Round four followed three consecutive losses for Kuzuryu. Fortunately, "The Final Judgment"—necessitating a rematch—interveed, allowing Kuzuryu to finally snatch his first victory. On the forums, voices cried out, "Man, read the room (and lose)," while others remarked, "Well, one win doesn't hurt, right?" But as Kuzuryu secured a second, then a third win, public agitation grew increasingly sharp.
The core of the narrative lies in the vast disparity in fame between the Meijin and Kuzuryu. Even in the original novel, I thought Kuzuryu's renown was low, but my presence here has rendered him even less visible and distinct. The only topic where his name truly stands out is his turbulent, undisciplined relationships with women; consequently, the general public impression of him is poor. What happens, then, when someone like that attempts to stop the Meijin from claiming his hundredth title and achieving the status of "Eternal Seven Crowns"?
...As expected, flames engulfed Kuzuryu. Since he had failed to extinguish the fires of previous criticisms, the situation escalated into a massive explosion, with insults, jealousy, and profanities spreading everywhere. Of course, the number of Kuzuryu's fans increased as well, but "numbers overwhelm bravery." There is no doubt he no longer wishes to look at the internet.
(...When I felt something was strange, I remembered that the usual water-drinking ritual hadn't happened.) (Oki)
『You mean the usual scenario where the Meijin uses up his last minutes of thinking, and while he drinks water, Kuzuryu has already read the entire flow of the game? Indeed, it seems that didn't happen this time, did it?』 (Ai)
(Well, things like this happen sometimes.) (Oki)
On the other hand, my own schedule began to crowd due to the numerous qualifiers I was winning in title matches. It is well known that a Shogi player's workload decreases if they keep losing and increases if they keep winning. Nevertheless, I did not cease training Tenai, especially as she was progressing smoothly in the main tournament of the "Mynavi" Ladies' Open.
As for Tenai's results, she had recorded eight wins and two losses since her promotion to 1-kyu. Unfortunately, she could not finish the first two months with a spotless record of twelve consecutive wins, and her losses increased following the promotion. The first defeat came against Konogi; although Tenai played as "Sente" (First Player), she fell one move behind in the race to checkmate the king.
That Shogi machine is truly formidable. Well, someone who became a pro while still in elementary school in the original novel could not possibly be weak. Even when I trained with my colleagues in the "Research Group," he was the quickest to understand Ai's moves, and his promotion rate is the fastest in history, isn't it? It is said he will reach "3-dan" by next March. He defeated Tenai and was promoted, and it was her misfortune to face a heavy opponent like him immediately upon her own promotion.
To promote to "Shodan" (1-dan), achieving eight consecutive wins, twelve wins against four losses, or fourteen wins against five losses is sufficient. Therefore, if Tenai achieves three consecutive wins, four wins and two losses, or six wins and three losses starting from next month's matches, she will be promoted. She will likely reach "Shodan" next month or the one after, right? It seems she won't face Konogi for a while, so losses shouldn't pile up against her.
...The problem lies in the possibility of her facing Ai in the main tournament. That girl climbed the ranks after defeating Tsukiyomizaka (holder of the "Queen" title). I do not know if she will defeat Kogui (holder of the "Yamashiro-bana" title), but she will certainly evolve before that match. And if she defeats Kogui as well, she will appear before Tenai with even greater strength. What is she, a "Little Demon King"? Honestly, it would be such a magnificent match that I would be torn.
