Kaito's words were quickly conveyed by Akina to the staff of the Shogi Association.
When they first heard these conditions, they were angry.
Wasn't Kaito looking down on them? Wasn't this an insult!?
Lose is lose, win is win!
It wasn't that they couldn't accept defeat; was such humiliation necessary!?
But after they calmed down and thought carefully…
What if Kaito's skills were truly remarkable, and he had already assessed Yaichi's strength by watching his public matches, which is why he offered these conditions?
Kaito wasn't very old; Akina said he was only 23.
And she also mentioned that he saw his younger self in Yaichi, which is why he was willing to come and play against him. Otherwise, he wouldn't have shown up.
But since they were going to play, and it was a single match to decide the winner, naturally they should play this game with the highest skill, to create a monumental chess game, the pinnacle of human chess.
Young people shouldn't be too arrogant, but if they aren't arrogant, are they still young?
If you don't push hard and surpass your limits, do you expect to break through in your sleep?
In the end, the Shogi Association agreed.
When Yaichi heard about these conditions that favored him, he was silent for a long time, but he was still moved by Kaito's words, and at the same time, his fighting spirit was ignited.
An unprecedented and earth-shattering game, the pinnacle of human Shogi skill – just hearing it made his blood boil!
…
Outside.
After Yaichi agreed, the news spread rapidly.
First, it caused an uproar in Japan. Some were angry, some were confused.
China, which learned about it a bit later, showed a bit more reaction, but there were after all keyboard warriors, acting as if they were directing the country criticizing Kaito's arrogant behavior.
At 11:30 AM, Yaichi ate a very rich lunch, then rested to conserve his energy.
At 12:40 PM, 20 minutes before the match, it was preparation time.
Yaichi changed into traditional clothing, held his fan, put on his glasses, and arrived at the competition venue full of vigor.
At the same time, Kaito also left the Hinatsuru Family mansion, accompanied by Akina and Ai.
Click, click, click...
Upon arriving at the competition site, countless flashlights started flickering.
Among them, journalists photographed Kaito the most.
While everyone was surprised by his looks and attire, they simply couldn't imagine he would be so young. At the same time, they were all guessing which wealthy family in China Kaito was a descendant of.
He really had such an aura. One look from afar and anyone would know he wasn't an ordinary person.
That bearing of a superior was truly not something ordinary people could possess.
Some people are very handsome, even twins, but after growing up in different environments for a while, their appearances don't change much, yet one can always feel that one is ordinary and the other is rich.
These things still need to be observed through their speech, behavior, etc.
Someone like Kaito, who makes people know at a glance that he is extraordinary, is really rare.
"Maybe he's from a hidden family that has been passed down for a thousand years?"
"I know! His surname is Qin. Is it possible that he is a descendant of the Qin Kingdom from China's history? That is, a descendant of Qin Shi Huang! After the fall of the kingdom, they always needed to hide their names to avoid death, and some royalty would rename themselves after the country's name. Maybe he..." (T/N: Once again, the MC's real name is Qin Ye.) (T/N2: Qin Shi Huang is the first emperor of China. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qin_Shi_Huang)
"That's right, it's really possible! To be honest, when I saw him just now, it was like seeing a prince! I've even been to Dubai, and the princes there don't have this kind of presence!"
The journalists outside the barrier took pictures and discussed, brainstorming, using their knowledge to constantly guess Kaito's true identity.
And then the exaggeration got bigger and bigger, and Kaito became a descendant of Qin Shi Huang.
The recent popularity of Qin Shi Huang's story made people all over the world know about Qin Shi Huang, which led to such speculation.
After all, this was knowledge they had; it was perfectly normal to use the knowledge they had to guess!
Besides, changing one's surname to the country's name was also a tradition of some ancient kingdoms in China.
"Spread the word: this Mr. Kaito is suspected to be a descendant of Qin Shi Huang! That's why he's so mysterious!"
"Spread the word: Kaito is a descendant of Qin Shi Huang! That's why he looks so outstanding!"
"Spread the word: Kaito is Qin Shi Huang's youngest son, and Qin Shi Huang isn't dead!"
"Spread the word: Kaito is Qin Shi Huang reincarnated!"
"Spread the word: The Qin Dynasty has already ascended to the heavens as a whole nation and is now dominating the universe. One day they will come back to attack us. We should quickly return to China's rule and call them daddy!"
...
'Uuhhh...'
Kaito's mouth twitched.
Hearing these journalists' overthinking thoughts along the way, he really wanted to vomit.
'What was all this!? How could these people's imagination be so strong, and moreover, so twisted!?'
'I am a descendant of Qin Shi Huang? How come I didn't know!?'
"Whew... Hello, Kazuryu Yaichi."
Arriving at the pavilion surrounded by bamboo, Kaito saw Yaichi sitting seiza on a mat.
This place was originally for guests to take walks, but now it had become the competition venue.
Luckily, it wasn't too hot here; the bamboo grove was quite cool.
Plus, the natural, fresh air was much better than indoors.
As for the surroundings, there was no one else. Even the referee had to retreat to the corridor path thirty meters away.
They would observe the two and the board through surveillance cameras from all directions, then immediately broadcast the progress of the game.
This included some professional players who couldn't resist starting live streams and providing commentary, even boasting that this would be a monumental game, which attracted people, whether they understood Shogi or not, to watch the stream.
With commentary, they could understand the dangers and intricacies of the game.
"Hello, Kaito-senpai. It is an honor to be appreciated by you and to have you willing to play chess with me. I will do my utmost to defeat you!"
"Not bad. That's exactly why I am willing to play chess with you and give you the chance to correct your mistakes."
'Yaichi, I (Baal) hope you don't disappoint me.'
'Your senior sister, Sora Ginko, is watching you from afar!'
'And your future student, Hinatsuru Ai!'