The broken demon of Kyoto [Side Story 5 Intro]

Going back in time to September 2nd. While the qualification tournament for the women's national team was underway, Okisato was paying a visit to the WWCF HQ.

"You've only encountered Himitsusan once prior to her brainwashing, yes?" Himitsudono asked.

"That's right. Though I did pop in to see her briefly before when I came here with Maestro Himitsu."

"And the reception was cold, yes?"

"Exactly."

As the two approached Safumi's room, they heard a loud thump coming from within. Himitsudono shook his head and opened the door. Inside, the room appeared to be empty, but Himitsudono didn't seem phased in the slightest, correctly guessing what was going on as he walked over to the other side of the bed. There on the ground withering in pain was Safumi.

"Let me go... LET ME GO!"

"You know we can't. It's reckless to even be moving around in your state on your own," Himitsudono stated as he lifted Safumi back onto the bed.

While she looked fine on the outside, internally, Safumi was suffering from excruciating full-body nerve damage as a result from her losses to both Michiko and the team of Mimoko and Utami. While she hadn't been killed off like Mizuse and Taira, she wished she had as the pain she was in was unbearable. While her body had never been perfectly healthy, she was at least able to still do most things normally, but now, she couldn't so much as move from bed, let alone hold even a toothbrush. The fact that she was also confined to the WWCF's medical facility indefinitely only made things worse.

"Let me leave, dammit! I want to leave!"

"Is it not possible for her to leave accompanied-"

"I DON'T WANT SOMEONE ACCOMPANYING ME LIKE A PAROLE OFFICER! I'm independent... Independent..."

Himitsudono shook his head and patted Okisato on the shoulder. Okisato understood the silent que and began leaving.

"WAIT! Why can't you just roll me around outside!? Damn shitty nurses have kept me here ever since that incident! I WANNA GO OUTSIDE!"

"We'll inform the nurses then," Himitsudono nodded as he left with Okisato.

As the door slammed shut, Safumi's dam burst. She just wanted the freedom to not be confined to some kind of medical facility. She didn't care if she'd leave on her own two feet or pushed by someone else in a wheelchair, she just wanted out.

"It's not fair. They let Tenju go. Why not me!?"

Outside the room, Okisato sighed as he held his ear to the door.

"I understand you must be feeling sympathies, grandmaster Tanabe, but there is a reason why we can't let her leave. While she did receive a DESPER just like Himitsutan, unlike her, she was not brainwashed via the DESPER."

Okisato glared as he understood what he meant. Unlike Tenju who had simply gone along with Michiko's plan with her own free will, Safumi had been forced to go along with it as punishment for losing a DESPER match. And since she lost to Michiko, that meant...

"If she stepped outside, Michiko might be able to somehow take control of her."

"Yes. You've seen the exact conditions of the wager, so you should know; Michiko Azami is a vile woman."

Safumi twitched and turned as memories of the fateful game came flooding back into her.

...

As soon as Michiko finished her explanation, Safumi glared and moved her pawn to e4.

"Well aren't you jumpy. How about a French defense to slow you down," Michiko taunted as she moved her pawn to e6.

"You really gotta list every damn move like that?" Safumi snarled as she moved her pawn to d4.

"Indeed I do. Such as the French Defense: Normal variation we're playing," Michiko sneered as she moved her pawn to d5.

"Sheesh, it's like you aren't even brainwashed, or maybe it just made you more crazy," Safumi grumbled as she moved her knight to c3.

Michiko scowled for a brief moment before regaining her composure. "Well, I guess I'm now more daring to try a French Defense: Rubinstein variation," she sneered as she captured the pawn at e4 with her d-pawn.

"Yeah, don't care about your Frankenstein attack," Safumi grumbled as she captured said pawn with her knight.

"Rubinstein variation! Though to be fair, it's now a French Defense: Rubinstein, Blackburne Defense so only half off," Michiko sneered as she moved her knight to d7.

"THAT'S IT! I'm slugging you real good when I beat you!" Safumi fumed as she slammed her knight down on f3.

"IF you beat me," Michiko sneered as she moved her g-knight to f6.

"Well then check. I've got you in skill and title," Safumi stated as she captured the knight at f6 with her knight.

"My true skill is not reflected, fore you see I became an SPCM after a nasty tournament left me with a measly rating, and stripped me of my title of grandmaster," Michiko stated as she captured said knight with her knight.

Safumi didn't believe a word she said though and shook her head as she moved her bishop to d3. However, Michiko did not want to let the conversation end and moved her pawn to c5.

