NOTE: Welp, here's the one you have all been waiting for! I hope it's able to meet your expectations and that you all continue to look forward to where this story is going. Thank you all for giving this weird little story a shot and for supporting me!

Enjoy and Review!

Chapter 8: Hold My Hand

Inside the back area of Card shop PSY, Rekka held a silver tray close to her chest, scuttling close to the silent Suiko. The youngest Tatsunagi nudges her big sister to get her attention. "So, I'm not the only one who finds this creepy, right?"

"Hm, I'm inclined to agree." Suiko whispers back.

Sitting across from each other at the table in the middle of the room were Kourin and Asaka. The blonde had her arms crossed, a silent glare knitted all over her beautiful features. In comparison, Asaka awkwardly held her teacup, her eyes attempting to maintain an equally fierce glare. Sparks were clearly battling between the two young women.

"They've been like this for two hours!" Rekka held up two fingers. "Two! I don't think either of them even blinked! I didn't even know that was possible!"

"Kourin isn't one to back down easily."

"You can call her a stubborn mule, Suiko."

"Not to her face, unless you want her to punish you again." Suiko gave a slight smile at the way Rekka shivered at the thought. She looked back to the confrontation, wondering just which of the two were going to break first.

Eventually, Asaka couldn't take it anymore. Not only did this blonde bimbo slam her against the wall yesterday, but she also forced her to come to this stupidly placed shop by dragging her out of her dorm. Her mood was already at its lowest and this idol wasn't making it easier. "If you're just going to sit there and stare at me, then I suppose it's best for me to leave. I have far more important matters to-"

"You are, by an unimaginably substantial margin, the biggest bitch I've ever had the displeasure of coming into contact with." Kourin's poisonous words created an entirely new breed of silence.

Asaka flinched at the cold opinion of her, though she still tried to fight back. "Excuse you-"

"No." The icy refusal silenced the assassin once again. "You don't get to try and flex whatever false sense of superiority you think you have just because you're on the same team as Ren Suzugamori. You don't get to act like you're in control when everything that's going wrong is a result of your terrible, deplorable mishandling of teaching Aichi."

"I-"

"Shut it." Kourin wasn't done talking and wouldn't stand for a single interruption. "Asaka Sendou, you are the worst sister I have ever seen in my life. At every chance given to you, you've shown nothing but hostility and abuse to Aichi, slowly pushing him over a ledge without even looking to see how he'd react. You have caused him nothing but pain, agony, and misery because of some false belief that the only way to become strong is to completely close yourself off from the people around you. And I don't even have to question the person stupid enough to give you that thought."

"Ren isn't-"

"HE HURT YOUR LITTLE BROTHER!" Kourin's explosive shout caused Asaka and Rekka to flinch, Suiko watched without moving a muscle. "I watched as he got inside of Aichi's head, twisted his beliefs with whatever pretty little words his daddy-issue brain could come up with, and experienced first-hand just how ruthless he became!" Kourin hissed. Memories of the pain Aichi caused her after losing that fight still remained like a permanent scar. Her eyes remained tightly locked on Asaka. "Do not defend that man as if he hasn't been hurting you too."

The only sound present in the room was Kourin's heavy breathing from all of her shouting. Sweat poured down her brow, parts of her hair dropping in front of her eyes, forcing her to brush them back up.

"I know…"

"What?" Kourin narrowed her eyes.

Asaka held her cup tightly, staring down at the rippling liquid. "Ever since we were kids, Aichi was a soft, tinder kid. He would never hurt a fly and would always try his best to brighten mine or our mom's mood if we looked sad. But that kindness wasn't repaid by his peers, who took every chance to bully him. He had no friends; I was the only one that was able to defend him from the bullies. Outside of home, his life was a constant hell."

Kourin sat back down, listening to Asaka's tale.

"Whenever I saved him, he would always ask to hold my hand. Apparently, it made him feel safe to know that I was there with him. Aichi relied on me, his big sister, to protect him from the nightmares that would keep him up at night." Asaka never forgot how warm her brother's hands were, a contrast to the coldness of her own. "I wanted my brother to be strong, to be able to stand up without me. If he could do that, then I wouldn't have to worry about him anymore. He'd become a strong man. That's all I've ever wanted."

