Crysend!

*Knock* *knock*.

A girl enters the teacher's office. Although she politely knocked on the door, she didn’t wait for a response and just entered the room. The interior is fairly empty. A few desks are lined up in the middle with a computer on each one. A few filing cabinets are against the wall, filling the otherwise empty office. Despite the several desks, only one teacher seems to be working behind his computer. He is probably too engrossed with his work to notice the girl walking in. Slightly annoyed, the girl places some documents on the desk as she finally gets his attention.
“Teach, I delivered the documents.”
“Ah, Luciana. Thank you, I appreciate it.”
“You can thank me by not asking me any more favors.”
“Ha ha ha, *cough*, I will keep that in mind.”
The teacher picks up the documents Luciana placed on the desk, flipping through them while continuing the conversation.
“I assume classes are done? You must be worried about your brother.”
“Hardly. I know he will be back.”
“Yes, knowing him, I doubt there will be any problems. It’s some of the others that I’m worried about, though.”
“I didn’t catch that last part.”
“Ah, don’t worry about it. Thanks again, Luciana. I will finish things on my part and see you again tomorrow in class.”
After flipping through the documents, he places them next to his computer before returning to his original work. Luciana, who has been waiting for what she originally came for, is starting to become a little impatient.
“Aren’t you forgetting something?”
“Don’t worry, I haven’t. I will dismiss the homework for tomorrow, as I promised.
“Good, I’ll see you tomorrow then.”
With that, Luciana leaves the teacher’s office, leaving the teacher all alone again. He sighs and looks through a small window to his side. “I do hope ‘everyone’ will return safely.”

Dusk is drawing near as the sun is nearing the horizon. Estelle mentioned Joey and Lydia were taken north. After patrolling the area for a few hours now, I think I have finally found what I’ve been looking for. Hiding behind some wreckage nearby, I look at a building that is similar to the one we raided. With the sun now gone, visibility is drastically reduced. It will be a huge problem if this building doesn’t turn out to be right. Before going in I have been carefully monitoring any activities nearby but so far, no one has appeared. Either no one is here, or they have been cooped up inside for quite a while. Regardless, staying outside any longer will only make the situation worse. Taking extra care not to be seen I sneak around the building as I find an entrance at the side. Lucky for me, most buildings in the Ivanda Circle seem to have multiple entrances. Once inside, no one seems to be present, and the eerie feeling I had before once again pops up. That uneasy feeling is different this time though. While I didn’t want to get ambushed last time, all I can hope for now is for those two to be here. I checked a few rooms, being extra careful to watch my surroundings, but I didn’t come across anything of interest.

After several rooms, I end up in a bigger storage space. I can’t help but feel that this building doesn’t only look similar from the outside. I try and scan the room, my breathing being the only sound I can hear. The center area is mostly empty, like in the other building. I move closer to the center to make sure I’m not missing anything behind the rubbish stashed on the sides. As I moved in closer, the silence I experienced for quite some time was interrupted by a muffled sound. I follow the source and a sense of relief I cannot describe washes over me. Both Lydia and Joey are in the far corner of the room, tied up and gagged. Although Lydia seems to be struggling to undo her bindings, Joey seems to be unconscious, lying still on the floor. After being so careful up until this point, I can’t help myself as I rush towards the two. I quickly ungag Lydia and then check if Joey is still okay. Lydia must have noticed my concern, as she confirms that Joey is all right. I sigh in relief, knowing they’re both still alive. I move over to their bindings but before I can undo it, the crystal on my bracelets starts to glow up. “I wasn’t expecting any visitors at this time.” A voice from the other side reverberates through the room. I quickly jump up to face whoever just entered. A young man dressed in a robe obscuring a part of his face. It seems to be another member of the Children of Rhea. Unlike the one I dealt with previously, his clothing doesn’t seem to be in tatters. Can he be someone important in the organization? He doesn’t give a chance to react and raises his device in hand, which is already glowing. “Crysend!” I meet his gesture as I too raise my bracelet high. The world around us changes as the game of Crystale begins. A playing field slowly materializes, and we both morph into our avatars. A set of wings along with a halo appears in a flash of light while my clothes change to fit the accessories. Accessories don’t seem to appear on my opponent, as only his clothes seem to change colors. I look to my side as Lydia and Joey are excluded from my line of sight as the field constructs itself. Once our playing field has been set, we both pull out our starting hand, by reaching into the void and pulling out six crystals each, which start floating and circling around us. Crysend!

The man starts by pulling a new Crystal from the Void. He moves a space forward and Summons a Servant he calls ‘Abel’. A Crystal hovering next to him shatters and a miasma appears behind him before slowly turning into a demon-like figure. He moves his Servant to the side of the field before ending his turn.
“Each time an allied unit moves Abel gets a counter, increasing its HP by 10,” the man says with a smirk. It is going to be a problem if it keeps increasing its HP. But he ended his turn so I will need to take care of this quickly. I follow his example, pulling a new Crystal, followed by moving a space forward. Crushing a crystal of my own, I summon the angel Camael to the field. The red-armored angel descends from the sky to the tile in front of me. It’s best to empower him immediately.
“I now use both ‘Holy Shield’ and ‘Holy Lance! Holy Shield will provide Camael with 10 Destructible Armor, while Holy Lance gives him 10 additional ATK.”
I order Camael to move forward so it can get closer to Abel.
“Now, Abel's ability kicks in once again!” The man suddenly interjects as he points towards his Servant as its ATK increases by 5 points.
“Every time an opponent’s Servant moves, Abel’s ATK increases by 10 ATK.”

