"Tell me"

I grit my teeth.

"Why are you this irresponsible?"

This dream again.

"Is it because you're Anjou Nozomi? Or is being you what makes you so irresponsible?"

It's been eight years since. We haven't even been high school graduates for a week.

"The cardfighter that makes all about Vanguard all the time even when it should be impossible... I mean, at this point... Isn't this a bit much, Nozomi?"

Shingen Akimitsu. Even when talking about something so seriously, he did it with ease and a small smile.

"You're leaving for an island because some rich guy asked you to fake being a teacher for three years, all over his need of someone to watch over some kid... Did I get it right? You probably realized this entire scheme of his rides on the fact our school has no middle division."

I remember we argued on opposite sides of a busy street, yet with each time this dream rears its head, there's less and less people.

"I made a promise!"

We're alone.

"Did you know you made a promise to other people too? Hori-san, Kiri, Amalie, Gangan, so on, so forth."

"Me leaving has nothing to do with this! This is about what you're doing! Joining people like them... And for what?!"

"You made a promise to your brother too. To love and to protect him until the end of time. Such a starry eyed child he is... And you're really going to walk out the door like his mother and leave him with a man like your father?"

"Akimitsu!"

"The man abandoning his brother because he wants easy money to fufill his silly dream has no right to judge me."

He smiled.

"Let's go to the park."

Everything glitched. The street turned into a park, and the only distance between us was a table.

Akimitsu waved his five cards.

"Early spring is awfully hot this year, don't you think so, Nozomi? Those hobo-looking jackets of yours might be hitting the closet sooner than usual."

I grit my teeth.

"Stand up, vanguard! Sealed Blaze Dragon, Arhinsa!"

"Stand up, vanguard. One With Profound Mercy, Kheios."

The dreams of this day get worse every time... Spinodriver and Gastille aren't even here anymore. This is just my current deck, and what I imagined Akimitsu would use...

No, a sketchy looking guy like him would buy Kheios on the spot.

"Got any preferences?"

"Draw! Ride! Sealed Blaze Dragon, Namorkhar! Namorkhar's skill, soulblast Arhinsa to add Swayanbuh to my hand! Turn end!"

Nozomi
Hand: 6
Damage: 0
OXO
OOO

Akimitsu
Hand: 5
Damage: 0
Soul: 0
OXO
OOO

"Draw. Ride. In the Calm Streets, Kheios. Profound Mercy's skill, I draw one. Call, Go Ahead, Mikani. Soulcharge. Mikani. (8000)"

"Flare Veil! (13000)"

"Kheios. (8000)"

"No guard!"

"(Inciting Corruption, Aga Manafh) No trigger."

"Damage check! (Excavation Dragon, Bariodigneel)"

"Pass. Are you having fun, Nozomi?"

Nozomi
Hand: 5
Damage: 1
OXO
OOO

Akimitsu
Hand: 6
Damage: 0
Soul: 2
OXX
OOO

"You really expect me to have to fun with this? With you leaving?!"

"But aren't you leaving too? I'm not the one leaving so much behind me."

"I'll be back! Summer break, winter break, spring break, this will all end in three years!"

"You're such a kid, Nozomi... You sure you can keep up the teacher facade for so long? What can you even teach? Hopefully not business, it's a miracle your father hasn't disowned you from all the money you've wasted on Vanguard."

Akimitsu waved his cards.

That tic of his...

"At least I'm returning, but you... Dammit! Draw! Ride! Sealed Blaze Dragon, Halibadra! Halibadra's skill, I return the Arms I discarded to ride it to my hand! Then, call! Eoraphas, Velocolihazard, Brachioforce, Velocihazard again! Halibadra attacks! (10000)"

"Stem Deviate. No pass. (25000)"

"Drive check! (Elementaria Sanctitude) Velocihazard boosts, Brachioforce attacks! Velocihazard's skill, add 2k! (10000 > 20000)"

"No guard. (Soul Oratorio, Kheios)"

"Brachioforce's skill! Retire itself to draw! Mikani retires! Velocihazard boosts, Eoraphas attacks! Velocihazard's skill again! Then, Eoraphas skill! Soulblast to get 5k for every other grade one or lower rear-guard on my side! (8000 > 18000 > 28000)"

"No guard. (Evergreen Transphere)"

"Turn end!"

