I was nominated for a chess event and walked down the hallway in silence. I immediately left the classroom when I was nominated, but there is a high possibility that my classmates would be screaming in the classroom by now and Horikita would be calming them down.
While thinking about this, I entered the designated room and saw a chess board in the center of the room, and at the same time, the door on the opposite side opened and Hashimoto entered.
"Nice to meet you, Hikigaya. I'm really scared that you're coming."
Hashimoto says things like that, but it's impossible to destroy your opponent in a test like this, so I'm going to fight normally.
"Well, thank you. Even if Arisu trained you, I'm looking forward to it."
"However, it's just that I'm being completely ignored."
Me too about that.
Although I have become able to resist to a certain extent compared to when I first entered the school, there is still a difference in ability, and once she takes the initiative, I am usually overrun.
"Then we'll start the second match. Both of you please take your seats."
As instructed by the witness teacher, I took a seat, picked up the white and black pawns, turned my back in my hands, held the white pawn to the right, and the black pawn to the left, and then put both hands in front of me again.
"Right hand."
Hashimoto designated the right hand, so he opened his right hand and brought out a white pawn.
The first mover is Hashimoto. I wanted to make the first move, but I couldn't help it.
Even though I was thinking that, when we faced each other, Hashimoto moved his pieces, so I moved them too.
I don't know Hashimoto's tactics, so I have to create my own plan first.
Move the pieces around for a while.
Hashimoto starts attacking from an early stage and seems to be heavily influenced by Arisu.
"Oops. You're really relentless."
Hashimoto says this in a carefree voice, but his eyes aren't smiling.
"This is just a greeting. You know how merciless I am, right?"
"Well, you destroyed Totsuka's life, deleted Yamauchi, and Kushida, and also stole a lot of money from Watanabe."
"By the way, I also deleted Manabe from Class B."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah. Apparently, she was dissatisfied with the relationship between me and Hiyori, and there was a possibility that the contract would break up if Ryuen left the school."
Anyone who tries to separate me and my three lovers is an enemy.
"That's really scary. I feel sorry for the C-class that caught your attention."
Hashimoto moves his pieces with twitching eyes, but there is no fluctuation on the board.
A story is a story, and chess is chess.
After all, a battle of words is not suitable for an opponent like Hashimoto.
He won't be defeated, but it will be very difficult to defeat him.
Even with that in mind, I move the pieces and build a formation.
What matters is how much of a lead I can create before Arisu intervenes.
"Sympathy? What are you talking about? It's the law of nature that the weak are weeded out by the strong."
Plants are eaten by herbivores, and herbivores are eaten by carnivores.
The same is true in human society, where the weak survive by feeding on the strong.
And I was weeded out as the weak all the way until I entered high school, and I just can't accept the position of being the weak anymore.
I move the knight and have it slash into Hashimoto's camp.
Hashimoto, on the other hand, is also trying to use counter tactics to prevent me from taking the initiative, but I won't let him do that.
I move my pieces immediately the moment Hashimoto moves them.
And every time Hashimoto moves, I immediately moves his pieces to take away Hashimoto's freedom.
As expected, Hashimoto has time to think between each move, but he needs to cut down on that time as much as possible.
"Hey, hey. You're pretty fast, but are you thinking properly when you hit?"
"Of course. You may have learned chess from Arisu, but we play chess almost every day."
Since we are sleeping in the same room, we spend much more time together than Hashimoto, so there is a difference in their experience points.
In addition, Arisu is a sadist, so she often uses tactics like what I'm doing now, attacking quickly to take away the opponent's leeway.
Even as I thought so, I thought of what to do while Hashimoto was thinking, and immediately returned the shot the moment Hashimoto hit it.
If I do that, I will eventually be able to break down Hashimoto's stronghold.
I played around in yesterday's match against Horikita, but this time it's the real thing, so I'm going to take it seriously.
Ideally, I would like to capture two of Hashimoto's pieces other than pawns by the time Arisu enters the battle.
"By the way, Hikigaya. What do you think of Ayanokoji?"
Hashimoto looks at me with a searching look. I don't know if he genuinely wants to know about Ayanokoji or if he wants to cloud my judgment.
Regarding the former, Arisu doesn't want to make Ayanokoji's existence too public, so I don't want to tell him, and but regarding the latter, what does he want me to say?
"No matter what you say. I love Hiyori, Arisu, and Masumi, so I don't have those feelings towards Ayanokoji, okay?"
"Huh?....w-wait a minute, I'm not talking about you cheating on the Princess with Ayanakoji, okay?!"
".....Then what?" I asked, Hashimoto suspiciously.
"I-i mean, he's been noticeable since the second semester, but what is he really like?"
"I don't know. I think he's just a creepy guy with quite perverted thoughts, but he doesn't say them openly in front of others like that trash Yamauchi."
Well, I think he's actually in the top class at school.
Since he was given the most advanced education ever since he was born, there is no way he is weak.
