Dealing with Mikadono Sisters Is a Breeze (帝乃三姉妹は案外、チョロい。)

Day of the Third Keika Title Match

Miwa-san!

Guys...

Miwa-san, we'll go home and root for you over the livestream.

G-Good luck!

Win your remaining matches and defend the title with your life!

Yeah.

Good!

But ya know what? I don't care about the title anymore!

What?

Wh-What are you, nuts?

I concur! Don't even joke about that!

M-Miwa?

Why even continue with these matches, then?

Not telling.

See you later.

Dealing with Mikadono Sisters Is a Breeze

Just thinking about my mom—

how I could make someone's face light up just by cooking for them—

made me gradually get better and better.

Well done, Miwa.

You're something else!

I'll admit I'm proud.

I'm just like him.

And if I win, Yu-kun will also...

Congratulations, Miwa-san!

I wanna see them happy.

No... I'll make them happy!

home.12 For Someone Else

Right now, Ms. Yaotome leads with two wins and no losses.

If Ms. Mikadono loses this match, she'll surrender her title.

This must be the first real crisis for our prodigy, Miwa Mikadono.

Glad we made it interestin'.

Saika Newspaper Cup Keika Series Match Three

That's her... That's the real Miwa Mikadono.

The true-blue, genuine...

prodigy.

This is the same aura I felt when we first met.

The aura... that was nothing like mine.

You don't want to play with her anymore?

Yeah, Sakura-chan's just bad at everything.

Sakura...

Let's go visit Grandpa.

Oh, those are some lovely giraffes.

They're cats.

Oh, uh... l-let's see here...

I'll be back!

Sakura! How about we play some shogi?

Grandpa's sad because no one ever plays with him!

Sakura, you can't move that piece that way.

Each piece moves in a different way.

Really? What a weird rule.

That there's a pawn, the weakest shogi piece.

They can't move more than one space, after all.

Don't like them.

However, they always move forward, no matter what.

They never duck sideways, or retreat backward either.

Pawns are weak, little pieces, but they always move forward, one step at a time.

However!

Pawn

Directions it can move

Prattle Prattle

If a pawn reaches the other end of the board, it turns into a very powerful piece!

Promoted Pawn

It's just like a lowly grunt becoming a five-star general!

Doesn't that sound swell to you?

The game gets really exciting if you know the right moves...

Honey, Sakura is still three years old.

Grandpa, teach me how to play shogi.

Let's go play at the park!

I'm afraid you've gotten too good for your old gramps, Sakura.

I resign.

Thank you for playing me.

18th JSW Cup Children's Shogi Tournament

With shogi... I could get better through tireless effort.

18th JSW Cup

Children's Shogi Tournament

Just like a pawn, I could move forward slowly and achieve my goals.

For a klutzy disaster like me, shogi was my one bright spot.

49th Junior National Shogi Championship Sponsored by the National Shogi Association Youth Promotion League

Until one fateful tournament...

She's a prodigy!

She crushed me while barely even using her allotted time.

My defeat was so complete that it was almost inhumane.

She was the youngest daughter of a family full of natural-born talents: Miwa Mikadono.

We're both girls and the same age. So why were we so different?

Why does she have everything I don't?

For the first time in my life, I felt no amount of effort would ever be enough.

Shogi Center

Huh? Twenty-eight percent?

Here, Yaotome-san.

Th-Thanks.

Isn't she in middle school? How's that her test score?

She may be pretty good at shogi,

but with that low intellect, she won't go far even if she tries.

A. Tanaka, your record this season is zero wins, five losses.

You blundered with that knight in your last match.

And B. Suzuki, you're at one win, four losses.

The match before last, moving your gold general to 8-8 was a massive fail.

She memorized all the moves from our matches?

I-I don't want to hear it!

If ya got time to run your mouth, then use it to memorize my moves.

W-We'll take our leave!

And you! Don't just sit there! Stand up for yourself!

Hey, stoppit! It'll look like I made ya cry!

I felt pathetic.

Not only was I a loser at shogi—the one thing I had—she was taking pity on me.

She didn't see me as an adversary.

R-Remember how ya countered with your pawns?

I never woulda thought that'd work that well!

Pawn

My pawns?

The pawns are the weakest of all.

However, they never retreat.

They always move forward gradually, one step at a time,

until they turn into a powerful promoted piece.

Ya don't mess around when using your pawns.

There's practically no one else who's capable of that gameplay. So take pride!

I get it...

I'm a pawn.

I'll show you that even a mere pawn can grab the spotlight!

Wha?

Miwa Mikadono! Starting today, I declare you my rival!

The heck's her deal?

Not to mention, the pawns outnumber everything else on the board!

Wh-Why did I engage with this weirdo?

Saika Newspaper Cup Keika Series Match Three

From that day forward...

I kept chasing you, even when you wouldn't give me a second look.

But... here we are.

You're finally looking at me.

Me, of all people!

What a counter!

So is anyone in the lead?

Beats me.

Saika Newspaper Cup Keika Series Match Three

Saika Newspaper Cup Keika Series Match Three

Keika Title Holder Miwa Mikadono

Second-Degree Professional Sakura Yaotome

The pawns are the weakest of all.

But they always move forward gradually, one step at a time.

There it is!

The Miwa Mikadono lick!

I resign.

Third Title Match Miwa Mikadono Wins

Saika Newspaper Cup Keika Series Match Four

Fourth Title Match Miwa Mikadono Wins Again

Keika Series: Miwa Mikadono With Two Straight Wins

Miwa Mikadono Keika Title Holder

Fifth Match

Sakura Yaotome Second-Degree Professional

Here we are at the final Keika title match.

At the series' outset, Miwa Mikadono incredibly lost the first two matches.

However, she emerged victorious in the next two matches,

which brings us to our fifth and final match today for the title.

The day has finally arrived.

They may be tied, but Miwa definitely has the momentum at her back.

I just wish we could watch the deciding match in person.

You two have your own things to do, so don't you dare come!

I'd just feel bad if you had to drop everything!

She's so pigheaded!

It'll be fine.

Win for us Miwa!

We Stan Miwa

We Stan Miwa

Must Win

I'll just cheer for her in your place!

You're really going to a shoji game in that gear?