NOVEL NEXT Chapter 26
Chapter 26: Dragon King?
“Hey, did you hear? It seems that Shimada-senpai has already been defeated!”
“Matsumoto-senpai was a player who made it into the reward club. He lost too?”
“Yeah, I heard the challenger is a first-year student. Now, Shimada, the club president, is facing this first-year! Everyone rushed over as soon as they got the news!”
“What?! Shimada-senpai is a 2nd-dan player, ranked in the top 10 in national high school shogi! He’s the strongest player in the history of our school, and it’s expected that he’ll be promoted to 3rd-dan before graduation. This first-year student is going to be in for a tough time!”
Two students quickly moved down the hallway and soon arrived at the clubroom, where about seven or eight students were already gathered. In the center of the crowd were two students playing shogi.
Seeing this, the two instinctively held their breath and walked lightly. Fortunately, the shogi club’s room was large enough, and the number of people wasn’t too many, so they easily found a spot to watch. However, upon seeing the state of the game, both of them couldn’t help but take a sharp intake of breath.
What an intense game!
Fortunately, the one currently in the lead was Shimada-senpai. As long as he maintained his mid-game advantage, it was certain that the first-year challenger would lose when it reached the endgame!
Suddenly, the onlookers felt a chilling, oppressive killing intent emanating from the board. Shimada, the shogi club president, was finally about to show his true power. Shimada moved a piece that had barely been touched in the corner of the board. In an instant, a wave of murderous energy surged from the board, filling the air and heading straight for the onlookers’ heads!
“Flying Rook! This is Shimada-senpai’s specialty, he’s finally making his move!”
The club members watching couldn’t hide their excitement, as if they could already see their president effortlessly defeating the clueless first-year challenger!
Shimada-senpai shifted from his previously defensive style to an aggressive one, pressing forward with every move. Each step seemed as if blood would spill, and the moment the “dead fish-eyed” boy made a mistake, he would surely be caught in a deadly series of moves!
But to everyone’s surprise, the first-year student maintained a calm expression as if nothing were wrong. As soon as Shimada made a move, the first-year made his move less than three seconds later!
Shimada-senpai suddenly looked up, narrowing his eyes as he observed the first-year student’s still indifferent face. He then let out a strange, creeping laugh, almost as if saying “Let’s fight then,” and the speed of both players increased.
Unlike other sports, the speed in shogi isn’t based on physical movement, but rather on how quickly the brain processes each move. The onlookers held their breath, afraid that even a slight disturbance might interrupt the “thinking” of the two players!
It was like flashing blades and a torrential storm, with each move being extremely dangerous. Countering and dismantling moves, success or failure hinged on a single moment’s decision.
At first, the onlookers thought the first-year student would soon lose, but no one had expected him to be so resilient. It was well known that Shimada-senpai had a nickname “Quick Chess Shimada,” meaning his speed in rapid games was legendary!
The battle on the board had reached a fever pitch, and the outcome would soon be decided in the next few moves.
“Is it finally coming?”
The shogi club members thought in unison, and just as if to confirm their thoughts, Shimada-senpai suddenly paused. He looked up again, meeting the eyes of his opponent. Shimada-senpai’s lips curled into a smile, and in that moment, it felt like the sound of thunder echoed in their ears!
A terrifying aura, almost tangible, rose from Shimada’s body. It was as if a storm was brewing, with flashes of lightning and booming thunder. Suddenly, a loud dragon’s roar echoed in everyone’s ears!
Dragon!
Like a dragon, it was a dragon!
The Rook rises like a dragon, turning the incense into a fragrance!
The three years have passed!
A massive golden dragon rose from the shogi board, its roar echoing through the skies, sweeping away all that stood in its way. The once stalemated game instantly tilted in Shimada-senpai’s favor.
It’s over.
The onlookers sighed inwardly, certain that the first-year student would soon be completely defeated within just a few moves.
But despite the inevitable loss, the first-year student still maintained his calm, unruffled expression. His mastery of calmness was certainly commendable, but that was all it was.
Just then, the “dead fish-eyed” boy slowly extended his hand, picked up a piece, and moved it effortlessly. The move was simple, but there was a natural ease and composure to it, as if returning to the basics, bringing a sense of peace to the chaotic battlefield. The once intimidating, all-encompassing killing formation seemed to dissolve like spring snow.
“Eh? Why isn’t the president making a move?”
Suddenly, everyone noticed with surprise that Shimada-senpai, who was supposed to be on the verge of victory, had frozen in place. The decisive move, the checkmate, that was about to be made had stalled in midair, with no move coming down.
One second, two seconds, ten seconds… a minute passed, and still, Shimada’s next move had not been made. At this point, even the slowest onlookers began to sense something was wrong.
After a long while, Shimada-senpai slowly lowered his arm and raised his head, only to meet the eyes of the first-year student. What he had thought were just ordinary, dull “dead fish eyes” now seemed to possess a strange aura, as if they could see straight through his soul.
“You… who are you? The Dragon Slayer? Could it be… that move just now… was a divine hand?!”
Shimada-senpai stared incredulously at the first-year student, shocked. “Could it be… you are SAI?!”
“Huh?”
“Sorry, I got a bit lost in the game. I got distracted,” Hikigaya said as he stood and bowed. “Thank you for your guidance, senpai.”
Shimada-senpai gave an awkward smile, then seemed to recall something. “No need to be modest. Actually, your strategy and playing style feel oddly familiar…”
Hikigaya didn’t respond. Instead, Matsumoto, who had been quietly watching the game, suddenly spoke up, “The Eternal Seven-time Champion Dragon King!”
“That’s right! This strategy and style are very similar to that of the Eternal Dragon King!” Shimada-senpai finally came to his senses after Matsumoto’s remark.
Not only did the Eternal Dragon King hold the title, but as someone with seven eternal titles, he was considered one of the strongest shogi players in history. His tactics, style, and game records had naturally been studied and analyzed by countless aspiring players.
“It’s just a poor imitation,” Hikigaya replied, no longer hiding the truth. “To be honest, I did study your game records beforehand, but you know nothing about my playstyle, so winning this game was purely a stroke of luck.”
Shimada-senpai, upon hearing this, understood, and regardless of whether it was true or not, he felt a sense of warmth toward the first-year student for giving him an out.
Afterward, Shimada-senpai intended to invite Hikigaya to join the shogi club, but Hikigaya shook his head and refused, offering another excuse.
“Indeed, there are things more important than club activities at this school. In that case, forget it,” Shimada-senpai said, no longer pressing the issue. Then, looking at Hikigaya with a meaningful glance, he said, “A bet is a bet. I’ve already transferred the points to you.”
“Thank you, senpai.”
Hikigaya then stood and left the activity room.
“Class D, huh? Looks like this year’s first-years are a bit different,” Shimada-senpai murmured to himself, watching Hikigaya’s retreating figure.