In the Heian era, Fujiwara Sai
After a great span of time
Was reborn in the heart of Shindou Hikaru
To master the Move Of God
You are holding me up strong 君が今僕を支えて
I am holding you as well 僕が今君を支える
So let us now while wandering, live together だから迷いながらも共に生きていこうよ
towards the future 未来へと
Even when I'm capricing with my friends 仲間と戯れ それなりで居ても
I feel an emptiness in my heart もの足りながを感じてしまう
Looked at with cold eyes 冷めた目で見られて
I'm blown by the winds of a dry age 乾いた時代の風に吹かれている
Feelings of doubt and courage are back to back 不安な心と勇気が背中合わせになっている
but I'll make these dreams come true now with my own hands だけど今なら夢をこの手で叶えてみせるよ
The days where I'm hurt and about to break 傷ついて壊れそうな日も
The days where I cry and trouble you They all exist 涙して困らせる日もあるけれど
but we will get over it heading 僕達はそれを超えていくんだ
Higher then anyone else 誰より上を目指して
Did you pass?
Waya, you know him?
I heard him say "To surpass Touya Akira" in the hall
Really! I'm his, and he's my rival!
There's too much of a gap!
I'll catch up eventually!
Match #23 The Room of Yuugen Note: Yuugen translates roughly into Spiritual Wonder or Spiritual Mystery
Oh it's all black! Note: When you lose you get a black mark
Touya Akira's rival experiences 6 straight losses in a second class Note: When you lose you get a black mark
What is it!? What are you trying to say?
I see! He's your rival at Shougi!
Don't mind him Hikaru, Your getting stronger
And what's your rank!?
Me?
Let's see...
Waya.. Waya...
6th... In first class...
Waya you're good
Compared to the bottom of second class I am
And still lost to Touya twice
Though I lost to him, I'm a lot closer to Touya than you are!
Though he probably doesn't even know I exist
What are you talking about?
Dammit
I'm pissed at myself for letting Touya beat me at the pro exams
I can't lose to him in spirit and skill
I played against Touya-Kun too!
I lost!
Oh
Touya doesn't matter
It's all a matter of making yourself the top
Who was that?
Ochi, he's in the 6th grade
He came 3 months before you
Of course he started at the very bottom of second class
Now?
He's third in first class!
Third in first class?
He probably thinks he'll pass the pro exams today
I want to pass them too this year, no matter what!
If I pass this year, I won't have to go to High school
You don't like studying Waya?
I hate it!
The pain of having to listen to a teacher for hours and hours everyday
Same with me
I'll be in the 9th grade by the pro exam in the summer
If I pass it, I'll start as a pro the same time I graduate!
I'd like to finally pass this year too...
Isumi-san
I'll turn 18 this year, it's the last year I can remain an Insei
But, even if you're not an Insei
You can take the pro exam until you're 30
I know all that. It's a matter of feelings
Last year, and the year before that, I failed the pro exams despite being ranked one in the Insei's
If I fail this year too...
I'd feel too sorry for myself to continue
How many people can pass the pro exams?
3
Just 3!?
There's a long way ahead on the path you're walking, 6 straight losses
Long way.. Ahead...
I didn't think that would work
I mean, this flow here, that's not good enough for black
Then, do you want us going after the 2 moku here?
Yeah yeah, extend yourself here
Can you really win the battle?
Probably?
Probably!?
What do you think about it Akira-Kun?
Akira-Kun?
Oh
What is it? Is your mind filled with becoming pro?
No...
I'd like to say "finally".
Akira-Kun is finally a pro starting in April
What I don't understand is why you were fooling around in the Go club when you joined Jr.High
Right Ogata-san?
But he had more spirit back then
Go isn't all about skill
Inbetween the small difference in skill
Your emotions, your spirit affects the outcome of the game greatly
Right now you're... Not even worth pounding
I don't feel different...
