Chapter 65: TOURNAMENT
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I studied my opponents, an eclectic mix representing each faction.
The metal Golem towered over us all. It was a mess of random brass and copper plates carved with runes, shifting as it adjusted its stance. Steam hissed from the space between its joints.
To my right stood a Samurai warrior, her weathered armor telling tales of countless battles. Her katana remained sheathed, but her hand never left its hilt. Despite her stoic expression, her fingers tapped anxiously against the scabbard.
The bald Monk closed his eyes, prayer beads clicking softly between his fingers. Sweat beaded on his temple—whether from concentration or fear, I couldn''t tell.
The tattooed Amazon shield maiden cut an imposing figure. She wore blue armor adorned with sapphire-embedded patterns. Her shield looked ancient, decorated with carvings and runes. But I could see her unease from how she shifted her weight from one foot to another.
An older Emperor wizard robed in purple stood perfectly still, his eyes under white bushy eyebrows darting rapidly between us. His ornate garb couldn''t hide the slight tremor in his hands.
The last competitor was a Jingozi, standing among us like another player. Its black robes were undulating and twisting, with the usual smoke curling beneath its floating form. The metal mask differed from those above—a knotted skeletal owl face with one central black hole for an eye.
"This can''t be right," I muttered. Having a Jingozi compete against us seemed absurdly unfair. The others must have felt the same.
We formed a perfect circle of seven. I realized my hands were clenched into fists, so I forced them to relax. The floating Jingozi above us continued their silent observation. Jingo''s gaze stayed on me the whole time.
The notifications began.
YOU HAVE BEEN INVITED TO A JINGOZI TOURNAMENT
MATCH 1
Do you accept? [Yes/No]
Like we have a choice…
"Um, excuse me," I said, projecting as much confidence as possible. "What if I say no?"
All the other Jingozi ominously rotated midair to look down on me. A cacophony of whispers erupted, which I could barely make out.
"What is the meaning of this?"
"The Ninja is a Judgment Dealer."
"Impossible."
"Yes, it has always been possible."
"This has not happened since the Emperor anomaly."
"Then, you know it is possible."
"It is heresy."
"The Old Covenant is clear…"
"The Ninja is forfeit, and the vessel must be destroyed."
"If the Ninja accepts, by decree, she has a legitimate claim."
The whispers overwhelmed my thoughts. But I know what I heard.
"The Emperor?" I interrupted. "You mean Edric?"
BE SILENT.
The text notification came with a buzzing voice that rattled my brain. I shook my head and steadied myself.
"Jingo?" I whispered.
YES. DO NOT SPEAK. ACCEPT THE INVITATION OR YOU WILL FORFEIT. YOU WILL NOT BE PERMITTED TO RETURN TO YOUR DIMENSION AND BE TRAPPED HERE FOR THE REMAINDER OF YOUR DAYS.
"Why are you in my head… err… on my interface?"
YOUR INTERFACE AND I ARE ONE. AND YOU ARE MY CHAMPION IN THIS TOURNAMENT.
"That makes no sense. How am I your champion?"
WIN AND ALL WILL BE REVEALED.
Seriously? What the actual fuck is going on right now?
"Ember-san," another voice entered my thoughts. "Enter the tournament, and I will guide you."
"Shogun?" I spoke in my mind. "How are you speaking to me?"
"Yes. And I do not know."
I knew as soon as I asked. This was my gift.
"Accept, Ember-san. We have no time."
"Fine," I let out a long, dramatic sigh for show. "Yes, I accept the invitation to your stupid tournament."
The other players suddenly snapped to attention, their bodies rigid. The Golem''s eyes blazed orange, while the Samurai''s burned with golden fire. The Monk''s eyes shone emerald green, the Amazon''s sapphire blue, and the Emperor''s royal purple.
Above us, the floating Jingozi''s eye sockets lit up in corresponding colors—one for each player below. Like puppet masters, each Jingozi seemed connected to its chosen vessel.
But Jingo''s eyes remained dark, with those rainbow dots swirling in endless patterns. And the Jingozi player among us stood motionless, its empty eye sockets devoid of glow.
My stomach dropped as I realized that the Jingozi weren''t just observing—they controlled the other players directly as their vessels. And that lone Jingozi competitor was playing itself.
Am I the only vessel from another dimension? I wasn''t specific enough when asking Pipp. Now, my assumptions might have been way off. I might be the only one, but what would that mean?
I glanced at Jingo again, my mind racing with even more questions. If each Jingozi controlled a player, why wasn''t Jingo controlling me? Is that what it meant to be his champion? Wasn''t that a major risk on his part? I could throw the math and screw him over.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!
