Ryuuou no Oshigoto! - Volume 15 - Chapter 1.5

  EASTWARD

“Rokuroba-sensei. One-minute Shogi begins now.”

I sit up straight at that untimely announcement, take a deep breath and slap my cheeks to psych myself up for the final stretch.

“Okay!!”

One short and sweet response later, I lean over the board.

My formation is on life support. My waiting time is gone.

“…… To top it all off, I’m going against a title holder!”

The match recorder counts down the seconds as I charge forward knowing it’s do or die. I’m dropping the shields and charging in with guns blazing. It’ll all be over if I get the enemy King first.

I guess my opponent wasn’t expecting me to attack now because she uses some of her waiting time to think things through before deciding to tighten her defenses.

I press my attack without waiting a single second. Seeing her fingers pull back is my signal to charge full speed ahead.

“……!! Playin’ fast, huh? Grrr ……”

My opponent, heralded as the Aggressive Archangel, glares daggers at me.

This is what happens when the lower ranking player gets backed into a corner and bears her fangs.

Plus, playing a move using no time is as good a taunt as they come. You can’t back down now, can you Ryou?

“You got guts, thinkin’ you can go toe-to-toe with me …… Die!!!”

“Scary, scary.”

SNAP!! She tries to intimidate me by snapping a piece down like a firecracker, but I shrug it off and keep making moves in one second flat.

Messing with her speed? Hardly. There’s no way I could ever outread her.

–––Lucky fingers, plain and simple.

If it comes down to luck, I’ve got a fighting chance. So I’m making sure it’s impossible for either of us to read that far ahead and going for broke. It will come down to a coin toss.

Why? Because Lady Luck has been with me and I’m riding with her to the end!

Win today, and it’ll be the first time I’ve ever won 10 league match victories in a row. I put all my faith in that momentum and rush forward at breakneck speed.

I chant over and over in my head: –––C’mon, mess up! Mess up! MESSUPMESSUPMESSUPMESSUP!!!!

And Ryo Tsukiyomizaka does mess up.

“Tch ………… I’m out,” she hisses, slapping all her captured pieces off the stand and onto the board. The urge to pump my fist in triumph hits. Of course I don’t do it, but I’m so happy right now that I would love to.

How many years has it been since I beat a title holder? Have I ever beaten a title holder?

Even better …… this win puts me one big step closer to my goal.

The lifelong goal every Shogi player has: a title.

“This is new. I thought you always landed on your feet, Ryou.”

“…… Ya played a better game.”

I’m not wet enough behind the ears to take those words at face value. As her opponent, I can tell better than anyone that Ryou wasn’t at her best. I’ve got a pretty good idea why she couldn’t focus today, too.

Women’s Shogi players can be divided into two groups.

Those who hate me and those who utterly despise me.

The young woman sitting across the board is the type who loathes me with every fiber of her being. She didn’t even bother to try hiding that go die in a fire aura during our match.

Not that I care either way!

If her hatred is strong enough to be a distraction, why should I complain?

“That sure was a come-from-behind, down-to-the-wire kind of match☆! If I remember right, you have two losses now? I never thought I’d see the day! I thought I was in for another rough season when Machi wiped the board with me in the first match, but now that I’ve won four straight Women’s Legend League matches, I can almost see the title …… match ……”

I had plenty more I was going to say, but I run out of steam in the middle.

Because, frankly, she isn’t listening to a word of it.

She’s not even looking at me. Her eyes are aimed further back …… at a different match going on.

I look over and–––.

“…………… He- …… re ………… Here …………”

See the tiniest Women’s Shogi player in the room swaying back and forth like a little metronome.

Ai Hinatsuru Women’s 1-dan.

She is by far the youngest participant in the season’s Women’s Legend League. Not to mention that out of the 10 of us here, she has by far the fewest victory stars. I’m pretty sure she started the season with three straight losses.

“Curious about Shorty, are you?”

“…………”

“You put on a clinic against her in the first match, remember? She’s doesn’t measure up to you, not even close! Even I beat her no problem.♪”

“…… If only.”

It seems the Archangel isn’t interested in talking to a bottom feeder anymore and wipes all the pieces off our board.

“Skippin’ the review session, ’kay?”

Then, from behind me, a woman’s voice says, “I lost.”

And an elementary school girl replies, “Thank you for the match.”

