Claudia had a headache right now.
Honestly, if there was one person she wanted to et the least in this tournant, it would be dina. Not only was the older woman currently in her pri, but she was also the best version of a player that Claudia wanted to aim for.
Yeah, in her mind, dina was the ideal player she could beco. The woman was good at positional warfare, a beast in the endga, yet sharp in a tactical battle. More than that, she was flexible, could change her weapon at any ti she liked, depending on the situation.
That was the ability that Claudia had been learning for, and while the little girl had t a little success here, that didn't an she was satisfied with the result.
So, yeah, Claudia was basically a lesser version of dina, and when she had to face the older woman, the girl sohow wilted, feeling her confidence seep away from her body.
It didn't help that Laysa just mocked her relentlessly, pitying her for having to face the final boss so early. Honestly, that girl was so infuriating, yet Claudia didn't have anyone to bla but herself here. After all, before this, she also did the sa, even more cruel than she thought she would sound like.
"Don't worry, Ia, just stay calm and show the best version of yourself. You have trained so hard in the last couple of months, try to show Sister dina your results."
Well, that was what her sister said, and indeed, rembering how hard she trained, the girl gained a little tidbit of her confidence back, even for a mont. However, the mont she sat on her chair, the mont she t dina's sharp glance, that confidence evaporated in the air imdiately, leaving only her cowardly side as she gulped in nervousness.
"Um… Sister dina… Can you not glare at like that?" She asked timidly. It would be a lie if she said that she wasn't intimidated here.
"What? Don't tell that you cannot handle this little pressure?" dina just chuckled, arms folding in front of her chest. "You need to grow so spines, Ia. Well, not just you, but also your sister and Laysa, you three are always timid whenever you et soone you deem superior to you, always thinking about how to back down unconsciously against the opponent you thought was stronger than you. Honestly, with how hard Sheva trained you, I thought this problem would be solved. It seems I am still wrong here."
Claudia had a sweat drop on her face, not expecting to get berated out of nowhere like this. She also wanted to complain, because the girl felt like her results against the opponents rated higher than her were quite good in the last couple of tournants she played. However, one simple glance from the older woman was enough to shut her up instantly.
'Urgh… With that kind of temper, how could she find a boyfriend in the future?' She grumbled inwardly.
"What? Are you thinking badly about , Ia?" dina smiled sweetly, but it only frightened the girl more.
"N—No, S—Sister! Just thinking about the ga!" She shook her head hastily, not wanting to invite the woman's wrath before the ga began.
It was the second day of the tournant, and unlike yesterday, when the ga was played quite late, this ti, the venue was packed with people already before it was 9 in the morning. This was the first double-header of the tournant, and even though the tournant was still far from climax, a lot of chess enthusiasts had co here, taking a photo with so players and even wanting to strike up a conversation with their idols.
Of course, as the best player in the tournant and also the biggest superstar in the country, the main focus fell on Sheva's hand, as right now, the boy was surrounded by so many young kids, all of them eager to chat or take a photo.
Claudia had to give a hat's off to the boy here. She could still rember how awkward Sheva was whenever he was being surrounded like this a few months ago, yet now, everything ca so naturally as if he was a real big player.
'Oh, wait! He is indeed a big player right now!' She slapped her forehead in exasperation.
dina also sighed helplessly at the scene unfolding in front of her eyes right now. There was no jealousy in her eyes, only lancholy as she rembered the past.
'Who would've thought that he would rise so high and leave us to the dust like this… Dang, I still rember how fearless he was in challenging everyone before the Olympiad began. I should've known at that point that his ceiling would be higher than anyone else in that room…'
Well, that lancholic feeling didn't last long, and soon enough, it was replaced by annoyance. 'Why wouldn't anyone stop them?! Didn't the security team or the arbiter team notice how uncomfortable he is? Also, it is five minutes away from the ga, get all those bystanders out of this place!'
Fortunately, a mont later, the security team started to calm things down, and within a second, Sheva finally managed to escape from the crowd. Looking at the boy sighing in relief, both dina and Claudia couldn't help but also do the sa here, and then, they were taken aback by their sudden action.
'Wait, why would I worry about him that much?'
It would've been funnier if they could look at each other's expressions right now. However, before any of them could think about it further, the alarm suddenly rang, and all the players who were still wandering around rushed hurriedly to go back to their assigned table, not wanting to be late to start the ga.
Both dina and Claudia also did the sa. They shook their head quickly, trying to banish any unimportant thought from their mind. Once their eyes t again, a handshake was ford, and one last conversation was necessary here.
"Show your progress, girl."
"Don't worry, Sister. Just sit still and watch how I beat you!"
And right after that, the first move was made, signalling that the second round of the tournant finally started.
-Author's note-
Hey, everyone! Thank you for supporting my story! I have written a new one with the hope of getting a contract for that story as well, the title is 'The Rise of the Iron Wall!'. It is a football story, so if you like, please give your support by adding it to your collection and giving your power stone to that story! Thanks!
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