MAR: Marchen Awakens Romance

The final round of the War Games start with Jack stepping up to the plate first against Weasel, an old guy with powers over plants very similar to Jack. In addition, he was the one that defeated Jack's dad in the last War Games. Weasel believes that defeating Jack will be just as easy. Alviss has a rematch with the effeminate Rolan, the only Chess Piece that defeated him in an earlier round. Even though Rolan is slavishly devoted to Phantom, he is still a deadly fighter. Dorothy must battle against Chimera, who uses a "Ghost Arm" that transforms her body into a living weapon. Finally, Alan duels with Halloween, who happens to be an old childhood friend. All of the battles in Mar usually have an element to them that make them a bit more personal than most battle manga tournaments. The War Games have been a parade of revealed relationships and secret identities and connections. Even characters that aren't related usually have something in common such as Alviss' and Rolan's obsessions with Phantom, albeit for different reasons. Alviss wants to kill Phantom and reclaim his humanity, while Rolan owes his life to Phantom and wants to become a zombie like him. Compared to other volumes in the series, Volume 13 wasn't quite up to snuff, but still an entertaining read.