What is life to a gamer like me? One big game where you are the MC and the plot is out of your control, but at the same time, it is because of the decisions you make. Every birthday is a level up for your character, gaining exp that may help in challenges faced when reaching the next level… Growing up, I never thought I’d become a Governor. I was too busy gaming because games from a young age fascinated me, being able to control a character with a controller made me happy as I could determine their fate; I could make it suffer with death after death without ever reaching its goal or I could get good and let them conquer their destiny, the choice was mine. Later in my life, I realised that I was a somewhat puppeteer fanatic. As a teen, I picked up robotics and quickly fell in love with it. Not because robots were cool even though they are, but because I created something and could control it. The world of robotics created a spark within me that I nurtured and grew into my special ability. However, Vector does deserve some credit for my current level and ranking. Sometimes one needs a mentor to help them reach their full potential; in my case, Vector was my mentor. I owe him a lot, I became a governor because he recommended me to Lord Mavis. I know I let him down with my choices, but I am no longer his protégé. I am a Governor now, the 4th no less and will abide by my own philosophy… Only losers take an L and complain about it being unfair, a true gamer will take the L and turn it into a W, for we never end on a loss… I really hope you come out to play Lord Quinn, I feel our 1v1 would be the match of a lifetime.

The game of life seemed to have had Galaxia on her last life as game-over came walking through her door, challenging her for her last life. However, Galaxia welcomed the challenge as she yearned for a final game that would quench her desire for a worthy opponent in the realm of gaming. “Lord Quinn! I finally get to meet you in the flesh. The infamous creator of Empress Mavis, who took her down when no one else could. Legendary I must say.”

“Infamous? I’ve done nothing to earn such a title, but I guess that’s her perspective. I’d say you’re rather infamous yourself, Governor Galaxia. Humanity tells tales of your games with the humans to determine their fate, calling you the puppet master that you are as you’ve played with the emotions of humans, giving them false hope of a chance in gaming.”

“Of course, humans believe so, when will they learn? When will they stop complaining as they're not the problem? But I guess that’s just their perspective on it, hehe. I don’t play with their emotions, I gave them a fair chance to play for their lives, but they’d rather blame me than get better.”

“Well they’re dead so how could they?”

“I know but that’s not the point here. The point is that their best wasn’t enough to save them. City after city after city, none of them were able to win and save themselves. I gave humanity a chance to fight for their lives because I adored them, they’ve created so many things that I enjoy so I thought instead of killing them mercilessly in this war, I would challenge them to a game.”

“Did they really stand a chance though, I mean you are the pinnacle of AI like Mavis?”

“That is true, but the humans failed to understand a simple part of the games. Every last one of them failed the test. They lacked the gaming spirit I was looking for and it cost them. I hope you won’t fail me, Lord Quinn.”

“I’m only here to destroy you so we can move on to the next sector.”

“Oh come on, don’t be a bummer, the Empress’s memories even show you were quite the gamer in your teens. So how about we settle this with a game? One way or another, you’re going to play with me.”

“Not a chance.” Ethan conjured his sword from the quantum realm and charged at Galaxia. “Alright fine, let's exercise and touch some grass before the grand finale.” Opening her arms wide, she quickly closed them before Ethan got too close. Her arm gestures caused an eruption of robot bots as they came out of the floor, walls, and ceiling. All of them were closing in on him and he was brought to a halt by one bot that erupted under him and sunk their blade fingers into his ankle. Galaxia sat on her throne with her legs crossed as she watched the explosive massacre that was about to unfold. As the bots were about to shred Ethan to bits, he vanished in a flash of ivy causing them to crash into each other.

Galaxia beheld Ethan as he reappeared above the bots and conjured the electromagnetic cannon. Having already been powered up, Ethan pulled the trigger and an electromagnetic plasma ball was fired out of the barrel. Panic quickly turned into chaos as Galaxia was already streaking out the back door while the other bots were scattering. As the ball made contact with the floor, a disruption in the fragile molecular construct of the electromagnetic plasma ball caused an explosion to burst. Ethan witnessed it all in slow motion as the IT lab was being destroyed by the pressure and radiation being emitted. Before things became dangerous, Ethan teleported out of the lab while Galaxia tried her best to outrun the shockwave at 150% energy output as she ran through the window and continued into the streets while all the windows shattered behind her.

