It isn’t quite over yet, however, as Roku reveals his own DESTINED DIE, and the clash of the powers of wind and ice soon creates almost blizzard-like conditions around the players. Somehow, in blatant disregard for the rules, this match has become not a game of dice, but a test of endurance- whoever falls first loses the game.

Despite the freezing conditions, Pip is able to hold on by picturing the faces of his friends cheering him on, but for Roku, it isn’t so easy. All he can see in his mind’s eye is Mars’ coolness towards him, and it begins to seem as if the blizzard itself represents his attitude. Unable to stand strong in the face of such treatment, Roku collapses to the ground, and his loss is declared.

Having won the match, Pip teases Ace that he will have to recognise someone who has come so far, but Ace merely tells him that both he and Chip have lost his respect- they have relied on the cheap gimmicks of DESTINED DICE to win, instead of trusting in their own skill. Pip remarks that he is just jealous, but Ace remains calms and tells him that he will demonstrate how a real Dice Master should play- by winning his quarter final with a randomly generated deck from his database.

Naturally, when Three hears this news, she is less than pleased- just because she is a supporting character, she doesn’t want Ace to take her match so frivolously. Ace tells her not to take things so personally- no matter who he plays against, he has to do his best under even the most adverse of circumstances, or he won’t be able to snatch that elusive victory from Chip. Three tells him that she will make him stop aiming for Chip and start focusing on the opponent in front of him, starting here and now.

Before the match can begin, Ace must choose his deck, and as luck would have it, the computer spits out an especially weak one. Aware of Three’s skill, Pip wonders why Ace would throw away his chances of winning just to prove a point, but Chip is not so certain that he has- Ace is a genius, and if anyone can play under these conditions, he can.

Nonetheless, as must inevitably happen, in the first few rounds, Three manages to take a clear lead. She tells Ace that she is disappointed in him for not taking her seriously, but that in the end it doesn’t matter if it means she can attain her goal of victory more easily. Telling her that she lacks the ability to taste more than trifling victory, Ace begins making a comeback, putting together the weak elements of his deck to create a powerful and cohesive whole. As Three’s dice points crumble away, Ace tells her that she does not have the spark that he and Chip share, the potential to become more than a mere dice player and ascend to the ranks of Dice Master. Although she must accept defeat this time, however, Three cannot help but disagree- anyone can reach the top, and she isn’t going to rest until she makes it.

As Ace departs, Pip tries to comfort Three, telling her that Ace is a real jerk, and that the stunt he pulled was bound to throw anyone off their game. In response, Three tells him to shut up, and goes to leave, promising that when they next see her, she will have improved her game and far surpassed any of them.

Finally, the time for the last quarter final has come, and this time it is Mars’ turn to play against Evan. As Mars calmly sorts his deck, Evan tells him that the time has come to answer for everything he’s done- by losing in a dice match. Mars laughs, and reminds Evan about the fate of his partner Anna. Evan merely retorts that that makes him all the more determined to win to avenge her.

As the match begins, Evan plays a strong opening game, whilst Mars seems barely awake. Pip remarks to Chip that the big bad Mars Cubehart must have relied on all those underlings because he was no good at dicing himself, but as if on cue, Mars suddenly seems to wake up. He comments that he has seen the extent of Evan’s skill, and for someone who is supposed to be a highly ranked dice agent, it really is quite disappointing- in another three turns, Mars can easily win the match. Evan retorts that there is no way that Mars could deduce that, to which Mars replies that he would love to toy with him for a while, but with tea break so close, he really can’t afford to miss out on his digestives. With that, Mars begins reciting the next few moves Evan will make, and how he plans to counter them. Although he tries to put a brave face on it, Evan goes pale, and it is clear that Mars has read his every move. In the end, his hand shaking as he goes to draw his next dice, Evan is forced to surrender.

In the audience, Pip wonders why Evan surrendered when Mars told him the moves he was going to make- surely he could have thought up counter-moves. Chip tells Pip that the situation was grim from Evan; from what Mars said, it was clear that his play was on a level far beyond his, and that there was no sense in carrying on. Walking to the sidelines, the defeated Evan looks over at Chip and Pip and tells them that much as he hates to put the two boys in this position, they are the only hope of defeating Mars and thus somehow saving the world from his evil plans.

With the quarter finals over, Deuce and Roku are forced to give up their DESTINED DICE to Chip and Pip respectively, as is the custom in any match involving DESTINED DICE. The two boys realise that Mars must be aiming to collect all the DESTINED DICE from his opponents, and even though he will lack the one still in Snake’s possession, the power from these six will be enough to commit all sorts of nefarious acts, like taking over the world.

The next day, the semi-finals begin, and first up is a match that will test friendship to the limit- Chip vs. Pip. Chip wants to win so that he can face Mars and find a way to return Flick to normal, whilst Pip is desperate to prove himself against his friend. Despite the copious amount of flashbacks used to remind us of all they’ve shared, neither side is about to give an inch.

As the match begins, both boys make a strong start, and Chip comments to himself on how much he has improved. Pip tells him that he has tested himself against the best, and we digress for a few episodes to follow his journey through the tournament, starting with a recap of his match against Ichi before showing him fighting some generic themed opponents. There were times when things looked grim and he almost gave up (cue a quarter final flashback), but then he realised that he had to keep going. And if Chip thinks he is the same person he used to play against after school, then he is in for a little surprise.

Chip admits that Pip has improved, but tells him not to be so sure that everyone has stood still whilst he was refining his skills. Just as Pip is aiming for something higher, so is Chip (although who and what this is remains unclear), and every match he has played in this tournament has taught him something important.

A lengthy dice match ensues, until at one point, Pip plays an unexpectedly good move and seems set to take the lead- has he really surpassed Chip? Perhaps not, for even as Chip congratulates Pip on his move, he replies that much as he would like his friend to win, he simply cannot let that happen. Annoyed, Pip tells Chip that is not up to him to choose who wins and loses, and plays a combo with his DESTINED DICE of Ice and Wind. As the temperature drops and a freezing blizzard attempts to take hold once again, Chip counters with his DESTINED DICE of Fire and Lightning, burning away Pip’s harsh conditions and striking directly at his Dice Points. With this one move, Chip has won, and possession of the DESTINED DICE goes to him.

Chip offers to give back Pip’s DESTINED DICE, but Pip tells him to keep them for now- if he is going to fulfil his promise to defeat Mars, he will need all the help he can get. Ace tells him not to be so hasty- there is no guarantee that Mars will make it past the semi-final match against him. He sarcastically apologises for denying Chip the chance to ‘save the world’, but he has an important final against Chip to play, and no tea-sipping Englishman is going to get in his way.

Unfortunately, skilled as he is, as his match against Mars begins, it seems that even Ace may not have what it takes to defeat the villain. As an intense battle of logic, attack and counterattack begins, Pip and Chip are impressed by the raw skill of the two players, but as Ace is beginning to suspect, Mars is several levels beyond him. Even so, Mars congratulates Ace, telling him that he is the best person he has played, for unlike all those other fools he has faced, Ace is skilled enough to be aware of how Mars is watching him from on high, reading a hundred moves ahead.

Although he knows that match is futile, however, Ace cannot bring himself to give up, and Mars suspects that he knows the reason- he is trying to make Mars reveal as much of his playing style as possible, so that Chip will have a better chance against him. Naturally, Ace denies this, but Mars tells him it is futile- his strategies are far too numerous to be revealed in a single match. Even so, Mars picks up the pace and defeats Ace within the next few turns, as if he truly is scared of giving away anything else.

With the final set for the next day, that evening, Ace visits Chip. He is understandably disappointed at not being able to face Chip in the finals (which was the point of this entire arc), but he tells Chip that it is imperative that he defeat Mars, and to that end, he wants to customise Chip’s deck to take advantage of Mars’ playing style. Chip refuses, saying that not only is that probably what Mars wants, but that he would rather stick with the deck that has been by his side all this time than show a lack of confidence in it by switching to different dice. Ace tells Chip that his sentiments are ridiculous, and that the dice are just tools to be used in the most logical way, but Chip knows better- there should always be a bond between the dice and their master that makes the whole greater than the sum of its parts.

The next day, before the final proper can begin, Pip asks Ace if they can play a third place match. Ace initially refuses, believing it to be pointless, but when Pip taunts him about being afraid to lose, he changes his mind. As the pair begin their match, Mars predicts from the sidelines that it will be over quickly, but Chip tells him not to be so sure- Pip is a far better dice player than he used to be. Mars merely laughs, and says that he is glad not to have met Pip in the old days, as he surely would have been pathetically weak.

Unfortunately, even with Chip rooting for him, the power of Friendship is not enough to save Pip, and he swiftly falls to Ace’s strategies, concluding the match and allowing the actual final to begin. As the two finalists step into the dicing arena, Chip tells Mars that he will take him down, but Mars laughs once again- even four DESTINED DICE are of no concern to him.

