Chapter 618

To eat by Shogi, one must follow its rules.

And this was exactly what he wanted.

What he worried about most was that this poor kid Xia Xia Xia Mujun would renege on his debt after losing and refuse to spit out the prize money.

Now that there was an official referee taking the initiative to come out for notarization and arbitration, it was simply what he was begging for.

Honda Honda Chongsi's face bloomed with an arrogant smile again, and he immediately responded:

"No problem! I'm begging for it!"

Xia Xia Xia Mujun just nodded lightly.

"I have no problem either."

Kishida Mine-suke nodded slightly, his expression solemn, as if performing some kind of ritual.

"Since both sides agree, then I hereby announce that this bet is now officially established!"

"After the match, if the loser fails to fulfill the agreement, I will represent the Shogi Association to conduct arbitration to ensure the bet is executed."

And at this time.

The adjacent table 2.

Ishida Ishida Kazuo, who was sitting quietly and adjusting his breathing, heard the conversation full of gunpowder not far behind him clearly.

He turned his head in great surprise, looking at Xia Xia Xia Mujun's straight back, completely not expecting this young man to bet so big.

He knew that Xia Xia Xia Mujun's family was in dire straits.

That 310,000 yen was a huge sum of money for this child that could change many things, and it was the result accumulated by trying his best in the first five rounds.

If he lost it just like that, all his efforts would be reduced to nothing in an instant.

Xia Xia Xia Mujun... is he so confident that he can win against Honda Honda Chongsi?

Ishida Ishida Kazuo frowned tightly.

Although Honda Honda Chongsi had a bad personality, he was a recognized Shogi genius.

Reaching professional 4-dan at this age meant that he was highly likely to win a "title" before the age of thirty, and his future was promising.

Whether it was talent, the systematic nature of training, or match experience, Honda was far above Xia Xia Xia Mujun, who lacked formal training.

Ishida Ishida Kazuo saw it in his eyes, and a wave of regret surged in his heart, even feeling a bit heartbroken.

He originally thought that Xia Xia Xia Mujun possessed calmness far beyond his age and would not be disturbed by the outside world.

Now it seemed that this "calmness" was perhaps just derived from excessive confidence, or even blindness, causing him to fail to see the chasm between himself and a true genius.

Win?

Ishida Ishida Kazuo couldn't see any hope at all.

Honda Honda Chongsi's talent and hard work were rarely matched among the younger generation.

In the entire Tokyo area, the only one who could firmly suppress him in the same age group was probably that Ikeda Ryusuke of the same age.

A Xia Xia Xia Mujun who hadn't been systematically tempered, facing a Honda Honda Chongsi who had been taught by top famous teachers since childhood, the outcome could almost be foreseen.

Thinking of this, Ishida Ishida Kazuo sighed.

But thinking about it again, this might not be an opportunity.

A painful failure might break the boy's unrealistic confidence and stimulate true desire for revenge and victory.

At that time, he would extend a helping hand again, guide him onto the right track in the name of master and apprentice...

And this could also make this proud young man understand that he must have awe for Shogi and for stronger opponents.

Otherwise, today's defeat would be the best lesson.

And at this time.

The clear broadcast sound resounded through the tournament venue, suppressing all whispers.

【Sixth round, A-zone match—】

【Now, officially begins!】

Both sides began to grasp the pieces, choosing the first move.

Soon.

The right to move first fell to Honda Honda Chongsi.

The ecstasy almost overflowed from his eye sockets; he only felt that his chance of winning had increased by a few points out of thin air!

But the next moment, he forcibly suppressed the mockery that was about to blurt out.

A lion fighting a rabbit also uses its full strength!

He absolutely didn't want to repeat the mistakes of that stupid companion Morimoto, and capsize in the gutter because of any slight underestimation or poor condition!

That kind of shame, he, Honda Honda Chongsi, couldn't bear!

The arrogant and unruly expression on his face receded like the tide, and his eyes suddenly became as sharp as an eagle, staring dead at the Shogi board.

His entire aura switched from an arrogant provocateur to a focused and dangerous hunter in an instant.

He extended his right hand, his fingertips as steady as a rock, picked up a piece, and with a precise and powerful movement, "pop," it fell onto the Shogi board!

The game, started!

Xia Xia Xia Mujun saw this, his expression still without sorrow or joy, waveless.

