The three of us, me, Yamamoto, and Kishida, entered the miniature war room. Like the computer room, access to this area was shut off for students, so it was the first time any of us had stepped inside.

As expected, with its pure white walls sprawled with blue lines of technology, it looked very close to the war preparation rooms at GEN Academy. The main difference was the size of the room.

Despite being called the miniature war room, it was the same size as a normal venue holding a Vanguard tournament. There were two floors, one for cardfights, and one for watching them from above.

This outdoors school really has a lot of different facilities... on the outside, it looks like a small and cozy summer school, but when you actually start to look around inside, it started to feel like an endless labyrinth of goodies. This room was no exception.

"If you don't mind me asking, what deck do you use?"

"Oh, me? I play Link Joker. Deletors, to be specific."

Since Yamamoto was making light conversation with Kishida, I went off on my own to scour the area, as well as to rendezvous with Mitsuba's group and Akihiro's group. They were standing around in the corner, talking to each other.

"Yo, Takanori. Good to see you're here for the tourney as well."

Seeing me approach them, Akihiro greeted me, giving me a fist bump. With him were the two other participating members from his group, Imaishi and Fujita. For once, Imaishi didn't blend into the background...

"Hey, best friend Takanori-san! I heard about what you and Aki-kun were cooking up from Nora-chan, so of course we'd be on board! With your guidance, the three of us are gonna crush that stuck up, pain in the ass A Class bastard once and for all!"

Mitsuba growled as he smacked his fists, veins popping on his forehead. Was he trying to imitate Yukimura?

"Yo, brother. It's good to see you."

"Wagwan G, mans been praying to da big man up dere fo'a chance ta shank dat pussy'ole blud, done kno!"

With him was Mikitaka and John, who looked just as ready to throw hands with Yahagi's group.

"Yo. Looks like everyone's fired up for today." I said.

"I mean, why wouldn't we? It's a challenge where we finally get to shine." Akihiro said.

"Yeah! I didn't go through all that training just to go back to sucking at Vanguard! Together with Striken and The X, I'm going to make Yahagi-san and his cronies cower before the might of the red hot god, Mitsuba Jun!"

Throwing his head back and puffing out his chest, Mitsuba cackled like he was a super villain.

"Cool your jets a little bit. It's all fine and good to hype yourself up before the match, but there's a chance you won't even be able to fight him if the rules are like a team tournament."

Speaking up was Fujita, a C Class member of Akihiro's group. We had never met before, so this was my first time hearing him talk. His serious but brooding appearance reminded me of Ayano or Yamamoto a little bit.

"Yeah, Fujita-san is right. If they make us fight the person with the matching seat, then it'll be up to whoever has the same position as Yahagi-san to try and stop him."

As Imaishi spoke up, Mitsuba, Mikitaka, and John were all surprised to see him. John was caught so off guard, he nearly shanked Imaishi in self-defence with his plastic spoon.

"Wasteman! Don't jumpscare mans like dat again, rah fam!"

John was clutching his chest and breathing heavily. Imaishi laughed awkwardly.

"Sorry about that, John-san."

"Regardless, we can impede by their group by beating any of their members. Getting Yahagi's just the icing on top."

Akihiro grinned, smacking his fists together.

"Looks like the members on their group are him, Keisaki-san, and Mitsumori-san." Mikitaka said.

"Weird they would bring in those two. I thought they were good at exams." Imaishi said.

"Apparently Takizawa-san and Hayashi-san are doing them. I don't know what Yahagi-san's thinking, sending those two in... both of them are students with physical aptitude. It seems like self-sabotage... or, it's a message aimed at the rest of us showing how confident they are in winning by doing a self-imposed handicap." Fujita said.

"Heh, his ego must be inflated to hell and back if he's putting all his eggs in one basket with this challenge. He's gonna regret not sending the smartest students into the exams after this!" Mitsuba said.

While they were speculating, I already knew why Yahagi chose those two to come with him. Because A Class knew about this challenge beforehand, Yahagi thought it was more lucrative to earn points in this aspect rather than the intelligence aspect.

In this sense, he was right, because this challenge had three times the opportunity to earn points, especially compared to the measly five from doing the exams. Even though the exams may give out more points per attempt, it was better to have multiple chances to succeed, since all the smaller bonuses from each win would add up and come out as a greater sum at the end.

This was especially true if you could consistently win, because it gave you one extra shot in the finals to earn points. Even with his group being comfortably in the lead, Yahagi knew that this challenge had the potential to overturn everything, so he figured the best way to squash the competition was to reduce the amount of chances everyone else had in earning points.

Considering the point weighting on the intelligence and physicality aspect are much higher to compensate for the lack of attempts compared to the strategy aspect, even small wins here could make a difference where everyone ends up ranking by the end. So, by dominating here, Yahagi was both defending his group's position, as well as earning points to stay on the offensive.

It was a sound strategy also partially influenced by who was in their group. Despite the class being known for their mental prowess, the majority A Class group Yahagi formed was more suited for physical activities, which is why they excelled in the last two challenges. From their members, four of them (Kurase, Nashimoto, Takizawa, and Hayashi) were all better at sports than exams. Even Yahagi leaned more into the physical side, rather than the mental side.

This made it challenging to distribute them, since two of the aspects were mental focused, rather than physical focused. From the four of them, Yahagi probably sent Kurase and Nashimoto to handle the physicality aspect. The reasoning for this is because those two failed one of the exams I made for A Class during the Test Shuffle, so Yahagi likely wouldn't want to risk it by letting them handle the exams.

And while he could have Keisaki and Mitsumori go into the exams, he'd be sabotaging himself in the strategy aspect, which was more important in terms of earning points. So, instead of taking a risk of having to carry his group in this area, he put his strongest thinkers into the mental game, and directed Takizawa and Hayashi to do the exams, even despite the fact Hayashi was an E Class student with poor grades.