"Better than wasting time on that creep, change with Arisu in the next six moves."
While saying this, I move Rook. This puts Hashimoto's bishop within the attack range of the rook.
"Oops. Are you saying I'll be in a pinch in the next six moves?"
While saying this, Hashimoto moves his pawns to protect the bishop.
I move my pawn forward, but my target is the bishop, just as Hashimoto had read.
At the very least, I want to destroy the pieces with mobility before Arisu comes out.
most...
"Bishop, I'll get it."
On the 6th move after making the declaration, I move my bishop and eat the bishop that Hashimoto isn't guarding.
"Huh! Was that a bluff you were aiming for just now?"
"No. I was seriously aiming for it, but I moved so I could crush the other bishop in case I couldn't get it."
There is a saying that a person who chases two rabbits will never get one, but instead of trying to get both rabbits at once, you should just chase them with your top priority being to catch one of them.
In any case, we were able to capture the bishop, and since Hashimoto prioritized protecting the bishop, the left side was completely empty, giving me an advantage.
As Hashimoto thought about it, he briefly smiled and made his next move.
Seeing this, I had a bad feeling and made a new move, but Hashimoto made his next move within five seconds.
(Arisu came after all. Then that's all for me.)
I point my finger at the camera and make a cross mark.
I took the trouble to create a lead, but if she hit any more, the lead would just disappear.
"Rook to g3"
At this point, a mechanical voice comes over the intercom, so I do as I'm told.
Well, the undercard is over and now the real performance begins.
At the same time...
"Both of them left it to the control tower."
"Very well. When intervening, be careful not to make any unnatural moves."
"Understood"
In a locked special conference room, there were a large number of people and computers working in a hectic manner.
Overwhelming
The scene in front of me was exactly that. Hashimoto and I are creating that scene, but the two people who are actually creating it are the two who are giving instructions to Hashimoto and me.
"Bishop to D5"
After moving the bishop according to the instructions given by the intercom, Hashimoto makes his next move in less than five seconds.
"Knight to E4"
You will receive instructions immediately. Currently, Ayanokoji is in charge of everything in the chess match, but to be honest, he is on a different level.
When it comes to Arisu, she makes sharper moves than she usually does when fighting me.
Currently, when comparing Ayanokoji and Arisu, Arisu is slightly more aggressive.
When Hashimoto and I fought and left everything to the playmaker, I had a 7-3 lead, but now the lead has shrunk to 6-4.
(It's a great attack and defense, but it's about to reach its limit.)
Right now, I am barely able to grasp the tactics that Ayanokoji is trying to use.
I probably won't understand the meaning within three minutes.
Looking at such an overwhelming sight, I was not only astonished, but also filled with hope.
According to Arisu, the White Room is an organization that trains ordinary people to the limit and turns them into geniuses.
But what if the geniuses are also pushed to the limit, what'll happen then?
The organization's policies are undoubtedly distorted, but looking at this match, there is no doubt that a person who has been trained to the limit will become this powerful.
In other words, if I train more than I currently do, I have the potential to improve even further.
It's about motivation.
When I was at Sobu Junior High School, I lived as an underdog, but the feeling of not wanting to go back to that position has great value as a motivation.
In that case, I would need teaching materials to improve myself, but the truth is that I would like to borrow Ayanokoji's help at that time.
He, who has undergone experiments that turn ordinary people into geniuses, is my best teaching material.
While thinking this, Hashimoto stopped moving as he moved his pieces.
In other words, Arisu seems to be in a state of long thinking, but this is probably where the battle will take place.
If you look at the board, the pieces are mixed together near the center of the board.
If you were in Arisu's position, there are pieces you could take, but if you don't take them, you can assume that Ayanokoji is aiming for a counter.
I also use this time to look at the board and think about it.
This is because my prediction is that the acting chairman will intervene in this chess game.
The voice coming from the intercom was not Ayanokoji's voice, but a machine voice.
Judging from that, a third party will check the instructions given by the command tower to make sure they don't violate the command tower's rules, and then relay them to us, the event participants.
However, there is a high possibility that a third party will give me voice instructions that are different from those given by Ayanokoji.
The acting president is planning to expel Ayanokoji, but in order to do so, his top priority should be to seize the protection points that Ayanokoji has.
In that case, in this chess game, which is a tie-breaker and also involves a large amount of involvement from the control tower, most of the time, it will be a bit of a challenge.
Therefore, in a competitive situation like now, it is possible that they will give me a message different from what Ayanokoji instructed.
Therefore, I want to take a good look at the board and check if the strategy is right in case the situation arises.
And here Hashimoto starts to move.
The new move is quite powerful. I have a few next patterns in mind, but most of them lead to a loss.
That's a very sharp move.
The lead that was there earlier is almost gone. Is Arisu still better?
At this point, the instructions that usually come within 10 seconds don't come. It seems that Ayanokoji is also in a state of long thinking.
At the moment, the two commanders have less time than Arisu, who thought about it longer, but Ayanokoji's time is also decreasing little by little.
