Ryuuou no Oshigoto! - Volume 6 - Chapter 5.2

  MONSTERS IN BATTLE

The Sub League.

Officially known as the Supplementary Support League for Rising Players, it is split between the two factions in Kanto and Kansai.

The matches that take place therein were not originally intended to be seen by those outside of its jurisdiction.

However, the Kansai Sub League has been uploading Fierce Records onto its home page during its Regular Activities, as well as recording highly anticipated matchups through cameras mounted on arena ceilings.

On this day of Regular Activities–––it was Kunugi 2-dan versus Sora 2-dan.

“Pwfff ……”

A man watching their match on the monitor in the Player’s Room took a long drag of his cigarette and let out a smoky sigh when he saw Ginko and Sota diverge from the Bishop Path and instead reinforce their defenses.

Mitsuru Oishi.

The man known as the Worldly Maestro watched the match take place through the monitor as memories of legendary matches started flooding back to him.

–––There was a time when a candidacy system was used for promotion matches in the Kansai Sub League.

This was before the current 3-dan division existed. A long, long time ago.

A match between two individuals one win away from promotion. In other words, both of their lives depended on the outcome.

In many of these matches, a very close friend of the player who was about to promote submitted themselves for the match.

It’s said that whenever two friends went head-to-head, the one who entered the match as a stopper was more likely to win. As if a monster had come to heartlessly destroy a stone bridge built on a lifetime of victories.

A match that turns men into monsters–––Monsters in Battle.

Even if it wasn’t to turn professional, Mitsuru wholeheartedly felt that monsters were in battle at this very moment.

“…… Either way, the timing is putting all the pressure on Ginko. Overcoming it is the true mark of a 3-dan ……”

Mitsuru sat by himself, the only one in a normally full Player’s Room, moving pieces around an analysis board until a loud ker-tap ker-tap announced the arrival of one more. Another man his age entered the room.

Shouji Karako, newly appointed 3-dan.

“Well, well, if it isn’t Oishi-sensei! Coming to the association on a Sunday, I must say you title holders always have your noses to the grindstone!”

“Would you drop the act and talk normally? You’re making me sick.”

“Alrighty, don’t have to tell me twice.”

Dropping his forced polite tone, Shouji took the seat opposite Mitsuru.

The Worldly Maestro’s eyes never left the board as he addressed the newcomer.

“Been a while, yeah? Say, ten years?”

“Got to be. Haven’t seen you since you knocked me out of the 3-dan division. But I still think of you as a friend, Mitsuru.”

“Was it ever like that?”

Said Mitsuru flatly, exhaling a stream of smoke.

These two once fought in the 3-dan division.

One became a professional Shogi player, the other reached the Sub League’s age limit and was forced to bow out.

A common story in the Sub League.

“And? Why’re you here?” Mitsuru asked his former contemporary who had made his return to the Player’s Room. 

Shouji answered without a moment’s delay. “To root for Ginko.”

“That right?”

“A loss today won’t stop that boy from getting promoted, and soon. Now Ginko, she’ll have a while to wait if she lets this one get away. I want her to move up today.”

“Awfully kind of you to say so.”

“But of course,” said Shouji with a smirk as he revealed the reason behind his generosity.

“That means someone I can get a guaranteed star off of will be joining the 3-dan division.”

Matches progressed throughout the room, pieces colliding like wildfire.

––– ………… So irritating …… 

Ginko peered at Sota’s face while plotting her next move. Their formations were entrenched in a tight gridlock.

–––Maybe I should take initiative ……?

Many strategies effective against yagura on defense had been discovered in recent years.

Gone were the days when players like Ayumu Kannabe racked up victories with an offensive yagura and Kannabe Style 1 Five Lance or its successor Kannabe Style 3 Six Lance. Even Ayumu Kannabe himself was using Snow Roof formations at a much higher rate recently.

Offensive yagura is dead.

Indeed, some younger players in Kanto had no problem saying it out loud.

No professional player, no Women’s League player, or amateur brought yagura to its knees.