It was essentially a strategic sacrifice. Takizawa would probably do fine, since he was balanced in both aspects, but Hayashi would definitely struggle. But, between the two aspects, Hayashi would struggle more in Vanguard, since the delinquents didn't really play it that much. Thus led to the distribution that Yahagi gave them today.

"Oh right, there's one more thing I've gotta tell you guys about. Guess who else is joining us?" Akihiro said.

"Who?" Mitsuba said.

"I am."

As if on cue, walking in our conversation was Kirishima Katsu— the son of legendary Dragon Empire Branch Manager, Kirishima Ayato.

"Yo. Let's take them down a peg, shall we?"

Following him was Ikesugi, and Suna, a boy from C Class. Everyone's face lit up in excitement as Kirishima, one of the best Vanguard players in our year, was confirmed to be on our side. Just knowing that gave everyone a bit of hope.

"Oi, Kirishima! Thanks for helping us out on short notice."

Seeing him, Akihiro grinned and gave a thumbs up.

"Yo, thanks for having me. It'll be bad for B Class if Yahagi-kun's group gets his way, so we're all working together for the same thing here."

He really did remind me of Ayato... not only did they look alike, but they also had an imposing aura that demanded respect. He was an intimidating person, so hopefully his presence will strike some fear in Yahagi's heart.

"Woah, even Kirishima-san's on our side? We're definitely gonna win now!" Mitsuba said.

"Brrrrap, brrrrap, mans got nuttin on why you lot are gassing dis wasteman up, but if you mans piping up about him bruv, then mans is ready ta join da hype train, chugga chugga choo chooooooo!"

"Don't hype just me up, give some credit where credit is due for everyone else. I think everyone here is a strong fighter in their own right. I'd never want to be on the receiving end of your Phantom Hand Dailiner combo for example, John-kun."

To John's surprise, Kirishima had not only complimented him, but was also was able to understand him. For once, someone other than me or Zyriot fully understood what he was speaking.

"Bruv! You mans can get me?!"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Bruvvvvvvv! Come here fam, mans bare gassed right now, done kno!"

John pulled Kirishima into a bear hug. Kirishima laughed, patting John's shoulder.

"I could say the same thing about everyone else's decks too. Like Aki-kun's finishing move with Fuzencongo, or Mitsuba-kun's triple swing, triple crit Overlord. After seeing the war D Class and E Class put on, I wouldn't underestimate what you guys can do."

"Do you watch the wars often, Kirishima-san?" Fujita said.

"Every single one of them. I love seeing everyone's unique play styles and decks. It's how I found out about Suna-kun over here."

Kirishima ruffled Suna's hair, causing him to blush from embarrassment as everyone's eyes were drawn towards him.

"K-Kirishima-san..."

"After noticing him, I knew I had to get him on my group. He plays an amazing Gold Paladin deck, so he's gonna be perfect for this challenge."

"Oh, you also play Golds?" Imaishi said.

"Y-yeah... Grand Ezel, to be exact."

"Oh nice, I play Agravain. Let's hope those A Class guys use Link Joker against you then."

"I also saw your fight too, Fujita-kun. Respect for the Pinot Noir deck, it's rare to see that card being used." Kirishima said.

"Oh... thank you. I'm hoping to upgrade to Nightrose eventually when I can afford it."

"The deck's pretty expensive, yeah. You like Granblue?"

"Yeah, the aesthetic is neat. I just wish the best deck in the clan wasn't a waifu bait vampire... I would've loved to use Negrobolt since his art is so badass, but that card is just straight up awful."

Akihiro turned to me.

"Who're the other members on your group, Takanori?"

"Oh... Yamamoto-san and Kishida-san."

"Damn, we even got Yamamoto on our side? I feel really good about this all of a sudden."

"...yeah. We really do have a lot of strong players."

"Let's hope all of them can face against Yahagi."

I nodded.

"By the way... if you don't mind me asking, do you know how Yahagi-san found Imaishi-san? Not even I was able to locate him."

"To be honest, I got no clue. I want to believe they just stumbled upon him, but knowing they're A Class, I can't help but feel there was some kind of trick or strategy behind it. Reo's invisibility aside, he chose a genuinely hard to find spot on the mountain. We had all our bases covered, and yet..."

Akihiro scrunched his fists. He looked bitter, but more frustrated at himself than anything else.

"...I guess these things kind of happen. I was rooting for you guys to win anyways."

"Heh... even if it means risking the chance we'd surpass you guys?"

"We can always claw our way out of the bottom. But we can't always drag others down to the abyss with us."

Akihiro chuckled.

"You say some really messed up things sometimes, Takanori."

"...sorry."

Was it really that messed up to say...?

Our conversation was interrupted by Anjou-sensei, the teacher in charge of this aspect of the challenge, as he started speaking into a microphone. His voice captured our attention as it echoed throughout the miniature war room.

"Hello, hello, and welcome! I'm Anjou-sensei, the homeroom teacher for Class 2-D, and I'll be your host and head judge for today! Since this aspect is going to take the longest out of the three, I'll keep the rule explanation brief as possible. As Hiden-sensei said earlier, in this challenge, you'll all be fighting against each other in a round robin style to earn cumulative points! When a member of your group wins a game, your group will earn one cumulative point! When a member of your group loses a game, your group will lose one cumulative point! In the case of a tie, no points will be given or lost."

Already, this challenge was different from everything else we've seen so far. While there were point deduction penalties in the past, this was the first time that it was applied more than once. Since it was an equal trade in terms of value, it was less "earning" a point, and more "stealing" it from the losing team.

"In addition to that, the group that wins their match will gain a 1x multiplier that will be applied to the amount of cumulative points they've earned at the end of this aspect. If you keep winning, it's possible to have a 9x multiplier, so try your best to win each game!"

