The pairings for round 7 of the Chess Olympics

"And we're back from the final commercial break! Kisha Shinbun here, and now it's time for the moment you've all been waiting for! We were originally going to do this at night, but here's an early gift, just don't let it disrupt the fun you should be having today!" Kisha grinned as the broadcast began.

It was finally time to announce the pairings for round 7. While position in the standings would ultimately be the deciding factor, if certain teams that Raymond wished to have face each other were close in the standings, they most certainly would face each other.

"First off, we'll start with the men."

The pairings then went live, with Kisha zooming in on some of the notable ones. 1st place India was up against the United States while 2nd place Uzbekistan was up against Romania. Japan meanwhile was up against France, meaning the French had a chance at avenging the women's team. Other noteworthy matchups included Prussia vs Bosnia and Herzegovina, Norway vs Slovenia, Simien vs Estonia, Denmark vs Serbia, Russia vs Hungary, China vs Spain, Mongolia vs Ukraine, and Costa Rica vs Switzerland.

Then it was over to the women's side.

"First off, we got some notable grudge matchups. These mainly stemmed from the Bermuda party, but some didn't. Anyway, remember the Czechoslovakian sweep by Ecuador's Aya Bentura? Well now it's time to see if the rest of her teammates can sweep the Czechoslovakians like she can, cuz Ecuador's up against Czechoslovakia next round!" Second, Paeonia was pretty salty about how Croatia won the chaturaji match, so you guessed it, they're up against each other. And that's not all. Seems the prez decided that China and Simien were close enough in the standings despite the 2-point difference to pit them against each other. One other match to mention is France vs Brazil. Bet you can guess why that one's happening. Other noteworthy matches to mention would be Serbia vs Hungary and India vs Peru. And with that out of the way, let's show the full list... after we reveal the top matchups!"

A drumroll began as the top 5 teams flashed on screen.

"First up, England will be facing... BELGIUM! Next up, Prussia will be up against..."

From her hotel room, Kuon waited with anticipation. With how close the United States and Prussia were in the standings, it made perfect sense for the two teams to be pitted against one another. However, Prussia's opponent ended up being Bulgaria, while America's was Vietnam. This was a tad upsetting, but not devastating for Kuon. After all, she knew that even a brainwashed Hagemi could sweep the Bulgarian team on her own.

"And for the two top teams... Japan is up against... ESTONIA! That means no clash with Norway yet, as Norway will be taking on Russia. And that's the update. Thanks for watching," Kisha smiled as the broadcast ended.

...

In the hotel lobby, Daria smirked as she realized what this pairing meant. She could sit this one out, meaning she'd be able to play for all subsequent rounds. Though first, she'd need to give everyone a rundown on France's men's team.

"The Frenchies just won't stop coming after us," Iori scowled.

"Sadly it seems bad blood has been brewed, or rather the president is seeking to make us rivals. But luckily, we've got an easier match, so I can sit out," Daria nodded.

"Not quite. Estonia does have an anomaly, Õnne Sokk," Okisato stated.

Everyone stared in confusion before Okisato pulled up his WWCF card to elaborate more on his point. It turned out his main concern with Õnne was that she could be wildly unpredictable, but also smart, meaning that if she was pitted against Mimoko, she might be able to trip her up. That was why his main piece of advice was to ensure that...

"Iori-chan, you're the best matchup for her. If you want to keep the perfect victory streak alive, you'll have to ensure you're the one that faces her."

A sadistic smirk formed on Iori's face. "Tell me more about this slut."

"Save it for the nightly debriefing over dinner. While I am glad they decided to release the pairings early, the whole reason they originally didn't want to was so that we could truly free our minds from the tournament and enjoy the day. Now, who's up for some sightseeing?" Daria grinned.

"Good point, the slut can wait. I don't get the chance everyday to vlog in a foreign country," Iori smiled as she whipped out her phone.

Mimoko stretched out her arms as she stepped outside the hotel with Daria.

"Been a while since we had a mother-daughter outing. Sure you're blue, but who cares," Daria smiled as Mimoko began to pout.

"Okaa-chan, tease me and this will be our last mother-daughter outing for the trip."

"Don't be so moody. Ya said it yourself that ya had fun losing to Peter, so no had feelings if I crack jokes about ya being blue. Them's the rules when you lose 6B."

Mimoko sighed, but smiled momentarily. "Very well. So, any idea on where to go first?"

Daria's giddy smile told Mimoko all. This rest day was something Daria had been looking forward to for a while. That being said, she also had work to do in the form of rescuing Ina, or at the very least, learning more on her whereabouts.