Match 1: Before the Storm
Though summer was right around the corner, the outside air felt surprisingly brisk.
Aoi sat out on the inn's veranda, gazing outside with her knees pulled up against her chest.
The distant mountain ridge stood out in slender silhouette, illuminated by the setting sun.
From inside the inn, where the faint scent of mineral water drifted through the halls, came the cheerful chatter of players heading off to the hot springs. Peaceful laughter echoed through the walls, making the tournament's tense atmosphere feel like a distant memory.
Aoi cast her eyes down to her wrist.
A misanga braided from blue thread was tied there.
Unlike the yellow misanga she always wore, this one was an imperfect, distinctly handmade charm. Some of the stitches were uneven, and the shading of the blue dye was slightly irregular.
Even so, whenever she remembered the faces of the children the day they gave it to her, she couldn't help but find every single imperfection deeply endearing.
"..."
Aoi didn't even realize a gentle smile had crept across her face.
Tojo and the others had already headed for the baths. Aoi planned to join them shortly.
Yet she lingered.
If she soaked in the hot water, the dye might bleed. The thread might fray. The mere thought kept her firmly rooted in place.
And yet, she couldn't bring herself to take it off, either.
She shifted her gaze back beyond the veranda. The ridge of the mountains had grown a shade darker.
That was when a voice called out to her.
"What a pretty misanga!"
Aoi turned around on reflex.
Peeking around the corner of the veranda was a girl she didn't recognize.
She looked younger than Aoi, dressed in a black blouse and miniskirt. Floral patterns seemed to dance in her round eyes, her whole expression radiating friendliness. She wore a defenseless, beaming smile that seemed completely out of place at a high-stakes shogi tournament.
"Hello there!"
"...Who're you, exactly?"
"I'm Yunoki Nagisa! A student at Tennoji Dojo, Rena-senpai!"
Aoi's eyebrows twitched ever so slightly.
"How do you know who Aoi is?"
"Because I'm your junior disciple, of course!"
Nagisa declared this without a shred of hesitation and stepped closer to the veranda. Without even waiting for permission, she plopped down right next to Aoi.
"I've heard so much about you, Rena-senpai! People say you were the very last student Tennoji Gensui taught, so I really, really look up to you!"
Having a member of an opposing team—and a student from Tennoji Dojo, no less—strike up a conversation left Aoi with mixed feelings.
"Your team is incredible, Rena-senpai! Having a big shot like Zimetsutei on your side... I don't think I could win even with a piece handicap."
"...Have you ever played him?"
"Nope! But you don't need to play someone to know that kind of thing, right?"
Something crossed Aoi's mind, and she started to glance at the girl's profile, but hesitated and looked away.
Nagisa was looking up at the sky, her eyes narrowed against the glare of the setting sun.
A brief silence fell between them.
The chirping of insects echoed from afar, and a solitary gust of wind swept across the veranda.
Nagisa stood up and stepped in front of Aoi.
Tilting her head, she bent forward at a sharp ninety-degree angle, thrusting her face right up to Aoi's.
"Gensui-san never taught me shogi. Why do you think that is?"
"...Dunno."
"Why did you leave the dojo, Rena-senpai?"
"..."
"Do you think an old master's style can still hold up against the cutting edge of modern shogi?"
"...Are you trying to pick a fight with me?"
Aoi's voice was flat. Rather than anger, her tone sounded like she was genuinely asking.
Hearing that, Nagisa gave a small smile.
"Not at all. I just really wanted to ask."
Those innocent eyes, completely devoid of malice, were poison to Aoi. It felt as though her former self were confronting her with righteous truths; for Aoi, who had no desire to dredge up the past, every single word out of Nagisa's mouth pierced straight into her chest.
"Gensui-san deeply regretted that you quit and left, Rena-senpai. So much so that it made him decide to step down as an instructor."
"He didn't quit because of me. He was chasing an impossible dream from the start, and I didn't have the talent for it anyway."
"I don't think that's true. I—"
When Aoi shifted her gaze toward her, Nagisa broke off mid-sentence.
After a beat, she spoke again.
"—The old ways are art. That's why they can't rise to the top. Even back then, the only thing that ever won was thoroughly calculated, state-of-the-art form."
"I see. ...If you say so."
Somehow, Aoi understood what Nagisa was trying to say.
Tennoji Gensui's teachings were all about constant innovation. Taking advantage of how modern shogi leaned too heavily on AI, he incorporated tactics that prioritized broad strategic vision.
The theoretical best move against human opponents didn't always yield the best result. An era of confusion would eventually arrive, where victories would be won by breaking free from engine evaluation values. That was the forward-looking shogi he had taught.
On the other hand, the teachings of Tennoji Kaito, the current master, revolved around absolute optimization. Numbers were the only infallible measure of the position, and the ultimate goal was the mechanical best move. His uncompromising precision, refusing to tolerate even the slightest margin of error, demanded strict yet certain progress.
