The Protagonist System

269 The Match

I may have slightly overestimated my chances of defeating Sona at her own game. Yes, I was highly intelligent. Yes, I had some experience playing chess. However, I did not have her drive and dedication to become the best chess player in the Underworld where chess was held in such high regard. I mean, they made their whole reincarnation schtick into devils based on it, didn't they?

The first half hour made me sweat, actually sweat, as I tried to navigate the assault Sona masterminded while also defending herself. It was both brilliant and innovative, so despite myself being white and making the first move, I was on the back-foot and tried to recover the initiative.

Sona also sweated a little as I countered one of her pincer attacks with one of my own. I lost a Pawn and a Knight to her gambit and she lost a Rook and one of her Bishops was threatened from two directions. It made my position weaker to do so; but, it was the first time I had taken one of her key pieces and hadn't paid heavily for it.

I could almost feel her mind flying through different moves and plays, almost like a computer, as she tried to choose the most optimum solution for her next series of moves. Funnily enough, I wasn't using telepathy to cheat. Her thoughts were playing across her face as she thought furiously about the battle we were in.

She was slowly but surely closing in on my King and I was slowly but surely blocking in her Queen. Why was I concentrating on her main attack piece when I should have been going after her King? I wanted to reduce her mobility. She was too damn fast with her ability to pluck my smaller pieces from the board and my defense was slowly crumbling as my own options for moves were cut down.

If it had been a timed game, she would have destroyed me already with her quick thinking and decisive movements. Since this was a friendly game, and you could believe that lie for as long as you believed the moon was made of blue cheese, there was no set time limit for individual moves or for the game's total length.

I was sure she thought she would have ended me pretty quickly when the game started, then I survived her first counterattack. Then I barely scraped by after the second. For some reason, it was seemingly to my benefit that she was starting to overthink what she could and should do, and that was giving me a chance. It was a slim one; but, it was a chance nonetheless.

I was tempted to glimpse forward, just to see the outcome, and chose not to. I didn't want to taint the results, because if I did look ahead, I might make a mistake trying to get the board to look like it did five minutes from now, which might change how it looked in the vision. Of course, that was assuming I could still use that trick in this world full of magic.

That was when I saw it. She had left her bishop under threat from my pawn. Only two moves after that, I would have a second Queen on my side of the battle and could take the Rook that protected her Queen and it would finally break her defensive wall. I glanced at the rest of the board, my own pieces fairly covered and protected, and I took the chance.

My Pawn replaced her Bishop and Sona's eyes widened slightly, which was the only time her face had given away anything the entire game. I felt elation as she moved her other Bishop from where it could have taken my Queen, to cover the gap my Pawn was going to exploit. A small smile appeared on my face as I slid my Rook across the board and took her Bishop, assured of my win.

Then I realized I had made a huge mistake. Sona's small smile matched mine as she moved her own Queen at an angle and into the spot where my Rook had been and put my King into check.

Fuck! I thought and frantically searched the board for my next move. The only thing I could do was get my King out of check, which could only happen by either moving my King out of the corner I had it tucked into or sacrifice another piece to block the Queen's advance. No not those. I can do this.

I moved my Rook back across the board to take her Queen and relaxed as my soft sigh reduced the tension I felt, then Sona's Bishop took my Pawn, shifting it's movement track onto my King's square.

Dammit, she checked me again! I thought and looked at the board, trying and failing to see how I could get myself out of losing, then saw it. I moved my only Knight back to the square at the angle square in front of the King.

Sona moved a Pawn forward and threatened the Knight, which would doubly check my King if it disappeared, because the Pawn would have the Bishop guarding it and stopped the King from taking it.

I moved my King forward and Sona sucked in a breath as she took the Knight with her Pawn.

I looked at her defensive wall that I could threaten if I moved my Pawn; but, it would let her move in to check my King again. Sona stared at the board as well and her hand twitched to do something. I realized then that she had trapped herself.

If I moved my Pawn to get the Queen, she could move her Bishop to protect her King, giving it breathing room and stopped her ability to check me. It also stopped me from moving close, because her Rook could take my Queen if I took her Bishop, and it would open her King to be checked by my last Pawn.

The thing was, after that, it would become a Pawn chase, because we could exchange moves back and forth and neither of us could corner our Kings with the main pieces gone from the board. There was nothing else I could do to change that, since the moves I currently had were limited, as in I couldn't move my King back because it would be in check.

“You see it, don't you?” I asked and Sona looked up from the board. “Stalemate.”

