Ryuuou no Oshigoto! - Volume 7 - Chapter 2.3

  TWO PATHS

“It’s nice to have you home. I was worried about you.”

“…… Sorry ‘bout that.”

Not three steps in the door and Keika pokes her head out of the kitchen.

“You should be apologizing to Yaichi and Ginko, not me. They went out looking for you, so they deserve a thank you. Oh, and Ai covered for you in the classroom. Make sure she gets paid, okay?”

“…………… Water.”

“Already on the table.”

Keika disappears back into the kitchen. Holdin’ my head to keep the room from dancin’, I stagger in after her.

She ain’t keepin’ her distance ’cause she’s angry. Just the opposite, it’s ’cause she was worryin’ about me.

Bein’ nice to a competitor comin’ home after a defeat only rubs salt on the wounds.

There it is, a big pitcher of ice water sittin’ on the table. She must’ve gotten it ready when she heard me come in. That’s just like her, knowin’ I’d want ice water when I got home.

My body’s cravin’ it …… But I still pause before takin’ a gulp.

–––Drinkin’ this’ll bring back all yesterday’s memories once the buzz wears off ……

Gettin’ offed by a mistake I can’t believe I made, the demotion warnin’ light flashin’ red, fightin’ with my apprentice …… They’ll all catch up to me at once.

“………… It didn’t used to be like this in the Shogi world ……”

I plop down in a kitchen chair and groan between gulps of the buzz-killin’ water.

“What’s this? So, it was better in the good ol’ days?”

“Nah. It was horrible.”

“Huh?”

“Nobody knew the meanin’ of manners. All the vets would be yakkin’ about investin’ or the horse races at the top of their lungs from the crack of dawn. They’d change the rules about the Sub League or how matches were set up all the time just to make things easier for ‘em. Try sayin’ somethin’ and they’d shoot ya down: Rank up or shut up!”

Kansai bein’ so much weaker than Kanto only made it worse.

They treated us like a bunch of thugs …… Well, playin’ Shogi was pretty much the same as gamblin’ back then.

“Compared to those days, the Shogi world is heaven now. Chairman Tsukimitsu treats everyone fair and square. All the newbies know how to act. No one gets chatty durin’ matches. It’s set up perfectly to focus on Shogi.”

“Then, isn’t that good?”

“For me, right now, it’s hell. So much worse than back in the day.”

“Pardon? It’s heaven but it’s also hell?”

“Now that I’m the same age as those vets were …… watchin’ newbies pass ’em up one by one like they did, I understand how they felt. So much so, it hurts.”

“…… How do you mean?”

“The anxiety.”

I open the floodgates and let everythin’ I’ve been feelin’ come pourin’ out.

“Anxious that even stronger newbies are gonna show up, that kiddos will pass ’em by, that time is catchin’ up to ’em …… The anxiety never stops. The only way to deal with it was talkin’ with other players their age durin’ matches. Otherwise, the anxiousness got so bad they couldn’t take it ……”

They’d bark at everyone and anyone just to seem that much bigger. Couldn’t win at Shogi no more, so they went to the only weapon they had left, seniority, and swung it around harder than they needed to.

Now, I get it. I get their anxiousness, their fear.

“…… But, doin’ that all day won’t help against the strong youngens. They’ll pass ya sooner or later.”

What happened to the vets who held out to the bitter end back then?

They got pushed out of the Shogi world’s spotlight bit by bit …… Until their retirement got announced in a little article on the association’s home page …… And they fell off the map completely.

Then, lastly, their obituary showed up in the back corner of some Shogi magazine.

People forgot who they were and the last proof they existed showed up somewhere no one would bother lookin’.

“Shogi ain’t all that fun when ya ain’t winnin’. If it ain’t fun, ya don’t want to do research and ya can’t get psyched up for matches ……”

“………”

“But the competitor in ya never dies, so most go for gamblin’ or playin’ the stock market …… I went for gamin’ on my phone.”

I pull out my phone and admit the truth.

That rush that Shogi doesn’t give me anymore, now I’m tryin’ to get it from this screen any spare moment I got. I used to go to pachinko parlors, but nothin’ beats casually pullin’ out my phone and feelin’ that rush anywhere I want. Could be addicted, I don’t know.

