Chapter 466

"What on earth is that idiot Natsume-kun doing?!"

"Tanabe's promoted Rook is about to come out, why hasn't he pulled his Gold back to defend, and is still moving outward?!"

Beside him, Araki Yuai stared at the live stream screen, unable to suppress her rising anger, and slammed her clenched fist hard onto the tatami mat beneath her!

"Bang!"

The muffled sound startled Yasui Ryoto and advisor Nomura Tomohiro beside her, causing them to instinctively hug each other.

"Natsume-kun, you idiot!!"

"Isn't doing this just asking for death?!"

Advisor Nomura Tomohiro immediately realized his loss of composure, quickly let go of Yasui Ryoto, coughed twice awkwardly, and tried to calm their emotions with rational analysis:

"Ahem... actually, regardless of tactics, from a comparison of raw strength, Natsume-kun is already weaker than Tanabe-kun."

"Even if Natsume-kun used the most restrained long-game style to respond... the final result would likely remain the same."

"After all, Tanabe-kun knows best that defensive play is his nemesis, and he has long studied various strategies."

"This point, you two who have played him countless times... should know better than anyone, right?"

Yasui Ryoto and Araki Yuai heard this and looked at each other, their pent-up impatience deflating like a pricked balloon, turning into a helpless sigh.

Yeah... in terms of strength gap, even if Natsume-kun used defense, he would likely lose anyway...

Yasui Ryoto dropped his shoulders and whispered as if to comfort himself:

"Regardless... Natsume-kun has at least broken even."

Araki Yuai murmured in agreement, as if trying to convince herself:

"Right... a small profit is a win. Being able to reach the third round is already quite good."

In the apartment, the Kondo family.

The daughter had gone to school, and the husband had gone to the company to work.

At this moment, only Kondo Miyuki was home.

She sat alone on the living room sofa, leaning forward, staring intently at the "New Talent Shogi Tournament" being broadcast on the TV screen.

Listening to the commentator's analysis and watching the heart-stopping, crazy offensive between Natsume Chikage and Tanabe Yuto.

Seeing Natsume Chikage so "recklessly" fall into the opponent's rhythm, she couldn't help but feel truly anxious, calling out softly to the screen:

"Natsume-kun, what are you doing! His Rook and Bishop are pressing up, and your King is still in its original position, it's too dangerous! Change your strategy quickly!"

But after calling out, a sense of helplessness rose in her heart.

She knew very well that Natsume-kun had basically not played shogi for long, and his experience in official matches was even more lacking.

Being able to win two rounds in a row to enter the third round was already a miracle combining luck and 'strength.'

Now, being led by the nose on the field and trying to fight head-on using the opponent's most proficient method—this actually fits the mindset and common mistakes of a novice player very well.

After all, novices are often like this: lacking a global view, easily attracted by the local fighting in front of them, and eager to eat the opponent's pieces for simple exchanges.

This kind of "thoughtless" fighting is almost a necessary path for a novice's growth.

And on Tanabe Yuto's side, although he also uses speed-attacks, he is a "specialist."

Your side, however, is a "novice wandering in."

As time goes on, the advantage Tanabe Yuto accumulates will only grow like a snowball, and in the end, the one who suffers a big loss will definitely be the one with insufficient experience!

Natsume-kun, wake up, realize the problem quickly, and switch to defense!

She prayed silently in her heart.

City Hall, a department office.

Kondo Masasuke held a high position within the civil service system.

He sat alone in front of a spacious desk, dealing with today's documents on the computer screen.

In the gap between typing on the keyboard, he suddenly remembered—that kid Natsume Chikage's shogi match, was it this morning?

His fingers paused on the keyboard, he thought for a moment, then moved the mouse and clicked on the official website of the "New Talent Shogi Tournament."

Entering the live stream page.

As soon as it finished loading, the most prominent position in the center of the screen was the match between Natsume Chikage and Tanabe Yuto.

Kondo Masasuke didn't understand shogi at all, so he plugged in his earphones, intending to hear how the professional commentators evaluated it.

Through the earphones came the clear analysis from the two commentators who were not optimistic about Natsume Chikage, unanimously agreeing that he would undoubtedly lose if he continued like this.

Hearing this, the corners of Kondo Masasuke's mouth couldn't help but pull upward, his heart filled with disdain:

Sure enough.

This kid is okay at playing games, but shogi? I'm afraid he can't even compare to his sister's toe.

Daring to participate in a competition with this level of skill is simply asking to be laughed at.

Being able to win two rounds and luckily breaking even with a small profit of ten thousand, you should be secretly happy.

As for wanting to win later?

Save it.

A child's play-like chess skill, not worth evaluating.

And just at this moment.

Someone came to the door.

Someone needed him to go out and handle some business.

Kondo Masasuke didn't have time to close it, so he followed his subordinate to handle the matter.

Anyway, the outcome was without suspense, no need to watch further.

He intended to come back and close it after handling the matter.

Inside the shogi arena, Table No. 10.

Tanabe Yuto and Natsume Chikage continued the ultra-fast rhythm since the start, pieces rising and falling like a blitzkrieg without smoke.

On the chess clocks of both sides, there was clearly an hour of ample time each, but not much had been used.

At first, it was indeed like this.

However, as the game deepened into the mid-game, the pieces on the board went through a fierce exchange, and the formation became thin and sharp...

I don't know from which move it started.

On Tanabe Yuto's side, the interval between pressing the clock began to slow down at a speed visible to the naked eye.

He was no longer that thoughtless offensive machine, and began to stare at a seemingly irrelevant empty square on the board after Natsume Chikage made his move, falling into a brief, brow-knitted contemplation.

Looking at Natsume Chikage, he still maintained that amazing, smooth, extreme speed since the start of the match!

His gaze was like lightning, sweeping across the board, his slender fingers precisely pinching a Knight seemingly located in the corner, without a hint of hesitation—

Crossing over the pieces in front, landing in a seemingly remote position!

"Clack!"

The crisp and decisive sound of the piece landing was exceptionally clear in the relatively quiet arena.

Watching that Knight land in a position that could neither attack directly nor was far from the main battlefield.

Tanabe Yuto's expression, which was slightly solemn due to contemplation, suddenly became even stiffer.

An indescribable, cold sense of incongruity had quietly crawled up his spine at some point.

No!

Something feels wrong!

That Knight's position...

A voice deep inside Tanabe Yuto's heart was sounding a sharp alarm: if he continued to be led by the nose by the opponent in this high-speed offensive, he faintly felt a vague but real crisis.

But he exhausted his vision, calculating his offensive route and the squares for the opponent's King to escape, yet he couldn't see where the obvious loophole on the board was.

After all, he was still at an advantage.

If it continued along this trend, the scales of victory seemed to still be tilting toward him.

So—Tanabe Yuto forcibly suppressed the trace of unease in his heart, calculated the next move, and moved the Gold in his hand to a position that could both defend the flank and support the offensive on the front line.

However.

Just as his piece landed, the moment his fingers hadn't completely left the piece.

Natsume Chikage opposite him, without any pause, had already pinched the Bishop that was already in position, and with a diagonal, sharp straight line, landed it on the other end of the board with a "clatter"!

This move not only blocked the Dragon's offensive route but also instantly formed a hidden and fatal connection with the previously seemingly isolated Knight and the Rook entrenched in the center!