As Yuuma and I walked back together to the GEN Academy control room, she tugged on my sleeve.

"M-Minoru-san..."

"Hmm?"

Flustered, she looked away.

"S-sorry... I'm still not used to calling you by that name..."

I chuckled.

"It's okay. Say it as many times as you need to get used to it."

The corners of Yuuma's lips turned up a little before frowning.

"I— I mean, if you don't mind answering... I-I was wondering... um..."

Hearing the shaky refrain in her voice, I knew what she was about to ask.

"Back there... with Agon-san, and Jouraku-san, and that strange old man... what happened?"

I clenched my fists, tried not to avert her gaze, and steeled my heart.

"A-and... a-are you really the son of... Saionji Yuuri...?"

I clutched the phone in my pocket. Mommy still hadn't responded to my messages yet.

Hearing those questions be uttered by Yuuma felt like a sword was being thrust into my back and lodged straight through my heart. Now that she's seen the connection between Mario and I, there was no point in trying to hide the truth from her anymore.

It was obvious something serious happened between us. If I left her questions unanswered, her unease and worry would only grow. I didn't want that - I didn't want to burden her with my struggles.

So, even if it wasn't the way I wanted to tell her... I was going to reveal to her everything.

About me. My past. And my family.

"Yuuma-san... if I tell you about this... can you keep it a secret?"

She nodded.

"I promise."

She held out her pinky finger to me. I thought it was a little childish, but...

I wrapped my pinky around hers, smiling a little.

I appreciated the gesture nonetheless.

"Alright. I guess we should start from the top, huh?"

I stopped in front of a vending machine, buying two bottles of green tea. I handed one to Yuuma before cracking mine open and taking a long swig.

It was just my way to delay the inevitable, since my feet were shaking just thinking about telling this part of myself to someone else, let alone my closest friend.

I... I didn't want things to change between us. I didn't want her to have the wrong impression of me. I didn't want her to think she didn't really know who I was.

But at the same time, if I told her to not pry into my life... that would only make me a bad friend, since she was just trying to show concern for me.

"Minoru-san... y-you don't have to force yourself if you don't want to... I was just curious."

I shook my head. Yuuma lowered her head.

"T-then... would Minoru-san have ever told me about this if I wasn't there to witness it...?"

I blinked. I tried not to look away, but my body moved on its own. I shook my head again.

"I see... that's okay. P-please don't feel like you're obligated to tell me just because I've seen it..."

"It's... it's not that. I— I can stop if it feels like it gets too much. I guess, it's more like..."

I raised my head and sighed.

"...it's selfish of me to say this aloud, but I think there's importance in letting you know at least."

Yuuma's eyes widened.

"Minoru-san... please just know... even if I can't reach out and help you directly, like you did for me..."

She put her hands to her chest, holding them close to her heart.

"You're not alone in this."

I raised my eyebrows before smiling.

"Thanks."

I took one more swig of my green tea. My feet were shaking less - maybe it was because I was now leaning against the wall, or maybe it was because of Yuuma's kind words.

"As you've guessed... yeah. I'm the son of Saionji Yuuri, the mother of riding duels."

Even though I didn't think it was that impressive, Yuuma was gasping and had sparkles in her eyes.

"Since you also have a famous parent... you can guess why I chose to use daddy's family name instead of mommy's family name."

"Y-yeah... it would be troublesome if people knew you as Saionji. Your face... now that I'm looking at it up close, it's so similar to hers too!"

Yuuma leaned in, examining my face. While I was flattered, my face went red with embarrassment. Way too many people tell me I look like her for my own comfort.

"S-so that means Takamine is your father's name... umu... w-wait, but didn't Enmitsu Mario mention a—"

I grit the back of my teeth, nodding.

"...Takamine Tsubasa. He's my father. That man— no, monster... Enmitsu Mario... killed him."

Yuuma's eyes widened before softening.

"I'm sorry for your loss..."

"Thanks... the worst part is daddy wasn't the only one. There are a lot of Mario victims out there, but he's managed to evade the consequences each time. But what sparked him to go after daddy was a grudge he held with mommy."

"E-eh? W-was Mario in love with Saionji-sama and jealous of her husband?!"

I was startled when Yuuma earnestly exclaimed that wild scenario.

"You watch way too many spicy romance anime, Yuuma-san..."

"S-Sorry! I-it was the first thing that came to my mind..."

I laughed.

"It's fine. Besides... that monster is incapable of love. If I had to take a guess... Enmitsu Mario's Arcana would be Death. Because all he wanted was a revolution on the track."

I pointed to the road that stretched out before us, on the other side of the stadium's glass walls.

"His dream was to abolish riding duels. Mommy's creation that she spent her whole life building towards... he wanted to destroy it all, no matter the cost."

I don't have any specific details since I was still a baby at the time, but... from what I've heard, Mario used physical means to try and force mommy into an ultimatum where she should have to choose between riding duels or her family.

Unfortunately, what Mario didn't realise was that daddy laid his own life on the line to protect mommy and I. That's why, on that day, before mommy could choose—

Daddy made the decision to relieve her of the guilt.

And Mario ended up killing him because of it.

"Eventually, mommy and Mario settled things in a cardfight. If mommy won, Mario would drop his vendetta and he would be forbidden from entering any areas deemed Susanoo territory. If Mario won, mommy would officially terminate the riding duel format and stop involving herself in the world of Vanguard. As you can guess... mommy won."

After his humiliating loss, Mario became desperate, and in a last ditch effort to go out in a blaze of glory, tried killing me since he knew I was the most precious person to mommy.

I can still remember it vividly to this day.

I stood there, frozen in fear, as Mario sped towards me in his car, his front lights shining dazzlingly bright. As he was about to crash into me however, it felt myself get lifted off the ground— like I had grown a pair of wings and could fly.

Well... that's what I like to imagine at least. Since it all happened so fast, I still don't really know what happened in those moments, since my eyes were squeezed shut in terror.

From those who watched the whole thing go down, apparently it was a blonde man with a scar on his cheek who saved me. He sprinted over, scooped me up, and leapt out of the way before Mario could ram his vehicle into either of us.

Either way... thanks to that flying sensation— whatever it was— I was spared from death.

"Afterwards, Mario was exiled from Susanoo, and the story should've ended there. But..."

I took a deep breath.

"It seems he's back to take revenge on mommy... and this time, he's doing it by going after me. Probably trying to kill me the same way he killed daddy."

Yuuma shivered.

"T-that's horrible..."

"...that's just the kind of monster he is."

I narrowed my eyes, clenching my fists. From the very beginning, I've been running around in circles like a lab-rat while contained within Mario's elaborate trap. I feel like an idiot.

"T-then... does that mean Mario is using the Tri-deity Circuit as an excuse to travel into Susanoo by aligning himself with a school from another area?"

"Yeah. From the looks of it, Mario somehow got a hand of Alba Academy and are using them as pawns for his revenge. Since that old man can't directly participate himself, it looks like Jouraku is going to be the one who carries out his will."

It now also made sense why Jouraku knew about my connection with mommy. Mario must have been the one who fed him that information— and it's highly likely he also supplied him the secrets of the other competitors, like Shiramichi and Haruno.

