Ryuuou no Oshigoto! - Volume 18 - Chapter 3.05

  Fallen Angel’s Temptation

“I would expect nothing less of a proposition from Yashajin-Women’s Dual Title. The league design for your Women’s Placement Matches is superb. Do you not agree, O-Ryou?”

“As long as there are more matches, I don’t give a rat’s ass about the details. Go ahead and do whatever.”

Two Women’s League players are seated before me.

Machi the Tormentor and the Aggressive Archangel.

Both have held their titles for multiple seasons and qualify for Queen designation despite only being twenty years old. That kind of strength is rare, even within the Shogi world.

Additionally, they are among the few women who are full-fledged members of the Shogi Association.

―――They would’ve dominated the era had they been born at a different time.

I pose a question for those two players.

“More importantly, how did it feel to use Awaji?”

“............”

Offering to discuss the new league was merely a guise to get them here.

The Second Crown Title Match took place just across the street. I provided these two access to Awaji so they could analyze the match on their own.

It’s my version of wining and dining.

The fancy food, beverages and even the hot spring were just icing on the cake compared to Awaji.

Kugui takes a sip of the best chilled sake from the Nada area to wet her lips. Her tone couldn’t be more serious.

“...... It does grant quite the advantage if available.”

“Not that I’d actually be able to use the thing. None of its best moves makes any sense. Felt like I was playin’ against Ika the whole time ......”

“There’s nothing to worry about as far as that’s concerned.”

I smile to alleviate Tsukiyomizaka’s concerns.

“We’ve already developed a training tool that helps people overcome their biggest weaknesses as human beings. The two of you would reach Tier 2 ...... No, Tier 1 with ease.”

“Oh? And what does that entail, exactly?”

“You don’t need to know that yet. Take up my offer, and I’ll explain it.”

“Then how ’bout leading with that offer?”

“Good point. Then I’ll get right to it.”

There’s no need to butter them up. They couldn’t possibly refuse anyway.

“Would you join my research group? The world’s fastest supercomputer and the latest Shogi AI will be at your disposal.”

“What lavish hospitality.”

“I’ll include the solution to Shogi as well.”

“Ohh ......?”

A dubious flash twinkles in Machi Kugui’s eyes.

Got her.

“You seem interested, Kugui-sensei. Or perhaps I should call you journalist Ms. Mato?”

“Just Machi will do fine, Ten-chan.”

The fox grins back at me. By the looks of it, getting her into the fold won’t be all that difficult.

On the other hand, Tsukiyomizaka sounds suspicious.

“What’s the price?”

“What you just saw.”

Tsukiyomizaka’s personality comes out in her Shogi, always going for the throat. That’s why I had the ultimate move ready in waiting.

Yaichi walking in on them in the bath hall wasn’t a coincidence.

“Acknowledge that he is mine, and not Ginko Sora’s ...... Catch my drift?”

“............”

I’ve already looked into exactly how these two feel about my Master.

So, I know he’s not just a childhood friend or a rival to them.

Yes. I’m testing their loyalty.

I need to find out if they’ll surrender the most important thing to me or not.

“There’s no need to bow down to me. I don’t need your respect, either. All I want is for you to conquer Women’s Shogi on the east and the west respectively. That includes after Ginko Sora comes back.”

Ginko Sora.

That name gets their attention. I can see it in their eyes.

He-he-he. I won’t let them claim the thought has never crossed their minds.

That if only Ginko Sora didn’t exist.

“The regulations currently state that female professionals have the right to participate in Women’s League matches. However, I fully intend to make it so that they have no choice but to play in the upcoming Women’s Placement matches.”

“You’re implying that Ginko would play in it once she returns, no?”

“That’s correct. You need a place to get your revenge, don’t you?”

The way things are now, these two need to qualify for pro league matches for a chance to play against Ginko Sora.

Even if they do, there’s no guarantee they will. It’s luck of the draw. And that chance will only come up once a year, if that.

That’s not nearly enough, now is it?

“You can beat Ginko Sora. Just picture it. Her head down, the words I lost coming from crestfallen lips.”

―――I will take everything from her.

I swore I would.

Pressuring me into losing by a rule violation in our first title match is a humiliation that will haunt me the rest of my life.

Now it’s my turn to humiliate her.

She made it all the way into the pro leagues, but imagine the humiliation of being defeated by Women’s League players again and again.

