"Chronojet attacks! Generation Break 2, he gets 5k and glory! Spiral Soul Strike Against the Supreme!" Ryuuga declared.

"Tch... No guard..." Nozomi muttered.

Ryuuga's drive check didn't reveal anything worth mentioning, and the sixth card in Nozomi's damage zone wasn't a heal trigger.

The second game of Izanagi versus Limited Time Izanami ended with one win for the latter, all thanks to the branch manager on their side semi-carrying them.

Ryuuga and Nozomi shook hands after putting away their cards.

"Good game, Nozomi." The branch said, showing a small smirk.

"You too, Ryuuga. Branch managers really are strong as hell. Let's fight again some time!" The blonde requested.

"Stop by my current office with some of your food and you'll get yourself two fights for the price of one."

The two young men shared a laugh and returned to their team's side. The only thing Nozomi had waiting for him was Harui's look of disappointment. He already knew what she was gonna say.

"Losing was part of the equation but you could at least not sound like a child after doing so." Harui deadpanned.

Or not.

"Old man."

Nevermind.

"Some of us don't get to fight big pros on a daily basis, you know? Not everyone's dad is Sawada Ryuuga's brother." Nozomi said.

"Do not call that asakusan Ragingfailure my dad, I will bite you!"

"She's a biter..." Kikka confirmed with a weak nod. She looked at their opponents and sighed. "I really gotta beat Yukie-san now, don't I..."

"If it makes you feel any better..." Harui began, hand on Kikka's back. "You'd always need to beat her."

"It really doesn't!" The redhead whined. "If we were staking it all on game three, why didn't you just save Nozomi for last? He could probably win against Yukie-san!"

"Huh, I didn't think about that."

"You tanuki-!"

"Relax, I'm teasing you." The white haired laughed. "Nozomi was our insurance. If I had lost against Midorin, we'd have better odds at getting to game three if the old man did game two."

"She's obnoxious but she's right." Nozomi said. "Don't sell yourself short Kikka, we know you got this!"

"Yeah, you can totes beat my girlfriend who is probably a morbillion times stronger than me!"

"I miss Germany..." Kikka groaned, taking a seat on the nearest chair. "Do you have any advice? About Yukie-san?"

"Her hair is lucious and soft, and her skin is silky smooth, she smells like-"

"About her deck and gameplay, idiot!"

"Oh. She plays Bastion. Nozomi, you look like a guy who'd play Bastion in a different world under a different name, what's your advice?" Harui asked, looking at the male member of the team.

"I do not look like a Bastion player..." He sweatdropped. "Our advice is what Harui told you when we first picked you for game three. A deck with a strong early like yours is gonna put her in a tough spot."

"Kiba Yukie is just another stepping stone in the legend of The Rising Star." Harui said, despite wanting to kick herself for saying something like that about Yukie. "You gotta fight like like you'd usually fight. We've yapped about the importance of the match up, but if you tunnel into that too hard, you're gonna thrown to the curb before making it to turn 4."

"That's the nicest thing I've heard her say this year, take it before she takes it back." The blonde suggested.

"Hey! It's April, I have to have said something nice somewhere in the past four months!"

"You did, to Yukie. Yukie doesn't count."

"Your face doesn't count, you stinky old man!"

Kikka let out a laugh, albeit a weak one. She got up from her seat and took a deep breath.

"You're morons. The two of you. But you let me be in the team. You could have begged Yukie-san to be in it, or asked Satoru or Jiei-kun to join, but you chose me. I can't make you two look worse than what you already make yourselves look like, right?"

"That's the spirit!" Harui cackled, extending her fist to fistbump the readhead.

"Give them hell, Kikka." Nozomi said with a small but reassuring smile.

"Alright... Let's go win this!" Kikka declared.

The all important game three of Izanagi versus Limited Time Izanami.

On the former's side, Kikka.

On the latter's side, even if a bit against her will, Yukie.

Under the gaze of her teammates, her new friend, the colossal opponent she had to defeat, and her mentor, she felt like her legs could give out at any moment, that her heart was about to burst from her chest, that her head was going to explode.

