Chapter 11: The Official Match

Chapter 11: The Official Match

At the Shogi Club in Chiba.

This is the largest Shogi club in Chiba Prefecture and also the venue for workshops organized by the government. The official match will be held here.

As soon as they arrived outside the club's gate, someone waved and called out to the two.

"Azuma, Ginko, over here!"

A girl with long brown hair and a full figure was waving her hand.

Kiyotaki Keika.

She is Yukima Azuma's senior and also the daughter of Master Kiyotaki Kousuke, who taught Yukima Azuma. She is 24 years old and has the gentle appearance of a traditional Japanese woman.

Next to her is Kiyotaki Kousuke, a famous Shogi master who has now retired.

Both of them are clearly not participants in the official competition.

They are here to cheer on Yukima Azuma.

"Hello, Keika-san, Master."

Yukima Azuma greeted the two.

Kiyotaki Keika has not yet become a professional female Shogi player, while Kiyotaki Kousuke is a legend in the Shogi world and has now retired.

"Hello, Master."

Sora Ginko greeted Kiyotaki Kousuke and quickly ran into the club.

Seeing this, Kiyotaki Keika smiled.

"Ginko couldn't wait anymore, she went to Tokyo to pick you up by herself. What happened, did something happen on the way?"

Sora Ginko's state was clearly quite embarrassed.

Yukima Azuma explained what had happened on the way to Kiyotaki Keika and Kiyotaki Kousuke.

After hearing the story, Kiyotaki Keika couldn't help but rub her face and smile like a mother.

"Azuma has really grown up, hasn't he?"

As someone who has watched Yukima Azuma grow up, how could Kiyotaki Keika not understand Sora Ginko's feelings for Yukima Azuma?

The thing is, Sora Ginko has a bit of pride, and Yukima Azuma used to be a bit straightforward.

But now, what about now?

Insert Gif: "Mother's Smile"

"Alright, let's go in. This is the long-awaited official exam, what are your thoughts? Don't get me wrong, I'm not worried about you at all."

Kiyotaki Kousuke said this.

Although he said so, as a mentor, if he truly wasn't worried, he wouldn't have come to the Shogi hall.

"I can only do my best."

Yukima Azuma humbly replied.

...

After the three entered the Shogi hall, they split up. Two of them went to the spectator area, while one headed to the competition area.

"Azuma has really grown up a lot."

Kiyotaki Keika muttered to herself.

As someone who had witnessed Yukima Azuma grow, she was the one who understood best the incredible talent Yukima Azuma had in Shogi.

He truly is a monster. When he first joined the training program, he was able to compete against and defeat members of the top league without any concessions.

Before becoming a professional player, Yukima Azuma had never lost a match, except during his learning phase and in training matches with professional players.

Winning against stronger opponents was an everyday occurrence, and defeating peers his age was entirely easy.

After becoming a professional player, Yukima Azuma only lost once when facing the "Meijin" in a match.

So, is losing to the "Meijin" something to be ashamed of?

In the entire Shogi world, who has never lost to the "Meijin"?

Those who have never lost might not even have the qualifications.

A monster like him, even with a three-year hiatus, wouldn't need to "try his best" for ordinary official matches.

So, when Yukima Azuma said that, it could only mean he was worried about someone.

Kiyotaki Keika, now 24, still hadn't become a professional female Shogi player.

If Yukima Azuma were a little more arrogant, he might unintentionally hurt Kiyotaki Keika.

He truly has grown up, and this growth is so incredible it's hard to believe.

.....

The official match is a win-based series.

Players will be paired randomly for each round, and after each round, they'll be eliminated based on the number of wins and losses.

For higher-ranking title matches, the format is single-elimination.

As soon as Yukima Azuma entered the hall, many eyes were drawn to him.

Whether they were official Shogi staff, competitors in the official match, Shogi reporters, or spectators along the sidelines, all were focused on him.

This was unavoidable.

Yukima Azuma was once the most talked-about undefeated prodigy in the Shogi world.

After losing to the "Meijin," this was the first time in three years that he had participated in an official match again.

"Hey, that guy is..."

"That's right, the Shogi monster from three years ago."

"After losing to the 'Meijin,' he disappeared, and now he's showing up again."

"A three-year hiatus, even a genius might fade into the crowd."

Whispers filled the air.

Sitting in the spectator area, Sora Ginko heard these words, and her face darkened with a terrifying expression.

But the one being talked about paid them no mind at all.

After the draw for opponents, Yukima Azuma sat down opposite a young man in his twenties.

Those who had risen from the basic ranks of the top league, aside from the true geniuses, rarely had faces that were too young.

"Hello, I'm Kawai Kenichi, a beginner. Please be gentle with me."

"Yukima Azuma, 5th dan. Please take care of me."

After bowing to each other, the game began.

Kawai Kenichi actually only had a slight hope for luck.

Although he had drawn a 5th dan opponent from the start, he had heard stories about Yukima Azuma.

Three years without playing Shogi.

He was sure he had completely lost touch with the Shogi world by now.

In this field, it's like a boat sailing upstream — if you don't progress, you fall behind.

No matter how much of a genius someone is, three years is enough to make them fade into obscurity.

That should have been the case.

However...

Just after nine moves,

Kawai Kenichi, a beginner, had his mentality completely shattered.

After only nine moves, he was already in a disadvantageous position.

The person sitting across from him did not hide his aggressive intentions.

The claws of the monster easily tore apart his defense.

The sense of overwhelming pressure was almost tangible, hitting him hard.

There was no hope of winning.

Kawai Kenichi had never felt this way before.

Even when playing against his master, the feeling of pressure had never been this intense.

The sound of pieces falling onto the board echoed constantly.

Almost every time Kawai Kenichi made a move, he immediately heard his opponent's pieces respond.

'Does this monster not even need to think?'

Kawai Kenichi briefly doubted in his mind.

Forty-seven moves.

When the rook in Yukima Azuma's hand landed on the board,

"I've lost."

Kawai Kenichi helplessly bowed his head.

A series of astonished gasps filled the hall.

Shogi is a game where victory and defeat are usually hard to determine. Even when there is a significant difference in skill, it typically takes 90 to 120 moves to decide the outcome.

Let alone in high-level matches, where sometimes players can compete for an entire day and night.

A victory in less than 50 moves? That was nothing short of a massacre.