The next morning, Q Class, Kazuraba, and Akitani all boarded a minibus that Lucina-sensei was driving. It seems we were departing to the resort near the stadium so we could begin training.

I was at the back of the line so I boarded the bus last. It seems everybody else had already chose their seats, so there was only spot open for me, which was next to Momoka.

Sitting at the front just behind Lucina-sensei was Kurosaki, and Kazuraba. Even though I was hoping to sit next to Kurosaki, she chose to stick to Kazuraba, probably because she was closer to her than she was to me.

After all, we've only known each other for a few days... then again, it might also be my own fault for making an enemy out of everyone else in Q Class.

Speaking of which, Iori and Busujima were behind them, followed by Momoka and me. When I sat down next to her, Momoka didn't even bat an eye at me, she just continued looking listlessly out of the window.

Of course, this meant that Kuyou and Akitani were sitting in the back. After their fight yesterday, the two of them seemed to get along fairly well. It probably helped that they were both guys, since we were the only males present.

Honestly, I've never been surrounded by so many girls before... it's getting me a little bit nervous, I can't lie.

To kill some time, I opened my phone and started playing Vanguard on CFA. It's crazy to think CFA was started over 70 years ago and it's still up today. Talk about some resilient spaghetti coding.

"You're not playing Sagitta?"

"Huh?!"

I yelped as peering over my shoulder was Momoka, who had suddenly taken an interest in what I was doing. I was currently in a fight with a random using a Herminia deck.

"What?"

"You scared me..."

"Oh whoops, sorry! I just wasn't expecting you to be using something different."

She ignored me like I didn't exist moments earlier, and now she's starting a full on conversation with me... what the heck was up with her deal? It's almost like she has bipolar or something...

"Well, as much as I love Sagitta, Herminia was my first deck. It's good to go back to an old classic, you know?"

Truth be told, I only played Herminia because she reminded me of mommy. Yeah, my taste wasn't exactly knights or dragons... I always gravitated towards the girly decks, which made Grunkle Stan make fun out of me for when I was younger.

"Hmm, I see. So, what do you think of the new Powerful card?"

"You mean the G2? It's busted."

"Right? 20k turn 2 is straight up nasty... and you get a draw too? I'd kill for a card like that for my deck."

"I think you should ask for a new Grade 3 form first..."

"Ugh, don't remind me."

Momoka rolled her eyes. I laughed a little under my breath.

Out of all the other Q Class students, I think I could get along with Momoka best. Even though she has her times where she's cold and distant, she could also just as equally be upbeat and bubbly.

It's hard to keep up sometimes, especially when she flips so suddenly, but I'm just glad she's still willing to talk to me despite my aggression towards everyone else.

I know Kuyou and Iori definitely don't like me, and after what Busujima told me yesterday, I wasn't sure where our relationship stood.

Twenty minutes later, we had arrived at the resort. To everyone's surprise, however...

"Holy crap! It's the beach!"

I screamed out, looking at the pure white sand and softly rippling ocean spread out in front of us.

"Our resort... is a beach resort?"

Kuyou scratched the back of his head.

"Indeed. Didn't you know? It's an old time tradition to do Vanguard training at the beach. The organisers thought it'd be a nice change of scenery and help everyone relax before the event."

Lucina-sensei smiled, explaining the logic behind this. Personally, I was surprised to hear that doing training at the beach was a tradition! What if the breeze accidentally took your cards away and made them fly into the ocean?

I would cry if Sagitta was taken away from me and swept into the water... even if I managed to recover her, the card would be soaked and falling apart!

"Wow, it's the beach! I can't believe we have this whole space to ourselves!"

Iori clapped her hands excitedly, jumping up and down in joy. Busujima seemed indifferent to it all, but put up her hand for shade as the sun beat down on us.

"Technically, you're sharing the beach with the other two schools. However, we do have our own personal living quarters."

Akitani chimed in, pushing up his glasses.

"It's just over here this way, so if you guys would just like to follow me, I'll distribute out your room's key cards so we can put away our luggage and begin training."

Kazuraba smiles, gesturing over to the large cottage just further into the beach.

"Are there separate facilities for the boys and the girls?"

Momoka asked a really good question. I hope so when it comes to bathrooms, but then again, being segregated would mean I would have to see mostly Kuyou on this trip, which would suck...

"Indeed, it is. The rooms on the left side are for the girls, while the rooms on the right side are the boys. It's mixed for shared living areas though."

"Looks like we'll be roommates, huh?"

Kuyou grinned and put a hand on my shoulder. I brushed it off and sighed.

"I guess so."

"Try not to be hostile, eh? Let's enjoy ourselves since we don't have to do any real training."

I narrowed my eyes at Kuyou. He walked off, grabbing his luggage and transporting it over to the cottage. I did the same.

Yesterday, Akitani played against each of us to gauge our skills. To their surprise, the person who apparently needed most help was Busujima.

At the same time, Momoka and Iori could use help to tighten their play, so they need training too. However, Kuyou and I became exempt from training if we wanted, since there was little Akitani could do to personally help us.

He said that the only suggestion he has for our improvement is changing our decks to be more competitive, but other than that, we were apparently already playing in the upper echelon.

When I asked Kurosaki about what Akitani told her, she didn't want to answer, so I left it. Though, judging by her skills, I have a suspicious feeling the reason she's not telling me is because her circumstances are the same as mine and Kuyou...

If that's the case, I guess she doesn't want the others to find out about it, since it's make them feel bad. After all, they made fun out of her for being a Zero, so if it turned out she was secretly on par with me or Kuyou... yeah, I don't think they'd take it well.

To be honest, I don't know what to make of Akitani's advice. He said I could do whatever I want, yet... I felt a strange responsibility to at least train a little so I don't dull my senses.

I guess I'll talk about this to Kazuraba and see what she says. She knows Akitani better than us, so she might be able to help me make some sense of what I should do.

In the mean time however...

As I was sipping on some fruit juice in the kitchen, Kurosaki quietly approached me. Her face was dark red, and I could see Kazuraba peeking from the corner of the room. What were these two up to...?

"Um... umm, T-Takamine-san!"

"Y-yeah?"

Kurosaki put her hands together, shaking as she looked up at me.

"W... w-would you... like to... spend the day t-together...? A-at the... b-beach..."

I nearly dropped my glass on the floor.

"I would love to!"

Kurosaki squeaked, surprised by my enthusiasm. She then smiled and nodded.

"G-great! Um, I-I'll meet you outside the changing rooms!"

"Sure thing! Take your time! And, uh..."

I pointed over to the corner where Kazuraba was.

"I presume senpai's joining us too?"

Kurosaki's face turned even more dark red. Kazuraba chuckled, peeking her head out while blowing her tongue.

"Whoops, I've been found out?"

"I could see you from a mile away..."

"U-um, ah, uh..."

Kurosaki made a lot of stuttering noises while trying to reply to me.

"Yuuma-chan, relax. Takamine-san is harmless, look!"

Kazuraba put her hands on Kurosaki's shoulders, making her calm down.

"T-that's not the problem, Reona-chan..."

"Ha ha, I know, you've never asked a boy out like this before."

I choked a little.

"You don't have to be so tense around him. Takamine-san is on your side."

