“Um… what is happening?” I asked, my voice ced with confusion as I turned to Catherine, who stood beside me with her arms crossed. She only sighed, as if she had long accepted whatever nonsense was unfolding.

  Meanwhile, Yuzu had taken a determined stance, her tail swishing furiously as she pointed both index fingers at Vio. “Bery chess!” she decred with absolute confidence.

  Vio blinked, her violet eyes narrowing slightly as she gnced down at herself. “Chest?” she repeated, sounding genuinely puzzled.

  “Chess!” Yuzu huffed, stomping lightly on the floor, her frustration evident.

  After breakfast, we found ourselves inside a separate building across from the mansion, a lone structure resembling a dojo. The exterior was old yet sturdy, with reinforced wooden beams supporting the wide space within. Inside, the floor was polished wood, marked with a rge checkered pattern that covered most of the open area. Shafts of sunlight streamed through the tall windows, casting a warm glow across the vast interior.

  We stood there, unsure of what to do next, when suddenly, a metaphorical lightbulb seemed to appear above Yuzu’s head. Her bck eyes gleamed with excitement as her ears perked up, and she pointed at the checkered floor with renewed enthusiasm.

  “Nyo! Chess!” she excimed, tail flicking triumphantly. “It bery a fox-kin game! Yuzu will beat you, and you bery hab to leave Mashiro alone!”

  Vio pinched the bridge of her nose, exhaling slowly. “Okay. Let me get this straight. You’re challenging me… to chess?”

  Yuzu nodded rapidly, arms crossed with a smug grin. “Bery yes! Prepare self for bery humiliation, purple witch!”

  Catherine sighed again, rubbing her temple as if this level of absurdity was already giving her a headache. “I should’ve known,” she muttered under her breath, shifting her weight onto one foot as she watched the scene unfold.

  Vio, on the other hand, stood still for a moment, her violet eyes scanning Yuzu with an unreadable expression. Then, she let out a short chuckle, flipping back a lock of her dark hair with effortless elegance. “Alright then, little fox,” she said, smirking. “If you want to be humiliated that badly, who am I to refuse?”

  Yuzu’s tail bristled, puffing up like an offended cat’s. “Nyo! It bery opposite! Yuzu bery win, and you bery cry!” She crossed her arms, standing with the confidence of someone who had never lost a game in their life, whether she actually knew the rules or not remained to be seen.

  I groaned internally. “Yuzu… do you even know how to py chess?” I asked, my skepticism evident.

  “Bery know!” she responded without hesitation, puffing out her chest proudly. “Fox-kin make chess before humankind even bery exist!” She then pointed at Vio again, dramatically flicking her wrist. “Now, we begin! We will use bery life-sized board!”

  Vio arched a brow, gncing at the massive checkered floor beneath us. “You mean this?” she asked, stepping lightly onto one of the bck tiles.

  Yuzu’s ears twitched, and she nodded enthusiastically. “Bery yes! Chess must be pyed with honor and bery movement!” She then cpped her hands together, and in a sudden burst of magic, wisps of golden energy flickered along the floor. In an instant, rge translucent chess pieces, almost as tall as I was, materialized into pce, each glowing faintly as if waiting to be commanded.

  Catherine blinked. “Okay… that’s actually kind of impressive,” she admitted.

  Vio, however, smirked. “Oh? So it’s that kind of chess? Well then.” She flicked her wrist, and a dark violet energy rippled through the air. Almost immediately, her side of the board responded, the bck pieces shifting slightly as if acknowledging her presence. “This just got interesting.”

  Yuzu’s tail swished wildly, her excitement barely contained. “Bery good! Now we bery begin—!” She struck a dramatic pose, preparing to make her first move… and then promptly paused, tilting her head in thought. “...Wait. Which bery side move first again?”

  Vio facepalmed. “Oh for the love of—”

  “Yuzu, let me do it,” I interjected.

  As I stepped forward, I pced my hands on the white side of the chessboard, my fingers tracing over the smooth surface of the pieces. Vio, mirroring my movement, walked to the bck side, her expression unreadable as she studied the unfamiliar board in front of her.

  “Vio, do you know how to py?” I asked, tilting my head slightly.

