WebNovels

Chapter 182 - Playing Chess

"..."

A look of surprise appeared on Irene's face. The sudden appearance of a "fan" caught her off guard.

She had to admit — the flower-blooming incident last time did leave a deep impression.

Especially that moment when he pounced on her.

(T/C: huh?)

But this clearly had nothing to do with the current situation. At the moment, there weren't any true fans around.

Even if there were any in this "draft" world, it would probably be only the tower-dwelling older sisters.

"Sigh, Captain, you really are something..."

Irene could only smile helplessly. She clasped her hands over her stomach, and her eyes held a complex emotion.

"But I look forward to your future... and to your final answer."

Luo Mo said nothing as he looked at her. In the eyes that stirred the hearts of others, all he could see was a hint of mischief.

"A final answer… doesn't always have to be spoken.

Action is the best answer.

Shh... Don't worry, I'm not some little girl who's going to cling to you and pester~"

Watching Luo Mo as he silently gazed at her, her smile only widened.

She winked her right eye — a gesture so alluring it could charm anyone.

"Ah? Who are you calling a little girl? I… sure, I may not be as old as some of those people around you, but there's no way I can be lumped in with 'little' anything, okay?

Ah, maybe that red-eyed one is actually the little one."

Kongming made her rebuttal calmly, without changing her tone, and subtly narrowed the scope of her comment —

targeting someone very specific.

"Huh... little?"

Luna didn't refute it directly, just muttered in slight confusion.

At the same time, she quietly adjusted her outfit.

She didn't provoke further — only tilted her head and looked at the one called "Kongming."

That proud and confident figure of hers already said everything.

Little and little... not all "small things" are the same kind of small.

In this regard, Luna was indeed one or two clueless girls.

---

Back in the game, at the same time, somewhere else:

Beneath the bright moonlight, two people were playing chess on a stone table inside a castle.

The surrounding area was dominated by dark tones — the trees cast eerie shadows across the stone,

trying their best to highlight the luxurious décor within.

Occasionally, the call of crows echoed from the forest, making it feel very much like a vampire's castle from legend.

The two who were being searched for were right here.

"Ah, must you really leave?"

Luna's fingers gently held a chess piece. With a click, it landed on the board, capturing a pawn.

Kongming simply nodded in response, indifferent to her opponent's move.

"Honestly, I quite admire your courage. All the other prey was flustered and panicked, but you —

not only did you not run away, you even delivered yourself right to my door."

"Has anyone ever told you you're really interesting?"

"Really? Most of them say I'm boring."

Kongming responded lazily, casually waving a feather fan with one hand.

The sound of the chess piece hitting the board was crisp, dropped without much thought.

She was more interested in observing her surroundings —

and especially the red-eyed girl sitting across from her — than in the actual state of the game.

After all, ever since staying aboard the ship for so long, she had only heard of this peculiar person — never seen her in person.

For quite some time now, the name spoken by the Captain —

the person in both his memories and in their shared promise —

this was that friend.

"Who are 'they'? Family? Friends?"

The girl Luna snorted, visibly displeased.

"Who do you mean by 'your people'? What does that even mean?"

"Obviously the ones always by your side —

even if they're far away, they still know— Wait, why are you smiling?"

"Of course they're far away. How can you call that 'always being together'?

Your logic contradicts itself."

"..."

This time, Luna said nothing.

Her eyes stopped on the chessboard, then slowly turned to face Kongming's confident expression.

She narrowed her eyes.

She didn't like this look on her opponent's face.

She didn't like being rebutted.

And she especially didn't like that this girl had walked the same path —

side by side — with him.

Why…

Why wasn't she the one by his side?

To her, truly being together…

meant having to remain far, far away.

Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!

But it didn't matter. As long as he…

There was no need to explain that logic to her opponent.

After all, the other person hadn't even answered her question from beginning to end…

Such a sly and hard-to-deal-with enemy.

She secretly clenched her jaw, her gaze inevitably returning to the chessboard.

On the blood-red board, pieces from both sides were scattered everywhere.

But every time she thought she had the upper hand,

a hidden piece would suddenly appear and disrupt her play —

leading to a continued stalemate with no victory in sight.

She looked again, only to feel dizzy and disoriented.

"So… does that mean I've lost?"

She asked back, a little unable to grasp the situation on the board.

But it didn't matter. She never intended to win in the first place.

What she wanted to understand… was the person in front of her.

Very interesting — and yet very boring.

"No. It's a draw.

To go straight for the kill when playing a subordinate would be a little too heartless."

Kongming replied, casually making her next move.

In an instant, the board returned to a balanced state — neither victory nor defeat.

"Want to go another round, Miss Luna?"

"Forget it, I'm bored already.

Do you have any other fun games?"

Luna replied indifferently, but her grip on the chess piece was unusually tight.

"You like playing around?"

"Of course. And I especially like playing around with you."

"... When I was little, it was like being locked in a cloth doll's cage —

I couldn't go anywhere.

