A Top Tier Player’s Work!

It popped up out of nowhere.

Early summer. May is coming to a close and the whole Shogi world is on edge with the placement match schedule about to be set.

As for me, with the roller coaster of events that surrounded my taking a new apprentice, Ai Yashajin, leveling off, I thought I’d finally have time to focus on my own matches, but ……

Shogi Association Chairman Seiichi Tsukimitsu called me into the Kansai Association’s office and said in his usual super-calm voice, “You see, Ryuo–––job requests not involving Shogi have been submitted for you.”

“!!”

–––Could it be ……?!

Finally! I jump out of my chair in excitement, which must have surprised the chairman’s secretary, Sasari Oga Former Women’s 1-dan, standing next to the chairman because she had to readjust her glasses.

“Ryou? Why have you stood up?”

“Ah, nothing …… Just …… I-I was just excited to hear somebody asked for me ……”

“Really? I’m glad to hear that.”

A faint smile appears on the blind chairman’s face like he was expecting me to say that.

Ms. Oga glances my way and says, “May we continue?”

“Oh, sorry. Please ……”

I slowly slide back into my chair as Ms. Oga clears her throat and starts talking about the job requests that didn’t involve Shogi, which came to the association.

But before that, allow me to explain.

There are two ways for Shogi players to take on jobs.

The first is when someone contacts the player directly.

We may be registered with the Shogi Association, but pro Shogi players are freelancers. In other words, each one of us does our own thing. Of course, we are free to refuse any requests that come our way.

The second way is when someone goes through the association.

The Shogi Association receives requests for Shogi-related jobs from all over Japan. Some of the most common are judges for Shogi tournaments, advisors for Shogi clubs at schools and companies, interviews for magazines, TV spots, you name it.

The association then distributes these jobs as fairly as possible among all pro players, but ……

The problem is that I’m a title holder.

And it’s not just any title, but the top. Dragon King Ryuo.

––– Title holders are duty bound to protect the status that comes with their title ……

Unlike titleless players, title holders can’t just drop by an event somewhere to do a few instructional matches and aren’t allowed to work as observers for other title matches.

Basically, our work scope is rather limited.

–––That’s why I’ve barely received any work from the association other than league matches up until now …… Then again, that meant I had enough time to take two apprentices.

But, not getting much of a chance to show off the title I just claimed, to work as the Ryuo, makes me kind of sad.

The summons came just as it was starting to get to me.

–––Simply put …… Work fit for the Ryuo (me) finally came!

I’ve always been told: We realize you are the Ryuo, but there aren’t any jobs we can leave in the hands of someone as inexperienced as you. Now, it’s finally my turn.

That means the world has recognized me as a top Shogi player.

I can’t go into this halfheartedly. Once I do this one to perfection, I’ll work hard so that clients will be lining up to hire me!

The chairman, who once held several titles himself, must’ve picked up on my enthusiasm because he straightens his posture and says in a meaningful tone, “Now, for the first order of business–––.”

“……!”

Gulp! I swallow all the spit in my mouth and wait for his next words on the edge of my seat.

The first job to come for me as the Ryuo is–––.

“The monthly magazine The Younger Companion would like to conduct an interview with you.”

“Why in the heck?!!”

I take a dig at the Eternal Meijin with all my might. Why in the heck?!!!!

The chairman’s grin didn’t budge at all as he says, “Perhaps that question is better directed at yourself?”

“You’re saying I have a Lolita complex, right?! That I’m a lolicon, yeah?! Well, I’m telling you here and now that I am not at aaaaaaallllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll!!”

Pant …… pant …… pant ……

The chairman ignores my heaving shoulders and says, “Are you feeling better?”

“…… A bit.”

“Well, what is your answer?”

“No! Please turn them down!”

“That’s unfortunate.”

He sighs, sounding disappointed. He was enjoying every second of that, wasn’t he ……?

“Moving on to the second order of business–––.”