Yet, she held onto her deck with the strongest grip she could manage.

"Kikka-san." Yukie spoke up.

Kikka looked at her opponent. Even though the two were relevatily close in terms of height, she still felt like she towered over her greatly.

"Even though this isn't how I wanted to one day fight you, these were the cards we were dealt. Because Harui asked me to, I won't hold anything back."

Kikka gulped. Her throat suddenly felt dry.

"Good... Because holding back isn't an option for me!"

"Beat her ass, Yukie-chan! Woohoo, Yukie-chan is the best!" Midorin cheered.

"That Vanguard hobo...!" Harui growled. "Only I can cheer for Yukie like that...!"

"Please cheer for your teammate." Nozomi deadpanned.

Ryuuga didn't had anything to say for either his student and temporary teammate until his eyes crossed with Kikka's. He just had a small smile.

"Have a fun game."

"Ryuuga-san... You got it!"

"Then let's start, Kikka-san." Yukie said, placing her hand over the face down card on her field.

"Let's go, Yukie-san!"

Izanagi versus Limited Time Izanami, 1-1. The deciding game.

Kikka and Yukie locked eyes.

"Stand up, Vanguard!"

"Knight of Heavenly Admired, Admis!"

"Almajestar, Pypis=Mulchie!"

"My turn. Draw. Ride! Knight of Heavenly Sword, Fort! Turn end."

Yukie
Hand: 5
Damage: 0
OXO
OOO

Kikka
Hand: 5
Damage: 0
OXO
OOO

"It's my turn. Draw! I ride Almajestar, Schwart=Sparda! Pypis' skill, I draw! Then, energy charge! (0>3) I call Plutonic Prospector and attack with it! (8000)"

"No guard. (Eternal Light Dragon, Regulastar Dragon)"

"Plutonic Prospector's skill! I move it to soul to scry seven and add any grade 3 card from among it to my hand! I grab this one, Masques of Hydragurm!"

"Bico?!" Midorin and Harui asked.

"The rest is shuffled back. Sparda attacks! (8000)"

"Gurgant. (23000)"

"Drive check! (Star Slave Demonic Lady, Bifrons) No trigger. Turn end!"

Yukie
Hand: 4
Damage: 1
OXO
OOO

Kikka
Hand: 7
Damage: 0
OXO
OOO

"Draw. Energy charge. (0>3) Ride! Knight of Heavenly Spear, Rooks! Fort's skill, I reveal Grandeur Edge to call the top card of my deck. Call, Sword Light Dragon, Skylizen! Then, I call Cerrgaon behind my vanguard! Battle! Skylizen attacks! (13000)"

"I guard with Clenn! (23000)"

"Boosted by Cerrgaon, Rooks attacks! Cerrgaon's skill, add 5k! (10000>>18000>>23000)"

"No guard!"

"Drive check! (Sapient Owl)"

"Damage check! (Kitz Peak Griffin)"

"After battle, Cerrgaon retires for me to scry two and add one to hand. The other goes to the bottom of the deck. Turn end."

Yukie
Hand: 5
Damage: 1
OXX
OOO

Kikka
Hand: 6
Damage: 1
OXO
OOO

"Stand and draw! Energy charge! (3>6) I ride Almajestar, Tyran=Dyna! Sparda's skill! Soulcharge two, and since I soulcharged a critical, I draw one! I call Star Slave Demonic Lady, Bifrons!"

"I wish I could get that as a dinosaur...: Nozomi sighed.

"Bifrons' skill! Counterblast, I scry three and add one to hand, one to the soul and drop the last card, then I use her second skill! Soulblast one, energy blast three, I take a copy of Stem Deviate from my deck and put it into my soul! (6>3) Since a card was put, I can revive a unit! I revive Plutonic Prospector! I call Gungnram, who soulcharges one, then soulblast three to draw one with his other skill! I call Griphys Chimaera! Since I have an Almajestar vanguard, their skill let's me discard one to scry two and add one to hand. The other card either goes to soul or stays on top, and I'll leave it on top. Griphys also gets 5k! (10000>>15000) I call Kitz Peak Griffin, and with his skill, I put two criticals from my drop into soul!"