"Tch, you ever shut up!?" Safumi fumed as she castled king's side.

"As a matter of fact I don't," Michiko sneered as she captured the pawn at d4 with her c-pawn.

"Then shut up. Chess is meant to be quiet," Safumi snarled as she moved her queen to e1.

"Not during DESPER matches," Michiko sneered as she moved her bishop to d6.

Safumi went quiet and slid her pawn to c3. Michiko naturally captured said pawn with her d-pawn, but Sadumi simply captured said pawn with her queen. Michiko then moved her queen out to c7, but to her surprise, Safumi captured it with her queen.

"I didn't expect you'd throw away your queen so easily," Michiko mockingly gasped as she captured the queen at c7 with her bishop.

"Queens off the board makes it easier to focus," Safumi snarled as she moved her bishop to e3.

"Well, I guess I don't need a queen to mate an amateur like you," Michiko sneered as she castled queen's side."

"'Amateur!? I'm a grandmaster dammit!" Safumi fumed as she moved her a-rook to c1.

"Well then a low-leveled one at best, unlike I who is more maestro than grandmaster," Michiko mused as she moved her knight to d5.

Safumi paused and shot Michiko a glare. She was beginning to realize that the Michiko she was seeing before her might not be a brainwashed Michiko, but actually Michiko's true self, which would mean...

"Your ass is the one pulling all the strings with this shit," Safumi snarled as she moved her pawn to g3.

"My, whatever do you mean by that?" Michiko sneered as she captured the bishop at e3 with her knight.

"That bald fetish bitch you're with ain't the real maestro," Safumi snarled as she captured said knight with her f-pawn.

A scowl formed on Michiko's face as she silently slid her bishop to b6.

"Oi, you gonna reply!?" Safumi shouted as she moved her king to f2.

"Why? Why do you say such drivel? Ai Kamuro is Maestro Himitsu," Michiko snarled as she forced a smile and moved her rook to d8.

"Like hell she is!" Safumi shouted as she slammed her f-rook on d1.

Now Michiko could no longer hide it and let her true anger seep through. "How the hell did some bumpkin idiot like you figure it out!?" she snarled as she moved her rook to b8.

"Easy. She came to work at your salon what 2 weeks ago, yet you've already become chummy to the point where you could get hitched," Safumi declared as she moved her bishop to c4.

"And that makes her fake, how?" Michiko glared as she captured the rook at d1 with her rook.

"You!" Safumi replied as she captured said rook with her rook.

"Me?" Michiko glared as she moved her king to f8.

"Yes, you! As soon as I thought you might not be brainwashed, it all made sense. You're using that girl as a puppet, so there's no way she could be the real maestro," Safumi stated as she moved her bishop to d3.

"And why is that?" Michiko glared as she moved her king to e7.

"Simple, even though she's a wacko, Maestro Himitsu would never lose to you!" Safumi declared as she captured the pawn at h7 with her bishop.

That last line immediately triggered Michiko as her face contorted in rage and her teeth began to grind. "I've always hated that bitch, and all of you. Well, not like it matters. In fact, you're dead wrong on something. Multiple things actually," she sneered as a malicious smile began to form on her face while she moved her pawn to g6.

"What do you mean?" Safumi snarled as she moved her pawn to h4.

"First off, I have beaten that bitch, in a sense," Michiko chuckled as she moved her king to f6.

"Bullshit!" Safumi shouted as she slammed her pawn down on h5.

"It's true. Daria Inoue is in fact Maestro Himitsu. Oh, and what happened to her this morning?" Michiko sneered as she moved her king to g7.

It was then that Safumi began to grasp everything. A tear streaked down her face as she realized just how vile Michiko's plan truly was. "That twintailed bitch from yesterday... You're gonna mess her up, just cuz you hate her mom!?" she shouted as she captured the pawn at g6 with her h-pawn.

"As a matter of fact I am. I hate that bitch too and want her to suffer," Michiko sneered as she captured said pawn with her f-pawn.

Safumi tearfully gritted her teeth and moved her rook to h1. "Then I'm kicking your ass EXTRA hard!"

"And there's your second misunderstanding; you're not gonna win," Michiko sneered as she moved her pawn to e5.

Safumi didn't pay heed and moved her pawn to b4. But as Michiko moved her bishop to f5, she began to get a bit nervous and moved her rook to f8. Michiko sensed the unease and widened her already malicious smile as she moved her bishop to d8.

