Ryuuou no Oshigoto! - Volume 4 - Chapter 5.6

  GOD EATER

The first of a possible three matches in the 30th Season Ryuo League Title Match Qualifier is being held in a special arena at the Shogi Association in Tokyo.

“Oh, Yaichi? You came?”

“Don’t be so surprised. This match goes into determining my Challenger ……”

Big Sis was getting the Shogi board we use for analysis ready when I got to the Player’s Room in the morning at the Kansai Shogi Association. She still wears her school uniform during summer vacation.

“…… How about taking a seat?”

“Ah …… Sure.”

Big Sis puts down the cleaning cloth and pulls out the chair next to her. I do as I’m told.

It’d be better to sit across from her to analyze the match together but …… Maybe she’s in a good mood? I know it’s been a while, but for some reason her scent has my heart racing.

August is already a week old. The preliminary matches were two weeks ago.

Bright blue skies with big fluffy white clouds, we’re right in the middle of the dog days of summer.

There aren’t any matches scheduled here at the Kansai Shogi Association, but pros, Women’s League members, Sub League members and journalists keep coming in. Even Mr. Oishi, who almost never comes by the association, is planted firmly in the VIP seat right next to a computer monitor with an unlit cigarette in his mouth. Smoking isn’t allowed in here.

“Good morning. This is Tamayo Rokuroba, coming to you live.”

There are two monitors set up, and one of them is set to Nico Live’s broadcast just getting started.

“Allow me to introduce today’s analyst. He’s the Shogi world’s handsome prince …… But you already knew that, yes? Taishi Shinokubo 7-dan! Sensei, thank you for coming today.”

“Yes. Thank you for having me.”

“You recently lost your Imperial title to none other than the Meijin, but use that experience to add even more depth and flavor to today’s match analysis, would you please?”

“Hahaha. Go easy on me.”

Mr. Shinokubo forces a grin as he responds to Miss Rokuroba’s pinpoint verbal offensive.

She’s got the audience well-trained.

“Already going in for the win, eh Tamayon?”

“Assault my King, would you?”

“No, mine.”

“No, no, mine.”

A barrage of comments flood the screen. Popular as always.

The feed switches to the arena.

“The piece flip.”

The match recorder comes to the side of the board and picks up five of the Meijin’s Pawns.

As the higher-ranking player, the piece flip is done using his pieces. However, two of the Pawns landed on top of each other the first time and three Pawns landed standing up on the second.

“It looks like the match recorder is a nervous wreck too.”

“Uh-huh …… Yep.”

Mr. Oishi and I exchange a few words without taking our eyes off the monitor.

On the third piece flip–––.

“Kannabe-sensei, the first move is yours.”

At ten o’clock in the morning, the match began with Ayumu’s first move.

First turn.

Ayumu goes with an orthodox 7 Six Pawn to open the Bishop Path.

“Kannabe 6-dan’s first move is 7 Six Pawn. Shinokubo-sensei? What strategy do you think the Meijin will use?”

“While he can use anything in the book, he’s a Static Rook party member at heart. He used Static Rook every time against me during the Emperor Title Match. Opening his own Bishop Path would be the norm in the situation but advancing the Pawn in front of his Rook could prove to be advantageous–––.”

“Yaichi. What do you think?”

“Well, hum ……”

Big Sis points to our analysis board while listening to Nico Live’s commentary. I pick up a piece to show her my own prediction but–––I didn’t get a chance.

A snap from the computer speakers beat me to it.

That snap wasn’t the Pawn in front of his Rook, nor was it him opening his Bishop Path. Judging by the sound of it ……

“Th-The Meijin just–––.”

“Slid …… the Rook?!”

Chatter!! The energy inside the Player’s Room boils over.

“Second turn 3 Two Rook, eh? …… Who would’ve thunk?”

The Worldly Maestro takes the cigarette from his mouth and whistles.

“That strat racked up a lot of wins for me back in the day …… But that was years ago. The Meijin pulls a strategy out of a hat that even I, a Ranging Rooker, don’t play anymore in the first match? That could only mean–––.”

“…… Voiding research,” Big Sis says.

No one tries to argue with her.

The Meijin faces his opponents’ research head on.

He sees what they try to do, learns the sequence and adds it to his own research while defending mid-match. That’s how the Meijin plays.

That Meijin–––threw his own style out the window in his first match against Ayumu.

“…… Is he that scared of Ayumu’s research ……?”

“That’s how much he wants to win, Ginko. The guy who ends up winning no matter how he plays wants this win no matter what he has to do,” says Mr. Oishi, his eyes still glued to the monitor.

Chaos ensues.

I thought that the Meijin’s tsunami was going to wash over the whole board but …… Ayumu made waves of his own to fight back.

Big Sis gasps when Ayumu’s strategy becomes clear.

“Left Mino? And that’s …… a High Mino Castle?!”

An old style. That’s all that needs to be said.

Ms. Mato did a quick search of her database and starts speaking even as her fingers click away on her keyboard.

“26th turn …… There have been seven previous matches in which the defender advanced a Silver to 4 Three. The most recent one occurred thirteen years ago. By the way, Kannabe 6-dan has never used a High Mino Castle in a league match before today.”

This kind of Shogi was played around the time Big Sis and I were born. If there’s a special meaning behind Ayumu using that style, could it be ……?

Mr. Oishi speaks up this time.

“That’s ’cause computers advanced and the regular Mino Castle proved to be better. Don’t forget that the Bishop Left Mino Rapid Attack used to be the bee’s knees. Even in Kanto, Kannabe’s one of the few researchers worthy of the name, so it wouldn’t be all that strange if he picked up a feel for the strategy somewhere along the line.”

Knowing the Mino Castle better than anyone, the Ranging Rook party president sounds very convincing.