As the lengthy final match begins, it seems that Mars may have a point, for compared to his skill, even Chip seems unable to cope. In desperation, he plays the DESTINED DICE of Wind and Ice, only to have Mars counter both of them with the DESTINED DIE of Dragons. Next, Chip tries the DESTINED DIE of Lightning, but this time Mars manages to set up a trap that enables him to take control of it and devastate Chip’s Dice Points. And when Mars follows up with the DESTINED DIE of Sun, it seems as if it is game over for Chip…

Fortunately, at such times, Chip descends into a black featureless world where he sees a vision of his father, and this match is no exception. Chip’s father tells him that he knows Chip can see a way out of this dilemma, and when Chip replies that it has only the slimmest chance of succeeding, his father instructs him to have more faith in himself. Energised by these words, and by the power of friendship exuding from Pip, Chip returns to reality, and to Mars’ surprise, he seems more confident that ever. Playing the DESTINED DIE of Fire, and imbued with Friendship, Destiny and Cheating, Chip pulls off a series of unlikely moves that strip away Mars’ defences and leave him open to a direct attack. After ten episodes of struggle, Chip has finally won- and with it, he has claimed six DESTINED DICE.

With the match over, Mars is forced to concede that his plans are in ruins, and that he has finally realised the error of his ways. He is a skilled player, but as long as he uses his abilities for evil, he is wasting his life. Mars realises that he needs to think of a new direction in life, and decides to take a trip to Ireland in order to figure out what that is.

Although the tournament is over, Ace insists that he and Chip must have their showdown one day, before leaving to go and analyse all the data he has collected from the tournament. With six DESTINED DICE now in his possession, Chip goes home, only to receive a message left by the all too familiar voice of Snake Eyes. Snake has magically heard of Chip’s victory already, and he knows that the boy now own six of the seven DESTINED DIE- and since he already beat Snake, technically he also owns the seventh. With this in mind, Snake suggests it is time to open the gate to the mysterious Dice World…

UPCOMING ARCS

Dice World Arc: Having finally gathered all the DESTINED DICE, Chip visits his previously unmentioned inventor friend Grandpa Johnson and has him assemble a Dice Gate. Using the Dice Gate, the way to the Dice World can finally be opened, so that Chip can search for the father who abandoned him long ago. Eager to embark on a new adventure, Chip and his friends pass through the portal to the Dice World, a magical world where the monsters summoned by the dice are real! Unfortunately, the once peaceful Dice World has been taken over by a despotic villain known only as Chakra. Can Chip free the denizens of the Dice World and find his father before he has to return to the real world? Could Chakra in fact be Chuck himself?

Dicemasters Elements: When Chip Roller and his friends returned to the real world after the Dice World arc, the power needed to bring them back shattered the DESTINED DICE into Element Fragments that were scattered all across Japanamerica. Flash forward a few years, and Chip and his friends are now in high school with no time for dicing. A new legend begins, however, when Ellis Diecut finds an Element Fragment on the way home from school and discovers that DESTINY has chosen him to become a Dice Master. Now Ellis must battle against others with Element Fragments, collect them and oppose an evil force wishing to use the Fragments for their own nefarious purposes.

Dicemasters MATERIALISE: Thanks to recent advances in technology, Dicemasters has become a more advanced and intense game than ever before- now players can go into a special holographic arena and actually fight in person! Shori and Riel are twin brother and sister marked by DESTINY, who set out to become Dice Masters and unlock the ULTIMATE DIE.

Not being the quickest on the uptake, Chip is somewhat confused by these revelations, but even as he claims that Flick will have to try harder if she wants him to fall for his jokes, she withdraws some previously unnoticed dicing equipment and challenges him to a match. Chip continues to laugh off her actions, but Flick insists that he take her seriously- she is a registered tournament participant, and that means he cannot refuse her challenge.

Forced to play in spite of his wishes, Chip is nonetheless confident. Flick has never been a particularly good dice player, and he is sure this will be a quick match; to his surprise, however, Flick almost blows him away with her first few moves. Tears running down her cheeks, Flick apologises for lying to Chip- she always wanted to join in with the dicing, but was under orders to hide her true ability.

Through a series of flashbacks, Chip recalls how he first met Flick in school, and the friendship they shared. He pleads for her to remember it too and go back to the sidelines where she belongs, but Flick sadly replies that those days are over. Finally realising that Flick means what she says, Chip promises that he will stop holding back; out of respect for her true abilities, he will start playing seriously.

Unfortunately for Chip, it seems as if Flick can still outclass him, and he can only watch as his dice points are drained. Flick does not happy about her success; instead, she sorrowfully comments that Chip cannot be the destined Dice Master after all- if he is doing this badly against her, he will not have a chance against Mars Cubehart. Upon hearing her words, time freezes for Chip, and he suddenly finds himself in a waking dream, conveniently animated as a featureless black world.

In the waking dream, Chip sees his younger self together with his father, who conveniently dispenses some generic advice about believing in yourself and never giving up, no matter how the odds are stacked against you. Chip then sees his father walking away from him, causing his younger self to run in a vain attempt to catch up. As young Chip falls over, Chip’s father turns around and addresses present Chip, telling him that someone who would fall at this point is not worthy of meeting his father again.

Re-energised by his father’s words, Chip returns to reality, where Flick asks him if he is ready to surrender. In response, Chip tells her that he cannot give up at this point- no matter how hopeless the situation is, those with faith in themselves will always find a way. So saying, Chip makes his next move, and through an incredibly contrived stroke of convenience, he happens to draw a previously unmentioned die which happens to be just the thing to turn the tide. He apologises to Flick for what must happen next, and within the next few turns, he proceeds to turn the match around.

Chip is now in a position to deliver the final blow, and as he does so, he apologises for having to face her in this way, adding that he hopes that one day they can have a proper match as true friends. Sinking to the ground, Flick replies that there will be no more matches for her, but Chip insists that that isn’t true- they are true friends, and friendship can withstand anything. Smiling at his words, Flick tells him that he is incredibly naïve and innocent- but he may just be the one who can bring a happier world to life.

At this point, a hologram of Mars somehow appears before Chip and Flick, and as he calmly sips his cup of tea, he tells Flick that she has failed him, and that her time as a Dicebreaker is over. Flick accepts his judgement, and Mars Dice Breaks her mind, causing her to slump to the ground. Crying out, Chip runs to her side, but Mars leaves him with a dire warning- he will be next.

After taking her to the hospital, Chip learns from the doctors that physically Flick is fine- medically, there is no reason why she shouldn’t wake up. Gripping her hand, Chip promises Flick that he will confront Mars and find a way to wake her up again.

The prelims have now concluded, and so Ace makes a town-wide announcement- according to the rankings, Chip, Pip, Roku, Mars, Ace, Deuce and Evan have all qualified for the finals, which will take place in a special dicing arena on Ace’s private island. The participants should make their way to the dock first thing the next morning- and anyone who doesn’t show up will automatically be eliminated.

The next day, Chip gets up in plenty of time to catch the boat, but even as it seems it must be early, he runs into a child who is looking for his lost dog. Even though he doesn’t really have time to help out, the kind-hearted Chip is won over when the child starts crying, and agrees to assist in the search. After an episode of looking around the dog’s favourite haunts and flashbacks in which the child remembers the good times spent together and how the dog ran away because he scolded it, the beast is found. The child apologises for making Chip late for his important appointment, but Chip tells him not to worry- there are still five minutes left to get to the docks. The child wonders how Chip can possibly make it across time in five minutes, but Chip tells him to have a little faith, and proceeds to dash across Dice City in an amusing sequence that includes stealing a stranger’s bicycle.

At the docks, six of the other quarter-finalists (Deuce/Six is absent) are waiting for Chip with varying degrees of emotion. As the time approaches the deadline, Roku insists that it should be time to leave, but Ace tells him that his watch is fast. Pip is about to comment that Roku does indeed have the right time, only to shut his mouth as he realises that Ace is bending the rules for Chip, purely because the point of this entire tournament has been to play him.

Even Ace cannot forever, however, but even as he orders everyone to board his specially commissioned boat, Chip comes running towards the docks. Ace comments that he is late, but says nothing else as everyone gets on board. Pip chastises his friend for taking so long, but after looking around, he realises that someone else is absent, and hopes this means he can through to the semis without even having to play. Even as they get on board, however, Six steps out of the shadows and joins the party, prompting Ace to ask what his brother is doing there. Six replies that he is not Ace’s brother, and before he can be questioned further, he withdraws to his private cabin.

On board the boat, Chip and Pip scope out the competition, concluding that Six and Roku are scary but that Mars seems quite a pleasant man. Whilst Evan keeps an eye on everyone from a corner, Chip and Pip decide to catch up with each other’s exploits, a task which requires at least three recap episodes to accomplish.

With the recap finally over, the finalists arrive at the island, and the drawing to determine who faces who begins, resulting in the four quarter final matches being Chip vs. Six, Pip vs. Roku, Three vs. Ace and Mars vs. Evan. Chip vs. Six will be the first match, although Chip is rightfully confused- wasn’t Six already defeated, and what happened to Deuce’s original personality?

As the match begins, Six takes the chance to indulge in flashbacks about how the original Deuce always felt angry about being in his brother’s shadow, and how Snake helped him realise his true potential in the guise of Six. From the sidelines, Ace tells Six that he is lying- Deuce always loved him and looked up to him, and would never turn into Six willingly. Six laughs, and tells Ace that if he can defeat Chip where Ace could not, he will have finally proven himself to be superior.

