argoflower

After I thoroughly did stretching exercises to work on my flexibility, I went to the edge of the rink to rehydrate and saw my phone light up.

[Did you guys see that article in Weekly Card Gamers?]

[Of course! "Mister Malice, the Guardian's Gatekeeper, Finally Releases Countless Rare Cards?!" If this is true, then it is a matter of great importance. It is a big chance for us as well.]

[Do you think they'll also release the 'Legacy 8'? Maybe Kazeyuki-san's target [Icicle Palace] will also appear?!]

I couldn't help but smile at their enthusiasm as they relayed information in the group chat.

I was happy that they still cared for me.

[Thank you for letting me know...if it's released, then I want to do everything I can to get it]

I went back to practicing for the new program I created this year. I skated each part of the program one by one. After I finished checking the technical elements, I played the music and continued to practice over and over again- until I would be satisfied. It was simple, steady, and sometimes even tedious work.

But I believed that the answer was somewhere along this path.

To become just like the me from that dream.

To be more fluid, to dance more, to move more naturally on ice than on land. In order to pursue that feeling, I practiced countless times.

No matter how many times I experienced the skating from my dreams, I still couldn't reach that level yet. My dream self is looking down at me from a higher place.

I want to get there faster.

Why was I born and what was the meaning of my existence now?

There is no correct answer for that, but sometimes I think...

My purpose in life is to skate what I think is the best program possible in that scenery, under that sky. And it was important for him to see it with his own eyes.

"Kaede..."

After softly saying his name, I took a step forward on the ice and jumped. I landed perfectly and in that moment, the image of [Icicle Palace] and my cousin's smiling face came to mind.

Technology and cards, when you put those two together...

"Take me...to the place of my dreams."

I whispered softly to the person who was precious to me, even though he wasn't even here right now.

As the music echoed across the ice, I closed my eyes and skated to my heart's content. Because after all this time, there was still something higher I could aim for.

That's right, something I wish for with all my heart.

 
I was still there with my three TCG friends at one of the tournament tables in the shop.

Even though it's a table used for tournaments, you can use it freely without the hologram board and card fight. You can also bring your own cards to compare decks with your friends here in a lively atmosphere.

This card shop is close to my parents' house and it's somewhere I've been going to for a long time. I got to know the three of them by playing against each other in card fights, and before we knew it, we just naturally became good friends. 

"Kazeyuki-shi! I would like to see the rare prize card again!"** Hasuda-shi spoke enthusiastically with excitement in his eyes. 

He always wore a stylish red bandana and is an expert at using different kinds of meta decks. He's very well informed about [MotG] and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he knows everything about the card game.

I showed him the prize card I won, [Dragon Knight Dancing on Ice]. It was the rarest card in the newly released card pack.

Suddenly, the other two shouted "Ohh~" and moved closer to take a better look at the card.

"Thank you all for your support. This card goes well with my [Dragon Sleeping Within Ice], so I really wanted it. Of course, I bought many packs of the new set and even did an opening ritual for the cards, but I still wasn't able to get this one to come..."

When I said that, everyone nodded deeply in agreement. Hasuda-shi spoke after, "I understand well. I was not able to pull the card either."

"However, with the addition of new ice cards in this new wave of packs may change the environment for the current ice meta."

"Kazeyuki-san, if you add this to your deck, you'll be able to go even further! Maybe you'll be able to win the regional tournament next!" Ooji-shi, the smallest out of all of us, clenched his fists as he spoke with excitement.

He plays a small-scale deck that mainly uses low cost Guardians, but he's skilled at using Trick Cards in order to make up for the deck's weaknesses.

"Hmm...but just getting one card isn't enough. Even though he might have to spend a lot of money, it would be better to get one or two more cards to stabilize his deck."

"What? Are you saying that Kazeyuki-shi must throw away his signature combo of using [Swarm of Icicle Worms] and [Defender of the Ice Fortress]?!"

Himeno-shi calmly gave his opinion while adjusting his glasses. At the shop, he's nicknamed "the rogue deck demon" and uses the deck he first fell in love with while continuing to improve it over time. 

Hasuda-shi responded to him on his own after that.

They were all really good, caring friends.

That being said...I didn't know their occupations or ages. They didn't even know that I'm the skater, Kamina Yukikaze. Although, sometimes I think that even if I did tell them my identity, they still wouldn't really know who I was.

