Season 5 - Stride Generation

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A number of years have passed, mankind putting behind the conflicts of the Link Joker Invasion, the Reaper Invasion for those who remembered it, and the Messiah Scramble incident. Now, children, siblings, parents, and more relatives sat together or those who have become independent watching alone, all eyes on television just the same. Today was the day; a grand announcement of the establishment of a new system. The broadcast was at a large stadium, a massive crowd gathered just to see the new era unfold with their own eyes. Balloons, confetti, and other celebratory particles rained from the sky, decorating the world in festivity.

“Hello one and all!” The selected announcer gave his greetings, “Are you ready for the winds of change to sweep you off your feet?! This is a world of VANGUARD now!!” He shouted into the microphone, people in the stadium, in the streets, in their homes yelling back with excitement. The air was charged with hyperactive energy, optimism reigning supreme for the first time in a long time. It was hard to believe how the despair of yesterday was genuinely covered by a cheerful ray of hope. “I'm your Prime Minister of Japan and a member of the Association's board: Daisuke Oshiro! Today, I bring to you the beginning of something reaaaaaally excellent!! Today, we have called upon the newly established branch directors of Japan as everything is finally set in place. They will share a little on themselves and their philosophies to keep in mind and heart! After all, these lucky folk have been chosen as our leaders for good reason! The New Generation in particular will have a lot to take from them!” The man in charge explained in full, the crowd still giddy with energy, now mixed in with curiosity. And as to answer their questions, spotlights came on, shining upon the chosen six that only restarted the wild cheers. The branch directors all stood in a line, their assistants visible behind them. There stood legendary era fighters, and new faces that rose to position for extremely good reason.

“Please, step up and talk to us!” Daisuke requested, and one woman in particular nodded to the other five as she began walking up first.


“Hello, hello... My name is Kiga Gochiso. I'm a seat of the Grand Sanctuary and the Dark Zone Branch Director.” Her voice was kind and charming as it carried into the microphone, almost as if it were a kind guardian speaking to a child with a hint of childlike wonder in her own tone. That wasn't the only thing people were focused on, however. As much as people were looking forward to hearing the kind of people they were going to be working with, many fighters kept in mind to size up the six who would be bigwigs among the Vanguard world... and Kiga was... big... alright. To be descriptive, Kiga was a pretty brunette with large assets all over. There were rumors of a woman with a high up position blessed with enormous knockers, and it turns out that rumor was completely accurate. Adorned in a gothic purple dress covered by a matching cloaking robe of sorts, she carried herself with an aesthetic befitting Dark Zone, black straps bringing the cloak together with a bat-like accessory and golden cross. Modestly showing her buxom, ample figure, she was rather thickly built given the slight imprints and strains of her clothing, which drove a good number of men and women insane for varying reasons. Yet, eyes fell upon her soft features, staring at her lovely, cute face with some of her beautiful hair covering one of her two brown eyes. “You see...” She began, getting her thoughts together as she remembered what she came here to say. “I'm someone who very much enjoys a good meal – more than anything else, I'd think. I believe children are our future, and helping them grow big and strong like a parent would raise them is part of our job in the association. I see a lot of kids who don't want to finish their plates, or just give up on things half-way all the time, and I'm not very much a fan of that. I offer food and a constant reminder to do what you set out to do if your heart was and is set on it. It may come across as a bit naggy... but for Gastor Hiruma – my personal assistant and student – and I, we always mean well to look out for the future.” It was easy to get a read on her, and most of that figure must've come from a lot of food... Still, it was believed she'd be a good maternal figure, which was a good change of pace for a nation of demons, vampires, and the like. As she finished, clapping applause welcomed her to the vanguard world, being met with a smile as she began to step down.


