Chapter 179: A Way to Victory — A Past That Lingers
The afternoon sun dipped low behind the distant mountains, casting a golden hue over the rural rooftops. A soft breeze stirred the hydrangeas blooming by the walkway, brushing lightly against the wind chimes hanging from the eaves. Inside the small yard of the Hinatsuru Ryokan, Kiyotaki Keika sat quietly on the engawa, brows knit in quiet concern.
Yukima Azuma stood beside her, casually sipping a barley tea that had long gone lukewarm. After a moment of silence, he glanced down at her with a gentle smile.
"You know," he began, "there’s an official tournament this year—the Queen tournament. As long as you make it to the main bracket, you’ll get promoted straight to Joryu."
He offered it like hope in a sentence, his voice brimming with certainty. "Keika-nee, you’ll definitely get in. Who knows? Before this year’s over, you might officially be Joryu."
At that, Kiyotaki Keika let out a short, bitter laugh.
"If only it were that easy."
Her voice was light, but it carried years of buried frustration. She didn’t need to explain further—Azuma already knew. She’d participated in the Queen tournament before. More than once. But every time, she failed to make it past the preliminaries. Not because she lacked skill—but because she lacked something else. Something harder to define.
"You’re too optimistic," she murmured. "Shogi doesn’t hand out miracles just because you want them."
Azuma smiled faintly, then leaned in and whispered like he was revealing a great national secret.
"Well... what if I said I had a surefire way for you to win?"
Keika blinked. "Hah?"