The work of the Go master

"Perhaps it's because of science. This era is not like ancient times. In ancient times, even after several hundred years, the scenery of the world would not change much. But now, it seems to be changing every day."

Upon hearing this, Dao Ce understood and smiled knowingly: "In another hundred years, the building in front of us will probably be several times taller, and then we will be able to enjoy the view from a higher vantage point."

“Yes, higher up.” Xiu Ce looked up at the night sky, imagining the view of Earth from space.

"I've finished my drink, so I'm leaving now." Yixin jumped down from the desk; only she dared to use Yagami Kunikyo's desk as a stool.

"Are you in such a hurry to leave?" Xiu Ce asked. Although he didn't like the other person, they had developed some bond and friendship over the time they spent together.

Even though he's a pervert.

Yixin's figure seemed to pause suddenly at the elevator entrance.

"This day will come eventually," she said unconsciously, before stepping into the elevator.

The elevator descended to the ground floor, where the convoy was already ready.

The stage in Tokyo gradually became grander.

Chapter 44 Total War Series

The chess piece fell from a great height!

Small eye, small eye, and more small eye. The last move still occupies the small eye position. The four staggered small eye positions occupy the four corners of the board, forming a unique windmill-like aesthetic.

"This is truly..." Ke Zhiguang sighed softly, almost choking on his laughter. "This is the countermeasure you devised against my 'Point 33'?"

The advantage of taking a small-scale approach is that you don't have to worry about being targeted by a specific enemy hero. This is similar to how, in esports competitions, when facing an opponent's signature hero, the most effective method is often not to spend a lot of time studying and countering them, but rather... to simply ban the hero with a flick of the wrist, a solution that can be resolved in a second.

Clearly, Yagami Kunikyo also understood this principle well.

"No, I already knew the general outline of your 33 point strategy yesterday. Now I'm more interested in seeing your other tactics... Is your arsenal sufficient?" Yagami Kunikyo responded to Koji Mitsuaki's silent smile with his eyes.

With the fifth move, Xiao Fei leaped out from the small eyes of Ye Shen Guo Jing, forming a beautiful carefree horn shape.

In traditional Go philosophy, it is the most solid way to defend a corner, like a small fortress, hence the name "worry-free corner".

But in the next instant, Ke Zhiguang made his move!

A white chess piece traverses the entire chessboard, hurtling straight toward the fortress!

It was a sharp attack that had never appeared in any previous game record, directly pressing diagonally above the small knight's move. The visual impact seemed no less than the star point collision and the three-three point from the day before yesterday.

Maintaining distance from the opponent's pieces at the beginning of the game is a fundamental principle of Go that has been around for thousands of years, an ironclad rule. However, after just two days of games, these ironclad rules seem to be crumbling and being broken one by one.

Is this the power of the gods? In the blink of an eye, they wiped out the achievements of humanity over thousands of years?

Yagami Kunikyo began a long period of contemplation in the early stages of the game. He unconsciously leaned his upper body forward towards the chessboard, rested his hands on the bridge of his nose, and half of his face was tinged with a pensive, ashen blue.

To be fair, this is the commander's signature move...

I'm so afraid it'll suddenly turn into EVA...

After a moment of contemplation, Yagami Kunikyo gently placed the chess piece down, and a melodious sound, like crystal hitting the ground, resonated across the chessboard... Only an expensive chessboard and chess piece could produce such a sound.

Yagami Kunikyo placed his piece steadily on the third rank, which was the most obvious response.

Jump!

Without even a second of thought, Ke Zhiguang deftly flicked his finger, and the chess piece he had just played leaped out like a butterfly, as elegant as a dart carrying deadly poison.

If there were commentators watching this game, they would be amazed by Ke Zhiguang's tactics. What seemed like an open close-quarters battle, contrary to the principles of chess, suddenly became clear and concise.

Unfortunately, the teammates who should have been in the chess academy, excitedly commentating on the games, have already gone to the battlefield. Only some elderly people with less skill are left to commentate on the games on TV. They said that although they couldn't understand the games from the day before yesterday and today, they were deeply impressed.

Yagami Kunikyo let out a deep breath and began to ponder again.

Nidhogg's figure remained hidden in the dark snowstorm, searching for an opportunity to strike.

Like fairies and demons, snowflakes sealed off this 250-meter-high exhibition hall. The figures of the two players playing chess were reflected on every piece of glass in the hall, as if dozens of games were being played at the same time.

At that moment, dozens of games were indeed in progress simultaneously, but not in this small observation deck.

Instead, the matches are spread across all 23 wards of Tokyo, with one match taking place in each ward...

"The Holy War of the Chess World! The official showdown between the Chess Academy faction and the Imperial City Chess faction!"

"A full twenty-three matches! A total prize pool of over four billion—who will claim it all!"

"Has the rules in the chess world changed now? Matches start at 4 PM and go on until midnight all the time. Who can stand that?"

On television, news about the chess tournament is bombarding viewers, and several helicopters have been dispatched to follow the cars carrying the chess players from the air.

To outsiders, it was almost like a Winter Olympics, its passion piercing through the cold winter and spreading throughout the city.

Bamboo Sword Forging was the first to arrive at the arena. His match was held in a luxurious old Japanese house in Koto Ward, which reminded him of the famous battles of that time.

He picked up his folding fan, straightened his suit and tie, and stepped into the mansion with the air of an adult. He walked through the snow-covered courtyard and arrived at the room where the match was being held. Shusaku was already ready at the chessboard.

"You've arrived so early? Are you already eager to hand over your head?" Bamboo Swordsmith slung his folding fan over his shoulder, revealing a disdainful look.

"Enough with the nonsense. I hope your performance on the chessboard will be as arrogant as your tone right now." Shusaku also showed the same expression.

