Episode Ten: Rules of Engagement

   Manifest: A Shattered Future

        (Author's note: This chapter was written primarily to serve as an example of every core mechanic of Interitus: Manifest, complete with pictures. It will show every rule that could come up in the starter decks. That is why this episode is being posted out of order. For more information, please see the Rulebook)

Episode Ten: Rules of Engagement

 

“Unfortunately the Elder monk is somewhat indisposed at the moment, but he’s asked me to lead you through a demonstration on the proper way we conduct matches. You may choose to play your cards differently in battle when your life is on the line, but the monks in every city recognize these rules as official. Are you ready to observe?” asked Kasser.

Elena nodded excitedly as she glanced across the monastery chamber. She saw markings on the ground where both monks stood in position, separated from each other by a sizable distance. While she already knew Kasser and his strategies in battle, she knew less about the other monk. Sorya stood at the far end of the hall, shuffling a collection of spell cards as she waited. While Elena had not yet met her, she was far more interested in observing her strategy at work. Elena stumbled over to the monastery wall and set her back against it, balancing the rest of her weight on her only leg.

Kasser drew five cards from his own deck of spell cards and said, “In an official match, both conjurors start by drawing five cards. We organize our play into turns, and you’ll draw one at the start of each turn. Just not your first turn! Now, I’ll lose this match if I end my turn without a sorcerer of some kind, so I should pick one to manifest. I want to manifest my Defender of the Underground, a blue sorcerer, so I’ll have to use my blue crest. Actually, come to think of it, I’ll manifest two sorcerers!”

The monk smiled as he clashed his blue monolith and green monoliths together, colliding them at their centers of percussion. Both monoliths resonated forcefully, synchronizing with frequencies passing through the air. Kasser then set them on the ground and took a step back, watching as they each unleashed a vortex of colorful energy. Flashes of blue and green sparks spiraled up from the ground, manifesting a pair of sorcerers in the radiant expulsion.

“Wow! When I manifested twice, it really tired me out. I had to catch my breath; I couldn’t catch my breath!” Elena commented as she watched.

“By the official rules, you’re only permitted to manifest twice per turn. That said, it takes so much energy that I can’t imagine going further even if I wanted! That said, the two-per turn limit applies even if you find some other way to manifest,” Kasser explained as he compelled his two sorcerers to advance.

While his Defender of the Underground moved as much as it could, that being two large steps forward, the Builder of Hidden Bridges did not use its fastest speed. Instead, Kasser compelled it to stop a short distance away, and then he passed his Builder a pair of cards. He then commanded it to cast one of the spells immediately; the Builder of Hidden Bridges enchanted itself with the magic of Armor of Living Rock.

After encasing himself in an armor made of rock, the Builder of Hidden Bridges advanced toward the enemy. Still, it did not use its full speed; Kasser compelled it to step aside and stop so that he could end his turn. Elena watched with wonder as Kasser positioned his sorcerers, using his Builder to protect his Defender.

“I’ll use my blue monolith to manifest the Demon of Dancing Dust!” Sorya exclaimed with a pensive voice, striking her blue monolith with a miniature hammer.

Once her blue monolith reached resonant frequency, Sorya set it on the ground and let it unleash an expulsion of azure sparks. An entity manifested inside the blue barrage, and it emerged from the light facing the Builder of Hidden Bridges. Sorya passed it a pair of cards and compelled it to advance; it raced across the battlefield and kicked up a fearsome breeze. When it reached its enemy, the Demon of Dancing Dust kicked up a stream of searing sand to invigorate its strike. However, the Builder of Hidden Bridges deflected the strike by sacrificing its Armor of Living Rock.

“Demon of Dancing Dust, cast the enchantment Pantomime Conduit!” Sorya yelled to her sorcerer.

The Demon of Dancing Dust unleashed the magic of the spell card it carried, causing an energetic expulsion which danced between light and shadow. The light converged to form a colorless monolith beside Sorya, but the shadow danced into the form of a Pantomime Conduit. It spiraled air around itself as it advanced a short distance, and then the conduit used this wind magic to assail the Builder of Hidden Bridges. While the Builder seemed to easily withstand the attack, Sorya compelled her Conduit to step aside.

When Sorya ended her turn, Kasser drew a card and then passed his Defender of the Underground a card. He commanded his Builder to step aside, and then the Defender marched into the middle of the battlefield with its axe held high. After moving at full speed, it passed a card over to its ally. The Builder of Hidden Bridges then released the magic of its Earth Territory chant, transforming the battlefield with rock formations and fracture-like cracks.