As the match begins, Six makes a strong start, and soon builds a sizable lead over his opponent. He taunts the watching Ace with his score, telling Ace that all his analyses and simulations cannot make up for sheer talent. His brother doesn’t even know the true power of the DESTINED DICE, something which Six has magically discovered in the time between being defeated in the first arc and waking up in the second. Promising to demonstrate what a true Dice Master is capable of accomplishing, Six plays his DESTINED DIE of Lightning, transporting himself and Chip to an alternate dimension.

Explaining that what he has tapped into is a fragment of the world where the powers contained in the dice are real, Six tells Chip that this will be a special match- one in which the magic and monsters literally come to life. And thanks to his specially customised deck, Six knows just how to take advantage of this, transforming himself into an untouchable dark angel surrounded by a legion of dark monsters. Chip continues to lose dice points, and each time he does, he feels actual pain.

Just as all hope seems lost, Chip draws his own DESTINED DIE, although initially he seems reluctant to play it- does the fact that the DESTINED DIE never showed him its true power mean he isn’t a true Dice Master after all? Even as he doubts, however, Chip is presented with one of those ever convenient encouraging visions- this time of Deuce. Explaining that he is the real Deuce, and that he wants his body back, Deuce tells Chip to have faith- Six forced the DESTINED DIE of Lightning to do his bidding against its will, and that means he will never be a Dice Master. What Chip must do now is tap into the power of the DESTINED DIE of Fire and use it to purify Deuce’s mind of Six’s presence.

As Chip hesitates, Six taunts him, asking if he would like to give up and spare himself further pain and humiliation, but Chip only looks up with renewed determination. He tells Six that he is just a shadow, and that the real Deuce is on his side. So saying, Chip plays the DESTINED DIE of Fire, begging it to lend him its power. To his surprise, the DESTINED DIE performs a CHEATING Purify move that wipes the field of Six’s monsters before summoning a fiery angel to attack Six directly. As he takes damage, Six begins to fade away, but even as he disappears, he whispers “shadows never die.”

Back in the real world, Chip is victorious, but Deuce/Six has collapsed again. Running over to his brother, Ace glares at Chip, but to his surprise, Deuce wakes up- all traces of Six gone from his personality. Deuce apologises to his brother and admits that his desire to emulate him may have led to the creation of Six, but promises this time he will work on becoming his own person instead of merely striving to copy his brother’s path. In a rare moment of warmth, Ace tells him that the reason he works so hard is that he was always afraid his brilliant little brother was going to catch up to him, and suggests that they could accomplish great things if they combined their powers instead of competing.

With the first match over, Pip and Roku step up to play, although Ace is nowhere to be seen- riling Pip as he realises Ace is so dismissive of his ability that he doesn’t even want to watch his match. With that in mind, the hot-headed Pip decides to finish the match as quickly as possible in an attempt to demonstrate just how much he has learned about dicing, and to show off his DESTINED DIE of Wind. Boasting to his opponent, he tells Roku that he will have little chance of beating him, but Roku merely smiles and has a brief flashback about how Mars entrusted the DESTINED DIE of Ice to him.

As the match begins, Pip gets his strongest monsters as quickly as he can in an attempt to take Roku down, and indeed, Roku seems like a weak player. Pip taunts him, telling him it was a fluke that he even got this far, and that he should come back later and ask for some lessons. Roku continues to smile, and in a few turns’ time, Pip finds out why- so focused was he on his own moves that he failed to notice that Roku was slowly constructing an impenetrable defence. Now, the remainder of Roku’s dice points are practically untouchable, whilst Pip has already played his best dice and has little left to rely upon in his dice deck.

With his position secure, Roku takes the opportunity to indulge in a flashback, recalling how he and Mars grew up together at the Cubehart Manor in England. At the time, the master of the family was Mars’ father Mercury Cubehart, who was served faithfully by Roku’s father. At an early age, Roku’s father told him that the Cubeharts, whilst brilliant, tended to become too absorbed in their goals for their own good, and needed people like the Roku family to keep them on the right track. The young Roku promised to always stay by Mars’ side, and despite Mars’ periodic bouts of coldness towards him, he remained a loyal and dedicated friend, accompanying him through school and university.

When Mercury Cubehart and Roku Senior died in a car accident, however, everything changed. After becoming the master of Cubehart Manor, Mars became even more driven than ever, pouring all his ambitions into both dicing and the elusive search for the perfect cup of tea. Although he knew his master was in danger of becoming villainous and evil, such was Roku’s devotion to his friend and master that he couldn’t bring himself to contradict him, instead choosing to support Mars in whatever he did. Thanks to this, he is now the one man Mars relies on most in the world, and he will do anything demanded of him. With such dedication, defeating one boy should not be a problem.

Once his flashback is complete, Pip laughs at Roku and tells him that he has got the wrong idea about friendship- if he truly cared about Mars, he would have put a stop to his crazy schemes instead of going along with them. Roku isn’t a true friend and equal- just a blind follower who is being used by Mars without any mind of his own. In response, Roku tells him that he knows that is exactly what he is, and what he is happy to be- but is Pip happy to always be second place to Chip?

Now it is Pip’s turn to fall into flashback, as he realises that no matter how much he practises dicing, he just cannot match up to a person who has main character abilities. Even in this tournament, he just scraped into the quarter finals with the lowest score, whilst Chip was near the top. For a moment, Pip is despondent, but then he magically comes to a realisation- it is fine if the likes of Chip and Ace are ahead of him, because it gives him something to always strive for. If you’re at the top, there’s nowhere else to go, but waking up and knowing you always have something to work for is the best kind of excitement possible.

Realising that he must be a Dicebreaker, Anna agrees to the match, announcing that she will take him into custody once she wins the game (it would be unthinkable to do so beforehand). Laughing, Roku agrees, and the game begins.

As the first few moves are played, Anna announces that Roku will have to work hard if he wants to beat her- she is an international title holder who hones her skills daily at Dice HQ. Roku merely laughs at this information and tells her that she is nothing more than a little girl who will never match up to his level.

As the match begins, Anna plays some apparently strong moves; smiling knowingly, she asks if Roku would like to revise his assessment of her abilities. Roku admits that she is stronger than he thought, but concludes that while he would like to play her, he does not have time. So saying, Roku starts playing seriously, and in a scant few turns, Anna is defeated.

Despite having lost the match, Anna remains resolute in her determination to take Roku into custody. Naturally, Roku is not about to comply, and after apologising to Anna for what he must, he throws back his cloak and unbandages his arm to reveal a mystical tattoo.

Through the magic of flashback, we are now taken back to the past, to a time when Mars and Roku were young. After several episodes of their childhood antics, we finally see the time when Mars graduated from university and inherited the Dice Breaker power of the Cubehart family. The power was a terrible and painful burden for Mars, and so Roku begged to be allowed to share a part of it. Despite being initially reluctant to do so, Mars eventually agreed, and placed a portion of the Dice Breaker power into a tattoo on Roku’s arm. When Mars’ father, Mercury Cubehart, found out about this, he tried to punish his son- only for Mars to use his powers to Dice Break Mercury.

Back in the present, Roku’s tattoo begins glowing as he summons Dark Dice Powers. Before Anna can do anything about it, he manages to Dice Break her, and she crumples to the ground.

Pulling his cloak and hood tightly around him, Roku picks up Anna and carries her to Evan (since he somehow knows exactly where to find the Dice Agent). Lowering Anna to the ground, Roku tells Evan that he should take this as a warning- if the Dice Agents continue to interfere with the Dicebreakers, more of their agents will be Dice Broken. Shaking his fist, Evan tells Roku that his underhanded tactics will never deter a servant of justice, and even challenges him to a dice duel. Even as he speaks, however, Roku vanishes into the shadows.

Elsewhere, the tournament is proceeding as planned. After a brief glimpse at Three trouncing an opponent, we return to Chip and Flick. The pair are wandering around in search of a new opponent for Chip when they happen to notice a dog wandering around in the street. Flick tenses up at the sight of the dog, but Chip immediately goes over to say hello. As he begins making a fuss of the dog, Flick tells him that it is stupid to approach an unfamiliar animal, but Chip tells her not to worry- the dog is clearly friendly.

As if called by something, however, the dog soon pulls away from Chip and begins running down the street. Despite Flick’s warnings, Chip goes after the dog, calling to him. Before he realises it, the dog has led him to its owner- Dicebreaker San.

Laughing at how easily Chip was led to him, San challenges him to a dice duel. As per the tournament rules, Chip has no choice but to accept, and the match begins. Stroking his dog, San tells Chip that he has too strong an affinity with his deck to ever be beaten. Chip replies that San isn’t the only one to have a connection with his deck; he is currently using the very dice his father left to him.

As San summons his first few monsters –all canines- to the field, he laughs at Chip’s words. All that Chip has is a hand-me-down deck that was built by someone else; he can’t have any true affinity with it. On the other hand, San’s deck is a reflection of his life, a life he is only too happy to reveal via flashback.

As a boy, San was always lonely; with his parents either working or arguing, they had little time for him. In an effort to make up for this, they would often buy him presents, but none of them interested San- until the day he received a puppy. The puppy soon became his best friends, and in short order San discovered he had an undying love for dogs of all shapes and sizes. Unlike humans, dogs would always be loyal to him; they would never leave him alone or hurt his feelings. Even now, in the game of Dicemasters, his beloved deck of canines is always ready to support him.

