Ryuuou no Oshigoto! - Volume 16 - Chapter 5.06

  GOLDEN AGE

“How is she so good with small infantry pieces?! This attack is all Pawns, so why can’t I ……?!”

I remember Keika telling me about this, but I’m still overwhelmed.

Pawns, they can only move forward.

Pawns, they can only move one space at a time.

Two of them can’t be in the same column, regular old Pawns.

She’s using the most limited piece in all of Shogi to hit me with wave after wave of attacks like magic. My Shogi sense gets flipped every single time.

Shakando-sensei’s King has hunkered down at 5 Two, like a queen sitting on her throne, and hasn’t budged.

Meanwhile, mine is having to dance back and forth to avoid the Pawns she keeps summoning.

“Huff ……! Huff ……! >W-Wow ……!!”

The more moves we make, the more sequences I’ve never seen before get thrown at me by Shakando-sensei.

I’m beyond surprised or scared at this point. To be honest, I’m in awe.

–––Shakando-sensei is amazing! Shogi is amazing!!

There’s a part of me that was satisfied with the word talent.

Many people have used it to describe me, a girl who is challenging for a title less than three years after learning how to play Shogi.

That’s why I had the wrong idea.

Late-game skill.

Reading speed.

I thought that they were my best weapons because so many people said I was really good at them.

Part of me wants to just depend on those–––

“No! Further …… I can take this Shogi to an even higher place ……!!”

My fingers are digging so deep into my knee that the skin might scrape off as I read the board up to my absolute limit.

–––Don’t read in a straight line! Wider! In a spiral!!

Since I learned how to play Shogi using Shogi puzzles, I have a habit of reading one narrow area as deep as possible.

But Shakando-sensei is teaching me how wide and how deep a Shogi board really is.

Just by sticking out the edge Pawn.

Just by advancing a Lance one row.

How moving the King one square–––completely changes the outcome. Shogi is so much wider!

“Nggghhhh ……! Kaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!”

I have to rebuild my senses to go beyond my reading limit. That means shattering all 11 of my mental Shogi boards.

A sense of how all the pieces on the board connect and interact.

A sense of how to control the pieces on my stand.

“AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!”

My head screams as I force all the neurons in my brain to connect in a new pattern.

“More ……! More ……!! More, more, more, MOOORRREEE!!”

Even if I get knocked down on my way up, all I have to do is keep crawling on the ground!

Get muddy, be gritty, and keep looking up!

“Grittier! More intense!!”

I repeat those words again and again, over and over!

My mental Shogi boards and late-game skills: I was born with them.

What about all the strength I built up with my own effort?!

“Strong, gritty, Kansai Shogi!”

I have a place to return to.

It’s the place I started playing Shogi.

“There’s still no way for me to match the number of matches you’ve played, Shakando-sensei. But––––––!!”

Acknowledging that I’m still young and inexperienced is what helps me pull myself out of the mud.

All so that I can get one more second of Shogi lessons from the royalty sitting across from me.

It truly amazes me how much Shogi has been crammed into the mind of the little girl sitting before my eyes.

“………… Tenacious.”

My tongue snaps at her overwhelming resiliency. How can this girl truly be the same age as Maria?

No. This is more than simple tenacity …… It’s worldliness!

Ferocity escalates with every move, pieces trading hands like clockwork.

The moment when one disappears from the board, it warps to a position more beneficial to its strengths the next. Common knowledge of conventional Shogi is being rewritten as if the very laws of physics were being contorted in real time.

The pieces themselves come together with an unperceivable density that nullifies my advances.

–––My formation is strong! It is …… So why can I not reach?!

I was aware of her offensive talents.

However, I was entirely unprepared for this level of defensive prowess.

A never-before-seen type of All-Rounder, one with a curious blend of sound Static Rook and overarching senses of Ranging Rook, now sits before me.

It is almost as if the Iron Clad Wall and the Worldly Maestro reside within her ……

–––Is the style of Shogi conceivable ……?!

It is as though I’m bearing witness to the rejection of all 1,400 years of Shogi history.

The two separate philosophies of Static Rook and Ranging Rook have melded together within this one girl.

