Name: Gleamstar Treasured Weapon: A trusty Bible Misc: Local mascot. Can talk but nobody questions it. Not sure what else to put here but bi representation. Anyway, our oddly colored cat stands in front of the academy gate... and slips in. She'll leave the dramatic inner monologue in front of the gates to the protagonist. She's given up her life. Her love. The twisted reality she once knew. She didn't know why at first, but she knows now. She needs to Uno.

A young man wearing a red coat and holding a lighter in his hands would walk up to the gate, staring towards it with a wary pair of eyes and a smile on his face despite himself. After all, it is indeed a chance to try and do something... A chance to find a path worth taking, despite his up to now aimless drifting. The young man would place his lighter back into the coat before walking forward. Onward to the start of a new adventure, for good or ill. There's still quite a bit he doesn't know here, but the one thing he is sure of would be the fact that standing around outside waiting won't get him anyway. He's done that for many years before after all, the mindless wandering has come to a close and so with a heavy heart for his lost friend in the process of getting into this place the teenager would step forward. After all, he's not just here because of himself, he's here to clear the family name as a whole from disgrace long ago brought upon it. A goal worthy of even this dire sacrfice in his eyes. He would however blink with confusion upon seeing a weird purple cat slip in, that can't be normal, right? Name: Tatsuya Suou. Treasued Weapon: His Homemade Motorcycle. Misc: A genius of mechanical building and repair.

Another young man lets out a sigh, briefly glancing down at his phone as if ensuring he had the right coordinates before stepping into the academy. Leonus himself wasn't that famous himself, but he bore a strong resemblance to his father who ran one of the largest companies in the world. As such he might draw a few eyes as he walks forward to make a name for himself Name: Leonus Tear Treasured Weapon: Family Sword Misc: Leonus comes from a family that's running one of the largest corporations. The youth came here as a way to prove himself to the world, rather than relying solely on his parents' achievements.

Once past the gates a large crowd of what seemed to be students could be seen gathering around what seemed to be the main building. A man seemed to stand on a stage sitting behind a podium. He didn't seem too old but he was clearly at least in his 30s. There were nines embroidered onto his suit as if to indicate something and he had a small deck pouch at his side. One thing that could be observed was all the students who already had their uniforms also carried decks while the one's who looked more or less new had yet to receive a pouch of their own. Another thing of note was that the students seemed to have different colored uniforms, split between red, blue, yellow, and green while the staff all seemed to simply wear black save for 4 teachers standing near the man at the podium who seemed to match the students color theme. Man at the Podium: "I'd like to welcome all students back for another grand semester of Uno battling. As for the students who have newly arrived I'm sure this is already a lot to take in. Don't worry, after this short welcome announcement the teachers next to me will guide you all to the auditorium for orientation as well as to receive you rank 1 deck. For clarification, I am the headmaster and top uno battler, Kyu King. My hope is that you will all become fine battlers here at our academy and climb the ranks all the way to 5 in order to graduate. I don't want to bore returning students with the ways of our school but to all you new students out there be sure to study your color well. It will be of vital importance to the unique role you'll play. Regardless, may your wildcard's all shine brightly." With that speech done all the students would begin to scatter with most of them walking into the main building and others seeming to scatter towards what looked to be dorms. There'd be a few who just stuck around the courtyard but most of the students without uniforms would begin following the three teachers who stayed behind as they began all heading towards what seemed to be a large building separate from the main building.

Name: Jessica Takamaki/ birth surname: Afton Treasured weapon: her Evoker Misc: Yes, she is Ann Takamaki's sister, but not by birth, her birth is the eternal, immortal family, the Afton family, she is also extremely good at robotics, and with machines in general. Onto her actual side of the story, Jessica Stands outsides the gates, half wondering if she would/and or will regret this, and half wondering if she will ever get her Evoker back, knowing how many happy and meaningful memories are inside it. But because people would be... surprised, to say the least to see someone and something like her, so she decides to go into her human spirit form, with it's orange and purple hair and green eyes. She would actually fill up with excitement soon after, excited for whats to come. And she is, surprisingly, not surprised by the weird purple cat trying to screech inside.

A callous old man cloaked in mystery would pass through the gate, seemingly paying no mind to his environment in its entirety. It would seem as if he was completely blind to the world outside himself. He would move towards the front entrance of the academy, his sights set on finding some entertainment in this world as if his life depended on it. Despite this attitude, he would suddenly stop and gaze towards Leonus and tilt his head towards the direction of Tatsuya despite being quite far away from him. "Hmm... I wonder what fate has in store for us?" Then he would enter the academy proper, paying no heed to anyone else entering. Name: Itachi Naga Treasured Weapon: Laser Blade Misc: CEO of a corporation operating in the shadows of unknown age.