  Vio sighed, running a hand through her violet hair. “No, this is my first time even hearing about it,” she admitted, her violet eyes flickering between the neatly arranged pieces. “I did say you all could decide whatever fight or game we’d use to settle this, but I didn’t expect to be thrown into an unknown board game like this.” She crossed her arms, gncing at Yuzu, who was practically vibrating with excitement.

  “Bery not worry, purple witch,” Yuzu said proudly, puffing out her chest. “Mashiro bery good teacher!”

  I chuckled at Yuzu’s exaggerated confidence in me. “Alright then, let me expin the rules,” I said, rolling up my sleeves as I began.

  I started with the basics, pointing at each piece and expining their movements. The pawns, which could only move forward but captured diagonally. The knights, which moved in an ‘L’ shape. The bishops, restricted to their color but capable of crossing the board quickly. The rooks, powerful in straight lines. The queen, the strongest piece. And finally, the king, the most important yet weakest, whose fall would decide the game.

  Vio listened with mild interest, her brows furrowing slightly as she absorbed the information. Her fingers drummed against the table, betraying her impatience. “So… it’s a game of strategy and pnning ahead,” she mused. “Sounds tedious.”

  “It’s fun once you get into it,” I assured her. “You’ll get the hang of it as we py.”

  Vio exhaled, giving the board one st look before leaning forward slightly. “Fine. But don’t bme me if I win purely on beginner’s luck.”

  Yuzu pumped her fists in the air. “Bery notto happen! Mashiro bery strong in brain battle!”

  I smiled at Yuzu’s unwavering faith in me. “Well then, let’s begin.”

  And with that, I reached forward and moved my first pawn, the game officially underway.

  I reached out to push my pawn forward, only to realize just how massive the life-sized piece was. It was easily up to my waist, and shoving it across the board would take way more effort than I had anticipated.

  However, before I could even attempt to strain myself, the chessboard responded as if reading my mind. The exact pawn I intended to move slid smoothly across the checkered floor, stopping precisely at the position I had chosen.

  I blinked in surprise. "Huh?"

  Vio raised an eyebrow. "Did you do that?"

  "I… I don’t think so?" I said, my hands still hovering where they had been.

  “Bery magic chess!!” Yuzu gasped, wagging her tail excitedly. She ran over and poked at one of the bck pieces on Vio’s side, only for it to remain motionless.

  Vio tapped a finger against her chin. “So, the board moves the pieces based on the pyer’s will… Interesting.”

  I nodded slowly, testing it again in my mind. I imagined moving my knight forward, and just like before, the piece lifted slightly and glided to its correct position.

  "This… might actually be fun," Vio muttered, her lips curving into a small smirk.

  Yuzu, now even more fired up, pointed dramatically at Vio. "Bery no cheating! If you bery cheat, Yuzu bery bite!!"

  Vio gave her a deadpan stare. “I’d rather not be bitten, thank you.”

  I giggled at their exchange before gncing back at the board. A magical chess match in a life-sized format? This might be more exciting than I expected.

  “Alright, Vio,” I said, crossing my arms. “Your move.”

  Vio took a moment to assess the board before finally moving one of her pawns forward. The piece glided effortlessly across the checkered floor, stopping exactly where she intended. She nodded slightly, satisfied with the movement, then turned her gaze back toward me, waiting for my next move.

  I pced a hand on my chin, pretending to be deep in thought as I examined my options. Then, as I reached out, mentally, of course, to command my bishop to move diagonally across the board, I casually dropped a question. “Hey, Vio. Do you have a boyfriend or a girlfriend? Or are you married?”

  Vio, who had been focused entirely on the game, visibly tensed. “H-Huh? What?” she stammered, her brows knitting together as she shot me a sharp look.

  A smirk crept onto my lips as I watched her reaction. “Just curious,” I said nonchantly, my bishop smoothly gliding across the board to its new position.

  Vio’s face twitched as she quickly grabbed hold of the conversation, probably realizing she was getting baited. Clicking her tongue, she flicked her hand toward one of her knights, and the piece moved accordingly, stepping forward in an L-shape. “Hey! What’re you trying to do?!” she finally snapped, eyes narrowing in suspicion.

  I chuckled, resting an elbow on my knee while watching her carefully. “What? Psychological warfare is a thing too, y’know,” I said with a knowing grin.

