Not soon after his shogi craze, Totsuka Tatara picks up chess.


"Totsuka-san, why chess?"

When Yata asks him that question, most likely to distract him from asking for yet another chess match, Tatara's already long prepared his answer. Smiling as he sweeps the chessboard and clears up the red and pink remnants of their previous game, Tatara answers, "Well, don't you think life is like a chessboard?" He picks one piece up and holds it out. "For example, this is King."

"Totsuka-san, you're holding the queen," Yata says very bluntly.

He nods. "Exactly! King is the queen!" At Yata's blank expression, Tatara laughs and explains, "The queen is the most powerful piece, moving wherever she wants without care, only bound by the constraints of the games' rules!"

Izumo snorts from behind his counter. "If Mikoto heard you say that..."

"Oh, I've already told King."

The other members of Homra look at him with mixed surprise and admiration but Tatara only continues to set the chessboard as he calls out the names of his companions, "Yata and Fushimi are the knights. Kusanagi-san and Anna are the bishops-"

"Wait, what about you, Totsuka-san?" Yata interrupts, leaning in to look at the remaining pieces. "I know! You're the king!"

"Eh?" Tatara blinks, cocking his head to the side. "Yata, why do you say that?"

"Because Totsuka-san really is too weak!" Yata shouts and continues, "But that's okay, Totsuka-san, because we'll protect you! Nobody can get past us to get at you!"

Tatara's smile turns somewhat troubled.


"You know, you never answered," Izumo says later when the rest have gone home and it's just the two of them, one cleaning up and the other watching him clean.

In the middle of putting the chessboard away, Tatara looks up. "Answered?"

"Which piece you are, of course."

Tatara smiles. "When you're this serious about it, Kusanagi-san, it's kind of embarrassing."

"Now you're just trying to stall."

Laughing again, Tatara moves closer the counter with chessboard in hand. "So," he starts curiously, "what do you see me as?"

"I did ask you first." Though Izumo sighs, he still goes on to say, "Yata-chan's right. You're-"

"How cruel! Being called weak still hurts me, Kusanagi-san," Tatara interjects in mild protest.

"I was going to say," Izumo continues, "you're a pillar of Homra. If the king is lost, the chess game is lost, isn't it? That's why, we can't do without you, Totsuka. You're one of us."

When Tatara doesn't respond immediately, Izumo just smiles and waits. After a few more seconds of silence, Tatara finally strains out, "Kusanagi-san, that's too much."

Izumo grins. "If you disagree and Mikoto is the queen, what is your king?"

"Of course it's Homra!"

Izumo smiles at that and shakes his head. "What has to be protected, huh?" He pulls the chessboard from Tatara's hands and lays it down on the counter. "Then, Totsuka, which piece are you?"


"Anna is a bishop and King is the queen! Because King is the most powerful one and Anna is always by King's side, see?" Explaining his analogy for the third time, Tatara beams at Mikoto before turning back to look at Anna.

Anna doesn't hesitate as she asks, "What about Tatara?"

"Me? This one!"

Anna's wide eyes study the red pawn in Tatara's fingers.

Mikoto's scowl deepens. "You..."

"Don't make that face at me, King. I'm-"

"I understand," Anna suddenly says, "the pawn can change. Become anyone's strength. Just like Tatara."

Tatara stops. He and Mikoto both turn to look at Anna, who only just gazes straight at Tatara.

"Isn't it?" she asks.

"...I've lost to you too, Anna," Tatara says. As Mikoto snorts in amusement, Tatara can only smile.


But then King plays his chess like he plays shogi without care for his own king and Totsuka Tatara decides it's time to stop.