"At least he doesn't waste time." This is the only remark Leonus has for the speech as he lets out a sigh. Like all the other new students he has little recourse but to follow the three teachers to continue their orientation. "Hopefully the rest of the teachers share his enthusiasm." Leonus hated wasting time, so it would be far better for him if this whole orientation situation would be left behind quickly.

[His arms were crossed and his face was cold as ice, but not his eyes. He already had gotten to his destination and nothing else mattered; so a single look at his eyes would reveal as they pierce right through everything.] Name: Ryou Koi Treasured Weapon: Brass Knuckle Misc: His family owns a sushi restaurant in the middle of nowhere. With no particular talent for anything and nothing special he owns but the burning determination to reach the heights he still cannot see, he will make a name for himself no matter what. [After Kyu King's speech, Ryou had but one thing in mind: "The one who I must dethrone." Just like that, he had a clear goal, ot become the greatest here. But first, he would follow the three teachers]

"What a moving speech. He must be a trustworthy and respectable principal." Gleamstar moves along with the crowd like nothing happened. She soon decides walking is too much work and meows. Inevitably, this cute cat charm causes one of the girls in this procession to squeal and pick the cute widdle kitty-chan up and carry her into that main building.

After Kyu's speech, Jessica isn't sure what to think all this, but follows the three teachers anyways, patting the hilt of her sword at her hip for self-reassurance.

The four teachers would all stand near the end of the auditorium. The group on new students was considerably smaller than the crowd from before. It only seemed like there were roughly 30 new students in attendance total. The teacher in blue would be the first to step up. A man with a slender figure, gray hair, and sharp eyes. Blue Teacher: "So, I suppose you all are our new students. You may have already been able to tell but most of the student body is divided into certain color categories. You may also be able to guess that each of us are the head of the departments for each respective color and we'll also be the instructors for all of you fresh rank oners. Allow me to introduce myself first, my name is Aoi Ken. I'm in charge of all students who use blade sequences represented by the color blue." Next the man in red would speak, he was much gruffer than the man before with something akin to fire in his eyes. "Aka Kogeki, leader of people who like getting close and personal in a fight. As you can tell I wear Red. If you get me as an instructor then you better prepare for hell. Not the type to go easy on anyone, remember that." Next was a woman wearing yellow who would seem to have almost no expression whatsoever as she spoke. "You may call me Ki Tsukisasu. I am a master at attacks that involve precision. Yellow is the color of my students. I doubt most of you will end up in my class." Finally, was a cheery woman in green casually holding and stroking a gun in her hands. "Is it my turn? Midori Ju! I'm very excited to welcome you all here! I hope a lot of you end up in my class this year. Oh, I'm an expert at ranged attacks by the way. I guess green is also my color but I'm more of a fan of red honestly!" With introductions done Mr. Ken would begin speaking again. Aoi Ken: "Well then, I suppose I should give you all your starting decks first. I'll be calling you all up one by one to receive both your deck pouch and uniforms, It should become quite clear what this information is based on what's you receive it." Each of the students would slowly but surely receive their cards and uniform, each student would notice that most of their cards were 1's in their respective color aside from one card that seemed separated from the others in a separate pouch. A wild card that seemed to glimmer with a faint yet familiar light. Tatsuya - Red Gleamstar - Green Leonus - Blue Jessica - Green Itachi - Blue Ryou - Red

Gleamstar thanks whatever tailor the school hired because she actually gets a cat-sized uniform. She puts it on once she gets offstage and looks at her deck. It's all 1s now, but she can go only up from here. Green's her color, huh... that fits. She has claws but also the power of God and anime. The second is more important.

"Naturally I would end up here." Leonus remarks. Part of why he offered a sword was to end up somewhere his fencing practice might be able to help. Looking around at the other students Leonus begins to grin, thinking to himself how these other kids had no idea what was happening. Leonus looks through his deck. Of course he'd start with almost nothing but low numbers, but it wouldn't be long until he could boost it up. And he'd have a wildcard if things got too hectic. His research was somewhat limited, but the kid remains confident that he's more prepared than the rest.

Tatsuta would crack his knuckles upon taking the red cards, grin forming on his face a bit... Up close and personal huh? Hell yeah, that kind of aggressive fast paced attacking style suits him just fine. "Not planning to go easy on anyone huh...? Works fine for me Sensei, anything worth doing is worth giving your all and then some for." The young man is at least in good physical shape, and there's a gleam of slightly honed instincts in his eyes while he steps away and gazes over the others who are now confirmed as his current classmates. And upon donning the uniform one would notice that his red jacket is in fact, above it despite all common sense. The jacket is probably never leaving.

