I returned to the team room designated for GEN Academy. As I opened the door, everyone started cheering, even Kuyou. Iori came up to me and gave me a high five.

"You did awesome out there, Minoru-san! I can't believe you managed to survive Odium's Divine Skill turn like that!"

"Ha ha, thanks... there were a few moments I was unsure if I would make it, but I'm glad things managed to work out."

"It's also good that you got rid of her early... if one of us had to face off against Hazuki-san, it would probably end up badly."

I had to agree with Momoka's assessment. Because my deck drew so much, I was the only person on our side would could feasibly tank Odium's back to back turns. In that sense, we had gotten lucky with the match ups.

The only other person who could draw as much as I could was Iori, but her deck, Magnolia, was also hindered by the high volume of grade 3s she had to run, meaning there was alway the risk she could have a fake hand full of shieldless cards, rendering her powerless to stop those attacks.

"Maybe for you guys, but I would've been fine."

Kuyou smirked, getting off the table he was sitting on. Momoka glanced over to him.

"And what makes you say that?"

"Ku ku. Because I know I'd win, no matter who my opponent is."

Even though he was talking big game, Kuyou had the skills to back it up. Between everyone here, we had learned the hard way through fighting him that he was the best at Vanguard.

Despite using a rogue deck like Tamayura, he was able to play it efficiently and effectively, stealing games just by being more competent than other people. There was no other trick to it, he was just genuinely skilled at the game, especially with that deck.

It did make me envy him a little, since I wanted to have that same caliber of clean and proficient gameplay, only with Sagitta instead of Tamayura. However... it was clear I still wasn't quite there just yet.

I still lost to the others in small ways. Against Kurosaki, I choked, thinking she had more defence than she actually did. Against Momoka, I blundered, my inefficient guarding making me succumb to her huge columns.

Even with all my advantages in life, it was something I still had yet to grasp and reach... I could only obtain it through my own two hands.

In the corner of the room, Busujima was playing against Akitani, presumably trying to get some last minute training in. I wandered over to Kurosaki, who was sitting besides Kazuraba, curled up in a ball. Seeing me, she broke out into a small smile.

"T-Takamine-san..."

"Yo."

I sat next to her.

"C-congratulations on the win! You were really cool out there..."

"Thank you. I'm gonna keep doing my best for GEN Academy!"

I grinned and pumped my fist. Kurosaki nodded as Kazuraba waved at me.

"Welcome back, Takamine-san."

"Ah, Kazuraba-senpai. Is Kurosaki-san feeling better?"

"She's doing a lot better than earlier. Lucina-sensei got her some lemonade to help calm the nerves and she's been sipping on it since."

I glanced at the table to see a nearly empty glass of lemonade. Kurosaki nodded with a small smile.

"I-I'm really grateful that we have such a supportive team... both Reona-chan and Lucina-sensei were really helpful calming my anxiety."

"I'm glad to hear. Let's hope you're not up next."

Kurosaki shivered, pouting at me.

"I feel like words like that might bring my nervousness back, Takamine-san..."

"Haha, sorry. I gotta say though, I could kill for some refreshments myself..."

Kazuraba stood with a smile.

"If you want a drink, let me get one for you. What are you in the mood for?"

"Ah, it's fine. I'll go get something myself."

"You sure? I thought you'd be all tuckered out after that fight with Hazuki-san."

"To be honest, I'm more awake than ever... it feels like the adrenaline's still coursing through my body. I gotta get it out of my system, otherwise I'll be the one who can't sit still."

"I see. In that case, take this."

Kazuraba handed me her manager card with a wink.

"You'll get it for free if you pay for it for this."

"Oh damn... I had no clue you had that. That's really hand, thanks!"

"No problem! Just a perk of being a manager. We get things for free since we're supposed to be the ones in charge of you, as you're under our care. Oh, just make sure not to lose it and bring it back to me."

"Sure thing. See you guys in a bit!"

I left the room and went to the nearest vending machine to get a drink. To my surprise, Agon was there too, buying a can of black coffee.

"Hey, Agon-san!"

Since our conversation from earlier ended abruptly, I decided to make some small talk with him. I still wanted to ask him about how he ended up as Category Zero, and how he was able to participate in the Tri-deity Circuit despite that.

"Hello, Takamine-san. It seems we meet again."

Agon opened the can of black coffee and drank it slowly. I went up to the vending machine and bought a bottle of green tea.

"Yeah. Did you catch my fight against Hazuki-san?"

"I did. I was surprised to see you two fight, considering you were together earlier."

"Right? Fate has a funny way of working..."

I laughed, taking my tea out of the machine and opening it.

"I did notice one thing though."

I took a swig of my drink before screwing the cap back on.

"You did not use your Arcana Skill during that game."

"Ah..."

"Is there any reason for that?"

I thought someone might ask me this question. After all, in all my fight, I generally try not to use my Arcana unless it was totally, completely, and absolutely necessary to use, to the point that I had no other choice.

"Well, if I don't use it early, that means it's less information for the rest of the competition."

This was the excuse I came up with a long time ago, a preloaded answer made for this sort of scenario. Because details of Arcana Skills were not made public aside from outside sources, you had to fight that person for yourself to see what it was.