Shogi software did that.

And Ginko was well aware of that fact.

––– …… This kid goes around saying 7 Eight Gold and 3 Eight Gold are the best opening moves.

It was plainly obvious that Sota’s Shogi sense was a product of software.

Therefore, Sota’s choice to employ an offensive yagura indicated that he had done all the research on his own.

––– …… This could get heated …… Calm and cool, calm and cool …… 

Her palms slick with sweat, Naniwa’s Snow White wiped her hands on her skirt before squeezing the fabric as hard as she could.

“I gotta say, sure is noisy up on the fourth floor.”

“No matter who gets promoted to 3-dan, special editions’ll be written about this one.”

Mitsuru and Shouji exchanged words sitting around the analysis board, commenting on the goings-on outside of the match.

The media throng that had occupied the association since early that morning had moved into the fourth-floor multipurpose room and were tracking the match from there. They had been granted access on the condition that they were barred from entering the arena itself.

“Not to mention it’s Naniwa’s Snow White clashing with the prodigy schoolboy. ’Course they’d cover it. That’ll bring in more viewers than title matches, too. They even came to me, unworthy as I am, for an interview since I’ll be facing the winner next season in the 3-dan division.”

“Don’cha think this much attention is a problem? Who cares how much of a ruckus the outside makes? Sub League members are still in training. That big of a spotlight can’t be a good thing. Even the 3-dan division was never meant for a crowd–––.”

“A decision by the committee could change that.”

“You’ve lost it if you think there’s a chance in hell Mr. Tsukimitsu’ll allow that. That stage is more sacred than title matches themselves.”

“Ever the pure knight in shining armor, Mitsuru. I’m gonna need sunglasses,” said Shouji, pretending to shield his eyes.

“Tsukimitsu-sensei is the chairman. No refuting that. But who else is on the committee? Four from Kanto. Two from Kansai. It will come down to a vote. Numbers are gonna win.”

“…………”

“Tsukimitsu-sensei is the face of the Shogi Association. A rather handsome one at that. Yes, but his mind is somewhere else.”

“…… Now I get it. You’re saying the guys that turned your Admission Exam into a media field day are the real brains in the association, and you’re more than happy to wag your tail for them.”

“I grew a lot, living out in the real world. Trying to out-muscle a strong opponent head-on is just a waste of time. You just get drawn into a long fight and end up brownnosing whoever has power. People wag their tails for sponsors.”

“Grew? Sounds to me like you fell face-first into a pile of crap.”

“It’s called wisdom.”

“We don’t let dogs play Shogi,” Mitsuru snapped. 

Though Shouji’s smile remained plastered to his face, the vibe in the room had turned sour.

The sharp echo of a piece shot through the heavy air.

Sota Kunugi had stuck out a Pawn, sacrificing it to initiate an attack on Ginko’s formation.

“Now?!”

Mitsuru and Shouji were blindsided by the timing of Sota’s advance.

“…… Must be that new sense I’ve heard so much about.”

Mitsuru groaned. He couldn’t help it.

Deploying all the Pawns from his piece stand with reckless abandon, Sota jumped his Knight forward to 1 Seven on his next move.

“He went there?!”

“…… Certainly not the first move that would come to mind.”

Under normal circumstances, moving a Knight into the first column is a misstep. Although it cut the piece’s movement range in half, it was easy to see how Sota came to that decision once he had moved the piece into position.

“So, he used forceful worldliness to break through Ginko’s line in only seven turns …… That kid would make a good Ranging Rooker if he ever tried it.”

“Especially if he’s getting complimented by the Worldly Maestro.”

Shouji’s fingers danced across his smartphone’s screen. He then whistled in amazement once the display popped up.

“The software recommended exactly the same move. Only took him two minutes to come to the same conclusion as a machine that’s analyzed over 2 billion matches worth of options …… Ha-ha. Now that’s what I call a monster.”

“? Are you telling me that smartphone of yours can run Shogi software?”

