First Event: The After Party (Aoi and the Holy Gumball Empire)

"I do want that fight!" Aoi responded to Fuwatan with vigor, always excited for potential games. She owed him for not finding him in Zoo as it is, so it was a date for a game. "Tackling also works though!" Aoi added, enjoying the pup's energy akin to hers. This left her fight against Hana, Aoi was doing a little better with Ripples, actually pushing the princess and disrupting the first stride of Twinkle Star. Unfortunately, that didn't seem to matter as School Etoile, Olyvia assisted with strong retaliation. As strong as the gumball's Legion was, it relied a little too heavily on momentum and trying to kill before the opponent can get to their better turns... which is difficult against a clan that thins out all of its grade three units.

"I think there's more potential for you in Maelstrom, Aoi." Hana noted. "Perhaps Ripples are... limiting? You have less to do and it's not helping you get better."

"You think so?" The gumball inquired, folding her arms as she mewled with curiosity and frustration. Synchronizing was still difficult given the issue with her avatar. It was masked by playing well, but against stronger veterans and legends like Hana, the weaknesses were becoming more apparent.

While they did their fight, Jessie picked up a folded piece of paper that must've been dropped or flown in from somewhere. It was in a triangular shape, to which he assumed it was probably notable to someone. "Hey, anyone lose something?" The brunette called out, holding the triangle up for people in the shop to see.

Ves leaned toward Tsubame, staring at her phone in wonder. "Careless...? What are you doing?" The blonde asked, not understanding anything racing through the phone screen or the impressively swift typing rate.

Tamotsu stayed close to the game, barking at exciting plays on either side, whimpering a bit when heavy hits were taken and ultimately enjoying himself. Though the snack-inspired energy seemed to be fading as the game carried on and he started calming down again. He didn't know Aqua Force super well, at least not well enough to counsel Aoi on how to play the deck. But he knew he liked how Maelstrom looked and so he agreed with Hana's comments.

"Huge dragons can do anything! An old me saw one eat nearly a whole village at once!" he said, very badly remembering an experience from his distant past. There had been an incident of a child being hurt by getting too close to a large reptile but no one had died and certainly no one or nothing was eaten. And it wasn't even a dragon at that. He'd figure that out later but this was the Aoi version that'd make more sense to her.

Tsubame meanwhile was jumping from tab to tab on her phone at a speed that almost rivaled Aoi's physical running at the start of the Zoo event. Her followers had saved her and sent an outpouring of material that could cure her of her disease. Links to other blog posts, reminders of her best work, links to videos criticizing mainstream media and anime, screenshots of high class anime and manga with witty humor and intelligent jokes.

"I'm cleansing myself of the evil..." she said with a sound of relief upon Ves' question. She could feel the anime leaving her. She was Tsubame, she who loved the strange, obscure and elite. She who looked down on shonen and other popular franchises for nothing with mainstream appeal could have any intrinsic worth to it. She calmed more as she continued until eventually putting her phone away and taking a deep breath.

"I'm not anime." she said confidently in denial of Ves' previous statement. "I will not let my guard down again. I will enlighten you, you will not drag me down". This was how it had to be. She could help Ves. She had the potential to be like her but she had a very bad case of the anime. Tsubame could help but not if she tainted herself in the process. Internally her mind continued scoffing at the most popular anime and manga of the month, reestablishing her mental superiority over fans of such drivel.

Seth continued to sit at the card shop looking lost in a crowd of people socializing and others cardfighting each other. He imagined he should probably just take a seat at the table and just look over his cards.

"Why did I come here again?" he said in a grumpy tone while shuffling through his cards before getting to Mystozan. He understood it was to make him stronger for his partner but... couldn't he accomplish this on his own like he already has been? He was doing fine with his usual living routine until he was told to register for a FiCA at his branch, which admittedly would help him by participating in events, and making sure they would go successful unlike at the Zoo Event. However...

"Did I really need to come here? What can these people offer to me for my journey, our journey?" The wintered boy continued.

"These people just look like ordinary players who just play with no real direction or path. I doubt they could understand what we have to endure." There was a sudden pause in his thoughts before he opened up his deck case and began to place Mystozan back in the container, closing him off. "This is pointless." He said as he was getting up to walk out until a male has alerted everyone of his discovery of a folded piece of paper, Seth's note from Umiruka. Seth's cold hands placed the deck box onto the table where he was taking refuge at and approached him.

"Sorry about that. That's mine, may I have it back?" he said in a honest yet very unfeeling tone of voice. Seth figured once he would get the paper back, he'd throw it out before walking out and going back to his business.