"I really do respect you, Rena-senpai. Sensei told me that back when his father was teaching, Tennoji Dojo was way harsher than it is now. He said plenty of people quit. But...he said you were one of the few who kept up without ever backing down."
Aoi was fairly taken aback on the inside.
Someone like her was being idolized behind her back without her knowing. And by a student from the very dojo she had left behind, at that.
"Do you have a goal, Rena-senpai?"
"...To go pro."
"Whoa! That's amazing! Then you've gotta get way, way stronger!"
Nagisa clapped her hands together lightly, speaking with pure innocence.
"—Rena-senpai, don't you want to come back to Tennoji Dojo?"
"Huh?"
"It might be a little different from when you were there, but Tennoji Dojo is still super stoic. I think it's the perfect place to get stronger at shogi!"
Aoi let out a quiet sigh at Nagisa's words.
"Thanks for the offer, but Aoi'll pass. I'm busy coaching the kids right now."
When Aoi said that, Nagisa's jaw dropped in disbelief.
"...Teaching kids? You are, Rena-senpai?"
"Yep."
"..."
After staring intently at Aoi's face for a few moments, Nagisa backed off quietly.
"I see."
Though she didn't say it aloud, Nagisa's expression made it clear she couldn't fully approve of Aoi's current path.
Becoming a professional was already uncharted territory for female players—did she really have time to waste teaching others?
Yet Nagisa had no way of knowing that Aoi had no other choice.
"Were you heading to the bath, Rena-senpai?"
"...Yeah, why?"
"Then let's go together!"
"Huh?"
It took Aoi a beat to process what she had just been told.
"I want to hear more of your stories, Rena-senpai! There's still so much I don't know!"
"Wait, you're on an opposing—"
"We might be enemies over the shogi board, but in the bath, we're just regular girls!"
"H-hey!"
Grabbing Aoi by the arm, Nagisa dragged her toward the hot springs with unstoppable momentum.
◇
Passing through the noren curtain, a wave of heat rushed over their faces.
The faint scent of sulfur tickled their noses, and beyond the door, plumes of steam rose ceaselessly from a rock-lined bath.
Entering the changing room, the boys of the Westgasaki High Shogi Club, including Mikado, chatted about things completely unrelated to shogi.
In a rare moment, Mikado and Hayato shot the breeze together, sharing sides of themselves they usually kept hidden.
"Come to think of it, what was that mascot hanging off your bag earlier?"
"Oh, that's Yo-san."
"Yo...san...?"
"It's apparently a specialty item from Shimo-something Town. Got it from an upperclassman I know."
Hayato had an unfamiliar doll-like charm dangling from his bag. With a round body, exaggerated eyebrows, and a strangely philosophical gaze, its design sat somewhere in the confusing territory between goofy and dignified.
Mikado had happened to spot it back at the tournament venue and decided to ask.
"Speaking of which, didn't you have some kind of chess piece charm on yours? Cheating on shogi?"
For his part, Hayato had sharply noticed the chess-piece-like charm on Mikado's bag as well.
Seeing Mikado, who hardly seemed the type to carry such accessories, sporting a chess piece—the polar opposite of shogi—had come as quite a surprise to Hayato.
"No, it's not a chess piece. It's, uh...a championship trophy?"
"Pretty tiny trophy. You win it at some tournament?"
"Well, something like that."
"Hmm. I've been entering all kinds of tournaments since I was a kid, but I never saw you once."
Chatting like that, Mikado and the others made their way to the washing area.
Opening the door brought the roaring sound of a cascading waterfall rushing into their ears, driving home the fact that they were really at a hot spring.
Once everyone had rinsed off with hot water, Tsutomu slapped Mikado on the shoulder.
"Watanabe-kun, how about an endurance battle in the sauna with me?!"
"I'll pass."
"All right, to the open-air bath we go!"
"Please listen to me."
Dragged along despite his protests, Mikado and the others headed toward the outdoor bath.
There was already someone there—a man soaking up to his shoulders in the basin right beneath the waterfall, practically claiming the whole spot for himself.
When Mikado and the boys squinted through the steam, the man noticed them and looked their way.
The man was—the South District's Captain, Tennoji Kaito.
"""Ah."""
Every single one of them harmonized in unison.
—And thus began not an eve-of-battle banquet, but a joint soaking session between the West and South Districts.
"Aside from relieving fatigue, these hot springs are said to bring good fortune,"
Kaito, the Captain of the South District and Tennoji Dojo, said with an expression of pure bliss.
Tsutomu was the first to react.
"Ho! Could that perhaps be related to why the Central District wins every year?!"
"More or less. The ones who stayed here were all originally from the Central District—Kosaka Kento, Yumeno Mizuki, and Aizen Takumi."
The instant those names were uttered, everyone's eyes snapped to Kaito.
"Aren't those the Second Generation..."
"Yeah, the heroes themselves. Though calling them heroes is just a fancy title; at the time, they were probably just promising rising stars."
No amateur shogi player could hear "Second Generation" without a reaction. Unnoticed by the professional shogi world and largely unknown to the general public, the Second Generation were legendary heroes solely within the amateur circuit.
