Furukawa Masahiro had no time at all to heed Horikawa Kaori's chatter beside him. He composed himself and stared intently at the game on the giant screen.
Onscreen, Furukawa Ayuo's face was pale, her eyes darting uncertainly as she clearly continued desperately searching for a way to break the deadlock.
Across from her, Natsume Chikage appeared exceptionally calm, his eyes as deep and still as an ancient well as he waited for his opponent's next move.
After a long period of thought, Furukawa Ayuo finally picked up a piece and carefully placed it on the board.
She had hoped that this move would at least make Natsume Chikage pause to think for a moment. That way, she could use the time he spent thinking to continue calculating the subsequent lines and ease her time pressure.
Yet the instant her fingertips left the piece, less than a second after she pressed the clock—
Click—
Natsume Chikage had already picked up one of his own pieces and placed it on the board without the slightest hesitation.
The crisp sound of the clock being pressed again was especially piercing in the quiet venue.
Fine beads of sweat formed on Furukawa Ayuo's forehead as she stared in disbelief at Natsume Chikage's latest move.
She truly could not understand it. Did this person not need to think at all?
Why could he respond instantly every single time?
Could the lines she had painstakingly trained under Grandpa Dragon King for so many years really be seen through so easily, and even dismantled with such effortless ease?
The unbroken stream of instant replies, coupled with the looming defeat, made Furukawa Ayuo feel pressure unlike anything she had ever experienced.
Her breathing gradually quickened, and she even began to doubt her own ability.
Just then, the broadcast on