The atmosphere in the tournament hall gradually grew solemn.
Most of the contestants had already taken their seats at their assigned boards, holding their breath as they waited for the signal to officially begin.
Natsume Chikage sat quietly before board number 77, his calm gaze resting on the empty seat opposite him—his opponent had yet to appear.
Just then, the corner of his eye caught a familiar petite figure.
Furukawa Ayuo slowly approached with somewhat hesitant steps, an unmistakably awkward expression on her cute little face.
Limited by her height, she had to grip the seat with both hands and climb onto the chair with some effort.
Even after she had settled in, her little feet in leather shoes still dangled in the air, gently swinging.
Furukawa Ayuo lowered her head slightly, her cheeks flushed as her fingers twisted together uneasily. Her gaze wandered, and she did not dare meet Natsume Chikage's eyes for a long while.
She opened her mouth, yet did not know how to begin.
Only a short while ago, they had been encouraging each other and cheering one another on.
And in the blink of an eye, they had become opponents sitting across the board from each other... The sudden change left her at a loss.
But deep down, she felt even more sorry for this big brother—his luck was simply too terrible, running into her in the very first round...
Ever since childhood, she had studied shogi under the personal guidance of her grandfather, the Dragon King of a bygone era, for many years.
It could be said that from the time she learned to eat and speak, the shogi board had already become an indispensable part of her life.
Although she lacked extensive practical experience against outside players, she did not believe that was