All the Heroines are my Ex-girlfriends

Chapter 35: Nah, I'd win! After all, I am the strongest!

Her face turned red as if she had just applied a layer of blush.

Sora Ginko tried to calm the turmoil inside her.

She made an effort to keep her voice steady.

It took a long time before she finally spoke:

"Are you confident today?"

If it were any other player, Sora Ginko wouldn't be this worried.

But Yamato Kajin was a professional player, someone who had been trained by the "Meijin" before.

Sora Ginko truly couldn't help but worry.

After all, the last time, Yukima Azuma was defeated by the "Meijin," and immediately withdrew from the shogi world.

It had been three years.

Only recently had she returned here.

Sensing Sora Ginko's concern, Yukima Azuma gently brushed his fingers through hers, then tightly interlaced their hands.

Sora Ginko went completely stiff.

"Nah, don't worry, I'd win! After all, I am the strongest!" Yukima Azuma said with a light smile.

Although it seemed like he was joking a bit,

He was truly confident.

On his status, his shogi skill progress was close to maxing out at level 7.

Yesterday, Yukima Azuma had reviewed many of Yamato Kajin's games, so he had a good understanding of his opponent.

At first, he had planned to seamlessly raise his shogi skill from level 7 to level 8.

Unfortunately, in the end, he fell just short on the last step.

Hearing Yukima Azuma's words, Sora Ginko nodded slightly, not saying anything further.

The two of them, with their fingers still interlocked, gazed out the window as the scene outside quickly passed by.

.....

Ishikawa.

The official match was taking place at a large inn.

The shogi association's reporters had arrived early, waiting outside the inn.

Seeing the reporters from a distance, Sora Ginko snapped back to her senses and quickly pulled her hand away.

Yukima Azuma was led to a room inside the inn.

The cameras had already been set up in advance.

Due to the attention Yukima Azuma attracted, as well as Yamato Kajin's remarkable skills, this official match had garnered a lot of interest.

Sora Ginko was left in a different room, where she could watch the match through the live broadcast screen.

Meanwhile, Yukima Azuma's opponent, Yamato Kajin, a 8-dan, had already seated himself at the 7-tatami room.

Yukima Azuma did not rush to sit down.

His gaze was directed toward one of the walls in the room.

On it, four phrases were displayed.

These phrases were written entirely in Kanji, with no Katakana.

They were as follows: "Human law is earth," "Earth law is heaven," "Heaven law is the way," "The way law is nature."

The calligraphy style of the writing demonstrated a deep cultural foundation.

Seeing a piece of work at this level in Japan made Yukima Azuma quite surprised.

"Excuse me, Yukima 5-dan, is something wrong?"

The female commentator and referee standing nearby asked.

Yukima Azuma gently shook his head and smiled, replying:

"I just feel that the owner of this inn has very good taste."

After that, he sat down at the 7-tatami board.

"Yukima-kun, finally, we meet. I've been waiting for this match for so long, so long."

Yamato Kajin, an 8-dan, was a young man in his twenties.

Sitting before the board, his eyes were shining with expectation as he looked at Yukima Azuma.

"Mm, I'm looking forward to it too. After all, this is the match that determines promotion."

Yukima Azuma replied calmly.

"I see. I wonder what kind of match you'll show me today, Yukima-kun?"

"Ah, by the way, Meijin will be watching today's match as well."

Yamato Kajin smiled with hidden meaning.

Yukima Azuma glanced at him.

So, this was the strategy—"to induce worry" from the start.

As an 8-dan, facing a 5-dan, and trying to play psychological tricks like this.

One could only say that Yamato Kajin, as an 8-dan, was really eager to win, even if it meant using any means necessary.

Yukima Azuma said nothing further.

(trans: I have no knowledge of shogi, so I'm unsure about the accuracy of these parts, all by chatgpt)

The official game time had arrived.

The two bowed to each other with the words "Yoroshiku onegaishimasu," and the match began.

For the first move, Yukima Azuma moved his kakugyou (the bishop, a standard piece in shogi).

It was quite a traditional start, following the Ai-gakari opening.

The first few moves were all standard, with nothing noteworthy.

By the fifth move, Yukima Azuma placed his hisha (rook) in the center of the board.

The rook.

It is at the core of most mainstream shogi strategies.

"Is it furi-bisha (moving the rook)?" Yamato Kajin remarked. "Yukima-kun rarely uses the rook this way, it's really exciting!"

Yamato Kajin licked the corner of his mouth, his eyes sparkling.

The rook is central to many shogi strategies, and it is divided into two schools of thought.

I-bisha (fixed rook): Seeks a balance between offense and defense, characterized by keeping the rook's position fixed and not moving it during conflicts. Furi-bisha (moving rook): Seeks flexibility and diversity, characterized by moving the rook to engage in battles and adjusting the strategy through its position, creating a stronger attack.

Both are considered mainstream strategies, but players who use furi-bisha are relatively fewer.

The reason is that, compared to the i-bisha, which emphasizes defense and maintaining a fixed position to coordinate strategies, furi-bisha requires an exceptional ability to read the board. Without it, even a small mistake can lead to a chain collapse.

Both Yamato Kajin and Meijin were rare players known as "ryou-danshu" (dual masters) in the shogi world, meaning they were skilled in both i-bisha and furi-bisha.

Becoming a ryou-danshu is not easy.

Most players specialize in just one school of thought, or even a specific variation of i-bisha or furi-bisha.

Mastering both strategies requires a tremendous amount of time studying the game.

That's why, when Yamato Kajin saw Yukima Azuma using furi-bisha, he couldn't help but admire him.

However, Yukima Azuma showed no reaction to this admiration.

Or rather, he didn't think it was anything special.

Because, ever since he received the system, Yukima Azuma, a genius who had been praised by the entire shogi community, had completely become an "abnormal" player.

Shogi skill level 7.

Shogi skill level 7 meant that, whether it was furi-bisha or i-bisha, or even more obscure and complex schools of thought,

Whether it was a classic strategy like Ai-gakari (hanging pawns), or rare plays like hitote kawasonkaku (a move that sacrifices a piece),

Yukima Azuma had mastered them all at level 7!

Meaning he had reached a level of transcendence!

Seeing that Yukima Azuma was completely unmoved by his comments, Yamato Kajin's eyes flashed with sharpness.

He then picked up his silver general piece.

"Although I find Yukima-kun's furi-bisha very interesting, unfortunately, during a recent study session with Meijin, we figured out how to counter it."

"Even though Yukima-kun rarely uses furi-bisha, when you do, it's always very strong. I can't help but be cautious!"

With that, he placed his silver general in a surprising position.

It was an unconventional move, specifically aimed at countering Yukima Azuma's furi-bisha.

Yukima Azuma could only smile wryly.

The psychological tricks weren't going to stop, huh?

By the way, why isn't talking during a shogi game forbidden?