Akira-Kun's scary enough existence for me
That's because you're losing one out of every 3 matches, Askiwara
Touya-Meijin probably knows since he plays him every day
Well, once the matches begin in April, the results will show it
But Ashiwara-kun
How long do you plan on drifting inbetween the first and second preliminaries?
yeah!
Are you free this Sunday?
There's something I'd like to show you
Something to show me?
Shindou...
You won...
My first victory!
Just 1 win?
I'm just about to start my winning streak now
Touya...
Touya!
What's with him?
Touya!
What's with him?
Did he have some business with the teacher?
No... he came to see if I was here
What are you talking about? He comlpetely ignored you
He's not your rival at all
He said he'll never appear before me again...
He's waiting for me...
For me to rise to his level!
You didn't know did you? That he became Insei
Was he what you wanted to show me?
So what if he is Insei?
What does that have to do with me?
He probably did it in pursuit of Touya Akira
Touya-Kun you're here?
Hello!
Perfect! Do you mind if I interview you for abit?
About becoming pro, and about your father?
It's fine with me
Will you come to the publishing department upstairs later?
I understand
Thanks a lot
Hello, Ogata-sensei
Well then I'll...
Okay, I'm going home
I just thought he would motivate you
That's funny. To chase after me with his skills?
Then I'll move forward far beyond him, so that he'll never reach me
I won't let him come near me!
He's motivated you plenty
What an interesting existance he is
So he'll get pummeled here for awhile as Insei....
Hurry up and come to the world of the pros...
No...
Will he be able to come at all?
What's going on?
Imanishi-kun! Wait!
What is with his attitude? Just over losing?
You were Imanishi's opponent just now right?
Did he make a stupid mistake somewhere?
Yup. A total miscalculation
Maybe he's irritated because the High school entrance exams are coming up
Arigatou
He said his grades at school were dropping
Of course, if I had time, I'd be studying Go
And if it pays off and we become pro, It's all fine
but he's still in second class
And he lost to someone like Shindou because of a stupid mistake
No wonder he's irritated
Why you...
Touya doesn't study for school either right?
But he's in Kaiou Jr.High, he must be really smart
Yeah! Doesn't that irritate you?
It dsoesn't really irritate me but...
It's irritating! He passed the pro exams in one shot too!
He'll be appearing in the new first dan series soon
New first dan series?
You really don't know anything do you?
The new first dan series are matches between people who just passed the pro exams
And the top pros
It's to encourage new pros
Encouragement huh?
You start as a pro in April
but we have a match like this before then
Last Tuesday, there was a match between Kuwabara-sensei and Mashiba-san!
Mashiba-san?
He was an Insei
So he passed the pro exams
When Isumi-san and Waya failed
You be quiet
How did the match go?
He resigned helplessly before Kuwabara-sensei
Oh...
Touya should have it soon too
He keeps on moving forward doesn't he?
It's not just Touya
Everyone who passed the pro exams keeps moving forward
We Insei, don't move forward at all unless we pass the pro exams
Who is it?
Down
Hey who is it?
That was Zama-sensei! Ouza!
Ouza!
That's one of the titles
You should know the titles at the very least
Zama-sensei! Perfect timing
What?
The day for your match against the new first dan has been decided
We'll send a notice for it
Who's my opponent?
It's Touya Akira. The Meijin's son
Touya... him?
I've heard about him
He's supposedly really strong according to the players studying under Touya-Meijin
Of course they won't say anything bad
The new first dan series...
How have they been going?
A sweep by us experienced pros?
No there are losses as well
So they're letting the new players feel some glory
It is a festival of sorts
Then maybe I'll let him win by half a moku too
I'm sure everyone will like it
Touya Akira makes a great start as a pro, your headlines will read better
Well the publishers may appreciate it but...
Yes, Kuwabara-sensei played it afew days ago didn't he?
