Yumi wasn't joking about wanting to plant some hidden cameras in the cooking club's room to uncover the truth about the utensil stealer, so after the four separated from the boy duo, while Yumi took care of doing that with Chika's help, Aimi and Minami waited outside on the hallway.

Is it concerning that Yumi knows how to plant hidden cameras? Probably.

"Hmm... Hmmmm... Hmmmmmmm...!!!" 

"..."

"Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!!!!!!"

"Aimi-nee, what the hell?!"

Aimi was crouching next to Minami and glaring angrily at her notebook. Turns out drawing when you aren't being overworked to death is hard.

"I'm trying to draw Luquier but I can't get the sizes right... Gah, this sucks!" Aimi pouted. "I wanted to have this ready for your birthday too..."

"I-it's fine, don't worry about it, Aimi-nee. You being there is-"

"That's it! What's your bust size, Minami-nee?!"

"W-WHY DO YOU WANNA KNOW THAT?!" Minami yelped, blushing.

"It's probably easier to use your sizes than the sizes Miyabi-sensei gave to Luq when he drew her!"

"A-AH?! J-JUST LEAVE IT BE, IT'S FINE, I SWEAR!"

After that, they just kept waiting for Yumi and Chika to finish their thing. Using an estimation of Minami's sizes wasn't working, and since Minami veto'd the idea of letting Aimi take a peek at her underwear faster than Izuru suffering at the hands of some artist who drew a hot version of a historical figure, she just took a break from drawing and looked at the sky from the window.

"The weather doesn't seem to be getting any better any time soon. I hope it doesn't rain." Aimi mused.

"Yeah." Minami nodded.

"And I left some clothes out to dry today too... I hope the wind doesn't snatch them." Aimi sweatdropped.

"Yeah." And Minami nodded again.

"And your underwear was there too."

"Yeah." And Minami nodded a third time before replaying what was said in her head. "Wait-!"

"Got you." Aimi smiled.

"A-aimi-nee, don't go joking about that type of stuff!!"

"It's the only way to get your mind off whatever your thinking and back into the real world. You've been just standing there with your arms crossed for a good ten minutes."

Ten minutes to set up some cameras? Maybe Yumi knowing how to do that isn't that concerning.

"Don't worry about it, I have my feet perfectly planted in the real world!" Minami grunted.

"There's a cockroach on your shoulder."

"W-WHA- SHAKE IT OFF!!!!" Minami screeched, running and jumping around Aimi.

"Your feet are as well planted as those cameras." Aimi deadpanned. "Out with it, Minami-nee. What's got you so angry at Nijmura-san?"

"True, why haven't they finished that-"

"Don't dodge the subject, Minami-nee." Aimi sighed, slamming her hand next to Minami's head.

"E-e-e-eh...?!" And Minami started blushing again because being wall slammed by her sister wasn't in today's schedule.

It was then that Yumi opened to the cooking club room's door, carrying a small of success in her face, but the second she saw that steamy wall slam, she slammed the door shut.

"EH?!"

"That wasn't very according to plan." Aimi said, looking back at the club's door.

But that was enough for Aimi to just drop the subject and stop questioning Minami about how or why she was angry at Nijimura.

The cameras had been planted, and with that task out of their way, the female quartet returned to walking around the empty Heiwa to pass time. Because of Minami's persistence to go see if Endo's office was unlocked, they ended up heading that way.

"I'm glad we'll finally be able to put an end to the cooking club's secret thief." Chika let out a sigh of relief. "The paperwork that the club generates is too much for jsut one council."

"I'm surprised such a basic club can cost the school so much money." Aimi deadpanned. "Then again, their little Concoction X keeps making their budget crash faster than stocks."

Concotion X was a special secret stew that only the member of the cooking club knew how to make, but the recipe was so utterly unperfected that it always sucked, no matter how many tries were made. The worse part is that it always left uncleanable stains on the pots and utensils used, so they had to be replaced. It got so bad that Endo himself issued a ban on Concotion X before the cooking club could eventually make him file for bankruptcy.

"The terror of Document X will be over at last." The upperclassman nodded.

