Well, congratulations. You wrote something connected to my newest addiction,
HnG. Getting close to the end of the series, and I've been forwarned it ends
abruptly, but it's still been one heck of a ride and I've loved the pacing
on it. Hard to believe someone can get hooked on a show about a board game.
Of course, from what I understand, the anime/manga actually did reinvigorate
interest in the game in Japan, so I'm not alone.
[After C+Cing] went back and discovered it's an alt-uni, so take C+C
accordingly.
Mashiba
Oh yes, him. He was a moron.
looked over at the insei who had taken the
seat across from him, trying to hide his nerves. Last
year he had been humiliated by Isumi, his rival, and
this year he was determined to avenge that loss ?
stray '?'
which meant defeating the insei to play Isumi in the
next round. However, he?d
another stray '?'
nfortunately been matched
against the top-ranked insei, and Mashiba was a bit
uneasy. Every year a few of the insei won the first
round, and he knew that Shindou Hikaru might be
skilled enough to pull it off.
He's the future God of Go. :)
Mashiba recognized he wasn't one of the more gifted
pros.
He seemed pretty cocky. I'm surprised he doesn't qualify it with a 'yet'
He had just managed to earn his 2-dan ranking,
and most of the games he won were more through luck
than pure skill.
I think I do recall him saying that, but it still sounded like he was
bragging.
He had talent, of course, but he
didn't shine the way Isumi did.
Heh. He's in for a rude awakening when he discovers who the next three pros
will be.
God, he hated Isumi.
Still, the insei who sat across from him had to be
dealt with first, and he had, of course, heard that
the top insei hadn't been defeated in months.
Oh? I didn't think Shindou had a streak that good while at the insei school.
"You're
Shindou?" he asked. He cupped his hands around the
basket holding the white stones. The only advantage
given to insei was that the games were even, and they
were given black.
It was good enough for Sai, He never lost playing black way back when. :)
"Well, don't let me intimidate you. I was an insei
until two years ago, and just because you have no
experience doesn't mean you shouldn't play your best."
Mashiba smiled in mock consolation.
he is rather good at mocking, isn't he? :)
"Begin!" The
the
/Calm down,/ he told himself. /You?re the pro, he?s
hmm. odd conversion is the reason for the stray '?'
Something about this game was familiar - not in the
game itself, but how it was played. There was an
intensity, as though each move had the weight of the
world behind it, and Shindou was reading more deeply
than Mashiba could ever hope to.
Which seems to be his strength. He can read more and deeper than anyone.
/No!/ Mashiba?s mind screamed, trying to keep from
being overwhelmed by that ridiculous thought, but it
was too late. Mashiba had intended on intimidating his
opponent and forcing him to resign or mess up, but it
was the opposite that had happened.
but the opposite had happened (more concise and flows better)
There was something about watching Touya Akira play
that was eerily reminiscent of his father... yet at
the same time, no one would dare call the boy a
?copy.? It was the intensity, Amano had realized after
watching Akira play for the fifth time. Father and son
played with the same drive, the same surety. Both were
utterly ruthless.
They are birds of a feather.
Perhaps that was why Touya Akira rarely played a
Agood?
what was that supposed to mean?
game of Go. Amano was still amazed at the boy?s
prowess, and knew that as soon as he managed to
complete his preliminaries, he would be fighting the
top-ranked pros... and win. Touya Akira would outshine
his father, someday. But there was an emptiness in the
boy?s game, and the shapes he won with were rarely
pleasing. Seeing Akira totally destroy his opponent?s
forms was impressive, but to Amano, a good Go game
wasn?t about dominance, but a meeting of minds. Akira
always left those who played him hating him, and that
wasn?t what Go was supposed to be about. No one
respected Akira ? they feared him.
They need to lighten up, then. )
Across from him was Fuku Yuuta, who had been an insei
for two years now. Fuku?s moves came rapidly, one
after another, as he played more on instinct than
design. Touya, though, was completely unperturbed by
the rapid play, playing at a calm, steady pace. Fuku
was a good player, and getting better, but Amano knew
that the normally cheerful boy was completely
outclassed.
And that he won't mind losing all that much either. :)
?Those who burn brightest... burn half as long,?
Depends on how much fuel they have. Some have so much that death comes long
before they loose their enthuseasim.
Amano
said softly. ?There?s no fuel to feed him, nothing to
keep him going. How interesting can it be, to always
play games you know you?re going to win??
He loses. Just not often.
He smiled a bit at the thought of the games he had
already played. His own Go had improved immensely -
surely Shindou couldn?t be that scary.
Heh
>
He shivered as Shindou came over to him. Shindou
resembled a jock more than a Go player, but Isumi had
seen some excellent Go players who didn?t even look
like they knew how to spell their names.
?Hello,? Isumi said. ?You?re Shindou-kun, right??
Shindou nodded his head quickly, a jerky motion that
that had
It was simple, too simple, as though it had come
directly from kifu, but Isumi knew not to
underestimate Shindou. /He beat Mashiba, and Waya
warned me about him,/ he thought. /There?s relatively
few tried and true openings - just because he chose a
bland one doesn?t mean anything./
Hikaru: It just means I'm preparing to crush you! MUHAHAHAHA!
a go ke. He had been the strongest insei in his time
as Shindou was now, and it was time that someone
showed Shindou Hikaru that sometimes strength wasn?t
measured just but skill - but by determination.
Many determined people lose anyway. Fewer skilled ones do. :P
?You?re kidding!? No matter how good an insei was,
there was no way he?d get through the next two rounds.
The field was thinning, and right now only the better
players were remaining.
?I?m serious as a heart attack,? Nase told him.
?Shindou versus Touya... it?ll be a game to see.?
I'm sure it will.
dedicated, determined. Others who knew him even better
It looked like another rival was coming up.
well, at least he's taking Hikaru seriously.
Ochi tried not to feel jealous. He had never really
made friends while an insei, and he had always assumed
it was that his skill had kept the others away. But
seeing Shindou, talking easily with Waya, made him
wonder.
Had he been wrong? Was it possible to walk to road to
the hand of god with company?
Hand of God should probably be capitalized
Waya wasn?t surprised to hear the ?tap-tap-tap? of
fingers against the bathroom stall as he entered the
men?s room. He had almost forgotten Ochi?s rather
peculiar habit.
Heh. Nice way of showing he lost
?Went above him, pulled some new tricks you didn?t
even consider, and basically smacked Ochi down,? Waya
said tiredly, before realizing who he was talking to.
/Amano-san is a member of the press! He could be
quoting you!/
Only if it will sell. :)
Waya thought in a panic, his eyes
darting from side to side as he looked around for an
escape before he could say anything else exceedingly
stupid.
Amano sighed, recognize the deer-in-the-headlights
look for what it was. ?Waya-kun, I don?t intend any of
this to be on the record.
Amano: It'll just end up that way. Sort of like accidentily getting
pregnent.
?With Touya Akira,? Waya agreed. Neither of them were
giving Saeki, good as he was, much hope of defeating
the Meijin?s heir.
heir apparent has a nicer ring to it in this case, IMO.
Or would Touya sit alone on the throne, isolated
forever?
Nice work. Good to see HnG fics. Bye for now.
DB Sommer
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