It wasn't that I wanted to hide anything in particular, it's just that I went by Kazeyuki for the SNS account I made to learn more about the card game. When I come to this part of town, I put on a light disguise just like I do everywhere else.

It was a simple outfit - just a cap, a pair of glasses, and a mask - but because I wear this outfit all the time, the people at the card shop have started to call me "the masked ice tamer."

But...it's not a big deal.

After all, we're all the same Guardners who communicate with each other through our cards. 

"This time, I won because of you three. Hasuda-shi, you helped me gather information about their deck ahead of time. Ooji-shi and Himeno-shi, you two also helped me adjust my deck many times...thank you, I don't think I could've won without you all."

After I thanked them wholeheartedly, they all responded in different ways. "Oh- your words are making me feel embarrassed...!", "Hey, don't act like we're strangers, we're close aren't we?", "I'll help you with any deck adjustments you might need in the future too."

I was proud that I was able to win my first card shop tournament with the three of them watching over me. I might even be happier at this moment than when I first got onto the top three as a novice skater.

"But with this prize card, we're one step closer to making Kazeyuki-shi's goal of creating a permafrost deck come true!"

"Yeah. ...but, we still have a long way to reach that goal. What matters most is the ultimate final piece."

When I said that, their facial expressions turned serious.

"Indeed...that card is the most essential piece for an unparalleled permafrost deck."

"The 'Legacy 8.' I'd like to see them at least once before I die..." Ooji-shi let out a sigh after hearing Hasuda-shi's words. 

...that's right. We got along well because we had a shared dream.

In this card game that we love, there are eight original rare cards that were included in the packs that were initially released several decades ago.

They're collectively known as 'Legacy 8.'

Because of how rare they are, they're traded at high prices in the market and according to recent rumors, a first edition card could be worth tens of million yen each.

"I believe that the common point in all the rumors is that the cards may be in the hands of the world's greatest card collector, 'Mister Malice, the Guardian's Gatekeeper.'"

"Well even so, it's not like we know who Mister Malice is, right?"

"They could be a beautiful lady, an elderly wise man who's part robot, or..."

"There's also people saying that they're the creator of [MotG]."

"In any case, I really want it~ The [Hidden Imperial Command]..." Ooji-shi muttered softly with admiration in his voice.

Right, he also wants a card from 'Legacy 8.' That card has such a strong salvage effect that it got banned from being used in tournaments.

"I too hope that I will be able to obtain the [White Lupine] one day...if I am able to get ahold of the card, I vow to devote my life to the beautiful and pure lupine maiden." Hasuda-shi made this declaration with a serious look on his face.

"I feel the same way. I'm prepared to risk my life for my muse, the [Queen of Velfaex Palace]." Just like Hasuda-shi, Himeno-shi has very strong, passionate feelings about the card he wants.

"What Kazeyuki-san wants is..."

"Of course, it's [Icicle Palace]."

I saw it a long time ago in an artbook for [MotG].

It was a beautiful artwork depicting a wondrous ice castle-- that [Icicle Palace].

Compared to the other 'Legacy 8' cards, this one was relatively easier to get, and as long as they weren't the first edition cards, they were often seen on the market. However, to find a first edition card in mint condition was extremely difficult.

...I'd really like to get one someday.

I've been dreaming about that card ever since the day I became a Guardner in this game.

After all, the reason why I started playing [MotG] was because of [Icicle Palace]- a floating ice castle that can only exist in a dream.

*T/N: the honorific "-shi" is an older honorific that's an ancient honorific form that isn't really used anymore today other than being used to refer to people in third person in formal writing.
**T/N: Hasuda is speaking in relatively old Japanese so I will be trying to reflect that in the translations.

 
Translator's Comments: did i get transported into a tcg anime?
 

For a while after that, there was no information on the other parts of the song. Then one day, my brother rushed into my room with a flustered expression on his face and the first thing he said was-

“I think I found information on where the third movement is. There were rumors going around from some fanatics that a resident of a nursing home somewhere has one.”

I immediately contacted every nursing home across the country. I wondered if the sheet music was being kept by someone wealthy and if they were also a big fan of Nanakuma. 

Of course, my brother still helped me out even though he was busy with college and work. I really can’t thank him enough.

And then a few more days  passed after that.