"Uh... j-just to be clear, this isn't a d-date... right?"

"Oh no, don't worry. Yuuma-chan just wanted to spend the day with you."

"Thank god..."

I breathed a sigh of relief.

"R-Reona-chan, you don't have to word it that way!"

I could almost see steam coming out of her ears as Kurosaki overheated, burying her face into her hands.

"Ha ha, sorry... why don't you try explaining in your own words, then?"

"Umm... o-okay..."

Kurosaki peeked at me through the gaps in her fingers before lowering her hands, keeping her gaze low to the floor.

"T-Takamine-san... I... I wanted to spend the day together with you... um... j-just me and you... n-no one else."

Seeing the earnest look in her eyes, I laughed before smiling widely.

"Sure thing! I'd love to do the same as well."

Hearing that, Kurosaki's face lit up with a smile.

"R-really?"

"Really, really."

"T-then, I'm going to get changed really quickly then!"

Kurosaki rushed out, going to her room to grab her swimsuit. Kazuraba giggled before turning to me.

"Hey, Takamine-san. Thanks for being a good friend to Yuuma-chan."

"It's nothing... after seeing how the others were treating her, it really pissed me off."

I rubbed the back of my neck.

"Yeah. It's always been like this for her, unfortunately..."

"It must be rough... I can't ever imagine what it's like, being shunned by everyone around you for your entire life."

It made me feel blessed that I got to grow up in a good environment and had friends surrounding me in all stages of my life. When I tried to imagine what it would be like without either of them, I felt sad.

"Right? It didn't help that once people found out she got sick easily, people always tried to take advantage of it to humiliate her. It got so bad at one point she withdrew from middle school and started homeschooling for her own safety."

I tossed my empty can into the bin.

"...did they force her to throw up?"

Kazuraba nodded.

"What the hell..."

I don't understand. Why do these people derive joy from seeing others suffer? Why do so many of them exist in this world? Why are they even so messed up to begin with?

"It's okay, you don't have to get angry on her behalf now. It's all in the past."

"I know, but... I just can't help it. Knowing that one of my friends suffered through these injustices... it makes me feel sick."

If anything, it just made me more determined to do what I can as her friend. For some reason, Kazuraba smiled at me.

"Just from your reaction alone, I can tell you care a lot about those less privileged than you are. That's an excellent trait to have, Takamine-san."

I looked up at her and sighed.

"It's not that praiseworthy... I'm just following what mommy tells me. All people are equal in this world. There's no need to try and bring each other down, unless they deserve it."

"In that case... I can tell you were raised by good parents then. How about that?"

The corners of my lips raised a little as I nodded.

"Yeah. I really was."

"Alright, that's enough from me. Go enjoy your time with Yuuma-chan, you deserve it."

"Ah, thanks."

I waved goodbye to her as Kazuraba left. Then, I went to my room to grab my swimming trunks, before heading over to the changing rooms.

As expected, the boy's side was empty. It made sense, since Akitani was training Busujima and the others, and Kuyou went to scout out the other schools.

I can't say I exactly endorse what he's doing, since it feels underhanded to try and spy on the competition, but having a bit more information on them would be nice...

I exited the changing rooms, stepping onto the beach. As I did, my feet sank into the warm sand.

Ah, that feels really good...

It's been awhile since I've been to the beach. If I wasn't here for the tournament, I probably would've used this as a chance to kick back and take things easy.

"D-did I keep you waiting long...?"

From the girl's changing room, Kurosaki emerged with an innocent yet slightly guilty look on her face. I gulped, looking away as I could feel myself blushing at the sight of how beautiful she was in her swimsuit.

Kurosaki was wearing a cute purple bikini overflowing with pastel pink and white frills. Her long hair, usually loose, was tied up into twin tails with matching scrunchies that looked like sangria flowers.

To be honest, I wasn't expecting her to look so good in that outfit... she looked like a plain girl in both her uniform and casual clothes, but the moment she put this on, it was like she was an entirely different person!

I scratched my cheek.

"N-no, not at all."

Ah crap, and now I was getting flustered... come on Minoru, pull yourself together! You've seen women in swimsuits before, this is nothing!

"I-I'm glad to hear... s-shall we go, then?"

Kurosaki gestured to the vast expanse of sand before us, holding a towel in her left hand and a parasol in her right hand. It seems she got them from inside the cottage. Since it looked heavy in her hands, I took them off her so I could ease her load.

"Now we can. Lead the way!"

"T-thank you, Takamine-san... but, um..."

It seems Kurosaki was carrying even more things. She sheepishly revealed that she had also brought a picnic basket and a bottle of sunscreen too.

"You really did come prepare for this, huh?"

The picnic basket looked extra heavy, so I threw the towel over my shoulder and took that off her hands as well.

"Y-yeah... I think it's a habit I got from daddy, since he over prepares about situations like this too. O-oh, thank you..."

From a cursory glance inside, there were rice balls, snacks, and juice in the basket. I guess we'll be having lunch on the beach too... and best of all, it looks really tasty too!

"No worries, better to be safe than sorry. By the way, could I borrow that sunscreen of yours? I forgot to bring mine..."

"Ah, s-sure thing! Um, do you want me to put it on your back too?"

"Eh? I mean, I don't mind, but..."

I didn't know how to express the intimacy of doing something like this. Judging by what Kazuraba told me earlier, since Kurosaki isn't used to having friends, her sense of the boundaries might be skewed, so I better do my best to correct things where I can...

"Actually, nah. It's fine, I can do it myself."

"O-okay, if Takamine-san says so."

Kurosaki smiled. Considering her skin was glistening under the sun slightly, it seems she's already applied it, so I didn't bother suggesting to ask Kazuraba to do her back.

We finally made our trek out to the beach, walking towards the coastline. Even though I was carrying most of the heavy stuff, I was actually walking slightly ahead of Kurosaki.

"You're not much one for stamina I'm guessing?"

"A-ah... I mean, it's kind of obvious."

She giggled. Yeah, considering she was bringing a towel and a parasol, I think Kurosaki was planning to stay under the shade and eat food. A far different experience to what I was imagining...

"That's fine, I'll match your pace. Can you at least swim?"

"Um, I learned when I was young... b-but I haven't swam in a long time, so I don't know if I can do it still. I know daddy can't swim though."

Kurosaki giggled.

"Then what do you think of swimming together after eating?"

"S-sure! B-but, um... I wanna digest the food at least, first..."

"No problem. We can just have a cardfight while we're waiting."

I pulled out my deck box from my pocket, grinning. Kurosaki beamed.

"Yay! That sounds like fun, he he..."

"Right?"

I suggested it mainly because I saw her deck box was also hiding in the picnic basket.

We settled down in the middle of the beach, putting down the towel and setting up the parasol. Kurosaki immediately scooted under the shade, while I sat down on a spot where the sun could still shine on me. Hopefully I can get a tan from this...

"H-here."

Kurosaki handed me her sunscreen as I put down the picnic basket next to us.

"Thanks."

I squirted some sunscreen on my hands and started spreading it on my body, going from my torso, to my arms, to my legs, and finally to my back. Kurosaki watched me intently, nibbling on one of the rice balls, before pouting slightly.

"...what?"

"Takamine-san forgot the most important place..."

