Twilight, Sunset, and Sci-Twi stood before Crystal Prep. The three of them looked up, seeing just how the academy towered above them. With sunlight glistening off of the spiked rooftop and down onto the car park, it seemed much more like a castle to the three girls.

Sunset and Twilight were in awe of the building while Sci-Twi slowly squatted down slightly and put her hands close to her face. It had been a long time since she had left this school behind in place for Canterlot High, and she was still thinking about how everyone would react to her coming back.

"So this is Crystal Prep?" Twilight walked towards the front door of the building, sliding her hand against the rails. "It looks so refined. Almost like the Crystal Empire back home..."

"It's still hard to believe that Principal Cinch ran this place." Sunset crossed her arms and followed after Twilight. "This place looks like it should be ruled by a king or queen—not a high school, middle-aged, selfish, and downright evil principal."

"Hear hear." Sci-Twi slowly walked up to the steps, her legs shivering and trembling with each step that she took. "I'm personally glad that she's serving a sentence in Tartarus Penitentiary for what she did to me."

"It doesn't just look good. It also produces the most intelligent, successful, and wealthy people this side of the planet." Sunset Shimmed walked up to the front doors and placed her hands on them. "Doctors, scientists, authors, politicians, and much more have been made here, all thanks to the twisted rule of Abacus Cinch."

"And now Chansin's throwing a spanner in the works by making them gamble." Whisper scratched his chin and floated alongside Twilight. "We can't let that happen. Evil principal or no evil principal, we're going to stop that Yo-kai and restore order to this school!"

"Nyeah. That Yo-kai's got nyo chance against us, right, Twilight?" Jibanyan looked up at her.

"I just hope you're right, Jibanyan." Twilight pushed the doors open and walked inside with Sunset. She was about to move through the foyer when she looked back and noticed that Sci-Twi hadn't budged an inch since they had arrived. "Hey, Sci-Twi? Are you coming or not?"

"Uhh... Yeah. I'm coming." Sci-Twi took small steps forward, her entire body quivering as she made it to the door. Slowly, she peaked her head inside, looking around for anyone who might have recognised her. When the coast was clear, she held onto Sunset's hand as tightly as she could and brushed her body against her friend. "I'm just a little nervous about coming back to Crystal Prep, that's all."

"Don't worry, Sci-Twi. You have us to protect you." Sunset stroked Sci-Twi's neck and cuddled her close. "No matter what anyone in this school says or does to you, we're going to stand by your side and defend you."

"Yes. No matter what heinous ruffian threatens you, be it Yo-kai or human, we're right behind you." Whisper nodded.

"Alright, but just be warned that Crystal Prep students are incredibly snooty and self-reserved. Don't be surprised if they call you out for being dressed commonly or if you're not as smart as they are." Sci-Twi raised her finger. "Even if there's a Yo-kai involved, I'm still half-expecting them to be a bit rude."

As Twilight, Sci-Twi, and Sunset walked through the hallways of Crystal Prep, they spent most of their time gazing at how well-kept it had been and how barren the lockers were. The entire place was entirely spotless, and students were barely in the halls whenever there were lessons. For the most part, the school remained eerily quiet, much more than the three of them would've liked it to have been.

"Where is everyone?" Sunset asked, looking down the corridors in an attempt to find someone. However, it didn't matter where she looked; she found absolutely nothing. "You'd think that for a place like Crystal Prep, there'd be some students out in the hallways. I mean, geez, it's like the whole place is deserted."

"Well, if it's a prestigious academy, then I would imagine that the students would be busy in their classes, not lollygagging around in the hallways like your average high-school student." Whisper shrugged and poked his head through a nearby window. He saw a couple dozen students sitting down and looking through books, writing down answers on an adjacent piece of paper. "See? They're all right here, focused on their studies."

"I know that, Whisper. I'm just wondered why there aren't as many here today as I was expecting." Sci-Twi rolled her eyes. "It just strikes me as odd that—"

"HOLD ON!" Whisper yelled and slapped Sci-Twi's mouth, cutting her off. The little tuft on his hair wiggled slightly as he took another look through the classroom door. "My Yo-kai senses are going off the charts! Chansin's foul inspirits are at work here!"

"Really?" Sunset looked through the door at all of the students working on their papers. She flipped up the lens and saw that all of them were covered with purple inspiriting flames. "No way... They're just blindly guessing their answers instead of thinking them through! This is a nightmare!"