Yeah, the student council had a title for every specific paperwork they had to handle. Document X was the cooking club's budget, dedicated to replacing destroyed or stolen tools, Document F's was the football club's budget, dedicated to buying new balls because the club kept kicking theirs out of school and into something sharp, and Document W was the kendo club's budget documents. Why Document W? Because most of their budget was used to buy new equpiment after the club members broke theirs whilst acting like filthy weebs and trying to recreate sword fights. Izuru and Ban were at the forefront of the wasting.

"Hey hey, Minami-chan, why are we going to the headmaster's office exactly?" Yumi asked.

"There's something I wanna see when we get there. If it's open, that is." Minami just gave a simple response.

"You're such a bad liar, Minami-nee." Aimi shook her head.

"S-shut up, I told the truth!"

"A very half-assed one at that." Chika sweatdropped.

"S-senpai!"

"All of us know that you aren't going to Endo's office for something there, you're going for someone. We also know exactly why that is." The student council president deadpanned. "Yu are after Nijimura-san because-"

"She is very obedient to your father." Chika theorized.

"Because she has a terrible nailjob?" Yumi pondered.

"Because her story with Izuru is similar to- Wait, what do her nails have to do with anything?" Aimi asked.

"No one in their actual mind would choose dark purple, it looks horrid! Either pick black or light purple!"

'Is this a first world problem I'm too anti-social to understand...?' Aimi thought.

"I don't think anyone cares about that besides you, Yumi-san..." Chika sweatdropped.

"Geez, just let it be!"

By the time they got to that point on the argument, they were already in front of Endo's office, so when Minami had enough of their questions, she vented out her anger by kicking open the door.

And hey, Nijimura was actually there.

"What are you...?" Nijimura muttered, looking back at the girls.

"Does Nijimura-san really take no breaks?" Chika asked.

"Oh, she was actually here. I didn't expect this to work." Aimi admitted.

"Tacky." Yumi said, staring bluntly at Nijimura's nails. They were in no way or shape relevant to the story.

"Good to see you came to your owner's office while he was way. You just saved me the time of having to look for you!" Minami exclaimed, stepping into the office.

"Whatever reason you have to be here, I recommend you to leave. I don't have the time for some annoying little girl like you." Nijimura replied. "Now move, you or that fight are the least of my concerns!"

"Bold to assume I ever gave a damn about what your concerns are!" The pink haired girl replied, extending her arms to block Nijimura from walking past her. "You worked closely with that man for years, haven't you? Then you should know just how selfish he is. Too bad for you, I sadly have that stupid blood in me too!"

"I said move!"

Gritting her teeth, Nijimura raised her right hand, and a clapping sound rung through the office.

With a dark red mark in the shape of Nijimura's hand blooming on the left side of her face, Minami looked down.

"Ah, too bad for you..."

Looking slightly up with a grin on her lips, Minami repaid Nijimura's strike with one of her own, which made the headmaster's assistant stagger back until she hit the desk, covering her face with both hands.

"...that selfish part isn't the only thing I got from his blood." Minami muttered, followed by a malicious chuckle. Then, she took out her deck case from a pocket in her jacket. "If you wanna get outta here so much, then let's have a fight..."

"You rat... I don't have time to waste on a prick like-!"

"You have alot of throat for someone like you. Ah, but what did I expected from Endo's dog... You can do all the barking you want, but you're not running away, little puppy..." She chuckled.

"Sachi-senpai's scary..." Yumi muttered, hiding behind Chika. The way Minami was acting got her to address her by her last name and a more appropriate honourific.

"What do you have to gain from fighting me then?! If I'm really just Endo's dog, then what reason do you even have to come for me?! Jealously?! You don't even love your father! Just get out of my way!"

"You're being too loud, Nijimura-san..." Minami muttered, waving her hand. "There isn't a need to raise your voice. Just take out your cards and let's have a fight. Maybe this'll set you straight and you'll stop wincing between the two sides..."

"W-what are you-?!"

"I heard it all, and what an amazing story you have... But Endo's right for once. You really need to decide between avenging your family or wanting for things to be like before. But that part is not my problem, nor do I care enough to be knocking on your door for that. What truly disgusts me is that I'm way too like you for my own good. Imagine, if I actually liked that man who calls himself my father, I'd have gone down the same route as you... What a joke!"

"You have no idea what you're talking about!" Nijimura exclaimed, slamming her deck down on the desk. "If it'll make you shut the hell up and get out of my sight, then fine!" 'Just wait for me a bit longer, Nobu-nii!'

