Yukima Azuma glanced at the caller ID.
"Ginko."
Without hesitation, he answered.
"Ginko."
Her response was direct, leaving no room for negotiation.
"Saturday. Chiba Shogi Club. Practice."
It was an order, not a request.
"Nine in the morning, right?"
A brief silence.
Then—
"Huh?"
Her tone softened. It was rare to hear Ginko sound genuinely surprised.
Almost as if she had misheard him.
Then, as if needing confirmation—
"Saturday. Chiba Shogi Club. Practice."
This ti, her voice carried a hint of excitent beneath its usual composure.
Yukima Azuma's response was calm, steady.
"I heard you. I'll be there on ti, Ginko."
Another pause.
Then—
"Umu!"
With that, she hung up.
It was just a single word, but the happiness in her voice was unmistakable.
Sora Ginko – The Snow White of Naniwa
Sora Ginko.
A 14-year-old Shogi prodigy.
Nicknad The Snow White of Naniwa, she was a two-ti champion, holding both the Queen and Won's Throne titles—two of the six major championships in won's Shogi.
A second-dan professional player, admired for both her brilliance and her presence.
And—
She was Yukima Azuma's senior sister in Shogi.
Years ago, before his mories of a past life fully awakened, Yukima Azuma had been imrsed in various disciplines—Go, calligraphy, painting.
But it was Shogi that he excelled in.
At the ti, the Yukima family still existed.
Thanks to his family's influence, Yukima Azuma beca a disciple of Kiyotaki Kōsuke, a well-respected professional Shogi player.
It was through this that he beca the junior disciple of Sora Ginko.
Even back then, he had been called a genius.
"The youngest professional Shogi player."
"A fifth-dan professional before adulthood."
"A prodigy unlike any other."
Titles ant little to him now, but once, they had defined him.
Until the fall of the Yukima family changed everything.
Why He Walked Away From Shogi
Three years ago, Yukima Azuma made a decision.
To abandon Shogi.
Not because he lacked talent. Not because he lacked ambition.
But because he lacked ti.
Survival ca first.
His goal wasn't just to excel in a ga—it was to rebuild his life and reclaim everything that had been stolen from him.
And besides—
At the ti, a single "ijin" had been tearing through the professional scene, dominating every opponent in his path.
When Yukima Azuma had faced this "ijin," he was crushed. Completely.
It wasn't even a battle. It was a slaughter.
According to his system's analysis, the ijin's Shogi skill level was around 9.
If Yukima Azuma wanted to stand at the top, he would have to push his own skill to the peak—Level 10.
But back then, his system hadn't awakened yet.
Without a clear path forward, he walked away from Shogi.
He focused on making money.
Because money equaled power.
Without it, he would never have the freedom to shape his future.
For the past three years, Yukima Azuma had not participated in any official Shogi tournants.
The only exception?
Sora Ginko.
Whenever she visited, they played in private.
And every week, without fail, she invited him to the Chiba Shogi Club.
Every week, he refused.
She never asked why.
She simply extended the invitation, again and again.
That was why, when he finally agreed today—
She had been so surprised.
So unable to hide the happiness in her voice.
Why He Said Yes This Ti
Simple.
He had finally secured enough wealth to stop worrying about survival.
And—
The ijin was gone.
The once-unbeatable champion had now claid every title except Ryuou.
According to the rules, this ant he wasn't allowed to compete in the next Ryuou tournant.
With him absent, the Shogi world was now filled with—
"diocre opponents."
The timing was perfect.
Yukima Azuma had a chance to return.
And this ti, he wouldn't be playing just for fun.
The Road Back to Strength
By the ti these thoughts settled in his mind, his morning run was complete.
A notification appeared before his eyes.
[Slight increase in Physical.]
His lips curled slightly.
Ten kiloters.
Not bad.
He had pushed past Shibuya Station and now stood near the Gakushuin-shita area.
As he cooled down, another thought crossed his mind.
The fridge is empty.
He adjusted course, heading toward a nearby supermarket.
For the first ti in years, his apartnt was no longer just his.
Kasumigaoka Utaha was there now.
She hadn't ntioned anything about food yet, but Yukima Azuma knew better than to wait.
If he didn't take the initiative, she'd probably start eating cup noodles and complaining about it later.
That wasn't going to happen.
A Windblown Encounter
The Academy District was quiet, the streets emptier than usual due to spring break.
As he turned a corner, a cool spring breeze swept past him.
Pink cherry blossom petals danced in the air, drifting lazily under the morning sun.
Yukima Azuma narrowed his eyes slightly, feeling the remnants of exertion in his muscles as he walked.
Then—
Sothing white fluttered toward him, carried by the wind.
Instinctively, he reached out.
Soft fabric.
A faint floral scent.
He glanced down.
A white beret.
Sothing about it felt strangely familiar.
As if the wind itself had carried it toward him for a reason.
Slowly, he lifted his gaze.
Across the street, at the top of a long, upward slope—
A girl stood bathed in golden sunlight.
Her delicate fingers brushed away a few loose strands of hair as she gazed down at him, her expression calm and composed.
The na of this slope suddenly surfaced in his mory.
Detective Hill.
And as cherry blossoms continued to fall like rain, Yukima Azuma knew—
This mont was the beginning of sothing significant.
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