"Well, this is a rather interesting world." David said.
"Yeah. It looks like we're in some sort of castle." Akira said. "The layout looks like something from a chessboard."
"Wait, you know about chess?" David asked.
"Well, when you're a member of the Flux Family, you tend to go to a lot of places." Akira said.
"In Japan, that's called Shogi. The pieces are pretty much the same, but the rules are a little different." Tsubaki said. "He seems like a master of his craft."
"A champion-level player, huh? He must be really skilled." Maiko said.
"I'd bet he is. It was a real nail-biter when I beat Hifumi Togo in Shogi. I can't imagine how good this guy is." David said.
"Come on, David. You're a champion player, too, you know." Maiko said.
"Yeah… In Tennis. Athletics are where I shine the most. But even I don't win all the time. Not that I really mind. Each match is a learning experience for me. When I first played Buddyfight, I was a nervous wreck. I wasn't really sure if I was making certain moves right." David said. "It wasn't until later on that I was able to find my footing in the game."
"Because you grew as a player the more matches you play, right?" Sachiko asked.
"Exactly! No one is born a master at anything. You have to work your way from the ground up. That's how I got where I am today." David said.
"I think I can understand why Revali took a liking to you. I think he was pretty much the same way." Sachiko said.
"That's right. He wasn't born to a royal position like the other Champions. He had to work up his skills from the bottom just to match up with them. From what I heard, it was sometimes to the point of running himself ragged." David said. "So even though he tends to be boastful about his skills, I am able to tolerate it because I saw a little bit of myself in him. Someone who worked to get the skills he got instead of handed to them on a silver platter. I hope he doesn't go overboard with his talk when he catches up with the others."
"I wouldn't worry about that. I'm pretty sure he has the humility to admit that kind of stuff now." Tatsuya said.
The class soon reach the end of the zone where they see a man named Cal Suresh, who won many awards from his mastery of the game of chess. However, he was soon challenged by another player and lost. Unable to accept his defeat, he turns into a king-like figure with a castle for a body and floating hands.
"Wow… He did not take his loss well, didn't he?" Aruma asked.
"Some people don't take losing well, unfortunately." Balan said.
"Yeah, some of us know that better than anyone." David said. "But if he was hopped up about that loss, then… Oh-ho-ho-ho, this one is really going to sting."
The group goes into battle with Cal and managed to defeat him.
"Damn… I'm not sure which defeat feels worse." Cal said.
"Probably not this one." David said. "Listen, man. I know how it feels to be on a competitive streak."
"I was a champion chess player, the best of the best. One loss, and then… My entire world crumbled." Cal said.
"Yeah… I can guess that. When I… WE lost our world, I thought I had lost everything, even my passion for tennis. Some of the losses I took in my early adventuring days even shot my morale a little bit. But a good friend of mine managed to help me get my mojo back, and… Eventually, my team and I became Olympic champions! Who would've thought, huh?" David asked.
"You must've had strong allies if you were to become champions of a big competition like that." Cal said with a smile.
"I sure did. I wouldn't have been at the pinnacle of my life if I didn't have them to back me up. When I got back into sports, I didn't think in a million years that I would be able to compete on that stage. And now, I can look back on it knowing that I've made it. My life couldn't get any better than that. And I made it, because no matter how hard things got, I never stopped improving." David said.
"Never stop improving… Heh. To think that a young man like yourself could convince me to get back into chess again. I guess even someone like me still has a lot to learn." Cal said. He picked up the white king piece before he sees a kid picking up his other pieces, as if asking him for a match. Cal accepts and the two played the game. The boy was struggling on his next move. Cal sees this, and taps the white queen piece, prompting the boy to make the move and call checkmate. Cal didn't mind losing this time, however, as he got to teach others how to play chess, thus inspiring a new generation of champions.
"Oh wow… That was so moving…" Eri said as she held back tears.
"I tell you, Dave. You've got a heart of gold, doesn't matter what other people say." Tatsuya said.
"Indeed. It takes a certain kind of champion to be a master of their craft. But it takes another to inspire others." Balan said.
"Yes. No matter how good you are, you can't expect to win every single competition you compete in. I know that now. I even lost a few times myself." David said. "But every match is a learning experience, so no matter if you win or lose, you never stop improving from it. That's how true champions are made."
"Well said, young Ishihara. Spoken like a true Olympic champion." Balan said with a big smile.