Sona stiffened. “No, it's not.” She said and leaned over the board to stare at it.

“I'll give you a few minutes.” I said and leaned back. I didn't cross my arms or anything, because I didn't want to look childish. I had been so close to victory that I could taste it, only for it to be snatched out of my grasp because I was too eager.

Sona didn't say anything as her shoulder's slumped. She leaned back as well and looked into my eyes.

“I don't feel like having an endless exchange of one square moves.” I commented, sadly. “Do you?”

Sona glanced back at the board and sighed. “No, it's pointless to continue.”

I sighed as well and stood to hold a hand out to her. “Good game.”

Sona frowned. “What are you doing?”

“I'm congratulating you.” I said and let my hand hang there between us.

“That's not necessary. We're playing again.” Sona said and started to quickly rearrange the pieces on the board to put them back to their starting positions.

I let my hand drop back to my side. “I'm sorry, Sona. My detention is over and I need to get home for supper.”

“NO!” Sona gasped and lunged to her feet as she tried to grab me, only I was already stepping away and appeared in the kitchen behind my mother. I slipped my arms around her and she leaned back against me.

“It wasn't a dream?” Miki asked and her voice was barely above a whisper.

“It could be if you want it to be.” I whispered back and rested my chin on the top of her head.

“Do you mean all of it or just you dying?” Miki asked and she let out a soft sob.

“Yes.” I said and held her as she cried and her arms hugged mine. “I'm sorry I put you through that and I'm sorry I handled it so horribly.”

Miki nodded and didn't say anything for several minutes.

I used telekinesis to keep cooking for her and her thoughts were all over the place. I didn't try to force things and let her work through her thoughts and feelings on her own as I held her.

Miki took a deep breath and let it out, then she sighed. “You're not really Issei, are you?”

“I am, just a lot more.” I said and explained about what happened. I also let her know I wasn't a reincarnated devil anymore or beholden to Rias Gremory, which should have removed me from that whole scene, only we both knew it didn't. I was too strong for the Underworld to leave me alone and someone was going to show up eventually to confront me.

I did reassure her that no one would ever touch her or would try to use her to control me.

Miki huffed ant plated up the food onto multiple plates. “Is it just us today?”

“Probably.” I said and let her go to help move the plates and things to the kitchen table. “Rias looked a little freaked out when I told her I wasn't her Pawn anymore.”

Miki nodded and we sat down to eat. “I think she just needs some time.”

I shook my head. “I doubt she knows how to treat me, now that I'm not a part of her Peerage anymore.” I told her. “Although, she did try her best to reincarnate me again to protect me.”

Miki smiled. “Of course she would. She loves you.”

I opened my mouth to say I did as well, only I realized that didn't. I hadn't been able to spend a lot of time with the girl the first time I had been here and it had been a long time since then. Also, my feelings were actually a little stronger for Grayfia and hadn't faded for some reason.

Miki's smile faded. “Issei? What is it?”

“I think I'm growing up.” I said, almost jokingly.

“Oh? Is that why you didn't grope my breasts when you were hugging me?” Miki asked.

I blinked my eyes at her. “That's how you knew I wasn't only Issei.”

Miki nodded. “You should have at least rubbed the underside of my breasts with your thumbs and you were completely respectful. That's not how my Issei would have acted.”

I took a breath and let it out as a sigh. “I've had too much experience respecting a woman's space and her body since then.”

“Really? Who?” Miki asked.

“Too many to mention.” I said and started eating.

“Really?” Miki asked, clearly interested. “Who stood out the most?”

I didn't even have to think about that. “My wife Amy. I spent a good 50 years of my life with her.”

“Y-your... w-wife.” Miki stammered.

“I've been married a few times, had a few kids...” I said and Miki gasped. “Okay, a lot of kids.”

“Issei.” Miki said and put her fork down. “You need to tell me more than that.”

I wanted to say no, since I knew she wouldn't let it go until I told her everything, then I sighed. “Finish eating and we can relax on the couch. There's a lot to go through.”

Miki nodded and picked her fork back up.

I tried to not listen to her thoughts about not being satisfied with anything less than the truth. Then her thoughts went to the children I had and she desperately wanted to know what they looked like. Oh, and pictures. I better have lots of pictures of her grand-babies or she was not going to be happy.

I mentally sighed and started creating all the pictures she was going to demand as soon as we sat down on the couch to talk about everything.

