Starring: Sakura (14)
Ten years ago, the world changed—quietly, suddenly, and without warning.
People woke up to find strange, glowing cards scattered across cities, forests, oceans, deserts, and even drifting through the sky. Each card held a single illustration—characters from anime, manga, comics, movies, and stories that had existed only in fiction. No one knew who created them. No one knew why they appeared.
And no one knew what would happen if someone used one.
They learned very quickly.
When a person touched a card and whispered its name, they transformed—body, power, and soul—into the character depicted. Some became warriors. Some became monsters. Some became gods.
Some… vanished.
Governments panicked. Scientists studied. Religions formed. Treasure hunters searched. And bit by bit, the cards scattered across the entire world.
It was said that over five thousand existed.
Only one person could collect them.
Only one person was chosen.
And she had no idea why.
---
Sakura Yumine was fourteen, tiny, blue-haired, and generally considered "cute but kinda smug" by her classmates. She preferred the word confident, but she let them talk. It wasn't her problem.
She stretched, yawned, and prepared for school—thinking her day would be boring as usual.
It absolutely would not.
On her way out the door, something soft bumped her ankle.
A small white cat looked up at her with eyes far too intelligent for a normal animal.
"Ah—hello?" Sakura blinked. "Are you lost—?"
The cat spoke.
"Found you at last, Sakura Yumine."
She froze mid-step.
"…excuse me?"
The cat sat down, tail swaying.
"I am Riv. Guardian of the Cardbound Relics. You are the one chosen by destiny to gather all five thousand before the world collapses under their power."
"That sounds… extreme."
"It is."
"And why me?"
"No idea." Riv shrugged like a tiny furry person. "Ask the unknown entity who made them."
"Which is…?"
"Unknown."
"Wow, you're helpful."
"I try."
---
Riv presented a glowing card, floating above its tiny paw.
Sakura's eyes widened.
A tall, armored priestess-like figure with a fox mask, sacred beads, and a staff was drawn beautifully on the surface.
"S–Sakuyamon… from Digimon?"
"Yes. The safest card for you to begin with. Others are far more dangerous." Riv flicked his tail. "Use it."
"Wait, I can't just—"
"Use it."
"That's not how consent works!"
But the card drifted into her hand anyway.
A warm pulse shot through her.
Light spiraled around her feet.
A digital sigil formed beneath her.
"Sakura Yumine," Riv said, voice echoing with sudden power,
"transform, and become the spirit of harmony— Sakuyamon!"
The world shattered into ribbons of gold.
---
Sakura gasped as her body changed—taller, stronger, wrapped in shimmering priestess armor. Her hair turned long and golden. A mask materialized over her face, hiding her expression. Her fingers crackled with mystic data energy.
Power flowed inside her like she had swallowed a star.
"Whoa… this is… surreal…" Her voice echoed with Sakuyamon's mystical tone.
"You'll get used to it," Riv said casually from below.
She looked at her hands.
"I can feel… everything. The wind. The energy of life. Even the digital code of existence…"
"Yes, yes, very fancy," Riv said. "Now you must begin your journey."
"To collect five thousand cards?"
"Correct."
"From around the world?"
"Yes."
"That's insane! I have school!"
"Sakura, the world might end."
"So will my semester grades."
Riv stared seriously.
Sakura sighed.
"…Fine. I'll help save the world."
"Excellent."
"But I'm not doing it in this outfit at school. People will freak out."
"Then don't transform in class," Riv said matter-of-factly.
"That's not the point!"
---
Sakura released the transformation, returning to her small, blue-haired, smugly confident self. The Sakuyamon card floated down into her hand—shining gently.
She looked at it, then at Riv, then toward the horizon.
Five thousand cards.
Five thousand powers.
Five thousand dangers.
And she was the one chosen to gather them.
She puffed her cheeks dramatically.
"This is going to be chaos…"
Riv nodded.
"It will be glorious chaos."
And with that, Sakura's journey began—
the journey of the girl who would become known as:
The Card Hunter.
The Spirit Collector.
The One Who Holds All Worlds.