"Will... will Minoru-san be okay?"

"As long as I win... probably. If not... then I'll just have to confront Enmitsu Mario myself. This has been a long time coming for him."

This time for sure, I won't let him escape.

I'll be the one who freezes this vicious cycle of hatred.

So that daddy can rest in peace and mommy can continue moving forward.

I'll avenge them both.

And reduce Enmitsu Mario to absolute zero.

***

When Yuuma and I returned to the GEN Academy control room, there was a strange pressure hanging in the atmosphere. I lowered my head, avoiding eye contact with Kazuraba and Akitani.

"Welcome back, Takamine-san, Kurosaki-san. Congratulations on moving to the next round! I'm so proud of both of you!"

Greeting us warmly was Lucina-sensei. I gave her a light nod.

"Thanks..."

I appreciated that Lucina-sensei was trying to act normal around me, since everyone's initial reaction to my Arcana was hostile, but it was hard to ignore the tenseness that now separated me from the upperclassmen.

"T-thank you, sensei! I-I'll continue doing my best!"

Yuuma was acting like her usual self at least.

"Hmm. So, that's your Arcana, huh?"

Akitani pushed the bridge of his glasses up, looking at me with a cold stare.

"It would've been nice to know about it beforehand so we could have incorporated it into your strategy earlier."

I didn't have a choice if I wanted to avoid a negative reaction like this. The way how everyone is acting now was the exact reason why I never wanted to reveal my Arcana in the first place. It created unneeded hostility between me and the others.

"You have a powerful tool in your arsenal, Takamine-san. I hope that you use it wisely."

Akitani stood, putting a hand on my shoulder as he walked past me, leaving the control room.

"...don't you think I already know that?"

I muttered that once he was out of earshot. Kazuraba turned to Yuuma.

"Yuuma-chan, what do you think of Takamine-san's Arcana?"

"E-eh? Me?"

Yuuma pointed at herself, blinking owlishly. She twiddled her index fingers together.

"Mmm... to be honest, there was something else on my mind that I was more preoccupied with..."

"...new Thegrea tech?"

"A-aside from that!"

Kazuraba laughed. Yuuma sighed, puffing her cheeks.

"Mmm, well... ahh... Minoru-san's Arcana... it's strong... like, way too strong... it's basically a cheat ability!"

I flinched. Well, I was half-expecting it, but hearing it come from Yuuma made it hurt more than usual.

"I-I mean... of course I know Minoru-san had no choice in the matter, but... it's like a reverse Over trigger! Instead of gaining so much power to end the turn, he takes away so much power you can't do anything! I would hate to go up against it..."

Well, she was right. Not even I could disagree. Because of how sacky my Arcana was, it made my victories feel cheap since it was basically an instant win button. You'd have to be playing a very specific deck to get around it.

"Eh? Eh?!"

Kazuraba raised her eyebrows before gasping salaciously. Yuuma blinked owlishly.

"E-eh?"

She grabbed Yuuma by the arms and started shaking her down with a wide smile.

"Did Yuuma-chan just say "Minoru-san"?! Yuuma-chan just said "Minoru-san", didn't she?!"

Somehow, she wasn't even focused on Yuuma's reply to the question she asked, but rather the fact she referred to me by my given name...

"Y-yes?! R-Reona-chan, what's gotten into you?!"

Yuuma tried to pry the clingy Kazuraba off her before she enveloped her in a hug.

"I'm so proud of you, Yuuma-chan! I was wondering when the two of you would finally call each other by your first names!"

"That's... what your excited about...?"

I scratched my cheek. Kazuraba nodded.

"You two are like two peas in a pod! Do you know how awkward it was for everyone else to hear you call each other by your family names instead of your given names despite how close you two were?! Takamine-san was even calling Momoka-san and Iori-san by their given names before Yuuma-chan's!"

"T-that's because they let me on day one!"

I threw my hands up in self-defence. Yuuma looked away, blushing.

"I-I wanted to call Minoru-san by his given name for a long time... but I didn't want to be the one to initiate the question, since I didn't think Minoru-san felt the same way about me..."

"Huh?!"

Wait, that was how I felt as well... I was dumbfounded. Kazuraba pointed an accusatory finger at me.

"Aha! So, this really is all Takamine-san's fault!"

"H-hold up, I didn't want to tread over Yuuma-san's boundaries and ask her out of the blue..."

"I'm going to smack you with a Blue oT for this!"

Kazuraba stomped over to me, holding Idosfaro over my head.

"Oi, if you try hitting me with that, I'll use Nightingale Fader for real!"

I held out Sagitta like a ward for protection.

"...touché."

Kazuraba pouted, lowering her card.

"Then, you can make up for it by letting me call you by your first name too."

"Sure... I don't mind."

"Great, Minoru-san! Feel free to call me Reona too then, hehe."

"Reona... senpai, huh?"

Immediately, an image of a lion popped up in my mind. Was she a Stoicheia player by any chance...?

"W-what does Reona-chan think of Minoru-san's Arcana?"

Reona shrugged.

"Hmm, it's hard to say. I definitely think it's strong... but I lowkey think Agon-san's Arcana is stronger."

She winked at Yuuma. Yuuma pouted.

"You only think that because of the deck you play."

Reona laughed.

"Maybe~."

***

Since the round was over, the four of us headed back to the cottage. They would announce the winner of the Revival Trigger later in the evening.

"W-we're home!"

Yuuma cheerfully called out to the others. In the living room was Momoka and Iori, Busujima was in the kitchen, and Kuyou was nowhere to be found - knowing him, he was probably huddled in his room again.

"Welcome home, Yuuma-chan!"

Momoka greeted her with a cheeky smile.

"Good work out there, Kurosaki-san, and... Takamine-san."

Iori waved at us, before noticing me and narrowing her eyes.

"Well, that's a pretty convenient Arcana you have there. How many games have you stole with it?"

Being hit with such an accusatory tone, I froze up.

"What...?"

"Don't play dumb, your Arcana is an on demand Over trigger that works on both player's turns! No one can set up a kill turn against you... and the moment someone tries to, you can whip that skill out of thin air and save yourself!"

The worst part was, I didn't even disagree with Iori's assessment of my Arcana. In its most optimal form, it was a get out of jail free card that also doubled as offence since it lingered into the following turn.

"The fact you didn't even tell us about it either... that's the bit I can't believe. Why did you keep us in the dark over such a strong Arcana? We're teammates, you know?"

Momoka huffed, crossing her arms. I wanted to rebuke by saying they were the ones who pushed Yuuma and I out of their friend group first, but it would be reductionist to the main problem here.

My Arcana. And by extension, me. Because the moment I entered the room, the air went completely stale.

While they could greet Yuuma, Reona, and Lucina-sensei just fine, it was instant hostility upon seeing me. Even Busujima looked to be avoiding me, since she didn't even glance my way, and she's the one who cares about Vanguard the least from the six of us.

I don't blame them, since it was understandable why they would be mad at me as fellow competitive players... but hearing it up close and personal like this, it hurt more than I thought.