“Oh …… Hello, Rokuroba-sensei.”

By pure coincidence, I end up on the same train platform as that elementary school girl at Sendagaya Station after my match.

“Hi.”

The girl bows her head so cutely. I acknowledge her with a little one-handed wave and immediately look the other way.

We’re not all that familiar.

Now her younger sister apprentice, let’s just say we’ve met. Though I doubt she feels the same way.

Her Master, Yaichi Kuzuryu, owes me.

Thanks to Jin-Jin and I breaking to do commentary during the first Crown Title Match, he made it out in time for Snow White’s 4-dan promotion. He owes me a ton.

That being said, I barely have any connection with this Ai: Ai Hinatsuru.

We’ve played before. It was the second match of the season’s Women’s Legend League. I was so in control from start to finish, it felt like taking candy from a baby.

Playing against her, I got the sense her heart was someplace else, and she just went through the motions during the review session. I don’t have much of an impression of her to go on.

Then she went and lost her third straight match. The league had only just started and she’s as good as out of the running already.

“………… Well, I suppose she can’t really help that ……”

The Kiyotaki Line went from the top of the world to the doghouse in just three short months, after all ……

The first female professional Shogi player ever: Naniwa’s Snow White — Ginko Sora.

The youngest professional ever to hold two titles: Demon King of the West — Yaichi Kuzuryu.

Simultaneously the youngest Women’s League Player and title challenger ever: Kobe’s Cinderella — Ai Yashajin.

And the youngest participant in the Women’s Legend League ever: Ai Hinatsuru.

They utterly trounced what was considered normal while whipping all of Japan into a frenzy. Shogi’s popularity exploded to an unprecedented degree. Since Ginko Sora never went on TV, Kanto professionals and Women’s Players were tapped for TV and radio shows all over the place. It was a Shogi bubble, plain and simple.

“Whew, what a doozy it was! The Women’s Shogi world lived it up, too. That spotlight sure was nice.”

I clasp my hands together and enjoy all these memories of bubblier times. Delish!

It goes without saying that Ginko Sora inspired girls all over the country to learn how to play Shogi. The popularity of Women’s Shogi skyrocketed.

Get more Women’s League matches on the air! 

But there aren’t enough players! 

Then expand the Practice League! 

Boom, boom, done. I don’t think a single day passed without a Women’s League player on TV somewhere.

Until that day, anyway.

Snow White Loss.

That’s what all the talk shows and chat rooms have started calling Ginko Sora’s disappearing act. We Women’s Players simply referred to it as the Ginko Shock.

The Women’s Shogi world fell apart overnight.

Maintain the status quo? Hah! It all came crashing down like a house of cards. All six Women’s Shogi titles are in a serious bind, but two are in danger of disappearing altogether.

Without Ginko Sora, the leagues that determine the Queen and Women’s Throne titles have come to a screeching halt. Word has it that the sponsors pulled out, claiming that the association violated their contracts, and now are demanding compensation. The same thing could happen to the other Women’s titles any day.

Association Chairman Tsukimitsu and the other board members are frantically searching for new sponsors. My Master is on the board, but I can’t get in touch with him for the life of me.

At times like this, the title holders themselves need to be the pillars that hold everything up. Shakando-sensei is certainly doing her part, but Ryou has turned into a husk of her former self, who knows what Machi is doing over in Kansai and Ika Sainokami is acting further off the deep end as usual. Three out of the four are totally useless. We’re doomed.

And all that hate is directed at the Kiyotaki Line.

Especially here in Kanto, players are furious that events that have no connection to them (or so they think) have turned the Shogi world inside out and upside down.

So that fury is naturally directed toward the weakest link.

The Demon King of the West and Kobe’s Cinderella are so strong that they’re untouchable, so the mob set their sights on …… Ai Hinatsuru.

Talking behind her back, leaving her out of things, ignoring her and the like. No one’s gotten violent, but the Shogi Association building is turning into the ugly side of an all-girls school. As in the present continuous tense.

Honestly, I’m amazed that an elementary school girl can still sit down and play Shogi in the middle of it all.

I’m pretty sure Ryou beat her with skill during the opening match.

But was she at her best when I beat her? Fat chance. How could she be? I mean, other players are coming up to me saying “Thanks!” and “Way to show her!” right after I won. I admit I grinned and enjoyed the attention, though.