Itachi would silently receive his deck and uniform, responding with nothing but a polite smile. Firstly, he would inspect each card to be sure of their color and rank, neatly placing them back when done. Then, he would briefly examine the wild card, insuring its initial condition was suitable. He would have no issue putting on the uniform as, while he was an adult, he was not a particularly athletic or glutinous man and thus didn't gain very much body mass over the years. "So they have us start at the very beginning? How exciting."

[Ryou would be surprised at the archetypical way each of the teachers were laid out in front of them, but it didn't matter to him. Whoever that red knucklehead was was unimportant beyond the fact he was probably an idiot with no substance besides muscle mass. Ryou can recognice the power, but this clearly wasn't it.] "..." [Ryou stares at the red teacher, Aka, and then moves on, not saying a word as he inspects his deck and changes into his red uniform. Not his favorite color, but that did not matter.]

Mr. Ken would continue after everyone had received their decks. "These rank 1 decks obviously won't really help you in a fight against anyone above your rank but they'll be ideal for practicing for when you rank up to 2. Of course, all you have to do to get to rank 2 is pass a simple exam after the first week. If you fail that exam though you won't have the chance to rank up until 2 more weeks have passed. We've had students in the past who've taken a full semester just to get to the second rank. Hopefully none of you will have that kind of issue. Otherwise, I'll explain the simple rules for those who may not be aware. The rules are simple, because you all have 1 cards you'll only be capable of summoning grade 1 sequences at first. These weapons are fairly weak and break easily. The goal of a uno battle is to break your opponents weapon before they break yours. If you can successfully manage this then you'll be able to discard your current weapon and pick another while your opponent will lose their weapon and be forced to draw more cards into their hand depending on their number. One cards have the advantage of only requiring one draw. The goal is to reduce your hand size to one so you may summon your wildcard. A unique sequence that should be very familiar to you all. If you manage to bring out such a weapon then winning should prove much easier unless your opponent happens to somehow summon their first. You hand will start at 5 cards including the wild card. Be warned, if your wildcard is broken you'll be forced to start back at your default hand. Your decks at the moment will also mostly only contain generic weapons, At grade 3 this can be remidied but you'll have to make due before that. Any questions?"

"in other words these are little more than practice decks where you're preparing to fail." Leonus lets out a sigh. They weren't really going to stand much of a chance until grade 2. Thankfully all they had to do was pass a test that he should be able to study for easily. It feels like a waste of time, but if its what is required to climb the ranks himself so be it "The only strength one cards have is the low penalty for using them. But if you can't win a clash then what's even the point?"

Gleamstar shuffles the deck and gets it straightened again despite an apparent lack of opposable thumbs. This test sounds alright. She just has to get used to this system. She stands on her hind legs and waits to be dismissed.

"It's clear enough. We just need to win as soon as possible to reach the top of this place." [Both arms crossed, he knew he would find a way to win anyways. He merely needed to go to the point each time and not allow himself to get distracted. Understand the minds of the others; learn how they battle, their weaknesses, their strengths, and develop the ultimate strategy to beat them to the ground.] "Gain advantage whatever it takes; every game and battle is like this."

Tatsu can't really help agreeing with Leonus somewhat, having to pass some test next week will be a pain... But he should be able to manage it, the basic rules seem simple enough to grasp and with some hard work he should manage to pass first try. Probably, main focus this week will be academics really given he's got faith in his physical prowess for the moment, years of martial arts practice he got dragged into and the odd street fight have given him plenty of that. "Makes sense to me. When you say the wildcard will be familiar... Nah I already figured what that means, so it isn't really a question. My only other question, when can we start practicing?" He'd begin sorting through his deck as well, taking a moment to examine it and see exactly what the basic default practice toys of his Red style entail.

Jessica, while kinda isn't fazed at all. On the contrary, the stand and persona user with the power of the wildcard, is not only very excited to just jump right into things, but also rather anxious to raise her rank.