"Let me be upfront with you then." Minami said, placing her deck down. "I only want to fight you to feel better about myself after this. It really sucks that we're so alike."

"We're nothing like each other!"

"Be quiet, puppy. You can either hear it now or in a bit, but you'll hear it eventually. Stand up, vanguard. Silver Thorn Assistant, Ionela. (6000)"

"Stand up vanguard! Metalborg, Blackboi! (6000) Draw! Ride! Eye of Destruction, Zeal! (8000)"

With Zeal's skill, Nijimura looked through seven cards of her deck for a copy of Devourer of Planets, and then she drew a card with Blackboi's skill.

"Turn end!"

Nijimura
Hand: 7
Damage: 0
OXO
OOO

Minami
Hand: 5
Damage: 0
OXO
OOO

"Draw. Ride. Silver Thorn Assistant, Irina. (8000) Ionela's skill, draw and get a quick shield. Then call, Romy. (8000) Romy's skill."

By resting Romy, Minami placed two Rising Dragons from the top three cards of her deck into her soul alongside Romy.

"The other card goes to he bottom. Attack. (8000)"

"No guard!"

"(Silver Thorn Beast Tamer, Doriane)"

"Damage check! (Platinum Ace)"

"Your turn, puppy."

Nijimura
Hand: 7
Damage: 1
OXO
OOO

Minami
Hand: 6
Damage: 0
OXO
OOO

"Shut up! Draw! I ride Devourer of Planets, Zeal! (10000) I call Twin Order and Platinum Ace! (8000) (10000) Zeal's skill! I rest Twin Order and Platinum Ace to reduce your vanguard's power! Eye of Destruction is in the soul, so I draw too! Attack! (10000)"

"No guard." Minami waved her cards.

"Drive check! (Super Dimensional Robo, Dailiner)"

"(Silver Thorn Dragon Emperess, Venus Luquier)"

"Turn end!"

Nijimura
Hand: 7
Damage: 1
OXO
OXX

Minami
Hand: 6
Damage: 1
OXO
OOO

"Stand and draw. Ride. Silver Thorn Diva, Selvia. (9000) Counterblast, call two Rising Dragons from the soul. (9000) (9000) And because a card was called from the soul this turn, each of their skills activate. (9000>>19000) (9000>>19000) Irina's skill."

This time, Luquier and Romy were put into soul from the top of the deck.

"I also draw one. Linnea. (8000) Boosted by Linnea, Selvia attacks.  Linnea's skill, soulcharge and add power. (9000>>21000)"

"No guard!"

"(Silver Thorn Conjurer, Romy)"

"(Eye of Destruction, Zeal) No trigger!"

"Turn end." Minami declared.

Nijimura
Hand: 7
Damage: 2
OXO
OXX

Minami
Hand: 7
Damage: 1
XXX
OXO

"You called those and aren't using to attack?! Is this a joke to you?!" Nijimura asked, gritting her teeth.

"It's your turn now, Nijimura-san. Get on with it."

"You little...! Stand and draw! Ride! Super Dimensional Robo, Dailiner! (13000) Force II! (13000/2) Zeal's skill, your vanguard loses power again! Dailiner's skill!"

Once again, Nijimura looked at seven cards from her deck, and from among them, she added Bradblack to her hand. However, by adding a grade 3 unit, the rest of Dailiner's skill was active.

"Add 20k and a critical! (13000>>33000/3) I move Ace up and attack with Dailiner! Twin Order's skill, Dailiner gets power for each Force on my field! (33000>>51000/3)"

"No guard."

"You're... Not guarding...?! But-!"

"I will lose if your twin drive gives you what you need, I know... I'm encouring you to do that. Did you really thought I'd do something this bold without having a plan in mind, puppy?" Minami asked, smirking with an empty look of joy in her eyes.

On that moment, it was like Minami and Endo had overlapped to become one in Nijimura's sight.

There was no difference between the opponent and the overly charismatic man who spent years treating her like a dog.

"STOP TAKING ME LIGHTLY! (Dimensional Robo, Dairacer - Critical) (Dimensional Robo, Daibattles - Critical) ALL TO VANGUARD! DIE ALREADY!" Nijimura yelled out, small tears forming on the corner of her eyes.

