Kurogane Academy – Room 25, Computer Science Class
The soft hum of computers and the ticking of the clock on the wall filled the classroom, blending with the muffled murmurs of the students. Professor Hideo Tanaka, a man with sharp features and an analytical gaze, removed his glasses and ran a hand over his chin, looking at the class.
Professor Tanaka: "Alright, everyone! We’re at the end of our lesson. For next week, I want you to form pairs and prepare a handwritten paper on the evolution of quantum computers."
The students began shifting in their seats, already anticipating the next announcement.
Professor Tanaka: (raising a finger) "And before you ask, no, you cannot use AI. The Copyright AI will detect any attempt to cheat. Be creative, research, and write it by hand. Understood?"
The bell rang, signaling the end of the class.
Immediately, the classroom became an organized chaos—chairs being pushed, backpacks zipped up in a hurry, and students pairing up naturally.
Sitting at the back of the room, Kaoru Shimizu remained still, his gaze fixed on the blank computer screen in front of him. As usual, no one approached him.
Until an unexpected voice interrupted his thoughts.
??? "Hi!"
Kaoru lifted his eyes and found a cheerful girl standing next to him.
??? "I’m Hanna!"
Her amber eyes sparkled with warmth, and her brown hair fell in soft layers around her face.
Kaoru hesitated.
Hanna: (tilting her head slightly) "Would you like to team up with me?"
Kaoru blinked.
Kaoru: "W-With me?"
Hanna: (laughing) "Yes! Looks like we’re the only ones without a partner."
He averted his gaze, hesitating. He was never good at social interactions.
Kaoru: (quietly) "O-Okay."
Hanna: (excitedly) "Great! What’s your name again? Karu?"
Kaoru: (quickly correcting her) "Kaoru. Kaoru Shimizu."
Hanna: (smiling again) "Nice to meet you, Kaoru!"
A brief silence filled the air.
Hanna took out her phone and handed it to him.
Hanna: "Give me your number? That way, we can schedule a time to work on the project."
Kaoru hesitantly typed in his number.
Hanna: (putting her phone away) "Thanks! See you later, Kaoru." (she waved and left the classroom)
Kaoru followed her departure from the corner of his eye.
Whispers started spreading in the room.
Student 1: (whispering) "Hanna? Talking to Kaoru?"
Student 2: (chuckling) "And he accepted without freaking out?"
Kaoru ignored the comments and began packing his things.
Then, a loud chant echoed from the hallway.
Kurogane Academy Hallways
"Chess! Chess! Chess! Chess!"
The sound echoed through the corridors, making several students turn in the direction of the commotion.
A group of four boys advanced with energy. At the front was Renji Takahara, a tall young man with messy blond hair and an arrogant smirk. He moved confidently, as if he owned the place.
Reaching the doorway of Room 25, he stopped and scanned the classroom with a predatory gaze.
Renji: (crossing his arms) "Alright, folks! I’m recruiting a chess player for my team. We’re competing in the school tournament and making a ton of money. Anyone interested?"
The room fell silent for a moment.
Student 1: "How much is the prize?"
Renji: (smirking) "10,000 €. But as the leader, I get 5,000 €. The rest you guys can split among yourselves."
There were murmurs and some discreet laughter.
Kaito, one of the group members: "Boss, we can use the Rating Scanner to find a good player here."
Renji: (patting his friend’s shoulder) "Good idea, Kaito!"
He pulled out his phone and activated the Rating Scanner, pointing the camera at the students.
Numbers began appearing above people’s heads:
809, 763, 210, 103, 918… 0.
Renji frowned.
Renji: (raising an eyebrow) "Zero!?"
The room erupted into laughter.
Renji: "Who’s the loser with a ZERO rating?"
He slowly approached, and the screen revealed the answer: Kaoru.
Renji: (laughing loudly) "Hey, loser, you’ve got ZERO rating! How are you even alive?"
The entire class laughed.
Kaoru didn’t react.
Renji: (shaking his head in mock disappointment) "What a waste!"
