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Chapter Text

Chapter 1: Gold Paladins

The soft sizzling of the stove filled the air, a soft motherly humming joining in. Shizuka Sendou was happily putting the finishing touches on breakfast for herself and her children. With the beginning of their summer vacation, it only made sense to fill their food with as much love as possible.

It's been a few weeks since the Vanguard Nationals had ended, her baby boy and his friends becoming the champions. It had made her so proud to see Aichi grow up so much. Their father had been watching too while he was overseas and video called to congratulate Aichi on his achievement.

But the even better piece of news was that her oldest daughter, Asaka, had come back home to live with them again. Shizuka now had all of her children living under her roof again and she couldn't be happier!

"AICHI! ASAKA! WAKE UP, ALREADY!"

Shizuka blinked, then smiled. "Looks like it was time for the kids to get up.

"JUST BECAUSE IT'S SUMMER DOESN'T MEAN WE CAN SLEEP IN ALL THE TIME!"

A door is slammed open. "ASAKA! YOU HAVE WORK-GUH!"

"EMI! I TOLD YOU TO STOP BARGING INTO MY ROOM!" Asaka shouts after throwing a pillow at her little sister.

"THEN GET UP ALREADY!"

"GO BOTHER AICHI!"

SLAM!

"Asaka was never a morning person." Shizuka reminds herself as she turns off the stove. She starts piling food on separate plates and bowls.

"AICHI! WAKE UP!"

"G-give me a moment, Emi!"

"Then hurry up! Breakfast is ready!"

Soon after, Emi marches down the stairs, dressed and ready for the day. She's wearing a white-collared shirt with a pink neck-tie under her collar. Emi has a thigh-length red skirt and black knee-socks.

She shakes her head as she enters the kitchen. "I thought after everything that happened that Aichi would start waking up on time, but it seems he still can't. Even worse is that it's rubbing off on Asaka too." Emi takes her seat at the table and looks to her mother. "It's tough being the responsible one, right mom?"

Shizuka smiles, humming slightly. "That is true. But, Emi?"

"Yes, mom?"

"Is your room cleaned?"

Emi freezes. Her eyes looked away with guilt. "I-uh-plan to get to that soon…"

"Hm. Certainly." Shizuka pulls out cartons of milk and orange juice. "You still have a long way to go yourself, Emi."

Now that everyone was dressed and eating, Shizuka smiles brightly at her children. "So? Any plans today? It is the first day of summer, after all. Certainly, none of you are planning to just stay inside all day?"

"I couldn't even if I wanted to. I have to run some errands for Card Capital today." Asaka informs her family. Since she was no longer a member of Team Asteroid, the oldest Sendou had ditched her old outfit. She's now wearing a long-sleeved pink sweater, and a purple miniskirt. "Misaki doesn't have her license yet while I do, which means I get to drive Shin's van when necessary."

"I still can't believe someone like you has a job, Asaka!" Emi exclaimed.

"What's that supposed to mean? Are you saying that I'm incapable of working?" Asaka narrows her eyes.

"No, I'm just surprised you managed to keep it this long. You're not the most…welcoming person." Emi admits, giggling.

"Tch!" Asaka looks away, grumbling. "I'll let you know that business has been going well since I was hired! Plenty of customers always rush inside whenever I'm the one working the counter!"

Aichi kept quiet, unsure if he should tell her that the reason so many boys rushed into the shop wasn't for the reason Asaka was thinking. Instead, he decided to push the conversation away from that topic. "Is Misaki joining you?"

"Yes, so the errands shouldn't be super boring with her tagging along." Asaka admits, smiling a bit. There was something more to that, but Aichi couldn't figure it out.

"I see. I'm proud to see you're sticking through your job, Asaka." Shizuka's compliment earned a blush from the oldest. "What about you, Emi?"

"I'll be hanging out with Mai today! We wanted to go check out some cute sweets that Rekka showed us a week ago. Unfortunately, Rekka will be too busy to join us." Emi explained.

"Thank goodness for that." Asaka sighs, relieved. While she was happy to see Emi hanging out with her friends, she considers Rekka a terrible influence.

"Stay safe, Emi. I'll lend you some extra cash just in case, okay?" Shizuka said.

"Thanks, mom!" Emi exclaimed.

Shizuka turns to her only son. "And what about you, Mr. Champion?"

Much like his siblings, Aichi had changed his wardrobe after hearing his sisters complain about his clothes. He wears a zipped up white jacket with black coloring down the sides, and his usual red sweater underneath. Aichi kept his blue jeans.

Blushing a bit at the title, Aichi thinks over his own plans. "I don't really have much I want to do today. So, I think I'll go take a walk around the park and then head to Card Capital later."

"You could always go visit your girlfriend!" Emi pipes up, grinning.

"E-EMI?!" Aichi and Asaka squeal. "K-KOURIN ISN'T MY GIRLFRIEND!" Aichi shouts, red as a tomato.

"I never specified Kourin~!" Emi sings.

"You have definitely been spending too much time around Rekka…" Asaka groaned.

"I-I'm going to get going! Thanks for the breakfast, mom!" Aichi quickly escapes before he could be embarrassed any further. He already had his deck with him, so there was no reason to rush back upstairs.

"Have fun, sweetie!" Shizuka shouts.

"Don't get lost, Aichi!" Emi giggles.

"Keep away from troublesome blondes, Aichi!" Asaka warns.

"Enough already!" Aichi whines, rushing out of the door, ignoring the teasing laughter of his family.

Jeez, being the only boy in this family really was tough.

