Battle of Tactics

"The intruder!" Kokomi's eyes went wide with shock.

"I was about to give up my plans, but who would have thought that the Divine Priestess would leave alone in the middle of the night" Allen smiled. "Simply too easy."

"Too easy?" Kokomi recovered her calm and slowly stood up from the chair, her perfect posture hiding her tiredness.

"You got something wrong." Kokomi lifted her left hand, a spherical purple catalyst appearing hovering over it. "It doesn't matter that I am alone, because..." The Vision of her chest started glowing and with it her catalyst, water bubbles forming around her "I'm actually one of the strongest here." She swung her right hand, the bubbles shooting toward Allen like missiles.

Allen quickly acted, withdrawing one sword with each hand from his hip, his cape fluttering at the act. Seeing the incoming attack, Allen was able to see how coordinated it was, leaving not opening at all to completely avoid them, so Allen decided to confront them.

Allen swung his sword at the upcoming bubbles, but just as the sword was cutting the first bubbles, this one quivered.

'They explode!' Realizing the power behind the attack, Allen quickly activated his Vision, laying both swords with Cryo and transmitting it to the bubble just before it was about to expand, becoming frozen and falling to the ground cut.

*Shing* *Shing* Allen swung his swords, perfectly cutting the remaining bubbles that like the first one, fell to the ground frozen, unable to explode.

'A Vision? Or it's a Delusion?' Kokomi thought seeing Allen 'But that's not the most important. He only started using it when he cut my first attack, he was able to see the truth behind it and instantly act. He has great control and analysis'.

On the other hand, Allen had his own thoughts 'Taking a weapon out of the blue. It was clear that it was a 5 star weapon!' Allen hid his shock at seeing the powerful catalyst. 'However, that's not the most shocking. I can feel her elemental energy, is strong. To think that she had reached this power and control just a week after obtaining her Vision.'

''She/He is good'' Both thought at the same time.

Looking at each other with tension, looking attentively at each other, both made their next movement, Kokomi invoked more bubbles while Allen...

*Clank* Allen pierced his sword on the ground and lifted both of his hands.

"What are you doing?" Kokomi asked distrustfully while keeping her bubbles hovering around her.

"I'm simply showing that I don't want to continue this useless fight." Allen answered.

"Useless? Why?" Kokomi carefully looked over him. It seemed that he was surrendering, but seeing the counterattack before, she was sure that if she were to attack, he should be able to answer in his actual position. It was his calculated movement of showing no will to fight while being prepared for it.

"If we continue, it doesn't matter the result, either win or lose, I won't accomplish my objective so rather than do such a useless thing, I would prefer to spend my time more proactive." Allen looked the cave around, seeing the tactics books "I can see that you are interested in tactics, so why don't we have a showdown of it." Allen pointed at a board at a corner "Shogi would do it."

"You want to play a game of Shogi?" Kokomi asked confused.

"Yes" Allen claimed "The winner would be able to ask or request one thing from the other, the loser needing to answer truthfully."

"And I need to trust you to keep your word?" Kokomi asked.

"You seem to think that you already had won" Allen laughed.

"I'm quite confident when it comes to chess" Kokomi answered.

"Anyway, what's the worst that it could happen? A lie, fighting again? In the worst case, we will fight again, returning to this deadlock that we are both, it won't change much" Allen explained "Quite the opposite, the only thing lost would be time. And knowing that I am in enemy territory it goes against my favor, the possibility of people finding us increasing."

Kokomi made a thoughtful face but never stopped staring doubtfully at Allen "Okay, I game of chess would do. But are you Inazuman?"

"What do you think?" Allen was confused by this question but decided to not completely answer it.

"I suppose that no, being a Fatuus. I accept" Kokomi swung her right arm, the bubbles around her disappeared and at the same time she created a perfect chessboard on the desk made of hydro with the pieces hovering over it, half of them with a purple glow, showing incredible control.

"So rather than the Inazuman chess, you prefer to play the more continental common one" Allen admired the chessboard.

"Shogi is barely only played in Inazuma, I don't want that advantage you can take it as a handicap." Kokomi answered.

"You really are very confident" Allen smiled "I'll take it anyway" 'I only played a few times Shogi, so I'll rather play chess' Allen was about to step forward, but...

