Ryuuou no Oshigoto! - Volume 10 - Chapter 1

A wave of young talent has filled the Women’s League. The first Queen joins a fan favorite to provide in-depth analysis of the Women’s League’s new look this year.

H: “It’s so nice to see you again! Go easy on me today, okay?”

R: “Of course! You choosing me as your talking partner today is a real honor!”

H: “U-Um, Tamayo? You don’t have to be so tense. Just relax and speak normally ……”

R: “Why, no! I have too much respect for you, Ms. Hanadachi! You’re like a big sister to me.”

H: “I had plenty of time to watch matches during my maternity leave, and I think your commentary skills are wonderful, Rokuroba 2-dan.”

R: “Thank you so much! …… However, I’m embarrassed that I’m always behind the microphone. I want to be in title matches, like you ……”

H: “That just goes to show how talented this new generation is. I believe Ginko Sora-Dual Title’s success and reaching Sub League 3-dan has a lot to do with it.”

R: “Becoming the youngest Elementary Meijin ever when she was in the third grade and she went right into the Sub League from there. You have to start early to get into the 3-dan division at the age of 15. TV stations and newspapers have been putting out one story after another and it looks like Women’s Shogi is only going to get more competitive from here.”

H: “There is one woman who became Elementary Meijin and joined the Sub League before Ginko …… Unfortunately, she couldn’t break through the 1-dan wall. Just a few years ago, no one could’ve imagined a woman, let alone a girl Ginko’s age, would be part of the 3-dan division.”

–––This year’s Elementary Meijin is also a girl.

R: “I got to see her play working as big board analyst in the studio during the Semifinals and the final match. She’s strong all right. Her Shogi’s structure is so complete I could hardly believe that she is in the fifth grade. Not to mention, she’s quite the character.”

H: “I can’t wait to see for myself. Is she planning to join the Women’s League?”

R: “Apparently, she wants to go into the Sub League. Actually, her older brother is already a professional …… I think she’ll be making waves real soon.”

H: “Her being in the fifth grade makes her the same age as the two girls in the Kuzuryu family tree that everyone’s been talking about, right? It’ll be interesting to see who is stronger.”

–––That would be Ai Yashajin Women’s 2-dan and Ai Hinatsuru Women’s 1-kyu, correct? Miss Yashajin is already well-known as the most recent Queen Challenger. Miss Hinatsuru has also been extremely impressive and has yet to lose since her Women’s League debut.

R: “Ms. Hanadachi, have you met them?”

H: “Honestly …… Yes. Yaichi brought them to my apartment while the Queen Title Match was going on.”

R: “Oh! That’s why the runt …… Ai Yashajin played so well in the third match, because of your advice!!”

H: “Hehehe. I’d better be prepared for a lashing on the board should Ginko ever find out.”

R: “The Ryuo has a lot more to worry about first! (lol)”

H: “Very true! (lol)”

–––By reaching the final match of the Women’s Legend League qualifier, Miss Hinatsuru was promoted to 1-kyu. Should she win her next match, she will become the youngest ever to take part in the Women’s Legend Challenger League. What do you see as the secret behind her rapid ascent?

H: “It’s true that she’s undefeated since her debut. It’s just …… She always makes mistakes in the early game, runs out of waiting time and somehow manages to turn the tables in the late game. It’s like a broken record, the same pattern each time. It makes me wonder if she’s growing as a player or not.”

R: “More like she’s had lucky matchups so far.”

H: “Analyzing her match records, I’d say her most complete match was back in the Mynavi Preliminaries when she beat Miss Sainokami. She certainly didn’t have the best early game then either, but …… Trapping and finishing off Worldly Thunder like that, her competitive prowess comes through the match record strong enough to give me chills. However, she lost to Miss Tsukiyomizaka in the very next match. No matter how good she is in the late game, there’s no recovering from early game missteps. That match all but proved it.”

R: “Peaking at nine and losing a step at ten. (lol)”

H: “That can happen with extremely talented people. I’ve seen plenty of elementary and junior high school girls join the Women’s League and thought: how far are they going to go?! only to see them hit a wall.”

R: “I can relate.”

H: “You’re not one of them, Tamayo. It’s true that you became the Amateur Women’s Meijin during your first year of junior high and joined the Women’s League after that, but you didn’t follow that pattern.”

R: “Because I don’t have talent. (lol)”

H: “No. You’ve committed a great deal of effort throughout your career.”

R: “!! ………… Thanks. (eyes watering)”

H: “Ai Hinatsuru 1-kyu is in a precarious situation. There’s no doubt she is extremely talented. But the era when someone could claim a title on talent alone has ended. Solving Shogi puzzles at lightning speed doesn’t mean anything because it doesn’t translate to an actual match at all. If she doesn’t play each match with a do-or-die mindset, she’ll be eliminated long before qualifying for the big matches.”

R: “She’ll never play like that so long as she is only doing practice sessions with girls her own age.”

H: “She’s practicing with her friends?”

R: “She sure is. The Ryuo invites a bunch of his apprentice’s friends into his apartment to spend the night to do Grade Schooler Practice Group sessions. The things that must happen there …… Seriously, I saw him share a kiss with a six-year-old girl when I was doing commentary for Nico Live.”

H: “Yeesh …… Should we be worried? That seems ……”

R: “Four little girls, a secluded room, Shogi. Something’s bound to happen …… I wouldn’t be surprised if something like really bad happens any day. What happens to the title if he gets arrested? Forfeited?”

–––Returning to the topic at hand …… What Women’s League members have your attention this year?

R: “I’ve known Ai Yashajin Women’s 2-dan would show up for a long time now, and I think she’s here to stay. Sure, she lost the Queen Title Match in three straight losses, but she forced Naniwa’s Snow White to choose a Repetition Draw in the third match, which is just as good as winning.”

H: “In that case, I’ll go with the player who beat that Ai Yashajin.”

R: “Huh? ……… Who?”

H: “Her debut got buried under the Queen Title Match news, but she bested Ai in the Women’s Legend qualifier. A Women’s 2-kyu who only just entered the league.”

R: “Whaaat?! 2-2-kyu …… There must be some mistake?!”

H: “That Women’s 2-kyu …… was the first female Elementary Meijin, even before Ginko Sora, and was heralded as the most talented woman in our generation. If she hadn’t decided to go straight into the Sub League, there’s no doubt in my mind she would have been bestowed the first Queen rather than me. And her next opponent in the final Women’s Legend League qualifier is none other than Ai Hinatsuru Women’s 1-kyu.”

R: “You …… You don’t mean …… Her ……?!”

H: “That’s right. She’s back …… Undying Wings.”