(GS3) Field: Umano Underground Slums

[Beryl]

Another go? Sure, Satoshi didn't think that Cero had really represented himself well enough, and the devil's luck he was stated to have happened once again, but it was a rare occurrence someone asked for another fight of him, especially someone who treated him so bitterly before.

Maybe King Europe had a change of heart. That impressed him a bit.

"Alright, then," he grinned, "I'm ready to go again whenever you are!"

Cero +2 AP

[Lance Korilum]

This fight, unlike the last one, was actually fairly close.  Both sides got a significantly large number of triggers, with Cero at a slight disadvantage for the early and mid game, but this was quickly turned around to an equal game with Dragonic Kaiser Vermillion's Limit Break activating.  The Limit Break gave Cero enough to advantage to take the lead, and managed to keep it for the rest of the game until his victory. 

With the fight over, Cero extended his hand to his opponent.  Although Cero hadn't been respectful during the last time they had fought, Satoshi had earned his respect.

Satoshi +2 AP

[Beryl]

The second fight was indeed much different than last time. Both players on the edge, at five damage...this was the kind of fun Satoshi knew Neu was talking about. Vanguard was fun when you let it be so and keep at it. Even if she separated herself from the cards, where bonding was part of the fun in the first place.

This time, Cero unleashed Vermillion's Limit Break, a power that ended up wiping the front row of Satoshi's field. While able to rebuild, this kind of advantage setback forced him on the ropes. Even with Muse coming through and putting on more pressure with double triggers, King Europe was able to clean him up with sheer number of cards in hand.

Satoshi smiled and shook his hand this time. Unlike the prior Cero, one that had won the fight and moved on, this one knew what sort of Vanguard he wanted to have in the end. Intense, down-to-the-wire conflicts...yeah, that was a pretty interesting approach.

Along with the handshake, the members of the slums continued to cheer for the two of them. Cero with his inspiring words and fighting spirit, and Satoshi for his own fighting spirit. Truly an interesting pair of fighters, indeed.

Cero +2 AP (again)

His phone vibrated. A phone call...from Yukino? He answered. "Hello?"

"Mr. Kurosaki, it's me! You have to come quick, something's wrong with Miss Espoir!"

Satoshi felt himself shook back into reality. Something was wrong with Yukino? "What do you mean?"

"S-she's collapsed! We're giving her medical attention, but...we really need you here!"

"Dammit! I'm coming!" Satoshi hung up, gave a quick bow to Cero, and ran off.

[Cherry]

Once again, Yukino had come to visit the slums. Seems a good number of regulars had forgotten about the queen's outburst last time she was here. Unfortunately, she still remembered it anyway. Explaining the War of Liberation event to the underground's dogs without going into detail about Cray, they agreed to help her practice as they normally do. A good number of them stated that it wouldn't be their thing, since their Vanguard is a Vanguard shrouded in dirty deeds. She didn't seem to hold it against them, as this is the kind of Vanguard they've nurtured and came to cherish.

... Vanguard they nurtured and came to cherish...

Honestly, Yugure found herself hating the game. So far, it's given her a set destiny that she's failed to uphold and fulfill multiple times. When she was trying to get over her loss at Regionals, she spent a day at Card Capital, just fighting. In the end, it was still a game in which she used to answer people and answer herself. Her Vanguard was... sort of like a conversation to selective foes, but what was it overall? What was the theme of this "conversation"?

The thought of what Vanguard really is to her is only now coming to mind. As it stands, the answer is "a miserable pile of cards". While it could be more than that, she just couldn't think it wasn't free of misery.

Fighters noticed the queen deep in thought as they played with and watched her.

[Beryl]

Seph watched over her from above, deep in thought. The Espoirs' misery was ever apparent and causing a lot of problems for the Council of Cray.

Unbeknownst to the Chosen Sword, at least at the moment, Hana had given up her position as the Vanguard out of pure upset and fury over the current state of affairs. This decision had put the Council in a rush to figure out how to handle the situation. Already, the War of Liberation was looking bleak. While Ezel vowed to discuss things with his champion and potentially bring her back to her former self...the Lion had to understand that his Vanguard was not likely to feel the same, not for a long while. Even with the rumored return of Yunos in the form of a ghostly spirit, it was questionable what the outlook of the lead clan in the War was going to be.

