Knight
（桐山(きりやま) 零(れい)）あっ…
（島田(しまだ) 開(かい)）はぁ… やれやれ
Jeez.
You finally look this way.
やっと こっちを見たな
The sound of a train running alongside a river
The color of sunflowers blooming facing down
The sunset becomes a striped border
Why do I want to cry every time you say "thank you"?
I'm like a child
I thought I'd left all my tears in the fridge
Red rover, red rover, send that girl right over
Goodbye, bystander
We keep walking
Even if at the end of this road isn't Heaven or anything like that
I just want to keep being with you and smiling together
Pride, wishes, and hope
I'll always have them just like you do
When you're scared, so scared, and becoming depressed
I'll protect you, I'll always protect you with everything I have
I promise you to your face
（二海堂(にかいどう)晴信(はるのぶ)）はい 実は兄者…
Yes. Actually, Big Brother...
I want you to...
兄者に…
split Kiriyama's head in half.
桐山の頭を かち割ってやってほしいのです
Dang it, kiddo.
（島田）坊のやつ 何を言うかと思えば また…
I was wondering what you were going to say.
やっかいなことを…
You've really put me in a pickle.
Blinding Darkness
Well, then...
（島田）じゃあ…
Shall we continue?
続けようか
Prompted by him, I looked at the board...
（零）そう促されて 盤面を見て…
僕は みるみる 正気に引き戻された
and quickly came back to my senses.
続けられないよ
I can't continue.
That's how bad this is.
そのくらい悪いよ これ…
まず感じたのは 衝撃
The first thing I felt was shock.
Then I was assailed by a wave of embarrassment.
そして 次に襲ってきたのは…
嵐のような恥ずかしさだった
What exactly did I think he was until just now?
さっきまで俺 この人のこと何て思ってた？
こういうタイプの人との対局は 長くなるな
Matches against people like that are usually drawn-out battles.
I'm not a fan.
苦手だ
What the hell?
何だよ“こういうタイプ”って
"People like that"?
I can't let him get under my skin.
イライラしたらダメだ そこに食らいつかれる
That's where he'll eat me alive.
How can I be so arrogant?
何様だよ 俺
"I can't let him get under my skin"?
“イライラしたら”とか言って—
How can I misread his skill level so much?!
どんだけ レベル 読み間違ってんだよ
I just wanted to win, so I drew the game out, waiting for him to make a mistake,
勝ちたいだけで ただ 対局を引っ張って—
相手のミスを 待つタイプの棋士と…
while I thought of him as nothing more than a number on a ranking sheet.
相手を 頭の中で 勝手にランク付けして
I can't lose here.
ここで 負けるわけにはいかない
No matter what.
どうしても
I couldn't even accurately gauge the strength of the player in front of me,
目の前の相手の 力量も測れないくせに
and I let my head get filled with a personal grudge.
私怨に 頭 全部持ってかれて—
He's in Class A and I treat him like a side character?
Ａ級棋士つかまえて サブキャラ扱い
Am I an idiot?!
バカか 俺は！
I want to run away.
うっ… に… 逃げたい
消えてしまいたい
I want to disappear.
Where do I...
ここから
Where do I...
ここから…
Where do I...
ここから
Pitch black, yet blinding...
真っ暗で まぶしくて…
I can't breathe...
息ができない…
その小さな せきばらい一つで…
With that brief clearing of his throat,
I understood he was telling me to calm down.
落ち着けと 言われたのが分かった
At his prompting,
促されるまま…
though my mind was in a state of confusion,
混乱した頭で 必死に—
I desperately searched for my next move.
次の一手を探して
I searched.
探して…
そして気付いた
And then I realized something.
The fact that I'd been looking down on him...
なめてかかられていたことも
The fact that I just figured out how wrong I was, and that I'm flustered...
そして 今になって—
僕がそれに気付いて うろたえていることも
He saw through all of it.
この人は 全部
全部 見透かした上で—
And yet, he still sits there quietly.
こうして 静かに 座っているのだということ
If I run away in the middle of the match just because I'm mortified,
ここで…
自分のバツの悪さだけで 途中で逃げ出したら—
it would be truly selfish, and he knows that too.
