[Checkmate]

In a misty space, endless fog. The five senses were limited under its coercion.

The pressure was palpable, and powers roamed unparalleled like dragons. Only a transparent life form with a board presented itself. His long, straight, black hair swayed gently; like the work of a divine act.

The individual in question was Federick. He was pondering the implications of the board; after it was autonomously triggered, the pieces had taken on realistic miniature figures of near and unknown people.

Their quality was exquisite, like the work of a veteran craftsman. The details were unique and the figures came to life.

On the board, there were two divisions, black and white, and on two sides they had taken shapes respectively. He was the user of the white side, but there was no opponent to occupy the opposite side.

On his side were positioned figures close to him, such as Perla, his Mother.

Carlos II, his Grandfather, and regent of Athens.

Amagatzu, his estranged Father.

And even his great-uncle, Christopher "Crazy Coffin", the Great General of Athenas, of this generation.

The only difference was their positions. During the process of convertibility, the board had abandoned its conventional form, transmuting to a strange one in dimensions.

It took up no more space than before, but from Federick's perspective, it had expanded horizontally and in thickness.

'Covered in strangeness.' Federick recalled.

The other half of the board included characters such as:

The Patriarch of the Liu family, Fan Liu.

The Patriarch of the Avens family, David Avens.

Sifu, "Old Bamboo".

As well as other unknown characters; both sides featured minor and unknown figures, repeating the pattern of different positioning.

The figure of his Mother, Perla, was in a medium location, covered by unknown figures in the front line; Amagatzu was the opposite, placing himself in the farthest rear.

But two points stood out in the whole sequence: There was a replica figure of his figure, and a few only took the appearance of symbols.

His figure was positioned in the rear, far to the point of division; but even so, his Father was still a considerable distance away....

'These positionings are strange and seem to not correlate... Formula, formula... According to the implications of the game, this cannot be considered as such; It plays along the lines of reality, and reality is not a pre-programmed game.' Federick thought, trying to guess the nature of the 'game'.

'But who is this figure? What fun...' He thought.

He had expressed a small smile, but his current featureless face made it impossible for him to show.

The figure in question was on the opposite side, his face surrounded by a thick fog, which made it impossible to observe the same. He stood at the rear, with no intention of acting.

'According to the premise, this is a game'...

'It's time to play.' Federick thought, transporting his intention to the board.

The board suffered irreversible effects, as it began to shake uncontrollably; still, the pieces remained in their spaces without receiving consequences.

A devastating fissure emerged in the board, which progressively occupied more and more space horizontally. From the fissure emerged a chaotic, spiritually shaped force.

It was not of flesh, bone, or blood, but it took place in front of Federick. A black blob, as if it had a gravitational pull, countless forces swirled around it.

It slowly formed a humanoid-like figure. Still imbued with its blackish color, it consisted of six arms and three heads; it had no legs, instead, countless tentacles stretched out.

The air around it was coercive, ancient, and noble.

Federick tried to evaluate the figure but received only a questioning response, but intuitively he recognized it: It was his opponent, who would start on the opposing side.

Without mediating words, he guided some golden threads that had appeared in his fingers, making the first movement.

His figure, He, the King, moved.

The golden threads permeated his figure, endowing him with the strength to move one square.

With this move came a response, and an understanding of the situation.

This battlefield was equivalent to reality. The figures existed based on a relationship... He, the King, was the correlation and the center of the battle.

'This object is quite divine, being able to dismantle every veil, leaving enemies and allies to the surface.' Federick estimated.

The figure in black extended a few of its innumerable tentacles, finally directing and coiling one around Liu's figure. Who advanced and summoned extremely fast vipers, who broke through the dividing line, planting themselves in the white side's undergrounds.

"Vipers commonly tend to represent lying. Their act is secondary, but extremely related to me."

After each move made, realizations struck Federick.

His hand was intuitively guided by the golden threads, the knowledge spreading in his mind slowly.

The moves were continuous, as in a professional chess game. There was no timer clock, but the tension was still palpable.

"Deceptive appearances."

"Lies."

"Manipulation."

These were extremely common compressions, which appeared during the early rounds. Some figures were already worn out, and even their expressions had changed.

"This is a damn board game... Fun!" Federick said, producing echoes with his voice.

The only figures that remained impassive on the board, were Federick and the mysterious figure... And Amagatzu, who hadn't made a single move.

Until finally there was a serious implication to Federick, when a tentacle coiled around the figure of Patriarch Avens; Who summoned an illusory figure that traversed the confines until it reached the figure of Federick.

"Poison: highly dangerous toxins used in the past, present, and future.

Not even a child is spared... Especially if he is a Prince."

The unexpected revelation immediately shifted Federick's focus.

But before he could weigh the consequences, his fingers moved at lightning speed, the golden threads extended and the King's figure advanced; There were no visible effects until the mysterious figure trembled in a slight fold.

This time, there was no comprehension of the situation, but an image superimposed on his mind: Figures writhed, in their last breath struggled with their willpower expiring.

But that's when a particular event occurred: Before the figure in black made a move, the golden threads extended to an unknown figure. He was formidable, bald, and bearded; in his hands, he carried an axe.

At that moment an image appeared among his memories, of an axe flying through the skies until it severed an individual, who had become one-armed.

Immediately after the image, the figure of David Avens disappeared into ashes.

As it happened, the mysterious figure began to drip blood from his body.

'The game does not focus on death; it focuses on the situation it is based on. In this case, an attack on me.' Federick thought.

That meant that David's demise was symbolic.

Through it, he had already discovered the opposing king: The mysterious figure, who was behind it all.

At this, the figure in black reacted extremely violently. Directing his efforts to destruction, weakening his faction...

From that moment on the game had taken a strange turn. A symbolic stalemate was constantly maintained, but the figures had changed extremely.

The former Fan Liu was unrecognizable, his closest resemblance being to a beast.

Sifu who was an elder originally, his figure had degraded even more.

Other figures had shared the same fate as Patriarch Avens.

And even the former symbols full of warmth and energy had become dull.

On the other hand.

The figure of Carlos II was dominant, maintaining his unbound hair which swayed with golden energy.

The figure of Perla had increased in size.

And at this moment, Amagatzu was drinking tea in a corner...

The figures of the two Kings in the game differed greatly.

One was pitiful, covered in wounds and blood, but his posture was not in doubt.

On the other hand, Federick had received no wounds; his greatest quantitative change being in his expression, which was merciless.

The game was coming to an end, checkmate was near... But, suddenly he was dismissed from the misty space.

The two figures, the board and the pieces, abandoned their position in the mist; returning to their former solitary aura.

...

Federick regained control of his body in reality, the game was still playing, but he immediately fainted from mental exhaustion.