We find ourselves in a park, with Captain Arcadia sitting at a small table. A game of chess sits half played out in front of him. He looks over the board, investigating the pieces as he talks.
“Combat has always been more than just strength. Anyone can be strong, for strength is a skill that can be honed. If you want to win, truly win, you need to learn strategy. Understand how your opponent moves, find the quirks, and outpace them to a swift and key victory.”
He reaches out, grabbing the first piece that catches the eye.
“Take this queen here. Everyone knows the power of the queen, especially in her kingdom. She has the most movement, and can be deadly in her placement. Just like Narcissa, who’s got a knack of being able to walk into a room and take the limelight. But with all that power, comes a false sense of security, leaving themselves exposed if you just aren’t careful!”
“Then there’s the rook. Brash, bold, they can be a force to be reckoned with, kinda like Destructo. But also like him, every move he makes is as clear as day. Straight lines, rushing like a bull at the threat ahead leaves them vulnerable from an attack from the side.”
“The sneakiest one though, is the bishop. Donned with the masks of responsibility, they can seemingly leap high across in diagonals across the board. They seem mysterious, and hold great power, not unlike that of Caido. But when the moments count, their strange choice of movement leaves them vulnerable, unable to directly move when needed.”
“So you ask yourself, “What’s the move to make, what’s the best piece?” Some might look to the king, but that crown is a false title. A king can only move once around them, and is not the piece to be inspired by. For whoever holds the gold shall be weighted by the sins of it’s forefathers.”
“No, the best piece I find to learn from is the Knight. See, it doesn’t seem to fit in at first. It’s carved in the shape of a horse, and doesn’t fit the mold of the other designs. And its moves are odd, moving two boxes in one direction and the third in an another?”
“But that’s how you get the win: by being unpredictable. I’ve found in my time that if you embrace your own path, strategize around being chaotic and off the beaten path, you find yourself at the end of the road having come off all the wiser.”
“When faced with some of the strongest folks around, you might think a case is cooked. But if there’s one thing that I like to think I’ve become, it’s unpredictable. I bounce around, I take the beatings, and brother? I don’t even know what the hell will happen when I get in the ring.”
With that, he grabs the king off the chess board, and pops it into his mouth with a solid crunch.