The Knight's Challenged
"I guess you'll be my next opponent huh?" A blonde man asked, and Takeru immediately recognized him.
"Tsubasa Rokuya." He noted.
"Yes that's me, pleasure to meet you Kousaka Takeru, I hope to have a good game with you."
"That should be my line, you're the one with the better win rate."
"But you found the Imaginary Gift, that should make it equal for us." With that the two set their hands on their starters.
"Ready?"
"I am ready." He told the Royal Paladin player.
"Stand up, Vanguard!"
"Guidepost Sage, Elron!"
"Semilunar Magus!"
Walking into the field in the United Sanctuary Castle, both Takeru and Rokuya appeared, nodding to each other as their vanguards appeared.
'Magus…' Takeru thought. 'He would probably be stacking, similar to what Bella does, I'll need to be careful.'
"I'll go first, draw." Tsubasa started. "I discard a card to ride Circle Magus from my deck." He noted as a female mage took the place of his vanguard while the other moved back.
"Draw." Takeru followed with his turn, discarding Margal to ride Wingal Brave. "Ride! And then Elron moves to the back of my Vanguard, then with his boost, I attack your Vanguard!" (Power: 13000)
The high beast, moving to replace the mage then went forward towards them.
"No guard."
"Drive Check!"
(Drive Check- Amulet Pure Eagle- Critical)
"All effects to my vanguard!" He called out as Wingal struck Circle.
"Damage check."
(Damage Check- Briolette Magus)
(Damage Check- Fusili Magus)
"Wingal's skill, since the attack hit, I look at the top 7 cards of my deck, and I add Blaster Blade to my hand. I end my turn." Takeru told him.
Takeru - Tsubasa
7 - Hand - 5
0 - Soul - 0
0 - Damage – 2
0- Counterblast- 0
1 -Drop Zone - 1
Field
RG- RG = RG - RG
Guidepost Sage, Elron - Wingal Brave= Circle Magus – Semilunar Magus
RG - RG = RG - RG
"Draw." Tsubasa said. "I discard Tiramisu from my hand, and I ride Cubic Magus." He told Takeru as a girl in an outfit similar to Rectangle Magus, but blue appeared. "Circle's skill, she grants me the ability to draw a card when she's rode on." The blonde added with a counterblast. "Then I call Farfalle Magus." A girl in a white outfit and magician outfit then came in to support them. "Bless me with the power of foresight, I look at the top card of my deck, and I can choose where to put the cards." He said as he looked at the top card, and then immediately placed it in the bottom.
'Already manipulating his deck?' Takeru thought as he looked at his hand. 'This is going to snowball out of control if I don't play it right.'
"I use Cubic's skill." He added, "I put Farfalle into my soul, I then look at the top 2 cards of my deck, put them on top in any order I prefer, and then draw one card. I then call Rectangle Magus."
Nodding to Cubic's request, the green outfit Magus appeared ready to lend her aid.
"Rectangle allows me to change my future. I pay a counterblast and soulblast and she does what Cubic just did." He added as he looked at the top 2 cards of his deck, and then putting one back before drawing. "Now, Semilunar boosts, Cubic Magus attacks your vanguard! Skill activated!" He immediately declared. "I declare the top card of my deck. Cuore Magus."
(Top card: Cuore Magus)
"Since it's the card I declared, I pay Semilunar's cost, I put her into the soul to draw two cards from the top of my deck." (Power: 9000)
Initially the attack was by the two Magus, but one of them, having to use her skill to bless her vanguard, became unable to lend support, allowing Wingal to call upon the aid of a blue bird to block the attack.
'He threw away his boost to replenish his hand.' He noted. 'Still, I have bad feeling about this, so just in case.'
"Guard!" He told Tsubasa by using the Amulet he got last turn.
"Drive check." The Magus player smiled as it had a golden glow.
(Drive Check-Psychic Bird-Critical)
"I give all effects to Rectangle Magus, then with Rectangle's skill, she gets 5000 when I check a trigger! She attacks your Vanguard!" (Power: 24000 and 2 critical)
"No guard!" Takeru replied.
This time, with nothing protecting it the high beast just grunted as it took damage.
(Damage Check- Knight of Truth Gordon)
(Damage Check- King of Knights, Alfred)
"I'll end my turn here."
Takeru - Tsubasa
6 - Hand - 9
0 - Soul - 2
2 - Damage – 2
0- Counterblast- 2
2 -Drop Zone - 3
Field
RG- RG = RG - RG
Guidepost Sage, Elron - Wingal Brave= Cubic Magus - RG
RG - RG = Rectangle Magus - RG
'Looking at the top 2 and drawing?' The Royal Paladin player analyzed in his mind. 'Hmmm, this isn't like the other Magus I know, since the one Bella has is still the one that just checks one at a time, this must be a newer Magus, meaning, considering his connection to Takuto-san, he's probably going to pull an Imaginary Gift off next turn.'
"I discard Margal from my hand, and ride Blaster Blade!" He smiled as he placed it on his vanguard circle.
In response, the knight personally descended on the battlefield, ready to fight.
"Blaster Blade's skill! I retire Rectangle!" He added as a counterblast and soulblast was paid. "Following that, I'll call!" He said as he took out 2 cards from his hand. "Gordon, Kay! With Kay's skill I call Bedivere from my deck!"
