"What's this? Are you feeling tempted?" The Halloween Queen elegantly lifted the cup from the table, took a sip of tea, and spoke playfully.
"No matter what, I'm still a normal man. Naturally, when it comes to a woman's room, there's a special kind of feeling. Not to mention that it's your room." Riku had no intention of pretending otherwise; he admitted it calmly.
"Riku, you really are special." The Halloween Queen blinked, smiling sweetly. "But you know… you're the very first man ever to enter my room."
"Then I'm truly honoured." Riku's lips curved upward as he answered leisurely.
"But, Queen, enough small talk. It's time for you to show me the [Gift Game] you've prepared." Riku smiled politely.
"You're really impatient, aren't you? Aren't you worried about losing?" The Halloween Queen gave a helpless laugh. "This is a [Gift Game] where we wager everything."
"If I were worried about losing, I wouldn't be sitting here," Riku said with calm certainty.
At that, his words paused. His eyes sharpened, his tone turning serious.
"Besides… aside from that girl, I have no possibility of losing to any other being."
Those words made the Halloween Queen freeze for a moment. Her enchanting eyes narrowed before the corners of her lips lifted into a meaningful smile.
"That girl, huh… Hearing you say that, I really do want to see the one who could make you willingly accept defeat," she said curiously.
"You'll meet her eventually." Riku softened his serious expression, returning to his usual calm demeanour, lips carrying a faint smile.
Schwi… she was probably still angry at him for slipping away without telling her.
"That makes me look forward to it even more. Well then, as you said, it's about time we begin." The Halloween Queen gave a graceful smile and snapped her fingers.
In an instant, a [Parchment] appeared before Riku.
The [Demon Lord's Game], where everything would be wagered, was about to begin!
At this, Riku's expression turned serious once more. Even for an ordinary [Gift Game], he would need to devote one hundred percent of his focus. All the more so for a [Gift Game] hosted by the Halloween Queen. He had no intention of losing through carelessness.
[Gift Game]: Predatory Chess
Participant: Riku Dola of [Disboard]
Host: Halloween Queen of [Queen Halloween]
[Rules of the Match]
1. Both host and participant will become ordinary humans with equal physical abilities.
2. Neither side may obstruct the other from making a move.
3. No take-backs are allowed.
4. The rules of play are the standard rules of international chess.
5. Capturing an opponent's piece causes one thing on the opponent's body to vanish.
6. One cannot cause physical injury nor directly interfere with the board.
[Victory Conditions]
1. Checkmate the opponent.
2. If the opponent fails to make a move within thirty seconds, they lose.
[Rewards]
If the participant wins, the participant gains the right of dominion over the host.
If the host wins, the host gains dominion over the participant.
[Queen Halloween] Crest
[Disboard] Crest
After reading through the [Gift Game] details, Riku revealed a strange expression.
At first glance, the game looked complicated. But in reality, it wasn't much different from ordinary chess, just with a few strange yet harmless rules. As long as he paid attention, there wouldn't be any major problems.
"Well then, are you disappointed?" The Halloween Queen smiled.
"Not disappointed at all." Riku's lips curved leisurely. "If anything, I'm rather pleased. I didn't expect you to choose this sort of game."
When it came to chess, whether it was Schwi or himself, neither of them could lose to anyone but each other.
Even if the rules sealed away [Omniscient and Omnipotent Star] and all his overwhelming powers, turning them back into ordinary humans once again, Riku wasn't the least bit worried.
"Oh?" Hearing Riku's words, the Halloween Queen narrowed her eyes.
Riku had too many hidden cards. He even seemed to possess a [Gift] that could perceive everything. Normal games weren't reliable against him. That was why she chose to bring them onto the same starting line. Yet, it seemed Riku was even better at chess than she imagined.
But… this was no ordinary chess. Each and every piece carried consequences that could not be lightly discarded. And more importantly…
The Halloween Queen regained her usual elegance, meeting Riku's gaze. Her cherry lips parted gracefully. "If there are no objections, let us begin."
"Of course." Riku nodded.
