Ryuuou no Oshigoto! - Volume 2 - Chapter 4.2

  LITTLE DEVIL ON THE SCENE

“This is Ai Yashajin. She’ll be taking the entrance test today.”

Yoshitsune Kuruno 7-dan introduces Ai as the Practice League activities were starting to get underway. She lifts her chin up, looking around the room as if she owned the place as he introduced her.

“She’s a fourth year elementary school student from Kobe. Also, Seiichi Tsukimitsu 9-dan is her Master.

Zing!! A shockwave blasts through the members of the Practice League all sitting side by side.

The very fact that she was the association chairman’s, the Eternal Meijin’s apprentice meant she had that much potential.

The air in here is electric, like when a strong rival first shows up.

Then I spot my apprentice sitting in the very corner of the arena. Seeing her for the first time in a while, and looking happy at that, my eyes hover on her for a moment but–––

“!!”

She spots me, her big eyes opening even wider before, “…… (Humph!)” 

She’s still angry ……

An apprentice …… showing her master an angry puffy face. Quite the shock. One hit and my spirit feels like it’s going to snap.

But there, in her hand–––.

“Isn’t, isn’t that …… The fan I gave her ……?”

The one I gave her on her own entrance test day, the one with Courage written on it is tightly clasped in Ai’s tiny hand. It’s like she’s saying she can’t completely sever the bond we have …… My spirit recovers in the blink of an eye, seeing my resolute apprentice warms my heart. She’s–she’s so cute ……!!

What’s the Ryuo doing …… rejoicing over this grade schooler’s slight gesture? I snap at myself, knowing full well how pitiful it is. But I don’t blame myself for worrying about how she feels. What I’d give to be able to open her little heart and read her like a book …… Am I sick?

“Do you …… think Ai’ll forgive me? You think she’ll still call me Master? Or do you think she’s completely done with me? …… Hey, Akira, what do you think? Hey, come on, tell me.”

“Ugh …… T-This is too nerve-racking ……! I-I can’t watch ……!”

Akira came here to act as Ai Yashajin’s legal guardian, but she’s in rough shape. Both hands are clamped over her ears and she’s got her eyes shut tight (no sunglasses of course, we’re inside the association). She reminds me of what Big Sis is like when she rents horror movies and watches them in a dark room, even though she hates being scared. But that’s the only time she looks cute to me. She squeals in fright, grabs hold of my arm, that sort of thing. If only she’d always watch horror movies.

“Speaking of which, looks like Big Sis …… isn’t here today. That’s a relief.”

She showed up at my apprentice’s entrance test as an examiner, but she’s in the middle of the title match right now. She wouldn’t have time to be bothered with someone trying to join Practice League. Talk about luck.

So, I thought this entrance test would go off without a hitch but–––.

The test taker herself destroyed that possibility right off the bat.

“Is this a joke? Why do I have to play against the league doormat?”

The moment that Ai learned that her first opponent during the test would be the Practice League’s lowest ranking member (F2), she immediately voiced her displeasure to the one in charge, Kuruno-sensei.

Of course, this ticked off every other member of the Practice League, turning the atmosphere sour.

Everyone in here plays against each other all the time, meaning everyone’s bonds are tight. Insulting one like she just did is the same as picking a fight with all of them.

“This isn’t worth my time. Could you put me up against a stronger opponent?”

Apparently, Kuruno-sensei got a kick out of Ai’s request and responded with a hint of irony in his voice.

“Well, you seem quite confident.”

“I am. Confident enough to take on a Women’s League player here and now.”

“Well, in that case all you have to do is keep winning. You only need to win thirty-nine times in a row starting now and you can join the Women’s League. Or perhaps you aren’t quite that confident?”

“! …… I see. Fine then.”

“Nh. That’s a good girl. Now, let’s get started.”

That’s Kuruno-sensei for you. As a Ranging Rook player, he can make decisions on the fly, a handy skill when it comes to handling bratty kids. If it were me up there, I’d have gotten into an argument and lost for sure.

A little boy in elementary school was assigned to be Ai’s first opponent. Since he’s F2, I’d say he’s comparable to an amateur 2-dan.

Once the pieces were flipped, it was determined that Ai would go second.

“When you’re ready,” each said.

Once greetings were exchanged, the boy opens the Bishop Path for his first move and Ai follows suit. Next, he advances the Pawn in front of his Rook and the match progresses along the orthodox early game strategy …… Or at least I thought it was.

Because on the fourth move, Ai flicks the Pawn in front of her Bishop forward.

“Kakutou fu on defense ……?!” I whisper without realizing it as I keep a close eye on the match.

By and large, kakutou fu is an offensive strategy. Ai has faced it many times before, whenever Panther was on offense. She must’ve figured out a way to use the kakutou fu strategy while on defense.

“……?”

The little boy playing against her clearly doesn’t know what to think. His eyes keep darting between Ai’s face and the board, the look on his face saying: Did you mean to do that? He kind of looks sorry for her actually.

A nice, honest boy …… But kids like him have a hard time in this competitive world.

