Kibe and Kenji stared at Kiko. They watched as she held the two mask. Kibe and Kenji stared at Kiko who held them.
"I'll recite the rules of the game now...
Dante's Chess Game is a game surrounding two mask and a more extreme version of chess. Two opponents wear two different mask. They get to choose whichever one they wear, there is the the Devil mask and the Angel mask.
The Devil mask, it has perfect vision and a clear view of the board at all times. As the game goes on every 2 turns, the devil can resurrect any member of they're team. Every 5 turns the devil can then swap places with any member of the enemies team, however the enemy piece must be at least one or two spaces close to the devil's.
Every 10 turns though, the devil can kill any member of the enemy's team. Unless the devil has recently within the last two turns lost a piece. In which then he'll be unable to enact this move.
The Angel mask, it has zero vision and view of the board. As the games goes on, the player is entirely reliant on they're understanding and knowledge of the chessboard. Every 2 turns, the angel can move back a step.
Every 5 turns, the angel can make a chance kill. A chance kill will allow the angel to claim that the devil has a piece one or two spaces close by. If the claim is accurate than that piece is then killed. If the chance kill is failed and there is no piece nearby, then nothing will happen and the devil is given a free move. The devil can take a chance if the attempt is accurate to lie, in which the angel can call on God(the judge) to determine if its true or not.
If this results with the lie being exposed then the devil will lose two pieces instead of one. If the lie is confirmed to be the truth. Then the angel will lose two pieces.
In 10 turns the angel can invoke justice sight! To which gives them temporary sight for a whole 10 minutes, but they aren't allowed to move until that time frame is up.
The conditions to win are as followed, either get a checkmate, get and or kill the enemy king, and when the time limit is over.
These are the rules of the game. Do you accept them?" Kiko asked, Kenji's mind was filled with flashes of the past. His time of youth, his childhood inside the pale palace.
While Kibe just took a knee and looked to the chess pieces. Kiko looked at him.
"Kibe?" She asked
"Its a funny thing isn't? I quite think so. Though humor has never sat well with me. I think its a funny thing either way.
Chess I mean." Kibe said
"...Do you agree with the rules?" Kiko asked, Kibe stared at the chess pieces a little longer before standing up and straightening his uniform.
"Yes, I will." Kibe answered to which Kenji snickered.
"Was something I said amusing to you?" Kibe said, yet his voice as always showed no sign of emotion or change in pitch or volume. Kenji was slightly annoyed at the lack of reaction.
"Its just that, you don't even remember the lessons we learned there or the test and games. The ones that taught and got us to the position we're at now." Kenji smiled as he leaned on the chessboard. Kibe sat down crossing his legs and arms on the armrest of the chair.
"Well if they're lessons are meant to reflect off of you in a means to show intelligence and competence. Then I do believe. I have nothing to worry about." Kibe said as he scratched his chin. Kiko walked beside them and placed the mask on the table.
"All that needs to be done now. Is to take a mask and we can begin." Kiko said. Kenji and Kibe looked at the masks. Kibe took a immediate interest in the angel mask, he picked it up. Kenji couldn't help but smile at him as he himself picked up the devil mask. He then looked up to Kibe.
"This is my chance to prove to him who is charge here. The smartest mind in Sawa High. Will be me. He has no knowledge of the game or its many ways of being played.
I know the ins and outs of the devil and angel masks. I will be victorious. No doubt. I just can't underestimate him...not again." Kenji thought.
"I assume the mask you're holding, are the ones you've chosen." Kiko said
"Yes, they are." Kenji said
"Indeed." Kibe said
"Alright then, the timer will be an hour. Once I press this button, you will put on your mask and the game will begin." Kiko said, both Kenji and Kibe took one last look at the board. Thats when Kiko hit the button for the timer and the two put on they're masks. They both looked at then sat up straight.
