you were kind of asking for it by tailing me."
"I… I have no idea what you're talking about. I just decided to explore the school and ended up coming here." Umi explained as she tried but failed to hide her surprise at the fact that she was made.
"So the girl I saw hiding behind a tree in the corner of my eye at the coffee stand, 3 school buildings, 2 school stores, and 2 cafeterias were all different people then? Well my mistake…. sorry for accusing you." the cake thief said in a sarcastic tone that clearly indicates he doesn't believe Umi's cheap excuse at all.
"Arghh… fine… I was following you…. so there." Umi admits in an aggravated tone.
"There you see…. telling the truth wasn't that hard." the cake thief pointed out as he start walking towards the log cabin while beckoning Umi to follow him, "Well I doubt you were following me because of my rugged charms and bulging biceps."
The cake thief was actually flexing his biceps as he spoke as if to strengthen the impact of his sarcastic joke.
"Well…. you certainly look fit." Umi said in a complimentary tone as like most teenaged girls; she's unable to completely resist the charms of a muscular young man.
"Ha ha…. thanks…. I'd like to think in terms of physical fitness that I'm the strongest in the academy, but…. sadly I have to be the strongest at a card game to really rake in the money." the cake thief politely chuckled, "But that still doesn't explain why you were following me."
"You…. you took my cake damn it! My parents are allergic to chocolate so seeing anything with that beloved milky substance in it is like a blessing from god for me!" Umi yelled as she let even more of her true nature slip through.
"Cake? Oh….. well sorry I'm not giving it back to you, but I do understand as both my parents are allergic to the stuff too….. though I don't have quite the same fascination with chocolate as you. Still….. that look of despair on your face that I caught by chance was most enjoyable." The cake thief said without a twinge of guilt.
"Despair?" Umi asked as she found the cake thief's choice of words unusual.
"Oh nothing….. nothing at all." The cake thief said, "But as a student above a certain rank… I do have the authority to cut ahead of people in most lines so long as they're below me on rank."
"What… seriously?" Umi said as a slight look of despair on her face.
Ignoring the fact that the cake thief is getting a slight kick out of Umi's facial expression, the reason she has that expression in the first place is that in addition to reviewing the several (and I mean several) clans she's unfamiliar with….. Umi also ended up reading a portion of a list of the ridiculous privileges high ranking students are granted. Even so… Umi was absolutely not going to give up on this fancy piece of chocolate cake.
"Then… if you haven't eaten it yet….. I'll challenge you to a fight for it." Umi propositioned.
"First of all you'd have to put up something as collateral, however there is nothing I want that I can't get on my own." The cake thief explained, "But….. I did want to tweak a music themed game to make it more interesting for a few of my friends and I to play."
"What does that have to do with Vanguard?" Umi asked with a confused look.
"Easy….. easy… you see I'm not sure how to tweak the game, so I quickly put together a music themed deck together to fight with in order to help me find some inspiration." The cake thief explained, "I don't mind putting up the cake as payment for services rendered."
"Alright… I'll help you test it." Umi said as she took what she believed to be an easy opportunity for free cake.
The cake thief changed directions and starting walking toward one of the fancy fight tables under the metal canopy once Umi agreed to his request, and then they're already shuffling their decks before these tables after a few minutes.
"This is a nice place don't you think? This used to be the construction office for some large scale renovations to the academy about 30 years or so ago, but since then it has passed through the hands of previous top 10 rankers who prefer the peace and quiet….. and now to me. I'd live in that cabin if I could, but school procedures and all make it so I have to be content with this place as my private training area." The cake thief explained, "Oh in case you're confused…. the top 30 students get their own private training spaces."
"It must be costly for the Academy to grant to many privileges to their students." Umi pointed out.
"The monthly bill is huge believe me…. but… for the sake of training the strongest fighters, Setsuzoku Academy is willing to pay the costs." The cake thief said with pride.
"I see….. oh now that I think about it… this would be my first time using these fight tables." Umi mumbled as she inserted her school phone into the required slot.
"In that case I'm honored to be your first." the cake thief said with the full purpose of going there.
"That's…. not an appropriate thing to say to a lady." Umi pointed out as she resisted the impulse to smack the cake thief on the side of the head.
"Ha ha….. sorry… I saw the opportunity for the joke and I had to go for it." the cake thief chuckled, "But before we begin there is two things that I wanted to ask if you don't mind."
"Go ahead…. I don't mind." Umi said.
