Chapter 31: Wizard's Soil (Part 1)
The next day after school, I was walking alone down the hallway of the old school building.
"This should be the right place, yeah?"
I checked the location of the classroom on the handout I had with me.
There was a reason I had come here.
While browsing the club introduction pamphlet mostly for fun, I noticed a club that hadnât existed last yearâand it caught my interest.
Its name was ăWizardâs Soil Clubă.
Wizardâs Soilânicknamed Wisoâis a famous trading card game played all over the world. We got hooked on it back in middle school. We had to pause during exam season, but Iâd talked with Souta about picking it up again in high school. When we entered high school, we looked for a Wiso club, but couldnât find one, which was a bit disappointing.
Thatâs why I was curious when I saw that one had quietly sprung up, and ended up coming to the old school building where its room was located.
Today I was acting separately from Yuna. She was never interested in Wiso, and if I told her I wanted to play a boysâ card game now, sheâd definitely be exasperated.
Alsoâ
ââŚYuna needs to grow out of her sister obsession a little too.â
Since I became Alice, Yuna had gone out of her way to protect me in all kinds of ways. But the one inside Alice is still meâher older brother. I can handle things myself, so thereâs no need for her to stick around and fuss over me.
The clubroom was in one of the more secluded parts of the old building. A sliding door, worn with age, had a piece of drawing paper taped to it with ăWizardâs Soil Clubă scrawled in black marker.
âHellooo.â
I greeted the room as I opened the door. Inside was a six-mat-sized wooden room, and a boy and girl were in the middle of playing a game.
The two noticed me and paused their match to look up.
ââŚYouâre not stalking me, are you?â
The one who greeted me with that rude line and a sour face was none other than Souta.
âThatâs a hell of a way to start a conversation. Why would I ever do something like that?â
âThis isnât exactly the kind of place a normal girl would show up at.â
That comment was kinda rude to the girl he was playing against, wasnât it?
âSo? You need something from me?â
âNot from you specifically, but youâre playing Wiso, right? Mind if I watch?â
ââŚYou play Wiso?â
âI used to. When I heard there was a club, I got curious and decided to check it out.â
âYou really have changed, huhâŚâ
âStop calling me âyou.â I told you, itâs Alice.â
âYeah, yeah. Got itâAlice.â
âUm⌠Souta-san, who is this?â
The girl whoâd been playing with Souta asked, sounding a bit wary. Her voluminous twintails were adorned with decorative accessories, and she had sharp, well-defined facial featuresâshe looked like the very image of an elegant rich girl.
And her figure was stunningâcurves in all the right places. Especially her chest, which strained against her blazer and shirt so much it involuntarily drew my eyes. A red ribbon on her chest marked her as a second-year student.
ăWhat the heck is thisâŚ? Thatâs a cheat code. A total body stat cheat!ă
Alicia mumbled something incomprehensible inside my head. Lately, I feel like Aliciaâs been getting a bit too influenced by anime.
Anyway, not introducing myself would be rude.
âIâm Alice Kisaragi, a first-year. Souta⌠senpai and my older sister have been childhood friends for a long time, so we know each other through that.â
âI am Ryoka Hashimoto. Souta-san and I are the two members of the ăWizardâs Soil Clubă. Pleased to make your acquaintance.â
âŚNot sure how to react to that. Her appearance was already something, but her personalityâs pretty distinctive too.
âAnd Iâm Souta, the club president. Not that it means muchâweâre the only two members right now. Well, letâs get back to the game.â
âY-yes!â
The two returned their attention to the board and their cards.
I stood beside the table, watching the game unfold.
Ryoka seemed to have the advantage in both creature count and life points. It was currently her turn, and if this attack went through, sheâd probably win.
"This time, victory is mine! I attack with ăStarving Wolfă and ăMuscle Beară!"
"Before the attack, I play ăLoss of Spirită. Those two are exhausted and canât attack this turn. Also, I draw one card."
âGgh⌠Turn end!â
âThen itâs my turn. I draw⌠and end my turn.â
âMy turn! Drawâmy two revived creatures attack!â
âI play the spell ăHunterâs Trapă. It destroys both attacking creatures.â
âGgh⌠Then after combat, I summon ăAncient Wyrm of Olden Timesă!â
âI counter it with ăSummon Denială.â
ââŚTurn end.â
Hashimoto-san looks like sheâs about to cry⌠Brutal. While sheâs still way ahead in life points, Souta has more cards in handâand now her field is empty.
âMy turn. Draw. I summon Guardian Angel and end my turn.â
âMy turn. Draw⌠Iâve drawn it! Answer my call and descend from eternity, King of DestructionâăCrimson Vermilion Ancient Dragon Argeranteă!!!â
ăThis game is kind of cool!ă
âŚNo, Alicia, Iâm pretty sure this isnât how youâre supposed to play it.
âOkay then, my turn. Draw. I play ăEnslavement SpellăâIâll be taking control of Argerante.â
âAhhhâmy precious ArgeranteâŚâ
Hashimoto-san is practically in tears now. Iâm starting to feel a little bad for her.
âThen I attack with Guardian Angel.â
Guardian Angel has the ability to heal its controller by the amount of damage it deals in battle. With this attack, Souta regains health and safely pulls out of the danger zone.
âMy turn. Draw! âŚI summon ăBladed Wyvernă!â
âCountered with ăNegation of Existenceă.â
Souta doesnât even allow her to stall for time, completely shutting down Hashimoto-sanâs resistance.
ââŚTurn end.â
On the next turn, her life points were wiped out by Guardian Angel and the now-betrayed Argerante.
Comments (0)
Please login or sign up to post a comment.