But …… Big Sis and I have a different take.

“Big Sis. You remember?”

“…… Yes.”

Our practice session in Harajuku.

The strategy that Ayumu’s Master, Women’s Legend Rina Shakando, chose to use against Big Sis was a High Mino Castle into Fourth File Rook.

This may be the first time for Ayumu to play this way in a league match.

But–––he’s surely used it against Ms. Shakando hundreds of times. Thousands of times.

That’s why he went with it.

He’s using the Shogi of the person he reveres above all others to defeat the person he sees as the strongest of all.

Big waves of emotion hit the two of us the moment we see through his way-too-pure plan.

“…… Intense ……!!”

The Meijin’s tenacious pursuit of victory and Ayumu’s intense devotion to his Master.

Those are two emotions that don’t normally get compared.

However, using Shogi as a tool, here they are going head to head.

Since both players’ Kings are staring each other down in eighth column, there’s no chance either of them will make it across the board to nyugyoku. Their formations have become weapons, clashing like dueling swords nearly every turn.

That’s when the Meijin makes another wave.

“His Rook was on an island out on the left, but he brought it up right next to his King?! …… No Ranging Rooker would ever think of that. Nice one ……?!”

The Meijin opens a large lead as Mr. Oishi gawks at the monitor in stunned approval. King and Rook should never touch is an unwritten rule that’s become common sense. That move went against it, the last thing anyone was expecting.

Ayumu wasn’t taking all this lying down.

“Sacrificing his Promoted Bishop and a Rook, these two?! He’s good ……!!”

Big Sis hardly ever compliments anybody, but Ayumu’s bold decision impressed her so much she couldn’t help it.

Ayumu kept up the attack, recklessly advancing without giving the risks a second thought.

But the Meijin blocked every advance perfectly and extended his lead.

–––So the Meijin will win after all ……

The whole room was getting that vibe when the monitor showed the Meijin’s left hand doing something strange.

“Did his hand just quiver?!”

“Then he sees a finishing move ……?!”

That’s one of many legends about the Meijin.

–––His hand shakes when he reads his own victory.

That’s why everyone here in the Player’s Room thinks the Meijin is going to win. Everyone except me.

“…… Nah. That was a bad move.”

Big Sis stares at me, stunned by my conclusion.

“Rushed?! The Meijin?!”

“Yeah. It’s too early to send the Knight in for the kill.”

“…… So, are you saying Kannabe-sensei’s passion got to him? Made the Meijin mess up ……?”

The Meijin jumps his Knight forward, promoting it at the High Mino Castle’s weak spot: the flank. He’s trying to flatten Ayumu’s castle wall. But my reading was right on the money. Moving there was a fatal mistake. Ayumu takes the opening and charges out into a full-on counterattack.

The tide has turned–––.

“I believe Mr. Kannabe will take this match,” Mr. Shinokubo says, carefully choosing his words but speaking with confidence.

“Tokyo’s waiting room agrees that offense has the advantage!” Ms. Mato announces after checking the official Ryuo League home page.

Mr. Oishi absentmindedly crushes his unlit cigarette between his fingers.

“He’s got a Check Path on the Meijin using those two Rooks …… And his own King can’t be touched. Surely–––!!”

Ayumu is getting close to victory. Everyone can see it.

The overlord–––the godly Meijin was about to be taken down by a new player–––a Knight.

We all thought so.

“Fifty seconds …… One, two, three, four, five, six.”

Time is almost up.

“Seven.”

The Meijin’s hand appears on the monitor.

“Eight.”

That hand–––

“Nine.”

——shaking so much harder now than it was before–––.

“Huh?”

“Huh?!”

That move has everyone slack-jawed.

––––––6 Six Silver.

We couldn’t figure out the reason.

“Th …… He’s throwing away … a Silver ……?”

“But why ……? What? What’s … he trying to do ……?”

“Maybe preventing his opponent from …… putting a piece there? But using a Silver for that is–––.”

The Meijin’s trembling hand had taken a Silver from his piece stand, a very valuable piece, and snapped it down right in front of one of Ayumu’s Pawns.

There’s nothing else there. It’s basically: Here. Take it.

That’ll never work. Being short on time must’ve made him jump the gun. That’s what everyone is thinking.

However–––.

“……!!”

Ayumu’s face appears on the monitor as he leans in close to the board …… and turns pale. All the blood drains from his head in the blink of an eye.

Big Sis plays it out on our board and says in a garbled voice, “The …… the offense gained a Silver, but lost the Check Path ……?”

He has more firepower now–––.

A Pawn is one space closer to the enemy King but–––.

Victory slipped through Ayumu’s fingers.

A move nothing short of a miracle, one that no one thought of nor understood after it was made. One that ignored common sense and standards altogether.

The Meijin has made many moves like this one and built up many legends in the process.

Every player, except for the Meijin himself, calls it one thing.

Magic––––––.

“Has he …… come from behind?”

“No. This is a draw.”

Ms. Rokuroba is thrown for a loop, but Mr. Shinokubo calmly answers.

Ayumu hasn’t lost …… But there’s only one place his King can go.

“…… Sennichi te. A Repetition Draw. That settles the match. The players will now switch offense and defense and start over from the beginning.”

“Af …… After an amazing match like this ……? Another one ……?”

The Meijin was one turn away from losing but forced a draw by sending the match into an endless loop.

Ms. Rokuroba asks a question, her voice unsteady. “S …… Sensei? That move …… W-What was it exactly ……?”

“I don’t know. There may have been a better move in that situation. However–––.”

“However?”

“Should the hand of God exist in this world, that’s as close as we’re ever going to get to seeing it.”

Everyone watches that last sequence play out again and again, dumbfounded, silent and feeling defeated.

…… All of it, the 6 Six Silver shock––––––.