Kenji would then move one of his pawns forward, Kibe would use his ears to hear the movement. He heard that the pawn was moved a space forward. Likely towards the right side. Upper corner. Kibe then reached over and grabbed one of his pawns. He felt it for a moment, seeing as he couldn't see anything this was he only other option. Besides relying on his memory of the board. He moved his furthest pawn ahead. He put it a space forward. This is when the more intense actions finally begin.
The devil masks second move. Meaning that Kenji has a chance to bring someone back, but nothing had happened yet. However, this was Kibe's chance to do something as well...but moving back a space wouldn't prove any good to him. So he stayed in place.
Every turn was just like ordinary chess, its when the two get a chance to inact on the other rules of this game, is when each moment becomes life and death.
The possibility of winning and losing. As they're turns went on. Kenji would enact his fifth turn's move! That's right, Kibe remembered the fact that Kenji could now switch with any piece one or two spaces away. However, Kibe knew it and so did Kenji.
That no such thing was posisble, thanks to Kibe spreading his pieces out. Kenji's eyes darted around the chessboard. He could see that somehow Kibe had calculated the precise moves he would make to get close to his own pieces. The rounds began to get more intense once turn 10 came around. It was inevitable that Kibe and Kenji's pieces would be near one another. Kibe would utilize his turn to take out one of Kenji's pieces which results with him not being able to use his turn 10 move.
"He anticipated my movements prior!? He even took out one of my pieces to guarantee he wouldn't have the piece of my choosing destroyed.
Although, he hasn't used his own turn move. He must realize it's flaws or...maybe something...else." Kenji thought. Yet Kibe had kept his words and opinions on the game to himself.
Until now.
"The next 5 moves. That is when I'll end this." Kibe said, Kenji a bit shocked at the statement noticed they still had 10 minutes left on the clock.
He wasn't ready to admit defeat, not to the so called heir to the pale palace. However the outcome would prove just that.
Kibe would utilize the sacrificing of some of his pieces and carefully movement and placement to tempt Kenji into moving his king out. Once the moment presented itself. Kibe would use his 5th turn move, chance kill, and attempt to kill off the kind resulting in a checkmate. However Kenji woukd refute this, claiming his king was nowhere near any of Kibe's pieces.
However Kibe had kept a mental record of all the sounds of each piece. He had placed within his memory palace, the sound of how each piece weighed and knew exactly which piece it was that was moved and even the sound of where it was placed. Kenji was dumbfounded at the fact Kibe's memory was so great and infinite. Such a statement and notice to detail unfortunately did not pass by the judge, Kiko's ears. She called out that Kibe's chance kill was indeed accurate and the match would end with Kibe killing Kenji's king. Checkmate.
"DAMNIT! THERES NO WAY! I want a rematch! You...there's no way you called that! You bluffed your way through that!" Kenji shouted yet Kibe merely took off the mask and juggled Kenji's king in his right hand.
"Theres no need for being a poor failure. I'm sure you could have won...had your opponent not been me." Kibe said, Kiko looked to Kibe with honest surprise at the fact he succeeded in such a highly intellectual version of chess, one he had no recollection of playing or even knowing about. Kenji was aware of every possible move, yet Kibe still found a way to manipulate and strategically move around this. His victory was certain. Certain from the moment he picked the angel mask. He constantly made it a point to take pieces of Kenji's team, making it so he could not use his 5th turn move to end the game. He forced Kenji into constantly reviving his own team. He did all this without even utilizing his 10th turn move.
He played the entire game blind, although with how good his memory and hearing is, apparently that wasn't the case.
Kibe and Kenji then stood in front of Kiko as she sat down on a chair.
"Well done, you both played well. No matter the winner, this was a chance to see how good you both are at playing around odds stacked aginst you. You even work perfectly under conditional and situational means. Well done.
I think now is a good time to let you in, on what is going tobe happening after and possibly during this month.
