Ryuuou no Oshigoto! Volume 1 Chapter 5 Afterword,...

Day before the Test

"I heard that USJ will be building a new attraction." (TN: USJ, Universal Studios j.a.pan).

I could hear anedeshi's voice and electronic sounds inside the shogi room of the a.s.sociation's third floor.

Pi…pi, pi, peep.

"Oh."

Pach. Tak! I carelessly answered as I moved my piece, and pressed the switch of the chess clock.

We had fifteen minutes of allocated time each. It's a practice match where if the time ran out, we had a time limit of thirty seconds.

"I heard the girls discuss this in cla.s.s. Heard it's fun."

Pach. Tak. Anedeshi quickly moved her piece, and pressed the switch of the chess clock.

It's the period after the ranking matches ended, a long Spring Break for the shogi world. There were few matches, so Anedeshi and I were the only ones in the shogi room. It's the third day of the punishment-like, supplementary lessons-like practice matches.

"Hm…"

I moaned as I made a move. We're talking, but the purpose was to pace ourselves; we weren't paying attention to the conversation at all.

Speaking of USJ, Anedeshi and I would rather head to a street dojo or a KTV to play shogi. We get to eat and drink in the dojo, and n.o.body will protest no matter the loud noises made; it's the best place for us to play shogi, and I had no issues with playing shogi there for the night.

"About tomorrow…"

Pach. Tak.

"What?"

Pach. Tak.

"Yaichi, do you have any plans?

"I have nothing, personally—"

Both of ran were playing with thirty seconds. I read her move, and lazily answered,

"But it's my disciple's Research Group Test tomorrow."

PACH! BAM!

Anedeshi made her move, and let out a loud thud. The clock wasn't wrecked though. She's pumped up for this.

"…So?"

"No, well, I thought I should accompany her."

Pach. Tak.

"Aren't you being too overprotective?"

"You're right. Our Ai here should be able to enter the Research Group easily."

Anedeshi's hand stopped as it reached for the shogi board, and she was clenching her fists. The countdown began.

"I do have a responsibility to take care of her, and I don't have anything to do at home anyway. I can't think of any other places to go to, and even so, I don't have anyone to go with (wry smile)."

Pi, Pi, Pi—

"But in the end, I really can't get sick of looking at my disciple when she's so cute."

Piiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii—

The chess clock let out a loud warning.

Time's up.

"Erm…Anedeshi? Time's up…"

"I know."

Anedeshi nonchalantly stood up despite losing due to running out of time.

I understood what this meant.

At this point…Anedeshi's utterly fuming.

What happened? Did I say something to anger her? I just mentioned my schedule for the next day…?

"Anedeshi? Do you have anything tomorrow?"

"Work."

Once she coldly said this, the proud Princess left the room.

Work on the weekday? Some event for the Women's Shogi a.s.sociation? I thought she would put shogi studying as priority, and wouldn't partic.i.p.ate in such events often…

"Well, it's useless to be wondering about it."

I packed up, and left the room too.

I arrived at the dojo on the second floor, and saw Ai ask someone to record the match result.

"Ah, master!"

"How's your record today?"

Ai grinned as she raised four fingers. Four straight wins, huh.

I guess it's ideal that she kept this winning feeling up. There's still some time to noon, but since it was the perfect timing, I decided to end things here for the day.

"Let's have some pork fillet at 'Twelve' before going home."

"Wahh!! Eating out!"

I intended to head to the Restaurant on the first floor of the a.s.sociation for our meal to cheer her on, but once we got down, some people entered the hall.

A middle-aged man and woman…probably younger than that, a couple.

They were dressed formally. I might be rude to shogi fans here, but they did not seem to be the type who would show up at the dojo to play shogi.

"h.e.l.lo, how may I a.s.sist you?"

Shogi players are basically in the service industry. I showed a gentleman's smile, asking them.

They widened their eyes as they looked at me.

But once they saw the disciple climbing down the stairs behind me, they were left stunned, and cried out in unison,

""Ai!""

And so Ai, who was called out—

"Papa!? M-mama!?"

…Eh?

Ai's Parents

It's a man with the flair of an ancient warrior.

"Takashi Hinatsuru."

We're in the restaurant 'Twelve' on the first floor—

Unlike their energetic daughter, the parents facing me from across the table were giving off an ominous atmosphere, so heavy that it's terrifying…

"…Papa's the chef in the inn."

"…Oh."

Hina, seated next to me, whispered.

This 'professional' looking father sure seemed similar to Master Kiyotaki in some sense. Of course, I'm not talking about how he peed through the window of the arena. Well, it's the presence they carry, I guess?

"Kuzuryuu-sensei, thank you for your great support during the Dragon King match."

"I-it's nothing. I too want to thank…"

"I was in the kitchen, so I apologize for neglecting to greet you. Congratulations on being the youngest Ryuuou in history. And my daughter here has caused you trouble. I really do not know how to offer my sincere apologies."

He bowed deeply, and I couldn't help but wince. It just felt awkward, like I'm letting master apologize to me…

But the really awkward part came later on.

"Akina Hinatsuru."

Following that was Ai's mother.

"I am the lady boss of 'Hinatsuru'. We have been in your care along with the many people of the shogi world during the Dragon King match, Kuzuryuu-sensei."

The lady boss was a beauty, of the exact same mold as Ai…but with manners and an ominous presence. Her words were filled with spite, and a chill ran up my spine.

The final round of the Dragon King match which I won my t.i.tle—

The match was held over two days, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Every person involved in j.a.pan who deemed shogi to be more important than Christmas, and partic.i.p.ated in the final t.i.tle match of the year.

There was no way the celebratory part would not be a mess.

"I am…shogi!!" My drunk master suddenly said such ridiculous words, and for some reason, started stripping his bathrobes and went fully naked. I too was completely stripped naked, and the young shogi players of Kansai who came to support went out to the hall completely naked, playing naked shogi. The reporters who came to telecast excitedly uploaded the footages onto the internet, and created a ma.s.sive commotion (TN: This drunk master is channelling his inner Setsuna F. Seiei with the "I am Gundam" Chant).

I didn't want to remember about this terrifying memory, and moreso the staff at the inn…it just remained fresh in my mind.

And to bury this unbearable memory, I laughed, saying,

"S-since both of you are here, do you want some food? I personally recommend the 'Pork Beauty'." (TN: 珍豚美人, Chintonshan, deep fried pork cutlet)

I opened the menu, and introduced a dish t them.