Every fiber of my being is sure that he’s going to throw another loli-type job request at me, but it turned out to be something even more surprising.

“Your supervision has been requested for the production of a video game.”

“…………… A game?”

“Yes. Requests involving video games are not all that uncommon, and the association would like to comply with these requests as much as possible.”

“Oh, really?”

“Shogi itself is a game, yes? I myself served as a supervisor for the original Nintendo release of Seiichi Tsukimitsu’s Shogi Instructor.”

“It received 3 popularity rating!” Ms. Oga adds like she’s bragging about her own accomplishment. You weren’t even born when that system came out ……

“Do you partake in video games, Ryuo?”

“Well, I don’t hate them, and my Master has been playing a few on his smartphone recently.”

“Then there should be no problem. May I put the request through?”

“That’s fine, but …… There are many types of video games out there, right? What kind of game is it?”

I’m pretty sure it involves Shogi somehow, but the game concept could change what I would have to do quite a bit.

“Good question. The client seems to want to discuss details in person.”

“May I ask where the company is?”

“Kobe. The company name is YMM Online–––.”

“Say what?! Those guys are huge!”

Even someone like me who knows next to nothing about games has come across their name as one of the fastest growing Internet-based companies.

They focus mainly on developing games for smartphones.

Back when I was in junior high, my classmates talked about their stuff all the time ……

“What would such a big-name company want with me? Is it because I’m the Ryuo?”

“While I’m not sure of that–––.”

The chairman silently shakes his head like he knows something else before saying, “You’re very familiar with this particular client, Ryuo.”

Someone that …… I know?

“This is the place …… So, there’s a game developer in Kobe.”

Fresh off the train at Kobe Station, I walk into a beautifully designed office building and explain my situation to the woman at the reception desk. From there, I get on the elevator and go up to the floor she told me to go to.

When people think of video game developers in Kansai, the really famous one is in Kyoto. You know, with the monsters …… in pockets, or the Italian …… plumber?

“While it’s nowhere near that big, this company looks more legit than I thought.”

Which is exactly why they could call on the Ryuo.

After all, there’s no way some newbie Shogi pro would get asked to oversee a video game.

“What the chairman said is still bugging me, though. The request came from somebody I know …… Do I know anyone in the gaming industry?”

I mean, I never went to high school and all my former classmates are still high school students. The only adults I know are involved in Shogi somehow.

Who in the world could they be?

The person waiting for me in the office was–––the last one I expected to see.

“Kuzuryu-sensei. Welcome to my company.”

“Huh?! …… Akira?”

A 20-year-old woman in a sharp, black suit.

Akira Ikeda.

She’s my apprentice Ai Yashajin’s bodyguard and caretaker.

…… At least, I thought that’s what she did.

“What’s bothering you, Sensei? Is it so strange to see me working in an office?”

“No, well …… I thought you shadowed Ai 24/7 ……”

“What do you take me for? Doing so would be the actions of a simple degenerate.”

Well, not far off ……

“Though I serve as the lady’s guardian, I cannot accompany her while she is attending school and the company is not so well off it can afford to let me sit on my thumbs during that time.”

“Ahhh …… I got you.”

She makes a pretty good point.

Ai Yashajin’s grandfather owns pachinko parlors and his own production agency now but used to be a yaku …… [cough, cough!] B-Businessman! Yes, he was a businessman.

Akira is his employee. Of course she’d work.

“Thus, I was ordered to incorporate the younger generation into our business plan and started with this video game company.”

“Akira, you can program computers and that kind of stuff?”

“Not in the least. I have no involvement in that sector.”

Say what? Then, how does she make games?

“I am, however, rather gifted at encouraging others to follow up on promises and pay back their loans. Those skills are getting put to good use. Game development itself is outsourced to another company.”

“I-I see ……”

Things are turning dark real quick, so I cut the conversation short and get to the point.

