Ryuuou no Oshigoto! - Volume 5 - Chapter 4.3

  DISARRAY

“The most monumental match in Shogi history has produced a great deal of surprises!” says a very excited news anchor.

It’s the 9 o’clock national news.

The Meijin and I are their top story.

“The first day of the 4th Ryuo Title Match came to a close today with the whole country watching. The Meijin made the sealing move …… However, the match as a whole has been proceeding at a snail’s pace with both players simply mirroring each other! Many Shogi fans have been expressing their disappointment in this uneventful match all over the Internet since early this afternoon ……”

The camera zooms out to show another person sitting next to the anchor.

“Sensei. What are your thoughts on the match thus far?”

A woman dressed like a witch takes over the whole screen with her seemingly endless magical smile and says softly, “Indeed, this match is still following standard procedure to the letter. It’s possible for a pair of amateurs to reach this exact situation on the board.”

Standing next to the woman, who would’ve been hunted for witchcraft back in medieval Europe, is a dashing young man wearing a white cape who would surely have been a knight back in those days.

It’s the Master and apprentice with no idea how weird they look––– Women’s Legend Rina Shakando and Ayumu Kannabe 6-dan.

“…………”

I freeze, the remote control in my hand.

Having just finished eating dinner with only people from the association, I came back to my room and turned on the TV thinking I’d relax a bit before bed.

And now this.

…… Somebody didn’t think it all the way through when they hired those two. But the news anchor, poor girl. She’s edging away from the oddballs …… 

I keep watching, unable to take my eyes off the screen.

“While the results may be alike, the content is far different …… It’s strikingly similar to an amateur musician performing the same piece as a professional. The notes are identical, but the sound is worlds apart. Do you not agree? God Cauldron.”

“It is just as you say, Master. Just as god created humans in his image. Just as is profound thoughts are beyond our comprehension, humans make the mistake of trying to replicate the god’s Shogi techniques ……”

Rather than help viewers understand her point, that comment just made things worse.

“I-I see ……”

The news anchor has I don’t get it written all over her face, but responds anyway. Hang in there …… 

“The reason their match has proceeded so slowly despite following the standards so closely could only be that they’re confirming the standards are correct with each move.”

I thought that explanation would never fly on television, but Ms. Shakando boils it down to even simpler terms.

“The Meijin has employed the Double Wing Attack for this match … a strategy with a long history. However, with its immeasurable variations, the Double Wing Attack has not been researched to the extent of yagura formations or Side Pawn Capture and has been classified as Power Shogi. Even so, the Shogi Association has around four thousand match records on file in their database.”

“F-Four thous- ……”

“Those two have each match memorized. Combined with their own practice matches and research, each can mentally reference over ten thousand matches at any time. Both players are committing their utmost concentration to scour each one in order to find the absolute best move on each turn during this title match. They may be following standards, but the time required to do this with every move is extraordinary.”

“W- …… Why go that far? Winning is possible without going through all that trouble.”

“Surely, you already know the answer. Is the Meijin pursuing a solution to the Double Wing Attack formation ……? No, he’s looking for a solution to the game known as Shogi … a solution that lies on the precipice between victory and defeat.”

“A solution to Shogi? What, exactly, would that be ……?”

“Which would emerge victorious: offense or defense, should each player always make the best move possible? It’s the answer to the puzzle a high power presented us with when Shogi was created. Fu-fu …… That answer is worth far more than some status as the Eternal Septuple derived by humans.”

“S-So …… The moment they stop following the standard would be?”

“The moment Shogi as we know it ends and completely new Shogi will come into existence. While I have no way of knowing exactly when that move will occur, a new Shogi era will dawn tomorrow.”

“…… That’s the Eternal Queen for you. Nothing gets by her.”

While I’m not sure what all of this new era is about, her idea that we’re going so slowly because we’re thinking through the standards is right on the money.

Meticulously replaying all those match records to find the tiniest deviations takes a surprisingly large amount of time and energy …… It’s worn me out.

The Meijin’s sense of scale is horrifyingly out of this world. So much so that just sitting across the board from him is overwhelming.

But …… I’m keeping up. I’m still in it ……!

That fear of suddenly realizing I lost like the first match isn’t going to happen this time.

Throwing away all my assumptions seems to be helping me keep pace with the Meijin’s reading speed. My own predictions have been right so much more this time than the third match, it’s not even funny.

Though, it doesn’t feel like …… I’ve improved … at all.

But, whereas I couldn’t even see the Meijin’s moves before, now it’s like I’m stepping on his shadow. I’m somewhere at the edge of the other worldly sense he has.

The real question is when and who will break from the standards. Will it be me, or will it be him ……?

While I’m psyching myself up for the final battle, Ms. Shakando turns to the TV camera with a somber look on her face and says, “…… Once cast aside, the Double Wing Attack has once again been brought into the limelight. With the limits of standard progression knowledge coming into view and the feverish expansion of computer software, it has been highly unusual for dated Shogi like this to suddenly appear out in the open during the modern era. Fu …… That is what has allowed an old lady like myself to remain competitive with the younger generations.”

“Please do not say such a thing!” Ayumu yells before the news anchor could get a word in edgewise. 

Come on man, this is a live broadcast.

“You are far stronger and more beautiful than anyone, Master! No damsel could ever compare!!”

“Fufu. Such adorable words …… It is quite possible we will witness the end of this world during the match analysis tomorrow on the Internet. One as aged as myself could not possibly decipher and comprehend it all …… Will you stay with me till the very end, God Cauldron?”