This system used to not be in place - it was all publicly available - but was quickly implemented as Arcana Skills grew more powerful and more complicated. People started feeling it was unfair certain people owned more powerful Skills than others, and started persecuting them for it.

It culminated in an actual murder case - a professional player with an Arcana Skill to draw five cards was killed by a fan of another professional player the day before their game, since they felt it was unfair their oshi had to fight someone with such a powerful ability.

As a result, Arcana Skills became hidden, in order to protect the safety of the players. For me, I'm glad it was in place, because...

If anyone found out what my ability was, they would probably want to kill me too.

"I see. Fair enough."

Just as Agon was about to walk away, I continued talking to him.

"By the way, Agon-san, I heard you were Category Zero."

Instead of stopping like I thought he would, he continued walking.

"Yeah, I am."

I didn't expect this guy to be so nonchalant towards everything... I followed him, catching up to walk besides him.

"If I can ask... how did you end up as Category Zero?"

"I just never won a game of Vanguard whilst in the digital world."

So, it was as simple as that then, huh?

"Eh... how does that happen?"

"It is not on purpose, if that is what you are thinking."

"Ah, nah, I didn't think so. Say, do you suffer from nausea while inside the digital world?"

He blinked before nodding.

Jackpot.

"That is right. How did you know?"

My eyes widened and I grinned.

"Because we have someone on GEN who suffers from the same condition!"

As I said that, Agon stopped, turning to face me fully.

"You do?"

"Yeah! Her name is Kurosaki Yuuma. She's a Category Zero too... and just like you, she gets nauseous while in the digital world. If you want, I can help you two meet each other."

It was a rare condition to have, so I bet both Kurosaki and Agon would appreciate meeting someone else who had the same issue.

Agon's usually stoic face looked stunned for a second. He shifted his eyes away.

"If you could... that would be appreciated."

I grinned.

"Of course! Do you want to meet her now, or—"

At that moment, a pop up appeared in front of us both.

<Commencing next game>
[GEN] Busujima Mari vs [Jinrai] Shiramichi Asuna

We were up again, huh?

"Sorry Agon-san. I gotta head back, since Busujima-san is fighting..."

"That is alright. You can introduce me to Kurosaki Yuuma later."

"Yeah, sure thing! When our side isn't fighting, I'll bring Kurosaki-san and come find you!"

"Let's exchange contacts then."

"Good idea."

Afterwards, I parted ways with Agon and returned to the team room.

"There you are, Takamine-san. We thought you decided to run away from participating, ku ku."

I rolled my eyes at Kuyou's comment and sat next to Kurosaki again. Projected onto a large screen was a stream of the next match.

"Busujima-san is up, huh?"

"I'm worried for her..."

"Yeah, me too."

It seemed both Kurosaki and Kazuraba weren't completely confident in Busujima's abilities to win this. Despite being classified as Category Joker, her abilities seemed to hover around Category Five. That being said...

"I think she'll be fine. Her opponent is one of the lowest ranked fighters here, after all."

It was Shiramichi Asuna, a Category Three fighter. Excluding wildcards like Joker and Category Zero, she was the lowest ranked fighter here. Considering how hard Busujima has trained for this moment, I doubted she would lose to her.

However...

Right now, she was the only one present in the stadium at this moment. She crossed her arms, her long red ponytail swaying slightly as she waited for her opponent to show up.

"Where is Shiramichi-san?"

Even the commentators noticed this unusually long wait for her opponent to appear. Worse yet, if Shiramichi failed to show up or no reason for her absence is given within the allotted five minute grace period, she would be eliminated and Busujima would automatically be given the win.

I mean, for us, this would be a good thing, but I also wanted to see some cardfighting myself... it would be really disappointing if the second fight of the Tri-deity Circuit would be cancelled over a reason as small as this.

"Is she going to make it...?" Iori pondered.

"I guess this is a free win for Busujima." Kuyou said.

As much as I wanted to disagree with him, as the timer ran down to the last minute, I was beginning to think the same. That's when...

A spotlight was cast over Jinrai High's side. The camera shifted its view, going from hanging over the stadium to zooming in close to the tunnel, whereupon stumbling out from the darkness was Busujima's opponent— Shiramichi.

Compared to her fierce introduction in the video conference, she seemed like an entirely different person with the slow, uninterested way she was walking towards the fight table. Her back was hunched slightly and her bangs fell over her eyes.

In a strange way, she reminded me of a zombie... she looked almost lifeless, like she didn't want to be there.

"She looks just like one of those menhera girls, ku ku."

"Weirdly enough, she reminds me of Hazuki-san..."

"Right? Their clothes look really similar!"

Now that Momoka and Iori mentioned it, I also thought Shiramichi had a similar fashion sense to Touka. If that was any indication of what her deck was going to be though, I was expecting to see another Dark States user.

As Shiramichi stepped up to the table, she didn't even apologise, nor did Busujima acknowledge the fact she was late. They merely greeted each other, almost clinically even, before letting their Desire Gazers clash.

A blue card each descended in front of them, with Busujima grabbing hers and Shiramichi pressing a palm against hers. A burst of special effects ignited the cards, realising their decks.

A red crest of scales balanced by flames appeared over Busujima's deck, while a grey crest of a mechanical coffin appeared over Shiramichi's deck.

