NOTE: Here's the new chapter! It makes me happy to see people like this concept and how I'm writing the Sendou siblings. I did recently rewatch the original series to help me when it comes to writing this. All I can say is, look forward to Legion Mate. That's going to be a funny one.

Enjoy and Review!

Chapter 3: Broken Tears

A 13-year-old Asaka Sendou was currently questioning her own decisions. Her original plans after school were to head home and spend the afternoon searching through potential high-school options with her mother. Though she still had one year of middle school left, it was never a bad idea to get a jump start on one's future. A lesson she was going to ensure she'd teach her little siblings.

However, her friends had suggested checking a recent gaming center that had opened up nearby. Now she was standing outside of the center with her small gaggle of gal-pals. Rolling her eyes at their childish behavior, Asaka followed them inside to see the various games being played inside. The place was half arcade and half physical games, things that were totally out of her usual wheelhouse.

Not that she didn't play games at all. Asaka always enjoyed the little family game nights her family would have every once and a while. But she wasn't a gamer like most kids her age.

When her friends had apparently run off further into the center to follow after some cute boys, the oldest Sendou was tempted to just leave. She wasn't as flimsy to fall for any cute guy that grabbed her attention like her friends. If they were only here to chase boys instead of playing games, then she'll just head home. She had more important things to-

"GAH!"

"What the…?" Asaka blinked at the pained grunt that came from the other end of the center. She gripped her school bag tighter and hurried over to see what had happened. If someone has gotten hurt, then she'll need to call for help. When she arrived at the source, there was a small group of people hanging around some sort of table. The floor was littered in some sort of playing cards with one kid trying to pick them all back up.

"Next?" An attention-grabbing voice commanded her attention. Asaka couldn't help but find herself glued to her spot as she observed the boy standing across the table. His neck-length messy crimson hair stuck out like a sore thumb. His eyes held a form of dominance that demanded everyone to pay him attention. The boy wore a middle school uniform, one that clearly didn't belong to Miyaji Academy. "Anyone else that wishes to challenge me?"

People were backing away, clearly afraid of this kid for some reason. Asaka didn't understand why as it looked like a simple game to her. That was until the boy's eyes landed on her and she could feel a slight shiver through her legs. The way his eyes made her heart rate accelerate confused her even more.

"You." He points to her. "Would you like to play next?"

"M-me?" Asaka blinked. "I-I'm sorry, I don't even know what kind of game you're playing."

"New, huh?" The boy didn't look disappointed, in fact the answer made him smile even more. "That's perfect. You might even be more entertaining than this lot." He walks towards her, snatching up a deck from one of the bystanders. "You're not using this at the moment, are you?"

"N-no…!" The teen buckled in fear of the boy's eyes.

"Thanks." He smiled and placed the deck in Asaka's open palm. "You can return it after we play. I'll teach you all about it."

His proximity caused her breath to hitch. Asaka couldn't even step back. "T-teach me about what?"

"Cardfight Vanguard."

"Aichi really doesn't have it easy, does he?" Izaki said. The final match between Team Asteroid and Team Q4 was getting underway. The Motion-Figure System illuminated the stadium, transforming the field into some kind of nightmarish circus stage. A fitting setting for Asaka's Pale Moon deck, almost making it seem like she held the advantage.

"Not at all, yo…" Eiji muttered.

"To fight Asaka for the last match that'll determine which team will move forward. It's almost like fate was pushing them together." Miwa frowned at the battle.

Even Morikawa couldn't find a way to lighten the situation. He growled in frustration the more he thought about his friend's predicament. "Aichi…"

"But is it really okay to cheer against her when…" Reiji looked over to Emi. The rest of their group could all see just how tense the youngest sibling was.

Emi noticed their looks and forced a smile. "I-I'm okay, guys! Feel free to cheer for Aichi! He needs to defeat Asaka, after all! We're rooting for Q4!"