"Minami-san!" Chika called out.

"Minami-chan!" Yumi exclaimed.

Holding her hand close to her heart, Aimi let out a deep breath that purged away her worries.

"Go for it, Minami-nee!"

"That's five damage right? If I had attacked with my Rising Dragons, you'd probably have four damage, which would made my chances of activating a heal trigger even harder, right?"

"Wait... You didn't attack to...?"

"Damage check. (Silver Thorn Dragon Empress, Venus Luquier) That's the first. (Tender Breeder - Heal) And there it is, a heal trigger. Power to the vanguard. (22000) And I heal one too. Another three, right? (Silver Thorn Assistant, Irina) (Hades Hypnotist - Draw) (Silver Thorn Handlegrip, Linnea) That's all five damage."

"T-that's..."

Nijimura reached for Platinum Ace with a trembling hand, but wasn't able to rest it.

"T-turn end..."

Nijimura
Hand: 10
Damage: 2
OXX
OXO

Minami
Hand: 7
Damage: 5
XXX
OXO

"Stand and draw."

Looking at the pitiful state her opponent was left in, Minami narrowed her eyes briefly before shaking her head.

"You know what makes us so much alike, Nijimura?" She asked.

"W-we're nothing alike..." Nijimura muttered, staring down at the board.

"Our stories are similar in a terrible sense. Even I hate to have to say that outloud or even think it... Just thinking about how I could have ended up like you if I defended that worthless man from things he fully deserved to receive makes me want to puke. A voiceless slave who gets treated like a dog because there is nothing left in your life besides hoping to have that good past back... That could have been who I became if I followed Endo! And that disgusts me to my very core!"

"Stop acting like you know anything!" Nijimura cried. "Nobu-nii made mistakes but he didn't deserve the punishment the world gave him!"

"And even now you're defending that guy, even though you also now that you want to have things go back to how they were before you became what you are now... That's the type of person I could have one day become... I hate it! I'm not fighting for your sake or to tell you to make up your mind! My only reason to fight is to destroy the person I could have become by being one of Endo's blind followers! Ride! Silver Thorn Dragon Tamer, Luquier! (12000) Accel II, open! Luquier's skill!"

For the cost of a double counterblast and discard a card, Minami's field became filled by units. Each Romy was called to backrow, and to the newly open spot in the front, a new unit.

"Silver Thorn Dragon, Megalorude! (0>>5000) All of my front row rears get 3k! And the skills of Luquier and Rising Dragons also activate! (5000>>8000) (9000>>22000) (12000>>22000) (9000>>22000) Megalorude's skill! Twin Order goes into your soul and Megalorule's power is boosted! (8000>>23000) Romy's skill! Rising Dragon and Luquier! Other Romy's skill! Double Lillian! I call Dorianne over the left Rising Dragon! (12000) And Irina! (8000) Luquier attacks! Linnea's skill! (22000>>33000)"

"Perfect guard!"

"Twin drive. (Silver Thorn Diva, Selvia) (Hades Hypnotist - Draw) Dorianne! (12000>>22000) Dorianne! (30000)"

"No guard! (Eye of Destruction, Zeal)"

"Megalorude! (28000)"

"No guard! (Devourer of Planets, Zeal)"

"Dorianne's skill!" Minami clapped her hands. "All my other rears go into the soul, I draw two, return Venus Luquier to my hand from the soul and she retires! Turn end!"

Nijimura
Hand: 8
Damage: 5
OXX
OXO

Minami
Hand: 11
Damage: 5
oOXO
  OOO

"...you went out of your way to come preach about something that's only a problem for you... You really are like your father, never shutting up about things that nobody gives a damn about...!"

"It sadly came with the blood. It's your turn now, puppy."

