Ryuuou no Oshigoto! - Volume 9 - Chapter 2.3

  RICE BALLS ROLLING

“The players’ lunch orders have arrived!”

About an hour after the Grade Schooler Practice Group members left to get writing material.

Management staff brings in the exact same food that the players are eating for lunch and journalists swoop in with their cameras flashing. This happens all the time during title matches.

“The challenger ordered a mixed shokadon lunch set. The Queen’s order was stew udon with kayaku rice.”

“Stew udon?”

The journalists who’ve never heard of it tilt their heads.

“It’s an unusual dish that’s been around in New World for a long time.”

Having eaten it before, I tell them all about it.

“It’s not so much of a stew as a pot-au-feu, but basically it’s simmered meat and vegetables in a salt-based soup with udon noodles. Kind of like Western chicken noodle soup without the chicken.”

“Ohh.”

“Back when we were kids, Big Sis and I used to eat it all the time when we came to Shogi parlors in New World. That sure takes me back …… The first time she ordered it, Big Sis was sure it was some kind of cream stew and started crying when this showed up ……”

“Interesting, interesting.”

The journalists jot down my anecdote from the past and one makes a request.

“Kuzuryu-sensei. Since you’re here, why not add your own comments on their orders?”

“Nice idea!”

“Tell us about the food, Sensei!”

Come again?!

“Y-You want me to comment on their food?! Well …… The challenger’s shokadon is the usual combination of meat and vegetables you’d expect, and the Queen’s stew udon is–––.”

Ever since that manga called Shogi Meshi got made into a TV show, media people have been asking for a lot of information that has nothing to do with the match itself these days.

It’s probably easier for people who don’t know about Shogi to get interested in this stuff. I’m sure there will be an article in the sports section that says Stew Udon Key to Snow White’s Victory! or something like it in the newspaper tomorrow.

The lunch break comes to a close while we are talking and the match gets back underway.

Coming back into the arena first for extra thinking time, Ai makes her move at the exact moment the match recorder says, “It’s time.”

Big Sis, who came back at the last possible second, thinks for a moment before gracefully moving a piece to intercept.

Ai goes into high speed mode once again, making moves in quick succession.

One of the journalists approaches me with another request.

“Can I ask for a comment on the match as well?”

“The defender is being very aggressive.” I answer after checking the blog on my smartphone because the monitor is on the other side of the room.

Ai is on defense, but she seems to be playing with the mindset that she has to take control of the flow.

“Advancing the edge Pawn so early like that, she must be setting up something for later. It does feel like she’s stretching out a little too far, but ……”

Even though the overall balance of her formation feels off, she probably has a specific pattern in mind …… That’s what I thought at the time.

Since the journalists from all sorts of media outlets need a short phrase to sum up as much as possible, they press me for conclusions.

“How about the formations right now?”

“They’re still even. Although, the offender is more at risk of falling behind if she makes a mistake. That’s only natural because the defender has control right now.”

“In other words, the elementary school girl Ai Yashajin has Sora-Queen on the ropes?”

“I-I would say it’s more like …… The Queen is defending too much. Maybe she thinks letting her opponent have control will work to her advantage ……?”

Big Sis is the type of player who maintains a good balance of offense and defense, that is, until the late game when she slices her way to victory.

Ai Yashajin is the opposite, a defensive prodigy who excels in the early game.

But right now, each of them is abandoning their strong points in an attempt to finish each other off. This Shogi is turning into a basic match which is pretty common in big matches like this. Big matches sure don’t create memorable ones.

Nothing is ever set in stone in competition.

There are always so many variables in battle that upsets can happen at any time.

And there’s one extremely important variable in the first match of the Queen Title Match.

The fact that this is the first time these players have played against each other in a league match.

–––Maybe Big Sis is watching her closely because this is the first match, or could it be ……?

“This match ain’t gonna be endin’ anytime soon,” says Zaou-sensei, wiping his fingers on a napkin after finishing a plate of sushi that was delivered to the room.

“Sure looks like it. Plenty of moves have been made, but–––.”

Finally over his hangover now that it’s the afternoon, Master Kiyotaki agrees with him.

Just then, a message pops up on my smartphone.

It’s from Ai.

“We’re coming back to the break room now!”

“Master and I are about to go do commentary at the big board.”

“Okay, we’ll go there!”

Pop, pop, pop. Ai sends pictures along with her messages at a quick tempo. There is one with her with the other girls at the Oushouhi King Piece Monument in front of Tsutenkaku Tower and another next to a massive Billiken Statue outside a kushikatsu kebab restaurant.

Yeah. They’re adorable.

“…… The best dessert out there, pics of happy grade schoolers ……”

My heart warms as if I just had the sweetest piece of grade schooler cake after dinner.

“Akira.”

I get out of my chair and address the woman who’s been quietly sitting in the corner since early this morning.