The system decided Busujima would go first.

"Stand up, Vanguard!"

"One Who Craves Knowledge, Eva..."

"Aurora Battle Princess, Ruby Red."

A Brandt Gate versus Brandt Gate showdown, huh? I wasn't expecting this...

"I-I'm excited to see how much Busujima-san has improved..."

I was surprised to hear Kurosaki start a conversation since usually I'm the one doing it. I was glad she was starting to feel more comfortable around me.

"Ah... yeah, same here."

The last time I fought Busujima, it was a pretty easy win. Even with her deck's devastating endgame, I was able to overpower her in the early and whittle down her resources before she could explode on me.

"Stand and draw. I discard to ride Aurora Battle Princess, Kyanite Blue. I gain the Energy Generator. Kyanite Blue's effect, I search my deck for a Prison card and add it to my hand. I add Galaxy Central Prison, Galactolus. Then, I rest Kyanite Blue to set Galactolus in the order zone, and when it's set, I soulcharge 3. Turn end."

Busujima:
Hand: 5
Damage: 0
Energy: 0
OXO
OOO

Shiramichi:
Hand: 5
Damage: 0
Energy: 0
OXO
OOO

It was a straightforward turn from Busujima-san, but it was all she needed to do to get the ball rolling.

"Thank god she didn't draw the 1-of..." Iori said.

"It would be pretty awkward if she did, ku ku." Kuyou said.

"If she did it again in an important game like this, I would've thought she was cursed." Momoka said.

"Huh? What do you mean?" I said.

"During our testing with Akitani-senpai, Busujima-san kept opening the Prison in her hand. It was really strange watching it real time..." Momoka said.

"E-eh? T-this is the first I'm hearing of it..." Kurosaki said.

"Me too..."

"Ku ku, you would've known if you hung out with us more, Takamine-san."

For some reason, that felt like a slight against Kurosaki since I spent most of my time with her rather than them. I narrowed my eyes at Kuyou.

"Maybe there's a reason I don't hang out with you."

"And that would be?"

Kuyou feigning ignorance felt like he was trying to goad me into telling him straight up why I didn't like him despite the reason being clear to just about everyone else in the room.

The atmosphere became tense as everyone's eyes drew away from the large screen projecting Busujima's fight and towards us two, with Lucina-sensei and Kazuraba-senpai looking at each other in worry. Akitani-senpai stood, looking ready to intervene.

"Don't pretend—"

"T-Takamine-san..."

I stopped as Kurosaki tugged on my sleeve, shaking her head. I furrowed my eyebrows, before my eyes widened seeing the fear swirling in her eyes.

I thought she would be happy if I stood up for her, but soon quickly realised that she didn't want me to make a big deal out of this, especially because it was about her.

I backed down, giving one last glare to Kuyou before turning to her with gentle eyes.

"...sorry. I'll ignore him from now on."

Kurosaki nodded in approval, letting go of my sleeve. It was crinkled from how hard she was tugging on it...

"That would be for the best. You ignore me, I ignore you. That works for both of us, right?"

Sticking to my word, I didn't say anything back. This led to Kuyou laugh smugly, kicking up his feet with a self-satisfactory smile. I grit the back of my teeth, feeling uneasy at the tense atmosphere leftover from our near confrontation.

Lucina-sensei and Kazuraba-senpai looked at each other, seemingly concerned at the rising tension between me and Kuyou. We hadn't been on good terms for awhile, but this was the closest it had come to spilling out since our cardfight at the start of term.

I had only been able to keep things civil until now because he was a better player than me, and I respected that fact. But after living with this obnoxious asshole in this resort for nearly a week, I just about had enough of seeing his stupid face.

I turned back to the fight, where I had managed to catch the tail end of Shiramichi's turn.

"Stand and draw... I discard to ride An Afternoon Nap Regardless of Place, Eva. Eva's skill, since she was placed by riding on One Who Craves Knowledge, I add a Research from deck to hand... I choose Torrential Energy Research. Then, I draw from the starter and gain the Energy Generator with 3 energy. I set Torrential Energy Research... it's skill, I reveal the top five cards of my deck... (The World is a Blue Research Lab, Combine Rusher, Examination Monster, Imigrar, Craggy Monster, Girgrand, Chain-like Cluster) From among them, I add a "Monster" to hand, and put a "Monster" to drop... I choose Girgrand and Imigrar respectively. Eva attacks... (8000)"

"No guard."

"Drive check... (Past of Captivity)"

"Damage check. (Blitz Staff, Muna)"

"Turn end..."

Busujima:
Hand: 5
Damage: 1
Energy: 0
OXO
OOO

Shiramichi:
Hand: 8
Damage: 0
Energy: 3
OXO
OOO

"Stand, draw, charge. I discard to ride Aurora Battle Princess, Risatt Pink. Risatt Pink's skill, imprison a card from your hand."

"I... imprison Wavyloss."

"I call Aurora Battle Princess, Lifle Royar. Lifle's skill, since I imprisoned a card this turn, I counterblast to scry 5 and call a unit from among them with grade equal to or lower than my vanguard. I call Aurora Battle Princess, Cuff Spring. Cuff Spring's skill, imprison another card from your hand, then you draw."