Jessie had been unfolding the paper with his fingers absentmindedly as the white haired boy approached. The brunette was unable to stay his inquisitive mind however, taking a look at what was written on it. He raised his brow, looking toward the paper's owner as he handed back. "Yeah, sure, and sorry for takin' a look. What's it about, if you don't mind me asking?" He knew the Magallanica branch director's name was on it, so it must've been quite something involving this man's 'journey' of sorts.

He was glad to have his attention diverted from the hooligans at the fight table. Fuwatan had brought up that he saw a huge dragon eat an entire village once, trying to advertise the cool and amazement factor Maelstrom could live up to. "I don't think that's-" Hana tried to say it wasn't the most appealing thing, but Aoi gave a childlike 'oooo' in response. These two are actual children... The bluenette sighed, rather glad she doesn't play dragons in Bermuda Triangle for this very reason.

Dragons are overrated.

Speaking of, Ves couldn't really understand what was going on in Tsubame's head. The girl claimed she wasn't anime after cleansing herself of 'evil', which made even less sense. The pudding demon was perplexed, still wearing her blank expression as her mentor in anime promised to show her enlightenment. However, a hilarious retort came out of the young lass' mouth instead. "Not letting your guard down...? Over being anime?" She began. "That sounds like... um... a 'tsundere', I think it's called."

Oh dear.

"I was uhh..." trying to gather himself before Jessie. He cleared his throat and their eyes met as he opened his mouth.

"I was sent by my branch manager from Magallanica to find an Aoi and present her that note."

Everyone is so nice despite never meeting them! That's what Mirai's love so much about Vanguard. You can make friends or at least treat each other like friends! Even getting advice on how to improve her Seeker deck.

"Huh... I think I have those new units! They are somewhere in my storage box!" Mirai said happy to know that she might have gotten those units already. The airhead joined the group to at least have some company while looking at her deck and the extra Royal Paladin cards in her storage box and begin editing. It's probably the first time Mirai actually dedicated time to improving her deck. I'll beat that mean bug lady fair and square next time! Mirai thought to herself, feeling the sting of what was going to be utter defeat deep down. She didn't like winning like she did. Even more winning that way to someone like that bug lady.

Taking her Thing Saver Dragon and Soul Saver Dragon cards to look at, her eyes sparkled seeing her two favorite units. "I think it's time we make a deck together!" Mirai said to herself, laying out the deck in categories. Grade three, two, one, triggers, and starter. After several hundred dead brain cells later, Mirai finished her first draft of the Saver Dragon deck she wanted to make.

A bubbly feeling tingled inside her, positive energy of excitement bursting out, "YAY!!! I FINISHED MY DECK!! WHO WANTS TO FIGHT?!" Mirai yelled out, hoping someone from that crowd accepts her challenge.

Jessie gave the snowy haired... sorry sap a look of confusion and pity. "The branch director left you in... Aoi's care?" Is what the brunette concluded from reading the note and hearing that statement. Poor guy was doomed to the biggest goofball of the century since most Disney mascots. "Ah... You know the pony-tailed idiot who's been shouting the whole time here? That's the person you're lookin' for." One could tell how bad dinoboy here felt for the lad. While he loved Aoi like a hyperactive sister, he was exhausted by her and her antics almost all the time and has somehow miraculously not been reformed into a giddy youth the way Tamotsu has.

God help this man's soul.

Speaking of Aoi, she had been - naturally - floored by Hana. The gumball was a little miffed, but kept in mind the idea of fighting better with Maelstrom purely because he himself wasn't the end of the deck. Ripples were stable, but also deadpan in a sense. Legion was the biggest and... only play it had, pushing out even most Strides. It was simplistic and wouldn't help her improve at all. Perhaps in playing a deck that's less stable - perhaps inferior in general - could be better for growth? It was worth pondering until the clumsy girl from earlier shouted.

Of course Aoi's going to take the challenge.

"Me! Me! Oh, I can!"

"Tsun... de... re..." came the pain stricken syllables from Tsubame's mouth. Each one struggled on its way out as if she couldn't process what had just been said. Her world had barely healed only to immediately shatter and be set on fire. In just one word, the entirety of Tsubame's existence was nullified. Years of life wasted. Hours of watching and reading meant nothing. No amount of blog followers could save her from this. But then something was restored. A single spark. No, a flame that was raging out of control. An accusing finger was dramatically raised.

"Now you listen to me, you attack-naming-shonen-main-character-looking-pudding-addicted bitch!" was the attack to start it all. This seemed to be a really sore subject just from the energy and passion going into this. "This Land of the Rising Sun has existed for over three thousand years. We come from a rich history of samurai and warfare and bloodshed. And you have the nerve, no the audacity to say that I, Tsubame Karasu, inheritor of this grand legacy would dare be something so wretched and appalling as a tsundere?!" This would be getting alarming if it wasn't only drawing out more of her anime side.

"My ancestors are literally writhing in their graves at the implication that their descendant could even be mistaken for something so pitiful!" She said with another burst of rage.