Now sweat began to pour down Safumi's face as she realized there was no escaping this. She desperately moved her knight to f3, allowing Michiko to gleefully capture the rook at h4 with her bishop. Safumi captured said bishop with her knight, but at this point, it was all in vain.

"Check. Fear not, as I stated in the wager, you'll retain some personality and play at your proper skill level once this over," Michiko sneered as she moved her bishop to e4.

"Why the hell did you implement such a nasty punishment!?" Safumi shouted as she moved her king to g1.

"Oh? Isn't that merciful?" Michiko sneered as she captured the bishop at h7 with her king.

"I'm talking about that shit you were saying would happen if I lost to someone challenging me outside a SPCM challenge during a DESPER match!" Safumi tearfully glared as she frantically moved her pawn to b5.

"And that would be?" Michiko sneered as she moved her king to h6.

Safumi slammed her pawn down on a4 and scowled. "You said all my nerves would get fucked up to the point where I'd be bedridden in pain constantly!"

Michiko maliciously chuckled and began clapping. "Seems you do have some intellect outside of chess. Well rest assured, I'll be granting you my library of opening names so now you'll know every one just like your master, me," she sneered as she moved her king to h5.

At this point, all Safumi could do was cry and desperately struggle in hopes of a blunder. But after she moved her pawn to a5, Michiko did not blunder and moved her king to g4. Safumi continued to press onward and moved her pawn to b6, but it was too late; Michiko had captured the pawn at g3, setting up a nasty mating net. Safumi desperately captured the pawn at g6 with her knight, but with a mocking chuckle, Michiko slid her rook away to d8.

"Fuck you. FUCK YOU! WHY ARE YOU SO DAMN EVIL!?" Safumi cried as she moved her king to f1.

"Because I hate you. I've hated that bitch that's our maestro and all that she appointed to be her SPCMs. For you it was that speed you had in over the board chess. Oh how I envy that speed. But now for as long as you don't satisfy the extra losing condition, it shall remain intact for me to ultimately have control over," Michiko sneered as she moved her rook to d1.

"You vain bitch. But I guess since you said you hate every SPCM, that means you hate yourself too, right?" Safumi tearfully smirked as she moved her king to e2.

Michiko shot her a scowl. "Well aren't you a smart aleck. But you're wrong again. I'm not vain, I'm envious, which means I'm actually planning on you losing. And second, I was tricked into becoming an SPCM by that bitch. It only increases my hate for her more, and joy that she's now out of the picture. Oh, and checkmate," Michiko sneered as she moved her bishop to f3, winning the game.

...

A nurse rushed into Safumi's room as she heard screaming. "Are you alright!?"

Safumi slowed her breathing and stared around. "Back to reality... Oi, take me out dammit!"

"Yes, but you are not to leave the island," the nurse stated as she procured a wheelchair.

As Safumi slumped into it, she gazed at herself in the mirror. Her hair had grown back to the point where it was now black peach fuzz along with her eyebrows and eyelashes, but what caused her to frown most was not her lack of long hair, but the attire she was garbed in.

"Oi, change me outta of this shit."

"The gown is standard wear for patients-"

"CHANGE ME INTO NORMAL FUCKING CLOTHES, DAMMIT!"

The nurse let out a sigh and began undressing Safumi.

The full game:

White: SPCM Himitsusan (Safumi Bouzi) (2550) Black: SPCM Himitsuchan (Michiko Azami) (2144)

1. e4 e6

2. d4 d5

3. Nc3 dxe4

4. Nxe4 Nd7

5. Nf3 Ngf6

6. Nxf6+ Nxf6

7. Bd3 c5

8. O-O cxd4

9. Qe1 Bd6

10. c3 dxc3

11. Qxc3 Qc7

12. Qxc7 Bxc7

13. Be3 O-O

14. Rac1 Nd5

15. g3 Nxe3

16. fxe3 Bb6

17. Kf2 Rd8

18. Rfd1 Rb8

19. Bc4 Rxd1

20. Rxd1 Kf8

21. Bd3 Ke7

22. Bxh7 g6

23. h4 Kf6

24. h5 Kg7

25. hxg6 fxg6

26. Rh1 e5

27. b4 Bf5

28. Rh4 Rf8

29. Ng5 Bd8

30. Nf3 Bxh4

31. Nxh4 Be4+

32. Kg1 Kxh7

33. b5 Kh6

34. a4 Kh5

35. a5 Kg4

36. b6 Kxg3

37. Nxg6 Rd8

38. Kf1 Rd1+

39. Ke2 Bf3#