Chapter 12:

Michiko vs Daria

En Passant Grandmaster Volume 5

A group of guards arrived and dragged Michiko out of the cell. Daria and Raymond followed them as they went down another long hallway towards a room teeming with electronic devices.

"So this is the fabled DESPER sealing room," Daria nodded.

"Correct. We've managed to perfect the process, and as a result, DESPER wielders who have their DESPERs sealed here will no longer be counted as such, meaning DESPER keys will no longer be able to be used against them. They will still be counted as Desperados though, and unable to acquire a new DESPER, unless of course they're an exception like Red Reaper," Raymond stated.

"Couldn't you just drag him here and impose a punishment that would negate his loophole?"

"Sadly no. Especially since the DESPERs themselves tend to prioritize harsher punishments. Thus, if I were to drag Red Reaper here, him making his punishment for losing, death, would simply trump the sealing punishment. And no, we wouldn't be able to prevent him from simply getting a new DESPER. I believe the only way to effectively do that would be to destroy the Ultima-master. This is also why we can't just force every Desperado out there to have their DESPER sealed, as they must consent to the sealing process, otherwise it's just a normal DESPER match. At the least, this room allows DESPER activation only under the condition that should its wielder lose, said DESPER will be sealed."

Daria glared as she noticed some annoyance in Raymond's tone at the prospect of destroying the Ultima-master. Unlike with the DESPERs, Daria was well aware of the Ultima-master's schematics, and of Redfield's affinity for it. Nonetheless, she decided not to press the issue.

Once everything was set up, Michiko was asked if she consented to the sealing process.

"Yeah, if it means I get my chance at glory, I'm in. Daria, when I win, you die, and I become maestro."

"And naturally, should I win, life sentence here for you, along with being formally stripped of your SPCM title in addition to the DESPER sealing.

"Fine!" Michiko huffed as her DESPER activated.

Once the board was set up, Michiko opened by moving her pawn to e4. "Now I can finally prove my superiority and become maestro like I so rightfully deserve!"

"Overconfidence at it's finest," Daria scowled as she moved her knight to c6.

"A Nimzowitsch Defense? Well, guess the blonde hair's making you dumber," Michiko sneered as she moved her pawn to d4.

"Quite the fowl thing to say as a former hairdresser. Oh, and it's now a Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian Variation," Daria glared as she moved her pawn to d5.

"Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian ADVANCE Variation! Don't you dare try to one-up me in MY domain!" Michiko fumed as she slammed her pawn down on e5.

Daria shook her head as she moved her bishop to f5, while Michiko moved her bishop to b5. "Must you be so petty about that?" she sighed as she moved her pawn to a6.

"SHUT UP! I hate you!" Michiko fumed as she captured the knight at c6 with her bishop.

"It pains me to hear that, but if you want to be a bitch, then fine," Daria scowled as she captured the bishop at c6 with her queen.

"Calling me a bitch now? Weren't we childhood friends?" Michiko sneered as she moved her pawn to g4.

Daria sighed and closed her eyes. "Perhaps we once were, or perhaps not. You never seemed to like me even back then," she frowned as she moved her pawn to h6.

Michiko scowled and moved her bishop to e3, but it quickly turned around after Daria moved her bishop to h7. "What a joke, you threw your bishop back into the corner," she sneered as she moved her pawn to a3.

"And why do you believe that's bad for me?" Daria asked as she moved her queen to b6.

"Because now everything's all gunked up on the king's side," Michiko maniacally grinned as she moved her knight to a4.

Daria let out a sigh and slid her queen to b5 as Michiko moved her pawn to c3. She shook her head at the play and moved her queen to c6, causing Michiko to scowl and move her knight to f3.

"Stop scowling at me like you're judging!"

"Sorry, but I am. Michiko, I know your father was unjustly cruel to you, but that gives you no excuse to drag everyone else with you down to misery land," Daria glared as she moved her pawn to b5.

"The hell are you bringing that bastard bitch into this for?" Michiko snarled as she moved her knight to c5.

"Because it's relevant to what I'm about to state next. Back when your father took an interest in me over you, he was also hopeful that it would spurn you to become my rival proper, yet you never did. You wallowed in your own self grievances after your failure in the maestro project and stagnated," Daria sighed as she captured the knight at c5 with her bishop.

