Memoirs of the Returnee

Human Chess (4)

The sudden start of the battle.

It was human chess that started at 10 a.m., and the first battle was at 7 p.m.

What should I do?

I, who had lost the will to fight due to the too long peace that lasted for nearly 9 hours…

───!

The invading Black Golem scattered obsidian fragments. I quickly did a back tumble. I immediately climbed up to the high ground.

Getting close to a Golem is insane. Because it’s a creature whose whole body is a weapon, I have to keep my distance as much as possible.

────!

The Black Golem continued to fire obsidian shards like daggers from its body. I hid behind a tree.

Padrdruck─! Three stone fragments flew and knocked down the tree.

“This is crazy.”

How is that Golem a Pawn? My mouth naturally gapes open.

Zang─! Zang─! Zang─! Zang─!

Then, aimed shots cut through the wind and flew in. I moved as if rolling my body. As fast as possible, zigzagging.

It’s an evasive maneuver against long-range attacks. This kind of moving is natural as if it’s stuck to my skin.

[02 : 13]

The remaining time is 2 minutes. If I keep going back and forth between the terrain and objects like this, it seems easy to draw, but it’s the first battle in 9 hours.

I will need more than a draw to satisfy my desire.

I took out a slingshot from my pocket.

────!

While avoiding the obsidian that sticks like a guided missile and running, I upgraded the marbles and the slingshot. I also activated the SZX-9500.

Two weapons for shooting and observation.

Chururururuk───!

At that moment, the Black Golem also released dozens of fragments. It was an attack that couldn’t be avoided on the ground.

“Hup!”

I kicked the surface with a stepping motion and lifted myself into the air. I changed my posture while floating in the air. While maintaining balance as much as possible, I raised the slingshot. I loaded a marble onto the band. Kadadruck─ I pulled the rubber band and aimed at the Black Golem.

The target point is the eye.

Fire.

Taaaak───!

The marble swept through space cheerfully and plunged diagonally. It hit the Golem accurately.

Chaeaeang-!

That lens-like thing shattered like a window, and the creature screamed and fired obsidian all around.

Chak─! Chak─! Chak─!

But there’s no accuracy. Having lost sight, the Golem is nothing more than a batting ball machine. It fires pieces of its body randomly, but I can’t get hit by the blind obsidian.

From now on, it’s a one-sided hunt.

I concentrated my attacks on the creature’s ‘joint parts’ with the slingshot. Of course, I didn’t let my guard down. If I get hit by a flying obsidian just once, it’s fatal.

Tak───! Tak───!

During the remaining time, I cornered the blind Golem. It only got hit and bled fragments like blood.

[0 : 00]

[End of Battle]

Wee-ing─

My smartwatch vibrated. Unfortunately, the battle time was up.

[Gerkhen Kal Doon Team: White Pawn Battle Failure]

[Elise Team: Black Pawn Defense Success]

[Due to the Pawn’s characteristics, the defense opportunity is reset.]

“Hey, hey. What are you doing? Hurry up.”

I rolled my feet, waiting for the next move. The Black Golem had returned to its place, but it was definitely in a retired state.

If Elise is in her right mind, she would order me to pursue and completely destroy it.

Wee-ing─

[Advance and destroy.]

As expected, Elise ordered a pursuit kill, and the magical barrier opened again.

[Elise Team: Attempting to attack with Black Pawn]

[Gerkhen Kal Doon Team: White Pawn, Black Pawn in battle]

Now I crossed over to the Golem’s side. The creature, whose entire body was damaged, was in the process of self-recovery, but would I wait?

I loaded a steel ball into my slingshot.

The Golem had already used up too much of its armor-like obsidian, exposing its weakness. It’s the ‘core’ in its head.

Tang─!

I shot the slingshot.

Pasyuk! As soon as the core was destroyed, it crumbled like a sandcastle.

[End of Battle]

[Elise Team: Battle Victory]

[Gerkhen Kal Doon Team: White Pawn Destroyed]

“Phew.”

I took the Black Golem’s spot. I don’t know what will happen next, but I’ve definitely done my part.

“……They’re coming again.”

I could see the guy rushing in a straight line. Judging by its appearance, it seems like a higher Artifact.

Suddenly, things got busy.

Wee-ing─

My smartwatch vibrated.

[Gerkhen Kal Doon Team: Attempting to attack with White Rook]

[Elise Team: Black Pawn, White Rook in battle]

It’s a Rook. The Artifact said to be the strongest after the Queen.

Hweeeee───!

The guy who rushed in in an instant unnecessarily swept the ground with his foot. He crossed over to my spot, scattering sandstorms.

“Ah, my eyes.”

The nuisance from the start showed a smile, deliberately showing only the right side of his face.

“The Rook, appears……”

That was it.

The guy who faced me stood still. His whole body stopped working like a robot. The cheesy smile, the posture like a hero, everything remained the same.

I also belatedly confirmed his face.

“……Huh?”

Surprisingly, it was a welcome face.

“Hello.”

When I greeted him rather warmly, the man, maintaining his posture, only turned his eyes, avoiding my gaze.