“Now that you mention it, I think the old lady who lives with us said that she knew Nanamegi Nanakuma. I don’t know if it’s true or not though…” 

I received this response from one of the nursing homes. The location was in HAMA, fairly close to where we lived.

When I asked if I could meet her, they told me that I could only meet her if I got her family’s permission, so I waited a few more days before I finally got the OK.

The sheet music was very valuable, so they would probably wanted to pass it down to their family. I made my way there with a feeling that things might not work out as well this time.

“So you’re Nanakuma-san’s nephew? You certainly do feel similar.”

In this clean nursing home room, there was a lady with a small frame on the bed. She looked up at me from her snug position.

“I’m sorry for asking to see you so suddenly.”

“It’s fine. I was getting bored here anyway.”

Pure white sheets.

Lace curtains swaying in the wind.

A red cardigan draped over her shoulders.

My first impression of her was that she was a refined and gentle person. This might be rude to say, but she didn’t seem like the type of person who was very wealthy. She seemed like an ordinary, graceful and kind grandma.

“Since you’ve come all the way to visit me, would you like to hear some of my memories of Nanakuma-san?”

“Please go ahead!” 

I leaned forward without thinking and upon seeing that, she laughed softly before telling me about an old story.

When she was younger, she lived near my great uncle’s house.

Whenever she passed by him, she would always say hello and out of concern for my great uncle who didn’t seem like he was really living, and would go over and share her meals with him.

“He had the freedom and tremendousness of an artist. There was a time where he suddenly painted all the walls in his room bright red.”

“...”

“When I asked him why he did that, his reply to me was ‘You like red, don’t you?’ I told him that even if that were the case, wouldn’t it be unsettling if his room was all red? The next day, his walls were white again. We were good friends.”

When I asked my relatives about him, they would always say that my uncle was eccentric and disliked other people, rarely leaving the house. But from her words, he wasn’t really like that at all.

When she suggested that he should plant flowers in his unused, spacious garden, he spent the whole day weeding. When she told him that he needed to get more nutrients in his body, he started stocking up on nutrient supplements and gulped them all down.

“He could be a little extreme at times, but he was a very nice person. …a while after, I got married and had children. We became pretty distant since my husband was transferred to another location for work and we moved. To be honest, before that I had a small crush on him.” 

She took out an old envelope from the chest beside her bed while giggling to herself. 

“Nanakuma-san gave this to me as a thank you gift for always looking after him.”

And then what she took out of the envelope was-

“Is this…handwritten sheet music?!”

I felt like my heart was about to jump out of my chest. I had no idea that something so valuable still existed. It wasn’t something like being taken aback, I felt like my heart was pierced through. I was so moved, nervous and excited all at once that my hands started shaking without even realizing it.  

“I can’t read the music notes, but the lyrics written next to it were beautiful. He told me I could just throw it away, but I decided to keep it.” 

“...”

She looked at the sheet music with a nostalgic look on her face. 

After seeing that, I was thinking about just thanking her for her time and going home. I couldn’t ask her to just give up such a precious memento. 

But-

“I’ll give it to you. You were looking for this, weren’t you?”

“Huh? No, but-” 

“It’s okay. Music is meant to be heard by others. I can’t play any instruments, so I can’t tell what kind of song it is just from looking at the sheet music.” 

“Then…” 

I carefully reached out for the sheet music she gave me.

“After you give this to me, I’ll turn it into an audio file and upload it to the internet.”

“Oh, how lovely! I’d be happy if you did! That’s a promise, then.”

Encouraged by her smile, I accepted it.

“...”

I stopped for a moment before carefully opening the envelope.

I looked over the pages again and I could tell they were still in good condition even though they were old.

You are the moon

I can’t move from here / I can’t see the other side of you

Even if I move to the right / Even if I move to the left

I can’t see into your heart

Tonight too

Even if eternity passes

I knew what I was going to do as soon as I got home. In my mind, I pictured the walls painted red, the weedless mansion garden, and the pile of supplements. 

“...alright.” 

Right now, I needed to hurry and get home.

My great uncle, Nanamegi Nanakuma, was a great composer. 

He died young, when I was still a small child. Even though we were relatives, he wasn’t the type to show his face so I barely remember what he looks like. But at that time, when I listened to music composed by him on his analog records in my parents’ room– I got goosebumps. 