Back in the present, and it seems as if San’s resolve does indeed count for something; with his trusty canines protecting his dice points, Chip cannot get near them- in fact, due to San’s style of play, he cannot even seem to permanently disable any of his monsters. Laughing at Chip’s trouble, San tells him that this is a necessary evil; if he wants to make the dog sanctuary that Mars has promised to help him build, he must crush any who would oppose him.

In response, Chip tells San that whilst it is fine to have a dream, it isn’t fair to crush other people in order to achieve it; in an ideal world, everyone would be able to achieve their dream without hurting anyone else. In fact, in order to demonstrate this, Chip will completely and utterly defeat San at Dicemasters. So saying, Chip manages to draw the very die he needs to turn the match around, and swiftly snatches victory away from San.

Sinking to the ground, San wonders if this means his dream is over now. Chip tells him never to give up; as long as he can find a way to achieve his goals without hurting anyone, everything will turn out all right. With just these few lines of dialogue, Chip is able to alter San’s lifelong beliefs, leaving him a happier man.

With the duel over, Chip decides that he is hungry; leaving Flick outside, he heads into one of Dice City’s many fast food joints to order something to eat. As soon as he disappears inside, Shi and Go appear from the shadows to talk to Flick. They tell her that Master Cubehart (who is still instantaneously keeping up with events via magic CCTV) is displeased with her actions, and that they have now had to come out in order to dice duel Chip. Flick promises that she will not interfere with her efforts, and is surprised when they readily agree- not because they trust her, but because they have plans of their own.

Emerging from the restaurant with an armful of burgers, fries and milkshakes, Chip goes to offer some to Flick- only to find that she isn’t there. As he looks around and calls for her, a thrown die hits his head. As he picks up the die from where it landed on the ground, it activates a holographic projection of Shi. Shi tells Chip that Flick is now in their custody, and if he wants her back he will have to come to the docks and dice duel Shi and her brother. There’s just one condition- he must bring a friend, since Shi and Go will only duel as a tag team.

At the first mention of friendship, Chip thinks of Pip, only to remember that Pip wanted to make it on his own. Nonetheless, Chip knows that Pip would not be pleased to be left out of this, and runs off to find him. Unfortunately, Chip has no idea where Pip might be, and just ends up running around randomly, until finally he reaches the square where Ace is playing.

Ace has just defeated another weak opponent, but as Chip approaches, he tells him not to issue a challenge- it wouldn’t be right for them to meet before the finals. Chip tells him he is not there to play; he must find Pip and then rescue Flick. Upon hearing Chip’s story, Ace tells him that Pip is nowhere near strong enough to play a Dicebreaker, and insists that he is allowed to play in the match instead.

Chip is surprised at Ace’s offer, and wonders aloud if perhaps he has a soft spot for Flick. Ace snaps that this is not the case; he is merely annoyed that the Dicebreakers have forced their agenda onto his tournament, and is determined to show them what it means to tangle with the die Master family.

Since it would be beneath him to walk to the docks, Ace summons a car to take him there. Although Ace doesn’t seem inclined to invite Chip along for the ride, Chip gets into the car anyway. On the way there, Ace tells Chip not to do anything stupid that would get him defeated- he won’t be happy unless he is the one to defeat Chip in the tournament finals.

Upon reaching the docks, Chip and Ace discover Shi and Go waiting for them as promised. Meanwhile, poor Flick has been suspended over the water; once the match begins, she will slowly be lowered into the sea- if they take longer than an hour, she will surely be drowned. On the other hand, if Chip and Ace lose, she will be dropped in immediately. Ace replies that he doesn’t particularly care, but Chip is adamant- they must win the match and save Flick.

As the match begins, Chip thinks back to the game against Five in season one, and how uncooperative Ace was then; he can only hope that this time things will be different. Unfortunately, it soon becomes clear that Ace is a less than desirable partner for a tag team match, especially against opponents as skilled as Shi and Go. The siblings complement each other perfectly- where Shi is a master of attack, Go forms a tight defence. The lack of teamwork between Chip and Ace soon puts them at a severe disadvantage.

Having gained the upper hand over their opponents, Shi and Go decide that this is the optimum time to pause the game in favour of a flashback. They explain how their parents died when they were young, forcing them to rely on each other in a harsh world that either did not want them or tried to separate them. Eventually, Mars found them and showed them how to use the power of the dice to protect themselves, and the twins have not looked back since.

Impatiently interrupting the flashback, Ace plays his next move, but what would have worked in a one-on-one match backfires in this tag team format, and to his shame and embarrassment, Chip is forced to save him. Ace tells Chip to mind his own business, but Chip hotly replies that they are meant to be working together. He points out that if they are defeated here, Ace will not be able to face him in the finals as he wishes. Irritated, Ace agrees to stop being so stubborn, but tells Chip to follow his lead. Smiling, Chip agrees.

Now more determined than ever to defeat the ‘insects’ in front of him, Ace boasts that he will start by attacking the weak link in the chain- the shy and timid Go. Through the magical power of plot telepathy, Chip instantly understands what Ace is really planning, and resolves to back him up. Worried that Go is in danger, Shi arrays all her dice to protect him, leaving herself open and vulnerable. Having relied on Chip to guess his plan and have a counter in place for her traps, Ace launches an attack on Shi, skilfully taking out all of her dice points.

Sinking to her knees, Shi realises that she has failed her brother and begs for his forgiveness. After calling out to his sister, Go turns to Ace and Chip, a new resolve burning in his eyes. With the aid of some more flashbacks, he explains how the outgoing Shi was always looking out for him, but now he can return the favour by being the one to protect her. Playing a special healing dice that restores more of his dice points, he challenges his opponents to take their best shot.

With time running out for Flick, Chip realises that they cannot afford to let themselves get caught up with playing Go. On his next turn, he plays a strange looking dice combination- one which makes it seem as if he deliberately wants to lose. As Go taunts Chip for sabotaging his chances so that he can lose the match and rush off to rescue Flick, Chip secretly hopes that Ace will realise what he is doing.

Ace’s turn is up next, and he has indeed grasped what Chip wants. Announcing that he is only making an exception to his rule of going it alone so that Go can be vanquished and the two of them can gain enough Dice Points to qualify for the final, Ace plays a finishing move that complements Chip’s combination and robs Go of all his dice points.

Even with Go defeated, Shi is unwilling to release Flick, but Go tells her that they must keep to their word. He admits that this one dice game has affected his life more profoundly than anything he has experienced previously, and promises that he and Shi will find a way to live their lives and enjoy dicing without hurting others.

Meanwhile, in the hospital, Deuce has finally woken up- or has he? Due to the traumatic experiences of his past, Deuce now has a split personality, and currently the evil Six side is in control. Slipping out of the hospital unnoticed, Six quickly finds out about the current dice tournament, and decides that he must enter in order to get revenge on Ace, the man who defeated him.

Since it is clearly unfeasible to register for the tournament at this point, Six decides to enter more forcefully. After finding a generic player and forcing him to hand over his dicing equipment, Six sets about challenging the remaining generic dice players and defeating them in order to take both their dice points and their best dice. Conveniently enough for both him and the plot, no one thinks to take note of his actions.

At Dicebreakers’ HQ, Mars studies the performance of his Dicebreakers over a pot of English breakfast tea and realises that this tournament features stronger players than he had imagined. Summoning Roku to his side, he instructs his subordinate that the two of them will take the place of two of the Dicebreakers entered into the tournament and play in the finals themselves. Roku’s duty is to hack into the computer and ensure that they both have enough dice points to qualify for the quarter finals.

Meanwhile, Ace die Master is practising at his lavishly appointed dice simulation lab. After months and months of frustration and setbacks, he has finally put together the optimum dice deck, one that should easily crush his opponent, Chip Roller. After trying it out in a simulation and imagining a humbled Chip bowing down to him, Ace tells his servants to make the necessary preparations- he is going to hold a Dice League Tournament.

In short order, adverts for the new Dice League Tournament are all over the media (for could wars or even lost kittens be more important than dicing?). Eager for the challenge, Chip and Pip head down to the local Dice Shop to register (accompanied by Flick), and are surprised to bump into Two and Three, who will also be participating. Two and Pip tease each other about being too stupid to enter, ending in a manly tussle whilst Chip sighs and Three laughs. As they start to walk home, Chip suddenly notices that Flick is still in the shop; when he calls out to her, she runs to catch up, swiftly hiding a Dice Registration Card in her jacket.

In an unspecified location, a hooded bishounen watches the Dice League Tournament advert whilst sipping tea from a bone china cup and saucer. As the advert concludes, he beckons to the subordinates conveniently waiting in the shadows, ordering them to make the necessary arrangements, and if possible, find him a packet of chocolate digestives.

Alone in his messy apartment, Pip inspects his dice deck and indulges in some flashbacks from the first arc. Even though he won his matches, he knows it was because Chip was there, and begins to worry that he doesn’t have the strength to stand on his own. Assembling his deck, Pip vows to try his hardest to win without the power of FRIENDSHIP by his side.