"If I had the choice, I'd ensure that you would never be allowed to be near Aichi or Emi ever again." Kourin didn't even spare Asaka an ounce of pity. "All you did was hurt them. All they want is their big sister back."

"...How could you possibly know what they want?"

"Because it's obvious. After all of these years, have you ever looked your siblings in the eyes to see what they've wanted?"

Asaka's silence was all Kourin needed to know that the bare minimum never once crossed the assassin's mind.

"You have to fix this."

"I don't know how."

"Yes, you do." Kourin narrowed her eyes. "There's only one way for Card fighters to discuss their feelings."

"A fight." Asaka had a feeling it would come to this. With the power trip her little brother was currently on, talking to him would be pointless. The moment he sees her; he'll demand a fight to prove to her that he's stronger. "Aichi…"

"For once, prove to him, to me, and to yourself that you're still that big sister who will hold his hand through the darkness."

Though the dark clouds above gave a sour mood to the citizens of the city, Aichi Sendou was in a pleasant mood. He had showcased to everyone yesterday that he wasn't some pushover to be taken advantage of. The Shadow Paladins triumphed over whatever pathetic obstacle dared to cross his path. Team Q4 would be heading to the finals all thanks to him. All thanks to the power that courses through his body.

Arriving at his usual hangout, the blue-haired youth raised a brow. For some odd reason, Card Capital was closed, but he could see people shuffling around inside.

When he enters Card Capital, Aichi is greeted by the sight of his friends. But there's no jovial atmosphere or rambunctious laughter. Instead, all of them are silently staring at him as if he were a stranger. Aichi could already feel his mood dipping, coming to a conclusion all on his own. "Everyone?"

"Hey, big bro." Kamui responded carefully.

"Why is the store closed?" Aichi asked.

Shin stepped forward. "I decided to close the shop for today. I think there's something more important that needs to happen today."

"A party?"

"An intervention." Aichi's eyes widened as his friends parted to reveal his little sister sitting on a chair, her eyes staring into his own. "Aichi, we need to talk."

"For what reason?" Aichi stepped forward, causing his friends to flinch slightly.

Izaki built up the courage. "You're not acting like yourself, man. Honestly, since the last tournament, it's been like some switch flipped inside of you."

"You don't talk to us anymore, yo." Eiji added.

"Nor do you hang out around here as much as you used to." Miwa adds his piece.

"You suddenly changed your clan without telling any of us!" Kamui exclaimed.

"You've become incredibly disrespectful to not just your opponents, but also to us, your teammates!" Misaki glares at the shorter boy.

"And you come home late, Aichi." Emi's eyes portray a level of sadness that a girl her age should never possess. "Mom is getting worried, I'm worried."

Aichi is silent, not responding to a single bit of the accusatory details thrown at him. Seeing this, Morikawa walks up to his friend like he usually does by throwing his arm over his shoulder. "Look, Aichi, I'm sure all of the events from the Nationals are just causing you to stress out a bit. Let 'ol Morikawa give you a hand and help you out-"

"What? So, you can fill my deck with useless Grade 3's? To embarrass myself like you do every day?"

The sheer harshness in Aichi's tone silenced everyone. Morikawa seemed the most hurt from the cruel words. "Aichi-"

"Oh! Maybe you just want to steal my favorite card again like you did last time! I remember you and Izaki had a lot of fun beating me up instead of just asking!" Aichi threw Morikawa's arm off, causing the comic relief to stumble back. "And all of that pointless anyway since Kai still beat you without breaking a sweat!"

Izaki withered slightly under the surprised looks he was getting from the others, who were all ignorant to whatever relationship the two had with Aichi prior. "Aichi, we apologized-"

"And you think that makes it okay to take something precious from me?!" His glare silenced whatever defense Izaki had. "All throughout my life, people have constantly trampled over me because they think it's okay to take things away from me! No more! I'll never be weak again!"

"We don't think you're weak, big bro!" Kamui exclaimed.

"Liar!" Aichi shouted. "I see it, the pity looks thrown my way whenever something bad happens! None of you actually care about me, you never have!"

Misaki pushed forward. "Aichi, you need to calm down-"

"I said, I have nothing to say to losers." Aichi's cold rebuttal froze Misaki in place. Eyes widened at the disrespectful display showcased.

