It had been several days since Aichi had started giving away flyers for his Cardfight Club. Although I have decided that I will not join, I can't help but think about it.
I sighed, looking at my avatar, recalling the day he gave it to me years before I left, and before he did, as well.
“Ayaka!” He called out as I walked away, following my mom into the moving van. I turned around, and saw him running towards me happily, holding a Vanguard card. Behind him, Miwa was walking towards me, too, smiling awkwardly.
As he stopped in front of me, he reached out and attempted to hand over a card. It was turned over. “Take it,” He told me, “It’s a farewell gift.”
I smiled at him. “You don’t have to get me anything.”
He beamed at me, his eyes conveying a mixture of sadness and cheerfulness. His smile was comforting, and it would definitely be one that I would never forget.
“I didn’t, really.” He replied, taking my hand and placing the card onto my palm. “I was just opening a booster pack and saw this. It’s like fate. It looked exactly like you, though this card looked a bit older. I was actually planning to keep this as some sort of keepsake of you, but I decided against it.”
I turned the card over, and I seemed to see the older version of myself. The card had the same pale pink hair, the same yellow left eye, and the same blue right eye. I curiously read the card’s name.
“Regalia of Cherry Blossoms, Konohanasakuya... I don’t think there’s a Clan called Genesis.” I muttered as I read the card’s information. “This looks like a new card.”
“It doesn’t matter, does it?” He briefly glanced at the card, and added, “She’s a beautiful card, isn’t she? Just like you...” Then he leaned closer, holding my head between his hands, and planting a kiss on my forehead. Then he smiled again, tucking a lock of my hair behind my ear. “That will be my keepsake instead. Goodbye, Ayaka...”
I smiled back, and held his hand. “Goodbye, then... Kai Toshiki.”
I shook myself out of my train of thoughts before sadness would overwhelm me. I resumed thinking about the Cardfight Club, looking sadly at my avatar.
Then I thought about both of us and our friends before, happy. Without any problems. Without having to see Ren change because of his PSY Qualia. Maybe that could happen again.
I stood, returning Konohanasakuya to my deck box, and left for school as I realized that it’s time.
I slowed down as I came closer to the physics lab, the room where the Cardfight Club is assigned to. I heard Misaki and Kourin cardfighting, and I stopped walking, my hand lightly clasping the doorknob. I sighed.
“This is it, Ayaka...” I murmured as I started to grip the doorknob tightly, but before I could open the door, it opened, and I almost bumped into a guy with glasses. Well... he did bump into me.
“He-Hey! Watch where you’re going!” He said as he tumbled down slightly. Then he looked at me, and he widened his eyes in a surprised look.
Before anybody could speak, I piped up, “Hi, I’d like to join your Cardfight Club. Would you mind if I...?”
“If you beat one of us, of course.” Kourin cut me off before I could finish.
I smiled at her, cocking an eyebrow. I looked at every one of them, and said, “Do I... have a choice?”
Kourin smiled as well. “You don’t.”
I let out an exasperated sigh. “Oh, well. Who will it be, then?” I looked directly into Kourin’s eyes, silently hoping that she’d be the one to cardfight with me. And partly hoping that she isn’t really too strong.
“Of course I will.” Kourin said, walking towards a Vanguard playmat.
I rummaged through my bag in search for my deck, and as I found it tucked away in one of my bag’s pockets, I positioned myself on the other side of the playmat. I then placed my starting Vanguard in the Vanguard circle and drew five cards. One of them was Shrine Regalia, Memory Angel, and a pair were Grade twos. The rest were triggers, which I took and returned to my deck, shuffled it, and redrew two cards. One was Witch of Cats, Cumin and the other was Witch of Big Pots, Laurier.
“Stand up,” Kourin and I said in synchronization. “My Vanguard!”
“Battle Maiden, Amenohoakari.”
“Dreaming Jewel Knight, Tiffany.”