"That's the stuff, baby! That's the early comboing that's gonna win us this match!" Harui cackled. "Go get 'em, Probie! But watch it, I'll bite your ears off if you touch Yukie!"

"That's counterproductive..." Kikka sweatdropped and shifted her focus back to her opponent. "Here I come, Yukie-san! Battle! Boosted by Bifrons, Dyna attacks! (10000>>18000)"

"No guard."

"Drive check! (Gambling Juggler - Heal) Heal trigger! I heal one damage and give the power to Kitz Peak! (10000>>20000)"

"Damage check. (Protection Magic, Prorobi - Draw) Draw trigger. I give the power to Rooks and draw one. (20000)"

"That's accounted for! Boosted by Plutonic Prospector, Griphys attacks! (15000>>25000)"

"No guard. (Apex-surpassing Sword, Bastion Prime)"

"Plutonic Prospector's skill! I add Almajest Celesphere to my hand! Now boosted by Gungnram, Kitz Peak attacks! (20000>>25000)"

"Arshes. (35000)"

"Turn end!"

Yukie
Hand: 5
Damage: 3
OXX
OOO

Kikka
Hand: 7
Damage: 0
XXX
XXO

"Stand and draw. Energy charge. (3>6)"

Yukie placed her hand over the final card of her deck, creating a wave of silence within the restaurant.

Kikka grit her teeth, her grip over her cards tightened as she shuddered.

In a flash, Yukie drew her card and swung it down like a blade.

"Set all nations ablaze, and condemn tue spineless bunch who dream of a foolish vengeance to the burning pyres! Ride! Sword of the Nation, Bastion Accord!"

"Rooks' skill! I reveal Grandeur Edge and Alden to draw. I call Grand Heavenly Sword, Alden! With his skill, I counterblast two and soulblast one to call Grandeur Edge from hand and draw two cards! Grandeur Edge and Skylizen switch positions. Grandeur Edge's skill, add 10k! (13000>>23000) Bastion Accord's skill, Alden and Grandeur gain 5k! Furthermore, you cannot choose them for skills! (13000>>18000) (23000>>28000)"

"Retiring them with Unica is out then..." Kikka muttered to herself.

"I call Cerrgaon. Battle! Grandeur Edge attacks! (28000)"

"Natalia! (30000)"

"Bastion Accord attacks! (13000) Flashfire Daybreak!"

"No guard!"

"Twin drive! (Palladium Zeal Dragon) (Healer of Heavenly Staff, Arshes - Heal) I heal one and give the power to Grandeur Edge! (28000>>38000)"

"Damage check! (Almajestar, Astroea=Bico)"

"Bastion Accord's skill! Grandeur Edge stands and attacks once more! (28000)"

"Gryphis Chimaera intercepts, then I guard with Juggler! (30000)"

"Boosted by Cerrgaon, Alden attacks! Their combined skills will give their attack 10k! (13000>>21000>>26000>>31000)"

"No guard. (Star Slave Demonic Girl, Bifrons)"

"Cerrgaon's skill. Scry two and add one. Turn end."

Yukie
Hand: 8
Damage: 2
XXX
OOX

Kikka
Hand: 5
Damage: 2
OXX
XXO

"Aight Probie, bring it home!" Harui exclaimed.

"I got it already, shut up! Stand and draw! Energy charge! (3>6)"

Kikka switly picked up the last card of her ride deck.

"Dazzling gems imprisioned across the silent cosmos, shine ever so brightly! I ride! Almajestar, Astroea=Unica!"

"Dyna's skill! I call her over Kitz Peak and Sparda behind her! Then-!"

Kikka grabbed up one of the cards burried deep into her drop and held it up to her face, using it to cover her left eye.

"I activate Masque of Hydragurm's skill! I put it into the soul to ride a Masques from my hand, and since you're already at grade 3, I activate persona ride!"

"Come." Yukie said with an unwavering glare.

"From the depths of the beginning until the brink of the end, rend endless light-years null in a single timeless burst! Masques Persona Ride! Xeno Almajestar, Astroea=Bico Masques!"

