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.
Chapter 12: The Loss of the Entire Shogi World
"The winner, Yukima Azuma, 5th dan."
With the referee's decision, a wave of admiration and astonishment swept through the Shogi hall.
The players at the surrounding tables almost all stopped and stared in disbelief.
Is it over already?
It can't be!
Most of their games had only just begun to shift.
In fact, most of them had only made a few opening moves and hadn't even really started their matches yet.
It's already over?
Isn't that a bit too surprising?
The players at two nearby tables couldn't contain their curiosity, standing up and looking toward Yukima Azuma game.
And then, their eyes turned to fear.
It was truly a disaster.
A completely one-sided slaughter.
The brutal scene was so overwhelming that it was hard to look at!
The surrounding players looked at Kawai Kenichi with pity in their eyes.
If they had to endure a match like that, they probably wouldn't be able to eat or drink for at least three days.
Kawai Kenichi: "No, it's seven days!"
Kawai Kenichi: "You don't understand what I've been through."
The two of them bowed to each other.
Kawai Kenichi, dazed, walked toward the resting room, his steps unsteady.
Yukima Azuma stood up, smiling at the audience.
Sora Ginko saw this.
She covered her face with both hands.
She was worried again for this monster.
As for the other spectators, when they saw Yukima Azuma's smile, they fell silent.
How should they put it?
The feeling was that the smile was accompanied by blood at the corner of his mouth.
Not everyone who came to the hall to watch the official match was a professional player, but at the very least, they had some understanding of Shogi.
Therefore, the way Yukima Azuma openly displayed his ruthless intentions on the board made many people feel a chill.
After all, no one would say things like "outdated among the crowd" anymore.
The official tournament would last for about a month and a half, which wasn't a short period.
The subsequent matches were scheduled every two or three days, or sometimes just once a week.
Only the opening match used a special format with three consecutive games for a direct elimination.
Yukima Azuma waited a while in the resting room, until his opponent in the next round had just finished their first game.
Then came the third round.
In the next two games, Yukima Azuma, with an average of 80 moves per game, easily completed the first day of the tournament.
When the screen on the left side of the hall, which displayed the list of winning players, showed Yukima Azuma's name,
There were still players who hadn't even finished their first game.
"Too strong..."
"This is just absurd!"
"Is this the value of the 'undefeated genius'?"
Whispers filled the hall.
Yukima Azuma left the competition area.
Sora Ginko quickly moved from the spectator section to join him.
"Let's go, Ginko, we're heading home. I wonder what Keika-san will cook for us today?"
Yukima Azuma had a slightly eager look on his face.
After the official matches, by tradition, he would go to his master's house for dinner.
However, Sora Ginko wasn't pleased and raised her hand.
She lightly tapped Yukima Azuma on the head with the fan she was holding.
"Idiot, after the official match ends, there's also an interview!"
Since this was a public tournament, Shogi also needed media coverage and viewership. Therefore, post-match interviews were inevitable.
"That stuff doesn't matter, let's go, let's go," Yukima Azuma didn't care, waving his hand dismissively.
Sora Ginko stared at him.
"I'm really worried about this guy; there must be something wrong with my head."
This thought briefly crossed her mind.
In the end, Yukima Azuma couldn't escape.
He was dragged by Sora Ginko up to the third floor, where the Shogi Federation's resting area was, to wait for the end of the official match.
"It's been a while, Yukima Azuma, 5th dan."
In the resting room, someone had already been waiting.
"This is the place, long time no see, president."
Yukima Azuma politely responded.
The person sitting across from him was a young man.
Tsukimitsu Seiichi, 9th dan, currently the of the Shogi Federation, holder of the "Eternal Meijin" title, and a living legend in the Shogi world.
If he hadn't gone blind at the age of 20, this person might have set many more records.
The so-called "Heaven is jealous of geniuses."