“This is…amazing…!”

I couldn’t think of anything else to say. It was my only thought– this was really amazing. I couldn’t believe that there was someone in the world who could write a song like this, and that that person was my great uncle.

“I want to be able to compose songs like that too…”

Both of my parents and my brother were all musicians, so I’ve been playing instruments since I was a child. But after I listened to this, it might’ve been the first time I felt such a strong desire to compose music. 

It had such a strong impact on me, and was a cathartic experience. From that day on, my great uncle became my role model. I wanted to become a composer like him and create many songs that people will fall in love with after listening for the first time. 

On that day, even though I was still just a child– I felt like I was reborn. 

I decided to start composing music immediately after. I started by listening to all of the songs my great uncle made. 

“You’re really just too amazing, great uncle…”

As I listened to his songs over and over again, I started to wonder what kind of person he was. After all, it was only natural to want to know everything about the person you respect and admire. 

“I think Nanakuma-san was a bit of a weird person, wasn’t he~?”

“He bought a big house and lived there by himself. The garden wasn’t taken care of at all and it looked a little like a haunted house.” 

“I heard he refused all media appearances. There are probably private photos, but I don’t think there’s any video footage.”

“He was pretty wealthy, but I heard he donated all his money to a charity before he died.”

…but he ended up being quite mysterious. Even after asking all my relatives, I couldn’t find out anything more about him. The things that were important to him, what he disliked, what he was thinking…I couldn’t find out any of that. I only found an old photo at my relative’s house where he was looking at the camera with a troubled expression on his face. 

But I didn’t give up. I kept searching for information little by little, because surely the whole story about my great uncle would become clear…is what I thought.

Well, all of my hopes quickly went away when I realized that there really wasn’t anything else that could come out of my search. 

A little bit before that happened

“...what is this?”

I found a floppy disk in the attic of my parents’ house. There was sheet music data inside, but there was no title. Then what about the sheet music itself?

“This is…my great uncle’s?”

I could tell it was his at a glance. This was left behind by him. I definitely wasn’t wrong. I knew him better than anyone else in the family at the time, after all. 

“An unreleased song?”

In my excitement, I showed the sheet music to my brother to which he replied:

“Yeah!”

—

“I see…I don’t know him very well after all. By the way Nanaki, your face is bright red you know.” 

“Of course it’s red! This song is really amazing! Listen to it properly!”

“Okay, okay.”

My brother was laughing, but to me, this wasn’t something I could laugh about. All of my great uncle’s songs were amazing and definitely the best, but this song was on another level. It can’t just be described as something great. Not at all.

Even if you gathered a hundred of the world’s best composers and asked them to make a song, they still wouldn’t even come close to this one. And it was a short, fleeting song, so its value was…it was something a child couldn’t even imagine..

“No, this is really amazing isn’t it? It’s a song that makes you want to hear more.”

“...huh?”

At that moment, when I heard my brother’s words, I suddenly realized something. This song had a continuation, didn’t it? 

Now that I thought about it more, it really seemed like it. I wonder why I didn’t notice it before. I thought the score was already complete before, but somehow I understood that it wasn’t.

This is probably the first movement. Then the second movement…and there’s probably more after. I truly believed in that. Because if it were me, I definitely wouldn’t let it end here.

“There was only the first movement at home, why?”

“Who knows. Let’s ask mom and dad about it.”

And after that

When my parents had a rare day off at home, I learned more about my great uncle and the floppy disk.

First: Before he passed away, he completed his final song.

Second: It seems like he donated all of his assets, including his house, to someone else while he was still alive. However, he had the sheet music of his last work separated into parts and told his lawyer to “sell them at charity auctions.” I don’t know the reason why.

Third: My father bought the first movement of his song as a memento.

Fourth: Other than the first movement, my parents know that there’s a second, third and fourth part, but they don’t know anything else about them.

Fifth: Now, collectors from all over the world are searching for that sheet music.

…that’s the information I have up to now.

As if I were being told to do so by fate itself, I decided to collect all the parts of my great uncle’s song.

“...”

Then the night of the appointment came. 

It was my first time negotiating with someone like this, so I was a little nervous as I waited for the other person in the lobby.

“Hello, I’m Adolf Nguyen Abdul.”

The avatar that resembled a bear from a cartoon held out its hand in a frank manner.