Morikawa nodded his head. "Emi's right! Aichi needs our support!" He leans over the seats. "Kick her ass, Aichi!" Izaki quickly grabs him to keep his friend from falling over the railings.

Miwa kept his eyes on Emi, having seen right through her fake smile. It was unusual to see her so tense and frustrated. Emi was a bright girl, much like her brother, but now there was a dark star looming over them in the form of their oppressive older sister. There wasn't much he could do but root for Aichi to prove Asaka's assumptions wrong.

A few seats away, Kamui felt the exact same as Miwa. However, all of his anger was aimed more at himself for failing to be a proper friend. When Aichi was struggling the most, he had decided to act selfishly just to spite Kai, who likely didn't care that he left. If he had stayed, then he could have taken the heavy burden off of the Sendou siblings. Kamui gave his attention back to the match to support his big bro.

Watching from above in his team's personal suite, Ren viewed the match with a sinister smile. His eyes scanned over the two Cardfigthers, multi-colored lights dancing in his irises. He could feel it, the bustling emotions shared between the hidden siblings. For someone like him, their little secret was far from hidden. Asaka's posture and behavior was far different from her usual haughty mannerisms. The way her eyes betrayed whatever attempt at a "mask" she was using revealed everything he needed to know.

"Asaka, keeping secrets isn't nice, you know." Ren leaned back in his chair. "Oh well, I hope that little brother of yours holds some level of strength."

"Ride, Crimson Beast Tamer!"

Asaka's Vanguard changed from a sexy pink bunny girl to a dominatrix-styled woman with a flaming whip. She called down a few more rearguards to fill her field up for multiple attacks. The assassin narrowed her eyes at her little brother's Royal Paladins, the righteous warriors that hail from the sanctuary of light. Such a noble clan didn't fit her brother years ago and it still doesn't to this day.

She attacked, dealing some damage to Aichi's Vanguard. He didn't falter against the small string of attacks in the way she had assumed. This level of punishment wasn't enough to blow anyone over. The game had just started, after all, it would be a shame if Aichi bowled over just from that. When she ended her turn, Aichi met her gaze with his own judgmental look. Such a sight gnawed at her chest with irritation.

Who did he think he was to look at his big sister in such a disrespectful way?

Aichi began his turn, raising his next evolution upwards. A unit that everyone in the stadium had grown accustomed to seeing him use. "Stand up, my avatar! Ride, Blaster Blade!"

Radiating across from her, bathed in shining white light, was the legendary knight of the Royal Paladins. The first time Asaka had witnessed Aichi's daring declaration of his avatar, she was baffled by his strong attachment to it. It was no secret that Blaster Blade was a rare unit, but that alone wasn't enough of a reason for Aichi to view him as his 'avatar'.

Back then, he was bold enough to be overly protective of that card as if the thought of separating from it was worse than death. Asaka wondered why Blaster Blade meant so much to her baby brother.

Aichi launched his attack, using Blaster Blade's skill to take out her rearguard. His units struck against her forces. Asaka didn't feel worried at all from his brief assault as if it were nothing but the wind. If this was all he could do with his 'avatar', then she was sorely disappointed.

"She's toying with him…" Shin realized from their waiting room.

"What do you mean?" Misaki looked to her uncle.

"Asaka knows that she's in his head, throwing off his concentration. She's taking advantage of that to see how her brother handles the overwhelming pressure." Shin explained.

Misaki's eyes narrowed at Asaka's features, disgusting curses dancing at the tips of her mind. "If she knows that she's throwing him off his game, then why bother going against him?!"

"It's because she's his sister." Kai suddenly spoke, grabbing their attention. "You heard it yourself earlier, Aichi wants to prove himself. As his older sister, she wants to see if he can truly back up his words against her. If he's too busy worrying about her rather than the game itself, then there's nothing left to be said."

"Aichi…" Misaki muttered, worryingly.