This Pork Beauty is a self-creation of the shop owner. It's pork with a thin deep fried layer and coated with sweet and sour sauce, a rather delicious dish. It's a weird name, but I personally liked it. Also, I heard of other self-created dishes like 'Dynamite', but due to the weird name, I didn't remember ordering it.

"I wish to order the lunch set 'One mouthful of lean pork'. What about you?"

"The same."

"I-I see…what do you want, Ai?"

"b.u.t.ter rice!!"

In the end, I was the only one who ordered the Pork Beauty. It's nice…but the problem here's the name, I guess…?

Later, the food arrived, and everyone other than Ai finished the food, and went back to the topic at hand. Ai got down to eating the b.u.t.ter rice, but she just could not finish, either because her mouth was too small, or that there's too much b.u.t.ter rice. Please take your time…

"About accepting our daughter as a disciple…"

Her father said as he wiped his mouth with a napkin.

"After a long discussion and thought through this, we have decided—to oppose. We apologize for causing your so much inconvenience, sensei."

"Hnnn!!! Momomomo!!!"

"Ai, do not talk while you eat."

Ai, upon being told off by her father, started to gobble and stuff the bitter rice into her mouth. Do your best there.

Twelve's pork dishes might be delicious, but it didn't seem capable of appeasing the att.i.tude of Ai's parents.

"B-but…at this point, studying at a stranger's house is really unordinary…it's to be expected why you may be opposed to it."

"No. This doesn't matter to us."

What!? Doesn't matter!?

"In our world—whether it's managing an inn or being a chef, it is to be expected for people to stay elsewhere for their vocational training. I heard the world of shogi is the same."

"This, erm…yeah, erm…I see…"

I gave a vague response.

In the world of shogi, disciples living together with their masters are a rare breed. Of those players under forty, I suppose only anedeshi and I had the same experience. However, it seemed Master Kiyotaki did convince them through this method.

"In any profession, there is a need for people to leave home to hone their craft. In this sense, we really do not know how to express our gratefulness to you for being willing to groom our daughter, Kuzuryuu-sensei."

"Huh."

"But this might not be best chose for our daughter—"

"Simply put, we are wondering if the profession of a 'female pro' will really bring about happiness for our daughter."

Before the father could finish, the mother rattled on,

"As parents, we have investigated this…the status of female pros is very unstable. Many of them either go on hiatus, or retire early, no? What do you think of this Kuzuryuu-sensei?"

"Well…"

I pondered for a little bit, and then nodded,

"The future for female pros really isn't bright."

"Master!?"

Ai, who finally finished her b.u.t.ter rice, looked surprised as she grabbed at my sleeve, but I gave a rea.s.suring nod, and said,

"Compared to male pros, there are far few female pros, and the fee for every match is lower. The appearance fee they get for other jobs is less than men, and it's a fact that they're more economically constrained. However…"

I continued,

"Given the ability of your daughter, I suppose I don't have to worry about this."

"Why?"

"She has outstanding talent."

I said with much confidence, sounding more amped up as I explained,

"If she continues to grow, it's only a matter of time until she wins a t.i.tle on the female circuit. She's energetic and lively, so I believe there will be many wanting to have her for lessons or being an a.s.sistant to shogi programmes, so she should be a lot more financially stable than them."

"It's true that using one's own hobbies as work is tough in some sense."

I said as I recalled those days before Ai came here—the time when I nearly got crushed because of all the consecutive defeats. It's painful to be denied on what we like.

"But that's more fun than being unable to do what we like, so I think…"

Not everybody can be shogi players.

There's an overwhelming majority who gave up on their dreams; I feel those that have the talent to achieve their dreams but are unable to grasp their chances are committing a much bigger sin.

"I see…"

Ai's mother smiled.

"Pardon my question, but Kuzuryuu-sensei, have you ever groomed a disciple?"

"Well…your daughter is my first…"

"Then, if I may ask, how do you determine that Ai has talent? How do you determine that she's able to be groomed into a t.i.tle winner?"

"You do seem very confident, but you have interfered in a child's life without a clear basis. Do you think this is correct?"

Upon hearing the mother treat me like a kid, the father next to her immediately reproached,

"Hey! That's being rude to sensei!"

"Please keep quiet, you."

"Yes."

Father!? Aren't you giving up way too quickly here!?

Ai approached my ear, and explained,

"…Papa was married into the family. He can't lift his head up to mama."

"…I guessed so."

Seemed that I couldn't rely on the father…

"I have to ask you again, Kuzuryuu-sensei. Are you able to a.s.sure that you will be able to groom our daughter into a t.i.tle holder?"

"Th-this is—"

"Of courses!!"

Answering this wasn't me, but Ai, and she clenched her spoon, trying her best to convince her parents.

"Master taught me well! He's always kind to me, sometimes very intense, but in terms of technique or strength, he's always better…we kept on going until morning for our first time too!"

"Sh-she's talking about shogi, you know!? I was just teaching!!"

Ai's parents, and even the shop owner of Twelve were giving me suspicious looks. Why?

"…Anyway…"

Ai's mother coughed, trying to overcome the awkwardness that was a family watching a comedy and coming across a bed scene.

"I am going to bring my daughter back. Is this okay?"

"Don't wanna!"

Before I could argue, Ai ducked under the table, and grabbed the table leg, intending to resist until the very end. In shogi terms, it's a bear in the hole, st.u.r.dy defense, that.

"I don't want to go back! Daratsu!!"

"You dare call your parents that!!"

Mother and daughter argued across the table. This situation's…

I asked the father,

"Erm, just to ask. What does 'dara' mean in this case?"

"Idiot or b.a.s.t.a.r.d, about that meaning."

Oh… (TN: In alphabets)

So, in other words, Ai had been scolding anedeshi that while giving an angelic smile. If this is made known, someone's definitely going to get murdered by anedeshi, and that someone's me!

I got to keep this a secret…but if anedeshi searches it up on the internet, it's all over. So my cause of death is the internets. Internet's really the enemy to humanity, but I can't help but wonder, is it really an illness? (TN: Just to note, the 'internets' part is really listed as plural. One of the gaffes made by George W. Bush Jr.)

Having made up my mind, I tried to coax the mother.

"It's true that my guidance alone might not be enough. However, there are establishments in the shogi world that specialize in grooming female pros, and she'll be completely educated there."

"is that so?"

"It's called a 'Research Group', and any females who train there and reach a certain level will become female pros. In other words, the Kansai a.s.sociation shall give its all to help your daughter reach that level."