Nozomi
Hand: 4
Damage: 1
XXO
XOX

Akimitsu
Hand: 5
Damage: 3
Soul: 2
OXO
OOO

"Stand and draw. Ride. Quagmire of Solace, Kheios. Calm Streets' skill. Reveal the top two and soulcharge all normal units revealed. (Cool-headed Executor, Mikani) (Inciting Corruption, Aga Manafh) Call Aga Manafh. Skill. Counterblast, scry two, add one to hand, the other to the soul. Zargon. Boosted by Zargon, Kheios attacks. Zargon's skill, Kheios obtains a new skill. (10000 > 18000)"

"No guard!"

"(Swanky Enthraller - Critical) Nice. Critical on Kheios, power on Aga Manafh. (18000 > 18000/2)"

"Tch, damage check! (Acure Dragon, Eoraphas) (Twin Buckler Dragon)"

"Kheios' new skill. Two cards from my drop go to my soul. Aga Manafh attacks Eoraphas. (20000)"

"Guard! Conduct Spark! (23000)"

"Turn end."

Nozomi
Hand: 3
Damage: 3
XXO
XOX

Akimitsu
Hand: 5
Damage: 3
Soul: 8
XXO
OXO

"Stand and draw! Akimitsu... I refuse. I refuse to just accept it... Joining dangerous people like them and for what?! What do you think you're gonna learn with them?! I thought-"

"Nozomi."

His smile faded.

"That's your problem. You can't be trusted to think. Someone who only has cards for brains has no hope of ever truly understanding someone else."

I grit my teeth.

"If you think I can't understand you... Then I'll make you see just how much I do!"

Let's rock.

"Sending all beings into the frozen hell, and repeating the cycles of death and rebirth through the frigid realms! Ride! My vanguard! My ruler! Steel Baron Dragon, Spinomarquis!"

"Spinomarquis' skill! Scry seven and call two Dinodragons to the field! I call Bariodigneel to the front and Geizfort to the back! Battle! Bariodigneel attacks! (13000)"

"Aga Manafh, intercept. (15000)"

"After battle, Bariodigneel goes to the soul to buff the Velocihazard behind him! (8000 > 13000) Spinomarquis attacks! His skill activates! Counterblast, eat Geizfort to add 10k! (13000 > 23000) I draw one! Then, I call Eoraphas in front of Velocihazard! Subzero FrostShock!"

"No guard."

"Twin drive! First! (Steel Baron Dragon, Spinomarquis) Second! (Extremist Dragon, Velocihazard) Break through! Incandescent Meteor to End the World!"

"(Gambling Juggler - Heal) Vanguard, heal one. (20000)"

"Velocihazard boosts, Eoraphas attacks! Their combined skills add 17k total! (8000 > 18000 > 33000)"

"Guard. Alexandra. (25000)"

"Once again, boosted by Velocihazard, Eoraphas attacks! Their skills! (8000 > 23000 > 38000)"

"(Rouse Wildmaster, Riley - Draw) Vanguard, I draw. (30000)"

"Turn end! How's that, Akimitsu?!"

Nozomi
Hand: 5
Damage: 3
XXX
XOX

Akimitsu
Hand: 5
Damage: 4
Soul: 8
OXO
OXO

"Hm? How's what? Do you want some form of validation? I recall you saying you would make me see how much you understand me. My eyesight's quite good, yet I saw nothing."

"Akimitsu..."

"You only went through the motions of your turn without muttering single a word unrelated to the game. This is what I- No, we, mean. Vanguard is the blood in Anjou Nozomi's veins, the calcium in his bones, the flesh of his muscles. And when he isn't existing for Vanguard, he exists for dinosaurs. Simply put, you're an idiot."

"You think you got me all figured out?"

"No one has you more figured out than me."

Akimitsu pushed his red tinted sunglasses up.

"Stand and draw. Kairyujin-dono, it's time to wake up! The sea of shadows bellows, the umbral veil begins to fall, and the wicked remains play their final game. The Shining Fate Ritual has begun. Ride. Approaching Fangs, Kheios."