"That's enough!" Emi shot from her seat, tears threatening to fall. "Stop acting like this, Aichi, this isn't you!" She flinched back when his eyes showed nothing but a cold black void.

"This is me. The real me." He steps forward, causing Emi to stumble back. "I'm sure you always had a lot of fun looking down on me, just like her. Not a single one of my sisters have the decency to show me any level of respect."

"W-what are you talking about?"

"I'm just 'useless little Aichi', who can't take care of himself, right? Can't get up on time, needs help getting ready for the day, always getting lost, or struggles to speak for himself." Aichi listed off Emi's 'sins'. "I bet you really loved acting like you were better than me, Emi."

As the distance between them shortened, Emi's fear increased. Kamui jumps between them quickly, spreading out his arms. "Big bro, you have to listen! This real you wouldn't hurt Miss Emi or any of us! We're your friends!"

"In that case, Kai had the right idea."

"Eh?" Kamui blinked. He and the others stared at Aichi with confusion and apprehension. "What do you-"

"I'm quitting Team Q4." Aichi announced, shocking everyone. "It's not like I need any of you. Our team only got as far after Kai left because of me. In this world, the only ones who deserve to stand at the top are the strong, that's the law of the world."

Emi pushed past Kamui, desperation in her eyes. She grabbed his arms, shaking them. "Aichi, you can't-" Her brother shoved her to the ground roughly without an ounce of care.

"Miss Emi!"

"Emi!"

For the briefest of moments, as his sister lay motionless on the floor, Aichi's eyes looked hurt. But that expression vanished when someone roughly grabbed him by the back of his collar. He was thrown out of the store with the same care as he did to his sister. Aichi stared in shock and anger at Misaki's actions. "Misaki-"

"Until you start acting with some common sense and decency, DON'T come back!" She hissed dangerously. Though she was furious, there was pain laced in her eyes. Misaki turned on her heels, refusing to look at him any further, and the doors shut with a cold noise.

Aichi sat there for a few more moments before pulling himself back up to his feet. He walks away from Card Capital without looking back. "Who needs them? I certainly don't. They've only been holding me back."

"Aichi."

Looking up, he turns to see a woman riding on a motorcycle. He was confused until she removed her helmet to reveal the long beautiful blonde hair of Kourin. For a moment, the boy was entranced by her beauty and bicycle outfit but refrained from saying anything. He was far more curious about what she was doing here. "Kourin?"

"I need you to come with me." She tosses a helmet into his hands.

"Why-"

"There's someone who wants to meet you."

His Psyqualia flares, as if telling him to follow Kourin. He didn't fully understand but whatever it was would likely be better than thinking about his former friends. Putting on his helmet, Aichi joins Kourin on her bike, and the two drive away from Card Capital.

Back inside, Misaki holds a crying Emi in her arms, doing her best to console the little girl whose heart had been broken by both of her siblings.

Miwa had left the store, exclaiming that he was going to find Kai and have a chat with him.

Kourin doesn't say a word to Aichi as she leads him towards the Psy Shop. He doesn't pester her for answers since his Psyqualia was telling him to be patient. Whatever he was going to find was clearly going to be something important. So, he allowed her to lead him to their destination.

Once they entered, Rekka gave a cheery wave to the chosen Vanguard. "Hello, Aichi! Nice to see you again."

"Rekka." Is all Aichi says to her.

The young girl frowns, noticing the negative air around him. "What's wrong, did something happen? You seem less wimpy and broodier."

"Rekka!" Kourin hisses, ordering the girl to keep her mouth shut.

"What?! Why are you always getting mad at me for talking?!"

"Because you never think before speaking!"

Aichi walks between them, silencing their argument. He side-eyes the twin drill girl. "It's okay, I don't mind. I just had to…cut some loose ends."

Neither girl liked the way that sounded. Kourin was about to try and inquire what he was talking about, but a cough took their attention. Standing over by the entrance to the fight area was Suiko, who uncrossed her arms. "Aichi Sendou, welcome back."
"Suiko." Aichi said.

"I'm sure you're wondering why you're here. I had no involvement in this, but I'm intrigued to see where it leads. Enter through this door and you'll find out what I mean." Suiko motioned for Aichi to follow her.