Tectonic energy surged through the fractures and empowered the Defender of the Underground. It swung its enormous blade at the Demon of Dancing Dust, but it merely struck a whirlwind of dust; the Demon surfed the wind and reformed itself elsewhere in the area. But because its attack missed, the Defender instead turned its blade on the Pantomime Conduit—wiping it out in a single strike. And though the Builder of Hidden Bridges had enough speed to invade Sorya’s territory, Kasser instead compelled it to chase the elusive Demon. With nowhere to run, the Demon of Dancing Dust had to withstand the crushing impact of the Builder's strike. While it reeled from the damage, Sorya winced because she knew she could not fight back; the Defender of the Underground had seen to that. When Kasser ended his turn, a surge of white magic coursed through the fractured battlefield, lightly healing both the Demon and the Builder.

“With Defender protecting the Builder, I don’t have a lot of options. I could manifest another sorcerer, but… then I can’t use that color later. I’ve got another plan!” said Sorya.

When Sorya drew a card, she wanted to pass it to her Demon of Dancing Dust. But since it was outside her back region, she could not pass it a card; she instead compelled it to retreat so she could arm it with a hidden spell. After this, she spurred her sorcerer to race through her back region and then jump back into the center. Due to its Earth-based magic, the Earth Territory empowered the Demon of Dancing Dust. Clouds of dust flew up behind its feet as it raced across the battleground, and then it struck the Defender of the Underground with streams of searing sand.

“Alright, Demon! Cast the scroll Fury in the Sky Prison! It may be a one-time boost, but that might just be all it will take,” Sorya exclaimed.

By unleashing the teal magic of Fury in the Sky Prison, the Demon of Dancing Dust empowered itself with anger. It dealt a second strike with sandstorms, assailing the Defender with so much strength that it nearly collapsed. But since the Demon could not move after this attack, Sorya decided to end her turn. A teal glow illuminated her deck of cards, and then a new card materialized in her hand. White magic surged from the fractures in the battlefield and empowered every sorcerer, marginally healing them all.

As he drew a card, Kasser said, “Very nice! A restock effect will keep your resources up. That was a nice choice, but I’ve got a restock spell of my own! Builder of Hidden Bridges, cast your Earthquake Benevolence. Transform the battlefield again!”

As the entire monastery seemed to shake, two adjacent spots on the battleground began to glow with vibrant light. Though they both glowed purple at first, one ended with a mythical glow while the other shone with white magic. Kasser compelled his Builder of Hidden Bridges to step upon the first enchanted space, triggering a luminous energy which surrounded Kasser. The monk grinned as his skin began to glow lightly with aethereal radiance.

“I’m still afraid of Aether. I still don’t understand Aether. What is it?” Elena asked.

Kasser answered, “It’s nothing by itself—a resource in the form of energy. Some spells let us grow our Aether, while other spells will burn through it as cost. But both are useless without the other. Many conjurors ignore it altogether, save a fearsome few who dedicate their strategy to it.”

The Builder of Hidden Bridges then passed onto the Heal Hearth, igniting a surge of white magic. Having nearly replenished its health entirely, the Builder then struck its own ally. However, Kasser compelled his sorcerer to use its ability; the Earth magic transformed into white magic which healed the Defender. Satisfied with his defenses, Kasser commanded his Defender of the Underground to swing its mighty axe again. He figured that the Demon of Dancing Dust would use its power to jolt away, but instead Sorya compelled it to unleash a vicious spell.

“Astral Rejection! Now your Defender is too slow to move at all! Reactive spells can be tricky at first, since you need to wait for them to meet their condition… but it really came through this time,” Sorya said with a smile as Kasser’s Builder retreated.

“Nice move! That’s a deadly curse. I may not have a way around it, but I can absolutely stop you from hitting me back. I’ll manifest a third sorcerer to come to the rescue! Come on out, the Sandstorm Sorcerer!” yelled Kasser.

By striking his black monolith with a miniature hammer, Kasser forced it to unleash a barrage of black light. Shards of dark energy spiraled from the stone as a cloaked silhouette appeared, engulfed in blinding shadow. When the manifestation was complete, Kasser passed his new sorcerer a card and compelled it to rapidly advance. The Earth Territory empowered it with the speed it needed to close the distance, and it crossed onto the enchanted ground as it moved. The glow which surrounded Kasser grew slightly brighter as a result.