"The most important place?"

Kurosaki took the tube and squeezed a little onto her finger. She then leaned in, dabbing my nose with a cheeky smile.

"Your face, silly."

"...oh yeah."

To be honest, I didn't even think about that. Man, that would've been embarrassing if I ended up getting a tan on everywhere but my face... or even worse, I don't get a tan at all, and my face is just straight up sunburnt!

After fixing that by applying some sunscreen, I reached into the picnic basket to grab an onigiri. I freed it from its plastic wrap and bit into it, enjoying the fluffiness of the rice and the flavour of the filling.

"Woah, these are awesome!"

"Y-you think so?"

"Yeah! This resort really is awesome, they even have great food too!"

"A-ah... umm... a-actually, me and Reona-chan made these..."

Kurosaki looked away, hiding her blushing face behind her half eaten onigiri.

"Oh... crap, I should've realised! Yeah, no wonder, they have more filling than the konbini ones and are even wrapped in plastic wrap... it's so obvious these were handmade!"

I slapped my face, embarrassed I didn't even think about that possibility either. Kurosaki laughed.

"I'm glad you think they're good... I just wasn't expecting you to think that highly of it!"

"What can I say? It's delicious! Then again, I'm starving, so anything would probably taste like heaven on my tongue..."

"Does Takamine-san get hungry quickly?"

"Ah, nah. I just skipped breakfast today since I was in a rush to board the minibus."

"Oh yeah... you were the last to get on there. What happened?"

"Let's just say I woke up later than I should've..."

I scratched the back of my head, laughing awkwardly while finishing that first onigiri. Then, I reached into the basket for a second.

As I plucked one out, for some reason, Kurosaki squeaked. I raised an eyebrow but didn't think much of it, biting into the onigiri.

I tried not to show it on my face, but this was way saltier than the last one... it looks like I managed to get one made by Kurosaki and Kazuraba each.

If I had to discern which was which... considering the reaction Kurosaki had to me picking up this one, this must've been one she made.

I didn't want to embarrass her, especially since she went out of her way to make this food for us, so I soldiered on and continued eating it, even if it felt like my mouth was being assaulted by salt.

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

"Y-yeah, I'm fine!"

Finishing the rest of that onigiri, I laughed and poured out some juice to wash away the saltiness.

"Are you sure...? I told Reona-chan not to go so hard on the seasoning, but she insisted that two big pinches of salt was better..."

I nearly choked on my drink hearing that.

Oh come on! I can't be this wrong all the time, can I?!

I stuck out my tongue and sniffled.

"Kurosaki-san, please don't let Kazuraba-senpai into the kitchen ever again... I think I cut my tongue on that onigiri from how salty it was..."

"Ah?! A-are you okay, Takamine-san?! I-I'm sorry, I should've said something sooner, b-but it looked like you were enjoying it...!"

I was only making those faces to try and save you the embarrassment...

"I'm fine... but now I'm seriously impressed."

"E-eh? Impressed? That Reona-chan is bad at seasoning?"

"No, not that! I-I mean about... how good your onigiri from earlier tasted."

I muttered, making Kurosaki become flustered. She laughed, finishing the last of her onigiri.

"T-thank you, Takamine-san... it's nothing special though, anyone can make it."

"You're telling me this after my mouth became the second coming of the Atlantic ocean?"

"W-wait, you raise a good point... umm, anyone can make it! E-except, Reona-chan..."

"Damn right! Argh, my mouth still feels gross even after drinking all that juice..."

"Maybe some water would be good... oh!"

Kurosaki smiled and ran over to one of the nearby palm trees. From the floor, she scooped up a coconut that had fallen from the tree and brought it over to me.

"H-here! Drink some coconut water!"

I stared at her dumbfounded. I know I can be a colossal dumbass at times, but Kurosaki was looking at me with such sincerity, I don't think she realised we didn't have any tools to even open this thing.

"Is it even safe to drink from this...?"

I took the coconut from her hands and examined it. Since it didn't have a husk around it, and was green in colour, it must've been a young coconut. At the very least, that means I can hack at the top of it for the water.

"I think so. Reona-chan said that any harvestable food at this resort is completely safe to consume."

"Coconuts seem to fit that description... alright, hang on. I'm gonna grab a knife to crack open this thing."

"Okay! B-be careful, Takamine-san!"

"I will."

I got up and went back to the cottage. On my way there, I noticed one of the Jinrai students, Hazuki Touka, was talking a brisk walk on our side of the beach.

I averted my eyes, blushing at how provocative her swimsuit was. It was a glossy black one-piece swimsuit, but the top half looked like a bikini top. She had a few white flower clips in her hair and a black band around her right thigh.

"Oh, hello there! You're one of the GEN students, aren't you?"

Even though I tried sneaking past her, I ended up going right into her line of sight instead, causing her to greet me. I didn't want to be rude or disrespectful, especially since Hazuki was one of the nicer people we met yesterday, but...

Looking at her was way too difficult... not only because she looked really good in her swimsuit... but also because she was also revealing way too much skin...!

"U-uh, hey... yeah, I am..."

"It's nice to meet one of you guys for real! Um..."

"Oh. I don't know if you remember me from yesterday, but I'm Takamine Minoru. You're Hazuki Touka, right?"

"Ah! Well remembered, he he... do you mind if I call you Minoru? You can also call me Touka in return."

"Yeah, sure thing. So, uh, Touka-san... what brings you over to this side of the beach?"

I rubbed the back of my neck, looking away from her.

"Oh... to be honest, I got kind of lost."

"You're lost?"

Touka nodded.

"Etou-san told everyone to take the day off and enjoy the facilities since we arrived today, so the first thing I did was get into my swimsuit and go for a swim!"

"Makes sense, we're at the beach after all..."

"And, well... I guess I swam too far out?"

Touka tilted her head and stuck her tongue out, making a clumsy girl pose.

"...don't tell me, you swam all the way over to our section without even realising it?!"

"E he he... yeah. When I swam back to land, before I knew it, I was on a completely different part of the beach! Since then, I've just been walking around, trying to find where my school's resort is..."

"Huh... I think I know just the person who can help. Wanna come with me? I'm going back to GEN's cottage."

"Really? Are you sure it's fine? I wouldn't want to disturb you guys..."

"Yeah, you're good. If anyone says otherwise, then I'll beat them in a cardfight and force them to yield."

"Ha ha ha... such a straightforward approach. In that case, thank you for letting me tag along, Minoru-san."

Touka smiled, making me smile in return.

"No problem. Hopefully she's there... if not, we might be a little cooked."

As we walked over to the cottage, Touka made some small talk with me.

"What's Minoru-san's favourite food?"

"I don't really have any... I guess I like savoury foods the most?"

"Minoru-san's favourite music?"

"...I guess electronic? I don't really listen to much music though."

"Minoru-san's favourite drink?"

"Gotta be choccie milk!"

"Minoru-san's favourite show?"

"Definitely gotta be— hey, why am I the one being asked all the questions?!"

"Because you haven't asked any?"

Touka tilted her head innocently.

"...what's your favourite food, Touka-san?"

Touka laughed as we finally reached the cottage.

"Kazuraba-senpai! You around? Kazuraba-senpai!"