"In that case how did you get Sekai Akira to recommend you to skip the written test and take the practical exam directly?" the cake thief asked, "I've tried to get the story out of him, but he won't tell me no matter how much I prod."
"You know the Academy's strongest fighter?" Umi asked with a surprised look and tone.
"Yeah…. we grew up together in Okinawa where my parents are stationed." the cake thief explained.
"Now that you mention it….. you don't look Japanese and yet you speak like someone who was born and raised here." Umi pointed out.
"That's because I was born and raised here in Japan." the cake thief said, "Dad runs the US Navy base in Okinawa and mom's a translator in the base's PR department. In fact….. I think I've only been to America 3 or 4 times, but really if someone were to ask….. though I lack the actual ancestry… I'd consider myself Japanese rather than American."
"Ah sorry…. didn't mean to get so personal." Umi said, "As for Sekai Akira… I didn't know it was him at the time, but…."
Imagine your mind going back to a time a few months before Setsuzoku Academy's entrance exams. Umi had just gotten home just before her family's diner closes from her old Junior High school after cleaning up for their end of the year festival, and boy is she exhausted.
"At last….. sweet freedom." Umi yawned as she tossed her empty bag onto one of the diner booths, "Mom…. Dad….. I'm home!"
Umi doesn't see her parents behind their bar countertop, but she does see someone asleep on top of it. To be specific she sees Sekai sitting on one of the bar stools while using his book bag as a pillow.
"Oh…. it's only 9:28pm…. so just a little over half an hour until the dinner closes. He must be a last minute customer then." Umi thought as she checked the time on her phone before placing her hand on the sleeping Sekai's shoulder, "Excuse me, but you'll give yourself a headache if you sleep there."
Umi started shaking Sekai's shoulder, of which it quickly has an effect as the latter slowly opens his eyes only to find the face of the former consuming most of his line of sight.
"Princess… what nice eyes you have." Sekai groggily mumbled.
"Awwww... how sweet…. that's the first time someone called me a princess to my face." UMI exclaimed as she was truly flattered by the ikemen's comment, "Thank you."
"Huh….. ahhhhhh!" Sekai screamed as his eyes go wide after finally registering the close-up presence of UMI.
"Ahhhhh!" Umi yelled as she was in turn frightened by the reaction of her conversational partner.
Sekai was so surprised that he fell off his chair, dragged his book-bag along for the ride, and caused a small portion of its contents to spill out on the floor. Umi on the other hand nearly trips over another stool, and although she catches herself on the countertop something falls out of her pants pocket spilling its contents on the floor as well.
"Ahh…. my deck!" Umi and the Sekai said aloud at the same time.
The two items that fell on the floor were deck-boxes, and naturally the contents of those boxes were filled with a variety of Vanguard cards that are now mixed in with one another on the floor. In addition, all of the cards of both decks somehow landed facedown.
"Is something wrong?" Umi's dad asked as he suddenly popped up behind the bar counter from the kitchen.
Umi's father is suddenly treated to the scene of his daughter standing over a customer lying on the floor. There's many ways one could interpret this visual, but one interpretation in particular shall soon be made painfully obvious.
"Are you okay youngster?" Umi's father asked as he walks over to help Sekai up while avoiding all of the cards on the floor.
"No no no… please don't be damaged." The Sekai mumbled blatantly ignoring Umi's father as he picked up cards off the floor.
Sekai then gathers all of the cards on the floor, both his and Umi's into one large pile face down on the bar top before immediately separating them into two smaller piles. During this whole process he never flipped a card over to confirm its identity. It seemed like he'd quickly finish this task, however Sekai suddenly stops and stares at the back of one of the cards as if seemingly drawn to it.
"This weird feeling…. maybe I should…. no this isn't my card in the first place." Sekai thought as he resumed his work to separate the pile of cards, "There'll be a time and a place for that later."
Sekai quickly finishes sorting the pile of Vanguard cards into two decks, then he takes one of the two decks, puts it into a deck box, and then finally he puts that deck box back in his bag.
"Hey hey hey…. hold on a second." Umi said urgently as she was worried about the state of her deck, "How can you be certain you didn't mix our cards up?"
"Umm…. I…di.. didn't." Sekai said reluctantly, "If.. if you want… you… you can check it yourself."
Umi does exactly that since she remembers the contents of her deck, and much to her shock she fails to find a single foreign card mixed in.
