Daria Inashiki

Daria's chess career all started on that fateful day she first saw a young Michiko playing chess. The day was April 23rd, 1999. Daria was just 15 and had had just started high school a few weeks prior. After stopping by Michiko's house to play, she encountered the young 6-year old Michiko attempting to solve a chess puzzle.

"Hey Michiko, whatcha doing?" Daria asked as she strolled up.

"Who invited you!? Aren't you supposed to be swamped with homework now that you're in high school?" Michiko snarled.

"Who cares, I wanna play with ya to relieve the stress... Hmm..."

"It's chess. I imagine you haven't heard of it since chess is not that well known here compared to shogi."

"How do the pieces move?"

Michiko immediately lit up and gleefully explained her knowledge of the game as Daria listened intently.

"...In fact, I can name every named opening out there listed in the ECO."

"'ECO'?"

"Encyclopedia of chess openings. Heh, must feel embarrassing to know less than a girl nearly 10 years younger than you."

"Wow, you're so smart. So you solve this puzzle?"

"Not yet, but-"

"Oh, can I give you a hint?"

The offer caused Michiko to burst into laughter. "Please, this is a grandmaster level puzzle."

Daria began to throw a tantrum, causing Michiko to sigh and allow her a shot. Yet much to her horror, she solved it instantly.

"Yay! I was right!"

Michiko began to grit her teeth, but relaxed a bit. Surely this was just beginner's luck. After all, she had been playing this game since she was 3, while Daria had only just laid eyes on a chessboard. And what better way to prove it than in a quick game.

"Daria, wanna play some chess? I'll let you go first."

"Sure! But, I should go second since I'm older and smarter."

"Oh, but in chess I'M the smarter one. See, kids can start their chess careers as young as 3. In fact, I already have 1 rating of 1500, and should cross 2200 in the next few years."

Daria sighed and agreed to the proposal. Yet to Michiko's horror, Daria not only beat her, but played so perfectly, her father decided to challenge her to a match himself. It was through beating him that Daria's talent for chess was discovered.

"You're a prodigy! Our nation's own Fischer, or perhaps I should say Kasparov. It matters not, as soon your name will be the holy gospel of chess players worldwide!" Sodeshiro proclaimed.

"Am I really that good?"

"YES! The way you played... It's miles beyond modern theory! Why, it's like you're a saint of the very sport itself! Come, I'll organize an exhibition tournament immediately!"

December 10th, 1999,

A man collapsed in despair before Daria.

"The match has been decided. Daria Inashiki of Japan... is the winner," the commentator meekly trembled.

This was the end of the year that saw the metrical rise of Daria Inashiki, the 15-year old girl from Japan who only first played chess just 9 months prior. Yet in those 9 months, she had not only achieved the grandmaster title, but also swept reigning World Chess Champion, Garry Kasparov, along with every other top chess player out there. She was a monster, and this was only the beginning of her reign.

August 4th, 2002,

Now 18, Daria was the iron fist of chess. Not one could stand against her, though there were some that at the very least could force her to a draw, however, the heads of various Chess federations were not happy. Daria was so good, that her overwhelming presence was demoralizing chess players everywhere, turning many prospective youngsters away from the sport.

It was also having a negative effect on Daria, as with each passing day, she became colder and colder, both on the board and off it.

Slap!

"Don't give me that face, girl!" a woman with greying red hair angrily trembled.

"Why are you disappointed? I'm a success," Daria coldly glared.

"A 'success'!? You're a tyrant!"

"And? None can topple me. Thus, I remain in power. You always said I was nothing but an aloof fool, so why complain when I've finally achieved not just a pinnacle for us, but women as a whole?"

"You call THIS a pinnacle!" the woman fumed as she shoved a newspaper in Daria's face.

The headline read, "Chess federations report 3rd straight year of decline in memberships. Japan's Inashiki listed as top reason why."

"You're destroying the sport! You're too good!"

"And why is that bad? Success is all that matters."

The woman scowled and rolled up the paper in order to smack Daria across the face with it. "Get out. You're not my daughter! You're some ice cold yokai that stole her skin!"

In the coming days, Daria was then hit with a ban. The reason given was that it had been discovered she had been cheating the whole time and had even bribed opponents to lose to her. This was a big mistake though as it led to Daria publicly challenging all those involved to a simul chess event. There, she completely dominated, disproving the cheating claims instantly, but at the same time, it only worsened the chess ecosystem.

August 10th, 2004,

For the sake of the sport of Chess, Daria Inashiki was banned from play. However, that still didn't keep Daria down. While she couldn't play in tournaments, she did partake in exhibition blindfold chess matches, where yet again, she dominated. However, it was at one such event that she met a certain someone.

It was just an average looking young bespectacled salaryman. However, he managed to fight Daria to two three draws in a row. At a glance, this was noteworthy, but nothing extraordinaire, unless of course you took a closer look at the moves and saw the body language of both players. This man was choosing to draw Daria. Daria herself knew this, which began to fill her with frustration.

"Who are you!?" she shouted as the man began to leave.

"That, is a secret."

"A "secret"!? Don't screw with me!"

"Then you may simply refer to me as Himitsudono."

This would be the last time Daria would see this man until nearly a year later. As for this mysterious man himself, he eventually made his way to a prison.

"Back to visit Fischer again?" the guard asked.

"Naturally. We are in a mutually beneficial relationship as of this moment."

"Heard some Russian guy, Boris Spassky, I think his name was, begged me to let him play chess with Fischer. You're the only one that has priority, and that's just because you got that official approval letter from the governor."

"Then I'd ask if my authority can extend to Mr. Spassky for this. And if that's not possible, give him my contact info next you see him, assuming he has already left."

"You want to meet him?"

"I want to become the best there is in chess, and who better to act as a second than the 10th World Chess Champion himself."

September 2nd, 2005,

Around this time, the WWCF had formed, unifying the chess world. With Raymond now at the helm of it, he invited Daria along with six others possessing similar prowess to her to what would soon become known as the maestro project. It was there, that Daria and other super grandmasters like her fought it out to see who would end up being the very best.

Upon reaching the finals, Daria found herself pitted against that very man who had frustrated her so long ago. And in that final, something insane happened.

"I have White. This match is over," Daria glared as she opened the game by moving her pawn to c4.

Mr. Secret moved his pawn to e5, to which Daria responded to with knight to c3. Then, came the kicker.

"This is what I practiced for. Behold. Daria Inashiki, today I win your humanity back," Mr. Secret declared as he moved his king to e2.

Everyone stared in shock, all except Daria who shot Mr. Secret a death glare. "Are you mocking the holy sport of chess?"

"Yes, I'm saying I can beat you with this, and the some."

"Cease your jokes," Daria scoffed as she moved her knight to f3.

"It isn't a joke. Now care to make a wager? I win, rediscover your old charm you discarded on your warpath to the throne of the chess world, and... No, we'll just start with that," Mr. Secret shrugged as he moved his knight to c6.