Since it was the only fighter he had left, Kasser compelled his Sandstorm Sorcerer to attack the Demon of Dancing Dust. The Sorcerer’s cloak shifted wildly in the sandy winds it summoned, but the Demon used its ability to surf the wind away. It threw itself to the corner of the rocky battlefield, still safe from the enemy’s onslaught. Kasser smiled widely at his opponent’s ingenuity, but then he commanded his Builder to advance once more. By stepping again on the Heal Hearth, it used white magic to heal the last of its own wounds.

“Your defenses are incredible! But give me a chance to show that mine are too,” Kasser said with a grin.

Sorya and Elena both watched with confusion as the Sandstorm Sorcerer passed its spell card backward. The Builder of Hidden Bridges received the spell from its cloaked ally, but then it passed the card along to the Defender of the Underground. By slamming his foot upon the earth, the mighty sorcerer unleashed the magic of Wall of Solid Rock.

As a wall of rock ascended from the ground and forced the monastery to shake violently, Sorya exclaimed, “I see! With your Sandstorm Sorcerer plugging the hole in the wall, I can’t get through to your Defender! But I also can’t hurt your Sandstorm Sorcerer because of Defender’s effect. That’s an incredible combination!”

Kasser beamed with pride as he ended his turn. A pink glow forced a card to materialize into his hand from his deck, and then white magic surged through the cracked battleground. It partly mended both the Demon and the Defender, but Kasser’s other two sorcerers were fighting with full health. The healing magic simply did not affect them. Sorya drew a card to start her turn, and then she compelled her Demon of Dancing Dust to take a backward step. She passed it two cards from her hand, forced it to advance, and forced it to use one of the cards it had just acquired.

“Chain Reaction: Portal Formation! In addition to forming a portal beside my Demon, this spell conjures any Chain Reaction spell from my deck—my Chain Reaction: Air! While I fully intend to cast it, my goal for now is to complete the portal. You have a very impressive wall! But it doesn’t matter for much if I portal my way past it,” Sorya said with a bright smile.

“If you’re getting past my wall, you’ll need a second portal! What exactly do you have in mind?” asked Kasser.

“Something that will change the entire battlefield! Demon of Dancing Dust, cast the Territory spell I gave you: Involuntary Battleground! Not only will I harness its power to produce another portal, but it will wipe away your Earth Territory. Each region can only have one Territory in effect at a time!” Sorya explained.

Elena watched with wonder as the Demon’s magic spread across the center of the battleground. The fractures in the monastery floor sealed shut, and the broken rock transformed into a dreary arena. In just a matter of seconds, Sorya harnessed the Involuntary Battleground’s power; she spawned a spiraling portal on the other side of the rock wall. The Demon of Dancing Dust then jumped into the first portal and popped out through the new one. With streams of searing sand, the Demon assaulted the Defender of the Underground and nearly brought it down. The mighty warrior nearly withstood the attack, but Sorya’s sorcerer had not completed its onslaught.

“It’s normally not smart to cast two Chain Reaction spells in the same turn; it breaks the chain and stops you from searching! But in this case, I think it’s worth using the spell he searched. Demon of Dancing Dust! Unleash your Chain Reaction: Air!” Sorya commanded.

A powerful stream of wind surged across the battleground and converged upon the Defender of the Underground. The tornadic winds airlifted the sorcerer, battering it with ruthless winds. The deadly vortex then threw the Defender of the Underground back to its vibrating monolith, where it clung to the last of its life. The Demon of Dancing Dust then used its last step to jump into the portal; it emerged back on the other end, jamming the portal. Sorya ended her turn, and then the Involuntary Battleground sent streams of fire across both back regions. The flames engulfed the mighty Defender and forced it to shatter into shards of glowing light. Kasser’s blue monolith stopped reverberating at that moment, so he returned it to his jacket with an impressed nod.

“Not bad! You blocked the portal, just like my sorcerers blocked the other two landmarks! Not only that, but you brought down my sorcerer. However… yours will soon see the same fate! Sandstorm Sorcerer, advance and attack!” Kasser declared.

A violent expulsion of sand engulfed the Demon of Dancing Dust, causing it to shatter. As blue sparks lit the falling sand, Kasser smiled and compelled his Builder of Hidden Bridges to retreat to his vicinity. He passed it a single spell and then compelled it to unleash its mighty magic.