“Now you’re making a Shogi game …… Correct? Of course, I’d love to help! If there’s anything I can do, just name it!”

“Yes, concerning that very point–––.”

“Of course, I’ll be a supervisor for the Shogi part, but I can be in the commercials, go on TV to do promotion, anything you ask, too!”

“Listen, Sensei. Wait–––.”

“Oh! What about the title? Ryuo Yaichi Kuzuryu’s Secret Shogi Arts or Yaichi Kuzuryu’s Shogi Instructor would be cool …… Or would something simple like Kuzuryu Shogi be better?”

“Oi.”

“Then again, it’s a mobile game, right? The name needs to be easy to abbreviate, yeah? Having wars or quest or lord or a word like that in there would make it–––.”

“I’m telling you to cool your jets.”

“Yes?”

“Who said we’re making a Shogi-centered game?”

“Come again?”

Staring at the blank look on my face, Akira sounds perplexed when she asks, “Why must we create a game for such a narrow niche of die-hard maniacs?”

M-Maniacs?

What is she talking about ……?

“The ideal mobile game needs to be unisexually accessible to all ages with no need for prior knowledge. Shogi rules are quite complicated, and the average match lasts much too long for a mobile game. The content is a horrible match for the medium.”

“But, you know …… There are a few Shogi games for smartphones ……”

They’re hits, too, by the sound of it.

“Well yes, they do exist, but I doubt several games in that genre will be successful at once. In fact, many Shogi-based apps have failed within the first few months of their release.”

“……”

A well-reasoned explanation, and from Akira of all people. I’m stunned speechless.

I could’ve sworn …… she was a blockhead with a strange appreciation for little girls but it turns out she’s actually pretty smart …… It’s hard to believe she can’t keep Shogi rules straight ……

“B-But …… Why did you want me involved?”

“I bought your non-Shogi expertise, Sensei.”

“My …… non-Shogi expertise ……?”

What could that be?

I realize how pathetic this sounds, but Shogi is all I have. Take that away from me, and I’m just some good-for-nothing teenager who didn’t finish school. I don’t have any skills that would benefit society at all ……

Akira puts on a serious face and tells me.

“We have not known each other for long, Kuzuryu-sensei. However, I believe that time to have been extremely fruitful. I have identified a unique talent of yours, Sensei …… A talent unrelated to Shogi.”

“Akira ……”

She’s going to make me cry …… There’s no greater compliment for a Shogi player than for someone they’ve sat across the board from to recognize their skills. If there’s anything I can do to help make this game a success, I sure as hell am going to do it.

“And? What kind of game will make use of this talent of mine that’s unrelated to Shogi?”

“The theme is …… a younger companion!”

“You’re going to treat me like some kind of lolicon, too?!”

That’s a far more maniacal niche than Shogi!

Actually, depending on how it’s done, it could be illegal?!

My screams must’ve been nothing but a light breeze to Akira because she shoots down all my objections with logic.

“You are, in a sense, a professional gamer and are quite gifted at raising young girls as well. No matter how much inborn talent she possessed, you have taken Ai Hinatsuru from a complete novice and transformed her into a formidable opponent in a very short time. As one who also has a young girl in her care, I admire your prowess.”

“Do you …… really think so?”

I won’t deny that Shogi players have a knack for beating video games, and many of us are gamers. A few have done collaborations with games in the past.

Recently, one player took the stage in a game called werewolf and others have uploaded footage of themselves playing video games on the Internet. If I remember right, Ayumu Kannabe 6-dan is really into one of those deck-building card games and he’s good enough at it to turn pro ……

I’m happy to be recognized for my teaching skills, too.

A lot of it is trial and error with me trying to figure out how to develop the talent Ai Hinatsuru already has, but all the hard times are worth it in the end.

“But, something just doesn’t feel right about this.”

“Now, now, Sensei. You’ve already taken the time to come to Kobe. At least read the synopsis before making your decision.”

