The Grimm Palace fell into silence after Leo's declaration. The torches along the marble walls flickered, casting monstrous shadows of wolves, giants, and witches looming over the humans.
Leo leaned back in his throne, folding his fingers.
"If there is to be a tournament, then we shall define the rules. You, little human, will be allowed to add only one."
Hans grinned wickedly, licking his teeth.
"I already like this game…"
Noah steadied himself, masking his nerves.
"…Tell me your rules first."
Leo's voice carried the weight of a decree.
"Each round shall occur once every week. Before battle begins, both sides will reveal only the nickname of their chosen fighter. A whisper of identity, nothing more. Enough for speculation… enough for suspense."
Lucianne's breath caught.
"That means we'll never know who we're really facing until it's too late…"
Leo's golden eyes glimmered.
"Precisely. Mystery feeds excitement. Uncertainty feeds terror."
Hans cackled, clapping his hands together.
"Ohhh, I do love the sound of gamblers biting their nails before the slaughter!"
Leo raised a hand, continuing.
"The battleground will be chosen at random. However-", He let the pause hang, commanding all attention. "-the victor of each round will claim the right to shape the battlefield of the next match. A reward worthy of strength. A field of advantage."
Hans immediately frowned, his playful grin faltering.
"A fair fight? Brother, why burden us with such shackles? We already have the world by the throat and the rules of this tournament are playing between our fingers."
Leo shot him a sharp glare.
"Because fairness is a mask, Hans. If we deny it, we look weak. Let the humans believe they have a chance. It will cause their inevitable despair… far more exquisite."
Hans froze, then began to giggle again, like a hyena catching the scent of blood.
"Ahhh, yes. Despair tastes sweetest when it blooms from hope."
Leo turned his gaze back to Noah.
"Now, human. One rule. Choose wisely."
Noah inhaled deeply, his mind racing. He could not match their cruelty, but perhaps… he could balance it. His hand clenched into a fist.
"Then… my rule is this: each round, both sides will be granted a Golden Sphere. A tool of choice, to be used once per match. The leaders of each side will decide when it is activated, and for whom. When used, it grants a fighter the weapon, the skill, or the power necessary to turn the tide."
The throne room buzzed with murmurs from the lurking fairy beasts.
Hans tilted his head, intrigued.
"Ooooh. A toy box for the desperate? A last-minute miracle?" His grin widened. "Yes, yes, I LIKE IT! Every fight will dance on the edge of victory and defeat until the very end. Every blow, every scream, every broken bone… unpredictable!"
Leo's expression remained unreadable, but his eyes narrowed. He did not argue.
"So be it. One Golden Sphere for each side per round. Its use rests with the leaders. But remember this, human… miracles are only as strong as the will of those who wield them."
Noah didn't hesitate with his only rule. Even though his rule comes with 50/50 chances of either side victory, it is still worth the risk to turn the tide in our favor even at the last minute.
Noah nods and says, "I believe in the miracle of humanity."
"Very well…" replied Leo.
The decision was made.
Days later, the Grimms summoned the world to witness their decree. Across shattered cities and broken nations, screens flickered to life, enchanted by fairy magic. In every corner of the Earth, humanity and creatures alike saw the two tyrants seated upon their throne.
Leo's voice thundered, calm and regal.
"Humanity and Legends of Fairytale and Folktales. We are here to announce to you the fate of both sides in the future. And how do we decide that is from the end result of the TOURNAMENT."
Hearing that every human and creature start murmuring about this Tournament that just being announced by The Grimm's.
He continued,
"Humanity. Fairy tales. Thirteen against thirteen. First to seven decides the fate of all existence. Should humanity triumph, their suffering ends, and the fairy world returns to its prison. But if the tales prevail- "
Hans leaned in, his teeth flashing like daggers.
" -then humanity belongs to us forever. No more rebellions. No more hope. Only food for the hungry."
Everyone that watched the announcement shocked them to their bones.
"The chronology goes like this: Every week there will be one Round that will happen and the tournament ends after the 13th week where the 13 round of the duel ends. But, if a side has reached 7 wins earlier then, everyone's fate will be decided earlier." state Leo.
Hans continue,
"The round will happen every Saturday but the nickname of each side's fighter will be revealed on Friday and the arena where the battle happened will be revealed on Thursday. SO, enjoy all your days to the fullest because after this, YOU WILL BE OUR LIVESTOCK!!"
Leo clearing his throat, he is still expressionless as ever. He end the announcement,
"Good Luck, wish the best side won, which is us, The Fairytales."