Aichi Sendou tried to quell the shaking of his hands and the quick beating of his heart. It had been a long time since he had last fought against his sister. He could remember how overwhelming she was back then, testing his every little move. If he made a mistake by putting a trigger on the wrong unit, hesitating to attack, or wasting too many resources guarding, then she'd reprimand him harshly. All of the fun he should feel from a game of Vanguard would be sucked dry by Asaka's unyielding expectations.

But it wasn't like that anymore. He had met Kai again, defeated him, and met so many different people thanks to Vanguard. All of the amazing fights he's experienced have been a blast, filled to the brim with a sense of never-ending fun. And yet, here he was again, trembling in front of his strict older sister just because she thinks he's weak. That he was still the pathetic little brother that couldn't protect himself from his schoolyard bullies.

Aichi could still remember that cold look in her eyes when she found him beaten up once again. The hand that used to be filled with loving warmth was now a distant chill that reminded him of his failures.

Maybe he couldn't do this, maybe it was impossible to beat Asaka. All of his talk earlier about proving her wrong may as well have been nothing but hot air. Has he really changed after all these years if just looking into her eyes made his confidence dwindle like a snuffed candle?

"Do not falter."

Aichi's head shoots up after hearing that voice. It sounded nothing like his sister, the announcers, or anyone else he knew. There shouldn't even be anyone else around to interfere with the match. Nor did it seem like anyone else had heard the voice. But instead of fear, there was a sense of comfort that filled his heart. Whoever it was that spoke to him clearly wished for him to keep trying in this fight. Even one ounce of support was plenty to pull him back to his feet.

Now that it was his turn once again, Aichi prepared to push back against his sister. He may not get another shot at beating her if he wasted this turn. "Stand and draw!" Aichi raised his card into the air, then slammed it down. "Enter the fray, ruler of all knights! I ride King of Knights, Alfred!"

Manifesting on the field was the king of the Royal Paladins, Alfred. The mighty king rode bravely on his trusty blue stead, its flaming mane demonstrated its burning spirit. Alfred stood proudly with his knights to face off against the Pale Moon Circus. "Asaka, I'm not going to hold back!" Aichi declared.

"Then show me your strength, Aichi!" Asaka responded fiercely.

With Alfred's skill and power, the Royal Paladins launched a fierce attack on the Pale Moons to deal a string of damage. Aichi pushed as hard as he could to get his sister to five damage, six if he was lucky enough to pull a Critical Trigger on his Twin Drive. Unfortunately, his lucky trigger wouldn't appear for him. Instead, it would greet the eyes of his sister in the form of a heal trigger, keeping her to four damage on this turn.

"No…" Aichi mutters, clenching his fist.

Asaka watched her brother end his turn with a look of disappointment. "I will admit that the push you made could have proved detrimental." Aichi's eyes widened. "However, an attack like that means little in the face of the assassin of Team Asteroid!" She'll show her little brother what real power is on this turn! "Stand and draw! Listen to the crack of the whip of the queen who can stir up a storm! Come, Mistress Hurricane!"

Asaka's beast is replaced by a scantily dressed woman with draconic wings, wearing silver armor and horns along her body. She wields a whip-like golden sword in her hands to match her sadistic nature. "Do you know why they call me an assassin? It's because all those who enter the shadows of my moon never live to see the light again!"

Even her own little brother shall fall to her marvelous act.

Aichi stepped back in fear of his sister's sadistic declaration. In a similar fashion, Emi's breath hitched at the overwhelming presence of her big sister. All of their friends could only pray for Aichi to hold strong through this turn, however, those keener to the sense of the game could tell what was coming.

Asaka's onslaught was brutal, unrelenting against her own blood as it shredded through his defenses. Aichi's Royal Paladins were helpless to their performance and his hand wasn't big enough to even guard most of her attacks.

"Twin drive, check! First check…!" Asaka flips over the first card to reveal a Draw Trigger, much to Aichi's shock. "Draw Trigger! I give the power to Mistress Hurricane and draw a card!" She then flips over the second card. "Second check…!" Asaka's chuckle morphed into full blown laughter as she revealed the worst possible outcome. "Critical Trigger! All effects to Mistress Hurricane!"