"...sorry."

I didn't know what else to do except spit out a weak apology, hoping it would smooth things over a little.

"Is that seriously all you have to say for yourself...? You disgust me."

I lowered my head as Iori drove more cruel words into my ears. I could tell my presence was unwanted anymore, so I went to hurry back to my room to relive the tension in the atmosphere. However, on my way to the stairs, Kuyou was walking down them.

"Ku ku. Well, look who it is."

A cruel smile flickered on his lips as he stared down me. I raised my head, staring at him with narrowed eyes through my bangs.

"...if you don't have anything meaningful to say to me, then get out of my way."

"I do, but it looks like I don't need to be the one who reminds you of it. Judging by the guilty look on your face, you're well aware of your own shortcomings."

I grit my teeth. Hearing the truth sucked - but hearing it come from Kuyou made it suck even more.

"Here's my advice. Grow a pair and face the music."

I wasn't having any of it, especially from a guy who crashed out multiple times, so I went to force my way past him.

"You made the choice to reveal your ability to the word, so take responsibility and face the consequences of it."

However, as I tried to shove him out of the way, he pushed back, keeping me at the bottom rungs.

"And if you're that ashamed about using your Arcana, then make the conscious decision to never use it. You're the one in control of it. No one is forcing you to use it. It's as easy as that, ku ku."

"...I get what you're trying to say. But saying no one forced me to is a lie... if you just watched the game I had, it's clear I had no other choice. If I didn't use it, I would have lost and be eliminated from the tournament!"

"Ku ku... the fact you didn't even have enough faith in yourself to try and dig for a miracle trigger or win the Revival Trigger tells me all I need to know about your mindset. No wonder you're stuck as a Category King."

Kuyou walked down the stairs, meeting me at my level.

"There's no room to grow if you believe you're a loser. And right now, that's exactly what you are. You're only a winner on paper - you're a disgrace to everyone else."

His fierce gaze pierced into my eyes. I gulped, taking a step back.

"You had the chance to make yourself look like the better person by losing to Agon's ridiculous Arcana and let him take all the heat. No one liked that freak from the start, especially after he said Vanguard is war like a dumbass. But what did you do? You chose to forfeit your integrity and fire back with an even stronger Arcana, leading to all of... this."

Kuyou gestured at the avoidant Iori and Momoka, the distant Akitani, and then opened a holographic tab to display the reactions towards my Arcana online— my eyes widened as everyone was spamming "cheat skill" and calling me the "Absolute Fraud".

"So, tell me, Takamine. Would you have preferred losing? Or do you prefer being treated like an enemy of the world?"

I grit my teeth.

"Where do you get off from, being the one to berate me like this?"

"Ku ku. Don't get me wrong. I think everyone's overblowing this out of proportion... your Arcana is basically Jouraku's entire game plan and is begrudgingly the same as mine at a fundamental level."

Kuyou sighed, picking his ear before blowing the wax off his pinkie finger at me.

"But you know... your attitude is still bull none the less, ku ku. Despite making it to the semi-finals, only having used that cheat Arcana once against another cheat Arcana... you're still holding yourself a pity party anyways, forcing everyone else who is already eliminated to watch as you cry yourself "woe is me, woe is me" while their dreams are in shambles."

Kuyou stuck out his tongue, making a gagging noise.

"Yeah... piss right off with that. I can't stand people like that the most. So I'm going to call out your bull for what it is."

He leaned in, backing me up into a wall as he towered over me.

"You're a spoiled brat."

He then walked past me, leaving the stairs wide open for me to escape to. I sighed.

"...and you have no clue why I'm so desperate to win, so don't act like you do."

I don't know why, but upon hearing that, Kuyou exploded. He paused, whipped around, and grabbed me by the collar, a demonic anger smeared on his face.

"Don't you dare try to use that line against me."

My eyes widened before narrowing at him.

"What the hell is your problem?!"

"There we go again... like always, you're acting like a spoiled brat. Go ask that to yourself!"

"I'm the spoiled one? My mom couldn't even show up to watch me, but yours did! And what did you do? Belittle the hell out of her right in front of all of us!"

"You don't know the first thing about the relationship between me and my mom, so stay the hell out of it!"

"Alright you two, that's enough."

Seeing as we were about to seriously take shots at each other, Reona cut in, chopping her arm down the middle to separate us. Iori pulled Kuyou away while Yuuma pulled me away. I took a deep breath, Kuyou sighed.

"Whatever. I'm done talking to this brat."

Kuyou freed himself from Iori's grip and stormed to the kitchen. Yuuma let me go as I relaxed myself in her arms, showing no intention of resisting.

"...I'm going to my room."

As I made my way up the stairs, Yuuma was following after me.

"Minoru-san... are you okay?"

I nodded, but to be honest, my hands were shaking.

"I... I need some time alone, if that's okay."

Yuuma frowned before nodding.

"Okay... if you need someone to talk to or play Vanguard with, just give me a call!"

I could tell she was forcing a smile to try and cheer me up. I smiled back, but I knew it was plastic too.

"Thanks. I will."

I went to my room and closed the door behind me, letting out a long sigh.

"...maybe it would be better if I just lost."

***

Later, after dinner, everyone was gathering in the living room to see who would be announced as the Revival Trigger winner.

Not wanting to disturb the atmosphere, I stood at the back, away from everyone else. Yuuma tried roping me back in, but I kept my distance for her sake. As usual, Kuyou was watching from the stairwell.

How did it come to this point? I hated that both him and I became the most isolated members in our team. I didn't want to feel anything like him, and yet here I was... as alone as he was, both by our own admission.

"Oh, it's here!"

Yuuma cheered excitedly as they were about to announce the results on TV.

"After a long and difficult battle, a winner has been decided. The one who will be revived for the Tri-deity Circuit is..."

My eyes widened seeing who it was.

"...Agon Ikuto of Alba Academy. Congratulations to the Amaterasu region."

I wasn't surprised. With a deck like his, coupled with that Arcana, he was a clear favourite to make it back in... plus, it would give Mario a back-up fighter to proxy with in the slim case Jouraku loses.

At the same time, I thought he didn't have any intention of continuing. From the way he talked, it sounded like his only goal was to flush out my Arcana. In all honesty, I assumed he would've scooped the Revival Trigger like Busujima...

I guess things weren't that simple after all. In a way, it felt like some ghost of my past had come back to haunt me... that, or it was some sickly karma for winning against him by using my Arcana to cheat death.

"A-Agon-san...!"

From the way she exclaimed his name, it sounded like Yuuma wanted to be excited for him, but then remembered the way he had betrayed us— or rather, me. What should've been a happy moment now left a bittersweet taste in her mouth.

"The other Category Zero is back in, huh?" Iori said.

"I really thought it was going to be the Impauldio girl." Momoka said.

"They both go to Alba, so it's a benefit to them either way." Reona said.

"I'm just glad that all of our members made it through... none of you had to participate in the Revival Trigger." Lucina-sensei said.

"Takamine-san was about to if it wasn't for his Arcana." Akitani said.

"Then let's be glad he has that cheat ability."

