Three Years Earlier
The school bell rang, signaling the end of the last class of the day. Students shuffled out of their seats, the room filling with chatter and the rustling of backpacks being slung over shoulders. Nick exhaled quietly, closing his notebook and stuffing it into his bag.
"Hey, Nick!" A voice called from the doorway. He turned to see Evelyn, one of his classmates, standing there with an excited look. "Are you joining the competition?"
Nick blinked, his mind catching up. "Competition? Uh… I haven't really thought about it."
"Oh, come on!" Another voice chimed in. This time, it was Leo, a guy from his class who was always pushing people into things. He walked up to them, grinning. "You're not scared, are you?"
Nick sighed internally. He didn't like being pressured, but he also didn't want to outright refuse. "I just… don't know if I'd be good at it."
"Well, what if I join?" Leo smirked. "Would that make you feel better?"
Nick hesitated, then shrugged. "Only if Evelyn joins too."
Evelyn quickly shook her head. "No way! I like watching, not getting punched."
Leo laughed. "Guess that means you're in, Nick."
Nick sighed again, realizing he had walked into that one. "Fine. What if Renn joins too." He turned to his seatmate, who had been silently packing up beside him.
Renn looked up, and gave a lazy smile. "I think I'll just watch this time. But I'll be cheering for you."
Nick chuckled. "Figures."
And with that, they headed toward the PE area.
The gymnasium was packed. The competition was being held in an open space with a large boxing ring set up in the middle. Around it, tables were arranged with chessboards, making the whole setup look like some bizarre fusion of intellect and brute force. The spectators' area was already filling up, students and even some teachers gathering to watch. The energy in the room was electric.
Their PE teacher, Mr. Haynes, stood in the center, holding a clipboard. "Alright, listen up!" he called out. "You all know the rules, but I'll go over them again for those of you who are new. This is boxing chess. You will alternate between three minutes of chess and three minutes of boxing. First to checkmate or knock out their opponent wins. If you think you're going to get knocked out, you can surrender. Got it?"
Nick nodded along with the others, trying to steady his nerves. He'd played chess before—casually—but boxing? That was a different story. He glanced at Leo, who was cracking his knuckles and grinning.
"You ready for this?" Leo asked.
Nick smirked slightly. "Not really, but I'll figure it out."
He took a deep breath. He didn't know why, but something about this competition made him want to win.
By some miracle, he made it to the finals. He had managed to win a few matches, balancing his chess skills with just enough boxing ability to hold his own. And in the final match, against all odds, he won. As the last seconds of the chess round ticked away in the fourth round, he made his move—checkmate. He was exhausted, his body aching, but he had done it.
A wave of pride washed over him. He had taken on something new, pushed himself beyond his limits, and now he had a victory and a memory that would stay with him forever.
Present Day
Nick blinked, coming back to the present. The meal had been satisfying, but now Renn suggested they go out and explore.
"We should do something active," Renn said, stretching. "It'd be a good way for you to learn more about the village and its people."
Nick thought about it for a second before nodding. "Yeah, I'm up for it."
Silas, sitting across from them, leaned back and smirked. "Fine by me."
They stepped out of the house, walking through the village. At first, Nick expected to see the usual daily hustle—people chatting, children playing, merchants calling out their wares. But instead, the place was eerily empty. The streets were nearly deserted.
"Where is everyone?" Nick muttered.
Then they spotted a large poster on the side of a building. Renn stopped,
"Oh, right! The competition!"
"Competition?" Nick asked, stepping closer to read.
Renn nodded. "This village hosts a special competition every year, and everyone either takes part or watches. It's a huge event—and the winner even gets a personal meeting with the leader!"
Nick's curiosity grew. "What kind of competition?"
Renn grinned. "It's not just physical—it's also mental. That's what makes it unique."
Nick raised an eyebrow. "So, like…?"
"Boxing chess," Renn said simply.
Nick's stomach twisted with sudden recognition. "You're kidding."
"Nope. It's the village's main event. People of all kinds enter—some relying on strength, others on their minds. It's a fair game for everyone."
Nick chuckled to himself. Of all things, it had to be boxing chess again. Maybe this world wasn't so different from his own after all.
"Well," Renn continued, "this could be the perfect way to meet the villagers. We could enter or just watch. What do you guys think?"
Nick rubbed his chin. "Sounds fun, but I'd have to brush up on my chess. It's been a while."
Silas immediately scoffed. "Count me out. I'll just watch."
Nick smirked. "Scared?"
Silas grinned wickedly. "Not at all. I just know that if I join, no one else will have a chance."
Nick laughed. "Confident, aren't you?"
"Just stating facts," Silas said, crossing his arms.
Renn explained the rules of chess, and as Nick listened, he realized that the game was the same as it was on Earth.