Misaki Tokura lets out a deep sigh as she finishes loading up the last shipment of the latest card packs. Since it was summer, she had no reason to be wearing her school uniform. Thus, she's wearing a blue jacket worn over a midriff bearing pink shirt and a beige short skirt, and a pair of white boots.

Normally, this wouldn't be a task she'd be relegated to but the delivery business that usually delivers the supplies were experiencing some issues with their trucks. So, any and all customers had to come pick up their goods themselves. Misaki turns to see Asaka signing the necessary paperwork.

"And will that be all for today, ladies?" The manager asked.

"Yes, this is everything that our boss ordered. Thank you for helping us." Asaka does a respectful bow.

"It's no problem. I'm sorry that we have to make you all come out here. Young ladies such as yourselves shouldn't be doing such hard labor."

Asaka shakes her head. "No need to worry about that. We're pretty tough, right, Misaki?"

"Tougher than Shin, that's for sure." Misaki agreed.

"In that case, you ladies get back safe, okay?" He nods.

"We will, sir! Thank you!" Asaka waves as he walks away to take care of the rest of the pick-ups. Once he was gone, the ex-assassin let out a tired groan. "Ugh. Glad that's over with."

"You handled it well enough." Misaki said.

"Next time you're dealing with the weird older guys who keep sneaking glances at your chest."

"Do you want to be the one who carries the heavy boxes?" Misaki points at the loaded van.

Asaka stares at those boxes for a long moment. "How about we force Shin to do it next time?"

"Deal."

"Hey, is that you, Misaki?!"

The CC girls turn to the voice, the lilac's eyes widening. "Gouki?!"

Walking over to them was none other than Gouki Daimonji, the leader of Team Handsome and owner of Card Shop Handsome. He's a muscular young man with tanned skin. He dresses similarly to a pirate to embrace the theme of his shop. He's wearing a red durag, a sleeveless brown jacket, and a red shirt underneath. He wears a pair of white pants with brown boots.

Asaka tilted her head. "Who?"

"How do you not-oh right." Misaki shook her head. It wasn't like Team Asteroid ever kept track of teams that never passed the prelims, and even the teams that did barely got their attention. It would make sense that Asaka wouldn't know who Gouki is. "He's the leader of Team Handsome and owns a card shop. He's a friend. Aichi defeated him during the first prelims we were in."

"So, he's not important."

"Asaka!"

"Sorry, sorry, still trying to get over that." Asaka quickly apologizes.

"Ha Ha! It's all fine to me, Aichi's sis!" Gouki laughs, crossing his arms.

"You can call me by my name."

"So anyway, Aichi's sis, I didn't know you went from Team Asteroid to working at Card Capital!" Gouki clearly ignored her.

Asaka rolled her eyes. "It's not like I go around sharing my personal information."

"Don't you have a really popular social media account-"

"So, what brings you here?" Asaka interrupts Misaki.

Gouki stares at her.

"Right…ugh." The ex-assassin realizes how stupid that question was.

Misaki shakes her head. "Don't mind her too much, Gouki. She's still working on her people skills."

"I don't want to hear that from you." Asaka sneered.

Gouki laughs it off, clearly not bothered. "Hey, it's all fine with me. I already got my shipment ready to go. I was about to leave until I noticed you two and wanted to check in. I'm happy to see that you're doing just well."

"Thanks for coming to see us. We're happy to see you too, right, Asaka?" Misaki lightly elbows her friend.

"Ugh-yeah! Nice!" She elbows Misaki back.

"Speaking of…is everything going alright for you, Gouki?" Misaki asked.

The pirate fighter smirks. "Things couldn't be better! The boys and I are working hard to better our skills so that we can break past the prelims next time! Especially with our newest member on board! Nagisa was so happy when he finally decided to return home to Team Handsome!"

"Nagisa?" Asaka tilts her head.

"My little sister!"

"Wait…a guy like this is actually an older sibling?" Asaka couldn't believe it. But to be fair...people were saying the same thing about her not that long ago.

Misaki's eyes narrow slightly. "Wait…when you say Nagisa was happy to have this new member…does that mean?"

"Ha ha! Oh yeah! Sorry to tell you this, Misaki, but Kamui's a member of Team Handsome now!" Gouki laughs proudly.

"Oh, that poor boy." Misaki sighed. She remembers just how uncomfortable Nagisa made Kamui and actually pitied him. But it was clearly Kamui's decision to join Team Handsome, regardless of that girl's presence, so he can deal with the consequences.

"Hmph. So, he turned traitor." Asaka shook her head.

"Oh yeah! Watch out, yeah? The next time we see you at Nationals, Team Handsome will be the ones taking home the gold!" Gouki declares as he walks away. "See you guys later! Feel free to stop by the shop, Kamui and the others would be happy to see you!"

"The next Nationals, huh…?" Misaki mutters, looking conflicted.

"Hm? What's wrong with you?" Asaka asked.

Grunting slightly, the lilac turns away. "Nothing. Let's just hurry back to the shop before Shin starts getting worried."

Asaka stays quiet as they enter the van. She didn't buy Misaki's words for a second, recognizing the way she was hiding her emotions. Whatever, it's not like it was any of her business to pry into her friend's feelings. Though she thought that, Asaka couldn't stop thinking about whatever it was that was bothering Misaki.

After enjoying a nice peaceful walk through the park, Aichi makes his way to Card Capital, hoping to play against some of his friends today. Though he hasn't seen Kamui around the last couple of days. He hoped that everything was okay. Maybe he should call or text him to make sure the younger boy didn't get into any trouble.

As he enters Card Capita, Aichi finds the shop weirdly empty. He knew Asaka and Misaki were out running errands, but where was Shin and the sub-manager (A cat)?

"Hello."