Everyone in the crowd was shocked after hearing this information. Even some of the A Class students seemed bewildered that this was actually allowed, and they knew about it in advance. Likewise, I also knew about it too.

When I said it had the potential to overturn everything, this was what I was referring to.

It's why I worried the most about the final challenge when it came to this special exam. In not just this aspect, but across all three of them, the school decided to add these special multipliers as bonuses for winning.

However, unlike the strategy aspect, the intelligence and physicality aspects were capped at a 3x multiplier each. In this aspect however... it scaled all the way up to 9x, which was triple the amount you could earn on either side.

This would give the winners a huge advantage, and most definitely snowball them into the lead. It was basically the school telling us that we had to win in this challenge no matter what, otherwise our opponents would gain far more from it.

"Unlike regular tournaments, the structure for how the fights will happen is slightly different. Instead of all three players fighting at the same time, only one player from each group will be fighting at once. The match ends once one group has two wins under their belt!"

Basically, if your group won the first two games, it would be unnecessary to have a third fight. This added an interesting layer of strategy, since you could theoretically keep a hidden trump card or make up for someone's weakness by not having them play.

This also meant that the maximum amount we could earn from each match was two points, rather than three. In some ways, this was better for us, since it meant the risk of losing three cumulative points at once no longer existed.

It also meant having to go into the third game would have more riding on the line, since the first two games would cancel each other out. In this case, the most you could earn was one point.

"At the end, the two groups with the most amount of wins in this tournament will get to participate in the finals! Here, all three members will be fighting at the same time, and 2 cumulative points can be earned from each win! On the flip side, you don't lose any points from losing or drawing. The group that wins in the final will gain a bonus of 5 cumulative points!"

Even though it sounded small, 5 cumulative points could quickly spiral out of control depending on how many multipliers that group had accrued.

"And with that, the strategy aspect can now finally get underway! If you could turn your attention towards the screen for me, you'll be able to see which groups are fighting against each other in the first round!"

Round 1
Game 1: Yahagi group vs Akihiro group
Game 2: Nakajima group vs Handa group
Game 3: Yamaguchi group vs Mitsuba group
Game 4: Kirishima group vs Koishi group
Bye card: Ryouta group

It looks like our group got an easy first round. Not only was the Handa group cobbled together by leftover students, meaning they barely had any synergy with each other, their leader wasn't even present for this aspect.

They had Igarashi, a C Class student, and Hiraoka and Yoshimatsu, two E Class students. Terasaka and Takemoto most likely went to do the physicality aspect, so Handa must be doing the intelligence one.

"Looks like you've got Yahagi-kun's group round one, Aki-kun." Kirishima said.

"Hell yeah, I couldn't have asked for any better first round opponent. It's time to give them some payback after yesterday!"

"Good luck, I hope you get to face off against Yahagi-kun personally."

"Heh, me too. Though, if Reo or Fujita face off against him, I'm sure they'll do great too!"

"To be honest, I'm hoping I don't run into him... it's clear between the three of us that I'm the weakest player because of my deck." Fujita said.

"Hm... in that case, why not let me and Reo take the first two slots? You could be our anchor."

"That would be ideal. I am quite literally weighing you down."

Akihiro chuckled.

"In any case, it's a smart move to lead with the two strongest anyways, since having to go into a third round would mean we earn less points overall. So thanks for that, Fujita."

"No problem. I want to win as much as you guys. It's why C Class agreed to this coalition."

At the very least, it seems Akihiro's group looked more than ready to face off against Yahagi's group.

"I know we're in an alliance and everything, but you guys are still technically competition. As such, our group is going to figure out our ordering privately in the corner, if that's okay." Kirishima said.

"Yeah, that's cool. Koishi's group looks tough to beat, especially with Kasai on their side. Best of luck to ya."

"Heh, thanks for the well wishes, but I'm going to show to everyone that I don't need luck to win. It's all skill baby."

Kirishima was definitely more arrogant than his father. Or maybe his father was always arrogant, but refused to show it...

"Hah, there you go being cocky again. Do you seriously only get fired up in Vanguard?"

"Of course. Isn't it the same for you, Aki-kun? We're both cut from the same cardboard addicted cloth."

The two of them laughed together, both smirking.

"Sure, whatever you say. When our groups get matched, I want a fight against you!"

"Ehh, if you're so into public humiliation, sure thing. I'll be happy to deliver it right to your smug face."

"Same here, but to your arrogant as hell smirk."

"Oh right. Best of luck to everyone else too. I'm looking forward to meeting you all on the battlefield as well!"

Kirishima waved goodbye as he lead his group away. Ikesugi followed him, his eyes trailing on me as he walked away. Suna bowed to the rest of us before running after the two of them.

"We're up against Yamaguchi-san's group, huh... shouldn't this be easy for us?"

"I think so. They all suck at Vanguard, at least compared to us."

"I'll have you know I'm a god at Vanguard, thank you very much!"

"You lost to Zyriot-san. If you're a god, then he's a god-slayer."

"He only won because he drew into his crit sentinels early! I totally had that game!"

Mitsuba and Mikitaka were whispering to each other about how to order for this upcoming match. John was listening in, but he looked completely zoned out of his mind. I felt a little bad for them, so I walked over to them to try and help them out.

"Since your first round is against Yamaguchi-san's group, there's a high chance they'll lose on purpose. You can just think of this as a bye card."

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking too, brother. We shouldn't put too much thought into this one. I'll go out there, lay down the soap, and Mitsuba-san can mop up the floor afterwards."

"Why's it gotta be me?!"

"Because have you seen John-san?"

Mitsuba glanced over at John, his eyebrow twitching.

"...fair enough. Next round though, I'm going last."