“Technology never was your thing, was it, Mitsuru? It’s called a remote display. My computer at home is doing the calculations. I’m just controlling it from the phone,” said Shouji, poking fun at his former contemporary with a twinkle in his eye.

“But, yeah. Even smartphones these days are stronger than human beings.”

Ginko lost her chance to go on the offensive but, of course, she wasn’t going to take the attack lying down.

Setting up to counterattack in the ninth column, she saw that Sota was gathering his forces in the fifth to defend and instead launched an all-out assault.

It was as if she were unleashing all her bottled-up strength in one brutal advance. However, Mitsuru and Shouji could see the board beginning to tip in Sota’s favor as they calmly observed the events unfolding in the arena.

“That’s defensive Shogi for you,” said a giddy Shouji, watching a style similar to his own in action. 

Mitsuru groaned a response out from between his teeth. “Forcing your way forward while taking the opponent’s attacks in stride and gently crushing them out of existence. That schoolboy plays so much like an old fart it makes me sick to my stomach ……”

“Didn’t you know, Mitsuru? Software has played more Shogi than all of humanity combined.”

“…… How do you mean?”

Shogi has a rich history dating back one thousand four hundred years.

By comparison, Shogi software has only existed for a few decades. The difference should be obvious.

“A software program called AlphaGo has been toppling top-tier pros from around the world like clockwork, yes? Since Go has quite a few more ins and outs than Shogi, people are estimating it’ll be another ten years before the software completely overtakes us. But it’s already in the lead.”

“And that is?”

“Fifty high-spec PCs backed by Google’s power and resources spent three weeks straight playing tens of millions of matches against themselves at top speed. Now the software is stronger because it’s got all that experience to draw from. Just like people do. The main difference is that a person would be hard-pressed to play just one thousand matches in three weeks even without stopping to sleep.”

“……”

“Software has already played more matches than humans ever have. Experience, our ace in the hole, is long gone,” Shouji declared. “Shogi and Go both boil down to numbers. Not knowing the answer gave that mystery number a mystique, but the one who can crunch numbers faster wins in the end. Personality, etiquette, tradition, they’re only valued so professional players can throw their weight around in the Shogi world.”

“The Shogi gods won’t be happy with you for saying that.”

“Surely they hate me enough as it is having killed me off once already, remember?” Shouji remarked, as if trying to get a bad taste out of his mouth before holding out his smartphone for Mitsuru to see. “As far as I’m concerned, the only god for me is right here.”

Numbers rolled across the smartphone’s screen, Shogi software analyzing tens of millions of possible outcomes all at once.

“Even the Meijin, the man plenty of pro Senseis openly call a god, would lose ninety-eight times out of a hundred …… No, he wouldn’t stand a chance. It’s about time you took a long hard look at reality.”

“Thanks for the opinion.”

One of only four people in the world to hold a professional Shogi title, King Mitsuru Oishi watched Sota Kunugi’s move on the monitor and copied it on the analysis board, mumbling, “Setting that Meijin versus software debate aside for the moment–––.”

He gritted his teeth.

“This is one strong kid.”

“……… Strong ……!”

Ginko groaned as Pawns suddenly flooded the board.

–––Attacking even at the cost of his own Rook …… Very strong!!

Ignoring the Pawn that was deployed in her King’s vicinity, Ginko moved to intercept the attack head-on.

Both combatants sacrificed defense in favor of speed. Each made their move the moment the other was finished as if the first one to flinch would be defeated.

–––His has better protection …… But!!

Compared to the two Golds walling off Sota’s King, Ginko’s was completely exposed.

Even so, she calmly advanced promoted Pawns directly into the Golden wall.

Promoted Pawns have deceptive speed. A Shogi proverb. 

Pawns are slow, but their golden promotion is the equivalent of exchanging a Pawn for a Gold and can dramatically shift the balance of power on the board in the blink of an eye.

For that reason, Promoted Pawns are often called vipers. It goes without saying that Sota would deflect the vipers Ginko was sending his way …… Or at least she thought so.