"Huh?" Aichi turns to see a kid standing by one of the tables. The kid has light tealish hair with a long green rectangular tattoo on his forehead. He wears white clothing and has a brown satchel across his torso. "A kid?"

"I'm happy to see someone else come in. For a second I thought the place was closed and the doors were accidentally left unlocked." The kid laughs a bit.

Aichi remembers Misaki telling him that Shin has made that mistake before. Shaking the thought away, he walks over to the kid. "So, you've been the only one here?"

"Yup." The kid answered.

"I see. Is this your first time coming to Card Capital?" Aichi asked.

"That's right. I'm new to Vanguard and wanted to learn how to play." The kid reaches into his bag, pulling out a deck. "I was hoping someone here would help teach me."

"He's just like me." Aichi thinks, remembering when he was new to the game. Maybe it was a bit of a stretch, but he could feel some kind of connection to this kid. "Well, while I'm here, I can teach you."

"Really?! That would be great!" The kid smiles.

Aichi and the kid move over to one of the fight tables. He takes out his deck. "First, place a blank Grade Zero face down on the Vanguard Circle." Aichi demonstrates to show him how. The kid copies his actions. "Next, we'll decide who goes first with rock-paper-scissors." They played the little game which ended with the kid beating Aichi's paper with scissors. "Awesome! You won!"

"Hehe!" The kid giggles.

"Now we both draw five cards from our decks. If you're unhappy with your starting hand, you have a chance to reshuffle some of them and re-draw. At the beginning of the game you want to have a Grade One, Two, and Three in your hand at least. Is your hand all good?" Aichi asked.

"Yes!" The kid nods.

"Great! Next we'll shuffle our decks!" Aichi and the kid took a few seconds to shuffle their decks before placing them back down. "And now we're both set to start. So, let's imagine it, okay?"

"Imagine what?" The kid asked, his eyes holding a mysterious emotion.

"You and I are astral spirits that have appeared on the Planet Cray. A place much like Earth."

The kid gasps as he feels himself and Aichi be transported onto a rocky wasteland on the Planet Cray. His eyes shine brightly, mesmerized by the spectacle. "Woah!"

"While here we have access to two special powers. The first is to call allies to the rearguards to assist the Vanguard. The cards you draw into your opening hand are the ones that will be aiding you. They each have their own unique skills and strengths to change the tide of battle." Aichi holds up two fingers. "The second power allows us to strengthen the Vanguard. Every turn, you can throw a card of the next grade onto the Vanguard Circle."

"I think I get it." The kid said.

"Now, we'll flip over our Grade Zero units to begin the battle."

"I can't wait!"

"Here we go! Let's flip them both over at the same time, okay?!"

"Okay!"

"STAND UP, VANGUARD!"

"Ride, Wingal Brave!"

"Let's see… Ride, Grasslands Breeze, Sagramore!"

Aichi's eyes widened at the unfamiliar unit. "Wait…what's the name of that card again?" He leans down a bit to get a better look at the kid's card. "Sagramore? A Gold Paladin? Is that a new clan?"

A small smile, one that would leave Aichi confused for the rest of the summer, formed on the boy's lips. "Yup! Though I have to say, I'm surprised to see you're using Royal Paladins. I didn't think that clan existed anymore."

"Anymore…? What are you-"

"Let's start!" The kid excitedly continues, leaving Aichi to push his thoughts aside for now. The fight goes on, Aichi coaching the new kid about some of the rules. To his surprise, the kid manages to pick up on the rules fairly quickly, even making moves that he had yet to explain.

"Wow…uh…" Aichi stumbles on his words.

"Is something wrong?" The kid asked.

"Oh, no, it's just this doesn't really seem like your first time." Aichi said.

"Hm. Maybe I just have a natural talent?" The kid smirks.

"Okay…" Aichi proceeds with his Damage Check. Blaster Dark appears in the check, catching the boy's attention.

"Is that a Shadow Paladin?!" He asked, excitedly.

"Yeah."

"But that's so retro! I thought that clan disappeared ages ago." He mutters that last part, but Aichi had heard him.

"Disappeared? What are you talking about?" Aichi asked.

Following, Aichi rides Blaster Blade on his next turn. His avatar and forces attack, facing off against the Gold Paladins. But he didn't accomplish much on his turn. Aichi shrugs, not minding how his turn went. "Alright. It's your turn-"

"Time is up." The kid's demeanor suddenly changes. "I stand and draw. The limit is about to be broken."

"What are you talking about? Nothing you're saying is making sense." Aichi said. The kid draws his next card and shows it to Aichi. He didn't recognize the unit since it was of the Gold Paladin clan. "What's that?"

"This is the card that will help you break through your limits, Aichi Sendou." The kid smiles mysteriously, shocking Aichi.

"Wait! How do you know my name?!" Aichi asked.

"Aren't you curious? Let me put your mind at rest." He brings the card down on his Vanguard Circle. "Use your sliver fang to crush the chains that determine our limitations! I ride, Great Silver Wolf Garmore!"

"HRAAAH!" Garmore shouts as he lands on the battlefield. His white and golden armor shimmers under the sun's light. Garmore releases a primal roar that rattles Aichi's brain, his mind assaulted by some sort of vision.

Dressed in Blaster Blade's armor, Aichi looks around to see all of the clans of the Planet Cray standing behind him. "W-what are they all doing here?!"

"It's not quite the way you imagined it." Aichi looks ahead to see the kid dressed in Garmore' armor. "This is the Planet Cray. And before you stand soldiers who would protect this planet with their lives."

