Original subtitles

Master... didn't you say you were teaching an old man?

Isn't that person a girl? And very cute one at that?

Is it part of training to hold hands with a cute girl, Master?

Is that the Ryuo's work?

The Ryuo's Work Is Never Done!

Why did you lie?

Game 5: Artlessly Flawless

What were you doing with her? I won't get mad, so please tell me the truth.

But you're a liar, so you'll lie to me again...

Liar, liar, liar, liar, liar, liar!

It's true that we've only been playing shogi!

What do I have to do for you believe me?

We'll use torture.

You won't tell me the truth,

so I'll extract your confession with pain and fear.

There's no other way.

Nice to meet you, I'm Yashajin Ai.

Yaichi-sensei has been teaching me a lot of things move by move, hand by hand.

Right, Sensei?

Hey! What the hell is she saying?!

Yashajin... Ai-chan?

You're named Ai, too?

What a coincidence. Or did he perhaps get sick of the first Ai-chan?

What a horrible teacher.

H-He isn't sick of me! Master is obsessed with me!

But it seems like he's completely focused on me now.

He also just said I'm better than you.

But you're probably better, since you know

how to navigate through the early stages of the match.

You're misunderstanding what I said—

There's no way!

Today, he said the meal I made tasted good!

He told me I'm cute!

He's just flattering you so you'll do the housework.

He cleaned my ears after my shower yesterday! With my head in his lap!

That's because it's dangerous to let kids do that on their own.

He's completely treating you like a kid.

I-I've gotten a handshake before!

Why are you competing in this?!

Master has pushed me down while I was naked!

What...

He made Char his bride-tan!

Wait, are you really a loli—

That was an accident that happened when she came out of the shower!

I'm not obsessed with Ai or anything!

There's no way that's the—

No, I didn't mean that I don't care about you...

Ma...

Ma?

Master...

You idjit!

Ai-chan!

She's just a brat.

I'm running away from home.

Ai!

For real?!

Yaichi-kun? Ai-chan's here right now...

I'm coming to pick her up right now!

Calm down, Yaichi.

Don't worry. Ai-chan is playing shogi with Keika upstairs.

I see...

I already heard about the situation from Tsukimitsu-san.

From the president?

That he asked you to teach a girl from Kobe.

Tsukimitsu-san always asks for my opinion when he gives you a job.

I see...

To tell you the truth, I once tried to make you Tsukimitsu-san's disciple.

What?

I thought I wouldn't be able to raise you right.

You had something that I didn't have...

Talent. Exceptional talent at that.

That's why I was at a loss.

Even if I taught you everything I knew,

I can't teach you how to act as a title holder,

or prepare you to be the face of the shogi world.

That's why I talked to Tsukimitsu-san when you were about to enter the promotional league.

I thought that he could take care of you.

Tsukimitsu-san also acknowledged your talent.

But this is what he said:

A child thought on his own and said that he wants to be your disciple,

so please honor his feelings.

That's when I realized...

Perhaps I was pretending to want the best for my disciple,

but in reality, I was just running away.

Or I might've just been jealous of this kid who had things that I didn't,

and wanted to send him far away.

Tsukimitsu-san said to me, "a Meijin's disciple can't always become a Meijin."

That helped me get over it.

Yaichi...

You wanted to give Ai-chan a rival, right?

An opponent she can grow together with.

Someone like Ginko is to you.

You acted with your disciple in mind, so I don't think you're wrong.

Thank you very much!

Ai...

I'm sorry I didn't tell you about the other kid I was teaching.

I planned on telling you eventually... although you won't believe me now.

But the most important person to me is you, Ai.

Yaichi-kun.

Did you see Ai-chan?

No... maybe another day.

I see.

Oh, right. What happened with Sis's title match?

Ginko-chan won. See?

Challenger Tsukiyomizaka's secret strategy deemed useless in front of Empress Sora.

Whoa, another nasty win.

Empress Sora wins twice in a row.

It's like she's dumping all of her personal frustrations onto the board.

Challenger Tsukiyomizaka becomes absent-minded, unable to move. In sadness, whispers "checkmate" once in a while.