"I imprison... my G3 Obscudeid. Draw..."

"That's bad for Busujima..." I mumbled.

"E-eh? Why's that?" Kurosaki said.

"It's because of Obscudeid's Glitter effect. It activates whenever he's called by card ability... and well, if you call him from Prison, that counts towards his condition."

"N-no way... so that means... every time Busujima-san prisons one of Shiramichi-san's cards..."

"Shiramichi can just choose to imprison Obscudeid, then free him on the subsequent turn with an extra critical."

It did make me wonder why she didn't just imprison him from the get go if she had him in hand already... the only thing I could think of was that Obscudeid wouldn't be live until turn 3, so putting in Wavyloss to free him turn 2 would be better for her.

"D-do you think Busujima-san has realised that...?"

"Probably. At least, I hope so..."

She's a Prison main, so Busujima should be aware of the various ways people can abuse her Prison to their own advantage. But considering her skill level, she might still be oblivious about it and will get caught majorly off guard by Shiramichi's play.

"I call Aurora Battle Princess, Corner Citrus and Blitz Staff, Muna. Corner Citrus's effect, imprison a card from drop."

"I imprison Rusher..."

"Then, I energyblast 3 to draw. Since you have three cards in Prison, Lifle and Muna both get +5k. (8000 > 13000) (8000 > 13000) Cuff Spring attacks. (10000)"

"G2 Obscudeid guards... (15000)"

"Boosted by Lifle, Risatt Pink attacks. (10000 > 23000)"

"No guard..."

"Drive check. (Aurora Battle Princess, Accuse Makarite)"

"Damage check... (Craggy Monster, Girgrand)"

"Boosted by Muna, Corner Citrus attacks. (10000 > 23000)"

"No guard... (Patrol Robo, Dekarcop) All effects to vanguard... (10000 > 20000)"

"Turn end."

Busujima:
Hand: 4
Damage: 1
Energy: 0
Prison: 3
XXX
OXX

Shiramichi:
Hand: 7
Damage: 2
Energy: 3
OXO
OOO

"Stand, draw, and charge... I discard to ride Smooth Research Progress, Eva. Eva's skill, since she was placed by riding from An Afternoon Nap, I add a Research from deck to hand... I choose The World is a Blue Research Lab. I set Past of Captivity... and Eva attacks. (10000)"

"No guard."

"Drive check... (Cardinal Draco, Enpyro) Front trigger... (10000 > 20000)"

"Damage check. (Security Upgrader)"

"Turn end..."

It seems Shiramichi was trying to limit the amount Busujima could imprison on her next turn by not committing any cards to rear-guard.

Busujima:
Hand: 4
Damage: 2
Energy: 0
Prison: 3
XXX
OXX

Shiramichi:
Hand: 8
Damage: 2
Energy: 6
OXO
OOO

"Stand, draw, and charge. I discard to ride Aurora Battle Princess, Seraph Snow. Since you have 3 cards imprisoned, Snow gets +10k and an extra drive (13000 > 23000/2d > 3d), while Lifle and Muna get +5k. (8000 > 13000) (8000 > 13000) Boosted by Lifle, Seraph Snow attacks. (23000 > 36000/3d) Corner Citrus' skill, since you have 3 cards imprisoned, she gets +10k when my vanguard attacks. (10000 > 20000)"

"Girgrand... perfect guards..."

"Triple Drive. (Aurora Battle Princess, Penetrate Aquas, Aurora Battle Princess, Corner Citrus, Aurora Battle Princess, Treuse Green) Heal trigger. Power to Cuff Spring. (10000 > 20000) Cuff Spring attacks. (20000)"

"Chain-like Cluster... guards... (25000)"

"Boosted by Muna, Corner Citrus attacks. (20000 > 33000)"

"No guard... (Reception Monster, Wavyloss)"

"Turn end."

Busujima:
Hand: 7
Damage: 1
Energy: 3
Prison: 3
XXX
OXX

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

"Stand... draw... charge. I discard to ride Fountain of Knowledge, Eva... I set The World is a Blue Research Lab... Blue Research Lab's skill, I scry 5... and call one unit from among them."

Shiramichi paused, plucking out one card from among the five and staring at it longer than the rest. She tightened her grip on it, a small glint appearing in her dead eyes.

"Ah... how did it go again..."

Shiramichi sighed before straightening her hunched back, showing off how tall she actually was. The audience went into an uproar as she revealed she was over 6 ft.

Seeing her true height for the first time, Kurosaki and Iori gasped, Kuyou and Momoka stared wide eyed, and Kazuraba was laughing at their reactions. But for me, what I took notice of was how, for the first time in this game...

...Shiramichi looked like she wanted to try.

I don't know what motivated her to become like this, but whatever card she was holding, she must have felt a deep connection to it for her to start acting this way. I know I would be the same when it came to Sagitta.

"The sword that denies life... open the darkness... wreak the far dream... and show there is no hope, justice, or salvation to be had at the end of this rotten world. This is your only road... my avatar! I call Knight of Blackness... Obscudeid!"

My eyes widened.

"Her avatar is Obscudeid, not Eva?!"

For some reason, Kurosaki was pouting.

"My mortal enemy..."

"Ah..."

Somehow, I feel like these two are destined to be rivals.

