Ryuuou no Oshigoto! - Volume 9 - Chapter 5.2

  ASHEN STAR

–––Reclaiming the first move.

The true meaning of her declaration becomes more and more apparent as the match wears on.

“Hm? What’s this? What, what, what ……?”

Ms. Rokuroba and I are working through formations on the big board to make our own predictions about how the late-game would unfold when she starts making a fuss after we come across a certain sequence.

“…………… Kuzuryu-sensei? Is this… what I think it is ………?”

“…… Yes. I’m seeing signs pointing to exactly that.”

Until it actually happens, no one in the Shogi world will say the name out loud.

Because, if you say it and it does happen …… especially during the title match, all the carefully laid plans go up in smoke.

Some people go so far as to call it Shogi’s cancer.

Except in modern Shogi, players will use a fatal illness that could kill the game of Shogi to claim victory. That’s how fierce the world I’m fighting in is.

“I believe the defender is trying to do that. The problem is whether her opponent will let her or not ……”

“What options does she have to take back the first move?”

“Well, let’s see …… It’ll be difficult, but one option is–––.”

“7 Three Pawn.”

A voice suddenly bursts from the audience.

A female voice that I know extremely well belonging to someone sitting in the front row calls out what is, apart from the best move available, Ai’s only choice.

To see it that quickly–––.

“…… Strong as ever, I see.”

I give her the biggest compliment I know.

Looking rather lazy with her long, thin legs crossed and a black leather jacket on, the audience member shakes her head back and forth.

“That ain’t me. Software seems to have come up with that one.”

“Seems?”

“Despite all-out refusing to come here, there’s a certain match journalist with a heck of a twisted personality who keeps bombarding me with all these figures and ratings,” the audience member–––Women’s King Ryou Tsukiyomizaka—says with her smartphone raised up in her hand.

Whispers travel through the crowd.

“…… Hey, you don’t think ……?”

“Th-The Women’s King ……?!”

“Would that journalist she’s talking about be Yamashiro Ouka ……?”

The sudden appearance of a very special guest has the whole chapel brimming with excitement.

“Look, I didn’t want to come all the way to Kobe just to watch an elementary school girl playing against someone still in junior high, all right?” the Aggressive Archangel then says like she’s making an excuse. “I just want to see what Ginko does against that half-pint’s Bishop Head Pawn ……”

For Ryou, who lost using a Rapid Attack strategy against Ai’s Bishop Head Pawn, the chance to see what happens when Ginko draws out the match with her own eyes must’ve been irresistible.

Her interest in Shogi is even greater than the pain and embarrassment she’s feeling. That’s why I think she really loves the game.

And, even though she helped Ai Hinatsuru prepare for her article, the wounds from losing to the challenger Ai Yashajin must’ve been too raw for Machi Kugui to make the trip herself.

I understand that feeling. Almost a little too much ……

“Sora-sensei. You have five minutes remaining. 50 seconds–––––.”

“……!!”

Big Sis almost runs out of waiting time while our conversation in the chapel is going on.

Big Sis is facing a huge decision.

Even though she had the advantage of the first move and drew out the match, she is at a serious time disadvantage. It’s an all-around bad situation.

“Sora-sensei, as your waiting time has expired, please continue under one-minute Shogi rules.”

“………… Kh!!”

The seconds piling up, Big Sis waited until the last possible moment to play the best move available on the board.

Then, Ai also goes with her best move available.

Best on best. The same moves are being repeated.

It’s almost like the pieces are dancing a rondo––––––.

“Th-This is!!”

“…… Yes, it’s here.”

Ms. Rokuroba yells as I say what we’ve all been trying to avoid saying.

–––A Repetition Draw.

It looks like a tie, but not really.

“The defender forcing a Repetition Draw is a fantastic strategy in modern Shogi. Reason being, the players will switch offense and defense for the rematch, which gives the former defender the advantageous first move.”

Ai Yashajin took it back. She did exactly what she said she was going to do: reclaim the first move she lost in the second match.

On the other hand, it’s a strategical loss for Big Sis. One that hurts just as bad as an actual loss.

“Th-That Ginko Sora …… The invincible Snow White ran away into Repetition Draw ……!” says a totally stunned Ms. Rokuroba.

A Repetition Draw has never happened in any of Big Sis’s matches against Women’s League members.

“…Which means …… Cinderella gave Snow White her first gray star,” Ryou spits out, not sounding amused at all.

She’s tried to force Repetition Draws against Big Sis in past title matches. But Big Sis accepted the risks and shut them down … on offense and defense.

It wasn’t just against Ryou Tsukiyomizaka. That’s just the kind of player Ginko Sora is. She thinks that she won’t be able to fight in the Sub League if she can’t overcome that kind of disadvantage against a Women’s League player.

The fact is that Big Sis didn’t have any choice but the Repetition Draw.

In other words–––.

“Big Sis has recognized her strength. She realized that she would lose this match right now if she didn’t take the Repetition Draw. She’s also admitting that Ai Yashajin is the strongest challenger she has ever faced.”

And now the same move is about to repeat itself the fourth time.

“A Repetition Draw has occurred,” I watch Sota say on my screen.

“The rematch will be held after a 30-minute break, at 9:20 p.m., with the players switching offense and defense.”

Whoooooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!

The whole chapel is shaking.

While a Repetition Draw is a major pain for association staff, the audience gets to enjoy one more match. What could be better fan service?

“………!!”

Big Sis gives the fastest, quietest bow I’ve ever seen before snatching the pieces off the board like a hawk and stuffing them all back into the piece box. She’s not just angry, she’s furious—furious at herself for not being able to stop the Repetition Draw.

Ai Yashajin watches it all happen, arrogantly puffing out her chest with pride.

Putting pieces away is part of the job for the player in the upper seat, but it almost looks like Ai forced her to do it.

Naniwa’s Snow White has never been soiled by defeat.

However, on this day when she stands at 57 matches against women’s big players and a flawless 57 victories, just once her pure white record has been stained gray.

“Astounding! That girl is truly astounding!!”

“Outfoxing the undefeated Ginko Sora with strategy?! Unbelievable!!”

“And with Bishop Head Pawn of all things!! That’s insane!!”

“What Shogi is she going to show us next?!”

An audience that had grown tired of watching Big Sis win is now raining thunderous applause down on Ai Yashajin.

A grand accomplishment that no one had ever achieved had just been pulled off by a girl in grade school who hasn’t been in the Women’s League for a year yet. That’s the truth.

In this modern Shogi era with so many strong women vying for the top of this warring age, the fact that a 10-year-old girl is dancing over them all sends waves across the country.