Cherish the time

Japanese chess academy.

This is the largest chess academy in Japan.

Twice a year, the selection of professional chess players in the Honshu area is held here.

Send carefully selected fresh blood to the Professional Chess Federation.

The best chess players selected after two rounds of preliminary selection and main selection will become professional chess players officially registered by the Nippon Ki Academy that year.

Today is August [-]th.

The second day of the professional chess player qualifiers.

For Shinichiro Ikado, it was a day of nightmares.

And if he can't recover from the shock and frustration of this game in a short time——

Then today, perhaps... could also be the end of his professional chess player exam.

In today's game of chess, Shindo Hikaru took the black and moved first, and the first move was placed on the upper right corner of Xiaomu - it was an ordinary opening.

At this time, Yi Jiao was in a pretty good mood.

He felt that he was in a good state today, and he might be able to play a good game.

But less than half an hour after the start, the confidence he had at the start was gone.

The attack from the blond boy was fierce and decisive, every step went straight to the vitals, like a tyrannical dragon, devouring all his vitality alive——!

Fine beads of sweat oozed from the tip of Yijiao's nose.

But he didn't realize it.

The slender fingers picked up the cold chess piece skillfully, and put it down on the chessboard calmly.

Only he himself knows how much his heart has been impacted.

After lunch yesterday, Kazuya and him emphatically mentioned Shinto Hikari, and told him very seriously: This may be the most difficult opponent to defeat in this professional exam—more difficult than defeating Taya Ryo.

He heard it and felt that He Gu was exaggerating.

After all... who is Taya Ryo!

That's the son of Master Taya!

Family background, outstanding talent, and studious, can hone such amazing skills in such a short age.

But what about Shinto Hikari?

Not to mention family learning, even the name itself failed to awaken the slightest impression in his mind - it can be seen how unknown this guy is.

The longer people who have learned Go, the more they understand that Go is not something that can be mastered in a day or two. It needs years of precipitation, continuous play against others, and the need to find that point in every move...

An opportunity called "Enlightenment".

It is because he understands this that even though he has heard from Kazuya how amazing the strength of this child named "Shindo Hikari" is, he still has doubts.

——After all, in the same era, the probability of two geniuses appearing is really...

too small.

——And, still an unknown genius...

But such doubts were completely shattered today.

——He never thought that there would be such a person who could master such an outstanding chess skill at the young age of 12.

——He never thought that there could be a person who could completely destroy his confidence in Go with a game of chess.

On the opposite side, Shindo Hikaru seemed to see through his struggle, followed him and gently dropped another sunspot.

Heizi was close to the left side of Baizi who had just landed, and Yijiao seemed to see a giant black dragon biting his neck tightly, and the bloody "puchi" sounded softly in his ears.

Fingers poke into the chess box and pinch the cold chess pieces.

Then let go dejectedly.

Yijiao lowered his head.

He heard his own voice ringing in his ears, "I surrender."

Sitting across from him, Shinto Hikaru let out a long sigh of relief.

He hadn't seen Zuo Wei carry out such a unilateral massacre for a long time, like a cold blade that had been frozen for thousands of years, but just after it was unsheathed, one could feel the chill that pierced the bone marrow.

Let him, who had been in close contact with this game at close range, unconsciously hold his breath for a moment.

"Thank you for your advice." Shindo Hikaru put his hands on his knees and lowered his head.

The golden forehead hair fell loosely, revealing a little youthful atmosphere for no reason.

Such a scene was even more cruel in the eyes of Yi Jiao on the opposite side.

Yes…

real…

The one who beat himself...but that's one...

Sentimental teenagers.

Fujiwara's eyelids drooped.

He saw the fingers of the black-haired young man tightly clutching the edge of the box, and the bulging veins on the back of his hand.

It seems to see myself who was hesitant, dissatisfied and angry because of losing chess so many years ago.

——Thousands of years have passed, the sea has changed, and things have changed.

He has lost his body, lost his existence.

Only the soul rests on this chessboard, between black and white.

He could no longer feel the excitement of tingling scalp and bristling hair, nor could he feel the unbearable excitement of his heart beating and blood rushing to his brain.

——but still uncontrollably, excited and trembling with all my might.

Since his rebirth, he has been playing chess with Xiao Guang.

Xiao Guangna seems to have the same origin as him, but he has evolved in various ways. His chess skills that have been honed through thousands of years have brought him endless surprises and inspirations.

But when playing chess, they seem to be afraid of something...

Don't dare to do it.

The more time he played chess, the more he could feel it clearly.

Xiaoguang's attitude towards him is not like treating a friend or relative...but more like treating a treasured item, thoughtful, perfect and careful.

He didn't know the origin of this attitude. Once this kind of issue was involved, the always frank Xiaoguang would be evasive and refused to say more.

He didn't ask any more.

But this non-asking out of courtesy doesn't mean he doesn't care.

He is waiting, waiting for the day when Xiaoguang is willing to tell him.

Wait...the day when Xiaoguang can let go of everything and play chess with him without any scruples.

—and before that!

He will also hone his skills, just hope that when the time comes, he can do his best to——

Fight him!