The work of the Go master

Uniforms, colossal cruise ships, and threats from the distant deep sea... it all seems like a science fiction epic, a collaborative effort to conquer a distant threat.

Like I said before, if this kind of ship were in Detective Conan, it would sink.

If we consider the strategic and intellectual aspects of this game, it should be like the Hope from "Gambling Apocalypse".

Although it is called Hope, it is actually a place of despair. Countless people have fallen from hope into hell, but some people have turned their lives around and been reborn from the brink of despair.

"We've finally come this far," Ke Zhiguang said, turning around, suddenly feeling like it was the final episode of a single season of an anime.

His gaze swept across the faces of each of his teammates, and their expressions, washed by the rain, were particularly heartwarming.

They all wore the same excited expression as Ke Zhiguang.

"I always feel that competing on a ship like this might lead to some unexpected trouble, especially with someone like you around," Xingcai muttered to herself.

As if reminded, Shikamaru gave Koji a wary look: "Yeah, this guy plays chess with weird things all day long, maybe this time too..."

"Good to know, good to know. Can you swim? If you can't swim, you can use your own buoyancy. If it's Harushima, remember to hold on tight to Hoshino, she can help you stay afloat."

"What do you mean?" Harushima Shika asked in surprise.

Xingjia nodded obediently: "Yes, I know. I will give half of the buoyancy to Long'er."

She gently lowered her chest, demonstrating the buoyancy.

"Go away! I don't need your buoyancy. See these two ponytails of mine? I can take off right here. Then kneel down and beg me to take you! Humph!" Harushima Kaguya huffed and twirled her ponytails, creating a small windmill.

Although from her perspective it looked like she was simulating a helicopter propeller, Ke Zhiguang thought it was more like he was driving his own car.

"Senior? You've now learned to tell dirty jokes in public?" Xingcai gave her a look full of disapproval.

"Ahem, what I mean is that girls are all made of water, and Qingdao... has high defense. Although she is very light, her density may be slightly higher. Remember to bring her with you when you come." Ke Zhiguang spouted contradictory scientific evidence.

Although asking everyone if they can swim was a joke, considering that this cruise ship could really capsize, swimming is indeed an essential skill.

Ke Zhiguang and Xingjia exchanged glances. Among the entire team, only he and his partner knew the consequences of losing this round.

Xingjia smiled kindly, as if to say no problem.

I don't know if her "no problem" means she can swim or that even if she capsizes, it'll be fine, since Yagami Kunikyo is there to back her up.

It could also mean that there is absolutely no chance of failure.

"Hey, what are you guys talking about? What's with all this talk about whether it's going to float or not? Is it some kind of stock market rally?" Duanzi, who had been talking to other teams, suddenly turned around and asked.

"This... cough cough, Duan Sang, if the boat suddenly sinks during this race, do you have the swimming ability to save yourself?" Ke Zhiguang asked in a serious tone.

Bamboo Blade confidently pointed his thumb at himself: "So that's what you're talking about. Don't worry about that. When I was in Hokkaido, I often dived into the lake to fish alone. Besides, for a chess player, as long as you hold onto the chess piece tightly, you don't have to worry about not being able to float up!"

this......

Such a grand and righteous declaration makes Ke Zhiguang feel ashamed.

Say no more, I'll give you my clam shell, Ah Duan, use it to float to the surface!

Shi Quan stood by, holding an umbrella and smiling at them, like a guardian in the rain, watching over the new era.

A burst of cheers of "Go for it! You'll win!" came from the side, attracting Ke Zhiguang's attention.

That was a cheering ceremony for Yamaoka's group, which basically involved each person showing off their folding fans and joining them together.

Just like in Yu-Gi-Oh! DM, before going to the Pegasus dungeon, everyone puts their hands together to cheer each other on, which is called an impregnable wall of friendship.

"Hey, we can't lose to them either, we have to do this too!" Encouraged, Zhu Daoduan took the lead and drew out his folding fan.

"Well said, come on." Ke Zhiguang followed closely behind, and everyone took out their folding fans one after another, overlapping them in the rain, with lightning witnessing everything.

Ke Zhiguang was stunned when he saw the fan of the deer on the island.

That was the folding fan that Ke Zhiguang had temporarily given to Qingdaolu for protection during the last Nova Battle.

However, Harushima Deer also added some decorations to it, such as writing the Chinese characters "女流の第一人" (the first person of women) on it with a brush, and hanging a panda pendant on the back.

"Ahem, stop looking. This is the fan you gave me back then. I'm too lazy to buy a new one, so I'll just make do with this for now," said Harushima Shika.

"No problem, you can have that one."

Come to think of it, the chess master's fan in my hand was actually obtained from her.

Well, let's just consider it a replacement.

Ke Zhiguang turned his gaze to Shi Quan beside him: "Quick, you come too. If you don't have a fan, use your hand."

Shi Quan was taken aback: "Me too?"

"Nonsense, everyone knows that a team of five must have six members, just like the Four Heavenly Kings have five members," Ke Zhiguang said matter-of-factly.