He turned his attention to another student.
Renji: (looking at the scanner) "You, with 918! What’s your name?"
Student: "Takeshi Hoshino."
Renji: "Great! You’re in my team now. Don’t mess up, got it?"
The group left, still chanting.
"Chess! Chess! Chess!"
Kaoru remained still, his fists clenched under the desk.
Then, something in the air shifted.
Kurogane Academy Hallways
Souta Kazami, the Student Council President, walked calmly down the corridor, accompanied by his advisors Riku Asano and Mizuki Hayashi.
Suddenly, he stopped.
Souta: (frowning) "Did you feel that?"
Riku: (glancing around) "Feel what?"
Souta: (whispering) "A pressure… a killing aura."
He slowly turned his head and locked eyes with Kaoru, leaving the classroom.
With each step Kaoru took, the air around him grew heavier.
Souta instinctively took a step back.
Souta: (thinking to himself) "This... this feels like a Master’s aura. But how? In this school?"
Kaoru walked past without saying a word.
Souta: "Hey, you!"
Kaoru stopped.
Souta: "What’s your rating?"
Before he could answer, another student laughed.
Student: "He’s a zero! The scanner showed it!"
But Souta ignored the laughter. He, more than anyone, trusted his instincts.
And something about Kaoru was different.
Takamura City – Road to Hoshikawa Orphanage
The orange sky of the evening blanketed Takamura’s skyscrapers, reflecting off the massive LED screens scattered throughout the city. Kaoru walked in silence, hands in his pockets, the sound of his footsteps echoing against the asphalt.
Then, something caught his eye.
On the giant screen of a building, a bold advertisement appeared:
"The International Chess Championship is Coming!Incredible rewards for only the best players!Register now via QR Code."
Kaoru kept walking...
His gaze, empty, seemed lost in the vibrant lights around him. But inside, something began to stir.
Renji’s words echoed in his mind...
"Zero rating.""What a waste!"
His fists clenched.
It didn’t matter.
As he turned the corner, he felt it.
Tick. Tock.
It was a subtle sound, yet powerful. A rhythm he recognized.
His eyes scanned the street until he saw it.
In Shirogane Square, a small crowd had gathered around a wooden chessboard.
At the center, two players faced off.
One was a young blind boy, the other, an elderly chess master.
Kaoru stopped.
His eyes locked onto the board, and then something strange happened.
The moves started appearing in his mind before they were even made on the board.
e4... Qf6... Ra5...
The old man moved his rook.
The blind boy moved his queen.
Checkmate.
Kaoru blinked.
The crowd applauded, but he remained frozen.
Why...?
Why did he know the moves before they happened?
??? "Do you like chess, kid?"
The deep voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
Kaoru turned to see the old man with white hair and a serene expression. Haruto Nakamura.
Beside him, the blind boy, Shun Sukeda, smiled slightly, tilting his head in Kaoru’s direction as if he could sense his presence.
Kaoru felt the weight of the question.
Did he like chess?
For a moment, the answer was at the tip of his tongue.
But then, he turned his back and walked away.
The truth was…
…he didn’t know if he wanted to play again.
Hoshikawa Orphanage
Hoshikawa Orphanage, Kaoru’s home since childhood, was located in the oldest district of Takamura. Small but cozy, it had always been a refuge for children who had nowhere else to go.
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As he approached, Kaoru sensed something was wrong.
The yard was empty. No children playing. No laughter.
His chest tightened.
Climbing the stairs, he heard raised voices coming from the director’s office.
??? "...we don’t have enough funds anymore! The government has cut support, and donations have decreased!"??? "We have to find a solution, Sayuri!"
Kaoru recognized the voices.
- Sayuri Minase, the orphanage director.
- Reverend Takao Arakawa, responsible for the finances.
Sayuri: (desperate) "If we don’t get more money, we’ll have to close the orphanage."
Kaoru felt the world collapse around him.
Close the orphanage?
He held his breath.