"Quagmire of Solace's skill. Soulcharge, then draw since it was a trigger. Kheios' skill. Counterblast, discard one, scry three. One card is added to my hand, one to my soul and one is called. Aga Manafh. Its skill. Counterblast, scry two, add one to hand and one to soul. Call Go Ahead, Mikani. On call, soulcharge. Then, move it into the soul to call Cool-headed Executor, Mikami from my soul. I also call Evil Eye of Prohibition, Quen Lu. Quen Lu's skill. She moves to the soul and Mikani gets 2k. (13000 > 15000) Then, with over seven cards in my soul, glory is added aswell. Battle. Mikani attacks. (15000)"

"Flare Veil! Skill, add 5k shield! (23000)"

"Zargon boosted, Kheios attacks. Mikani's Glitter. My soul has over eight different names, so he restands. Then, Kheios' skill. With thirteen different names in my soul, all rears get 10k, including the Zargon boosting him, which also grants him a skill. (10000 > 20000) (13000 > 21000 > 31000) (15000 > 25000) Umbral Nova."

"Twin Buckler Dragon! Perfect guard!"

"Twin drive. (Repelled Malice Dragon) (Go Ahead, Mikani) No trigger. Aga Manafh. (20000)"

"No guard! (Steel Baron Dragon, Spinomarquis)"

"Mikani. (25000)"

"Guard! Parasolace! (28000)"

"Turn end. Mikani moves to the soul."

Nozomi
Hand: 1
Damage: 4
XXX
XOX

Akimitsu
Hand: 7
Damage: 4
Soul: 15
XXO
OXO

Alright, I lived! With just one sentinel in hand, I'll break through and-

No.

The cards may change all they want, but the result of this drem will always remain faithful the original.

But even so...!

"Stand and draw! If-"

"If Vanguard is all I'm about, then I'll use it to show you how wrong you are about this or that. Something among those lines, correct? You should know better than to try and actually say such a cliche in front of me. Go through the motions, Nozomi. Save us the time. Maybe you can still catch the last round of the day for that new fossil exhibit."

"Shut up! Persona Ride! My vanguard! My ruler! Steel Baron Dragon, Spinomarquis! (8000 > 18000) (13000 > 23000) (8000 > 18000)"

"Spinomarquis' skill! Scry seven, call Geizfort and Veroanrash! Veroanrash's skill! Counterblast, return the Spinomarquis in my soul to the ride deck to draw one! Battle! Geizfort boosts, Eoraphas attacks! Soulblast, add 20k this time! (18000 > 26000 > 46000)"

"No guard. (Sensuality Elixir, Faevronia - Heal) Vanguard and heal one. (23000)"

"Veroanrash boosts, Spinomarquis attacks! Skill! Counterblast, eat the rested Eoraphas to draw and add 10k! (23000 > 33000 > 41000) Then, call Bariodgineel and retire Aga Manafh! (13000 > 23000) Since an opposing rear in his column got retired, Geizfort stands and gets 2k! (8000 > 10000) Subzero FrostShock!"

"Perfect guard."

"Twin drive! The first! (Blast Artillery Dragon, Brachioforce) The second! (Burning Flail Dragon - Critical) Critical! All effects on Eoraphas! (18000 > 28000/2) Boosted by Geizfort, Bariodigneel attacks! (23000 > 33000)"

"(Soul Oratorio, Khieos)"

So close.

"Bariodigneel's skill! Move to soul, give Eoraphas 5k! (28000 > 33000)"

So stupidly close.

"Velocihazard boosts, Eoraphas attacks! Skill, add 15k! (33000 > 43000 > 58000/2) Clinch it here! Incandescent Meteor to End the World!"

But I didn't reach him.

"Arlim, perfect guard."

And I never saw him again. None of us did.

Nozomi
Hand: 5
Damage: 4
XXO
XXX

Akimitsu
Hand: 3
Damage: 5
Soul: 15
OXO
OXO

Kiri moved back to Gunma after college and became a novelist. His stuff sells well.

Gangan took over the seafood restaurant he worked at. Place is packed.

Hori-san and Amalie tied the knot and got a snotty kid of their own. They're great mothers.

My life hasn't amounted to much.

Akimitsu... Vanished. Like he was never here in the first place.

"In the end... Your go to solution failed. You can't solve everything with Vanguard, Nozomi. It's time you face reality. You're an adult with responsabilities now. Or are you going to run away at the first sight of them? Is that what you'll teach your students at the island? This all amounted to nothing."

I looked down.

"If this was for nothing all along then why did you even brought me here... If I never could reach you, then why even give me a shot...?!"

"To say goodbye."

Akimitsu smiled.

"I'm never going to see you again after this. But I'm not as heartless as to go without bidding you farewell. Did you know? Hori-san loves you. And Amalie. Gangan, Kiri, your brother, all love you. And e..."

