Having lost the match, Daichi drooped his head down in shame from having been beaten despite being a Colonel. Hideki took this chance to console him as a fellow Japanese.

"Don't take it to heart, Colonel Aoyama." he said to the demoralized colonel, "The Japanese Army had only been reinstated after decades of demilitarization. It was a good shot, but thinking about Senior's age, I wouldn't be surprised if the Flame utilized his experiences."

"He's right, you know." added the flame-enveloped Cavaron, "You wanna know how old this fucknut is? Exactly 826. Out of those, he had been in and out of conflict for 806 years."

Daichi's jaw slackened at this revelation, "How... how the hell was I supposed to even go against an old veteran?"

"Chance? Haha!" replied the flame-enveloped Cavaron, "Which was why I offered this game. Take the risk for a bit of fun in exchange for... freedom. Quite better than chess, wouldn't you agree? Simulates war quite closely. Able to create a ruse to trick your enemy, maneuvering of specialized squads, setting up effective defenses, or just plain mass offensives of infantry. Infantry is, after all, the lifeblood of any military organization."

Daichi looked at the board one last time. Staring at the remaining pieces, he returned his gaze at the flame-enveloped Cavaron. Finally, he stood up straight, and bowed towards his opponent. This made the flame-enveloped Cavaron smile a bit.

"Thank you for the experience." said Daichi, "I have learned much from you, and from this game."

"Heh, no wonder why 'He' likes folks like you." commented the flame-enveloped Cavaron, "Haha! Well, then. Time for the next challenger?"

...

"How was it?" asked Yggdrasil.

Hideki and Daichi had returned to the conscious world. With them were the very same people brought by Yggdrasil: Maguro, Aimi, Aomi, Aiko, and the three midget Cavarons. Daichi had a refreshing smile when he met them.

"Complete and utter defeat." replied Daichi while scratching his cheek and laughing dryly, "I didn't think he'd be THAT old, though. Figures, I doubt I could beat him the way I currently am."

The people around him were confused at his attitude. He seemed as if he had gone through a worthwhile experience despite his defeat.

"What did you do, exactly, Papa?" asked Aimi.

"Well, it was a board game similar to chess." he answered, "Although, its mechanics were..."

Daichi relayed to the others what had transpired within Cavaron's subconsciousness. While listening, Yggdrasil realized something by the time Daichi finished his story.

"That's an unexpected game." he commented, "I didn't think he'd actually know how to play Game of the Generals."

"That's the name?" wondered Daichi, "Huh, that's an appropriate name for such. What is the origin? He said that it was from this world."

"It's a board game of, ironically, Philippine origin." answered Yggdrasil, "Locally, it is called 'Salpakan'. I wonder if it's a coincidence seeing as Alexander Dalaram is a Filipino as well."

"Well, who's going next?" asked Maguro.

Everybody turned to him for an answer.

"M-me?" stuttered Maguro as he pointed to himself, "Sorry, I know nothing about strategy and tactics. I'm just a support class character."

"You really used a game lingo, Sensei?" interjected Aimi.

"Well, it's true." replied Maguro, "I'm just a medic, a priest, a healer so to speak."

"Nah, you're more of a Witch Doctor." argued Yggdrasil, "A healer with a shamanic twist with the buffs you fling at your allies."

Aimi's and Aiko's jaws slackened when they heard this exchange.

"Yep, definitely Terrans." commented Aimi.
"How do two old men know this much?" commented Aiko.

Maguro and Yggdrasil turned their heads at the two girls.

"Same reason as Cavaron." answered Maguro.

"You learn a lot when you know how to spend a long life." answered Yggdrasil.

"Um, we're burning daylight, if it's still day out." interjected Daichi, "We still need to figure out who will be the next challenger."

...

"Hoho~ now this is a surprise." said the flame-enveloped Cavaron, "I didn't expect a cutie to go up against me."

The next challenger to be seated before him was a young Japanese woman. The woman blushed as she heard his "compliment" to her. Well, what with having such a petite figure with a modest bust while wearing a tank top and fatigues. It was Aiko Tanaka, Sergeant Major of the Japanese Army's CTF-143 contingent.

"Yeah, yeah. You're still a freak." replied Aiko, "Both of your 'selves'."

"Touchy, I like you." smiled the flame-enveloped Cavaron, "Haha! Well, do I need to explain the rules?"

"Just play." answered Aiko.

...

Yggdrasil and the others surrounded three unconscious bodies: Cavaron's, Hideki's, and Aiko's. They eagerly awaited the results despite being unable to help themselves or do something worthwhile.

"Papa, how confident are you with Ms. Tanaka?" asked Aimi.

"Not too sure." answered Daichi, "Recalling what she said, I might have to look at her previous records for a clue. Do you mind, er, Master Yggdrasil?"

"Ah, go on." said Yggdrasil, "Not that I can do anything else to you having gone this deep. Well, it's just communication magic. Do be careful when conversing with us in public, though."

"Er, thank you." said Daichi, "Well, Aimi. I'm going back to base for a while. Here, by the way, your phone. You left it when you 'disappeared'. Call me when something happens."

Daichi and the others waved farewell to one another. Having been left behind, the remaining persons awaited the results of Aiko's match.

