✦ ✦ ✦
“Grow strong,” I told her with a firm squeeze of her hand. “Do that, and you can get anything you can dream of. Certificates like this will pile up. Beautiful plaques, medals, championship trophies, money, fame, friends, work, you name it. You can live the best life.”
“Wooow ……”
She wiped away those still-flowing tears and flashed that grin.
“’Kay then. That’s what I’ll do.”
I decided to enter her into an amateur Shogi tournament.
“You’re not coming with me, Mister?”
“Couldn’t get permission to go out.”
It may have been an amateur tournament, but being spotted with someone blacklisted by the Shogi Association wouldn’t be good for her reputation. That had to be avoided.
“I’ve asked someone to look after you,” I told her and gave her a worn-out business card. “You’re to address him as Master from now on. Understand?”
“Master?”
“Like a teacher.”
“Aren’t you my teacher?”
“I’m a friend, no?”
“A-ha! Yep!”
I contacted my former younger brother apprentice and asked him to be her Master, even if in name only. He was so surprised that I was still above ground that he agreed for old times’ sake.
That night, the girl ran right up to me, smiling ear to ear.
“Mister! I got another award!”
The awards piled up in no time.
So many, in fact, that she was invited to join the Women’s bracket in invitational tournaments. She went on to meet all the requirements to join the Women’s League without ever having to set foot in the Practice League.
That’s where she hit a wall for the first time.
One by the name of Rina Shakando. No matter where they encountered each other, nothing the girl did seemed to work against that woman.
Against an opponent thoroughly versed in tactics both on and off the board, that strong but erratic girl couldn’t even so much as stand her ground.
“The Assassin …… She is stronger than the pros. That woman may act all graceful and refined, but she could slice down almost any pro if she got serious.”
“Did you get sliced, Mister?”
“Yes. Like a toothpick.”
…… I never thought I would come clean about my crimes to her.
Telling her about Rina Shakando and the board of directors pulling her strings behind closed doors.
I was treated like a disposable pawn. There was a time when I wanted nothing more than to make those who had cast me aside when it suited them suffer …… But that burning desire for revenge flamed out.
My life was nothing but a continuous spiral of losses. Now, at the end of it all, I met her. This was my big chance to turn the tables. I was grateful to Shogi for the first time.
Right after we had that conversation, the girl became a Title Challenger.
A five-match series for Empress.
She came back after the fifth match and walked up to me like she’d found the best present in the world.
“Mister. I sliced her for you.”
She took down the strongest woman alive to claim a Women’s Title.
She only kept getting stronger after that.
Age caught up with me just as quickly.
Unable to play a decent match of Shogi, days passed like dreams. Nevertheless, the girl came to visit me on almost every one of them.
Then, on one particular day…
“Mister! I found one! A guy just like me!”
“Just like …… you ……?”
There’s another? Someone who can do what she does?
“Who ……? A pro player ……?”
“Nope. He’s in the Sub League, but he’s stronger than pros. Stronger than title holders!”
“…… If you’re the one saying so, it must be true ……”
I nodded as satisfied relief passed through me. My greatest worry was gone.
“And? What’s his name?”
“ ”
That’s the last time I clearly remember seeing her face.
I passed away seeing that ear-to-ear grin like when she got her first certificate.
If …… anyone can hear me now ……
I want you to know her true colors.