Other than the books my sister brought me, I had nothing interesting at all."

"But now it's different.

Whoever I want to play with, I can.

Whatever I want to do, I will do."

She spoke freely, almost carelessly.

But her eyes… showed no hint of joy.

"So that's why you locked up so many Theresas in your castle?"

"You found out my secret that quickly? You're quite clever.

But I didn't just invite anyone here.

They're all very special girls — just not interesting enough."

"Interesting? I'm afraid that's not the real reason."

"You don't have the right to question me.

All of you are my prey. That's all you need to understand."

"Kongming, Kongming … you'd better think of a more fun game, or you might be the one getting locked up."

Her voice was light, almost teasing, but her words were sharp —

trying to provoke a reaction from the other girl's seemingly calm eyes.

If it were her, she'd enjoy seeing that kind of expression.

"Your castle's nice, but it's just a bigger cage.

When you drag your prey into your cage, you're also locking yourself inside."

"You've never truly had freedom.

In my eyes, you're the real prey here."

Luna's face darkened immediately —

as if those words had struck a nerve.

"Hmph — you really think you're so clever?

Then let's see who the real prey is!"

Her lips curled coldly as she narrowed her eyes at Kongming, who remained calm and unbothered.

With a low growl, a massive axe materialized in her hands —

and the tension between the two exploded into combat.

Feather fan versus war armor — two vastly different styles.

The two Theresas clashed fiercely, light blue magic circles clashing with a dark red battle axe.

The vivid contrast of color and movement lit up the space, and with every clash of their weapons, sparks flew wildly.

---

Back in Theresa's mansion

"They're fighting,"

Bronie's eyes lit up with excitement, clearly enjoying the show.

"Yes, it's Luna versus Kongming,"

Irene murmured.

"Too bad they're just preset characters with only a few combat moves…"

Her pale white index finger curled slightly, resting by her lips.

Her soft lips were tinted a matching shade, and her light blue eyes held a trace of curious amusement.

Using the words of that pink-haired girl beside her —

she was still just a little girl, after all.

"Uh… can we not talk about such dangerous topics, Irene?

This is just a game… ah?"

Luo Mo suddenly felt every nerve in his body tighten.

Now he was starting to understand why others felt uncomfortable with this kind of storyline.

If someone next to you was secretly holding thoughts like that,

then how could the person caught in the vortex of it all focus on just himself?

This is bad — this has really become an Asura Field around me.

As for his identity as the "Captain,"

he had already confirmed it with various events routes.

He'd even subtly checked with Irene, who decisively said there were no problems.

But beyond that, she refused to elaborate — and he couldn't press further.

Compared to the in-game battle between Kongming and Luna,

he wasn't sure if things were even more intense in real life now.

All he could do was try to keep the peace between both sides…

"Ah? From the way you said that, it sounds like you want me to fight Luna, or is it that you don't want that?"

Kongming's tone was still calm and even, her expression unchanged —

but the oppressive air surrounding them confirmed to Luo Mo that this was a dangerous topic.

"Uh… of course I don't want that,"

Luo Mo answered with full sincerity.

If it were Kiana vs. Mei, or Elysia vs. Mobius, he might've even asked for VIP ringside seats and happily declared that "girl fights are the best!"

But this was Kongming versus Luna — and it directly involved him.

"Haha, for a second I thought you were about to become the prize in some ancient martial arts duel for marriage~"

Kongming laughed cheerfully, as straightforward and frank as ever.

"Calling me a prize is going a bit far…"

Luo Mo replied weakly.

"Human would never gamble something that absurd."

After savoring the sweetness of victory, Luna had clearly grown bolder.

Her feline teeth showed as she grinned and pulled Luo Mo's arm toward her.

Compared to her once-reserved and quiet demeanor, she now acted with far more dominance.

Maybe the previous decision — where he chose her first between the two — had given her enormous confidence?

"...I was just saying. A playful comparison, that's all.

And also, you don't have to treat me like I'm your enemy.

I'm not someone who would hurt people."

Kongming's intimidating aura eased up slightly.

She hadn't run out of comebacks, and she was prepared to retaliate…

but when she looked at Luo Mo's genuinely flustered and confused expression —

she hesitated.

If she pushed him too far, it might not go well for her.

So, in the end, this move had turned out to be a bad play.

Still, she'd let Luna feel proud for now.

Sooner or later, she'd be the one to win.

---

In the game, the fight between the two girls ended quickly.

"Ah…"

"Nngh——"

For some reason, Kongming felt that her opponent hadn't been in top form —

like she had held back a little.

The battle ended with a rushed, unfinished air to it.

"Tsk tsk, what a pity. If you had just obediently stayed on that boat, I wouldn't have been able to lay a hand on you."

"The one who secretly brought you here…

I wonder if they're regretting it right now?"

"You might be disappointed.

Because we don't regret it at all."

"You're the one — who pushed things to this point.

Have you really never regretted it, not even once?"

"——That person might end up hating you, you know?"