When Yukima Azuma suddenly entered the professional Shogi world and reached 4th dan, the president had personally visited him.
The two of them had a pleasant conversation.
"I'm glad to hear news of you again."
"Thanks to everyone's help, I was finally able to return here."
"The past doesn't matter. As long as you can sit here, that's enough."
"Yes."
If it were someone else, Yukima Azuma would definitely not have tolerated speaking in a tone that resembled that of a senior.
However, in Japanese society, the hierarchy and respect between ranks are very strict.
Yukima Azuma, though, didn't really care about that.
But President Tsukimitsu was different.
When Yukima Azuma's family had fallen into hardship, he had left the Shogi world. Somehow, President Tsukimitsu had learned about it and had offered him substantial help.
Thus, even though Yukima Azuma had been away from the Shogi world for three years, he still held Tsukimitsu in great respect and always sent greetings during holidays and festivals.
"Alright, you always seem so tense when you see me. Drink some tea."
Tsukimitsu smiled helplessly, his hand gently sliding over the table before pushing a cup of tea toward Yukima Azuma.
Yukima Azuma picked up the cup and took a sip.
After a brief wait, the first day of the official tournament finally came to an end.
As one of the winners in the intense first round, Yukima Azuma had to attend an interview.
"Well then, President Tsukimitsu, I'll excuse myself."
"Go ahead, go ahead, it's fine."
After Yukima Azuma left, Tsukimitsu finally showed a smile, as though a heavy burden had been lifted.
"President?"
Tsukimitsu assistant helped him stand up, a little confused by his attitude, and gently asked.
"As long as he can return, that's enough." Tsukimitsu gazed blankly at the door. "A person like him stopping there would be a huge loss for the entire Shogi world."
Upon hearing this, the assistant was slightly surprised.
She had just watched Yukima Azuma match, and it was indeed very impressive.
But such praise seemed a bit excessive.
In Tsukimitsu words, even the "Meijin" had never received such exaggerated compliments.
Chapter 13: Date With Me
Chapter 13: Date With Me
The sound of camera shutters and flashing lights had not stopped since Yukima Azuma stepped onto the stage.
The competitors who had just exited the stage, all of whom were also winners of the first round, looked at the scene with a hint of regret.
Though they were all victors in this official tournament, why was he the only one stirring up such a spectacle?
Meanwhile, Yukima Azuma was no longer fazed by it.
He was a prodigy who had garnered immense attention in the past, and now, after a three-year hiatus, he was back.
With his level of fame, it would be strange if these reporters didn't seize the opportunity.
Once Yukima Azuma signaled that the reporters could start asking questions, one immediately spoke up:
"Yukima-san, this is your first official tournament in three years. How do you feel about it?"
"Honestly, no matter the time, shogi always excites me."
"With differing opinions from the public, may I ask: was your victory in just 47 moves in the first round meant as a response to criticism?"
"I simply did my best."
"What are Yukima-san's expectations for this tournament?"
"Victory, of course. The flame of triumph burns in the heart of every shogi player."
"..."
After several rounds of questions, the reporters exchanged glances and chuckled helplessly.
They had come here hoping to draw a shocking statement from this young prodigyperhaps something "remarkable" born out of youthful impulsiveness.
However, the person on stage now...
He seemed far too shrewd.
Not only was he completely composed, but his answers were airtight.
Still...
His fame alone was sufficient. Completing their task was enough.
The reporters, who had been brimming with enthusiasm, now lowered their expectations.
Just then, a voice called out from the back of the crowd:
"Yukima!"
All eyes turned toward the source.
There stood a blonde girl, seemingly around the same age as Yukima Azuma. Her slightly crumpled black-and-white shirt gave the impression that she had hurriedly left her home.
If one were to describe her most striking features, it would likely be her golden eyes shaped like lightning bolts and her peculiar shark-like fang.
This girl seemed extremely anxious.
It felt as though she wanted to throw herself into the arms of a lover.