"What? I-I don't-"

"But it wasn't always this way. Before, all of these clans lived in relative peace, each to their own lands. But a mysterious power filled the skies and brought darkness to the planet. All of the clans came together to end this evil before it could destroy their world. They looked to their strongest to lead them to victory. Only two clans were powerful enough to lead."

"The Royal and Shadow Paladins, right?" Aichi at least caught onto that detail.

The kid smiled. "Yes, I'm pleased you haven't forgotten."

"Forgotten-wait-this all sounds familiar. Yet, I can't remember why…" Aichi mutters.

"Allow me to explain. In the deciding battle, one Paladin should have destroyed the other. But instead they joined hands. The clans of Cray united under a banner of shadows and light." He motions to the gargantuan army behind Aichi. "That army behind you is a fighting force unparalleled in existence."

"It is amazing." Aichi lets out an amazed breath. "Nobody could stand against a force like this."

"It's easy to think that. This army should have been strong enough to win, however…"

CRACK!

Lightning descends, attacking Blaster Dark and Dragonic Overlord. The two mighty warriors were lifted into the air. "What's happening-AAAAAHHH!" Aichi's body is overrun with pain as a similar energy assaults him. Blaster Blade, Blaster Dark, and Dragonic Overlord were taken into the clouds.

"Royal Paladins, Shadow Paladins, and Kagero are the strongest clans on Cray. And that's exactly why they were punished for it. Their signature units were kidnapped by that dark power and nobody has seen them since."

Darkness consumes Cray, the massive army falling to the darkness without their leaders to give them strength. Royal, Shadow, and Kagero were the first to fall.

"Without their strongest warriors, the clans weren't able to survive. Their strength faded into the darkness of history and they were promptly forgotten by all. Unless something is done, the darkness will continue to grow. Until all falls to nothingness."

Garmore stares up at the growing darkness. "Cray is in need of a new leader. With its strongest vanquished and stolen, the only clan that can reunite the rest are the Gold Paladins. But we'll never overcome our obstacles unless we find a way to break through our limits! THAT IS THE LIMIT BREAK!"

"AHHH!" Aichi screams, sweat pouring down his face. He rapidly searches around, trying to figure out where he was. He blinks slowly, realizing that he's in Card Capital. "What the heck was that? I can't…who…what was he trying to tell me? Something about a…Limit Break."

SHINE!

A bright light comes from the deck case in his hand. Confused, Aichi takes out his deck to see it was entirely different. In the place of his Royal Paladins, was the newly discovered Gold Paladin clan. "W-what?! My deck…my Royal Paladins, they're gone! That kid stole my deck!" His heart beat started to increase as his fears skyrocketed.

Suddenly, a van pulls up outside, a familiar vehicle. Desperately, Aichi rushes outside to see his big sister and Misaki had arrived with the supplies. "Asaka! Misaki!"

"Hey, Aichi. Seems you did get here before us." Misaki smiles warmly.

"Mind giving us a hand, little brother?" Asaka asked sweetly.

"OI! Don't make others, especially your little brother, do your job!" Misaki scolds.

"Wah, wah." Asaka clearly didn't care.

Aichi shakes his head. "Y-yes-no wait-that's not important! There's something really wrong!"

"What do you mean? Did something happen in the shop?" Misaki asked. "Did Shin break something?"

"Did some evil blonde woman show up and try to steal you?"

"Get over that!" Misaki hisses.

"What?! No! There was some weird boy hanging around when I got here!" Aichi exclaimed.

"Did you get his name?" Asaka asked.

"No, I didn't think to ask. But look! He did something to my deck!" Aichi takes out the Gold Paladin deck to show the girls.

Neither of them understood what was wrong. They look at each other before turning back to Aichi. "What's the problem, Aichi?" Misaki raises a brow.

"That is your deck, little brother." Asaka said.

"What?! No! These aren't my cards…at least… I'm certain they're not." Aichi mutters.

"That's your Gold Paladin deck. You've been using it since you first started playing Vanguard." Asaka reminds him.

"No! There's no way that's true!" Aichi shouts.

Concern quickly arrives, both girls start showering the boy with the 'big sister team-up'. Asaka's hand gently touches his forehead, while Misaki gently holds his hand. "Are you feeling okay, Aichi?" Misaki asked.

"Do you need to sit down? Get some water? I'll call mom quickly if you're feeling sick." Asaka said.

"N-no, I'm okay. Thank you. I… I guess I'm just a little confused." Aichi said quickly.

"In that case, go inside and find somewhere to sit. We'll come back to check on you once we've unloaded everything, okay?" Misaki tells him.

"O-okay." Aichi takes a step back as the girls usher him back into the shop. He walks over to one of the tables, taking a seat. Aichi sits quickly, staring down at the Gold Paladin deck like a lost child.

These weren't his cards, this wasn't the deck he had poured countless hours fine-tuning to overcome the obstacles in his path. It wasn't the deck that represented his growth as a person.

Asaka and Misaki couldn't remember the Royal Paladins for some reason, believing the Golds to have been his from the start. "What happened?! Why can't they see it?!" Tears pricked the corners of his eyes. "I want to know what happened! I want my Royal Paladins back!"

But a string of words, ones that he could barely remember, stopped his tears.

But we'll never overcome our obstacles unless we find a way to break through our limits! THAT IS THE LIMIT BREAK!

Aichi wipes his eyes, focusing on those last words. "What is a Limit Break?"

Little did Aichi Sendou know that his journey in the world of Vanguard was about to take a gigantic turn this summer.

The booming voice of MC Miya fills the streets; an announcement of epic proportions is revealed to the world of Vanguard. "THERE'S ONLY ONE PLACE ON EARTH WHERE YOU CAN FIND ALL OF THE WORLD'S BEST CARDFIGHTERS! WELCOME TO THE VANGUARD FIGHT CIRCUIT!"