"Aichi!" Emi cried.

"Maybe if he pulls a Heal Trigger-"

"It won't matter." Miwa interrupts Morikawa. "No matter what he pulls…"

"This game's over." Kai unknowingly finished as he spoke to Misaki and Shin.

Asaka lost the sadistic display to give her little brother a hardened stare. "I told you, didn't I?" She bit back a scowl at the way her brother flinched, far too familiar to the sight. "You're too weak for a stage like this."

"Asaka…" Aichi muttered, his face paling at the sight.

She ignored the pang in her heart at the pain in his eyes. She couldn't back down now, especially not with Ren watching the match. "Finish this match, Mistress Hurricane!" The sadistic queen lunged forward and struck down Alfred with her bladed whip. The kicked-up burst of wind blew the top two cards of Aichi's deck into his damage zone, revealing that his fate was sealed with defeat.

The Motion-Figure System shut off with a whirring noise, concluding the deciding match. Asaka, sticking to her theme, gave a bow to the audience as they roared in cheer.

"AND THERE YOU HAVE IT LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! THE WINNER OF THE MATCH IS ASAKA "NARUMI"! WHICH MEANS IT'LL BE TEAM ASTEROID MOVING ON TO THE FINALS!"

Asaka gave her defeated little brother one last look before walking away. Her eyes were shadowed by her bangs. Anyone paying close attention would be able to see the lack of enthusiasm at her victory over Team Q4's final member.

Aichi stared at her retreating back, memories of their past flashing through his mind. Tears welled up in his eyes as he thought about the true meaning of this defeat. He hadn't changed. His big sister still saw him as a weakling that couldn't stand up to adversity. His team needed him to pull off the win and yet in the face of his opponent-his big sister-he was too weak to do anything. Aichi collected his deck, lowered his head, and walked back to his team in shame.

Emi was already crying as she watched her broken siblings walk away from each other. She may not have liked having to choose between her family, but she wanted Aichi to win this. It would have proven Asaka's personal philosophy wrong. But fate had other plans, and it involved making her family suffer even more.

Tetsu greeted the female member of his team with his stoic look. "You don't look so happy for someone who just won."

"Just shut the hell up, Tetsu." Asaka pushed past him to enter their waiting room. Ignoring the shriveling Kyou that was mumbling to himself.

"You might want to drop the attitude before greeting Ren unless you want to make him upset." Tetsu warned her.

Asaka continued walking, refusing to give him a verbal response. The only sound reverberating through the hallway was the clicking of her heels. As she approached their personal suite, a certain memory replayed through her mind.

Young Asaka found herself completely entranced by the redheaded youth as he introduced her to the world of Vanguard. His face, posture, and eyes enamoured her heart like cupid's heavenly arrow. Somehow, during the tutorial, the two were completely torn away from the game center and were now located in a beautiful forest grove. The units of their decks clashed against one another below in a battle for dominance.

"Can't you feel it?" He looked at her with a dazzling smile. "The power of the units of Cray as they battle for supremacy."

"W-what is this…?"

"An image, the power of Vanguard. One's strength is dependent on the power of their image." His Shadow Paladin units struck down her own in brutal combat, ending the battle in his victory. "Only the strong can survive and rule over those below. That is the true meaning of Vanguard."

"Can I…can I become strong too?" Asaka asked. Her mind was overwhelmed by the occurrence in front of her, but she couldn't deny the racing of her heart. The thought of playing this game, playing against this young man, and improving herself through it was far too much to ignore.

He smiled at her. "Of course! Anyone can become strong through Vanguard!"

"Well done, Asaka!" Ren congratulated her, clearly having anticipated her arrival. Upon seeing the object of her affection, the oldest Sendou quickly worked to push away her negative emotions. She quickly bowed her head to him.

"A-anything for you, Ren! I dedicate all of my victories in your name!" Asaka declared.