But she seemed to be catching herself as some of her hair fell from behind her ear across her face. She slowly lowered the finger of scorn and pushed her hair back into position and seemed to be largely composed. And then she slouched over. She was dead inside. Utterly defeated and wasted.

Across the room Tamotsu seemed concerned from the several outbursts. Mirai and Tsubame both had him wondering what was going on but Aoi seemed to be getting ready to fight more so he floated around the girl, occasionally hopping up on his hind legs to dance out what little enthusiasm he had left with the girl.

"It's only for these events." Seth clarified to prevent Jessie and anyone else who might've been eavesdropping that the snowy haired boy wasn't going to be babysat by anyone.

"But thank you. My name is Seth Hyoshiro, nice to meet you." The frozen boy offered his name to Jessie before walking to meet Aoi. While walking he recalled seeing or rather... hearing Aoi while in the card shop before he uncovered who she was.

"This girl... is the one supposed to chaperone me?" he said in a somewhat disgusted and unpleasant tone.

"She's looks like a kid herself. How on earth is she supposed to watch me?" He groaned before accepting his fate. "Let's just get this over with."

Sakuya, who had been watching Aoi's various fights closely up until now, suddenly perked up. She'd heard mention of her passion; Someone had just started talking about world history. She turned her head and scanned the shop, searching for the source... When her eyes locked onto Tsubame and Ves. Tsubame was going off on the pudding addict about her ancestors and their history, as if giving exposition to some invisible audience. For a girl who didn't want to be labelled as "anime", she was hitting certain tropes pretty dead-on. But right now, that didn't matter. Sakuya couldn't resist the chance to indulge in her most passionate subject, and immediately slid into the conversation.

"Actually, the Land of the Rising Sun has been around for quite a bit longer than three thousand years- Based on certain scientific studies, as well as our own country's histories, the land masses that make up Japan date back far far earlier, with the earliest settlements being estimated to around thirty-two thousand years ago-" Sakuya went on and on about Japan's history, going over everything from its first inhabitants through every era and dynasty in order, briefly summarizing them as she went. She didn't even stop to breathe, despite dragging on for minutes at a time, until she'd finished, at which point she inhaled very deeply. "...And so you can see how that led our country to where it is today"

She took another deep breath. She only just now realized how long she'd spoken for. "Phew, but, ah... I'm sorry, I got a little ahead of myself there. What sort of position did your ancestors have, to hold them in such high esteem?"

"Jessie Hakaisha." Jessie introduced himself to Seth, giving a friendly smile before watching him approach the crazy blue child. Though, he heard someone getting mad and yelling at the poor clan leader girl in the midst... and he couldn't help but quietly snicker at the overreaction. This left Ves holding her mouth open in blank awe, actually surprised at how upset Tsubame got. It wasn't that she felt bad about the sudden swear... in fact, it was quite the contrary. The pudding demon was silently enjoying the simple fact that she got this big of a reaction out of the hipster girl.

"Whoaaa..." It was quite the spectacle to see someone so passionate like Aoi over what felt like something minuscule in the grand scheme of things. Genuinely impressed, she tilted her head while listening until Tsubame found it in herself to calm down. However, this prompted Sakuya to join their conversation as a history buff, causing Ves to hum inquisitively as the shrine maiden went on a long rant. It was... refreshing and inspiring to see such emotion. Between here and the Zoo branch with her constantly smirking, slick talking dad, her elder sister's sadistic insanity, and Rikuto never being around... Tamotsu looked much more in his natural habitat here, and she liked it here too. Though, she completely tuned out both Tsubame and Sakuya after awhile, staring into space and daydreaming of her favorite snack... which led her to simply walk away and grab some snacks.

"Watch." Hana said to the hopping Tamotsu and Seth that she overheard, folding her arms as she looked at the fight between Aoi and Mirai. Her tone was serious, remembering that these two had fought before... They were unique beings previously cursed with a despairing destiny that was eventually cut through. Now, they stand as two lights and find reformation in their avatars.

Aoi - who can no longer hear the voice of her inherited avatar: Maelstrom - fought with a deck that combined both it and her original avatar: Tetra-drive Dragon. This hybrid unification was unique to only her, fighting vibrantly despite her uneasy steps. The cheer Mirai had to give that matched her own bubbly persona helped bring tranquility and purpose to mind, doing her best to not give an inch against Royal Paladin's Seekers. Yes, a clash but with the twist of Mirai's improvements to her deck and Aoi recreating her roots. It was a calm game until: "Ride, my Vanguard!" The child of potential declared. "Justicar that washes away vice in a furious flood! Blue Storm Dragon, Maelstrom!"

Even now... even if I can't hear your voice... I can hear your heart still within me. So... I won't let you down.

