If Yukima Azuma's political views leaned too far to the left, it might be difficult for him to get along with the Hinatsuru family.
That could cause quite a few complications.
Realizing Hinatsuru Akina's thoughts, Yukima Azuma simply let out a helpless chuckle.
"I was just expressing my thoughts. After all, in Japan, a family with a fondness for China is truly rare." (Note: Shouldn't it be the other way around? Or both sides are like that)
Hearing this, Hinatsuru Akina let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Her face broke into a smile once again.
"It seems the Hinatsuru family and Yukima-sensei get along quite well."
Yukima Azuma nodded in agreement.
Then he continued walking through the garden.
Inside the Hinatsuru estate, the decor was entirely in an ancient style.
Just looking at it made Yukima Azuma feel at ease. He casually chose a room and set down his luggage.
Hinatsuru Akina had someone bring him a yukata.
Behind the Hinatsuru estate was a hot spring.
It was said to be a top-tier spring, capable of relieving fatigue and even healing ailments that had silently accumulated in the body.
There was still some time before dinner.
Yukima Azuma changed into the yukata and headed to the hot spring.
After rinsing himself off,
He slid open the bathroom door.
Outside, the scene was hazy with rising steam.
Yukima Azuma slowly stepped into the hot spring.
The warm water gradually enveloped his body.
"Truly extraordinary. Hayasaka would definitely love this place."
Yukima Azuma murmured.
Among the people he knew, only Hayasaka Ai had a particular passion for indulgenceespecially hot springs.
But it made sense. As the personal bodyguard maid of the Shinomiya family, not only was she burdened with daily exhaustion, but she also had to endure immense pressure.
If she didn't learn how to relax, sooner or later, she would collapse from sheer fatigue.
"Shishou, who is Hayasaka?"
As he was enjoying his relaxation, Yukima Azuma suddenly heard a voice filled with curiosity beside him.
A question mark seemed to pop up over his head.
He turned his head to look.
He saw Hinatsuru Ai in a swimsuit, having somehow appeared in the hot spring without him noticing.
At this moment, the petite girl was gazing at Yukima Azuma with curious eyes.
"She's my younger sister. But, Ai, why are you here?"
Yukima Azuma was a little surprised.
Hinatsuru Akina wasn't Sayuri.
Even if she wanted to help, she wouldn't have arranged such a situation where they bathed together, right?
"So she's Shishou's little sister." Hinatsuru Ai smiled again.
Then, she blushed slightly and said:
"I got here before Shishou, you know."
Yukima Azuma facepalmed.
This was the Hinatsuru estate, so naturally, the hot spring wasn't gender-segregated.
Hinatsuru Akina probably hadn't expected that Hinatsuru Ai would rush straight to the hot spring as soon as she got home.
Both of them had unintentionally ended up with the same idea.
The hot spring in the estate had no attendants outside to remind guests.
So the two had directly run into each other in the hot spring.
Fortunately, Yukima Azuma had worn a yukata when he entered.
"Ai, just enjoy your bath. I'll be heading out first."
Yukima Azuma spoke as he moved toward the edge of the spring.
Hearing this, Hinatsuru Ai immediately swam over and clung tightly to Yukima Azuma's arm.
"Hehe, it's a rare opportunity! Shishou, bathe in the hot spring with me!"
Looking at the petite girl in front of him, full of anticipation,
Yukima Azuma didn't mind too muchafter all, they were both clothed.
Staying a little longer to watch the stars wouldn't hurt.
At the dining table.
Instead of Japanese-style tatami seating, it was a long table with chairs.
The dishes on the table were all Chinese cuisine.
Even without tasting them, just by looking at the colors and smelling the aroma,
Yukima Azuma could tell that the Chinese food prepared by the Hinatsuru family was the most authentic he had ever seen in Japan.
"Was the hot spring comfortable?"
Hinatsuru Akina asked with a smile.
Still marveling at the feast before him, Yukima Azuma turned to look at Hinatsuru Akina.
"Umu, the hot spring was wonderful. I quite enjoyed it."
Sitting beside him, the little girl Hinatsuru Ai also nodded and echoed, "Umu."
Seeing this scene, Hinatsuru Akina also nodded in satisfaction. "Umu."
— — — — — — — — — — —
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Chapter 178: Does Everyone Here Have a Natural Talent for Shogi?!
