“So,” said an imposing figure wreathed in fire. The figure had large, spiralling horns reaching from its temples. “It is time for a new world to join the fold.”

“Yes,” the soft voice of a lithe woman wearing a diaphanous dress. Her long black hair twinkled like a starlit sky. “Exciting times.”

“Heh,” said a third figure. It was bright, golden light, coalesced into a humanoid form. “Yes, indeed. Should we play our game again?”

“Of course, Light,” the first figure sneered. “Or, you could forfeit. I’ll just win again, as always.”

“Bah,” the woman snorted and shook her head. “Arrogant as always, Brimstone. Don’t get ahead of yourself. We’ll ensure you can’t cheat this time.”

“Indeed,” the light of Light gained a reddish hue. “There will be no repeat of last time, Brimmy. I and Lunara will make sure of that. Your previous Candidate received far too many Gifts. How you turned that little lizard into an Elder Dragon with three Cycles is proof of your cheating.”

“Bah,” Brimstone’s fires flared for a second before they settled back down. “Fine. Let’s see how the apes handle it this time. It is always funny to see them scrambling.”

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“Uhh,” Lunara sighed and shook her head. “Why do we hang out with you again?”

“Because I’m fun!” Brimstone exclaimed. “I’m damn good company, and you know it!”

“If you say so,” Light hummed. “Oh, it’s beginning!”

A screen appeared before the trio, showing the planet known as Earth as the System arrived and began expanding it. They watched a timelapse of how new mass was brought to the planet, increasing its size many times over.

The screen zoomed closer and split into a multitude of images. Humans from every walk of life were shown as they made their class choices and were thrust into the Tutorial.

“Let the games begin!” exclaimed Lunara with a grin as a bucket of snacks appeared in her lap. “I hope there are some promising subjects this time around. Why doesn’t anyone understand the magnificence of the cosmos?”

“Because it’s too far out there, Luny,” Brimstone snickered. “They’re much more likely to understand fire than the workings of cosmic radiation and such.”

“Indeed,” Light nodded, his form shimmering. “In the same vein, light is all around; it is something every creature has a relationship with, whether it is the light of day or the lack of light at all.”

“Hmph,” Lunara crossed her arms and pouted. “I’m older than both of you upstarts. You should show some respect!”

The other two laughed, shook their heads and returned to the screen.

“Oh,” Light said as he made the screen focus on one group. “The System is going for the Group setup this time. Interesting. Already, some of them are splitting up.”

“Heh,” Brimstone sneered as he snipped a cigar and lit it. He took a deep draw from it. “Humans and their individuality. Well, he’ll either die in a ditch or become something great. So, let’s watch.

“Yes,” Lunara nodded. “Oh, I’ve got a good feeling about that group. They’re planning and beginning to move.”

“Indeed,” Light agreed. “Hmm. Should we follow this group?”

The other two nodded.

“Let’s see how they fare,” Brimstone grinned and snapped his fingers.