"Now, now, Yuuma-chan, it's just her deck of choice."

Kazuraba giggled and put her hands on Kurosaki's shoulders. Her pout grew worse.

"S-she didn't have to pick Obscudeid as her avatar though..."

"Why not? He might be her husbando, you know."

Come to think of it, Shiramichi and Obscudeid were pretty similar... maybe she plays Eva just because she gets to use him?

"Anyone who hurts Thegrea is my mortal enemy."

I think that was the most serious I've ever heard Kurosaki in my life before...

"I didn't know you liked Thegrea that much, Kurosaki-san."

"E-eh?! O-oh, ummm, w-well, ahh... h-how do I put this...?"

Despite only meaning it as a casual offhanded comment, Kurosaki was beginning to fluster and panic over her response. I laughed a little before reassuring her.

"It's okay, you don't need to give a reason why. You like what you like, I won't judge."

More like I can't judge, considering my favourite deck uses a bird lady. What does that say about me as a person...?

"B-but... Thegrea is important to me...! I... I don't want Takamine-san to get the wrong idea..."

Hearing her earnestly shout that out, I smiled a little.

"Nah, I get what you mean. I'm the same with Sagitta, after all."

As I reassured her, Kurosaki smiled a little too.

"Obscudeid's skill... when he's called by a card ability, since I have 3 or more Research orders... he gets a critical. (13000/1 > 2) Eva's skill... I counterblast to scry equal to my number of Research orders and add a card among them to hand... I add this one, and botdeck the rest... she gets +5k. (13000 > 18000) I counterblast to call Imigrar and Obscudeid from your Prison... Obscudeid's skill, once more... (13000/1 > 2) Past of Captivity's skill... when a Glitter unit is placed, I can give that unit +5k... I'll give it to this Obscudeid. (13000 > 18000/2)"

"Muna's skill, since a unit was called to rear-guard from the order zone, I soulblast to draw."

"Imigrar's skill... I put him into soul... and superior ride Poison in Paradise, Eva from my deck... Poison in Paradise's skill, when she's placed from riding Fountain of Knowledge, I add a Research from deck to hand... I choose Past of Captivity. I use the Energy Generator's skill, energyblast 7 to draw 1... I call Wavyloss and use it's skill... soulblast 2 to draw... and since I have 3 or more Research orders, he gets +5k... (8000 > 13000) My right Obscudeid attacks... his skill, since I have 3 or more set orders, he gets +10k... (18000 > 28000/2) Ruined Reality...!"

The atmosphere around Shiramichi began warping as her dimly lit circuits began working, sending the two into a gloomy and desolate battlefield where jagged formations and rocky hills were covered in a thick smog of grey mist.

"Treuse Green guards and Spring Cuff intercepts. (33000)"

The phantom shape of Obscudeid leapt from the darkness, slashing down and banishing Busujima's guardians into the hidden cracks on the surface beneath them that led straight into the irretrievable abyss.

"Eva attacks... (13000) Her skill, I bind Fountain of Knowledge from my soul... and superior call Obscudeid from my deck, giving them both +5k... (13000 > 18000) (13000 > 18000) Obscudeid's skill... (18000/1 > 2)"

Behind Shiramichi, it looked like the grim reaper of death was dancing behind her, spinning around and stretching out its hand, urging everything around them to come one step closer to death.

"No guard."

Despite that dangerous aura emanating off her, Busujima remained calm and shook off the ominous feeling. Even when the scythe that could reap her soul was hanging right over her head, she didn't even flinch at the risk of suddenly being crit to death.

"Twin Drive... (Result of the Experiment Henceforth, Combine Rusher)"

"Damage check. (Violate Dragon)"

"My right Obscudeid attacks once more... (18000 > 28000/2)"

"No guard. (Aurora Battle Princess, Cuff Spring, Blitz Pilot, Jagt) Critical trigger. All effects to my vanguard. (13000 > 23000)"

"Boosted by Wavyloss, my left Obscudeid attacks... (13000 > 26000 > 36000/2)"

"Lourus Yellow guards. (38000)"

It was like a never ending assault of Obscudeid... a cascade of them all came down at once, and Busujima had somehow managed to dodge a lethal strike. You could really see her improvement shine through in this resourceful guarding.

"Turn end... Poison in Paradise's skill, I re-ride Fountain of Knowledge from my bind..."

Busujima:
Hand: 6
Damage: 4
Energy: 3
Prison: 1
OXX
OXX

Shiramichi:
Hand: 9
Damage: 3
Energy: 2
XXX
XOO

"Stand, draw, and charge. I call Security Upgrader. Upgrader's skill, since I have a grade 3 Seraph vanguard and didn't ride this turn, I retire it to superior ride from my deck—."

Busujima's circuits lit up bright red, blazing throughout her body strongly as with a click of a finger, she changed her surroundings into the surface of Mars itself.

"The inescapable starlight from above that pierces everything in three distinct strikes. Spear through burning eternity and capture all evil within this blessing of destruction, my avatar. I ride Aurora Fierce Princess, Seraph Purelight."

Busujima licked her lips before smirking for a brief second. Her expression returned to its usual clinical self, but it seemed despite the detached way she was playing earlier, deep down she was also fired up from this game.