"We have registered her for an Entrance Test. It's not too late to wait for the result, yes? It just so happens to be tomorrow."

"If sensei says so…"

The father asked timidly, and the tense atmosphere eased up a little. Like a hermit crab, Ai poked half her face from beneath the floor. How cute.

"What is it called again…a Research Group? How are the tests held?"

"They will face pro players or those aiming to be pros, and be gien handicaps…anyway, it's to have them give handicaps, and play three rounds. Depending on the performance, it'll be determined if she pa.s.ses."

"Understood."

The mother nodded,

"So if Ai wins all her matches, I will allow her to join the Research Group."

""A-all!?""

Ai and I echoed in unison, and the father stood up to protest.

"This request is too—"

"Please remain quiet, you."

"Yes."

And the father sat down.

"If my daughter is as talented as what you are saying, she should have no problems pa.s.sing with flying colors, no?"

"Erm…it's not that kind of test. There's no real need to beat the examiners. Even if she does lose all three matches, if she does well, it's considered a pa.s.s, so—"

"I do not care about that."

The mother sharply cut off my words, and I could only remain quiet.

"Whether the opponents cannot win, if she can't win with handicaps, this shows that she only has that much talent, right? A shogi player should be able to figure out how much talent he has; if she really does have talent, three straight wins shouldn't be too difficult, am I right?"

This is too much to ask for…

There's often such a misconception by outsiders, but in the world of shogi, even with a vast difference in ability, there's no guarantee for a player to win all the matches.

There's a saying that even if it's twice or thrice, and that there's a vast difference in ability between two players, there's a chance that the weaker player can win one out of three times.

Ai has outstanding talent, but even after the opponent gives up a few pieces, there's no guarantee that she could win three straight matches against vastly experienced opponents, especially when she only played for less than half a year.

While I intended to explain this—

"I won't lose!"

Ai snuck out from under the table, and accepted her mother's challenge, showing as much stubbornness as the latter. She grabbed my tongue, and spoke in dialect.

"I've been studying alot with Master for long! No way will I lose here!!"

"Then win."

The mother arrogantly said to the daughter,

"If you're able to win all your matches, I'll let you continue your training. If you lose just one, you need to give up on shogi and return home. Understood?"

The Last Night

"…Alright, this will be all for practice."

I told my disciple, who's in pajamas, and intended to pack up the pieces. At this moment, Ai, seated before the shogi board, kept clinging onto me.

"Master! Just one more match—"

"No."

"But…"

"You need sufficient rest before an important match. This is an important tournament skill for a pro player."

I pat Ai's head to calm her down.

"The time allocated to you for tomorrow is 35 minutes, and once that expires, it's 1 minute per move. You'll play three matches, and you have the pressure to win all your matches. Your stamina will be really drained."

"…Yes."

"Don't worry. Just go with your usual ability, and you'll definitely win easily."

Ai had been playing shogi since morning, and after bidding farewell to her parents, was practicing her openings, and after a shower, she played a few rounds against me with me giving a handicap.

At this point, Ai could beat me with a two piece handicap. I believe that even with the Research Group members as opponent, she'll be able to win all three matches without any handicap.

What left me uneasy was…that Ai's not used to pressure.

She had no experience in a tournament, and the only match she had something on the line was the one when she wanted to be my disciple.

So, the most terrifying thing was that she would be crushed by the pressure.

The only way to overcome this is to acc.u.mulate experience. If there's a magic pill that could eliminate all the pressure, I would have had her eat it…

"…Master."

"Hm?"

I thought she was asleep, but she hugged the pillow, and covered half her face as she looked over at me.

She was blushing, fidgeting around.

Blushing, fidgeting around…ahh.

"You need the toilet before you sleep?'

"That's not it!"

Ai's face was flushed red like an explosion. "Fuu…uuu…" she was fidgeting more than before, and then, she yelled as she hugged the pillow firmly, her mind made up.

"E-erm…Master, can I have something to feel you by?"

…Sure feels…erm, like an elementary school kid,

"Li-like a handkerchief you use, or a pen…anything! I want it…as a talisman for a match…"

"Uh…huh, a talisman."

Yes yes, huh, so that's how it is.

Of course I knew what this mean, you know?

"…Right, I'll prepare something for you."

"Th-thank you, Master!"

"Okay, now go to sleep."

"Yes! Good night, Master!"

She put her hands on the tatamis, bowed politely, put on her kitty pajamas, turned around, and teetered back to the bedroom.

Thud. The door was closed.

"Hm…I'll give that here."

From the wall cupboard, I took out my calligraphy tools and a white fan.

Three times I experienced writing on a fan, when I obtained my fourth dan, when I challenged for the t.i.tle of the Dragon King, and when I won the t.i.tle. 'Fresh', 'life', 'Amberjack'. Sure seemed like some advertis.e.m.e.nt for a fish shop.

I intended to write another word.

I didn't have a magic pill.

But to convey through word what was most important, the necessary feeling she needed to have no matter the match, I earnestly wrote down—

"Courage".

The next morning, I was woken up, as my disciple discovered the fan signed by her master placed by her bedside, "Nya—!!" and called out like a cat.

Research Group Test

"Please, come this way."

I met Ai's parents at the entrance of the a.s.sociation, and led them to the arena, where the Research Group Test was being held.

I had been calling it a Test all this while, but a Research Group Test Day didn't really exist.

A Test's only held as a normal activity, called a 'regular meeting'. If the performance is good enough for people to think 'she has potential!', then she will be allowed to join.

"No need to be so nervous. Just play as normal."

Keika, ranked C2 in the Research Group, gently said to Ai to get her to calm down and relax.

Ai was nervously kneeling in a corner of the room, firmly holding the fan I placed by her beside.

There were 39 men and women affiliated to the Kansai Research Group, almost of them in elementary and middle school.

Amongst them, 9 were aiming to be female pros, and they're all older.

Keika, at 25 years old, is the oldest of the lot. The average age of the others is about high school level, and for elementary school, only Mio, Ayano who came by just a while back, and Ai.

"Good morning, everyone."

The manager of the Research Group, 7th Dan Yos.h.i.tsune Kuruno greeted everyone, and started taking names.

Once he was done, he took a large board called the 'large plate' (which has the pattern of a shogi board, and shogi pieces with magnets stuck onto them) to hold a simple strategy seminar, and then briefly touched on the mindset of a Research Group member.

On this day, he said this,

"What have you worked hard in to become stronger?"

