Cardfight!! Vanguard SC: Defenders of the Gate

Chapter 28: From Great to Bad to Really Bad to Worse

"And then we can go to the Amusement Park, and then we can go to my favourite café, and then we can go to the pool, and then we can...." Chiho was going on about things she and Rei could do together now that they were a "couple", walking around the city with her arms linked with his. Meanwhile, Yudai and the rest of the gang were dragging their feet behind them, groaning while listening to Chiho go on and on. Yudai, while being a teenager who loved fun-loving, was also a serious, no-nonsense individual who liked peace and quiet. He could handle Rei. He had for all these years. But now there was two of them. A Rei and a Rei's girlfriend. He didn't know if he had it in him to withstand that. Even the most tolerant and level-headed of them, Izo, had put mini corks in his ears over ten minutes ago.

"And then we can go to a pie eating contest, and then you can meet my friends, and then we can to D.....Wait, my friends......Oh no, I was supposed to see my friends today!" She ran off in the north of the group and she stopped suddenly, flashing Rei a cute, savoury smile. "Later, sweetie!" She said as she took off again. Izo opened his eyes, and looked at Rei. He sighed out of relief, taking the corks out his ears.

"Thank the dragons in the sky, she's finally gone." He looked at the cork in his hand. "These things really do the trick." He said earning a playful nudge from Roka.

"C'mon Izo, be nice. She's really nice. Besides, Rei likes her, so should we." She said. Izo turned away.

"I'll look into that when she becomes quieter." He retorted, to which Roka and Kiniro chuckled.

"Are you sure you're not just jealous, Izo? I thought girls would be all over the a strong-silent type like you." Kiniro said jokingly. Izo glared at him, causing him to flinch.

"Can it, time-jumper." demanded Izo, and Kiniro putting his arms up in defeat. Rei turned to rest of the group, smiling like he had just won the lottery.

"*Sigh* Isn't she just perfect?" He asked no one, yet everyone at the same time. Yudai sweatdropped. Perfect? No. Perfect for Rei? Pretty much.

"Yeah.......you two are definitely meant for each other..."

*Elsewhere and later*

Chiho was running as fast as she could, producing quick, rhythmic pants with every couple of strides she took. She looked at her phone, knowing she was running late. Upon reaching the underground, she stopped for a break to catch her breath, clutching her knees and breathing erratically.

"I...made it...."

Once her breathing had settled and became stable again, she looked around, trying to identify the meeting hall. Once she spotted it, she came to the entrance, fixing her hair before going in. Once she entered, she gave a weak smile and put her palms together in an apologetic fashion.

"I'm really sorry I'm late, you guys! But I met this boy and he-" Chiho looked at her friends in the hall. They looked like how zombies were portrayed in movies, the difference being their flesh wasn't rotting and they had red marks under their eyes. They all looked at her blankly, like they didn't recognise her. At the front of hall were the three heads of the underground branch; Hanafi, Rey and Yza. Yza sat on a chair on the podium, legs crossed, cheek resting on his hand, exhibiting an overconfident smirk. The other two were right beside him, looking the same way. Their cold stares pierced her spirit and even though she didn't know what was up, she was frightened.

"Guys? You're scaring me......Megumi? Saito? Mira? Yuno? Ichita?" Yza's smirk grew even more as he stood up from his chair walking up her. Once close enough her,  he grabbed her chin and pulled her face close to it was parallel to his. He chuckled. It was Yza, but at the saw time, he wasn't anything like Yza.

"So, little Chiho. Are you strong?" Her eyes widened. Had she been a cardfighter a little longer, she may have known what was going on, and what was probably going to happen next. But still being an infant in the world of vanguard, she was clueless, though, during this occasion, blissful ignorance may have not been as good as knowing the truth. A single tear travelled down her right cheek.

"Rei...help me" she whispered softly.

*Once again, Elsewhere and later*

"I can't believe we found another Clan Guardian today! That leaves only three more in the area. We must be doing something right." Rei exclaimed as Yudai replies to that comment with a fist bump. It was getting late, and the three Defenders and two Clan Guardians (they lost Kenji a while back) decided to head back to the hotel. It had been a busy day, and they were all exhausted, except Rei of course, who could run on fumes for miles. Suddenly, Rei's phone began to vibrate. He took it out of his pocket and scanned the screen. It was a text from Chiho.

"Hey guys, Chiho wants to meet us in the underground to meet her friends at their Vanguard Club! It's near the subway, so let's go!" Rei yelled as he sped of in the direction of the train station. Kiniro and Roka looked at each other and shrugged.

"Sure, why not?" said Roka as she followed Rei.

"Sounds like a blast!" said Kiniro as he did the same. Izo tailed close behind at a walking pace. Yudai was about to follow them when he saw a light coming from his jacket pocket. He pulled the Clan Cards of Royal Paladin, Genesis, Shadow Paladin and Angel Feather. The glowing indicated that a Clan Guardians power had been sealed, which was impossible, as three ofnthem hadn't been found yet and Chiho crest hadn't been claimed yet. The Clan Symbols became filled in on the cards. Could someone they didn't know be working with them?
Just as Yudai was thinking this, a split second later, the four cards erupted in a black and red aura that actually burned to the touched, causing Yudai to hiss in pain and drop the cards. He bent down and reinspected the cards. This time, there were black ring around of the symbols atom style. Yudai gulped.

"What they heck is going on....." Just then, Yudai felt a weight against back, as if something or someone was leaning against him. He felt breathing against his face. Someone definitely behind him. A female voice whispered in his ear.

"The clans. They've been tainted." Yudai spun around to see who owned this strangely familiar voice, but saw nobody. Realising he was alone and a little freaked out, Yudai picked up the cards and ran towards the subway.

Auburn hair swayed in the wind, and a smile crept up onto the female's face.

"Run faster, Yudai. Time's ticking."

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*Featured Character*

Yza Blade
Age: 15

Height: 5" 6'

Birthday: November 12th

Hair Colour and appearance: Short, black with purple highlights. Has a scar on his left cheek.

Eye Colour: Dark brown

Clothes: Brown jacket over a black top, black pants and grey and white sneakers

Vanguard Circle Colour: Purple

Clan: Shadow Paladin

Avatar Card: Renegade Darkhaul Knight, Dorint

Personality: Despite his anemia, he can be quite energetic and outgoing. Ironically,  though he is a Shadow Paladin fighter, he is gentle and compassionate. He is a big fan of Ren Suzugamori.