"Alright, sure."

"Heh heh, I'm gonna be the most ultimate trump card you've ever seen! Groups will tremble in fear when they go into the third game, and it's up against the hot red god himself!"

Mitsuba was full of confidence and self-grandiose as ever, which was good to see. I hope John gets himself together though, or else it's gonna be rough for them.

Since I had split off from them, Yamamoto and Kishida made their way towards me to discuss strategy. In particular, Yamamoto had become our de facto group leader since he was both an A Class student and the best Vanguard player among us.

"Oh, Takanori-san. There you are."

"Hey. Sorry for wondering off, I was talking to some friends."

"No worries. Me and Kishida-san were just talking about ordering earlier. We think it's best if I went out first, and you went out second, leaving Kishida-san to be our anchor."

"Yeah. Since I'm the worst out of us three, I think it'd be best if we limit the amount of games I have to play in order to give the group a better chance of winning."

"...that's fine with me."

"Great. In that case, I'll make my way over right now."

"Alright. Best of luck."

"Good luck, Yamamoto-san!" Kishida said.

"Thank you."

Yamamoto gave a solid nod before walking off. Me and Kishida ascended to the second floor where the stands were, letting us watch the matches from above.

This would serve as an excellent place to gather intel on what other groups were using by watching the fights unfold. In particular, I wanted to see what Yahagi's group was using since they were our main threat.

Already at the table for the first game was Akihiro. As expected, he was the leading seat for his group. He was already ready for the fight, with his visor switched on and his holographic hand drawn.

Meanwhile, Yahagi's group was still standing at the sidelines, hidden in the shadows while talking to each other in whispers. From what I could make out, Yahagi was holding three decks. He then distributed one each to Mitsumori and Keisaki.

Akihiro was also watching them. For a brief moment, his eyes and Yahagi's eyes connected, causing Akihiro narrow them into a glare. Yahagi thinly smiled at the reaction, before the three members split up.

Mitsumori and Keisaki made their way up the stairs, joining us. Yahagi walked towards the battlefield, meeting Akihiro at the table.

"It seems like you're my first opponent, Yahagi."

"Yes, well... originally, I had no intention of coming out this early. But after seeing how intensely you were staring at us, I couldn't help but pity your pent up rage. If you want to kill me so bad, then come at me."

"Stop using that piss poor excuse to cover up the fact you're scared of facing us. As group leaders, it should be natural we go head to head, yeah? Even someone as prideful as you should recognise that!"

Yahagi chuckled, putting on his visor. As an A Class student, it glowed pure white.

"Of course. Having the two leaders fight sets a good precedence for everyone else, and boosts team morale. However... I also knew that the rest of my group could easily beat yours, so I wanted to conserve my strength for opponents that were worth fighting, rather than waste my energy beating an insignificant group like yours. Mitsumori-san and Keisaki-san are more than capable enough to handle your group, so you should feel glad that I went out of my way to face a failure on the verge of expulsion like you."

Akihiro gritted his teeth.

"...that just sounds like another longwinded excuse. Cut the crap and fight me like a man already."

"Now, now. Don't get too ahead of yourself. A good fight is best savoured slow and methodically, like a predator carefully picking apart it's prey. After I'm done dismantling you, Keisaki-san will come up next to dismantle Imaishi-san. Knowing that, let's try to enjoy this thrilling hunt, shall we? You love Vanguard after all, don't you?"

Akihiro's eyes widened as Yahagi successfully predicted who'd they send out next. Knowing what Akihiro's mental weakness was, Yahagi was trying to shake his confidence and put pressure on him before their game. It was psychological warfare at it's finest.

"...shut up! You don't know the damn first thing about us! Don't act like you know what's going to happen!"

Yahagi turned away in disgust as Akihiro roared at him.

"You really are an animal... but that's what makes you such a weakling."

Now that the two of them were set up, the system randomly decided Akihiro would go first.

"Stand up, Vanguard!"

"Stealth Dragon, Adverspike!"

"Stealth Dragon, Madoi!"

It seems Yahagi used a Murakumo deck. With two ninja clans facing each other, I wondered who would come out on top.

"Stand and draw! I ride Stealth Beast, Jadouneko from the Ride Deck! Madoi's skill, I draw! Turn end."

Akihiro:
Hand: 6
Damage: 0
Drop: 1
OXO
OOO

Yahagi:
Hand: 5
Damage: 0
OXO
OOO

"Stand and draw. I ride Stealth Rogue of Summoning, Jiraiya! Adverspike's effect, I draw and add a Quick Shield to my hand. Jiraiya's effect, I draw one then botdeck a card from my hand. I'll botdeck my Quick Shield, making it disappear. I call Gateway Stealth Rogue, Ataka! Ataka's effect, I scry 5, add Hyakki Vogue from among them to hand, then discard one. Jiraiya attacks! (8000)"

"Guard with Ganbaku! (23000) No pass."

"Drive check. (Covert Demonic Dragon, Dansetsu Anarch) Nothing. Ataka attacks! (8000)"

"No guard! (Stealth Dragon, Daidoku)"

"Turn end."

Akihiro:
Hand: 5
Damage: 1
Drop: 2
OXO
OOO

Yahagi:
Hand: 7
Damage: 0
XXO
OOO

"Stand and draw! I ride Stealth Dragon, Fuurai from the Ride Deck! Fuurai's skill, you discard a card from your hand then draw one! If it's a grade 0, I get to draw a card too!"

"I discard Sanjee, a grade 1."