...

Game piece reference:


The flame-enveloped Cavaron used the same formation of pieces as he did against Daichi. Aiko, however, filled the seven central columns and all three rows with her pieces. This left only her outermost pieces, not blocked by the borders, with room to move. Once more, the two-colored coin appeared on the table, and flipped high up before landing with the black side facing up.

"Guess I'm first." said the flame-enveloped Cavaron, "Try not to die early."

The first turn passed quietly without incident. So did the second up until the seventh turn. By the seventh turn, the entire middle rows were filled up with pieces. Black and white pieces were literally facing-off one another. Just one move going forward would determine the battles to be had in the following turns.

"This is interesting." commented the flame-enveloped Cavaron, "Shall I begin the first duel?"

"Go ahead." replied Aiko with a smile.

"Damn, you should smile more. Haha!" complimented the flame-enveloped Cavaron.

The first to attack was a black Maj going into a white occupied space. The black Maj went up in flames. The result did not faze the flame-enveloped Cavaron and merely awaited Aiko's move. Aiko moved a white piece onto a black Pvt sending both in flames. This exchange continued for another six turns until there were only a black 5G, a black 2L, and four white pieces left in the middle rows. The black pieces were side by side, sandwiched between the four white pieces.

"Hmm, this has gone too quiet." commented the flame-enveloped Cavaron, "Want to step it up? Eh?"

The flame-enveloped Cavaron noticed something strange with Aiko. She just stared unblinkingly on the game board with a strange glint in her eyes. The flame-enveloped Cavaron smiled.

"Fine then." he said, "All in."

The black 5G moved to attack the white piece beside it, and the white piece went up in flames. Aiko had the other white piece challenge the black 2L, and the white piece was eliminated. Black 5G moved to eliminate the next white piece, and successfully eliminated it. In turn, a white piece from the back moved forward. For the next seven turns, the next white rank moved up to challenge the remaining black pieces.

Seemingly undaunted by her losses, Aiko moved like clockwork. Each move done by the flame-enveloped Cavaron was answered by her move a moment later. Unhindered, undeterred, the white pieces mindlessly charged forward. So did the black 5G, awaiting only its death at the hands of either a white Spy or white 5G.

Thoughtlessness flooded both their minds, only the motors of their bodies and base wills of their selves danced and directed the pieces towards their deaths. By the eighth turn after the first rank was lost, a close victory was achieved by the second ranks with only five black pieces and 8 white pieces remaining in the four middle rows.

The black 5G held the vanguard with two black Pvts, a black Spy, and a black Capt. These five were surrounded by eight white pieces. By the next turn, the black 5G moved to challenge the lone white piece before it. Finally, the Raging Black Bull had retired with it going in flames from challenging a white Spy. Only, instead of a boisterous reaction, the flame-enveloped Cavaron quietly smiled.

Another white piece challenged a black Pvt, and both went in flames. The black Capt moved forward to a white piece and it went up in flames. A white piece attacked the other black private, and eliminated it. With all but the black Spy remaining in the middle, it freely devoured all six remaining pieces apart from the white Spy that, with Aiko's turn, sent the white Spy to suicide with the black Spy.

"Time for the final gamble." said Aiko. She finally looked up at the flame-enveloped Cavaron with the same smile, but her eyes with lit up with a strange, well, flame. This piqued the interest of the flame-enveloped Cavaron.

"Yeah, I was right to like you." he said, "Forget about systems and theories, eh?"

"Just attack." replied Aiko, "All in, after all."

"All in."

The final ranks of both black and white pieces moved up over the next 14 turns. Seven black pieces facing off seven white pieces, including both black and white Flags. Now, the flame-enveloped Cavaron gave an offer.

"Obviously, this would be the clincher." he said, "How about we jumble the remaining pieces and have them face down, eh? Arrange them all in a line facing down, and leave it all to chance."

Aiko spared no thought, "Go ahead."

The pieces immediately faced down, hiding their identities. The flame-enveloped Cavaron and Aiko each lined up their pieces in a seemingly different formation from before in the middle lines. After this, flames shot forth one after another, turn after turn, until only two black pieces and two white pieces remained. With only one or two more moves, the victor will then be determined.

...

"Rrrrng... Rrrrng..." rang Aimi's phone.

"Hello, Papa?" she answered, "Is there something you need?"

On the other side of the line was Daichi. Back in the base, he was inside an office filled with shelves, computers, and paperwork's. Alone on the phone, he had a phone in one hand and a folder in the other.

"Ah, yeah. It's about Ms. Tanaka." said Daichi, "I was looking through the Army's archives and found a report regarding her."

"What did you find?" asked Aimi.

"Turns out that the Tanaka family was well-known for being a family of chess, er, shougi players in their prefecture." he replied, "And Ms. Tanaka there was well-known for suicide rushes. Sending all of her pieces forward without a care in the world. With the Game of the Generals' rules, you can expect to see a ton of flames erupting from the board. It earned her the infamy of having equal victories and defeats for every game she had gone through. Fortunately, it hasn't carried over to real life being in the army and all. I would hate to see her waste the lives of our soldiers, and would hope that it will only remain to be such within a game board."

---------------------

Cliff?