With this much fun at yar fingertips, who would ever bother playin’ Shogi when ya can’t win?

These fingertips that have been used only for Shogi for decades …… Fingers that suffered through trainin’ intense enough to break fingernails and bleed now serve a high-rankin’ player that uses ’em for a quick fix.

All I got for workin’ my way up to 9-dan …… is constant fear and smartphone games to distract me from it.

Thinkin’ about it logically, it’s all too pitiful.

Even feels like sacrilege against Shogi itself.

“……… Players feelin’ their skills slip away can choose one of two paths ……”

“Two?”

“The first, do nothin’.”

“Do …… Nothing at all?”

“Yep. Not a thing.”

Rather than workin’ with others or joinin’ practice sessions, just cloak yarself in mystery.

“Ya can hide that ya’re losin’ a step if ya don’t do anythin’ about it. It makes yar opponent extra cautious, and they judge ya on what ya used to be …… They’ll see through ya eventually, sure, but until then.”

Keika didn’t ask what happened once the jig was up. ’Cause she didn’t have to.

“…… And, the other path?”

“Bow yar head to the youngens and ask for help.”

Easier sayin’ it than doin’ it.

“There are worse things than learnin’ from one of the risin’ stars. But, there ain’t that many of ’em, and they won’t see any point in workin’ with an old guy like me. I’d get turned down right away.”

“…… You’re probably right.”

“The only option I’ve got is to lower my head to Sub League members young enough to be my own kids or grandkids and ask for practice matches. They’re the only ones that’ll consider workin’ with me. Once rumors get out that I can’t even beat ‘em, word’ll spread overnight. Playin’ ’em in secret won’t make a lick ’a difference. Once that happens, my trust as a pro is as good as gone, I become the butt of everyone’s jokes …… Pretty much get tormented to death. I’d have a better chance prolongin’ my career by doin’ nothin’.”

“…………”

Looks like Keika is lost for words.

Players back in the old days chose to retire before havin’ to make a choice.

It was normal for former Meijin and Meijin Challengers, and players who spent a decent amount of time in the A rank to retire the day they got knocked out of it.

They knew the torment was comin’ and took their own lives before it started.

Except, I still felt up to fightin’ when I dropped to B-1, and that didn’t change until very recently …… Now? Of course, I don’t.

After a while, Keika started talkin’ like she’d been broodin’ over it a while.

“But …… Things can’t stay as they are, right? In that case, wouldn’t it be better to find someone, anyone, in the Sub League and ask for help? Aren’t we Kansai Shogi players known for our stubborn grit?”

“That we are. I think that’s the right path.”

“Well, then–––.”

“I can’t.”

I’ve asked myself the same thing many, probably hundreds of times.

“I ……… I just can’t do that. I can’t ……”

“……… Father ……”

“As a Meijin Challenger, that’s the one thing I ……”

The only thing I have left now is my former A rankin’. That, and the pride that comes with challengin’ the Meijin twice.

If I lose ’em …… then what’ve I got left to show for my life?

A mere two rounds remain in C-2’s placement matches this season. As the ninth round begins, players still in contention for promotion are as follows. (Numbers indicate placement)

(5) Ichiro Jyougao 7-dan 8 W – 0 L

(18) Shingo Hacchou 4-dan 8 W – 0 L

(36) Yaichi Kuzuryu Ryuo 8 W – 0 L

(38) Satoru Hatomachi 5-dan 8 W – 0 L

(3) Kenta Iuchi 6-dan 7 W – 1 L

(49) Mirai Futatsuzuka 4-dan 7 W – 1 L

(9) Maki Yuzuriya 4-dan 6 W – 2 L

As you can see, four remain undefeated in this extremely competitive battle. All will be promoted should they maintain their flawless records, but only the top three will reach B-2 should any of them stumble.

While an intense battle rages at the top, the fight to avoid demotion points in the bottom ten slots is just as fierce.

As fate would have it, players clashing on both ends of the spectrum assembled today at the Kansai Shogi Association’s Onjyoudan no Ma to decide their fate side-by-side.

