Gambit - Night Stalker Chapter 14
Mar. 24th, 2025 06:29 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shivalriesSeason: Winter
---
Location: Gambit Stage
Tsukasa: We erred on our very first move.
If I were to compare the year since ES's establishment to a game of chess, in our opening moves, we sent our pieces forward without careful thought—which has allowed our opponent to take hold of the initiative.
Arashi: Wait, what's this about all of a sudden?
Tsukasa: I am speaking of our current situation...
...and of our opponents, King Slayer's—no, the Kuroki brothers' strategy.
Hehe, during yesterday's game, Leo-san laid it all out for me plain as day.
He spoiled me with far too many hints, I'd say. If one blatantly reveals so much, any fool would eventually realize what is happening.
Arashi: No, seriously... What are you talking about?
Tsukasa: My acquiescence.
Chess is a highly strategic game. You must not let your guard down for even a moment.
In this ongoing, we have always had the chance to turn the tables.
If we had seen through the enemy's tactics and launched a swift and decisive countermeasure, we would've had any amount of time to recover from the damage.
However, I lost myself in the sweet fantasy of wielding the brute force of numbers to subjugate Yumenosaki and ES and let Knights stand tall in triumph.
Narukami-senpai had sympathized with the Kuroki brothers—or more accurately, Ryuji-san, the elder—and suggested we take in anyone who shows the drive...
...And I agreed without a second thought.
That was naught but naive idealism. Nobody can forge ahead with everything on their shoulders.
I was mistaken in thinking that embodying those ideals is what makes one truly strong.
My mind was high in the clouds after inheriting the crown. I gave myself to conceit, and adopted that plan of action without any deeper thought.
In my arrogance, I had thought that I could handle it all.
I ignored all the warnings around me from my experienced seniors, who told me that I would be nothing more than a puppet ruler if I only ever moved according to their wishes.
Along the way, I had become so much of a fool that I did not even notice my own foolishness—
I had become a naked king.
I'd imagined myself to be thinking with my own head, yet I had done no thinking at all.
I kept moving my pieces carelessly, like a clueless beginner...
And before I knew it, I had been pushed to this deadly dilemma.
Narukami-senpai, Ritsu-senpai, Sena-senpai, and the former king Leo-san—I had such powerful pieces, yet I did not put them to good use.
I have come to realize this keenly.
Arashi: I thought you weren't going to apologize anymore today.
Tsukasa: Ah, yes, I will not. I was simply reflecting on the progress of the game board.
This is necessary for our victory.
We've been driven to a hair's breadth away from checkmate, but...
To borrow Leo-san's words from yesterday, perhaps an alien invasion may soon take place and change the rules of chess themselves.
Izumi: An... alien invasion?
Tsukasa: It is incomprehensible, yet I understand it. Leo-san reminded me many, many times yesterday that I should not give up yet, because I do not know what will happen.
If I persist, a chance at victory will show itself.
No—I will use my own head to forge a path to victory.
I will not lose again. I do not wish to taste the pathetic defeat of the SS preliminaries any more.
We Knights were made to fight and win, after all.
Our enemy is truly mighty, though.
After examining "The Black Fragments" that Ritsu-senpai left for us, I now see that our enemies—the Kuroki brothers—harbor no ordinary hatred toward Knights.
Their hatred drove them to investigate everything about us. They understood us more deeply and comprehensively than we ourselves.
How nice it would have been had love been their driving force, but it appears people can also turn hatred into strength.
They knew us inside and out—this was why King Slayer could mimic us so perfectly, and why they were able to outsmart us.
They predicted how we would think, and constructed a plan to first play on Narukami-senpai's sympathy and get themselves into Knights.
After that, under the guidance of Ritsu-senpai, who is generally kind to his allies, they trained hard and cultivated their skills and connections.
Circumstances eventually separated them from Knights...
...but they had prepared for this eventuality, and set up ambush troops overseas—King Slayer.
Those negligible foot soldiers that we thought we'd already defeated then took control of the board.
We had our guards down because we thought we'd already neutralized them. That's when we fell straight for their trap.
Yes, King Slayer's base is overseas and news of their activities do not easily reach Japan, however...
...we could have noticed something abnormal were we to investigate.
And yet out of stubbornness, Sena-senpai, perhaps unintentionally, made it more difficult for us to access information concerning activities abroad—
Izumi: So what? You wanna make it all my fault now?
Once upon a time, Leo-kun told me the same thing.
"It's all your fault!"... Way to step on my landmines, Kasa-kun.
Tsukasa: On the contrary. Leo-san is also at fault.
Leo-san has been much more active overseas. He was naturally in a much better position to understand what was happening over there.
And yet, until recently, he has strangely avoided any sort of talk about King Slayer.
Do you know why that is?
Izumi: It's not just because he dropped his phone somewhere?
Tsukasa: No. It is because King Slayer is truly Knights.
Izumi: ? What's that mean? I don't like it when people speak in riddles!
It annoys me when I don't know the answer, and it makes me look stupid, too!
Tsukasa: Heh. All I have are theories, so how about we have the man himself tell us the correct answer?
Judgment is a trial by duel. Though quite different from the courtroom trials we know today, I see no issue with calling in witnesses.
Speaking at length among allies is indeed a distasteful tradition from Yumenosaki, but that's not all it is.
Now, without further ado... Leo Tsukinaga-san, and Ritsu Sakuma-senpai.
This is an order from your king. Listen with utmost care.
Hasten to your king's side immediately and spill your hearts to him.
If you do not, I do swear I will hate you.