The other players swayed in perfect unison, glowing eyes fixed straight ahead. Their movements were unnaturally smooth, synchronized like dancers in some macabre ballet. It was unsettling to watch these players—these vessels—manipulated like marionettes.
A notification flashed.
YOU HAVE ENTERED THE JINGOZI TOURNAMENT
Match 1
Player(s):
<ol>
<li>
Lockramm [Monk]
</li>
<li>
Suzume Sato [Samurai]
</li>
<li>
Baochi Yi [Monk]
</li>
<li>
Xenya [Amazon]
</li>
<li>
Archalis [Emperor]
</li>
<li>
Prr*vk [Jingozi]
</li>
</ol>
"Why aren''t they using mind control on me?" I mentally asked.
"In a tournament, a Jingozi may compete themselves, control a vessel, or allow a vessel to be their champion by granting it free will," the Shogun replied. "Prepare yourself and draw your cards."
The other players were already loading their hands. I examined mine.
HAND: [4/4] [Evolve] [Evolve] [2/4] [1/7]
Zii: 100
Cards: 57
The two [Evolve] cards were a nice early draw. But the critical question was whether to mulligan and look for my champion card. I swapped the [4/4] and [2/4], hoping to get lucky.
HAND: [Evolve] [Evolve] [1/7] [Silence] [Evolve]
Zii: 100
Cards: 57
"Shit," I muttered. My only playable card was a [1/7]. I spun it to become a [7/1] and committed it with 1 Zii.
The Golem was first to act, charging straight at me with a hammer fist. I''d seen Cragmarr execute that very attack dozens of times. As its metal fists crashed into the arena floor, I leaped into the air. The shockwave rippled outward, fracturing the obsidian surface into a spiderweb of cracks.
Below me, chaos erupted. The Samurai warrior lunged at the Amazon, her katana singing through the air. Metal screeched against metal as blade met shield. The Amazon countered with a brutal shield bash that sent the Samurai like a ragdoll skidding across the floor.
To my left, the Monk launched at the Emperor wizard, his fists trailing mystical green energy. The wizard threw up a barrier of crackling darkness just in time. After deflecting the Monk''s attack, the wizard hurled a fireball in retaliation.
The Jingozi twisted the space around it, bending reality to redirect the fireball toward the metal Golem. Flames exploded, engulfing the Golem in an inferno.
Using the debris hurtling toward me as cover, I slid behind the Monk with my sword, ready to strike. He spun with impossible speed, his glowing palm catching my blade inches from his chest, but it wasn''t enough. My blade sliced downward across his hand and into his thigh, striking the bone.
The Samurai seized the opening and pounced, her katana flashing like lightning. As a fire shot, I threw my card mid-motion, forcing her to break off her attack to deflect it away.
The Amazon''s shield spun through the air like a deadly disc, shattering the Emperor''s dark barrier. He countered with a bolt of black lightning, causing her to dive and roll to retrieve her shield. The bolt struck the Jingozi. But the Emperor cried out as the Samurai''s blade raked across his back, just as I executed a similar sneak attack, knocking the Amazon to the ground.
The Samurai and I locked eyes across the chaos as we circled each other. Our cards were tied. She played a [7/3] against my [7/1]. The other players had lost the hand, now succumbing to their wounds.
POWER CARD AVAILABLE:
Silence I
Costing 7 Zii, I played the [Silence] card, firing at the Samurai''s chest, followed by a sweeping swing with my sword. She moved to parry, but as ninjato and katana clashed, her weapon shattered into pieces. The shards cut into her face as my blade found the space between her shoulder armor and upper arm.
Her eyes glowed impassively as she accepted defeat and the result of the hand.
EMBER [NINJA] WINS THE HAND
Reward: 6 Zii
As they picked themselves off the ground, one Zii coin from each player jumped into my outstretched palm. It was a temporary victory at best. Despite winning 1 Zii from every player, it cost me 8 Zii to make it happen.
"A foolish use of resources," the Shogun''s voice popped into my head. "Whatever magic card you played would have been better saved for a more opportune moment."
He was right, but I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction.
"I''m just warming up," I said, faking my bravado. "You know… giving them false confidence."
"Indeed."
My hand automatically re-loaded with a status update.
HAND: [Evolve] [Evolve] [Evolve] [5/1] [Shade Strike]
Zii: 99
Cards: 55
I wanted to slow down and plan properly. Instead, a notification and timer popped up on my interface.