"Chansin's inspiriting powers make the victim gamble recklessly, often willing to put everything on the line just to obtain something as measly as a stack of cash." Whisper turned back to face the others. "In places like a casino or video game arcade, Chansin's a Yo-kai you'll see most commonly due to how much drive he gives his victims to play the games. But having a Chansin at Crystal Prep, inspiriting poor and helpless students and potentially ruining their futures is a travesty to end all travesties!"

"Well, that's why we're here, right?" Twilight pulled out her Yo-kai Medallium and pulled out a Yo-kai Medal. "We just have to beat Chansin and stop him inspiriting the students. Then, Mr. Goodsight's gonna upgrade our Yo-kai Watches."

"Hey, Twilight!"

The group jumped when they heard that voice. Slowly, they turned around to see a students walking up to them. She had cream-coloured skin and a blue buzzsaw haircut. She wore a simple pink shirt with a bolt of lightning streaking down it, as well as a pair of trainers and navy-blue jeans.

"Who in the heck is this?" Twilight asked, recoiling at the newcomer and her appearance.

"This is one of my old classmates. Her name is Indigo Zap." Sci-Twi stepped forward and got a good look at Indigo. "But, she's not in the Crystal Prep uniform. Why wouldn't she be?"

"Chill, Twi. Cinch is gone, and all of her stupid and bossy rules are gone too." Indigo put her hands behind her head. "Now, we're free to wear and say what we want without fear of being judged. All thanks to Principal Chrysalis."

"Principal Chrysalis?" Sunset cocked a brow.

"Yeah. She's pretty chill. Not nearly as frightening as Cinch was, but she's still a bit freaky nonetheless." Indigo's arms dropped down by their sides. "But let's not talk too much about her. Where've you been? We haven't seen each other since the Friendship Games." She came up to Twilight and playfully messed with her hair while holding her in an arm lock.

"Indigo, please. We're trying to keep restore order to Crystal Prep." Sci-Twi broke out of Indigo's hold and showed her the Yo-kai Watch. "In case you hadn't noticed, there's a Yo-kai running around making everyone gamble. I'm sure you've noticed."

"Yeah. Sunny and Sugarcoat mentioned that they'd been betting on stuff more often than usual." Indigo's eyes opened up slightly. "Those two always have the right answers, but for them to just start guessing all of a sudden is really creepy."

"Chansin's behind everything. He's a Yo-kai who makes you bet, gamble, and guess instead of thinking rationally and tactically." Sunset Shimmer nodded. "We're here to defeat him, possibly befriend him if possible, and put everything back to normal so that Mr. Goodsight can upgrade our Yo-kai Watches."

"Yo-kai? I'm afraid you've lost me there." Indigo tilted her head to the side.

"I don't really blame her. Only those with the Yo-kai Watch know of Yo-kai." Whisper tapped on Sunset's shoulders. "If you tried to explain all of this weird stuff to a friend, then it'd be harder to comprehend than most of their algebra lessons."

"Whisper, maybe you could actually help out most of the time instead of just stating the obvious." Twilight deadpanned and glared at him. "Hence the reason why I said you were a terrible butler."

"Well what do you want me to do?!" Whisper shook his arms wildly.

"Just tell her the truth, nyan!" Jibanyan pulled out a massive fan and slapped Whisper across the face with it, smashing him into a school locker, before bouncing off into many more like a pinball in a machine.

"Anyway, Indigo. We're here to save Crystal Prep from Chansin's wrath. You may not believe us, but if you just watch us carefully while we're confronting him, then I'm sure you'll get the general gist of things."

"Alright." Indigo shrugged. "But I still think all that magic stuff went to your brain after the Friendship Games."

Suddenly, the bell rang and students poured out of the different classrooms, wearing bright and heavily expressive clothing instead of the old uniforms. They were seen talking to each other and comparing their answers as they filled the silent hallways with chatter and energy.

As the students left the rooms, Chansin waltzed out as well, slowly tip-toeing and sneaking behind other students so that he wouldn't get caught. As he made it down the corridor towards the lockers at the far end, he didn't notice that Twilight, Sunset, and Sci-Twi were pointing their Yo-kai Lens right at him, and he was fully exposed to the three of them.

Whisper's voice echoed as he bounced around the halls, crashing into Chansin and knocking him back towards the teenagers. They both got back up after the impact and realised that Twilight, Sci-Twi, and Sunset were both looking down on them.