“I would stay at your side through hell and back should you only ask, Master ……!”

The heck is this?

The announcer got thrown for a loop for a second there. Even I didn’t see that little scene coming. But she pulled herself together real fast and pushes the TV show along.

“I … see your point. Now, about the all-important sealing move–––.”

Oh, nope, nope!

Nearly jumping out of my skin, I change the channel.

It’s against the rules to listen to another player’s analysis while the match is still going.

Actually, I should’ve changed the channel once they started talking about Shogi but …… Those two suddenly showing up was just so mesmerizing that I couldn’t take my eyes off the TV. Kind of like when you see something creepy …… 

Oh well, I’ll just watch something else and it’ll be fine–––what, are you kidding me?!

Just as I breathe a sigh of relief.

They’re talking about today’s match over on this channel here toooooo!

It doesn’t matter how many times I hit that button, every station is just Shogi, Shogi, Shogi––.

I-Is every single channel analyzing our match?!

I keep pressing that button, praying that I’ll find something that’s not.

Until finally I see a picture that doesn’t have a Shogi board on it.

“Now then, let’s go out on location–––.”

At last, a news program talking to a reporter dispatched to who knows where to cover some incident. That poor guy is standing outside at night, wearing a long coat and shivering as he talks with the studio.

This should be safe.

I toss the remote onto my futon and sit down on the sofa next to the window.

My body feels like lead …… 

This is crazy …… I knew the Meijin’s Eternal Septuple title and his 100th title season would draw some attention, but this much ……?

I’ve been caught up in the Ai Whirlwind since arriving at the Wakura Onsen, so I completely forgot that the rest of the country is counting down the hours until the Meijin gets immortalized by these grand achievements.

The media is going to go nuts tomorrow.

…… The whole country will be waiting for the moment the Meijin makes history …… Basically, waiting on the edge of their seat to see me throw in the towel …… 

Just as I was starting to feel that no words could possibly describe what’s going through my head.

A strange light shines in through the window. The curtains are closed but it’s bright in here.

Huh? What’s with this light ……?

Curious, I pull back the curtain to have a look–––.

“There! That was Kuzuryu-Ryuo looking out the window just now! The lights in the Meijin’s room are already off, but it appears the Ryuo is still awake! Perhaps he’s planning out his strategy for tomorrow?!”

I heard that voice loud and clear.

But not from outside: from the TV.

???

Really confused, I look back and forth between the TV and the window.

“He’s looking this way! The Ryuo is looking at us! Perhaps he’s too nervous to sleep?! He appears to be rather anxious–––,” the field reporter repeats as he points at one window on the side of a massive building.

There’s a spotlight outside the inn that’s aimed directly at my room.

A whole bunch of broadcast vans from different TV stations are parked around it.

That means–––.

Say what?! They’re filming me?!

All those vans are outside?! Seriously?!

I fling the curtain shut and turn off the lights. Whatever happened to privacy?!

“Lights in the Ryuo’s room have gone off! He appears to be done with his preparations and is going to sleep!!”

“No, because I can’t believe how far you’re willing to go for a story!!” I howl at the TV, but of course there’s no answer.

The news anchor in the studio asks a question.

“Is that all the information from the scene?”

The reporter squeezes his microphone.

“Not quite. Although we were denied an interview with either of the players, the owner of the inn hosting the match was gracious enough to speak with us.”

Oh, come on.

“We learned that Kuzuryu-Ryuo took her daughter as his own apprentice, and the two are to be betrothed.”

“Betrothed? But, the Ryuo is only seventeen, yes? That’s too young to be engaged ……”

“The two have been living together in Osaka since April, and plan to make the engagement official once the girl is legally allowed to marry and then become the next generation to run this inn.”

“How old is her daughter right now?”

“From what I’ve been told, she’s a fourth-grade elementary school student.”

“Isn’t that illegal?”

“Yes. Many Shogi fans who made the journey to watch the match in person spoke to us, saying they ‘Want the Meijin to win,’ ‘The Ryuo should be arrested as soon as possible,’ ‘Execute him as soon as his title’s gone,’ ‘Take him away,’ among other things. In fact, it seems that most people are rooting against the Ryuo rather than for the Meijin–––.”

Hold up. This is a national broadcast, and they just said I’m engaged to and living with a grade school girl, casting me as some perverted Dragon King, and I’ll be forever known as––––.

…………………………………………… Time for bed.

I turn off the TV, close every single one of the curtains, crawl into my futon and forget everything.

Thankfully I got some sleep …… No thanks to you!

Then, next morning.

As usual on Day 2, we set our pieces in the starting position and move them as the match recorder reads through everything that happened yesterday.

Once we’re up to where we left off, the observer reads the sealing move …… But since the observer this time is blind, that duty fell to the assistant observer.

“I shall read aloud in the chairman’s place.”

Stiff as a board, he reads what’s written on the paper.

“The sealing move is ……… Whaaat?!” the assistant observer yelps in surprise. “P-Pardon me. The sealing move is–––.”

What he said caught everyone other than the two of us players by surprise because it went against what’s considered to be Shogi common sense.

The Meijin–––broke away from the standard.

“!! …………… It’s time, huh ……”

Watching the Meijin’s right-hand dance above the board, I clench my jaw and prepare for battle.

From here on out, I can’t rely on any of Shogi’s 1400-year history, the four thousand Double Wing Attack pro matches on file at the association or the sense that I’ve developed since I started playing.

That move went against Shogi itself, throwing it all into disarray.