Sure enough, he played right into her hands and was forced to surrender in the blink of an eye.

“I …… I lost ……?”

He tilts his head back and forth trying to come to grips with what just happened. I don’t think he knows where things went wrong, pretty sure he’s thinking he made a bad decision once the ambush started but …… It’s not that simple.

“S …… She’s overpowered. Yeesh ……”

Once again, Ai’s talent astounds me.

That wasn’t a simple ambush arrangement.

Not only has Ai acquired an in-depth understanding of the kakutou fu strategy, she realized it could be employed by the defensive player and brought it to life on the board.

If this girl named Ai Yashajin becomes a full-blown professional player …… she may revolutionize early game strategy.

Yes, that match triggered that kind of premonition. Her talent is on a whole other level ……

“Nh. I see, I see. You have an interesting playing style …… Now let’s see how you do in a handicap match.”

With that said, Kuruno-sensei calls on a higher ranking-player–––a member of the Practice League in C2, just one step below the Women’s League: Keika Kiyotaki.

Ai sits down in the lower seat across from Keika. The match conditions were announced as soon as the two of them had all their pieces set up on the board.

“Now then, Keika. Play without a Lance.”

“Yes, sir.”

Keika nods and removes her left Lance, placing it in the piece box.

“Huh?”

Ai watches and says the most unexpected thing I’ve ever heard.

“Shouldn’t I be the one to remove a Lance?”

“!!”

A hair-raising flash of anger passed through Keika’s normally warm and friendly eyes for a second there.

Ai made a preemptive strike in the mental war …… No, not quite. That was just one of the rude comments that she normally says without thinking ……

“Haaa ……”

Keika has played against countless bratty kids during her time in the Practice League, so this kind of taunt doesn’t even faze her. Her mind is like a fortress. Once she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, she nods.

“…… Okay. I’m ready.”

“Ready when you are.”

They exchange words and Keika slowly extends her hand to make the first move. That snap echoes throughout the room. It was a calm, well thought out move.

However, Ai’s even calmer still. Brazenly so.

“Ohh? So that’s how you’re going to play?”

Ai takes a look at Keika’s opening formation and says, “As if she’s the one in C2.”

Keika didn’t react to those words out loud. At the very least, she didn’t let her reaction show. Her eyes are glued to the board.

Keika spends several moves strengthening her formation.

Rather than charging in headlong to meet Ai’s challenge, she deviates only slightly from the standard style for advantaged players in handicap matches to meticulously build up to a certain point. Now that’s cunning.

However, Ai was even more cunning.

“Nooow then ……”

Ai casually moves a piece into position and Keika’s eyes fly open.

“!? ……? W-What is this ……?”

Ai didn’t move to attack her King, instead choosing to move in on the opposite side. Confused, Keika ignored Ai’s offensive and committed more pieces to protect her King but ……

“Ah ……!!”

She couldn’t help but hold her head in her hands when she realized what Ai was really after.

The sequence that Ai put into play is called Massaging.

It involves taking your opponent’s pieces and using them to cut off their attacks.

Rather than pointlessly slam your forces against a wall, the main idea is to whittle down your opponent’s ranks until you gain an advantage. Think of it as massaging your opponent’s formation rather than trying to beat it like a drum. As a bonus, moving your King into their territory for nyugyoku becomes an option once all their offensive pieces are off the board.

“Nhh?!”

Kuruno-sensei’s eyes go wide.

“Extremely clever …… How would an elementary school girl who’s never set foot in the Practice League learn how to play like that ……?”

I took her to the Shogi parlors downtown, hehe☆. I can’t exactly say that though.

Ai controlled the match the rest of the way.

Each of Keika’s few remaining offensive pieces were taken from the board one by one, almost as if her clothes were being ripped off one after another as her formation was thoroughly dismantled. She couldn’t even find a chance to surrender. Just like what happened to Ryou at the hands of Big Sis.

“Ah …… Ugh ……”

Keika then put Ai in check as if it was her dying wish but, “Humph.”

Ai barely used a second of waiting time to take a Pawn from her piece stand and snap it down on the board, finger bending backward, to block the attack.

I knew you were going to do that.

That’s what she wants Keika to think, putting the pieces down like that. Don’t embarrass yourself any more than you already have. Give up.

“Kh ……! I-I lost ……”

Overwhelmed by Ai’s display, Keika lost the will to keep fighting and throws in the towel.

Rather than doing a review session, she says a quick, “Excuse me,” stands up and leaves the room holding a handkerchief over her mouth. Her eyes were red.

She may have been down a lance …… But losing to an elementary school student testing into the Practice League like that puts her in one heck of a bind.

That, and soon she’ll be too old to join the Women’s League. Losing a star like this really hurts ……

“I beat two. Who’s next?” says Ai as if it were nothing.

She doesn’t look tired at all, even after playing two matches. Playing in this kind of atmosphere, there’s no way she isn’t tired, but she’s not letting it show. She’s strong.

“Nh. Well then, for the last match–––.”

Kuruno-sensei looks at all the Practice League members around the room until his gaze stops in front of one young girl.