Chapter 216:

Battering ram Muzio

En Passant Grandmaster

In a hotel room, Simone glared as she sat bound in a chair.

"Why the glare, tying you up's just common logic," Skaberghast sneered as he lounged on the bed.

"Well, first off you, a middle-aged man, have kidnapped me, a young woman. Second, your indolence is deplorable. Have you not the effort to at least take your shoes off before laying on the bed!?"

"Well then no need to worry, cuz I'm too lazy for sex, now shut up, I'm trying to sleep."

"HAVE YOU NO SHAME!?"

Skaberghast sighed and got up. "Here's a life lesson for you; Indolence isn't a sin, it's a nerf. If I wasn't so gripped with drowsiness, I'd have taken over the world years ago, but I got hit with the indolence nerf, and the world can only quiver when I feel motivated," he snickered as he slapped a piece of tape over Simone's mouth. "And unfortunately for you, I happened to be extremely motivated a day ago, and that screwed you over."

...

A few hours earlier, shortly after Emmie lost her match against Iori, Simone and Kristalo were running, carrying Emmie with them. As they exited the mall, they found themselves face-to-face with Skaberghast.

"Professor! What was the meaning of that!?"

"Hey, she lost the match."

"We were going to eliminate a target, a target you said yourself you also wished to be eliminated, so why!? Why did you interfere!?"

Skaberghast let out a chuckle. "Becasue you HAD to settle it in chess, otherwise ole Redfield would have skinned you alive."

"Um, Emmie DID get skinned alive!"

"Nah, her skin MELTED OFF. There's a huge difference, but I guess a looney like you wouldn't understand facts and logic.

At this point, Simone had reached her breaking point and whipped out her wand. As she began an incantation, Skaberghast walked towards her and pulled a DESPER key and his DESPER out of his pocket. "Sorry Redfield, but yesterday I was so motivated, I reverse-engineered this on the spot. Now let's test it out," he thought as he shoved the DESPER key into the DESPER. Nothing appeared to happen, however, Skaberghast quickly realized his DESPER had been recharged and promptly activated it, dragging Simone into a match with him.

"What is the meaning of this!?"

"Simple, you're part of a science experiment. Now how about I make this enticing for you and restore Emmie's skin and heart if you win. That would allow her to survive, but lose and well, she's left for dead, and you along with baldy become my guinea pigs."

Simone glared before taking a deep breath and composing herself. "Then when I win, I'll have your brain melt out of every pore of your body."

"Sounds kinky," Skaberghast snickered as he opened by moving his pawn to e4.

"... Your attitude and demeanor have always disgusted me," Simone scoffed as she moved her pawn to e5.

"Oh? And this coming from Miss always flunks the tests and quizzes? You sure you're not inflating your resentment towards me cuz of your lack of critical thinking skills?" Skaberghast taunted as he moved his pawn to f4.

Simone shot him a look of pure disgust as she captured said pawn with her e-pawn without saying a word. Skaberghast decided to humor the silent treatment and moved his knight to f3, but as soon as Simone moved her pawn to g5, his eyes began to narrow as he moved his bishop to c4.

While Simone was a respectable 1493 rated player, she had no idea the trap she had fallen into when she decided to play the move Skaberghast wanted her to; pawn to g4.

"And goodbye Emmie!" Skaberghast maniacally grinned as he castled king's side.

"And just what is that supposed to mean?" Simone glared as she moved her queen to e7.

"You failed the test... again," Skaberghast snickered as he moved his pawn to d4.

"Cease the taunting and drivel. You are but a flesh and blood mortal. Your words carry no power to those of a grand witches'," Simone glared as she captured the pawn at e4 with her queen.

"Well aren't you cocky, or are you a masochist deep dowm? Well time for a schooling in the art of check," Skaberghast sneered as he captured the pawn at f7 with his bishop.

Simone unamusingly glared asn swiftly captured said bishop with her king. "And you were saying?"

"Hold on, the lecture's only getting started," Skaberghast snickered as he moved his knight to g5.

"Then I'm going home," Simone snarled as she slid her king back to e7.

"Without your phone?" Skaberghast sneered as he captured the queen at e4 with his knight.

Immediately, Simone's demeanor did a complete 180 as color began to rapidly vanish from her face.

"Oh? you didn't see the fork? This is why you're intellectually inferior."

Simone began hyperventilating as she desperately searched for a move, ultimately deciding to move her knight to f6. Skaberghast instantly captured said knight, prompting Simone to capture said knight with her king.

It was then that Skaberghast let loose a malicious grin and chuckle. "F minus. Time for detention," he sneered as he captured the pawn at f4 with his rook.

"N- No... This can't be happening!" Simone trembled as she moved her king to e6.

"Oh but it is. See, I have a 100% win-rate whenever I play the Muzio," Skaberghast snickered as he moved his queen to e2.

"M- Muzio? What are you talking about!?" Simone stammered as she moved her king to d6.

"Uh, the name of the opening? What, do you not even know that? What's e4, e5, f4 called?" Skaberghast asked as he moved his rook to f6.

"I DON'T KNOW! AN OPENING!?" Simone shouted as she moved her king to d5.

"King's gambit. Look, you don't need to memorize every one, but you should at least know the ones you play or commonly face. Much to Michiko's angst though, I actually do know the name of every single opening. This one's a King's gambit accepted: Muzio, Kling and Horowitz Countergambit," Skaberghast stated as he moved her knight to c3.

"I don't want to hear your lecture!" Simone tearfully shouted as she captured the pawn at d4 with her king.

"Too bad, you're my lab rat now," Skaberghast sneered as he captured the pawn at g4 with his queen.

"Y- You said I'd be your guinea pig though," Simone stammered as she moved her king to c5.

"Same thing. Checkmate," Skaberghast snickered as he moved his pawn to b4, winning the game.

...

Simone began to tear up again as she remembered that humiliating defeat. As a result, she had been forced to watch Emmie breath her last and die on the spot, before being whisked away with Kristalo to Skaberghast's hotel room.

Now, she was to be subjected to a malicious experiment.

"Now let's see if this improves your intellect a bit. Don't worry, I can shove this baby in without shaving too much of your hair off. Then again, I do think bald girls are hot, so no hair or eyebrows for you," Skaberghast snickered as he set a small purple microchip down on the table.

The full game:

White: Prof Manfred von Skaberghast (2714) Black: Simone Broadstone (1493)

1. e4 e5

2. f4 exf4

3. Nf3 g5

4. Bc4 g4

5. O-O Qe7

6. d4 Qxe4

7. Bxf7+ Kxf7

8. Ng5+ Ke7

9. Nxe4 Nf6

10. Nxf6 Kxf6