Itachi merely chuckles at Leonus' concern, not taking them fully seriously. "What's the point of losing a king to an ace? You can't expect to win if you only go with the strongest card available to you. You have to utilize every tool in your deck, but any amateur dueler should know that." Surprisingly, his tone wouldn't be overly condescending as he blurted this out loud, more so that of an informant.

the man known as Aka Kogeki would begin speaking just as the Mr. Ken seemed to start on something. "Since it seems your all so eager go... Dismissed. You all have an hour before your first class. Classes are in the main building on the first floor. Don't be late and stay out of trouble." Mr. Ken would quickly try to at least answer Leonus before everyone begins leaving. "There is none. The one card is as bottom of the barrel as it gets. It would hardly be responsible to give a group has yet to even prove themselves anything too dangerous. These cards may be used for sport but they're still weapons. As Mr. Kogeki said, you're all dismissed now." With that the only real place to go would be back to the courtyard. It seemed other students were on break now too as their was plenty of people wandering around. Of note was something happening around the edge of the school building. A group seemed to be surrounding another individual. The dorms that seemed to be directly across from the dormitory seemed to have a few students practicing. Of course, the option to have a mock battle in the open space of the courtyard was also an option. Of the one cards they possessed the standards would be: Red - Hammer, Mace, Gloves, Staff Blue - Sword, Sword Again, Whip, Dual Daggers Green - Hand Gun, Bow, Crossbow, SMG

The options for Gleamstar are numerous, but she chooses the most important: lying in a cozy spot in the courtyard. Her deck sits right by her muzzle. If anyone wants to challenge her, she’ll be ready. Cats can be light sleepers so she can multitask being prepared with chilling out.

"Understood. So for now there's nothing for it but to wait." Leonus lets out an irritated sigh. Choosing to ignore his fellow student. Even if they were right attempting to show off like that was evidence of a lowly background. Not someone he was worried about. For now, Leonus chooses to walk over to the group practicing. It would be somewhat valuable to watch and see how the other students handled their cards. At least until formal lessons began.

Itachi would go out into the courtyard as well, noting Ryou's impatient demeanor. Getting straight down to business, Itachi walks up to him and gives him an intense business like stare. "Duel, sir?"

Jessica, rather than do anything actually productive in the court, actually decides to continue to hone her aim and marksmanship with her own, personal revolver.

[Ryou would open his eyes slowly and glare at Itachi. He was of the Blue type. By accepting, he could get insight into himself, a Red, and then a rival.] "I'll accept. I was looking forward to seeing how this plays out."

"Very well." Itachi would nonchalantly wield his deck, drawing his starting hand of 5 cards. "Let us begin."

[Ryou would reach for his deck as he shuffles it for no particular reason before drawing 5 cards and returning them where they belong.] "I'll give you the first move, old man. It's only natural the elderly go first." [Ryou had already picked a card, merely waiting to reveal it.] "Bring it on, don't break your back while you're at it."

The two Landou would stumble upon were an older looking boy with an odd uniform and a girl around the same age as Landou with a yellow uniform. The older boy's uniform was a mechanic looking gray with a large 4 printed across the surface. His hair was also an odd blend of a dyed silver with random strands of gold flowing through it. He seemed really confident as he carried a ball in his hand that seemed to consist of a liquid metal. It shined with a blue hue at the moment. The girl on the other handheld what seemed to be a trident in hand and was pointing it at him. She seemed a lot more serious about their match then he was. Older Boy: "C'mon, Umi. Just because you passed the theme deck verification doesn't mean you're ready to fight me yet. Though I appreciate your enthusiasm. You could easily become the rank 3 guardian at this rate." Umi: "I...I know but this is just...preparation. I-I'll rank up to your level when I'm ready so please continue the match." The older boy would sigh but he seemed to smile at the girl's request. His eyes would get serious as he seemed to murmur something. Older boy: "Themed Deck: Equivalent Exchange..." A strange air filled the area they were fighting in, the image of a strange lab surrounded the man but the girl didn't even seemed surprised by this. Instead she just said something similar in response. Umi: "Themed deck: Oceanic Circus..." Images of a colorful coral reef appeared around her deep under the sea. The arena they had set up was a clashing of the alchemist's lab and the deep blue sea. The girl would rush in with her trident, suddenly a swordfish seemed to swim through the air and circle around he. She'd lunge into the air and plunge the trident downard before even reaching the older boy. The swordfish would spring to action, rushing at him with deadly intend, however, he'd just sigh a the liquid metal in his hand quickly separated into several metal blades that would slice the fish to pieces. Older Boy: 'You know, I'm not really in the mood for sashimi today. I haven't seem you use your special rule yet though. You already know mine, right? Plenty of people know."

Itachi would smirk, playing one of his cards and transforming it into a sword, swinging it through the air dramatically to test its weight. "Ah, yes, I have existed for an extensive period of time. Truly, I am pathetic." The sarcasm in his voice would be both obvious and biting, seeming to not only dismiss his opponent's jibe but also call his wit into question.