“I suppose ……”

I sit down on a rather expensive-looking sofa and take the papers Akira hands me.

The title on the first sheet in the pile is–––.

I think I’m going to be sick ……

“This game is revolutionary. Prepare yourself. The story and the real world …… are conjoined into one!”

“…………”

“Using the smartphone’s GPS, young girls randomly appear on side streets and vacant lots.”

“…… And? What do you do with these girls?”

“Capture them by throwing a ball-like device.”

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOPE–––––––––––––––––––––––––––!!!!”

I jump up from the sofa making a big X with my arms. That’s strike one.

Akira doesn’t seem to agree.

“Huh? And just what is unacceptable?”

“Where do I begin?! Problems are bursting out all over like an overstuffed doughnut!! Scrap the thing, now!!”

“The original concept was to capture them using a van rather than a ball.”

“You can’t be serious?!”

“In pursuit of realism.”

“Waaaaay too real! Police will get involved!”

You’ll end up on the news!

“Indeed. Those concerns did arise, which is why we changed the capturing method to a ball instead. Other game features include hatching young girls from eggs by walking–––.”

“Hatching?! These girls hatch from eggs?!”

“They do. We explored many concepts, but this seemed to be the most reasonable method. As children playing this game is a possibility, we thought more realistic means would be too grotesque.”

Oh?

This is more grotesque if you ask me.

“B-But …… Who is the game for? I don’t think normal people would consider rounding up a bunch of little girls to be fun ……”

“Extra girls can be put on standby in a hotel.”

“…………”

“Furthermore, once a large number of the same young girl have been acquired, they can be sent to a facility to become lollipops. Giving these lollipops to the girls you want to raise will help them evolve into even stronger young girls!”

“What exactly does stronger mean in this case?”

“They become smaller and more adorable.”

That’s not evolution. It’s regression.

“For adult players who find it too time-consuming, they have the option to purchase young girls.”

“Oh HEEEEEEEELL NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!”

“What’s wrong, Sensei? You seem riled up.”

Word choice! Word choooice!!

“Please, get rid of the purchase thing right now!”

“And how do you propose we make a profit without micro-transactions?”

“Then come up with something more appropriate! Like maybe …… allowance or something like that ……”

“Isn’t that a far more dubious choice for the word?”

“Crap, you’re right! But, seriously, anything sounds dubious if you’re combining money with little girls!”

That’s two strikes. I’m so close to bailing.

“In that case, why don’t we have users purchase orbs instead? That way, they can trade the orbs for the young girls or power up items. Would that be acceptable?”

“Well …… In that case ……”

That just makes the suspect transactions harder to track, the same logic as money laundering.

It has the slightest … teeny tiny chance of getting by, but ……

If enough effort goes into fixing that problem, the game just might make it to release. So long as something else doesn’t deliver the strike out first ……

“So? What’s the gameplay system like?”

“Users visit parks and schools, so-called Loli-Stops–––.”

“Strike three! YOU’RE OUT!!”

I crumple up the papers in my hand and hurl the mangled ball straight into the trash. I put so much heat on it that my right leg flies over my head as my right arm sweeps over the floor.

That’s three strikes. Game, set, match. Put this game on ice.

“But why? There is a very real issue with pointing cameras at actual young girls, but no such issues exist in virtual reality, correct?”

“The thing would literally draw all the pervs right to schools and parks!!”

Just thinking about what a swarm of creepy old guys standing outside of a grade school with their smartphones out would look like is enough to know this game would get absolutely destroyed online. It wouldn’t have a prayer.

“Just no, okay?! Release something like this and every single organization in the country will hound you to shut it down from day one!”

“Mgh …… I thought it would become a trend.”

It’ll be a trend all right.

A trend of the very bad kind!

Akira seems to have another argument ready. She puckers her lips for a moment before trying it out.

“If, per se, this game were to help shut-ins leave their homes and work their way back into society, wouldn’t that be good for everyone involved?”