His feet carried him to his room, their words hammering in his mind.
"No... I can’t let this happen."
His gaze landed on the phone on his desk.
His heart pounded.
The ad he had seen earlier...
"The International Chess Championship is Coming."
Kaoru picked up his phone and typed in the search bar:
www.ome.com
The screen lit up.
"Welcome to the World Chess Organization (OME)."
A button flashed:
[LOGIN OR RECOVER ACCOUNT]
Kaoru hesitated.
He knew he had been part of the OME before.
His mind vaguely recalled the stories he had heard as a child—that he was a prodigy, that his talent was unnatural.
But he had never truly understood it.
There was only one way to find out.
He clicked "Recover Account."
"To recover your account, solve the Quiz Identify."
Kaoru narrowed his eyes.
This test...
OME would show one of his old matches, and he would have to replay every move correctly.
Kaoru took a deep breath.
A position appeared on the screen.
And then, without thinking...
His fingers started moving on their own.
e4... Nc6... Qf6... Ke8... Qf7... Checkmate.
The screen flashed.
"Congratulations. Identity confirmed."
A new voice emerged from the phone.
"Welcome back, Kaoru Shimizu."
"I am CODE, your artificial intelligence assistant."
Kaoru’s mind went blank.
An AI inside OME’s system?
Before he could react, CODE’s voice continued.
"I detected your absence for 15 years, 2 months, and 22 days since your last recorded match."
Kaoru’s eyes widened.
15 years?
CODE: "Your current rating is 2300. But with proper training, you could reach a rating of 3200 or higher."
Kaoru felt a chill run down his spine.
Even after all these years…
He was still far above the average.
And then, the decision came naturally.
Kaoru: "CODE, register me for the Regional Championship."
CODE: "Registration confirmed. Your first match will be this Sunday at 4 PM."
He took a deep breath.
Now, everything made sense.
He wouldn’t play just for himself.
He would play to save his home.
The King had returned to the board.
Regional Championship – Takamura Dome
The hall was packed. Large screens broadcasted the matches live. The best regional players were there.
At the center of the arena, Kaoru sat across from his first opponent.
Alex Shy, rating 2650.
The clocks were adjusted.
The referee raised his hand.
Referee: "Begin!"
Kaoru closed his eyes for a moment.
And then…
Tick. Tock.
His fingers began to move.
The pieces glided across the board with surgical precision.
The audience murmured.
Kaoru was playing like a machine.
Alex started sweating, analyzing each move carefully. But before he knew it...
Checkmate in 23 moves.
The hall fell silent.
The referee confirmed the result.
Referee: "Victory for Kaoru Shimizu!"
The crowd erupted in applause.
Kaoru lifted his eyes to the giant screen above the arena.
His rating increased to 2375.
Without showing any emotion, he simply left the playing hall.
He knew this was only the beginning.
Takamura Dome – Players’ Waiting Room
The noise of the crowd still echoed throughout Takamura Dome as Kaoru walked through the complex’s corridors, his mind still processing what had just happened.
The match against Alex Shy had ended in just 23 moves, a devastating victory.
Now, while he waited for the next round, the whispers from the other players became impossible to ignore.
Player 1: (staring at the results screen) "Kaoru Shimizu… who is this guy?"
Player 2: (frantically searching on his phone) "He doesn’t even have a recent history! But he crushed Alex like an amateur!"
Player 3: (leaning toward the group) "And the worst part… his style… it was perfect. I need to watch that game again."
Kaoru ignored the glances and moved to a quieter corner of the room.
His heart was pounding, not from adrenaline, but from a growing realization deep inside.
"This... felt so natural."
His fingers had moved on their own, the plays coming before he even consciously thought about them.
"What’s happening to me?"
His phone vibrated.
CODE: "Congratulations on your victory, Kaoru."
He sighed and unlocked the screen.
Kaoru: "I don’t want congratulations. I want to understand what happened to me back there."
CODE: "Your moves were executed with 99.7% theoretical accuracy. Your calculation and prediction skills appear to be returning to Master-level or beyond."