Following Kiga, another woman with black-brownish hair took the stage. “Hey there!” She started. “My name is Umiruka Nanana, and you'll bite your tongue if you try to say my last name a few times fast.” Another kind smile, but there were several individuals watching who nearly choked upon hearing her name. The deadly “Seventh Cutlass” Umiruka was a renounced pirate of sorts... While not a literal pirate, she was a terrifyingly strong Granblue player that put people in their place with the actual grandmaster of Granblue: Nightmist. But that's not all, friends told inquisitive friends that she wielded a scimitar that has gutted sharks, demons, godlike entities... In the invasions, real units even began to cower in fear of her presence. Strange, given she looked very friendly, just like Kiga. A bit chill, even, she wore a blue and white blouse dress, having a quilt of sorts wrapped around her like a jacket. A cozy fashion complimenting her lithe, curvy figure. Standing up straight, piercing dark blue eyes aimed at the crowd in front to speak directly to them, the pirate woman held herself with a confident grace and a cute hairband, thinly glossed lips staying curled in a warm smile. “You can just call me 'Umi', I'm the leader of the Magallanica Branch, which is one of the smaller nations... but still just as big and important as the rest. But it's not about measuring up to the other nations, it's about taking care of these new winds. Like Kiga before me, I also agree that children are the future. They should be writing the book for the new era as we come into it, but they don't have to necessarily go through the heartache and hell we went through before. Just because we grew up a certain way doesn't mean our kids have to, so I want to make a life of comfort as the New Generation grows. My friend Kachidoki Isao and I dream of building up a future where everyone is enjoying themselves, learning life's lessons without having to suffer so much – a less stressful way of growing up.” Her speech finished with a round of applause just like the brunette before. Parents had a bit of a better reaction to this, as those who did remember the invasions know how some of those who participated turned out. They became gritty, hardened, or even cynical. But this party mom mentality was a security blanket for anyone who showed interest in Magallanica. Fitting for a pirate, fitting for a nation with singing idol mermaids, and even fitting for a nation ready to strut their prowess like Aqua Force. Umi brought out the lightheartedness of her ideology as she stepped down.


One of the more formally dressed men shuffled to the stage next. Immediately apparent were the bags under his eyes, as if knowing he had a speech to give today had kept him up the night previously. "Hello, I am Doctor Rikuto Minami and I will be serving as the Zoo Branch Director." came the introduction. The voice was that of a businessman with undertones of tenderness. As his inclusion of his title would have prompted, anyone who inquired after his name would be met with a strange title. This was Asclepius' Hand. The man who if you had to be under the knife, you wanted him operating on you. He had messy brown hair and was wearing a long sleeved white shirt accompanied by a dark brown vest and slacks, a black belt about his waist, a navy blue tie sitting flush with his neck, and a lighter brown overcoat to finish the ensemble. Truth be told he seemed underwhelming. This could have been any old working-class man. Was this really Doctor Minami, the miracle worker? Regardless, he adjusted his glasses as he continued speaking. "I will speak idealistically first. I desire my branch to be a place where cardfighters of all walks can come and live out their dreams. Life is all too short to not be enjoyed in the moment. However, such an environment cannot simply exist on its own." he said, seeming to relax into the role of public speaking more as he went on. "Indeed, it takes hard work, both on the part of the staff and the participants themselves. Life requires balance. Work and recreation are two equally important aspects of the human condition and neither must be neglected in deference to the other. So know that the young generation and the old alike must both recommit themselves to diligence in their duties so that together, we can all create that place in our dreams here in reality." He continued. During the speaking the man seemed to keep a hand nervously hovering near his side. The on-call nature of his work as a surgeon had him always ready for an emergency to call him away during anything and everything. But it remained silent and so his speech would go uninterrupted. "In this effort I cannot do everything myself, nor should any expect themselves to be capable of single-handedly tackling all of their duties alone. It is for this reason I am deeply grateful for the contributions that my colleague Varess Yamata will put forth in aiding the operations of the branch. I wish you all the best in the days to come and please, stay safe. I much prefer to see my cardfighters in the branch than on the operating table." he concluded with a bit of what felt like rather dark humor. It was clear the man's duties as a doctor weighed heavily on him. Would he be capable of multitasking being a branch manager and an emergency room surgeon? Only time would tell was the best anyone could guess.