"So those three soaked in these very baths..."
"Before they made their big breakthroughs, apparently. Back then, the Central District's regional tournament reportedly had more participants than the prefectural tournament itself. Because of that, the regionals were often held over two days, but since it was cheaper for locals to just commute back and forth, almost nobody stayed the night."
"And the only ones who did stay were those three."
Kaito gave a firm nod.
"Whether that was the reason or not is uncertain, but the Prefectural Yellow Dragon Tournament became a two-day event. It was probably too much of a hassle to change the older titles, which is why the relatively new Yellow Dragon Tournament was chosen."
"Huh. Learn something new every day."
Hayato cupped some water in his hands and splashed it over his face in admiration. Right then, his older brother, Sakuma Kaito, tossed a towel over his face.
"Ghk! Cough!?"
"By the way, I heard your name's Kaito, right? I'm Kaito too. Same kanji and everything."
While half-suffocating his innocent brother, Sakuma Kaito addressed Tennoji Kaito.
"It's not an uncommon name. I'd only be surprised if we shared a family name."
"If it were up to me, I'd have liked to play you. Too bad our ace is that runt over there."
He gestured toward Mikado, who was puffing his cheeks out like a balloon, trying to float while doing his best impression of a blowfish.
"...He certainly is a runt."
"He's totally messing around."
"Say what you want about him, but shogi's the one thing he's a beast at."
"Bwahaha! Watanabe-kun is fine just the way he is! He only needs to think about shogi!"
With that hearty laugh, Tsutomu forcefully shoved Mikado's head beneath the water.
Blowfish down.
"....!!"
"President, you're gonna be down a team member tomorrow."
◇
At the very same time, lively voices echoed amidst the steam in the women's bath.
Leaning back against the edge of the rock bath, Tojo let out a blissful breath. Beside her, Raizaki was playing with a toy hamster she had somehow smuggled in, letting it bob on the water. Meanwhile, Aoi was being persistently pestered by the mystery girl.
"H-hey, where do you think you're touching?! Cut it out!"
"Ehehe~"
As Nagisa washed her in the washing area, Aoi's struggles proved futile against the younger girl's roving hands.
"You're seriously huge, Rena-senpai! What do you have to eat to get this big?"
"H-how should I know?!"
"Aww, c'mon, tell meee~"
—Pulling her eyes away from the noisy washing area, Tojo called out to Raizaki, who was still playing with the toy hamster beside her.
"I was wondering when I should bring it up, but...what is that?"
"My child."
"Huh?"
"What?"
Silence fell.
"Are you not human?"
"Just kidding. I simply love hamsters."
"Do you have one?"
"I used to, but not anymore."
"I see..."
Tojo glanced away with a slightly awkward expression, scooping up hot water with one hand and pouring it over her shoulder.
"So, why'd you bring the toy into the bath?"
"I wanted to give it a bath. Real hamsters can't handle hot water, so I brought this instead."
"You're doing a memorial service in the tub...?"
Raizaki picked up the bobbing hamster from the water's surface and crushed it in her grip with all her might.
The toy let out a high-pitched squeeeeak as the air was forced out of it.
"...You really love hamsters, right?"
"Probably."
"Probably, she says."
"If it breaks, I'll just buy another one."
"Zero hesitation..."
While they were having that exchange, Aoi and Nagisa emerged from the washing area and made their way over to Tojo.
"Ugh, that was an absolute nightmare... Wait, whoa!"
"...What?"
Tojo tilted her head in confusion.
Aoi pointed straight at Tojo's chest, practically shrieking.
"Nagisa, the real enemy is right here!"
"Sooo biiig!!"
Nagisa's eyes sparkled.
Following Aoi's directive, she plunged into the rock bath and splashed her way toward Tojo.
"H-hold on a second!"
"I can't wait!"
"Why not?!"
"Let me observe!"
"Observe what?!"
"Everything!"
"What do you mean, everything?!"
The conversation made absolutely no sense.
Aoi, for her part, stared intently at Tojo's chest.
"Tojo-senpai, you're totally the type who hides it under clothes, huh. Raika-cchi, how's it feel to be betrayed?"
"Hwah?"
When Raizaki turned around at Aoi's voice, she had the toy hamster clamped in her mouth.
"Tojo-senpai, Raika-cchi's broken."
"Huh?! She was already broken to begin with!"
Locked in the middle of a desperate struggle with Nagisa, Tojo tossed out a distracted reply to Aoi.
Hearing that, Aoi gave up and submerged herself up to her neck in the hot water.
◇
In the now-deserted tournament hall, Wataru slumped over a long table all by himself.
Across the vast hall lined with long tables, only the stark white glow of fluorescent lights cast down upon the room. The players who had finished their matches were long gone, and not even the footsteps of tournament staff could be heard.
All that remained was a single young man, collapsed motionless against the desk.
"..."
His slumped back rose and fell faintly—the sole proof he was still alive.