"Hmm? What's all the commotion about?"

Kazuraba poked her head out of the living room, her eyes widening seeing me and Touka together.

"Oh my... how bold of you, Takamine-san."

Kazuraba put her hand up to her mouth and snickered. Touka smiled, lightly waving at her.

"W-wait, I can explain..."

I will admit, I didn't think about the optics of how this looks... Kurosaki wasn't here, so it looked like I ditched her to play around with Touka, a girl from a rivalling school.

After clearing up this misunderstanding, Kazuraba was actually quite sympathetic towards Touka's situation.

"Poor Hazuki-san... well, it's okay. Thankfully, you can walk back to Jinrai from here, since GEN's resort sits in between you guys and Alba Academy."

"Oh, that's great to hear! Thank you for the drink too..."

Touka was sipping on a strawberry banana smoothie Kazuraba had made her after she said she felt thirsty.

"Not at all, we're just being hospitable. Jinrai's resort is on our right side, so you'll need to go that way to reach it."

"That way..."

Touka traced the direction with her finger, double checking with Kazuraba.

"Yep! If you just keep walking along the shore, you'll find the cottage at that end eventually."

"He he, thank you... that was really helpful."

"Will you be alright on your own? Or would you prefer if I went with you?"

"Hmm... I'll be fine on my own. After all, I have Minoru-san here!"

Touka gestured over to me, who was sitting next to her.

"Uh... sorry Touka-san, but I don't think I can tag along."

"Eh? You can't? But why?"

Touka made a pouty face, making me look away. Oi, that's dirty, a guy can't reject a beauty making that sort of face...

"He's currently hanging out with some of his friends."

Kazuraba winked, helping me out. She really was a dependable senpai... except when it came to cooking.

"Aww... in that case, please lead the way, Kazuraba-san. I don't wanna get lost again..."

"Sure thing. Let's get going!"

Kazuraba clapped her hands, standing. Touka smiled and did the same, finishing her smoothie and putting the cup in the sink. I also got up, grabbing a small knife from the kitchen.

"See you at the Tri-deity Circuit, Minoru-san!"

Touka waved goodbye to me as she left our cottage.

"See you, Touka-san! Stay safe!"

I waved goodbye back, smiling. I can't wait to have a bout with her school at the tournament!

When I returned to Kurosaki, she was munching on some snacks. She looked at me with her cheeks puffed out.

"Sorry I took so long... really sorry!"

I felt I had no choice but to apologise, since that took way longer than expected.

"Takamine-san... meanie."

Ah... yeah, I definitely hurt her feelings with this. How should I make it up to her...?

Then, I got an idea. I spun the the knife in my hand and started carving away at the coconut.

Finding the three holes at the top, I set the coconut firmly into the sand and sliced through the top, creating a cup for the coconut water using the husk itself.

"I know it's not much, but... here."

I presented the coconut cup to Kurosaki, the water glistening on the surface.

"E-eh? B-but, that coconut was meant to be for Takamine-san..."

"There's more down there, I'll grab one for myself. I just thought... you'd like one too."

Kurosaki's puffed cheeks returned to normal as she smiled a little.

"T-thank you... I appreciate it."

I put the knife down and grabbed another coconut, hacking away at it to make the same thing I gave to Kurosaki.

"How is it? Is it good?"

"It's delicious! The water is sweet and the meat is so smooth... c-can I have another one please?"

I chuckled, passing over the one I had just completed.

"Damn, you should've said so earlier. I've gotta grab a few coconuts now, don't I?"

"T-thank you... and that might be a good idea, yeah."

Kurosaki giggled as she slurped the water.

Seeing her smile like this, it made me glad I befriended her.

Compared to how gloomy she looked when I first met her...

...I seriously prefer it when Kurosaki gets to be happy.

After slurping down some coconut water for myself, I breathed a relaxing sigh as I took in the cool breeze and beautiful scenery around us.

"Ahh, I can't wait to go for a swim... it's all I've been wanting to do since I got here."

I stretched my torso before lying down on the towel, letting the sunlight bathe on my skin.

"S-sorry... I-I don't want to hold you back, so if you want to go... please go ahead."

I tilted my head back, looking up at Kurosaki who apologised meekly while continuing to sit under the parasol's shade.

"Eh? Nah, it's cool. I'd rather we go together, since it'll be more fun that way."

I shook my head with a reassuring smile.

"B-but, Takamine-san..."

"Oh, I know!"

Before she could continue, I cut her off. Since Kurosaki was the type to feel guilty easily, I quickly changed the subject to take her mind off things.

"Let's play a game of Vanguard! I'm seriously interested in seeing what it's like playing against your Thegrea deck, since it's such a rare thing to fight against."

When I mentioned that, Kurosaki's face brightened slightly. She smiled a little, her cheeks going rosy.

"A-actually, I was hoping I could play with you too, Takamine-san..."

"Really? That's perfect then!"

I sat up and took out my deck, grinning. Kurosaki reached into the picnic basket and took her deck out too. Then, we began setting up for the game.

"Man, I haven't played physical in ages..."

Since I'm always spending my time fighting in the digital world, I haven't had to shuffle properly like this in years... somehow, it was strangely nostalgic.

"Hehe... this is like a normal Tuesday night for me."

You could tell Kurosaki was experienced because of how quickly she set up. While I was still doing my initial shuffling, she had already performed her mulligan.

"I bet. You said you normally played with your mom, right?"

I set down my deck and drew five cards. Sheesh, talk about a bad opening...

"Y-yeah... thankfully, she's really good at playing all sorts of decks, so I'm never pigeonholed to fighting one match up eternally. Though, she does have an affinity for Stoicheia decks..."

"Sounds like the opposite of my mom... she loves dragons, so she's a Dragon Empire main through and through. It's really crummy too, since they always seem to have the best decks!"

Kurosaki shivered, hugging her body.

"I-I have trauma from Varga..."

"Right?!"

"A-and I won't forgive Aelquilibra for stealing my gimmick...!"

"Huh, I guess Thegrea and Aelq are pretty similar..."

"P-please give Bavsargra a fourth attack!"

"W-where did that come from?!"

Kurosaki hid her blushing face behind her hand.

"I-I like her art..."

I'm starting to think she has a type...

"Alright, let's get this game on the road!"

"Y-yeah!"

"Stand up, (the!) Vanguard!"

"Knight of Integrity, Thegrea...!"

"Absolute Zero, Rix!"

Out of instinct, I was waiting for the system to decide who was going first, but then realised we were playing physical. I shook my head and looked around, slightly embarrassed at that obvious blunder.

"Uh... Kurosaki-san, do you have dice? Because I don't have any on me."

"I-I don't... sorry."

"No worries. I guess we'll have to do this the old fashioned way..."

I stuck out my fist.

"Rock-paper-scissors."

"A-ah..."

Kurosaki nodded before also reluctantly putting out her fist.

"Rock-paper-scissors, shoot!"

I threw out paper, while Kurosaki threw out rock.

"Looks like I'm going first."

Somehow, she breathed a sigh of relief at that.

"T-that's alright with me."

"Stand and draw! I discard Alha to ride Absolute Zero, Crau! I set the Energy Generator, and using Alha's skill, I energycharge 1! Crau's skill, I scry 7 and add Sagitta to hand! Turn end!"