Kuruno-sensei said as he looked around at everyone in the room, asking with a gentle voice.

"Played some actual matches!", "solved a lot of tsumeshogi!" the elementary school kids answered.

"Hm, there are many ways, like playing matches against others, solving tsumeshogis, but the most important thing of all is to 'acc.u.mulate experience'."

He raised an example,

"For example, those that cannot sit properly for too long will try for just one match today, endure until midway through the second match next time around, and then two matches after that…by acc.u.mulating experience, you will find yourself better than before. This is what it means to be working hard."

Sensei said, and and the few elementary school kids started sitting in a seiza. Such innocence from them is really cute. (TN: Seiza, proper sitting, your knees together, b.u.t.ts on ankles, back straight.)

"Today a newcomer shall take the Entrance Test. To all parties involved, I hope you will show something different from the Research Group and a typical dojo, and all the hard work you have put in till this point."

Ai's body froze the moment she was mentioned. With a wry smile, Keika patted her back.

"Now then, let us announce the opponent for the firstone."

Once the matchups and formats were announced, the members immediately sat before the shogi boards that were laid out in the room, and put on the pieces. Every person present wanted to play as soon as possible, and I, affected by such an atmosphere, was itching on my hands.

The manager then said to Ai, who was left behind.

"Hinatsuru, your dojo is the 3rd rank, right?"

"Y-yes!"

"Then, how about playing an even match against Sadatou?"

The first opponent's Ai's friend in the Research Group, Ayano Sadatou.

The latter had just joined the Research Group, and remained stuck at F1 rank. From her performances at the JS Research Group held at my house, she seemed decent.

An even match, and the tile toss showed that Ai would start later.

"Please start."

""Please take care of me!""

The manager announced the start of the match, and the members bowed to each other, before everyone present started to play. All that could only be heard at the arena was the electronic sounds of the chess clocks, and the sounds of the first moves being made.

"Hoo…"

Ai's father let out a sigh, and her mother too widened her eyes.

The anxious atmosphere from before vanished, and the immaturity vanished from the children's faces. To first-timers looking on, it might have been an intriguing scene. Present here were future killers aiming to a.s.sa.s.sinate the enemy's king.

As for Ai's match—

"Oh, chance."

""What?""

I commented, and Ai's parents looked over in unison.

"She's overly wary of Ai's attacks, so even though she moves first, she's in a defensive position, and created an opening in the formation. It's quite small, not big enough to break the entire formation…"

But that would be enough for Ai.

"…Un!!"

Ai attacked the opening with the Bishop, not wasting any time.

"Eh!?"

Ayano faltered when she suddenly saw this sudden attack by an important piece.

"I-it's a waste not to take it."

She took the Bishop without thinking, and then, it was a one-sided a.s.sault situation against her.

Ai had the advantage, and kept attacking, closing in on Ayano's king.

The attacks came like rapids, surging forward at the little opening.

"I…I can't handle this…I lost…"

Ayano couldn't understand what happened, and dejectedly lowered her head, admitting defeat.

"Thank you for the match."

Ai enthusiastically bowed at her opponent. Her mind was still going at full speed, and her speech was fast. She was so excited, her cheeks were red.

Upon hearing the match was over, the surrounding kids started chatting.

"Really? It's over?"

"Little Dragon's so strong…"

34 moves. A typical match had around 100 or so. It's abnormally rare to have such a small movecount.

Ai's father too couldn't help but exclaim,

"Sh-she won!? Ai won!?"

"This is a victory won by your daughter's will. Before the opponent could get into the mood for battle, she attacked while the guard's down."

"Will?"

Her mother said with some spite,

"Isn't shogi a tabletop game? I thought it has nothing to do with willpower."

"Shogi is really a game."

Twenty years ago—

There was a universal champion who continues to dominate the world of shogi till this day, and when he won an unprecedented 7 straight t.i.tles, a reporter asked him, "What do you think Shogi is?". He answered, (TN: This champion being Yoshiharu Habu, reigning champion of all 7 major t.i.tles in 95-96. Ryu-oh, Meijin, Kisei, Oi, Oza, Kioh, Osho)

"Shogi—is just a game." (TN: Just a game is written in English)

"But since the players are human, there are definitely going to be psychological factors, like carelessness or fear."

This match would be the best example. If Ayano did not get rattled because of Ai's attacks, and tried to fight back calmly, it wouldn't be hard for her to reverse the situation.

However, she was affected by how quickly Ai discarded an important piece, played a bad move without thinking too much, and ended up losing in so few moves.

No handicaps, and Ayano got to start first, so it would have been advantageous for her to attack first. The moment she chose not to do so, her will lost to Ai's.

"Ai's too strong…too strong…"

"Bu-but, I was in danger here…I nearly self-destructed here…"

While Ayano and Ai were having their post mortem, "Oh…" the people watching from the exclaimed.

Ai's attacks were really exciting, and from how she played, people could see her talent.

Such talent could attract other talents.

Pro

"Hm. I shall be your opponent then."

Upon seeing that person volunteer, I couldn't help but widen my eyes.

"Kuruno-sensei, you…?"

It's the manager of the Research Group, 7th Dan Yos.h.i.tsune Kuruno.

Ai's father whispered to me,

"That's…?"

"Manager of the Research Group…if your daughter manages to enter, he'll be the one in charge. He's ranked in cla.s.s B1, a really strong pro player…" (TN: Rankings goes from A1, B1, B2, C1, C2. It's a different ranking from the dan system, and promotion and relegation between these leagues is dependent on performances.)

Just to note, I'm in C2, three ranks lower than him. (TN: ie, the lowest ranking. The same ranking as Keika as mentioned before)

Unlike this Sc.u.m Dragon King who accidently won the t.i.tle, Kuruno-sensei's ability is the real deal. That 'Kuruno's World' flair of his is infamous enough to be feared by many shogi players.

"She'll really be playing against a pro…"

"Yeah. Of course, there'll be handicaps."

2 pieces handicap. Kuruno-sensei played while giving up the Rook and Bishop.

Typically, an ideal matchup would be to give up both Lances on the side. It seemed he was really intending to test Ai's ability.

Ai's parents seemed unable to hide their shock once they saw their daughter facing a pro across the table.

With them watching on, Ai firmly held the fan on her knees, and raised her voice as she thanked her opponent.

"P-please take care of me!"

"Yes, please take care of me too."

After the greetings, Kuruno-sensei took off his suit, revealing a short-sleeved shirt beneath.