“Huh?!” 

Ginko couldn’t restrain her surprise when she saw Sota’s move.

Shockingly, the boy decided to leave their fangs sunk deep into his defenses and continued his attack.

The venomous snakes devoured his left hand as Sota gripped Ginko’s heart with his right. An astonishing 3 Five Silver!!

“A blind eye?! Now?!”

Sota decided against solving the Promoted Pawn problem and instead focused his attention on a completely different area of the board. Ginko hadn’t considered that move, even for a second. She could feel terror start to worm its way into her heart.

–––Am I checkmated ……?!

Judging formations is the most important aspect of playing Shogi.

How pieces come and go. How possible moves appear and disappear. The King’s defenses. How pieces work in tandem.

Comparing each of these various aspects determines which player has the advantage. The ability to judge formations is vital to improving Shogi skill for both human beings and software.

However, there is something even more important for humans–––a heart strong enough to believe.

For no matter how accurate their judgments were, no matter how many incredibly brilliant moves came to mind, each was pointless if the heart didn’t believe in them.

––– …… I’m okay! I should still be okay!!

Watching Sota neglect his defenses to press on with their race to victory, Ginko considered the possibility that her King was dead in the water for a moment.

However her heart was strong.

She used all of her remaining waiting time to build up her courage and fight back against the terror. Her fighting spirit made her blood boil, cleansing her body.

Heated.

Ginko judiciously prepared herself. This would be the killing blow.

As Shouji sat in the Player’s Room watching the monitor, he only just now realized he’d become completely engrossed in the match.

His face right next to the screen, he uttered complaints to the monitor whenever it flickered.

“Why does it have to be so darned slow ……?”

“It’s ’cause everyone and their mother wants to take a peek,” said Mitsuru with a grin as he lit a fresh cigarette.

Simply knowing the IP address to the camera mounted on the association’s ceiling would allow anyone in the world to tune in.

Kansai players must be keeping tabs on the match from the comfort of their own homes …… That was Mitsuru’s theory. Though, being as technologically illiterate as he was, he had no choice but to come to the association.

The starkly empty Player’s Room was proof enough.

–––So, there are some things I can count on.

Mitsuru took a long, satisfying drag from his cigarette.

It would be perfectly natural for everyone to be both interested and simultaneously frightened by Sota Kunugi, the boy who could very well be the world’s first Elementary School Pro. However, there were plenty of young professionals who got visibly irritated when asked about the boy, simply saying they don’t know much about him, with a bad taste in their mouths. Mitsuru understood that having that kind of pride was essential for competitors.

Shouji, still completely absorbed in the match, awkwardly leaned away from the monitor and said with a hint of irony, “…… You sure got a big heart. The Worldly Maestro coming all the way to the association just to watch over Little Miss Ginko.”

“You’ve lost your edge, Shouji.”

“Meaning?”

“Pwfff ……”

Mitsuru hadn’t come here just to watch Ginko play.

He didn’t doubt the girl’s ability to promote to 4-dan. In his mind, Ginko was talented enough to become a professional player one day.

At the same time, however, he knew that Ginko would never be a threat to him even should she join the professional ranks.

As for her current opponent–––

Seconds ticked by on the chess clock.

“Haa …… Haa …… Haaaa–––––– ……”

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Taking short breaths as if trying to drink the air, Ginko moved the pieces on her mental Shogi board around in time with the clock’s metronomic beeps to read the sequence all the way to the end.

Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep–––––––––––– …… 

“……!!”

She reached her right hand to the opposite side of the board to deliver the knockout punch once the clock’s five second alert rang out.

–––7 Six Bishop Promote!! This will end it ……!! 

Her move, a check path reversal.

It’s a counterpunch, one that finishes off the opponent just before they can lend their own finishing blow. Ginko found this decisive move by withstanding the pressure to make a move quickly and kept reading and reading. Now she had a way to unleash all the heat built up in her heart in one fell swoop ……!!

–––Did I do it?!