He sighed.

"And even I love you. But Anjou Nozomi only loves Vanguard. He'll always place his beloved card game above his friends and family. At the very least, I'll always have the memories of times when I didn't know it... And I'll cheerish those. Those are the only memories that won't fill me with such... Illogical rage."

OST - Sunset

"Hey, Nozomi. What did we want to be when we were in primary school?"

"The best in the world..."

"And in middle school?"

"I wanted to be the best... You wanted to get into a good high school..."

"And in high school?"

I wanted to be the best.

Everyone else had proper prospects for their future.

"You know the answer..."

"Indeed. And now that we're adults, what has changed?"

"Nothing..."

"No, that's the wrong question, I apologize. It's not what changed. It's who hasn't."

"M-me..."

"Such is the story of Anjou Nozomi, the Vanguard lover who has nothing else in his life by his own choice..."

Akimitsu pushed his sunglasses up.

"Let's finish this so that I never have to see you again."

I'm sorry, Akimitsu.

"Stand and draw. Kairyujin-dono, the Shining Fate Ritual has concluded! The six gates have opened, the six beasts have rampaged, and the six remaining sins have gathered! From the seven poles of destruction, awaken into an empty future! Ride! Soul Oratorio, Kheios!"

"Soul Oratorio's skill. Soulcharge three, then take two Quen Lus from soul and add one to hand and call the other. Then, persona ride activates! (13000 > 23000) Call, Mikani. (13000 > 23000) From soul, Aga Manafh's skill. Discard one, call it with Boost, then soulcharge. Quen Lu's skill. Mikani gains 2k and glory. (23000 > 25000) Then, counterblast and play! One Who Governs Chaos. Scry five, and for every differemt Kheios in soul, I put a card into soul. I put three. With over eight names in soul, I call Executor Mikani from soul and give him 10k. (13000 > 23000 > 33000) I call Quen Lu and use her skill on the new Mikani. (33000 > 35000) Finally, call Insane Researcher. Soul Oratorio's skill. I bind Approaching Fangs from soul for Soul Oratorio to gain a critical. All my units gain 10k aswell. (25000 > 35000) (23000 > 33000/2) (35000 > 45000) (10000 > 20000) (8000 > 18000) (5000 > 15000) Battle. Aga Manafh boosts, Mikani attacks. (35000 > 55000)"

"No guard... (Strong Sharp Dragon, Geizfort)"

"Insane Researcher boosts, Mikani attacks. (45000 > 60000)"

"Sanctitude, perfect guard..."

"Boosted by Zargon, Kheios attacks. (33000 > 51000/2) Mikani's skill. Both restand. Hey, Nozomi. Now that we're adults, what are you going to do?"

"I... I'm going to fake being a teacher on an isolated island.. Because someone I never met asked me to..."

Akimitsu smiled.

"Shining Fate Awakening into the Empty Future."

Dreams are not reality.

They can repeat over and over again without ending the same way.

But there will never be a version of this dream where things will go my way.

"As for me... I'll assure the Vanguard you love so much never goes away."

Everything started to crumble.

"Even though your love for it annoys to no end, and even though you're a walking eyesore... You were my best friend. Unlike your feelings towards people, my love as your friend was real. So I promise you, Nozomi. I'll fill this game..."

Akamitsu turned to leave, but looked back one last time. A shadow loomed over him.

"...with nothing but abundant life."

You were supposed to be here when I returned and asked me how GEN was...

"Nozomi!"

You were supposed to be at Hori-san and Amalie's wedding with us...

"Nozomi!"

You were supposed to be at the line for Kiri's first novel with me...

"Nozomi, you wake up this instant or so help me god I'll show you what it's like spending your most formative years under the same roof as that asakusan asshole!"

You were supposed to-

"Wake the hell up, old man!"

I opened my eyes.

It's been eight years since then. I was a teacher at GEN Academy for the next three years, then spent the following four travelling the world to hone my skills.

I returned to Tokyo last year and opened a small restaurant in Golden Gai, Kabukicho, the Mesozoic Mahapadma. Running the place is a one man team deal. It's not like the place is big enough to fit more than three tables anyway.

"You're already at that point where you fall askeep in the middle of the afternoon? Maybe you should check into a retirement home instead of opening shop tomorrow."

That smug white haired gremlin...

"I'm twenty six... I digress, what do you want?"

"More soba!"

The girl across my counter is Harui.