Iori sighed with sarcasm dripping from her voice. Momoka laughed.

Yuuma frowned as she looked over her shoulder and at me. I just lowered my head and ignored what they were saying.

"Ku ku... that's damn annoying."

I heard Kuyou mutter that to himself before he trudged back up the stairs.

For once, I agreed with him. Agon would be an incredibly difficult opponent to face. Category Zero was definitely the wrong label for him... at bare minimum, he must have been Category Jack level, potentially even higher.

I quietly slinked out of the living room and got ready for tomorrow.

***

There was a knocking on my door. I checked my phone's time. It was the dead in the middle of the night, a head ringing 4am. I groaned, getting out my bed and trudging over to the door with a yawn. As I opened it...

"M-Minoru-san!"

I was jump scared by Yuuma, who was in her pyjamas with a panicked look on her face. Her eyes had become spirals and it looked like she was on the brink of collapse.

"Yuuma... san?"

"M-M-Minoru-shan, h-h-help meee...!"

"Huh..."

I rubbed my weary eyes and slapped myself awake.

"What's going on?"

"I... I'm... I'm too much of a dumb bitch!"

I blinked, staring at the crying Yuuma with a raised eyebrow.

"I... I... um, alright. Yeah, sure... uh, continue?"

"I-I can't figure out what version of Thegrea to use tomorrow... my brain hurts from trying to think of how to counter everyone..."

She whimpered, holding her head.

"Oh... tournament prep, huh? Alright, sure thing. It's a good thing I spent my evening doing it."

I grabbed my notebook with the notes I made on our potential opponents, including ways they would try to counter us.

"T-thank you Minoru-san! You're a life saver!"

Yuuma jumped in delight before hugging me. We went to the living room to help sort out her decks, but—

"You. Have. Way. Too. Many. Versions."

I had to stress each word as I buried my head into my hands, sighing uncomfortably as I had versions 22.4 to 28.5 of Thegrea open in front of me.

"I-if you don't experiment, you won't get anywhere in life!"

There were sparkles in Yuuma's eyes as she said that. It was 5am in the damn morning.

"I... okay, look. I think this version has the best shot of winning."

I plucked the list she used during the last round and gave it to her.

"We can make some tweaks, but your combo... the "special method"... is the strongest win-con I've seen from Thegrea thus far."

"Hehe, thank you."

Yuuma crossed her arms, smiling smugly as she looked excessively proud of herself. She really likes being praised... I guess it's that easy to butter her up, huh?

"Since our only possible opponents are Etou-san, Agon-san, and Jouraku, the restand counter Heal is basically a must include. All their decks feature a restander of some form— both Thegrea forms, Zorga's Divine Skill, and the two Demonic Stone Dragons respectively. For Agon-san's deck, you might want to include the critical counter Heal... but it will be useless against Etou-san and Jouraku since they don't run cards that gain critical."

"And in terms of odds... I'm more likely to fight either of those two, right? Since it's 2 out of 3?"

"Mhm. That's why I think it's better to focus on countering the restanders, rather than the critical."

She nodded, adding two copies of them to her deck. Personally, I replaced all my heals with restand counter heals, since I could afford to lose 5k shield from a regular heal since my deck drew so much naturally.

"Likewise, they'll probably be running a copy or two of the restand counter Heals for you specifically, Yuuma-san. Kuyou and I are lucky that neither of our decks restand or gain critical, so this is the only hard point they can counter."

"Uuuu... I-I feel like I'm being bullied somehow..."

Yuuma sniffled. I pat her head.

"Unfortunately so. However, they'll probably be looking to counter our strategies in other ways, like early game aggression for me or damage denial for Kuyou... but that's besides the point. Your deck is pretty unique in the fact it can position itself well both first and second. Depending on your opponent, you can choose to either play a slower game going first, or play a fast game going second."

"Y-yeah... I've already thought of ways to beat Etou-san's Thegrea, mainly because I know how the deck functions... my strategy is to out live her and win by deck-out, since she goes through cards so quickly."

"That sounds like a great strategy. Just keep in mind that Etou-san might be tempted to do the same thing to you... for example, she might avoid playing the order and Teithgaon combo early, or even not put down Oath at all."

"Ah, but you see Minoru-san... she can try to play around it all she wants, but she lacks one card in her deck that I have."

I raised an eyebrow.

"What is it?"

"This!"

Yuuma slammed Valtrossa&Liel on the table with a proud smile.

"Huh... come to think of it, I've never seen her play that card before."

"Exactly! According to my estimations of her deck list, it should look like this..."

Yuuma sent me another Thegrea list— it was tagged 24.8, she's already played tested this exact list before...

"While there's space for Valtrossa to be teched in... there's no real way for Etou-san to put it in as a 4-of like how I can!"

"Ah... I get it. If she wants to run this deck refresher, she'll have to sacrifice important grade 2 pieces like Encouragement or Teithfallt, which would make her consistency against other decks worse. But since you run Valt anyways for the early game, you can afford to max her out."

"Yup! This is what's going to give me the edge in our fight... our battle will be legendary! Because I swear I'm going to prove to her that I'm the better Thegrea player between us! After all, I have way more hours with this deck than her! Etou-san won't know what hit her!"

Yuuma cheered, fist pumping the air. I smiled.

"I'm glad to hear you have that sorted out. So the real problem stems from the two Alba boys.... Agon and Jouraku."

"Y-yeah... I don't even know where to begin with beating them..."

"As a general strategy... for Jouraku's deck at least, try to go first to put Drajeweled on a smaller timer. Going second as a grade 4 deck is really bad, and since that deck has almost no early game, you can easily make it to your first Justice turn without much trouble. The thing I'd be wary of is how much he can draw... but hopefully your early game pressure can push him early and then Decisive Axe can finish the job by limiting the amount of usable cards he has."

"So I need to be proactive against Drajeweled... okay! T-then, what about Agon-san...?"

I frowned, scratching the back of my head.

"To be honest... I have no clue. In theory, Zorga shouldn't be difficult to beat if you pile enough aggression... they can only loop the PG and Blitz so many times before having to commit. Heck, bad RNG can make the deck kill itself since it's so piece heavy. The real wrench in all of this is Agon-san's Arcana, since it forces you to stay at three or less damage to be safe. It also incentivises you to use your PGs early, as farming them to prevent his kill turn would be useless under it's power— something painfully demonstrated in in my game against him yesterday."

"W-would early game rush be good?"

"Potentially? If he's also not going for early game too, at least."

Yuuma whimpered.

"I really hope I don't match into Agon-san... facing his deck sounds super difficult..."

"If you want, we can have a test run?"

"A-are you sure...? I don't want to keep Minoru-san awake any longer than I have to..."

"You're saying that and you're also wide awake. I'm more worried about you since I actually got some shut eye."

Yuuma looked away, laughing awkwardly.

"W-was it that obvious...?"

"The bags under your eyes are worse than usual."

She sighed.

"I... I haven't been able to get any sleep, yeah... I-I'm so nervous for tomorrow..."

She held out her hand, showing me how much it was shaking.

"I-I honestly never thought I would make it this far... and now that it's so close to happening, it feels a bit too... r-real..."

