101 Chapter 101: Checkmate!

Akashi smiled, "Well, it's quite unfortunate that we didn't get to play today. But it doesn't really matter, does it?"

His words showed his immense confidence in Rakuzan's strength. With the Uncrowned Kings and a player possessing Kuroko's elusive abilities, he had complete faith in their ability to secure victory against Fukuda Sogo Academy.

Tsuna smiled as he observed Akashi.

"You've really changed," he remarked.

"Life is just like that. People learn, grow, and change," Akashi remarked, gazing at the gathering below.

Their initial exchanges seemed ordinary, yet there was a strong pressure emanating from both individuals, a level of gravitas uncommon for their age.

This subtle but potent aura did not escape the notice of the other guests, who exchanged curious and somewhat surprised glances.

Tsuna felt Akashi's imposing presence, though it was not as overwhelming or refined as Akashi's father. With a sly grin, he remarked in his mind, "Your protege here is quite impressive, Uncle."

He chuckled and noticed an empty table with a chessboard. Tsuna extended an invitation, "How about entertaining me with a chess game to pass the time?"

Akashi's features briefly displayed a hint of a frown at Tsuna's words, but he soon shook his head lightly.

After a moment, he nodded and accepted, "Sure, why not..."

As a shogi master, he was immersed in the complexities of a far more intricate game than chess. Shogi was a cerebral battlefield, a contest of minds where strategies had layers upon layers.

Chess, in comparison, was more straightforward. Although Akashi recognized that chess offered a different kind of strategic enjoyment, it was ultimately simpler than shogi.

Akashi harbored the belief that he could outmatch Tsuna in chess. While it might not be a piece of cake, his eyes gleamed with unwavering confidence.

Seeing Akashi's unwavering confidence, Tsuna smirked slyly at this. Sitting across from one another, the chessboard awaited their moves.

Before long, the pieces moved with precision, signaling the beginning of a high-stakes intellectual battle. The room's ambiance shifted as the game progressed, deep in thought and strategizing.

Tsuna moved his pawn forward, establishing his dominance in the center. The silent tension was palpable as the players calculated their moves.

Akashi made his move by advancing one of his pawns two spaces on the chessboard.

Seeing Akashi's deep concentration, Tsuna began to speak slowly.

"Seijuro," Tsuna began, his voice filled with the wisdom of experience. "Have you ever thought about how chess mirrors life?"

He continued, "In life when we fail, it means we've made a mistake somewhere. It's an opportunity to learn, to grow, and to improve. The same goes for chess..."

"...If you lose, it means you made a mistake somewhere in your moves. Luck has no part in it, and it's pure skill."

Tsuna had a profound affinity for chess, finding solace in its ruthless logic.

Chess, unlike life, bore no veil of luck. In this strategy game, one's fate wasn't dictated by whimsical deities or twisty turns of destiny. It was a realm where the players reigned as masters of their own destinies, shaping their fates with every move on the board.

In the world of chess, they were the god, their wits and calculations wielding absolute power over the battlefield of the sixty-four squares.

Akashi listened silently as he frowned. He knew Tsuna was trying to tell him something here.

As the game continued, the knights, the cavalry of the chessboard, soon galloped into action. Tsuna's knight leaped gracefully to a central square.

This move particularly attracted Akashi's attention as he mirrored Tsuna's movement to counter it. They've been continuing the game for quite some time, and it should be almost time for them to decide who will be the winner.

But during their intense match, both Akashi and Tsuna were disrupted by the ringing of their phones.

Tsuna felt a sly grin creep onto his face as he commented, "Looks like our game just hit a pause button."

Akashi was ready to decline the call when Tsuna suggested, "You don't have to reject it. Our gathering is winding down anyway."

This suggestion made Akashi stop, his finger hovering over the phone.

Akashi furrowed his brow but eventually agreed. He rose from his seat and went to the balcony to answer the call. But after receiving the news from the other end, his demeanor changed dramatically. His presence became heavier, sending a shiver through the air and chilling the room.

Upon returning to their table, his face was stern as he informed Tsuna, "I must leave."

"Things didn't go as planned, huh?" Tsuna smirked at this.

As Tsuna's grin spread across his face, Akashi's usually composed expression twisted into a contortion of displeasure.

His eyes, each with a different color, suddenly bore a crimson ring in their pupils.

At the same time, an even more potent aura began to radiate from him, causing nearly every guest to turn their attention toward the duo.

However, the air this time was heavy with discomfort and unease, as if the room had just been infused with an unseen tension, and it left the onlookers with a sense of foreboding that they couldn't quite shake.

Tsuna casually shrugged the pressure.

It didn't faze him in the slightest as he spoke, "It seems like our game will have to wait for another day."

With a curt nod, Akashi bade his farewell and exited.

As Akashi exited, a few onlookers couldn't help but feel uncomfortable as they felt an imposing aura from him.

Tsuna, however, wore a smirk as he watched Akashi's departure. His gaze returned to the unfinished chessboard, a silent reminder of their ongoing duel.

"Unfinished, huh?"

Tsuna mused aloud. A smile graced his lips as he continued, "It seems like you got lucky today, Seijuro."

His fingers gracefully moved a bishop to back up the knight, a seemingly innocuous move. But beneath this calculated exterior, a masterful strategy was unfolding.

Tsuna's audacious knight move had been a carefully laid trap from the very start.

It was a bait!

A little while back, Tsuna's knight made a daring leap forward.

He knew Akashi was a brilliant strategist who would seize any opportunity to gain an advantage. As expected, Akashi maneuvered his knight, hoping to capitalize on this situation. However, Tsuna had seen this coming.

With a soft chuckle, Tsuna confidently stated, "Checkmate."

Tsuna's eyes gleamed with satisfaction as he gazed at the chessboard on the table. He reached into his pocket and took out his phone, quickly opening a message from Nijimura.

"We won the Interhigh. We're the champions!"

A triumphant smirk stretched across Tsuna's face as he remembered Akashi's reaction.

---

Do you want to read 15 chapters ahead of the schedule? Here's where you can find them:

p@treon.com/mythoast