Ginko peered up at Sota’s face.

The child prodigy sitting across from her, “…………,” reached toward the board without a word while deftly spinning a piece between his fingers.

“……?”

–––What’s that? A Knight ……?

Ginko’s gaze fell on the boy’s fingertips.

While hiding pieces on standby from your opponent was bad gamesmanship, the boy didn’t appear to be doing it on purpose. Perhaps it was a habit?

–––Deploying a Knight? Where?

However Sota returned the Knight to his piece stand and picked up another piece instead in order to attack Ginko’s King directly. 3 Four Silver!

“Check ……!!”

Goosebumps erupted down her back in an instant, but not from fear.

––– …… Wouldn’t have it any other way!

Out of all the options Sota had on the table, Ginko felt she could handle an all-out rush on her King. Seeing the scenario she had worked out in her head come to life before her eyes made her blood boil with anticipation.

–––I can see it! Even on my mental Shogi board …… I can see how to win!!

Sota continued his precise bombardment, putting her in check each turn without using any waiting time whatsoever.

The Defending King was pursued all the way to the back row, but–––

“Here ……!!”

Intent on crushing Sota’s offensive, Ginko picked up the Bishop she promoted into a Horse when she first initiated the check path reversal and brought it back to her King. This simultaneously offensive and defensive move allowed her King to escape by the slimmest of margins.

Or it should have.

“…………”

Sota reached for his piece stand yet again and started spinning a piece between his fingers.

––– …… A Knight?

Ginko could sense something was amiss when she caught a glimpse of the character engraved on that piece. It happened that instant.

The boy snapped the Knight down in a place she hadn’t considered.

Reinforcing neither offense nor defense, it appeared to be a wasted move …… 

“Knight ……? A Knight …… at 8 Five?”

Ginko was bewildered.

Deploying a piece so far out of the way would give her an opportunity to counterattack.

–––Why …… move there? This is suddenly much easier …… 

She leaned in for a closer look to confirm or deny her suspicions when, very quietly, the boy whispered into her ear.

“Back at you.”

“Huh?”

That’s when it hit her. The reason for that move.

–––Check path reversal ……!!

“How ……?! T-That can’t be right ……”

Ginko froze on the spot as if solid ice filled her veins.

It was the second check path reversal in their match. Just as Ginko’s marvelous offensive and defensive move to get her Horse in position had shifted the balance of power, Sota’s superb Knight placement had turned the tide back into his favor.

However, the truly terrifying fact was …… 

Sota Kunugi had read the sequence perfectly on the 108th turn, back when he was first twirling a Knight between his fingers.

Now, twenty moves later, Sota had successfully reversed Ginko’s check path reversal. This was no coincidence. Clearly, the boy had been executing a plan.

–––From that point …… he read all the way up to here?!

“4 Three Bishop promotes, making the King retreat to 7 One …… 4 Four Horse puts the King and Rook in check?! No way ……?!”

An eye for an eye.

Sota Kunugi meant for that move to break Ginko’s spirit. To crush her pride and prevent her from pointing a blade in his direction ever again.

Just winning would be too easy.

Ginko could almost hear the boy think it.

That psychological blow did enough damage to make Ginko’s mental Shogi board disappear entirely.

––– …… No! I can’t read anything ……!!

Now panicking, each second marked by one of the chess clock’s electronic beeps seemed like a hammer falling, driving the nail deeper into her coffin.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

A countdown to her doom.

“Ah, agh …… aghhh ………”

Then, the five-second warning.

Ginko’s quivering fingers reached for the board but still didn’t know which piece to move where. The alert blared.

Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep …… 

Ginko gave up trying to think in that moment.

–––Gods ……!!

She sent up a prayer and moved her Rook as far forward as it would go. Then her fingers clung to it as she flipped it over, as if holding on for dear life.

Dragon.

Just seeing that character written on her Promoted Bishop gave her a brief respite from the terror. Warmth, however small, swept through her cold, sweat-soaked body.

