The rain had started sometime during the afternoon, but Reon hadn't noticed. He walked home with heavy steps, soaked and silent, his system message still burned into his mind like a brand:
[Piece: King][Team: 1/16][Skill: Royal Authority – Locked][Teammates: None]
He should've been thrilled. Kings were rare. Respected. Feared. But all he could feel was the pressure—one mistake in two years, and his entire team could die.
When he opened the door, his mother gasped. "Reon, you're drenched!"
His father stood up from the couch, expression soft. "Tough day?"
Reon nodded, his voice stuck behind clenched teeth. His mother draped a towel over his shoulders, her warmth making the cold hit all at once. "No matter what your piece is, you're still our son. That won't change."
He didn't answer. He didn't want kindness right now. He just wanted-
A knock at the door.
Outside stood eight familiar figures, dripping wet but smiling wide. His gang. His family.
"Come in," his father said.
Reon barely turned before Kaito punched him lightly in the shoulder. "Oi, dumbass. You seriously walked home alone after that?"
"You should've waited," Toma added, kicking off his shoes.
Rin, the youngest, stood by the door. He looked nervous, like he wasn't sure he was allowed to be here.
Mika stepped forward, arms crossed. "We're not here to pat your back or cry about how unfair the system is."
"We're here to pledge," Haru said.
Reon blinked. "What?"
Jun, ever blunt, nodded. "You heard us."
Akira scratched the back of his head, grinning. "It's not like any of us are knights or rooks or whatever. We're all pawns. But we don't care."
Daigo stepped forward, voice deep but calm. "We were a team before the system. And we're just putting our friendship in words now."
Reon lowered his head. Tears broke in his eyes.
"I didn't do anything special. What right do I have to be king? I'm scared that I'll let you down. I'm not even brave. How could I lead you guys?"
"Bullshit," Kaito said. "You remember that day or not?"
Flashback – Two Years Ago
Rin was smaller back then. He had always been a bit timid, the kind of kid bullies marked in seconds. That day, three older boys cornered him behind the school and grabbed his bag.
"Lunch money," one of them sneered.
Rin tried to run. They shoved him into the wall.
That's when Reon stepped in.
He didn't yell. He didn't talk. He just moved.
The first punch broke a nose. The second knocked out a tooth. The third floored the last one.
The bullies tried to fight back—but Reon didn't give them time to think. He weaved, ducked, and countered like he'd been born in a ring. His fists weren't wild—they were precise, practiced. Angry.
He was their equal. Maybe stronger.
They got hits in, but he didn't stop. Not even when his lip was bleeding or his knuckles turned raw.
That was the first time any of them saw him like that. Not just angry—furious. Not for himself, but for someone else.
"Run," Reon had shouted over his shoulder, eyes never leaving the fight. "Get out of here, Rin!"
But Rin hadn't needed to.
Because the others came.
Kaito and Toma were first, grabbing pipes from the side of the gym. Mika tackled one from behind. Jun broke another's knee with a jump kick. Haru, Akira, Daigo—they all came.
Together, they forced the bullies to crawl away, humiliated and beaten.
Rin stood frozen, eyes wide with tears.
Reon turned around, panting, covered in cuts and blood.
"You okay?" he asked.
Rin nodded, speechless.
From that day forward, they weren't just classmates or friends. They were a gang. A family.
Now
"You think we followed you just because you can fight?" Mika asked.
"We followed you because you're the kind of guy who'd get beat up for someone else and not complain," Natsuki said.
"You're too dumb to be a strategist," Jun added. "But you're the only one we'd follow."
Reon looked down. His hands trembled.
"We may be pawns," Haru said, "but together we're not weak."
"If it was any one of us in your place, you'd make us do the same," Daigo said. "So let us do it too."
They held out their hands, one by one.
"We pledge to serve as your pawns, oh mighty king!"
Reon choked back something in his throat.
"You guys are idiots."
"Dumbass," Kaito smirked. "So are you."
[System Status – Updated]
[Piece: King][Team: 9/16][Skill: Royal Authority – Locked][Teammates: Kaito, Rin, Toma, Mika, Natsuki, Haru, Jun, Akira, Daigo]