The head of operations at the pale palace intends to enroll 4 new students into Sawa high." Kiko said, Kenji was shocked at the words spoken. Even Kibe couldn't deny the suprise of this information. More WOI students would be coming here. This meant two things, one of them being he had a chance to get more information about the pale palace and his history there. Espically information that Kiko likely wouldn't tell him. The next being that this meant someone really was watching him. Kiko was indeed right.
"When will they be getting here?" Kibe asked
"Hard to say, but this month is certain. Thats what my contacts have said. Apparently you've made someone very angry in the higher ranks of the WOI association.
They don't want you to live up to the expectations Dr.Abel had for you." Kiko said, thats when the school bell would ring. Meaning for lunch to start. Kibe looked at the door to see students passing by. Kenji was still puzzled and in disbelief. Yet when he looked to Kibe he saw no emotion, instead. He showed no reaction at all. Kibe simply grabbed his bag and got ready to leave.
"So, do you plan to join the international puzzles of the world? It's a tournament for skilled minds. It might be promising for you. You may even get the attention of those students coming here." Kiko said
"I don't see why he would want they're eyes on him. Last thing he wants to do is draw attention to himself. If I was him and I was getting this much heat, I'd lay low." Kenji said folding his arms.
"Usually I'd disagree aginst anyone shortening themselves, especially just to keep up appearances. But I doubt that Kibe doesn't have his own plans. We don't need to tell him anything." Kiko said
"Tch, well. It doesn't matter. Just keep me out of your mess and I won't get in your way." Kenji said as he sat back down at his chess table. He rested his head on his hands. Kiko looked to him and then watched Kibe leave. Kibe would spend the rest of the school day pondering over what he had heard before and information he had gained.
Afterwards, he's be in the library sitting down with a book on game theory and all the various types and techniques. He had gained a interest in them thanks to Mr.Otsuka. Kibe pondered about some of the information he had received.
"So Juo really is out there. Not that it was unexpected. I always make sure to take in all possibilities to ever decision I make.
I bet I can get Kat involved with Juo somehow. Perhaps Himmy seeing her long lost ex-lover having already moved onto another girl.
Now speaking about the International Puzzles of the World tournament. An entire tournament involving everyone in Japan. Every high-schooler and college student will be there. Such a thing will likely not even be a remote challenge or problem for me. However...with those other students coming here.
It could prove troublesome if they decide to confront me upfront. The only options I have is to remain out of their line of sight. If they provoke me then I'll have no choice. For once, maybe listening to others may be wise. Specifically Kenji. Keeping my head low will do me some good." Kibe thought as he kept reading his book. Thats when he'd hear the clicking of heels making they're way towards him. Kibe's eyes looked up from his book to see to his suprise, Kita Rin! The 2nd highest member of the student council. She was wearing a white turtleneck, with a heart shaped hole right above her mid-drift(the little valley between the breast.), she had a white long skirt on too and her heels matched them too. She had a furry black jacket to keep herself warm too. Her makeup was well done, nothing amateur about her. At the same time, out of view Mi was making her way to the library too, but hid when she saw Kibe and Rin together.
"And just when I thought I'd seen the last of the council." Kibe thought as he rested his head on his hand.
"Hello there Nori Kibe. I'd let you to meet up with me at a Cafe for some important business. No you can't skip out on it. Meet me there at 5 sharp, wear something that doesn't look weird too." Rin said with a smile, Kibe could tell she was up to something. Why the sudden approach? Was this some scheme orchestrated by Hideaki? Or was this genuine business?
He couldn't tell just yet. Thats when she woukd walk around the table and put her hand on his book moving it from him. She put her hands down on the table and stared at him. Still wearing the same smile she just looked at him. Her cherry eyes and Kibe's emerald green eyes looking at hers. Both of them look unfazed by the other, until Rin stood up and put her hands on her hips.
"Just checking something. See you then. Don't keep me waiting." She said as she walked away, Kibe watched her leave and then turned back around. He gave a long sigh.
"So much for that." Kibe said.