Her spirit won’t just break, it will shatter. The mere sight of a Shogi board will make her nauseated. Her fingers will tremble every time she tries to touch a piece.

―――Can you love a Ginko Sora without Shogi, Yaichi ......?

I need strong pieces to make it happen, so I continue my recruiting pitch.

“Neither of you have beaten Ginko Sora. Ika Sainokami throttled her, but I put that girl out of commission permanently. Awaji made it happen. It gave me the solution to Shogi by establishing a concept that goes beyond standards toward an assured victory. Don’t you want it? This ultimate power?”

“......... Khe-he-he! Bwah ha ha ha ha!!”

One bursts into laughter, Tsukiyomizaka.

“HE-HE-HE! Assured victory, ya say?! Now that’s sweet! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! Ginko’d never be scary again if I had that!!”

After laughing so hard that she literally had to hold her ribs down, Tsukiyomizaka goes stone-faced and says this: “Shove it where the sun don’t shine, runt.”

“...... May I ask why you don’t want it?”

“Heh, I guess you wouldn’t understand, would ya ......?”

The Women’s King scoffs at me before unleashing a torrent of verbal abuse.

“The solution to Shogi? Tossin’ standards for a guaranteed win? Don’t gimme that crap! I’m not playin’ Shogi to find useless combos or trivia. Any runt that doesn’t get why better not even say Ginko’s name. Got a death wish, huh?”

“O-Ryou! You’re being quite rude.”

Kugui admonishes her friend from the next seat over.

All according to plan. With all that pride and a short fuse, Tsukiyomizaka was bound to go off at some point. But Kugui is level-headed and shrewd enough to see the value of what I’m offering. That’s why I made sure to talk with both of them at once.

I knew she would understand―――.

“The little miss is still but a youngster. Why, at her age, of course she wants to show off the trinkets papa and mama purchased for her. Smile and say neato before you make her cry.”

“......!!”

The fox scathes me even deeper than Tsukiyomizaka and giddily watches my reaction.

That foul ...... greedy Kyotoite!!

“O-Ryou and I have indeed failed to defeat you, Ten-chan. Being 20 years of age and defeated by an 11-year-old does not bode well for our chances in the future.”

Then why go out of your way to clash with me?

Kugui explains.

“But here is the issue, yes? The notion that the heart can be conquered via a Shogi match is beyond infantile. It is our duty as grownups to scold you for this. Isn’t that right, O-Ryou?”

“Damn straight. That piece of trash Master of yours sure didn’t. Otherwise, ya wouldn’t have turned into a spoiled little imp.”

Tsukiyomizaka bares her teeth like a ferocious beast.

“You wanna know Shogi’s solution? I’ll give it to ya: the Great Tsukiyomizaka wins. I’ll make ya cry along with Ginko once the Women’s Placement Matches start, so go have your super-duper computer teach you how to surrender, runt.”

“............ Getting rid of you isn’t even worth my time.”

Their value has been set just now.

These two are curs, bottom-of-the-barrel losers who don’t even have the courage to try out new methods.

“Enjoy the humiliation when my hand-picked Women’s League players take your titles. You’ll lose over and over to players you thought were far beneath your level again and again, making you look back on this day and regret your decision all the way to the grave.”

This is no mere prediction.

It’s the one true answer derived from simple mathematics. Elementary mathematics, I might add. If they can’t understand that much, then they aren’t worthy of their titles.

“I’ll see to it you spend the rest of your lives toiling in the lowest bracket of the Women’s Placement matches alongside Ginko Sora.”

The negotiations failed.

But this doesn’t hurt my plans in the slightest.

Awaji has already identified Women’s League players with the same level of talent as these two. Raising them will take a lot of work, but it’s only a matter of time before they knock Tsukiyomizaka and Kugui off their respective perches.

“Isn’t there a Women’s Leaguer ya have to take down first?” says Tsukiyomizaka like a parting shot on her way out.

Kugui nods and says, “Very much so,” in the same tone.

“That girl can produce answers your super machine could never teach you, not that you would comprehend it.”

I know exactly who they’re talking about.

Machinery’s ultimate rival: pure natural-born talent. Someone who came into this world at Tier 0.

―――You’ve become a bigger thorn than I ever dreamed ...... Ai.

My mind is now set.

I will remove my older sister apprentice from the Shogi world if it’s the last thing I do.