"Fine by me. I call Stealth Dragon, Magatsu Gale and Stealth Beast, Jagunrou! Gale's effect, I counterblast and soulblast to draw one and give him +6k until end of turn! (9000 > 15000) Then I call Stealth Rogue of the Night, Sakurafubuki! Sakurafubuki's effect, since I have 3 or more units, I discard one to give him +3k! (8000 > 11000) Then, since I have one or less face up cards in damage, I draw and countercharge 1! Sakurafubuki attacks first! (11000)"

"Lady Silhouetta guards. (13000)"

"Fuurai attacks! (9000) His skill, I counterblast and bounce Sakurafubuki to give +6k to Gale! (15000 > 21000) Then, since he's my vanguard, I draw one as well!"

"No guard."

"Drive check! (Almsgiving Stealth Rogue, Jirokichi) Draw trigger! I draw and give all effects to Gale! (21000 > 31000)"

"Damage check. (Stealth Fiend, One-eyed Nyudo)"

"Boosted by Jagunrou, Gale attacks! (31000 > 39000)"

"No guard. (Covert Demonic Dragon, Kumadori Dope) Heal trigger. I heal one and give power to vanguard. (8000 > 18000)"

"I won't use Gale's skill. Turn end!"

Akihiro:
Hand: 7
Damage: 1
Drop: 5
XXO
XOO

Yahagi:
Hand: 6
Damage: 2
XXO
OOO

"Stand and draw. I ride Stealth Fiend, Lady Silhouetta! Silhouetta's effect, I counterblast and reveal Meomaru from my hand to superior a copy of him from deck! I move Meomaru up and Ataka back. Silhouetta attacks! (9000)"

"Guard with Kurogane! (23000)"

"Drive check! (Stealth Rogue of Multitude, Sanjee) Boosted by Ataka, Meomaru attacks! (9000 > 17000)"

"No guard! (Shura Stealth Dragon, Fuzencongo)"

"That's one of three out. Turn end."

Akihiro flinched.

"You even know about how many copies I run?"

"I know what your decklist is based on the fight you did with Zyriot-san. You may have tweaked it a bit since then, but from what I've seen so far, everything seems exactly the same as it was back then."

"For someone who thinks so little of E Class, you sure seem to know a lot about us..."

"Ha ha, don't look so flattered. I wouldn't waste my spare time pouring over things like that. No, the person who figured this all out is our leader, Ryouta-san. After each war, he extensively studies the cards used by each player and recreates their decks based on that. Then, he shares that information with the rest of the class, allowing us commit it to memory."

I was surprised to hear Ryouta was so thorough when it came to Vanguard. I knew he was a diligent person, but this went even beyond my own expectations. Not even I went that far to gather knowledge on every student in our year.

"I wouldn't trust outdated, second-hand information if I were you."

Yahagi chuckled.

"You're awful at bluffing, Ishima-san. The scowl on your face tells me everything I need to know. Unfortunately for you, Ryouta-san is a genius among geniuses. I know for a fact that his information is always on the mark. For him, knowing as much as possible about someone is his way of fighting, so I have full confidence in everything that he tells us."

Akihiro:
Hand: 6
Damage: 2
Drop: 6
XXO
XOO

Yahagi:
Hand: 7
Damage: 2
XXO
XOO

"We'll see about that... stand and draw! Wrapped in smoke, the forbidden scroll releases an odious aura that consumes all without trace! Clones of the night, descend like a meteor shower to punish the opposition! I ride Covert Demonic Dragon, Magatsu Storm from the Ride Deck!"

"This is my Imaginary Gift! Protect II! I call Fuurai (9000 > 14000), Sakurafubuki, and Jadouneko to rear-guard! Skill, activate!"

Akihiro's visor started glowing dark purple.

"Hidden Exchange! I discard a card and draw one! Alright, time to battle! Boosted by Jagunrou, Gale attacks! (9000 > 17000)"

"I use my Heal Guardian, Covert Demonic Dragon, Kumadori Dope! (9000 > 24000) Dope's skill, I add +10k to my vanguard until end of turn! (24000 > 34000) Good luck trying to get past a 19k base vanguard."

"That much alone won't be enough to stop me! Boosted by Sakurafubuki, Fuurai attacks! (14000 > 22000) Fuurai's skill, I counterblast and bounce Gale to give Storm +6k! (12000 > 18000)"

"No guard. (Covert Demonic Dragon, Dansetsu Anarch)"

"Boosted by Jadouneko, Magatsu Storm attacks! (18000 > 26000) Blow him away into purgatory, Banishing Shuriken!"

"Dark Knight Stealth Rogue, Clogg guards. (34000) You'll need one to pass."

"Sounds easy enough. Twin Drive!! (Stealth Dragon, Magatsu Breath, Stealth Rogue of the Night, Sakurafubuki) Damn it..."

"Hmph. What else can I say except your own arrogance backfired on you? Don't get so cocky."

"Huh? You just got lucky as well! Jadouneko's effect, I put him into soul to bounce my entire field to my hand! Magatsu Storm's effect, since a rear-guard was returned to my hand, I soulblast a grade 3 to draw one and call three cards from my hand! Jadouneko's skill in soul, he gets grade +2, fulfilling the cost for Storm! I'll call Magatsu Gale and two Sakurafubuki, and they all get +5k! (9000 > 14000) (8000 > 13000) (8000 > 13000) The effect of Jagunrou in my hand, since my rear-guard was called by an ability, I counterblast to call him to rear-guard! (8000 > 13000) Sakurafubuki's effect, I discard one to give him +3k! (13000 > 16000) And since I have no face up damage zone cards, I draw and countercharge! Magatsu Gale's effect, I counterblast and soulblast to draw one and get +6k! (14000 > 20000) Finally, my other Sakurafubuki activates too, discarding to draw, countercharge, and get +3k! (13000 > 16000) Boosted by Sakurafubuki, Jagunrou attacks! (13000 > 29000)"

"No guard. (Stealth Beast, Leaves Mirage) Draw trigger. All to vanguard and I draw. (19000 > 29000)"

"Damn, talk about bad timing... boosted by Sakurafubuki, Gale attacks! (20000 > 36000)"

"Sanjee guards. (39000)"

"Gale's effect! I put him to soul and bounce Sakurafubuki back to my hand. Turn end!"