Kuruno-sensei's habit is to remove his suit before playing, and so is wearing a short-sleeved shirt. This also showed that he's getting serious.

There's a little commotion at the door.

"Which one, which one? Which one's the Ryuuou's disciple?"

"Oh, Kuruno-sensei's playing!"

"This is going to be fun!"

The Kansai Shogi a.s.sociation isn't big, and rumors of 'an amazing kid' quickly spread. The staff members, honorary members onlooking reporters, and even female pros and pro players gathered to see Ai's abilities.

This strange atmosphere left Ai's father hoa.r.s.e,

"Ca-can she win…?"

"Normally, it's very difficult…but Ai has a great chance!"

As long as she played the opening right, maintained her advantage, and kept on attacking, she would have a chance…but—

"Hm…I see. How hardworking you are. Then—"

After several moves, 7th Dan Kuruno played a deviation not seen in the openings.

"…Ugh?"

Ai saw this strange, sacrificial move, and couldn't help but stop.

Gugugu. She leaned forward, twisting her fingers on her knees. Ever since the start, she had been reading cautiously. No matter the moves, she was just trying her best to read the intent behind every move, and showed her talent,

"…Like this, like this, like this like this like this like this like this like this like this like this…right!"

Ai let out a rhythmic mutter, and shoved the piece up. One strong move!

"Ohh, she's going for it!"

"That's amazing!"

The onlookers exclaimed. Such a reaction left Ai's father panicking.

"Wh-what now?"

"Ai chose to completely ignore the opponent's move and tackle head on. She's not scared of a pro's challenge. She's strong-willed."

"That girl has such a side to her…"

Kuruno-sensei stared at the board intently, opening his mouth that had been closed all this while.

"Hmm…Ryuuou."

"Yes?"

"I have three bags there. Please bring me the middle one."

"O-okay!"

I took the large sports bag placed in the middle of the room. Woah!? This bag's heavy!!?

"S-sensei…! I got the bag…!"

"Hm, thanks."

Kuruno-sensei took the bag from my hands, and then pulled out a large round machine from inside.

He placed it behind himself, and switched it on.

Bzzzzzzzttt…a deep buzzing echoed, and everyone present was left gobsmacked.

"Kuruno-sensei got to the air purifier out…!"

"He's for real! This isn't a guidance match now…the pro's going all out now!"

Th-that's one of Kuruno-sensei's '7 Tools for a Match', the anion generator!

"…Is that thing even effective?'

Ai's mother frowned. Well, it's a valid question.

"Well, the most important objective…is probably to relax. It's important to relax though."

"What do you mean?"

"The human brain needs to filter out all uneasiness and noise so as to focus the concentration to the maximum. If there's external interference, humans won't be able to concentrate fully."

Thus, players would try not to plan for other events before a match, or use earbuds during a match, or other methods to gather their concentration.

For Kuruno-sensei, 'anions can purify the air♪' and in that situation, he'll be able to eliminate the uneasiness—so I thought.

"He's trying to eliminate all the noise and create a situation where he can concentrate fully. That's a device needed for such a ritual."

"But it's just shogi. Is there really a need for this?"

"Everyone here bet their lives on this little shogi board. No matter what it is, anyone will try anything that'll help them."

I got increasingly used to the cold words of Ai's mother.

According to what Ai told me the previous day, the lady boss always hated shogi, and it was only because of the local onsen a.s.sociation's request that they welcomed the Dragon King match. The reason for that was that her father (Ai's maternal grandfather) was obsessed with shogi all day long, even abandoning his family business.

Over here, in our hearts, shogi's the only thing to live for. We might not be able to live without shogi. That's what we believe in as we continue to battle.

"I heard that in the world of GO, a pro player in China played while inserting pins into the head."

"Pi-pins into the head? He had pins in the head during the match?"

"Shows that he really wants to win. Winning matches is the most important thing after all."

The match quickly developed into the mid game, and then into endgame that's hard to break down.

Even a pro player couldn't break out pieces from out of nowhere like magic. To win over the enemy pieces, there's a need to rattle the opponent, and rob the enemy's pieces to increase the fighting strength.

That's why pro players will set several traps on the board, and create a minefield, blowing up any opponent who accidently entered their territory, and gradually wear down the enemy's fighting strength.

However, Ai brought her face to the board, shaking as she read the situation. She then boldly moved the piece into the minefield.

"Hm!?"

She charged right at the starter's king with ferocity, and that attack left 7th Dan Kuruno with his eyes widened.

The Silver General jumped into the enemy's territory like a dance, and skilfully avoided the trap laid out, rattling Kuruno-sensei's formation. She then attacked with both the Rook and Bishop, creating an opening. It's intense. The onlookers were thoroughly excited, the atmosphere in the room heating up, and the compet.i.tors' bloods were heating up, boiling.

"Nn…"

Kuruno-sensei folded his arms and groaned. He definitely never expected Ai to actually avoid all the traps he set up. Ai's talent really was hard to grasp.

The little traps he set up did not work. Seated before him was a budding talent about to reveal itself.

"Hmm!!"

After a long thought into this, sensei made a decisive move, deciding not to protect his King, but to attack Ai's king.

Seeing this, I whispered in a voice too soft for the players to hear,

"It's over."

"Huh?"

Ai's father looked over at me in shock.

"The-the winner's already decided?"

"Yeah. There's a lot of moves, but Kuruno-sensei's king is going to be checkmated. All that's left is to see if Ai manages to see it…"

If Ai turned defence to attack, the situation would be reversed. It's a trap, one of the many ways to move.

There's an element of 'trust' that comes to pros.

'A pro should be stronger than me.'

'A pro should be able to read all the moves'.

People could 'trust' pros this easily, and pros would use this trust to attack the weakness in the opponent's heart.

'If a pro just attacks without defending, it means that there's no danger to the king…I got to protect it!'

The moment Ai believed that a pro's reputation surpa.s.sed her judgement, it would be the moment she lost. For players who couldn't believe in themselves, there's no victory to talk of.

So, what would Ai do? So I worried—but it was for nothing."

"…Un!"

Ai attacked without hesitation, and checkmated the opponent. She read that the enemy's king had no room to retreat, and only trusted her judgement.

Once this move was made, 7th Dan Kuruno put his hand on the table.

"Yes, I lost."

"T-thank you very much!"

Ai panicked, and lowered her head.

Though it was a handicap, it seemed she couldn't hide her joy after beating a pro. Her face's all red, her moist eyes showing the determination she had as she read every move, the left hand holding the fan still shaking.

