Since there was only one qualifying spot for the six groups, and this spot was occupied by Yushan Kazuto, Kong Ginko had no way to attend with Yushan Kazuto and could only watch quietly as Yushan Kazuto walked towards the hall.
As soon as he showed up, Yushan Kazuto caused a burst of exclamations. Although everyone had already known that Yushan Kazuto was very handsome, no one knew that he could be so handsome.
In comparison, although Tenichi Okitera is also an older handsome man, a handsome mature man, he seems much duller than Kazuto Yuyama.
It seemed that the host was also a little mesmerized by Yushan Kazuto's handsomeness. He even forgot about hosting and it took him a long time to react.
"These two are Yushan, the 4th Dan, the Sky-Falling Demon Lord, who qualified as the top six group winners, and Okitana, the 8th Dan, the Killing Arhat, who qualified as the top five group winners!"
"On one side, there is a supernova who just emerged last year, and on the other side, there is a veteran player who has been working in the chess world for many years!"
"Today, the two of you will have a life-and-death battle here, competing for the honor of winning the first Dragon King Battle in 2023! Everyone may wish to guess who will come out on top!"
Chapter 798: Saying One Word and Meaning Another
"Ryuichi Okitsu, 8th Dan, I wonder what you think of today's game?" asked the host.
She had made a mistake before, and actually mentioned the name of the less experienced Hayama Kazuto first when introducing him. This is a very serious mistake in the shogi world.
After being harshly criticized by the voice in the headphones, she finally remembered her work this time and was no longer dazzled by Yushan Kazuto's handsomeness.
"I'm a little nervous. After all, the opponent is the demon lord that Wei Feng has defeated since his debut." Omuta Ryuichi said with a smile, but from his expression, it can't be seen that he is nervous at all.
"But no matter how difficult it is, I will give it a try. This is a battle with the Dragon King!"
"Not to mention anything else, the game fee alone for the first round is 550,000!" Okitera Ryuichi said somewhat exaggeratedly.
That slightly artificial expression didn't look ugly at all, but instead added a touch of mature handsomeness.
"It seems that Okitei, 8th Dan, is very confident! He is worthy of being a veteran 8th Dan, and he is quite confident! He has probably studied the Demon Lord's chess records carefully and found out the Demon Lord's weaknesses." The host said passionately.
Although she was the host of shogi, her understanding of shogi was not very deep. She had never left the reward club in her life, so she could not understand the moves of Hayama Kazuto at all.
In her impression, Yushan Kazuto is very strong, and Okitera Ryuichi is also very strong. The match between the two should be as intense as a collision between Mars and the Earth.
Ryuichi Okitara was a little embarrassed by what he said. He knew his own business. The higher he stood, the more he could feel the huge gap between himself and Yushan Heren.
"Next, let's interview Demon Lord Yushan 4th Dan. I wonder what Yushan 4th Dan thinks of this game?"
The host turned to Yushan Kazuto, but she didn't dare to look him directly. Yushan Kazuto, who had just finished a little dressing up, was too handsome. She was worried that Yushan Kazuto would notice her somewhat fiery gaze.
Yushan Kazuto was looking at the crowd a little dazed. Among the people below the stage, Hinazuru Ai and Hinazuru Takashi were actually waving at him. In such bad weather, they actually came to Tokyo.
"Yushan 4th Dan, are you thinking about the chess game?" the host reminded.
"Oh! Excuse me, what did you just say? Can you repeat it again?"
Although it seemed a bit disrespectful not to listen to others, the host decided to be patient because of Yushan Kazuto's handsome appearance.
"I wonder what Yushan 4th Dan thinks about the opening round of this year's Dragon King Tournament?" the host asked with a smile.
"I hope that Okitama 8th Dan can play more decisively and bravely." Yushan Kazuto said directly.
He just wanted to win the game quickly, but Ryuichi Okitera's style of play was steady and cautious. If his opponent always took a long time to think, the game might go on until very late at night.
"Is Yushan 4th Dan setting a trap for Okitara 8th Dan? Or is he issuing a challenge to Okitara 8th Dan?" The host smiled.
"Well, I would like to thank you both for coming here. I also hope that Okitera 8th dan and Hayama 2nd dan can bring us a wonderful opening match of the new year."
Yushan Kazuto took a deep breath. This difficult press conference was finally over. Looking at the crowd again, Hinazuru Ai and Hinazuru Takashi had disappeared.
Yushan Kazuto blinked and returned to the backstage of the hall, where Kong Yinzi was standing in the corridor waiting.
"Why are you daydreaming at the press conference?" Kong Yinzi asked coldly.
The host thought that Yushan Kazuto was thinking about Okitera Ryuichi's chess record at that time, but Sora Ginko knew very well that if Yushan Kazuto was thinking about the chess record, he would not be in a daze for so long.
