Chapter 240:

Michiko and Daria

En Passant Grandmaster

A young 6-year old Michiko stared at a chessboard, trying to solve a chess puzzle.

"Hey Michiko, whatcha doing?" Daria asked as she strolled up.

Back in her youth, Daria looked nearly identical to Mimoko aside from the eyes and the fact that she styled her hair in drilltails. Her hair was an undyed brownish red color, a far cry from the crimson red she'd later dye it in adulthood. Michiko ironically still had her blue bob, which she would continue to sport well into adulthood.

"Who invited you!? Aren't you supposed to be swamped with homework now that you're in high school?" Michiko snarled.

"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 1 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 decided to challenge her to a match himself. It was through beating him that Daria's talent for chess was discovered and Michiko's life was turned upside down.

Now fueled with envy, Michiko unknowingly stagnated and rather than improve, blamed Daria for all her woes. It wasn't until she was 12 that she finally crossed over the 2200 rating mark, yet following her failure in the maestro project, her rating plummeted down to its current 2144.

...

Back in the present Michiko gritted her teeth as she seethed with fury, yet briefly maintained her cool. "No, I have no reason to stay."

"Even if I agreed to become your vessel, allowing you to be maestro if I lose?"

"WHAT MAKES YOU THINK YOU'D WIN, YOU BITCH!? I'm a prodigy, you... YOU... YOU JUST BARGED INTO MY LIFE AND RUINED IT!" Michiko shouted as she activated her DESPER.

The scenery quickly changed to that of Michiko's old childhood home. Once the two were seated at the chessboard, the wagers were made.

"Rapid, 10 minutes, no increment. I win, I get full control over your body, while your consciousness remains forever trapped in my old body until it dies. That will be when you die. And you'd better agree to this match."

"I told you before, I'm willing to play against you. And naturally, should I win, Doraaki Soten will be completely released from your control and never be able to be possessed by you again."

"I put an irreversible- ...! ...Tch. I guess the DESPER wouldn't let me get too greedy. Seems it's possible for this bitch to be freed thanks to her prior loss in the 4-way chess matches. I shouldn't have thrown, I should have played harder."

"You sure you really threw? The logs seemed to suggest you were playing at your best-"

"ENOUGH! I've always hated you! But now... I can finally prove my superiority and become maestro like I so rightfully deserve!" Michiko squealed as she opened by moving her pawn to e4.

"Overconfidence at it's finest," Daria scowled as she moved her knight to c6.

"A Nimzowitsch Defense? Well, guess the blonde hair's making you dumber," Michiko sneered as she moved her pawn to d4.

"Quite the fowl thing to say as a former hairdresser. Oh, and it's now a Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian variation," Daria glared as she moved her pawn to d5.

"Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian ADVANCE variation! Don't you dare try to one-up me in MY domain!" Michiko fumed as she slammed her pawn down on e5.

Daria sighed and shook her head as she moved her bishop to f5, while Michiko moved her bishop to b5. "Michiko, the other SPCMs all had things they considered to be their fields of expertise, yet your mercilessly defiled each and every one of them. You have no right to complain about someone trampling into "your domain"," Daria glared as she moved her pawn to a6.

"SHUT UP! I hate you!" Michiko fumed as she captured the knight at c6 with her bishop.

"It pains me to hear that in Doraaki-chan's voice, but I know those words are not her will. Hang in there Doraaki-chan, I'll punish the bitch possessing you," Daria glared as she captured the bishop at c6 with her queen.

"Calling me a bitch now? Weren't we childhood friends?" Michiko sneered as she moved her pawn to g4.

Daria sighed and closed her eyes. "Perhaps we once were, or perhaps not. You never seemed to like me even back then," she sighed with a look of deep sorrow on her face as she moved her pawn to h6.

Michiko scowled and moved her bishop to e3, but it quickly turned around after Daria moved her bishop to h7. "What a joke, you threw your bishop back into the corner," she sneered as she moved her pawn to a3.

"And why do you believe that's bad for me?" Daria asked as she moved her queen to b6.

"Because now everything's all gunked up on the king's side," Michiko maniacally grinned as she moved her knight to a4.

