It is still a blur…but she can see in front of her again…

The war grid…

Jacques and The Queen of NightSPADE are laughing with glee. Not even acknowledging her…

Jacques opens a luxury pocket watch.

“It’s almost time! It’s almost midnight! Just a little longer, Mother. We will be together again! I can be better this time!”

He takes her by the hand.

As she walks down, slowly vanishing away to her hidden location among the cards, Jacques is leading her like a princess down a staircase.

Kissing her hand again.

She smiles at him with passion in her eyes.

Before disappearing completely, she puts a finger to his lips…

…

AN EXPLOSION STRIKES THE QUEEN OF NIGHTSPADE’S BACK!

“WHAT!?” Jacques loses his grip! Throwing up blood all over the watch.

The force of the explosion is enough to send The Queen of NightSPADE careening off the grid!

Off the stone slab!

And far down the hall itself!

He turns around…like observing a rocket…to see how far the flames send her deeper into the darkness…

Turning back…

On the war grid…

The card that occupied the tile directly in front of The Queen of NightSPADE has been reduced to ash…

Behind it lays a long and wide scorch trail…

Even the edge of the stone itself feels hot…

Edges of his cards that were not targeted are singed on the corners…

Slowly looking up, he sees who is responsible…

There it is…

LV.11

An archer's bow made of rippling flame in its hand. A sparkling ring on the middle finger with an emblem of HEART!

The warrior princess.

Hailing from the Burning Lands.

The next in line…no…the one TRUE commander…

The Jack of BurningHEARTS!

Jacques cannot believe it! She is the near spitting image of Faith except, of course, for the pointy ears…

He looks up further…

It is not just the ears…

Something else is different…

Faith’s eyes are bloodshot with rage!

The aura around her is much more pronounced. It is a true flame!

“…minus one Soul Four-Ce for ya…” she speaks!

“…you can’t perform more than one emergency Range Strike per turn…”

“…your phase was over…even if you didn’t say it…”

Jacques just sits there, and he looks at the Range Dice.

It had landed on a 7.

“…you didn’t have any cards left in your hand either…you had no way of countering that roll…”

He begins to look annoyed…

“…is there a problem, Mr. Lenoir? We can check the Expert Guide…”

“…if you want to retrieve the pages you ripped out…”

…

“…it’s not my fault you weren’t paying attention by choosing to fawn over your mommy…you really do love her…especially how you study her..”

He grits his teeth…

“…perverted freak…” Faith says with narrow eyes.

“You got lucky, brat. You won’t be-” Jacques feels a tense grip on his shoulder…

The Queen of NightSPADE made her way back…

She looks down upon Jacques…

Offering him a harsh judgment…

The Queen’s eyes do the talking.

Do NOT make another mistake!

“PHASE OPEN!” Jacques must make it count!

Drawing his card…he makes another realization…

Before Faith had made her Range Strike, she must have moved some cards around!

He lost the chance to analyze Faith’s “poker face”.

‘Damn…’ he thinks to himself. He had been able to exploit it so well before…

‘How many did she move then…’

‘Hmm. That card was moved 1. That other card must have been moved 1 too…’

“…it’s a 6…”

‘WHAT!?’

Jacques is confused by his own thought…

Sure, maybe she rolled a 6 on the Field Dice, but he still has not fully counted out…

“…it’s a 6…”

“He drew a 6…”

Jacques is terrified and begins sweating again. These thoughts…where…who…

He did indeed draw a 6 card when his turn began...

…

“Young lady…he drew a 6…”

“Faith…he might hold that card for his next turn…”

‘Where in the hell are these voices coming from!?!?!?’

He looks to Faith.

She impatiently looks back at him.

“I roll the Field Dice!” Jacques says.

It lands on a 3. Better than nothing.

The voices cease…

With his aura, he prepares to move a card forward!

“That's his King!”

He nearly loses his breath!

“What other cards are nearby…”

“Faith already found the Queen…”

“That Queen deserves to die next…”

“…NO! He should die first…”

“…make him watch The Queen suffer…”

“…she has a brother too…”

“…I never got to go home…”

“…I told him it hurt…”

“…I was scared…”

“…he tricked me…”

“…he won’t make it…”

“Faith, his grid is not guarded well….”

…

“YOU TELL HER NOTHING!” he slams his fists on the stone, hurting himself.

Faith briefly checks around her. What does he mean, who is talking to her?

Jacques looks to the walls…

Now he sees it…

Eyes…so many eyes…staring at him…faces…hands…pressed up close…

Even beneath the floor...

They continue to speak…

“Thief!”

“Lecher!”

“He thinks we are not here when he’s alone with Mommy…”

“ENOUGH!” sending out a burst of aura that dispels those foul spirits.

…

To Faith, he seems to have lost it more than he has already.

Whatever torments him so, is none of her concern.

Jacques chooses to move a different card, not his King...

Simply ending his turn.

Part of him feared to initiate any Field Clashes…in case any failed...now is not a good time to upset Mother...

The Queen’s gaze is focused intently on the enemy.

Jacques understands why, because he can feel it too...

Faith set the pace.

…

..the conclusion of their game draws near…

…

How many turns are left?

…

-CHAPTER END-

Do not falter! Your HEART must stay strong!

-PHASE CLOSE-