His opponent was Mashiba-kun and he used to be Insei
I'd like this please
Maybe he got nervous because he was playing Kuwabara-sensei
Or maybe he went out of it because of the room of Yuugen
But he defeated himself
Kuwabara-sensei went "huh?" when Mashiba-kun resigned
as if he played the game half asleep
I feel sorry for that boy
Kuwabara-sensei can be quite a bully at times
Well, I'm hoping for a great games between a hopeful new pro
And one of the top pros right now
Yeah okay
What!? Today!?
Did you read the sign outside?
There's a match between Touya and the Ouza today in the room of Yuugen in the afternoon
I wanna see!
You can
There's a camera in the room of Yuugen during matches
And you can watch it on a monitor
It'll be shown on that TV
We have our own matches, so we can't watch all of it
But you can catch at least the second half
after your Insei matches are over
I can't watch all of it
While we're here, wanna look at the room of Yuugen as well?
We're allowed?
Here, this is the room of Yuugen
It's so dark, I can't see anything
Hikaru
Sai...?
Maybe I feel it because of the state I'm in...
But the air here stings me
Enough to make me smile from quivering in anticipation
How is it? Isn't it awesome?
Do the pros always play in places like this?
No. They usually play in the main room where we play
Rooms like these are used only for title matches
Ohh
Using this room today
Is kind of like encouraging them to work hard so that they can play a real game in here
Next year, I too will...
We'll be taking a memorial picture before the match
Take some extras. He may become big in the future
Gotcha
Could you face each other and converse a little?
Converse he said Touya-Kun
I'll be fighting you with all my strength today, My regards to you
You have my regards as well
Don't be scared by my title of Ouza
We're all the same once we're pro
You can't win if you lose emtionally
Come at me thinking that I'm a new pro just like you
Yes. I intend to do so
He intends to do so? How arrogant of him
Could you look this way please?
Change of plans...
I'll crush him
Has Touya's match started yet?
Hikaru, concentrate on the match before you for now!
I-I know!
This is the first time you've been n the room of Yuugen right Touya-Kun?
No, it's my first time
It may be your first time playing, but you've been in here before at least right?
Your father is a regular here
Have you never come with him?
No, not even once
You've never even sat here to keep time or record the moves?
I was not an Insei, so I've never kept time or records
You were never an Insei?
But jobs like that come to new pros too right?
I'd better learn how to do it by April
How annoying
Feel at least a little nervous
It's time, so we'll begin the match
The new pro will move first, and Komi is a reverse-Komi
5.5 moku
You each have 2 hours. After you use it, you have a minute per move on the Byouyomi
Well then. Good luck
Good luck
What? Ashiwara-sensei!
Hello
Yes! Ashiwara-sensei studies under Touya-Meijin!
I'm Touya-Kun's friend. The closest to him in age too
All of Touya-Kun's friends are adults
Is that why?
He's really calm.
Every new pro I've seen so far have been nervous or not confident
But he's neither
Yes, Mashiba-kun, you were frozen stiff
Kuwabara-sensei was really scary
Kuwabara-sensei slammed the stones onto the board really load on his first move
You can't be getting swallowed up by such obvious scare tactics
Kuwabara-sensei's just the type of person to do it
Well, let's see what happens with today's match
The happiness that I dreamed of 夢に見ていたシアワセなら
I thought someone would bring it to me 誰かが運んでくれると思ってた
Within this quick paced city, all I have are excuses... 急ぎ足の街で言い訳ばかり
and I lied to myself that everyone was doing the same みんなも同じとうそぶいてた
Are you really satisfied right now? 本当にキミはいま 満足してるの？
It was as if you saw straight through me 心の真ん中 見抜かれたようで
If i had not met you あなたと出会えなかったら
I would only have a false smile! 偽った笑顔のまま
I would only have had うわべの態度や言葉を
empty emotions and words 繰り返したね
With the power of your gaze あなたの瞳の力で
I will change from now on 私は変わってゆこう
In order to cast off 昨日の揺らいだ気持ちを
the uncertain feelings of yesterday… 脱ぎ捨てるために…