Tying up loose ends

"And just why are we doing this?" Mimoko glared.

"Cuz it's quick and efficient," Iori grinned.

"No, I'm asking why I'm wearing a bikini for this."

"Cuz you agreed to, that's why."

The morning after the girls got back to Japan, they all set out towards Lagoon Pathways hotel to take care of some unfinished business. Since Carol and Iori had performed extraordinarily during the Pewler incident, Mimoko allowed them to subject her to a dare. Both immediately requested Mimoko shave her head again which she shot down immediately. Thus, her dare ended up being wearing a bikini for the whole day.

"Dang girl, you really got all my good points," Daria grinned as everyone entered the secret puzzle cafe at Lagoon pathways.

"And are you being challenged?" Mimoko growled.

"No, but there is a certain SPCM I'm eager to see again."

"Is the gauntlet format even permissible?"

"I mean, as long as you follow everyone's rules and offer up all the relevant points, it should be allowed, but I'm not sure. Though if you play everyone one after another that's completely fine."

"We'll go with that then."

"Perfect, so then want me to put out the summons, or do you want each one to come individually?"

"All at once. I'll be taking a few pot-shots too," Iori snickered.

Daria nodded and put out the summons. A few minutes later, all the American SPCMs along with Maestro Frisch appeared in the cafe. Katie had miraculously survived, thanks to the wording of her punishment simply causing her to bleed, and not to bleed to death. Her dreadlocks ended up being buzzed off leaving her with just faint red stubble for hair, and she was still not fully healed, and would be returning to the medical facility at WWCF HQ once this was over.

"And why the hell did YOU of all people summon us?" Sheila trembled.

"Important business, that's why. Now, who wants to give the explanation?"

Iori quickly volunteered and began pacing as she explained. "So as you all are aware, me, Mimo-chan, and Carol-chan got kidnapped by Desperados and were warped from London to New York in the span of a day. This was all the work of one ponytailed fucker named Manny Pewler, who's now dead-"

"YOU MURDERER! OUR COUNTRY IS DOOMED NOW!" Clifford cried.

A good look at the SPCMs revealed that most of them appeared to not be taking Pewler's death well, with the exception of Hazel who seemed overjoyed.

"I still haven't forgiven you for what you did. And like, I'm never going to. Because what you did to me was like, really-"

"Yeah, shut up chatterbox, you nearly bleeding to death is actually the reason everyone's here today," Iori snickered as she pulled the DESPER key case out of her breasts. "So anyone recognize this? This is a DESPER key case, and if you don't know, DESPER keys can forcibly activate a DESPER even if it's not fully recharged. Now direct your attention to the inside. As you can see, there's a key inside, get what I'm implying?"

"Are you daring to suggest one of us is a Desperado!?" Clifford fumed.

"Yeah, and it's fact."

"BULLSHIT!"

"See, not only were we all betrayed and sold out back at the hotel, but a DESPER was used twice there thanks to a loophole in the security or something. Heard it was fixed, but the damage was still done."

"Twice? We only saw the incident with Katie," Sandy stated.

"After you all left, some Desperados stormed the place and kidnapped us. Just ask Sheila, she allowed the whole thing.

Sheila went silent and trembled.

"Don't bully Sheila. I bet Carol, or rather Zinnia Broadstone is the Desperado, or maybe it's you," Clifford glared.

Daria's eyes narrowed as she recognized the name. "My apologies Carol, but is it true your name is Zinnia Broadstone?"

Carol nodded and proceeded to tell Daria and all present about her past. Sheila began to tremble as she heard the finer details while Katie looked as though her brain had stopped functioning as an angry, bewildered look plastered itself on her face.

When Carol finished, Daria nodded and apologized for forcing her to relive traumatic memories, explaining that she only inquired about her due to what Pewler had said to her.

"He actually said that!? I guess in a sense he was right. Mimo saw him shoot me, and if I didn't have a DESPER key on me or LinZay went with him, I'd be dead."

"Lies! All lies! Why would Manny come to this degenerate NEET nation?" Clifford scoffed.

That statement caused all eyes to glare on him.

"Boy, I'd watch that tongue of yours. The president may not care what you say and do as long as you're a good chess player, but you say racist shit like that again, and in the very country you're insulting nonetheless, your ass is dead," Daria glared as she menacingly smacked her fan into her hand.

"In that case, allow me to start with him," Mimoko glared as she exchanged the points."

"Ngh! Oi! Why are some of you glaring too!? This was what Manny said, and you all support Manny so-"

"You're saying the reason you spouted something racist like that was because Manny said it was ok?" Katie asked.

"Of course! Manny's words are law, so if he says this is a degenerate NEET nation, it is!"

SMASH!

No one batted an eyelash as Katie rose out of her wheelchair and slugged Clifford across the room.

"You're saying Manny's racist... And I've been supporting that shit... THE HELL'S WRONG WITH THIS WORLD!?"

Katie then slugged herself in the face, sending herself tumbling back into her wheelchair, unconscious. With both her and Clifford out, Mimoko elected to challenge Mariano first while Iori played Hazel.

Hazel stared at Iori and smiled as she moved her pawn to g4. "Since you took out Pewler, I'll go easy on ya."

"Wow, thanks! I love freebies," Iori grinned as she moved her pawn to f5.

"Oi, oi, don't go squandering it, girl," Hazel chuckled as she moved her pawn to f4.

"I'm not. Just trying to get some opening moves checked off," Iori nodded as she moved her pawn to e5.

"Oh, I see. Think we got an achievement for playing every named variation and gambit. Welp, guess that's one more for you," Hazel smiled as she moved her queen to h4.

"Surprised you're rushing through things," Iori noted as she moved her queen to h4.

Hazel went silent and glanced over at the unconscious Katie. "J- Just your imagination," she mumbled as she moved her king to f3.

Iori shrugged and moved her bishop to c5, deciding not to press. And after Hazel moved her queen to e1, it was over.

"Well that was easy. Checkmate," Iori shrugged as she captured the pawn at g4 with her queen, winning the game.

The full game:

White: SPCM Hazel Hemmings (1270) Black: Iori Ishikiridokoro (1344)

1. g4 f5 

2. f4 e5 

3. Kf2 Qh4+ 

4. Kf3 Bc5 

5. Qe1 Qxg4#