It was Kielli.

[Start of Battle]

[03 : 00]

Kielli stared at him. He stared at Shion Ascal. He also stared back at him.

“……”

His whole body felt stiff. Just as a rabbit would in front of a lion. The emotion of fear flowed out from the depths of the Magic Core, causing him to break out in a cold sweat and suffocate, even before the magic did.

It’s a ‘Frozen state’ caused by the combination of survival instincts and trauma.

Frozen for a moment.

“If you cross this line, you’ll die, so stop-” A psychological barrier of this sort froze him in place.

Gulp-

His throat involuntarily tightened.

Right now, Shion Ascal was standing still, merely clutching a club.

His club was infinitely shorter and weaker compared to his own spear. Even his stance seemed to be ‘full of openings’.

It’s a trap.

Shion Ascal was a man who crushed monsters with his bare fists.

The moment he charged in without thinking, his body would shatter first.

[02 : 23]

[02 : 22]

Meanwhile, the battle time was ticking away.

Just then, Shion Ascal smiled.

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

Kielli pondered intensely.

The situation itself was too risky. Even for Kielli, a master of survival and tact, there was no clear answer on how to proceed-

“Not going to answer?”

Shion’s expression hardened slightly.

“……Long time no see.”

Kielli raised his voice at the end of the sentence and clutched his side. He deliberately made his complexion look pale.

“Ugh……”

“?”

Shion looked puzzled. But in Kielli’s mind, it was the best move.

There was no need to engage with him unnecessarily.

They had already won three out of four chess games, and he had won all his battles so far.

They had the top spot in the bag.

“My side injury, ah! The aftermath of the previous battle is too severe. Ugh……”

“……Really?”

Shion quickly picked up his club with a disappointed look. Kielli raised his hand.

“Time out. This is already my thirteenth battle……”

He had indeed fought a lot.

As a major Artifact, the ‘Rook’, he had fought twelve battles. This was his thirteenth battle.

This was torture, pure torture.

“There’s no time out… Fine. I’ll give you 5 seconds.”

Shion was tapping his club on his palm, but he didn’t seem to be thinking of activating his Magic Body.

Kielli found this suspicious.

Not just in this class.

He had secretly watched Shion in all the other classes, but he had never activated his Magic Body. Even activating parts of it, like his arms or legs, was extremely rare.

For some reason, he was hiding his power.

He was not showing his extraordinary physical talent.

“You… you know.”

Kielli asked cautiously.

“Aren’t you going to activate your Magic Body?”

“No. I can’t use it.”

He can’t use it.

At that moment, branches sprouted in Kielli’s mind.

“He can’t use it ─ He mustn’t use it ─ There must be an unavoidable circumstance or reason ─ It’s a very important contract or oath ─ Who proposed the contract or oath to him? ─ The simple conjectures are enormous ─ He could be a spy from another country if it’s serious ─ He could be a secret agent of the Edsilla Central Intelligence Agency, who has completely concealed his identity ─ He could be a hunting dog dispatched by the underworld mafia.

He must not get involved or be hated for no reason.

If he doesn’t want to end up like the monster crushed by his fist last time.

“……I see.”

“Why. Are you looking down on me because I can’t use it?”

Shion Ascal asked. Kielli laughed like an idiot.

“No.”

[01 : 35]

“5 seconds have passed. I’m coming.”

Shion Ascal said so and swung his club. Kielli barely dodged it almost instinctively, or so he thought-

“Huh?!”

Boo-woong- The swinging club suddenly rushed in like a stab.

This is a super-fast combination that Shion Ascal performs with his club.

Pretending to do a Triangular Cut, he sticks a ‘stab’ in the forehead of the opponent trying to keep distance.

Simply put, it’s a change-up.

Shion loves the ‘Changing Sword’ that includes variations and change-ups and breakthroughs. Unlike the Severing Sword, which seems to drain the Magic Core once used, it’s less burdensome on the body while fully utilizing his physical abilities.

If the Severing Sword is a finishing move, the Changing Sword is a general technique.

Thump─!

The club hit Kielli’s forehead.

“……”

Kielli, to be honest, wasn’t in a state of dying from pain because he had turned on his Magic Body.

A little sore?

However, this would be a warning from Shion.

Only take this much and exit.

“……Ugh! I surrender, I surrender.”

Kielli quickly surrendered.

[Gerkhen Kal Doon team: White Rook battle failure]

[Elise team: Black Pawn defense success]

[Due to the characteristics of the pawn, the defense opportunity is reset.]

“What’s wrong. Are you hurt a lot?”

Then Shion asked with a puzzled look in his eyes. It was an act to the end. Perhaps because the administrators of the college board were watching from above.

“Ah. A little… the injury is a bit severe.”

“Be careful. Go to the hospital too.”

“Ugh. Then I’ll go. I’m leaving~ Take care.”

Kielli returned to his position before the battle, keeping the rhythm appropriately.

A position five squares to the right from Shion Ascal.

“Phew.”

It’s a bit of a relief to be away. He wiped the sweat on his forehead.