Yaichi-kun, did you do anything to make Ginko-chan angry?

No way I'd do that. I try to not contact her during title matches.

Why don't you ever think to stay by her side during those times?

What?

Yaichi-kun, have you ever thought about why Ginko-chan

is aiming to become a professional player, like you,

instead of becoming a female professional?

That's because she has enough talent to be the first woman to become a professional.

Ginko-chan... that poor girl.

What?

Sis? I just heard that you won.

So?

I wanted to be the first to congratulate you...

Well, Keiko-san made me promise to tell you that.

Th-Thank you.

Oh, Sis. I wanted to ask you something.

Wh-What?

I've been teaching another kid recently.

And that kid's shogi reminds me of someone.

It's defensive shogi, where you fight patiently,

maintaining your balance in a sparse circular formation.

Do you know any professional players that are especially good at moves like Bishop Exchanges?

I do, but I won't tell you.

What?

Yaichi, you idiot.

I give up! I don't have any more moves!

How about that, Sensei? She finally successfully took down the panther!

Now we're ready.

What?

I'm going to make her take the workshop entrance exam.

Shogi Association

This is Yashajin Ai-san. She'll be taking the entrance exam today.

Do your best, my lady!

That's the fan I gave her...

Then please start.

Let's have a good match.

Huh?

The Ryuo's Work Is Never Done!

I-I lose.

She won! She won, Sensei!

Impressive...

What do you mean?

The strategy she used is Bishop Head Pawn.

And it's not the exact one she lost to.

She understands the concept behind the strategy, and on top of that,

she demonstrated a latter-move version of the Bishop Head Pawn,

which is often used as first-move strategy.

Sorry, I don't really understand.

Okay. Let's have you do a handicap match next.

Keika-kun.

Yes.

What? I'm not the one giving a handicap?

She's not trying to provoke anyone. She's just naturally rude.

Let's have a good match.

She's making Keika-san attack, and taking all her pieces.

It's as if she's saying she already knows how it's going to end.

I lost.

She was crying.

In order for Keika-san to become a female professional player,

she needs to gain white stars by winning at the training group.

This loss counts as a black star.

Keika-san's getting close to the training group retirement age.

It really hurts to lose a star right now.

What's next?

Okay. Hinatsuru Ai-kun.

Yes!

Ai-chan and Yashajin-san?

Wh-Who is stronger?

Let's have a good match.

Th-That's...

It's a Tempo Loss Bishop Exchange?!

So classy!

This strategy is very specialized,

and you won't see it in amateur player's matches.

Even among professional players, only a few use it.

As one of the few Tempo Loss users, how do you see this, Ryuo?

It's difficult.

It's such a unique formation that even I don't completely understand it, even though I use it.

For Ai, it's the first time she's seen this shogi.

Of course, compared to the other Ai, she's at a disadvantage.

If she knew the standard counters, then she could rely on that,

but Ai needs to think of the best move every single time.

Seems like Yashajin Ai-san is putting up a good fight.

Yes. But who did she learn Tempo Loss Bishop Exchange from?

Her parents were amateur players, so they probably wouldn't have used this strategy.

Hmm...

Oga-san, please.

Yes.

It's a match record from seven years ago. Perhaps I should've told you sooner.

Meijin - Tsukimitsu Seiichi Amateur Meijin - Yashajin Tenyu

I see. That's why I thought I'd heard the name Yashajin somewhere before.

Here, here, here, here,

here, here, here, here...

And here!

Challenger, 3-1 Gold.

Their reads are not matching at all.

They're truly natural rivals.

Ai, who plays sharply towards the end of the match,

and Ai, who commits to defending and seeks a chance to attack.

An Ai that attacks and an Ai that defends...

The defensive Ai's formation is thin, like a cloth. But there isn't a single opening.

Artlessly Flawless.

Artlessly Flawless

The robe of the celestial maiden has no seam—flawless the way it is.

Yashajin Ai's shogi is just like the robe.

Come at me.

I'll dance for you.

Here, here... here!

Here, here... here!

Here, here... here!