"I draw one! (13000>>23000) (10000>>20000) Gungnram's skill! Soulblast three to draw one! Then, Bifrons' skill! Soulblast, energy blast, put another Stem Deviate into soul and revive Kitz Peak! (6>3) (10000>>20000) Kitz Peak's skill, I return two criticals to my soul! Sparda's skill! I bind a critical from soul face up to give her 10k! (8000>>18000) And now that there is a critical face up in my bind zone, Kitz Peak gets 5k! (20000>>25000) Bico's skill! I remove the Unica in drop from the game to get a drive and retire Skylizen! Here I come, Yukie-san! Battle! Boosted by Gungnram, Kitz Peak attacks! (25000>>33000)"

"Arshes and Regulastar. Regulastar's skill, he gets 5k shield while my vanguard is Bastion! (38000)"

"Boosted by Bifrons, Bico attacks! (23000>>31000) Bico's skill! Counterblast, soulblast three criticals and bind them! Kitz Peak restands and both of them get 5k for every two criticals in my bind zone! (25000>>35000) (31000>>41000) Divide the stars! Cosmoslight Intersection!"

"No guard!"

"Triple drive! (Plutonic Prospector) (Repelled Malice Dragon) (Diabolos Girl, Natalia - Front) Front trigger! My entire front row gets 10k! (35000>>45000) (41000>>51000) (20000>>3000)"

"Damage check! (Protection Magic, Prorobi - Draw) Draw trigger! On Bastion and I draw one! (23000)"

"Kitz Peak attacks! (45000)"

"Skylizen and Regulastar. Skylizen's skill, I reveal the Bastion Prime in my hand to have him get 15k shield. (48000)"

"I'm not done yet! Boosted by Sparda, Dyna attacks! (30000>>48000)"

"No guard. (Grande Heavenly Sword, Alden)"

"Turn end!" Kikka declared, panting.

Yukie
Hand: 5
Damage: 4
XXX
OOO

Kikka
Hand: 9
Damage: 2
XXX
XXX

"Even if she... No, then she can just... But if she calls... No, it... But..." Harui was complaining something to herself while biting down on her thumb's nail.

"What are you going on about?" Nozomi asked.

"Probie has the high ground, that's undeniable, but this is Yukie we're talking about... She's not gonna turn the table, she's gonna set it on fire and slam it over Probie. I'm trying to calculate if she can make a comeback after the damage Yukie deals."

"Is any comeback enough?"

"I don't know, old man! Come on, think Harui, think..."

"Stand and draw. Energy charge. (6>9) Set all nations ablaze, and condemn all fools to the blazing pyres! Persona Ride! Sword of the Nation, Bastion Accord!"

"So you got persona ride..." Kikka said, gritting her teeth with a pained look.

"That's not all I have, Kikka-san. I'm going all out, like I promised. I draw one. (13000>>23000) (13000>>23000) (13000>>23000) Energy Generator's skill, I energy blast seven to draw one. (9>2) I move Grandeur Edge back and call a second one behind Alden!"

"Crap!" Harui exclaimed. "If she's calling the second Grandeur behind without calling Alden first, then she has-!"

"I play Forbidoll Surrogate! With its effect, I superior call Alden and Skylizen from the deck! (13000>>23000) Skylizen's skill, I reveal Bastion Prime to let both Grandeur Edges boost during this turn! Futhermore, Alden's skill! Counterblast two, soulblast one, I call Sapient Owl over Skylizen! Sapient Owl's skill makes them a grade 3 if my vanguard is Bastion, so I draw two off Alden! Sapient Owl also gets 2k. (8000>>10000) Sapient Owl's other skill! I put Bastion Accord from drop into soul to give my vanguard 5k and countercharge! (23000>>28000) Grandeur Edge's skill! (13000>>23000) (13000>>23000) Bastion Accord's skill! (23000>>28000) (23000>>28000)"

"This is your winning set up, isn't it, Yukie-san..." Kikka asked, teeth grit.

