Picking Teams

Iblis stood up, growing bigger as shadows swirled around him. "I'll go first," he said with a grin. "It's pretty funny, using humanity's worst monsters to seal its fate."

He started calling out names, each one making reality ripple like a stone thrown in a pond.

"Alexander the Great," Iblis said. A man appeared, his eyes burning with anger. "He was betrayed by his friends. Now he'll conquer everything out of spite."

"Julius Caesar," came next. The Roman leader showed up, sneering. "His buddies killed him. He'll teach Naaim all about backstabbing."

Khaliq watched quietly, his golden eyes full of sadness as Iblis kept going.

"Jesus Christ." This name made everyone gasp. The Jesus that appeared wasn't the calm, loving guy from the stories. This one looked bitter and angry. "He's sick of people not following his teachings. His love's turned to anger now."

"Genghis Khan." The Mongol warlord appeared, looking ready for a fight. "He hates weakness. He'll fit right in on Naaim."

"Nero." The Roman emperor showed up, his eyes wild and crazy. "He'll show those humans what real cruelty is."

"Elizabeth Báthory." A beautiful woman appeared, but her eyes were hungry and cruel. "She'll make people suffer just to stay young and pretty."

"And finally, Napoleon Bonaparte." The French emperor appeared, his eyes burning with ambition. "He'll set Naaim on fire with his plans."

Iblis turned to Khaliq, smirking. "Your turn, bro. But I don't think even you can beat this lineup."

Khaliq stood up slowly. When he spoke, his voice was quiet but powerful. "You're mixing up being famous with being strong, Iblis. Real power isn't about destroying things. It's about creating, inspiring, and leading by example."

Khaliq waved his hand and started calling his own champions.

"Miyamoto Musashi." A calm swordsman appeared. "He's smart and tough. He'll inspire Naaim's people."

"Sun Tzu." An old Chinese man showed up, looking calm and thoughtful. "He knows all about conflict. That'll come in handy."

"Niccolò Machiavelli." A sharp-eyed Italian appeared. "He understands power. He'll help navigate Naaim's tricky politics."

"Nostradamus." A mysterious man appeared, his eyes seeming to look into the future. "His visions will guide us through tough times."

"Sir Henry Morgan." A grinning pirate appeared. "He's quick-thinking and charming. He'll get the underdogs on our side."

Iblis frowned, counting on his fingers. "That's only five. Losing your nerve?"

Khaliq shook his head, smiling a little. "Nope. Remember, my sixth champion will be picked when the game starts. A wildcard from Earth."

Iblis laughed. It sounded like stars exploding. "Oh, Khaliq! Always the optimist. You're trusting some random human? Fine. It'll just make my win even sweeter."

"We'll see," Khaliq said calmly. "Sometimes, the least likely people become heroes when pushed."

Iblis waved his hand, already walking away. "Big words, bro. But they won't save you. I can't wait to watch your champions - and your faith in humans - fall apart."

As Iblis left, turning into shadows and fire, he called back, "Good luck, Khaliq. You'll need it!"

With a last laugh that sounded like far-off thunder, Iblis vanished.

Khaliq stood there for a while, his golden eyes looking at things no one else could see. Then he sighed and went back to his desk. He waved his hand, and a view of Naaim appeared.

"Now," he said quietly, "to find our wildcard."

Khaliq's mind spread out over Naaim like a gentle breeze. He touched countless minds, feeling their hopes, fears, and deepest wishes. He was looking for something special - a spark that could grow into a world-changing fire.

Time passed - though it's hard to say how much in a place like this. Khaliq kept searching. Just when he was starting to worry he'd made a mistake, he felt it.

A cry of pain and anger cut through space itself. It was full of raw emotion and hidden power.

Khaliq zoomed in on where it came from. He saw a man lying hurt on a cold street, bleeding. But it wasn't the man's injuries that caught Khaliq's eye. It was the fire in his soul. He'd gone from peaceful to angry in a heartbeat, ready to change everything.

"Atenzi," Khaliq whispered, somehow knowing the man's name. "You've been peaceful, but now you're at a turning point. You'll be our wildcard."

Gently, Khaliq reached out across space, ready to pluck Atenzi from his world and set him on a path that would change Naaim - and maybe all of Universe X.

As he did this, Khaliq smiled a little. "The game's starting, brother," he said quietly. "And I think you'll find this pawn isn't so easy to beat."

With that, Khaliq set things in motion that would shake Naaim to its core. It would test free will, destiny, and the endless dance between making and breaking.

The cosmic bet was on, and a whole universe hung in the balance.

Now, you might wonder why Iblis and Khaliq picked these particular people. Well, there's a twist to the story.

The Seven Harbingers - the ones with Iblis - used to love humanity more than anything. But each of them got hurt so badly by people that their love turned into hate bigger than space itself.

The Luminaries of Providence - Khaliq's team - see things differently. They've been hurt by people too. But instead of giving up, they saw possibility in humanity's flaws.

These are the ones who looked at how messed up people can be and decided to build bridges instead of burning everything down.

Their strength isn't that they don't get hurt. It's that they can take that hurt and turn it into something good.

So this cosmic game isn't just good guys versus bad guys. It's hope versus giving up. It's about punishing humanity for its mistakes or helping it grow.

And stuck in the middle of all this? Our wildcard, Atenzi. His journey from peace-lover to power-seeker might just tip the scales in this big celestial bet.