Chapter 623

"Look at this time comparison! Look at the result of this game! This is not luck, this is not chance! This is a thorough, all-around, suffocating suppression!"

"It seems my previous estimate was wrong—what contestant Xia Xia Xia Mujun possesses is not the 'dark horse talent' we thought, but... but a terrifying strength that is deep and bottomless, enough to shake the professional shogi world!"

Nanjo Maiko also completely lost her usual elegance and restraint, she covered her face with both hands, her eyes wide open, her voice trembling with disbelief:

"I... I don’t know what to say... Contestant Honda Honda Chongsi, that proud, powerful professional 4-dan genius, in front of contestant Xia, actually... actually had no power to fight back?"

"From the steadiness of the opening, to the passivity of the mid-game, to the final collapse... Contestant Xia used his 'second-play' rhythm to weave a giant net for contestant Honda that he couldn’t escape! He not only won the game, but also completely crushed his opponent psychologically!"

Inoue Masazo nodded vigorously, taking over the conversation, his tone extremely solemn:

"Undoubtedly, after this battle, the name Xia Xia Xia Mujun will no longer just be a 'dark horse'."

"He will officially enter the center of the vision of all professional players and all shogi tournament followers, becoming a super-genius player who must be taken extremely seriously, or even... feared!"

Nanjo Maiko nodded heavily and said:

"Yes!"

"But here—let us also congratulate contestant Xia Xia Xia Mujun on his successful victory!"

"And thank him for bringing us this milestone victory that will be recorded in the history of the tournament, becoming the first contestant to advance to the seventh round the fastest!"

Audience seats.

Horikawa Kaori froze the moment the referee announced the winner.

Then she was extremely excited and agitated.

"Won... he really won... Xia Xia Xia Mujun won!"

"It wasn’t luck... he is really so amazing!"

"He actually crushed a professional?"

"So I underestimated him before, he is a true genius!!"

Fukuda Tsukasa looked dazed, his mouth open, unable to close it for a long time.

He listened to the commentator’s voice trembling with excitement, looked at the glaring data comparison on the screen, and recalled the wretched appearance of Honda Honda Chongsi collapsing and knocking over the King at the end...

"This is crazy..."

He finally just muttered this word, his face burning, as if all the words he had said before about not favoring Xia Xia Xia Mujun had turned into invisible slaps on his own face.

"How can someone who doesn’t participate in the Shogi Association... doesn’t duel with strong players, and doesn’t have a mentor for review and guidance, easily reach the professional level?"

"What kind of genius is this..."

Furukawa Saio was jumping up and down, her little face flushed with excitement, pulling on Furukawa Masahiro’s sleeve:

"Grandpa! Grandpa look! Big Brother Xia really won, and he taught the other party a hard lesson!"

Furukawa Masahiro stroked his beard and laughed, his eyes shining, full of relief and pride:

"Good, good, good, Xia Xia Xia Mujun played this game well! It has the style of my younger days! Hahaha!"

Fukuda Yasuhiro, who was on the side, had a face that turned red and white, and he stood motionless as if struck by lightning.

He stared fixedly at the figure of Xia Xia Xia Mujun rising calmly on the screen, and then looked at Honda Honda Chongsi, who was lying on the chair like mud, his brain buzzing.

"No... impossible... that guy Honda is a professional 4-dan... how could he lose... and lose so... ugly?"

He muttered to himself in a daze, all his previous "rational judgments" and "strength analyses" now became the most ridiculous irony.

Furukawa Saio glanced at him and hummed triumphantly, but didn’t mock him again, because all her heart and soul were filled with the joy of victory and the worship of Big Brother Xia.

Private Tsukikage Shogi Club.

In the activity room, time seemed to stand still for a second.

Immediately after—

"AHHHHHHH—!!!"

Araki Araki Araki Yuai let out a scream that could flip the roof, she sprang from her chair, hugged Yasui Ryoto next to her regardless, jumping and screaming.

"Won! Won won won! Xia Xia Xia Mujun won! He won against that bastard Honda Honda Chongsi! Hahahahaha! Did you see it! Did you see what that guy looked like! So satisfying! So cool!!"

Yasui Ryoto was also infected by her, his face flushed with excitement, speaking incoherently:

"My god... he really won!"

"And he won like this! Crushing! It was a complete crush!"

But the more he thought about it, the more he felt alarmed.

This Xia Xia Xia Mujun... just how strong is his strength?

He even took down a professional that he basically couldn’t win against.

Teacher Nomura Tomohiro was not as uncomposed as the two students, but his eyes behind his glasses were shining with excitement, his lips trembling, finally turning into a long, trembling sigh.

"Good... good kid!"

He stood up abruptly, pacing back and forth, trying to suppress his surging emotions with reason, but his voice still betrayed him:

"No, this guy is perfect for our Shogi Club!!"

"How on earth can we pull him in?"

Class 1-B classroom.

Akita Sana was secretly watching the live broadcast during class.

When the announcement of victory came, she was stunned for a moment, then immediately covered her mouth to prevent herself from screaming.

When she noticed the teacher’s speechless glance, she also smiled sheepishly and lowered her head, very excited.

Won... Xia Xia Xia Mujun won... that’s great... that’s really great...

The heavy stone in her heart finally fell, replaced by boundless joy and pride.

She trembled as she sent a message to Kondo Miki, her fingertips trembling as she typed.

【Akita Sana: o(≧▽≦)o Miki, just like you said, Xia Xia Xia Mujun really won, and he won in a crushing manner! I knew you were the one who knew him best, just as you predicted, he really created a miracle!】

Kondo Miki in the classroom was also instantly dumbfounded after receiving the message.

That cold and arrogant face seemed to show a clear crack for the first time.

No—this is a professional 4-dan, he actually won?!

Doesn’t this mean... Xia Xia Xia Mujun’s strength is also professional?

He is only sixteen years old.

He reached this level faster than the youngest 17-year-old professional player now?

Kondo Miki’s eyes flickered, looking at the match text commentary sent by Akita Sana, becoming more and more shocked.

That neighbor boy who grew up together, always lazy and gentle, actually defeated a powerful professional opponent in such a high-level competition, and in such an outrageous way?

Kondo family.

Kondo Miyuki was also very shocked after seeing this scene.

Then she was extremely excited.

"Hiroya-senpai... did you see it, your son is really amazing!"

"In the shogi you like the most, he actually reached the level you used to long for."

"Maybe... he can really fulfill your dream and become a title holder before the age of thirty."

Teacher’s office.

When the referee announced Xia Xia Xia Mujun’s victory, Sakai Shion was stunned for a moment, then stared at the boy’s calm and waveless face on the screen with surprise for a full ten seconds.

"I really didn’t expect... he actually won."

Koi Yuuna was pleasantly surprised:

"Is this Xia Xia Xia Mujun’s shogi strength actually this amazing?"

"Hmph!" Teacher Ito Eiji let out another heavy cold snort, but this time, there was less of the "hate that iron doesn’t become steel" and more of a complex, awkward sense of shared honor.

"I guess this kid... still has some ability."

"But so what if he won a pretentious game like shogi?"

"To be a real man, one should play baseball!"

Other teachers looked at each other, seeing shock and laughter in each other’s eyes.

Apparently, they didn’t expect Ito Eiji’s words to reverse so quickly.