  Yuzu, who had been watching the exchange with sparkling eyes, suddenly gasped. “Bery underhanded tactic!!” she excimed, pointing an accusing finger at me.

  I giggled to myself. This match was going to be more fun than I had expected.

  Vio narrowed her eyes at me, clearly unimpressed. She adjusted her hat with an air of casual confidence, her fingers brushing against the wide brim before she returned her focus to the board. "Are you seriously trying to throw me off with small talk?" she scoffed, her voice carrying that ever-present tone of refined amusement.

  I smirked, resting an elbow on the arm of my chair as I studied the board. "Psychological warfare is a valid strategy in both battle and chess, you know," I mused, my fingers idly tapping against my chin. Then, I leaned forward ever so slightly, my expression one of exaggerated curiosity. "So? Any lucky partner? A secret romance hidden in your mysterious witchy life?"

  Vio clicked her tongue, the corners of her lips twitching downward as she moved her knight into position without hesitation. "No," she answered simply.

  Before I could press further, Yuzu let out a dramatic gasp, her fluffy ears perking up as her tail swayed behind her. "Bery lonely witch?!" she excimed, covering her mouth as if Vio had just revealed some tragic backstory.

  Vio shot her a ft look, crossing her arms over her chest. "I prefer ‘independent and busy,’ thank you," she corrected, her tone edged with dry amusement.

  I chuckled at her reaction, resting my chin on my palm as I observed the board. The match was just beginning, yet already, it was proving to be far more entertaining than I expected. "So, no secret lover waiting in the shadows?" I pressed, my voice taking on a teasing lilt. "No mysterious suitor vying for the cold, elusive Vio’s heart?"

  Vio let out a sigh, her patience clearly wearing thin. "Are you going to focus on the game or keep prying into my personal life?"

  I gave a carefree shrug, shifting one of my pieces forward with ease. "A little of both," I admitted, my smirk growing as I positioned my queen strategically.

  Vio, however, didn’t take the bait. Instead, she straightened in her seat and met my gaze with an expression that was unreadable, until a slow, knowing smirk curled her lips. "Fine, then two can py at this game," she said smoothly. "What about you, Mashiro?"

  My fingers twitched slightly, just the tiniest hesitation, barely a fraction of a second. But that was all it took.

  Vio’s smirk widened. "Oh?" she said, tilting her head as if she had just stumbled upon the most intriguing discovery of the evening. "That was an interesting pause."

  "Bery interesting!" Yuzu echoed, her tail wagging with excitement. She leaned closer to me, her eyes practically sparkling.

  I cleared my throat, waving a dismissive hand. "I was just thinking," I said, keeping my tone light, "about my next move, of course."

  "Uh-huh." Vio clearly wasn’t convinced, but she didn’t push the subject further. Then, with a sudden flick of her wrist, moved her queen into an aggressive position.

  "Check," she decred, a triumphant gleam in her violet eyes.

  I blinked. "Wait—what?" My eyes darted across the board, quickly analyzing her move.

  Vio leaned back, arms crossed, satisfaction radiating from her like a victorious war general. "Looks like I don’t need psychological warfare to win," she remarked, her voice dripping with amusement.

  Yuzu gasped even louder this time, filing her arms as if the situation were truly life-threatening. "Bery danger, Mashiro!" she cried, her ears twitching in arm.

  I let out a groan, staring at the board with a sinking feeling. Had I really been so focused on teasing Vio that I had left myself wide open? My mind raced, repying the sequence of moves, until my gaze locked onto something.

  I let out a small ugh. "That was a useless check," I said smoothly, my confidence returning. Without hesitation, I moved my bishop, capturing Vio’s queen in one clean motion.

  Vio’s eyes widened ever so slightly. "What?"

  I smirked, sitting back in my chair. "You got too caught up in the mind games," I teased, watching as Vio’s expression shifted from surprise to mild irritation. "And now you’ve lost your queen."

  Yuzu’s tail wagged furiously as she pointed a paw-like hand at Vio. "Bery gotcha! Vio bery distracted!"

  Vio exhaled through her nose, pinching the bridge of her nose as if trying to suppress a headache. "You’re insufferable," she muttered.

  I simply grinned. "You love it."