The senses I have honed throughout my life are of no use.A future as uncertain and unstable as the weightlessness of outer space is budding before my eyes.

“Hfff …… Hfff …… Hfff …… Haaaaah!”

My brain craves oxygen.

Having fought the majority of my battles at the apex, this altitude should be but a trifling matter.

–––Is this girl …… attempting to go further beyond ……?!

Her strength grows with every move.

Absorbing my own techniques all the while.

–––This girl …… Ai Hinatsuru …… Was she talented beyond my own measure?!

I believed she possessed great potential.

Born into a comfortable family situation, she was blessed with good health and mental calculation skills. She is what all seek in an apprentice.

However, her gifts have also resulted in kindness.

–––I identified it fully during our first match …… and saw her limit.

Kindness leads to arrogance.

Arrogance leads to carelessness.

Carelessness leads to missed opportunities.

Missed opportunities lead to failure.

The difference between kindness and arrogance is paper thin. Just as the older generation of Shogi professionals patronized the Women’s League, the kind young players today have a carelessness that resembles arrogance.

My physical handicap has allowed me to see through that kindness and arrogance.

–––That itself was the talent bestowed upon me by Shogi divinity.

Ironic, all things considered.

My inability to escape from Shogi. Meeting battles head on being my only option. That is how my heart acquired a playing style with far fewer holes than any other.

–––Naniwa’s Snow White as well …… Much like myself, Ginko transformed a weak physical condition into an immensely powerful heart.

Being straddled with those weaknesses enabled us to break through the wall.

The highest wall in the Shogi world, that of being women.

The girl before me however, is playing with such light-footed agility that it is hard to believe she ever had to clear that wall to begin with. Even now, she is closing in on the apex at breakneck speed.

–––Just what is this strength?! …… This powerful will!!

She is precisely the type of girl I had been hoping would appear.

A girl who simply wanted to learn the intricacies of Shogi to become stronger without any other mental baggage.

Now that such a perfect talent has shown her face, however …… I cannot help but shudder.

–––If only …… If only I had the strength of my golden age ……!!

Pressure the likes of which I have never felt before scorches my veins, urging me to strengthen my formation with all haste.

It is not a sense of loss originating from my life’s path being refuted.

Nor is it jealousy toward this girl who possesses talent I do not.

Nor even is it from the terror of losing the only title I have left.

It comes from my core, the belief that if our paths had crossed while I was still in my golden age …… I could have become a stronger, more positive forward-leaning player than I am today.

“Fierce.”

That word creeps up on me so quickly that it escapes my mouth.

An emotion which has no name.

“Pardon me!!”

Ayano Sadatou entered the arena at the exact moment delicately balanced formations swung drastically into one player’s favor.

“HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!”

Ai Hinatsuru’s vigor blew as a torrent, sliding her Bishop all the way across the board and compounded it by advancing her Rook deep into enemy territory. Promoting her two big pieces gave Ai Hinatsuru the opportunity to counterattack she desperately needed.

However.

“All for naught!”

Rina Shakando summoned a golden shield onto the board and easily deflected the Rook Ai had sent to her flank. That only further deepened the disparity between the formations.

–––But I have a Dragon now!

The young challenger’s eyes pulsed to life. The light blinded her to the uphill battle she faced.

“This Dragon will be the difference …… I’ll win!!”

“Not if you perish first.”

That was Rina’s opening bell to a slew of checks against the offensive King.

“?! Why is she trying to finish it now?!”

This wasn’t a mere check, but a sequence of six in succession. An ambush fueled by nearly all the battle strength Rina had accumulated on her piece stand!

“Ngggghhhh ……!!”

Ai’s King had been driven to the very corner of the board.

At long last, Rina returned her attention to her own territory.

“Perhaps now is time to alleviate this Dragon-shaped thorn in my side. That piece …… is quite troublesome. He-he.”

The Master took a short pause.

“Kh ……!”

The challenger dangled on the edge of the cliff, finally given a chance to secure a handhold. However, the Eternal Queen’s sharp heel stomped on those fingertips and plunged her into eternal despair.

–––But I still have another Rook!!

Ai gritted her teeth and continued to endure. Placing all her remaining hopes in the one Rook still at her disposal, she crawled through that muddy ravine and began to climb once again.