“I’ll... I’ll go first.” I muttered, drawing a card. It was an Existence Angel. “I ride Shrine Regalia, Memory Angel!” I said, placing Memory Angel on my Vanguard circle. “I move Amenohoakari to the rear-guard. Memory Angel’s skill—I look at the top five cards of my deck, and if Regalia of Cherry Blossoms, Konohanasakuya is here...” I chose Konohanasakuya and held it out for Kourin to see. “I reveal it to my opponent and place it on my hand.”
I placed Konohanasakuya on my hand, and chose Witch of Cats, Cumin. “I call Cumin behind Memory Angel. With Cumin’s skill, I Soul Charge.” I said, placing Cumin on the center column on Amenohoakari’s right, who was on the left back row rear-guard circle. “And Existence Angel on Cumin’s right. I end my turn.”
Kourin drew a card. “I ride Stinging Jewel Knight, Shellie. I call Tiffany to the rear-guard.” Rotating both cards to her its side, she continued, “I attack!”
“No guard.”
“Drive trigger check...” Kourin drew a card. “No trigger.”
I drew a card, checking for a trigger. “Nothing.” I said, and placed the card on my damage zone. As Kourin declared her turn’s end, I drew a card. It was Apple Witch, Cider. “I ride Goddess of Trees, Jupiter! I call Battle Maiden, Sahohime.” I said, placing Sahohime on the rear-guard circle in front of Existence Angel. “Boosted by Existence Angel, Sahohime attacks your Vanguard!”
“No guard.” She said. “Damage trigger check... Nothing.”
“Sahohime and Existence Angel’s skill! Since the attack hit the Vanguard, I counterblast to Soul Charge two cards. And since an attack hits your Vanguard in which Existence Angel boosted, I Soul Charge one card.” Rotating Cumin and Jupiter sideways, I said, “Boosted by Cumin, Jupiter attacks!”
“No guard.” I drew a card, revealed Oracle Queen, Himiko, and placed her in my hand. “Damage trigger check.” Kourin added, and drew a card from her deck. “Draw Trigger. Five thousand power to Shellie and I draw a card.” As I nodded, noting the end of my turn, she drew another card and said, “I ride Fellowship Jewel Knight, Tracie! I call Jewel Knight, Prizmy and Dogmatize Jewel Knight, Sybill.”
She flipped Prizmy and Sybill sideways. “I attack with Sybill!” She said, and I drew a card to check for the damage trigger. There was no trigger. “Then I attack with Tracie, boosted by Tiffany.”
“No guard.” I said and Kourin drew a card to check for the drive trigger. It was a stand trigger.
“Dogmatize Jewel Knight, Sybill stands again and gains five thousand power.” She waited for me to draw a damage trigger. I drew a card from my deck and revealed a second Cumin. “Now, Sybill attacks!”
“No trigger.” I shrugged nonchalantly. “I stand and draw. I ride Oracle Queen, Himiko! I call Witch of Wolves, Saffron. Boosted by Amenohoakari, Saffron attacks! Amenohoakari’s skill—since she is currently boosting a Grade three, I Soul Charge one card.”
“No guard.” She drew a card for the damage trigger check. There was no trigger.
“Boosted by Cumin, Himiko attacks! With Himiko’s skill, since I’m attacking a Vanguard, I Soul Charge, and she gains a thousand power.”
“Guard!” She said and called three triggers into the Guardian circle.
“Twin Drive,” I drew the first card—nothing. The second card...
“A draw trigger. Five thousand power to Sahohime and I draw a card. Sahohime attacks!”
“Damage trigger check,” Kourin muttered, and revealed the topmost card of her deck. “I got nothing. I stand and draw.” She drew a card. “I ride Pure Heart Jewel Knight, Ashlei! I call Palamedes and Toypugal. Tiffany’s skill—I move her to the soul, and Palamedes and Ashlei get three thousand power. I call Jewel Knight, Prizmy in Tiffany’s place. Sybill attacks!”
