The work of the Go master

It's already past midnight, and by all accounts, the day's activities should be over, but there's still a lot going on.

Of course, what Harushima Kashima was most concerned about was Koji Hikaru's match.

She carefully switched the channel...

Chapter Forty-Nine: A Flower in a Mirror and a Moon in the Water

The metallic buzzing sound echoed through the sea of ​​clouds, like the Zen-like sound of blacksmithing.

On the churning sea, two figures moved with each step, a flash of blade light emanating from each sidestep.

The sound of the cold wind echoed around the top of Tokyo Tower.

Under the pitch-black night sky, snowflakes danced in the air, and the overhead chandelier swayed, making an unsettling sound.

"10, 9, 8..." The mechanical countdown began, then was interrupted by a chess piece, and the pressure shifted to the other side.

"7, 6, 5..."

Another heavy blow from a chess piece, followed by the sound of a clock being slammed shut.

The chessboard is like a piece of ice placed on a turbulent, icy sea. Both sides want to occupy this ice floe and push the other overboard to become the sole survivor on the ice sea.

The current time is after 1 a.m.

Both sides' reserve time was reduced to zero, and they entered the countdown state early on.

This near-limit-limit countdown has lasted for nearly a hundred moves, with each move exhausting the one-minute countdown and creating an extra hour or so of play.

Even in the heart of Tokyo, people would have already turned off their lights and gone to sleep by this time, let alone on such a disastrous snowy night.

The lights of Tokyo Tower were also put on pause, and the towering beacon was suddenly shrouded in darkness... Many people have probably forgotten that an epic Go match was being held at its top. Even the most dedicated Go fans couldn't stand the monotony and were forced to turn off their TVs.

The scene was eerie, with ghostly lighting effects, as a game of chess slowly unfolded, with only two people's hands visible in the frame, and snowflakes occasionally drifting in.

It is predicted that this game of chess will become an urban legend in the future, serving as video material for countless paranormal content creators.

227 moves, ko take.

228 moves, looking for disaster.

229 moves, should be robbed...

Sparks from the swords danced between the two, illuminating their faces—faces that regarded each other as mortal enemies—again and again.

It was a closely contested match; both men were covered in bruises, like wanderers battling in the snow.

respite......

Ke Zhiguang and Ye Shenguo Kyoto temporarily halted their attack, widened the distance, and took a breather.

"Now only our game is left. The rest of the games should have ended long ago." Yagami Kunikyo looked into the distance. The moment they stopped fighting, the whole world fell silent.

Ke Zhiguang examined the chessboard.

The battle began simultaneously from the lower left and upper right of the board. Dead pieces were everywhere, and ko fights were broken one after another. So far, it is hard to say which side has the advantage. The only thing that can be said for sure is that this game will not go down to a half-point endgame battle.

Is this game, touted as the final battle, about to decide the winner...?

To be honest, Ke Zhiguang didn't really feel the reality.

Of course, he said this not because he felt he had the victory in the bag, but because he didn't really feel it in the literal sense.

Everyone has their own premonitions, especially in this era where fortune is everywhere, the effect of psychological suggestion is even stronger.

Looking back now, in those crucial battles, my heart would always race as each round was about to end, as if I could already sense the outcome of victory.

However, in this game, he did not sense any information about the outcome, did not know whether he had won or lost, and had no idea of ​​the consequences of losing.

What stood before him was not an unknown door, but a pitch-black vacuum, where time, life and death, and even the cause and effect of fate were swallowed up.

"It's time to end this bloodbath between us." Yagami Kunikyo spoke slowly, his white suit stained with blood, and his usually neatly combed hair was now completely disheveled.

Ke Zhiguang also assumed a stance ready for the final blow, his ears filled with the sounds of wind, snow, and his own heartbeat.

"I might as well tell you the answer." As Yagami Kunikyo said this, the chess piece was already ready at his fingertips.

What answer?

"Regarding the rewards for defeating you," Yagami Kunikyo said.

Ke Zhiguang's pupils narrowed slightly in tension.

Revealing the answer ahead of time... it's like a victory declaration. Perhaps Yagami Kunikyo has already figured out the way to win in this complicated situation.

At the same time, Yagami Kunikyo's chess piece had already been raised high.

Behind him, Nidhogg spread his wings, his lungs gathering breath.

That dark flame will erupt in a way that will shake the world.

"Go back to your original world, Koji Hikaru!" Yagami Kunikyo shouted.

Returning to the original world?

