The Gamer of the Sea (PJO x DXD)

[A few years later] [December 21, 2005]

Percy's first thought was that the light here was alive. It pooled across the meadow in shifting gold, catching on every blade of grass until the whole field shimmered. A warm breeze carried the scent of flowers he didn't know the names of, each breath leaving him calmer than the last.

At the center of it all sat a man.

He was tall, broad-shouldered, dressed in simple black and gold, and carried himself with the quiet ease of someone who had never been uncertain of anything. His face… Percy had seen it before — or something close to it. The strong jaw, the straight nose, the faintly windswept hair that seemed more brown than black in this light. It was like looking at Poseidon, but not.

The biggest difference was the eyes. They were not the shifting sea-green Percy had grown up seeing in the mirror — they were molten gold, steady and bright, as if they reflected the sun that didn't exist in this sky.

The man smiled faintly, gesturing to the empty chair across from him. Between them sat a chessboard, pieces already in place.

"Sit," he said. His voice was deep, calm— and old. "We have a game to play, grandson."

—————————————

A small table and two chairs sat perfectly still, as if waiting for him at the center, a massive marble chessboard gleamed, each square glowing faintly, humming with a strange energy. "Wel,l" Percy muttered, leaning over the edge, 'this is definitely not your average Saturday afternoon.'

His eyes immediately went to the king — Poseidon. Even as a miniature figure, the trident in his hand looked capable of leveling mountains, and the stormy cloak seemed alive with swirling currents. Percy snorted. 'Of course Poseidon's the king. Makes sense. And Athena's probably going to hate every move I make with himoh wait, she's the queen. Yep, this is going to be fun.'

Athena, the queen, gleamed in polished armor, her spear poised with elegance. Percy tilted his head, squinting. 'She looks calm, deadly and judging me already. Great. Nothing like having someone who literally hates your dad as your most powerful ally on the board.'

The bishops drew his attention next. Apollo stood tall, bow drawn, eyes focused like he could strike across the board. Artemis crouched lightly, bow in hand, a dagger at her side, her posture alert and ready to shift between long-range strikes and close combat. Percy raised an eyebrow. 'A bow and a knife… versatile. Can't say I've ever seen a bishop this intimidating before.'

His knights came next. Hermes crouched low, muscles coiled for speed, a glimmer of mischief in his stance. Beside him, Dionysus seemed almost lazy, one hand casually resting on the board, but Percy could sense the chaotic energy coiling beneath the surface. 'Yeah, great,' Percy muttered, 'one fast and precise, the other ready to ruin your plans in the most stupid and unpredictable way. Perfect.'

The rooks made him pause. Zeus radiated sheer authority, lightning flickering faintly along his shoulders. Ares, the other rook, coiled like a predator, muscles taut, ready to crush anything in his path. Percy smirked. 'Big, strong guys on the edges… classic strategy. Smash stuff, intimidate, repeat.'

Finally, the pawns Hera, Demeter, Hephaestus(I didn't know where else to put him.), and the rest lined the front. Small, seemingly fragile, yet forming a protective barrier for the rest. Percy tilted his head. 'Pawns. Hera and Demeter. Figures. They'll get squished first, and it's going to be hilarious.'

Across the board, Kronos sat, calm and impossibly regal. His king radiated authority, Rhea as queen emanated patient strategy, Hyperion and Coeus, the bishops, exuded foresight and intellect. Oceanus and Iapetus, the knights, vibrated with raw energy, ready to disrupt anything. The rooks loomed like twin mountains, and the pawns pressed forward in relentless waves.

Percy grinned, tapping the edge of the board. "Alright, golden grandpa, let's see how clever I really am."

Percy pushed his d-pawn forward two squares, feeling the quiet weight of the game settle over him. Across the board, Kronos's golden eyes watched intently before he moved his d-pawn forward one square. Percy advanced his c-pawn, offering the Queen's Gambit. Kronos responded without hesitation, moving e6 to decline the pawn.

Percy brought his knight to c3, securing the center, and Kronos developed Nf6, his movements deliberate, almost rhythmic. Percy's gaze flicked across the board, tracing the pieces' positions, weighing every possibility. He moved his bishop to g5, attempting a pin on the knight, and Kronos calmly broke it with Be7.

'Okay… he's building a wall,' Percy thought. He advanced his e-pawn, opening lines for his queen and bishop. Kronos mirrored subtly with c5, not overextending but applying pressure. Percy adjusted his knights and pawns carefully, testing weaknesses, while the golden-eyed Titan responded with precise counterplay.

The bishops crept forward. Apollo and Artemis on Percy's side moved in tandem, coordinating attacks on the long diagonals. Kronos's bishops shifted to block and threaten simultaneously, their positions perfect. Percy muttered under his breath, 'I mean, seriously… Apollo and Athena working together? Hilarious.'

His knights began to dance across the board. Hermes zipped forward, a flanking move, while Dionysus unpredictably struck from the other side. Kronos's knights countered with Oceanus and Iapetus, calculating every response in perfect harmony. Percy's brow furrowed. 'He sees everything… like he knows what I want to do before I do it.'

Percy tried a small feint with a pawn, hoping to bait Kronos into a trap. Kronos didn't bite. Instead, he shifted his queen slightly, subtly reshaping the battlefield. Percy realized the scope of the Titan's strategy: not just individual moves, but the entire board as one living organism.