He slowly follows the taller teenager with the younger sisters behind him. When Aichi enters the fight area, his Psyqualia flares up once again. There was no confusion this time as his eyes found the all too familiar head of dark blue hair.

Standing there, waiting for him at one of the ends of the table, was his older sister. The last time he had seen her was weeks ago, back during his first run at Nationals. Where she utterly humiliated him in front of everyone. Not a single noise left him as Asaka slowly turned her eyes to meet his form.

"Aichi…" Asaka muttered.

He didn't say a word.

"Are you going to say anything?"

The Vanguard steps down the stairs, his footsteps echoing in the silence. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out his deck. Aichi walks over to the other end of the table, takes his cards out of the case, and starts to shuffle them.

"Aichi."

He takes out one card, then flips it to show the women in the room. The card was Blaster Dark. "This one. This card will end the fight."

Clenching her hands, Asaka calls to him again. "Aichi, you can't keep going like this. This power it'll-"

"Don't pick now to try and act like a loving sister." He shut her down without even looking up from his end of the table. He places down his deck and his starter, then flares his Psyqualia at her. "Let's start."

Seeing that her words really won't be able to reach him, Asaka prepares herself for the challenge in front of her.

Rekka looks up at Kourin. "Do you really think she can beat him? He has Psyqualia."

"I know, but she doesn't have a choice." Kourin tightens her fists, a desperate look in her eyes. An expression that Suiko doesn't miss and keeps in mind for later.

"STAND UP, VANGUARD!"

"Ride, Hades RingMaster!"

"Ride, Fullbau."

Asaka took the first turn of the fight. "Ride, Midnight Bunny!"

She needed to calm her beating heart and focus, this match was far too important for her to screw up. When she looked back at her opponent, the assassin felt her own soul quiver.

His eyes were pitch black, void of any sign of life. Unlike Ren, who's eyes would shine with malicious violence, Aichi's had nothing. They were nothing more than a black hole that threatened to devour everything near it. Her heart ached for her little brother, guilt weighing on her soul even more. She ends her turn to let him start his own.

"Ride, Blaster Javelin."

Aichi initiated his attack, prompting her to refuse guarding in order to build damage. He pulls a Critical Trigger on his first check, surprising her slightly. Blaster Javelin strikes her Vanguard.

"Gah!" Asaka grabs her head as her mind is suddenly assaulted by a memory.

Punches and kicks assault Aichi relentlessly, his body pinned against the wall. Bullies were lined up, taking their turns in tormenting their helpless peer. Aichi didn't speak, too afraid and weak to stand up. When he caught wind of Asaka, he reached out for his sister. Yet, she simply walked past and refused to even glance his way.

Tough breaths pump from her lungs, the oldest Sendou tried to get her thoughts back together. Her eyes were unfocused as her mind tried to figure out what had just happened.

"My pain."

"What?" Asaka gasped.

"Every single time you take damage; you'll see my pain." Aichi replied emotionlessly.

"See your pain…" Asaka muttered, unsettled.

Rekka gulped a bit. "I wonder what exactly he's showing her."

"I think we're better off not knowing." Suiko said. While Rekka didn't disagree, Kourin really wishes she could see Aichi's pain.

Asaka started her next turn. "Ride, Dancing Princess of the Night Sky!" She grits her teeth and pushes forward with her assault. Seeing that memory of a time long passed reminded Asaka of their childhood. When she first discovered that he was being bullied, Asaka made sure to make those bullies pay. Aichi was a soft boy that didn't deserve to be assaulted or harmed just because they were physically stronger than him.

So, when it came to her, why did that change? For what reason did she think leaving her little brother to fend for himself against those sharks was the right move?

All those times she walked away to leave him helpless; it tore her heart to pieces. She had to fight against every sisterly instinct to save him, because if she saved him, then it would just reinforce his weakness…right?

"Ride, Blaster Dark."

The dark counterpart to his original avatar, the avatar of her boyfriend, stared down at her without an ounce of mercy. His blade struck against her spirit, tearing off another piece of her heart.

Aichi slowly made his way back home, covered in band-aids and bruises. His eyes refused to leave the sidewalk. When he hears the front door open, Asaka is seen leaving the house, waving to their mother. As she walks past, she doesn't even spare him a glance. He was too much of a disappointment, too much of a weakling to matter in her eyes.