"We promised we wouldn't hold back, right? Show me how far you've come, Kikka-san. Battle! Alden attacks! His skill, add 5k! (28000>>33000)"

"N-natalia! Intercept with Dyna too! (38000)"

"Boosted by Sapient Owl, Bastion Accord attacks! (28000>>38000) Flashfire Daybreak!"

"No guard...!"

"Twin drive! (Sapient Owl) (Knight of Heavenly Hammer, Gurgant - Critical) Critical trigger! I give the power to standing Alden and the critical to my vanguard! (28000>>38000) (38000>>38000/2)"

"D-damage check! (Almajestar, Astroea=Unica) (Gryphis Chimaera)"

"Bastion Accord's skill! Alden stands and gets a skill! Boosted by Grandeur Edge, Alden attacks! Alden's skill once again! (33000>>56000>>61000) Then, the skill given by Bastion Accord! I counterblast and discard Bastion Prime to perform twin drive during this battle!"

"Repelled Malice, perfect guard!"

"She's all the way down to six cards at four damage, if Yukie gets a crit... Come on lady luck, just side with us this one time!" Harui begged.

"Twin drive! (Apex-surpassing Sword, Bastion Prime) (Blade Feather Dragon - Critical) Critical trigger!"

"Dammit!" The white haired exclaimed.

"You're in a roll, Yukie-chan! Let's take this one home!" Midorin cheered.

"Are you kidding me..." Kikka cursed under her breath, lowering her head.

"I give all effects to the standing Alden! (38000>>48000/2) Boosted by Grandeur Edge, Alden attacks! His skill activates! (48000>>71000>>76000/2)"

"Kitz Peak intercepts! T-then... Guard! Two Plutonic Prospectors, Gryphis Chimaera, Bifrons and Gambling Juggler! Plutonic Prospectors' skills, they get 10k shield each! (78000)"

"Turn end."

Yukie
Hand: 9
Damage: 4
XXX
XXX

Kikka
Hand: 1
Damage: 4
OXO
XXX

Kikka stared blankly at the lonely Bico in her hand.

'I knew it...'

She thought.

'I had no chance against Yukie-san... I couldn't even beat Harui, how could I ever think I had a chance against someone stronger than her...'

She lowered her head and looked down.

'I keep needing to be given a hand without having nothing to show for it... Harui beat me, but Yukie-san extended an olive branch and made me their friend. I lost against Ryuuga-san and he still became my mentor... I haven't changed one bit.'

She thought back to her earlier years in Germany, when she lived in Bernau with her father and her grandparents.

She remembered the time when she, age nine at the time, got split from them while they were having an evening stroll, because she thought she was grown up enough to walk without holding her grandfather's hand.

She remembered how she cornered by a street dog, and how a woman with silver hair, the most beautiful person she had ever seen in all of her life, even now, got bitten in the arm to protect her.

She remembered the warmth of the love and kindness of the woman she'd call Mama.

And she remembered the times she got bullied when she was thirteen, how she'd get pushed around by girls older than her, because she thought she should stand up to them after they belittled her friend.

It was one of the memories she was most fond of.

It was the day she met the girl with light blue hair and relentless bravery, who stood up for her over and over again, even if she was outnumbered or outmatched.

The day she met her big sis.

Through thick and thin, it'd be her Mama and big sis who'd stay by her side, supporting her through whatever the world threw at her.

'But big sis left without ever saying goodbye last year... And you... Y-you left me too, Mama... Why...? Why did you have to leave me too...?'

Her image of Bico was becoming cloudy.

She was beginning to tear up.

'Why did you have to have to die, Mama...'

But a sharp pain in her back made her vision focus again. It also made her scream a bit.

"What are you waiting for, Probie?! We got lotsa stuff to do after you win, so get on with it!" Harui exclaimed.

"I wanna close earlier today to go play more Vanguard, so step on the gas, Kikka!" Nozomi added.

Kikka looked back at her teammates.

Harui still had her idiotic grin, as if she was blind to the overwhelming odds stacked against them.

Nozomi looked the same as always, showing the same calm and collected smile he tended to have, but now he wss starting to show his true colours as a Vanguard addict.

Her sadness faded way. She even felt like laughing, but stuck to just giggling a bit at those two.