"How…. how could you do that?" Umi asked, "I was watching you the whole time, and you only looked at the back of all the cards."
"Oh umm…. I know the comrades…. that.. that have fought beside me, so even though…. I… couldn't tell you what card it was specifically…. I can at least tell… they're mine." Sekai tried to explain, "Basically…. I know my deck."
"Who are you?" Umi couldn't but help find herself asking.
"Umi, don't be rude to a valuable customer." Umi's father said in an admonishing tone, "Anyways…. this youngster is the one I told you about…. the one who's been coming by here while you've been busy studying for finals and preparing for your school's graduation festival."
"Umm…. sir shop owner… and umm… Umi-san was it?" the ikemen said as he quickly bowed to these two, "It was my fault… for… for causing such a scene… by fa… falling asleep here." Sekai said in an apologetic tone.
"It's alright, you've mentioned how the student council at your school has been working you to the bone…. so I don't blame you for falling asleep." Umi's father said in a nice tone.
"Student council?" Umi asked.
"Oh… this guy is the student council president of his high school." Umi's father said as he unknowingly almost knocks over the Sekai by patting him on the back, "They've been working him like a dog getting ready for his school's entrance exams."
"Umm… nice to meet you, and again…. sorry for scaring you." the Sekai said as he once again bowed to Umi.
"No… allow me to apologize." Umi retorts, "I shouldn't have stood so close while trying to wake up."
"Anyways….. Mr. Dinner Boss….. could you please… make another of the evening special to go?" the ikemen asked.
"Ha ha…. no problem kid." Umi's father laughed, "Oh….. I have an idea…. while I'm working on this guy's order, Umi why don't you play a match of Vanguard to help kill the time."
"That will have to wait until later." a young woman said as she walked out from the kitchen carrying a rather large tray.
"Mother!" Umi said happily when she suddenly noticed what was on the trey her mother was carrying.
The contents of that tray were 6 large bowls of food the size of Umi's head. Half of it was 3 bowls of the same kind of ramen while the other half was three beef bowls.
"Here's everything you asked for: 3 orders of ramen with extra shrimp and 3 beef bowls with extra pepper." Umi's mother said, "Does everything seem correct to you young man?"
"Yes… thank you." Sekai said as he returned to his seat next to the counter and pulled out a pair of chopsticks from a nearby container.
"Hmmm… mom, why aren't you and dad going back to the kitchen?" Umi curiously asked, "I mean now that I'm home I can take care of any requests this guy will have."
"It'll be faster to just wait here." Umi's mom explained, "As for why…. well you'll see in a second."
At this moment Umi redirects her gaze back towards the multiple mountains of food resting in front of this shy ikemen.
"It takes understanding to accept all that food as a whole, knowledge to set the proper pace, and courage to keep eating all of that food all working as one to even make a dent in all of that." Umi thought as she unknowingly makes a reference to a Shin Megami Tensei game.
"Thank you for the food." Sekai mumbled as he clapped his hands together.
Umi looked away from Sekai only for a moment to answer a text message she suddenly received from Kokuo, but Umi soon found that all of the food in front of Sekai was gone when she turned her gaze back towards him. Not even a single grain of rice remained in any of the three bowls in front of Sekai, and they were even licked clean… literally.
"Oh…. I…. I have always…. been a big eater." Sekai explained as he took notice of Umi's shocked expression.
Umi and Sekai go along with the suggestion made by Umi's father and kill time having a match with each other as Sekai waits for his to go order. At first Umi treated their match like any other casual fight, however she found herself slowly trying harder as she was moved by Sekai's overwhelming passion for the game even though the match hasn't gone on for very long. In fact it was only the start of Sekai's 4th turn of the game.
Umi – Sekai
3 – Hand – 2
0 – Soul – 3
5 – Damage – 3
2 – Counterblast – 0
0 – Bind Zone – 1
F(1) U(15) - G-Zone – F(1) U(15)
Empty / Empty – Empty / Empty
Empty / Maiden of Rambling Rose – Cosmic Saviour, Orionus / Comet Rider, Pleiades
Maiden of Waterpot / Maiden of Gladiolus – Empty / Empty
"I don't believe it….. I went through all of that….. and failed to inflict even a single point of damage." Umi thought as she clenched her free hand out of anger.
"I'm sorry if I made it seem like all of your effort was for waste." Sekai said as he started to have a consoling look about him, "But after seeing you suddenly getting passionate about this fight… I had to block your attacks out of my pride as a fighter even though it clearly wasn't the smartest move."