Hah.

Which is why I can’t afford to have anyone from the association seeing me acting buddy-buddy with her. A Shogi player or association staff member is never further than a stone’s throw away at Sendagaya Station. Not to mention that she and I are rivals currently fighting for a ticket to the Women’s Legend Title Match.

“No reason whatsoever to be friendly …… Nope.”

The train slides up to the platform and I get on. The elementary school girl boards the train car next to mine.

After swaying back and forth with the click-clack on the rails for a while, I get off to change trains and follow the stream of people to the next platform only to see–––.

A short silhouette walking not too far in front of me.

“A-hem!”

I move up to her without thinking things through.

Seriously, my legs just sped on their own.

“Can I help you?”

The elementary school girl looks up at me, surprised.

“Didn’t you get on the wrong train? You have to go to Shinagawa Station to catch the bullet train back to Shin-Osaka–––.”

“No. I’m fine.”

“……… Okay then, not that I care.”

I break off eye contact and speed up to overtake the elementary school girl. As they say, out of sight out of mind!

My second train comes into the station. I get on and open the association’s home page on my phone to see if there’s any news.

Yep, I knew it.

“Ai Hinatsuru Women’s 1-dan, Kanto transfer official.”

…… Well, young Women’s League players transfer all the time. Going to university, family situation, there’s all sorts of reasons.

Maybe her shearing off most of her long hair to change her image has something to do with it?

Personally, I think putting as much space between her and that burning dumpster of a Shogi family as possible is a smart move.

“Yep, yep, I get it. She has to make lots of smart moves from here on out. All of us Women’s League players do.”

She’s smiling from ear to ear in her profile picture on the association’s home page. Silently, I start talking to that still long-haired elementary school girl staring back at me from my phone.

You’re cute and, while nothing special just yet, I think you have a lot of talent. You’ll have a new Master in no time, trust me! With a new Kanto Shogi family to back you up, all this bullying will clear up in no time. Isn’t that great? Who knows, maybe we could end up as friends at some point?

I get off the train with all of that going through my mind.

Leaving the station, I start walking to my apartment as the sun comes down.

This part of Tokyo is known for having a bunch of schools, so students live here in droves. It’s a decently safe neighborhood.

My apartment is a short walk away from my university.

It just so happens that a professional player rented two apartments right next to each other in that building, one for himself and one for Shogi research. I ended up moving in to his research room.

It gets plenty of sun and there’s a full dining room and kitchen to go with the bedroom. Not bad, right? I’m not exactly paying rent anyway. (Ha-ha.)

“After winning today, maybe I’ll go and buy a little treat to celebrate?”

After all, it’s best to appease the renter! Picking up the pace a little bit–––.

Step, step, step.

Tick, tick, tick.

Yep.

I hear them. I’ve heard them ever since I left the station. Tiny familiar footsteps ……

“………………”

Turning around, there’s the elementary school girl right behind me.

“Hey.”

“Can I help you?”

“Are you following me?”

“No, I’m not. I live in this direction, too.”

“………… I see.”

An elementary school girl? Living in a college town? My university does have an elevator elementary school, but it’s in the opposite direction. Aren’t you lost? There are plenty of things I want to say, but I ignore her and walk up to my apartment building.

Step, step, step.

Tick, tick, tick.

The same footsteps as before are still following me. Like a demon.

Finally I stop outside my apartment door.

“Okay, what’s your deal, little girl?! You can’t expect me to believe you live here!!”

“Yes, I do.”

“Yeah right!! A-Are you …… trying to break into my apartment in the dead of night to get revenge for losing to me in the Women’s Legend League?!”

The argument starts with a bang when suddenly–––.

“Hi there! Nice to see you made it.”

The next door over clicks open at the perfect moment and the renter sticks his head out—with a suave greeting, as usual.

“Jin-Jin!”

“Natagiri-sensei!”

Her speaking over me instantly gets under my skin, so I turn to the renter–––Jin Natagiri 8-dan and tell him exactly what’s going on.

“You’ll never believe this, Jin-Jin! She followed me here all the way from the Shogi Association! And, if you can believe it, she claims that she lives here–––”

“Because she does.”

“Huh?”

“Ai is going to be living in that room starting today. Would you be a dear, Tamayo, and move out?”

………………… Huh?