Ryuuou no Oshigoto! - Volume 10 - Chapter 5.1

  ELEMENTARY MEIJIN

–––One more …… Just one more win and I’m in the tournament round! I WILL win!!

Listening to the chess clock count down the seconds at her side, Mio Mizukoshi slapped her cheeks to psyche herself up.

Block round of the Upper Grades Division, third match.

Mio’s heart boomed in her chest as she looked over the board in the late game and realized that both she and her opponent were on check paths to the enemy King.

However, her mind was crystal clear.

–––Wow! The formations are showing up just like Kuzunyu-sensei taught me!

The same was true with her previous two matches.

Though the board looked complicated, knowing the formations allowed her to easily find the correct answer.

“This is Knight zero …… This is Knight zero ……”

She silently mouthed in order to remind herself that her “King could never be checkmated without giving up a Knight.”

Just like hers, the enemy King was vulnerable to a Knight. With one, she could checkmate it in one turn, but could try for 100 moves and still fail without a Knight ……

Said opponent had yet to realize it.

Mio captured a Knight that had strayed from the formation on the side of the board.

“……?”

Unable to see the meaning behind that move, Mio’s opponent incorrectly surmised that she was building up pieces to prepare for a long war of attrition. He took a Silver to counter it because Silvers were more valuable than Knights.

However, in this instance, the most valuable piece on the board was–––a Knight.

“Yesss!!”

“…………… Ahh?!”

All the dots connected once he saw Mio deploy that Knight right off the piece stand on her next move.

He surrendered immediately.

“I lost ……”

“Thank you so much for the match!”

Barely able to stop herself from jumping for joy, Mio bowed as deep as her head would go.

She climbed to her feet once the review session concluded and pressed a cold water bottle against her piping hot cheeks as she went to watch other matches still taking place.

“Whew ………… And that’s three wins. I thought it’d be harder than that!”

Though she wasn’t fully aware of it herself, Mio had always possessed talent.

Most of her wins had occurred because she “kinda felt like” making a specific move just as most of her losses happened because she “kinda felt like” she didn’t have a chance to win anymore, shattering her fighting spirit. It all came from this superior sense for the game.

However, now that Yaichi forced her to recognize and react to specific formations, her mood played a much smaller part in her Shogi strategy and she made incredible strides in an extremely short amount of time.

Though, someone else had made even larger strides–––.

“Oh! You won three in a row, too, Ayanon?”

“I did! Once I fought using the strategies that Kuzuryu-sensei taught me, my opponents started giving up …… This is the first time I’ve ever won three in a row!”

Said Ayano Sadatou, puffing out her chest with pride.

The girl was always timid, but today she positively glowed with confidence. That confidence had translated the board, checkmating all her opponents with swift and deadly efficiency.

“You’re on a roll! I really hope I don’t have to play you today, Ayanon!”

“Hehehe …… Actually, I had help from a secret advisor in addition to Kuzuryu-sensei.”

“Whaaa?! No fair, Ayanon! Who?! You gotta tell me!!”

“Defeat me and I will♪”

Both officially in the tournament’s bracket round, the two girls were giddy with excitement.

However, this happiness disappeared as quickly as it came.

“Look over there, Ayanon! There! What a crowd!”

“!! That’s ……”

The two girls made their way toward a match still in progress.

What greeted their eyes once they arrived–––could no longer be simply called “Shogi.”

One of the players was a girl dressed in a particularly bizarre outfit. The other, a boy collapsed in a heap next to the board, had tears rolling down his face.

The girl, with what appeared to be cat ears hidden beneath her bulbous hair, spoke as if performing on stage.

“Heh heh heh …… What happened to the vigor you possessed mere moments ago? Has losing to a girl such as I robbed you of it completely? Crying even before the match is over, which is more girly I wonder?”

Mio had heard the rumors.

About how this year’s Elementary Meijin was a girl with a bold personality and also Professional Player Ayumu Kannabe’s younger sister.

–––That’s her! I just know that’s her!!

Her unique word choices including “such as I” and her otherworldly fashion sense eliminated all trace of the doubt that this person was related to Kannabe 6-dan. 

An even greater surprise was waiting for Mio once she approached the board.

“Gahh?! E-Every single piece?!”

The most sinister and merciless way to claim victory, depriving the opponent of all their pieces. That was exactly what Maria did to the boy.

As a result, he had broken down in tears ……

Unable to admit defeat, his time ran out and the buzzer consigned him to his fate.

“Man, that was a massacre ……” “She sure is the ‘Future Meijin’s’ little sister ……” “That boy was a prefecture rep in the Elementary Meijin Tournament, wasn’t he?” “She’s headin’ to the Sub League for sure.” “Why would she bother playing in tournaments like this anymore ……?”

Maria sat comfortably on her floor cushion, everything the crowd was saying music to her ears.

Mio stared at the final formation as words unconsciously slipped from her lips.

“Gghhh …………… She’s good ……!”

Mio and Ayano’s improved Shogi skill also allowed them to understand just how strong Maria truly was.

To realize just how big the gap was between them and her ……

The tournament matchups were announced once all the blocks had concluded.

Elementary school students flocked to the large bracket chart pinned to the wall.

“You’re …… In that bracket, Ayanon. I’m in this one, so we won’t see each other until the finals! Isn’t that great!”

Said Mio, putting her hand to her chest in relief.

However, Ayano was pale as a ghost standing beside her. The reason–––.

“My bracket …… Miss Kannabe is in, my bracket ……”

“Agh ……”

Their names were far apart so Mio hadn’t noticed at first, but it was true that Ayano and Maria were in the same bracket.

Should they meet, it would be in the semifinals.

The boy unfortunate enough to be matched up against Maria in the first round had a look of sheer despair on his face. Maria, who had absolute confidence she could defeat anyone at the tournament, didn’t even bother looking at the chart.

Eyes still glued to the tournament bracket, Ayano softly whispered.

“………… I shall be the one to stop her.”

“Ayanon?!”

“No matter how strong Miss Kannabe may be, I do not believe she could be stronger than Ai or Ten-chan. So, I’m not afraid of her …… Not one bit!”

Once Ayano had finished giving herself a pep talk, she grabbed Mio’s hand and told her.

“So please, Mio, I want you to wait for me in the finals. If I know you’re there, I’m sure …… I’m sure I can win ……”

“You got it! I’ll wait for you, promise!!”