FFD 3

Ginko stood nearby, her body trembling ever so slightly. She found herself unable to comprehend the previous game at all. The moves had been executed with such speed that her calculation abilities couldn't keep pace.

'Even the master couldn't defeat him. How is this even possible?' she wondered, 'Has his progress been that astonishingly fast?'

Keika handed a steaming hot towel to Kousuke, who used it to wipe his face before turning his gaze towards Hayama. "Do you think you can make your moves even faster?"

Hayama smiled confidently. "I can manage to make each move in one second, or perhaps even half a second." The truth was, he had never taken more than a second for any of his moves.

"Just as I suspected," Kousuke exclaimed, taking a deep breath. "Your calculation ability is truly extraordinary. No, extraordinary isn't enough to describe it. You possess the most formidable calculation ability I have ever witnessed! Even the renowned players in their prime would struggle to match your skill."

"From my perspective, if the time limit for each move is set within five seconds, you would already be invincible." Kousuke didn't finish his sentence. Even in fast-paced matches, there is a minimum of thirty seconds for each move in shogi.

"Thank you for your kind words."

"But if I may ask, you haven't been playing shogi for long, have you?"

Hayama glanced at the clock, noticing that it was already 12:20 in the dead of night. "I've been playing shogi for approximately two hundred minutes."

"Two hundred days? That level of skill would already be impressive... Wait, did you say minutes?" Kousuke stood up abruptly, looking at him as if he were seeing a monster.

"I only learned the rules of shogi at around 9 o'clock tonight. So, it's been approximately two hundred minutes since then," He casually shrugged.

"Please, I want you to become my disciple!" Kousuke dropped to his knees before Hayama, his voice filled with desperation.

"Um, your posture seems more like you're begging me to take you as my disciple..." Hayama chuckled, a tinge of embarrassment coloring his expression.

"Let me share a secret with you. My name is Kiyotaki Kousuke, a 9-dan shogi player. You can search my name online! Though I don't hold a lifetime title, I have garnered several prestigious titles in my youth. If you choose to become my disciple, I'll even throw in Keika and Ginko as additional bonuses!"

"Go to hell!" Keika and Ginko retorted simultaneously, their voices laced with equal disdain.

After a few minutes, Kousuke finally composed himself and cleared his throat. "Um, Hayama, what are your thoughts on shogi?"

"Honestly, I find it a bit boring," He admitted. "You make a move and then you have to space out for what feels like forever, waiting for your opponent's turn. It almost feels impolite to play with your phone or munch on snacks while you wait."

Fast-paced games with moves every seven or ten seconds are somewhat more engaging, but it becomes tedious when each move takes thirty seconds. During formal matches, where players are given ten minutes or even longer per move, Hayama couldn't help but wonder if he would end up dozing off while playing.

Ginko's heart felt as though it had been stabbed. She poured all her energy into calculating every move, striving for perfection, while Hayama seemed to simply zone out after making his move, even considering playing with his phone or snacking!

"I underestimated you," Kousuke's tone grew somewhat heavy. He had already attempted to gauge Hayama's calculation prowess, but he had still fallen short in his estimation.

Hayama remained silent. Perhaps, similar to how Kato was accustomed to being overlooked, he had grown accustomed to being underestimated as well.

"With such remarkable calculation abilities and a lack of interest in shogi, it's unlikely you'll pursue it as a career, right?" Kousuke mused aloud.

"Master, what about his talent for shogi?" Ginko's tone carried a hint of nervousness.

"It's extraordinary, unbelievably strong. If he delves into the world of shogi, he could secure numerous championships within fifteen years. And his ability to calculate moves is astonishing. Even maintaining an undefeated streak annually during the peak period is not beyond his reach."

Ginko's mouth hung open in shock. She had always known that Hayama possessed great talent, but she had never anticipated it to be of such immense magnitude.

"Allow me to correct myself. It's not really shogi talent that I possess, but rather mathematical talent," Hayama interjected.

Kousuke glanced at him, a hint of disappointment in his eyes. "It appears that you genuinely have no interest in shogi."

"Well, I can't say I'm particularly interested."

"Alright then, I'll take you back home. Where do you live?" Despite feeling a tinge of regret, Kousuke had experienced this kind of disappointment before.

"Do you truly have no desire to become a professional shogi player? With your talent, earning over 100 million yen annually wouldn't be a major challenge," Ginko said, her gaze fixed on Hayama. She seemed to be tempting him with the prospect of wealth, yet her tone carried an underlying plea.

Hayama tilted his head and regarded Ginko. Monetary temptations held little significance for him. Just last week, the reward he had received for fixing a few bugs amounted to nearly 2 million euros, equivalent to over 250 million yen. However, the pleading tone in her voice piqued his curiosity ever so slightly.

"Why do you persist in pursuing shogi, even when your physical condition may not be well-suited for it?" He asked, genuinely curious about her determination.

"I must become a professional shogi player," she replied firmly, her lips pressed tightly together, indicating her unwillingness to delve further into the matter.

He observed her expression, contemplating the similarities between her and someone from his past. Memories flooded his mind as he spoke, "I once had a friend who faced a similar situation as yours. His body was frail, yet his intellect surpassed everyone else's. Many people underestimated him, dismissing him as a sickly child. However, driven by a burning desire to prove himself, he chose to challenge one of the most elusive problems in mathematics—the Goldbach Conjecture."

He paused, a mix of emotions evident on his face. Ginko's expression was filled with anticipation as she eagerly asked, "Did he succeed?"

"His achievements surpassed even yours," He replied. "He dedicated twenty out of twenty-four hours each day to mathematical calculations. He devised new mathematical methods and created seven innovative mathematical tools. At the age of sixteen, he received the highest honor in the field of mathematics—the Fields Medal. However, despite his remarkable accomplishments, he fell short in front of the Goldbach Conjecture. It wasn't that he couldn't solve it; he was just one step away from the crown. Sadly, his body succumbed prematurely. Already weakened, the strain of overwork took its toll. On the eve of his twenty-first birthday, he passed away due to kidney failure."

"Go to hell! You're cursing me!"

In the heat of the moment, she impulsively grabbed a nearby object and hurled it at him, only to realize, to her dismay, that it was her own folding fan.

He swiftly caught the flying fan and gracefully opened it with a single motion. To his surprise, he noticed that the words 'Indomitable spirit' were elegantly written on the fan's surface, which seemed remarkably fitting in the current situation. "I'll gladly accept this folding fan."

"No way! Give it back to me!" she demanded, her frustration mounting as she approached him, attempting to snatch the fan from his grasp. However, despite her efforts, her strength proved insufficient to retrieve the folding fan from his firm grip.

Turning towards Keika, he asked softly, "Keika-san, do you happen to have a blank fan and a brush?"

Keika quietly retreated into the room, reemerging with a fan and a brush in hand. Her gaze shifted back and forth between Hayama and Ginko.

He grasped the brush, showcasing his adeptness as he inscribed some Japanese characters onto the fan's surface.

"The highest virtue is like water!"