"Shut up... Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Nijimura cried. "Stand and draw! Ride! Black-clad Top-tier Deity, Bradblack! (13000) Force II! (10000/2) Daidumper! (10000) Grandrope! (8000>>13000) Two Eyes of Destruction! (8000) (8000)" 'I made my life this bottomless pit... But seeing Nobu-nii again will make it better... Right...? Right...?! That's why...' "I'll end you here and now! Bradblack's skill! (10000>>20000) (13000>>23000) (10000>>20000) Daidumper! Skill! (20000>>30000)"

"Tender Breeder! (32000)"

"Daidumper retires, Bradblack! (23000/2)"

"Barking Dragon, Irina! (37000)"

"Twin drive! (Super Dimensional Robo, Dailiner) (Super Dimensional Robo, Dailiner) Bradblack's skill! From the top seven, I add Zeal to hand! I discard the two Dailiners and superior ride! Terminate them all! Galactic Beast, Zeal! (13000) Drive minus one, add power! (13000>23000) Force II! Zeal's skill! Call, Zeal! (13000) For each of your markers, your vanguard loses 5k!"

"(12000>7000) Come!"

"Zeal attacks! (23000>>31000/2)"

"Breeder, Selvia! (32000)"

"Drive check! (Galactic Beast, Zeal)" 'One damage, I just need one more damage!' "The other Zeal! (13000>>26000/2)"

"Barking Dragon, Lillian! (27000)"

"PLATINUM ACE! (20000>>28000)"

"Perfect guard!"

"Ah... A-ah... T-turn... Turn... Turn end..."

Nijimura
Hand: 5
Damage: 5
XXX
XXX

Minami
Hand: 0
Damage: 5
oOXO
  OOO

"Even if I hate that you are what I could have been, I'll be honest about this much... I can sympathize that you didn't want to have anything to do with it. You didn't ask to be born, or for your mother to marry into the Njimura family, or to have a brother. You were forced into those situations. But! Everything else was your fault! Your life stopped because you allowed it to stop, and never bothered to do anything against that! So instead of preaching about getting revenge for your family or whatever, start walking towards a future where you life is fixed! That's where our paths split! Stand and draw!"

(Media - Kugisaki Nobara Fight Theme)

Minami twirled her newly drawn card between her fingers, right before slamming it down on her vanguard circle.

"Cry your last tears, clap your ultimate applauses, and speak your final words! Witness this last performance, a final tyrannical beat that'll resonate and shake your soul! Ride! Silver Thorn Dragon Empress, Venus Luquier! (12000)"

'That's right. Show her your performance, Minami-nee.' Aimi thought, giving her sister a small smile.

'Nobu-nii... Nobu-nii...!'

"Accel II, open. Venus Luquier's skill. Counterblast and discard a card as the cost, and call as many Silver Thorns as possible to the front row! Megalorude, Luquier, Luquier, Selvia. (0>5000) (12000) (12000) (9000>>14000) Selvia's skill, call two Linneas to the back row. (8000 (8000) Megalorude's skill. Bye bye, Platinum Ace. (5000>>20000) And then, Venus Luquier's other skill. Since my front row is filled, all of it gets powered up. Oh, and don't forget Luquier's innate abilities to get power. Silver Thorn Resonance! (20000>>25000) (12000>>27000) (12000) (12000>>27000) (14000>>19000)"

Aiming at Nijimura with a finger gun, Minami pretended to pull the trigger with a smirk.

"This is the finale! Brace yourself, because I have a pretty vivid image of how it'll look. Did you ever thought I'd have pity for you? I hope you did... But too bad for you, though! That makes me the worst match for you!"

Minami's imagination exploded into the image of the end of the fight, a flame-clad city, where the gigantic space beast Zeal was restrained by whips covered in silver thorns.

By twirling her whip in her hands, she hardened it into a spear, which she used to pierce the beast's chest by hurling it towards the monster from the ground where she stood.

"For your own good, make up your damn mind already! Revenge for your family? Relive the better days? Both? As if! I'll keep breaking your spirit and beating some sense into you until you choose a damn path to take!"

The two souls that fought for control within the beast were blasted out of its chest.

The left was one who followed a path of revenge stained by its own failure.

The right was one who merely wished to be happy, and be able to smile once again.

"Silver Thorn Resonance!"

Glimmering in a bright red colour, the spear began spinning its way deeper into Zeal, but at the same time, it turned into a cluster of energy.

Luquier drew a nail-sized version of her spear from her coat and rammed it into her left wrist, thus triggered the final part of the Silver Thorn Resonance.

"Hairpin!"

All of that energy was released into one last burst that destroyed all of Zeal, just as silently as the tears those two souls cried over the years.

"Goodbye, Nijimura Airi-san."