“Underground Invocation! Ha, this is probably the strongest scroll in my deck! It gives me the power to manifest a sorcerer I normally can’t access! This ritual will manifest my Phantom of Lost Sandcastles,” Kasser said with excitement.

The luminous magic of the Builder’s spell converged power from the earth with plasma from the air. The radiant expulsion convened in the form of a colorless stone which fell beside Kasser’s other monoliths, but the reaction left behind the silhouette of a new sorcerer. The cloaked Phantom lifted its hand, using its magic to materialize a card into Kasser’s hand from his deck.

“It might be weak, but its ability is incredible,” Sorya raved.

“I’m sure this won’t come as a surprise, but I’ve used its magic to retrieve my Defense of Jagged Rock! I trust you know what that means,” said Kasser.

Sorya nodded as Kasser shuffled his hand. He then passed a card from his hand to his Builder of Hidden Bridges. While the Phantom of Lost Sandcastles only advanced partway through the battlefield, the Builder of Hidden Bridges took off running. It jumped into the portal, appeared beside its ally, and passed along the card it was given. The Builder then struck the rock wall behind itself, failing to break through. Using the last of its speed, Kasser compelled the Builder of Hidden Bridges to jump aside and then jump back into the portal—emerging through and plugging the other end. He then moved his Sandstorm Sorcerer to plug the other end of the portal. Kasser smiled, pleased with the way he had locked down the battlefield. However, he forgot to account for the Involuntary Battleground; its fiery scourge afflicted his Phantom of Lost Sandcastles.

As she struck her red monolith with a miniature hammer, Sorya took a deep breath and caused a red vortex of radiant light. Crimson energy blazed through the air and shrouded the arrival of a new sorcerer, silhouetted by the flashes of plasma. Blazing light danced around her as she manifested the Captain of the Luminous Sky, and then she compelled him to push through her region.

“I’m not walking into your trap! The Defense of Jagged Rocks spell will stop me if I strike in the same region… but my Captain’s just over the line!” Sorya exclaimed.

While Kasser smiled at Sorya’s ingenuity, Elena faced Sorya’s sorcerer, used her right hand to salute, and said, “Cap’n!”

The Captain of the Luminous Sky swung its shimmering sword, striking the Sandstorm Sorcerer with excessive strength. In the midst of the attack, both sorcerers invoked abilities that impacted the other. The Sandstorm Sorcerer kicked up an assault with high-speed sand, but the Captain withstood this as storm winds threw his enemy to a short distance. As the wind and sand died back down, Sorya gazed at her hand before passing two cards to her sorcerer. She then compelled it to cast a fearsome spell.

A mythical glow illuminated the Sandstorm Sorcerer as it stood in the corner, but Sorya turned her attention elsewhere. By harnessing the power of Involuntary Battleground, she forced a new portal to spawn on the other side of the rock wall. Since the Captain had moved its enemy, it jumped into the mouth of a previously-blocked portal. It then emerged through the newest portal, and it used the last of its speed to step into enemy territory.

“That’s not a bad idea! If you reached my black monolith, you could have hit that and done the same damage; I couldn’t possibly stop you! But unfortunately… your Captain is out of speed and already attacked. What’s your plan now?” asked Kasser.

As she nearly jumped with giddiness, Sorya said, “It’s not the same sorcerer anymore! Or at least it won’t be. Captain of the Luminous Sky! Cast your Scroll of Transformation!”

The Captain of the Luminous Sky used its spell to undergo a sudden transformation. A geyser of red light engulfed both the Captain and its monolith. As she watched the Captain transform into Summoner of Cyclones, Elena nearly fell off the wall from excitement; she hopped twice on her left leg before settling herself. Once the Summoner of Cyclones fully materialized, it lunged forward and struck Kasser’s black monolith. Cyclonic winds gleamed with light as they bombarded the monolith, greatly weakening its connection to the Sandstorm Sorcerer. Sorya then compelled her new sorcerer to race backward, jump back through the new portal, and step into her back region.

“My Summoner of Cyclones has an incredible ability—one that lets it pull any air spell from my deck!” Sorya declared.

