Michiko and Daria

Growing up in Tochigi City, Daria first met Michiko when she was 14. As she was the youngest of her 4 siblings, Daria quickly thought of Michiko as her little sister, always treating her as such.

"You're so cute, Michiko. I wanna get you some ice cream," a young 14-year old Daria smiled as she lifted a young 5-year old Michiko into the air.

"Put me down! Put me down!"

"Nope, Onee-chan wants to coddle you. Now what flavor you want?"

Michiko stared at all the flavors before pouting and conceding to the blackberry flavor.

An only child, Michiko didn't enjoy Daria's constant babying of her, though she didn't mind it much either. It wasn't until that fateful day that Michiko truly began to despise Daria.

"Hey Michiko, whatcha doing?" a now 15-year old Daria smiled as she strolled into Michiko's room.

"Who invited you!? Aren't you supposed to be swamped with homework now that you're in high school?" a now 6-year old Michiko snarled as she attempted to solve a chess puzzle.

"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 a 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, Sodeshiro, an international master and influential member of the Japanese Chess Federation at the time, 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!"

Michiko meanwhile, watched in disbelief. Yet deep down, she actually didn't feel too worried. "She must've practiced before. Yes, she is 9 years older than me and hails from the Inashiki family. Perhaps she was just messing with me when she said she'd never played before. Yes, that must be it. I'm only 6, so naturally, I'll be able to catch her with age," she thought. 

However, things only worsened for her. With Daria as a barometer, Sodeshiro began acting far harsher than before towards Michiko when she failed to play perfectly. 

"Do you not spend time with Daria? Does her genius not rub off on you!?" were some of the constant beratings the young Michiko would hear. Worse, Daria's rise in the chess world made her grow colder to all, Michiko included. All this combined to horribly warp the young Michiko's mind, stunting her growth in chess, dramatically. 

Then came the fabled Maestro Project where Michiko found herself against Daria. Now older and rated 2144, Michiko thought she'd stand a better chance at beating Daria, yet was mercilessly dispatched. This proved to be the final nail for Michiko as she decided to quit chess and focus on cosmetology. 

But then, Daria apologized to her for her coldness and offered to make her an SPCM. 

"What!? Get lost! I never want to see you again!" Michiko fumed. 

"I mean it. I was cold to everyone. I was a monster, but now I'm free. I want things to go back to how they were before." 

"I'm not going to play chess anymore. I hate it! I hate it, and I hate you!" 

"Can you still name everything in the ECO?" 

Michiko paused. "Well... Yes... I do keep up with that. I mean, I've been able to memorize everything since I was 3."

"Then become my SPCM. You'll get a great salary from the WWCF, and you'll get to flaunt that knowledge of the ECO daily." 

At that moment, all of Michiko's resentment was put on hold. This was the old Daria, the one she had grown up with.  

"... Sure. I'll join... Onee-chan." 

A smile began to form on Daria's face.  "Excellent! Now lets get some ice cream. You still like blackberry?" 

"Yes."

"Oh, and think you could do up my hair? I hate how long it is and want something other than red."

"Sure."

Yet sadly, that happiness wouldn't last, as shortly after becoming an SPCM, Sodeshiro ruined everything. 

"IT'S FOR LIFE!?" Michiko gasped. 

"Yes, and it freezes your rating. Tch, I guess all you're good for is serving as a stepping stone for others. I thought you'd be a maestro," Sodeshiro scoffed. 

And just like that, Michiko hated Daria once more, worse than before, as now she believed Daria had played with her all at the command of her father. "Daria... You tricked me! I hate you! I HATE YOU! One day, I'll take back everything! Everything that should have been mine!"

...

In the present, Daria began trembling as she stared down Michiko, yet maintained her composure. "Why did you do this? Were we not friends?"

Michiko began cackling uncontrollably. "'Friends'!? I've always hated you! You were a complete idiot that babied me like there was no tomorrow! Then when I discovered my talent for chess, you usurped me! YOU, an idiot that had never before played chess, just suddenly became an instant prodigy! You were getting set for life while I was being dethroned. Then the maestro project happened and I lost to you! You tricked me into enslavement as an SPCM! I was forced to stupify myself just to serve some lesser chess players than me!"

Daria frowned and shook her head. "Perhaps that is on me, yet why did you feel the need to drag Kotora into this? He was never into chess, just a normal boy. Why? Why did you kill Kotora?"

Michiko struggled to contain her laughter as she answered. "Simple, it was killing two birds with one stone. It would break Mimoko and serve as my victory over you."

Rage and sorrow consumed Daria's face. "That's it. Mr. President, there's no redeeming her. I'll play her and beat her," she trembled as tears streaked down her face.