Hikaru no Go: I taught you Go, and you made the Kisei cry?

"clatter!"

"clatter!"

……

The sound of computer-simulated chess pieces landing echoed continuously.

Soon, both sides had made over forty moves each, and with each move, White's situation became increasingly difficult.

Finally, after Black made his 46th move, a long silence fell over the Black side.

Meanwhile, the thousands of spectators watching the game were in an uproar:

"Seventy-six moves!"

"Black used only 76 moves to completely eliminate all of White's paths to survival... This SAI is quite strong!"

"That's really impressive. Could he be another account of THESAI?"

"Judging from their playing styles, they shouldn't be the same person. After all, THESAI's playing style is very aggressive, while SAI's playing style is slightly more feminine. Of course, both of them are very strong players."

"Look, White has resigned!"

With this reminder, everyone realized that after thinking for a long time, Bai Qi had finally clicked on the surrender screen.

"Yes! Sai, we won!"

Hikaru Shindo was visibly excited about his first online victory.

"Alright, Xiaoguang, we're only fifteen games away from our goal now, let's keep going!"

Unlike Hikaru Shindo's excitement, Sai remained calm throughout, knowing that this match was just a warm-up.

To surpass our goals, we must keep moving forward until we see the final glimmer of hope.

Before that, all they have to do is keep going.

Always.

Always...

Go! Get down!

……

Downstairs at the villa.

At this point, Akira Touya was reviewing the handicap game between Masao Kato and Hikaru Shindo, which had reached its final endgame stage.

Hey!

With Akira Touya manipulating the white stones, placing a "sticking" point in the seventh column and tenth row of the board, the game came to an end—

Stop it abruptly!

"Is it sticky...?"

Ogata Seiji stared intently at the chessboard before him, the cigarette in his hand long since burned out, the residual heat even reaching his knuckles, but he was completely unaware of it.

"After this move, neither side truly has any further moves left to make..."

Ogata Seiji took a deep breath, his eyes filled with utter shock:

"As expected of Kato 8-dan, even with a three-stone handicap, he still managed to force White into this situation. That pressing move, even if it were me, I probably wouldn't have been able to come up with it in such a short time."

"And, and that Hikaru Shindo... is he really only twelve years old this year?"

"His final move, connecting the stones, was a determined move, a move that aimed to kill the black stones on the spot, even at the cost of his own blood. This decisive and ruthless approach was simply a game-changer!"

"but……"

At this point, Ogata Seiji realized he had burned his finger with a cigarette butt, quickly stubbed out the cigarette, and continued:

"However, Black was given a three-stone handicap by Kato, and despite having more stones in the early game, Black failed to capitalize on that advantage, indicating a slightly immature playing style."

"However, it doesn't affect Hikaru Shindo's genius ideas."

"In short, he is indeed a very talented and promising person. Xiao Guang, you'd better watch out for him in the future."

After saying that, Ogata Seiji lit another cigarette and puffed away.

"Dad, what do you think of this game of chess?"

Akira Toya wanted to hear his father's opinion.

but.

He asked for a long time, but Touya Kouhiro did not answer. His gaze remained fixed on the chessboard in front of him.

a long time.

Kouhiro Touya picked up a white stone from the chess box and gently placed it on the chessboard.

Akira Touya and Seiji Ogata were engrossed in watching.

next moment.

Both of them paled in shock!

White, sixth column, third row...

Rush!

……

Chapter Sixty-Six: Xiao Guang, this move should... land here!

"rush?"

Ogata Seiji stared intently at the white chess piece that Touya Kouyo had placed on the chessboard, completely stunned and frozen in place for a long time.

For a long, long time.

He gasped deeply, leaning forward, his eyes filled with disbelief and horror!

"This move is simply beyond the realm of chess principles!"

"With the strength of a single soldier, and with the determination to die, he charged into the black formation... This, this..."

"Under normal circumstances, this would be an extremely risky move, but in this handicap game, the white piece's placement here has a fatal effect on the black piece, delivering a fatal blow!"

"It...it seized the speed advantage! And it turned that advantage into a fatal blow, piercing the heart of the black piece!"

"Next, regardless of whether Black tries to avoid the fight by jumping or to maneuver by blocking, this White piece remains like a persistent leech, relentlessly targeting the heart of Black's territory, rendering all subsequent maneuvers futile and useless..."

At this point, Ogata Seiji's right hand, holding a cigarette, trembled slightly, unable to suppress it.

"Was this step something that Kato-senpai had anticipated, or...?"

He looked up at the towering figure of Touya Yukihiro, as if gazing at a mountain, his breath catching in his throat under its weight.

"Or is this, teacher, the only glimmer of hope you found after seeing through the deadly abyss?"

Kouhiro Touya did not answer; from his deep, unfathomable expression, Seiji Ogata could not glean any information at all.

but.

Akira Touya, who hadn't spoken for a long time, murmured softly:

"No, this brilliant move that turned the tide of life and death was not Kato-sensei's deliberate plan."

"As a top-level Go player, Kato would never go easy on Shindo Hikaru after already giving him a three-stone handicap."

"Like us, he had a passionate pursuit of the way of Go. He would never allow himself to underestimate his opponents, much less treat a game that he might still have a chance of winning with arrogance!"

After Hikaru Shindo made that move, Kato-senpai pondered for a full ten minutes before finally announcing that the game ended in a draw.

"If one could see through this move, he wouldn't have given up such a brilliant move; it's a true masterstroke that turns death into life and breaks through the clouds!"

Akira Toya tries to analyze the situation step by step from Masao Kato's perspective:

"Therefore, there is only one explanation for this move that broke the deadlock."

"That is……"

"Neither side in the game, from the initial setup to the endgame, anticipated this move..."

"A desperate move!"

After speaking at length with a mix of emotions, Akira Touya bit his lower lip tightly, his chest heaving violently.

His gaze, seemingly filled with admiration yet also tinged with a hint of fear, fell upon Touya Kouyo.

“My father… is just like Su Ran.”

"They, they all saw that move, born from the brink of death, yet transcending everything—the ultimate killing move!"

"It is a supreme realm that even Hikaru Shindo and Kato-senpai cannot imagine or reach."

"My father's achievements are the result of years of defeating countless opponents and studying tens of thousands of games, but Su Ranjun..."

"Again...again, why is it possible...?"

Just as Akira Touya clenched his fists, a series of turbulent waves surged in his heart.

On the chessboard.

Touya Kouhiro also furrowed his brows, his hands hidden inside the wide sleeves of his kimono, his eyes flashing slightly.

His sharp eyes, quick yet extremely cautious, scrutinized the entire chessboard.

This game of chess...

It seems like I always feel that way.

In some place, there is still a glimmer of—

The meaning remains unfinished!

That point is more powerful and aggressive than this "sticking" move! It's a point where one can rise from the brink of death, a point where one draws the sword at White!

Too……

Kato-senpai, there's one thing you just can't resist, no matter what!

White has the speed advantage, but Black also has the advantage of having more pieces!