Chapter 795

Nanjo Maiko smiled:

"Let's wait and see."

Spectator area, the area where Fukuda Si is.

Fukuda Si crossed his arms, tilted his head, and slanted a glance at the screen of Table 1 on the big screen.

The corners of his mouth hooked into an undisguised, near-schadenfreude arc.

Although the current situation is going back and forth.

But this Suzuki Takayuki is far stronger than Morimoto Yuki.

It seems Natsume-kun is really going to be in trouble this time.

He looked at Horikawa Kaori, who was nervous on the side, his tone carrying deliberate teasing.

"Really didn't expect that these two brats would meet in the final battle."

"However, it seems now that our Natsume-kun's 'good luck' has been completely used up."

He pursed his lips and pointed to the steady Suzuki Takayuki on the screen.

"Facing such a quasi-professional monster."

"This guy's strength is solid, I heard he is not only a third-dan in the Promotion Association, but also a popular candidate for professional qualification this year."

He elongated his tone.

"Our Natsume-kun this time... I'm afraid he is in bad luck."

Horikawa Kaori's hands were tightly clasped on her knees, her knuckles turning blue-white from the force.

She could not refute Fukuda Si's words.

The heart that was tightly pinched in her chest was telling of almost the same worry.

Suzuki Takayuki is a recognized chess player shining with genius light.

Just one step away from the professional hall.

And Natsume Chikage?

He participated in the competition, perhaps the original intention was just for that prize money.

He might not even regard shogi as a "way" that needs to pour a lifetime of passion into.

Talent is certainly astonishing, but in front of an opponent who is equally gifted, but has poured years of focus and sweat, and has long regarded victory or defeat as the starting point of his career...

This gap, reason told her, is difficult to overcome.

Tianbian Youren sat on the side, his mood like a lake surface with pebbles thrown into it, the ripples complex and unspeakable.

He hoped Natsume Chikage could win—then, Xiaoyue would definitely bloom with the brightest smile.

There was a voice in the bottom of his heart saying: Takayuki winning is the reasonable ending.

After all, Takayuki is the friend he understands best.

He knew better than anyone that when Takayuki sat in front of the chessboard, how reassuring that focus and strength were, and how... it made one feel a distance that was difficult to reach.

So the moment Natsume Chikage drew Takayuki, he had already seen the end of this duel.

Asahina Xiaoyue's teeth were deeply embedded in her lower lip, leaving shallow marks.

Her gaze, as if attracted by a magnet, wandered between the figures of Natsume Chikage and Suzuki Takayuki on the screen, her mood complex.

"Natsume-kun... Takayuki..."

She murmured unconsciously, her voice so light that almost only she could hear it.

On her beautiful face, struggle and pain were intertwined.

On one side is the childhood sweetheart who has accompanied her since she was young, like a brother and friend, the most important.

On the other side is the teenager who made her heart beat for the first time, whose gaze she couldn't help but follow, and whom she wanted to get closer to.

The threads of emotion were entangled into a knot, making her heart in chaos, as if hanging in the ten-thousand-foot high sky, unable to find a solid place to land.

However, even if her thoughts were chaotic, the string named "reason" was always tight.

She understood Takayuki's strength on the chessboard better than anyone.

That is a kind of strength that has been tempered through thousands of trials and has almost turned into instinct.

Natsume-kun... can he really cross this high mountain?

Furukawa Masahiro was also watching the same screen.

But he was just stroking his snow-white long beard slowly, his expression peaceful, even carrying a bit of leisure.

He even had time to pick up the thermos cup at hand, gently blow away the floating heat, and take a sip of warm tea unhurriedly.

Not only was there no worry on his face, but a hint of insightful, near-joyful anticipation faintly appeared.

Even he, the former "Long Wang," had been defeated by Natsume Chikage.

A mere "quasi-professional" teenager who had not yet officially stepped into the professional threshold?

In his eyes, it was no different from a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

The outcome had long had no suspense.

However...

Furukawa Masahiro narrowed his old but sharp eyes, carefully savoring every step on the chessboard.

Natsume-kun has changed his chess style again this time.

He didn't attack extremely like he did when dealing with Fukuda Si and Tianbian Youren.

Even less did he show weakness like he did when dealing with Asahina Xiaoyue.

Instead, he was attacking back and forth.

Could it be that he is finally serious this time?

Or... as Natsume-kun said before, it's just simply adjusting the chess style according to the opponent.

To pursue ending the game as quickly as possible?

Furukawa Masahiro looked at Natsume Chikage's situation of basically pressing the chess clock in seconds, the corners of his mouth twitching constantly, feeling it was very likely as he thought.

This teenager purely adjusts the chess style according to the opponent, how to win fast, then how to play...

Furukawa Caixu put her two little hands on the back of the front seat, poking out her little head.

She blinked her crystal-clear big eyes, looked at Suzuki Takayuki, who was serious and facing a formidable enemy on the screen, then looked at the calm Natsume Chikage, and finally let her gaze fall on the chessboard.

Suddenly, she seemed to have discovered something extremely interesting, quickly covering her mouth with her little hand, but still leaked a "tee-hee" snicker.

She leaned into Furukawa Masahiro's ear and said in a tiny voice that only the two of them could hear:

"Grandpa, big brother is digging a hole for the opponent again."

Furukawa Masahiro, who was the Long Wang, naturally noticed this, the corners of his mouth raised slightly, smiling without saying a word, nodding slightly.

Beside the competition arena, in a quiet corner of the contestant rest area.

Morimoto Yuki, who had just experienced a crushing defeat, did not leave immediately.

He was like a resentful sculpture, nailed to the spot, his gaze like a poisoned nail, firmly locked on Table 1, especially Natsume Chikage's straight but calm back.

His eyes were surging with humiliation, hatred, and a trace of morbid, twisted anticipation.

Even if he also didn't like that Suzuki Takayuki, who always won against him and was gifted.

But compared to Natsume Chikage, who had brought him extreme humiliation, that bit of dislike was insignificant.

He knew Suzuki Takayuki's strength very well.

After all, when he was competing in the Shogi Association, he had never won against this person once.

One can imagine how strong he is.

And beside him, the others from Private Tianhao Academy had not left either.

Led by Honda Chongsi, their faces were all shrouded in similar haze.

Although they might also hold a complex competitive mentality toward their school's genius chess player Suzuki Takayuki.

But at this moment, the hatred for Natsume Chikage—this "outsider" who openly provoked and trampled on their school's dignity—overwhelmed everything.

Honda Chongsi stared at Natsume Chikage's chess situation on the screen, which was "slightly behind" due to the second move, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but grin, forming an arc full of malice.

But soon, that arc was stained with a layer of irritability and unwillingness.

What a pity...

What a pity!

He hated secretly in his heart.

This kid's luck is really good, he actually ran into Suzuki Takayuki, exempting him from the "opportunity" of being tortured by himself on the chessboard. ===== CHAPTER 796 =====