At the edge of the desk sat a neatly packed piece box and a stacked rubber mat board, its corners slightly warped.
Bzzzt, bzzzt.
Wataru's smartphone vibrated on the edge of the table. Set on silent mode, only its vibrations broke the silence of the empty hall with muted buzzing.
A familiar name flashed on the screen. Wataru didn't even have the energy to look, but he knew full well it was from the higher-ups at Ginzen Dojo.
It was obvious they were calling to interrogate him over the disaster he had caused, and Wataru lacked the willpower to even conjure up an excuse.
The vibrations continued for several seconds before finally stopping.
—A brief silence enveloped the room.
And then, bzzzt, bzzzt, it began vibrating all over again.
"..."
To the very end, Wataru couldn't bring himself to answer the phone.
◇
There was one person who wasn't surprised in the least upon hearing that Watanabe Mikado was Zimetsutei.
That was Tennoji Kaito, representative of the South District and a member of Tennoji Dojo.
As the current master of Tennoji Dojo, Kaito was aware that Mikado had attended the dojo back when his father, Gensui, was still in charge.
He had never seen him in person before. Their brief chat at the hot springs earlier had been their first face-to-face meeting.
However, Gensui had constantly badgered him in the past about the boy's extraordinary ability.
So when Mikado's true identity as Zimetsutei was revealed this morning, it made total sense to Kaito.
"Sensei! I heard your next opponent is crazy strong. Are you gonna be okay?"
Nagisa, Kaito's top disciple, asked with an innocent look on her face.
It was dinnertime after their soak. In the inn's buffet hall, the aroma of freshly cooked food filled the air as players grabbed plates from the long buffet spread one after another.
"Come to think of it, you don't know who Zimetsutei is, do you?"
"Nope! I don't really play online shogi in the first place..."
While others honed their craft through relentless study to climb the ranks, Nagisa had skyrocketed on sheer brute talent alone, leaving her largely ignorant of the broader shogi world.
Even so, in terms of pure board strength, she was overwhelmingly formidable, and her rate of growth eclipsed that of other players by leaps and bounds.
"Zimetsutei is the undisputed number-one ranked player on Shogi Wars, the most populated app in the online shogi scene."
"Is that really that big of a deal?"
Nagisa tilted her head, genuinely unable to grasp the magnitude of it.
"Calling it a big deal doesn't even begin to cover it. I played Shogi Wars in the past, and I couldn't even break into the top one hundred, let alone reach first place."
"What?! Even you couldn't do it, Sensei?!"
"Yeah. Unlike amateur tournaments, online shogi is a playground where actual pros hang out for fun. If someone holds the top spot there, anyone would assume they're a pro. Well, in Zimetsutei's case, people treated whether there was even a human behind the screen as an urban legend."
"Yet there really was a person behind it, and that person is..."
Nagisa trailed off, drifting her eyes over toward the buffet line.
There stood Mikado, blending into the background among the West District team, quietly loading up his tray with food.
Kaito followed Nagisa's gaze and spotted the boy's back.
"Watanabe Mikado. Once a student of Tennoji Dojo... No, that doesn't matter now."
Cutting himself off, Kaito lifted his bowl and shoveled a mouthful of rice.
Since Mikado was the opposing team's Captain, Kaito would inevitably clash with him in the next match.
For Kaito, the primary target of this tournament was Aobara Akari of the Central District.
However, with Zimetsutei as his next opponent, if he didn't prepare proper strategies and mental resolve, he might not even stand a fighting chance, let alone win.
(Zimetsutei... If it were a loss-on-time or ten-second blitz match, I wouldn't stand a chance. But this tournament's time control is forty minutes with a forty-second byoyomi. Even if there's a gap in our raw instinct and blitz speed, stretching the game out will gradually close that distance.)
In a split-second duel of instincts, he might lose, but in a prolonged clash of blades and grinding attrition, the outcome was anyone's guess.
A worthy opponent indeed, Kaito thought as he cemented his strategy for tomorrow.
"By the way, Nagisa, your opponent tomorrow is Aoi Rena. She studied under a different master, but she's still technically your senior disciple. Do you have a game plan?"
"Yes! No problem at all!"
Nagisa nodded cheerfully, popping a piece of fried chicken into her mouth.
"Moff than thaf, thif fffried chicken iff sho good~!"
"Close your mouth before you speak."
◇
Silence blanketed the inn in the dead of night.
Yumeno Mizuki walked alone down the connecting corridor, where only the hum of the ventilation echoed.
Haah... Finally free. Why do those higher-ups always have to drone on forever?
The annual Shogi Festival held in the Central District was right around the corner.
As the biggest event of the year, the Grand Board Commentary featuring invited professional player Mitsutake 6-Dan served as one of the main attractions, and they had extended an offer for female pro Yumeno to serve as the assistant interviewer.
Originally hailing from the Central District and sharing deep ties with the local area, the choice had naturally fallen upon Yumeno.
However, Yumeno had flatly turned down the offer.