OP: Limit Break - JAM Project

I'm looking for the future to come! We shall draw it together!

We'll go the distance, We'll share our hearts all the way!

Aichi, Kai, Misaki, Kamui, and his sisters stand together. Aichi raises his card into the air, illuminating a bright light.

Ride on Dream!

(Take on us under the sunshine. LIMIT BREAK! We are Vanguard)

Standing above them on top of a pillar was a mighty warrior with flowing golden hair, similar to a lion's mane. He leaps into the air, bringing down his swords to defeat his enemies.

No matter how strong we all may become, we shall never get satisfied. We are the Vanguards!

(Wanna be final Vanguards)

Toshiki Kai is seen walking towards his goals, his new avatar, a demonic dragon of electric proportions seen behind him.

Ren and Tetsu join up with their friend, pleased to be standing side-by-side with him again.

Rivals just get in our way. Everyone wants to be the strongest! Top of the world!

A true champion!

Kamui runs forward, pulling Emi along with him, at least until he's glomped by Nagisa. The two go tumbling away while Mai and Rekka appear to join Emi.

Misaki and Asaka sit next to each other, the ex-assassin's head resting on the lilac's shoulder as she rests peacefully.

We can get there someday. They will come true somehow, cause we all know tomorrow is on our way!

Aichi holds his cards in his hands, watching as his Gold Paladin units appear around him. He raises a card into the air, summoning Garmore into battle.

(It) doesn't matter what your life brings! As long as you never give in, just believe in your power!

(Keep our way, LIMIT BREAK!)

The mysterious kid, as an astral projection, floats above molten lava. He smiles softly, then allows the units of Cray to consume him.

Go take the sky way! Right through our own dreams!

Push your way to the world, It's awakening!

Aichi, Kai, and Kamui appear in the place of their new Vanguards. The rest of their family and friends appear behind them to help combat the darkness that threatens to swallow their world and Cray.

As we take our steps for the great evolution!

As the light breaks through the darkness, bringing forth a new dawn, Aichi Sendou bathes in that bright power. Ultra Rare watched him as always, Kourin's eyes melting warmly at his courage and strength.

Face our worries all together. It's alright if we stumble our way!

To the limit we go, Break out!

Dragonic Overlord, Blaster Blade, and Blaster Dark were trapped by the darkness, lost to time. Aichi, strengthens his resolve to save and return them back home. But he won't be doing it alone, because his friends and family will be there to help him along the way.

Chapter End

Chapter Text

Chapter 2: Limit Break

"And, perfect!" Asaka exclaims happily, putting her hands on her hip. "This should help the shop gain some more business."

"I'm sorry, what the hell are you doing?"

Asaka turns around to see Misaki and Miwa coming up behind her. The lilac's face showed irritation while the blonde was clearly enjoying this. Tilting her head, the ex-assassin didn't understand her co-worker's ire. "What are you talking about?"

"That thing you just posted on our window!"

Asaka turns back to the accusation. Plastered on the window for every passerby to see was an advertising poster of Card Capital with her in the center, wearing a super cute cosplay of Midnight Bunny from the Pale Moon clan. She was posing adorably, Vanguard cards spread out around her on the ground.

Blinking a bit, the oldest Sendou looks back at Misaki. "Is there an issue?"

"Of course there's an issue!" Misaki huffed loudly. "We can't have something like that posted on the store, it's bad for business and it's wholly inappropriate!"

"I think it's fine." Miwa shrugs.

"Nobody asked you." Misaki gives him a glare to shut up.

"Will you chill out? Shin said it was perfectly fine. In fact, he's the one who suggested using my stunning good looks for promotion." Asaka laughs arrogantly, flipping her hair back.

"Excuse me…?" Misaki's dark mutter made Miwa flinch back slightly.

"Yes, I wanted to be humble about it and refused at first, but Shin was desperate for help. How could someone with a heart as pure as mine resist such pathetic begging?" Asaka dramatically explains.

Miwa nods his head. "I get it. This place was heavily lacking in the cute department until you joined Asaka." His praise earned him an acknowledging smile from Asaka.

"Hm? Miwa, are you trying to say something?" Misaki hisses dangerously. Seeing the trap laid before him, the blonde decided to make the smart decision.

"U-uh… I'm going to go check on Morikawa and the others! You know, to make sure they're not causing any trouble!" Miwa quickly escaped before Misaki could kick his ass.

Calming down a bit, the lilac fixed her posture. "Ugh! I'm going to have a very serious conversation with Shin later."

"Oh? Does someone wish to join me for more advertising?" Asaka wraps an arm around the lilac, pulling her closer.

"Tch! As if!" Misaki scoffs, breaking out of the hug. But she doesn't widen the distance between them. "But I refuse to let our store become known for using sex appeal to attract customers."

"It's not sex appeal if I'm still fully clothed."

"Midnight Bunny's outfit was designed that way for a specific reason." Misaki rolled her eyes. Feeling a headache coming along, Misaki decided it would be best to change the subject. "How's Aichi been? He wasn't feeling so good yesterday."

"He's been…quiet. He's usually quiet, even at home, but he's been very distracted about his deck. Emi and I tried challenging him to a cardfight to see if that would help, but Aichi refused quickly and escaped into his room." Asaka explained. She rubbed her arm anxiously. "I'm worried. Something's troubling him and he won't tell us what."

Misaki tries to comfort her. "Maybe he's just tired. The summer heat can get the best of us sometimes, so some space may be best to help him out. Try talking to him again later tonight to see if he'll be more open."