"by challenging a higher-ranked opponent Umi establishes themself as ambitious without experiencing any real loss on account of it being practice." Leonus mutters to himself as he watches the fight go on. He wasn't really expecting to see something coming from a student so close to graduation, but that just makes it a better opportunity. He couldn't really replicate the girl's bravery for a while, as challenging anyone using a rank one deck would be an excercise in foolishness, and the unique abilities gained at rank 3 would doubtlessly put it miles above 2. Which means 3 is really where the strategy began. More time wasting. But at the moment it seemed there was little to do about it. So Leonus continues watching silently to see how the duel plays out.

Jessica returns her gun to it's holster, then she watches the two upper class man and woman fight, excited and exhilarated for whats to come.

[Ryou smirks as he sees the painfully obvious choice of the old man in front.] "You act like you're smart, but then you follow suit with your color and go with the heroic blue warrior with a sword in hand." [Ryou would slowly approach Itachi as he plays the card he had picked by throwing it into the ground, making a large hammer appear, with a long stick and large metal head, looking more like a mallet than a proper hammer.] "It's pathetically obvious you think too highly of yourself." [He keeps walking towards him, resting the weapon on his shoulder with his other hand inside his pocket.]

Itachi narrows his eyes, focusing his gaze on his opponent. "How would it benefit my performance to be humble? I will fight in the way that most befits my strengths." In the blink of an eye, the elder rushes to the side of Ryou, seemingly not going for a direct attack. Instead, he would slam the side of his blade straight at the handle of the mallet at its top speed. Should it fail to break, Itachi would push back against the momentum he built up and attempt to leap backwards and out of the range of the hammer. Albeit, the gambit most likely wouldn't pay off at all if the handle of his opponent's weapon failed to break at first strike.

Umi would land back on the ground seeming less confident by the moment, despite that though she'd breath deeply before murmuring something. Umi: "Fishing. Four." The older boys eyes would light up in surprise as he pulled out his hand to examine it. Older Boy: "So, that's it. A rule that can interfere with my own. Not bad." Suddenly, a new card appeared in her palm, a second trident would suddenly take form from the card. Along with it came a second sword fish as well. Older Boy: "So you can disable my card while multiplying your own. That's a useful rule. But all rules like that have a downside, right?" She seemed somewhat nervous at that comment but she seemed to try to brush her feelings to the side. She's swing both tridents at once sending both swordfish to the older boy's left and right. At first, it seems as if at least one swordfish might make it but the boy simply smiles as the blue hue on the liquid metal becomes red. A sheer display of force would explode from the liquid metal as it seemed to rapidly expand and crash into the sword fish knocking them away. Older Boy: "You disabled yellow. It seems that rule of your has a priority. Anyway, I think I've been on the defensive long enough. Sorry, Umi, but I'm going to end this quickly." The liquid metal would condense once more, replacing it's red hue with green. The orb would split into much smaller individual versions of itself and two of those smaller orbs would dart forth like bullets. Those bullets would collide with Umi's tridents destroying them both in what seemed like an instant. Her hand would suddenly have increased to a total of 7 cards. Meanwhile both what was assumed to be his yellow card and his current weapon would disappear from his hand. He now only had 3 cards. Older Boy: "I see, so that's it, double the power but also double the risk. Considering how defensive yellow cards can be it seemed like a pretty worthwhile investment...Well, as long as you know you can beat your opponent."

[Ryou keeps his smirk as Itachi does as he expected him to do: to attack first. It doesn't go exactly as he had expected it would go, but it does go in a better case for him. Using a sword in such a way against the same metal of a hammer was not particularly wise, let alone too effective.] "Do your strengths include incorrectly using your weaponry?" [Without missing a single beat in the moment the attack impacts, Ryou brings down his large hammer down with a single hand directly against Itachi, not the weapon, using all his physical power. Whether it impacts directly or not, even if it only hits the ground, one thing would be made very obvious.] "Swords are cutting tools, not blunt weapons like my own. You would imagine that being so snarky and old, you could understand the difference between a butter knife and a meteor." [Ryou's strength was complete beatdown.]

Itachi would be knocked back to the ground like a ragdoll as his arm got caught by the edge of the metal head, his sword being the only thing undamaged as he tossed it over to his left hand as he was being attacked. He still had a smug look of confidence. "Attacking you directly would be reprehensible. Furthermore, it'd be pointless to destroy your body so long as your weapon stays in tact, just as it doesn't matter if you destroy mine. Whether that gives me the advantage or not doesn't change the fact that that's how the game is played." Getting up and brushing off some of the dust, Itachi tries to rely on the speed disadvantage given by the weight of the opponent's weapon by staying out of range before moving in for a swift attack. Rather than attacking with full force, he instead simply slashes the edge of his blade against the handle of the hammer and exerts a constant force as he twists the blade, creating pressure in the opponent's grip which would make it difficult to retain grasp of their weapon for long.