Kaoru frowned.
Kaoru: "I haven’t played in 15 years. This doesn’t make sense."
CODE: (pausing) "Perhaps your talent never disappeared. It was merely dormant."
Kaoru closed his eyes.
Talent?
Or something far deeper?
Before he could reflect, a new message appeared on the screen:
"Round 2 – Kaoru Shimizu (2375) vs. Akihiko Saito (2640)"
Kaoru walked back toward the arena, his gaze sharp and calculating.
The second opponent was already waiting at the central board.
Akihiko Saito.
Kaoru recognized him immediately.
One of Takamura’s top regional players. His style was solid, methodical, defensive—an impenetrable wall.
The young man with dark hair and thin glasses lifted his eyes when Kaoru approached.
Akihiko: (adjusting his glasses, analyzing Kaoru from head to toe) "So, you’re the forgotten prodigy?"
Kaoru didn’t answer. He simply pulled out his chair and sat down in front of the board.
The clock was adjusted.
The referee raised his hand.
Referee: "Round 2 – Begin!"
Akihiko gave a slight smile and made his first move.
d4.
Kaoru’s brain reacted instantly, scanning hundreds of possibilities in mere fractions of a second.
The arena fell into absolute silence.
The two players advanced their pieces, each move filled with invisible tension.
For the first time, Kaoru felt real resistance.
Akihiko wasn’t like Kenji.
He anticipated every attack, neutralizing every threat, turning the game into a battle of patience and precision.
Tick. Tock.
Kaoru leaned slightly forward, his gaze now completely locked onto the board.
He couldn’t lose here.
Checkmate had to be inevitable.
Kurogane Academy – Student Council Room
On the council’s central screen, the Regional Championship matches were being broadcast live.
Student Council President Souta Kazami watched in silence, his eyes fixed on Kaoru’s board.
Riku Asano: (leaning against the desk, watching the screen) "This Kaoru… wasn’t he supposed to be a beginner?"
Mizuki Hayashi: (checking the data on a tablet) "According to his history, he hasn’t had any recorded games for years. But… he’s facing Akihiko like he’s at the top of the ranking."
Souta said nothing.
He just narrowed his eyes, feeling that intense aura again.
"This guy..."
"...he's different."
Kaoru felt every muscle in his body tense.
The last moves had turned the game into a warzone of controlled chaos.
The audience’s perception shifted.
Before, they saw a mysterious stranger.
Now, they saw a potential future champion.
Akihiko adjusted his glasses and gave a slight smile.
Akihiko: "Interesting. You play as if you have real experience."
Kaoru didn’t answer.
He moved his queen.
The air seemed to grow heavier.
Akihiko stopped.
For the first time, his smile vanished.
The audience held their breath.
The arena’s monitors highlighted the game’s new status:
"Kaoru Shimizu – Decisive Advantage."
Kaoru didn’t blink, his mind working like a machine.
Then, he made the final move.
Checkmate.
The hall erupted into murmurs of shock.
The referee confirmed.
Referee: "Victory for Kaoru Shimizu!"
Akihiko let out a soft sigh and relaxed his posture, closing his eyes for a moment.
When he looked back at Kaoru, something had changed in his expression.
Respect.
Akihiko stood up and extended his hand.
Kaoru stared at it for a second before shaking it.
The tension in the Takamura Dome was at its peak.
The last round of the tournament was about to begin.
Kaoru Shimizu, the mysterious player who had emerged out of nowhere, had already defeated some of the best regional competitors.
But now, standing in front of him was his greatest challenge yet.
Kenji Makabe – Rating 2900.
A known master-level player in Japan.
A rival far superior to Alex and Akihiko.
As Kaoru walked to the board, he could feel the weight of the moment pressing down on him.
Kenji, a tall young man with short dark hair and an air of quiet confidence, was already seated.
When Kaoru approached, Kenji slowly lifted his gaze and smirked.