*

Sirzechs stared at the paperwork on his desk. The top sheet was regarding the Phenex Clan, all two remaining members of it, and their suit against Rias Gremory, Koneko Toujou, and Issei Hyoudou for the deaths of the 4 males of their clan.

That alone wasn't what was surprising, though. It was their compensation demand. They wanted 100,000 Devil Dollars for each murdered member and for Lady Phenex to be impregnated as many times as needed for her to replace her three sons.

“Are you serious with this?” Sirzechs asked his Queen, maid, wife, and recently appointed Satan of Foreign Affairs, Grayfia Lucifuge.

“That is the negotiated down result.” Grayfia said, her face blank.

“Negotiated down? What did they ask for first?” Sirzechs asked.

“Issei's arrest and murder was the first demand. When that was rejected, the second demand was for him to marry Lady Phenex and change his name to Phenex.” Grayfia told him.

Sirzechs gave her a surprised look. “You didn't accept the second one?” He asked and she shook her head. “Why not?”

“He's not a reincarnated devil anymore and Lady Phenex marrying a human would set everyone off. The pureblood faction would revolt at the insult and our own party, the New Satans, wouldn't accept the marriage as valid.” Grayfia explained.

Sirzechs nodded, because he agreed with that. There was no way the Pillar clans would accept a human becoming the head of one of their main families. “They should accept half-devil children born from Lady Phenex, even if they aren't full purebloods, so that explains the pregnancy demands.” He said and tapped a finger on the money demand. “Why only 100,000 for each murder?”

“It's for the short term loss of their income without the four males producing their share of Phenex Tears for sale.” Grayfia answered. “With children being added, the cost was reduced from a million each.”

Sirzechs tried to not think about trying to squeeze four million devil dollars out of the current economy without crashing everything around their ears. “What do you recommend?”

Grayfia looked thoughtful for a moment. “The most we could do is arrange for the money and then approach Issei about the pregnancies.”

“But?” Sirzechs asked, knowing his wife had something else to say.

“He did impregnate Rias without having sex with her. I don't know how and Rias won't say.” Grayfia responded.

“The virtue spell came back positive?” Sirzechs asked, surprised.

“Her hymen is intact as well. It hasn't been healed or replaced, either.” Grayfia said with a knowing look.

Sirzechs couldn't stop his flush of embarrassment at his wife calling him out on his interest about his sister's purity. “And she won't admit how Issei made a devil pregnant?”

Grayfia let him change the subject. “Issei himself told me he also impregnated his mother and Koneko the old fashioned way.” She said and kept his other comment to herself about him knowing they were going to be sons. She didn't question it at the time and was glad she hadn't, because Rias had the pregnancy spell go blue and proved it.

“Then we'll do that.” Sirzechs said and Grayfia gave him raised eyebrows. “I meant paying the money and you will approach him about his methods. Get proof if you can.”

Grayfia stopped breathing at his order and what it meant. “My King...”

“Our people need that method if it works and can be reproduced.” Sirzechs said and didn't notice his unintentional pun about reproducing a reproduction method. “I would have sent Serafall if she hadn't been murdered.”

Grayfia nodded. She knew that it was the job of the Foreign Affairs Minister, since Issei was no longer a part of, or associated with, Devil Society.

“If you need me to say it, then as your King, I order you to do everything you can to get that information.” Sirzechs said. “I know it'll be a burden on you, so I'll release you from your duties for as long as it takes for you to negotiate with him to get him to agree to the Phenex Clan's terms.”

Grayfia nodded again and left the Domestic Affairs office. She didn't tell her husband that she was already thinking about what she could do to get Issei's cooperation and to acquire the proof that his impregnation methods actually worked. She felt herself grow wet down there and the muscles clenched in anticipation. Yes, she knew exactly what she needed to do to get that proof.

*

Serafall moaned as she came again. She had just finished watching the detention that Issei and her sister had suffered through and regretted not staying there after school to watch it in person. It was both vexing and a huge turn on as they fought such a pitched battle on the chessboard.

Sona had been so confident at the first that it made Serafall wet, then Sona had faltered as Issei fought her off multiple times. The ending, though? That really made her come hard. She cleaned herself up and switched the monitor to the recording in Sirzechs' office.

Serafall scoffed at Grayfia replacing her after only a single day. She couldn't fault the other Satans for it, though. No one else was even close to her power level and someone had to take over her office as the other mystical factions in the world found out the previous Foreign Affairs Minster was dead.

She just had to decide if she wanted anyone else to know she was back.