Akihiro:
Hand: 5
Damage: 2
Drop: 12
OXX
OOX

Yahagi:
Hand: 5
Damage: 4
XXO
XOO

"Stand and draw. It's time for you to be put in your place. The sword dipped in scarlet that arches through the night, cleave through my destiny and sever the bridge that connects my karma to this wandering soul. The chieftain descends! I ride Samurai Chieftain, HYU-GA!"

Yahagi's ace was HYU-GA, huh? This deck used to be quite the powerhouse back in the day.

Not only could HYU-GA toolbox any card from deck, but he could board-wipe and create massive fields thanks to Meomaru and Hyakki Vogue, who both spread out power to everyone with the same name as them. This was possible thanks to the second half of HYU-GA's first skill, which turned all units on the field to have the same name as him.

"Imaginary Gift: Accel II! I draw one. From my hand, I call Hyakki Vogue (12000 > 17000) and One-eyed Nyudo! HYU-GA's effect, I counterblast to call a card from my deck with the same grade as one of your units. I'll choose Magatsu Storm, a grade 3, allowing me to call the Dansetsu Anarch from my deck! Anarch's skill, since he was called from deck, he gets +5k! (12000 > 17000) Then, all units on the field change their names into HYU-GA!"

This was going to be rough for Akihiro. Not only did Yahagi have both Hyakki and Meomaru out, but he added Dansetsu into the mix, a card that also gave power to everyone with the same name.

"Nyudo's effect, since I now have another card with the same name as him, he gets Boost and a new ability. Ataka's effect, since there are two or more units with the same card name, he gets +5k. (8000 > 13000) Dansetsu's skill, all my rear-guards with the same name as my vanguard get +5k. (17000 > 22000) (9000 > 14000) (17000 > 22000) (13000 > 18000) (12000 > 17000) Hyakki Vogue's effect, I counterblast and discard to call another Hyakki Vogue from my deck. Since I have five or more units, all my units with the same card name as him gets +10k until end of turn. (22000 > 32000) (14000 > 24000) (12000 > 22000) (22000 > 32000) (18000 > 28000) (17000 > 27000) Skill, activate!"

Yahagi's visor started glowing maroon brown.

"Namebound Spiral! I choose one of my units, and their name becomes the same as one of my units. I choose my newly called Hyakki Vogue, turning him into HYU-GA! Then, that unit gets +3k for each unit with the same card name on my field, and they can attack from the back row until end of turn! (12000 > 30000)"

So that's the power of an A Class student's skill... how terrifying. It went far and beyond anything we have in D Class. If anything, this felt more like an effect on a card than a small bonus.

"Dansetsu's skill will now apply to him, giving another +5k. (30000 > 35000) It's time to end this now. HYU-GA attacks first! (22000) Floating Dual Arts— Rasen Sword Overwrite!"

"Magatsu Storm's skill! When your vanguard attacks me, I counterblast and retire Sakurafubuki and Jagunrou to nullify the attack! Jagunrou's effect, when he's retired during your turn, I add another copy of him from deck to hand!"

"Twin Drive!! (Samurai Chieftain, HYU-GA, Stealth Rogue of Indignation, Meomaru) No triggers. Boosted by Ataka, Meomaru attacks! (24000 > 52000)"

Akihiro's eyes widened as he saw that monstrous number heading straight for him. He looked at his hand, narrowing his eyes.

"Don't start quivering just yet. This is the only beginning of your descent to hell. Meomaru's skill! When he attacks, I soulblast 1 to give all my rear-guards with the same name as my vanguard +5k, which basically adds another 10k to this attack! (52000 > 62000) (32000 > 37000) (32000 > 37000) (35000 > 40000) (27000 > 32000)"

"And all of this is on turn 3...? You've gotta be kidding me... no guard! (Stealth Dragon, Magatsu Gale)"

"The Hyakki Vogue on my Accel circle attacks next! (37000)"

"No guard! (Stealth Beast, Jadouneko) Damn it..."

Not only had Akihiro lost one of his core combo pieces, but he had failed to get a trigger to try and soften the upcoming blows as well.

"The Hyakki Vogue behind my vanguard attacks! (40000)"

"Kurogane, Jagunrou, and Magatsu Breath guards! (12000 > 27000 > 37000 > 47000)"

"Boosted by Nyudo, Dansetsu Anarch attacks! (37000 > 69000)"

"No guard! (Stealth Dragon, Noroi) Critical trigger... all effects to vanguard! (12000 > 22000)"

"That came a bit late, didn't it?"

"Cram it."

"If you so wish. But Nyudo's effect first. Since I have five or more units, he goes into soul and I draw. Turn end."

Akihiro:
Hand: 3
Damage: 5
Drop: 17
OXO
OOO

Yahagi:
Hand: 6
Damage: 4
XXXX
XXO

"Stand and draw! Entering the gates of hell, the arbiter of the lost night marches under the rose dyed moonlight! Clones of the despot, descend like a meteor shower and begin the frenzied midnight hour! I persona ride, Covert Demonic Dragon, Magatsu Storm!"

"This is my Imaginary Gift... Protect II! On the same circle!"

As long as Akihiro had a way to bounce cards to his hand this turn, there was still a chance he could turn things around and beat Yahagi. It looks like this fight was going to go down to the final straw.

"I call Magatsu Gale (9000 > 19000) and Sakurafubuki! Gale's effect, I counterblast and soulblast to draw one and give him +6k! (19000 > 25000)"

When Akihiro saw the card he drew into, a wide grin spread across his face.

