Somewhere in the universe, two people were sitting opposite each other. Between them stood a chessboard, on which the figures were preparing for a fierce war.
" Pawn on E4 ~ "
A melodious voice mixed with a wild gust of wind disturbed the prevailing silence between the four mountain peaks surrounding them.
The figure representing the lowest-ranking soldier moved forward, destroying the surrounding landscape. Trees bowed under the feet of the thirty-foot giant, and rivers poured out of their beds.
Representatives of local fauna fled in panic from the impending doom. The giant rammed everything that stood in its way.
The dragon-like creature exulted in pride. Honor didn't allow it to watch its kingdom being destroyed by a stranger. It raised its massive body while emitting a penetrating roar.
Its giant wings moved, shaking off the dust that had accumulated over the centuries.
Nosferatu, the undisputed emperor of the oblivion world, awoke from a sleep that had lasted for centuries. Eons ago, when he defeated the strongest being on the planet, he became its absolute ruler. Since then, no one, nor anything, has been able to stop him.
All creatures had to give him his due honor. Otherwise... not even their bones were left behind. A miserable fate awaited those who dared to offend him. His dragon's breath could outshine the sun shining high in the sky.
Through years of domination, he had become an arrogant creature who despised all beings. In his eyes, they were no different from the flimsy vermin that bothered him in his daily slumber.
He had the rules of the universe for nothing.
He is the king.
He is the ruler.
He is the one who rules this earth!
He is the one who makes the rules.
If anyone dares to disturb his peace, he must prepare for the wrath to come.
The world shook in its foundations. The first layer of space cracked, creating billions of fissures. Mana raged through the air, creating tornadoes of pure energy that wreaked havoc.
Plants withered, and living organisms died on the spot. Everything that had mana in it lost it within a radius of three thousand kilometers.
The dragon opened its mouth wide, revealing rows of jet-black teeth to the world. A being endowed with good senses would have noticed how cosmic amounts of mana were gathering in the monster's mouth.
A moon-sized sphere formed in front of Nosferatu's mouth. Momentarily, the ground around it was covered with blue flames, and oxygen, as well as other gases, evaporated from the atmosphere.
The scales on the dragon's body were covered by a barely visible layer of dust, which protected the body from the effects of the devastating temperature.
From second to second, the sphere shrank. Mana crushed it, reducing the space it occupies.
Not even thirty seconds passed, and the ball of blue fire was compressed to the size of a grain of sand.
The miniature sun looked inconspicuous, but one mustn't judge a book by its cover.
It is three times stronger than its predecessor. Under compression, it devoured mana, increasing the volume. Space literally melted in the presence of an inconspicuous grain.
The one-thousandth part would be enough to annihilate the planet called earth.
Unexpectedly, Nosferatu devoured the miniature sun of doom.
The scales on his body tilted at a 45-degree angle, paving the way for geysers of vapor that shot out from under the dragon's skin. His body swelled, and the rocks beneath his feet literally evaporated.
Raging tornadoes of mana moved in front of the furious monster; giving in to his indomitable will, they transformed into a gate that amplified the spell's output.
Despite appearances, Nosferatu felt pressure against the stranger newcomer. Despite his immeasurable arrogance, he decided to end everything in one move.
To do this, he will use the strongest spell he knows. In the past, he used it only once. It ended with the annihilation of one of the planets. If he wanted to live here for a while, he had to be careful not to damage the nucleus. Otherwise, even he wouldn't save the planet.
The monster's maw opened a second time, releasing blasts of hot air. It was enough to eradicate all the layers of the atmosphere surrounding the planet.
Moments later, the flame that changed the planet's poles pierced space, passing through the gate.
The world crackled in its foundations, sensing the impending threat. If not for the rules that bound it, it would have destroyed a being capable of annihilating it long ago.
Upright, he had no chance to react. Before he could do anything, the flame consumed him completely. Hungry for destruction, the fire elemental gnawed into every atom, melting it on the spot.
