Her face turned red, as if she had just applied a layer of blush.
Sora Ginko tried to calm the storm churning in her chest.
She made an effort to keep her voice steady.
It took a long pause before she finally spoke.
"Are you confident today?"
If it were any other opponent, Sora Ginko wouldn't be this worried.
But Yamato Kajin wasn't just anyone—he was a professional, someone trained directly by the Meijin.
She couldn't help but feel anxious.
After all, the last time Yukima Azuma faced the Meijin, he was completely crushed—and immediately withdrew from the shogi world.
It had been three long years.
Only recently had he returned to the board.
Sensing her unease, Yukima Azuma gently brushed his fingers against hers, then interlaced their hands.
Sora Ginko froze.
"Nah, don't worry. I'd win," he said with a light smile. "After all, I am the strongest."
Though his tone had a touch of jest, his confidence was real.
His shogi skill was already close to maxing out at Level 7.
Just yesterday, he had reviewed dozens of Yamato Kajin's games—he knew his opponent well.
Originally, Yukima planned to push his shogi skill to Level 8 in time for this match.
But in the end, he fell just short.
Still, he wasn't worried.
Sora Ginko nodded softly in response, saying nothing.
Their fingers remained interlocked as they stared out the train window, the landscape whizzing by in silence.
Ishikawa.
The match was being held at a large traditional inn.
Reporters from the shogi association had arrived early, waiting outside for a glimpse of the rising star.
From a distance, Sora Ginko spotted the crowd and snapped out of her daze, quickly pulling her hand away.
Yukima Azuma was led into a reserved room where cameras had already been set up.
Thanks to the hype surrounding Yukima and the prominence of Yamato Kajin, the match had garnered major attention.
Sora Ginko was taken to a separate room, where she could watch through the live broadcast.
Inside the tatami room, Yamato Kajin, 8-dan, was already seated.
Yukima Azuma didn't sit immediately.
His gaze wandered to a calligraphy scroll mounted on the wall.
Written entirely in kanji, it read:
"Human law is earth. Earth law is heaven. Heaven law is the way. The way law is nature."
The brushwork revealed the artist's deep cultural grounding.
Finding something like this in Japan… was rare.
"Is something wrong, Yukima 5-dan?"
The female referee and commentator approached gently.
Yukima Azuma smiled.
"Not at all. I just think the owner of this inn has exceptional taste."
Then he took his seat.
"Yukima-kun! We finally meet. I've been looking forward to this match—so much."
Yamato Kajin, in his twenties, sat across the board with eyes gleaming with anticipation.
"Mhm. I'm looking forward to it too," Yukima replied calmly. "After all, this is a promotion match."
"Oh? I wonder what kind of game you'll show me today, Yukima-kun."
Yamato smirked.
"By the way, the Meijin will be watching today's match too."
Yukima glanced at him.
So that's the angle—trying to get in his head right from the start.
A psychological play.
From an 8-dan against a 5-dan, no less.
Clearly, Yamato Kajin wanted this win badly.
But Yukima didn't rise to the bait.
The match officially began.
They bowed to each other and exchanged the customary "Yoroshiku onegaishimasu."
Yukima Azuma made the first move, shifting his kakugyō—the bishop.
A classic opening, part of the Ai-gakari setup.
The early phase unfolded with standard moves—nothing flashy.
Until Yukima placed his hisha—the rook—dead center on the board by the fifth turn.
The rook.
The soul of shogi strategy.
"Is it furi-bisha?" Yamato Kajin mused aloud. "You rarely use it, Yukima-kun. This should be fun."
He licked the corner of his mouth, eyes gleaming.
In shogi, rook strategies generally fall into two schools:
I-bisha (Static Rook): Keeps the rook anchored, balancing offense and defense.
Furi-bisha (Ranging Rook): Shifts the rook across the board, embracing flexibility and aggressive positioning.
Furi-bisha was harder to master—one misstep could collapse your entire formation.
That's why most pros stuck with i-bisha.
Only a few like Yamato Kajin and the Meijin were known as ryou-danshu—masters of both styles.
Becoming a dual-style player was no small feat.
It required deep study, instinct, and years of battle experience.
Seeing Yukima use furi-bisha, even Yamato had to admit—it was impressive.
But Yukima didn't react.
To him, this was nothing special.
Ever since receiving the system, he had become something else entirely—
A genius praised by the entire shogi world.
An abnormal player.
Shogi Skill: Level 7.
That meant mastery of everything—from i-bisha and furi-bisha to obscure and unorthodox strategies.
From classics like Ai-gakari to niche gambits like hitote kawasonkaku—a move involving piece sacrifice.
Yukima Azuma had already transcended convention.
Yamato Kajin's eyes sharpened when he saw Yukima's silence.
He picked up a silver general.
"I do find your furi-bisha fascinating, but… during a recent study session with the Meijin, we worked out a counter strategy."
He placed the piece in a surprising position, completely unconventional.
"I know you rarely use furi-bisha, but when you do, it's dangerous. I have to be careful."
It was a move clearly designed to counter Yukima's style.
Yukima gave a faint, wry smile.
So the mind games weren't going to stop, huh?