At that moment, the director also noticed the commotion around Natsume Chikage and Furukawa Ayuo. After briefly communicating with the two commentators through the headset, he swiftly switched the main camera to that corner.
Having received the cue, Inoue Masami and Nanjo Maiko immediately dropped the stern expressions they had worn while commentating on the professional matches.
They carefully observed the scene on the screen, and both could not help but reveal amused smiles.
However, neither was surprised by Natsume Chikage's victory—after all, his opponent was merely a little girl of around ten. No matter how skilled she was, there was a limit. It was only natural that he won.
If he could not even beat an opponent like that, that would have been truly embarrassing.
They could not help but remark on Natsume Chikage's good fortune. He had encountered such a young contestant in the first round and advanced with ease.
Of course, any other contestant would presumably have won easily against an opponent like her as well.
Watching Furukawa Ayuo choke back sobs on the screen, Inoue Masami spoke with a trace of regret in his voice:
"It seems our young contestant has unfortunately been defeated."
Nanjo Maiko sighed softly, as if she had seen her former self.
Clenching her fist, she said encouragingly:
"Shogi is like life. Where there is victory, there is defeat."
"I hope this young contestant can learn from this loss, grow stronger, and continue improving!"
Inoue Masami nodded in agreement:
"That's right."
"Now then, let us congratulate contestant Natsume Chikage on his victory!"
After making a few brief comments, the two said no more.
After all, in this shogi tournament filled with masters, Natsume Chikage and Furukawa Ayuo might have stood out in appearance, but neither was ultimately a heavyweight contender.
The audience