Disclaimer: I don't own Magic: The Gathering.
Arrathir drew his hand for game two. Looking at his cards, he gasped.
This…this is an excellent hand! Look at this! Sakura-Tribe Elder, Orochi Sustainer, Midnight Covenant, Kodama's Might, Swamp, Forest and a Mountain! Two creatures for two mana, one of which can generate me more mana, a good enchantment, and a nice instant I can use to pump something up. If I could get a Glacial Ray, that would be great.
"I'll play," he said "Swamp. End turn."
"Forest," said Jou "And I summon Promised Kannushi (1/1, Soulshift 7). Go."
"I play a Forest," said Arrathir "And I summon Orochi Sustainer (1/2). End turn."
"I play a Plains and summon Konda's Hatamoto (1/2, Bushido 1). Go."
"I'll play a Mountain," said Arrathir "And summon Sakura-Tribe Elder (1/1). End turn."
"Plains and I'll play Indomitable Will on Konda's Hatamoto, giving him +1+2 and I'll attack with Konda's Hatamoto."
"I block with Sakura-Tribe Elder and sack him off before he dies," said Arrathir "To put one swamp in play tapped."
"Fair enough," said Jou "End turn."
"I summon Brutal Deceiver (2/2)," said Arrathir "And I'll enchant him with Midnight Covenant. End turn."
"I play a Plains and summon Hand of Honor (2/2, pro black). Now I attack with Konda's Hatamoto!"
"Take it," said Arrathir.
JOUNOUCHI: 20
ARRATHIR: 18
"End turn."
"I summon Nezumi Cutthroat (2/1, Fear) and I'll Lava Spike you for three then I'll attack with Brutal Deceiver."
"I block with Promised Kannushi," said Jou.
JOUNOUCHI: 17
ARRATHIR: 18
"End turn."
"I play Commune with Nature," said Jou "I look at the top five cards of my library and I can reveal one creature card from these five cards. The creature goes into my hand. I reveal Jukai Messenger (1/1, Forestwalk) and I summon him! Now I'll attack with Konda's Hatamoto and Hand of Honor."
"Block Hand of Honor with Orochi Sustainer and play Kodama's Might, giving him +2+2 until end of turn and I take the two."
JOUNOUCHI: 17
ARRATHIR: 16
"End turn."
"I play Long-Forgotten Gohei," said Arrathir "All my spirits get +1+1 and Arcane spells I play cost one colorless less to play. Now I'll attack with Nezumi Cutthroat. End turn."
JOUNOUCHI: 15
ARRATHIR: 16
"My turn," said Jou "I play Heartbeat of Spring. When a player taps a land for mana, they add one mana of that color to their mana pool."
"So all lands tap for two mana?"
"Exactly," said Jou "So I'll tap my last Plains to summon Split-Tail Miko (1/1). End turn."
Arrathir smiled. He had drawn the card. "I play," he announced "Cranial Extraction and I saw Eight-and-a-Half Tails." Jou sadly removed his Kitsune from the game. "Now I'll attack with Nezumi Cutthroat and Brutal Deceiver."
"I block your Deceiver with Konda's Hatamoto," said Jou.
"Then I'll pump him up to a 4/4 and use his ability: I reveal the top card of my library. If it's a land, he gets +1+0 and first strike." Arrathir flipped over the top card of his deck: Glacial Ray.
JOUNOUCHI: 13
ARRATHIR: 16
"End turn."
"I play a Plains and summon Hikari, Twilight Guardian (4/4, Flying)," said Jou "And I'll attack with Konda's Hatamoto."
"Block with Sustainer," said Arrathir.
"End turn."
"End turn," said Arrathir.
"I attack with Hikari and Konda's Hatamoto," said Jou.
"I take it all," said Arrathir.
JOUNOUCHI: 13
ARRATHIR: 10
"I play Uncontrollable Anger on my Cutthroat," said Arrathir "Giving him +2+2 and he must attack each turn if able. I'll hit your for four."
JOUNOUCHI: 9
ARRATHIR: 10
"I play Unchecked Growth on Hikari, giving him +4+4 until end of turn and I Splice Kodama's Might onto it, making him a 10/10. I attack for the win."
JOUNOUCHI: 9
ARRATHIR: 0
"Well, good game," said Arrathir.
"Yes, you too," said Jou.
Back at Eva's game, things weren't any better. Eva had River Kaijin (1/4) and was barely surviving by using spells to bounce Izumi's creatures back to her hand. Izumi currently had Hana Kami (1/1) and Loam Dweller (2/2)
"My turn," said Eva "I play a Mountain and summon Akki Avalanchers (1/1) and I'll play Council of the Soratami to draw two cards. End turn."
