Ryuuou no Oshigoto! - Volume 18 - Chapter 5.04

  The Fallen Angel’s Leap

As soon as I saw that move, I got a very clear picture of Awaji’s rating in my head.

Offense winning probability: 0%.

“It’s over, Ai.”

But I doubt any living person has the same image in their mind. From their point of view, Ai Hinatsuru just played the best move, hands down. Everyone from a beginner who just learned the rules all the way up to the Meijin himself would say that.

Even so, I’m the one who will win. Reason being that that’s the way Shogi’s solution works.

“Just watch. You’ll realize you can’t win after 25 moves. The tables will fall into my favor after that.”

“……”

She doesn’t say anything. Naturally.

Just looking at the board, she probably assumes I’m running my mouth right now. And it’s true that my Shogi skills aren’t good enough to come back from this position.

“I’m sorry …… but I can’t give anyone a quick death anymore. You’re going to suffer for a very long time, assuming you don’t surrender.”

Yes. Winning from here will be no small feat.

Because it will require finding a unique series of moves that don’t exist in either current software or in human Shogi history.

―――And to add to that …… I’ve gotten worse.

Simply put, death flags are a ploy on a grand scale. They’re the same as Pac-Man and Kakutofu strategies at the core. Invite the opponent into an ambush, guide the match into your favor and then bring down the guillotine with research.

Researching those unique sequences to finish off the ploy means you can’t work on conventional Shogi and you get rusty. When it comes to using orthodox Shogi standards, there’s no doubt I’m weaker than I used to be.

Ai Hinatsuru, on the other hand, has worked her way to a level where even professionals can’t beat her. That kind of talent paired with effort is awe inspiring, even scary.

However, I have two major advantages.

First, the fact that I will win in the end.

Second, and even more importantly, I know that fact.

Shogi is a mental sport, and knowing that victory is in your grasp is vital to finding the best move in time. Confidence would be another way to put it.

That indisputable path to victory made my Shogi skill grow by leaps and bounds.

“I won’t tell you to give up. You probably don’t believe me yet.”

Sliiide …… I calmly make my next move.

Ai stays hunched over the board with her eyes zooming around looking for traps.

―――There aren’t any to find.

What I’ve done is far beyond setting a simple trap.

My mother didn’t include Shogi’s rules in the code when she programmed Awaji.

Even now, Awaji doesn’t know how the pieces move.

That isn’t especially surprising. Domain knowledge tends to hinder deep learning software.

That’s why Awaji roamed free in its early stages …… Without any restraints, it rampaged around the board with its incredible reading capacity and speed. It would win that way, too. A pain in the neck piece of software if there ever was one. That trash was the last thing a person would want for Shogi research.

So I couldn’t help but feel it when I first interacted with Awaji myself.

It plays like Ai Hinatsuru.

Adjusting Awaji to use all sorts of strategies gave me a taste of how Yaichi Kuzuryu must have felt in the days he spent training her.

―――I probably was the same way at first ……

I can’t remember a time in my life when I didn’t know how to play Shogi, so I don’t know what it’s like to be a beginner.

I do have a very precious memory, however.

It’s of my father wanting to teach me how to play and my mother quietly wanting to keep me away from Shogi.

Memories from when the three of us lived together like that are irreplaceable. Yes, they were arguing about how to raise me, but I was happy.

Because the reason they were fighting …… was for my sake.

“………… I didn’t want to face you like this. We missed our chance to play at our absolute bests.”

Thirteen moves after Ai Hinatsuru’s death flag went up, the board starts contorting in a very new direction.

At last, human eyes can see what I’ve always known.

“Huh …………?”

The color drains from Ai Hinatsuru’s face.

“Wh-Why?! How ……? And so suddenly?! Whaaaaaa?!”

The shock makes her lose concentration. It’s clear as day.

A gigantic crevasse has opened in truth, and it’s crumbling beneath Ai Hinatsuru’s feet. People can’t comprehend just how fast the high rating she built up so far is plummeting right now.

How can this happen?

This is just a theory, but I think it’s because Awaji didn’t know Shogi’s rules in the first place.

Unshackled creativity found a brand new realm that current software and humans couldn’t find on their own.

So …… Yeah? Finding a way to break through is utterly impossible.

No matter how far someone has surpassed human reading speed, they can’t read what’s in their blind spot.

“Kgh ……! H-Here ………… Here, herehereherehereherehere ………!!”

Ai valiantly continues her search for the best move.

Like a climber desperately searching for a handhold as they fall off the cliff, it’s a despairing sight.

Unable to watch anymore, I get to my feet.

“………… This is why we don’t need Shogi family rules. Holding back players who really want to face each other is just so …… Who even thought of that torture ……”

This world is so cruel to the people I treasure. It's unfair.

So I’m going to change it.

Nothing can be done about the past, but the future can still be changed. Even if just a little.

When Father played against Seiichi Tsukimitsu at the Kansai Shogi Association building, Yaichi was the match recorder. That connection with him is what led me to Ai Hinatsuru.

I’m really not happy about destroying a building that is so important to my past.

But if someone has to do it, then I want the chance to design the new one with my own hands. No matter what mean things are said about me, no matter how much hate comes my way, I’ll get my hands dirty to make it happen.

Creation through destruction.

That’s―――how to make the future your own.

“Play all the moves you want. I’ll play along until the very end ……”

I sit back down now that my heart is set.

Watching my older sister writhe in pain, I gently whisper in her ear.

“Enjoy these last few moments you have together with Shogi.”