Pride filled Nosferatu from the inside out. There was no chance of anything surviving this attack... not after he had put almost all available mana into it... at least, that's what our little dragon thought.
What was his surprise when, after a few minutes, the figure of an intact chess piece emerged from the flames and looked up at him with pity?
Along with the panicked scream of the sixth sense in his head, Nosferatu felt something he hadn't felt in ages. A panicky fear of certain death squeezed his monstrous heart.
As if by the touch of a magic wand, his attitude changed 180 degrees. Not even a trace remained of the proud creature. It was replaced by a frightened lizard, which ran away with its tail curled.
The dragon was an intelligent creature. Despite the arrogance he had developed over the years, he was able to keep it in check. After all, he wouldn't have gotten this far through sheer force alone. It required some cunning and a few other factors.
The most important of these is knowing when to let go. By going stubbornly forward all the time, sooner or later, you will run into an impassable wall. You'll either be devoured alive by it or show some residual intelligence and retreat in time.
Nosferatu chose the latter... however, as it turned out... it was too late for him. This time, he had offended creatures he shouldn't have messed with. Their power... was beyond his wildest imagination...
Even in his long eternal sleep, he never dreamed of the absolute power that the two insidious entities brought with them.
Crackle
A small flick of his finger was enough to turn the ruler of the world of Oblivion into a pile of twisted flesh. The man died before his mind registered what had happened.
Nosferatu was simply unlucky... and fucking unlucky. Along with his body, his soul was also destroyed. This deprived him of any chance of future reincarnation.
In addition to the meat pap, the former ruler of the world left behind only destruction. Along with his death, there was an unbroken silence on the planet.
If, by some miracle, any creatures survived, they were shaking with fear, fearing for their own fate.
Unfortunately, their problems had just begun.
" They will never learn... "
The prevailing silence was broken by the voice of an elderly man. In physical appearance, he resembled a man of 65. His square jaw and sharp facial features would have brought more than one woman to her knees. His short-cropped and well-groomed gray beard, which would be the envy of many a desperate man, added a few points. It took only a split second to lose oneself in the jade eyes, emanating a subtle glow.
Despite his advanced age, the man was ruggedly handsome. In the days of his youth, he must have broken more than one woman's heart.
" You could choose an extinct world next time. A few centuries and who knows... how the fate of the poor dragon would have turned out... "
The corners of the man's mouth lifted gently. There was an unusual aura from his smile. It provided a strange warmth, giving an unlimited sense of security.
The beings who survived the disaster felt as if they were back in their father's arms.
" Stop bullshitting Asphel. We both know very well how it would have ended. If you don't remember, remember the last time."
A distorted voice carried by the wind reached the man's ears. His shoulders slumped tiredly, imitating helplessness. A flash of murderous intent passed through his eyes for a brief moment, but this didn't escape the attention of the woman hiding behind the veil of wind.
" If that's how you want to play... Jump to C6 "
The earth shook, and a chariot harnessed to eight ten-meter horses fell from the sky. Their hooves struck the air furiously, creating hundreds of sparks burning the space. Their proud stance was accentuated by dancing flames smeared by the wind around them. The chariot they were pulling was enveloped in yellow flames. The air temperature became even hotter than it was when Nosferatu cast his spell.
" Spawn on D4 "
As before, the soldier serving as cannon meat moved laboriously forward, destroying everything in its path.
Asphel's fingers tapped rhythmically against the edge of the chessboard. A thought arose in his mind that didn't give him peace.
" Let me ask you, are you sure about this? Do you want to sacrifice a pawn that you have worked so hard on? Already, his situation doesn't look good. If you add to that my interference... I doubt if he will come out of this. "
" Asphel, since when do you care so much about me? Don't you already want to? Hmm, what did you call it? Gut the guts out of this filthy whore? "
A mocking smile was painted on the man's face. His sworn rival always knew how to make him feel better.
