Chapter 626: Why is Xiang Yutang here too?!

The towering Tokyo Shogi Hall.

The magnificent building appeared even more solemn and grave in the morning light.

Today, the queue for spectators wound like a long dragon, and compared to the previous rounds, the number of people had clearly increased significantly.

The air was filled with the noisy sounds of anticipation and excitement, mixed with sporadic shutter clicks and the clamor of children.

Yet, in front of the channel reserved for players, the queue had become sparse, forming a sharp contrast to the shoulder-to-shoulder, almost impassable scene during the first round.

Natsume Chikage still remembered that when he first participated, he had queued for nearly half an hour before being able to enter the interior of the hall.

But today, in just two short minutes, he had verified his identity, passed through the quiet channel, and stepped into the spacious, bright, and bustling competition hall.

Inside the hall, a crowd of people sat in the spectator seats, a sea of black heads moving about.

The buzzing of discussions and the rustling of flipping through tournament manuals blended into a low, vibrant background sound.

The player lounge, however, appeared much emptier.

A small number of participants sat sparsely, keeping a subtle distance from one another, either closing their eyes to rest or looking at shogi records; an invisible, tense sense of competition permeated the air.

Natsume Chikage scanned with a calm gaze, not seeing any familiar faces.

Just then, the phone in his pocket vibrated.

The caller ID was "Furukawa Masahiro".

【Furukawa Masahiro: Natsume-kun, I see you. We are near row 3, seat 1 in the spectator area; is it convenient for you to come over?】

【Natsume Chikage: Yes, I'm coming over now.】

Hanging up the phone, Natsume Chikage looked up at the crowded spectator seats, searched briefly with his gaze, and soon found the location of the Furukawa grandfather and granddaughter.

Furukawa Masahiro was waving at him, and Furukawa Saio beside him even jumped up and waved her small hand vigorously.

He stepped through the crowd and walked toward that side.

At the same time, the electronic screen hanging in the center of the venue, like a giant wall, lit up with a "hum".

The well-known Tokyo TV host, Ms. Ze Tian Lixiang, dressed in a well-tailored, capable suit, held her iconic silver microphone.

Her makeup was exquisite, her smile bright and infectious, and her clear, pleasant voice spread clearly and powerfully to every corner of the hall through the high-quality sound system.

"Good morning, everyone! Welcome to the Tokyo Shogi Hall; this is the fourth round of the 'New Sharp Shogi Tournament', the first session of the competition site!"

Her crisp opening remarks were like a stone thrown into a calm lake, instantly attracting the attention of the entire venue, and the noise quieted down.

"After three rounds of fierce and cruel competition, from the initial 2,048 participants carrying dreams..."

She paused deliberately, her gaze scanning the player area below, which was significantly sparser but possessed a more solid aura, with scrutiny and appreciation.

Her tone also became more high-spirited and full of tension.

"... successfully breaking through and standing here until now, only 256 elites remain!"

"And according to the tournament rules, the competition is still divided into three sessions per day."

"In this first session this morning, 22 top players will fight here, competing for the precious spots to advance to the fifth round!"

Following her words, the giant screen behind her quickly switched to highlight clips of players deep in thought and making decisive moves in previous matches.

The rapid camera cuts, combined with the impassioned background music, instantly pushed the atmosphere to a small climax.

Ze Tian Lixiang walked lightly forward two steps, closer to the spectator seats, her tone full of inflammatory infectiousness.

"From this moment on, the competition has entered the true white-hot stage!" ===== CHAPTER 627 =====