"I summon Lifespinner (3/3)," said Izumi "And I'll play Genju of the Cedars on one of my Forests. This enchantment lets me pay two mana to turn my forest into a 4/4 spirit creature until end of turn. Your move."
"I summon Soratami Seer (2/3, Flying)," said Eva "End turn."
"I sacrifice my Hana Kami, Loam Dweller, and turn my forest into a spirit to sack it as well," said Izumi "To activate Lifespinner's effect: By sacking three spirits and tapping it, I may search my deck for a legendary Spirit and put it into play! I bring out my Ayumi the Last Visitor (7/3). End turn."
"I attack with Soratami Seer," said Eva "And since you can't block it, I'll activate my Ninjutsu card, Mistblade Shinobi (1/1)."
IZUMI: 14
EVA: 11
"When Mistblade Shinobi deals combat damage to you, I may return a creature you control to your hand, so I'll say your Ayumi. End turn."
"I play Hall of the Bandit Lord," said Izumi "It comes into play tapped. End turn."
"I play an Island and summon Soratami Seer (2/3, Flying). End turn," said Eva.
"I pay three life, tapping Hall of the Bandit Lord to add one mana to my mana pool. If this mana is used to summon a legendary creature, that creature has haste. I tap out to summon Kodama of the North Tree and I attack with it!" said Izumi.
"I block with Mistblade Shinobi and Soratami Seer," said Eva.
IZUMI: 11
EVA: 9
"End turn."
(If I can't draw a card to help me, I'm screwed!)
Eva's face lit up when she saw the card she'd drawn.
"I play Cut the Tethers. Each spirit you control is returned to your hand unless you pay three mana per spirit." Izumi returned her two creatures to her hand. "Now I play Genju of the Spire on one of my Mountains. I can turn it into a 6/1 spirit by paying two mana. End turn."
"I play Kodama of the North Tree, using Hall of the Bandit Lord so he has haste and I'll attack with him!"
"I turn my mountain into a 6/1 spirit and I'll block with it."
IZUMI: 8
EVA: 4
"Ready," asked Eva "Because I'm going to win this turn! I Lava Spike you and Splice Glacial Ray onto it."
IZUMI: 3
EVA: 4
"Now I play the Glacial Ray."
IZUMI: 1
EVA: 4
"Finally, I'll summon that creature you kept pinging me with in the last game, Glitterfang (1/1, haste)! I attack for the win!"
IZUMI: 0
EVA: 1
"It all comes down to this one," said Eva.
"Right," said Izumi "And I'll start off with a Mountain and play Glitterfang (1/1, haste). I attack and end my turn."
IZUMI: 20
EVA: 19
"I play an Island and end my turn," said Eva.
"Forest," said Izumi "And I summon Glitterfang, playing Kodama's Might on him and attack."
IZUMI: 20
EVA: 16
"I play a Mountain and summon Soratami Cloudskater (1/1). End turn."
"Another mountain," said Izumi "And I summon Glitterfang and Frostling (1/1), sacking the Frostling to deal one damage to your Cloudskater. I attack with Glitterfang."
IZUMI: 20
EVA: 15
"I play an Mountain and summon Battle-Mad Ronin (1/1, Bushido 2). End turn."
"I summon Humble Budoka (2/2)," said Izumi "And I end my turn."
(I bet she's got a Kodama's Might in her hand.)
"I play an Island and attack with Battle-Mad Ronin."
"I block with Humble Budoka," said Izumi.
"End turn."
(Hmm, so either she had Kodama's Might and chose not to use it, or I guessed wrong.)
"I summon Glitterfang," said Izumi, but Eva was ready.
"I play Hisoka's Defiance, countering your spirit spell!"
"Fine then I'll Glacial Ray you and end my turn."
IZUMI: 20
EVA: 12
"I play a Mountain and summon Cunning Bandit (2/2) and I'll attack with my Battle-Mad Ronin. End turn."
IZUMI: 19
EVA: 12
"I play Sosuke's Summons," said Izumi "Putting two 1/1 snake token into play. End turn."
"Your tokens won't help you," said Eva "Go, Barrel down Sokenzan! I return one Mountain to my hand to deal two damage to one of your tokens and I attack with Cunning Bandit and Battle-Mad Ronin."
"I block your Bandit with my token," said Izumi.
IZUMI: 18
EVA: 12
"End turn."
"I play a Forest," said Izumi "And I summon Order of the Sacred Bell (4/3). End turn."