"I knew it... I knew you wouldn't give up on me just yet, my partner! An infinite nightmare lead by the dragon of imperfection! Feast upon the lies and sins until justice has been served! The heavy brigade vigilante punisher of the purgatory will plunge you into the depths of the underworld until you blackout completely! I call my avatar, Shura Stealth Dragon, Fuzencongo!"

Yahagi was well aware of how powerful Fuzencongo could be, but his confidence didn't waver one bit. If anything, he seemed to be goading Akihiro into going all out with that smug smile of his.

"I'll send you to the depths of purgatory, Yahagi! Magatsu Storm attacks! (12000) This one's for Reo! Banishing Shuriken!"

"Moon Edge guards. (27000) Two to pass."

What a ballsy move, leaving things up to chance like this... but at the same time, it's not like I didn't understand. It was a well calculated risk on Yahagi's behalf.

Since Yahagi checked HYU-GA last turn, Akihiro knew that one of the six cards in his hand is a dud, meaning he only has five cards to work with. In all likelihood, Yahagi would probably take Fuzencongo's attack, meaning he would need to conserve cards to guard the other potential four swings coming his way.

In order to do that efficiently, he had to take a risk here. It also worked in his taunting of Akihiro, since the "two to pass" could be read as Yahagi having so much confidence in winning to the point he could start doing seemingly suboptimal plays like this. If Akihiro can keep his head straight, he'll know it's an empty bluff... but knowing him, he probably can't see past the moment.

"Two triggers... aight, bet. Twin Drive!! (Stealth Beast, Mijingakure) Draw trigger! All effects to vanguard! (12000 > 22000) I draw!"

Without even thinking through it, Akihiro dumped all the power on Magatsu Storm straightaway. It seems Yahagi's taunt had worked on him.

"Second check!"

Akihiro's eyes widened.

"N-no trigger... (Stealth Beast, Jadouneko)"

Seeing Akihiro's confidence crumble before him, Yahagi laughed.

"You really are rash. If you took even a second to think about the situation, you would've never rushed to put it all on Vanguard. Are all of you rejects that easy to trick?"

"Misplays happen, alright?"

Akihiro's face started turning red, but he took a deep breath to recompose himself.

"Besides, my turn ain't over yet... there's still plenty of chances to beat your god damn head in!"

"Try it. Just don't cry about it later when you get thrashed in the process."

"Fuzen, punish him! (12000) This one's for Tetsuya! Malefic Black Paradox!"

"Meomaru intercepts. (17000)"

"Boosted by Sakurafubuki, Magatsu Gale goes in! (25000 > 33000) This one's for Fujita and Kajiyama! Banishing Katana!"

"Ataka and Moon Edge guard. (12000 > 22000 > 37000)"

"Gale's effect! I put him into soul to bounce Fuzen back to my hand! Magatsu Storm's effect! When a rear-guard is returned to my hand, I soulblast a grade 3 to draw one and call three cards from my hand! I call Daidoku (9000 > 19000), Jadouneko, and my true avatar! The heavy brigade punisher of the purgatory will send you spiralling down the underworld until you blackout completely! Keep feasting on the world's deceit, suffering, and pain until your hatred bleeds into a river of sorrow that flows through time! Until the day your justice is served, your infinite nightmare will never stop! I persona call my avatar, Shura Stealth Dragon, Fuzencongo!"

"And on top of that, they all get +5k! (19000 > 24000) (12000 > 17000) (8000 > 13000) Boosted by Jadouneko, Daidoku attacks! (24000 > 37000) This one's for Eguchi and Mitarai!"

"Leaves Mirage, perfect guard."

"And this one's coming personally straight from me! Fuzencongo attacks! (12000) Her skill activates! Since I have five damage, I soulblast a grade 3 and bind seven cards in my drop zone! She gets +5k for every card bound by this effect, and you can't call any sentinels to guardian circle! (12000 > 17000 > 22000 > 27000 > 32000 > 37000 > 42000 > 47000) Punish them... Malefic Black Paradox!"

"No guard. (Samurai Chieftain, HYU-GA)"

In my mind's eye, I could see Fuzen punch HYU-GA straight in the face, leaving a nasty mark on the side of his snout.

"Alright, I finally got to hit you personally! Turn end!"

Yahagi narrowed his eyes.

Akihiro:
Hand: 3
Damage: 5
Drop: 10
XXX
XOO

Yahagi:
Hand: 1
Damage: 5
XOXX
XXO

OST: STAND UNRIVALED

"Stand and draw. Render the night sky useless into an empty void, and reshape the purpose of this world itself around your twin blades dipped in scarlet. Twice over, sever the bridge that connects us to an unknown fate, and transform this wandering soul into the true winner! Forever and ever, the chieftain descends! I persona ride my avatar, Samurai Chieftain, HYU-GA!"

"Imaginary Gift: Accel II! I draw a card. HYU-GA's effect, since you have Daidoku, a grade 2, I counterblast to superior call a copy of Meomaru from my deck! Then, all units on the field have their names to be changed as the same as HYU-GA's! Anarch's effect, all my rear-guards get +5k! (17000 > 22000) (9000 > 14000) (12000 > 17000) (8000 > 13000) (12000 > 17000) Likewise, Ataka gets another 5k from his skill! (13000 > 18000) Hyakki's effect, I counterblast and discard one to superior call another copy of him from my deck! Then, all units with the same name as him get +10k! (22000 > 32000) (14000 > 24000) (12000 > 22000) (17000 > 27000) (18000 > 28000) (17000 > 27000) Finally, HYU-GA's other skill activates! I soulblast a grade 3 to return all of your rear-guards with the same name as my vanguard to your deck!"

"Damn it...!"

Akihiro watched as his entire board was being blown away, including his avatar, Fuzen.