This shouldn't be some ordinary case of someone having their passport torn up and being deported, right?

Although now is not the time to complain, Ke Zhiguang still wants to say something... It seems that the original Moe King also used a similar sentence structure.

Ke Zhiguang's thoughts paused for a few seconds. Before he could think further, Yagami Kunikyo's chess piece was knocked down.

The moment the piece was placed, Nidhogg's breath also descended.

All sounds were erased, the scene shifted to slow motion, and the lines of everything in front of you were slowly peeled back, the colors faded, and the style became increasingly simple.

Not only that, but memories also flooded in from all directions.

From the moment he came into this world, he encountered chess games, met Shireshima Shika at his doorstep, participated in high school team battles, played in the Demon Dragon's game room, and received a three-stone handicap from Shixin.

Studying under Saito, facing off against the Four Heavenly Kings, defeating Yabu in the professional ranking tournament, reporting to the Go Academy, the rising star battle against King Ghidorah, and the night of the meteor shower.

A trip to Hokkaido, a snowy mountain temple, a famous general battling three heroes, boarding the Ryugu on a rainy night, a showdown between master and disciple, and Gatanothor's despair.

And then, right up until now, all those memories flooded back in an instant.

But the next instant, as if a television screen had gone black, there was a click—

Like a mirage, they were all turned off.

.....

.....

A ticking sound rang in my ears.

The rhythmic sound was like a heart monitor in an intensive care unit... Could I be lying on a hospital bed?

Ke Zhiguang woke up, but he didn't see the ceiling that was typical of hospital rooms.

Instead... it's the sunset outside the window, and the playground.

It looks like a school library.

"Hey student, wake up! The university library isn't a place for you to sleep." A clear and elegant girl's voice came from beside me, and I could feel her pushing me.

"To be honest, I'm so diligent and studious, it shouldn't be a problem if I take a nap on the library table, right?" For some reason, Ke Zhiguang just didn't want to get up, and he squinted his eyes again.

"But I haven't seen you reading a book. Instead, you've been scribbling on a notebook."

"Oh, I have graffiti?"

Ke Zhiguang subconsciously got up and looked at the other person with a puzzled expression.

A delicate girl's face came into his view.

It was a face with a Nordic flair, with white eyebrows and hair, and two ponytails that flowed down her back.

Ke Zhiguang and the other party just stared at each other.

I feel like I've seen this person somewhere before...

"Um... classmate, what's your name?" Ke Zhiguang rubbed his eyes, feeling as if he was wondering about something very important.

"My name is Alpha," the girl said politely.

"Alpha?" Ke Zhiguang was taken aback.

How should I put it? Is this name really suitable for a girl?

"The first letter of the Greek alphabet, α, means 'beginning,' and it's the initial letter that's often used in many STEM terms," ​​Alpha patiently explained.

"Are there foreigners at our school?" Ke Zhiguang's doubts continued to deepen.

“Of course, Tsinghua University is a world-renowned university, second to none on Earth, the pinnacle of the planet. What level were Yale, Harvard, and MIT at more than sixty years ago? That’s the level we are now,” Alpha said.

Oh dear, I almost forgot, I really am a student at Tsinghua University.

Ke Zhiguang slapped his forehead, feeling as if he had slept so much that he was completely out of it.

It seems I've forgotten something important.

This is a very, very important thing.

Ke Zhiguang shook his head, deciding to put the matter aside for now.

"Wait, Hayema ​​from over sixty years ago? What year is it now?" Ke Zhiguang was taken aback again.

"It's already 2086, my friend, or rather... I should use the format 6802, it would be easier for you to understand."

"Oh, sorry, I woke up feeling like I'd traveled through time." Ke Zhiguang covered his forehead again, and yawned a few times as well.

Indeed, it's already 2086. The US has long since collapsed. Yale, Harvard, and MIT are now just historical sites and tourist attractions. Harvard, in particular, is said to be haunted. Every night at four o'clock, people can see a large group of transparent students studying late into the night in the library.

In conclusion, the world is beautiful and peaceful.

But... I always feel like something is missing in my heart, my former comrades, partners, and loved ones.

Did such a group of people ever exist?

Even Ke Zhiguang is not entirely sure about this issue.

"So, Ke Zhiguang, you've been sleeping for so long, did you have any interesting dreams?" Alpha asked.

"Let me think about it..."

As if enjoying a pleasant moment, Ke Zhiguang yawned and sat down, paying no attention to Alpha's questions.