"Coming right up. You two want something aswell?"

"Another bowl of beef udon for me, Nozomi."

The white haired boy with the shades stuffing his face is Satoru.

"One bowl of oyakodon, Nozomi-san."

The brown haired girl with the katana next to her is Yukie.

"You got it. Now go sit down, you're scaring the customers."

"It's five in the afternoon, no one's gonna enter the place until six. Besides, we're the only ones here." Harui said as she returned to her table.

"Someone could come in at any moment."

"Oh please, the only person unemployed enough to come to a random restaurant in the middle of Golden Gai at this time of day is Izuru."

Maybe it's a good thing Izuru-san didn't walk through the door afterall.

"So, you guys ready to for the start of your high school lives?"

Harui was the first to whine about it. She rested her head on Yukie's shoulder.

"Don't remind me... I was living my best life during spring break and now I have to get back to that formative hell..."

"Yeah like school's gonna change anything about your current." Satoru said.

"Hm... Well, I suppose the only thing stopping me from sniffing Yukie's shirt is social convention..."

"A whiff before class starts should let you live until lunch break." Yukie pat Harui's head.

"Yippee!"

"Why did I accept your invite to come here, I knew what I was signing myself up to..."

Poor Satoru. Thirdwheeling used to be easy for him when Yukie's twin brother Jiei was in the picture, but he stopped coming with them last month. Can't blame him, he never struck me as the most social guy out there.

"Oh shut it. No comments from the furry gallery are allowed. We'll listen to you when you play a normal deck."

"You're one to talk, scalie."

"When I play Shiranui, it's cool as hell because I'm playing it and stuff. When you play Granfia, you're just playing Jiei's deck on a budget. Check and mate." Harui snuggled closer to Yukie.

"Lia and Gran have shared support- Oh screw that, judge, what's you call?"

Satoru... Yukie always picks Harui, that's a battle you're never beating.

"Well..."

Yukie looked at Satoru, then at Harui and only Harui. The battle was over before it began.

"The Shiranui user happens to be very pretty in my opinion."

"Heh, suck it. Girlfriend favouritism rules!"

"I'm getting new friends when the year starts."

"Good luck, you're stappled to us until the end of our school lives." Yukie said.

"Ha ha, you stood up for us and now you're forced to thirdwheel our flirting!"

These three always remind me of how Kiri used to cry about being single every time Hori-san and Amalie were in each other's field of vision.

"Don't worry, Satoru. I'm sure you'll find a partner one day."

"That's not helping, Nozomi!"

"It's helping me get a kick out of your situation even more so I disagree." Harui laughed. "You know, Nozomi's pity is the last thing you wanna get, this guy probably never touched a woman before and he's been walking the Earth since the dinosaurs were alive."

"Man, I wish I was that old..."

Dinosaurs are really cool.

"Actually, care to weigh in on the matter, Nozomi-san?" Yukie asked.

"Sure. Harui's right, I never dated. It was just never a focus for me. Vanguard's always been my number one thing. Besides, all my co-workers during my teaching days were way older than me. I hardly connected with any of them in general."

I set down their plates.

"Cardfighting my students was way better, anyway."

Akimitsu was right.

Anjou Nozomi only loves Vanguard.

But Anjou Nozomi is also trying his best to fix the mistakes of the past.

He is a kind guy on a path of growth and self improvement...

...so why am I stuck narrating Harui instead?!

That little liar that made me make a fool out of myself a year ago when I narrated the final chapter... How did I even believe her lie about cheating?!

She's still married to Yukie, their kids visited a week before I got to narrating that damn chapter! She took advantage of my young narrator innocence and made me tell lies on the internet! She soiled my name as a narrator!

Ugh... Oh. Hi there.

It's been a while, huh?

Narrator-san here, this time not from my closet because Harui didn't write her high school memories. We're going the omnipotent narrator route this time!

Did you miss me? I hope you did because we will be back soon. And if you didn't, cope about it.

In a new era of Vanguard where everything is still young, who will stand on top of the world when the dust settles?

That's what she will find out.

She who trailblazes a path to the top!

She who proves being raised under the same roof as Izuru is a detriment to your growth!

She who... Who puts the...? Like, for real? Maybe Harui did write this afterall, only her corny ass would write something like this...

Anyway.

Reader-san! We will meet again soon, this time in-

Cardfight!! Vanguard: My New High School Life as a Tryhard: All Routes Lead to Crit Sacking!