Nao Inabe is a first-year university student majoring in literature and a member of her school’s literature club. She works part-time at a family restaurant, where she is a senior to the main protagonist, Akina Myoudou. Nao dreams of becoming a professional Vanguard cardfighter and regularly attends a special training facility to hone her skills. She possesses the Peerless Destiny Card, a powerful card that reflects her ambition and sets her apart as a determined competitor. In the Deluxe tournament arc, Nao is invited to compete in the tournament to determine the strongest fighter, and her mentor, the legendary fighter Kagetsu Yakumo, also appears as a participant. Nao’s relationship with Kagetsu is significant: she looks up to him and has learned much from his experience, and it is Kagetsu who poses the central question of the arc to Akina, indirectly involving Nao in the thematic exploration of each fighter’s reason for playing Vanguard. Nao’s personality is marked by a quiet determination and a strong sense of purpose; she is serious about her goal of going pro and does not shy away from tough opponents. Throughout the Deluxe arc, she faces challenging matches, including a fight against Erika Myojo, and demonstrates growth as a fighter who can hold her own against top-tier talent. Her development is tied to her resolve to define her own path in Vanguard, separate from simply following her mentor’s footsteps. Notable abilities include her skillful use of her Peerless Destiny Card and her tactical adaptability in combat, traits that make her a formidable presence in the tournament. Nao’s role in the story is that of a supportive yet ambitious peer to Akina, a student eager to prove herself on the grand stage of Deluxe, and a key link to one of the series’ legendary fighters.