The gargantuan dreadnought dragon appeared at Aoi's call, creating the immensely heartfelt and powerful image of the Tear Dragon that ascended from the seas at the coastline of United Sanctuary. To match guardian dragon Thing Saver Dragon who had been restored in Mirai's hands, the tides surged violently as water poured from the titan's advent. Folded arms, equipped with decisively destructive weaponry at its back and sides, its size that embodied nearly the entirety of the Blue Storm Armada's transportation was noted in history. A resounding, rallying roar instilled a mighty power - the power of faith shared by their peculiar Vanguard. The battle-scarred legend took his place at the battlefield, visualized as the proud warrior of righteousness gifted from a master of a different timeline to a child of miracles. This blue dragon among blue dragons... within her heart, it synchronized. "Generation zone, release!" And with momentum, she called forth the familiar, distant possibility. Through the rushing landscape of a transcending space, Aoi clutched her fist, stretching it out and then further stretching both her arms as a blue Vanguard circle appeared. "Come to me! The future I race toward! Striiiide Generaaation!!" The circle expanded in stages, eventually engulfing the lass in a world of cyan. "Blue Storm Marshal Dragon, Admiral Maelstrom!!" Aoi's Stride caused a slight gust of wind to blow throughout Card Capital Two, surprising others while bewildering those not paying attention. The gigantic behemoth had now been adorned with white armor and white scales, standing at the apex from a future where Aqua Force has become supreme in power, living their lives as they pleased without being plagued by concern of conquering.

The despair of Cyan Aoi left in this card had been transformed into a light of bliss.

Despite the magnificent display of making the wind blow, Admiral Maelstrom and the Tidal-bore Dragon that followed were on-hit G Units. They only worked if they could hit the Vanguard, and the former could not. However, the latter could, and even called another copy of Maelstrom to rearguard circle to keep attacking. Every copy of the veteran dreadnought had appeared for the sake of battle, and Aoi didn't even have to search a single one. Mirai fought back with Gablade and Saint Blow Dragon, which Aoi put all her efforts into guarding with Blue Storm's Quintet Wall: Icefall Dragon and Platon, the new era Perfect Guard. Despite Aoi being at only two damage for most of the game, it was because she was... somewhat aware of what Thing Saver Dragon was capable of, and didn't believe she could stop Saint Blow forever and still have rearguards to attack with. As far as she was concern, the game was still ridiculously even up until their last breaths, Aoi creating an advantageous opening with Lambros in incessant waves. But that led Mirai to retaliate with an even stronger power.

Restanding rearguards was one thing. Multiple attacks with the Vanguard was another thing.

Having one more play to make, Mirai forewent Stride, utilizing Legion instead to call forth Blaster Blade Seeker to the guardian dragon's side. The giant Tear Dragon stared down not only the Cosmo Dragon of legend, but also its guide through the current world: the swordsman of light that the golden lion had fought to liberate. Yes... it was a showdown between Mirai's avatars and Aoi's avatars. Firstly, Mirai's forerunner gained power each time she performed Legion. Thing Saver had the extremely powerful ability to Superior Ride itself and then Legion with Blaster Blade from the soul. Aoi successfully thwarted two attacks from it, but she didn't know that it could activate again - an unlimited amount of times provided Mirai could pay the cost and had Thing Savers in deck. This meant a third swing that Aoi could not at all stop. Even worse, her hand was two grade three units and a grade one with no intercepts on the board. If she hit two criticals, she wouldn't be able to stop the rearguard Soul Saver Dragon at all.

The gumball could keep saying she won't give up any amount of times she wanted in her head, but that wouldn't change the disastrous results.

First check, Critical Trigger.

That was one half of the worst case scenario. With the other hyper girl having hit a Heal Trigger previously, Soul Saver stood at twenty thousand with a seven thousand booster behind it. Only five thousand shield available, it came down to...

... Second check, no trigger.

"Phew!" Aoi gave a cheer of relief, taking her damage. Though she got a draw trigger and a critical, neither - nor the drawn Tidal Assault - would have helped stop the double critical onslaught. This was her chance...! "Here I go!" She spoke with happy charm, break riding her original avatar. "Snowy white, swift wind! Becoming a shooting star and stir up a revolution! Break ride! Blue Wave Dragon, Tetra-drive Dragon!" At Maelstrom's side came the rear admiral of the Aqua Force fleet that led its own faction - another large blue and white beast with shoulder cannons. A snowy gust of wind in the image of their bout, the limit breaking, amphibian hybrid-designed creature had arrived. The immense power of the Break Ride having it relive its glory days next to Trans-core dragon, only in Aoi's hand he stood with Maelstrom instead. Very different from Fubuki's style and spin of it. "Gooo!!" The titans stood in a line, leading a wave of attacks that was halted by Mirai's shields at the second battle. However, Aoi didn't even think about it, hitting a Critical and throwing it on the vanguard immediately...