The next moment, the [Parchment] dissolved into light, and a chessboard appeared on the table between them. The black and white pieces were neatly arranged in their starting positions.
At the same time, the overwhelming aura that naturally radiated from both Riku and the Halloween Queen diminished instantly, reduced to the level of ordinary humans.
The [Gift Game] had begun!
"Since I am the host, I'll allow you the first move." The Halloween Queen spread her hand elegantly.
"In that case, I won't hold back." Riku's lips curved upward as he pushed his white pawn to e4.
In response, the Queen's eyes glimmered as she moved her black pawn to e5, unyielding in contesting the centre.
Riku smiled faintly, showing no panic. He calmly continued his development, confidence radiating from him. The crisp sound of the pieces clashing against the board was strangely pleasant.
At the start, both Riku and the Halloween Queen wore calm expressions. Minutes later, the Queen furrowed her brows, her pace slowing, while Riku's face remained steady.
After a quarter of an hour, the Halloween Queen's brows had not relaxed once. Though neither side had yet lost a single piece, an invisible killing intent was already spreading through the air.
"Queen, twenty seconds have passed." Riku smiled in remembrance. If she exceeded thirty seconds, she would lose by rule.
"If you hadn't reminded me, you might have won already." The Halloween Queen shook her head as she moved, breaking Riku's offensive.
"That would've been a bit boring." Riku chuckled lightly.
"I don't know whether to call you arrogant or confident." The Halloween Queen snorted. "If you underestimate me, you'll suffer an ugly defeat."
"No, no, I've never underestimated you." Riku shook his head.
"But still, by this point… it is getting a little dull. Let me add some fun, shall I?" Riku's lips curved slyly as he boldly captured one of the Queen's pawns.
Capturing an opponent's piece allowed one item from their body to vanish, which was the rule.
Seeing Riku seize one of her pawns, the Halloween Queen frowned, her expression growing solemn. Though Riku had recklessly broken the deadlock, disrupting his prior layout and acting somewhat impatiently, capturing a piece could still be turned to her advantage if he chose poorly.
"My clothes," Riku said with a pleased smile.
In an instant, the Halloween Queen's garments vanished completely. Her flawless, goddess-like figure was revealed before Riku's eyes like a work of art.
Her body, unseen by any man since her birth, was suddenly laid bare before him. Even she froze in shock.
As for Riku, looking upon that breathtaking sight, his body reacted instinctively.
Though he was no longer a novice in such matters, as the saying goes, the rarer the prize, the greater the thrill. The Halloween Queen's untouched form, now revealed so close before him, filled Riku with a sudden surge of satisfaction.
"I already guessed you were a lecher, seeing how Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter serve you… And sure enough, this is exactly your taste." The Halloween Queen, regaining her composure, forced a thin smile as she spoke to Riku.
"A fair lady, a gentleman pursues her," Riku replied with a mischievous grin. His words were practically a confession.
If it were any ordinary girl, being spoken to like this by someone as striking and refined as Riku would have left her blushing furiously, heart racing.
But the Halloween Queen was no ordinary woman. She swiftly regained her calm.
"Trying to disturb my state of mind? This level is nothing to me," she said elegantly as she moved her piece, capturing one of Riku's pawns.
"Then, I'll erase that of yours." The Halloween Queen let out a cold hum.
In that instant, Riku felt his very symbol of manhood vanish.
He frowned, while the Halloween Queen's expression turned gleeful.
"Well, it's not like you could use it here anyway. In the end, I didn't lose out." Riku said leisurely, unfazed. "After all, just being able to admire your body was worth it."
Once the game ended, win or lose, everything would be restored. There was nothing to worry about. On the contrary, the Queen had already given him an unforgettable sight.
He made his next move, entering a serious, grinding battle state.
This left the Halloween Queen a little disappointed. She had expected to see him flustered, but instead, he remained calm, even looking like he thought he had profited. It left her somewhat annoyed.
Still, she quickly steadied her mind and resumed the game.
No one knew how much time had passed. By now, both Riku and the Halloween Queen had captured three of each other's pieces.