After being forced all the way into the left corner of the board, Ai’s King was driven back to the right and had finally climbed up to the third column.

Rina’s King was still sitting on its throne in the fifth.

These movements were enough to know how heavily the scales were tipped.

The one factor that kept Ai’s heart intact was–––the big piece clearing the way for her King.

“Here!!”

Her remaining Rook pierced through the defender’s formation and promoted into a Dragon.

Not only could this beast threaten the defender’s King from the deepest position within enemy territory, it also secured the offensive King’s escape route. Realizing that the possibility of nyugoku had risen dramatically breathed more life into Ai Hinatsuru.

“The Dragon King, such a nuisance ……”

Rina managed to contain it with the combined efforts of a Bishop and a Gold, but Ai deftly maneuvered the Dragon along a singular path to reach the corner of the board, the safety of 1 One.

“It got away!”

“I wonder?”

Rina reached for her piece stand–––and delivered a blow that turned Ai’s world on its head.

Deploying a Silver so close to the offensive King that it may as well been a hair clip, 2 Seven Silver!

“Giving up a Silver for nothing?!”

That move was a frightful one indeed.

Rina had pursued the Dragon around the board all to bring it into fruition!

“T-Take it with the King and …… I can’t block with a 4 Seven Dragon?! Oh no–––!!”

The sequence had robbed her Dragon’s ability to protect her own territory. Now that she realized taking that Silver would be her own demise, Ai moved her King to the side to avoid the Silver altogether.

That moment was when Rina took another pause to set her sights on her own territory. Pawn in hand, she deployed it directly beside Ai’s Dragon to complete the cage.

“That should seal it.”

“Ah ……?!”

“I shall see to it that it remains there for the duration of this match.”

Now, Ai’s Dragon had been rendered useless and a Silver directly in front of her King had established an enemy stronghold in her territory.

The formations had become completely different from just a few moves prior.

–––M-My Dragon …… My poor Dragon ……

There was no going back now.

Ai’s final ray of hope had been snuffed out.

“Agh ………… Ah, ahh, ahhhhh …………”

Spirit weakened; Ai placed her right hand on the tatami.

Then, the Women’s Legend made her heart scream.

“May you be felled by your most beloved piece, Ai Hinatsuru.”

Rina moved a Dragon at 9 Seven, putting the offensive King in check from the opposite side of the board.

“……!!”

All hope was lost.

An announcement from the boardside table drove Ai even further into despair.

“H-Hinatsuru-sensei …… One-minute Shogi begins now ……”

With her waiting time expired, Ai couldn’t find a moment to surrender.

However, she continued to endure despite the noose tightening around her neck. Her only hope was trapped on the other side of the board, so continuing to break through check after check merely prolonged her torture ……

Tsubasa faithfully recorded each of the moves until a bizarre pattern caught her so off guard that it escaped her lips.

“…… How many times have I written taken by offensive King ……?”

The longevity and endurance of Ai’s King, its gritty determination to survive was awe-inspiring to her.

However–––its outlook was grim.

The defender was already in victory position. Tsubasa was certain that she would have given up in the challenger’s shoes.

Tsubasa, otherwise known as Undying Wings, was particularly skilled at turning the tables on her opponents with nyugoku. Thus, a glance was all she needed to discern that the offensive King’s chances of escaping into enemy territory were next to zero.

In fact, it was the defender’s King, which maintained a powerful position at 5 Two, that had a secure escape route to the opposite side of the board while continuing the fight.

–––So meticulous. Too strong ……

No matter how deep she read, Tsubasa couldn’t find a sequence that gave Ai the victory. The plight of her younger friend weighed heavily on her heart, and she couldn’t bring herself to look at the profile of Ai’s face ……

Ayano, however, had a much more positive outlook on the situation from her seat next to Tsubasa.

“Ai ……! Her eyes, they’re still ……!!”

“Her …… eyes ……?”

Tsubasa lifted her gaze from the match record and looked at Ai from the side.

The young girl’s line of sight was not fixated on her own King–––but on the enemy King.

Then, she plucked a Silver off her piece stand.

“…… Check?”

Setting the scene.