An energetic young man shot to his feet at the conclusion of Rikuto's words and enthusiastically pat the doctor on the back after praising his speech. His skin was olive toned and was starkly contrasted by the muted white hair atop his head and blazing blue eyes. He adjusted the black fingerless gloves on his hands as he made his way up. He wore a black dress shirt with a yellow tie but the top button was undone and the tie much lower down on the neck than the other man's as a result. He had a white overcoat with yellow accents. In his posture and movements he conveyed energy to the audience. "Thank you everyone, aren't they great! The branches are in good hands!" he said as he motioned to the speakers before him and rallied up another round of applause for them. "Thank you all, they really deserve it. They're going to put in a lot of hard work. But moving on, my name is Hideyoshi Sasaki and I have been charged with caring for the best branch in the association! My tasks are threefold as I will be serving on the Grand Sanctuary while also holding the positions of Star Gate Branch Director and Nova Grappler Clan Leader. Now you might be inclined to look at that and say 'wow the association is barely scraping by if he has to have so many jobs'. But to that I answer: Rising Generation, try to take my jobs away from me! I'll lay all of you out again and again until you're all fit to be a clan leader!" he said trying to rile up the crowd some more. It seemed to be working, something about him just called for it. "Star Gate will ever be the most exciting place to play Vanguard, I will promise you that here and now. I'm always willing to help fighters of all ages who want to get stronger. Just know it won't be easy. Miss Fuki will be assisting me with my duties as the Branch Director. So if you know what's good for you, grab a Nova Grappler deck and come to Star Gate! We may only have two clans but-" he cut out as someone from the audience called out 'you're forgetting Link Joker!' He seemed to tense up a bit but quickly his playful energy returned. "Haha, you're right sorry about that. I just wanted people to have a good time is all and Nova Grappler and Dimension Police are the fast pass to fun!" he said in conclusion. Though he was laughing with the audience it was clear something was bothering him. As the man sat to make way for the remaining two speakers a strangely serious expression took over his face as he made a mental note to find every Link Joker player at his branch in the coming weeks and convert them to the one path of Nova Grappler.


“Weakness is a sin!” Oh, that caught everyone's attention. That was a new line of ideology no one had heard of before, looking curiously at the next director. “To those of you not yet aware! My name is Cero Kirguis, the one who has been awarded the title Europe’s King of Vanguard, and the one who shall be the Director of the Dragon Empire Branch!” Whoa, this guy was loud. The largely built blonde took a step up on the podium and immediately got started, winning over numerous fighters from the European circuit along with many fans from Japan. After all, he not only had his own facility to whip people into shape already, but he was second to Hana Espoir in the first Japanese National Tournament. “In recent years, we have had a lasting time of peace… However, that may change at any moment! We who have come before braved many perils, overcome many trials, and were able to achieve our full strength because of that! Without these, I fear the New Generation will be soft and unable to turn the spark of potential that rests within them into the raging thunderstorm that they are capable of becoming!” His metaphor was a bit out there, but understandable for those who knew his clan. Cero would grab at the stand, making a good point in an aggressive way. As one of the prominent leaders that led fights against Link Joker. One of the superhumans who made himself well-known for his philosophy of self-sufficient power and confidence. A fitting choice for Dragon Empire. “Since before the Association was founded, I was the founder and owner of a series of buildings designed to facilitate the growth of Cardfighters worldwide! Because of this, it is my wish… No, my OBLIGATION to undertake the role of Branch Director and use it to spread my philosophy! I will continue to be one of the guiding figures for the New Generation in their path to strength! The Dragon Empire shall be a place for those who seek to strengthen both their abilities in Vanguard, and to strengthen themselves as people! In order to ensure that they will be ready to face even the greatest of calamities, I shall personally oversee the development of Dragon Empire’s training programs, and by combining my resources with those of the Association, it is my goal to make Dragon Empire the ultimate place of growth for any Cardfighter, nay, any person! It is my mission to see the New Generation one day reach a state where they can rival… No, where they have surpassed my own power! And furthermore-” While it was nice Cero wasn't entirely on his high horse during this speech, making a very solid argument as he explained his wish for the new era... he was droning on and on. Seeing as the speech would never end unless interrupted, his assistant took a leap and slammed her foot down onto the king, “What the-” Cero was caught offguard, being sent careening by the first ferocious dropkick of the new era, being knocked off camera...