She had several reasons—though none that she could state candidly.
And so, Yumeno gave the safe excuse that she was busy and swiftly brought the conversation to an end.
With the soft pitter-patter of her slippers echoing down the hallway, Yumeno made her way forward. To soothe her body after the exhausting ordeal, she was headed straight for the hot springs.
Passing under the split curtain of the women's bath and stepping into the changing room, Yumeno noticed a folded set of clothes resting on one of the shelves. Paying it no mind, she silently began untying the sash of her kimono.
Entering the washing area, she gave her body a quick rinse before washing her face and hair. Tying her long hair into a bundle behind her head, she opened the door to the open-air bath to let her steamy body breathe.
A pleasant night breeze wrapped around her whole body, and at the same moment, a silhouette came into view through the veil of white mist.
"Well, now."
"Hm?"
The one who entered Yumeno's view was a blonde girl. She looked to be around middle school age, with a slender, delicate frame.
The unyielding resolve lingering in her gaze bore a striking resemblance to the man Yumeno despised most.
"Mind if I join you?"
"Suit yourself."
Yumeno slowly submerged herself in the water. Perhaps due to the night air, the bath felt slightly lukewarm, but for Yumeno, it was just the right temperature.
Sitting cross-legged and relaxing like a middle-aged man, the girl spoke to Yumeno.
"To think the big shot of the women's pro world, Yumeno Mizuki, would be taking the waters out here. I didn't see you over at Russell during the day—were you spectating the tournament?"
"No, I spent the day making the rounds paying my respects. I was cornered just about two hours ago with an invite to that tournament."
"Ah... From what I hear, Mitsutake's providing the commentary. Serving as his assistant would be a complete waste of your caliber."
"Don't go saying that out loud. That's the real reason I turned it down, after all."
In response to the girl who spoke her mind without filter, Yumeno offered a sarcastic quip of her own.
Those eyes that should have been turned toward the path of a professional player held nothing but a swath of silver. Deep within Yumeno's heart, a lump of frustration had long remained buried.
They really do look alike, she thought, gazing upon the girl's face.
"What is it?"
"Nothing, really."
Yumeno averted her gaze and brushed back the strands of hair clinging to the nape of her neck.
"...Come to think of it, I happened to look over the game records of the participants in the prefectural tournament today. Most moved their pieces like typical amateurs, but one among them possessed an unusually formidable style. It caught my eye immediately. Though not yet completely dyed in those colors... it was a style I know well."
Gazing at the branches blooming over the open-air bath, the girl spoke with a melancholic edge.
"Ah, are you talking about the boy who revealed his identity as the Emperor of Self-Destruction?"
"No."
The girl denied it.
As tension surged through the air, the girl slowly turned toward Yumeno.
"—You've tainted someone, haven't you?"
The girl said those words with eyes that looked upon someone who had touched a taboo.
"..."
Fixing her with a gaze of silver and crimson, Yumeno offered only silence, without a word of denial.
"What are you scheming?"
"I merely taught shogi to a cute girl. There's no hidden agenda. Or do I really look that clever to you?"
Met with Yumeno's words, the girl fell silent.
"What's the harm? Left alone, it would have been a total monopoly for those kids. Just like your brother did, I only gave them a little push."
To Yumeno, it was nothing more than a trivial matter. Yet, precisely because she had been taught that the accumulation of small events leads to outcomes, she needed to take a scalpel to this stagnation.
It wasn't a major procedure. After all, carrying it out depended entirely on the players' own strength. Yumeno was simply the type to enjoy spectating from the sidelines.
Perhaps grown weary of the roundabout conversation, the girl looked up at the sky in resignation.
"I see. ...Well, do as you please."
The night wind rustled the trees, the sound of leaves soothing the ears like gentle ripples.
Mingling with it came a distant hum—
Looking up at the full moon floating in the cloudless night sky, the girl thought of her brother waiting at the far reaches.
"...In any case, it's not fitting for me to be here."
"I wouldn't mind, you know. If it were that guy, he'd definitely be trying to peek on us."
"I would have liked to see that side of things, even a little. After all, I have nothing other than shogi."
A faint smile slipped across the girl's face, and she stood up without even wrapping herself in a towel.
"If I ever take the path of a female professional, our paths will cross eventually."
"If you ever take the path of a professional player, give my regards to Sensei."
"Kusui Ryujin is no longer around. Though you might run into his ghost."
Leaving only those words behind, the girl turned and headed back toward the changing room.
Left behind, Yumeno looked at her reflection in the water's surface.
Then, closing her right eye, she slowly tilted her head upward.
"When all is said and done..."
Only a single humming voice could be heard. Normally, there should have been two.
She used to find it bothersome. Yet boredom had long since overtaken that annoyance.
That presence was no longer here.
"It really is lonely... just the two of us."
Yumeno's gaze drifted toward the humming sound echoing from the men's bath next door.