それこそ…
本当の意味での 自分勝手なのだということに
Shogi Hall
And so I scraped up every last bit of desperation and continued playing.
そうして僕は—
ありったけの必死さを かき集めて指し続けた
But the match ended before I could recover at all.
が… 何一つ挽回できずに 対局は終わった
And then...
そして—
the post-match review began.
感想戦が始まった
Wh-When did it happen?
ど… どこから…
Well...
じゃあ…
Why don't we replay a bit from here?
ここから ちょっと進めてみようか
Starting from R-5h?
（零）５八飛(ひ)… そこから？
He set it up right away, so that must've been the turning point.
すぐに並べたということは—
そこが分かれ道だったということだ
But...
でも…
こ… ここから？
F-From here?
（零）こんなところから？
From a board state like this?
It was already going badly for me at that point?
もう 悪くなっていったって いうのか？
Okay, what if I played P*5d?
じゃあ ５四歩(ふ)では？
同金(きん)
Gx5d.
Sx5d.
同銀(ぎん)
Sx5d.
同銀
B*2d.
２四角(かく)
Px2d.
同歩
Th-Then if I'd instead done this...
じゃ… じゃあ こうだったら？
P-1e.
１五歩
同歩
Px1e.
Then, how about S-3e?
３五銀は？
Sx3e.
同銀
Bx3e.
同角
P-3g+.
３七歩成(なり)
１五香(きょう)
L-1e.
同香
Lx1e.
P-3d.
３四歩
S-4b.
４二銀
Th-Then what about P-1e, Px1e, P*6e?
じゃ… じゃあ １五歩
同歩
６五歩は？
B-5g+, Sx5g, B-3g...
（島田）５七角成
同銀
３七角
（零）完敗だ…
A complete defeat.
対局も
Both the match and my approach...
その姿勢も…
Thank you...
ありがとう… ございました
（零）恥ずかしさで声が震えた
I was so embarrassed that my voice trembled.
Everything in front of me flickered in black and white.
目の前が白と黒に点滅した
My insight, everything...
読みも何もかも
僕の…
I...
completely lost.
完敗だ
（三角(みすみ)龍雪(たつゆき)）おーっ 走ってる 走ってる
Look at him go.
おお スミス
Oh, Smith.
あれ 今日は？
Wait, do you have a...
No, just here to practice a bit.
いや ちょっと修行しに
Issa and I were discussing your match.
さっきまで 一砂(いっさ)と検討してました
I kind of feel bad for Kiriyama.
しょっぱいっすね 桐山君
With his inexperience, he misjudged his opponent's skill, got blown away, and now feels like he's lost everything.
（三角）経験値不足で 相手の力量 読み間違って
吹っ飛ばされて 丸裸にされたような気持ち
I totally get it. The rashness of youth.
分かる 分かる
若気の至り は〜ずかしーっ
How embarrassing.
うわーっ ああ もうっ あんのやろう
Sheesh...
Before this match, that punk only made copies of Gotou's and your match records.
対局前ここで 後藤(ごとう)さんと 島田さんの棋譜しか—
コピー取ってなかったんすよ
ハハハ… で どうせ あれだろ
And I bet he focused on how Gotou has played twenty matches, but I've only played five.
後藤さんが20局で 俺が５局ってとこだろ ハハハ
Wood carving
当たりかよ！
What, I'm right?!
Wow, that kid pisses me off.
うわっ ムカつくな あのガキ
Well, I've done something similar in the past.
まっ 俺も似たようなこと しでかしたことあっけどね
Although it wasn't quite as obvious as that.
ここまで あからさまじゃ なかったけどな
Well, yeah. Everyone has. A little bit, anyway.
まあね みんなね ありますよね 多少はね
I don't want to remember when I did it, though.
思い出したくもないっすけどね
So you've got Gotou next, huh?
次 後藤さんっすね
Please do your best.
頑張ってください
His face is scary, though.
怖いっすけど
顔が…
Yeah. I want to win.
（島田）ああ 勝ちたいな
Though, his face is scary.
おっかないけどな
顔が
I want to win, and then play against Souya.