"And with that, you can't use Magatsu Storm's in built perfect guard effect anymore. Tell me, how does it feel, knowing you're going to be the loser? You knew this was coming, yet chose to field three units anyways. Was your plan really that shortsighted?"

Yahagi smiled, his stern but cocky demeanour agitating the situation.

"I... I was confident that I could beat you last turn. That's why I fully committed, even if it meant it'd bite me back later. Regardless of whether or not you used that effect... that previous turn of mine was my last bastion of hope to win against you."

"Huh. So even a loser like you can admit to defeat when it's spelled so blatantly in front of you? I'm almost impressed."

"Who said anything about losing? Whether you believe it or not, I'm still in this game. Until the very last moment, where I have six cards in my damage zone, I ain't going anywhere. I'm not going to run away from a guy like you, Yahagi. I'm going to survive, live this turn, and get my payback!"

"You're delusional if you think three cards is enough to stop the upcoming onslaught laid bare before your eyes. Have you seen the power of my units? You're so hung up on what my group did you last challenge, it's caused you to become stupid. Face it, Ishima-san. You're going to lose. Not even a sixth damage heal can save you. After all... I know you don't run any in your deck."

When Yahagi exposed that fact so blatantly to his face, Akihiro turned ghastly pale. His eyes widened, and a cold sweat dropped down his cheek.

"...huh?"

"It's like I said. Ryouta-san has collected information on everyone's decks. He knows that you don't run any heal triggers to prevent Fuzencongo's effect from turning off randomly. And he also knows you use 6 draws because the vanillas are convenient discard fodder for Sakurafubuki. Thanks to him, I know my win is assured on this turn."

When Yahagi said that, I came to a terrifying realisation.

This entire time, Akihiro wasn't fighting against just Yahagi.

But he was fighting against Ryouta too.

I raised my head, catching a side view of Ryouta out of the corner of my eye. Like me, he was up on the stands, watching all the plays fight out from above.

He sat like a king, looking down on everyone else with calculating eyes.

As my vision hung on him, his eyes naturally glimpsed me. He looked over.

As our eyes crossed paths, he smiled a little, before returning to the matches below.

I couldn't tell if that was genuine or not.

"HYU-GA, end this farce. (22000) Spinning Dual Arts— Rasen Dance Overwhelm!"

Akihiro let out a long sigh.

"Ah man..."

As HYU-GA came sweeping down from the night sky, the lone Magatsu Storm looked up at him, gripping his giant shuriken.

"I've been completely bested, huh...?"

Likewise, Akihiro looked up at Yahagi, gritting his teeth and putting on a brave smile.

"Well, whatever. Reo and Fujita'll beat Keisaki and Mitsumori, and then we'll see who's the real winner here. Don't think you've won just yet just because you beat me! No guard!"

"The real winner will be us— my group. Twin Drive, first check! (Stealth Fiend, One-eyed Nyudo)"

HYU-GA somersaulted through the sky, landing gracefully as his first sword rippled out, cutting through Magatsu Storm's torso in a diagonal dense and clean strike that left no room for error.

"Second check! (Stealth Fiend, Lady Silhouetta)"

Magatsu Storm, accepting that he had no chance of countering HYU-GA anymore with his majorly damaged body, dropped his giant shuriken and closed his eyes.

"Damage check! (Shura Stealth Dragon, Fuzencongo)"

Following that precise slash was HYU-GA's second sword, whipping in the other direction to lop Magatsu Storm's head off.

"Winner: Yahagi Kyoji."

The system announced the victor, putting an end to their game. Their holographic cards dissolved, and Yahagi took off his visor without breaking a sweat. Akihiro did the same, but was trying to hide his disappointment from this outcome.

"The next two players, please stand up." The system announced.

Just before Yahagi left however, Akihiro called out to him.

"Wait, Yahagi. I know we were just trash talking each other earlier and everything, but... please tell me something."

Yahagi sighed. Without even looking back, he responded.

"What is it?"

"During yesterday's challenge... how did you guys find Reo?"

"If you're expecting some sort of insidious trick or strategy from us, then I hate to inform you that you'll be sorely disappointed when you find out what we did to narrow down his location."

"I don't care. I want to know regardless. I know for a fact that we chose one of the best hiding spots on the mountain for him. You guys shouldn't have been able to find him that fast, and yet..."

"You did put him in a very tricky place. I never imagined a group would actually risk having someone hide all the way up on the tip of the mountain. But, that too, was also your fatal mistake."

"What do you mean?"

"Once we were down to the last two groups, we switched our strategy from trying to find your hiders to trying to find where you, the seekers, were. We did this because if we began tailing you, and you became aware of it, you would subconsciously try to avoid the places where your hider was. Since we were communicating on a call the entire time, we exchanged the information of your locations in real time, pruning down the number of places where your hider could be. We noticed that none of you wanted to go past a certain point while climbing up the mountain, so we figured Imaishi-san must be on one of the upper levels. When I went to explore up there myself, lo and behold, Imaishi-san was there."

"We were that easy to read...?"

"You were all running around like headless chickens trying to find our hider, so what do you think? From the pressure of the situation, to us following you around, to you guys trying to conceal his location from us, to being so close to victory... under all that panic, stress, and mental burden, it's no wonder the only things on your guys mind was trying to advance before we could. With such one dimensional thinking, the only line of common sense left in your string of erratic actions gave away his location. You have no one but yourselves to blame for this. You all let Imaishi-san down."

After that explanation, Yahagi walked away without saying anything else. Akihiro lowered his head and nodded.

"...I see. Thank you."

He also walked away, giving Imaishi a high-five as he made his way up to fight Keisaki. I raised my head, putting a hand to my chin.

What a troublesome situation... it seems A Class was more ruthless than even I gave them credit for.