Kongming said with a meaningful, almost mocking smile —

as if she had just found her opponent's fatal weak spot.

The other girl's thoughts were written all over her face.

No matter how hard she tried to act composed, she still lacked something.

Determination could cover some flaws, but not all.

Sure enough, a flicker of panic, confusion, and surprise crossed Luna's face.

It disappeared quickly, but it had been there.

Her expression darkened at once. She lost her patience.

Her voice grew cold.

"You're much cuter when you just shut up.

Prey should act like prey."

With a wave of her hand, chains of metal slithered out from the darkness like snakes —

wrapping tightly around Kongming's ankles.

The girl then left the room.

Only after the heavy doors shut behind her did her body slump against them in exhaustion.

She muttered quietly:

"Owww… that hurts…"

"That girl… she really didn't hold back…"

She whispered to herself, her breathing suddenly ragged and shallow —

each inhale dragging painfully from the depth of her chest,

as if she were enduring an intense, indescribable pain.

Though the earlier battle hadn't drained much of her physical strength,

every few steps she took now left her gasping for air.

She slowly walked along the hallway, her small shadow brushing over the thick carpet,

grazing the heavy curtains with her fingers.

In her memories, this was how she always passed the time —

until her sister would wake up.

The castle was very quiet.

The cold moonlight wrapped every emotion and secret in layers of silence —

nothing leaked through.

Then, she caught sight of a figure at the corner.

Her eyes lit up instantly as she rushed over in delight.

"You're back!"

"What's for dinner tonight? French fries? Chocolate?

Or… my favorite — sugar candy?"

"Soft, sweet sugar candy —

that's perfect for dinner~

"Oh right! I made a new friend recently.

She's a little stubborn,

but she knows tons of fun games."

"When you have time, you should come play with us too!"

She was about to lift her arm to make an inviting gesture —

but stopped mid-motion when the pain surged through again.

It was from the recent battle —

she hadn't been nearly as composed as she appeared on the outside.

"Meow… played for too long, my arm's sore.

Can you give it a little massage?"

The other person didn't respond —

only let out a tired sigh.

"Ah right, I forgot. You seem to have been quite busy lately. Haven't been back for several days, huh."

She continued talking to herself,

"You must be very tired, right?"

"But looking at you now…

you don't look like you're getting ready to rest.

Planning to head out again?"

"Shhh… don't make that kind of face."

She raised an index finger and softly went shhh,

her lips curling into a faint, complex smile.

Compared to earlier — when her eyes had sparkled —

they were now dull and lifeless,

as though they had lost all brilliance.

It made people want to fall into those blood-red pupils

and dig deeper into her veiled thoughts.

"I know what you're secretly doing,

and I know what you plan to do tonight."

"Don't worry.

I don't mind, and I won't stop you."

"Of course I won't blame you.

Because to me, you're very important."

"We've come this far together…

I've long grown used to your indecision."

"Do you still remember what you promised me?"

"You mustn't go back on your word.

If you still love me… then keep helping me, until the end."

Her lifeless eyes seemed to hold a hint of sorrow

yet she still smiled and said:

"After all…"

"There's no time left for regrets, hehe~"

Unknowingly, the moon overhead — once full and bright —

had become a bloody crimson crescent.

It shone through the clouds with a sinister, blood-tinged light,

falling upon the girl's crimson eyes that now brimmed with firm resolve.

---

Meanwhile, back in Theresa's mansion…

"So many cryptic characters.

In real life you never see them, but in the game they're everywhere."

Kiana grumbled, rubbing her temples as she complained to Mei.

She only half-understood the storyline.

Kallen frowned as she stared at the scenario script, and said:

"Imprisoned in a doll's cage…

Ah, is this part really continuing from the previous story arc — the one about Luna?"

"Yes,"

Luo Mo nodded.

There was no reason not to confirm it.

"Earlier… in that world where Theresa was the head nun, she encountered that person,

and in the end — the one who appeared… was Kallen in the game?"

At first, she'd only found the voice familiar —

since hardly anyone ever heard her real voice,

and she hadn't participated in the dubbing for this part,

she hadn't recognized it right away.

"Yeah. That really was Kallen."

"…"

Kallen said nothing more.

Suddenly, she thought back to the previous scenario.

Compared to the search for a "partner-in-crime,"

this one made it very clear —

the older sister of Luna was perfectly suited to the role she played as Kallen.

Especially that one line:

"If you still love me…"

That line instantly made everything click.

Two clones escaping from the lab —

an elder sister and a younger one.

Of course they loved each other deeply.

But unfortunately… emotion was also a key method of manipulation.

She didn't even know why, back then, the once-pure Luna had become like this.

"Ah, so that's it!

No wonder the Lady Overseer of the previous world said she looked kind of like her…"

Kiana suddenly understood and grew animated.

"But in the end, didn't they escape that dilemma

where it had to be one or the other?"

Although the Captain hadn't found a new option at the time,

both girls had survived safely —

unlike Teacher Himeko,

who had fallen forever into the darkness…

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