Author's note: I've only read the Manga, and I have done some research allowing me to know some Chess Piece names. Otherwise, I have no idea what the fate of some of these characters were in the Anime, as I've watched a small number of episodes of it. Because of this, the names of several territories may not be canon, and I will actually name some cities of Mar for my own accord. I know nothing about Mar Omega other than the fact that it exists. Now, please enjoy my fic.
The Purgers
"That... That treacherous bastard! He defeated me in combat! How could he have done it? How could I have lost? I'm Halloween! The second most powerful of the Chess Pieces! Now, with Phantom dead, my comrades need me... They need my power to move on... I can't stay like this... Can't stay weak and uncertain of myself... No, I have to find them... I have to let them know that I, Halloween, am still alive, and that I am fully capable of leading them again. Alan will be sorry that he spared me, for I shall take his life!"
A year has passed since the heroes of Mar crushed the Chess Pieces and killed their leader, Phantom, the man whom everyone believed was immortal. With Mar disbanded, and Mar Heaven at peace, the Cross Guard continue to train under the leadership of Alan and Alviss. Gaira has mysteriously disappeared, leaving these two warriors to train thousands of new recruits, eager to defend Mar from any threat.
Jack, son of the mighty Cross Guard warrior, Jake, has successfully run a profitable farm. He grows a variety of vegtables, and, thus, the little house that he and his mother resided in has now become a much more impressive estate. But Jack, ever the humble one, lives with his girlfriend Pano and his mother without any truly lavish aspects in their lifestyle.
Dorothy of Caldea is well known as a formidable sorceress. After learning that she was the one who defeated Diana, no one dared to face her in combat. Even after this entire time, she still dreams of Ginta, and wonders how the young lad is doing in his own world.
And Nanashi, flirtatious as ever, continues to run the Thieves Guild of Luberia, with Galian's assistance, of course. The two old friends continue to help their many comrades in the rebuilding of the fortress, and they steal some more goods here and there.
But these heroes will soon realize that their merry lives are short lived. Mar Heaven is once again in a state of crisis, and hope rests on their shoulders. Even though Phantom is dead, an equally terrible force is looming in the horizion...
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Chapter 1: The Siege of Reginlief
"Comrades, our time for vengeance has come. Peta is dead... Phantom is dead... And with their deaths, we must rebuild! But we are not like those pathetic Cross Guards. We do not have to start from scratch, with only a few members alive. There are many of us, and the only reason why we are not as powerful as we once were is because we lack a leader, a voice of power who will lead us to victory. That is why, comrades, I am here. I will be your leader. I will guide you to victory. Trust me, as you trusted Phantom, and we shall win." Halloween smiled as he surveyed the large group of former Chess Pieces before him.
After Ginta and his father left Mar Heaven forever, the surviving Chess Pieces were forced to disband and wonder the world in search of some meaning in their life. Recently, Halloween was able to regain contact with Pinocchio, Girom, and Kouga, and the four of them did what they could to contact all of their former comrades. Many of them came from all walks of life, and from every corner of Mar Heaven, wondering what kind of encouragement Halloween would give them in this dark hour.
"But what makes you so sure we will succeed? Phantom... He was a mighty warrior... You are not weak, yet Alan defeated you. And I... Well... I failed to defeat that monkey, Jack. The new Cross Guard members have learned their mistakes from the previous War Game, so how can we ensure our victory?" Candice spoke up.
"Besides, young one, though we've all become stronger over the past year, our enemies have as well. I doubt that we'll have the chance to win against the Cross Guard, especially if all of their warriors are still alive." Weasel added.
"Yes... The Cross Guard are so scary now, and, well, so many of our friends are dead: Chimera, Peta, Rapunzel, Orco, Maira, Kannochi, Kollekio, and Avrute. A lot of our strongest members, like Ash, Ian, Galian, and Magical Roe, have left our sides. Magical Roe is a Cross Guard, and both Ash and Ian will probably be Cross Guards when they hear of our return. Galian is a Luberian, and he seems happy that he's reunited with them. I'm so scared... When we do return, what will they do to us?..." Rolan groaned.
"Have you so little faith? Did we surrender when Phantom was beaten by Ginta? We can rise a second time!" Pinocchio snarled.
"Actually, Pinocchio, we nearly surrendered, except that Diana and the Orb were much too stubborn, so we were unable to admit our defeats." Weasel replied.
Halloween began to turn angry. He hobbled forward and shouted: "So even if victory is not certain, you are saying that we should be cowards and hide in the shadows?! What has become of you, comrades?! We are the Chess Pieces! We made all of Mar Heaven cringe under our might. We can do it again! The two who defeated Phantom are gone. They were our greatest of threats, yet now they have disappeared. Alan may be around, and it is true that he is stronger, but so am I! And though I was defeated in the last battle, I've learned my lesson. Defense, comrades, is what we shall master. Endurance, comrades, is what we will wield against the Cross Guard. They collapsed once before us, and they will fall once again. Have faith, my friends. Faith saved Mar and the Cross Guard. They put their trust in their champion, Ginta. Now we shall have that same faith in ourselves. We will cleanse this world of the weak, and ensure that the strong will survive. Join me, and do not fear the future. Embrace it! What do you have to lose? Mar Heaven's residents have taken everything from you. Many of us are known as traitors and bandits. They have abandoned us yet again, so we shall turn our backs on them. What do we owe these wretched fools, anyway? Nothing! It is the survival of the fittest. We will be the top of the food chain. We will crush them like they crushed us! Remember Phantom's words: No matter what, the Chess Pieces shall conquer this land. To arms, my friends, TO ARMS!"
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Castle Reginleif is located on the Western Continent of Mar Heaven. It is quite a beautiful place. Evergreens shimmer with an emerald aura, and several species of birds live in their barks. Their melodious chirping is able to calm any weary traveler. Every spring, hordes of wildflowers bloom in colors that fill the entire spectrum. Unfortunately, the city is defended by newly recruited Cross Guard warriors, for none of the three surviving veterans of the second War Game: Gaira, Alviss, and Alan, are stationed there.
Of course, because none of those champions were there, the Chess Pieces would not find it difficult to take the castle.
Though the attack was at night, the Cross Guard had several sentries on duty. Not surprisingly, they spotted the Chess approaching.
"Wait... That can't be? Chess?! I'd better contact our headquarters at Lestava!" A Cross Guard sentry ran for a nearby communication Dimension Arm, but he was suddenly struck down by another Cross Guard. "It looks like our time to shine has come!" This warrior turned to a few of his comrades, who began to laugh and turned on the other Guards fighting the Chess.
With traitors in their midst, and foes slowly taking parts of their base, the last survivors of the Cross Guards of Reginleif gathered their remaining arms and unleashed them upon their opponents. Mighty Guardians like the Flying Leo and Bururu rushed at the Chess, consuming a few Pawns in their wake, but Halloween made short work of them with his flames. Weasel covered the castle with deadly toxic vegetation, poisoning those brave warriors. Their corpses filled the halls of the castle as the Chess Pieces and their new allies celebrated their victories. Thankfully for them, they prevented any distress calls from leaving the area, so none of the other Cross bases knew of this victory. Maybe, just maybe, the Chess would have their hold on Mar Heaven once again!
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If any of the Chess in this chapter seemed out of character, then please do not be too meticulous about such details. But I would appreciate it if you'd give me a heads-up. I might have an update for this fic once I've completed a few of my other ones. I really enjoy writing fanfics, as you can tell by looking at the other fanfics I've written, but I have to finish as many of them as I can before updating this one, so you might have to wait for an update. Thanks again for reading this!