" You always take everything at face value... you can't even repeat it... It wasn't a dirty whore, but a stupid whore who fucks pigs. Besides, I'm worried about you. " Asphel put clear emphasis on the last words.
" Tsk... watch out, or I'll believe it... the only thing you're worried about is an easy victory that won't give you the right thrill. Also, express yourself. You aren't at home, remember that. "
" Since you understand me so well... how about a little bet? "
The woman's eyebrow raised.
" What do you have in mind? "
" It's simple, the Fort of the Six Paths. "
The woman smiled in spirit. Everything was going according to her plan so far.
" Expand "
Asphel pondered for a moment.
" If your pet is alive at the end of next week, I'll let you send an additional pawn there. However, if it dies, I will send mine. Sounds fair, doesn't it? "
The woman pretended to think about it. In fact, she had already more or less predicted what would happen, but there was no harm in keeping up appearances.
" All right. "
" So you just agree with me? Without any brawling? Shouting, negotiating, threatening? "
" Asphel... did it ever have any effect? I'm already tired of childish pushing... "
" Tsk... Zero fun... "
The woman sighed heavily.
" I don't think I need to remind you of the rules of the game. If you send someone beyond his ability... "
The atmosphere around them became heavy, and an unspoken threat hung in the air, giving a subtle warning.
Asphel snorted in exasperation. Reflexively, his eyes moved to the prosthetic right hand. The memory of the previous party, where he had been punished for breaking the rules, was still fresh in his mind.
" You better pray that your pet doesn't fall out of shape. Jump on E4 "
A chariot pulled by a herd of horses soared into the air, leaving smoldering ruins behind. It headed toward the pion, which stood unmoving and patiently guarded its position, waiting for new orders.
Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom
Furious hoofbeats ripped through the space below. The majestic creatures had the rules governing the world of Oblivion for nothing.
A series of explosions accompanied the landing of a chariot bathed in golden flames. Contrary to expectation, the rider stopped the speeding animals and stared stoically at the pion before him.
The atmosphere in the air trembled under the tension generated by the pair of mythical beings.
They measured each other with their eyes, waiting for further developments.
Crackle Crackle
Space collapsed over their heads, creating a cosmic nebula that covered the entire planet.
The remaining life forms watched in horror at the spectacle taking place. Even at the other end of the planet, they could feel the inevitable end, which was approaching at an alarming rate.
The man looked at the cosmic nebula with interest. Inside, it had formed millions of runes from the Exodus era.
The world was crying in panic. It was only the beginning of the party, and he was already at the limit of his endurance.
As if on cue, typhoons of mana flooded the unnatural creation, acting as a stalking horse for relics of a forgotten past.
The mana-wrapped runes moved. Each of them moved to its corresponding position, forming a smaller part of the magical formation.
A series of blinding lightning bolts pierced the sky, blinding the two divine beings.
When the glaring glare disappeared, the image of a man with black and white hair appeared to them. In his deep abyss-like amethyst eyes, they could see a raging snowstorm, against which they felt a gentle awe.
The man was engulfed in the heat of battle. Shrouded in darkness, his two swords danced elegantly in the air, drawing all sorts of geometric figures. No matter how hard they tried, they couldn't see the unnecessary movements.
His fencing was the most beautiful work of art they had ever seen. Every slightest movement heralded impending doom. The monsters that stood in his way signed a death sentence on themselves.
They fell like flies beheaded under the crimson liquid bathed in the weapon's blade. The swords couldn't keep up with absorbing the blood gathered around the man, making him look like a butcher working in a slaughterhouse.
Although they could have killed him with their eyes alone, they dared not do so. They knew the consequences of directly interfering with the tangled threads of fate. Even they, the supreme beings ruling the universe, had to respect certain rules. Otherwise... well, if I were them, I would prepare a warm and comfortable grave for myself.
Besides, they had their plans for him, which I'm sure he wouldn't like. Getting rid of such a useful pawn would be a huge loss and a waste of resources in the game.