"You're probably right. I don't want to be too overbearing on him. But I can't understand why he's being so anxious about his deck. He's acting like yesterday was the first time he's ever laid his eyes on the Gold Paladins." Asaka said.

"Like I said, the summer heat must be getting to him. Now c'mon, we need to get back to work before the next rush comes in." Misaki said.

Asaka decides to push her worries to the side, so that she can focus on her job. Whatever the case, her little brother was a big boy now. He'll sort himself out and if he can't, then his big sister will be there to lend him a hand when he needs it.

Aichi Sendou did not know what to do. He wasn't one to normally panic…

…Okay that was a lie. He totally panics a lot, his sisters have criticized him about it more than enough times.

But this time he felt warranted in panicking, because his entire world was thrown upside down a day ago. That weird kid showed up to Card Capital and stole his Royal Paladins, replacing them with a Gold Paladin deck, a clan he's never heard of before.

The deck he had spent countless hours pouring his very heart and soul into was gone, and Aichi didn't know if he'd ever see them again.

He sits down on the park's bench, mulling over his worries. Taking out his newly acquired deck, the chosen Vanguard lets out a deep sigh. "What am I even supposed to do with this? They don't even feel like the cards I'm used to. And no matter what I say, everyone thinks these are the cards I won Nationals with. This isn't fair."

"What isn't fair?"

"Eh?!" Aichi jumps up, turning around to see his friend and rival, Toshiki Kai walking over to him. "Kai?!"

"Yo, Aichi." Kai greets his younger friend. Since it was summer, he was no longer wearing his school uniform. He's wearing a grey high-collared shirt underneath a black trench coat. Kai's wearing dark blue jeans and black boots. "Is everything okay?"

"I-I…well…" Aichi seemed uncertain if he wanted to tell him about it. But out of everyone he knew, Kai was one of the few who might take him seriously. "Okay, so, you're probably going to call me crazy. But this strange thing happened to me yesterday."

"What strange thing?"

"Take a look for yourself." Aichi takes his cards out of their case, handing them over to Kai. "Examine my deck and tell me what you think. Do you recognize them?"

Taking the cards into his hands, Kai spreads them out to examine them. "The Gold Paladin clan."

"It doesn't seem off to you?"

"Not at all. Seems just the same as the last time I saw it." Kai handed the deck back.

"I see…so even you…" Aichi mutters, losing hope. But then he recalls something that kid had said yesterday. "If Kai thinks this is my normal deck then doesn't that mean…?"

Without their strongest warriors, the clans weren't able to survive. Their strength faded into the darkness of history, and they were promptly forgotten by all.

"That's it! That must be the reason!" Aichi exclaimed, confusing the brunette. He looks up at his rival. "Kai! Did you bring your deck with you?! I'd really like to see it!"

"Okay…?" Kai would be lying if he wasn't a bit weirded out, but complied anyway. He takes out his deck and hands it to Aichi.

What greeted the chosen Vanguard was a deck of cards he's never seen before. "These aren't Kagero. So, the clans really were forgotten. Royal Paladins, Shadow Paladins, and Kagero don't exist anymore."

Seeing the look on the boy's face, Kai pushes a bit. "What's the problem?"

"Kai! These aren't the cards you typically use! You have to hear me out on this!" Aichi cried.

"Sure. Tell me what's bothering you." Kai agreed.

When Aichi finished telling him everything that happened, Kai was silent for a moment. At first Aichi assumed he was going to call him ridiculous like his sisters and friends had, but instead Kai says something unexpected. "I get it."

"You do?!" Aichi gasped.

"Don't get me wrong, these cards are the only ones I have. I don't have any memories of this Kagero, Royal Paladins, or Shadow Paladins. We've both only ever used Gold Paladins and Narukami." Kai said.

"So, then you don't believe me. Just like everyone else." Aichi sighed.

"I do believe you."

"Wait, really?!"

"Aichi, you would never lie about something like this. This matter involving our decks has clearly been stressing you out. It would be foolish to see how much pain you're in and assume you're talking crazy." Kai clarified.

Relief washes over Aichi's heart. Having someone who actually believes him did wonders for his nerves. Now if only he could convince everyone else that he was telling the truth, that would be perfect. "Thanks, Kai."

"C'mon." Kai walks away, motioning for Aichi to follow.

"Huh?" Aichi follows him, confused on where he was being led to. "Where are we going?"

"To where we can settle these feelings of ours."

Over in Card Shop PSY, a certain busty blonde was currently scrolling through her phone, checking her social media in regard to the Vanguard Fight Circuit that was announced just yesterday. As expected, there was an exponential buzz that exploded all over the world. Fans of Vanguard were showing their excitement over social media and even news outlets. A small part of her was certainly looking forward to it, but the rest of her knew that SHE would be far too busy doing idol business on stage to actually enjoy it.

Deciding that was enough socials for the day, the blonde checked her messages. Eyes locking onto a certain contact that belonged to a certain blueberry Vanguard. It's been awhile since they last talked, having been too busy with their own personal affairs. She contemplates if she should call or text him, asking if he's going to be participating in the Vanguard Circuit.

Not that she was hoping for it, because it would give her an excuse to go visit him! That would be weird and even borderline stalkerish! She was just a curious friend, is all!

But…still…it wouldn't hurt to shoot him a text, right?

"If you keep thinking like that, then you'll be sitting here all day."

"EEEEKKK!" Kourin screams, falling off the couch, phone flying towards the ceiling. A hand stretches out, catching the phone before it could hit the floor. Thoroughly embarrassed and infuriated, Kourin glares up at the one responsible. "Suiko!"

"Hello." The big sister waves.

"How many times have I told you to stop sneaking up on me?!" Kourin hisses, climbing up to her feet.