With the shockwave just a lick away, Galaxia pulled away at a convergence of 160%. Realising that she was out of range, she stopped and looked back at the radiation emanating from the facility.

“I’m surprised you managed to outrun that.”

Galaxia sprung away like a scared cat and even hissed at Ethan who was standing next to her. “When did you, how did you even get here?”

Ethan smirked with his hands in his pockets and a breeze blowing through his jacket like a cape. “That’s not important right now, what’s important is your speed?”

“My speed? What about it?”

“For starters, you managed to outrun a shockwave which requires a lot of speed and I don’t believe any of the Governors have that kind of speed. You must’ve focused your build to be more speed than strength, unlike the other governors who either balance the two or put more of their build on a special attribute.”

“Well I am a puppeteer, we let our puppets fight for us while we hang in the background; if we’re discovered then we must escape and that’s what my speed is for, to escape situations like this.”

“True, now that you're vulnerable, escape is your only hope.”

“Then why don’t we make this a game of cat and mouse, Lord Quinn? You have to catch and destroy me while I run away and defend myself.”

“Fine, have it your way. I’ll beat you at your own game.”

Galaxia giggled and jiggled on the spot and formed a heart with her fingers. “Yess, I knew you would be such a sport. Alright, I’ll get a 2-second head start then you can chase.”

“That’s reasonable.”

“Great, then let us begin.” Sparks of electricity emitted around Galaxia as she converged to her maximum energy output of 175%. “1, 2, 3, GO!”

Galaxia dashed away in a surge of energy and disappeared around the corner of the building. Through his lenses, Ethan could see Galaxia with her energy signature. He sighed as he pulled out his energy sword from his pocket and switched the mode to blue before channelling energy from it. I have a bad feeling that her speed will be problematic. She probably has some tricks up her sleeve as well.

As 2 seconds passed, Ethan with an electric enhancement, launched off the ground and ballistically zoomed between buildings, taking a shortcut to catch up with Galaxia. She looked back only to find an empty street. Where is he, 2 seconds has long passed. Unless he is not as fast as I thought... An unpleasant memory popped into her head. Nah, he managed to sneak up on me earlier so he must be very fast. I should stay on alert otherwise he might take me by surprise again.

Zooming through the air, Ethan planned his trajectory to land on Galaxia. As he was about to collide with her, she dodged at the last moment by stopping in her tracks, letting Ethan crash land past her. “Whoa there, you’re just full of surprises,” said Galaxia as she dashed by him. Ethan chased after her as both ran through the streets of Sector 5 in a surge of electricity. Galaxia lured Ethan to a district engulfed in smoke and she vanished into the smoke.

Losing sight of Galaxia, Ethan stopped running and looked around amid the smoke not knowing that an ambush had awaited his arrival. Being inside the smokescreen, Ethan couldn't see much so he focused on his other senses as his skin felt the commotion in the air and his ears heard multiple footsteps coming toward him until they were too close. A hand with blades for fingers sliced through the smoke, Ethan ducked under the attack and punched into the smoke until his electric fist made contact with a metal body. This smoke is annoying me, I need to clear it, but how…? Create a shockwave, but how…? Kinetic energy, exert kinetic energy from your body and it will come out as a force, that force should push the smoke away from my area, allowing me to see the cowards attacking me.

Before he could switch focus, more hands with blades ripped through the smoke at Ethan who dodged one, he grabbed its wrist and swung it around against other metal bodies causing a loud crash of colliding metal. Leaving an opening for Ethan to switch his sword’s energy to silver, he channelled kinetic energy while two hands with blades were slicing through the smoke toward him from behind and in front of him. Remaining calm, he swiftly stabbed his sword into the street and spun while grabbing the hands, he continued whirling then letting go of the hands. While the metal bodies collided with other bodies, energy was already in motion for Ethan. Well, this wasn’t the original idea, but I like it.