After a little post mortem, Kuruno-sensei came to my side, and whispered in a voice n.o.body else could hear,

"This child's strong. Her talent won't be limited to just the Research Group level."

"You think so too, Kuruno-sensei?"

"She beat me through talent alone."

Kuruno-sensei grimaced, and scowled, nodding.

"This child definitely needs grooming. n.o.body will object to counting this win as two wins when it's a two piece handicap against a pro."

Ai could be considered to have pa.s.sed the Research Group Test…

But he did not notice the conflicted look on my face, and smiled at the Hinatsuru couple standing by the side.

"Are you two Ai's parents? Your daughter really as talent."

"R-really?"

Ai's father looked delighted. There's no parent who wouldn't be delighted by praise for their daugther.

"Yes. The accuracy as she reads the moves is really astounding. However, what's most Impressive is her strong heart. It's brilliant."

"Heart…? Does this have anything to do with talent in shogi?"

""Of course.""

Kuruno-sensei and I said in unison.

"Almost all shogi matches end with 'surrender', which means admitting that they lost. She kept on fighting even when faced with tough odds. Without a strong heart, she won't be able to do this."

"I see…"

"However, what's most important is the determination to stand up again after losing."

"After losing?"

Once you lose, isn't it over? So the mother gave such a quizzical look, and sensei continued to explain,

"There are often losses when playing shogi, and surely, she'll lose when faced with people stronger than her. However, without playing the strong, she'll never dream of the thought to be stronger."

Once she entered the Research Group and aim to be a female pro, it would mean that she would lose thousands of times.

Once the pressure of losing crushed her, or if she gave up on becoming stronger, the path would never be open to her.

"The real defeat is inner trauma. As long as the heart isn't hurt, it's not considered a defeat. So, what's really needed isn't a strong shogi ability, but a strong heart. This is the rarest talent of them all."

Kuruno-sensei did his best to explain, and gave me a smile,

"Well, no wonder you had her as a disciple, Ryuuou."

"No…hahaha."

I tried to laugh it off. I couldn't be saying that she was the one who barged into my house.

"Yaichi, with such talent, perhaps you should consider having her join the Honorary Group?"

"Honorary Group?"

The father asked.

"It's an upper tier group of the Research Group, a gateway to being a pro player. There are few female players, but there's been a rise in number."

"Do female players have to join the Honorary Group?"

"No, those that join the Honorary Group can't become female pros."

"Okay, okay…"

I hurriedly tried to b.u.t.t in.

"Let's talk about that later…anyway, first to enter the Research Group—"

"No."

Pikak! There was the sound of a shogi piece slammed.

The one opposing was the mother.

"The condition to have her continue playing is three straight wins. Please start the third match."

"…Yes, understood. Let's continue with the Test then."

Kuruno-sensei looked surprised, but he immediately realized the reason behind all this.

Shogi does not bring any benefit to life in any way.

So many people thought, and in most situations, it really was the case.

Thus, parents, especially those that really put utmost attention on their children, would normally hope for their children to give up on shogi as soon as possible. They hoped their children would take the one path to the top, and get rid of shogi from their lives. There are children who had talent, but had to give up on shogi, and all that was due to their parents' love.

Kuruno-sensei had seen many instances of this, as he had been enthusiastically promoting shogi. Thus, he quickly understood what was going on.

"If she can beat the next opponent, your daughter will definitely become a female pro."

"Is that person strong?"

"Very—no doubt that she's the strongest female in the 1,400 years of shogi history."

Kuruno-sensei introduced, and a pretty girl appeared before the shogi board, like a white angel descending from the skies.

""Ahh—""

Ai widened her eyes.

And I, thoroughly shocked, let out a stiff, raspy voice.

"Ane…deshi…?"

Double t.i.tle holder Ginko Sora slowly sat.

Honorary Member

"…The…'Snow White of Naniwa'…!?"

Ai's parents voiced out once they saw anedeshi seated.

"Both of you know her too…?"

"We knew of such a person when researching through famous female pros, but why is a female pro…a t.i.tle holder at a Research Group Test?"

I hesitated over how to explain this, trying to answer the question from the father.

"Anedeshi…Ginko Sora isn't a female pro."

"Eh? B-but—"

"Yes, she has t.i.tles in the female tourney, but she's actually an Honorary member. Because of this, she can't become a female pro."

"Honorary…so what the Manager just mentioned?"

"It's an organization set up for those aiming to become pros. Over there, she's 2nd Dan."

Honorary members who aren't at least 3rd Dan will carry out Guidance Matches, and of course, their winning records will be reflected in the Research Group.

I completely forgot about this…

"Basically, a Research Group is a cram school for those aiming to enter an Honorary Group. Once the rank in the Research Group is A2, that person will be a 6th Kyu in the Honorary Group."

"W-wait a minute! You need to be C1 in your Research Group to be a female pro, right? So that means—"

"Yep, even those at 6th Kyu in the Honorary Group is stronger in ability compared to a female pro."

People often misunderstood, but female pros and pro players are completely different. (TN: Leaving aside that, there's a difference in ranking systems. Kyu is for the lower ranks, and Dan for the higher ranks. The Dan rankings used by the kids in Chapter 3 is way different from the ones used here.)

As for where, the biggest difference would be 'ability'.

There's no female out there who could rise up to 4th Dan to become a pro player.

However—

"Sora's the first female to enter an Honorary Group and be a Dan Holder. This is one of the reasons why Kuruno-sensei deemed her the 'strongest female in history'."

"But…why are honorary members allowed to hold female t.i.tles?"

"In the female tourneys, there are two that are open to public, not limited to female pros. Any female can partic.i.p.ate."

These are the 'MyNavi Female Open' and the 'Female Ou t.i.tle Match'. (TN: MyNavi: )

As an Honorary Member, anedeshi was allowed to partic.i.p.ate. She crushed all the strongest females, and obtained the two biggest t.i.tles of the female tournaments, 'Queen' and 'Female Ou'.

Female Master: Rina Shakando. (TN: 女流名跡[Myoseki], derived from one of the 105 t.i.tles in Sumo).

Female Throne Holder: Ika Sainokami. (TN: 女流帝位 [Tei-i])

Female Jade General: Ryou Tsukiyomizaka (TN: 女流玉将[Gyokushō])

Sakura of the Mountain City: Machi Kugui (TN: In case you're wondering, the women t.i.tles are fict.i.tious, except for the 'Queen'.)