With 30 seconds left, it was time to match Arisu's time.
"Rook to B6"
At this point, I heard an instruction from my intercom, so I looked at it and found that it was a good place where I could take the enemy's bishop, but not be able to take a counter.
I move it without hesitation.
Moreover, just in case, it's on the same row as the king, so even if a queen comes out to protect Arisu's king, it won't lead to an immediate loss.
With this move, Hashimoto stops moving again, but starts moving again 30 seconds later.
"Pawn to d3"
Then you will receive instructions immediately to move the pieces. Then Hashimoto stopped moving again.
Then, after a while, you move the pieces again, and immediately receive instructions from the intercom.
Judging from that, it seems that Ayanokoji has a winning streak.
"What?! For real?!"
Hashimoto exclaims in surprise at this situation, but it can't be helped. It's okay because I know Ayanokoji's secret, but Hashimoto, who doesn't know Ayanokoji's secret, probably can't believe that Ayanokoji is leading against Arisu.
Meanwhile, time passed and Arisu's time finally reached less than one minute.
"You're here! I've been waiting for it...!"
Hashimoto moves the pieces with a grin on his face. This time it was quite long.
Since no instructions came from the intercom, I looked at the chess board to see if there was anything I could do, but Arisu's camp was in an offensive formation, thinking that attack was the best defense.
If you go on the defensive, you'll be eaten up in an instant, so Ayanokoji will inevitably need to take some offensive measures as well.
If this rivalry breaks down, both sides will lose a large amount of pieces, or one side will be overrun.
I waited for instructions for a while, but none came. Ayanokoji has just over a minute.
This was when I thought I had lost.
"Bishop to f3"
Instructions came from Ayakoji. It looks like the matter is still far from being resolved.
If that happens, the two of us will have no time left, and Hashimoto and I may end up moving the board that the two of them created.
With that in mind, I tried to move the bishop, but...
(Wait...I'll probably lose this!)
As if my instincts felt defeat, I stopped moving.
The reason is Arisu's queen.
Judging from the location, I think I can take the queen in a few moves, but if I take the queen, the king's defense will crack.
It reminds me of Queen Sacrifice, which was the reason I lost in an online match recently.
The surface of the board is different from that time, but the location of the queen is strangely curious.
Additionally, given Arisu's personality, she probably wants to paint a clear picture of black and white, so there is a high possibility that she will use bold moves.
Therefore, I thought I would lose to Queen Sacrifice if I made this move, so I ignored Ayanokoji's time and checked the range of movement of my pieces.
However, I know that I will lose if I go on the defensive, so the scope of my investigation is limited.
Thinking this, I examined the pieces, and the moment I saw Rook, a jolt of electricity ran through my head.
(Rook to b2...)
This is my hunch.
Ayanokoji, who has the ability, might make the right choice.
However, I just can't ignore the feeling that is stirring inside my head...
(It's over, Ayanokoji. Let me try something different.)
I ignored Ayanokoji's instructions and moved Rook instead of Bishop.
"Huh! That's tough, Acting Chairman Tsukishiro!"
"What's wrong?"
"In this move, Hikigaya Hachiman moved his pieces exactly as instructed by Kiyotaka Ayanokoji!''
"Did you change the contents of the instructions?"
"Yes. I ordered Bishop to be f3. This means..."
"It means that Hikigaya-kun acted on his own. He is far superior to Data..."
"What would you like to do?"
"Let's not get involved in the chess game any further. If we interfere now, we'll only be able to make unnatural moves. Therefore, we'll scrap Plan B and move on to Plan C."
"Understood"
...
"Wow...Isshiki Iroha-san, the loser at Sobu Junior High School is more than I expected."
( A/N: Even I am not sure whose dialogue is this, Maybe Tsukishiro? )
Ignoring the command tower's instructions is not against the rules.
However, Arisu might get angry if she finds out that I acted on my own initiative. If that happens, I have no choice but to sincerely apologize.
I look at Hashimoto thinking this, but Hashimoto shows no signs of moving his pieces.
"Sakayanagi! Don't you have any more options?!"
Hashimoto shouts this, but Arisu's time finally runs out.
"Arisu Sakayanagi's time is now 0. From now on, Hashimoto will be the only one to hit."
The teacher in attendance tells Hashimoto so. I don't know if my current move is the right one, but my victory is now decided.
I used Ayanokoji's time a little arbitrarily, but it's still a little over 30 seconds, so he can give instructions three or four times.
If that's all I need, I can widen my lead, and since I'm stronger than Hashimoto, I won't lose. After he made his move by himself.
"Rook to d2"
Even with this in mind, I listened to the instructions from the intercom and moved the pieces while checking the board.
10 minutes later...
"...I lost"
Hashimoto bows his head.
"...Thank you very much"
I bow my head too.
"Second chess event, Class D wins."
The second chess event ended with me making a checkmate and defeating Hashimoto.