Found on that day, a crying voice all alone, there was no mistake, it was my very own.

Aichi sat alone in his room, crying silently over the unfairness of his life. His torment at school, his sister's abandonment, and the loneliness in his heart. His mom nor his little sister could offer a reprieve to ease his pain. All the boy could do was cry to himself and pray for a better tomorrow.

Hands trembling as she drew her next card, Asaka pushed through the pain in her heart. No matter how much it hurts to see, none of the pain she feels even compares to that of her brother. "Ride, Golden Beast Tamer!"

As her units attacked Aichi's forces in hopes of dealing significant damage, Asaka stared painfully at her little brother. "Aichi, you've experienced a lot of pain. So much pain that we were all ignorant to-that I was ignorant to…no, that's not right. I knew you were hurting, that you needed help above all else, and yet I ignored it. There's no denying that."

"Ride, Phantom Blaster Dragon."

The black dragon's imposing form coated the battlefield in darkness. Its sharp teeth shined a predatory light over the smaller Pale Moon circus.

"I had believed that if you could defend yourself, then I'd never have to worry about you. I couldn't be there to help you forever, at some point you'd have no choice but to stand alone. You needed to be strong enough to survive in this world, and relying on me would only harm your chances to grow."

Phantom Blaster Dragon's spear descended, tearing through her forces like they were butter. Asaka felt another memory assault her mind.

Standing outside of her empty bedroom on Christmas day were Aichi and Emi. Asaka couldn't make it home for the holidays due to her own personal matters. Could she have made time to be there for Christmas Eve? Perhaps, but they'll never know. Whenever the opportunity arises, their older sister barely visits home. A hole in their family that refused to patch itself.

Aichi didn't flinch at all when tears started cascading down his sister's face. Of course, she'd cry after seeing all of this. Any human would after experiencing his pain. It was nothing special, much like his old self. His pain was from a weak and pathetic version of himself, a version she despised.

Asaka wanted to crumble into the floor and let it swallow her whole. Kourin's words from before reverberated through her mind. "Aichi…all this time, you and Emi suffered silently. When you needed your big sister, I ignored you both. Saying 'I'm sorry' would never be enough, would it?"

"No." Aichi responded. "But it's okay, Asaka, I don't need you anymore. I don't need Emi or mom, or friends. All I need is power, so much power that I can finally become what you, Kai, and everyone else have wanted me to be."

"Aichi…" Kourin's heart hurt from his words.

The big sister looked hurt. "That sounds so lonely…"

For the first time since the fight started, an angry expression crossed his face. "You're the one who taught me that relying on others was a weakness!"

Asaka saw the disastrous state her methods had brought upon her little brother, replayed the painful memories he had shown her, and realized something that she should have figured out years ago. She looked down at her hands. "And maybe, I was wrong."

Something in Aichi's brain snapped, like a branch breaking off of a tree. An explosive wave of dark energy pulsated around his body. "No! No! No! You don't get to take it back so easily! You don't get to act like it's that simple to throw everything away! Asaka, you don't understand a single thing! As long as I have power, then nothing else matters! I'll show you that right now! Final Turn!"

All eyes widened at Aichi's bold declaration. Considering the last couple of fights where he declared Final Turn, they knew this wasn't a desperate attempt. He was fully intending on ending the game here. "Asaka…!" Kourin exclaimed.

"Well, this game's done." Rekka shook her head.

Suiko remained silent, already knowing how this fight was going to end. A valiant effort on Kourin's end to try and defy her role, but a futile one in the end.

Asaka felt the weight of the world bearing down on her after hearing that declaration. "Aichi, please, you can stop this-"

"Call, Blaster Dark!" He ignored her, throwing down his dark avatar to the rearguard. Asaka remembered Aichi's words from the start, how that unit would be the one to end her. "Blaster Dark attacks!"

"No guard!"

"Skull Witch, Nemain attacks with support from Blaster Javelin!"

"Guard!"

"Phantom Blaster Dragon's skill! I'll retire three of my rearguards to give him 10,000 power and 1 critical!" His dragon tore three of his rested units to pieces in order to make himself stronger! Now Phantom Blaster Dragon attacks!"

"Guard!"

