Morning dawned bright and sharp over the Academy of 64 Houses.
Students buzzed around the central arena—an enormous chessboard-shaped battleground designed for public duels.
Floating stands surrounded the field, already packed with spectators.
This was what everyone lived for:
Battle.
Glory.
Strategy.
Yuuji adjusted his new formal House cloak—simple, black with a silver chess king embroidered on the back.
His team stood with him—Mira, Clara, Ayaka—each in matching uniforms, their House badges gleaming proudly.
In the distance, their opponents waited.
Leon Vortan stood at the head of House Vortan: an icy figure, arms crossed, his sharp gaze cutting across the field.
His team stood behind him:
• A deadly-looking Knight with twin blades.
• A brooding Rook with heavy armor.
• A sleek Bishop mage with cold, merciless eyes.
Serious opponents.
The referee—a tall woman in gold armor—raised a glowing flag.
"Today's match: House of Vortan versus House of Checkmate!"
Cheers erupted from the stands.
"Victory Condition:
Three 1v1 matches.
Best out of three wins!"
The referee snapped her fingers.
Magical sigils activated around the field, sealing it in an anti-interference barrier.
"First match:
Mira Valentina versus Cade Arclight!"
Mira cracked her knuckles, flashing a cocky grin.
"Time to break some illusions," she said.
Yuuji touched her shoulder briefly.
"Stick to your strengths. Speed kills."
Mira winked and strode onto the field.
Across from her, Cade—a tall Knight-class student with a cruel smile—spun his twin short swords casually.
Above the battlefield, the magical announcement board flashed:
MATCH 1:
Mira Valentina (Knight, House of Checkmate)
vs
Cade Arclight (Knight, House of Vortan)
The referee raised her arm.
"Combatants ready?"
Both nodded.
"Begin!"
"Hmph."
Cade Arclight dashed forward instantly, his twin blades gleaming in the morning light.
His speed was brutal, direct—exactly what you'd expect from a Knight.
But Mira was already moving.
Her body blurred in a sharp L-shaped leap—perfectly mimicking her piece's pattern.
Cade's first strike slashed nothing but air.
"Tch."
He adjusted instantly, whirling around to follow her.
But Mira was already springing again—zigzagging across the field in unpredictable bursts, her silver Knight emblem flashing like a comet.
From the sidelines, Yuuji watched calmly.
"He's aggressive. She's faster.
Good. Stick to control, not power."
Cade snarled and threw a dagger mid-spin.
A dirty trick—
the blade whistled toward Mira's back.
Gasps rang out from the crowd.
But Mira, smirking, pivoted mid-air—
and deflected the dagger with a spinning kick.
"Gonna have to try harder than that!" she taunted.
Cade's face twisted in rage.
He charged again—this time feinting left, then cutting right in a low, brutal sweep.
A clever move.
Fast enough to catch a slower opponent off guard.
But Mira wasn't slower.
She ducked low, then sprang up, flipping over Cade in an impossible arc.
While mid-air—
she tapped his head lightly with the tip of her boot.
BOP.
The crowd exploded in laughter and cheers.
Cade staggered, humiliated.
"Why you—!"
Before he could react, Mira twisted and slammed a sharp elbow into the side of his neck—
just enough to throw him completely off balance.
Cade crashed onto the marble floor with a loud thud.
The referee raised her hand instantly:
"Victory! Mira Valentina, House of Checkmate!"
Yuuji smirked from the sideline.
"First match: ours."
Mira jogged back to the team, tossing a cocky salute.
"One down. Two to go."
Ayaka whooped.
Clara simply nodded, eyes sharp.
Across the field, Leon Vortan's expression didn't change.
But his fingers tapped rhythmically against his arm.
Calculating.
The second match loomed.
And this time... it wouldn't be so easy.
The referee's voice rang out:
"Second match:
Clara Sylvelle, House of Checkmate
vs
Iris Vermillion, House of Vortan!"
