Chapter 140:

Fear of ostracization

En Passant Grandmaster

As Mimoko began her game against Sheila, Iori decided to challenge Sherbert.

"I win, you collab," Iori smirked as she moved her pawn to e4.

"No, Never! You bad influence!" Sherbert shouted as she moved her pawn to e5.

"Never said I was a good one, but guess what, it sells. 4 million subs, and you only got what, like 2 mil? Besides, you literally trek up erupting volcanoes-"

"IT'S EDUCATIONAL!"

"Stop harassing Mililani," Katie snarled as her violent personality bubbled to the surface.

"Just saying, but the nicest folks tend to always be messed up in the head. That's why it's better to be an upfront asshole, then folks won't call ya sleazy. Of course, the Desperado among us built everything up thanks to their big ole smile," Iori snickered as she slammed her king down on e2. "So allow me to sus ya out with pure gamer skill."

The line clearly rattled the Desperado as they struggled not to show any reaction.

At the other board, a different issue was brewing. Sheila was playing as white, and had not yet made her first move.

"What's wrong? we can't converse through-"

"We can converse just fine. Now let me be clear, I hate you. I HATE you, and I hate your mother," Sheila snarled.

"And why is that?"

"Isn't it obvious? You're entitled and spoon fed everything..."

Mimoko titled her head in confusion as Sheila trailed off mid sentence, however she had finally grasped the situation.

"Perhaps you think I'm some awe-inspiring person because I took the chess world by storm, but that's not it. I may be good at chess, but outside of it, I'm just a weak and vulnerable girl. I'm sure you've heard of the misfortunes that have befallen me."

"Yeah, and you're acting all entitled like the world owes you an apology. You deserved all that misery-"

"My younger brother Kotora never liked chess."

"..."

"I tried to get him into it, but he hated every second of it, mainly because I always beat him so soundly. Nonetheless, I didn't pressure him into pursuing chess as a career, but rather simply asked him to play me from time to time, not as an opponent, but as my younger brother. I myself actually deliberately chose not to pursue a professional chess career until just a few months ago-"

"That's why I'm saying you're entitled. YOU HAD A DAMN CHOICE! After my parents died, my shitty grandpa suddenly became obsessed with having a legacy. I was forced to study nothing but chess, and for what!? I can't make shit of it! And every time I failed, I got hell. I hate chess. I HATE IT!"

"Then you were forced into being an SPCM?"

"...Yes. It was the only compromise that shitty fossil would bite on. Of course, I needed a minimum rating of 800, but could barely even beat toddlers just picking up the game. It was hell, but somehow I managed to do it. But now, I have to play chess for the rest of my life, or at least until that fossil croaks."

"If the maestro let you quit, what would you do then?"

"No clue. My life has been nothing but chess since age 3. I know no other joys, just this miserable hell. I've honestly tried killing myself a few times, but this damn curse feature prevents me from dying unnaturally."

"Tch, would you stop bitching and moaning and play the game? You're blemishing my name," Wiley snarled.

"THEN JUST DISOWN ME! I DISOWNED YOU!"

"No you didn't, I'm fighting that bullshit in court. Damn Misericordia bullshit's been corrupting your brain! You even confessed to sending a mob after the chess world's rising prodigy and her friends! Your parents and grandmother were murdered by brain-dead activists like that! Pewler's dead now so improve the fuck NOW!"

"Th- That was an accident."

"An 'accident'!? The were murdered by those brain-dead Misericordia activists! They were just having a peaceful dinner, when those brain-dead fuckers stormed the restaurant over some dumb wage protest and burned the place down. Worse the shitty Misericordia governor at the time pardoned the lot of them! To this day, none of them have been brought to justice, and none seem resentful, hell one I confronted said they were proud to have murdered my family. AND YOU WANNA BE LIKE THAT TRASH!?"

"I... No, I'm not like that. I just support-"

"You support Misericordia, you support ALL their bullshit! Seems you need to undergo extensive behavioral therapy when this is over!"

Sheila began to break down in tears as she glared at Mimoko. "Why... Why did you have such a good life? Your mother didn't even pressure you into chess despite her legacy, yet you found your way there on your own... I hate you... I hate chess... I hate you..."

"Quick question, were any of those folks from the mob killed by that tornado in New York?" Iori asked.

Wiley paused for a moment. "Yes... There were a few, including one of the main perpetrators of the riot back then, Jacque Horner. Pewler also had a hand in organizing the protest even though he didn't partake in it."

"And the one who said they weren't resentful for killing your family?"

"Still alive, name's Genny Cider. Feel like killing her?"

"You commissioning me? Sorry, but I don't kill, but if she's got a DESPER it's totally legal to make her condition for losing be a long and painful death."

A smile began to form on Wiley's face. "Maybe I should adopt you. You've got everything. Good chess skills, a good cynical mind, and ruthlessly willing to stamp out the enemy. I like you."

"Damn you crushing on me? Sorry, but I've already got my eyes on a handsome yakuza boy my age."

"Okisato Tanabe... I'll become far more powerful than his father when I become president."

"And I don't care about stuff like that. Now Sherbert, you gonna move?"