Yet, the demands they made were only minor interferences, more for amusement than advantage. It was as though they had both forgotten what this [Gift Game] truly represented, not deliberately seeking victory.
"Now that the game has reached this stage, it's time to end it." Suddenly, the Halloween Queen smiled confidently as she placed her piece, capturing Riku's knight.
"Oh? Has the Queen found her path to victory?" Riku tilted his head, feigning surprise.
"At first, I wasn't sure. But now, I've already won half the battle." The Halloween Queen spoke with elegance and confidence. "Riku, to be honest, I didn't expect you to be a master of chess, capable of suppressing me to this extent. Chess does indeed have forced winning lines if one can memorise and employ every possible game record. And you, you've actually managed to achieve that."
"Your play embodies that principle. If this continues, your chances of winning would be very high. Unfortunately… this is not ordinary chess." The Halloween Queen's voice grew slower, heavier.
"[Chess Records]." Her eyes gleamed as she whispered.
In that instant, Riku felt all the knowledge of chess records in his mind vanish. At this stage of the game, losing that knowledge meant complete collapse.
Rule 2 stated that one could not obstruct the opponent from making a move. Erasing all of the opponent's knowledge of chess would leave them unable to play at all, not even knowing the rules. That would indeed be considered an obstruction, a foul.
But that didn't mean one couldn't interfere in other ways. Erasing the opponent's [Chess Records] from their mind was still possible.
The Halloween Queen didn't know whether Riku had noticed this hidden clause, but at this point, it no longer mattered. Striking first, she was certain she could throw him into complete chaos.
Between masters, even the smallest detail could decide the match. Much less something as overwhelming as erasing all [Chess Records]. Perhaps in the opening, he could have survived with his experience. But now, deep into the midgame, it was far too late.
"You really are ruthless." Riku frowned, seemingly no longer as calm as before.
"Failing to understand the rules is your mistake. You can't blame me for that." The Halloween Queen smiled sweetly. Seeing Riku like this, she felt her chances of victory soar.
Riku frowned, spending twenty-nine long seconds without moving, wearing a troubled expression as though torn.
At the final second, he moved, hurriedly capturing the Queen's knight.
[Chess Records]
In that instant, the Halloween Queen's own [Chess Records] vanished as well.
Even so, her expression didn't change; she seemed to have anticipated this outcome. The corners of her lips curved into a triumphant smile.
The [Chess Records] might be gone, but the lines of play she had already fixed in her mind would remain. She had deliberately shown an opening for Riku to take, predicting he would erase her knowledge in turn.
Losing the [Chess Records] was inconsequential. With her path already determined, she only needed to proceed step by step as planned. Riku had fallen into her trap.
With that thought, the Halloween Queen placed her next piece confidently.
But she failed to notice the subtle, mischievous smile at the corner of Riku's lips.
Who was calculating whom here? That was far from certain.
Moments later, the Halloween Queen sat frozen, staring blankly as Riku checkmated her. Her beautiful face was filled with astonishment, unable to comprehend what had just happened.
"How?" the Halloween Queen asked, bewildered.
"Queen, you thought you had calculated everything, that you had me trapped in your snare. But from the very beginning, I had already seen through your intentions and countered with my own." Riku said confidently. "From the start, I simulated this entire game in my mind. Subtly guiding your thoughts, I deliberately showed flaws, leading you along the path I had already envisioned."
"Aren't you afraid I might notice midway and change strategies, ruining everything for you?" The Halloween Queen frowned, pressing.
"Sorry, but I've never relied on fixed [Chess Records] or predetermined lines," Riku answered calmly. He had even fought Schwi to a draw and had played countless variations of chess under every kind of rule. In this field, there was truly no one stronger than him.
The moment the Queen chose to challenge him with such a [Gift Game], she had already lost. Because her opponent was a chess monster.
"A gap in raw strength, is it? I thought this game would seal away your trump cards, yet in the end I walked straight into a blunder…" The Halloween Queen gave a bitter smile.
This time, her defeat was absolute. From the very beginning, she had already been doomed.