The white knight of light did nothing but simply raise his sword up, as beside him his allies appeared one by one ready to support him to the end.
"I attack your vanguard with Gordon!" He told his opponent. (Power: 10000)
"No guard." Was the simple reply as he took a damage check.
(Damage Check- Raviolli Magus)
With his sword, the first knight had a good hit in, paving the way for Blaster Blade to follow.
"Blaster Blade attacks your Vanguard! Skill activated! He gets a critical."
"Lozenge Magus guards!"
The knight, seeking to follow up its ally's attack was blocked as a female appeared using her staff to generate a green barrier.
"Drive check!"
(Drive Check- Floral Paladin Flogal- Critical)
"Critical trigger! I give all effects to Bedivere, I attack your Vanguard!" (Power: 34000)
"No guard." Tsubasa said as he took two more damage.
Knowing that it couldn't block the attack, the mage just braced herself as the next attack followed.
(Damage Check- Arbitrator, Ame-no-Sagiri)
(Damage Check- Psychic Bird- Critical)
"I end my turn."
Takeru - Tsubasa
5 - Hand - 8
0 - Soul - 2
2 - Damage – 5
1- Counterblast- 2
4 -Drop Zone - 5
Field
RG- Knight of Truth, Gordon = RG - RG
Guidepost Sage, Elron – Blaster Blade= Cubic Magus - RG
Knight of Friendship, Kay – Knight of Loyalty, Bedivere = RG – RG
"Stand and draw." Tsubasa said as he made a small smile. "Align the shape of the stars with your brilliance and bring about your new grand order! Ride! Hexagonal Magus!" A copy of Briolette was used as cost.
Appearing in the field, the leader of the Magus appeared, ready to guide the people under her.
"Imaginary Gift, Protect, but you already guessed that didn't you?" Tsubasa asked with a smile as Takeru nodded. "I use Hexagonal's skill, I pay a counterblast, look at the top 2 card, put them on top of my deck in any order, then I draw one card." He said. "I then call Tetra Magus." He called it to the bottom left.
A magus with blonde hair then appeared and using her staff, allowed her leader to foresee and alter her future.
"With her skill I pay a counterblast, I then draw one card, and I put Psychic Bird on top of my deck." He added before calling another card behind his Vanguard. "I then call Cuore Magus!"
Behind Hexagonal, a girl in a pink outfit appeared, her staff raised up to lend her leader her power.
"With her skill, I check the top 2 cards of my deck, then put them on top in any order. Then I call another Tetra Magus."
"Wait, but that means-" his worries were confirmed when Tsubasa revealed a Paisley Magus from his hand and placed it on top of his deck.
'That's bad, that means his top 2 cards are definitely critical triggers.' He thought as he looked at his hand. 'No Sentinels… I need to get a damage trigger.'
"I call Hexagonal and Rectangle Magus." He said as the two were placed in his front row.
To finalize the ranks, another Hexagonal and Rectangle appeared to support.
"Hexagonal attacks your Vanguard. And one thing I need to tell you, when I reveal a trigger, Hexagonal also gets 5000 like Rectangle." (Power: 20000)
"No guard." He reluctantly said, knowing that at most the power would rise to 50000.
(Drive Check- Paisley Magus- Critical)
(Drive Check- Psychic Bird- Critical)
"Double critical trigger, I give the power as a split between the two and give all the criticals to my Vanguard."
As Hexagonal grew in power she then went towards the knight and gave a high powered kick that basically knocked the knight into the wall.
"Damage trigger check!"
(Damage Check- Knight of Loyalty, Bedivere)
(Damage Check- Holy Knight Guardian)
(Damage Check- Alfred Early)
"Rectangle Magus attacks your Vanguard." Tsubasa immediately followed. (Power: 37000)
"Guard!" Takeru countered just as quick, using a Sicilus from his hand, along with the Flogal he drive checked and intercepting with both of his rear-guards, barely making it over.
"Hexagonal Magus attacks." (Power: 40000)
"… No guard." He said as he revealed the top card of his deck.
(Damage Check- Margal- Draw)
"It's not a heal, I lose."
"It was a good game nonetheless." Tsubasa told him. "If you had made it to your turn, it would have become much harder for me, since now you could stride."
"Was that also why you focused on drawing?" At that, his opponent nodded to his question. "I see, so I guess you read my strategy huh?"
"I do not mean any offense with this, only advise, if you wish to hear it?"
"If you have any helpful advice, I'd be grateful."
"You have a good strategy in mind, unfortunately, it is very predictable. You're too reliant on that card you have. If it's your only win condition, then people would just counter you."
"I see." He nodded, taking the advice in mind. "Thank you so much for telling me this Tsubasa-san."
"Please Takeru, you do not need to give me any formalities. I am grateful for a chance to face against you, as you too like me faced Souryu Leon, and was able to beat him whereas I could not. I only won because I have understood your strategy and you did not have a Sentinel in your hand. Were circumstances different it would have been a closer match."
"All the same, thank you as well." He said before noting that in the board at the center of the room, the team of Tsubasa was already marked with a 1. "Your team is the first seed then."
"Yes, I wish you luck for the rest of the event." The blonde said as he left, as now that since they have won enough to secure their first seed, the organizers had told them that they were free to go.
"Alright, time to prepare for the next match." The teen with blue hair told himself.
End of chapter
Thanks again for reading this chapter guys. See you all in the next chapter.