... and hitting the unexpected second critical.

The two marine dragons let loose roaring blasts that blew away the shields, attacking Blaster Blade and Thing Saver Dragon to deal six damage total to their foe.

"... I did it! I won...! We did it...!" Aoi cheered with great joy, just barely stealing a win off of the foe she faced at the Messiah Scramble. Just as strong as she remembered, she gave credit to her own avatars in her victory, and praised a rival. "You're really strong, Mirai!"

Seth watched the fight between his would be chaperone and the girl whom he helped earlier after she fell. If anything, maybe seeing how Aoi fights would perhaps see a different side of her, perhaps something that would benefit him if he stuck around her.

"Aqua's versus Royals." he quietly whispered to himself before another girl appeared behind him and told him to observe. Both of them appeared to be relatively decent fighters: nothing bad but nothing that really stood out to him. Regardless, he kept quiet and absorbed the fight and the players until they were finished.

"Hmm." Seth kept his thoughts when the fight concluded as Aoi celebrated her victory against Mirai and her Seekers. After a brief moment of thinking things over, Seth went back to his previous table to collect his deck box and backpack and finally approached Aoi herself. He gently pressed the folded paper onto the table with his index and middle fingers and slid it towards Aoi.

"That gentleman over there told me that you're Aoi." his eyes and head gesture referring back to Jessie. "This paper is for you from our Branch Manager." The cold-haired boy making it known that he was from Magallanica Branch.

Tsubame listened as Sakuya began speaking and seemed to be reviving to some level of awareness such that she could begin yelling again. She inhaled deeply as she straightened her posture only to stop almost as if mid-sentence even though she hadn't begun speaking. It wasn't unlike her loss of steam at being called anime or tsundere yet something felt off. Her eyes seemed to gloss over for a moment before she shot back into action.

"It doesn't matter who they were." she said with a very mild tone in regards to Sakuya's inquiry about her ancestors. She felt closed off where she hadn't before. She pulled out a piece of paper and began writing something on it and shuffled her way over to Jessie. As she approached she slapped the piece of paper into one of his hands.

"I should be getting home. But that's my phone number. Keep me in the loop for where you're all meeting up at Magallanica." she said. Again no real energy to the voice. None of the playfulness or the anger she had just displayed. With a slight smile and wave of the hand the girl excused herself from the shop. She had seemed to be enjoying herself but perhaps things were getting to be too much. Gumballs summoning gusts of wind in a card game was probably a sign to leave as it was.

By this point Tamotsu was tiring out. Food could only keep him going for so long. His ability to pay attention to most of Aoi and Mirai's game was fading as he nearly dosed off. Aoi's wind stirred him back to awareness as a large yawn escaped his mouth. Even Aoi couldn't get a pup with no energy to keep going and so he did what he naturally did when calm or out of gas. He returned to Jessie's side and seemed curious about Tsubame's departure.

"What'cha got there?" he asked his boy through another yawn.

Mirai’s rematch vs Aoi began. Their previous encounter being at the Messiah Scramble im which the gumball beat the airhead in an close and intense fight. However, the blond airheard felt like things would be different this time. Afterall, she did just updated her Seekers.

The fight progressed and Mirai rode to her favorite dragon of all time, the once dragon of hell known as Phantom Blaster Dragon, now restored as the legendary Guardian Dragon Thing Saver Dragon. Together with her other favorite dragon, the Sanctuary’s current Guardian Dragon, Soul Saver Dragon at the rear guard. Aoi followed suit and rode into her own dragon, the supreme commander of Cray’s elite navy, Aqua Force. The Blue Storm Dragon, Maelstrom. It almost felt like a repeat match of their Messiah Scramble fight, with both their avatar dragons facing against each other.

Aoi had the lead in damage, 2-5. Mirai barely hanging in there after tanking two powerful turns of Maelstrom’s future persona as the conqueror of Cray and of a powerful marine general knowm as Lambros. This made Mirai really happy, being able to go head to head with a national champion! Mirai retaliated with a technique of her own. Skipping Stride which most would find as close to suicide nowadays, and performed Legion. The Guardian Dragon summoning it’s trusted partner, the swordsman of light, Blaster Blade Seeker. However, this Blaster Blade is an incarnation of his past self after obtaining the holy sword that carries the same name. Yes, this is not the current state of the sword of hope but even the past incarnation is a formidable unit to fight Maelstrom as well. ” I think it’s time we go all in! I’m gonna give it all I got!” Mirai said, acknowledging that this could very well be her final turn. Aoi guarded an unboosted legion attack, knowing that the legion pair can attack once more. Then Mirai attacked unboosted a second time which Aoi guarded again. That’s when the gumball realized, the skill can be done a third time. The mighty Guardian Dragon and the radiant swordsman of light once more stood again, ready to launch a third attack. Together with Seeker Hartmy who has been getting stronger every time Mirai performed Legion, attacked the Blue Storm Dragon with a powerful 41000 power which made the average G-unit attack look like a joke.