"It's normal to feel nervous, but you should take pride that you reached the semi-finals. It's proof that the hard work and dedication you put in has paid off. Now you're only a couple wins away from being promoted from Zero to One— or hopefully, even more than that."

She smiled a little.

"T-thank you... I guess what I'm most scared of is not being able to fight Etou-san... I really want to challenge her in a cardfight and win... but at the same time, I feel like the opportunity to do so is getting slimmer and slimmer..."

"Ah, I get what you mean. If you're not lucky enough to match up into them, there's always the chance they'll be eliminated before you or you get eliminated before them."

In my case, that was against Jouraku.

"Although, I wouldn't worry about Etou-san - she's an Ace after all. As much as I hate to admit it... those guys don't lose that easily."

Yuuma nodded. She took out her deck, hiding her face behind it.

"T-then... if you don't mind staying up with me a bit longer..."

"Of course. Maybe that will ease your anxiety a little and you'll be able to get some rest afterwards."

Thus, we tested into the early morning hours.

***

It was the day of the semi-finals.

Halfway through our testing, Yuuma and I had fallen asleep, so imagine our shock when we had Reona shaking the hell out of us to get up while our cards were scattered around us...

In any case, we had definitely overslept, so there was very little time to get ready. For now, in case one of us was going up first, Reona told us to hurry ahead to the venue with our decks and she would sort out the rest - caffeine included.

"I-I'm sho tired, Minoru-shan..."

Yuuma yawned, trying her best to stay awake while we trudged to the venue. Despite Reona forcing her to drink a bitter black coffee on her way to the venue, it wasn't helping this sleepyhead at all.

"Just a little more, Yuuma-san."

Thankfully, I was doing a lot better than her, but I definitely needed a pick me up to get my brain working. I could really go for some food, honestly...

"Ka ka!"

As we reached the entrance of the venue, we were greeted by the familiar cawing laughter of Jouraku. He was standing with Agon, the two of them looking straight at us.

"Agon-san... and Jouraku."

Seeing Jouraku's smug face and Agon's serious face definitely woke me up. Somehow, Yuuma still hadn't processed two of our opponents were standing right in front of us. I could practically see the sleepy sparks radiating off her...

"Woohoo! That's the great Jouraku Hanma-sama to you, Takamine-kun!"

"I'd rather eat a bag of rocks than call you that."

Being sleep deprived also meant I wasn't in the mood for his antics.

"Ka ka! Don't worry, I'll feed you enough rocks to last you a life time, woohoo! By the way Kurosaki-chan, you look stunning as always!"

This guy was back to flirting immediately... I was half-expecting Yuuma to say she was a lesbian, but to my surprise—

"Wuh? Oh, shank you!"

Yuuma smiled, somehow accepting the compliment while sipping her coffee. Oi, her sleep deprived brain is making her do weird things...!

"Ka ka! Any time for you, baby! Woohoo! How about a date after this is all over?"

"Date...? Wuh?"

Yuuma tilted her head with a blank look, like she had obtained weird knowledge. Yeah, her head was definitely empty...

"I'll take that as a yes, woohoo!"

"You're not taking anything, you freak. She's into women, leave her alone already."

I sighed. Since Yuuma was definitely too sleepy to answer Jouraku's delusions properly, I did it for her.

"Woohoo! But that's the fun part, Takamine-kun!"

I narrowed my eyes at him.

"What...?"

Before Jouraku could respond with his shit eating grin, Agon held out a hand, stopping him.

"Let us head inside now, Jouraku-san."

"What? But things were just about to get interesting, Agon-kun! Woohoo!"

"You have already provoked them enough. Do not start trouble where it does not need to be started."

Jouraku sighed, thinly smiling.

"Ka ka! Agon-kun is such a stickler for the rules, woohoo! But fine, ka ka!"

He pulled his sunglasses down and stuck out a tongue.

"I'll see you on the battlefield, Takamine-kun! Woohoo! And I'll see you in bed, Kurosaki-chan! Woohoo!"

Jouraku headed inside.

"...I apologise for his behaviour."

Agon left us with those words before heading inside as well. I grit the back of my teeth.

"In the end, you can't really be a bad guy after all... right, Agon-san?"

He had protected both Yuuma and I in his own way. Surely there still has to be something there...

"Minoru-shan, shweepy..."

Hearing Yuuma yawn loudly, I snapped out of my lingering thoughts.

"Ah... yeah, we're nearly there."

We managed to register our decks and arrive at the GEN Academy control room, but we had just barely made it... by the time we entered, a pop up appeared in front of us.

<Commencing next game>
[GEN] Kuyou Aru vs [Jinrai] Etou Isuzu

Yuuma and I had lucked out big time here by not being first to go up. However...

"B-but... but I wanted to fight Etou-san..."

Now semi-awake after being handed a second cup of coffee from Lucina-sensei - this time with lots of milk and sugar - Yuuma pouted as she looked at the announcement.

"Well, this is awkward... do you wanna pray on Kuyou's downfall together?"

I said that as a joke, but it looked like Yuuma was seriously considering it. After wrestling with herself, she shook her head.

"N-no... as much as I want to fight her... i-it's better for our school if he wins."

Speaking of Kuyou, we hadn't seen him all morning. Apparently, he didn't even enter the control room, but we knew he was here since he wasn't at the cottage either. I guess he must have been loitering around in the venue somewhere.

Reona came back with some breakfast for us and an energy drink for me, since I requested it specifically. I cracked open the can, took a large swig, and leaned back to watch the upcoming game as both Kuyou and Etou stepped up to the table.

"Ku ku. So, you're the last bastion of hope for Jinrai, huh?"

"Last bastion of hope, huh...? In a way, this heavy burden is mine to carry. However, you're mistaken about something."

"About what?"

"Calling me the "last bastion of hope" would be incorrect. Everyone you see here - including my close friends, precious teammates, and entire school - are still in this. You're not facing off just against me— you're facing off against the entirety of Jinrai High School as they stand alongside me. The future of humanity rests upon the sword of light I draw."

"Ku ku ku... then I'll gladly be the one responsible for causing the end of humanity. I'm going to knock you and your school out of this tournament once and for all."

A blue card each descended in front of them, with Kuyou letting his float into his palm and Etou letting hers fall into her hand. A burst of special effects ignited the cards, realising their decks.

A red crest of nine fox tails appeared over Kuyou's deck, while a bright yellow crest of a royal crown strewn through by a sword appeared over Etou's deck.

"Stand up, Vanguard!"

"Knight of Integrity, Thegrea!"

"Nine-tailed Fox Spirit, Tamayura!"

The system decided Kuyou would go first.

"Stand and draw! I discard to ride In the Calm Sunlight, Tamayura! I get the Energy Generator! Tamayura's skill, I scry 7 and add Memories of Snowfall to hand! I play Memories, put it to soul, and scry 7 to add G2 Ririmi! Turn end!"