YOU HAVE 30 SECONDS TO PREPARE FOR THE NEXT HAND.
I didn’t expect a shot clock like in a regular poker tournament.
The other players prepared their cards for the new hand.
“You must hurry,” the Shogun’s voice prompted.
“Shut up and let me think,” I blurted.
I could have played the [5/1] with [Shade Strike], which was a +2 buff, making my card a [7/1]. But if the other players were saving their best cards for the second hand, I''d lose without another card to play in case of a tie. But with all the [Evolve] power cards in my hand, I could afford to lose a few hands and wait for the right combo.
I played my [5/1] with the minimum 1 Zii and braced for impact.
This time, the Golem didn''t miss. A metal backhand sent me reeling into the air and crashing to the ground. I lost consciousness. And by the time I regained my senses, the Jingozi was collecting 5 Zii from every player.
"I know the damage isn''t permanent, but ouch, that hurt," I muttered.
I swore I heard the faintest grunt of stifled laughter from the Shogun as I checked my next hand. The timer reset to thirty seconds.
HAND: [Evolve] [Evolve] [Evolve] [Shade Strike] [Death Strike]
Zii: 93
Cards: 54
"Well, that''s not going to work, will it? I only have power cards. Any ideas?" I asked.
"Discard [Shade Strike] and two [Evolve] cards," Shogun replied.
"Those [Evolve] cards are pretty powerful."
"Not without the right cards to play them based on the description. You only need one, which they will be unable to counter."
"Okay, so you have a point."
I paid 3 Zii to discard and redraw three cards. It wasn''t what I wanted, but it would do.
HAND: [Evolve] [Death Strike] [Force Field I] [4/1] [5/2]
Zii: 90
Cards: 51
"I think I''m gonna have to tank this hand," I told the Shogun. "But just in case..."
I committed the 1 Zii after spinning the [4/1] to make it a [1/4]. The other players burst into action.
The metal Golem''s chest split open with a thunderous crack. A geyser of molten lava erupted from within, spraying upward in a blazing column. The magma twisted and churned midair, coalescing into a new form—a gargantuan female humanoid shape with six arms on the top and a long serpent tail made of living lava at the bottom.
"Holy shit," I gasped, watching the Emperor and Monk catch the brunt of the molten spray. Their agonized screams filled the battlefield as their clothes and flesh began to burn. Even the Jingozi wasn''t spared, its dark robes melting away like wax under intense heat.
That has to be the Golem''s champion card.
My interface confirmed it. The Golem''s card was a [9/9] Royal Champion Queen card.
The Amazon warrior launched herself skyward, gracefully avoiding the lava spray. Her body twisted in mid-leap as a crystalline form—another Amazon made of ice—emerged from her back. With impossible speed, the new Amazon began firing an endless barrage of ice spears. Each projectile struck the lava monster, steam hissing violently where ice met magma. The spears formed a cage around the original metal golem, trapping it in an ice prison.
The Amazon had also played a champion—an Amazon Queen—but it was a [10/10] Royal King card. And now that champion was targeting me. Of course, my champion was buried in my deck somewhere…
Everything moved in slow motion as a notification popped, presenting my options.
POWER CARDS AVAILABLE:
<ul>
<li>
Force Field I
</li>
<li>
Death Strike
</li>
</ul>
[Death Strike] would add +5 and turn my [1/4] card into a [6/4]. My original plan was to play it if an attack score of six would be strong enough to beat the other cards. That option was out against a [10/10] champion card. [Force Field], however, would only cost me 1 Zii.
Force Field it is…
The battle resumed its normal pace while frozen missiles hurtled straight at me. I threw the [Force Field] card with a defensive wrist snap and winced, not knowing what to expect. The card burst into a shower of glowing glyphs, exploding outward in a spiral pattern. The symbols danced and swirled like fireflies caught in a whirlwind.
All the action stopped. The other players froze mid-motion. A frozen spear hung inches from my face. Even the floating Jingozi above us became as still as statues.
A blinding flash filled the arena, forcing me to shield my eyes. When I lowered my arm, the scene had reset. The other players stood in their original positions as if the round had never begun, and their injuries vanished.
But scattered across the black obsidian floor were dozens of glowing Zii coins. They pulsed with their respective faction colors as unclaimed rewards for the hand.
EMBER [NINJA] HAS ENDED THE HAND
All Zii rewards will be frozen until they are won during a hand.
"That was most impressive," the Shogun whispered in my mind. "Where did you attain such cards?"
"Wouldn''t you like to know?" I said.