As if the other party's change in momentum, the weight of the bet, and the attention of the spectators had nothing to do with him.

He just reached out calmly, also picked up a piece, his gaze lingered on the Shogi board for a moment, and then, the piece fell.

Light, and steady.

Like an autumn leaf falling, without a trace, but already embedded in the battle situation. ===== CHAPTER 990 =====

Commentary booth.

The two commentators were originally analyzing the confrontation situation of other professional players at other tables in a professional tone, evaluating each other's win rates and style constraints.

However, the moment the broadcast screen cut to table one, clearly showing Xia Xia Xia Mujun and Honda Honda Chongsi sitting across from each other, the voices of the two commentators appeared to have a brief stagnation.

The air in the studio seemed to pause as well.

This matchup... was too "topical."

Male commentator Inoue Masazo reacted first, his tone instantly injecting excitement and drama far beyond before:

"Audience friends! What an unexpected development! Table 1 in A-zone, we see the face-to-face of contestant Xia Xia Xia Mujun and contestant Honda Honda Chongsi!"

"I believe friends who follow the tournament know what kind of story exists between these two contestants, and the two schools, Private Moonlight and Private Private Private Tianhao, behind them!"

His voice came through the microphone, carrying an inflammatory fluctuation.

"Is it fate? Or pure coincidence? We don't know. But what is certain is that this matchup is destined not to be calm from the beginning!"

Female commentator Nanjo Maiko immediately picked up the topic, her voice also carrying irrepressible excitement:

"Yes, Inoue-san! This is not just a battle for the top thirty-two seats, but also mixed with personal grudges and school honor! Two young and sharp wills collide together; it can be foreseen that the offense and defense on the Shogi board will inevitably be extremely intense, or even... full of gunpowder!"

Inoue Masazo nodded heavily, staring at the screen.

"However, if we put aside the off-field factors and analyze only from the paper strength and past data..."

He changed the topic, his tone becoming objective and prudent, which was a quality that professional commentators must have.

"Contestant Xia Xia Xia Mujun is undoubtedly an amazing dark horse. No rank, lacking systematic training and high-intensity confrontation experience, yet being able to break through all the way to this place, his talent and on-the-spot adaptability have been fully proven. His Shogi style is agile, often with unexpected ideas; this is the characteristic of a genius Shogi player."

He paused slightly, his voice lowering a little.

"However, his opponent this time, contestant Honda Honda Chongsi, is also a recognized genius."

"Unlike Xia's 'wild' style, Honda's path is a more orthodox, resource-tilted elite path. He has famous teachers' guidance, has systematically studied since middle school, and was promoted to professional 4-dan within three years; this speed itself is a miracle. His Shogi style is solid and sharp, his tournament experience is rich, and his psychological quality... at least in terms of provoking opponents, appears very 'tough'."

Nanjo Maiko added tacitly, her tone carrying a trace of imperceptible regret:

"So, from an objective perspective, the challenge Xia faces this time is unprecedented. He needs to confront not only a professional 4-dan who is technically comprehensive and experienced, but also a top-tier peer who has cashed in his talent and hard work to a very high degree. The paper win rate... is indeed not optimistic."

Inoue Masazo took over the topic, trying to make the tone appear balanced:

"Of course, as Miss Nanjo said, this is just a paper analysis. Xia's biggest characteristic is precisely his 'unpredictability.' His Shogi path is very strange; no one can assert whether he still has 'secret weapons' that we haven't seen before."

"The final victory or defeat will only be revealed when the pieces fall!"

"Two geniuses, two completely different paths, are intersecting on this square Shogi board at this moment! Who is strong and who is weak, let us wait and see!"

The two commentators maintained professional restraint in their words, but their inner inclinations subtly emerged between the lines.

They appreciated Xia Xia Xia Mujun's restrained sharpness and low-key character, secretly hoping that this dark horse could continue to create miracles.

However, rational analysis told them incomparably clearly that Honda Honda Chongsi's solid foundation, rich battle database, and malicious desire to win were an insurmountable mountain for Xia Xia Xia Mujun, who had not yet fully matured.

They even felt a bit regretful about this draw—if Xia could avoid Honda, perhaps he could go further and accumulate more valuable experience.

Instead of being here, risking having his confidence completely shattered, or even suffering humiliation in front of everyone.