"Fine… still…. I don't understand why you were so passionate about the whole ride chant thing during your last turn though." Umi pointed out as she tried to vent the frustration she was feeling.
"Well….. the ride chant is important to us serious Vanguard fighters because it represents our will as fighters, and it because of that will we bother to say them in the first place." Sekai said as he attempts to explain the nuances of a ride chant.
"Will of a fighter?" Umi asks as the very concept is something alien to her.
"This is just my opinion on the matter, but if a fighter's imagination represents their desire for victory…. then a fighter's ride chant is the incarnation of will behind that desire." Sekai calmly explained, "Why do you choose to fight the way you do? What is your current state of mind? How do you feel about your current circumstances What is your goal through Vanguard? What is your dream of the future? It is a fighter's ride chant that answers all of these questions, and it is these words that form a key pillar of support for the bond between you and an opponent you're facing for the first time….. or these words will strengthen that pillar when you face an opponent you've battled a thousand times before."
"Wow….. that's a mouthful, but….. I think I understand that a ride chant is a much bigger deal than I gave you credit for." Umi notes.
"I'm glad you understand, but now it is time I show you a similar such chant, "Sekai exclaimed as he drew for the turn, "Generation zone release! Traverse the lanes between stars and create the future's path for our comrades! Stride Generation….. Interplanetary Dragon, Shooting Star Dragon [Power: 26000]!"
There are a variety of words that could be used to describe this celestial dragon of the stars, but most of you are probably going to think of a certain dragon from another card game; so, this narrator won't even bother.
"Orionus' stride skill: I check the top three cards of my deck, choose one, and bind it face up." Sekai explained as he went through the aforementioned motions.
[Bound Card - Unrivaled Fighter of Planets, Vorpal Sword Battler – No Trigger]
"Now emerge from the void of space….. Vorpal Sword Battler [Power: 9000]!" Sekai declared, "+5000 power to Vorpal Sword Battler thanks to the stride skill of my Orionus, and now I'll have Vorpal Sword Battler attack your vanguard [Total Power: 17000]!"
"I intercept with Maiden of Gladiolus and I'll guard with another copy of Maiden of Waterpot from my hand [Total Shield: 10000]!" Umi quickly countered.
"Now I'm positive….. there's something unusual about her copies of that card." Sekai thought as his gaze was focused on the copy of Maiden of Waterpot in Umi's guardian circle, "You were able to block that attack, but let's see if you can handle the force of a dragon born from a shooting star! Interplanetary Dragon Shooting Star Dragon…. attack [Total Power: 33000]!"
"I'll nullify that with Maiden of Sweet Berry [Perfect Defense]!" Umi once again quickly countered, "Now let's see how you deal with having no more units capable of attacking me this turn."
"Don't worry I will soon enough….. triple drive check!" Sekai declared.
[Drive Check – Meteor Knight, Chondrite – No Trigger]
[Drive Check – Unrivaled Fighter of Planets, Vorpal Sword Battler – No Trigger]
[Drive Check – Meteor Knight, Chondrite – No Trigger]
"Behold the power of my favorite G-Unit… Shooting Star Dragon's skill activates: I declare a grade, bind the top card of my deck, and if the card bound through this effect is the same as the one I declared…. I can pay a cost to call that unit with a bonus of +10000 power, +1 critical, and the ability to perform a drive check." Sekai explained.
"What…. surely there's something you can do that doesn't rely on pure luck!" Umi said out of shock.
"This is a saying I've repeated a few times before to previous opponents, but I simply have faith in my deck and strength that brings about luck." Sekai retorts as a slightly cocky grin appeared on his face, "I declare the top card to be a grade 3!"
[Bound Card – Cosmic Saviour, Orionus – No Trigger]
"The skill has been triggered….. now spread your wings of light into the ocean of stars and bring us onto hope! Shooting Star Traversal!" Sekai declared.
The body of Shooing Star Dragon begins to glow brighter and brighter right up until its light becomes blinding before speeding off into the distance. No one even has to think about waiting for the next coming of the metaphorical Haley's Comet as a millisecond later all the units see Shooting Star Dragon in its return flight with Orionus riding its tailwind.
"Now lend me your wings of light once more my avatar….. superior call Cosmic Saviour, Orionus [Power: 21000 2 Crit]!" Sekai yelled, "Orionus…. end this battle in our favor with your sword of light and attack [Total Power: 21000 2 Crit]!"