At the hospital, Ace pays a visit to his unconscious brother Deuce, who is hooked up to medical equipment and has the DESTINED DIE of Lightning on a leather strap around his neck. Ace tells Deuce about the tournament, and says that he hopes his brother will wake up in time to see him win. As Ace leaves, however, he fails to notice Deuce’s eye snap open for an instant.

The day of the tournament soon arrives, and Chip, Pip and Flick gladly miss school to get to the clock tower square where the event will begin. On arrival, Flick mysteriously vanishes into the crowd, however before the boys can look for her, Ace’s chopper arrives. Jumping down from his helicopter, he instructs his subordinates to hand out portable Dice-Techs to each player. These mini-laptops enable players to set up Dice Fields whenever and wherever they want to play- because the Dice League Tournament is a city-wide event! The preliminary round will take up the entire day, during which time players must wander the city looking for people to challenge.

The rules are simple- everyone starts with 1000 points- if they win a match, their points increase by the number of Dice Points they have remaining, whilst the loser has the same amount of points deducted from their score. Anyone whose points drop to zero is automatically out of the tournament, whilst the top eight will qualify for the semi-finals (either the last eight players remaining, or those with the highest scores). Players can play as many or as few matches as they want, provided they play at least one- but no two players can dice-duel each other more than once, nor is it permissible to refuse a match if challenged.

As Ace gives his speech, Chip, Pip, Two, Three and some suspiciously hooded people regard him from the audience, before finally the beginning of the tournament is signalled. As competitors begin to disperse or select opponents, Pip tells Chip that he is going to head off on his own for this one- he wants to make it to the finals under his own steam. Chip agrees that this is a good idea, and the two boys shake hands and agree to meet each other as equals in the finals.

Meanwhile, at the headquarters of our new villain, Mars Cubehart, his subordinates are forced to interrupt their master’s latest cup of Darjeeling to inform him that Ichi has broken into the DESTINY room and stolen the DESTINED DIE of Wind. Setting down his teacup, Mars explains that this is of little consequence- everything is going exactly to plan.

Back at the tournament, and Two is spoiling for a fight- the only trouble is, he can’t find an opponent. Dismayed at his bad luck, he wanders into a back alley, and runs into a hooded player. Recalling his street punk past, Two calls out a challenge, and is more than a little surprised when the person throws back his hood and introduces himself as Dicebreaker Ichi. Changing tack quickly, Two congratulates himself on finding a dicing opponent, and the match begins.

At first glance, Ichi seems like a pushover- slow and meticulous, he seems destined to fall to Two’s full-on attack. Two is only a minor character, however, and within the space of a few episodes it becomes clear that Ichi was in actual fact setting a trap for him. Now poor Two finds the tables turned as Ichi uses his carefully laid plans to play his DESTINED DIE of Wind and win the match.

Some time later, Pip is wandering through a park when he catches sight of Two sitting dejectedly on a park bench. Pip tries to cheer Two up by challenging him to a match, but is amazed to learn that Two is already out of the tournament- and worse yet, when the match was over, Ichi stole all of his rare dice. Upon hearing this, Pip swears that he will find Ichi and pay him back for picking on a friend. Two is surprised and secretly pleased to be called a friend, but warns Pip that his skill level is not enough to take on Ichi’s might. Pip refuses to back down, however, claiming that he must catch up to Chip, no matter what it takes.

Returning to the alley, Two and Pip search for Ichi, who steps out of the shadows with a sly grin on his face. Pip angrily confronts him, demanding that they play a match. Ichi replies that Pip is a fool to challenge him, especially as under Dice League rules he cannot refuse to accept. After some trash talking and flashbacks, the match is finally ready to begin.

As the two players begin dicing, Pip makes much the same sort of direct attacks as the ones that brought Two his defeat. Two tries to warn Pip, but Ichi sharply warns him to shut up if he doesn’t want his friend to be accused of cheating. Two protests, but Pip reinforces the order to be quiet, saying that Two is just distracting him from the game. Annoyed, Two tells him that he’s on his own and falls silent, whilst Ichi laughs at their discord.

Within a few turns, it seems as if Pip is about to fall into one of Ichi’s traps, but to Ichi’s surprise, Pip has already prepared countermeasures. As his quick win slips away from him, Ichi wonders what happened, at which point Pip reveals the truth- he and Two had already discussed Ichi’s strategy prior to the match, and their earlier argument was all part of a plan to keep Ichi off-guard. With the advantage now his, Pip asks if Ichi wants to give up, but Ichi merely laughs in response- if that’s the best Pip can do, he won’t last for long. So saying, Ichi draws his next die, and to his delight, it is just the die he needs to allow the summoning of his DESTINED DIE of Wind.

At the sight of the DESTINED DIE, Pip falls into flashback. He remembers how he was never able to defeat Chip or Ace’s DESTINED DICE, and wonders if this is the end for him. His confidence thus draining away, Pip plays poorly for the next few turns, enabling Ichi to gain a massive advantage. Laughing again, Ichi tells him that he is the one to give up, because in the next few turns he will be utterly crushed and humiliated. He also mentions that he is the weakest of the Dicebreakers, and that if Pip cannot even defeat him, he might as well give up dicing and take up something easier, perhaps Snakes and Ladders.

Sinking to his knees, Pip sees a vision of himself in the darkness, always running behind Chip, Ace and the others, but never able to catch up. Just as he is about to give up, however, the vision changes, and he is in school talking to Chip. Chip tells him never to give up, for no matter how strong your opponent, the dice will respond to those who have a pure, unwavering heart.

Re-energised by these words, Pip returns to reality, ready to take on Ichi. Confidently announcing that he can and will defeat his opponent, he draws a die, and proclaims that it is just the one he needs. The die in question is the Lucky One in a Million Miracle Chance, an extremely risky one to play; nonetheless, Pip boldly announces that he will gamble everything he has on it. Upon hearing this, Ichi is scornful, and tells Pip that if he is so confident, they should put a little wager on the match. If Pip can somehow come out victorious, Ichi will hand over the DESTINED DIE of Wind and return all of Two’s rare dice, but if he loses, Pip must hand over his entire dice deck and never play again.

Two tells Pip not to accept the wager, but Pip is insistent- he has come too far to back down now. After agreeing to Ichi’s terms, he plays the Lucky One in a Million Miracle Chance, imagining his friends supporting him as he throws it. After some tense moments, the die lands on the winning side, and its effect disables the DESTINED DIE of Wind. In short order, Ichi is defeated.

Pip and Two confront Ichi to ensure he makes good on his promise, but Ichi isn’t about to do anything of the sort; as he tries to run away, however, the DESTINED DIE of Wind starts glowing white hot. The DESTINED DIE burns a hole in Ichi’s Dice Deck Holder, causing all the dice to spill as he scrambles away. Two is able to recover his rare dice, whilst Pip tentatively pokes the DESTINED DIE. It immediately cools, and he realises that its ownership has indeed been transferred to him. Picking it up, he resolves to prove himself a player worthy of such a rare and powerful die.

Back at Dicebreakers HQ, Mars sips a hot cup of Ceylon and listens dispassionately to Ichi’s report of failure. As Mars dunks a Ginger Nut biscuit into his tea, Ichi cowers in fear, awaiting punishment- but to his surprise, Mars laughs and says that this will make things more interesting now. Nonetheless, he adds, Ichi’s failure cannot go unpunished. Standing up, Mars throws back his cloak and uses unspecified Dark Dice Powers to Dice Break Ichi’s mind. Ichi slumps to the ground, a vacant look in his eyes, before Mars calls his guards to take out the trash.

Turning back to his tea, Mars is disappointed to find that it has grown cold, and orders that a fresh pot be brewed for him. In the meantime, he decides to contact another of his agents in the field- an agent who proves to be none other than Flick! Although it doesn’t make a great deal of sense with regards to continuity, Flick is actually a Dice Agent working for Mars; her latest mission is to lead Chip into an inevitable confrontation with the second Dicebreaker, Ni. Flick is clearly conflicted over having to betray her friends, but reluctantly agrees to carry out Mars’ will.

Stepping out of the video-phone booth she used to contact Mars, Flick goes back into the city to meet up with Chip. Chip is disappointed that no one seems to want to play him- in fact, to avoid having to accept his challenges, they’ve been running in the opposite direction. When Flick quietly mentions that she knows someone who would be interested in a match, Chip readily agrees, barely noticing his friend’s discomfort.

Leading him through the oddly deserted streets, Flick takes Chip to where Ni is waiting, but just as they round the corner to meet him, she pretends to trip and grabs Chip in such a way as to pull him over and spill his dice. Apologising profusely, Flick gathers up his dice deck, but swiftly slips in an added die whilst Chip isn’t looking. Placing the dice back in their holder, Chip tells her not to worry about it, and strides forward to meet Ni.

A cool and laid back player, Ni greets Chip with confidence and challenges him to a dice duel. Accepting the challenge, Chip sets up a dice field and the match begins.