Then, the transmission ends.
The announcement spread like wildfire.
In the slums, ragged men and women wept, torn between terror and fragile hope.
"This is it… If they win… we're free."
Children clung to their mothers, whispering the names of heroes they prayed would return.
In the dens of fairy beasts, there was only joy.
The Red Queen sharpened her blade with a grin. Wolves howled at the crimson sky. Trolls laughed at the thought of crushing human bones in front of cheering crowds.
And in war rooms and parliaments across the globe, leaders of shattered nations slammed their fists on tables.
"This is madness!" shouted one.
"We're gambling the survival of our species on a tournament?!" roared another.
"This scientist Noah is insane! INSANE! We should be negotiating, surrendering, doing anything but this!"
But beneath their anger lay something else. Fear. Not of the Grimms. Not of the fairy tales.
Fear that humanity's champions… might fail.
Somewhere, in an underground Lab.
The underground laboratory trembled as gears spun and the core of Noah's time machine roared to life. Tubes hissed, sparks danced along the metal frame, and a storm of energy gathered, shaking the very earth.
Lucianne clutched the edge of the console, her voice tight.
"Noah… are you sure about this? What if it fails? What if the machine tears reality apart?"
Noah adjusted his glasses, though his hands shook just as much as hers.
"If we hesitate now, humanity is finished. We don't get to choose safety anymore. We gamble, or we die."
Lucianne bit her lip, staring at the glowing chamber where the air seemed to fold in on itself.
"But… who are you summoning? Which one of history's ghosts will carry our burden first?"
Noah hesitated, then spoke with a heavy voice.
"The man whose ambition carved empires across continents. The one they called… The Great Conqueror."
The words hung like a verdict.
Lucianne's eyes widened.
"Alexander… the Great?"
Noah nodded grimly and slammed his hand onto the activation lever.
The machine screamed. Bolts of lightning crackled across the walls, and the floor shook as though the Earth itself resisted this unnatural act. The air thickened with static, pressing down on their lungs.
Lucianne shielded her face as the light grew unbearable.
"Noah!!!"
A sound like a thousand swords clashing filled the chamber then silence.
The glow dimmed. Smoke hissed from the core.
And from the swirling haze, a figure stepped forward.
"It… worked?" Lucianne says it while his arm covering his face from the bright light created from the machine.
Noah sees the figure in front of him. "It worked."
He was tall, his presence radiating the raw command of a born ruler. His armor gleamed with golden edges, scarred from countless battles yet still majestic. A crimson cloak draped over his shoulders, torn and weathered, yet flowing as though it remembered the winds of ancient campaigns. His eyes piercing, burning and surveying the strange new world with the cold curiosity of a predator.
Alexander the Great had returned.
Noah felt his chest seize. He had studied this man's life through pages and ink, but standing before him now, Alexander's aura was overwhelming, like standing at the edge of a cliff that stretched into infinity.
Alexander's lips curved into a smirk. His voice, deep and commanding, rolled through the lab like thunder.
"Where… am I? This land… these walls… They reek not of Babylon, not of Persia. Who has torn me from my march of conquest?"
Noah swallowed hard, forcing his voice steady.
"Alexander… we summoned you. Humanity needs you."
Lucianne trembled but found her courage.
"The world has been conquered, not by kings, not by empires, but by monsters from fairy tales. Humanity is enslaved. We've challenged them to a tournament for our survival. You… are to be our first champion."
Alexander's eyes narrowed, then softened into something dangerously close to amusement.
"A tournament, you say? Against… fairy tales?" His smirk widened into a grin.
"How fascinating. To conquer stories themselves. Heh… my empire truly will stretch to the ends of the world."
"You believe us?" asked Lucianne.
He threw back his head and laughed, a bold, fearless laugh that echoed across the chamber, chasing away the weight of despair for just a moment.
"And why do I not? I already come out from a whirlpool of light that I guess you are the maker of. I have a sense that both of you do not have the aura that should make me draw my weapon."
"You are as intelligent and cautious as history says! Thank you for understanding our mission!" says Lucianne who is happy that The Conqueror already understands their current situation.
Alexander's gaze snapped back to Noah and Lucianne, sharp as a blade.
"Very well. I shall lead your war. Tell me… who dares stand as my first opponent?"
Noah and Lucianne exchanged a fearful glance.
They had no answer.
Far across the palace of the Grimms, Hans and Leo were preparing their own summoning. Somewhere in the Land of Tale, a creature was about to rise to meet The Great Conqueror.