The world smelled like ash and sweat.
And black.
Yuuji blinked. He was sure he had just been sitting alone in the chess club room, playing against a digital board like always. His fingers were mid-move when the ground beneath him vanished and the light fractured.
Now he stood.
In the center of a massive chessboard made of obsidian and white marble. Above him—a violet sky filled with floating towers and drifting pieces. Weightless. Unreal.
"The King has arrived," a voice whispered—low, feminine, and dangerously smooth.
Yuuji turned.
Standing before him was a woman in regal armor, long blonde hair flowing like liquid sunlight, eyes glowing with golden fire. She held a chessboard—not carved, but alive, glowing, pulsing.
"Yuuji Serizawa. You have been chosen to be the King of the 64 Squares."
"...What."
"This is the world of Strategia. Here, magic does not rule alone—strategy does. Every power, every decision, every battle... begins with a move."
She extended her hand.
Resting in her palm was a glowing King chess piece, pure energy shaped by intent.
"You are our final player."
Yuuji wanted to laugh. He wasn't a hero. Not a warrior. Not a mage.
He was just the guy who preferred sacrificing queens when no one saw it coming.
"...Then I hope you're ready for one hell of a dangerous game."
He took the piece.
In that instant, the board beneath his feet trembled.
Golden lines cracked through the sky.
And somewhere far off... the first piece began to move.