"I never sneak up on you. You're just too occupied in your head to notice when I or Rekka are coming up behind you. Like that time when some customers came in and Rekka-"

"WE PROMISED TO NEVER MENTION THAT!" Kourin shouts, face burning hotly. "And I thoroughly punished Rekka for that stunt and warned her to never do that again!"

"Okay, okay." Suiko giggles, handing Kourin back her phone. "But still, my earlier point still stands. If you keep hesitating with that boy, then nothing will ever change."

"I-I'm not hesitating! And what boy? I'm not interested in a boy!" Kourin huffed.

"Oh? Really? Then I suppose the only other Sendou whose name starts with an 'A' would be Asaka. I didn't think you were into the same sex Kourin-"

"AS IF IT WOULD EVER BE HER! And for the record, I don't swing that way, Suiko!" Kourin hissed, face burning even hotter.

"Suit yourself. But be warned, Kourin, those who hesitate are the ones who miss out on what they want the most." Suiko says cryptically before walking out of the lounge.

With her big sister gone, Kourin relaxes and flops back onto the couch. Grumbling slightly, the blonde looks back at her phone. Thinking over everything that Suiko just said, a small breath leaves her mouth. "I guess…a text wouldn't hurt."

Disappointed.

That's all Toshiki Kai felt as he continued through this cardfight against Aichi. He had challenged the blueberry to a fight, believing that this would be the best way to confirm Aichi's suspicions. If these decks weren't originally there, then something should feel off during the match.

For himself, Kai couldn't feel anything different. To him, the Narukami units felt as natural as always. Especially when he rode his Vanguard, Dragonic Kaiser Vermillion, one of the strongest units of the Narukami clan.

The only time anything felt off to him was when Aichi rode his Grade 2 unit. For some reason, it felt off when Aichi rode Beaumain, as if that wasn't the unit he was supposed to be using.

From what he can tell from Aichi's performance, the boy was making rookie mistakes, plays that a National champion shouldn't be making. He seemed like a complete novice as he bumbled his way through using the Gold Paladins, the clan he defeated Ren with.

In the end, all this fight continues to prove is that these issues are only Aichi's problem. Not him or the rest of their friends were experiencing the same thing. And judging by the confusion consuming the boy's concentration, the only way anything was going to be solved was if Aichi overcame this current obstacle.

"I end my turn…" Aichi mutters, feeling extremely disappointed. His turn ended with him only dealing a single point of damage. This wasn't like him at all, playing so miserably, especially against Kai of all people. If Kourin or Asaka saw this performance, he'd never hear the end of it.

"Pathetic."

"Kai?" Aichi blinked.

His rival's eyes were burning brightly, a passion that would never go out. "Is this the skill level of the guy who defeated Ren Suzugamori and claimed the championship?"

Aichi flinched at the cold tone. "B-but I… I did that with the deck I actually knew how to play! I won with the help of my Royal Paladins-"

"Stop making excuses!" Kai shouts, shutting him up. "It doesn't matter if you're playing with the Royal Paladins or Gold Paladins, all that matters is that you fight with everything you've got! If you don't understand your deck, then learn to! Open your heart to your cards and they'll stand strong with you through every obstacle, no matter what that clan is! If the Vanguard can't guide the rest through the dark, then victory can never be achieved!"

"Kai…?!" Aichi gasped.

"Aichi! I'm going to show you the path to take on this FINAL TURN!" Kai declares, signaling that he was getting serious. "I call Jin of the Lightning Spark and Plasma Bite Dragon!" He throws down two units on the right column. "Now witness this for yourself! The power to break through no matter what gets in your way! LIMIT BREAK!"

Aichi's eyes widened. "You can do a Limit Break?!"

"Yeah, these can only be activated when you have four cards in the damage zone. You should already know this by now, Aichi, but I guess those jumbled memories are messing with your head." Kai scoffed. "Beware, because this power is unlike any you've seen before."

Aichi steels himself, stepping back slightly.

"Dragonic Kaiser Vermillion gains 2000 power, but that's not all! His Limit Break allows him to attack not one, but every unit in your front row!" Kai declared.

"My entire front row?!" Aichi cried.

"That's right! The low rumble of thunder announces the coming of the end with lightning guiding me to victory! Feel the wrath of my Vermillion Thunderbolt!"

"Such a ruthless attack…! The Kai I know would never-no wait…" Aichi thinks back to every single one of Kai's previous fights. "Yeah, this is completely fitting for you. Even with a different clan, you haven't changed at all."

Kai smirks. "I'm glad you think so. Now, it's time to end this! Face it, the Vermillion Thunderbolt!"

"KRAAAA!" Vermillion Kaiser roars powerfully into the sky, lightning crashing down on the barren wasteland.

"I'll intercept-"

"You can't, Aichi! Don't you get it?! All of your front row units are under attack! Which means they can't be used as intercepts!" Kai explained, ginning excitedly.

"No way…" Aichi muttered.

"With a boost from Riki, Dragonic Kaiser Vermillion lays waste to your front row!" Kai declared.

As promised, the destructive dragon unleashes a devastating attack on Aichi's Gold Paladins, blowing them away with one destructive burst of lightning. Not a single trigger was pulled by either of them, but it didn't matter since one damage was all that was needed to end the fight.

"And that's the end." Kai said, putting his cards away.

Shaking slightly, Aichi stares down at the table. "So…that's a Limit Break. It's so powerful." He looks back up at Kai. "Kai's already so good at using the Narukami clan. I'm kinda jealous."

"What's with that look?" Kai asked.

"Sorry, it's just that…you're so good with that clan already. As if you've been using it your whole life." Aichi replied.