"Since I rode, Upgrader makes you imprison a card from drop, and the cost of Purelight's ability is reduced by counterblast 1."

"I imprison Obscudeid..."

"Purelight's skill, I soulblast Seraph Snow to make you imprison two cards each from your hand, field, and soul. Blow away everything, Dust Devil Trishula!"

"I imprison Obscudeid and Wavyloss from field... Imigrar and Afternoon Nap from soul... and Poison in Paradise and Result of the Experiment Henceforth from hand..."

"I call Muna and use Lifle's skill. I counterblast to imprison your remaining Obscudeid and scry 5 to superior call Corner Citrus from deck. Corner Citrus' skill, imprison another card from drop, and I energyblast 3 to draw."

"I imprison Cluster..."

"That makes it nine."

I leaned forward, waiting in anticipation for Busujima's deck to explode in power.

"A-ah... Busujima-san's so close... she's just one short of getting Purelight's full effect..."

Kurosaki was also counting along on a separate tab in front of her.

"Well, she would be... if it wasn't for her Skill she hasn't used yet."

I smirked. This was Busujima's secret weapon. The thing that would push her turn over the edge.

"It's time to show the world what a Joker's Arcana looks like."

Busujima took a deep breath before exhaling, extending her left arm out as she channeled her orange-red circuits to the back of her hand, revealing the Roman numeral engraved onto it, before showing it off to Shiramichi.

XVIII.

"Moon ability, activate."

"Iron Parvati. I activate Persona Ride and you imprison the top two cards of your deck. (10000 > 20000) (13000 > 23000) (10000 > 20000)"

"That makes it more than ten!" Kurosaki cheered.

"Purelight's skill. For every two imprisoned cards, my front row gets +5k. Since I have eleven, that makes it +25k. (20000 > 45000) (23000 > 48000) (20000 > 45000) Then, if I have ten or more imprisoned cards, my front row goes critical. (45000/1 > 2) (48000/1 > 2) (45000/1 > 2) Lifle and my two Muna get +5k. (8000 > 13000) (8000 > 13000) (8000 > 13000) Boosted by Muna, Corner Citrus attacks. (45000 > 58000/2)"

"No guard... (Examination Monster, Imigrar, Patrol Robo, Dekarcop) Critical trigger... all to vanguard... (13000 > 23000)"

"Boosted by Muna, Corner Citrus attacks. (45000 > 58000/2)"

"Guard with double Enpyro... (23000 > 43000 > 63000)"

"Boosted by Lifle, Purelight attacks. (48000 > 61000/2) Both of my Corner Citrus' skills, when my vanguard attacks, they get +10k, and I counterblast for each to stand them. (45000 > 55000/2) (45000 > 55000/2) Remorseless Shiva."

"Girgrand... perfect guard..."

"Triple Drive. (Forbiddoll Surrogate, Aurora Battle Princess, Accuse Makarite, Aurora Battle Princess, Lifle Royar) No triggers. Corner Citrus, attack. (55000/2)"

"Blitz Order... Fluctuate Buster Barrage... it gives my vanguard +10k... (23000 > 33000) And from my drop zone... I add to guard two different grade 2 or greater units... I choose Knight of Blackness, Obscudeid and Great Sword of Fierce Black Flame, Obscudeid... G3 Obscudeid gets +10k shield since I have an Eva vanguard... (33000 > 43000) And G2 Obscudeid gets +5k shield since I have 3 or more set orders... (43000 > 53000) Rusher guards as well... (53000 > 58000)"

"Shiramichi-san's just been reduced to one card in hand...!" Kurosaki gasped.

The bags under Shiramichi's eyes got worse as Busujima had pushed her to the brink.

"Alright! Since Girgrand doesn't have the clause that lets it perfect guard for free, Busujima-san can win as long as that last card isn't an overTrigger!"

"Ku ku. Don't get too excited just yet. If I was in Shiramichi's position, I would've just risked trying to get a heal trigger as soon as possible if I knew I couldn't guard all of it."

"Yeah... I agree with Kuyou-san. If I was playing, I wouldn't dare guard unless I knew my survival was guaranteed." Momoka said.

"So, what you're saying is she has the oT?" Iori said.

"Probably. That, or she has a way to stop the last attack, somehow or someway. Otherwise, she's stupid for doing things this way."

"Corner Citrus attacks. (55000/2)"

"Arcana Skill..."

The circuits in Shiramichi's body began lighting up in a hollow dark grey, crawling from her feet upwards, shooting through her legs and torso, before joining up at the side of her neck as a Roman numeral.

XII.

"Hanged Man ability, activate."

"Thanatos Fall... from my drop zone, I call two different units without sentinel to guard... and they get +10k shield... come back once more, my G3 and G2 Obscudeid... their skills activate, giving them +10k and +5k shield respectively... (23000 > 43000 > 43000 > 63000)"

"I see. Turn end."

Busujima:
Hand: 10
Damage: 4
Energy: 3
Prison: 11
XXX
XXX

Shiramichi:
Hand: 1
Damage: 5
Energy: 2
OXO
OOO

"Ku ku. Called it."

"Damn... that's such a powerful Skill..." I said.

"It compliments her deck perfectly too, since Obscudeid are such good defensive pieces." Iori said.

