The Olympic Village was quiet late at night; only the light from Kaito's room remained on.
He was reflecting intensely on the tactical screen, noting the data from today's match on the tablet with his finger.
"Studying tactics at this stage shows that you are a very dedicated person"
A voice tinged with a smile came from the door.
Zenyatta was there, having appeared a while ago without being seen.
Her deep purple training outfit accentuated her tall and elegant figure.
She held a delicate chessboard in her hands, with a slight smile on her lips.
"Ms. Zenyatta?"
Kaito stood up, slightly surprised.
"Call me Zenyatta"
She entered the room naturally and placed the chessboard on the coffee table.
"That defensive maneuver where you changed lanes at the end of today's race was very interesting, I was wondering what would have happened if I had opted to force a breakthrough at that moment"
Kaito noticed that her eyes shone slightly as she spoke, a look possessed only by those who truly love competition.
"Do you feel like a game?"
Zenyatta arranged the pieces delicately.
"A game of chess is like an Umas race; it better reveals a person's true intentions"
Kaito sat across from her.
"It seems you won't give up today unless I play this game with you"
"You're right"
Said Zenyatta, raising her chin with a gesture that made her look both proud and charming.
"I never like to leave mysteries unsolved"
The game began with Zenyatta taking the white pieces and moving first.
Her initial offensive was aggressive, just like her racing style on the track.
"You know?"
She said, moving a 'Knight' piece.
"That when you blocked my final sprint today, I was actually very angry"
Kaito moved a 'Knight' in defense.
"I noticed, your eyes seemed to want to devour me"
"I still think so"
Said Zenyatta with a little giggle, but her gaze was piercing.
"However, I changed my mind, instead of defeating you, I prefer to understand you first"
In the middle phase of the game, the battle became fierce.
Every movement of Zenyatta reflected a strong personal style, with offensives following one after another.
"Are you always so aggressive?"
Asked Kaito without being able to help himself.
"It's my style"
Zenyatta captured one of Kaito's "Pawn" pieces.
"It's either total victory or total defeat, I don't like moderation"
Kaito reflected for a moment and hit the nail on the head.
"But in Umas racing it's not just about winning or losing, sometimes, understanding your opponent is more important than defeating them"
Zenyatta stared at the board for a long time before finally showing an expression of understanding.
"I see... So your defense today was actually testing my usual reactions?"
"You figured it out"
Kaito smiled.
"You were too focused on the attack and neglected the details of the defense"
As the game entered its final phase, Kaito gradually gained the advantage.
Zenyatta frowned even more, but her eyes shone with greater intensity.
"Interesting..."
She murmured to herself.
"No one had ever pressured me so much in a game of chess"
Finally, Kaito secured the victory with a "Knight-Cannon Control"
Zenyatta stared at the board for three full minutes before bursting into laughter.
"I lost, but I accept defeat without reservations"
She stood up and held out her hand to Kaito
"Let's introduce ourselves again, I am Zenyatta, a competitor who is learning to better understand her opponents"
Kaito shook her hand.
"Kaito... I'm glad to meet a rival willing to reflect after a competition"
"It's more than just a simple reflection"
Said Zenyatta seriously.
"I also want to know if you would be willing to study new tactics with me during tomorrow's training, I think we could learn a lot from each other"
...
The next morning, when the two appeared together on the training field, the other competitors were surprised.
Narita Taishin even came running over.
"Since when have you two become so close?"
Zenyatta elegantly adjusted her training gloves.
"I simply found an opponent worthy of respect"
Justify arched an eyebrow.
"I heard you play chess until late at night?"
"Compared to that"
Zenyatta turned to Kaito with a defiant spark in her eyes.
"How about we go to the track right now and try the new tactics I thought of last night?"
Kaito nodded.
"That suits me perfectly"
Seeing them walking toward the track, Narita Taishin nudged Justify on the shoulder.
"It seems the next races are going to be much more interesting"
Justify smiled.
"Yes, the best rivals often become the best partners"
The sunlight flooded the track and a new day of training was about to begin.