"Chansin! Stop inspiriting these poor students!" Whisper demanded.

"Never!" Chansin dealt Whisper a blindingly fast backhand strike, sending him flying once again. "These students are too boring. They must all take a chance!" He stood on one leg, clapped his hands together, and dashed off, leaving a cloud of white smoke behind him. He leapt on top of a student and clapped his hands, leaving an inspiriting flame. "Gyanburu!"

"I'm going to take a chance and say... five?" The inspirited student spoke to his friend.

"Nope. Sorry. The number I was thinking of was eight." The other student shook her head.

"Chansin's getting to work. After him, now!" Jibanyan jabbed one of his paws towards Chansin, who dashed off down the hallways.

"Hey! Get back here!" Twilight ran after Chansin with her other friends close behind her.

"Wait up!" Indigo followed after Twilight, Sci-Twi, and Sunset Shimmer, who were all in hot pursuit of the Yo-kai that had been inspiriting the CPA students.

Twilight, Sci-Twi, Sunset, and Indigo ran down the hall, chasing after Chansin. They watched him leap gracefully and run across the tops of the lockers like an ancient japanese ninja, firing down shurikens that stuck to the back of the heads of more students, leaving inspiriting flames on each and every one hit.

"He's fast!" Sci-Twi exclaimed, seeing that Chansin had inspirited an entire hallway of Crystal Prep students, who all began to pull out their phones and make wagers and bets.

"Well he is a ninja after all." Jibanyan scurried after the Yo-kai. "Just make sure he doesn't get away. Corner him, then let me handle this."

"He's so agile..." Twilight watched Chansin leap over multiple students, raining down steel stars on top of each of them. Ordinarily, they would've killed them if they were real, but Chansin's stars merely stuck into their heads, leaving no physical pain whatsoever. "And here I thought Venoct was fast."

"Ninjutsu Arts of Chance!" Chansin slowly moved his arms and ferociously slammed them against each other, making two clones appear right beside him, running side by side at the exact same speed as the real one.

"He can clone himself?!" Sunset, Sci-Twi, and Twilight all gasped as they watched Chansin duplicate and swap places with his clones in an attempt to throw them all off of which one was the real one.

"And I can do far more than that." Chansin cartwheeled and flipped right over the heads of all four of the pursuing teenagers, proceeding to run in the opposite direction. While he ran away, the two clones still ran the other direction. "Am I there, or am I here? Take. A. Chance!"

"Sci-Twi. You and Indigo follow the one behind you, me and Twilight will handle the two over here!" Sunset called out.

"Okay!" Sci-Twi skidded on her heels and ran back the other way, her body tipping over as she dashed off after the one remaining Chansin.

"Sci-Twi? Is there something you're not telling me?" Indigo ran after Sci-Twi, racing just in front of her.

"Not now, Indigo! We have to catch Chansin!" Sci-Twi pointed towards Chansin as he ran towards another fork in the path.

"What the heck is even going on here?!" Indigo exclaimed as she kept up with Sci-Twi.

After the group split up, Sunset and Twilight chased after the two Chansins that had continued to run forward. They got closer and closer to the Chansins and managed to run them both against a set of double doors. They chased the Yo-kai through the doors where they ran into a rather spacious cafeteria with a mezzanine floor and a wide variety of food on the counters.

"Take!" The first Chansin ran into the middle of the room and posed.

"A!" The second Chansin mirrored his movements.

"CHANCE!" Both of them called together, roping the entire room in inspiriting flames.

"This is bad." Twilight watched all of the students get inspirited at once. "Sunset. Are you ready to bring out your Yo-kai?"

"You know it. It's time to put an end to Chansin and his gambling ways." Sunset pulled out her medal.

"Come on out, my friend!" Both Twilight and Sunset readied their medals simultaneously.

"Calling Count Cavity!" Twilight flung her medal skyward.

"Calling Dracunyan!" Sunset shouted.

"Yo-kai Medal, do your thing!" Both of them called out as they took their respective medals and placed them in the slots.

"SUMMONING: SHADY!" Both watches announced as dark blue beams filled the air.

Marvellous thee!
Gutsy, free banshee
Sing-song, Shady!

"Count Cavity!" He brandished his pitchfork and pointed it at the Chansins

"Dracunyan! Mwahahahahaha!" He cackled as lightning crashed behind him.

"Yo-kai! Hajime!" The first Chansin flexed his fingers, taunting the two Yo-kai into attacking.