Daria let out a sigh and slid her queen to b5 as Michiko moved her pawn to c3. She shook her head at the play and moved her queen to c6, causing Michiko to scowl and move her knight to f3.

"Stop scowling at me like you're judging!"

"Sorry, but I am. Michiko, I know your father was unjustly cruel to you, but that gives you no excuse to drag everyone else with you down to misery land," Daria glared as she moved her pawn to b5.

"The hell are you bringing that bastard bitch into this for?" Michiko snarled as she moved her knight to c5.

"Because it's relevant to what I'm about to state next. Back when your father took an interest in me over you, he was also hopeful that it would spurn you to become my rival proper, yet you never did. You wallowed in your own self grievances after your failure in the maestro project and stagnated," Daria sighed as she captured the knight at c5 with her bishop.

"BULLSHIT! I was grandmaster! I had a future! But you tricked me! I was forced to become your SPCM and I suffered for it! IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!" Michiko fumed as she violently captured the bishop on c5 with her d-pawn.

Daria sighed and advanced her pawn to d4. "You never had the title of grandmaster, but you might have if you kept seeking new heights. I never forced you to become an SPCM either. In fact, I said I'd wait if you wanted to build up your prestige more, but you refused."

Michiko gritted her teeth in anger as she captured the pawn at d4 with her bishop. "I would have had the maestro title if you had just lost to me!"

Daria glared in disappointment and moved her bishop to e4. "I see. Then I hope to opportunity arises to put you in your place."

"So egotistical. You think just cuz you're a maestro you're gonna win? Well at best you'll just get a 100 move endgame mate, no, a DRAWN endgame!" Michiko shouted as she castled king's side.

"No, for your position is already lost. The only question now is how you'll lose," Daria thought as she captured the knight at f3 with her bishop.

Michiko didn't seem to realize her predicament and moved her queen to d3. Daria then chose to move her knight to e7 as Michiko unknowingly worsened her position by moving her pawn to c4. Daria promptly captured said pawn with her b-pawn, while Michiko captured said pawn with her queen.

Now Daria was free to move her queen to e4 gaining massive control over the board. Michiko scowled and moved her pawn to h3, as Daria moved her pawn to h5. But as soon as Michiko moved her a-rook to e1, Daria began to smile.

"Get that damn smirk off your face!" Michiko glared.

"Nope, in fact I couldn't be happier. You deserve this, Michiko. Check," Daria smirked as she captured the pawn at g4 with her queen.

A malicious smile spread across Michiko's face before she burst into mocking laughter! "WHAT A DOLT! The coma mess up your thinking skills!? That's a free queen for me, dumbass!" she cackled as she captured the queen at g4 with her h-pawn.

"Oh no, I sacked my queen... So what now?" Daria snickered as she captured the pawn at g4 with her h-pawn.

Michiko began to scowl. "'What now? I'm up a queen, that's what! Check!" she glared as she moved her queen to a4.

Daria simply chuckled and slid her king to f8. "And after this?"

Michiko began to grit her teeth, but before her scowl could contort any further, her eyes widened in horror. Her jaw began to hang down as her face got paler and sweatier. She realized it too little too late. "You... YOU SACKED THE QUEEN!"

"Indeed I did. So what will you do now?"

Tears began to pour out of Michiko's eyes as she let out a scream and slammed her queen down on e8.

"Now THIS is giving away a queen," Daria taunted as she captured said queen with her king.

"I hate you... I HATE YOU!" Michiko shouted as she slammed her pawn down on b4.

"And I hate you too, but thank you for giving me this opportunity of closure. Now enjoy your suffering. Checkmate," Daria smirked as she moved her rook to h1, winning the game.

The full game:

White: SPCM Himitsukun (Doraaki Soten) (Controlled by Michiko Azami) (2144) Black: Maestro Himitsu (Daria Inoue) (3200)

1. e4 Nc6

2. d4 d5

3. e5 Bf5

4. Bb5 e6

5. Nc3 Qd7

6. Bg5 a6

7. Bxc6 Qxc6

8. g4 h6

9. Be3 Bh7

10. a3 Qb6