[Drive Check - Stellar Combustion, Zeke – Critical Trigger]
"I give all of the effects to my rearguard Orionus [Total Power: 26000 2 Crit]!" Sekai declared.
[Damage Check – Maiden of Lotus Flower – No Trigger]
A short fight segment, but one that hopefully became interesting just before the end much like this flashback as Umi concludes her re-telling of these events.
"Before he left he gave me a business card, told me to call the number on it if I was interested in a Vanguard related career, I then worked up the courage to call that number, and now here I am." Umi explained, "Wait…. I only just barely told my best friend after all of is prodding…. so why am I telling all of this to someone I just met.
"Ha…. yeah well people say I'm the charismatic senpai you can tell all of your problems too, so maybe that's it. Though I have no idea how I even got stuck with that reputation in the first place." the cake thief lightly chuckled as he and Umi have finished with all of the pre-fight motions.
"Still that story is boring." The cake thief said in a sarcastic fashion, "I was hoping it was something like you discovering that Sekai was Orionus in human form, and that he pulled strings for you to get in the academy so you'd keep his secret."
"This isn't some random anime episode about possession, and though I still have yet to decide what I want to do in life… I believe that fight put me in the right direction." Umi said as she started to have a more serious look in her eyes, "So I'd appreciate it if you didn't make fun of that moment!"
"Those are some good eyes." the cake thief said as his opinion of Umi went up by a few points, "But as for my second request… I'd like to fight the real you."
"The real me?" Umi asked as she had a confused look in her eye, I don't know what you're talking about, but you already are about to fight the real me."
"Don't give me that…. I'm none as the charismatic helpful big brother type of senpai remember, so that means I'm at least fairly decent at reading people's true nature." The cake thief explained before saying in a sarcastic tone, "Unless of course….. you don't want that cake and this was some kind of clever excuse to get us alone together in order to confess your feelings."
Umi once again has an intense desire to smack this cake thief a few times for good measure, but she decides against it fearing that he really wouldn't give her the desert she truly desires.
"That's not a funny joke." Umi retorts as a vein starts to popup on her forehead, "But are you sure….. I mean are you really sure that's what you want? I'm just warning you because you may never look at other women the same way again."
"I'll take full responsibility or my name isn't Aadyn Rodgers." The cake thief….. or rather Aadyn said as he did a thumbs up.
"Then don't say I didn't… wait what?!" Umi yelled as her mind finally registers her opponent's identity, "What did you say your name was?"
"Oh that's right… I never did introduce myself to you did I? Well allow me to correct that mistake." Aadyn said as he took a deep breath.
At that moment…. this Aadyn suddenly released an intense pressure that would only be slightly weaker than what Sekai forced Kokuo to face head on. The latter two out of these three people would be able to handle this pressure, however Umi suddenly feels as though she's wearing another full body weight suit that's several folds heavier than the one the demon king of exercise made her class wear.
"I am the 3rd year 10th ranked student Aadyn Rodgers."Aadyn declared, "I'm the reason you freshmen are going through hell."
To Be Continued
Umi: I can't believe it….. I actually dared to challenge the 10th strongest thinking I had a chance of victory.
Kokuo: Even if you said you were only a casual fighter before deciding to come here….. you're still not that weak.
Sekai: Don't underestimate his strength is all I have to say.
Umi: Next time on Cardfight Vanguard: Setsuzoku Sensō "Hell Week's Music II"
Kisaki: Be careful…. he's only slightly weaker than Sekai.
Cosmic Sanctum
A/N: Once again credit for this clan goes to Vanguard fanon wiki user Kazuya Tachibana.
Grade 4
Interplanetary Dragon, Shooting Star Dragon
Power: 15000+ Race: Cosmo Dragon
[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.
[AUTO](VC)[Counterblast (1), Soulblast (1) & choose a card from your hand, and discard it] After the battle that this unit attacked, declare a grade from 0 to 4. Then, bind the top card of your deck face up. If that card has a grade the same grade as the grade you declared, you may pay the cost. If you do, call that card to (RC) and until the end of that unit's first battle of the turn, it gets [Power]+10000 and [Critical]+1 and until end of turn, the unit called with this effect gets "[CONT](RC):This unit performs a drive check only for the first battle during this turn.". If not declare the correct grade, put that unit on the bottom of the deck.