So, it even grows when I move. Abel has 30 HP and 30 ATK right now. It's not much of a treat now, but I have a bad feeling about this. He is still out of reach now, so I need to wait till the next turn. “I’ll end my turn!” The man’s turn begins as he pulls another Crystal. “Are you the one that took down Joey?” I ask, trying to fish for some information. The man pauses for a moment and then looks to where Joey is. We can’t see him right now, but he quickly seems to remember before turning back to me.
“The other one you mean. I did, though he wasn’t fit to do battle. He started panicking as soon as the match began and because of that, he was an easy opponent. I do hope you will provide me with more of a challenge.”
“I guess that’s what we will have to find out!”

The man takes hold of one of the crystals hovering around him.
“It doesn’t really matter, though as you too, will face defeat soon. Now behold!”

The crystal shatters and another cloud of miasma is created, this time in front of him. A second Abel appears out of the miasma. This doesn’t look good. Calm down, Lloyd. Even if he has two, Camael, with its 50 HP and 50 ATK, can still take out one of them instantly. My positive way of thinking instantly breaks down, however. As if reading my mind, the man points another crystal in his hand towards me.
“It’s time to show you some true terror, I’m activating the spell crystal ‘Hypnotic Movement’!” The crystal in his hand shatters, and a sonic wave reaches out to my Servant. It then moves a tile back to the place where I summoned it. Wait a second. Finishing my thought process, the man speaks up again. “Since your Servant moved, both Abel’s now gain another 10 ATK.” I have made a miscalculation because this is definitely becoming a problem. Before ending his turn, the man rearranges his units on the field so that his Summoner is placed in the back, behind the two Abel Servants.

#Llyod: Cameal: 50 HP(10); 50 ATK#
#Child of Rhea: Abel 1: 60 HP; 40 ATK, Abel 2: 50 HP; 30 ATK# 

Time to rethink my strategy. With each movement of my Servants, those Servants will gain more ATK. Though most of my Servants can deal with them now, I won’t be long before they can’t. But they don’t seem to respond to the Summoner. So maybe if I can get in a little closer, I can summon a Servant that doesn't need to move to attack. But it will be a big risk, as I will need to get closer to his Servants, which leaves me open for attacks. “It’s my turn!” After pulling a new crystal, I make my move again. Since the tile ahead is occupied by Camael, I will need to move around him. Normally I would have moved him in closer, but that would just make the opponent stronger. I end my turn without summoning or using other effects. I currently have 115 MP, but I need to preserve some of it for what is to come. “It’s time to put the final piece of your defeat into its place”, he says as he enters his turn. Another Summon, this time right next to him. The miasma takes shapes revealing… another Abel! It just turned from bad to simply the absolute worst. “Time to take you out!” He orders the second Abel closest to me to move in next to me. “Take out his first life!” Abel deforms, changing his arm into a huge claw aimed towards me.

“Not so fast, I’m using one of my Summoner’s abilities, ‘Sacrificial Lamb’! When the Summoner is attacked, I can choose a Servant and redirect the attack toward it. And then, it also gives that Servant a 10 HP boost! Camael, you're up!”
Camael sweeps in, tanking the attack, before launching one of his own. With the Destructible Armor as well as the additional HP gained from my summoner abilities Camael is left with 40 HP. His Abel, unfortunately, survived as well, as it gained an additional 10 HP when it moved in closer, leaving it on the field with 10 HP left.
“Unfortunate. However, nothing more than a desperate delaying tactic”, he says, after which he moves all his units around, placing the strongest Abel directly adjacent to Camael, and strangely, moving in closer with his own Summoner.
“Abel 1, Attack his Camael and send it to the Higher Plane!”
With 40 ATK this second attack will be the end of Camael. Which is why I prepared this!
“I activate a spell crystal of my own! The trigger spell ‘Miracle’! It increases Camael HP and ATK by 10.” Another clash, ending in a stalemate with both participants hanging on with a mere 10 HP. The man clicks his tongue, as he probably wasn’t expecting his plan to derail as far as it did just now. Two of his Abel’s took heavy damage, and I can now take them out in one hit. I guess I call that a perfect reversal.
“I would wipe that smile off your face if I were you.”
I’m taken aback as I wasn’t even aware I was revealing my emotions like that. The sense of relief is quickly replaced with a new sense of dread as I’m left wondering what he possibly could have up his sleeve now.
“I end my turn. And with that, my two Abel will Rank up!”
I just had to jinx it. When a Servant Ranks Up, it can gain better stats and abilities, but it heals whatever damage it previously received. In other words, all the damage Camael did, is now gone in a flash.

#Camael: 10 HP; 50 ATK#
#Child of Rhea: Abel 1: 60 HP; 60 ATK, Abel 2: 60 HP; 60 ATK, Abel 3: 30 HP; 20 ATK#

Now I can see how Joey must have struggled against this one. He always tends to focus on Servants, while forgetting the real objective of the game. However, with these Servants that is definitely not a viable option, as I’m about to find out the hard way.