Kuyou:
Hand: 6
Damage: 0
Energy: 0
OXO
OOO

Etou:
Hand: 5
Damage: 0
OXO
OOO

"Stand and draw. I discard to ride Pink Moth Girl, Maple! I draw and get the Energy Generator with 3 energy! I call Cerrgaon! Boosted by Cerrgaon, Maple attacks! Cerrgaon's skill, +5k! (8000 > 16000 > 23000)"

"No guard!"

"Drive check! (Divine Sister, Biscotti)"

"Damage check! (Stealth Fiend, Kawasohime)"

"Cerrgaon retires, I scry 2, and add one to hand. Turn end."

Kuyou:
Hand: 6
Damage: 1
Energy: 0
OXO
OOO

Etou:
Hand: 7
Damage: 0
Energy: 0
OXO
OOO

"Stand, draw, and charge! I discard to ride Festival of Burning, Tamayura! Tamayura's skill, I add the G2 Ririmi I discarded back to hand! I play Memories! To soul, scry 7, and add Kawasohime to hand! I call Ririmi and Kawasohime! Kawasohime's skill, I energyblast 3 to scry 7 and call a G2 Rarami! Rarami's skill, I soulblast 2 to draw! Rarami attacks! (10000)"

"No guard! (Retrospective Dragon)"

"Ririmi attacks! (10000)"

"Biscotti guards! (13000) I energyblast 3 to draw."

"Boosted by Kawasohime, Tamayura attacks! (10000 > 18000)"

"No guard!"

"Drive check! (It's Show Time! Ririmi)"

"Damage check! (Encouragement of Times Past)"

"Turn end!"

Kuyou:
Hand: 7
Damage: 1
Energy: 0
XXX
OXO

Etou:
Hand: 7
Damage: 2
Energy: 0
OXO
OOO

"Stand, draw, and charge. I discard to ride Harsh Training, Thegrea! Biscotti's skill, energyblast 3 to draw! I play Encouragement of Times Past! I counterblast to scry 7 and call Cerrgaon! I call Teithfallt! Her skill, I soulblast to scry 5 and I call Meyrig! Boosted by Meyrig, Thegrea attacks! (10000 > 18000)"

"No guard!"

"Drive check! (Atrocious? Moth Girl, Maple)"

"Damage check! (Blaze Maiden, Zonne) Critical trigger! All to vanguard! (10000 > 20000)"

"Boosted by Cerrgaon, Teithfallt attacks! Cerrgaon's skill, +5k! (10000 > 23000)"

"Rarami intercepts! (25000) Her skill, she goes to soul!"

"Cerrgaon retires, I scry 2, and add one to hand. Turn end."

Kuyou:
Hand: 7
Damage: 2
Energy: 0
XXO
OXO

Etou:
Hand: 8
Damage: 2
Energy: 0
XXO
OXO

"Stand, draw, and charge! I ride Deepening Night, Tamayura! Kawasohime's skill! I put her into soul to superior ride from deck my avatar! The blue moon above shall burn up under the ascending sunlight that signals a new dawn. The mystic nine tails that stock hidden power, unleash everything stored in a blaze of purification! I ride Will-o-wisp Daybreak, Tamayura! Tamayura's skill! I add Broken Toys to my hand, then play it! I scry 7, put G1 Rarami and G2 Ririmi from among them to soul, then draw! I call G2 Rarami and G1 Ririmi! Rarami's skill, soulblast 2 to draw! G1 Rarami's skill, I counterblast to call her! Boosted by Rarami, Ririmi attacks! (10000 > 18000)"

"No guard! (Palladium Zeal Dragon)"

"Rarami's skill, they both go to soul, and my G2 Rarami gets +5k! (10000 > 15000) Boosted by Ririmi, Rarami attacks! (15000 > 23000)"

"No guard! (Volition Rigour Dragon) Critical trigger! All to vanguard! (10000 > 20000)"

"Ririmi's skill, they both go to soul, then I soulblast to countercharge! Tamayura attacks! (13000) Tamayura's skill, I bind Deepening Night from soul to call G2 Rarami and Ririmi with +5k! (10000 > 15000) (10000 > 15000) Ririmi's skill, I soulblast 2 to put Meyrig into your soul! G1 Rarami and Ririmi's skills, I counterblast for each to call them! Relight Fireworks!"

"Huh... why did he choose to remove Meyrig instead of drawing?"

As I said my thoughts aloud, Yuuma jumped in enthusiastically.

"B-because Thegrea can't do anything on turn 3 if she doesn't have Meyrig! By getting rid of her, Kuyou-san is forcing Etou-san into a position where, if she doesn't have a second copy, she has to find one to do anything on her next turn!"

"Ah... yeah, that makes a lot of sense. You don't need the additional card if you can force your opponent into hitting wet noodle numbers."

Etou looked at her hand before shaking her head.

"I won't guard. One to pass."

"Twin Drive!! (Scarlet of Fluttering Evanescent Life, Blaze Maiden, Parama) Ku ku, a front trigger! (15000 > 25000) (13000 > 23000) (15000 > 25000)"

"Damage check! (Healer of Heavenly Staff, Arshes) Heal trigger! I heal a damage and give my vanguard +10k! (20000 > 30000)"

"Boosted by Rarami, Ririmi attacks! (25000 > 33000)"

"Natilla guards! Her skill, she goes to soul!

"Rarami's skill! They both go to soul and G2 Rarami gets +5k! (25000 > 30000) Boosted by Ririmi, Rarami attacks! (30000 > 38000)"

"Palladium Zeal, perfect guard!"

"Ku ku, burning up a PG this early? You're not even at five, relax. Ririmi's skill, they both go to soul. Will-o-wisp rides back down to Deepening Night from bind. Turn end!"

Kuyou:
Hand: 9
Damage: 2
Energy: 3
OXO
OOO

Etou:
Hand: 5
Damage: 4
Energy: 0
XXO
OOO

"Stand, draw, and charge. I ride One Who Walks the Path of Light, Thegrea! Thegrea's skill, I scry 5 and add Justice to hand! Maple's skill, she revives from drop! I play Oath of Vengeance! Thegrea's skill! I counterblast to scry 5 and call Meyrig!"

Despite Kuyou's effort to prevent Etou from reaching Justice, it seems Etou was the slightly more lucky one, as she found a second copy off the top 5 cards of her deck.

"Meyrig's skill! I bind her face up and put Dark into soul to superior ride from my deck— The sword of hope that fragments despair shall burn red through heaven, casting out all sin as it cuts away the detestable half of this corrupted world. Before the blooming scales of judgement... all evil shall be banished by my avatar! I ride Epee De Justice, Thegrea! Justice's skill! I discard to superior ride One Who Blooms in the Dark, Thegrea from soul, bind her, and activate Persona Ride! Oath's skill, my Persona Rides get +5k and I draw 2 instead! (10000 > 25000) (13000 > 28000) (10000 > 25000) I call Cerrgaon and I activate my Arcana!"

Etou raised her hand into the air like she was holding up a sword, the pure white circuits in her body surging upwards into the palm of her hand, gathering at the combined shape of her fingertips, and emerging into a Roman numeral.

V.

"Hierophant ability, activate."

