After casting aside those complicated matters and refocusing her gaze on the chessboard before her, it was her turn to move.
"..."
The Shogun stared in silence at the board that was already on the verge of defeat and could not help feeling somewhat unwilling. To be honest, she had never once defeated Kamisato Ayaka in chess. Not in the past, and certainly not now. Every single time, the other side won—and won with effortless ease. No matter how delicately she tried to scheme, Ayaka would always unravel it, almost like a puppet executing flawless calculations.
No matter what, today Raiden Shogun had to win at least once. No matter what—!!
"!"
At that thought, her mind stirred. A faint glint flashed in her eyes. Before making her move, she turned her head to glance at the entrance where Ayaka had stepped out earlier. No one was returning.
—This was the perfect opportunity!
Recalling something someone once said, she adjusted the board slightly in her own favor, just a little... just a tiny shift in the opponent's pieces. Then, relying on memory, she restored their previous arrangement so that nothing would look suspicious.
Though doing this was somewhat underhanded... well, Ayaka was her childhood friend after all.
Rustle~
Several minutes later, Ayaka finally returned to the Kamisato Estate. After exchanging a few simple words with Thoma, she turned toward the entrance, removed her shoes, and stepped onto the tatami in her plain white tabi trimmed with sakura-pink embroidery. She set her footwear neatly aside before walking back into the sitting room and resuming her original seat.
"What was it about?"
The Shogun asked deliberately once Ayaka had returned.
"...There have been some monsters causing trouble across Inazuma these past few days. According to Thoma, several fields belonging to commoners have already been destroyed."
Ayaka did not conceal it. There was no reason to hide such matters, especially not from her Shogun.
"Has anyone been injured?"
She asked with concern.
"The Tenryou Commission has protected the residents within the affected areas. For now, no one has been harmed."
Ayaka answered.
"Those monsters... where did they come from?"
She asked again.
"That remains unclear. The investigation is ongoing... However, judging by their points of appearance, I suspect they may have originated from the Thunder Sakura. After all, they have manifested near the roots of the Thunder Sakura trees."
Ayaka analyzed calmly.
"...The Thunder Sakura."
The Shogun frowned unconsciously upon hearing that term. If it involved the Thunder Sakura, then it could not be ignored. Perhaps she ought to take a look herself.
"Mm."
Ayaka nodded.
"Then why... deliberately avoid telling me earlier?"
She asked in confusion.
"Thoma believed that failing to detect abnormalities in the Thunder Sakura beforehand—and allowing monsters to attack the crops—constitutes negligence on the part of the Tenryou Commission, the Yashiro Commission, and even the Grand Narukami Shrine. He feared you might place blame upon them if informed directly."
Ayaka replied with a wry smile.
"Haa... How absurd. What would I even blame them for? A group of fools... as if such matters would not reach my ears sooner or later."
She shook her head helplessly. There was no anger in her tone, only something more complicated.
"Hehe... Exactly. That is why I insisted he speak here instead."
Ayaka unfolded her fan and gently fanned herself. Her silvery bangs swayed softly in the breeze.
"Haa... Enough. Let us continue."
She gestured toward the chessboard. Dealing with monsters was not yet a matter requiring her personal involvement. The Tenryou Commission would handle it. After all, that was their responsibility.
"Mm..."
Ayaka nodded and returned her gaze to the board, closing her fan and tapping it lightly against her palm.
However—
"...?"
Just as she was about to make her move, she sensed something off. The distribution of pieces on the board felt... strange. Not entirely different, but subtly altered. What was it?
Her memory was excellent. The board's current arrangement did not match her recollection.
"...What is wrong?"
Seeing Ayaka fall silent, she felt a flicker of unease but kept her tone steady.
"It is nothing... I was distracted. My apologies."
Ayaka smiled faintly and began placing her piece, as though nothing unusual had occurred.
"..."
She quietly released a breath of relief and resumed the confrontation, determined to win this time. But—
Reality was merciless.
Click!
"Check."
That familiar word echoed once more.
"..."
She fell completely silent, staring at the board that had once again pushed her to the brink of despair.
"..."