And double t.i.tle holder and Honorary Member Ginko Sora, who ma.s.sacred the Queen and Female Ou.

Back then, anedeshi was only 11, a 6th grader in elementary school.

Ever since the first female pro match she had—she never lost to a female pro.

"47 matches, 47 wins, that's her record against female pros. She never lost. The 'white' in the 'Snow White of Naniwa' doesn't refer to her skin or hair."

Like a white start with snow piled upon it.

The real reason people called her the Snow White was because of the spotless record of being undefeated.

"Sh-she's going to play against my daughter…"

"Without any handicaps, there's no doubt she'll get slaughtered. It's a handicap match though, so your daughter has a chance of winning!"

And right when I said so, anedeshi lined up all the pieces, and removed the Rook and a Lance, putting them in the pieces box.

A Rook-Lance handicap, or what they call the 'Ichohan' (TN: 一丁半)

When ranked Honorary member gives such a handicap, it means the opponent's ability is around C to D cla.s.s.

Ai managed to beat a pro player with a two piece handicap, so her ability should be at least D. I couldn't say that she had no chances of winning.

But on the other hand, if she couldn't beat anedeshi in such a setup, she wouldn't be able to become a t.i.tle holder even if she became a female pro.

Because if she wants to win the biggest t.i.tle of the female tourney, she'll have to beat this monster without any handicaps.

During the short moment before the match, anedeshi lowered her head slightly, closed her eyes, and motivated herself.

Any ordinary elementary school kid would have been intimidated just by this, and even start crying.

I wanted to cheer Ai on, but in this situation, talking with her would be no different from giving suggestions, and it would be a foul.

Ai had to face such a powerful pressure with her own strength—

"…I won't lose…I won't lose…no way…!"

Ai muttered, trying to cheer herself on. She opened the fan she held in her hands, and stared at the word on it.

"Because Master gave me 'courage'…!"

"……Tch."

Anedeshi glared at me…so I felt. Also, did she just click her tongue?

"Please start."

"Please take care of me."

"P-please take—"

Tak!!

Before Ai could lift her head, anedeshi made the first move, exerting heaps of pressure on the opponent.

And this first move was one atypical of an opening.

At this point, Ai could not begin with a fixed opening…in a certain sense, this would be the best opportunity.

This 'fixed opening' would refer to the moves most beneficial to both sides.

In other words, by not following that fixed opening, it's very likely that a disadvantageous situation would occur.

If Ai could find the correct move, it might be more beneficial for her to not play the usual moves.

"…Like this, like this, like this…"

Ai spent a lot of time in the opening trying to read the moves, probably because she understood this, or that she sensed that it was beneficial to her. She went all out right from the get-go.

"Like this, like this, like this, like this, like this , like this, like this like this like this like this like this like this like this…"

Once she read the moves to the very last moment…she made a move!

"Great!"

"This means that she has a great chance, right?"

One great move after another, and the room was buzzing.

It was an all out fight that broke away from the norms, but Ai's performance against anedeshi remained decent, sometimes even superior. Even the Honorary members of the Genius Clubs are giving looks of praise. She's strong!

"She's…the real deal."

Kuruno-sensei let out a long sigh.

Ai kept attacking at anedeshi's moves, and increased her advantage. At first, it was an 80 to 20 difference, and then it was 99 to 1.

If it were a pro match, this would be enough difference to forfeit. But—

Anedeshi remained unmoved. That icy cold face was staring at the board.

The white skin before the match became a crimson red.

I saw anedeshi open her fan, fanning at her neck vigorously, and said,

"Anedeshi…Sora will heat up whenever she focuses her thoughts."

"How's that possible? Are you saying it's Wisdom fever?" (TN: 知恵熱, Chienetsu, basically teething fever, as the teeth develop in a baby, the body heat will rise)

Ai's mother pretentiously shook her head.

"It means 'a baby easily catching a fever while developing', right?"

"It doesn't seem to be medically possible, but she's definitely heating up."

And once anedeshi gets serious, her eyes will change colors.

The usual grey eyes would become a pale blue similar to a winter sky. I played against anedeshi more than any others, and understood that when she gets serious, anedeshi's basically a different person.

And the color of the eyes at this point—was an icy blue.

"…Now the show's getting started."

The Honorary members watching by the sidelines muttered as they discussed.

"There are two end games for the Honorary Group"

As the words implied, it meant that Honorary members who sensed that the situation had turned disadvantageous against them would change their style of play to force a second end game.

Pro players would wish to have a 'perfect match record', to not struggle till death. It is an art for a pro player to understand that all is lost, and that they would offer their heads to end the match.

However, Honorary members are different.

In a Honorary Group, winning is the only answer. There's no room for any ambiguous term like 'beauty'. One can become a pro by reaching 4th Dan, and for this objective, there's a need to crush everyone else. It's the entrusted mission of an Honorary member to send the buddies they studied with for more than ten years into chaos.

An Honorary member who loses has no value.

Tak! Anedeshi folded the fan, and made the next move with a loud click.

"The Bishop's moving back!"

"She's intending to fight until the very end…?"

She forced the one important piece she had, the Bishop back into her camp, beginning a thorough defensive match.

Anedeshi was like a disadvantaged beast crouching down, storing enough energy, and preparing for the last hit. She kept hara.s.sing, waiting for the chance to counterattack.

"…Ku!!"

And on the other hand, Ai understood that she had the advantage, and was more cautious in every move she made, making sure she did not lose this disadvantage. She suddenly stopped her hand.

It was as though she was in the middle of a Marathon, right at the end, and worried about the footsteps behind her.

If she looked behind just a bit, the difference might have shortened, and she would let the opponent catch up.

The end game of a shogi match is a tug of war against such fear.

At this moment, an electronic sound rang, trying to rattle Ai further.

"Eh!? Ti-time's…!?"

Ai looked at the chess clock in shock. She used up her allotted time. Time limit of a move a minute.

She used up too much time during the opening. As the match dragged on too long, Ai got attacked by anedeshi in another manner—

"Time attack"

Ai had an exceptional, otherworldly ability to read, but without time, how much she could read would also be limited. Ai could not read deeply into the moves, and her attacks were lacking in strength, ending up with her pieces being taken.

Anedeshi moved without hesitation, using the pieces she took to strength her defences.

Ai, who had been attacking the entire time, stopped doing so.

Again and again she continued to attack, but she got further and further away from the opponent's King, her pieces taken away one after another. She had no time to calm down and respond however, and she was really anxious.

And not only her breathing.

