Chess Games

"Queen to b8"

"Knight kills b8."

"Rook to d8" "Checkmate" Allen declared winning the game. This one is their fifth, with 4 victories for Allen and a draw.

During the games even when Kokomi seemed to be winning, Allen always obtained the victory while using some strange tactic. However, Allen must say that Kokomi was a true monster of chess, her mentality and processing power where immense being able to see at least over all the possible five next movements with only few seconds of thought. Thankfully, he was quite prepared for it thanks to his memories of Joseph.

Joseph had stopped playing chess when he started the university, but he was quite a fan of it before, liking to see all kinds of plays all over history. Also, he was quite good at it with an ELO rating of 2320 and having acquired the title of FIDE Master of the International Chess Federation.

He was in no way near being the best in the world but it could be said that Joseph was in the top 13.000 of the world.

However, even being that good against Kokomi who Allen clearly recognized that she was a superior chess player. Allen could feel sometimes playing against a computer rather than a person.

Luckily, Joseph had that time when he was interested in the matches against of humans vs computers and he learned how to face against a computer.

The first thing to know is that it was mostly impossible to win against a computer engine at full power, their capabilities simply too powerful. But that was in the case of a completely perfected chess engine and Kokomi wasn't perfected.

That was the way to win against a computer, learn about its program and finding its flaws.

Kokomi lacked experience, so Allen was able to explode that with risky movements that he remembered from famous plays against computers, moves that Kokomi wasn't expecting. However, just as a computer program could be updated and improved, Kokomi was constantly doing it, becoming better and eliminating her flaws.

"Another one!" Kokomi quickly requested, not stopping even after 7 hours of play.

"Okay, but this will be the last one" Allen announced 'Her big flaws are mostly corrected, I'll need to go with all.'

There are a few rules to follow if you wanted to win against a computer and Allen started employing it all over. First, start with 1.d4.

"D4" Allen started.

"Knight to c6"

...

Second, keep positions close.

"Knight to f5" Allen announced.

"Why are you doing this, blocking and limiting your movements?"

Third, keep the central pawn blocked and avoid exchanging them.

"You'll see" Allen smiled. "D5."

These seemingly bad movements were all about limiting both, Allen's and Kokomi's, movements and doing it limiting her advantage, equaling your processing progress to hers, eliminating her advantage.

...

Once the center is close and while positioning your pieces to good squares, launch a Kingside pawn storm straight to the opposing King.

Lastly, finishing her off with heavy pieces.

"King to a8." Allen declared and as Kokomi had preview three movements prior, she had already lost, one last move...

"Rook to d7" "Stalemate" Allen declared, falling to her rook to d8 and drawing the game instead of winning.

"Why did you do that?!" Kokomi shouted offended "I don't need your pity! It was your win."

"It certainly was" Allen nodded "but winning every battle is not always the best way to achieve victory in a war. This game might be the most important and you should learn about it. Your flaw are how perfect are your movements, always the best move."

"How can the be the best movement not be the best? It doesn't make sense." Kokomi answered.

"It makes you predictable. It's not obvious in chess but it's a big flaw in the real world" Allen said "It's the same as your tactic to trap me, it was so calculated that I was able to see through it. Moreover, unlike chess pieces, humans don't move perfectly, flaws appear making it impossible to follow the orders accordingly."

Kokomi stayed still, her gaze fixed on the board "I need more experience, in the game and in life." she realized and turned towards Allen "In the end, we have draw this last game, so I have one request. This time is a question, you can request the 6 things later on."

"As you want" Allen let her ask.

"Why did you do this?" Kokomi asked.

"Are you asking about spying Watatsumi Island?" Allen asked.

"No, I'm asking about this," She said signaling the board "Not escaping the island when you can, following me but not capturing or fighting me, playing with me and teaching me. Forcing draws."

"How unusual, I truly thought that you would ask about the Fatui plans." Allen was surprised.

"That was my first thought when we started playing, but now it's different" Kokomi declared "I know that I might have done it wrong, but since the end of the first game, I'm not playing as the Divine Priestess, Sangonomiya Kokomi, I'm playing for myself, for only Kokomi. So the question of course, would be for me rather than the island."

"I understand" Allen nodded "But the answer for both are quite the same and I will answer it with my own request."

"I don't need 6 requests, I only need one" Allen explained "I want Watatsumi Island to cooperate with Snezhnaya for mutual benefits as allies."

"Sorry, but I can't." Kokomi shook her head "That would-"

"Put your island in danger and go against prerequisites of our deal of not affecting badly the other" Allen cut her "Yeah, I know how the Fatui are seen as evil from the outside, not that they are wrong" Allen hummed "Knowing the Fatui atrocities is normal to be reluctant to cooperate with us."

"If you know that much why have you done this?" Kokomi asked "Why risking?"

"To learn more about you" Allen smiled "To win your trust and leave a possible future cooperation. That's why the important for me was the game itself rather the price of winning and that why I opted a draw in the first game."