She returned her focus to Yukie and the cardfight at hand. Her heart was clearer than ever.

'That's right. Both you and big sis left me. But I still love her alot, and love you even more, Mama. Even when I was all alone, I still found people who'd support me no matter how weak I really am. I'm sorry for making you worry, Mama. Please, keep on watching me from the stars! I'll win with the cards you left behind for me!'

Ryuuga smiled as he looked at his student.

"What are you gonna do now, Kikka?" He asked.

"Win!" She declared. "Because I am the fighter who's skyrocketing her way to the top! Team Izanagi's The R - The Rising Star!"

(Media - SIN)

"Stand and draw! Energy charge! (3>6) Final Turn!"

"Ah?! Can she do that?! Final turns got banned, didn't they?!" Midori asked.

"Where the hell did you heard that..." Ryuuga sweatdropped.

"Come, Kikka-san." Yukie said.

"You got it! Sorry to keep you waiting, Harui, Nozomi! I'm proving you the faith you put in my wasn't wasted!"

"You better!" The other Izanagi members replied.

"From the depths of the beginning until the brink of the end, rend endless light-years null in a single timeless burst! Persona Ride! Xeno Almajestar, Astroea=Bico Masques!"

"I draw one! (13000>>23000) I call Kitz Peak! (10000>>20000) With his skills, I put back two triggers into my soul and he gets 5k! (20000>>25000) Sparda's skill! I bind a front from soul to give her 10k! (8000>>18000) And now, Bifrons' skill! Soulblast, energy blast, this time I put Unica from deck to soul! (6>3) I revive Gryphis Chimaera! (10000>>20000) Gryphis' skill! I discard one, scry two, add one to hand and topdeck the other! Gryphis gets 5k! (20000>>25000)"

"Do you think she stacked a crit? She should still have at least three left!" Nozomi said.

"Think? Nah. I'm sure of it! Probie's the same chick who stacked a triple crit on Unica, she won't get stopped by Unica"s backwards gameplan!" Harui cackled.

"You're backwards! Keep my deck out of your Shiranui-playing mouth!" Kikka pouted.

"Oho? You can bite now too? Maybe it's time I stop calling you Probie then."

"Save that for when I get payback for our rooftop fight! Bico's skill! I remove the Unica in her soul from game to retire the left Grandeur Edge Dragon and get a drive! Battle! Boosted by Gungnram, Kitz Peak attacks! (25000>>33000)"

"Guard with two Gurgants. (43000)"

"Boosted by Bifrons, Bico attacks! (23000>>31000) Bico's skill! Counterblast, soulblast three and stand Kitz Peak! Both Kitz Peak and Bico get 10k! (25000>>35000) (31000>>41000) Divide the stars! Cosmoslight Intersection!"

"Perfect guard! Palladium Zeal Dragon!"

"Triple drive! (Stem Deviate Dragon - Critical) Critical trigger! All effects to Gryphis Chimaera! (25000>>35000/2) (Steam Gunner, Gungnram) (Repelled Malice Dragon) No trigger! This is it, Yukie-san! The attack that will end this game! Boosted by Sparda, Gryphis Chimaera... Attacks! (35000>>53000/2)"

"I will..." Yukie looked at her hand. She sighed. "No guard... Damage check. (Palladium Zeal Dragon) (Grandeur Edge Dragon) No trigger. Good game, Kikka-san."

"Y-yeah... Good game, Yukie... San..."

Izanagi versus Limited Time Izanami, 2-1.

They won.

Kikka won.

But before she could even begin to process it, she was already being pulled around by Harui and Nozomi as they celebrated their first victory as a team.

"I... Won. I won..." Kikka muttered. "I won. I won! I won! I really won against Yukie-san!"

"Don't rub it in!" Harui growled. "Or else I'll bite- Are you crying?!"

"Of course I am, you tanuki!" The redhead laughed, letting her joyful tears stream down her face without a worry. "I actually won..."

"This match was totally ours...! Damn you Retrospective, I blame you for every shortcoming in my twenty seven year old life!" Midori yelled. "Damn you, you cosmo dragon! Damn you! Damn you all the way to hell!"