“Lolicons should not be let out of their homes, ever.”

“Hearing you say it, you may have a point.”

Looking slightly dejected, Akira places her own stack of papers into the trashcan and says, “And now to the main proposal. This is the reason I called you here today.”

“What the …… Seriously?! Akira, lead with that one, will you?”

“Hahaha. Sorry, I just wanted to surprise you.”

“Oh, you prankster. Hahaha!”

The air clears right away.

That totally insane proposal had to be what people in this business call a throwaway plan.

Whenever they have a proposal they absolutely want to get accepted, bringing up a totally hopeless proposal first to help lower the bar makes it easier for the main proposal to pass. Aren’t I well-informed? It’s a good thing I did some research before coming.

“And? What is this next game about?”

“It’s a rhythm action game.”

“Another one that has nothing to do with Shogi ……”

I’m really beginning to wonder why I’m here …… Well, I was already clueless when Lolicon GO came up, but still ……

Wouldn’t Master Kiyotaki be better for this? He’s always playing something on his phone these days and he’s at least challenged the Meijin twice.

With so many unanswered questions on my mind, I turn to Akira and ask, “And? What’s the title?”

“Loli-Live!”

Too direct ……!

“Other names like Child Master were up for consideration, but it’s that kind of musically oriented game.”

“I get the idea. Not much of one, but an idea.”

It’s better when the title makes the game content obvious.

Loli-Live will be much easier for customers to consider picking up.

“Actually, I’ve already had several character models constructed for this project. Therefore, it would be much faster to show you this video than have you read the synopsis.”

“Oh?”

Akira types a few things into her laptop before turning it around to show me the screen.

It draws me in immediately.

There’s a little girl in a dress walking around, but she looks so real.

“Whoa …… What a cute one!”

The girl on the screen is just so adorable the words spill right at my mouth.

She must be, I don’t know, five?

She’s small but I can tell she has a really strong personality, the type I like.

“Go away, stupid head!”

“It’s time to play horsey. You are my horsey, so crawl on all fours!”

“Y-you’re nothing special, okay? I’m just playing with you!”

A tiny little lisp, but so commanding. There’s so much charm to her. Talk about a heartthrob.

But, this girl looks familiar ……

“She looks a lot like Ai Yashajin, don’t you think? Her face for sure, but her voice and subtle movements line up pretty well.”

“That’s because this is my lady.”

“Huh?”

“This character model was built using her pictures from kindergarten as a reference. Her movements were all designed based on home videos taken at the time. Of course, the voice segments are audio recordings of my lady’s voice from back then.”

“W-Why would you come up with something like this?!”

“But of course, because I want to nurture my lady at any time, any place!” she declares, clenching her fist.

Oh boy ……

I should’ve known this person was too far gone ……

“The inspiration behind this game was when I was waiting for my lady to return from elementary school, thinking Ahh, I can’t wait to see her again …… I can’t wait to tease her again …… and began playing a rhythm game on my phone to pass the time. The idea came to me when I realized the game would be perfect if my lady were a playable character.”

“That’s just what you want, don’t you think ……?”

Then again, games that catch on typically cater to what people want.

I look back at the screen and take a moment to observe Lady Ai Yashajin in virtual reality.

“Don’t lean in with that gross face! Stupid head!”

“…………”

The girl snaps at me the moment my nose got close to the screen.

Yep, this is Ai Yashajin alright. Not friendly at all ……

But, at the same time, watching her warm up to me little by little and do what I ask even while complaining, closing the distance bit by bit …… I might get hooked.

Hmmm ……

This might ……

“Honestly …………………… You might have something here!”

“I just knew you would understand!”

Smack! Our hands come together in a hearty handshake.

I mean, can you blame me? That’s too damn adorable.

Even that proud, domineering Lady Ai Yashajin used to be this cute and innocent ……

And, thinking I can raise her any way I want ……

Dress her in any outfit, have her sing any song or teach her to dance ……

“Just, wow!! This is amazing!!”

