Chapter 772

On the massive main screen and the auxiliary screens distributed everywhere.

Two tournament commentators in formal wear were analyzing the match on the screen with focused expressions.

The male commentator, Inoue Miyabi, had a steady face and habitually tapped the table with his fingers.

The female commentator, Nanjo Maimai, stared sharply at the changes in the shogi game.

They had just been commentating on the professional match between Ishida Kazuo and Yoshikawa Tatsunari.

At this moment.

Instructions came from the broadcast room.

The live broadcast screen suddenly cut.

It switched to another shogi table—

The match scene between Natsume Chikage and Morimoto Yūki.

Male commentator Inoue Miyabi's gaze immediately followed.

When he saw the names of the two contestants, he couldn't help but take a light breath and let out a low exclamation.

"The camera has now come to... Natsume Chikage's side; in this fifth round of the tournament, he is actually facing... Morimoto Yūki!"

He quickly retrieved the information from his mind, his speaking speed increasing.

"I remember this contestant, Morimoto Yūki, is only one year older than Natsume, currently seventeen."

He paused, his tone carrying obvious solemnity.

"But! He is already a '2-dan' shogi player in the Shogi Association!"

"The audience might not be very clear about the value of this rank... let's put it this way, looking at the younger generation of the entire Japan Shogi Association, there are really not many people who can reach the 2-dan level at this age."

"Let alone those who have fought their way into the fifth round of the tournament."

"This is not just proof of talent, but also represents extremely solid training and real-world strength far beyond his peers!"

Female commentator Nanjo Maimai immediately nodded and took over, her voice clear and certain.

"That's right!"

"Morimoto's strength level is completely different from all the opponents Natsume has encountered before; they are not on the same level at all."

She spoke fluently, beginning a detailed comparative analysis.

"Whether it's little Gu Chuan Caixu, Fukuda Yasuhiro, Tianbian Youren, or even Asahina Xiaoyue, who is recognized as having the strongest shogi skills among them..."

"Their strength cannot be compared to Morimoto."

She turned slightly to face the main camera, adopting a posture of explaining.

"Here, I need to briefly explain the ranking system of the Shogi Association for viewers who are not very familiar with it."

"Above amateur players is the Shogi Association's kyu ranking system, from 6-kyu to 1-kyu."

"And after breaking through 1-kyu, one enters the 'dan' realm, which is the Shogi Association's 1-dan to 3-dan."

"This stage is recognized by the industry as the 'quasi-professional' or 'pre-professional' stage."

"Players who reach this rank, as long as their age meets the requirements and they win to a certain extent, can become official professional shogi players."

She turned her gaze back to Morimoto Yūki's face on the screen, which carried an arrogant expression.

"And Morimoto Yūki, at the age of seventeen, is already a 2-dan!"

"What does this mean?"

"It means that if nothing unexpected happens, he is very likely to officially enter the professional shogi world within the next year or two!"

"His talent and potential can be seen from this!"

"Looking at Natsume Chikage on the other side..."

Nanjo Maimai's voice slowed down slightly, carrying an objective analytical tone.

"Although he has won four consecutive rounds with a brilliant record, he has never joined any shogi association, nor has he undergone systematic rank certification."

"Therefore, we cannot give him a precise official strength positioning."

"But based on his hard-fought victory against Asahina Xiaoyue in the previous match..."

She deliberated slightly.

"The industry generally estimates that his strength ceiling is probably around the 1-kyu level."

"Just right, stuck at the step before crossing the threshold of 'dan'."

She paused, her tone becoming more cautious.

"And in the 'quasi-professional' stage, the gap in strength between each small dan level is often exponential."

"Therefore, looking at the data on paper..."

She shook her head gently; although she didn't say it explicitly, the meaning was already clear.

"If Natsume wants to defeat Morimoto across ranks, the probability... is probably quite low."

Male commentator Inoue Miyabi nodded heavily, expressing agreement.

"Indeed."

He brought up another set of data.

"According to the information we have, Morimoto's official match win rate within the Shogi Association has been stable at around 65%."

"This win rate itself speaks volumes."

"It doesn't just represent many wins, but also means stability in shogi style, control over the situation, and... the resilience and strength to find opportunities in adversity."

"Win rate, to some extent, is the most intuitive manifestation of potential and immediate combat power."

Nanjo Maimai nodded, adding.

"Yes, data doesn't lie."

But immediately after, she changed the subject, showing a professional smile.

"Of course, a shogi game is like a battlefield; nothing in the world is absolute."

"Perhaps Natsume can break through our estimates today and show some hidden strength that will surprise us?"