"You're taking it well." Ryuuga sweatdropped. "Good game, Kikka."

"Thanks for helping me get this far, Ryuuga-san!" Kikka bowed. "Please keep mentoring me!"

"You bet. If this is your current skill level, then we can start getting into the more hardcore stuff."

"I'll be in your care, Ryuuga-san!"

"Hardcore stuff? You old people and your case-catching vocabulary." Harui deadpanned.

"You were great as well." Yukie said, now by Harui's side.

"Of course I was." She cackled, throwing an arm over Yukie's shoulder like some common sleazebag. "I'm simply her! Even the gods hearken when I start dropping my... Sweet words of wisdom."

"Not this again." The redhead deadpanned. "Ahhhhhh, that fight left me starved. Nozomi-san, make a delicious meal for your MVP!"

"She still doesn't realize she's one step closer from being like me." Harui snickered.

"Am not! Absolutely not! No, no, no!"

"Denial is something we must all go through once in our lifetimes."

"Anything but becoming like you! Ryuuga-saaaaaaaaaaan, help meeeee!" Kikka cried, running to hide behind her mentor. "You're her uncle, ground her for ten thousand years!"

"Like hell that lame-o is my uncle! His brother just happens to pay for my food, roof, clothing, cards and others while also signing documents that require a signature than my parents!"

"Who's in denial now?" Nozomi asked, sweatdropping. "No way I'm cooking more today. I'm beat and I wanna go cardfight."

"You lazy old well!" Harui and Kikka exclaimed.

"Oh oh, I got it, I got it! All ears on Midorin!" Midorin demanded, waving her hand up. "You wanna eat but that deadbeat Dinoboy won't cook for you in his restaurant?"

"Who're you calling a deadbeat? I cooked every meal you ate today!"

"Shush, honey. I know the best place to eat when your nearest chef refuses to do your job! It's cheap, but extremely gourmet! It's accessible, but prone to be packed at times! It's-!"

Some supermarket in Shinjuku Plaza.

The meal deals were pretty cheap snd pretty tasty though, so she wasn't lying.

Everyone left the store at the same time bar Harui and Yukie, who stayed behind because the former was taking her sweet time choosing what to get. As Nozomi and Midorin talked about the origin of Team Izanagi's name, Ryuuga and Kikka secluded themselves far from them to have a smoke.

"Did you have fun today, Kikka?" Ryuuga asked.

"Hm? Of course! I was pretty terrified of fighting Yukie-san at first, but having those two by my side helped aliviate that fear. It's like they brought out the best in me... Being in a team really is something else." Kikka said.

"You're telling the guy who was on three." He laughed.

"T-three?! There's more than Kaido-san, Masato-san and Gin-san?!"

"Of course. Nobody ever told you? I guess that tanuki doesn't yap as much as everyone says she does." Ryuuga took a drag from his cigarette and blew out the smoke. "Before me and those three idiots formed Hanabi, I was part of Heiwa's Royalty. We never really did anything team-like, but we were a team nonetheless. Before that... Came my one true team."

"One true team...?" Kikka asked. She'd never seen her mentor with such a nostalgic smile.

"Yeah. Before I ever met Kaido, Masato and Gin, I was part of a team called Spiral Terra. It was me, my best friend and my best man on my wedding, Hikaru; Yukie's older brother, Emon; and Gin's manager and fiancee, Fujiko. It was during our first year in high school when we first banded together, drawn to each other by cheer luck and alot of Hikaru."

"A-alot of Hikaru...? What the heck does that mean?"

"You'll know if you ever meet him." Ryuuga laughed and looked up at the dusk sky. "Truth be told, we didn't do much as a team. You could even say we disbanded when we got to second year. But they were my first real friends. They brought out the best in me, had my back when was the weakest of the four and helped me grow into who I am today. I love Kaido, Masato and Gin, even with all the physical and emotional harm they bring me, and Homura is someone special who stands outside this spectrum, but those three... They're my most cherished friends. I couldn't even begin to imagine a life without them."

"Ryuuga-san..."