"Your match against Aichi Sendou sure was something, you were almost like a different person down there." Ren's words sent a slight shiver down her spine.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. I always conduct my fights with the utmost professionalism." Asaka quickly replied.

"True, you do show an exemplary level of sportsmanship and skill during your matches." Ren paces around her as if enclosing the space around them. "However, you seemed extra determined this time. You lacked your usual declarations in my name and talked far less outside of your plays. And at the end, the way you spoke to Aichi assumed a level of personal weight in such a trifling match." Asaka tried to slow her heartbeat to keep her "mask" in place. He stopped back in front of her, gently clasping her chin to bring their eyes together. "Now tell me, why would you put so much effort into a match against a weakling like Aichi Sendou?"

Silence captured the atmosphere between the two, the air was suffocatingly tight as Asaka was left to the mercy of her darling. His intensity had always separated him from the rest of them, but to have it aimed at her turned her into a frightened animal. The truth was dancing at the tip of her tongue, just waiting to greet the awaiting leader.

But the thoughts of Ren setting his sights on her little siblings outweighed any fear of reprimand.

"I had to defend Asteroid's honor…" Asaka lied with a shallow breath. "Kyou disgraced our name by falling in his match, so I felt that it was crucial to show that the rest of us aren't as weak as him."

Ren stared at her for a moment, causing a slight gulp to trickle down her throat. Soon enough, he released her with his usual smile. "Okie dokie! I just had to make sure!"

"R-Ren…?"

"You're correct, Asaka. Kyou did disgrace us today with his loss against Kai, but I'm not surprised that it happened. Kai is much too strong to fall against someone like Kyou, but failure is not tolerated within Asteroid. I'll be sure to let him know of his termination tonight." Ren walked away from her to head for the door. He stood in the doorway for a moment. "And, Asaka?"

"Yes, Ren?"

"Be sure to tune your deck before the finals tomorrow. I would hate to see a repeat of Kyou's match." His words were said with a smile, but lacked their usual warmth. She stayed in place and listened to the sound of his heels grow further away.

She made a mistake.

Asaka understood that clear as day. He had given her a chance to tell the truth and yet she failed to deliver to him.

He knew the truth, she knew he had figured it out. Tetsu had done so, and it was only a matter of time before Ren would learn. The one thing she had promised herself upon joining Asteroid had been completely compromised. The only reason she wasn't punished is because she had won her match and guaranteed Asteroid another championship title.

Asaka hugged herself tightly, crying loudly into the carpet without a care for any who may hear her.

And unfortunately, there was someone who had been listening the entire time. A certain trio of pop idols had been spying on them through the security cameras hidden in the room. The oldest of the three smiled mysteriously.

Chapter End

NOTE: Not a happy chapter for the Sendou siblings, that's for sure. Unfortunately, things are going to get worse before they can get better. We'll be jumping ahead to the Psyqualia Aichi arc in the next chapter, since the stuff in between has no reason to be covered.

I did skip around the fight a bit, so sorry if it was confusing to follow. That's how I'm handling any fight I don't off-screen. They're meant to be more in-looks into the characters rather than the game itself.

In canon, Team Asteroid confronts Team Q4 after the match to bully the shit out of Aichi for losing. Ren doesn't do it here, because Asaka pretty much hammered that nail into the boy's head in the match alone. Instead, he puts all of his focus into Asaka to 'punish' her for keeping secrets from him.

I really like portraying Asaka and Ren's relationship in season one as toxic. He's not a good person in this season and I'm not going to act like he's a misunderstood guy. Yeah, he changes after S1, but he suffers no consequences for the way he acted.

And yeah, do you guys think he caught that little glimpse Aichi had in this chapter? Probably.

There's a good chance that Psyqualia Aichi is going to be a bit darker in this story than he was in canon. Not full-blown edgelord, but very toxic mindset and behavior.

Ultra Rare will finally be getting involved.

See you guys in the next chapter!