In North Borough, the Saint Samuel Cathedral.
Daly wore a hooded black robe and a simple silver bracelet hanging with a white crystal pendant.
Her make-up was smudged, bluish marks were scattered underneath her eye as she wept quietly. A crisp file laid before her, drawing Daly's gaze, her eyes burned with quiet fury and deep sorrow.
After a while, she dabbed her eyes with the sleeve of her robe. The cathedral bells rolled faintly above as she retrieved a small pocketwatch from her pockets.
Upon seeing that the time was nearing 4, she closed the watch with a flick of her hands. She drew a small steady breath. When she lifted her head, the trembling in her eyes was gone, what remained was resolve.
Resolve to reach Demigod, resolve to kill Ince Zangwill and resolve to avenge Dunn.
And for that, she'd use any means necessary — even serving an ancient and unknown Deity.
Suddenly, a navy blue light consumed her whole and she collapsed against her chair.
…
In East Balam, inside a ghost shop that sailed the sea peacefully.
Anderson Hood rested his legs on a sturdy, wooden wide table in the captain's quarter.
He leaned against his seat, whistling in silence.
The walls were stained dark, layers of dried blood were smeared across the wood. At the foot of the table, two bodies lay sprawled on the floor, their heads severed cleanly from their necks.
Blood pooled beneath them, slowly creeping along the uneven planks as the ship rocked gently with the waves.
Anderson paid them no mind, instead it seemed he quite enjoyed the view, for the Strongest Hunter of the Fog Sea had wiped out yet another pirate crew.
His gaze swept the endless ocean indifferently.
Without warning, a navy blue light began to ripple across his body and after a few moments, his head slumped back.
…
Klein entered his bathroom once again, he clasped his hands together and prayed earnestly.
"The Omniscient Emperor that has been trapped in this Era.
"The Embodiment of Chaos; The Flaw that erodes Reality.
"The Incorruptible Ruler of Order and Disorder who reigns over Anarchy."
He paused, waiting for something.
And then, as if answering his invocation, a navy-blue light began to surge around Klein. The light intensified rapidly, engulfing his entire body, moments later he fell against the hard ground, losing consciousness.
…
Casper sat at the head of the table in the Nation of Disorder, his gaze calmly swept over the attendees.
Daly Simone sat at his right hand side, while Anderson occupied his left hand side. Klein meanwhile, sat across from him at the foot of the table.
Soon, seeing the awkward silence. Daly preemptively took initiative and greeted the mysterious Deity overseeing the gathering.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Emperor," she said in a restrained tone.
Casper nodded, acknowledging her greeting.
Meanwhile, the two of them noticed a third entity from the corner of their eyes, seated at the far end of the table where there had been nothing moments ago.
Anderson's eyes perked up as he smiled amusingly, Ah! Did Mr. Emperor already pick a replacement for the kind Church lady?
Daly's gaze turned cold at the sight of the third figure.
Casper used his hand to support his head and asked quickly, "Have you two made your decision?"
Anderson was the first to respond. He raised his head, his grin widening as his eyes gleamed with interest.
"I'll continue attending," he said casually, "I feel it's going to be quite entertaining soon."
Casper's gaze shifted to Daly.
Daly's fingers tightened around the edge of the table. "I accept," she said simply, "I'll join."
Casper's eyes lingered on her for a moment, screaming excitedly in his mind.
Everything went according to the plan.
The unknown third figure — Klein, soon broke the silence. "Mr. Emperor, how are we supposed to address ourselves?"
He asked innocently, playing his part.
Casper's lips curved into a subtle, almost imperceptible smile as Klein's question hung in the air.
Without a word, he lifted his free hand and swept it slowly across the center of the table. From the centre, faint motes of navy-blue light gathered and coalesced, layer upon layer, until an illusory chessboard took shape.
The board was vast and ancient, carved from the same material as the Nation of Disorder.
Piece by piece, the pieces assembled themselves out of nothing — pawns rising first in perfect rows, then knights, bishops, rooks, queens, and finally the kings — each of the pieces forming with deliberate slowness, courtesy of Casper.
All except one.
When the manifestation reached the final piece, the White King's square remained empty.
Anderson's eyes flickered upon witnessing the missing piece, he twisted his head to glance at the mysterious god as if wanting to say something
But in the end, no words came out from his mouth.
"You can choose a piece for yourself as your codename." Casper announced with a lazy smile spread across his face.
Anderson went first, choosing a piece without hesitation. "White Rook."
Immediately the White Rook vanished without a trace.
Daly soon followed, "White Knight," she had originally wanted to choose the White Queen but felt it wasn't befitting of her.
Finally, Klein was the last one left to choose.
He fell silent, considering his options. Daly and Anderson had chosen the White pieces to remain close to the Emperor symbolically.
So he only had the White Bishop remaining or the Black Pieces.
But he felt that choosing the rook, the knight, or the bishop would be unfitting.
His gaze lingered on each piece briefly.
Then, suddenly, his eyes flickered imperceptibly. After a while, Klein soon raised his head. A faint smile tugged at his lips as he declared calmly, "Black King."
Immediately, drawing Anderson's and Daly's attention to the audacious figure who dared to make such a choice.
The Black King stood in direct opposition to The White King, to choose it meant declaring yourself of a similar stance as The Emperor.
This bold declaration obviously drew attention. But Klein endured them calmly, barely sparing them a glance.
"Heh," a chuckle escaped Casper's lips.
Then it grew.
His chuckle spread throughout the vast and ancient halls of the Nation of Disorder as Casper could no longer restrain himself.
He never imagined Klein would have the nerve to choose a piece like that.
A chill ran down Anderson's spine. His relaxed posture stiffened for the first time since the gathering began.
Similarly, even Daly seemed frightened by the sudden chuckle. The sound alone sent a sharp chill through her spine.
Soon the laughter faded as Casper steeled himself.
"..."
Suddenly, he had a wonderful idea to spice things up.
Without warning, a deep and ancient voice escaped Casper's lips. "Interesting.... I never expected The Fool's Herald to be so bold."
Immediately, Klein's face fell.