◇
‘[Yellow Dragon Tournament: Team Division] Discussion Thread Part 99’
Anonymous No. 620
: Looks like they're doing a live kifu broadcast starting from the finals. Match Reporter Mizuhara got permission from management to coordinate with the scorekeeping staff and reflect the board positions in real time. The only locked-in finalist is the seeded Central District, so the remaining spot will go to either West or South.
Anonymous No. 621
: >>620 Getting to see Gaisen Dojo's kifu live is hype.
Anonymous No. 622
: >>620 We only get to see the finals? Zimetsutei is in the West District, so I really wanted to watch the semifinals too.
Anonymous No. 623
: >>620 I spent all this time waiting for Tennoji and Aobara to clash, but now a monster like Zimetsutei crashed the party and I'm dying laughing lmao.
Anonymous No. 624
: Either way, guess we just wait for tomorrow's finals.
◇
The rising morning sun cast slender shadows across the window ledge.
The inn remained asleep in the early morning stillness. Through the silent corridors, the distant chirping of birds echoed softly.
At the far end of the hallway, in a dim alcove where no one ventured, Mikado was speaking with someone.
"—For someone who just put on the crown, you're making quite the provocative move."
The man's voice was low and gravelly.
Mikado offered no reply.
"Here."
The man handed Mikado a sheet of paper with writing across it.
As Mikado silently accepted the paper, morning rays streaming through the corridor window illuminated the face of the man standing in the shadows.
A sharp, piercing glare. A beastlike grin curled at the lips. An overwhelming presence that intimidated anyone who laid eyes on him.
Thus, the face of North District's captain, Aomine Ryuga, was revealed.
"This is what you wanted, right?"
"Yeah."
Mikado replied simply and checked the contents.
"And? Where's yours?"
Prompted by Ryuga, Mikado drew a folded envelope from his pocket and offered it forward.
Snatching it from his hand, Ryuga tore the envelope open.
Inside was a sheet densely filled with shogi move records alongside handwritten supplementary notes, presumably penned by Mikado himself.
"...Heh. This easily rivals my own analysis. So the 'Emperor of Self-Destruction' is the real deal after all."
Ryuga's voice carried a tone that hovered between admiration and mockery. Lifting his eyes from the paper, he looked at Mikado.
"Just so you know, seeing that doesn't guarantee you can beat Tenryu—"
"Doesn't matter. What I need is the intel."
Ryuga cut him off.
"Right now, all I wanted was the 'truth' behind how you took down Tenryu Kazuki. This is more than enough."
Ryuga folded the paper and slipped it into his inner pocket.
Then, his gaze turned downward to look at Mikado once more.
"Besides, are you sure you should be acting so carefree? Every last bit of 'your thought process' is laid bare here without hiding a thing. You didn't even try to write it deceptively. That's no different than a magician revealing all his secrets, you know."
Mikado paused for a moment.
"I suppose so. Unless I made it up after the fact, the logic written there is completely genuine. But..."
It was a rare moment where Mikado's true colors peeked through.
"If we can battle even after laying all that bare, there are bound to be brand-new discoveries."
Even if he became the target, as long as it happened on the board, he would take on any challenger. No conditions, no circumstances, not even outright lawlessness could stop his hand.
—Not that Mikado had spoken with such grandiose conviction in mind. He hadn't intended it that way at all, but to Ryuga, it was an answer so unexpected it caught him completely off guard.
After attempting a mild threat, far from cowering, the boy before him had eyes practically sparkling with anticipation.
"Fair enough. I guess I can agree with about half of that."
An exasperated look washed over Ryuga's face. For better or worse, it was an attitude that recognized the boy before him as an equal.
"Well, I'm gonna go catch some more sleep. Good luck at the tournament."
Leaving those parting words, Ryuga turned on his heel and walked away.
Watching the broad back—so much larger than his own—fade into the distance, Mikado looked down once more at the paper left in his hands that he had received from Ryuga.
"...Alister."
◇
The second and final day of the Yellow Dragon Prefectural Tournament had finally begun.
With the exception of the reigning champion Central District, the remaining four districts still had fierce battles ahead of them.
The East and North Districts, having lost their opening matches, would compete in the consolation match. Meanwhile, the West and South Districts, victorious in round one, were set to clash in the round two semifinals.
About forty minutes remained until the start.
The tournament hall was once again beginning to brim with feverish excitement.
"The South District, Tennoji Dojo..."
Tojo turned her gaze toward Aoi.
Aoi held a hand to her chest, desperately keeping her slight nervousness from showing. Tojo was well aware that she was a former student of Tennoji Dojo.
A dojo that was once virtually deserted now fielded such a formidable roster. Having conquered the district qualifiers and crushed the North District in round one, it was plain to see that every single one of them possessed serious skill.
"By the way, Tojo, I saw your game record from yesterday... Are you really gonna play like that again today?"
Addressed by Hayato beside her, Tojo replied with supreme confidence.
"Yes, of course. I intend to see it through to the end."
"Are you serious...? Please don't pull reckless stunts in an official match."
"I'll win, don't worry. I polished it specifically for today."
"Even if you say that..."