There! Asaka grinned at her ability to hold him off! Even if he were to get a stand and a critical to put Blaster Dark back on his feet, she still had a Perfect Guard in her hand to block it!

"Twin Drive check. First check, Stand Trigger." Aichi revealed the top card of his deck. "I stand Blaster Dark and give all the power to him!" His avatar stands back up, revived by the power of the trigger.

Just as she expected. She allows herself to smile slightly, expecting his next check to be a critical to ensure an overwhelming-

"Second check, Stand Trigger!"

Several eyes grow wide in disbelief, having expected Aichi to pull a Critical Trigger at this exact moment. The Dark Vanguard grinned evilly at his expected pull. "I re-stand Phantom Blaster Dragon and give all the power to him!" The black dragon releases a mighty roar, powerful enough to shake the earth itself.

Asaka lowered her head, realizing that even if she were to use the Perfect Guard against Blaster Dark, she'd still be defeated by Phantom Blaster Dragon. No matter what, she lost this fight against her little brother. Lowering her head, a few tears fell from her eyes, dropping down on the table.

As hard as she tried, her feelings couldn't reach him.

Her words failed to break through his pain.

And his Psyqualia was far too much for her spirit to handle.

Asaka Sendou was weak, far too weak to make a difference.

…

…

…

"Asaka!"

Shooting her head up, the assassin saw that she was no longer inside of the card shop, instead she found herself standing back at her old elementary school. Standing in front of her was a smaller Aichi Sendou, his adorable eyes shining like tiny suns. His clothes were dirty, ruffled, and stretched out; but his eyes still held a bright light. "Asaka!"

"A-Aichi…?" Asaka blinked. "Y-you…"

He raised his hand. "Will you hold my hand, Asaka?"

She stared at the tiny appendage as if it were an ancient artifact. A long time ago, she would have scoffed at his desire to be held by her, describing the action as a sign of weakness. However, now that she stands at her lowest, her heart craves for nothing more than the warm touch of his hand connected to her own.

Aichi's hands were as warm as his heart. There was no doubt that anyone who felt them would melt into his touch with a gentle hum. Like resting near a calm stream in a forest.

"Aichi…" Asaka reached forward to take her brother's hand. This time she wouldn't push him away; she'd hold his hand for however long he wanted. Even if it were a few seconds or a few hours. Asaka wanted to be with him again.

…

If only she had held his hand back then. If she had, then maybe all of this pain could have been avoided.

…

Their hands were just centimeters apart before a hand yanked the younger Aichi back. Asaka's eyes widened when a black blade entered her vision, impaling her through the torso. She lurched forward, coughing out blood onto the hand of the one responsible. Asaka's hair messily blocked her vision, but she knew who had stabbed her. Her eyes locked onto the tear-stained face of Aichi Sendou.

He yanked the blade out, leaving her to wobble on her feet. Aichi just stood there, head lowered, crying at the defeated form of his older sister. That was until he felt a pair of arms wrap themselves around him. A small gasp left his mouth when he realized it was his sister.

With whatever energy she had left, Asaka took this chance to hug her brother. An act she hadn't partaken in for several years. "Ai..chi…"

For once, Asaka didn't feel cold.

"...I lo…ve…"

She felt warm, warmer than she ever did during her time with Asteroid, in her time with Ren.

This is what she's been missing for all these years.

"You."

Asaka's body limply dropped to the ground, her spirit form slowly vanished away from the Planet Cray, leaving Aichi all alone.

Back in reality, Kourin and Rekka were calling Asaka's name, kneeling over her unconscious body. Behind them, Aichi stared at her unmoving form blankly as if his thoughts couldn't comprehend what he had just done. When he looked down at his hands, all he could see was the blood stains of his sister-his family.

Turning away, ignoring the voices of Ultra Rare, Aichi Sendou slowly left the Card shop without making a single noise.

There weren't any loud declarations of victory, nobody to cheer him on, no friends to congratulate him, and nowhere to call a 'home'.

Just…nothing.

Chapter End

NOTE: This is now the 2nd big sister I've almost killed off in one of my fics lol. Anyway, Asaka isn't dead, but it sure does seem like it to Aichi. He's pretty much burned all of his bridges with the people around him all in his quest for power. All alone with nothing but the emptiness in his heart. What will happen next?

Next Chapter - Believe in my Existence