"Ai and Uncle Hinazuru actually came to Tokyo. It's just a little strange to see them." Yushan Kazuto said with a blink.
"Is that brat coming to Tokyo again?" Kong Yinzi said with a tsk, then said, "The Chess Academy has prepared dinner. You can go over after the press conference is over."
"Well, this press conference probably won't be finished in a short while." Yushan Heren shrugged and said.
"The press conference will end at 5:30 at the latest. The chess academy will not let the press conference affect the evening's game." Kong Yinzi said.
"I hope so." Yushan Kazuto shrugged and said.
"Please get ready, Kong Yinzi, and go through channel one to attend the press conference!" The backstage broadcast sounded again.
"Huh? Yin Zi, why did we ask you to attend the Dragon King Battle press conference?" Yushan Heren felt a little strange. Wasn't Kong Yin Zi eliminated?
"I will commentate on the game tonight." Kong Yinzi said coldly.
"Then I'll go back to Komari first. Call me at dinner time." Yushan Kazuto said.
"Yeah." Kong Yinzi responded, then remembered something and added, "Don't change this outfit for now. You have to wear it when you play chess tonight."
"Eh...you don't have to wear this outfit for future games, do you?" Yushan Heren couldn't help but grin.
"No, the opening match must have a certain sense of ceremony, and only the title challenge will have a dress code."
Seeing that the indicator light on Channel 1 turned green, Kong Yinzi walked over quickly. Yushan Kazuto blinked and returned to the waiting room.
In the waiting room, Doma Mai was still fiddling with her Switch, but for some reason, after Yushan and others left, she suddenly felt that the game was no longer interesting.
Walking into the lounge, Yushan Kazuto sat directly next to Tsuchima. Tsuchima didn't look up, but just glanced at him and said, "I'm sorry, sir, this seat is already taken."
"Take another good look at who I am?" Yushan Heren said.
Doma Mai then raised her little head and looked at Yushan Kazuto who was wearing a formal dress, and the little stars in her eyes almost jumped out.
"Scumbag, scumbag senior, why did you change your clothes?" Tsuchima Mai said in surprise.
In his daily clothes, Kazuto Yuyama looks fresh and handsome. If he wears a formal suit, his handsomeness will be enhanced to more dimensions.
In other words, it's not that Yushan Kazuto's handsomeness has improved, he has just returned to the level he should be.
"Today is the opening game of the New Year, and there is a dress code." Yushan Kazuto shrugged and said.
"How about it? My outfit is pretty good, right?" Looking at the somewhat surprised expression of Tsuchima Yui, Yushan Kazuto couldn't help but ask.
Tsuchiya Mai quickly turned her head to the side and pouted: "With the scumbag outfit, the scumbag senior looks even more like a scumbag."
In her heart, Tsuchiya secretly cursed:
[Why does the scumbag senior dress so handsomely? Is he trying to attract those little girls who like shogi? ]
"Look at you, you say one thing and mean another." Yushanheren spread his hands.
Tsuchiya blinked and said, "No, Koma-kun doesn't."
"Both Yukinoshita and Asuna said it was beautiful, but you insisted it was not. Isn't that just saying one thing and thinking another?"
Chapter 799: Opening Game Begins
"Senior Yukinoshita? And Asuna?" Tsuchima turned around and looked at Hayama Kazuto with a questioning look, as if waiting for Hayama Kazuto to give an explanation.
Yushan Heren grinned, and it seemed that he had let something slip.
Doma Mai was not particularly clear about the fact that Yuuki Asuna went to the Hayama family, but she knew a few things about Yukinoshita Yukino.
"Could it be that on Christmas and New Year's Day, the scumbag senior always wears this outfit to accompany senior sister Yukinoshita?" Doma Mai asked with a smile, but there seemed to be something deeper hidden beneath that smile.
Yushan Heren blinked, his eyes evasive. "How is it possible? Didn't I tell you? I went to the airport to pick up a designer that day. The clothes were designed for me by that designer after he arrived in Japan. How could I wear them in those two days?"
Doma Mai sorted out the timeline briefly and it seemed that what Yuyama Kazuto said was not wrong. After a designer arrived in Japan, it would take more than one or two days to design a piece of clothing.
"Then...what do Yukinoshita-senpai and Asuna think of you?" Tsuchima Mai still felt something was strange.
"That's because it was Yukinoshita's birthday a few days ago, and I wore this outfit when I attended Yukinoshita's birthday party." Yushan Kazuto blinked and said.
"Birthday party?" Doma Mai smiled again. She hadn't received any news about the birthday party.
"It was a more formal banquet. There were hundreds of guests that day," explained Yushan Kazuto.
"Is Asuna participating too?" said Tsuchima, blinking.
"What do you think?" Yushan Kazuto did not answer, but kicked the question back to Doma Mai and made some slight hints.