勝って 宗谷(そうや)とやりたいな…
The title match...
タイトル戦
I'm starving. You want to stop somewhere?
腹減ったな どっか寄ってく？
あっ… 俺はちょっと
I've kind of got something...
What, a girlfriend?
（島田）なに 彼女？
（三角）あ いや そういうわけでは…
Well, not exactly...
Fine, then. Go on. Shoo, shoo.
（島田）ああ もういいよ 行け 行けー！ しっ しっ
アハッ じゃ どうも
Then I'll see you later.
Good match today.
お疲れさまでした〜
（島田）もしもし 坊か
Hello? Kiddo?
How are you feeling?
体調はどうだ？
I see.
そうか…
Yeah, I won. Uh-huh.
ああ 勝ったよ
そうか ネットで もう見てたか
I see. You already watched it online, huh?
Still, he's an interesting fellow.
しかし面白いな あいつ
A jumble of stubbornness and honesty.
頑固と素直の ごちゃ混ぜだ
I don't know if I split his head open, though.
かち割れたかどうかは 分からんけど
Yeah. I kind of understand what you were talking about, kiddo.
うん 坊の言ってたこと…
ちょっと分かった気がするよ
そうだな
Hey, I got an idea.
You think we should invite him to join the workshop?
誘ってみるか
研究会に…
Meanwhile, at Smith's apartment
I'm home.
ただいま〜
Strawberry!
いちごちゅわ〜ん
Sorry I kept you waiting! Time for num-nums!
お待たてちまちた ごはんでちゅよ〜
Kissy-kissy!
ん〜 チュッ チュッ
You're such a cutie-pie!
かわゆすな〜っ もう
Did you miss me?
さびちかったでちゅか〜
（いちご）ミー ミャー ミィ…
Blinding Darkness
Just a Little Water
（零）起きていると…
If I was awake, I couldn't stop thinking about everything, so I slept and slept.
いろんなことを考えてしまうから
寝た
寝まくった
I always assumed I'd be going up against Gotou.
ずっと 後藤と 当たるのを想定して…
So instead of getting any regular sleep, I spent all my time obsessively pouring over the match records.
このところ ろくに睡眠を取らないで—
棋譜の検討を しまくっていたので…
I'd neglected to eat and drink for days, so I crashed and slept like a log.
数日間
飲まず食わずで 泥みたいに眠り続けた
でも…
But now, it has become impossible to keep sleeping.
ついに眠り続けることも 不可能になった
あっ いたっ…
Ow!
Wh-What is this?
な… 何だ これっ
I was dehydrated.
脱水症状だった
The symptoms would go away if I could just rehydrate.
水分を補給できれば治るはず
（零）ぷはっ はあ はあ
ゴホッ オッ ゴホッ
（零）なのに もう口から飲んでも 戻してしまうばかり
But everything I drank came right back out the same way.
（零）焦った
I panicked.
This is bad.
やばい… どうすれば
What should I do?
If I lose any more water...
これ以上 水分失ったら…
I had a faint memory of slowly lapping up a sports drink with a pinch of salt.
うろ覚えの知識で…
スポーツ飲料と少しの塩を—
なめるように ゆっくり ゆっくり とり続け
It took me over half a day to summon the energy just to get up.
起き上がれるようになるのに 半日以上かかり
翌日 やっと はうようにして 近所のコンビニへ行った
The next day, I practically crawled to the neighborhood convenience store.
I'm an idiot.
僕はバカだ
I'm even terrible at depression.
落ち込み方まで下手なんて
（零）販売
Retail, office work, programmer...
事務
プログラマー
Hall staff, security, driver, kitchen staff...
ホール係
警備
運転手
調理スタッフ
There are so many different kinds of jobs.
（零）世の中には こんなにも いろんな仕事がある
でも ほとんど全てが…
But almost all of them...
No experience necessary!
*High school graduates (18 and older)
Dress however you want
Yeah. That's only natural.
だよな そうだよな…
高校卒業まで あと２年
I graduate high school in two years.
Until then, the only way a student like me can earn money to pay rent
それまで 学生がお金を稼いで 家賃を払っていくには…
is to continue playing shogi.