Naniwa’s Snow White craved even the slightest heat …… like a poor girl selling matches in the city on a cold winter’s day. That move had no relation to Shogi whatsoever. It was the story of a child crying out for comfort like in a fairy tale.

Only this tale was a tragedy.

––– ………… It’s over …… 

Ginko couldn’t look at the board. Her head hung limp between her shoulders as she didn’t have the courage to look up.

However–––.

“……?!”

In contrast to Ginko’s hanging head, Sota was eerily still as if a bolt of lightning had struck him where he sat.

“?! ……?! ……!!”

He then leaned forward to the point where his forehead grazed the board’s surface and started analyzing everything in front of his face at top speed.

“……?”

By this point, Ginko was beginning to wonder why her executioner’s hand had yet to fall.

Slowly, cautiously, she ventured a glimpse.

“???”

–––What could it be?

First and foremost, she wanted to get the Rook anywhere else so that she wouldn’t lose to a King and Rook check. That was the one fate she couldn’t bear. Rather than reading the board, she sent the piece as deep into enemy territory as possible.

That move, one so simple only an amateur would think of it, had left Sota in shock. Ginko couldn’t understand why.

––– …… What’s happening?

After putting no thought into her last move, Ginko tried to calm herself as she looked at the board once again to get a handle on the situation.

That’s when she noticed.

“……… Ah?!”

–––That last move …… was the third check path reversal?!

“Huh? But that’s …… Huh?”

An unbelievably lucky turn of events.

What she played under pressure as the seconds piled up was the best possible move, bringing her back from the brink and hitting Sota like the counterpunch at the same time!

Lucky fingers.

That was the only explanation. The gods stepped in to change the tale’s ending …… 

Creak!

Sota bit down so hard that his molars made an audible scream as the boy advanced his 8 Five Knight, promoting it in Ginko’s territory. He was creating a path for his King to escape.

It was equivalent to admitting his own formation had collapsed.

–––I can …… win?

Ginko realized she was in position to emerge victorious at this point. She wasn’t certain her King was safe, nor had she read all the way to checkmate. Only because Sota could see his own demise written on the wall did she know it was going to happen.

Having too many options, Sota revealed his dire situation to Ginko by his own hand.

So determined he was to close out the match with an artistic flair, Sota Kunugi made a mistake.

If he had continued his barbaric pursuit of Ginko’s King, it was highly unlikely the girl could have held back the onslaught and thus she would have had to surrender. What’s more, if he had simply ignored Ginko’s check path reversal and countered right away, the girl would never have realized how perfect her move had been and most likely she would have given up on the spot.

The strong claim victory in Shogi.

However, too much strength can result in a loss in Shogi as well.

––– Checkmate ……?

Finding a known sequence to checkmate is not a difficult task. Realizing one exists in a live match, on the other hand, is more difficult than anything else.

Ginko’s fingers shook with such velocity that they couldn’t hold a piece.

The checkmate was there.

Sota’s King was most definitely going to be put in checkmate.

––– …… Seventeen turns …… 

She couldn’t believe it. That long sequence came to her in the blink of an eye and led all the way to checkmate. Everything was playing right into her hands.

The boy probably knew the end was near just as she did. He continued to play despite this knowledge because he was hoping she would make a mistake before the very end or because he needed time to come to terms with the defeat. Ginko thought it could be a combination of the two as she put the final clamps down on Sota’s King before it could squirm away.

Their Kings stared each other down.

Ginko reached for her piece stand to draw the dagger that would seal the deal.

A Silver.

She snapped the piece that shared the gin in her name down onto the board.

Fingers trembling, it landed awkwardly but–––there was no escape for the Offensive King.

Sota put his hands on his knees and lowered his head at the sight.

“I lost.”

Hearing that high-pitched, almost feminine voice …… reminded Ginko that her opponent sitting across the board was still an eleven-year-old attending elementary school.

Final Result: Kunugi 2-dan surrendered on the 154th move.

It was the moment that the first female Sub League 3-dan in history was born.