Jessica, now interested where the current high rank battle is going, smirks, revealing a set of fox teeth.

"You still don't get it, do you." [The mere act of getting close to Ryou was an awful mistake. His talent was on dealing terrible damage as quickly as the lightning strikes; the closer one attempts to fight him, the more effective he becomes. Moving the weapon around was not an issue to him as he could move the large hammer with a single hand like normal. Instead, this time he would use both.] "You already lost." [The sword would impact the hammer but it would not damage it nearly enough to break it immediately. With both hands and using his pure brute force while capitalizing on Itachi foolishly overextending himself near him, Ryou would easily push back against the blade and away from him before he can twist it at all. As quickly as this happens, he brings the hammer down against the sword with full power, aiming more at the man's arms this time, which may break unless he defended himself, or impact his feet upon a dodge.]

As Ryou begins to swing the hammer down, Itachi would raise the sword to meet the face of the hammer's head, allowing it to shatter like glass as Itachi uses the force of the reaction to push himself out of harm's way. "A necessary loss. You still have 4 more cards left, as you succeed you gradually become less flexible. I simply have to force you to use a weapon that has overall less efficiency than what I possess." With that said, he would draw a card in replacement of his destroyed weapon and play another card, summoning a pair of daggers. "It's not over yet."

"And yet the ending is clear as day. You'll keep embarrassing yourself, so open your eyes and give it up." [Ryou would throw away the damaged large hammer, reducing his hand size to 4 cards. Picking yet another 1 card, he would throw it at the ground as light covers both his hands. A pair of metal gloves cover them, sturdy and with sharp ends on the fingers.] "Come and get it, gramps. You won't strike me with those from far away." [Ryou claps his hands twice, still standing in the same place as he was before.]

Tatsuya would glance over at the newcomers, Ryou and Itachi... Ryou espeically seems a bit interesting, a rival of sorts given they're in the same class. And that close range style is brutal to be sure. The sword user on the other hand doesn't seem to be doing quite as well, but only time will tell what all he can manage. The young man would pull his lighter from his coat and begin absently flicking it while observing their battle. "Simple... But simple is all we can manage for now, so I'm more interested in the kinds of people I'll be facing..." He'd mutter his under breath a bit while considering, without knowing either of their hands he can't exactly say what he'd do in either's places. But the dual daggers seems a decent choice, Ryou is fast and hits hard, so perhaps a pair of weapons which are also made for speed could trip him up? That's what Tatsu suspects Itachi is thinking, and he's curious to see how if it works in practice.

"I technically could." Disregarding the taunt, Itachi does close in but would proceed with a strategy that was far less aggressive than before. Rather than rush in, he only got a few feet in front of Ryou and brandished his daggers, pointing them towards Ryou and yet maintaining a firm stance, waiting for his opponent to strike first.

[Ryou laughs loudly.] "What's wrong, getting cold feet already? Are you scared of me?" [He takes a single step forward, not breaking eye contact.] "Throw them then, you could do that. What's stopping you? Here, I'll even give you a free hit since your hands keep shaking." [He would open both hands and show his armored palms at Itachi.] "Not feeling so confident anymore I see. There’s no sad attempts at sarcasm anymore."

Itachi had an unbreaking intensity about him, not showing any sign of irritation or fear. "I believe my weapon would once again have no effect on yours. I'll simply allow you to destroy my weapon right now so the battle doesn't carry on needlessly. No point to a free hit if it has no effect." His stoic attitude would make it difficult to discern what he was thinking.

"And if that's what you're thinking then why don't you leave the match entirely? You are not going to catch up, especially not after this." [Ryou crosses his arms, genuinely curious.] "Better yet, go ahead and break them yourself. There's no rule against giving up during any given round, is there? Make life easier for me and break your own daggers and pick another weapon."

"Now, now, where's your sportsmanship? Regardless of whether I win or lose, it's my responsibility to see this fight through to its conclusion. Besides, how can you say you've triumphed over someone that throws away their own weapon? Give me your best, only then can you be truly triumphant." Itachi appeared to be completely unphased by Ryou's demands, instead electing to keep maintaining the same pose as if locked in a mental stalemate.

A battle in wits and wills then? He sees the logic here, Itachi is probably betting on being able to pull some kind of tricky counter attack with those blades, it makes more sense than trying to match the clearly physically stronger Ryou in brute force at least. Ryou probably sees it too, below the muscle and obvious brawling experience that one seems to have a decent grasp on tactics and mind games... Kinda reminds Tatsuya of himself actually, in a few ways at least. So now the question is just down to who breaks and gets impatient first this round, in so far as the young man in a red coat can tell. "Interesting..." He'd also absently pull out his phone, checking the time to make sure he isn't in danger of being late for class. That would leave an awful impression after all.

