A Game of Chess I

"Not a bad move," Jack muttered, his eyes narrowing as he observed the scene unfolding in the valley below. The students of Starcrest and Mythos Academy huddled together like ants, each step calculated yet predictable in the grand scheme of things.

Ants. Yes, that was the word. A fitting description for how they scurried, caught in the web Arthur had spun. Jack had to admit it was a clever play—a move designed to weaken not just Slatemark but Starcrest as well. But clever didn't always mean unpredictable, and this? This was exactly the sort of ploy Jack had expected from Arthur.

The flaw in their grand alliance was painfully obvious to anyone who cared to look. The five academies were tied together by a fragile thread, a makeshift alliance formed not out of loyalty or shared goals, but out of sheer necessity. And necessity, Jack mused, was a weak foundation for any alliance.

"Take down Mythos," they said. "Work together to bring them down," they said. But that wasn't how the game worked. Defeating Mythos Academy wasn't the end—it was merely one step. Points still needed to be accumulated. Prestige still needed to be won. And when the dust settled, each academy wanted to walk away with the glory. No one was interested in being a pawn to Slatemark or any other academy. That was why the so-called 'alliance' had always been doomed to fail. It was a farce, barely held together by mutual resentment toward the reigning champion.

Jack's lips curled into a smirk. 'Of course,' he thought. The brilliance of Arthur's strategy lay in exploiting that weakness. Arthur knew better than anyone that the lack of true unity between the academies would unravel them eventually. It was just a matter of applying the right amount of pressure at the right moment to speed things along.

Arthur's move was a gamble, one that forced Slatemark and Starcrest into the same playing field, nudging them toward conflict over dwindling resources. The valley, rich with mana beasts, was the perfect bait—just enough to spark tension without making the trap too obvious.

But for Jack, it wasn't enough.

Even though Arthur had timed his move with near-perfect precision, taking full advantage of the friction between the academies, it was all too clear to Jack. The strategy—clever though it was—was a glass window to him, one he could see through without effort. 

'Two birds in one stroke, huh?' Jack mused, his smirk widening. 

He allowed the smirk to settle as his Gift, Nirvana Flames, sparked to life within him. He could feel it—the ember he had planted on Seol-ah Moyong. Slowly, it began to work, breaking down her artifact like a candle melting from the inside. It was subtle, a quiet death, one that even the watchful eyes of the professors couldn't catch. The flame worked in secret, and none were the wiser.

But Jack couldn't afford to let even a flicker of suspicion cross his face. He was under the sharp gaze of Ascendant-rank professors, and every move had to be seamless, every gesture calculated. 

Casually, he stretched his fingers. A 6-circle spell formed at his fingertips, crackling with condensed mana. He could feel its weight, the familiar thrum of power that always accompanied casting high-level spells. It was easy for him, like breathing. But one spell wasn't enough for this.

No, he needed more.

A second 6-circle spell materialized beside the first, spinning slowly like a deadly wheel.

And then a third.

Three 6-circle spells, all brimming with lethal intent, poised to rain destruction upon the valley below. 

Ren and Seol-ah exchanged blows beneath him, their clash sending shockwaves through the ground, but neither seemed to realize what was about to happen.

Jack's eyes gleamed. They wouldn't see it coming. No one would.

"Let's see how long they last," he whispered under his breath, his voice barely audible as he released the three spells in a silent, deadly cascade. 

The spells tore through the sky like meteors, their blazing trails searing through the air as they descended upon the valley. Jack's heart thrummed with satisfaction. Whether it was Seol-ah, Ren, or even Arthur's meddling plan—everything would burn before him. 

And as the flames of Nirvana devoured Seol-ah's protection, Jack knew one thing for certain: the game was his to control.

The spells hurtled toward them, and Ren, Seol-ah, and Jin instinctively knew that their brief alliance was their only chance of surviving the devastating force.

Ren moved first, his fist crackling with space magic as he invoked his art.

Void Fist: Third Movement—Void Collapse.

The space around the incoming spell distorted violently, swallowing the first spell whole, but the sheer force of its collapse sent shockwaves through the valley. Even Ren grunted, feeling the strain on his body as his magic wavered for a moment. 

Seol-ah, her eyes gleaming with golden light, was already moving in sync. Her sword art, Skyward Lotus, manifested with flawless precision.

Skyward Lotus: Second Petal—Blossom in Storm.

Her sword slashed upward, creating the spinning lotus of sharp wind petals. The second spell collided with it, but the force behind Jack's magic was stronger than anticipated. The lotus shattered upon impact, and Seol-ah staggered back, gritting her teeth as the remnants of the spell grazed her side, scorching her arm and leaving deep burns.

Jin, watching both Ren and Seol-ah's struggles, knew it was his turn. He raised his hand, and the mournful wails of the dead echoed in the valley as he invoked Soulweaver's Sorrow.

Second Movement: Wail of the Departed.

Shadows rose from the earth, the souls of the departed launching toward the final spell as he wrapped his twin swords in dark magic. But the 6-circle spell was too powerful, and the souls were only able to weaken its force. 

The spell broke through the ghostly wails, its power reduced but still deadly. Jin's face tightened as the spell slammed into the ground, the backlash sending him tumbling backward. Ren and Seol-ah were caught in the blast's radius as well, both staggering as the shockwave sent debris flying.

Ren grunted, feeling the burn of the spell on his skin despite his defenses. His fist clenched tighter as he forced himself to stand. "Damn… that was too close," he muttered under his breath.

Seol-ah winced, the burn on her arm stinging, but she held her ground, her sword still poised to strike if necessary. "We're not out of this yet," she said, her voice steady despite the pain.

Jin wiped a thin trail of blood from his lip, standing once again. His summons had reduced the damage, but he hadn't been able to stop the full force of the spell. "Jack's playing with us," he said, his voice cold. "The third spell was just powerful enough to be stopped by me."

Ren nodded, his eyes flicking between the two. "That's why we need to end this soon. We'll team up for now, but don't think for a second that this alliance lasts once the danger's over."

Seol-ah's golden eyes flashed. "Agreed. But for now, we need to take care of this mess."

Though they were momentary allies, the tension between them was palpable. Each of them knew that once the threat of Jack's magic was dealt with, it would be back to the competition. For now, though, survival came first.