The third round of the Queen Tournament commenced, and Sora—who had previously attempted suicide—resorted to the strategy of Sennichite (Repetition). In the original story, it was Tenai who forced a draw with Sora to seize the opportunity of playing first (Sente) in the third round, but here the roles were completely reversed.
In the original story, Sora waited in Kuzuryu's room holding a knife, but the fact that she locked herself in her own room with a rope perhaps indicates her psychological state was truly critical. However, the final result turned out nearly identical to the original story, which is a good thing in my personal opinion.
"Ai" is tasked with recording the match in this round as well, having successfully performed the duty in the first round. Today's venue is a spacious traditional restaurant (Ryotei) serving expensive meals, but the size of the room itself is relatively small, likely due to budget limitations.
Usually, the fourth and fifth rounds of the Queen Tournament are held at the Shogi Hall in Tokyo. This isn't because Sora was so strong that they didn't prepare venues beyond the third round; rather, it has been the annual tradition even before Sora became Queen. However, given the significant interest in this year's tournament and the increase in sponsors compared to usual, there seems to be a move towards securing venues for the fifth round. Chairman Gekko is usually lenient with his "grand-disciples" (Tenai and "Ai"), despite his strictness with me, his direct disciple.
『I will hold a grudge against you for a long time for allowing the software update. Why do you play against software and lose deliberately on your own accord?』 (Ai)
(Wait, wait. It was said the software developer from last year begged in tears, so there was no avoiding it, right?) (Ōki)
『You mean the developer from last year who came into the waiting room arrogantly declaring his victory beforehand, only to end up with a crushed face after being crushed in moments?』 (Ai)
(His face wasn't completely crushed, but he turned as pale as a corpse.) (Ōki)
"Ai" is absolutely dissatisfied with allowing the competing software to update. When he realized in the first round that we could still win this year, the sense of despair that swept over him upon being told of the upcoming evolution was immense. Although the other side (the developers) was also in despair after losing ordinarily in the first round.
(Next year will be extremely difficult. Our victory this year is partly due to their short preparation period, and while we can only play a few tens of millions of games a year, they play hundreds of millions, correct? Winning is impossible.) (Ōki)
『I do not intend to lose easily, but we likely won't achieve a single win.』 (Ai)
(If we achieve a draw by repetition (Sennichite) or a draw by points (Jishogi), that would be an achievement.) (Ōki)
While I conversed mentally with "Ai," and observed the confrontation between Sora and Tenai, a Sennichite draw was realized. Sora consumed negligible time, whereas Tenai consumed a significant amount while hesitating between relinquishing the advantage of moving first (Sente) or attempting to break the deadlock. According to the rules, Tenai's time was reset to one hour, and conversely, 42 minutes (the time Tenai consumed before the replay) were added to Sora's time balance.
...Thus, Sora began the replay match with nearly full time while playing as the "First Player" (Sente), whereas Tenai fell into a complete strategic trap. It seems Sora, after returning to Kuzuryu's hometown in Fukui and receiving the "Sealed Kiss," has had her power awaken peacefully.
『Emotions make a person stronger, don't they? She plays a more "attractive" Shogi than the Shogi that relies on "complete detachment."』 (Ai)
(Trying to become a machine is not an easy task. Fundamentally, the immense strength Kuzuryu has reached is largely due to Sora's influence. Undoubtedly, Sora's talent in Shogi ranks within the top ten even if we include men.) (Ōki)
Since Tenai became the second player (White), she launched the "Bishop Head Pawn as the Second Player" attack, but Sora chose a "War of Attrition" (Slow Game). In response, Tenai chose "Opposing Rook," exactly as she did against Shakado-san. It seems she was forced into it despite knowing the possibility of countermeasures existing. Playing with a familiar style helps reduce time consumption.
『The fact that she revealed this defensive style (against a war of attrition) to Shakado-san previously is impactful. And the difference in available thinking time is very large. Tenai herself feels cornered.』 (Ai)
(The difference in psychological comfort is clear between Tenai, who is about to enter the "one minute per move" phase, and Sora, who still has nearly two hours remaining. ...Honestly, I am surprised by the clear improvement in Sora's level.) (Ōki)
『Tenai doesn't know what happened to Sora, so her surprise is doubled. We also don't know the details, so we can only guess based on the original story.』 (Ai)
(...If Kuzuryu's mother didn't intervene to obstruct it, there is a possibility they exchanged kisses multiple times.) (Ōki)
Ultimately, the "Meijin" succeeded in defending his title with four consecutive wins. Achieving the title for the hundredth time in his career and holding the sole record for the number of victories, he received the People's Honor Award. However, the content of his interview changed significantly. Reporters asked him based on the premise that "software cannot defeat top professionals," and when asked about the opponent he most desires to face, he chose me by name.
『He said it indirectly, but he expressed a serious desire to win against you even if it were in a "Handicap" (Piece Drop) match. ...Since the Meijin is pressing like this, the "Handicap Adjustment after Three Games" system might be realized soon.』 (Ai)
(Stop it. Playing all matches up to the final round every time is a form of cruel punishment.) (Ōki)
『If we add travel days, it is common for a single match to take 4 days, meaning your busyness will double.』 (Ai)
(...Wait? If we add secondary events and tournaments, aren't my annual holidays extremely few?) (Ōki)
However, the "Meijin" touched upon Sora in his speech as well, meaning Sora realized the Meijin was watching her. And the Anaguma castle Sora built today is constructed with total confidence. ...Tenai also built an Anaguma. Aren't these people a bit too obsessed with "Anaguma"? Have they all turned into Komehan-san?
『In an "Anaguma vs. Anaguma" battle, the difference in available thinking time constitutes a major obstacle.』 (Ai)
(Furthermore, Sora dismantled her castle and began attacking Tenai's King head. Ouch, Tenai made a mistake in defense too.) (Ōki)
『Haah. Losing after using the "Bishop Head Pawn as Second Player" will make psychological recovery take time. Fortunately, there are excuses for the loss (like lack of time), but if Tenai doesn't realize that Sora has actually become stronger than her, she might lose three times consecutively from here.』 (Ai)
(...Well, I will teach her "Entertainment Shogi" as a way to change her mood, and plant a "time bomb" inside her. It would be amusing if the bomb exploded during the fifth round.) (Ōki)
『Planting an "entertainment game" in this delicate situation is nothing but a demonic act. Tenai is not a guinea pig, you know?』 (Ai)
Under time pressure, Tenai committed a minor defensive error, and despite her desperate attempts to cling to the match, her attack did not reach Sora's King. The third round ended with Sora's victory, bringing Tenai's score in the Queen Tournament to two wins and one loss. After the defeat, Tenai's psychological state was disturbed, and the usual remedy of "passage of time" was ineffective, leading her to lose the fourth round as well after the third.
...It is said that a "maiden in love is invincible," but the actual strength Sora gained isn't that massive. It is more accurate to say she returned to her true strength. Originally, there wasn't a large gap between Tenai and Sora. Thus, it is not strange for the win-loss results to fluctuate based on psychological changes.
Until the final round, what can be done is limited, but it is better than nothing. The period leading up to the fifth round is the real battle.
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