"Stop!" Kokomi quickly stopped Allen from approaching "I won't give you an advantageous position, it would change our condition if you were to go against your words. I'll move both pieces."

"Distance is essential for a ranged user" Allen nodded and swung his right hand, shooting a freezing breeze of Cryo element that in contact with the hydro chessboard, froze it, creating a permanent board. "Ladies first" Allen smiled, bowing without moving from his position.

Kokomi continued with her suspicious gaze not leaving Allen even when she moved her piece "d4" she moved her pawn two pieces forward.

"Before I forgot" Allen took out a note and wrote something over it, leaving it on the floor. "Knight to f6." Kokomi moved the purple piece.

...

21 turns

"f4" Kokomi moved her pawn. "E kill f4" Allen's pawn ate Kokomi's.

They started the game, moving pieces, lowering the rival and limiting the moves.

'He's not bad' "c6" Kokomi thought as she made her move, without realizing that her gaze was fixed on the board thoughtfully rather than looking at Allen suspiciously.

"B kill c6" 'Seeing the Shogi board, I thought that she will be unfamiliar with normal chess, but she is incredibly good, too good in truth.'

"D kill c6" Kokomi acted 'But it doesn't matter how good he is'

"Knight kills g3" 'But I can see her big flaws'

"Rook kills g3" 'I can see his future.'

"F kills g3" "C kill d7" 'This game is mine!'

...

"King to h8" Allen announced, finishing their 112 turns. Allen seemed to be trapped with only his king at h8 and the rook at a1 while Kokomi on the other hand was left with both Knights, at e7 and e6, a bishop at f5 and her King at f6.

"Knight to g5" Kokomi moved her piece 'One more move and it's the end' Kokomi smiled at the board "It seems that is my win."

"Are you sure?" Allen hummed "Rook to g5. Check"

"A last pitiful movement. King to f7." Kokomi answered.

"And with this, we end" Allen grinned "Rook to f6. Check."

"Now I only need t-" 'Wait a moment!' Kokomi's eyes went wide as she looked over the board 'If kill the rook it would be a stalemate, but if move my king, I'll lose my bishop and with only two Knights, I won't be able to checkmate him, creating a draw.

Kokomi turned to Allen with a surprised look and clenched her hand "King kills f6."

"Stalemate" Announced Allen cheerfully.

"It's a draw" Kokomi sighed 'He is certaintly quite good, from a bad position he was able to make a draw, even if it was a simple stalemate. If this were a true war, I would have a better position with more troops, so it would be my win.'

"A draw, eh?" Allen hummed "So what would it be, we end as if nothing happened" Allen passed his hands over his swords "or we take one request each for the other?"

"Of course, it will be the first one" Kokomi said knowingly "You know that I am the Divine Priestess of Watatsumi Island while I don't know the influence of your position, both request don't have the same weight, mine far more important." Kokomi explained "Of course, I won't make a losing deal."

"Of course" Allen nodded "But before that" Allen bend down on the ground taking the note and with a swift movement, he threw it over the desk.

Kokomi looked at the note suspiciously, but detecting no elemental energy with her elemental sight, she opted to take it and read it.

"Stalemate. Opting to eliminate my piece and cause a stalemate rather than fight with a difficult combination that would cause a draw by turns."

Kokomi's eyes went wide reading it. 'He had expected my movements, he had guided me completely to his wanted end. We draw the game, but I lost in tactics, letting the enemy let me. I completely.'

Kokomi turned toward Allen, her ruler's presence, she trying to keep her posture, her suspicious, her tiredness... all of them lost, being replaced by a big smile and challenging eyes that seemed to want more. "I want a new game! It has been a draw, we need to finish it!"

"A new game?" Allen turned around "I don't know if I have more time..."

"This is my request!" Kokomi quickly cut him "You can request me something later on."

"Okay" Allen nodded.

'It seems that the big fish finally bit my rod' Allen grinned inside as he walked over to the desk while Kokomi was busy replacing the pieces on the board, overlooking Allen was approaching her and entering a dangerous space where he could attack her.

"You can start!" Kokomi said eagerly as Allen sat on the chair in front of her, the Divine Priestess long go, replaced by a truly interested little girl that only wanted to play with her full might and her passion for tactics.

"Okay." Allen put his hand over one pawn "D4" 'Let's catch it!' Allen grinned.