The next day at Hinatsuru Ryokan.
Yukima Azuma's master, Kiyotaki Kousuke, along with his daughter, Kiyotaki Keika, and Sora Ginko, had all arrived at Hinatsuru Ryokan.
Aside from those within Yukima Azuma's school of shogi, Sainokami Ika also came running over.
"Master."
Yukima Azuma bowed respectfully to Kiyotaki Kousuke.
"Umu, follow me."
Kiyotaki Kousuke didn't say much and walked straight toward a shogi room inside Hinatsuru Ryokan.
Yukima Azuma waved at Sora Ginko and the others as a greeting before following Kiyotaki Kousuke into the room.
As the door opened, a 7-tatami shogi board was already set up.
Kiyotaki Kousuke took a seat on the sente (first-move) side.
"The upcoming Ryuuou matchare you confident?"
Kiyotaki Kousuke asked in a low voice as he looked at Yukima Azuma, who had already sat down.
"I have some confidence, I suppose," Yukima Azuma answered humbly.
Kiyotaki Kousuke let out a soft chuckle, his eyes revealing a hint of anticipation.
"As your master, ever since you turned twelve, I've had nothing left to teach you."
"Thinking back, I really feel unworthy. With your talent, if you had apprenticed under a Meijin, you might have already reached the pinnacle of shogi by now."
Ever since Yukima Azuma's shogi skill reached level 7, Kiyotaki Kousuke had rarely played against him.
Simply put, there was nothing left to teach.
After all, Kiyotaki Kousuke was a 9-dan professional.
But now, as his disciple was about to challenge for the Ryuuou title, Kiyotaki Kousuke couldn't shake the feeling that he was utterly powerless to help.
It was a strange feelinghaving a disciple who was too talented could be quite the headache for a master.
"Master, that's not true at all. Everything I've achieved today is thanks to your guidance."
"If it weren't for your teachings back then, I might have given up midway."
Yukima Azuma waved his hand dismissively.
Before acquiring his system, the only skill he had naturally reached level 7 in was shogi.
The lessons he learned from Kiyotaki Kousuke had indeed been invaluable.
"Alright, alright, no need to dwell on this. I'm getting oldtend to ramble a lot."
"Your next opponent is an old friend of mine. His specialty is piece coordination and positioning."
"My piece coordination probably isn't on his level, but I can simulate about 70% of his style. Now then, let's begin."
As he spoke, Kiyotaki Kousuke picked up a piece from the board and placed it down.
Yukima Azuma didn't stand on ceremony.
He directly met coordination with coordination, holding nothing backcompletely immersing himself in the game.
The match turned out to be more difficult than he expected.
Kiyotaki Kousuke was known for his "Rook and Lance Offense", but when employing piece coordination strategies, he was able to keep up with Yukima Azuma for quite some time.
As expected of a 9-dan player.
Back when Yukima Azuma first stepped into the world of professional shogi, Kiyotaki Kousuke had played several matches with him.
Thinking back now, those times were probably just the master going easy on him to help build his confidence.
After an intense 300-move struggle, Yukima Azuma steered the match into the endgame phase.
Endgame was where calculation skills shined the mostit was also where the true difference in skill between two players became apparent.
As soon as they entered the endgame, Kiyotaki Kousuke had almost no way to turn the tide. In just a few moves, he had no choice but to resign.
"Ha ha, I lost."
Despite his defeat, Kiyotaki Kousuke was smiling with satisfaction.
"Thank you for the match, Master," Yukima Azuma bowed.
"Oh, come on, don't say that. At first, I thought I could use my familiarity with your style to give you some advice."
"But now, I see I was overthinking it. With your level of skill, anything I say would just be pointless overcomplication."
Kiyotaki Kousuke finally understood.
On the surface, their match had seemed evenly matched.
But in reality, he never had a single chance of winning.
Yukima Azuma's shogi style was incredibly solid and unshakable.
If one were to compare it to swordplay in wuxia novels, it would be like "a heavy blade without an edgetrue mastery lies in simplicity"a sword so heavy and refined that it no longer needed sharpness to be lethal.
At first glance, the match seemed like a prolonged struggle.
But in truth, every move had been meticulously calculated, ensuring that the game would eventually transition into the endgame phase.
And once they reached the endgame, every single setup Yukima Azuma had laid out would come into play all at once.