"It's almost like Purelight's hand rip didn't matter." Momoka said.

"B-Busujima-san... will she still be able to clinch this?" Kurosaki said.

"Who knows... I hope she can." Kazuraba said.

"Busujima's lost. Simple as."

After saying such an inflammatory phrase, Kuyou got up and stretched.

"I don't need to watch the rest of this game to know the result. I'm going for a toilet break."

Kuyou left the team room.

"I don't get that guy at all... who does he think he is, acting that cocky and saying our teammate is guaranteed to lose?"

I sighed. Kurosaki nodded in agreement.

"I-I also think Busujima-san can still win too... she's in a far better position than Shiramichi-san."

"Unfortunately, he has a good point." Akitani said.

"Huh? You agree with him, senpai?" I said.

"I know Kuyou-san didn't put it in a nice way, but yes, I agree with his assessment of the situation. At this point of the game, Busujima-san has run out of steam. While she eliminated the threat of Shiramichi-san not having an offensive Arcana, the fact her Arcana bought her an additional turn is more important in this scenario. After all, the first Purelight turn is most crucial in a control match-up, so the fact Shiramichi-san defended against it while having resources leftover gives her the greater advantage."

"B-but, Shiramichi-san has one card in hand while Busujima-san has ten..."

"The issue is she'll have to use all ten of those cards if she wants to survive. Busujima-san is on four damage, and just like what she did, Shiramichi-san can also threaten lethal on every attack. Freeing Obscudeid from Prison will make them go critical and Eva's deck compression means her drive checks are very likely to check yellows— or even Eldobreath."

"The fact her attackers are Obscudeid also shut off Busujima-san's strongest defensive option, Derii Violet, since she can only nullify attacks made by grade 2 or lower units. Obsc is grade 3, for better or worse." Kazuraba said.

"Crap, I didn't even think about that..." I said.

"It doesn't help Busujima-san's drive checks were all... well, bad, to put it nicely. One of them being a shieldless card might be the make or break difference in whether or not she can survive Shiramichi-san's turn." Lucina-sensei said.

"On top of that, while Shiramichi-san doesn't have many cards in hand, she has an Imigrar in drop she can revive for the superior ride, and a whole host of units in Prison she can free. As long as she has access to Obscudeid, hand size truly doesn't matter."

Kurosaki frowned. I scratched the back of my neck and looked up at the screen.

"So this is the end of the line for Busujima-san, huh...?"

"Unless she pulls a miracle heal or oT, I think so too."

"Stand, draw, and charge... I set Past of Captivity... Imigrar's skill, when I set a Research order, I energyblast 3 to revive it from drop with +2k... (8000 > 10000) Eva's skill, I counterblast to scry equal to the number of Research I have, which is four... add a card from among them to hand, botdecking the rest... and she gets +5k. (13000 > 18000) I counterblast 2 to call four cards from Prison... I call Wavyloss, Imigrar, and... the sword that denies life... open the darkness... wreak the far dream... and show there is no hope, justice, or salvation to be had at the end of this rotten world. This is your only road... my avatar! I call two Knight of Blackness, Obscudeid...!"

"My two Muna's skill, soulblast 2 to draw 2."

"Obscudeid's skill, they both get a critical... (13000/1 > 2) (13000/1 > 2) Wavyloss' skill, he gets +5k... (8000 > 13000) Skill of the Imigrar I called from Prison, I put him into soul and superior ride Poison in Paradise from deck... Poison in Paradise's skill, since she was placed from Fountain of Knowledge, I add another Past of Captivity to hand... and then activate Persona Ride. (13000 > 23000/2) (13000 > 23000) (13000 > 23000/2) Blue Research Lab's skill, I soulblast and rest three of my Research orders to give my left Obscudeid +5k... (23000 > 28000/2) Boosted by Imigrar, my right Obscudeid attacks... his skill, he gets +10k... (23000 > 33000 > 43000/2) Ruined Reality...!"

"Guard with two Jagt and a Derii Violet. (13000 > 28000 > 43000 > 48000)"

"Eva attacks... (23000) Her skill, I bind Fountain of Knowledge from soul... and superior call an Obscudeid from deck, and they both get +5k... (23000 > 28000) (13000 > 23000 > 28000) Obscudeid's skill, he goes critical... (28000/1 > 2) Skill of both my set Past of Captivity... when a Glitter unit is placed, they get +5k... (28000 > 33000 > 38000/2)"

If Busujima didn't have enough shield to stop all of Shiramichi's attacks, Eva's swing was the only one she could afford to take.

It was extremely risky, since if Shiramichi checked even one critical, it would be game over for Busujima, but with a confirmed critical on everything else, this was the only breathing space she had.

"Akitani-senpai, what's the odds of her flipping a yellow?" Iori asked.

"From all available public information... and including the fact she still hasn't seen her overTrigger... it's just shy of 38%."

"So a 60% chance for her to whiff... would you take those odds, senpai?"

"Only if I was forced to. Otherwise, I'd prioritise a two-to-pass."

"Eh? Even in this situation?"

"In a two-to-pass situation, players rarely take the risk of putting it on vanguard unless they know their deck is fully compressed. Often, they'll pass the triggers to the rear-guard, making it even harder to stop. In that case, using a sentinel there would be more efficient."

