March Comes in Like a Lion (３月のライオン)

Burnt Field (Part 1)

Um...

Uh....

I mean, what in the...

KISHOU CHAMPIONSHIP Various Receptions Planned

The Babbling Stream Inn Seiryuuen

It's even worse than the previous one. I mean...

Ladies' plan includes spa services and lunch course

The pair of Eastern shogi princes present demonstration board commentary

Why do we have a close-up?

"The pair of eastern shogi princes"?

KISHOU CHAMPIONSHIP

I don't know about those oval frames around you two.

It's like photos of students who were absent on the day of the graduation album class photo.

Well, they kept taking photo after photo.

But then it had this "We're always watching you from Heaven" vibe.

So you tried it, then.

It's difficult raising funds for the Kishou Championship.

I asked Nakamura, the general manager of the Shogi Association, to come up with a design.

but without spending any money, it's a tall order.

Yeah, I thought it'd be easy.

Designing is tough after all.

That's strange. I was in the PC Club when I was in college.

His initial enthusiasm had been so dampened that the chairman lost it.

SHOGI HALL

That's enough! It's fine!

STRICT BUDGET

NEW IDEAS

In fact, why don't we showcase their feebleness?

We can have a stationary camera

Time Remaining Heart Rate

that displays their EKG and heart rate along with the time remaining in the match!

And we can have a nurse standing by in the next room!

Like, "If either one of them collapses, there's nothing to worry about!"

Toku! Enough already!

That kind of mockery is too cruel!

PROPOSALS

This might be a relatively small-scale event, but it's one of seven prestigious major titles!

GAP

The Kishou Championship is my life!

We have support from five papers, but they're all small local newspapers so the budget was cut.

SPONSORS STRICT BUDGET

ANNOUNCEMENTS NEW IDEAS

This is a tight period! Surely you understand that!

GAP

69th Meijin Championship

Even at the best of times, it overlaps with the Meijin Championship, so business is slow!

Surpass the Legend—

If we lose even more spectators and attention,

from next year, the Kishou Championship...

GLARE

...will have all of its matches right here!

SHOGI HALL

A five-minute walk from Tokyo JR Sendagaya Station

So I appreciate your help.

Whether or not next year's Kishou Championship will be held entirely

at the Shogi Hall depends on you guys.

So don't hold anything back. Give a lively commentary.

HAHAHAHA

These two are providing the demo board commentary.

GULP

HEAVY RESPONSIBILITY

VARIOUS RECEPTION PLANNER

But it really helped that you came.

Really.

Of course I'll do my best with the demo board commentary!

But what's with all the gratitude, Brother?

You'll find out soon.

Hey!

Kan! Long time no see!

How've you been?

Kaku! Yasu! It's been a long time!

How are you doing?

Hey, Saku!

Kishou Yanagihara! Long time no see.

TO THE BRIM

Well, here's our third pre-toast!

Ready?!

Cheers!

BAM

I'm thrilled to see all of you again this year.

Thank you, everyone!

ROWDY ROWDY

Hey, Saku!

Wh-What is this?

A devious person.

This formidable home game feeling at the Kishou Championship.

Most of the reporters and staffers here are like Mr. Yanagihara's pals.

The Kishou Championship challenger is stuck with this awful away game feeling.

HUG

I missed you, Saku!

Hey, don't be such an old goat. I missed you too!

Geez, during this title championship,

whether I take a bath, go to the salon for coffee, or have a meal,

it's always this atmosphere.

Of course it's the same on the train going both ways.

No matter where I go, I hear a chorus of voices.

The old man is shrewd that way.

He makes himself the center of attention.

He's 66 years old, and an active Class A player.

He's won the title 14 times.

A true monster.

Or after getting this far, maybe more on the level of a vengeful ghost.

An extra-large one.

But in this fifth Kishou Championship match, I've cornered him, 2-2.

From the City of Shogi, Tendou, Let's Get a Master!

I want it. I'll bite into anything I can.

My first title!

I swear I'll take it.

And with apologies to the old man, I'm going to end his reunions!

By the way, where's Gan?

I don't see Gan.

R-Right.

Gan is here, but...

What? Is he ill?

S-Saku!

What are you doing here? You got your match eve party.

I got an unofficial notice, telling me to take early retirement.

So I left the newspaper at the end of May.

Well, in a nutshell, I was laid off.

I didn't want to cast a damper

on the festivities the night before your important title match with my story of economic woe.

Sorry, Saku.

But Saku...

when I think about how you're still fighting,

I just couldn't sit still.

You were lugging around that huge camera day and night for years.

You've done your best and then some.

Gan, shouldn't you relax and enjoy the rest of your life?

That's what my wife said. My daughter, too.

But I'm scared.

Without my work, what's left for me?

I'm scared, Saku.

I feel like...

I'm in a burnt field.

I'm telling you, we should use this diagram!

No, it's too confusing, Nikaidou!

It's better to put them up side-by-side and explain!

FIRM FIRM

We were told to keep it lively, remember?

UNYIELDING UNYIELDING

Kiriyama, it'll go over better if we explain with pictures!

23RD CHILDREN'S SHOGI TOURNAMENT

This brings me back.