やっぱり このまま 将棋を続けるしか
I have so many matches that I'm at risk of missing too many days at school.
対局が多くて 出席日数 危ないけど
But I have to at least graduate high school.
なんとか せめて高校だけは…
So I can eventually be able to choose my own path in life.
自分で自分の道を 選べるようになるために
That's what I thought, and so I came to school.
…と思って学校に来てみたら
Pass it! Pass it!
（男子学生たち） はーい パス はい パス
Numbers team, over here!
（男子学生１） ゼッケン組 こっち！
Here we go!
（男子学生２）行くぜ！ （男子学生３）おー！
Yeah!
P.E. right off the bat?!
（零）いきなり体育？
And basketball at that?!
しかもバスケ？
ど どの辺にいりゃいいの？
Wh-Where should I be?
とりあえず 目立たないように走って…
For now, I'll just run so that I don't stand out.
（男子学生４） えっと そこの… 誰だっけ？
Um, you over there!
Who was he, again?
In the glasses! It's all on you!
眼鏡の人 頼む！
Wh-What?!
って ええ？
The ball came to me?!
（零）えっ 球 来ちゃったよ
Uh, what am I supposed to do?
えーと どうすれば…
The basket is over there,
ゴールはあっちだから
誰かにパスを… とか
so I should pass it to someone, right?
（男子学生５）いっただきっ！
That's mine!
うっ… ギャ！
（男子学生４）あっ バカ！
Moron!
Damn it, Four-eyes! What the hell are you doing?!
てめえ こらっ 眼鏡 何やってんだよ！
（零）ほんとにね…
Good question.
（零）ほんと 何やってんだろ 俺
Really, what the hell am I doing?
No good. I don't taste anything.
（零）ダメだ
なんか味がしない
It's like chewing on sand.
砂 かんでるみたいだ
これで ほんとに 逃げてないことになってるのかな
Is this what "not running away" looks like?
I think I wanted memories of not running away.
（零）逃げなかったって 記憶が欲しかったんです
（零）逃げてないフリでしか なかったらどうしよう
What do I do if I was just pretending not to run away?
What do I do?
（零）どうしよう…
I feel like I don't know anymore.
何か 分かんなくなってきた
Something's different.
何か違う
僕の思ってた高校生と違う
I'm not the high school student I imagined to be.
I thought I'd be able to handle it.
もっとちゃんと しっかり できるようになるんだと思ってた
I thought if I could leave home, pay rent, and feed myself,
（零）自分で家を出て…
家賃を払って…
ごはんが食べられるようになれば
I'd become an adult.
大人になれるんだと思ってた
I thought that if I became an adult,
大人になれば…
I wouldn't have to cry anymore.
もう… 泣かなくて済むんだと
思ってた…
Kiriyama!
（林田(はやしだ)高志(たかし)）きーりやまっ
Huh?!
What's wrong?! You're crying!
…って どうしたの！ 泣いてるし
Gahhh!
What the hell?! Is this a job magazine?!
でもって何よ 転職マガジン？
えー？ どゆこと？
What does it mean?!
A high school student sitting alone on the stairs, crying while reading a job magazine!
一人で 階段で泣きながら 転職雑誌読んでる高校生！
There's already something crazy about this whole setup!
もう この設定自体が 既に どっかおかしいのに
Moreover, he's only the fifth junior high shogi player to turn pro in history!
しかも それが 史上たった５人目の中学生プロ
The rising star of the shogi world!
将棋界の期待の星だという
I don't even know where to start!
もう 一体 どっから 突っ込んだらいいのやらー！
Goddammit!
ああー！ もうっ
First, eat!
まず食え
え？ でも…
But...
いいから これ食え
It's fine! Just eat this!
Who eats cold food when they're depressed?
落ち込んでるときに 冷たいもの食ってるやつがあるか
命取りになるぞ
It might kill you.
Reach for something warm instead.
あったかいものをとれ
Otherwise you'll lose half your HP!
ヒットポイントが 半分になっちまうんだぞ
（林田）なあ 桐山…
Hey, Kiriyama.
Why don't you try moving back to your mentor's house?