As the first few dice are played, Ni seems content to let Chip control, occasionally remarking that everything is going as planned. Chip accuses him of false confidence, judging that by the strength of his dice-hand, he will beat Ni easily. Reflecting that this has been an unsatisfying match, Chip prepares to send his opponent into endgame…

Unfortunately, Ni was not just boasting when he claimed everything was going as planned; his seemingly poor play in the first few turns was simply part of his preparations to crush Chip. Ni now reveals that he has studied all of Chip’s matches (which are somehow on record for all to see) and has built a Water Defence deck perfectly suited to nullifying Chip’s fire-based strategies.

Although he resolves to fight on bravely, over the next few turns it soon becomes clear that Chip is struggling. Ni has a perfect counter to every move he plays, and Chip can only watch as his dice points drain away. When even his DESTINED DIE is sealed away, it seems as if Chip will have no choice but accept his defeat.

Fortunately, just as the situation seems hopeless, Chip reaches into his dice deck and draws a die that could just be exactly what he needs- the only thing is, it isn’t a die he ever remembers putting in his deck! Thinking back to the time his dice spilled out, Chip briefly wonders if Flick had something to do with it, but finally decides that he must not overlook this piece of good fortune. Taking the die in his hand, he plays it on the field, leaving Ni to watch in horror as the heart of his attack formation is broken.

Unable to effect a comeback from the unexpected turn of events, Ni concedes defeat at the hands of Chip. As Chip and Flick move away, Ni contacts Mars to inform him of his defeat. Less than pleased, Mars Dice Breaks him and he slumps to the ground.

At the headquarters of the Dicemasters Association, reports are flooding in about the actions of Mars’ Dicebreakers. The head of the association decides that such flaunting of the honourable Dicing Code cannot be allowed, and orders that a pair of specially trained Dice Agents be sent in to investigate. To that end, Dice Agents Evan and Anna are sent to Dice City to uncover evidence of Mars’ organisation.

Watching on his magic CCTV, Mars sips a cup of oolong whilst watching the activities of the Dice Agents. Deciding that they could prove troublesome with regards to his master plan, Mars dispatches his loyal servant Roku to deal with them.

To be continued…

Greetings, Dicemasters fans! We got a lot of letters from you after the end of arc one, telling us how much you liked the first season and how you hoped to see more adventures with Chip and the gang (note: actual letters may not exist). Well fear not, for we’re here today to announce details on the second season of Dicemasters, a rollercoaster ride that will put the first season to shame. So without further ado, let’s go into the details of our second arc- Dice League!

OVERVIEW
Chip Roller has become quite the local celebrity since his adventures on Dice Island, and if there’s one person who can’t stand it, it’s his self-declared rival, Ace die Master. When he isn’t running his company or spending time in the hospital with his unconscious brother, Ace is busy practising in the dicing simulators, trying to devise a strategy that will put Chip to shame. And now, the time has finally come to test his skills in the most drawn out and convoluted way possible- through a Dice City wide League tournament.

However, what was meant to be a simple tournament soon becomes something far more sinister when the hooded bishie Mars Cubehart sends out his Dicebreakers to infiltrate the games and hunt down our heroes’ DESTINED DICE. Will this new wave of enemies prove to be too much for even Chip and Ace to handle? (Come on, did you really think they would be?)

NEW THEME SONG
Vaguely sung to “Jounetsu” from Tokyo Underground.

I want to be a Dice Master!

It is my destiny!

I will seek out the DESTINED DICE!

With my friends supporting me!

CHARACTER GUIDE- UPDATED!

Chip Roller: He may have been a beginner 500 episodes ago, but these days Chip is king of the dice halls. Unfortunately, it’s boring when there’s no one up to your level, so he jumps at the chance to miss a few more days of school in order to participate in Ace’s tournament and face off against some of the best Dice-players in the world. He wields the DESTINED DIE of Fire.

Pip Tetrad: Chip’s best friend is as hot-headed as ever, but by now he’s marginally better at dicing. Unfortunately, he just can’t shake the feeling that he shouldn’t rely on Chip so much, and in typical sidekick fashion, he tries to strike out on his own, only to mess up more than ever. Will the power of FRIENDSHIP see him through?

Felicity “Flick” Cubis: For five hundred episodes Flick stood on the sidelines and cheered for her best friends Pip and Chip, and never once did they suspect that she was in actual fact a Dice Agent working for none other than Mars Cubehart. This time around, Flick finds herself torn between her loyalty to Mars and the power of FRIENDSHIP, and she might even show a spark of dicing ability- at least until her inevitable defeat in the exciting “Chip vs. Flick” storyline.

Ace die Master: It’s a hard life being an anti-hero- you spend all your time training, and the storyline still demands that you always come in second to the main character. Like all anti-heroes, however, Ace isn’t about to give up on his futile quest to regain his number one spot, and hence he decides to hold a tournament to determine once and for all just who the superior Dice Master is. He wields the DESTINED DIE of Dragons.

Deuce die Master: Poor Deuce has been conveniently stuck in a coma since the first arc, and although he is regularly visited by his brother in hospital, he remains asleep until partway through the current storyline. On awakening, though, Deuce isn’t quite the man he used to be- at crucial points in the plot, he falls back under the control of his evil alter ego, Six. He wields the DESTINED DIE of Lightning.

Two: The imaginatively named Two is back to lock horns with Pip and give his dicing skills a spin at the same time. Unfortunately he spends more time running around than playing, and is completely relegated to the sidelines after a run-in with the Dicebreakers.

Three: The beautiful seductress is back, and this time she’s determined to prove herself (who isn’t?) a true Dice Master by winning one of Mars’ DESTINED DICE. Unfortunately, her failure to acknowledge the power of FRIENDSHIP proves to be her downfall in the more important matches.

Evan: An agent of the Dicemasters regulation bureau, sent to put a stop to the Dicebreakers by taking part in the tournament.

Mars Cubehart: The head of a rich and powerful English family, Mars divides his time between his quest for world domination, and that all important search for the perfect cup of Earl Grey. His hooded attire hides both his bishie looks and his sinister dice-related plans. It is rumoured that he holds no fewer than three DESTINED DICE- those of Ice, Sun and Wind.

Ichi: A ruthlessly logical Dicebreaker, he easily defeats Two and is only brought down by Pip. He steals the DESTINED DICE of Wind from his master in the hopes of a quick victory, but loses it to his opponent.

Ni: As a Water Deck user, Ni’s deck has every counter to Chip’s Fire-based strategies. Can a die that Flick slipped into Chip’s deck save the day?

San: A dog-lover, San relies entirely on dice based around canine monsters, resulting in many cheesy quips at his expense such as “stop barking about how you’re going to win” and “I’ll put you down like the sick dog you are”.

Shi: A young woman, and twin sister to Go; her favourite colour is red. A confident and bouncy loudmouth, she always plays in a tag team with her quieter brother.

Go: Shi’s twin brother, his favourite colour is blue. Quiet and reserved, he always plays in a tag team with his sister.

Roku: Roku’s family has served the Cubeharts for generations, and Roku is no exception. He and Mars grew up together, and despite Mars’ bursts of coldness toward him, Roku remains convinced that his master is a good man at heart. Mars lends him the DESTINED DIE of Sun for his Dice League battles.

Accompanied by his best friends Pip and Flick, Chip heads down to the dice halls to try out his new deck, and despite warnings to take it slow, he chooses to accept a challenge from Sporky, an ugly third-level player. Unfortunately, with a horribly unbalanced deck and no idea how to use it, Chip is soon on the verge of defeat, earning scorn and derision from a semi-bishie audience member. Abandoning his match with Sporky, Chip challenges the audience member, little realising that he is speaking to none other than Ace die Master, currently ranked #1 in the world. With his friends cheering from the sidelines, Chip commences his match with Ace, and is soon in danger of losing both his pride and his life points.

Fortunately for Chip, just as all seems lost, he sees an image of his father guiding his hand to the dice pool. With the power of DESTINY on his side, Chip manages to draw the DESTINED DICE of Fire, and having magically realised how to use it, he pulls off a Burning Flame attack that defies game continuity to blast through Ace’s defences and strip him of his imminent victory. A new hero is in town.

Meanwhile, on Dice Island, Snake Eyes (who somehow has access to footage from random dice halls about the world) has been watching the match between Chip and Ace. For reasons that perhaps shouldn’t be scrutinised too closely, he dispatches invitations to both boys, asking them to come and participate in a special tournament on Dice Island.

Naturally, Chip is excited about the prospect of such a tournament and he and his friends are quick to neglect school to go on this unsupervised field trip. Ace is nowhere to be seen on the boat that takes them to Dice Island, but as befits the son of a billionaire, he journeys to the island via helicopter, only to be forced into the wilderness with the others when the Dice Island defences shoot him down.

Questioning their host’s hospitality, Chip and the others wander about the island, eventually stumbling upon a dice field, manned by the ugly underling, One. Dismissing a match with One as beneath him, Ace lets an eager Chip take up the challenge. Making a strong start, Chip takes an early lead, but soon finds himself stumped as One sets up a seemingly unassailable defence of Rock Guardians. Several episodes worth of trash talking and dice moves follow, but just as all hope seems lost for Chip, he is once again guided by the powers of FRIENDSHIP and DESTINY, using a Wind-Flame combination that erodes the Rock Guardians and leaves One wide open. The first minor villain is vanquished before the episode count reaches double digits.