Or so she thought. The only purpose that Silver could serve was delaying Ai’s inevitable surrender.

For the first time in 100 moves, Rina’s King changed positions.

That was her signal to end the match. As if indicating that the title of Women’s Legend would never fall from her overwhelmingly powerful grasp, Rina boldly used her King to capture the Silver that was deployed directly in front of it.

“Here!”

Ai immediately deployed a Bishop to put Rina’s King in check for a second time.

“…… Still haven’t had your fill?”

The Women’s Legend’s voice was rife with disappointment and annoyance.

The 210th move came and went, marking this match the longest and most intense in the league’s history. The last thing Rina Shakando wished was for this now sacred match record to be sullied. The most elegant ending had been missed in her eyes.

Even so.

“Here!”

Ai boldly pulled the Bishop back into her territory to take the Silver that had her own King pinned down.

“Placed your hopes in nyugoku, have you ……? Now, at the very end, your youth comes through. Though I suppose that should be treasured.”

So saying, Rina took no chances and eyed the area in front of her own King.

Dragon and Horse. Both the beasts held positions to the left and right of the offensive formation, but the Women’s Legend had already secured an escape route. Checkmate was impossible.

With the board as it was now, she could not lose.

“………… Here …… Here …… Here …… Here, here, here, here, here, here. hereherehereherehereherehereherehereherehereherehere––––––”

Ai continued to play on despite that and put Rina’s King in check yet again.

“––––––HERE!!”

5 Five Pawn.

A single Pawn, placed in the very center of the board and directly in front of the defending King. A sacrificial lamb, a Pawn.

Zing.

“……?! Wh-What was that chill? ………… Ngh!! G-Ghhnnnnhhh ……!!”

Tsubasa was the first to react. Lightheaded, she felt simultaneously cold and nauseous. Her instincts had kicked in before her brain could finish reading the sequence. Fear carved a message into her heart.

–––This is the kind of move that kills people.

Rina took hold of her armrest and leaned as far forward as she physically could for a better view of the board.

“What could be the meaning behind this irregular Pawn ……?!”

There was only one logical conclusion: moving her King would spring a trap.

The question was whether taking the Pawn would trigger it or if running away would result in her own demise.

–––Even with hours …… No, even days on end would not suffice for me to read this sequence properly.

It was the type of formation where a solution would come to mind randomly years after the fact, far too complex for a human brain to tackle all at once.

Rina had five minutes. Reading was not an option.

In fact, trying to do so would be her own downfall. In which case–––

“I never retreat. Not from destiny or anything else.”

Rina Shakando made her choice.

Taking hold of the Knight protecting her King’s rear flank, she used it to remove the Pawn blocking the Queen’s path.

“Taken with …… Knight.”

Tsubasa held off a wave of nausea to write that move on the match record.

Not even a heartbeat later, Ai leaned all the way over the board and reached for a certain piece on the other side.

Her fingers clasped–––the Dragon.

“Here!!”

2 Two Dragon.

The Dragon King made its return to the board by devouring the Gold that kept it at bay.

Taking that Dragon with the Pawn was a simple matter. Simple, but–––

“………………………………………… Take it with the Pawn, and I lose?”

Rina trembled.

Not because she had glimpsed her own defeat.

It was due to the check path Ai had initiated on the board. It was gorgeous ……

“In-Incredible ………… Not a single Pawn is necessary? …… How could a final formation such as this still exist after such a fierce battle ……?!”

The board looked as if it belonged in the Sogyoku Shogi Puzzle Anthology.

Rina Shakando was mesmerized by the death that awaited her in 23 moves.

“Such beauty ………… No matter which piece I select, the outcome is inevitable. Absolute checkmate ……”

The possibility of 2 Two Dragon had been in the back of Rina’s mind ever since her seal was complete. She had been explicitly careful to maintain her defenses in such a way that a single Gold could never put her in checkmate for just that reason ……

However–––

“You had already identified this check path when you deployed that Bishop at 4 Two on move 213, had you not? With your Horse at 5 Two, you realized that my King would be cornered no matter which direction it ran.”

“………… Yes, but something else had to happen first ……”

“Which explains the 5 Five Pawn ……”

Defeat had been unavoidable. No amount of best available moves was going to change that.