Sorya discarded a card from her hand, using its magic to fuel her sorcerer. It then materialized another card into her hand from her deck, and she passed the card to her Summoner. Using the last of its movement, Sorya compelled her sorcerer to advance and jam the portal; she then ended her turn. The Involuntary Battleground caused another spiraling scourge of fire to storm the back regions. Kasser winced as he saw the flames engulf his Sandstorm Sorcerer and his Phantom of Lost Sandcastles. The blaze caused his Sandstorm Sorcerer to shatter into shards of black light, and his black monolith fell still. He sighed, knowing that he could not use it again. But when the last shard of black light faded, the Divination of the Howling Heavens took effect. Sorya ignited with a mythical glow, and she shone with a radiance that made Kasser’s look dim in comparison.

“That was a pretty heavy move, but now it’s my turn to fight back. Builder of Hidden Bridges! Race between the rock walls and strike,” Kasser commanded.

Kasser’s sorcerer dashed across the battleground, stepping upon both the Heal Hearth and the Aether Access along the way. While the Heal Hearth failed to replenish its already-full health, the Aether Access narrowly brightened the smiling monk’s glow. However, Sorya showed no signs of concern. The Builder of Hidden Bridges attempted to attack with Earth magic, but Sorya compelled her sorcerer to save itself.

The magic of Aetherogo Vortices sacrificed a portion of Sorya’s glowing Aether, using it to fuel an incredible updraft. The exceptional winds blocked the Builder’s attack and airlifted it to a short distance. Kasser quickly realized that his sorcerer could become trapped outside of the Involuntary Battleground, so he compelled it to retreat. However, the Summoner of Cyclones blocked its path; the Builder just wasn’t fast enough to escape. At the same time, Kasser passed a card to his Phantom of Lost Sandcastles and forced it to advance.

“My Phantom is ordinarily too slow to reach, but with this spell, it won’t be an issue! Phantom, enchant yourself with the Earthquake of the Rook!” said Kasser.

While harnessing the power of its enchantment, the Phantom of Lost Sandcastles sent a deadly tremor coursing underground. This tremor bypassed the rock wall and struck Sorya’s sorcerer with a pair of rock-spikes. The Summoner of Cyclones was grievously wounded by this assault, but then Kasser chose to end his turn. The Involuntary Battleground unleashed another spiral of fire, punishing the Builder of Hidden Bridges for standing outside the arena. Sorya drew a card, invoked her Summoner of Cyclones’ ability, discarded a card from her hand, and then acquired a new spell from her deck. She then called back her sorcerer, passed it a card, and compelled it to jump into the portal. When it emerged beside the Phantom of Lost Sandcastles, it dealt a cyclonic strike which shattered the enemy.

After striking her green monolith at its center of percussion, Sorya said, “Come on out, Dancing Wind Priestess! She might not be strong enough to take down Builder, but you’ll find it hard to hit her.”

The Dancing Wind Priestess materialized in a geyser of green light. As emerald sparks illuminated the monastery, the Priestess raced into motion and assailed the Builder of Hidden Bridges with spiraling wind. The air magic nearly brought the Builder down, but then Sorya moved her priestess so that it jammed a portal point. She then compelled her Summoner of Cyclones to march until it reached the Heal Hearth, partially replenishing its health. When Sorya ended her turn, the fiery scourge swept across the battlefield and burned the Builder of Hidden Bridges.

After drawing a card, Kasser invoked the power of the Involuntary Battleground for his first time. He spawned a portal directly beside the Dancing Wind Priestess, and then he commanded his Builder of Hidden Bridges to jump into it. When it emerged through the other end, the Builder stepped into Kasser’s back region where he passed it a spell card. With a deep breath, Kasser compelled his sorcerer to invoke a spell called The Bond of the Buried.

Invigorated by this newest spell, the Builder of Hidden Bridges raced into motion. It closed in on the Summoner of Cyclones and attacked with its enchanted strength. The barrage of earth magic caused Sorya’s Summoner to shatter; red shards danced across the monastery as her red monolith fell still. Kasser grinned as he compelled his Builder to advance, and when it stepped upon the Aether Access, his aethereal glow grew in strength.

“Looks like we’re getting to the end!” Kasser exclaimed as a swirl of fire blazed across the battlefield.

Sorya nodded, struck her black monolith with her hammer, and said, “That’s true! I’m down to my last sorcerer, but it’s the only one I need! Manifest! Rider of Fearsome Gusts!”

The silhouette of a new sorcerer first appeared in a vortex of black energy. Light and shadow danced through cyclonic winds, and in mere seconds, a lanky creature made of cloud materialized from the monolith. Sorya passed it a pair of cards as it took its first step forward.