Moreover, his actual shogi ability had long since surpassed Kiyotaki Kousukea 9-dan professional.
At that point, he had already won from the start.
Yukima Azuma casually gathered the pieces and placed them back into the shogi box.
Initially, Kiyotaki Kousuke had intended to give his disciple some special training before the upcoming match.
But now
Well, maybe they'd just chat instead.
"Did the girl's parents agree?"
Kiyotaki Kousuke, as a master, had always been fond of Hinatsuru Ai.
Once Yukima Azuma officially took on a disciple, he would, in a way, be elevated to the rank of Grandmaster.
Hinatsuru Ai's talent, while not on the same level as Yukima Azuma, was still a rare sight in the world.
At last, the Kiyotaki lineage would have a worthy successor.
"Umu, once I obtain the Ryuuou title, I'll officially take Ai as my disciple."
Yukima Azuma said with a smile.
Hearing this, Kiyotaki Kousuke didn't even know what to say to his disciple anymore.
There were still two rounds left in the Ryuuou tournament.
Yet, Yukima Azuma had already casually declared his victory.
But after playing that match just now, Kiyotaki Kousuke found himself unable to refute it.
Because, quite frankly, losing to him seemed impossible.
"Good. You're confident, I like that. Alright, go find Ginko and the others. This old man won't take up any more of your time."
Kiyotaki Kousuke waved his hand, dismissing Yukima Azuma.
Once the boy had left
Kiyotaki Kousuke turned his gaze toward the shogi board.
Back when he had first taken Yukima Azuma as a disciple,
He had never imagined the boy would come this far.
As for the current Meijin, Kiyotaki Kousuke had some understanding.
That man was searching for the ultimate answer to shogi itself.
Under conditions where both players made optimal moves, was shogi a guaranteed win for sente (first-move player) or gote (second-move player)?
Every professional player, upon reaching a certain level, would eventually ponder this question.
But to actually prove it?
Everyone was still leagues away from reaching an answer.
The Meijin, perhaps, wasn't too far off.
But shogi was a game between two players.
One person alone could never reach the ultimate truth.
Yet Kiyotaki Kousuke had a feeling
Yukima Azuma was closer to that answer than anyone else.
When the time came for them to face off
Perhaps the answer would finally be revealed.
Shogi was approaching its end.
Or at the very least
It was about to enter a new era.
(note: So... profound... I don't understand anything.)
....
Yukima Azuma left the shogi room, completely unaware that his master was comparing him to AlphaGo.
But even if he had known
He would've simply laughed it off.
Shogi, like Go and chess,
Would eventually reach a point where AI would surpass human understanding.
There would no longer be a need to study opening sequences
Players could just memorize AI-generated strategies instead.
This was an inevitable trend.
It was only a matter of time.
But if someone could uncover the answer before AI took over
Then perhaps, in the future, every shogi player would look back on it as a moment of glory.
As he stepped outside,
Yukima Azuma found the girls in the middle of a shogi game.
The atmosphere was lively.
It was honestly quite amusing.
Ever since Sainokami Ika had been "conquered" by Yukima Azuma,
She had been dropping by frequently to study shogi with Sora Ginko and Hinatsuru Ai.
Over time, a three-way rivalry had formed between them.
Sainokami Ika relied on instinct to play.
Against Sora Ginko, she had a win rate of over 50%.
But against Hinatsuru Ai, she couldn't win at all.
Hinatsuru Ai, in turn, could defeat Sainokami Ika
But when facing Sora Ginko, she stood no chance.
As for Sora Ginko?
The more she played against these two, the more frustrated she became.
Damn it, is everyone here just naturally gifted at shogi?!
Because of that, when playing against Sainokami Ika,
She would often grow impatient and make mistakes.
And when playing against Hinatsuru Ai,
Her overwhelming presence would make the little girl lose confidence.
Meanwhile, standing off to the side, Kiyotaki Keika could only sigh helplessly.
Watching those three play
For someone with average talent, whose age was already nearing the competitive limit
It was honestly too cruel.
"Keika-neesan, come take a walk with me. I haven't had the chance to explore Iwate yet."
Yukima Azuma gently tugged at Kiyotaki Keika's sleeve
Like a little brother seeking attention.
Kiyotaki Keika, who had been feeling down,
Couldn't help but melt at the sight.
How could she possibly refuse?
While the three others were still distracted,