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

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

"S-stand and draw... I discard to ride Player of the Lovely Harp, Adorphas! I set the Energy Generator, charge 3, and draw from Thegrea...! T-then, I call Cerrgaon and Bradiark! Bradiark's skill, he gets +2k (8000 > 10000), and I scry 1... I'll leave it there. B-Bradiark attacks! (10000)"

Even though she kept the card on top, since she was attacking with her rear-guard first, I figured it wasn't a trigger but rather a piece she needed later.

Otherwise, it would've been better to swing with Vanguard first, since she could pass the power from the trigger over, allowing Bradiark to hit over even if I checked a defensive.

"Clarie guards! (13000)"

This worked out for me though, since I wanted to guard early to keep my damage low so I could face tank her larger attacks later on. It was the only real pressure Thegrea had.

"B-boosted by Cerrgaon, Adorphas attacks! (8000 > 16000) Cerrgaon's skill, he gets +5k! (16000 > 21000)"

"No guard!"

"Drive check! (Knight of Evil Slash, Meyrig)"

No wonder she prioritised to keep that on top... now that she had secured access to Justice on turn 3, she gained a massive push just from from going second. Maybe I should've purposefully forced her to go first to see what would happen...

Then again, considering I don't know anything about her deck, in the case she ran the Magenta package, I would sandbag really easily to it. Facing a Persona Ride boosted frontline when on grade 2 would be super hard to defend against for any deck.

"Damage check! (Absolute Zero, Crau)"

"Cerrgaon's skill, he retires, I scry 2... and add one to hand. T-turn end!"

Minoru:
Hand: 5
Damage: 1
Energy: 1
OXO
OOO

Kurosaki:
Hand: 6
Damage: 0
Energy: 3
OXX
OOO

"Stand, draw, and charge! I discard to ride Absolute Zero, Casua! I call Lurinia! Her skill, I counterblast to scry 5 and add Alha to hand! Lurinia attacks! (10000)"

"N-no guard! (Gallant Mechanical Agility, Valtrossa & Liel)"

"Casua attacks! (10000)"

"N-no guard!"

"Drive check! (Soapy Splash, Riviena)"

"D-damage check! (Oath of Vengeance, Thegrea) O-oh no..."

While a disaster for Kurosaki, her losing a copy of the set order was huge benefit for me. She probably had another copy in deck, but seeing one go out meant there was now huge pressure to get the other one before it disappears.

Otherwise, her deck would lose a lot of it's teeth, and I could win off the back of that reduced advantage engine, as all of Justice's Persona Rides would only become washes instead of plussing.

"Alright! Turn end!"

Minoru:
Hand: 6
Damage: 1
Energy: 4
XXO
OOO

Kurosaki:
Hand: 6
Damage: 2
Energy: 3
OXX
OOO

"Stand, draw, and charge... I discard to ride Player of the Beautiful Chord, Elegenia! Adorphas' skill, I soulblast to draw two... and I discard Exalted Dragon! Exalted's skill, since he was discarded, I soulblast to call him! Then, I swap his position with Bradiark, and call Maple and Cerrgaon! B-boosted by Bradiark, Exalted attacks!"

As expected, Kurosaki's early game was surprisingly strong for Thegrea... even without Valtrossa to build a field, her manipulation of discard effects and committing expandable bodies allowed her to tri-lane me with very little risk.

"No guard! (Fluffy Lady, Godelieve) Critical trigger! All to vanguard! (10000 > 20000)"

"A-ah... hmm..."

Kurosaki hesitated for a moment, considering whether she should swing with her vanguard or other rear-guard first. Her hand reached out to Maple for a second, before hovering over to Elegenia and committing to turning her.

"E-Elegenia attacks! (10000)"

Personally, I would've swung with Maple's column first, since it was a confirmed hit. After all, if she managed to check a trigger here and force me to take a damage, I could shut down that attack by checking another damage trigger of my own.

"No guard! One to pass!"

Either way, I was planning to block the Vanguard swing with a trigger, so getting the damage trigger early was lucky. I could save my 15k shield for later and Maple's column would be an easy 5k guard.

"D-drive check! (Epee De Justice, Thegrea) Nothing... boosted by Cerrgaon, Maple attacks! (10000 > 18000) Cerrgaon's skill! (18000 > 23000)"

"Lurinia intercepts! (25000)"

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

Minoru:
Hand: 6
Damage: 2
Energy: 4
OXO
OOO

Kurosaki:
Hand: 7
Damage: 2
Energy: 6
XXX
OOX

"Stand, draw, and charge! Become enraptured under the sweet starlight and dance to your death as you listen to the feathered diva's rising melody! Return to origin... I ride my avatar, Absolute Zero, Sagitta!"

"W-wow... s-so this is Takamine-san's avatar...? Seeing it up close, it has a completely different feeling from when you used it against Kuyou-san..."

That was probably because I was playing to seriously kill him... up against Kurosaki, in a casual match like this, I didn't care who won or lost. I just wanted to have fun with her.

"U-umm... m-may I take a closer look?"

"Sure thing!"

Kurosaki beamed, leaning in and gently scooping up Sagitta before staring at her in awe while the card rested in the palms of her small hands.

"Ahh... s-she's so pretty... t-this special rarity is really beautiful...!"

"Right? She's an elegant idol, that's for sure."

Kurosaki returned the card to its spot and clenched her hand cards tightly.

"A-alright... I'm going to do my best to try and overcome it, T-Takamine-san!"

"Ha ha, that's the spirit! You're on, Kurosaki-san!"

I grinned and pointed at her, before continuing with my turn.

"Alha's skill! Since I discarded her, I energycharge 1! Casua's skill, I call her and Crau out from my soul! I call another Casua and use Sagitta's skill! I energyblast 4 to get +10k and 1 drive! (13000 > 23000/2d > 3d) Then, I'll play my Regalis Piece— Radiance Caliburn!"

"R-Radiance Caliburn? I-I've never seen that card before... w-what does it do?"

"Figures, it was only recently released. Radiance Caliburn allows me to take the top two cards of my deck and put them into my hand!"

"T-Takamine-san drew two cards?! B-but, that's so powerful...!"

"Damn straight. However, as a trade off for having such a strong effect, I can't activate anymore Regalis Pieces for the rest of the game! Now, let's battle! Casua's going in first! (10000) Her skill, she gets +5k! (10000 > 15000)"

"N-no guard! (Bard of Heavenly Song, Alpacc) F-front trigger! My front row gets +10k! (10000 > 20000) (10000 > 20000) (10000 > 20000)"

"Oh yikes, that's the best one you could've gotten... Casua retires and I draw one! Boosted by Crau, Sagitta attacks! (23000 > 31000/3d) Alha's skill, when my vanguard attacks, I revive her from drop! Frozen Wing Frenzy!"

"N-no guard!"

"Triple drive!! (Only My Stage, Astesice, Misa) Critical trigger! Power to Casua, critical to vanguard! (10000 > 20000) (31000/1 > 2/3d) (Secret Prayer Judge Maiden, Clarie)"

"D-damage checks... (Brilliant Dragon, Bradiark, Knight of Evil Slash, Meyrig) N-no triggers...!"

