The assassination attempt against Enchanter Tengukensei began with the barest sting—a seemingly minor wound inflicted by the Serpents of Silence. He hardly gave it a second thought at first, but the poison that coated the blade was a slow, insidious force. It began subtly, creeping into his body and soul, unraveling his connection to the void.
In the beginning, it was just small signs—a sense of unease, night sweats, and ominous dreams that he couldn’t decipher. He would wake in a cold sweat, his mind clouded by vague dread. Yet these signs only hinted at a much greater peril brewing inside. The first real alarm came when the wind stopped speaking to him, no longer carrying the secrets of Mt. Kirama. The mountain itself, once alive with whispers and hidden knowledge, grew silent, as if it sensed his waning strength and began turning its back on him.
Tengukensei’s magical powers, which once flowed as naturally as the breath of the mountain itself, faltered. His once sharp mind struggled to focus on the most basic incantations. The void—the space between worlds that he had long drawn upon for power—now seemed distant and unreachable, a star fading in a cold sky. The poison, a creation of the Serpents of Silence, was engineered not to kill him swiftly but to drain him, to sever his link with the forces that made him what he was. It was a slow unraveling, designed to torment.
Desperate, Tengukensei realized that his only hope lay with Yuki-onna, the Snow Woman who resided high above in the treacherous peaks beyond the snow line. Legends told of her mastery over poisons and her understanding of ancient, arcane remedies that few others knew. But Yuki-onna was not a welcoming spirit. She ruled the winter and wielded its icy breath as her weapon, turning away intruders with bone-chilling winds and blizzards.
The journey to Yuki-onna’s domain would be perilous. Tengukensei, already weakened, knew the path would test not only his physical strength but his will to survive. Snowdrifts shifted and swallowed travelers whole, and the winds howled like wolves at the threshold of her frozen realm. To reach her, he would have to face the fury of winter itself, all while knowing that his magic—the very thing that once made him powerful—was slipping further away with each passing moment.
Time was running out, and the poison would not wait. If he failed to find Yuki-onna and convince her to help, his legacy would fade like the dying whispers of the wind he once commanded.
Entered by: 0xe9a1…78d3
Enchanter Tengukensei stood at the doorway of his summer palace, watching the rain cascade in thick sheets across Mt. Kirama. The winds that usually spoke to him were silent, subdued by the storm, and the steady drumming of rain filled the air with an almost tranquil rhythm. A fire crackled behind him, warming the large hall, where Sachiko Slicer of the Good Luck Squad, an Oni warrior and loyal member of the Kaiju Clan, sat cross-legged by the hearth.
Her eyes, sharp and mischievous, flicked toward Tengukensei, who had been uncharacteristically quiet since the storm began. With her massive sword resting by her side, she spoke with a hint of impatience.
“Tengu, you look like you’re waiting for the sky to part and drop some prophecy into your lap,” Sachiko teased. “Why don’t we do something? This storm could last all day.”
Tengukensei turned, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "I do have something in mind, Sachiko. A game—one that is played by magic users to sharpen their wits and test their knowledge. It's called Arcana Clash."
Sachiko raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “A game? You know I prefer battle to board games.”
“Oh, this is no ordinary game,” Tengukensei replied, a sly smile curling on his lips. “It’s a card game where each move could mean victory or defeat, just like in battle. The difference is, instead of swords and brute strength, you’ll need to outwit me with spells, artifacts, and strategy.”
He moved toward a wooden chest near the fire, producing a deck of cards from within. Each card shimmered faintly with magic, the intricate designs reflecting the elements—fire, water, earth, and air—along with arcane symbols and mysterious figures. Tengukensei began shuffling them, the cards crackling with energy as they passed through his fingers.
"Let me explain," Tengukensei said, settling down across from Sachiko. "The object of Arcana Clash is simple—you must get rid of all the cards in your hand before your opponent. But there’s much more to it than just playing cards. Each card is tied to a different element or magical effect, and how you use them determines your victory.”
Sachiko leaned forward, her sharp Oni teeth glinting in the firelight. "Alright, I'm listening. How does it work?"
Tengukensei laid a single card on the floor between them. It depicted a roaring inferno, a red sigil glowing at the center. "This is an Elemental Spell Card, a Fire card numbered seven. There are four elemental schools in the deck: Fire, Water, Earth, and Air. You must match either the element or the number of the last card played. So, if I place this Fire Seven down, you can play any Fire card, or any card with the number seven."
He drew another card from the deck and laid it beside the first. This one was blue, showing crashing waves and a swirling vortex. “This is a Water Card, number five. Now, the flow of the game has changed. You must either play a Water card or a five.”
Sachiko nodded, her eyes narrowing in thought. “But that’s not all there is, right? What about these other ones?” She gestured to the cards that glowed brighter, adorned with more complex symbols.
Tengukensei grinned. "Those are the Special Spell Cards. These can turn the tide of battle in your favor—if you use them wisely."
He laid a new card down, its edges glowing with a mirror-like sheen. "This one is Mirror Shield—a skip card. When you play this, it reflects the last spell back at your opponent and forces them to lose their turn."
Next, he revealed a swirling, green card marked with ancient runes. "This is Mana Drain, a reverse card. It changes the flow of the game—so if we’re playing clockwise, it’ll reverse the order. You can play this to trip up your opponents, making them act before they’re ready.”
Sachiko let out a low chuckle, already forming plans in her head. "So, it's not just about playing cards, it's about timing and outsmarting your enemy."
“Exactly,” Tengukensei said, nodding approvingly. “Now, this next one—” He placed a fiery red card down with a flaming symbol. “This is Elemental Fury—a draw two card. If you play this, the next player has to draw two cards from the deck and skip their turn. But be careful—if they have an Elemental Fury of their own, they can counter it, making the next person draw four.”
Sachiko's grin widened, her tusks gleaming in the firelight. "I like that. Adding pressure.”
Tengukensei raised a hand, conjuring a faint gust of wind that stirred the cards on the floor. “And now, for the most powerful ones—the Artifact Cards. These are wildcards, and they can be played on top of any card.”
He held up a card with a shimmering orb, its surface swirling with color. “This is Arcane Shift. When you play it, you can change the element to whatever you choose—whether it’s Fire, Water, Earth, or Air. Perfect for when you’re stuck without a matching card.”
Sachiko studied the deck carefully, already calculating strategies. “And this last one?”
Tengukensei smiled darkly as he placed a final card down, this one covered in black, crackling with chaotic energy. “This is the Curse of Chaos. When you play this, everyone has to swap hands with the person to their left. It’s unpredictable and can turn the game on its head.”
Sachiko let out a short laugh. "I love chaos. So, we just play until someone runs out of cards?"
“Precisely,” Tengukensei said, drawing seven cards and dealing them to both of them. “And when you’re down to your last card, you must shout ‘Mana Surge!’ If you forget, you’ll have to draw two cards as a penalty.”
He sat back, watching her eyes scan the cards in her hand. “So, what do you think? Shall we see how skilled you really are?”
Sachiko’s eyes gleamed with excitement, the rain forgotten as she gripped her cards. “Oh, I’ll beat you at this, Tengu. And when I do, you owe me something. A weapon from your collection.”
Tengukensei chuckled, shuffling the rest of the deck. “And if I win, you will owe me... silence.”
“Deal.”
With that, the game began, the storm outside intensifying as the two powerful beings clashed—not with weapons, but with magic and strategy.
Entered by: 0xe9a1…78d3