In Tsuchima Mami's eyes, Yuuki Asuna probably attended Yukinoshita Yukino's birthday party, so she saw what Hayama Kazuto was wearing.
Although there was a suspicion that Kazuto Hayama was deliberately misleading, there was actually nothing wrong with what he said. After all, Asuna Yuuki saw Kazuto Hayama wearing a dress because he was going to attend Yukinoshita Yukino's birthday party.
"Hmph, Yu-chan admits that he is a little bit handsome." Yu-chan snorted.
"Just a little bit?" Yushan Kazuto blinked.
"Just a little bit." Tsuchiya insisted.
At the door of the waiting room, two figures walked in. They were Sora Ginko and Hinazuru Ai!
Two people who are incompatible with each other actually walked together. Although Sora Ginko's expression looked a little disgusted, she still stood beside Hinazuru Ai.
"Brother Kazuto, you looked so handsome and cool at the press conference!" Hinazuru Ai ran over quickly and said to Kazuto Yuyama with some admiration.
Doma Mai looked at Hayama Kazuto with some confusion. Didn't Hayama Kazuto say that Hinazuru Ai would not come to Tokyo?
She quietly put away the switch in her hand, hid it in her pocket, and looked at Hinazuru Ai with a smile. Fortunately, Hinazuru Ai's attention was all on Yushan Kazuto, and she didn't pay any attention to Tsuchimima Yui's little movements.
"Xiao Ai, why are you here? The weather is so bad, it must be difficult to come from Hekura?" Yushan Heren asked.
"My father and I came here by train!" Hinazuru said with a smile.
"Is that so?" Yushan Kazuto blinked.
Although trains are also affected by the weather to a certain extent, and will probably slow down on snowy days, and cannot guarantee punctuality, it is at least much safer than driving.
"What about Uncle Hinazuru? Is he still waiting in the hall?" Yushan Kazuto continued to ask.
"Dad went to talk to someone, and Xiaoai managed to get out with great difficulty." Hinazuru Ai said.
Yushan Kazuto couldn't help but grin. Hinazuru Takashi was talking to someone else, but Hinazuru Ai ran out willfully. Will it delay the content of Hinazuru Takashi's conversation?
His eyes turned to Kong Ginko, but Kong Ginko just shook her head. Yushan Heren probably understood what Kong Ginko meant. Hinazuru's love for running out should not affect Hinazuru Ryu's affairs.
It was probably because Hinazuru Ai suddenly ran out that Sora Ginko was arranged to come here to lead Hinazuru Ai.
Otherwise, considering their relationship, Sora Ginko should not have accompanied Hinazuru Ai here.
"How long will it take for the press conference to end?" asked Yushan Kazuto.
"It will take at least another hour." Kong Yinzi said.
After saying that, he found a chair and sat down.
"Don't you have to deal with the press conference?" Yushan Heren couldn't help but blink.
"I have finished my attendance, now all I have to do is start the game."
……
The press conference, which was originally scheduled to end at five o'clock, was delayed until five twenty-five, only five minutes before five thirty.
The group had dinner at the chess academy, and the food tasted pretty good. After all, it was the annual New Year's opening game, and the relevant preparations were relatively complete, although the time was a little tight.
After dinner, it was already 6:10, and Yushan and Ren's game started at 6:30.
"Brother Kazuto, take these small cakes. When you get bored playing chess later, you can eat some cakes." Hinazuru Ai stuffed a few cakes into the hands of Kazuto Yushan.
Others eat during the game because their brains work at high speed when playing chess, which consumes a lot of energy and they need to replenish sugar. However, Yushan and others eat because the game is too boring.
Ryuichi Ogidera was standing next to Kazuto Yuyama, and when he heard this, he couldn't help but feel a little shocked.
"a bit.
Yushan Kazuto does have such ability, but isn't this a bit too inflated?
"Okay, I'll plan my time and try not to eat too fast." Yushan Heren nodded and said.
Ryuichi Okitara's face almost distorted as he listened to this. Wasn't this a disguised way of saying that playing chess with him was boring every moment?
The two men walked into the game preparation room. Kazuto Yuyama sat down and took a rest, while Ryuichi Okitera took out the chess record of Kazuto Yuyama and continued to study it seriously.
……
"Okitsu 8th dan, Yushan 4th dan, please enter the chess quiet room and prepare for the game."
Yushan Kazuto opened his eyes and walked in first. Okitera Ryuichi still greedily looked at the chess record for a few times before slowly walking into the quiet room.
"Okitaka, 8th Dan, has been a professional for 17 years. He takes the first move and the game begins."
As mentioned before, shogi is a chess sport that places great emphasis on seniority. Unlike Go, where players who take the first move are usually more experienced players.
Ryuichi Okitsu looked at Kazuto Yushan, who had actually opened a small cake and started eating it. He was already a little bored of waiting and couldn't help but widen his eyes.