“I am Karin Ouriel, his right hand. Thank you for your time.”

If it wasn't obvious, Cero's speech was done.

Oof.

That left one more... one that made people light up with all the hope and excitement they had before any of the directors even spoke up. And it was no surprise given who it was. The hero of heroes – the leader of the Legendary Generation who stood at the frontline in every single fight she possibly could. Her short, blue hair flowed with her movement as she came to grace the stand. Though she looked very different from years and years ago, her new form remained after the Messiah Scramble. The man that put a ring on her finger was the target of envy, another curvaceous, divine body on display, A thick physique, all covered up by a gray uniform and black leggings, adorned with a pretty white ribbon in her hair. Sky blue eyes gazed forward resolutely, the queen's elegant step having chills run up the spines of the nation. Though she had put on a considerable amount of weight, kept her hair short, its color changed entirely, and more... that presence was the same to everyone, every time. She was attractive, her presence was demanding, her being was a light of hope, she was an example. The strongest woman in the world-


The crowd had to settle down, and Yukino waited for them to. She wore a neutral expression, but curiously looked around her, making sure everyone was listening. When she finally had the chance, she opened her mouth, calmly grasping the podium's sides. “Weakness is a sin.” … That wasn't what anyone was looking for. In fact, some people believed they didn't hear that right. She just repeated what her rival said before her. Staring in disbelief, they watched as she continued. “I have no interest in idealistic drivel that coddles aspiring youth. From the very beginning, this world is rotting from our lingering presence, like a fairy tale in which mankind puts all their hopes into, expecting a chosen one or a divine force to do their work for them. Such is meaningless.” Her tone was calm and collected, her words, however, were cold and brutal. “Hear me, world. I, the Chosen Sword, declare war on the Grand Sanctuary who does not believe. I extend this same declaration to old fools who believe they shall remain in power. What this world needs is revolution, which the new winds will stir, be it by my hand or others.” There were innumerable gasps of awe and shock at her announcement of conflict. She sounded like she was trying to make a point similarly to Cero's, but hers was much more violent in speaking of an uprising. “The United Sanctuary will breed warriors, and my ambition is to see to it that the new generation takes the world by storm. To see that none fall victim to the tormenting of fate due to their own weakness, I have a trump card that will change everything.

My name is Yukino Nakahara of the United Sanctuary Branch, and Jellal Kisaragi stands with me as one of the original vanguards. Those who wish to be molded into heroes and legends, we will see you soon.”


“But that's not all folks!” After a bit of the energy from the populace's concerned inquiry died down, the minister wasn't finished. An advertisement began to play on TV, while he himself explained at the stadium. A white device akin to a very large USB was shown, designed with two large Vs of Vanguard's trademark, mirroring each other. “Behold, FICA! These little babies are your ticket to rising up in the world! Or, at the very least, Japan! Through various quests and events, you gain points, which tally up for you to earn entry into bigger and better events! Eventually, they'll let you meet Branch Directors and other Legendary Fighters to throw down with! If you keep going, more and more awaits you such as Clan Leader positions or better, and a special chain of events in the coming months to really test your mettle!

Now, everyone! I want to see the new faces of this generation out there ready to take the world! I look forward to a shining era in which Stride changes everything! So get out there and Ride the Vanguard!”