Decorated veteran and face of Kansai Shogi for decades, Tatsuo Zaou already has two demotion points to his name. His struggles to obtain victory stars have continued and a loss today would bring retirement that much closer to reality.

His opponent is one of Kanto’s brightest rising stars and candidate for promotion this season, Satoru Hatomachi 5-dan. Hatomachi is a skilled player who currently has momentum on his side.

Zaou has made no attempt to hide how painful it is for him to maintain proper posture in recent years and today was no different, grimacing several times during the match.

The Shogi evolved into an aerial battle, Zaou’s specialty.

Their match proceeded at an unusually high pace with both formations being well defined before the afternoon lunch break. Zaou sat for several minutes once the players returned before signaling his intent to surrender.

When I inquired as to why the match ended so quickly during the review session, Hatomachi hesitantly offered this explanation.

“…… I’ve studied that sequence before, so ……”

“’At right? So, ’at’s a standard now.”

The match finished at 2:19 p.m.

“I played predictably, didn’ have no pizzazz,” said Zaou once the review session concluded. With this victory, Hatomachi increases his winning streak to nine matches and is within reach of promotion.

Yaichi Kuzuryu-ryuo’s match took place the next board over, and it also advanced at an unusually high speed.

Kuzuryu’s low placement leaves no room for error. One loss would all but end his chances to promote.

Although under immense pressure as the sole titleholder in C-2, his 11 consecutive victories in league matches show no sign of it.

He has garnered a great deal of attention as of late, introducing new twists like the   6 Five Knight and Single Knight Jump to his strategy of choice: the Bishop Exchange.

With Kuzuryu on offense, today’s match also became a Bishop Exchange.

His opponent was Kanto’s stalwart veteran, Keiji Souza 7-dan.

34 years’ experience as a member of C-2, he has the unusual distinction of never once receiving a demotion point during his professional career.

Gruffer Shogi fans have dubbed him the Ultimate Bouncer for his unusually strong showings against young and rising players. When asked about his nickname, Souza had this to say: “It’s an honor.”

He took it in stride with a positive outlook.

“Talented young players promote before you know it, so I may never have another chance to play against them. That’s why I make sure not to waste the chances I get.”

Souza even took a victory from the current Meijin when he belonged to C-2. The Ultimate Bouncer nickname truly isn’t just for show.

“I won’t have many opportunities to play against the youngest Ryuo in history. I’m even more excited to play against him than I was back when I fought the Meijin,” stated Souza just before the match got underway. This is their first encounter.

Kuzuryu advanced his Knight unusually early, on the 17th move.

Upon seeing Single Knight Jump, the fuel behind Kuzuryu’s recent surge, on the board, Souza spent a great deal of time considering his options before he decided to buffer his defenses and hold off the attack rather than meet it head on.

However, Kuzuryu denied him the opportunity.

19th move. Kuzuryu sacrificed a Pawn to force combat.

Gasps of surprise erupted throughout the Player’s Room once that move came to pass.

“No way?! With a Sitting King?”

“Think he’ll be okay like this?”

“Forgot to set a wall, did he?”

Initiating battle with the King still in starting position is so shockingly ingenious that even the young professionals and Sub League members analyzing the match couldn’t hide their disbelief. Standards dictate one move be spent setting up the King’s defense, so omitting it altogether is quite a leap of faith.

Though Souza wasn’t expecting it, he concluded that the formation was in his favor.

“Come!” he said with vigor as he took Kuzuryu’s Pawn.

His King well-defended, Souza reasoned that he could outlast a frontal assault should worse come to worse …… It was a decision he would come to regret.

“Not only was the Offense King sitting, the Golds were still in place. On top of that, a Silver Wall. That’s a picture-perfect example of a bad formation. My own Master would have disowned me if I played that way during my training days.”

Indeed, no one would have believed the Ryuo, the man on top of the Shogi world, was the one behind the board if his name had not been revealed to the audience. His formation ignored Shogi theory to the point most would believe an amateur was using it.

“However, the deeper I read …… I realized I couldn’t break it.”