「Alright, then. Today I will teach you the 'Ranging Rook' (Furibisha) style I used to play often.」 (Oki)
「You, my master, a 'Static Rook' (Ibisha) player, used Ranging Rook?」 (Tenai)
「I am devoted to Static Rook heart and soul now, but I played various styles in the past. I want you to become an all-rounder, and if you want to master versatility, let's start with Ranging Rook first.」 (Oki)
「Wait. I won't claim I've mastered Static Rook, but I think I've played it enough, haven't I?」 (Tenai)
「In your current state, I believe you play both styles at roughly the same level. It's fine; I will teach you how to defeat 'Static Rook' using 'Fourth File Rook' (Shikenbisha) and 'Central Rook' (Nakabisha).」 (Oki)
『Sir, how dare you say that when you haven't mastered them yourself?』 (Ai)
(You master them, and that is enough. Please, no unnecessary comments.) (Oki)
『Anyway, are you going to teach her that? I mean the 'Edge Attack'.』 (Ai)
(In my view, Ranging Rook means exploiting gaps in Static Rook to launch an 'Edge Attack' (Hashizeme). Perhaps because I played Fourth File and Central Rook so often. I will leave teaching the art of 'Sabaki' (finessing pieces) to Oishi (the Shogi King title holder); as for me, I will teach her the Edge Attack.) (Oki)
I decided to teach Tenai the "Edge Attack" as a Ranging Rook style I delusionally claim to have mastered. In Fourth File or Central Rook, one lures the enemy knight to jump to square 3-7 or 7-3, then initiates an attack with the lance from 1-3 or 9-7. Honestly, I believe the strength of Ranging Rook lies solely in this aspect. Perhaps due to this mindset, I will remain a mere novice at best.
『I think using the lance at 1-3 or 9-7 to provoke an opponent's attack is a good idea. Once an edge attack begins, it is difficult to fully defend against. Thus, making the opponent believe that starting the battle is unavoidable is useful.』 (Ai)
(Also, the lance is protected by another piece. If you are going to play Ranging Rook, it is better to study the Edge Attack.) (Oki)
「Hmm, there are many variations and possibilities. Does this require fundamental playing strength?」 (Tenai)
「It is not something you can use just by memorizing the steps. Nor will you be able to use it without grasping the right timing, but you can try it out in online Shogi matches.」 (Oki)
「Should I continue playing the 'Elephant Head Pawn' as the second player (Gote)?」 (Tenai)
「Continue with it. If you are the second player and the situation seems right, play 'Elephant Head Pawn'. If you are the first player (Sente), play 'Ranging Rook'. However, if you are the second player and the opponent initiates by pushing the rook pawn first, the response is the 'Double Wing Attack' (Aigakari) style... That is the order.」 (Oki)
Tenai began testing what she learned frequently in online Shogi, yet her winning percentage neither rose nor fell. ...When I played her for the first time, I felt Tenai lacked "core solidity." That is why I had her select one favorite strategy to master.
That strategy was the "Elephant Head Pawn" as the second player (Gote), which Tenai consistently practiced in internet matches. Of course, she plays other strategies to avoid rigidity, but possessing a single lethal, distinctive weapon is often advantageous.
In the past, sticking to one strategy was enough to succeed in the professional world. Nowadays, however, due to the emergence of AI, counters to strategies are found quickly. Therefore, professionals fundamentally play various strategies; nevertheless, everyone possesses a favorite strategy that distinguishes them.
Currently, Tenai has begun to enter a slump again. True, she achieves a positive win rate in the "Apprentice Association" (Shoreikai) and might manage to promote to "Shodan" (1-dan), but ascending to 2-dan or 3-dan will be difficult if she continues this way. Therefore, I decided this time to expand her options in the opening phase.
『Or rather, when the 'Elephant Head Pawn' strategy as the second player turns into a battle of endurance, Tenai basically plays the 'Opposing Rook' (Mukai-Bisha) style. So, I believe she had the sense for 'Ranging Rook' (Furibisha) stored within her from the start.』 (Ai)
(And so, when she wasn't playing 'Elephant Head Pawn', she relied on 'Static Rook'. We will change that to 'Ranging Rook' so she gains broad and voracious experience in this style.) (Oki)
『...I suspect the time has come for her to start seeing 'that thing'. She has reached a level where she plays 9 simultaneous matches against 6-dan players without dropping in rank, and her total online matches have exceeded 10,000.』 (Ai)
(...Has she really played that many? Then perhaps it is time she realized it?) (Oki)
On holidays, I send her to the "Gokigen Bath" to gradually gain strength as a player specializing in "Ranging Rook." If we are talking about "Ranging Rook vs Ranging Rook" battles, that place is arguably the best. A dojo where all patrons are Ranging Rook players is truly a crazy place. It is perhaps the only hall where nearly every match follows the "Double Ranging Rook" (Ai-Furibisha) pattern. I will exploit this place to the fullest for Tenai's training.
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