Likewise, the rest of the Triad wasn't in any better shape. Now that the Seraphim had finally awakened, his host, Haruka, was going to encounter quite the struggle when it came to maintaining order. And now that he had Yukino's emotions to tend to, it wasn't going to get any better for him. The Guardian Dragon wondered what would happen down the road if the Seraphim had his own way, given the circumstances.

Then there was his own champion, Satoshi. Seph wasn't sure how to read him anymore. He appreciated the fact that the farmboy was trying to pick up any sort of slack that appeared to be occurring, and yet...it was very clear that he, too, was starting to lose his way. Completely obsessed with Neu wronging his friends, he was doing everything in his power to try and demonize her, when in reality, he almost agreed with her completely. Vanguard was supposed to be a game of friendly squabbles, this was true. It represented bonds, friendship, family...many things that were meant to make people happy. With or without the sealed clans, this seemed possible for most other people because it was just a game. These were the last thoughts that Muse relayed to Seph as their champion finally rested for the day. Losing his resolve and finding himself wanting to go back to the lonely farm life, outside of the realm of the best two friends he's ever had...

Those who were torn by this change, Seph had to figure out how to stand by them and help them back to defending Cray. It was a grueling battle and the clans needed their champions more than ever. But what was he going to do?

[Grimm]

After overhearing something about strong fighters gathering at the slums, Noah decided to check it out. Besides seeking strength to protect the smiles of the people around him, he read about fighters being "chosen" in the morning paper earlier that morning. Noah wanted that strength to protect the order he believed in.

When he got to the slums he saw a rather muscular man waiting to be challenged with a confident look on his face. The gathered fighters were clearly too scared to challenge him, so Noah stepped forward.

Noah: "With a boost from Eugen, Tear Knight Lazarus takes flight!"

The man put the top card of his deck into his damage zone and disappeared into the shadows without another word, somewhat like a ghost. Before Noah knew it another fighter had taken the man's place.....

[Grimm]

After a few more fights, Noah decided to leave the slums, as the fighters there said the truly strong would not show up for a while.

[Nobody]

After a few days spent in the Slums because of his non-existent sense of direction filled with interactions with all the residents, Shiki decided to finally leave this place, his face beaten up and clothes in overall poor shape after day after day with the thugs spent on cardfighting or getting punched here and there which he believed to be his fault for insulting them in one way or another, Shiki set sail for his house to take care of these bruises.

[Cherry]

"Our vanguard is..."

All day she spent in the slums trying to fill in the blank. This misery filled activity charged with a destiny - what was vanguard to those few suffering for the joy of the many? Taking some wins and losses, she asked around how does this dark vanguard bring them joy. At first, for most of them, it was just to win the game. However, after strong, clean fighters came down for the sake of practice instead of berating them... Yukino's fans personally believed their way had a purpose to help.

In a way, their vanguard was supporting hers.

The queen found herself lost in thought again, baffled by that idea.

[Hope]

In all honesty the Vanguard here was always to support, and for others, to excite. The unfortunate circumstance of living in the slums wasn't by choice, it was by plain bad luck. Vanguard to these fighters were a hobby that took the place of far worse actions that could have come as a result of their upbringings. While others look at the electrical fights to be something short of torture, it added the element of fun to them, it was just plain old preference. Underground fights were started, not with the intention to harm, but to support. This world was a support group for those in the lower class who got the shorter end of the stick in life. Everyone here fought and fought to support one another, all sharing similar stories. This Vanguard was dark, but that's because their life was dark. Each member here became another's light. The problem arises when the strong comes, taking all the support and faith of those whom are weaker. This causes an imbalance. There is no problem with one having all the power, but the trend is that those who do, are generally corrupted. Power reveals the true nature of a person, and if the nature of a person's Vanguard is wrong, then the rest who support are by default then unjust.

Neu walked through the slums, being greeted by her friends yet again.
"Neu-chan!" They would all wave to her as she passed by.

Her goal here was to inspire them to support a Vanguard which played for fun and destroyed all barriers of the social strata. A Vanguard where the weakness, strength,social class, perfection, imperfection, darkness, and light of fighters are forgotten in exchange for a soothing element of fun and excitement is the one that Neu believes in.