Sota Kunugi 3-dan, working as match recorder, had this to say after the match.

“There’s a saying that goes Avoid the Sitting King, but the King’s defenses should be looked at relatively. Thinking the stronger the better is outdated.”

It seems that to the first elementary school aged 3-dan ever, defense doesn’t have the absolute value that modern Shogi theory states.

Kuzuryu pushed forward with the attack as if to prove this new way of thinking holds water and stripped the Defending King of its defenses in the blink of an eye. As opposed to Souza’s once-protected King now naked on the board, Kuzuryu’s starting formation was mostly intact.

The rush was on.

The 59th move. Kuzuryu was quick to advance his Rook across the board.

It landed like a straightforward knockout punch in a boxing match, Kuzuryu’s right fist connecting with Souza’s soft chin. His surrender was just a matter of time.

The players combined for 67 moves.

Of Souza’s six hours of waiting time, he used a mere one hour and seventeen minutes. The Ultimate Bouncer was overwhelmed before he could figure out where to use it.

Many in the Player’s Room who chided Kuzuryu’s strategy were now staring blankly at the monitor in disbelief at the results.

“He’s too strong,” was all Hatomachi could say upon returning to the Player’s Room following his own match. He left the association and boarded the train back to Kanto without taking a seat.

There was no trace of joy or relief in his eyes upon his exit.

“Oh. Hey there, Keiji.”

Kousuke Kiyotaki stopped by the association and happened to spot Keiji Souza with a cigarette in the second-floor smoking room, a corner of the floor walled off with glass, and walked over to say hello.

“Kousuke ……”

“Talkin’ to your opponent’s Master in the middle of a match got ya feelin’ uneasy? I’m not tryin’ to figure out yar next move for him or anythin’.”

Kousuke and Keiji.

Though the two belonged to Kansai and Kanto respectively, they maintained a close relationship after becoming professionals in the same year. Whenever one was in town for a match, the other would invite him out for drinks or to play a few rounds of mahjong.

In fact, Kousuke had come to the association today for that very reason. However, Souza’s next words were the last thing he expected to hear.

“No. The match is already over.”

“It what?! It’s only four in the afternoon!”

Kousuke was on the verge of taking a dig at his old buddy, “Get checkmated in one like me?” However, the look on Keiji’s face stopped him cold.

Only then did he notice.

The cigarette was lit, but Keiji had never once put it up to his lips.

It was pinned between his fingers with the trail of wispy white smoke rising from the tip like an incense stick–––.

“…… The thing is, I’ve always been confident that I would survive. That was true when the current Meijin’s generation arrived on the scene, the one after that, and the next one, too. Don’t get me wrong, I never thought I would rise to the top. But I never thought I was going to be killed off …… It didn’t matter what bizarre strategy or new technique my opponents threw at me, I could figure them out. As they say, Shogi is a conversation, and I was a full participant.”

Kousuke found this strange.

Keiji hardly ever said a word following a match.

“But today, Kousuke. My opponent today …… It’s hard for me to say it because he’s your apprentice and all, but ……”

A hint of fear made his voice tremble as he trailed off.

“He’s not a human being like us. That’s an alien or a robot, I tell you.”

“……!!”

Kousuke was taken aback.

Keiji Souza was no dominant force. He was certainly no carnivore at the top of the food chain on the savannah that was the Shogi world.

However, the Keiji he knew was strong enough to contend with those ravenous beasts. That strength came from an ironclad will to survive.

And now, that unyielding spirit had been completely shattered.

“But, then again …… It might be better that it was your apprentice in the end, Kousuke. Had he been anyone else’s, I’d probably want to go right up to them and give them a piece of my mind: How could you have done something so stupid! …… Raising the monster that will devour us all.”

The cigarette had become little more than a stick of ash by the time Keiji extinguished it in the ashtray.

“…… Keiji, ya wouldn’t be–––.”

“Kousuke.”

“Hm?”

“It was a great run. Thanks for being part of it.”

When that year’s placement matches came to a close …

Keiji Souza received his first ever demotion point and immediately announced his decision to become a Free Class Shogi player.