Anedeshi even got control on Ai's breathing.

"Fuu…ehh! Uuu…!! Huu…huuu…!"

Ai grabbed her hair and tugged at her chest, groaning bitterly. Before anyone knew it, large amount of sweat appeared on her forehead, and her face was as white as paper.

Seeing their daughter suffer so much, Ai's parents were stunned.

"A-Ai's…suffering so much…"

"It's just shogi. Why's she in so much pain?"

"Hyperventilation."

""Huh?""

Kuruno-sensei explained,

"It's a similar symptom to excessive breathing. She's breathing too fast, and that caused her breaths to be frantic. There are symptoms like accelerated heartbeat, tightness of chest, or aching…of course, your daughter only has mild symptoms right now. However, what's terrifying is that 2nd Dan Sora might be starting this on purpose."

""For real?""

Well, yeah.

"2nd Dan Sora managed to time your daughter's breathing, and made a move while she exhales. Your daughter will then inhale due to how nervous she is, messing up her breathing rhythm. This is how she ends up hyperventilating."

In such a tense situation, when time is limited, even a pro would end up somewhat anxious when faced with such a move, and what was an advantageous position might end up insecure.

Shogi is an art created by humans in limited time.

There are other ways to obtain victory, not limited to just the truth on the board.

There's a situation that can't be seen from the records, a war that can't be reflected on a computer monitor; it existed between the players at the board.

Ai learned shogi through tsumeshogis and the internet, and was lacking in knowledge of such aspects.

AI was playing shogi.

And anedeshi's was playing for the win.

"…This is too harsh for a nine year old."

Even Kuruno-sensei, who gave a handicap, couldn't help but lament.

If I had to say s, this match was a showdown where an elementary school kid armed with a gun was facing an empty-handed killer. Even if the talents were similar, there was a vast difference in experience.

There were already more than 150 moves played, and the other matches were practically over.

Keika, Mio and Ayano were by the board, watching this intense match.

They had conflicted looks on their faces.

Of course, they're supporting Ai…but at the same time, they're jealous of her dazzling talents. It's to be expected that anyone living in the world of compet.i.tions would have such feelings.

"Haaa…haaa……kuuu!!"

Ai was wincing painfully, and made a move while left with little time, but she played the wrong move, and made a mistake. Anedeshi calmly attacked, resetting the match from a near surrender to the starting point of the match. Despite this, Ai still had a ma.s.sive advantage.

The most important thing when mistaking mistakes is to 'forget the previous mistakes'.

Or else—

"…Ah!"

Once she made this move, Ai exclaimed softly.

It was an obvious mistake.

That move before was a risky move, but this one was really a bad move. The difference between them was instantly gobbled up.

"Wh-what happened!?"

"Multiple mistakes."

With the father panicking as he watched his daughter in much pain, I could only inform him of this cruel truth.

"It's common in baseball too, right? If someone is to pitch in bad condition, the mistakes will keep piling up…shogi's the same. Once she starts to worry about her mistakes, she'll make one after another."

The mistakes kept on coming, and the situation quickly became advantageous to anedehsi.

But anedeshi didn't turn defense into attack.

"…! Argh…!!"

Ai's anxiety was clear for all to see.

She was mentally driven to the ledge, and used her important pieces to approach the enemy's base boldly.

But this move—

"…A useless attack."

Keika lamented, and I bit my lips.

The worst move. (TN: There's a furigana attached to it, it's called Kokose (ここせ). It's the opposite of 'wait' in this sense', by playing the big pieces daringly and leaving the king exposed, aiming to checkmate the opponent's king)

Anedeshi had been waiting for a long time…the moment Ai's body and mind couldn't stand the pressure.

This time, anedeshi used a lot of time on this move.

She used the waiting time not just to seize the opportunity to read the board.

But also to let Ai understand that it was a bad move.

"Ah!….Ahhh, ah…ahhhhh…!"

Ai cupped her head, having realized her mistake, and groaned in agony.

At this point, the outcome was clear.

Anedeshi overcame the handicap, and built up what could be said to be a winning scenario.

But like anedeshi's situation from before, Ai could continue hara.s.sing in such a situation. It's not considered a loss as long as she hasn't been mentally defeated.

And that's why anedeshi was preparing to crush Ai mentally.

"Woah! She's planning to eat all the pieces…"

"How cruel…"

Eat all the pieces—all of the opponent's pieces. Faced with anedeshi's onslaught, the Honorary members gave disapproving scowls.

Of course, anedeshi isn't the type of person to ease up when faced with overwhelming criticism.

At ths stage, anedeshi had no intention of ending the match, and eliminated all of Ai's attacking pieces or the wandering pieces.

She didn't give her opponent a chance to surrender, and stomped hard on the fingers that were barely grabbing the ledge. Upon seeing this, Kuruno-sensei murmured,

"So, the 'one move to lose friends'."

"She doesn't have any to begin with."

I retorted. Anedeshi had few friends. One could say that she didn't have any.

Such a scenario showed anedeshi's determination.

The world of shogi's very small; those that knew of each other through shogi would one day meet in the battlefield.

But if both sides are on very good terms, it'll be very easy to go easy in a match, and even in a match when the livelihoods are on the line, it's hard to go all out.

Anedeshi tried not to interact with others so much, so that she wouldn't have such an excuse.

She didn't need friends, or a lover.

The only thing she needed was shogi, an enemy.

In the future, once she leaves the Honorary group and become a pro, she'll probably keep her distance from Master and me.

Ginko Sora's such a player, and that's why I respect her.

But at this point, only at this point—

"…I hate you, anedeshi."

Every trick in and out of the book anedeshi was playing, the basics of these skills, are all honed through match training against me.

Ten years ago, anedeshi and I knew each other, and ever since, we started playing shogi. No, I should say we knew of each other through shogi. The only thing relating us was shogi. Such a bond got stronger through more matches, st.u.r.dy.

As to the number of matches—it's about 50 thousand or so.

Just as how kids would try all kinds of pro wrestling techniques on each other, anedeshi and I tried out all kinds of formations and tactics, a whole lot of tactics outside the book that are edging the limits or outright fouls. We did anything to win. To be honest, when she entered the Honorary Group, I felt the place was too gentle.

At this point, the one torturing Ai was the other me.

Once this fact was shown before me, my heart was ripped apart.

"If I…"

If I had been harsher with her.

If I could have taught her more.

If I could have played a few more matches against her.

She might be able to beat anedeshi, and wouldn't have to suffer…