Ryuuou no Oshigoto! - Volume 5 - Chapter 4.6

  SINGULARITY

“A Repetition Draw?!”

The break room erupted.

The same moves are being repeated in the arena at this very moment.

Should the repetition continue for four turns, this match will be declared a draw––players will then switch offense and defense and immediately play another match.

However, a certain condition prevented that from happening this time.

“The Ryuo has the Meijin in check during the sequence! At this rate, it’ll be a Checkmate Repetition Draw and the Meijin will win!!”

“No, it’s too early to call! The Ryuo might be trying to buy time like he did in the third match–––.”

“Then tell me where he’s going to change the sequence?! How else could it turn out?!”

The Shogi professionals in the break room start making their own predictions on how the match will end, but that’s a quandary so complicated that computer software couldn’t solve it. Even Chairman Seiichi Tsukimitsu, a renowned Shogi puzzle author who could locate a check path faster than anyone, was unable to produce an answer.

However.

In the back corner of that break room–––.

“………………………………… Here.”

A single little girl started forcefully rocking back and forth.

“Here ……………………… Here ………… Here …… Here …… Here …… Here, here, here, here, here, here, here, hereherehereherehereherehereherehereherehere–––.”

While her eyes were open wide, they were not perceiving reality.

Her eleven mental Shogi boards were a blur as she worked through all the limitless possibilities. Sitting on her ankles, she leaned forward as her thoughts raced further and further, far beyond anyone else.

“Herehereherehereherehereherehereherehereherehereherehereherehereherehereherehereherehereherehereherehereherehereherehereherehereherehereherehere–––––––––.”

“I’ve got it!” yelled a Shogi player in his early twenties who had been working on an analysis board. “No matter how the Ryuo changes the sequence, he has no way to contain the Meijin’s King! Actually, changing it up would put his own King in check! The Meijin wins!! The Eternal Septuple is born!!”

With that, a bevy of elated journalists rose to their feet as one.

However.

“Nope.”

The only voice of opposition came from the smallest girl in the room.

“Huh?”

The startled young professional player searched for who said it …… But she was already gone.

By that time, Ai Hinatsuru had sprinted out of the room.

“Ai?! Where are you go–––?”

Leaving Ginko in charge of analysis at the big board, Keika was on her way back to the break room when she spotted Ai dash out the door and tried to stop her.

Except Ai didn’t even look over her shoulder as she ran in the opposite direction, away from the arena–––.

Then, only a few seconds later.

“……… Could it be?”

Seiichi froze as if making a chilling discovery as he quietly analyzed the match with his eyes closed.

Concerned, Sasari spoke to him from her seat next to the chairman.

“Sir? Is something the matter? …… Chairman?”

For all intents and purposes, it seemed as though he didn’t hear Sasari’s voice.

“C-Could ……?! Could …… that situation …… A-Actually ……?!”

Seiichi’s face turned pale as he trembled.

Sasari had never once seen the chairman react like this and knew immediately something monumental had just occurred. Something far rarer than the Eternal Septuple title, something that would render the Citizen’s Award as old news …… 

At the same time, another irregularity occurred in the arena.

“What’s the problem?! Why aren’t any of the monitors working?!”

“I have no idea! A weird, fuzzy glow started showing up a while ago and now ……!”

The screens that were supposed to show the arena had gone blank. The bizarre digital noise had grown to a point that the picture had dissolved into nothing but bright light.

It was impossible to see inside the arena. The noise was causing the microphones to malfunction as well, making the match recorder’s countdown extremely difficult to hear. However, the static voice akin to a badly tuned radio was the only way to comprehend what was happening in the arena. The break room fell quiet as all strained to listen.

One of the reporters mumbled.

“…… Hey. The Meijin’s not making a move.”

Fifty-five–––.

Fifty-six–––.

“There are only five seconds left. Think he’s okay?”

“What’s the problem? He won, didn’t he? What’s holding him back?”

“Maybe he’s using every last second he’s got to be sure? Seems a bit much if you ask me though ……”

Fifty-seven–––.

Fifty-eight–––.

“Hey! Isn’t he cutting it too close?!”

“How many seconds are left?! One?!”

Fifty-nine–––––––––The voice was drowned out by the static.

“………… Did we …… lose the signal?”

Someone whispers within the deafening silence. Those words echo as if shot out of a cannon.

One moment later.

A phone installed in the break room rang.

“It’s from the arena!”

Sasari, the receiver pressed up against her ear, says with her eyes wide in disbelief.

“T-The Meijin ……”

Her voice shook as she exclaimed.

“The Meijin …… has requested the match be suspended!!”