Chapter 476

And Furukawa Saio, who was snuggled up beside him, had a cute pride written all over her little face that said "you don't understand at all."

She had also dreamed of surpassing Big Brother Xia.

But after being mercilessly "educated" time and time again, and witnessing that bottomless, unfathomable strength with her own eyes...

She had long been completely convinced.

Now, her eyes were filled with nothing but longing and little stars of worship.

Being able to touch the edge of Big Brother's strength was enough to satisfy her.

As for surpassing him? She didn't even dare to think about it.

Therefore, she disagreed with the commentators' analysis a million times over.

In her view, the player named Morimoto Yūki had long since had the "star of death" representing defeat lit up behind him.

It was just that he himself, and the vast majority of people at the scene, were still oblivious.

Fukuda Tsukasa, sitting a little further away, also had a half-smiling expression.

Or rather, he was happy to see this "generally pessimistic" situation.

In his perception, Xia Xia Xia Mujun had always been a slacker whose "luck outweighed his strength."

Being able to slack his way to the fifth round certainly took some skill, but the luck factor could not be ignored.

After all, the opponents he had encountered before, strictly speaking, could not be considered real "tough nuts."

And today's Morimoto Yūki was a strong player with solid official rank certification.

In the shogi world, having a rank and not having a rank is a fundamental difference.

Not to mention that Morimoto was so young, came from a famous school, and had received systematic training since childhood.

He was a "school-trained" elite with pure roots.

Looking at Xia Xia Xia Mujun on the other hand?

Just a wild player who popped up from nowhere; he might have talent, but he took too many crooked paths.

If it weren't for those weird, strange, and dangerous moves that caught Asahina Akizuki and others off guard, he would never have made it here.

Therefore, in Fukuda Tsukasa's view, Xia Xia Xia Mujun drawing Morimoto meant his luck had run out, and even the gods couldn't save him.

The proof?

It's the situation on the board right now!

Where is Xia Xia Xia Mujun's previous storm-like offensive posture? Where does he dare to use those unorthodox evil moves?

Replacing them is an unprecedented steady and solid approach!

What does this mean?

It means Xia Xia Xia Mujun himself is feeling insecure! He knows there is a gap in hard strength between the two sides and doesn't dare to play with fire anymore!

Using those tricks again in front of a real expert like Morimoto would be courting death!

However...

Fukuda Tsukasa's brows suddenly furrowed slightly, feeling a trace of confusion.

This kid... since he's switched to a steady playing style, why is his speed of placing pieces still so fast?

Almost without thinking?

But he immediately felt relieved.

It's probably the early layout stage, where the changes are relatively fixed, so there's no need for long thinking.

Once it reaches the middle game and the situation becomes complex, it definitely won't be fast anymore.

He thought so firmly.

And Horikawa Kaori, sitting diagonally across from him, had a much more complicated mood.

If it were in the past, seeing Xia Xia Xia Mujun finally willing to use this solid and steady playing style, she would definitely have felt relieved, even breathed a sigh of relief.

Because Xia Xia Xia Mujun's previous shogi path, in her view, was truly too scary, every time it was like dancing on the edge of a cliff.

Playing shogi like this now is the right way, and it is the style a shogi player should have.

But when she actually saw this scene, she couldn't help but sigh softly in her heart.

She guessed the reason.

Xia Xia Xia Mujun... must have felt unprecedented pressure.

Facing an opponent of similar age whose rank, experience, and training all completely surpassed his own, he didn't dare to take risks anymore.

Thinking this way is correct.

Facing Morimoto Yūki and still daring to use those strange moves is indeed no different from suicide.

Asahina Akizuki, sitting beside Horikawa Kaori, bit her lower lip tightly, her beautiful eyes filled with worry.

She could also understand the changes on the board.

Xia Xia Xia Mujun had switched styles.

In her view, this was a clear signal—he had encountered an opponent he couldn't confront head-on and had to choose a more conservative strategy.

And she was clear about Morimoto Yūki's strength.

That was a strong enemy that even she felt difficult to defeat.

Xia Xia Xia Mujun wanting to win... is too difficult.

The faint flame of hope in her heart was dimming bit by bit under rational analysis.

She just felt that her beloved... was in trouble.

Tanabe Yuto didn't look at the game carefully at all.

He had determined from the beginning that Xia Xia Xia Mujun would definitely lose.

Therefore, regarding Xia Xia Xia Mujun becoming "steady," he only felt it was a matter-of-course death struggle.

Even his mind had long since drifted elsewhere.

Calculating, when Xia Xia Xia Mujun loses the match and is in a low mood...

Should he hint to Akizuki to seize this good opportunity to "take advantage of the weakness," go comfort him, and get close to him?

It would be best if there could be substantial progress today, like holding hands, kissing, or something...

In this way, Akizuki would get her wish and be happy.

Takayuki would see that Akizuki is taken, and although he would be in pain for a while, he could give up sooner, and time would heal everything.

The precarious balance between the three of them might be able to be stabilized again in a new way.

Killing many birds with one stone!

He felt he was simply a genius.

Just when Tanabe Yuto was immersed in his "perfect plan"...

In another corner of the audience.

Honda Takashi of private Private Private Tianhao Academy, looking at the game on the screen, the corners of his mouth were almost reaching his ears.

He held back so he wouldn't laugh out loud on the spot.

He knew Morimoto Yūki's strength all too well.

Crushing Xia Xia Xia Mujun was more than enough!

He couldn't wait to see what kind of annoyed, unwilling, or even humiliated expression would appear on that handsome face that always had no expression after Xia Xia Xia Mujun lost.

Just thinking about this guy being slapped in the face in public made Honda Takashi feel refreshed all over, as if drinking ice water in the dog days of summer.

Let you pretend before!

Let you say "wait and see"!

Now that you've really met him, let's see how you can still pretend!

After you lose, let's see how I add insult to injury in future interviews!

He thought viciously.

At the same time.

Xia Xia Xia Mujun's acquaintances who were following this match through TV or online live broadcasts also felt their hearts tighten after hearing the commentators' analysis.

Private Moonlight Academy.

Shogi Club activity room.

Yasui Ryōto had already returned to school, but he didn't go to class.

At this moment, he was staring closely at the TV screen in the activity room with Araki Araki Araki Yuai and the Shogi Club advisor, Mr. Nomura Tomohiro.

What was playing on the screen was exactly Xia Xia Xia Mujun's match.