With that crit, I managed to push Kurosaki to five damage. While I probably wouldn't be able to clinch a win here, I could at least do everything I can to cripple her now so I could finish her on my next turn.

"Alha attacks! (10000) Her skill, she gets +10k! (10000 > 20000)"

"M-Maple intercepts! (25000)"

"Casua attacks! Once again, her skill! (20000 > 25000) Sagitta's skill, since it's the fourth attack this turn, I discard one! I drop Clarie! Then, Sagitta's other skill! Since I discarded, I counterblast to draw! Clarie's skill! When she's discarded, I put her into soul!"

"T-Takamine-san is chaining so many effects... ahh, R-Ricula guards! (35000)"

"I hope I'm not making your head spin with all this, ha ha... end of battle, Casua retires and I draw! Turn end!"

Kurosaki breathed a sigh of relief, looking exhausted after having being pushed so far to the brink so early.

"I-it's alright... I think I get the general gist of your deck now."

I raised an eyebrow.

"You do?"

Kurosaki nodded.

"It's my first time playing against it properly, but... after observing, I think it's a style that really suits you."

Even though she said it with a sweet smile, I couldn't help but think it was an ominous statement. Could she really have figured out my entire deck just from two games? After all, I was still struggling to wrap my head around what she was using in her deck...

Minoru:
Hand: 11
Damage: 2
Energy: 4
XXO
OXO

Kurosaki:
Hand: 6
Damage: 5
Energy: 6
OXX
OOX

"Stand, draw, and charge! The sword of light that cuts away evil and protects the weak... promise to always shine radiantly within our hands! I ride my avatar, One Who Walks the Path of Light, Thegrea!"

Kurosaki was right... seeing her ride into Thegrea up close, it was a completely different feeling from when I was watching her fight Iori. I could sense the heat of her resolve resonate clearly in her passionate voice.

"M-Maple's skill, she revives herself from drop! I set Oath of Vengeance and use Thegrea's skill! Counterblast and scry 5... call Cerrgaon! I call Meyrig from hand and use her skill! I bind her to put Dark Thegrea into my soul, and superior ride...! The flaming sword of justice that upholds law and forgives destruction... promise to always seek revenge and swear upon the vow within our hands! I ride my avatar, Epee De Justice, Thegrea!"

"Justice gains Light's name, then I use her skill! I discard to superior ride from my soul...! The sword of darkness that swallows the light and exacts retribution... promise to always avenge mercilessly within our hands! I ride my avatar, One Who Blooms in the Dark, Thegrea!"

"Justice gets bound and activates Persona Ride! Oath's skill, I draw 2 and my power becomes +15k...! (10000 > 25000) (13000 > 28000) (10000 > 25000) I call Bradiark and use his skill to get +2k (8000 > 10000) and scry 1... I-I'll leave it on top. Battle! Boosted by Bradiark, Thegrea attacks! (28000 > 38000) Adamas Bloodriver!"

While I was concerned with the card she left on top, since I was on two damage, even if Kurosaki checks two crits and puts it on vanguard, I would be safe. So, it was better to conserve my perfect guard for the second attack and take this one.

"No guard!"

"T-Twin Drive...!! (Knight of Clarion Strings, Ricula) Heal trigger! Power to Maple, and healing one! (25000 > 35000) (Exalted Dragon) N-nothing..."

"Damage check! (Light Spinning Around the Flower Garden Judge Maiden, Lurinia)"

"Thegrea's skill! I counterblast and discard to restand the vanguard with drive -1! (28000/2d > 1d) Bradiark's skill, I energyblast 3 and remove him from rear-guard to bounce back the card I discarded! Once more, Thegrea attacks...! (28000/1d) Adamas Bloodrevolt!"

"Riviena, perfect guard!"

"D-drive check! (Epee De Justice, Thegrea) No trigger... b-boosted by Bradiark, Exalted attacks! (25000 > 33000)"

"Palvi guards and Alha intercepts! (38000)"

"B-boosted by Cerrgaon, Maple attacks! (25000 > 33000) Cerrgaon's skill, +5k! (33000 > 38000)"

"Not so fast! Sagitta's skill, since it's your fourth attack or more this turn, you have to discard one!"

"T-that's fine by me... because I'll use Bradiark's effect to energyblast 3 and remove him to put the discarded card back into my hand!"

My eyes widened. I was really caught off guard by that play since I didn't see it coming either...

"Damn... I never thought of using those cards like that before. What a clever little workaround. No guard! (Conscientious Meeting, Felina)"

"He he... thank you. I-I called that second Bradiark down in anticipation for Sagitta's skill, actually. Normally, I would've just kept it in hand since I already had one out... but if I was going to have to discard 2 cards this turn either way, I might as well make use of all my energy."

"Very efficient thinking there... so you were prepping that far ahead for your turn?"

"Y-yeah... leave no options unturned, as they say. It's a lot easier to take everything into consideration when you're not feeling nauseous."

"I bet."

She said it jokingly, but I could tell Kurosaki was playing better than when she was up against Iori. There was a smoothness and elegance to her style that you couldn't grasp in the digital world since her circuits were going berserk the entire time.

It was almost like the Light and Dark side of Thegrea... in the real world, she was dignified as the Light, but in the digital world, she was broken as the Dark.

"C-Cerrgaon's skill, he retires, I scry 2, and add one... turn end."

Minoru:
Hand: 8
Damage: 4
Energy: 4
OXO
OXO

Kurosaki:
Hand: 8
Damage: 4
Energy: 3
XXX
OOO

"Stand, draw, and charge! Become lost under the punishing moonlight and freeze to your death as you listen to the feathered diva's final judgment! Return to origin... Persona Ride my avatar, Absolute Zero, Sagitta!"

"(13000 > 23000) Sagitta's skill, I energyblast 4 to give her +10k and a drive! (23000 > 33000/2d > 3d) I set Only My Stage from my hand and call Lurinia (10000 > 20000), Casua (10000 > 20000), Felina, and Valefr! Felina's skill, I soulblast to set another! Lurinia's skill, I counterblast to scry 5 and add a Crau to hand! Crau's skill, I discard one to give her a new skill which grants my front row rear-guards +5k! (20000 > 25000) (20000 > 25000) Alha's skill, since she was discarded, energycharge 1! Sagitta's skill, since I discarded, I counterblast to draw! Let's battle! Both of Only My Stage's skill, I give Felina and Valefr the ability to Boost! Felina's skill, when she's chosen by Only My Stage, she gets +5k! (10000 > 15000) Boosted by Valefr, Casua attacks! (25000 > 35000) Casua's skill, she gets +5k! (35000 > 40000)"

"N-no guard...! (Gallant Mechanical Ability, Valtrossa&Liel) No trigger..."

It seems Kurosaki was betting on checking a damage trigger here to make the rest of my attacks easier to guard. Unfortunately for her, she didn't get it, putting her one hit away from losing.

"Casua retires and I draw! Boosted by Crau, Sagitta attacks! (33000 > 41000/3d) Alha's skill, I revive her from drop! (10000 > 20000 > 25000) Now go, Sagitta! Repent Wing Frenzy!!"

"E-Esras, perfect guard!"