Sorya compelled her newest sorcerer to race across the battlefield, and then it converged the clouds in a harrowing strike. Kasser winced as he watched his Builder of Hidden Bridges shatter, but then the magic of Bond of the Buried materialized back into his hand. When this happened, Sorya realized with concern that her opponent held many cards in his hand—as if he were saving up for a grand finale. For that reason, she compelled her Dancing Wind Priestess to take a backward step. The Rider of Fearsome Gusts then stepped aside, plugging the portal point on which the Priestess first stood. Sorya then moved her Dancing Wind Priestess until it stood on the adjacent portal.

“Nice move! You blocked both portals and jammed the rock wall with a sorcerer who can’t be attacked. That combo could end any enemy! …Except, of course, for someone who planned for this from the very start,” Kasser taunted.

After fire swept across the back regions, Kasser drew a card and struck his red monolith with a miniature hammer. An expulsion of spiraling red light manifested a dark warrior who ascended from the underground like a shadow. Elena tilted her head as she saw this sorcerer’s lurid gaze, unable to tell if it were heartbroken or heartless. When Aeris the Midnight Warrior fully materialized, Kasser passed it four spells and then compelled it to advance. Just before it went too far, Kasser used the power of Involuntary Battleground for his final time; he spawned a fifth portal right beside the enemy’s Dancing Wind Priestess. Aeris jumped feet-first into the nearest portal and emerged from the new one, but then Kasser compelled it to cast a spell.

“Go, Aeris! Enchant his Rider with your Earthbound Anomaly,” Kasser called out.

As the earthen enchantment afflicted her Rider of Fearsome Gusts, Sorya stepped back and said, “But all his spells are Air! In fact… I don’t have a single Earth spell in my whole deck! Does that mean Rider will never cast another spell?”

“None of your sorcerers will. Priestess has an ability that protects her from attacks, but she can’t defend her monolith,” Kasser explained.

Kasser compelled Aeris the Midnight Warrior to advance deep into enemy territory. It walked right up to her green monolith and struck with all its strength, shattering the connection between it and Dancing Wind Priestess. The sorceress faded instead of shattering, but Kasser was not done here. He compelled Aeris to cast The Bond of the Buried to enchant itself, but this was not the only spell. As Aeris prepared to cast the next spell in his hand, Kasser flexed every muscle in his glowing body.

When Aeris unleashed its Ultimate Ritual, its body ignited with a burst of golden light. The same glow illuminated Kasser as he shouted aloud, fueling his sorcerer’s spell with his own injury. Elena and Sorya watched with amazement as this new spell enchanted Aeris with a protective cloak. Even when Kasser ended his turn, heaving for breath, the Involuntary Battleground failed to affect Aeris. Flames scoured both back regions, but Aeris stood undisturbed.

Fighting to catch his breath, Kasser said, “That was my Ultimate Ritual, my Heart of Gaia Invocation! The problem is, it takes so much energy that I couldn’t possibly use another. Each conjuror can only cast a single Ultimate Ritual, but most don’t have the strength to even manage that.”

“So I’m out of other sorcerers, they can’t cast spells, and… they wouldn’t affect Aeris anyway. Got it! But at least I can still strike,” Sorya decided.

Sorya compelled her Rider of Fearsome Gusts to jump into the adjacent portal, and then it emerged from the portal closest to the enemy’s red monolith. The Rider lunged forward and tried to bombard the monolith, but Kasser’s sorcerer did not take any damage. Instead, it guarded itself by invoking its Shields of Seismic Strength. In addition to simply deflecting the damage, the Shields stayed and enchanted Aeris, furthering his own power.

Sorya nodded with a sigh and said, “That’s it then, isn’t it?”

Kasser answered, “It is. But that was a truly excellent match.”

After the fire swept harmlessly across Aeris, Kasser drew a card and compelled his sorcerer to throw the final strike. Enchanted with earth magic and exceptional strength, Aeris swung a mighty blade upon his opponent’s monolith. This broke the connection between it and the Rider of Fearsome Gusts, causing Sorya’s last sorcerer to fade. Aeris the Midnight Warrior then retreated to the center of the battlefield, shimmering in fiery light as both back regions blazed. Sorya drew a card, but when she ended a turn without a sorcerer defending her, the match ended. Reigning victorious, Kasser stabilized his red monolith with his hands. Once it stopped vibrating, Aeris the Midnight Warrior disappeared from the battlefield.

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