---
< Night Stalker Chapter 13 || Masterlist || Night Stalker Chapter 15 >
---
Location: Gambit Stage
Tsukasa: We erred on our very first move.
If I were to compare the year since ES's establishment to a game of chess, in our opening moves, we sent our pieces forward without careful thought—which has allowed our opponent to take hold of the initiative.
Arashi: Wait, what's this about all of a sudden?
Tsukasa: I am speaking of our current situation...
...and of our opponents, King Slayer's—no, the Kuroki brothers' strategy.
Hehe, during yesterday's game, Leo-san laid it all out for me plain as day.
He spoiled me with far too many hints, I'd say. If one blatantly reveals so much, any fool would eventually realize what is happening.
Arashi: No, seriously... What are you talking about?
Tsukasa: My acquiescence.
Chess is a highly strategic game. You must not let your guard down for even a moment.
In this ongoing, we have always had the chance to turn the tables.
If we had seen through the enemy's tactics and launched a swift and decisive countermeasure, we would've had any amount of time to recover from the damage.
However, I lost myself in the sweet fantasy of wielding the brute force of numbers to subjugate Yumenosaki and ES and let Knights stand tall in triumph.
Narukami-senpai had sympathized with the Kuroki brothers—or more accurately, Ryuji-san, the elder—and suggested we take in anyone who shows the drive...
...And I agreed without a second thought.
That was naught but naive idealism. Nobody can forge ahead with everything on their shoulders.
I was mistaken in thinking that embodying those ideals is what makes one truly strong.
My mind was high in the clouds after inheriting the crown. I gave myself to conceit, and adopted that plan of action without any deeper thought.
In my arrogance, I had thought that I could handle it all.
I ignored all the warnings around me from my experienced seniors, who told me that I would be nothing more than a puppet ruler if I only ever moved according to their wishes.
Along the way, I had become so much of a fool that I did not even notice my own foolishness—
I had become a naked king.
I'd imagined myself to be thinking with my own head, yet I had done no thinking at all.
I kept moving my pieces carelessly, like a clueless beginner...
And before I knew it, I had been pushed to this deadly dilemma.
Narukami-senpai, Ritsu-senpai, Sena-senpai, and the former king Leo-san—I had such powerful pieces, yet I did not put them to good use.
I have come to realize this keenly.
Arashi: I thought you weren't going to apologize anymore today.
Tsukasa: Ah, yes, I will not. I was simply reflecting on the progress of the game board.
This is necessary for our victory.
We've been driven to a hair's breadth away from checkmate, but...
To borrow Leo-san's words from yesterday, perhaps an alien invasion may soon take place and change the rules of chess themselves.
Izumi: An... alien invasion?
Tsukasa: It is incomprehensible, yet I understand it. Leo-san reminded me many, many times yesterday that I should not give up yet, because I do not know what will happen.
If I persist, a chance at victory will show itself.
No—I will use my own head to forge a path to victory.
I will not lose again. I do not wish to taste the pathetic defeat of the SS preliminaries any more.
We Knights were made to fight and win, after all.
Our enemy is truly mighty, though.
After examining "The Black Fragments" that Ritsu-senpai left for us, I now see that our enemies—the Kuroki brothers—harbor no ordinary hatred toward Knights.
Their hatred drove them to investigate everything about us. They understood us more deeply and comprehensively than we ourselves.
How nice it would have been had love been their driving force, but it appears people can also turn hatred into strength.
They knew us inside and out—this was why King Slayer could mimic us so perfectly, and why they were able to outsmart us.
They predicted how we would think, and constructed a plan to first play on Narukami-senpai's sympathy and get themselves into Knights.
After that, under the guidance of Ritsu-senpai, who is generally kind to his allies, they trained hard and cultivated their skills and connections.
Circumstances eventually separated them from Knights...
...but they had prepared for this eventuality, and set up ambush troops overseas—King Slayer.
Those negligible foot soldiers that we thought we'd already defeated then took control of the board.
We had our guards down because we thought we'd already neutralized them. That's when we fell straight for their trap.
Yes, King Slayer's base is overseas and news of their activities do not easily reach Japan, however...
...we could have noticed something abnormal were we to investigate.
And yet out of stubbornness, Sena-senpai, perhaps unintentionally, made it more difficult for us to access information concerning activities abroad—
Izumi: So what? You wanna make it all my fault now?
Once upon a time, Leo-kun told me the same thing.
"It's all your fault!"... Way to step on my landmines, Kasa-kun.
Tsukasa: On the contrary. Leo-san is also at fault.
Leo-san has been much more active overseas. He was naturally in a much better position to understand what was happening over there.
And yet, until recently, he has strangely avoided any sort of talk about King Slayer.
Do you know why that is?
Izumi: It's not just because he dropped his phone somewhere?
Tsukasa: No. It is because King Slayer is truly Knights.
Izumi: ? What's that mean? I don't like it when people speak in riddles!
It annoys me when I don't know the answer, and it makes me look stupid, too!
Tsukasa: Heh. All I have are theories, so how about we have the man himself tell us the correct answer?
Judgment is a trial by duel. Though quite different from the courtroom trials we know today, I see no issue with calling in witnesses.
Speaking at length among allies is indeed a distasteful tradition from Yumenosaki, but that's not all it is.
Now, without further ado... Leo Tsukinaga-san, and Ritsu Sakuma-senpai.
This is an order from your king. Listen with utmost care.
Hasten to your king's side immediately and spill your hearts to him.
If you do not, I do swear I will hate you.
---
< Night Stalker Chapter 13 || Masterlist || Night Stalker Chapter 15 >