"Man, now look at who's talking out of his ass." He laughed and pat Kikka's head. "I guess what I'm trying to say is... Don't be so worried about growing up faster. Enjoy the time you have now, with the people who bring out the best in you."

"Geez Ryuuga-san, maybe you're the old man here, not Nozomi-san." Kikka laughed.

"Maybe I am. Maybe I really am..." He chuckled. Feeling his phone on his pocket, he picked it up and answered the call. "Maverick? What's up?"

At the same time, Harui and Yukie finally left the supermarket. The tanuki took all this time just to pick the rice balls she considering getting first. Very productive.

"You names your team because of a rock?!" Midorin asked.

"You finally told her our sick lore, old man?" Harui asked with a hyper confidant grin.

"Sick my butt!"

"If you have an infection, yes." Yukie pointed out.

"I thought your naming had some more oomph behind it, not because some god sealed a cave with a big boulder! This is unromanticized!"

"Unromanticized? Nah. Isn't the boulder thing romantic enough?" Harui asked.

"What do you know about romantic writing?" Kikka sweatdropped.

"Nyehehehehehe." The tanuki's cheeky grin was back. Oh no. "Orchids bloom in light, petals gazing at the sun, praise to this springtime."

"W-what the hell was that...?"

"I'm the captain of Heiwa's poetry club, Probie. Ain't no one as romantic as me!"

"Ah?! Bull! No way you're leading a poetry club! You're trying to trick me!"

"I went to one of her competitions, actually." Nozomi said.

"Harui's club made it all the way to nationals, but the judges found Hokkaido's poems better." Yukie informed. "They lack taste."

"Ah goddammit!" Kikka cried.

"You're the bosslady of the Murasaki fanclub and still got Izanagi because of a rock?!" Midorin exclaimed.

"Why did you think we were called Izanagi then?" Harui asked

"Because Izanagi went down to the deepest corner of the underworld for his loved one! Like, it could stand in for Nozomi going to save Naomitsu from his underworld team or you loving Yukie-chan so much you'd go down to the underworld for-"

Midorin immediately dropped her train of thought. A brilliant idea popped into her enough.

She slid over to Nozomi's side, poked his belly a few times and then looked at him with a smile and even some puppy eyes.

"Hey, Nozomi, Nozomi!"

"Yes, I'm Nozomi." Nozomi said.

"If I went to the underworld, would you go down there for me?"

And so the timer began.

The longer Nozomi took to answer, the more Midorin lost faith in her gamble. Even the other three girls were invested in seeing how this panned out.

Tick, tock, tick, tock.

Nozomi finally had an answer.

"How's the lighting in the underworld?"

And it was a question.

"What do you mean how's the lighting in the underworld, it's the underworld."

"Fair. I'll just bring some lanterns."

Shoot through the heart!

Midorin's full blown dellusions rendered deducing Nozomi's true words impossible!

"T-to see me despite the ghoulish zombiefied state I'll have down there?!" Midorin asked, caressing her blushing face.

"Of course."

"Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, I knew you still liked me, Dino-"

"Vanguard's no fun when you can't see your opponent. Oh, maybe I should bring glow in the dark sleeves too... Ah, but I only have enough of those for one deck. Lanterns it- M-midorin?"

Pouting.

It was all Midorin could do.

But then she remembered she could hit him so she began smacking him in the head instead.

"Idiot! Asshole! Meaniebutt! Stinky old man! Idiot Nozomi!"

"W-w-what did I do?!" Nozomi exclaimed as he tried to cover himself with his arms.

"She set herself up for failure with that." Harui sweatdropped, but then grinned. "Hey Yukie, would you go to the big scary underworld for me?"

"I'd dig through that boulder with my own hands." Yukie answered, grabbing Harui's hand.

Ryuuga ended his call and rejoined the group.

"Eyes on the big screen in the side of that building! Quick!"

"What's got you in such a rush?" Harui asked.

"It's starting..."

One by one, various screens across Japan, be them the giant ones on the side of buildings or the smaller ones in TV stores, began broadcasting the same imagine.

The white haired genius, with the same hat Ryuuga had worn the day he met his student.

"Ragnarøk."