Chapter 987: You only deserve to kneel below and lick the dust off my soles!

In front of the first game table.

Honda Chongsi sat down opposite Natsume Chikage and placed the "Ball number 1" representing his draw on the corner of the table.

Before the match officially started, there was a short gap.

Honda Chongsi leaned forward, his elbows resting on the smooth tabletop, spread his hands, and his gaze swept over Natsume Chikage's calm face like examining prey.

A sneer mixed with excitement bloomed on his face.

"Ha! Fate is really interesting, right?"

"One-eighth probability... you just happened to bump into my hands. Should I say your luck is too bad, or heaven couldn't stand it and wanted me to personally extinguish your pitiful fantasy?"

Natsume Chikage couldn't help but be stunned, indeed didn't expect it to be this person, and then the corners of his mouth rose slightly.

"Bumped into your hands?" He said in a peaceful tone, "I actually think this arrangement is just right."

The smile on Honda Chongsi's face stiffened slightly.

The panic, forced calmness, or color-strong-inner-weakness he expected, none of them appeared.

Only a calmness like a deep pool, and beneath that calmness, a trace of... near-anticipation that made him extremely unhappy?

This guy... really doesn't know how to write the word "death"?

After a brief astonishment, Honda Chongsi sneered and attributed Natsume Chikage's reaction to incurable arrogance.

"Just right? Well said, for me, it is indeed just right!"

His voice rose, carrying undisguised malice, ensuring that the people nearby could hear clearly.

"I have been waiting, waiting for an opportunity to completely crush the ridiculous self-esteem of your Private Moonlight Shogi Club! Araki Keiai? That's just an appetizer, watching her stupid look of wanting to cry but trying hard to endure after losing the game is indeed pleasant."

He licked his lips, his eyes becoming dangerous and excited, as if he had already tasted the taste of victory.

"I have already started looking forward to it—looking forward to what kind of expression will appear on your face after you lose. Will it be as gray as a stray dog, or will it be like that Araki Keiai, trying hard to endure that little bit of pitiful self-esteem and not letting tears fall?"

"Just thinking about it makes my heart surge!"

Natsume Chikage's eyebrows frowned imperceptibly, not because of fear, but out of pure disgust.

"Are you so sure," he opened his mouth, his voice still steady and waveless, "that the winner will definitely be you?"

Honda Chongsi seemed to have heard the most absurd joke of the century; he leaned back suddenly, covered his forehead, and burst into an exaggerated laugh, laughing until his shoulders were shaking.

"This... hahaha... this should be me asking you, right?!"

"A fish with no rank who crawled out from some corner, relying on those petty tricks and inexplicable dog-shit luck, luckily climbed to this position... where did you get the confidence to look at me with these eyes? Huh?"

He extended his finger, pointing at the tip of Natsume Chikage's nose from a distance, his tone full of contempt.

"Taking a step back, even if you really have some strength, so what?"

"Whether it's talent, resources, guidance from famous teachers, or the blood and sweat paid, I, Honda Chongsi, am far above you! What I am stepping on under my feet is a high platform that a wild way like you can't imagine!"

"When I win, everyone will see clearly that your Moonlight Academy's shogi club is just a joke of a group of losers huddling together for warmth! Every word I said before will become a loud slap on your faces!"

He seemed to feel that this was not enough to vent his anger, his eyeballs turned, remembered something, and a cruel smile like a cat playing with a mouse appeared on his face.

"By the way, by the way... I almost forgot. Last time, you were very majestic, right? Using the duel to force my incompetent companion to bet all the prize money?"

"Then this time, let's play something more interesting."

"The bet is very simple: I win, the 310,000 yen prize money you managed to save from the first round to now, all belongs to me. Not a single cent left."

"Vice versa!"

"How about it, dare to accept it? Or..."

He deliberately lengthened his tone, his eyes full of provocation and mockery.

"You only dare to show off in front of the weak? Once facing a truly powerful strong person, you are scared to tremble, only dare to bully the weak, only dare to be tough, and don't dare to agree to the gambling match at all?"

"Ya le ya le, this kind of small-time behavior... you wouldn't have it, right?"

Natsume Chikage seemed to be a bit surprised by this proposal, then dumbfounded, and agreed:

"Okay."

"Actually, even if you didn't mention it, I had the same intention."

"... Wha?!"

The grin on Honda Chongsi's face froze instantly, and a wave of anger at being completely looked down upon rushed to the top of his head, making his ear roots a bit red.

"Good... very good! Really think you can win me, right?" He almost squeezed this sentence out from between his teeth, his chest rising and falling slightly, "Crazy! I've seen crazy ones, never seen you so recklessly crazy!"

"Remember my words, Natsume Chikage."

"When the match ends, you will know clearly—"

"Who is the master high above. And who, only deserves to kneel below and lick the dust off the winner's soles!"

Natsume Chikage faced his gaze that was almost spraying fire, slowly raised his eyelids, and said calmly:

"Is that so."

Just at this time.

One of the shogi match referees, An Tian Feng Jie, slowly walked towards the two.

He stood by the table, his gaze swept across the faces of the two, and said in a deep voice:

"The gambling match between the two... is very interesting."

"If you don't mind, I will recommend myself to be your notary, to restrain both sides, how about it?"

His voice was not high, but it carried a kind of official-specific, unquestionable formality.

Natsume Chikage glanced at this referee who seemed to always appear "timely," a trace of extremely faint, almost impossible to capture strangeness flashed across his expression, but then returned to calmness, as if he had long been used to it.

And Honda Chongsi naturally knew the existence of this referee from his companions long ago.

He understood that this was an official person with real binding force.

Once either side breaches the contract, they will inevitably be pursued by the Shogi Association.

Those with serious circumstances may even be banned, ruining their professional career.

The Shogi Association manages almost all professional tournaments and prize money flows in Japan. ===== CHAPTER 988 =====