Ayaka struggled to suppress a laugh as she observed the slightly dazed, adorable expression on her face.
"You..."
The Shogun raised her eyes to meet Ayaka's and parted her lips slightly.
"...Mm?"
Ayaka lifted her icy gaze and responded with a soft, pleasant nasal hum.
"Are you... a puppet?"
She asked flatly.
"...Me? A puppet?"
Ayaka blinked.
"Do you perhaps have some sort of AI program in your head that ensures you win every time?"
She inquired, framing it in terms she could understand.
"Pfft... Me? An AI program? Hehe... You must be joking."
Ayaka could not help laughing. Her delicate face looked sweet as honey.
"Is that not the case?"
She asked, almost adorably.
"Of course not. Shogun-sama, please do not tease Ayaka. Hehe... I am not like you, after all."
Ayaka replied.
"I... do not have one."
She answered plainly.
"Eh? I assumed you might, considering—"
"Unfortunately, Ei did not install such a thing. Her reasoning was: 'If I give you that, you will no longer think for yourself. Everything will be a path laid out by a program. That would not be you... I want you to have flesh and blood, not be a heartless machine.'"
She mimicked Ei's tone precisely—even crossing her arms the way Ei often did, closing her eyes, lowering her voice, and adopting that faintly cool expression.
The only program Ei had ever embedded within her was the former concept of Eternity. And now, even that was no longer needed.
"Pfft, that does sound like Lady Ei. I believe she is correct. If everything were arranged by a program, then it would not be your own thoughts."
Ayaka agreed, still amused by the imitation.
"...By the way, could you not go a little easier on me?"
She puffed her cheeks slightly and asked in a muffled tone, almost like she was sulking.
"But I did go easy on you..."
Ayaka said with a helpless smile.
"...When? You were clearly—"
"And your earlier move could have been much better."
Ayaka patiently reconstructed a previous segment of the match.
"..."
The corner of her mouth twitched.
"Look... this was your original move."
Ayaka replayed her earlier placement and continued gently, "If you were going to take back your move, you should not have altered it like that..."
She demonstrated the sequence of her earlier retraction and then showed an alternate path.
"See? If you had adjusted it this way after retracting, I would have lost."
After placing the final piece, Ayaka looked up at her. The situation had now reversed—Ayaka herself was the one in check.
"...You... noticed?"
She asked awkwardly.
"Shogun-sama... you... hehe~"
Ayaka smiled at her indulgently, without the slightest reproach.
"I know, I know. I was being childish. You need not say it."
She admitted with self-mockery.
"Not at all. Actually... I am very happy today. Truly very happy."
Ayaka rose, circled the low table, and sat down beside her, taking her hand and gently rocking it back and forth with affection.
"You... are truly happy?"
She glanced at her hand being fondled and asked softly.
"Mm... Of course. You came specially to see me. How could I not be happy?"
Ayaka replied sweetly.
"You... did not think I was being childish just now?"
She asked in a low voice, her cheeks faintly flushed.
"That was not childishness. It was innocence. It is part of your charm—different from Lady Ei's charm. It is also... hehe... what Ayaka likes about you."
Ayaka confessed smoothly, her own face reddening.
"...Thank you... I..."
"There is no need. You do not have to respond to me. As long as things remain like this, I am satisfied."
Ayaka interrupted her, slightly flustered.
"...I am sorry, Ayaka..."
She apologized instinctively.
"Why are you apologizing? You are our deity. Please do not apologize to me like that. Otherwise, I will feel as though loving you is a burden upon you... and that would break my heart."
Why? Why was everyone around her so kind? So gentle? So considerate of her? Was it only because she was a god? Because she was the Raiden Shogun?
A chain of questions stirred within her, leaving her momentarily lost.
But there was one thing she knew for certain—
She had to take responsibility for those who offered her such tenderness. She had to treat them well in return. Only then would she not feel so guilty.
Then... how should she do that?
What did Ayaka want from her?
A kiss?
An embrace?
Or something even more intimate...?
She did not know.
Come to think of it, she did not understand Ayaka in that regard at all.
Haa...
—
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