“We’re going to go do commentary in the reception hall, but what would you like to do? You’re welcome to come with us.”

“………………”

Akira is so focused on Lady Ai’s match that I can’t get her attention no matter how hard I try. It’s like she doesn’t even hear me.

Compared to the wild side that came out at the opening night party last night, she’s been reserved today.

Camera nowhere to be found and never setting foot in the arena, she’s had her eyes glued on the monitor displaying a live feed of Ai at the board and hasn’t said a word.

Nothing more than a statue in every sense of the word, nonstop.

Right now, she’s the only one in the room looking at a monitor.

What’s more, Akira doesn’t have a strong enough Shogi sense to see the meaning behind each move so she’s looking at the player-cam rather than the ceiling-mounted camera feed.

–––That’s got to be like watching a screensaver this early on ……

Even if it weren’t, there’s not much movement in the sport of Shogi.

Her ability to continue watching that feed all this time just goes to show that Akira is truly worried about Ai’s well-being from the bottom of her heart.

Trying to explain what’s happening in the match to someone like that would just be insensitive. Because Akira isn’t curious about who’s going to win. The only thing in her head right now is: I hope Ai wins.

So, I was going to leave her to it and go downstairs, but–––.

“Kuzuryu-sensei.”

Without taking her eyes off the screen, Akira says something for the first time all day.

“May I ask you a question? There’s something that’s bothering me ……”

“What’s wrong, Akira?”

“The match recorder seems to be obsessed with his sleeve.”

“Sleeve?”

Looking at the monitor, it’s true. The match recorder keeps raising the right sleeve of his kimono up to eye level and staring for a few seconds as if trying to figure something out.

I’m sure that the players have noticed by now.

“What’s that match recorder’s deal? Gotta have a word with ’im,” Master says while getting ready to go down to the reception hall, sounding grumpy as he puts on his necktie.

But–––.

“…………?”

Something feels weird to me …… A bit ominous, actually. Something’s been a little off about Ai’s play all day …… Like a piece of the puzzle is missing.

–––……… Sleeve ……?

The right sleeve. Right ……

With that in mind, the dots all connect when I see the analysis board.

“Agh!! It-it couldn’t be ……?!”

I couldn’t process the discovery right away even after noticing because that’s just how unthinkable it was.

I glance over at the ceiling camera feed.

Comparing what’s on that screen to what’s on the analysis board–––I finally understand what the match recorder is trying to convey.

“That’s it!!”

“Wh-What’s it, Yaichi?!”

“The Lance!”

I point at the top left corner of the screen …… To where the defender’s piece stand is displayed and yell.

“The right Lance fell off the board and onto her piece stand!”

“Whaaaaaaaaaaat?!”

Everyone in the room shouts in surprise.

A moment later, every single person makes a mad dash for the ceiling camera monitor.

“It-It’s true! The right Lance is missing!”

“How could she not notice that?!”

“Probably concentrating too hard …… It’s her first title match, and don’t forget how young she is ……”

The Lance that should be on the board, isn’t.

And the Lance that shouldn’t be on Ai’s piece stand is.

“But, why?!” yells Master, turning blue in the face.

“This is just a guess, but I think her kimono’s sleeve knocked it off the board and onto her piece stand …… Because, she’s too small ……”

With so many strong emotions coursing through my veins, I couldn’t keep myself from trembling.

“If it’d just fell on the floor, it’d been fine! ’At piece just had to fall on the stand!” says Master, grinding his molars.

This was a mistake, and I regret it so much right now.

“During the inspection, I knew that board was too big, I knew it but ……!”

If I knew this is what was going to happen, I should’ve put my foot down and made them change the board!!

“What ’bout Ginko?! Has she noticed it?!”

–––Of course.

There is no way Big Sis hasn’t seen the abnormality right in front of her.

Wait, more than just noticed …… The way she’s been playing–––!!

I finally understand the real meaning behind her moves.

–––Big Sis isn’t playing defensively. She’s controlling how Ai attacks ……!!

“Please, Ai, see it! You have to notice!!”

I turn and yell at the monitor before I could stop myself.

She can’t hear me, and it would break the rules if she could because it would be like her getting outside help.

Still, I couldn’t help it.

“M-My lady ……,” Akira collapses to the floor, hands shaking as she prays with all her might.

“…………”

The observer, Zaou-sensei starts getting ready. Getting ready for the end of the match.

Shogi is a solitary battle.

I can’t just drop into the arena and say: Your Lance fell off the board. What the match recorder did barely toes the line.

Of course, prayers in the break room aren’t going to affect what happens in the arena.

The moves keep coming at a breakneck speed.

Big Sis defends attack after attack while Ai keeps the pressure coming.

Pressing …… Right into a formation where deploying a Lance would be the perfect move.

“Please, notice ……!”

Everyone in the room prays with everything they have.

Then.

Ai reaches toward her piece stand–––––––––.