"I play Reach Through the Mist, drawing a card," said Eva "And I Splice Evermind onto it, drawing another card. Next, I play an Island and attack with Battle-Mad Ronin."
"I take it," said Izumi.
IZUMI: 17
EVA: 12
"I play a Mountain and summon Ishi-Ishi, Akki Crackshot (1/1). End turn."
"I play Consuming Vortex to bounce your Ishi-Ishi back to your hand," said Eva.
"All right," said Izumi "But since you played an Arcane spell, you loose two life due to Ishi-Ishi's effect."
IZUMI: 17
EVA: 10
"Now since Cunning Bandit has four ki counters on him, I flip him and he becomes Azamuki, Treachery Incarnate (5/2)! I attack with Battle-Mad Ronin!"
IZUMI: 16
EVA: 10
"I play Genju of the Spires," said Izumi "Turning one of my mountains into a 6/1 spirit and I attack with it!"
IZUMI: 11
EVA: 4
"I play Blazing Shoal," said Eva "Removing Ashen Monstrosity from the game. This card gives one of my creatures +X+0, where X is the converted mana cost of the card I removed from the game. This makes my Battle-Mad Ronin an 8/1! I attack full out!"
IZUMI: 0
EVA: 4
"No!" said Izumi, showing Eva her hand "I had you next turn!" Her hand contained a Glacial Ray and the top card of her library was Lava Spike.
"Well it was a good match," said Eva, grabbing her cards and going over to Arrathir who was re-building his deck.
"So, how'd you do?" she asked.
"Lost in two," said Arrathir "You?"
"Won in three," said Eva "What'd Chikuro say?"
"I don't know," said Arrathir "I think he's sleeping right now. Say, are you Timmy, Johnny, or Spike?"
"I'd say I'm Timmy/Spike," said Eva "Because I love big creatures and I like winning. You?"
"I'm more of a Timmy/Johnny," said Arrathir "I like big creatures and pulling off a last-minute win with some crazy card combo."
"Yeah, your black deck does that well, like your whole 'Sack my Havoc Demon to clear the field and use Zombify to bring him back' trick," said Eva.
"Hey, don't diss Havoc Demon," said Arrathir "He save us, remember?"
"I wasn't saying he's bad or anything, but against a counterspell deck, your whole strategy would fall apart and then the only creatures you would have to defend you are your Putrid Imps."
"Then here's hoping I never have to duel a blue deck," said Arrathir.
Just then, the parings for the next round were called out and Arrathir and Eva went to their respective opponents.
Meanwhile, other the other side of the Multiverse, the door to a dark room opened and an old man walked in.
"My Lord," he said, "I am afraid to report that Anima was defeated by the Keeper of Black Mana."
A low chuckle came from a dark corner of the room.
"So, the Keeper survived the Slivers, eh? Very well. Bring Numa before me."
"Yes, my Lord," said the man, bowing and leaving the room.
The figure in the room stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"The Keeper is more resourceful than I expected. Anima was a good summoner, but I have no use for weaklings. I am certain Numa will not fail and the Keeper of Black Mana will be defeated. Then none will stop me from ruling the Multiverse!" The figure threw its head back and erupted in an evil, bone-chilling laugh that echoed throughout the room.
To be continued…
Author's Note: Day 3 of the challenge and feeling fine! So far I'm cranking out a 2000-word chapter per day! Who's taking bets on how long I can keep going? Who is this new enemy? What decks will Arrathir and Eva face in the next round? Why hasn't Chikuro taken over for Arrathir to avoid loosing? (Answer: he's sleeping). When will Khell show up? Stay tuned…
Igor: I don't know what Erik's doing. Maybe he's plotting world domination or something…
SeraphSong: Excuse me, but what I said was, "This fic is going to be strictly Magic," meaning I was not going to include any Yu-Gi-Oh! duels. This does not mean I can't make references to it however. Good job catching Jounouchi as Joey's name in the Japanese anime/manga. I might make a few more references, but they are not going back to Domino.
John: "And a toll is a toll. And if we don't get no toll, we don't eat no rolls. I made that up."-Robin Hood, Men in Tights
Sonic1015: Feh. We all gotta die sometime. If I die from caffeine poisoning (is that possible?) then at least I'll die happy and hyperactive.
Technomagus: Re-posted Chapter 13 with the corrections to the problems you pointed out. As for Chikuro, he's sleeping right now, but you can be sure he'll be all over Arrathir when he finds out he lost, while playing with black cards on top of everything else. You also caught my little Yu-Gi-Oh reference. Jounouchi Katsuya is the character's original name in the Japanese series. I think it sounds better than "Joey Wheeler"