"I've already won if you have to use obvious and idiotic tricks. Not to mention, you've already admitted to it yourself, that your daggers cannot beat my metal gloves." [Ryou tries to hold it off for a second but immediately gives up as he laughs loudly again. They had one encounter and he already pushed a Blue-type to the brink.] "You're too easy to read. You give yourself too much credit if you think I care about your opinion on anything at all, it's as worthless as you." [Ryou extends his right hand.] "Throw that dagger at me and piss off. I'll crush it effortlessly so you can pick another pathetic weapon and maybe get the chance to best me once."

Itachi arrogantly smirks, clutching his daggers loosely as if he couldn't possibly drop them. "Very astute observation. I suppose i'm outdone, then. Oh well, nothing I can do about that." Seemingly abandoning his clever tricks, Itachi plays rushdown on Ryou by running towards him with his daggers held by his thighs. He would get within attacking distance of Ryou and point his daggers towards the right glove, yet his momentum seemed awfully steady for someone going for an all-out assault. As he held the right dagger behind his back and attempted to stab the right glove with his left dagger, he also seemed ready to pull out at any time, as if he had no intention of following through. And yet, should Ryou not react at all he would follow through for a single attack before reversing the amount he closed the distance.

[It wouldn't take a genius to know Itachi was still trying to pull something. Ryou too saw it coming. Itachi's own hubris finally taking over as he attempts to attack. Once more, getting close to him is a stupid mistake as gloves reduce the distance to such an extent Ryou can afford to dash forward with a single quick step and focus on using his right hand to go ahead and choke Itachi. Considering it all depended on his reaction time, it would be as simple as a quick, simple counterattack to break through the needless theatrics.] "You have the mind of a 13-year-old. Have you ever fought anyone?" [If successful with the choke, he would very simply force the man into the ground with relative ease, using his left hand, which up until now was still under his armpit, he would go ahead and punch the left dagger. If the choke was not successful, then instead Ryou would grab on to the uniform with equal strength and aim to use his full strength to keep punching the man's face in, either until he lost all consciousness or decided to use his weapon to defend himself. If no grab worked, then Ryou would keep closing in the distance to attack the man directly with a series of quick and powerful punches all over his face, gut and stomach.] "You're right, there's nothing you can do about this. You're like a mutt trying to tackle a speeding train!"

[Ryou would fall to the ground, unable to respond to it in time. He was wondering if he got him when Itachi decided to toss the dagger. Although it would graze it, it would be stopped right as it impacts by the fingers that are still working just fine.] "You shouldn't have done that." [Ryou laughs loudly as he makes sure to stand up still with the dagger within his left hand, crushing it completly without much effort, not giving a single chance to take it back.] "And there you have it. You achieved nothing in the end."

As Ryou is staggered, Itachi gets even more up close and personal with him. He would push his right shoulder up against the boy's chest, trying to keep him from fullying restoring his balance. In a last gambit, Itachi would rapidly swing the left dagger at the left glove. "So what if I have? At worst, i'll have learned from my mistakes."

The dagger does indeed break, causing Itachi to merely sigh in defeat and start walking back to his initial position. "2 for 2. You're doing pretty good, so far. I got a feeling i'll get a few wins before you get down to your wild card. As for the rest of the match, I wish you good luck." After drawing another card due to his loss, Itachi then plays the next card he'd be using. After carefully placing the card on the ground, a large thorned whip would form from it. Grasping the handle, Itachi lashes it at the ground once to cause a loud crack sound. "I suggest you think more about strategy from here. This weapon seems highly effective at dishing out hits with relatively low risk."

[Ryou laughs at Itachi, his delusions becoming all the more entertaining. He would lift his right hand, revealing that he had merely lost one of the pair.] "The score is 1 to 3, or 0.5 to 2. At least I can give you some credit. You know you cannot beat me." [He would drop his right glove as it disappears, instead picking up another card, his total hand size dropping to 3.] "If all Blues fight like this then I have nothing to worry about anymore, I'll have to plan for the other two." [Throwing the third 1 card would become a long metal staff with a hook like end on one side and a heavier opposite end, like a pommel. After this, he would hold it normally but would then cross his arms one over the other, reversing the hold he previously had.] "The one thinking about a proper strategy should be you, because my plans are going just fine. Bring it on, gramps."

Itachi dramatically points towards his opponent's chest with his free hand, smiling. "The only thing I have to do is diminish your lead. If it comes down to it, i'll fight an uphill battle against the wild card itself." Rather than taking his usual approach of only striking the weapon, Itachi would violently whip at the center of Ryou's crossed arms from a distance, causing the boy painful lacerations should it strike and gimping his ability to counter.