Upon her walk, she saw a familiar face. "The Queen..." Though, her aura was different. It was lost now, more humble. There was nothing for Neu to bring down, nothing for her to want to topple over and laugh at. It was quite the opposite. As for what the Queen could do for her, well, it seems that Neu herself was in need of some answers as well due to conflicting ideas that have been on her mind.

[Cherry]

Yukino's mood quickly took a turn for the worse, hearing Neu's name being called out. The same place they met before now felt like the offending foreigner knew the queen would be here. Still, already down to the bottom of her luck, she knew a challenge to save the clans right now would be a waste. As it stood, the fear of losing Gold Paladin was more prevalent than anything. Giving off a sigh, it looked like Neu was approaching, so this confrontation couldn't be avoided as much as she'd like it to be. What was there to say? "Please give me my cards back!" No, a wave of hopelessness washed over the Chosen Sword with that useless thought.

"I suppose you're here to laugh", Yukino began, trying not to make eye contact.

[Grimm]

A strong gale of wind surrounds Noah as he defeats another underground cardfighter. The cardfighter then takes their deck and disappears like a ghost just like the one before him.

"I have to get stronger, I've been losing too much..." Noah thought to himself as he defeated another cardfighter. Noah put on a smiling face when he lost, but the truth was every time he lost, he hated it, as it pushed him farther and farther away from his final objective.

Noah: "Algos takes aim at your vanguard!" Noah yelled as he sent another underground fighter back to the shadows of the slums.

The charming, innocent prince, had become corrupt by a blood lust for power.

[Hope]

No witty remarks. The eyes that she held, though turned away, were the same as the ones that Neu saw yesterday. They were the very things that she swore to protect, they were exactly like hers as she had been growing. To be taken up in high regard and expected to be a role model, yet to be mocked, defeated, and destroyed at the hands of those who wanted nothing but to show ruin the game for others, that was the formation of Neu's ideals. The Queen that stood before Neu now was one that Neu wanted to stand beside. She couldn't bring her clan back, she couldn't do that for her, the easiest solution. Even so, Neu doesn't even understand how bringing cards back would help her emotional well-being, not in the slightest bit.

"If you flaunt your dumb way of Vanguard and act like royalty then I'll laugh at you. As you are now, you're no different that I was, I suppose. I can't mock you if you're lost just like I was...Plus it's my mission to guide those who are..." She sighed deeply, looking at the Queen's sorry state, "Man, I didn't like your way, but now you're like the kind of person that I started my mission for what the heckkkkk ughhh this is so awkward and confusing!" She scratched the back of her head.

[Cherry]

Yukino would've felt better if she laughed, honestly. It was better to laugh at the absolute joke of a woman she used to be, the one she'd love to personally stab over and over. "What the hell is the matter with you?!" would be what Yukino yells at her former self. The queen collected her deck, listening to Neu's frustration, unsure how to approach this. Honestly, what did this girl have to be aggravated about? The imperial majesty had been knocked off her high horse, and no longer did she use Vanguard to stomp on others. Yet, this was awkward and confusing?

Yugure wasn't sure to feel insulted or dumbfounded.

"What do you want?" This mission Neu spoke of wasn't something Yugure wanted to accept - her "guidance". So a desire to just get to the point arose.

[Hope]

"Man, what do I want?" She walked over to the table where the Queen had removed her deck from. "See, what I want is to just enjoy myself."

Right, the eyes that Neu had, when she failed to win Nationals during her first try. That was her first failure. After that one, it was a downward spiral where she suffered failure after failure, bringing disappointment to the expectations of her as a child prodigy. She wanted to throw it all away, but due to the current circumstances in her life, she had to keep going, as much as it hurt her and as much as she became lost deeper and deeper in the forest of disappointment.

"Dammit, the way I see it, you're just so worried about being royalty even though in your sorry state you can't even fulfill any of its minimal requirements." Neu crossed her arms, "Jeez, if I were you I'd just throw that all away and have fun, be my own person. Put it on hold and come back to it later. You've been asking what Vanguard is to the people here all day haven't you? Well I'm here to show you mine."