Hayato scratched his head anxiously, but Tojo remained entirely brimming with confidence.
Overhearing the exchange from beside them, his older brother Kaito cut into their conversation.
"Come to think of it, I haven't seen it. What kind of game did Tojo play?"
"Nah, you're better off not knowing right now. It'll mess with your focus."
"...?"
When Hayato gave that vague response, Kaito made a puzzled face, but simply shrugged and dropped it.
Meanwhile, a short distance away, Takebayashi was vigorously shaking Raizaki awake, who looked as if dreamy bubbles were still floating around her head.
"Ah, a-aaah, b-bub... a—..."
As if injecting fighting spirit directly into her, he repeatedly slapped and jostled Raizaki. Roaring with hearty laughter, Takebayashi pestered her to an almost exasperating degree.
Once he confirmed that Raizaki's mind was reasonably awake, Takebayashi crouched down beside Mikado, who was deep in thought nearby.
Then, lowering his voice, he whispered into his ear.
"Watanabe-kun, your opponent is the master of Tennoji Dojo. As the famed Emperor of Self-Destruction, do you feel confident you can take him down?"
"If I could get a hint from you, President, that might give me a little confidence."
Looking off into the distance, Mikado answered quietly so as not to draw attention from anyone nearby.
Hearing that, Takebayashi rested a hand on his chin with a hmmm. Because of their awkward height difference, remaining hunched over to whisper in Mikado's ear was subtly taking a toll on his lower back.
"I see. Hold on a second."
After a few seconds of hesitation, Takebayashi reached a conclusion.
Slipping both arms under Mikado's armpits, he scooped him effortlessly into the air.
"!?"
"Wah!"
Tojo and Raizaki gasped in shock right next to them.
Mikado dangled in midair. More accurately, he was bundled securely into Takebayashi's arms. With Mikado hoisted up, his head aligned at the perfect height next to Takebayashi's mouth, creating the ideal setup for whispering.
"What on earth are you doing, President...?"
The club members stared in astonishment, while several meters away, the Tennoji Dojo players watched with bewildered looks as if witnessing something utterly bizarre.
"He looks like a 3D model stuck in its default pose..."
Hayato muttered with an exasperated expression. As for Mikado himself, he offered zero resistance, simply staring blankly with half-lidded, resigned eyes.
Into Mikado's ear, Takebayashi began to speak.
"Tennoji Dojo used to be a massive organization back in the day. The previous master, Tennoji Gensui, possessed incredible skill, and the dojo built an illustrious track record of producing countless formidable players, both male and female."
"Did any of them become professional players?"
Keeping his gaze forward, Mikado asked, lowering only his volume.
"More than a few, most likely. The number of players who entered the Shoreikai from Tennoji Dojo easily reached double digits. ...However, whether due to Gensui's coaching philosophy or friction with the students, things didn't click, and its prestige gradually faded away. The one who inherited the baton after that was the current master, Tennoji Kaito."
Pausing for a beat, Takebayashi continued.
"He holds a philosophy completely opposite to his predecessor, Gensui. He's the type who takes pride in having no pride. He embraces every strategy without prejudice, pulling from a drawer of countless tactics to counter whatever comes his way. He constantly studies modern theoretical lines, and thanks to Gensui's influence, he's thoroughly versed in classical tactics as well."
"I'm getting a really bad feeling about this..."
"—An all-rounder. Someone who commands every single strategy, Static Rook and Roving Rook alike."
When it came to the terror of an all-rounder, only one person came to Mikado's mind.
Maicho Rena—the player who had faced Sakuma Kaito across the board in the West District tournament finals. As a renowned all-rounder in the West District who wielded Static Rook and Roving Rook with equal mastery, her style inflicted the crushing psychological pressure of strategic disadvantage from the opening strategy selection alone.
Reflecting on their clash in the finals, the words Sakuma Kaito used to describe the match were chillingly brief: It was pure hell.
Every aim he launched was thoroughly seen through, and his forceful offensives were dismantled move by move with flawless precision. No matter what opening he chose or what strategy he devised, the outcome was always the same. He had been made to realize that overwhelming disparity in skill over the course of a single game.
Having the strategic initiative seized at the opening phase was equivalent to playing with a handicap from the very start.
Enabling such an unreasonable advantage was the true terror of an all-rounder's caliber.
"...By the way, President. How do you know all this?"
"Well, I am the president, after all."
Saying so, Takebayashi lowered Mikado back to his feet and straightened his posture as if nothing had happened.
The instant he touched the floor, Mikado quietly adjusted his collar—with movements so natural that no one would guess he had just been held aloft without a single struggle.
"If you don't mind me prying a bit, President... did you belong to a dojo in the past?"
"Indeed I did! However! I cannot tell you which one! Even I have my privacy, after all!"
"...I didn't think you were the type to worry about that sort of thing."
"I have a delicate soul!"
"If you say so."
Mikado started to ask Where?, but thought better of it and held his tongue.