Sadly, despite the three attack, the total triggers checked was just a heal and a critical trigger that sent Aoi to 5 damage. And Mirai’s powered up Soul Saver failed to deliver the finishing blow. Even so, Aoi looked exhausted as the powerful and relentless image of Thing Saver attacking three times was probably too much to guard for, even for a national champion. Aoi responded in kind and skipped Stride to break ride Maelstrom with her other avatar dragon, the Tetra Drive Dragon from the Blue Wave troop. Mirai guarded the first rear guard attacked and two passed Tetra Drive’s attack. Unfortunately Aoi checked a critical trigger which she gambled on her vanguard and fate gave her the second. Breaking Mirai’s defense and was defeated once more by the gumball.

Aoi complimented Mirai for being even stronger than their last encounter, but Mirai couldn’t be her bubbly self at that moment. For the first time, the airhead felt the pain of defeat. She usually always shrugs off defeats as long as the fights are intense and fun. ”Am I really...?” Mirai said, questioning her strength for the first time. The fight against the bug lady really got to her. The despair she tried to inflict on Mirai seemed to react late. Mirai really wanted to win against her rival so she can remove the bad taste of her fight with the bug lady. Nodding her head as a way to shake off the pain of defeat, she looked up at Aoi with her usually hyper, happy smile. ”That was a great fight! I’ll get even more stronger and probably one day I will win next time!”

Jessie had been staring at the fight, glancing over to Tsubame and Sakuya at times as Ves got more goodies to munch on. The brunette felt... inadequate. Not because of how good they were, but simply by how much they were playing and how vibrant the games were. Even the less powerful fights Aoi had against Ves and Hana here felt like matches he himself couldn't have. Perhaps the boy's image was weak...? Aoi's sure seemed strong enough to conjure up the wind and Mirai's was strong enough to exhaust the gumball. He could only continue to gaze in wonder before being handed a paper by Tsubame. "Huh?" He raised his brow, taking it as he perplexingly watched the girl depart from the store. Taking a look, was her phone number as stated to which he responded to Tamotsu. "Her number. Wants to be kept in the loop." The boy shrugged, taking out his phone to store a contact.

"I'm looking forward to the next game! But I'll be getting better and better too, so you better watch out!" Aoi gave one 'better' too many as she cheerfully raised her fist to Mirai, accepting the challenge of an eventual rematch. The gumball had taken notice of her opponent's moment of upset, seeing the enthusiasm drop from her person. However, the invincible cheer the Chinese champion had to spread seemed to work in helping her quickly bounce back, feeling the joy of fun wash over again. Honestly, victory or defeat... she felt some inkling of connection with her currently mute avatar of inheritance, and that did help start a bit of her groove. It was still a ways to go, however, but it was something.

Though, that's when the snowy haired adolescence approached her. Hearing him say something about the branch, she took the paper in question and read over it. "Eh?" A mewl of confusion. "Watch over...? Assist with a journey? Are we going somewhere? Should I pack a bag? I'm not sure how to watch over something without binoculars." The idiot rambled on, not understanding the note.

Seth continued to remain quiet until the wave of questions ceased from Aoi with his eyes closed.

"I...'m not sure how those questions are relevant but if you'll allow me to explain." He raised his cold hand and cleared his throat. "Umiruka, our branch manager from Magallanica, suggested you to "watch" over me during these events since I got into some trouble during the Zoo event. Although..." he paused omniously, opening his eyes and looking at the bubbly girl, from head to toe.

"So far, not seeing it, hardly impressed after the amount of praise your name seems to come with." His sentence was sharp enough to cut through brick let alone this girl's feelings. Was he trying to make her feel bad? And his demeanor was just as cold as the the shoulder he was giving her on their first meeting. "I also kinda was expecting you to be a decent fighter but perhaps you could explain your deck?" The white hair boy stared with his fingers moving the Tetra-drive from the vanguard circle revealing Maelstrom underneath. "These two cards are have no synergy with each other: either play Glory or get a better break ride. Feels like your G units was carrying you through that fight and not whatever... this is."

"I'm not sure how you're supposed to help me but I sincerely doubt that you can, let alone yourself." The winter child finally stopped awaiting to hear an explanation from Aoi, assuming there was anything for her to respond to his... "critiques" with, aside from a well deserved slap across the mouth.