Thus, Ai needed to bait Rina into making a mistake. Using her opponent’s tendencies against her was the only path to victory.

She had to understand her opponent at the deepest possible level in order to deceive her–––how a gamester would.

“If you had chosen anything other than your Knight to take my Pawn …… You would have won if you had retreated, Sensei.”

“Far less than a 50-50 chance. Did you not think it foolhardy to entrust your hopes to such unfavorable odds?”

“I didn’t–––,” Ai responded loud and clear as she explained why she placed her destiny on that trap.

“When forced to choose between defending and running away, you always hold your ground.”

“……!”

Rina’s eyes shot open.

Over the course of 220 moves, Ai had come to so thoroughly understand Rina Shakando the Shogi player that she could set a trap for her at the very end.The battlefield shifted away from board theory once Ai showed Rina a move that she would not regret even if it resulted in a loss.

“………… Well done. That is the very essence of competition between two people.”

Indeed. Rina Shakando does not run away.

With her disabled leg, escape was never an option.

Not to mention the fact that there is no retreat path from the very highest summit.

“Allow me to impart another piece of knowledge.”

The very picture of grace in defeat, the Women’s Legend continued.

Rina Shakando had identified Ai’s habits over the course of their five-match series. Specifically, an identifying characteristic that the girl herself would not notice but others would be able to say this is Ai Hinatsuru’s Shogi at a glance.

That being–––

“Ai Hinatsuru becomes stronger whenever a Dragon King is present on the board. And she refuses to give in.”

“……!!”

The match was still going on, but the young challenger’s eyes were filling with tears.

The third match proved to be fateful.

Ai’s Rook had remained at 2 Nine the entire match. It had been delegated to pressuring Rina’s King in the third column and never promoted into a Dragon ……

However, Dragons appeared several times in this Shogi.

One of them proved to be the deciding factor in Ai’s victory ……

“Being satisfied with it caged away in the corner of the board was my downfall. I should have eliminated it posthaste, yes?”

Rina tapped her fist against the side of her head.

Even Ai, who was already leaking tears, couldn’t help but giggle at Rina’s girlish behavior.

“I advise you to fix your habit of constantly staring the Dragon down. Your desire to play 2 Two Dragon was laughably obvious.”

“You sure do like to collect Pawns, Shakando-sensei! You even have nine of them on your piece stand right now.”

“…… Numbers will never betray you. Nothing more, nothing less. It is not as though I have a fondness for the character written on the piece ……”

A dusting of pink appeared on Rina’s cheeks as she broke eye contact. This time, Ai couldn’t stop herself from laughing out loud.

Just then.

Rina Shakando happened to catch a glimpse of the young man standing atop the small cliff opposite the river just outside the window.

“Ahh …………”

She squinted as if looking into a blinding light.

The setting sun had tinted the water’s surface a blazing golden orange, which momentarily cast the surroundings in a divine glow.

“I never imagined my last moment as a title holder would be so …… beautiful ……”

Then she straightened her posture and extended her right hand toward her piece stand–––but just before it arrived.

“Shakando-sensei.”

The challenger posed a question.

“When is your golden age?”

“My …… golden age?”

The question put her so off guard that Rina forgot to surrender as she searched for an answer.

“I wonder? Perhaps when all Women’s Titles were in my name or it may have been the era when I thought myself invincible even against professional players as the Assassin …… At the very least, it has long since passed. My golden age is, in fact, ancient history.”

“…………”

“That being said, I assure you that the title you have just acquired has not lost any luster–––”

“I get it now …… You never saw it because you were always facing the other way ……”

“It being?”

As the higher-ranking player, Rina had always sat in the upper seat with her back facing the arena’s alcove.

Which was why she never saw the scroll hanging there until Ai pointed it out.

“…… Ah?!”

She turned to look over her shoulder and read the words for the first time.

As well as …… who wrote them.

“My golden age is tomorrow.”

Tomorrow.

The one absentmindedly optimistic enough to see as an opportunity a word that normally struck fear in the hearts of those over the hill was–––

“Kousuke’s seal ………… I see …… I never once came to that realization ……”

Rina Shakando was at a loss for words.