"To win, you have to either knock out your opponent, or take their king. But surrender is a option" Renn explained. "The main twist in this competition is that each player gets two moves per turn instead of one. But the biggest difference? Your performance in chess affects your protection in the boxing rounds."
Nick frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Each chess piece has a point value," Renn explained. "Pawns are worth 1 point, knights and bishops are 3 points each, rooks are 5 points, and the queen is 9 points. Every time you lose a piece, you lose that many points. Once you've lost 9 points, you lose your boxing gloves, meaning no hand protection. Lose 20 points, and you lose your headgear. That makes it a lot easier for someone to knock you out."
Nick whistled. "So the worse you play in chess, the more vulnerable you are in boxing?"
"Exactly. It keeps both sides of the competition balanced. If someone's a great boxer but terrible at chess, they'll have to fight without much protection. If someone's great at chess but weak at boxing, they might avoid damage but could still be outmatched in the ring. Strategy is everything."
They reached the competition arena and saw the registration booth. Nick quickly signed up before the deadline. A large wooden board displayed the brackets—Nick scanned it, realizing he'd need to win five fights to take the championship, as there were 32 competitors.
The arena was packed, villagers and visitors alike gathering to spectate. Above the crowd, a single golden chair stood on a high platform. A man with sharp eyes, black hair, and rich clothing sat in it. His presence alone exuded authority.
Renn leaned in. "That's the village leader. You can tell just by looking, but yeah… he's in charge."
Nick exhaled slowly. The competition was about to begin.
The leader stood up and started the games. The first round consisted of 16 matches running at the same time. The air was thick with anticipation as players took their seats, the crowd murmuring with excitement. Some of the villagers had already placed bets on their favorites, while others simply watched with interest. Nick glanced around at the other players, feeling a mix of nervous energy and curiosity.
Nick's first opponent was a girl around his age. She had a confident yet friendly demeanor and wished him good luck as they sat down to play. He nodded in return, adjusting his chair slightly to settle in. His fingers hovered over the pieces, his mind racing as he contemplated his first move. Playing as White, he decided to start with his usual strategy—moving the pawn to free his queen into the f3 rank. It was an aggressive move, one he had used in past games with some success.
The girl glanced at him, a subtle furrow in her brow. "Why would you move the queen out so soon?" she asked, tilting her head slightly. "If you lose your queen, you lose most of your protection in boxing."
Nick furrowed his brows, surprised by her concern. "I thought I'd try something different," he replied, his voice steady. "Are you not going to try to checkmate?"
She met his gaze with a smile, but there was a calculating edge behind her eyes. "I'm more focused on the bigger picture," she said softly before moving her knight twice to attack his queen. Nick blinked, momentarily taken aback. She was already sacrificing a piece to come after him.
He glanced at the board, weighing his options. Why would she give up a knight so early just to target his queen? The loss of a piece could throw off her strategy in boxing later.
Nick hesitated, but only for a moment. His instincts kicked in. He moved his queen to capture the f-pawn, then swiftly re-positioned it to take the king's side with a sudden strike.
A collective gasp rippled through the crowd as his queen made the final move. Nick's heart raced, but he kept his face calm. His opponent stared at the board, her mouth slightly agape. She blinked once, then twice, her eyes darting from the chessboard to his face, as if searching for some kind of trick.
The room fell silent, the sounds of the other matches fading into the background. Nick's opponent looked almost stunned, unable to comprehend how the game had ended so quickly.
Referees quickly moved in, calling out, "First game finished! Nick takes the win!"
Nick's chest tightened as the murmurs of confusion and intrigue filled the air. He glanced at his opponent, who remained silent, clearly in shock. There was no protest, no attempt to explain the sudden defeat. She simply sat there, her fingers hovering over the board, unsure of what just happened.
The leader's fingers tapped against the armrest of his golden chair—slow, deliberate. His sharp eyes locked onto Nick, unreadable. The weight of his gaze was enough to make Nick uneasy.
Murmurs rippled through the crowd. Some spectators whispered about Nick's strange strategy, while others scoffed, calling it a lucky fluke. A few were impressed, recognizing that he had approached the game in a completely different way than the locals were used to.
Nick sat back, exhaling. He hadn't meant to cause such a stir—he had just played chess the way he knew how. But now, he could feel all eyes on him. The real question was: had he just made himself a target?
As the matches around continued, Nick could still feel the leader's gaze lingering on him. He swallowed hard and turned to Renn and Silas, who had been watching from the sidelines.
"Well, that was interesting," Renn said, smirking. "You just broke their whole strategy."
Nick scratched his head. "I didn't realize they played chess so differently here."
Silas chuckled. "You might've just painted a giant target on your back. Let's see if you can keep this up."
Nick exhaled, steadying himself. One win down. Four more to go. And now, everyone was watching.
The tournament had only just begun.