After their boastful remarks, the two of them ripped open their suit jackets and threw them into the air. The teenagers' imposing manner put the surrounding judges to shame.

The raging flames shot into the sky, and Shura and the black dragon descended upon this world at the same time. Ke Zhiguang, who was far away on the other side, could see it all clearly.

After such a long time, Shura's appearance has become even more powerful, with ukiyo-e-like tattoos on its chest and back, and the blades held by its six arms reflecting silver light in the cold night.

His opponent, Shusaku, although he and Jowa were both ancient Go masters, his black dragon was clearly something from another dimension.

That was... a black dragon completely covered in armor, with a giant shield tightly gripped in its claws.

[Black Dragon of the Black Tortoise]!

Wow, its defense looks amazing! This iron turtle is so tough to eat!

This is understandable, as Shusaku's playing style is inherently defensive, emphasizing waiting for the opponent to attack.

“Shusaku’s moves are very solid.” Yagami Kunikyo suddenly spoke up, probably noticing that Koji Mitsuaki was daydreaming. “Sometimes, even I might not be able to see through his defenses.”

“I’m not worried about that. I know Brother Duan’s chess skills. Attacking… is precisely his strength.” Ke Zhiguang quickly pulled his thoughts back from his surroundings.

Just as he placed his piece, Shura roared on the battlefield a thousand meters away outside the window, six sharp beams spinning as they slashed toward the Black Dragon Xuanwu!

Although he couldn't see the game, Ke Zhiguang could roughly guess that, facing the so-called strongest ancient Go master in Japan, Duanzi-ge went head-to-head without flinching.

Another flame rose in the distance; that place was Shinjuku Ward.

The swift and fierce blade cleaved through the flames, then clashed with the black and gold tail, producing a mournful metallic sound.

Xuan Yu's Black Warrior!

His opponent was Dosaku, who also possessed the power of the Go Saint. His dragon form showed a completely opposite posture, with his whole body lightly armed except for his sharp and pointed tail!

【Swift Black Dragon】!

"Dao Ce's strength lies in the overall game. He pursues efficiency in every move, and his speed in playing is extremely fast. Therefore, I sent him to play in the rapid chess game, which happens to be Xuan Yu Zhi Shang's strength. I'm sure you won't have any complaints."

Not only the two of them, but more and more people have joined in. Hoshiki, Hikazeya and the others, each of their symbolic spirits have joined the battlefield, and Tokyo seems to be in complete chaos.

Perhaps this is the atmosphere of a final battle; everyone is on the same stage, and they can all feel each other's spirit and inspiration.

The night sky was illuminated by the roar of thunder! Scene after scene of a war of gods was unfolding in the city's inner sanctum!

......

.......

In a primary school in the Central District.

Although this is the bustling central district, elementary school students have to turn off the lights and go to sleep quietly at night.

But tonight is different, because a chess tournament will be held here.

The car took Harushima Shika to the school gate: "Harushima 9-dan, this is it."

"What? This is the final competition venue?" Harujima Kaka leaned out of the car window and was shocked when he saw the competition venue.

This is more than just an elementary school; the important thing is... this is the elementary school she used to attend...

Harujima Deer's eye twitched.

Wow, the parent-child program has continued all this time!

Harushima Shika got out of the car and looked at the familiar elementary school in front of her, letting out a helpless sigh.

To be honest, she didn't miss this place much. Last time she went out with her father and Ke Zhiguang, she did suggest coming here, but Qingdaolu rejected it.

But... does it really have absolutely no memories at all?

After the deer got off the bus, the special vehicle quietly drove away; its only task was to bring the deer here.

This match was similar to the main tournament of Yucheng Chess. There were no event organizers or media, only the two participating players. There were no referees, giving it a strong sense of being a shady, unofficial event.

Well, actually the entire Oshiro Go series is pretty amateurish, like a decision made on a whim by Yagami Kunikyo. If the Go world were to compile a history in the future, this year's tournament might very well be labeled with a name from unofficial history.

After a moment of random thoughts, Harushima Shika walked into the school. Although most of the lights were off, the lights at the main entrance and in the stairwell were on, as if waiting for a specific person.

Following the area illuminated by the lights, Shizuka Harushima arrived at the top floor, the classroom where she had once been.

After pausing for a long time at the door, she finally pushed it open and stepped inside.

"Hey, Dad, I'm here," Harishima Shika said to the house.

Yixin was sitting behind a desk, tilting her head to look at the snow scene outside the window.

The scenery here is completely different from that in the city center. The view is low and narrow, but it has a more lively and warm atmosphere, without the materialistic frenzy that comes with being surrounded by skyscrapers.

"Hey, Shika, you're finally here... How about it? Didn't expect that, did you? I actually chose this place for the competition." Isshin revealed a smug look. "Did a lot of memories from your student days come flooding back along the way? Did you even feel like calling all your old classmates back? Sorry, I did think about that, but then I thought better of it. After all, I don't even know who you're closest to anymore..."

Harujima Kashima shook her head, hands on her hips, eyes narrowed to slits: "No, I have absolutely no memory of it."

"Ugh, my heart aches! My carefully planned surprise has been ruined in an instant!"

The north wind howled outside the window, making the glass tremble and creating a strange, eerie feeling. Coupled with the silence inside the room, this sense of dread suddenly intensified.

Yixin began to seriously reflect on whether she had chosen the wrong place.

"Let's get started." Harushima Shika sighed softly, sat down in front of the chessboard, and casually pulled up a school chair to sit down.

Yixin was taken aback: "So soon, it's about to start?"

"Everything that needed to be said and done has already been prepared, and besides..." Harushima Shika took a few soft breaths, then suddenly changed the subject:

"Actually, I've recently gotten a dog again."