Handing over a key, One explains the rules of the tournament to Chip and the others- they must defeat five more minor villains and collect their keys to gain entrance to Snake Castle, conveniently situated at the centre of Dice Island. Unwilling to accept this roundabout method, Pip decides that they should just head for the castle straightaway, only to get caught in a vine trap the moment he takes a few steps towards the island’s centre. As he flails aimlessly, Flick and Chip try to free him, but instead a convenient trapdoor opens up, and all four teenagers drop into an underground cavern.

After landing in an embarrassing heap and untangling themselves, Chip and the others begin searching for a way out, only to enter a cavern containing yet another dice field! The second minor villain, Two, is waiting there for them, and promises to guide them out if they can defeat him. Feeling bad about having gotten them into this mess, Pip offers to play- a move that Chip allows over Ace’s objections.

As the match begins, it is clear that Two is just as much of a hothead as Pip, and the trash talk turns even cheesier than ever. Unfortunately, whilst Pip is a blundering idiot on the field, Two is driven by memories of his tough past (which are explored for viewers in numerous flashbacks), and it isn’t long before Pip is down to his last few life points.

Just as all seems lost (and Flick urges Chip to take over the duel), Pip recalls his own street punk past through intensive flashbacks, concluding with the time he was ‘set right’ by Chip’s overtures of friendship. With the power of FRIENDSHIP flowing freely once more, Pip recalls some advice Flick gave him in a friendly match, and uses it to defeat Two.

The match over, Two guides Chip and the others to the exit, all the while bickering with Pip (causing Flick to remark what good FRIENDS they’ve become). Emerging, the group finds itself in a grove, but there’s something very odd about the flowers there- their scent makes everyone fall asleep!

Upon awakening, Chip and the others find themselves tied up on a dice field, all courtesy of the next opponent, Three. A beautiful young woman, Three selects Ace as her opponent, but when he unexpectedly refuses her, she sets her sights on Chip. Chip accepts the challenge, but soon realises that something is amiss- Three has used her special brand of pheromones to make Pip cheer for her instead! Deprived of one half of his cheerleading team, Chip falters, and is soon down on his life points.

Fortunately for Chip, the female Flick is immune to Three’s pheromones, and after several episodes worth of flashbacks detailing their friendship, Chip feels strong enough to get fully back in the game, and pulls off a combo with his DESTINED DIE and a die that Flick gave him some time ago (as seen in flashback). Predictably, Three is defeated, and leaves the island by unknown means.

By this time, the team is starting to get hungry, and Two offers to take them to the lodge where the island’s dice players live (situated in the middle of nowhere but still fitted with the latest conveniences). After an episode or two of comical trampling through the forest and Two admitting that they might be lost, they finally stumble upon the lodge and let themselves in. Unfortunately, the front hall has been converted into a computerised dice field- and who should be waiting for them but none other than Four!

A nerdy computer whiz, Four is too afraid of nature to ever venture outside the confines of the lodge, but even so, that doesn’t mean he isn’t spoiling for a dice duel. Eager to show this kid a thing or two, Pip accepts the challenge, only to teeter on the brink of defeat after a relatively short three episode match. As usual, however, all is not lost- seeing her chance for food and a shower slipping away, Flick urges Pip on, imbuing him with renewed purpose. With the powers of FRIENDSHIP helping him to draw the “Lady Luck 1/100 Turnaround” dice, Pip’s blind luck is able to defeat all of Four calculation’s, bringing him a late victory.

Now able to enter the lodge, the group takes the chance to rest and relax for an episode or so, with Flick taking a shower and the guys getting into a food fight whilst playing videogames. After a night spent in the lodge’s dorms, however, Chip and the others awaken to find that one of their number is missing- Two has disappeared somewhere during the night!

Despite having known him for less than a day, Two has become an integral part of the Dice Island group, and a search is quickly mounted. Two is finally located in a small clearing- slumped down with his dice spread all around him. As Chip and the others collect up his dice-deck, Two reluctantly admits the truth- knowing that the next opponent, Five, would be a tough one for even DESTINED main characters, he decided to do his bit for his new best friends by defeating Five for them. Unfortunately, it went horribly wrong, and now Two has lost not only his rarest dice, but a fair measure of dicing pride too.

Upon hearing Two’s tale, Chip resolves to defeat Five and retrieve his rare dice- a task that would be made much easier if he knew exactly where Five was! As it turns out, however, Five has been spying on them all this time, and when Chip calls out his challenge, he is quick to respond, even setting up a portable dice field. There’s only one catch; rather than the standard one-on-one battles we’ve seen so far, Five has something a little more exciting in mind- a three way melee between himself, Chip and Ace.

Although the others expect him to refuse, Ace surprises them all by accepting the challenge. When the match begins, Chip suggests to Ace that they could take down Five through the power of teamwork, but as the first few moves are played it becomes clear that Ace is only out to benefit himself, attacking both Chip and Five.

Even with his friends cheering him on, Chip soon begins to feel pressured- with the top ranked player on one side, and the near-psychotic Five on the other, his life points are soon whittled down. Just as it seems that Chip will be knocked out, however, Ace changes tactics and starts protecting him- he wants to be the one to take Chip down! And with Five’s style of play now getting on his nerves, Ace wastes no time in defeating him.

With Five defeated, Chip thinks the match is over, but Ace isn’t ready to quit until he has defeated his archrival. Just as he goes to make his next move, however, Five whispers something that causes the anti-hero to abandon the match and begin heading straight to Snake Castle. Confused, but unwilling to abandon a member of their group, Chip and the others follow.

After tramping across the island in pursuit of an unresponsive Ace, Chip and the others reach the steps of the castle, where the final opponent, Six, awaits. Turning to the others, Ace tells them that he will handle this match, and they have little choice but to step back as the world number one takes on this visored opponent.

As the match begins, Six’s moves spark memories in Ace of times past, when he would play Dicemasters with his little brother, Deuce. A flashback to the recent past reveals that Five had told Ace to expect a familiar face outside the castle- and indeed, Six does look an awful lot like Deuce, albeit with a visor that makes ascertaining his exact identity next to impossible.

After a few episodes of dicing interspersed with flashbacks, Ace begins telling Six about his past. When Six shows no response, Ace decides to take more drastic measures- going so far as to throw a couple of dice in such a way that their edges cut the bindings of Six’s visor. With the obscuring face wear removed, Ace finally confirms that Six is indeed Deuce, but Six himself still claims to remember nothing of his past. And as Ace urges him to remember, Snake Eyes emerges from castle to inform him that Deuce die Master is no more.

Through a series of additional flashbacks, Snake explains how he found the amnesiac Deuce and took the young boy under his wing, training him as a Dice Master. Deuce showed a rare aptitude for the game, eventually becoming Snake’s number one protégée, and in the evil genius’ opinion, even better than his older brother. Much as he loves Deuce, Ace recalls that his little brother was never able to beat him in a dice match, and apologetically tells Six that he will have won the match within the next five turns.

Upon hearing this, Snake laughs, and instructs Six to crush his opponent. Upon hearing this, Six ups his game, even matching Ace’s DESTINED DIE with one of his own! Suddenly beset with flashbacks of his earlier defeat at the hands of Chip, Ace feels his confidence begin to crumble, but just as all hope seems lost, Chip rallies the cheerleaders, who respond with the power of FRIENDSHIP, urging Ace to defeat Six and thus restore his memories (a sound practise recommended by doctors everywhere).

Spurred on by flashbacks of the happy times with his brother, and even the more humorous elements of his recent adventures on Dice Island, Ace feels the spirit of camaraderie as he never has before, and swears to Snake and Six that he will indeed win this match. Empowered by feelings of love and friendship, Ace finally manages to defeat Six.

Disappointed in his protégée, Snake decides to exact the ultimate punishment, using his Dice Master skills to trap Six’s soul in a special SOUL DIE. Just before his spirit is taken away, Six finally seems to recognise his brother, and throws him both the sixth castle key and the DESTINED DIE of Lightning.

As his brother loses consciousness, Ace turns to Snake, a stream of carefully euphemised invective issuing from his mouth. Ignoring him, Snake returns to the castle and slams the doors just as Ace reaches the top of the steps, leaving the world number one with no choice but to wait for Chip and the others.

Conveniently, Chip, Pip and Ace each have two of the six keys need to unlock the castle doors, forcing them to work together to get inside. Whilst Flick is left to look after the unconscious Six/Deuce, Pip and Chip follow Ace as he goes to the main dice hall to challenge Snake.

After finishing his glass of finest grape juice, Snake steps up to the dice field, and commences his match with an impatient Ace. Initially, Ace takes an easy lead over the seemingly incompetent Snake, but just as it looks like the world number one can claim victory, Snake gets serious. In only a handful of episodes, Snake turns the tables, leaving Ace in a seemingly no-win position- at least until he draws his two DESTINED DICE.

Holding the DESTINED DICE of Dragons and Lightning, Ace swears to avenge his brother (a few more flashbacks are included to ensure viewers don’t forget who he is). Laughing, Snake plays a counter-move of his own, playing Deuce’s SOUL DIE to protect his life points. As predicted, a frozen Ace finds himself unable to attack his brother, and is forced to concede the match. Naturally, the penalty for his loss is nothing less than to give up both his DESTINED DICE and have his spirit imprisoned in a SOUL DIE.