"Face us in battle, brave ones!" The second Chansin mirrored his colleagues' movements.

"Eat pitchfork, vile fiends!" Count Cavity swooped in and drove his trident into Chansin, thrusting his arm forward when he got close enough to him. Just as he landed his hit, however, both Chansins had completely vanished in a puff of smoke.

"Yo-kai Gamble Fight!" Both Chansins cried out as whole group of them descended from the ceiling.

"What the heck?!" Twilight jumped at how many Chansins there were in place of the first two. "How is that even possible?!"

"I am Chansin. Master Yo-kai gambler and a legend in casinos both in the Yo-kai and human realms." They all spoke exactly the same and bowed before Twilight and Sunset, putting their hands together and making symbols out of them. "My inspirits have brought people to wealth and ruin at the same time. And now, you will undergo the same ritual that they have!"

"Before you lie approximately twenty of us. Only one Chansin is the real one. Make your attack, and only attack that Chansin." They all stood back up. "Do not worry yourself. We will not move, and instead take the whole brunt of your wrath. Choose the right one, and I shall be defeated. Pick the wrong Chansin, however, and I shall show both of your Yo-kai no mercy!"

"TAKE. A. CHANCE!" All of the Chansins cried out as they cast both Twilight and Sunset with purple inspiriting flames.

"Sunset! Twilight! No!" Jibanyan cried out as both of his friends became inspirited. "Tch. Looks like it's my time to shine!" He cracked his paws and leapt at the crowd of Chansins. "I'll take all of you down with my Paws of Fury!"

Jibanyan struck at all of the Chansins at once, only to find himself hitting thin air. After a flurry of attacks, he eventually got winded and stopped attacking to catch his breath.

As soon as he did so, a powerful knifehand strike landed straight on his neck, sending him flying against the wall. The impact was so powerful that it left a small crater when he landed and flopped down onto his belly, turning him into a blue wisp.

"Incorrect!" Chansin yelled at the wisp. "Let us see if your masters are less willing to play it safe."

"Alright. We're taking a chance, but on which one?" Sunset looked at all of the Chansins, who all separately pulled something out and began to use it. She watched them take out cups and balls, ninja stars, books, katanas, and other varied items as they all waited for them to make their move. "They all look pretty much the same. It's just what they're using that's different."

"Maybe that's the pattern we've gotta follow." Twilight began to examine each of the items that the Chansin clones were carrying. "Let's see..."

"Hey, guys." Sci-Twi burst through the door with Indigo close behind her. "Turns out that Chansin we were following was a dud. You managed to beat—" She looked at all of the different Chansins, who were all using the stuff that they had pulled out of their pockets "—whoa. What happened here?"

"They are in deep concentration. Waiting for their perfect moment to strike."

"Huh? Who said that?" Sci-Twi looked around for the newcomer and flashed her Yo-kai Lens all over the room. Eventually, the watch lit up and she found a new Yo-kai standing before her.

There before her, was a bipedal lion with white skin, blue hair, five long tails, a yellow robe, and a katana of his own by his side. He took in deep breaths and sat down with his legs folded, putting his hands on Twilight and Sunset, revealing his own inspiriting flames.

"Gambling is a dangerous weapon. Chansin is the attacker and they are the victims. One way or another, he will win this, because Chansins always make their targets bet impulsively." The lion stayed perfectly still and spoke in a low and gruff voice. "By watching and waiting for that ideal moment, Twilight and Sunset will be able to find the right Yo-kai and strike him down."

"Who are you?" Sci-Twi walked up to the meditating lion.

"That time is for later. Now, we simply wait." He nodded. "Wait for one of the Chansins to foolishly reveal himself."

"Wait? Why would we—"

"Ssh!" The lion's gaze remained fixated on the Chansin army, watching ever so vigilantly as they continued to use what they were using. Despite how non-active the Yo-kai were, nothing changed for them. "That perfect moment only comes once in a lifetime. Miss it, and you may miss your chance of reaching true prosperity."

Eventually, he saw one of the Chansins yawn and drop the ball and cup, while the others still continued to do what they were doing with all of their other toys, games, and books.

"These two are really taking their time..." The real Chansin saw both Twilight and Sunset milling over which one to pick.

"NOW!" The lion stood up and dashed towards the real Chansin, slicing it in clean in half with a single swing of his sword.

"Huh?" Twilight and Sunset watched the crowd of Chansins disappear along with their inspiriting flames as the lion stood over his defeated target.