"Apex Punishment! Until end of turn, your vanguard gets grade +2, then I put cards from my drop equal to the number of your grade! Since you're currently grade 5, I put four cards from my drop into soul! Two Cerrgaon, two Biscotti, and Palladium Zeal! Encouragement's skill in drop, I energyblast 3 and remove it from game to add the bound Justice to hand! Let's battle. Thegrea attacks! (28000) Mete Recollection!"

"Sorry, but I can't let you go ahead. I play the Blitz Order, Fleeting Shine That Lights Life! I soulblast 2 to give my vanguard a skill that reduces your front row's power by 10k!"

"The attack still goes through if you leave it as is. (25000 > 15000) (28000 > 18000) (25000 > 15000)"

"I was getting to that. I add Parama to guard! Her skill, +5k shield! (33000) Two to pass, ku ku."

"Twin Drive!! (Blade Feather Dragon) Critical trigger! All to Teithfallt! (15000 > 25000/1 > 2) (Divine Sister, Biscotti) Thegrea's skill! I counterblast and discard to restand her with drive -1! (18000/2d > 1d) Thegrea attacks once more! (18000/1d) Mete Recollection!"

"Counter guard! Stealth Fiend, Amaviera! Since your unit attacked two or more times this turn, she gets +15k shield! (13000 > 23000 > 38000) No pass, or oT, ku ku."

Like Yuuma and I, Kuyou also teched in counter Heals to help deal with our potential opponents.

"Drive check! (Atrocious? Moth Girl, Maple) No trigger. Teithfallt attacks! Her skill, +10k! (25000 > 35000/2)"

"No guard! (Memories of Snowfall, Twin Direful Dolls, Ririmi)"

"Boosted by Cerrgaon, Maple attacks! Cerrgaon gets +5k! (15000 > 28000)"

"No guard! (Twin Direful Dolls, Rarami)"

"Cerrgaon's skill, he retires, I scry 2, and add one to hand! Maple's skill, I soulblast the Meyrig you put into my soul to add back Palladium Zeal to hand! Maple goes to soul, and turn end!"

Kuyou:
Hand: 6
Damage: 5
Energy: 3
OXO
OOO

Etou:
Hand: 10
Damage: 4
Energy: 0
XXO
OOO

"Ku ku... you've put up a decent fight so far, but it's simply not enough. Thegrea's too weak to ever make it to the top tables. Do us all a favour and go back to your old deck, whatever it was."

Etou narrowed her eyes.

"I'm perfectly content playing the deck I have now. I don't need an outsider's comments to dictate what I should and shouldn't play."

"Whatever you choose is bound to be bettter tha that tier 3 pile of Keter slop. I would respect you more if you played the likes of Hexa, or even Bastion, ku ku."

"Bastion, huh..."

Etou lowered her head. Kuyou raised his eyebrows before throwing his head back in laughter.

"Oi... you can't be serious, ku ku... there's no way you traded in Bastion for Thegrea, right? Talk about a downgrade, ku ku ku!"

"I have my own reasons for doing it."

"You must've been cracked out of your mind. Well, we're splitting hairs at the end of the day... whether it be Thegrea or Bastion, they're both bottom of the barrel picks. I pity you, so I'll do you a favour and put you out of your misery, right here, right now. This marks the end of both your hopes and Jinrai's run at this tournament... say goodbye to them all. Final turn!"

Kuyou locked in.

"Stand, draw, and charge! Tamayura's skill, my front row will get +5k this turn! The blue moon above shall burn up under the ascending sunlight that signals a new dawn. The mystic nine tails that stock hidden power, unleash everything stored in a blaze of purification! I ride my avatar, Will-o-wisp Daybreak, Tamayura! (13000 > 18000) Tamayura's skill, I add Scarlet of Fluttering Evanescent Life to hand and activate Persona Ride! (18000 > 28000) I play Evanescent Life! I soulblast 2 to superior call a Ririmi (10000 > 25000) and Rarami (10000 > 25000) from drop! Ririmi's skill, soulblast 2 to put Teithfallt into soul! Then I counterblast 2 to superior call both G1 Ririmi and Rarami! I activate two Memories's skill in drop, energyblasting 3 for each and binding them to return both Fleeting Shine and Evanescent Life to my hand! Rejoice and be grateful, Etou-san! Because you're going to die under the indulgence of the Ace's authority!"

The red circuits faintly visible throughout Kuyou's body started turning gold as it flowed and pulsed like golden blood in his veins, racing towards the heart of his torso to form a Roman numeral on his now exposed chest.

XVI.

"Tower ability, activate."

"Hellfire Aria! With this prayer, all your units get -10k!"

"Thegrea goes down to 3k. (13000 > 3000)"

"Boosted by Rarami, Ririmi attacks! (25000 > 33000)"

"Blade Feather, Volition, and Biscotti guard! (38000) Biscotti's skill, counterblast to draw!"

"Rarami's skill, they both go to soul, and G2 Rarami gets +5k! (25000 > 30000) Boosted by Ririmi, Rarami attacks! (30000 > 38000)"

"No guard! (Invigorate Sage) Heal trigger! I can't heal, but my vanguard gets +10k! (3000 > 13000)"

"Ririmi's skill, they both go to soul, and I soulblast to countercharge! Tamayura attacks! (28000) Tamayura's skill, I bind Deepening Night from soul to call G2 Rarami and Ririmi with +5k! (10000 > 30000) (10000 > 30000) Rarami's skill, I soulblast 2 to draw! G1 Rarami and Ririmi's skills, I counterblast for each to call them! Go, Relight Fireworks!"

"Volition and Arshes guards! (43000) Two to pass!"

"Twin Drive!! (Twin Buckler Dragon) Tch, looks like you're safe. (Stealth Fiend, Futakuchiyo) Front trigger! My front row gets +10k! (30000 > 40000) (28000 > 38000) (30000 > 40000) Ku ku... boosted by Rarami, Ririmi attacks! (40000 > 48000)"

"Palladium Zeal, perfect guard!"

"Rarami's skill, they both go to soul, and G2 Rarami gets +5k! (40000 > 45000) Boosted by Ririmi, Rarami attacks! (45000 > 53000) Finish this!"

"Spiritual King of Aquatics, Idosfaro... Over Guard! (63000)"

Kuyou's eyes widened before narrowing.

"So that was the ace up your sleeve, huh...?"

He chewed on the nail of his thumb.

"Only because I managed my risk properly. While the safer play was to burn it on Tamayura's attack to guarantee a no pass, it would leave me with less shield for your remaining attacks, which would be problematic if you checked a Front. Knowing this, I went for a two to pass, since it was more unlikely for you to check double triggers. If you did, I would be dead— but since you didn't, I won the bet."

A small smirk appeared on Etou's face. Kuyou clicked his tongue, grinning before making a gagging motion.

"Ku ku... you act so prim and proper, but you're just another god damn gambling addict like the rest of them. It makes me want to hurl. Ririmi's skill, they both go to soul, and Tamayura rides back down to Deepening Night. Turn end!"

Kuyou:
Hand: 12
Damage: 5
Energy: 3
OXO
OOO

Etou:
Hand: 3
Damage: 5
Energy: 0
OXO
OOO

"All that talk about a final turn, and you failed to deliver it... I'm starting to be the one who pities you, Kuyou-san."