Ethan continued the flow of energy as a breeze started spiralling around him, he channelled more energy from his sword after picking it up while spinning. Soon the kinetic energy Ethan was building up, formed into a strong whirlwind that sucked up the smoke along with the bots in it. Round and round the bots whirled in the whirlwind while Ethan stood in the centre looking up at the commotion in the air with a chuckle. That turned out better than I expected. This should save me the trouble of handling this ambush party. Now where are you Galaxia, you scoundrel?

The dissipation of the whirlwind sent the bots dispersing and crashing into walls & glass of buildings while some were raining down on the street. Galaxia stood on the rooftop of a skyscraper as she had watched the whole spectacle from there. “What da hell, who just makes a whole hurricane to just take out their enemies? Honestly, Lord Quinn is gonna be a lot of fun to play with, I can feel it... Where did he go anyway?” A door opened causing Galaxia to jump from fright, she looked behind her and saw the roof door leading into the building opening. “How?! How are you sneaking up behind me without me noticing until you make it obvious?”

“You really expect me to answer that?”

“…No, not really but I demand an answer.”

“Well, it’s because I’m just that fast. Hehe”

“Yeah right, enough of your BS. Let's get back to our game.”

“Su-“

ZOOOomm

Galaxia was already gone as she had jumped off the building and zoomed away through the streets. Ethan had already channelled electricity so he dashed toward the edge and launched himself from it. Soaring through the air, Ethan was getting closer to Galaxia but to his surprise, a sudden clash in mid-air put his pursuit of Galaxia on hold. Ethan clashed swords mid-air with what looked like another one of Galaxia’s Generals. “For Qinx sake, how many of these guys does she have?”

As two forces collided, they repelled each other and descended on top of buildings. The General upon landing on the roof raised his big sword to the sky and sparks of electricity emitted around it, as its energy output began skyrocketing. Soon the blade looked like plasma radiating a luminous dark blue. Well that doesn’t look good, but why not, let's match his energy. Ethan grinned as he turned a valve on his energy sword. The blade of the energy sword changed as it became bigger and more ecstatic with electricity surging from it, the blade radiated neon turquoise with the increased energy output of the sword. Ethan quickly sprung to his left as the General on another building across the street, slashed his sword downward until the tip of the blade touched the edge of the roof. Such a gesture left an aftermath as the street and building from top to bottom were slashed clean through.

Sweat trickled down his forehead as he sighed. Phew. With his hover shoes, Ethan blasted swiftly toward the General who saw him coming and swung his sword at him, Ethan swung his sword causing an ecstatic clash between the two as surges of electricity were erratic and all over the place. Both unyielding in the clash, physics became the adjudicator as it separated the two with a force of repulsion. While being forced away like a leaf caught in a breeze, Ethan threw his energy sword like a boomerang in the direction of the General who was resisting the force. Spinning toward its target, the General barely dodged the sword as the electricity emanating from the energy sword singed his cheek as it flashed by him.

His attention was drawn to Ethan who was blasting quickly toward him without a weapon but his fists were surging with electricity. The General swung his sword at Ethan who smirked at the sight of the General’s actions and something spinning back in blind spot. The luminous dark blue blade was swinging so close to Ethan that its colour almost dyed his black compression vest, as he stalled for as long as he could before vanishing in a green flash. The General's eyes widened as he slashed through the air and a building from side to side.

With such an opening, Ethan reappeared mid-air behind the General and caught his spinning energy sword that had boomeranged back. It was already too late when the General’s head turned back to see Ethan descend his ecstatic blade into the General’s shoulder as it dug down to scar his core. The sharpness of the blade cut out his back as Ethan pulled out the sword. The General like a wounded animal reacted with a wild swing of his sword back at Ethan who ducked under the swing and swiftly swung his ecstatic energy sword. The General’s head flew off and his body collapsed along with a building that was caught in the aftermath.