[Ryou prepared and waited in this position for this exact situation. He allows the whip to reach him as he takes a quick step forward, allowing the whip to have even more range. Considering the position of his hands then, he would move the staff forward and allow it to connect with the whip, making sure the thing becomes trapped in it with its own spikes and the metal of it. To finish the maneuver, he would twist the staff twice and then spin it so more of the whip coils around the weapon. In the end, his arms would have various cuts but the enemy weapon would become trapped.] "A masochist then. I understand now, you perverted old fart." [Ryou would keep spinning the staff at increasing speeds, forcing the whip to coil itself around the long weapon more and more. To push against the pull would certainly break the weapon; to let it go would mean the weapon will be lost. If he doesn't let go and allows himself to be pulled, then he would be effortlessly.] "You came to the wrong place. You don't belong here where even a cat can make you look like a rat."

As 1 weapons were quite flimsy, the staff would not be as effective as Ryou intended it. The whip seemed to be able to chip away at the spikes enough to not get caught on them and Itachi was both agile and precise enough to quickly pull back the whip before Ryou could maneuver around it. The staff served to block the whip, whittling down the durability of both weapons but the defending one more so. Finally, Itachi would let the head of the whip drop behind him while focusing their gaze on their opponents hands in anticipation. "Now who's using their weapon wrong? Why not go with the same "in your face" strategy to break through the flexibility provided by my weapon?"

Gleamstar opens an eye at Ryou’s remark. “Not sure if I should take that as speciesly insensitive or not. Eh, makes for a decent line.” She rolls onto her belly and stretches.

[Ryou spins his staff around like nothing with both hands as he stares at Itachi, confused.] "Like you know anything about a staff. Your first instinct with a sword was to hit someone with it, why should I expect anything but bluffing?" [Moving the spinning staff from above to side by side, showing dexterity and familiarity with it. He would extend both legs, his right to the front and then would point the heavier metal end of the staff towards Itachi.] "You want me to actually take you seriously, is that it?"

Itachi notes where Ryou points the staff and ducks slightly, moving to his right and preemptively maneuvering evasively. Keeping himself just within attacking range, Itachi delivers quick and decisive blows consecutively to the staff around the same place he struck before. "Take me as you will." Should the staff fail to break, he would back away and let his whip drop to the ground behind him again, steadying the hand holding it in order to strike back at any time.

[The problems lies in that Ryou was not even attacking to begin with, and as soon as Itachi acts up, he drops the staff on the floor, letting it disappear. He would return the rest of his cards back to the deck, letting out his loud, mocking laughter.] "I always was going to. I can't take you seriously at all. This has been too easy and frankly, it's gone on for long enough. Try not to get your teeth kicked in next time, gramps." [Ryou easily drops out of the battle out of sheer boredom.] "You're a third-rate fighter with a fourth-rate brain! Try to buy a better one next time!" [He leaves, satisfied with his own deck and style, knowing what to expect out of both Red and Blue. He would go wait for his classes now.]

Itachi would grumble disapprovingly at his former opponent's display of hubris, letting his own weapon disappear as soon as he does. "How boring. What good is a dueler that doesn't even fight to the end? And here I figured playing with a gimped hand would make things more interesting..." He then walks off in the direction of his class, arriving there soon before they would actually begin

Umi would seem distraught at the turnout of events. For a moment she almost reached for another card from out of her pouch but she stopped herself halfway. Umi: "I...I get it. Even if I continue you'll be able to pull out your wildcard soon. I'm done with this practice for right now anyway." The boy would look back somewhat disappointed. He'd convert his own weapon back into its card form and place back in a pouch of his own. The image of both the lab and the ocean would fade away, returning the courtyard to its normal state. Older Boy: "Well, you really shouldn't give up that easy. I'm not as hard to beat as I seem. Though I guess not many people have been able to figure out the trick behind my deck yet. Class is going to start soon anyway though, so it might be better to stop here anyway."

With all the excitement dying down, Gleamstar decides it’s about time to head off to class. She trots along on all fours and follows the flow of students. She wonders what kinds of classes are here. Uno history? How to draw cards? Maybe the forbidden Uno lore? Who knows?

with everything ready, Leonus heads to his classroom, that would be the rank 1 blue classroom with Mr. Ken. Leonus respectfully bows to his teacher "Good morning Mr. Ken" before heading inside for his first class.

Gleamstar purrs and pads into the green room. She’s starting to like this color. The only awkward part of this classroom is getting the chair dragged back so she can sit in it. Once she does, though, she sits in a manner reminiscent of a certain cat at a dinner table.