Chess

Hearing this, Uatu clearly had the same intention. 

It seemed that both parties regarded the other as troublemakers, avoiding acknowledgment whenever possible. 

As a result, apart from Uatu and a select few core members among the Watchers, none of them knew Zane's identity as their lord. 

--- 

Zane flew into space, glanced mischievously at a bald Watcher he didn't recognize, and asked, 

"What about the bald guy from before?" 

"Mr. Zane, are you referring to our leader? He's left the Domain of Watchers again, but this time, it's not to Universe 616, where you were previously," answered Watcher Ortlando. 

As he spoke, Ortlando pulled out an item and conjured the familiar white chess-carriage Zane had used before. 

The chess-carriage sped along the black-and-white chessboard paths, carrying Zane and the bald Watcher to the central area of the *Domain of Watchers* in no time. 

There, they saw the radiant and majestic Starry Castle towering at the highest point. 

As Zane took a closer look, he noticed that the castle was positioned directly over the King and Queen squares of the chessboard. 

At that moment, a knight piece clad in black, intimidating armor emerged from a rift in space-time. It stepped forward and approached Zane. 

"Mr. Zane, this is a Chess Guardian created by Her Highness Roma with magic. 

Place your hand on its shield, and it will verify your identity and detect any malicious intent," explained Ortlando, clarifying the origin and purpose of the knight chess piece. 

Zane activated his *Mangekyō Sharingan* to inspect the humanoid chess piece. It was his first time encountering a purely magical consciousness. 

Determining it posed no threat, Zane placed his hand on the shield as instructed. 

"Oh, by the way, Mr. Zane," Ortlando suddenly called out as Zane's figure began to blur, "if Her Highness Roma invites you to play chess, you must hold back!" 

"Why?" Zane asked, puzzled, especially as the bald Watchers around them dispersed as soon as Ortlando mentioned 'playing chess with Roma.' 

Apparently, the phrase struck fear into everyone. 

"Because Her Highness Roma is nothing like Lord Merlin. While she loves chess, her skills are mediocre, and her sportsmanship is... questionable. 

She often breaks the chessboard, and her boards are not ordinary ones. 

Each chessboard represents a dimensional universe. If the board breaks, the corresponding universe is destroyed as well..." 

Before Ortlando could finish, Zane vanished along with the knight chess piece. 

"You're Zane, the human from Earth?" 

A young woman wearing a white robe, resembling the long tunic-style attire typical of the Mediterranean region Zane had seen on Earth, approached him. Her hair was tied into a ponytail. 

Leaning in close, she whispered in his ear, 

"Or should I call you the outsider?" 

"Why not start by playing a game of chess with me?" 

"If you win, I'll overlook the fact that you took one of my tenants, and I'll even give you a surprise." 

Before Zane could respond, the young woman pulled him to a seat, and a massive chessboard materialized before him. 

Zane understood that when Roma mentioned "stealing tenants," she was referring to the Watchers acknowledging him as their lord. 

What surprised him, however, was her ability to accurately call him an "outsider," likely information her unseen father had shared with her. 

Between them rested a chessboard of white jade-like material. Its dense weight made it impossible for Zane to determine its composition. 

"My father and I once visited Earth in Universe 616, the same main universe where you used to stay," Roma began casually. "It was over a thousand Earth years ago. 

Back then, we traveled to a small island nation and helped a man who called himself 'King Arthur.' In the end, we left him the Sword in the Stone. 

It was also during that time that my father and I learned your Earthling game of chess. 

Ever since, we've enjoyed matches during our idle moments. 

But now my father is off wandering through some random universe, and those round-headed, big-faced Watchers are obsessed only with analyzing cosmic data. 

So, when I meet a true Earthling visitor like you, I can't resist pulling you into a game!" 

Roma brushed her ponytail off her shoulder, exuding youthful energy as she continued in a playful tone: 

"Coincidentally, my previous chessboard wore out and broke. I recently finished creating this replacement from another dimensional universe. 

Initially, I thought I'd save some resources and build it using material from a small star system rich in Morphite ore. 

But I got impatient and didn't want the hassle, so I compressed an entire newborn universe into the chessboard you see now." 

Zane was momentarily stunned. The last thing the bald Watcher had tried to tell him before he disappeared had been garbled by the distortion of space-time. 

Now, hearing this directly from Roma herself, he couldn't help but be shocked. He instinctively reached out to touch the so-called Cosmic Chessboard. 

Its texture was unlike anything he'd encountered before—solid and compact. As his fingertips brushed its surface, he felt an almost imperceptible pull, as though the board was subtly drawing energy from the very pores of his skin. 

"Here, you'll play White, and I'll take Black. Make your move," Roma said, plopping into a grand chair opposite him like a host taking charge. 

A flicker of irritation crossed Zane's face. He stopped her, saying, 

"We can play chess, but I'll take Black. While I don't necessarily subscribe to 'ladies first,' I'm not keen on being underestimated by a girl offering me the first move." 

"Fine by me," Roma said with a light laugh, relenting without argument. 

At that moment, Zane noticed the Chess Guardian that had accompanied him earlier shrink with a flash and transform into a piece on the board. 

"I'll go first," Roma said casually. But instead of physically moving, a thread of thought emerged from her mind, linking to one of her pieces on the board. 

"So that's how it works," Zane murmured, mimicking her actions. A strand of his own will connected with one of his pieces. 

When Zane's consciousness merged with the black knight piece, he finally understood what the so-called Cosmic Chessboard truly was. 

His and Roma's consciousnesses now stood across from each other, separated by a series of swirling, fog-covered planets. 

These planets matched the total number of chess pieces precisely. 

The surroundings resembled a vast, desolate universe, barren and empty. 

"This is my modified version of Cosmic Chess," Roma explained. "Unlike your Earthly perspective, this game spans the entirety of a universe. 

Let's begin. Don't let me checkmate you too quickly…" 

As she finished speaking, her white robes billowed despite the absence of wind, and her delicate yet striking features hardened into the resolute expression of a battle-hardened general. 

For the first time, Zane realized the true scope of her dimensional power. 

She was stronger than him, undeniably a high-level being of the seventh dimension, far beyond the ordinary.

*************************************

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