Kenji: (calmly) "I heard you've been making waves in this tournament."
Kaoru remained silent.
Kenji leaned slightly forward.
Kenji: (mocking tone) "But don't get ahead of yourself, kid. Talent is one thing. Experience is another."
Kaoru simply pulled out his chair and sat down.
The referee approached, adjusting the clocks.
The lights in the arena dimmed slightly, focusing all attention on the two players.
The audience was completely silent.
This was the final battle.
Kenji stretched his fingers and, with a confident smile, moved his first piece.
1. d4.
Kaoru narrowed his eyes slightly.
And then, his mind entered the game.
Kaoru analyzed the board like a machine.
Kenji was an aggressive and precise player.
His moves were powerful, well-calculated, and merciless.
Kaoru countered with sharp, elegant plays, dismantling Kenji’s early attacks.
The match became a battlefield of intellect, patience, and endurance.
Move after move, the board turned into a maze of traps and counters.
The audience watched in awe, completely captivated.
Somewhere in the crowd, Haruto Nakamura observed in silence.
A smile formed on his lips.
Haruto: (thinking to himself) "He's playing at a level beyond what anyone expected..."
Even Kenji started feeling the pressure.
His fingers hesitated for the first time.
The game had reached a critical point.
Kaoru made his final move.
A quiet yet deadly maneuver.
The moment Kenji saw it, his expression completely changed.
His body tensed.
His eyes widened.
The realization hit him like a truck.
Checkmate.
A deep silence fell over the arena.
Then—
The audience exploded into murmurs and applause.
The referee raised his hand.
Referee: "Victory for Kaoru Shimizu!"
Kenji leaned back in his chair, exhaling deeply.
For the first time in years, he had tasted true defeat.
Slowly, he looked at Kaoru.
Kenji's arrogance was gone.
He extended his hand.
Kenji: (smirking slightly) "I underestimated you. That won’t happen next time."
Kaoru paused for a moment, then shook his hand.
There was no need for words.
Both understood.
A new rivalry had just been born.
Kenji left the arena in silence, but something inside him had changed.
He looked at the screen displaying the rankings.
Kaoru Shimizu – 2600
Kenji Makabe – Eliminated
He smirked.
"Next time, I will win."
On the other side of the arena, hidden in the shadows of the stands, a figure observed Kaoru in silence.
His eyes gleamed with a dangerous interest.
Kaoru’s phone vibrated.
CODE: "Congratulations, Kaoru. Your rating is now 2600. You have advanced to the final stage of the Regional Championship."
He exhaled slowly, closing his eyes for a moment.
But before he could relax, a new message appeared.
CODE: "Your next opponent has been determined."
Kaoru opened the notification.
His eyes widened slightly.
On the screen, a single name appeared:
"Final Round – Kaoru Shimizu (2600) vs. ???? (3000)"
Kaoru frowned.
Kaoru: "CODE, why doesn’t the player’s name appear?"
CODE: (Loading...) "Because he has no public profile on OME. Only his rating is visible."
Kaoru felt a slight chill.
"Who is this guy?"
And then, he smiled.
And that concludes Chapter 2 – The Return of the King!
Kaoru Shimizu has officially re-entered the world of chess, and his presence has already begun to shake the foundations of the game. His flawless victories, his growing reputation, and the emergence of a mysterious challenger all set the stage for what’s coming next.
?? Key Takeaways from This Chapter:?? Kaoru’s reawakening – His instincts and talent never faded; they were simply waiting for the right moment.?? Kenji Makabe’s defeat – A new rivalry is born, but will Kenji seek revenge?? The mysterious 3000-rated player – Who is he? And why does he have no public record?? The road to the International Championship – Kaoru’s next step will determine his future.
This is just the beginning of Kaoru’s rise. With new enemies lurking in the shadows and the highest levels of chess taking notice, the stakes are about to reach an entirely new level.
What did you think of the chapter? Who do you think the mystery player is? Let me know your thoughts!
?? See you in Chapter 3. The game is far from over.