"Hmm, I see... yeah, that makes sense. The nullify would be wasted if the opponent checked blanks, or if your opponent's rears are bigger than the vanguard."

"I wonder what Busujima-san will do..."

Busujima, after pouring through her options and making the calculations, made a strong decision of what she would do at this pivotal point of the game.

"Elemantaria Sanctitude, perfect guard."

It seems she was going to play it safe after all.

"Twin Drive... (Craggy Monster, Girgrand, Cardinal Prima, Nabilem) Heal trigger... power to Obscudeid and recovering a damage... (38000 > 48000/2)"

"Damn, she could've taken that..." I said.

"S-surely Busujima-san has to have another PG ready, right...?" Kurosaki said.

"She discarded Forbidoll off that, so we can assume the rest of her hand is shield..." Akitani said.

"One, two, three, four, five... oi, unless there are triggers or multiple PGs mixed in there, she's done for!" Iori said.

"She also needs to keep either Upgrader or Purelight as follow up for next turn, so that's one less card she can afford to guard with." Momoka said.

Busujima was down to her last seven cards in hand, with two of them confirmed 5k shields, and both Obscudeid columns were absurdly large. It was an extremely tough situation to be in for any player.

"Will she be able to do it...?" Kazuraba said.

"Come on Busujima-san, we believe in you!" Lucina-sensei said.

"Boosted by Wavyloss, my left Obscudeid attacks... his skill, +10k... (28000 > 38000 > 51000/2) Ruined Reality...!"

"Lourus Yellow, Ameliorate Connector, Penetrate Aquas, and Lifle Royar guard. Aquas' skill, since I have 2 or more imprisoned units, she gets +5k shield. Connector's skill, since you're a grade 3 vanguard, he gets +5k shield. (13000 > 28000 > 38000 > 48000 > 53000)"

"She managed to guard that one!" I said.

"Alright! One more to go!" Iori said.

"Busujima-san is down to three cards..." Momoka said.

"Please let there be a PG, please let there be a PG..." Kazuraba said.

"Y-you can do it, Busujima-san! Don't let that bastard Obscudeid take you down like this!" Kurosaki said.

She really hates Obscudeid, huh...

"My right Obscudeid... attacks. (48000 > 58000/2) Banish the regret... Ruined Reality."

Busujima looked at her hand and closed her eyes. After a brief moment of self reflection, she opened them back up and looked at Shiramichi from across the table with a softened expression.

"Ah... no guard. (Aurora Battle Princess, Lifle Royar, Aurora Fierce Princess, Seraph Purelight) Good game, Shiramichi-san."

Shiramichi's eyes widened under her dark bangs, and the corner of her lips turned upwards slightly in the faintest of faint smiles.

"Good game... Busujima-san."

The two of them bowed at each other before leaving the fight table and returning to their respective teams.

"Ahh... Busujima-san was so close..." Lucina-sensei said.

"I can't believe it though... an Eva player being only Category Three? Either Shiramichi-san's been slacking or she's only recently learnt how to play the deck correctly." Iori said.

"Her last three cards in hand were Citrus, Spring, and Upgrader. Even if she chucked in her two rear-guard Citrus as intercepts, it still wouldn't be enough."

Even though the game only ended a few seconds ago, Akitani had already jumped into postgame analysis. A scattering of floating tabs were in front of him as he cross checked data and made calculations.

"That's our coach, alright..." Momoka said.

"Keep up the hard work, Akitani-kun!" Kazuraba said.

"You should've made her run the Tazer build, Akitani-senpai. Maybe then those Obscudeid wouldn't run so rampant, ku ku."

Returning from his bathroom break was Kuyou, whistling as he sat back down with his legs kicked up.

"It was an option we considered, but a control build isn't the best choice for a newer player like Busujima-san. She produced far better results trying to turbo to Purelight's threshold than stalling out the game."

"Wow, I can't believe we've found someone on the same level as the Category Zero. I guess when her ranking gets calculated, she'll probably end up being only One or Two."

"Lower than Shiramichi-san?" Iori said.

"Obviously. If she couldn't beat a Three, she doesn't deserve to be on the same level."

I wanted to say something back, especially since it felt extra scummy he was talking about Busujima this way, not only because they were friends, but also because he was dissing her behind her back, but held back after remembering what happened earlier.

Instead, I kept my mouth shut and sighed.

Even so... another part of me wanted to defend Busujima because of what she told me that day.

Even after all this time we've been classmates, I still couldn't forget it.

「Princess of Mars」

I put a hand on my head and flinched as the back of my head thumped.

Any time I remembered what she told me, my head would begin hurting. I don't know why... maybe it was some kind of Martian power I didn't know about.

Even thinking about the word "Martian", the pain increased. I blinked once or twice, trying to flush the pain from my head. Seeing me with my fingers pressed against my temple, Kurosaki turned to me.

"A-are you okay, Takamine-san...?"

"...yeah, sorry."

I shook off the pain and got up.

"Actually, Kurosaki-san. Could you come with me real quick?"

"Eh? What is it, Takamine-san? Are you really unwell after all...?"

"It's not that... uh, rather..."

I scratched the back of my head before smiling.

"There's someone I'd like you to meet."

Kurosaki tilted her head innocently.