The man she had admired so much that he continued to have a place in her heart, Kousuke Kiyotaki.

The Rina Shakando of not too long ago would have noticed, no doubt. Even without the seal, she would have immediately identified the writer by his penmanship alone.

It was now that she realized it was that love which had become ancient history.

“Grandpa-sensei …… Kousuke Kiyotaki 9-dan always says things like that. I’ll be back stronger tomorrow! or Let yar youth shine!”

Ai rephrased her question.

“I’m sure your golden age starts tomorrow, Shakando-sensei. Don’t you agree?”

Since Rina still couldn’t find the right words, Ai shouted.

“Someone who can play strong Shogi like that hasn’t lost a step! I defeated the strongest Rina Shakando to claim this title! My golden age starts right now!!”

The girl continued to shout like a child having a temper tantrum.

“That’s why I know for sure that you–––will be even stronger and more beautiful tomorrow!!”

Her logic didn’t hold water. Ai understood that better than anyone.

Nevertheless, she continued.

Continuing was all she could do. After all, true defeat only happens when the heart breaks. That’s what the person she cared about most taught her.

“So …… ngh …… So …………!!”

Tears streaming down her face, Ai did her best to convey her feelings.

Her own clumsiness with the words came to vex her.

She was sure she could do a better job following through on Maria’s request.

Ai wanted to pass along the courage she once received from Yaichi way back when.

To the> Shogi player Ai Hinatsuru–––that was the summit she strived to reach.

“………… Golden age ………… Hm …………”

Shifting her gaze from the scroll back to the window, Rina continued.

“To think I would one day receive motivation from Kousuke’s granddaughter apprentice …… He-he! What bliss I have found! This is far more happiness than I ever intended to acquire ……”

“…………”

“That being the case ………… Why not attempt to possess even more?”

“!”

Ai’s face swung up as if shot out of a cannon. The woman who was once known as the Assassin couldn’t help but smile at the sight.

“I leave the rest to you.”

“Yes! I will take over from here.”

Ai bowed her head all the way to the floor.

That was the moment a title held by the same woman for 29 consecutive years was transferred to an 11-year-old girl.

Tsubasa and Ayano could only stare as the scene unfolded before their eyes.

It seemed too peaceful, too happy for a moment that changed history.

“Ah! S-Sensei …… Here ……!!”

Tsubasa sprang to her feet the moment that she saw Rina collecting her things and gave her the match record.

“Thank you, Undying Wings.”

“N-No! Th-Thank you ………… Um ……”

It took Tsubasa a moment to find her courage.

“…… Sh-Shakando-sensei, I’ve been meaning to apologize to you for the longest time ………… for not getting any results in the Sub League ……”

“……”

“But, I can still be involved with the sport I love thanks to your giving me a path into the Women’s League. It’s because of you that I have friends like Ai. So–––…” Tsubasa flung her head into a deep bow and said, “Thank you so much for leaving Shogi for me.”

Seeing Tsubasa remain with her head down for so long made Rina’s heart ache. It was all she could do to muster these words.

“………… I have left a deep scar on your destiny. Not only you, but many girls who I deemed to have potential ……”

“B-But …… I chose this path. I could never …… hold a grudge against you, Shakando-sensei. Neither I …………… nor Miss Sora ……”

Ai’s shoulders twitched ever so slightly at the mention of that name.

“Thank you for everything, Sensei …… You don’t need to carry that burden …… anymore,” said Tsubasa as she stood back up and smiled.

It was an awkward smile that she had only regained after joining the Women’s League.

Rina looked away from that smile, but …… her cheeks sparkled.

She then kindly addressed Ayano, who had been respectfully quiet during their exchange.

“My apologies. Here you are, ready to write an article and I rob you of a review session. Will you forgive this rude elder of yours?”

“There’s nothing to forgive! You’ve shown me more than enough …… Already.”

But! Ayano was quick to add.

“I still don’t know how to put today’s match into words. Would …… Would you please show me lots and lots of Shogi in the future? I want to keep walking alongside you forever ……!”

“…… Why, thank you.”

Giving her a nod, the former Women’s Legend left the arena with her disabled leg in tow.