Minutes passed, the moves growing more complex. Percy launched a coordinated attack on the kingside, bringing knights, bishops, and rooks into position. Kronos met each advance with calm precision, countering, blocking, and repositioning his forces like a grandmaster playing in slow motion.

Finally, Kronos made a small shift with his queen, exploiting a gap Percy hadn't noticed. Percy blinked. The Titan's move didn't just capture a piece; it reshaped the balance of the board entirely. Percy grinned, shaking his head. 'Okay… I can't win yet. But I can see the bigger picture. He's forcing me to think about everything at once.'

The match continued for what felt like hours. Every exchange, every maneuver taught Percy something new about timing, anticipation, and controlling the flow of a battle. Kronos eventually won, but Percy did not feel defeated. He had learned how to read the board, the players, and the flow of action before it even began.

Finally, Kronos shifted his queen into a gap Percy had overlooked. The move didn't just capture a piece; it reshaped the entire balance of the board. Percy exhaled, realizing he had been outmaneuvered.

Kronos leaned back in his chair, letting a slow, almost imperceptible smile curl across his face. His golden eyes swept over Percy, analyzing him as one might examine a carefully constructed battle formation. Then he leaned forward again, placing his hands lightly on the edge of the table, and spoke with a voice that resonated like rolling thunder.

"Percy, your observation… it is exceptional," Kronos said, gesturing gracefully toward the board with one long-fingered hand. "You notice the movements, the subtle shifts in balance, the intentions hiding behind every motion. Most would overlook these patterns entirely, blind to the flow of what is before them, but you… you perceive it all. Every nuance, every thread. It is as though the board reveals its secrets to you willingly."

He leaned back once more, letting his cloak ripple like waves in a storm, then extended a finger toward Percy's chest. "And yet," he continued, voice lowering into a measured rumble, "your deception… it betrays you. You reveal your intentions far too easily. That is a flaw you must temper with patience, with subtlety. Observation is only half the battle; to master the whole, you must learn when to hide your hand, when to move unseen."

Kronos's hands swept over the board, almost as if orchestrating an invisible symphony of pawns and knights. "But take pride in this," he added, his golden eyes glittering with rare warmth. "The way you see, the way you anticipate… it is extraordinary. Few in all creation could perceive the present with such clarity, could understand the motion of every piece, every living thing, so completely. You are not merely playing a game; you are reading the currents of strategy itself."

Percy leaned back, rubbing his temples, both exhausted and exhilarated. "Observation alone can win battles, but a clever mind must also hide its intentions," Kronos concluded, voice echoing faintly as the golden meadow shimmered around them, leaving Percy with the weight of strategy and the memory of the Titan's praise lingering in the air.

"You see what most cannot, the subtle shifts, the hidden intentions behind every motion. But the Fates themselves have long labored to prevent me from reaching you. They sought to keep this knowledge from your hands. Yet now, the threads have aligned, and I will teach you now that the Fates cannot hide me."

He paused, letting the words sink in, then continued. "First, foresight. To see not just what is before you, but what is coming. To anticipate moves, reactions, and consequences before they happen. True foresight is the ability to read the currents of action, to understand the flow of events like a river, and to position yourself so that you are always a step ahead."

Kronos's hands swept across the board, guiding the imaginary motion of pieces. "Second, deception. To hide your intentions, to make others act according to what they believe you will do rather than what you truly intend. Deception is not lying—it is control. A single carefully placed false signal can bend the actions of the unwary."

"Third, pretending," he said, leaning forward, golden eyes glinting. "Pretending is the art of convincing others of your role in a story. To take on a persona, to make your actions seem natural, unassuming, harmless. It is subtle, it is delicate, and it is far more powerful than brute force. A well-executed act of pretending can change the outcome of any encounter."

Finally, Kronos's voice deepened. "And fourth, manipulation. The skill of influencing events and people to achieve your goal without revealing your hand. To guide the currents of action so subtly that others believe they are in control, when in truth, the course has already been set by you. Master manipulation, and you control not just battles, but entire outcomes."

[Your Relationship with the Titan King Kronos has improved]

Kronos's golden eyes softened slightly, and a faint, approving smile curved his lips. "You have potential, Percy. The clarity with which you observe, the precision of your moves… it pleases me. My favor toward you grows, but this is only the beginning. You must continue to refine these skills, or they will serve you only half as well."

Percy felt the familiar hum of the relationship system activating. A translucent panel appeared in front of him, hovering in the air, displaying his interactions with divine and semi-divine beings. He scrolled until he found Kronos.

[Titan King – Kronos]

[Favorability: 5/10]

[Rank: Admired / Guardian ]

Percy's eyes widened. The system confirmed what he had sensed: Kronos's favor had improved, placing him at Level 5. Leaning back, a grin spread across his face. Kronos was a no longer distant figure—he was an ally, a mentor, and someone whose guidance could protect and elevate him in ways few others could.

The dream began to fade, the golden meadow dissolving around him, leaving Percy with Kronos's praise echoing in his mind and the clear understanding of his newly strengthened bond.

[Your Relationship with the Divine Being Zeus has Suddenly Massively Decreased]

[Current Relationship:-5/10 Hated / Enemy]