After going through hell trying to figure out how to interact with her, thinking up all these little details …… No! The possibilities are endless!

“Akira! This will sell!”

“Of course it will! My lady can monopolize the entire market! She shall reign supreme!!!!!!!!! My lady, my lady, MY LAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADDDDYYYYYYYYYY ––––––.”

“Relax!! Okay?! Just … just take a deep breath!!!”

Akira got so excited that blood (–) starts dripping out of her nose. Hastily stuffing tissues into her nostrils, she asks between shallow breaths.

“S-Sensei …… What do you say? Will you work with me to create the perfect game?”

“…… Alright. Akira, I will join you.”

“Let’s do this.”

“Let’s do this.”

That’s how it went.

“Sensei. Are you certain you can put off your Shogi research?”

“I can research Shogi any time. But little girls can only be loved while they’re little.”

“You truly are scum of a human being, Sensei …… But, that’s what I like about you.”

Exchanging a grin and laughing with our eyes, our hands never stop moving. There wasn’t a single second to waste. Because, seriously, girls grow up ……

Development hit every wall imaginable!

We’d design the game, discuss what it was about Ai Yashajin’s behavior that really tugged at the heartstrings, make tonjiru pork miso soup, argue about what outfits we could make Ai wear that would get the most enthusiastic response, design more of the game, make more soup, throw punches at each other trying to decide Ai’s best icy rebuke, make more soup and mend fences …… Neither of us took a single step outside the office for days.

We came so close to disaster many times–––.

“Damn it! I can’t decide which school backpack suits my lady the best!”

“I found it, Akira! This year’s backpack catalog!!”

“Well done, Sensei!”

But we always managed to find the decisive move to turn the tables back from the brink!

Making video games is just like Shogi. You have to be gritty, stubborn and strong. So long as you consistently strive to find the best move, even the problems that seemed impossible can be solved!

Then, at long last–––.

“…… The Master App!”

It must’ve been quite a few days after we started working ……

I’d lost all track of time after many sleepless nights and hours and hours of hard work had left me in a daze.

It all became worth it the moment I saw the game on the screen in the early morning sunlight …… It’s the same feeling of accomplishment I get when I win a match … no, that I got when I claimed my title.

“As soon as this goes live ……”

“We will, no doubt, revolutionize the mobile gaming industry ……!”

The two of us share a strong handshake.

The game we’ve created is perfect. There aren’t any weak spots no matter how you look at it.

We went with the title Ai-dle Master (temporary) so that it would catch customers’ eyes while putting Lady Ai Yashajin in the spotlight.

We fixed the time and budget problems by making her the only playable character.

To make up for it, the outfits, songs and physics engine are all extraordinary.

We hired the best loli-style illustrator money could buy to design all the outfits, included music from rock ‘n’ roll to J-pop to nursery rhymes, anything people would think a little girl singing would be cute is in this game. Absolute perfection!

Opening up my smartphone, I say, “Preorders are already flowing in! Putting that demo video up on Twitter sent her adorableness all around the globe …… This is going to change the world.”

My fingers tremble scrolling through the comments on Twitter.

Fingers that don’t even flinch during big matches, trembling ……

Akira starts suggesting possibilities for our next project.

“Profits from this game will allow us access to the newest technologies, so let’s attempt to develop a virtual reality game! I will create an environment where full interaction with my lady in 3D will become a reality!!”

“Holy! You are something else, Akira! Just, wow!”

Just imagine how many people would never go outside again if we made that?! The thing would churn out lolicons by the hundreds!! It would be like anime-based natural selection!!

Are we …… charging right toward a lolicon Pandora’s box that should never be touched ……?

“I can see it now! All that remains is receiving my lady’s permission for release. Let’s go at once!”

“Say what?”