"Oh, and now you're smack talking?"

"I usually try to be cordial and friendly with all my opponents, but this time... I think I can make an exception."

"Ku ku. I don't recall pissing you off in any way."

"You might not. But you certainly have pissed off your fellow teammates."

Kuyou raised an eyebrow.

"When our match up was announced, your teammate, Amasawa Iori-san contacted me."

"...what?"

"She told me all about you and your machinations. The way you bullied Kurosaki-san for being Category Zero, the way you belittled Aiuchi-san after her loss, the way you insulted Takamine-san for being unworthy of winning... and most despicably, the way you gave up on your teammates and declared your intention of going solo."

Everyone was stunned. Etou was casually airing out Kuyou's dirty laundry to the entire world.

"As an Ace... as the leader and representative of my school, Jinrai... I care so deeply about my teammates and wish them to become even more successful in the future. So, to hear that a fellow Ace... a fellow leader and representative of their school... abandon their teammates so callously... I find it unforgivable."

Kuyou stared at her with a death glare.

"Don't start pushing your ideology onto—"

Etou continued, her resolute voice overpowering his verbal retaliation.

"While you may carry the moniker of GEN Academy, you care nothing for it. In fact, you are the absolute worst representation for the people who attend that prestigious academy on water. If a person like you were to win the Tri-deity Circuit... it would be a spit in the face of everyone who organised it, everyone who watched it, and everyone who participated in it."

Etou stared down at Kuyou, her eyes having a fierce look I'd never seen before.

"You're an embarrassment of an Ace. You're not fit to be a leader. You're not worthy to compete on this stage. So, with the blessing of your own teammates... I will cut you down, Kuyou Aru."

"Ku ku... ku ku ku... come at me then, you stuck-up bitch."

"Stand, draw, and charge. The sword of hope that fragments despair shall burn red through heaven, casting out all sin as it cuts away the detestable half of this corrupted world. Before the blooming scales of judgement... all evil shall be banished by my avatar! Persona Ride, Epee De Justice, Thegrea! (13000 > 28000) Both Maple in my drop revive, with G1 getting +5k! (10000 > 25000) (8000 > 13000) Justice's skill! I discard to superior ride from soul, One Who Walks the Path of Light, Thegrea from soul! I bind Justice and activate Persona Ride once more! (28000 > 43000) (25000 > 40000) Thegrea's skill, I counterblast to scry 5 and call Meyrig! I call Biscotti (25000 > 40000) and use her skill! I energyblast 3 to scry 3... and stack one on top, putting the rest to the bottom. I'll let you know ahead of time that I put a Front on top."

Kuyou laughed with a smug smile.

"Ku ku ku... you don't have to play these silly mind games with me, Etou-san. If I live long enough, you'll deck yourself out. So go ahead and stack away... it doesn't matter to me and this twelve card hand I have."

"Let me guess... since you haven't played any PGs this game, you have at least two or more to shut out my strongest attacks, right?"

Kuyou shrugged,

"Maybe. Or maybe, I'm the one bluffing you this time."

"Perhaps. Or rather, it won't matter at all. Biscotti, become a sacrifice for her revenge. From my hand, I call over her..."

Kuyou raised an eyebrow before his eyes widened seeing what Etou put down.

"Decisive Axe Dragon. (13000 > 43000)"

"What?!"

"Huh?!"

"OH MY GOD, PEAK FICTION?!"

I jumped out of my seat. Reona gasped. Yuuma screamed.

"Etou-samaaaaaaaa! Etou-sama is using it! She's using the "special method"?!"

If anything woke Yuuma up that day, this was definitely it. I was still flabbergasted... never in a million years would I have expected to see Etou play this card.

"What the... since when the hell did you run this crappy tech?"

As Kuyou growled, Etou smiled.

"Since yesterday. I got this idea from seeing your teammate - Kurosaki Yuuma - use it in her deck."

My jaw dropped. Reona's eyes widened. Yuuma screamed the loudest she ever had before.

"ETOU-SAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

She was a fangirling mess as Etou mentioned her by name. I mean, rightfully so... the fact she was using one of Yuuma's ideas in her own deck was a testament to her own deck building abilities.

"My hours... days... weeks... months... years... of Thegrea play testing... they've finally been validated... I've finally been acknowledged... I couldn't be happier..."

Yuuma sniffled, genuine tears running down her cheeks. Reona hugged her, patting her in congratulations.

"Aww... I'm so happy for you, Yuuma-chan! You deserve it!"

"Yeah... this is seriously insane to watch live."

I rubbed my eyes. This isn't a dream, right? This is real, right?

"I must admit... at first, I was sceptical at how well it could work. However, when I tested it last night... I could see her vision. This was the missing 10% that would push my deck over the limit. And it wouldn't have been possible without my allies helping me prepare and analyse all my upcoming opponents to reconfigure my deck into specifically beating them."

"Ku ku... ku ha ha ha! An Ace taking ideas from a Zero? The fall off must be studied!"

"That Zero is more of an Ace you'll ever be. Because, thanks to her, I'll create a result you failed to obtain. In other words... the teammates you once mocked and rejected shall now be your downfall. Boosted by Maple, Decisive Axe attacks! (43000 > 56000) Decisive Axe's skill! You can't call normal units from hand to guard!"

"I play the Blitz Order, Fleeting Shine That Lights Life! I soulblast 2 to reduce your front row power by 10k!"

"You'll need more than that to whittle down my double Persona Ride. (56000 > 46000) (43000 > 33000) (40000 > 30000)"

"I add Futakuchiyo, Zonne, and Cure Flare to guard! (53000) Futakuchiyo goes to soul!"

"Thegrea attacks! (33000) Mete Recollection!"

"Twin Buckler, perfect guard!"

"Twin Drive!! (Divine Sister, Natilla) Front trigger! (33000 > 43000) (33000 > 43000) (30000 > 40000) (Healer of Heavenly Staff, Arshes) Heal trigger! Power to Decisive Axe and I recover a damage! (43000 > 53000) Thegrea's skill! I discard to restand Decisive Axe! Maple's skill, she restands! Boosted by Maple, Decisive Axe attacks once more! (53000 > 66000) Decisive Axe's skill, you can't call normal units from hand to guard!"

"Ku... ku ku..."

Kuyou started laughing, but something was off.

It wasn't his usual, haughty, self-indulge cackle.

It was... more desperate than usual, like he was trying to laugh through the pain.

"Ku ku... so this is how everything ends..."

He lowered his head, his bangs coming loose and messy over his eyes, obscuring his expression.

"Ku ku... ku ku ku..."

He didn't even say anything to Etou. He reached out to the top card of his deck and flipped it over. Peeking at it, he bit his bottom lip.

"Ah... it's over. (Will-o-wisp Daybreak, Tamayura)"

"Good game, Kuyou-san."

Etou extended a hand to her opponent.

"...yeah."

Kuyou raised his head, swiping back his hair, and shaking her hand. He turned around and left with a melancholy strut.