Cardfight!! Vanguard: Generations Volume 2 [Zyriot War]

- Part 8

School had finished for the day.

I was on my way heading home by myself when a man stopped me.

"Takanori-san!"

It was Mikazuchi-sensei.

I stopped as he called out to me in the corridor.

"How are you doing?"

"I'm doing fine. And you?"

"Just dandy. I see you got some new drip, very nice."

Mikazuchi-sensei pointed at the sunglasses I was wearing.

"It was a gift from a senpai."

"Oh, is that so? While it's good you're branching out to the upperclassmen, I hope you haven't forgotten about Kaido."

"On the contrary. I'm more determined than ever to make Kaido-senpai my rival now."

"That's great to hear! Anyways, I need you to come with me."

"Why?"

"Apparently, it's come to my attention that you've met a student named Shimada Kuroshi in this school."

I wanted to forget about that encounter, yet Mikazuchi-sensei dug it up without a second thought.

"I have."

"And apparently, he said some rather... concerning things."

Before Mikazuchi-sensei could continue, I abruptly cut in.

"How do you know all this?"

"Security cameras are everywhere on this island, Takanori-san. Though, I'll be honest with you, I didn't find out about this through that. I don't have the time to sift through hours of footage."

Considering he had a corporation to run alongside being a teacher, this was understandable.

"Rather, I heard it from your father."

Once again, his presence was seeping into my everyday life, even when I didn't want it to.

"Oh."

"Don't worry. I perfectly understood what the contents of your conversation with Shimada-san were referring to. Even I've been mixed up in business with the Underworld once before."

"...is that so."

Considering Mikazuchi-sensei was a close friend of him, I guess this made sense.

I sighed, ready to turn around and escape this uncomfortable situation. However, before I could, Mikazuchi-sensei drew me back in.

"It's come to my attention that you actually don't need my mentorship at all."

"...what do you mean by that?"

"Prior to your entrance exam, I had no idea that you were the Underworld's Masterpiece."

The same feeling of my rationality being chipped away from back then started to come back to me now.

"I've heard rumours of such an existence before, but never in a million years would I have thought it was you. When I first found out, I thought it unfathomable that my own student was such a legendary figure in the Underworld. If you were already that powerful, then it'd be pointless to ask for my help, since you wouldn't need it. Even a genius like me couldn't figure out why you'd be willing to waste your precious time on such a pointless venture... and that's why I decided to ask your father about it."

The swaying image of his shadow grew stronger in my head with each passing second.

"It was difficult to get an answer, but eventually, he told me everything."