"You are defeated, reckless one." The lion stood on top of Chansin's body, making him squirm under his paw. "Leave this place now, or face the full force of my blade."

"Impossible! A Chansin never loses to a Yo-kai!" He groaned and looked over at Twilight and her friends. "They won by playing it safe. Unacceptable!" He disappeared, causing the lion to stand normally once again.

"The trick to winning a gambling game is to wait patiently." The lion walked over slowly to Sci-Twi, looking deep into her eyes. "Your friends almost made a costly mistake. Had they undergone Chansin's power any longer, they would've lost everything to that fool of a Yo-kai." He clicked his fingers, lifting his own inspiriting flames from the girls. "So, I simply made them wait and discuss it among themselves. My power of waiting does not negate that of a Chansin, but it does allow the inspirited to calmly and quietly assess the situation at hand."

"What... What are you?" Sci-Twi slowly reached out for the lion.

"What is what?" Sunset looked through her lens and revealed the lion as well. "Twilight. You might want to look at this."

"Huh?" Twilight herself peaked through her Yo-kai Lens and saw the newcomer on full display.

"My name is Lie-in Heart." He bowed before the three girls. "I am a Yo-kai that makes you sit and wait patiently for that perfect moment. My power is truly that of legend, but unlike most other Yo-kai, I do not run blindly into battle without a plan. I wait for the chance to strike, then take it, cleaving through many troublemaking Yo-kai with lethal precision and blinding speed."

"So, you're a peacekeeper?" Twilight asked.

"Yes. And just as you fight to defeat King Void, I fight to protect this world from the cruelty of unjust and twisted Yo-kai such as that Chansin you just fought." Lie-in Heart nodded. "My Lion Blade has slashed down many Yo-kai at once, and I will not stop now for anything, be it for infinite riches or for great desires. I simply fight because I want to keep the world safe.

"You, Twilight of this world." He pointed to Sci-Twi.

"Me?" Her eyes shot open as she raised her hand to her mouth.

"Yes. This world is overrun with heinous and foul Yo-kai mischief makers such as that Chansin." He walked over to Sci-Twi. "You wield a Yo-kai Watch, it seems. I seek a master. One who calculates, waits, and doesn't just recklessly attack like the inspirited victims that I have seen today. Will you be that one?"

"Are you asking—"

"Yes, I am." He pulled out a Yo-kai Medal from his pocket. "Will you be willing to fight with me, striking at the perfect moment as we keep this world protected?"

"Well, this isn't what I had expected at all, but I'd be glad to." Sci-Twi took the medal and shook Lie-in Heart's hand, bowing to him as she did so.

"Very well then. It is decided." Lie-in Heart stepped forward and drew his sword. "Whenever you find the perfect moment to battle, call on me, and I shall strike with the fury of a thousand bolts of lightning!" With a fast slash, he blew wind all throughout the cafeteria and disappeared, blowing the hairs of every boy and girl around him upward.

"What in the heck was that?!" Indigo fixed her hair and gazed down at Twilight's medal. "And what in the heck is that?"

"It's a Yo-kai Medal, Indigo." Sci-Twi held it in front of her friend's face. "It's the symbol of friendship between a Yo-kai and a human. Holding it means that Lie-in Heart is now a loyal friend of mine, who I can summon whenever I wish to help me out with a tough battle."

"Yo-kai Medal?" Indigo scratched her temple as she looked at the medal. "It's pretty cool, but I'm still not entirely sure what's going on."

To that response, Twilight and Sunset fell over, sticking their legs out high.

"I've got a lot to tell you, Indigo." Sci-Twi sighed and put her hand on Indigo's shoulders. "And let me just say that this is going to blow that whole magic thing at the Friendship Games out of the water."

Author's Notes:

I decided to make Lie-in Heart seem stronger than he is purely due to the fact that Lie-in Heart has carried me throughout the entire game. Ever since I pulled him from the Crank-a-kai on my first day along with Siro and Cruncha, they've been at my side ever since. So, when I put Lie-in Heart into this chapter, I thought back to all of the times he's helped me out in game, be it striking down both Kin and Gin at once, dealing with tough Yo-kai battles and bosses like Dame Dedtime and Dame Demona, and even now to when he's still a powerful Yo-kai to have in your team, despite his ability to wait a turn before acting.

If you liked this chapter, then be sure to share it with your friends and tell them all about how you thought about it. And as always, have a nice evening!