Looking at the five people in front of him who were all looking at him, Shi Quan couldn't help but chuckle and scratch the back of his head.

"Then let's go!" A surge of excitement rushed through him.

He raised his hand and waved, sending the umbrella flying into the sky.

The sixth fan appears!

"Let's improvise our own slogans!" Ke Zhiguang shouted.

"come on!"

Victory is certain!

"Win the championship!"

"It is our duty to rebuild the glory of the chess world!" This is Ke Zhiguang's slogan.

"Killing the US is a victory!"

"Wait, who said the last one?" Harushima Shika suddenly looked up and found that the fan had suddenly turned into eight.

"Kumaki Sakura, Takami! How did you two sneak in here?!" she shouted angrily.

"Well, I saw you guys doing the pre-boarding ceremony and couldn't help but join in..." Xiong Ying said innocently.

"Go do it within your own teams! What are you trying to do, coming here to cheer us on? Are you trying to infiltrate our ranks?"

Yingmei calmly said, "Let's revise my slogan. It should be 'Stupid Bear Must Be Eliminated in the First Round'."

"Then I'll change it to: I'll win if I survive one more round than Takami!"

The lively pre-battle atmosphere spread among the crowd, with each team making preparations and chanting increasingly varied slogans.

Ke Zhiguang vaguely heard a declaration that killing him would be the only way to win.

Shi Quan looked around with satisfaction. The rain seemed to soften in his eyes, like a painting from his memories spreading out.

The younger generation has grown up and thrived.

As the temperature reached its peak before the battle, a jet-black Rolls-Royce, its headlights trailing behind it, made a high-profile entrance to the VIP passage, drawing everyone's attention with an almost imperceptible blast of rain.

The ninth-dan group has arrived.

Staff members dressed in black, holding umbrellas, approached the car and opened the doors on both sides. Five 9-dan Go players stepped out of the car with VIP treatment. Faced with such a grand reception, the reporters only dared to take pictures from a distance and did not dare to approach and hand them microphones.

Empress, Kiko Seinoka.

Xia Fuying, the director of the chess academy.

The only player to ever draw a ten-game match against Hannoken is Kitaba Kuranosuke.

The only player to have won all three major titles is Kuraemon Atomi, who is also a teacher of bamboo sword forging.

And... the one and only eternal dragon throne, Saito Sando.

These are all antique chess players, symbolizing the glory and pinnacle of a past era.

Many chess players doubt that they can no longer beat today's young players, which is why they are eagerly signing up to participate in the competition.

But it wasn't until they met them in person that these people realized they were wrong.

Some force pulled them back to their youth, or perhaps they never grew old and always maintained the vigor and vitality of their youth.

A team worthy of being a champion in any era.

Escorted by umbrellas, the 9-dan group ascended the steps leading to the ship, with a red carpet laid out along the way, making no attempt to conceal their privilege as VIPs and boarding the ship ahead of time.

As he reached the top of the steps, Saito glanced down instinctively and his eyes met those of Kazuki Hikaru.

Although there was a dense crowd of people and umbrellas below, this kid was easy to spot; you could spot him at a glance.

The two exchanged a smile, their unspoken understanding evident.

Saito's score is displayed as...120.

So that's what Yagami Kunikyo meant when he said he, Saito, and Koshikawa Tatsumi were very similar.

As for bond points, there's some with Saito.

As for the chess skill value, both my own and my opponent's should be off the charts, right?

Regardless of playing style or what one pursues in the way of chess, the final X should also be a high-digit number.

This makes Tatsumi Koshikawa even more anticipated.

After all the members of the Nine-Dan Group boarded the ship, the Dragon Palace was immediately powered on and lit up, instantly igniting more than 50 meters from bottom to top, making the entire cabin as brightly lit as a palace ball.

The stage was completed in an instant, holding up a pearl like a shell on the sea.

"All chess players, please board the ship in an orderly manner and check into your pre-assigned rooms," the announcer's voice came over the loudspeaker.

Bamboo Sword Forger said with lingering enthusiasm, "The opening was surprisingly ordinary. I thought the Dragon King himself would give a passionate speech in front of the searchlight before letting us board the ship."

Indeed, just mentioning it brings up the scene.

Ideally, they could also shout, "Welcome to my palace!"

This kind of...

The crowd began to move, heading up the steps towards the magnificent palace. The first thing they did upon boarding the ship was to throw off their raincoats, revealing chess player attire resembling evening gowns.

"That concludes my mission. Goodbye everyone, and best of luck." Shi Quan opened the umbrella again.

"Shouldn't we say goodbye next time at a time like this?" Ke Zhiguang's voice rang out behind him.

Shi Quan was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said, "Yes, see you next time, if fate allows."

After saying this final farewell, his frail body walked in the opposite direction of the crowd and disappeared at the entrance of the port.

Everyone watched his departing figure with a sense of loss. His appearance was inexplicable, and his departure was equally unreal, as if he had never existed at all.