"Triple Drive!!! (Soapy Splash, Riviena, Sigh of Relief, Fabiola) Heal trigger! I can't heal, but I'm giving power to Alha! (25000 > 35000) (A Little Demonic Method, Valefr) Boosted by Felina, Lurinia attacks! (25000 > 40000) Lurinia's skill, she gets +5k! (40000 > 45000)"

"A-Alpacc and Meyrig guards! Maple and Exalted intercept! (13000 > 33000 > 38000 > 48000)"

"Alha attacks! (35000) Sagitta's skill, I discard one! Alha's skill, she gets +10k! (35000 > 45000)"

"R-Ricula, Disma, and Exalted guards! (13000 > 28000 > 43000 > 48000)"

And with that one attack, I had purged Kurosaki's hand down to just one card— which I knew had to be Epee De Justice.

"Ah, and I was so close to getting you... ah well. Turn end!"

Kurosaki was shaking as she stared at the last card in her hand.

"I-I can't believe I barely survived that..."

"To be fair, one extra trigger from either of us could've swung the game in a wildly different direction."

"Y-yeah... if Takamine-san got a second trigger, or even a Front trigger, I wouldn't have survived..."

Kurosaki laughed derisively to herself before scratching her cheek.

"Likewise, if you checked a trigger, you wouldn't have had to use all those 5k shields. Don't be too hard on yourself, you're doing great!"

"T-thank you..."

Minoru:
Hand: 8
Damage: 4
Energy: 4
XXO
XXX

Kurosaki:
Hand: 1
Damage: 5
Energy: 3
OXO
OOO

"Stand, draw, and charge..."

Kurosaki took a deep breath before looking at me straight in the eyes with a half-serious, half-tense gaze.

I matched her intensity, looking back at her with a grin that told her to give me everything she had.

"The flaming sword of justice that upholds law and forgives destruction... promise to always seek revenge and swear upon the vow within our hands! Persona Ride my avatar, Epee De Justice, Thegrea!"

"(13000 > 28000) Justice gains Dark's name and let's put a Dark from deck into soul! Maple's skill, she comes back from the drop! (10000 > 25000) Then, I use Justice's skill! I discard to superior ride from my soul...! The sword of light that cuts away evil and protects the weak... promise to always shine radiantly within our hands! Persona Ride my avatar, One Who Walks the Path of Light, Thegrea!"

"(28000 > 43000) (25000 > 40000) I call Valtrossa and Liel! (10000 > 4000) Their skill, I botdeck a Cerrgaon, then counterblast to scry 5 and call Exalted from among them!"

"I'm guessing you put back the Cerrgaon in the hopes you'd call it off Light's skill?"

Kurosaki nodded.

"I have sixteen cards in deck... with just a bit of luck, I'll be able to find the boosters I need."

"So it's come down to this, huh...?"

It was a bold strategy, but it made sense. Not only would this let Kurosaki call better rear-guards, but it would also thin her deck down to increase the odds of hitting a trigger, all while blocking me from intercepting unless I wanted to proc her Cerrgaon's skills.

It was a deceptively simple move, but the benefits that would come from it were endless. Despite playing what was essentially a beatdown deck, Kurosaki was taking into careful consideration all her moves far into the future.

In that sense, she had greater foresight than even I did... could it be that she had to learn how to anticipate and plan ahead because of her nausea preventing her from thinking in the moment?

Thinking about it like that, I shivered a little.

"Light's skill! I counterblast to scry 5, and since I have a Dark in soul, I can call two units from among them..."

Kurosaki looked at the top five cards of her deck before a wide smile broke out on her face.

"I-I call two Cerrgaon!"

"Oh, nice!"

The odds were skewed in her favour, so I wasn't surprised she managed to get it. If anything, I was more impressed at what I was seeing, since I wasn't expecting this level of technical play from a deck like Thegrea.

"Ah, now I just have to not mess up this part... b-battle! Boosted by Exalted, Maple attacks! (40000 > 50000)"

"That attack is way too large, even for me... no guard! (Light Spinning Around the Flower Garden Judge Maiden, Lurinia)"

Like Kurosaki, I aimed to hit a damage trigger to try and make everything else easier to guard, but got nothing. It was unfortunate, but I'll manage either way... assuming no rogue overTrigger pops out of nowhere.

"Boosted by Cerrgaon, Thegrea attacks! (43000 > 51000) Cerrgaon's skill! (51000 > 56000) Adamas Reincarnation!"

"Riviena, perfect guard!"

"Twin Drive!! (Epee De Justice, Thegrea, Witch Fang Witch, Disma) C-critical trigger! All effects to Maple! (40000 > 50000/1 > 2) Light's skill! Since I rode upon Dark this turn, I discard to restand Maple! Cerrgaon's skill, he retires, I scry 2, and add one to hand... now Maple attacks next! (50000/2)"

Getting that trigger hurt, but since I was on five damage already, rendering the crit effectively useless, I was just thankful it wasn't a Front instead.

"Fabiola, Godelieve, Valefr, and Crau guards! (13000 > 28000 > 43000 > 48000 > 53000)"

"M-Maple's skill! I soulblast a Dark in soul to add a Dark to hand... then, she goes to soul!"

That was a rogue play to make, especially since she had just checked Justice for next turn.

"B-boosted by Cerrgaon, Valtrossa and Liel attacks! (40000 > 48000) S-Sagitta's skill, I discard one... I choose Justice!"

Now I was really shocked. She still had enough cards in deck to perform a double Persona Ride, so why was she tossing away her main play maker? Was she really planning on riding Dark Thegrea from hand next turn?

"I guard with two Misa! Alha and Lurinia intercepts! (13000 > 28000 > 43000 > 48000 > 53000)"

Just like how Kurosaki did last turn, I was forced to exhaust all my hand, minus my Persona Ride, and both my intercepts just to stop her attack... if I had intercepted earlier and made Cerrgaon get his 5k boost, that would've been over for me.

"Ah... Takamine-san's too strong...! T-turn end..."

"N-not at all... you had me on the ropes there. One wrong move from me, and I would've handed you the win."

I wondered if Kurosaki could see where I could've went wrong... or maybe, she had already taken it into account in her pushback turn. Either way, I'm going to be running on fumes, especially since I have no way to superior call like she does...

Minoru:
Hand: 1
Damage: 5
Energy: 4
OXO
XXX

Kurosaki:
Hand: 5
Damage: 5
Energy: 6
OXX
XOX

"Stand, draw, and charge! Become lost under the punishing moonlight and freeze to your death as you listen to the feathered diva's final judgment! Return to origin... Persona Ride my avatar, Absolute Zero, Sagitta!"

"(13000 > 23000) Sagitta's skill, energyblast 4 to get +10k and a drive! (23000 > 33000/2d > 3d) I move Valefr up (10000 > 20000) and call Demonic Fever, Garviera! (5000 > 15000)"

"Eh? Eh?! T-Takamine-san's overTrigger? Y-you're calling it?!"

"Ha ha, yup. I drew it off my Persona Ride, so I might as well make use of it now that the game is this close."

More bodies meant more attacks. I was planning on going for broke the moment this turn began anyways, so regardless of what I drew, I was gonna call it down. Plus, it didn't matter how much base power it had, since I could buff my front row.

