Unknown from which game, the King suddenly had this doubt.
Through so many games, the woman before him always maintained the same rhythm, decisively placing pieces without much thought.
In contrast, to win, he pondered subsequent moves.
Comparing both, he appeared weaker.
After being checkmated again, the King calmly said, "Another game."
"Okay!"
Another deployment.
Suddenly, the King noticed Komugi placed a dead-end move, and the piece occupying that dead-end was the highly important Shinobi piece.
Hidden Move: verified, judged as a hopeless strategy.
Meaning, Komugi's dead-end move on the left flank was essentially severing her left arm at the start.
'What's her scheme?'
The King quietly watched Komugi, whose eyes were only on the board.
'Regardless. Since you dare place a dead-end at the start, don't regret it.'
'If you lose this game, just die.'
Thinking this, the King placed his piece.
"7—1—1, Cavalry."
Komugi focused, placing her piece.
"6—5—5, Bow."
"1—1—7, Cannon."
"4—4—4, Fort."
"3—2—2, Musketeer."
The game entered mid-stage. Then, Komugi placed a piece on the board's upper-left corner.
That piece was the Samurai, standing quietly there, as if emitting dazzling light, connecting to the supposedly dead-end Shinobi piece.
'What? This move actually revived the dead piece? Without me noticing...'
The King's eyes gradually widened. Since birth, his brows lightly furrowed for the first time.
Pondering briefly, he placed his piece.
Then ten moves later, under the revived Shinobi piece's lead, the King's left flank was completely devoured, not a single piece left… truly merciless, no room spared.
The King looked at the cleared left side board, speaking in a tone even he couldn't understand, "No pieces left."
Saying this, he habitually swept the pieces aside. This time, the action was slower than any before.
Because he was thinking.
'From placing that dead-end move to checkmate, one hundred forty-four moves were made.'
'Could it be this woman foresaw the final outcome when deploying?'
'No, absolutely impossible.'
'How could someone's skill reach that level, especially being blind?'
'That meant, each move required deeply memorizing the board's situation. Under such conditions, she could still place pieces decisively without thought.'
Rumble...
Thunder suddenly sounded outside. Through the high windows, dark clouds were visible.
The weather changed...
'I originally thought human talent was just this. It seems I underestimated them.'
The King slowly looked up, seeing Komugi enjoying herself. Calmly, he said, "Continue!"
"Okay!"
Responding was still the girl's happily smiling face.
The game continued.
Pouf silently left the main hall, meeting the arriving Pitou.
"All normal."
Pitou said.
She handled surveillance, reporting periodically.
Since the King was addicted to Gungi, she could only report to Pouf.
Standing at the entrance, Pitou glanced at the game room corner, curiously asking, "How's it going?"
Pouf's eyes darkened. "A bit strange. No matter how played, the King can't win. It shows the opponent is very strong."
"Meow?"
Pitou looked surprised.
In the game room, the King fell into contemplation again.
'Too ordinary moves couldn't win against this woman.'
'Then...'
The game started, and both deployed pieces.
As deployment neared completion, Komugi noticed the King placed the crucial King piece on the board's left corner. Within the surrounding twelve squares, only two pieces were nearby. Most remaining pieces were almost all deployed on the right flank.
"Isolating the King." Komugi softly said.
Thus, the isolated, unsupported King would easily perish under strong assault.
The King's lips curved slightly, confidence lightly coloring them. "This move, name it [Detached Castling]."
Komugi paused briefly, continuing deployment.
Soon, both sides finished deployment; the game began.
"Starting with this [Detached Castling], I'll disrupt your breathing."
The King watched Komugi, silently thinking.
Snap.
First move placed.
In that moment, game paths clearly emerged in the King's mind.
The moment he placed the [Detached Castling] move, paths mysteriously appeared.
A profound feeling, as if paths awaited his arrival here.
'This game, I can win!'
The King's eyes shone, his piece-holding stance imposing.
Mid-game, the King picked up Duke, placing it on the board's exact center.
"5—5—1, Duke!"
Across tens, even hundreds of games, because of this move, Komugi stopped for the first time… or rather, hesitated.
The King's gaze slowly lifted from the board to those silver eyes.
'This move would derive endless offense-defense from the board's center. No precise path, everything depended on my response.'
'This would be a prolonged battle. Come, let me disrupt your rhythm!'
About several seconds later, Komugi took a breath, placed a piece like a sharp blade on a spot, saying, "9—2—1, checkmate."
Originally having infinite possibilities, forced into infinite dead-ends by one move.
Checkmate didn't necessarily mean capturing the King, but at a certain point on a path, forming a hopeless, irreversible situation.
"..."
The King couldn't help but grit his teeth. Countless paths flashed in his mind… all dead-ends.
Tracing back to the start, he finally found the key: that move isolating the King… Detached Castling.
He stared intently at Komugi, saying gravely, "You... knew Detached Castling was a dead-end?"
"Yes." Komugi replied.
The King's eyes gradually cooled. "Then why hesitate earlier? You should've acted decisively."
Reading nearby, Pouf glanced at Komugi's back.
'His Majesty asked a question unrelated to skill. If answered improperly, could be fatal.'
Pouf thought.
Komugi remained silent for a moment, then said, "Lord Supreme Commander's conceived move... I created it ten years ago."
Outside, thunder continued… rain intensified.
'Perhaps human talent could also surpass mine in certain aspects.'
The King watched Komugi, awaiting continuation.
Far ahead of the capital palace was the city Peijing, now an empty city.
A group of several arrived there, gazing at the distant palace through the rain curtain.