Aoi gave another curious coo, blinking a few times to take in Seth's words. Apparently Umi wants her to watch over him? She didn't understand, but the pirate woman seemed to believe the child of potential was the best person suited for the job... which didn't seem quite correct in her head. Even the gumball herself knew she wasn't the best chaperone. With the mentality of a five year old hyped up on raw Vanguard-related energy, she was still basically a child. This led her to get another good look at Seth as he spook, sizing him up.

The lad didn't seem to know the Vanguard idiot was oblivious, and his cold criticisms didn't seem to faze her. In fact, Aoi had gotten distracted by the bit of blue in his white hair. He was asking for her to explain the hybrid build she had created, and while the girl didn't mind the critique on her odd deck, the bit about... Glory, stung a bit. It was unknown to the public, but the girl was still entirely unable to achieve Glory thanks to the Reaper Invasion's scar at her heart.

Yet, there was no time to be depressed in this cheerful era. Aoi Undyne was perfectly capable of making due with her original ace and the ace of her alter-timeline mentor. That is why she allowed the distraction to consume her, causing her to reach up and...

... wiggle Seth's blue length of hair.

"Why is this blue? It isn't white. People don't normally have hair colors like this, I think." It was amazing. Not only did she survive her style of building being put on blast, but she had gone into another topic entirely!

What.

"W-what?" Seth was immediately taken back by what she had asked him just now. Out of all of things the boy said to her that she could've responded to, she chose none of them and instead...

"My...hair?" he asked confused while actually looking up seeing that his white hair contained a small patch of blue hair.

"Normal people don't but something happened to me and now part of my hair is blue." Seth's expression was too confused to be annoyed at her question, although it begs the question.

"Is it really unusual to see hair like this? I've seen others whose hair styles are weirder than this."

"It's abnormal!" Aoi let go, pointing toward him and responding. "I've seen a lotta weird hairstyles, but your's is still kinda new! It's not streaks and stuff, just one part!" The gumball began popping about in a comical manner, circling around the snowy lad with an open mouth smile of genuine, child-like wonder. Her jubilant personality had actually immediately negated Seth's harsh front. Although, leaving him dumbfounded wasn't exactly something one would call a solution. Still, it showed his cold words wouldn't so easily slash through the shell of blissful ignorance. Well, not exactly ignorance, as the Glory bit did sting, but she wouldn't let it ruin her time nor her day.

Something had happened to the bewildered young man that caused the blue length. This led Aoi to defend herself on the point that bothered her. "Well, something happened to me too and I don't have Glory Maelstrom. That, and these two dragobuddies are important to me! It's weird, but it works out." The woman had no defense for such an awkward build, as it would most certainly not justify a champion's standard to be a polished example of competitive gameplay. Yet, the bond between her and Aqua Force would not be deterred, and she would no longer be stopped in her path by lamenting over the loss of Glory.

Keep looking forward, not backward.

"... I can't say I didn't see Aoi's responses coming." Hana noted, standing by Jessie.

"Me neither..." Jessie had come to expect this.

"What's your name, dood?" Aoi asked cutely.

"I...see..." He sighed under his fangs thinking about how he got the blue stain on his hair. It was like a tattoo as a reminder of the day that he was told of his shared fate. Although, Seth thought it was a cool look to him - made him feel new from how he used to be, who he used to be. "Every bit to change the past helps." he said to himself silently before Aoi explained why she didn't have a Glory.

"You don't have one? Yet you're playing his deck?" he said raising his winter eyebrow, something that wasn't stained for her to take notice of. Seth's lip peeled back to reveal a cocky little smile radiating by his white fang. He opened his deck box, removing his stack of cards and sitting the container on the table before going back to shuffling through his deck.


"Well I guess that makes sense - not everyone is supposed to have the card. However..." Seth's hands stopped along with his sentence after dragging on the "however" and picked up a card holding the back of the card to her face. Then, his fingers flipped over and revealed it.

"If you're me, having one should be as simple as this." Glory Maelstrom was in between his razer nail finger tips. He held the card proud as if it was his own. Newsflash, it's not - Seth is merely borrowing it. But he wasn't going to flat out admit that right away.

"My name is Seth Hyoshiro and I have this Glory Maelstrom to fulfill my destiny. And before anyone tries, no, it's not a fake."

Glory Maelstrom...

Aoi stared upon the card in awe, breaking her bubbly facade and seeing the image of her mentor flash before her eyes. One day... one day, the ultimate power was to belong to her, inheriting the Blue Storm as the succeeding justicar. The dream had died when the Reapers appeared, ending lives and deleting the "potential" within the successor. At this sight... the pony-tailed prodigy took a step forward, feeling inclined to snatch the card away and run - to finally have what was rightfully her's in grasp... except it was not her card. It was not her own glory - not the destined form she realized. It was... someone else's, and she had to live with that.

It took a moment of restraint, but with clenched fists, Aoi put on a smile.