I drew a card, and revealed it. “No trigger.”
“Ashlei attacks, boosted by Prizmy!” As I placed three trigger cards on the Guardian circle, Kourin revealed the top two cards of her deck. One was a critical trigger. “I give the power and critical to Palamedes, and he attacks with twenty-nine thousand power!”
“No.” I said and held out my hand to show Kourin a Sentinel. “Goddess of Self-Sacrifice, Kushinada will not let it through.”
I smiled at her as I stand all my units and drew a card. My face fell and I stared at my avatar in utmost sadness. “The lost and lonely seeks a ray of light. Release your seal and the memories of you shall return! Rain down your eblem of hope, and bloom as they give happiness. I ride...” I paused, several memories flooding into my mind. I tear slid down my cheek as I continued speaking. “I break ride, Regalia of Cherry Blossoms, Konohanasakuya!”
There was a flash of white light. Before me, instead of seeing Kourin and the playmat, I saw all the units she placed on the playmat, in a formation similar to the battles. I saw a place similar to Cray. I looked around, and every unit that was currently placed on the battlefield were there and were positioned in the same way I had placed them. As I looked at myself, I then realized that I was seeing Cray as Konohanasakuya.
There was another flash, and this time, I had seemed to come back to myself, holding on the edge of the table tightly. I squeezed my eyes shut, and muttered an apology as I stood upright. I waved Misaki and Aichi away as they asked about my condition.
“With Himiko’s Break Ride skill, Witch of Wolves, Saffron and Battle Maiden, Sahohime gets five thousand power, and my Vanguard gets ten thousand power and a skill. Konohanasakuya’s skill—since I’ve got Memory Angel in my soul, I Soul Charge one card and Konohanasakuya will get a thousand power.” Flipping Witch of Wolves, Saffron sideways, I added, “I attack with Saffron, and since she’s attacking a Vanguard, she gets two thousand power.”
“No guard.” She revealed the top card of her deck. There was no trigger.
“I attack with Sahohime!”
“I guard that.”
“Now, Konohanasakuya attacks! Since she is about to attack a Vanguard, I Soul Blast three to draw a card. Release the seals that bind you and summon light to defeat our opponents! Heal your allies as the spark of hope ignites! Limit Break!” I placed five cards from my soul to the Drop zone and discarded two Genesis cards, as well. “Ten thousand power to my Vanguard, and Witch of Wolves, Saffron stands again and gains five thousand power. Attack, Konohanasakuya!”
Kourin placed a perfect guard on the Guardian circle, discarding a card from her hand.
“Drive trigger check...” I looked at the top two cards of my deck. “A Heal trigger. I heal one point of damage. And finally...” I took in a sharp intake of breath. “Saffron attacks with twenty-nine thousand power!”
“No guard.” She revealed the top card of her deck.
There was no trigger.
I won.
I’ll be able to join the Cardfight Club. I might be able to talk to Kai again, maybe. Maybe I’d learn about the reason why he wasn’t talking to me. Maybe everything would return to normal.
I smiled, looking at Konohanasakuya once more, before a guy interrupted my thought by patting me on the back.
“Welcome to the Cardfight Club... Chiharu.” The red-haired boy said. Although I have not met him at all, he knew me because I was pretty famous for my eyes. A lot of people bully me because of it. Nobody would like me and none would even try to be friends, all except the Cardfight Club, Kai, Miwa, Ren, and Tetsu, generally.
Hime piped up, “This is Ishida Naoki.” She pointed towards the red-haired guy, then towards the guy with glasses. “This is Komoi Shingo.”
Naoki shrugged, and looked at my deck box. “Well, in a few days’ time we’ll have to cardfight with another school to be accepted fully by the Student Council.”
I nodded, and smiled slightly. Exactly what I need, I thought as I remembered Hitsue High.