Issei Hyoudou, the Red Dragon Emperor, slumped on the couch, his brown eyes wide with a mixture of exhaustion and sheer, unadulterated terror.

He placed the pawn on E4. It clicked into place, and for a second, the dragon-scale piece seemed to hum with warmth.

The twilight sun bled orange and red across Kuoh Town, painting the windows of the old school building. Inside the Occult Research Club’s lavish meeting room, the atmosphere was anything but occult. It smelled of black tea, fresh pastries, and the faint, ozone tang of demonic energy.

Issei finally snapped out of his chess-induced paralysis. “I’ll go! I can stop them!”