"Crau's skill! I discard to give my front row rear-guards +5k! (15000 > 20000) (20000 > 25000) Sagitta's skill, I counterblast to draw! I call Palvi!"

Ripping two triggers off the top didn't feel nice, but it was better than nothing. I showed off my jazz hands to Kurosaki.

"Let's battle! Only My Stage gives Felina the ability to Boost, then Felina gets +5k! (10000 > 15000) Boosted by Felina, Garviera attacks! (20000 > 35000)"

"A-Alpacc guards, Valtrossa intercepts! (13000 > 33000 > 38000)"

"Boosted by Crau, Sagitta attacks! (33000 > 41000/3d) Alha's skill, I revive her from drop! (10000 > 20000 > 25000) Repent Wing Frenzy!"

"Sanctitude, perfect guard!"

Without even giving it a second thought, Kurosaki discarded Dark Thegrea. That decisive action, coupled with the fact she was still guarding to survive, made me think she had something up her sleeve to ensure her survival.

The number of cards in her hand were now two.

So far, she's only used one Esras this entire game... could it be that the last two cards were both Esras?  If that was the case, then both my subsequent attacks would be stopped, and I'd be left completely vulnerable to her counterattack next turn...

I guess I'll make up my mind seeing what she guards with next. It might end up being pointless creating a fourth attack if it means having to discard one for it. Then again, it might be wise to attack anyways to force that card out so she doesn't have a body next turn...

Before I knew it, I was caught up in a mind game I wasn't expecting.

Kurosaki's two card grip, coupled with her eternally half-serious, half-nervous expression, was beginning to make me overthink the possibilities of this situation.

There's no way she'd be as naive as to keep guarding without having a plan in mind. She's been so meticulous in her actions up until now, always considering the road ahead, that it makes me certain she knew she could survive.

Otherwise, if you knew the writing was on the wall, it was better to take the chance at a sixth damage heal or overTrigger than continue to pointlessly guard. It was just a huge risk otherwise...

"Kurosaki-san... the last two cards in your hand... they're PGs, aren't they?"

As I asked that question, her face turned bright red.

"H-huh? W-what is Takamine-san talking about?!"

That confirmed it.

"Ha ha... figures. Then, in that case, I'm gonna be praying for a couple sentinels myself! Triple Drive!!! (Secret Prayer Judge Maiden, Clarie, Soapy Splash, Riviena, Snowskip, Palvi) Front trigger! My front row gets +10k! (25000 > 35000) (25000 > 35000) Valefr attacks! (35000) Her skill, since I have a card with the same name as my vanguard in soul, she gets +5k! (35000 > 40000)"

"Esras perfect guards for free!"

I paused to think about it for a second. Since Kurosaki was locked out of a Persona Ride next turn, she couldn't revive Maple, and she'd lose out on 15k Power. Her only way of building board would be Light, so assuming she gets a 10k body off it...

She could promote Exalted, call the other Esras behind it, and call whatever she gets off Light in front of Cerrgaon. Even if she hits double triggers... I could use my front and an intercept to stop vanguard (13k vs 38k), use my other intercept and Clarie for Exalted's column (26k vs 28k), and finally PG the last one for free before going in for a confirmed kill on my turn.

I could even gamble on a one to pass to make clearing the rear-guards safer. Either way, if I wanted to attack with Alha now, I'd just be putting myself at a greater disadvantage since I'd have to discard one of these defensive cards... in that case, the safer play to make is probably just to end it here.

"That's all from me. Turn end!"

Kurosaki blinked.

"...eh? T-Takamine-san... ends?"

"Yeah. It's not worth attacking with Alha if you're just going to PG it."

"I... I see?!"

For some reason, Kurosaki looked equal parts confused and panicked. I guess she really wasn't expecting this, huh?

Minoru:
Hand: 3
Damage: 5
Energy: 3
XXX
XXO

Kurosaki:
Hand: 1
Damage: 5
Energy: 6
OXO
XOX

"S-stand, draw, and charge... um... umm..."

"What's wrong, Kurosaki-san?"

"T-Takamine-san... why didn't you attack last turn?"

"...because you could stop my last attack with a PG?"

"B-but, you would've won!"

Kurosaki revealed the card she drew, which would've been her sixth damage—

A Dragsaver, Esras?

I squinted.

"...huh?"

"M-my last card in hand... was Justice."

Kurosaki turned the other card in her hand around.

My jaw dropped.

"W-wait... the last card in your hand, was..."

Kurosaki nodded, her eyes sparkling innocently.

"I-I was keeping it for Persona Ride next turn..."

"Then why did you discard Dark?! She would've been the better Persona Ride target!"

"I-it's hard to explain my logic, but... I can filter more cards out from deck by going Justice. She gets my last copy of Thegrea out, then I have at least three chances to draw into Valtrossa and thin another card out. That would make the chance of hitting a trigger higher than the three checks I get from Dark."

"But Dark is four attacks? Getting triggers is good and all, but you can better confirm a kill with four swings as opposed to three."

"Y-yeah, b-but... S-Sagitta keeps taxing me, so I'd rather avoid the fourth attack and keep the extra card..."

Oh my god, she was actually trying to play around Sagitta...

"Wait, then why did you guard everything if you knew you were going to lose?"

"Eh? I-isn't that how you're meant to play the game?"

"...huh?"

"L-like... y-you're meant to give it your best shot, guarding until the end, before giving in and taking the last damage..."

"That's... that's..."

I don't know why, but I started laughing. I covered my mouth, before bursting out, unable to contain it.

"Oh, Kurosaki-san... a ha ha ha! I've never met anyone like you ever before, ha ha ha!"

Somehow, it was strangely endearing of her.

"A-ah! I-I'm sorry for being weird! I-I'll stop being a weirdo and take the sixth damage from now on...!"

She squeaked and covered her head. I shook my head.

"Not like that... I mean it in a good way. You're a one of a kind woman."

"R-really...?"

"Really, really."

"Takamine-san... n-now I'm embarrassed..."

Kurosaki took a deep breath before continuing.

"Umm... t-the flaming sword of justice that upholds law and forgives destruction... promise to always seek revenge and swear upon the vow within our hands! Persona Ride my avatar, Epee De Justice, Thegrea!"

"Here it comes... looks like I'm not weaselling my way out of this one."

"(13000 > 28000) Justice gains Light's name and I put a Justice into soul! Maple's skill, she comes back! (10000 > 15000) I-I didn't draw into Valtrossa, so... I-I'll move Exalted up (10000 > 15000) and call Esras and Disma! B-battle! Boosted by Disma, Thegrea attacks! (28000 > 33000) Adamas Bloodriver Reincarnation!"

"No guard!"

"Twin Drive!! (Brilliant Dragon, Bradiark, Gallant Mechanical Agility, Valtrossa&Liel) N-no triggers!"

"Damage check! (Absolute Zero, Sagitta) You got me. Good game!"

"Ahhh... g-good game, Takamine-san."

Kurosaki smiled.

"I think I've also learnt something today..."

I sighed, chuckling to myself before putting a hand to my face.

"Y-you did?"

Kurosaki was packing away her hands, smiling to herself in joy for winning a game.

"Yeah..."

I put away my cards too, self-reflecting on the game I just had.