Kokomi blinked confused "Should you really tell me? It would lower my impression of you, making you as someone that has always tried to manipulate me."

"And that's certainly what I am" Allen declared "Every move is for my own gain, to be near my objective. Telling you about is due to having learn from you over the game."

"You are not a silly little girl that would let herself be controlled by other, even if tricked once, you would learn from it and would shortly found the truth" Allen explained "If that's the way you are, I prefer to go in front with the truth and not lie."

"I think that I understand" Kokomi said thoughtfully "I can't assure it, but while the cooperation is of equals and doesn't end with us on the losing end, a future cooperation with Snezhnaya might be possible."

"Great!" Allen beamed "That's enoug-"

"But!" Kokomi interjected "with two conditions."

"What conditions?" Allen asked.

"Over these games, I learned one thing, I like you" Kokomi declared shocking Allen a little "I have never enjoyed playing with someone so much so the one in charge of this cooperation should be yourself rather than a stranger."

"I was planning to do it. And the second?" Allen asked.

"Take out your mask, show me your face" Kokomi stated "As I said, I want this to be between equals and between us. As such you will be the face of Snezhnaya so I need at least see who truly are you before even starting to think of cooperation."

"I see" Allen said thoughtfully.

Taking out the mask, Allen had no doubt that Kokomi would be able to easily find who he was as Niwa Allen was quite well known at Inazuma, so it was the same as revealing to Kokomi that Niwa Allen was a Fatui spy.

Moreover, it wasn't only that. The mask for a Fatuus was incredibly important for them. It was well known at Snezhnaya that while you wore your mask while you don't go directly against Snezhnaya you could do anything. Robbing, murdering, destroying... it didn't matter the crime, the Fatui were strong enough to carry all the sins and survive them thanks to their strength and relationship with other nations.

However, if you were to take out your mask that responsibility would fall on you with all it's weight. That was why very few Fatui took out their mask in missions, always hiding their identity.

If Allen were to take out his mask and Kokomi revealed his identity, he won't only be chased by Inazuma, even Snezhnaya would be against him.

After so much thinking, Allen reached a conclusion. He stood up and took out his mask, revealing his blue hair and purple eyes, his voice returning to normal.

"This is who I am" This was Allen's decision, that high risk was proportional to the trust, a famous face, showing how much danger he was giving to Kokomi and his trust in her.

"I knew it, you are Niwa Allen!" Kokomi declared happily.

"You were aware?" Allen was shocked. He expected to be found by Kokomi but that was after she investigated a little not at the start.

"I was about 33% sure" Kokomi answered "When forced you used swords and Cryo, so a swordsman that uses Cryo and taking into account your height, knowing that it could be lower but not higher, I can only think of yourself. I also thought of the young lady of the Kamisato but I was quite sure that you were a boy. So with that it was you or simply a stranger and if it was a simple and unknown stranger, I won't gain anything knowing his face so I'm glad that it was you."

"You got me" Allen shook his head.

"Allen, pleased to meet you." Kokomi extended her hand with a smile that unlike the one showed to the island inhabitant this one was brilliant showing her childish side.

"Nice to meet you, Kokomi" Allen shook her hand just as the first sun rays entered the cave, announcing the start of a new day.

"I must go now, until next time" Allen said leaving the cave.

"Yes, let's meet again soon and play some more games." Kokomi said seeing Allen leaving who nodded while waving his hand and disappearing.

Finding herself alone, Kokomi reclined over her chair "I really had fun today, but it's strange" Kokomi looked around her body "I was completely exhausted unable to move even an inch, but after so much playing, I'm feeling completely recovered, I feel as if I will be able to make over three ceremonies as yesterday. How can it be?"

"I've never liked to talk with people and rule them, so doing it would lower my energy and if I reach my limit I can no longer last and need some rest. But on the other hand, if I do something that I like I recharge some energy..." She analyzed "It would be good to quantify it, I can let people finding about it as I need to show them my image of the perfect Divine Priestess."

Kokomi took out a parchment and started to write "I really liked the game of chess with Allen, if I quantify with +10 and I made 6 games that will let me make 3 speeches, the speech to all the inhabitants would be -20, cheering the troops would be -6." Kokomi mumbles while writing her usual and future actions, assigning numbers to them.

"Your Excellency!" Kokomi finally stopped writing when she heard shouts from outside.

"It seems that they are searching for me. Normal taking into account that I left during the night. I'll need to calm them and make them sure that I'm completely fine." Kokomi turned over the parchment "Better to keep this as a secret... Yes, that's a good name" Kokomi took the pen for the last time, writing over the parchment Secret Notes, before hiding it and leaving the cave.

"I am here!"

...

At his boat, Allen was returning towards Narukami Island. He turned over Watatsumi Island, seeing it becoming smaller as he went further.

"With this, I have all the necessary pieces" He mumbled "Now, I only need two things, time and strength. My plan is taking form."