Attacking Ai looks like she's in pain.

It's as if black completely knows the intent of white.

Here, here, here... here!

Th-That kind of move is okay?

Challenger, 4-2 Gold.

Hmm.

Yeah.

Well then, we shall leave.

Ah, okay.

I lost.

That was good shogi, both of you.

However...

There was a checkmate on Yashajin-san's king here.

What...

Of course, the president and I already knew.

It's a simple 7-move checkmate.

If it was a checkmate shogi problem,

it wouldn't have taken her more than a second to figure it out.

I see... I see...

If I played like that, I would've won...

Why couldn't I think straight?

Why didn't I realize...

I'm frustrated... So frustrated...

I thought I couldn't win while I was playing.

I had given up without realizing.

I though that Master was choosing favorites, that I couldn't win...

I became a coward...

I lost to myself!

I wish I'd studied more!

I should've played more with strong players!

I should've thought about shogi until I couldn't think of anything else.

I want to get stronger. Stronger and stronger!

Ai, that's the feeling I wanted to show you.

The frustration that Sis and I can't teach you.

The frustration of losing to a rival of your age.

There's no one who doesn't lose.

Every time we lose, the frustration tears our body apart.

That's how we become stronger.

It's my win. The result is final.

I won't acknowledge you.

I won't acknowledge anyone here at the training group.

I can't respect anyone weaker than me.

But I'll acknowledge you as an opponent.

Ai-chan!

Let's have a review match! Please!

Fine.

Where did you learn Tempo Loss Bishop Exchange?!

Was this really the best move here?

Master...

Um, please teach me shogi again when we get home!

Meet up in the first floor lobby at the usual time, okay?

Okay!

It might be the first time I've seen her look like that.

Let's see...

I want you to think about the meaning behind her

using one of your specialty moves in the match.

I understand.

Seven years ago,

there was a commemoration match between amateur Master Yashajin

and President Tsukimitsu, who was a Meijin at the time.

The result was a victory for Tsukimitsu.

However, I found a path that neither of them had noticed.

If Yashajin had noticed, he would've won.

Meijin - Tsukimitsu Seiichi Amateur Meijin - Yashajin Tenyu

That's when Father apparently said this:

"If my daughter grows up and says she wants to be a shogi player,"

"I'll have Kuzuryu Yaichi-kun be her master."

Apparently, you agreed.

I-I see...

Father had a habit of saying, "Kuzuryu-kun is amazing."

I was often shown your match records.

A sparse defensive shogi, Tempo Loss Bishop Exchange, and so on...

No wonder I thought I'd seen your shogi before.

But you didn't remember at all.

That's why you were angry from the start.

Because I forgot the name "Yashajin."

Ai.

Will you...

be part of my family?

I want to be your master, not just a professional instructor.

I want us to be a master and disciple who can truly share happiness and sadness.

Enter my family register. I promise I'll make you happy!

I can't just leave her. No matter what!

I want to teach her

that she can be happy in a life of shogi, the things her parents wanted to give her.

Who's number one?

What?

Who is number one to you, Master?

Since Ai became my disciple first, she's obviously my number one disciple, right?

Of course, you're the number one.

Really?

Of course.

How many matches did you play with Ai-chan?

What?

Tell me precisely!

Um, I think a total of eighteen matches.

Then...

Please have nineteen matches with me right now.

What? Right now?!

Everything aside, Master needs to play the most matches with me!

I got it. I got it!

Her competitiveness has awakened since her loss.

That's why she wants to have more matches than her rival...

You've grown, Ai!

Huh?

Kids grow so fast, like bamboo!

Man, grade schoolers are the best...

Shogi Association

If you need your disciple's permission to take on another disciple...

Checkmate.

who's really the master?

I'm sorry.

Who cares about who's number one?

That'll be clear when we play shogi.

You're right.

So? Who is number one?

What?

D-Don't get me wrong! What I'm trying to ask is who's the strongest?!

Right, right...

After all, you're just my master because the institution requires me to register as part of your family.

I never wished to be your disciple!

So... So...

Don't get the wrong idea, Sensei!