Sherbert had spent the last few minutes staring at the board in silence. Finally, she spoke.

"I hate you. You just like Mimoko girl. You bad influence."

Iori merely let loose a malicious smile. "You know why the snake approached Eve instead of Adam?"

"Wha?"

"Because guys do dumb shit to impress a girl. Had the snake approached Adam, he would have refused to eat the apple, and wouldn't have been able to sway him since sex n'' shit wasn't big back then. But since Eve said it was ok, he went full simp and ate it."

"Uh, what does this-"

"That's why Pewler the snake decided to get rid of LinZay. He didn't want an army of simps to erupt and begin acting like her and worshiping her to impress her. She always said she loved having dank and edgy degenerate fanboys, since she too was dank, edgy and degenerate. Pewler couldn't have that, since he demonizes things like hentai, ecchi shit, and just flat out everything fun and worth living for, so he had to stop the leak before it sank the boat. Guess a prerequisite of being a politician is to hate everything people enjoy and aide their sadistic cronies in banning it and replacing it with shit that only they'd jerk off to. You were a fan of LinZay, but after she was dragged off by to gulag, you got scared, since you feared that if you copied her, you'd end up just like her and be Pewler's second sock puppet secretary. That's also why you became such a big Pewler supporter, cuz you feared you'd be gobbled up by him if you didn't. Same goes for you, Boomer granddaughter."

"HUH!? The hell kind of insult is that!?" Sheila fumed.

"The truth, that's what. Sure society may not always accept you for who you are, but generally they won't really do much, unless some activist, politician, or just flat out sadistic douchebag gets involved and riles em up. Just look at history, it's full of sadists that wield mass hysteria to their benefit. Point is, you fell victim to it and as such, fell right into that ponytailed fucker's hands. Though to be fair, he did have a false friend among you that helped steer you towards his desired path, a shepherd so to say. How ironic. You bitch and moan about someone controlling your life, yet that's exactly what Pewler did to you. Well, guess that's brainwashing and hypocrisy collabing for the millionth time so I won't bother arguing. Instead, I'll just leave you to the boomer."

Slam!

Iori turned to notice that Sherbert had finally made her move; king to e7. "Hoh? What's this?" she asked as she instantly moved her pawn to d3.

"Retaliation. I'm done playing nice!" Sherbert retorted as she captured said pawn with her e-pawn.

"So we good for a collab?" Iori asked as she captured said pawn with her queen.

"Hell no! I hate you and always will. But I will start being true to myself and surpass you into irrelevancy. Cuz I'm Mililani Lua Pele Sherbert Paina!" Sherbert declared as she slammed her knight down on c6.

"Volcano Sherbert? You could barely handle ghost pepper spice," Iori snickered as she slid her queen to c4.

"I down hotsauce like it water!" Sherbert retorted as she moved her pawn to d5.

"Heh, guess even grandmasters like you blunder when you're low on time," Iori snickered as she captured said pawn with her e-pawn.

"OH SHIT! MY FUCKING PAWN! Psych!" Sherbert shouted as she captured said pawn with her queen. "OH NO! TAKEBACK!"

"No take-backs girl, you chose to ride the wild ride, you're stuck on it now," Iori snickered as she captured said queen with her queen.

At this point, Sherbert abandoned all hope of winning and dejectedly moved her king to f6. Iori didn't show any mercy and moved her queen to g5, forcing the king to e6. On her next turn, she moved her king to e1, prompting Sherbert to move her king to d6. This allowed Iori to check her by moving her bishop to f4, and with little time left on the clock, she opted to blunder into mate by moving her knight to e5.

"Thanks for rolling over, bitch!" Iori taunted as she captured said knight with her queen.

"I hate you, so next time I'll master your trash and beat you at your own game," Sherbert glared as she slid her king to c6.

"So we're enemies then. Perfect, now I can bash you without remorse. Checkmate, motherfucker," Iori snickered as she moved her queen to b5, winning the game.

She then flipped off Sherbert, who responded by flipping her off back. Meanwhile, Sheila was about to lose on time without making a single move.

"Sheila-chan, do you want me to make your grandfather give you the choice of quitting chess?" Mimoko asked.

Sheila shot Mimoko a death glare. "I'm not being saved by you."

Mimoko merely smiled and closed her eyes. "Then I'll save you anyway."

"Y- You couldn't do it anyway... He won't budge..."

"I have a way," Mimoko smiled as she winked at Iori.

"Heh, guess that method is something she can do, but I can't. That's why you're such a good friend, Mimo-chan. You're the light I can't be," Iori thought.

Sheila closed her eyes and let out a sigh. "Whatever. I have no faith," she grumbled as she moved her pawn to f3.

"Clearly you have some, the Barnes isn't the worst opening in the game," Mimoko smiled as she moved her pawn to g6.

"It isn't!?"

"No, that would be the Grob opening, g4."

"Fuck, I wanted to just give up," Sheila grumbled as she ran out of time and lost the game.

The full games:

White: Iori Ishikiridokoro (1344) Black: SPCM Mililani Paina (2650)

1. e4 e5

2. Ke2 Ke7

3. d4 exd4

4. Qxd4 Nc6

5. Qc4 d5