"BULLSHIT! I was grandmaster level! I had a future! But you tricked me! I was forced to become your SPCM and I suffered for it! IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!" Michiko fumed as she violently captured the bishop on c5 with her d-pawn.

Daria sighed and advanced her pawn to d4. "You never had the title of grandmaster, but you might have if you kept seeking new heights. I never forced you to become an SPCM either. In fact, I said I'd wait if you wanted to build up your prestige more, but you refused. You also refused to grow even after becoming a SPCM, despite having many opportunities to do so."

Michiko gritted her teeth in anger as she captured the pawn at d4 with her bishop. "I would have had the maestro title if you had just lost to me!"

Daria glared in disappointment and moved her bishop to e4. "I see. Then I'll put you in your place."

"So egotistical. You think just cuz you're a maestro you're gonna win? Well at best you'll just get a 100 move endgame mate, no, a DRAWN endgame!" Michiko shouted as she castled king's side.

"No, for your position is already lost. The only question now is how you'll lose," Daria thought as she captured the knight at f3 with her bishop.

Michiko didn't seem to realize her predicament and moved her queen to d3. Daria then chose to move her knight to e7 as Michiko unknowingly worsened her position by moving her pawn to c4. Sensing an opportunity, Daria promptly captured said pawn with her b-pawn, while Michiko captured said pawn with her queen.

Now Daria was free to move her queen to e4 gaining massive control over the board. Michiko scowled and moved her pawn to h3 as Daria moved her pawn to h5, but as soon as Michiko moved her a-rook to e1, Daria began to smile.

"Get that damn smirk off your face!" Michiko glared.

"Nope, in fact I couldn't be happier. You deserve this, Michiko. Check," Daria smirked as she captured the pawn at g4 with her queen.

A malicious smile spread across Michiko's face before she burst into mocking laughter! "WHAT A DOLT! The coma mess up your thinking skills!? That's a free queen for me, dumbass!" she cackled as she captured the queen at g4 with her h-pawn.

"Oh no, I sacked my queen... So what now?" Daria scoffed as she captured the pawn at g4 with her h-pawn.

Michiko began to scowl. "'What now? I'm up a queen, that's what! Check!" she glared as she moved her queen to a4.

Daria simply chuckled and slid her king to f8. "And after this?"

Michiko began to grit her teeth, but before her scowl could contort any further, her eyes widened in horror, her jaw began to hang down, and her face got paler and sweatier. She realized it too little too late. "You... YOU SACKED THE QUEEN!"

"Indeed I did. So what will you do now?"

Tears began to pour out of Michiko's eyes as she let out a scream and slammed her queen down on e8.

"Now THIS is giving away a queen," Daria taunted as she captured said queen with her king.

"I hate you... I HATE YOU!" Michiko shouted as she slammed her pawn down on b4.

"And I hate you too, but thank you for giving me this opportunity of closure. Now enjoy your suffering. Checkmate," Daria glared as she moved her rook to h1, winning the game.

Michiko's DESPER slowly hovered into a marble box before said box was sealed shut and hovered over to a wall of identical-looking boxes, all hooked up to a large machine. Ai slowly entered, as this was happening, with her gaze centered solely on Michiko like a buzzard waiting for prey.

"And now your DESPER will never be used again. Ai, you are free to have your way with her," Raymond scoffed.

An unsettling grin lit up on Ai's face. "I've been wanting to test out the new razor blade I forged on a fresh scalp! Oh, and I want to give her some tattoos and piercings too! Ah, Michiko, time to pay you back for all the times you yelled at me for shaving girls against their will!"

Michiko began to scream and panic as she was dragged away by Ai.

As the only way out was to go back the way she came, Daria quickly found herself witnessing Michiko's makeover as she passed through the main room.

Despite the gag, Michiko's muffled screams echoed through the whole room as tears blasted out of her eyes, yet Daria didn't so much as glance her way. "Good riddance... Michiko."

The full game:

White: SPCM Himitsuchan (Michiko Azami) (2144) Black: Maestro Himitsu (Daria Inoue) (3200)

1. e4 Nc6

2. d4 d5

3. e5 Bf5

4. Bb5 e6

5. Nc3 Qd7

6. Bg5 a6

7. Bxc6 Qxc6

8. g4 h6

9. Be3 Bh7

10. a3 Qb6