"You better take care of it then." The girl spook with a light, but serious tone of voice, much out-of-character. Hana was going to ask what 'Glory' was about in the windy lass' statement... However, the emotion carried in those words told both the bluenette and the brunette that there was a story deeply engraved in the heart of the miraculous child that caused a pained smile. This quickly changed to an excited grin, seeing that Aoi quickly moved on, realizing that the card was probably... not his. No, the girl had an idea of who it actually belonged to, but figured the owner... must've thought something similar to her previous mentor.

"Heeeeh..." A cocky purr as her smirk grew wider. "Every bit to change the past helps, and... What I've got with my deck, and what you have in your hand... I don't know your story, but I'm sure we're both set on a good path! I still don't understand what Umi-san wants me to help you with, but I can help anyway! I'm Aoi Undyne, and I am now watching over you!" Aoi spoke dramatically, getting herself together as she didn't need long to understand that they may share a similar 'destiny'. Punching her palm with vigor, the smiling girl offered her heartfelt declaration of assistance while not daring to ask for the card.

After all, she would earn her own 'glory' some day.

For a moment, Seth's smirk went away as he saw a sea of emotions behind Aoi. He didn't understand how or why this was the case, he figured she should've had the card from the get-go or something to pair with Tetra-drive. Regardless, he felt he was put under a spell, captivated by Aoi. He felt something... empowering about her and his eyes widened in fascination. After keeping to himself as she spoke, Seth responded.

"I don't know your story either." he said trying to maintain focus on her. Seth wasn't exactly sure how to describe the feeling he felt from gazing at her, except Aoi's being, in Seth's eyes, felt as though she was graced with nothing but serenity. His cold lips rolled inside and broke open an awe towards her. "But, I guess for now our stories will intertwine towards the future - not our past. I've heard your name a lot as someone who can help me, so it's a pleasure to actually finally meet you for once, Aoi Undyne." For once, Seth spoke with the politeness of a church boy coming from choir visiting his grandmother on a Sunday. There was a smooth, gentle warmth from his tone instead of his rough coldness like a thug who grew up on the west side of Compton. It was unknown to him, due to experiencing an array of feelings, but his mouth curved revealing an bright smile with his enamored expression towards Aoi. That is until...

"Just don't go trying to boss me around, I'm still not sold on you entirely just yet. You still have a lot of explaining before I can begin to take you seriously." He put Glory down and covered it with the other stack of cards with Mystozan on the front before placing the entire stack of cards in his deck box very quickly.

"But this note is like, permission to boss you around!" Aoi returned to her usual self throwing her arms up in simple cheer. Through Umiruka's hand and a gift bestowed by the Jellal of two timelines, the fates of the child of potential and the dragon child had been crossed. "Good meetin' ya, dood!" The dummy spoke jokingly. "Seth Hyoshiro! With the weird hair streak and fangs I think I saw!" They didn't know one another's pasts, and they would discover that which set them both in motion in time. For now, the goofball retained her immature persona and trusted the momentarily polite young man with Glory Maelstrom. He was likely going to be overwhelmed if that bit about his hair caught him off guard after his deck review, meaning that yet another soul was doomed to the craziness of everyone's favorite gumball.

Hana offered a smile, quietly chuckling. "Some really good kids this generation, and some good times for them..." In her day, the time of peace was somewhat short-lived between a civil war in the United Sanctuary and the War of Liberation caused by the first Link Joker unit to show itself. So enjoying Vanguard was a little hard... But now, seeing all the characters that gathered in Card Capital Two and all those she had seen at the Zoo event... It was enough to make her feel relieved.

"Welcome to the squad if she's watchin' you." Jessie said to Seth as he was making way for the door. "We're gonna show you both up in the event, so don't go blowing all your feelings on just this meeting." The brunette declared with a challenging pride, pounding his fist to chest. "You guys aren't the only ones lookin' ahead."

"You better take your chance to catch up to Sakuya and I then!"

"You bet I will! C'mon, Tamotsu. We're goin' home."

"I'm going too. This was a... interesting time." Ves said, giving another one of her tiny smiles.

"I'll next see you guys when one of you challenges me then, huh?" Hana said excitedly.

Ever so quickly did the bond of a group flourish, and a gust of wind met those children as the doors opened for several to depart.

"Oh? Challenges?" the cocky smiled returned with his fangs. Seth was happy to know that within this group that there were some healthy competition, before cutting back to Aoi with his eyes closed after snatching the note from her delicate hands.

"The note says 'help him' not 'boss him'!" he continued to be dragged into her antics by him getting worked up over the context of the note. "And anyways, since I feel the need to ask: are you seriously going to address me as that? You could save yourself some breathe and call me 'Seth' like everyone else does." He seriously began to wonder how anyone would deal with her.