"It can't be helped. But that's why I said what I did earlier. We can't help what's been changed, we're no longer using our original decks judging by what you've told me. If we want to figure this out, then we'll have to keep fighting with the cards we have now to find the ones that have been lost to us." Kai said.

"Yeah, maybe you're right." Aichi picks up his cards. "I don't know anything about the Gold Paladin clan. I played like a novice today against you and I hate that feeling so much. If I want to find out the truth of what's happened, then I need to get used to having these cards with me."

Kai smiles, happy to see the doubt in Aichi's eyes starting to fade away. That was good. Aichi's confidence tends to be his greatest strength. "Good, because we need to find out who is responsible for all of this and why have they changed our clans."

BTTZ!

Suddenly, the television across from them changed from the evening news broadcast. And it wasn't just that one, but nearly every television in the city had been taken over by a sudden announcement. The words 'Vanguard Fight Circuit' staring them in the face. "Welcome to the Vanguard Fight Circuit! Better known as the VF Circuit if you prefer it!" MC Miya's voice came over the broadcast. "It's a tournament where representatives from all over the globe gather to prove they've got what it takes! And now a word from our sponsor!" The feed switched to a kid Aichi was all too familiar with.

"Hey! That's him!" Aichi exclaimed. "He's the kid who all this started with yesterday!"

"What?!" Kai gasped.

"Hello, everyone. Welcome to the Vanguard Fight Circuit. Whoever wins will set themselves apart from every other cardfighter on the planet Earth. The VF Circuit will turn Cray into an all-new battlefield. In this harsh landscape it's winner takes all! Set your true strength free!"

With his message finished, the broadcast ended, allowing them to digest the news of this event. Aichi looked spooked. "I can't believe it. That kid…he's the one who took my deck and the host of this new tournament."

"A winner takes all event, huh? Looks like we just found our winning ticket." Kai smirked.

"What?" Aichi turns to him.

"Think about it! The only person who knows what's happened to us is him! If we want to solve this problem, then we're gonna have to fight for it!" Kai clarified.

Aichi nodded his head, but he was still a bit lost. "But how do we even get in? Is it invite only or-"

"You'll find a way. All you have to do is fight." Kai turns away, leaving the park. Aichi doesn't expect this and stumbles forward.

"W-wait, Kai! Where are you going?!"

"Aichi! Your focus right now should be getting on the Vanguard Fight Circuit! I'm going to carve my own path to the truth, and you should do the same. Without your favorite deck, there's little chance that you'll make it." Kai stops, turning to look back. "But I'd like to be proven wrong. Later."

Aichi stands there, watching his rival leave the park. He narrows his eyes, pulling forth his confidence. "I'll get there! Just wait and see!"

Kai doesn't say anything, but a faint smile could be found on his face.

Now that he's all alone, Aichi puts his deck back into his pocket. He pulls out his phone to check the time and sees that it's getting late. But he also noticed that he had gotten a text message too. "Who could that be?" Tapping on it, the chosen Vanguard sees that Kourin had been the one to text him.

'Hey.'

That was it. Yet, that small little greeting managed to brighten his mood just a bit. Aichi types out a response.

'Hey.'

Aichi returns home, announcing his arrival to let his mother know that it's him. As he took off his shoes, he could hear the patter of feet rushing his way. He looks up to see Emi slide into view. "Aichi! Aichi! Come on! Asaka has some exciting news to share!"

"Really?" The blueberry tilts his head.

"Hurry!" Emi grabs his arm, pulling Aichi towards the living room where his mother and Asaka were waiting for him. "Alright! He's here!"

"Emi said that you had important news to share." Aichi takes a seat across from his female family members.

Asaka smirks, pulling out a white envelope. "Considering you didn't show up at Card Capital at all today, Shin decided to grant me the honor of revealing this exciting news to you." She slides it across the table for him to take.

Aichi picks it up, the symbol on the seal seemed familiar. "Huh? That looks like the same symbol for the VF Circuit…" He was too busy staring at the envelope to see the knowing smile from his mother and sisters. As Aichi opened it up, he pulled out the paper inside and slowly read it.

"Congratulations! Due to your outstanding performance at Japan's Vanguard Nationals, we of the Tatsunagi Corporation hereby invite you, Aichi Sendou and the three teammates of your choosing, to participate in the upcoming Vanguard Fight Circuit."

…

…

…

…

"EHHHHHHH?!" Aichi screams, jumping out of his seat.

"Pfft! Snrk! HA HA HA HA HA HA!" His sisters and mother barrel over laughing, clearly having enjoyed his reaction.

Aichi stares at them, blushing a bit. "W-wait?! Is this a prank?!"

"N-no, no it's not." Asaka wipes the tears from her eyes. "It's real. That invite is meant for you. Shin would have given it to you had you come to the shop today."

"Why didn't you text me?" Aichi asked.

"My phone died."

"Why didn't anyone else text me?"

"I told them not to, because the reaction you just had should be saved for family only." Asaka cackled.

"I took a picture!" Emi holds up her phone, showing it to her mom and Asaka.

"Eh?" Aichi blinks.

"Oh yes! This is going in the family album. I'll be sure to send it to your father!" Shizuka giggles.

"Send it to me too, Emi!" Asaka tells her.

"Wait! Can you guys not?!" The chosen Vanguard whines. But the ladies weren't listening, too busy giggling.

Aichi sighs, sitting back down. He glances back at the letter, allowing the reality to fully set in. Unexpectedly, his ticket to the VF Circuit literally turned up on his doorstep. All that was left was for him to fight his way through it to get the answers he needed.

But first…he needed to figure out his team. That should be easy…right?

Chapter End