My voice jumping up a full octave, I turn to Akira in disbelief and ask just to make sure.

“Huh? Hold up. …… You haven’t gotten the okay from Ai …… yet?”

“Obviously. Informing her of this project beforehand would do nothing but spur anger and rebuke.”

G-Good point ……!

“Huuh? Why did you make this disgusting thing without asking? Take responsibility for this and die.”

I can just see her saying something like that.

Hm? Wait.

The thought didn’t cross my mind when we were in the zone, but …… Is this checkmate?

“Why are you so anxious? We have created a perfect rendering of my lady in digital form!! She will surely see that for herself! Yes?!”

“You …… could be right!”

Ahh! What was I so worried about?

Our devotion and enthusiasm would never come through on a synopsis.

That enthusiasm has been made into something physical …… I just know Ai will understand!

From the very second we showed her the game, Ai glares at it like finding puke on the street and gives us a piece of her mind.

Akira collapses, coughing up blood.

Rushing to her aid on the floor, I plead with Ai to see things our way.

“D-Don’t …… be so hasty, Ai! For Akira and I, for every person around the world who has a soft spot for little girls, this is a dream come true!”

“Gross. Take responsibility and die.”

“……………”

Sliced right down the middle, what’s left of me shrieks in silence. Akira is face down on the floor, a puddle of blood steadily growing around her head like a rising sun ……

We went a little overboard okaying things in development, thinking let’s do something big! and jumping right in, but …… Now that I’ve got a chance to think about it rationally, using an actual little girl’s private videos as the basis for a video game is beyond creepy ……

“You’re going to delete every single file, got it?”

Ai also demanded that Akira also destroy all the pictures and videos she had in her possession, but the two of us got on all fours, bowing so low that our heads nearly went through the floor to convince her to let Akira keep them.

“…… She sure did.”

A few days later.

Akira and I are sitting side-by-side on a bench in Harborland, an area just a stone’s throw south of Kobe Station, and reminiscing about the whirlwind that was our time working on the game while watching ships set sail.

After incurring Ai’s wrath, Akira’s company is in a deadlock.

They moved out of the office building and deleted all the data just as she was told …… It’s all gone like a popped bubble in the middle of the ocean ……

“…… However, this might be for the better.”

“Huh?”

Why ……?

I ask her with a glance and Akira mumbles while watching the ship disappear beyond the horizon.

“When I first dreamt …… Cough, cough! E-Envisioned that game, my lady had shut herself off from the outside world.”

“Ah ……”

Once she said it, it clicked.

Once Ai’s parents passed away …… She became obsessed with playing Shogi by herself after that.

“However, my lady has been much more apt to show emotion as of late.”

Akira tells me how Ai getting angry is actually a good thing.

“Compared to the time when her parents were living, it doesn’t happen nearly as often. Nevertheless, seeing her so passionate, even in anger …… makes me happy to see.”

“Akira ……”

Memories start coming back to me.

The day I first sat across the board from Ai. All the trips the three of us made to New World. Ai’s Practice League Entrance Exam when she fought against both Keika and Ai Hinatsuru.

The joy on her face when she won a match and the pain when she lost.

There are certain things you just can’t experience without sitting across from a real opponent.

Shogi is reintroducing her to the emotions she could never experience playing all by herself …… Just like when her parents were teaching her how to play when they were alive.

Her not showing any interest in this game … is because Shogi is all she thinks about now, and that’s something to be happy about.

“So …… Thank you, Sensei. I’m glad to know that my lady is in good hands.”

“…… Thanks.”

This kind of top-player work might still be a bit too much for me. My first attempt definitely ended in failure.

But I can’t fail in my job as Ai’s Master. I have to raise her the right way.

When it comes to that, no matter how difficult things get, no matter how many people tell me to give up …… I’ll never throw in the towel.

Not until the day she’s a full-fledged Women’s League member in her own right.

Until the day she laughs for real, not some fake simulation in the game.