"—At any rate, I didn't tell you this to make you anxious, all right? You went through the trouble of digging up intel, so put it to good use!"
Takebayashi clapped Mikado firmly on the shoulder.
Feeling more vigor in that hand than usual, the corners of Mikado's lips relaxed into a faint smile.
"Right. That was very helpful."
A fresh surge of motivation welled up inside him. It was a good sign that he no longer needed to suppress the yawn creeping up from his drowsiness.
◇
"Thirty minutes left, huh?"
At the same time, Kaito checked the clock in the hall.
The members of Tennoji Dojo were loitering around the chairs where their matches would be held, glancing at their smartphones or chatting amongst themselves.
Kaito pulled a tsume shogi problem book from his bag resting in the luggage area before him.
Then he looked over at the group.
"Hey, anyone want to do some?"
Showing the book to the Tennoji Dojo members, he asked if anyone wanted to solve problems as a warmup before the matches started.
"Nah, I'll pass, Sensei."
"I'm good for now too. Pretty sure it'd just tire me out."
"I see."
Warmups varied from person to person. Whether firing up the brain right before a match was beneficial or not had no definitive proof either way.
Having already anticipated their refusal, Kaito was about to open the book and work through the mating problems on his own.
Just then—
"Me! I'll do it!"
Pushing her way through the group, Nagisa raised her hand with great enthusiasm.
"All right, let's do it over there."
"Ooh, go get 'em, Nagisa-chan."
"Yes, sir!"
Kaito and Nagisa walked over to the free-play area at the edge of the venue, set out a shogi board, and emptied the pieces from the box.
Only Nagisa sat in a chair, while Kaito stood alongside to instruct her.
That was the usual scene at Tennoji Dojo.
"Sensei, I'm definitely going to win!"
"No need to get that fired up. Try to relax a little."
"Relax, relax... Mmmgh..."
Nagisa closed her eyes and made a show of meditating, but quickly lost track of what she was doing and looked up.
"I can't do it!"
"I see."
Kaito answered as if he had expected it all along, then moved into coaching Nagisa with the tsume shogi book in hand.
When she had first joined the dojo, solving three-move or five-move mating problems had been the absolute limit of her abilities. Now, Nagisa took fifteen-move problems as her baseline.
Though it took some time, Nagisa solved them with near-flawless accuracy, prompting Kaito to present the next problem.
The page Kaito currently had open displayed a seventeen-move mating problem. A sudden increase in move count.
Kaito did not mention that to Nagisa.
—A few minutes later. Groaning as she puzzled over the position, Nagisa stole a glance at Kaito.
"How many moves is this?"
"Forgot."
Kaito answered without hesitation.
Nagisa murmured, "Hmm..." as she visualized the sequence in the air, and barely ten-odd seconds later, she voiced her answer.
"G-8b, Kx8b, S-7a, Kx7a, G-6b, Sx6b, P-7b, Kx7b, +R-6c, Sx6c, N-6d, Sx6d, S-6c, K-8b, +B-7a, Kx7a, G-7b mate... is that right?"
"Correct."
As Nagisa arrived at the answer with complete calculation, Kaito looked down at the stopwatch he held behind his back and nodded in satisfaction.
"Five minutes forty seconds. Your reading speed has really improved. Cracking the five-minute mark on this many moves without touching a single piece is exceptional."
"Really!?"
"Yeah. It took Fukashima Daiki over ten minutes on this one."
"Yay!"
Nagisa threw both hands in the air, overflowing with delight.
Fukashima Daiki was the young man who had seen Nagisa off earlier. A fellow student belonging to Tennoji Dojo, his skill was by no means lacking. Even within the now-burgeoning Tennoji Dojo, he ranked among the strongest.
Surpassing such a student with effortless ease, Nagisa's growth rate was nothing short of monstrous.
"Sensei! How fast did you solve it!?"
Nagisa asked out of pure curiosity.
"That one? Ten seconds."
"Whaaat—!! That's amazing!! You're incredible, Sensei!"
Without a single shred of doubt in Kaito's words, Nagisa looked up at him with glittering eyes.
Of course, Kaito hadn't lied. It was an absolute fact that he had solved it in ten seconds.
However, that wasn't because he had purely calculated through the variations. He had solved it because he remembered the position as an established pattern.
With this formation, this is how you mate it. After solving thousands or tens of thousands of tsume shogi problems, that intuition naturally became second nature.
Kaito had merely solved the problem through that vast reservoir of experience.
Gently, Kaito patted the head of the girl looking up at him with such adoration.
(—You're far more incredible than I'll ever be, though.)
Putting that into words would have to wait until later—
As long as he still stood above her, he had to keep presenting the admirable back of a master.
Until his own wings broke. Until someone exposed the bottom of his depth. As the one bearing the banner of Tennoji, Kaito had sworn to remain stronger than anyone else.
"All right, that's time. Let's head back."
"Yes!"
Having solved a few problems as time ran short, Kaito closed the book and began packing up the pieces.
The bell signaling the start of the tournament was about to ring—
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