Chip and Pip are shocked at Snake’s actions, but he declines to play straightaway, instead inviting the friends to enjoy the hospitality of his castle. Ace is conveniently sent to the hospital wing along with Deuce, whilst Flick rejoins Pip and Chip for a meal and some preparatory discussion. Pip and Flick believe that Chip should retool his dice-deck to counter Snake’s strategies, but Chip refuses- he would rather rely on the twin powers of FRIENDSHIP and DESTINY.

The next morning, the long-awaited concluding match of the arc finally begins- and this time around, Snake has no intention of pulling his punches. In the early episodes of the match, a number of Chip’s best combos are easily defeated, and when Snake draws a deadly combo of the DESTINED DICE of Dragons, Lightning and Darkness, together with the SOUL DICE of Ace and Deuce, all seems lost.

With victory in his grasp, Snake takes a few episodes to expound upon his goals- he wants the unlimited power of the alternate dimension known as the Dice World, but the only way to open the gate to it is to gather all the DESTINED DICE. To that end, he decided that the most logical way to obtain the dice he needed was to invite fellow Dice Masters to his private island and make overtures towards defeating them, thus fulfilling the sacred Dice Rule that DESTINED DICE can only be given to another person if a Dice Master loses a duel to them.

Having heard this lengthy tale, Chip remains adamant that he will put an end to Snake’s evil plans, and places his confidence and trust in not only the power of FRIENDSHIP, but in the honour and integrity of Ace and Deuce (as reinforced through flashback). Unfortunately, Snake seems unaffected by such a speech, and prepares to make a final move that will surely wipe out the last of Chip’s life points…or will it?

Trapped inside their SOUL DICE, the spirits of Ace and Deuce have responded to Chip’s oration by turning against Snake, instead sacrificing themselves to protect the hero from the final attack. Now, the playing field seems somewhat more even, but the final battle of the arc is not quite over yet- Snake has another important die to play.

Undaunted by the recent turn of events, Snake uses his next go to summon yet another SOUL DIE- that of a mysterious yet beautiful young woman. Taking time out for some more exposition, Snake reveals her identity- this is the soul of his former lover, now trapped within a die!

Stunned at this news, Chip begins to wonder if he can triumph against a villain willing to go to such lengths, but just as he begins to lose faith in even the twin powers of FRIENDSHIP and DESTINY, a vision of Snake’s lover, Hedra, appears before him. Through a series of flashbacks, she explains the truth behind Snake’s past- a former dice researcher, he spent much of his time researching both the game of Dicemasters and the properties of the DESTINED DICE, before finally concluding that both were connected to a Dice World where the magic and monsters represented by the dice were actually real.

Determined to open a doorway to this Dice World, Snake set up an experiment involving his DESTINED DIE of Darkness, but without the power of the other DESTINED DICE, the gateway he created was unstable, sucking in his lab assistant/girlfriend Hedra, and trapping her soul in a die. Since then, Snake has been obsessed with collecting the rest of the DESTINED DICE so that he can bring her back- far from being a heartless villain of EVIL, he was motivated by the power of LOVE all along!

However, even Hedra has to admit that Snake has got a little lost along the way, and to that end she urges Chip to defeat him- a measure recommended by psychiatrists everywhere for snapping people out of whatever problems have gripped them. Chip admits that he is unsure of whether he can win, but Hedra urges him to have faith- after all, his friends are by his side. As Hedra vanishes, visions of Pip, Flick and Chip’s father all flash past, re-energising him with the power of FRIENDSHIP, and giving him the confidence to draw his next die.

As luck (and plot necessity) would have it, Chip’s last die is just the one that he needs to defeat Snake, enabling to pull of a final combo that ends the match. Beset by flashbacks of his past, Snake realises everything that he has done, and resolves to find a more sensible path towards his goals in the future. Apologising to Chip, Snake releases Ace and Deuce from their SOUL DIE (thanks to flashbacks we know that Hedra was too long gone to be brought back by the time he learned this technique), and offers the hero his three DESTINED DICE, for he can sense that Chip is the one destined to open the gate to the Dice World. Chip only requests that all the DESTINED DICE stay with their original owners- when the time comes to open the gate, they will all do it together.

With the match over, Chip and the others head to the hospital wing, where Ace has awakened, but Deuce remains unconscious. Ace confronts Snake about this, but Snake explains that he has released his enchantment- if Deuce isn’t waking up, it is because he doesn’t want to. Tersely accepting this fact, Ace arranges for a helicopter to take Deuce and himself back to the die Master estate- Chip and the others get a less impressive boat trip home!

Back home, Chip and the others are thankfully not questioned about their sudden and bizarre absence, and all are happy to settle back into their normal lives, albeit with Chip now a somewhat more proficient dice player than he used to be (much to the annoyance of the kids at the local dice hall). As the final episode of the arc closes, however, we get a glimpse of what is to come- somewhere, a mysterious hooded bishie is talking about his plans for the DESTINED DICE…

THEME SONG
Dice Masters, Master of the Dice!
Dice Masters, Master of the Dice!
I’m saving the world, through the power of DESTINY!
My friends by my side!

Dice Masters, Master of the Dice!
Dice Masters, Master of the Dice!
It could be win or lose, it all depends on the roll of the dice!
Dicemasters!

CHARACTERS
As you’ll see from this list, each character has a subtly dice-related name suited to their role in the Dice World.

Chip Roller: The spiky-haired protagonist of our tale, Chip Roller may be a beginner at the game, but when he takes out his horribly unbalanced dice-deck and the DESTINED DICE of Fire that his father left him, all the skill and training in the world can’t defeat him! Supported by the twin powers of FRIENDSHIP and DESTINY, Chip is trying to collect the DESTINED DICE so that he can save the world and find the father who abandoned him over a decade ago.

Chuck Roller: Chip’s father, this Dice Master had no qualms about leaving his wife and son behind in order to pursue the mystery of the DESTINED DICE. Rumours suggest that he managed to use the DESTINED DICE to open the gate to the Dice World, where the monsters and magic summoned by the dice are real.

Pip Tetrad: Chip’s hot-headed best friend, Pip was once a street punk all too ready to get into a fight until Chip showed him the power of FRIENDSHIP. Although he spends most episodes cheering and trash-talking from the sidelines, Pip considers himself a Dice Player. With luck on his side, Pip manages to scrape wins for most of his duels, but only when Chip coaches him from the sidelines.

Felicity “Flick” Cubis: Chip’s closest female friend, Flick is an energetic young woman with unrequited feelings for the completely oblivious Chip. Although she possesses the DESTINED DICE of Healing, she seems completely unable to use it or even play Dicemasters, and thus spends most of her time cheering from the sidelines as the power of FRIENDSHIP demands.

Ace die Master: The son of the rich and prestigious die Master family, Ace has been trained almost from birth in the game of Dicemasters, even inheriting the family DESTINED DICE of Dragons. After losing to Chip in the first episode, Ace declared himself Chip’s greatest rival, and spent weeks in training in the holographic simulators even though all the skill in the world cannot defeat Chip’s twin powers of FRIENDSHIP and DESTINY. A loner by nature, Ace usually works for his own ends, although he does often end up helping Chip against the other villains, based on the reasoning that only Ace himself is entitled to defeat the main character.

Snake Eyes: A long-haired bishounen, Snake is the main villain of arc one, the owner of the DESTINED DICE of Darkness who seeks to take over the world. Despite being a formidable Dice Master, he prefers to sit in his castle of DOOM and send out inferior minions to challenge the heroes and give them much needed practice. His hobbies include berating underlings and laughing maniacally as he outlines his plans in detail.

One: The first and ugliest enemy of the Dice Island arc, One is a monosyllabic idiot who is easily defeated in under ten episodes. He uses a Rock Guardian dice-deck.

Two: A hot-headed guy not unlike Pip, Two led the life of a delinquent until he was taken under Snake’s wing. After a testosterone laden match with Pip, they admit it was all in good fun and Two joins the cheerleaders on the sidelines. He uses an Assault type dice-deck.

Three: An attractive and alluring young woman, Three has a reputation for crushing men both on and off the playing field. You wouldn’t know it from her onscreen appearances though, as storyline necessity usually means that she gets defeated, either by the power of FRIENDSHIP, or by more serious villains in later arcs. She uses a Sorceress type dice-deck.

Four: A pre-teen computer whiz and all-round genius, Four is one of those precocious kids who make you want to slap them in the face every time they open their mouth. Needless to say, he quickly riles Pip up by predicting his every move, but even genius is no match for sheer dumb luck. Four uses a Mechanical type dice-deck.

Five: A semi-unhinged, gender indeterminate character, Five lives only to make his victims suffer as long as possible- on the dice field, that is! He enjoys toying with his opponents, which ironically gives them to time to think up ways to effect a comeback and steal victory. Five uses a Blade type dice-deck.

Six: Although the visor he wears completely obscures his identity, Six bears a striking resemblance to Ace’s long-lost younger brother, Deuce die Master. Snake’s protégé, Six has apparently lost all memories of his former life, and fights with a ferocious intensity for his mentor. He wields the DESTINED DICE of Lightning.

Next time: the exciting and unpredictable synopsis of arc one!