Clara calmly stepped onto the field.
No bravado.
No flashy entrance.
Just quiet, lethal purpose.
Across from her, Iris stood with a cruel smile, crimson hair fluttering in the breeze, her Bishop badge gleaming.
Two Bishops.
Two strategists.
The crowd leaned forward in anticipation.
This would be a duel of magic and mind.
The referee raised her hand.
"Combatants ready?"
Both nodded silently.
"Begin!"
Instantly, the battlefield exploded with magical glyphs.
Clara raised her left hand, summoning a lattice of diagonal energy barriers across the field.
Iris responded by unleashing a barrage of scarlet lances—magical projectiles screaming through the air.
Clara stepped lightly to the side, letting the lances pass harmlessly.
She flicked her fingers—
and dozens of razor-thin ice shards materialized, shooting diagonally across the arena.
Iris deflected most of them with a glowing shield—
but a few cut through, slicing her sleeve and drawing a gasp from the crowd.
From the sidelines, Yuuji nodded approvingly.
"Control the diagonals. Bishop-style warfare."
Iris snarled and planted her staff into the ground.
Red magic circles flared beneath her feet.
An illusionary storm of blades erupted around Clara.
The crowd gasped.
Was it over already?
No.
Calm and precise, Clara traced a single glowing rune in the air—
And the entire illusion shattered like glass.
Iris blinked in shock.
Too late.
Clara raised her hand—
and a blinding spear of pure ice lanced across the field, hitting Iris square in the chest.
A loud boom echoed.
Iris crashed backward, skidding across the marble floor.
The referee immediately raised her hand:
"Victory! Clara Sylvelle, House of Checkmate!"
The crowd roared.
Two wins for Checkmate.
One more... and victory would be theirs.
Yuuji clenched his fist slightly, his mind racing.
Across the field, Leon Vortan finally smiled.
A slow, dangerous smile.
"Time for me to make my move," he murmured.
The referee's voice echoed across the arena:
"Third match:
Yuuji Serizawa, House of Checkmate
vs
Leon Vortan, House of Vortan!"
The entire arena fell silent for a heartbeat—then erupted into shouts, gasps, and wild excitement.
The King vs the Elite Bishop.
Yuuji stepped onto the marble battlefield, his steps slow but steady.
His black cloak flared lightly behind him, silver King emblem gleaming in the morning light.
Across the field, Leon Vortan approached like a dark wave, his black armor polished, his Bishop insignia cold and sharp.
Their eyes met.
Electric tension crackled between them.
Yuuji inhaled slowly.
He wasn't nervous.
Not afraid.
He was focused.
This wasn't just a fight.
It was a battle of minds.
A chess match on living ground.
Leon drew a sleek black rapier glowing with runic energy.
He smiled coldly.
"You're impressive, for a beginner," he said.
"But this board belongs to players like me."
Yuuji smiled lazily back.
"Funny.
I thought the game had just started."
The crowd roared.
Even Clara raised an eyebrow slightly.
Mira grinned wide.
Ayaka punched her fist into her hand eagerly.
The referee raised her arm.
"Combatants ready?"
Both nodded.
"Begin!"
Leon wasted no time.
He moved with frightening speed, slicing the air with his rapier, sending black arcs of cutting magic toward Yuuji.
But Yuuji side-stepped neatly, shifting diagonally across the field—Bishop-style movement.
Leon's eyes narrowed.
"You know the patterns..."
Yuuji smiled.
"Of course.
This is a chessboard, after all."
Leon struck again—this time feinting high and attacking low.
Yuuji responded by retreating exactly one square backward—King-style.
The attacks missed by inches.
The crowd gasped again.
Leon growled, magic flaring around him.
"Let's see how long you can dance, King without a House."
But Yuuji was smiling inside.
He wasn't just dancing.
He was setting the board.
One move at a time.