やっぱり もう一度 お師匠さんの家に戻ったらどうだ
But...
（零）でも…
You have class-promotion competitions and tournaments throughout the year,
（林田） 順位戦とトーナメントを 年間通して戦って—
you go to school, study for tests,
学校にも通って テストとかもあって
you cook, do laundry, and deal with whatever else is going on around you.
自分で飯作って
洗濯と身の回りとかやってって…
That's too much for a 17-year-old to handle.
そりゃ 17歳じゃ まだ無理だよ
（零）でも…
But...
キャパオーバーってあるの どうしても
You've exceeded your capacity. That's just a fact.
獅子王戦は 残念だったな
It's a shame how the Lion King Tournament went for you.
I saw it online.
ネットで見たよ
Shimada, 8-dan.
島田八段 やっぱりつえーな
Damn, he's good.
He came up with Master Souya, but he never really stood out.
宗谷名人と同期で ずっと目立たなかったけど…
Still, he steadily and persistently made his way to Class A.
地道に粘って粘って Ａ級まで たどり着いた
He's the personification of hard work.
努力を絵に描いたような人だ
And recently, he's been a regular at all the title matches.
それが最近じゃ タイトル戦の常連にもなってきた
Incredible, isn't it?
すごいよな
詳しいですね
You know a lot about him.
We're the same age, so of course I'm curious.
同い年だもん 気になるさ
You know?
そりゃねぇ
Shimada, 8-dan, is also passionate about popularizing shogi.
それに 島田八段は 普及にも熱心だし
He's got a workshop where he helps train young players...
研究会とかも開いて 若手と勉強したり
Come to think of it, how about something like that for you?
…って そういえば
お前は 研究会とかは？ 入んないの？
Would you join?
No. I don't really...
はい 僕はそういうのは…
You should join.
（林田）入ってみたら？
But I...
（零）でも 僕は…
You know, about that workshop of his...
いっそ島田八段の研究会とか
As I recall, Nikaidou, 4-dan, is a member.
そういえば 確か二海堂四段も 会に入ってるらしいぞ
（零）でも…
But...
Why not? It'd be a waste not to.
何でさ もったいない
Being able to learn from the person who beat you is a huge opportunity.
自分を負かした相手から 学べることって—
でかいもんだぞ
But...
でも…
（林田）あー！ もうっ！
Jesus Christ!
…って さっきから聞いてりゃ でも でも でもと！
All that's been coming out of your mouth is "but, but, but"!
Argh!
If 100 "but"s opened a door, that'd be fine, but there obviously ain't no door like that!
“でも”が100個そろえば 開くドアがあればいいが—
はっきり言ってねえよ そんなドア！
But...
（零）でも… （林田）でもじゃねーっ！
Take your "but" and shove it!
Shogi Hall
（二海堂）ねえ 兄者
Um, Big Brother. Why can't we just reach out to Kiriyama directly?
どうして桐山に 直接 声をかけてはいけないのですか？
この間は 研究会に誘ってみようと 言ってくれたではないですか
Weren't you saying the other day that we should invite him to join the workshop?
It's difficult to explain, but you know...
難しいけど こればっかりはね
All we can do is wait for him to make the first move.
自分で言ってくるのを 待つしかないんだよ
そういうものなのですか
Is that how it is?
Yeah.
That's how it is.
そういうものなんだ
Just a Little Water
Your fingers, your chest, your eyes
Are so dazzling there are nights when I get dizzy
They suddenly fall upon me, and it's just so warm
That it feels like I swallowed a seven-colored star
You held me tight, troubling me like a burning spark would
But I was taught to keep walking despite everything
God, please hear me out
For just a little while
Please connect us like that constellation
So that we're never away from each other
So that we're always together
Next Episode Preview
Episode 15
Oh, Kiriyama.
（林田）ああ 桐山 見てみろ すげぇぞ
Look at this. It's incredible.
What was that? An argument?
（二海堂）何でしょうね ケンカかな？
No way.
（三角）うそだろ こんな島田さん 見たことねえよ
I've never seen Shimada like this before.
No, that was nothing!
（島田）いいや 何のまだこれしき
Is it really something that shameful?
（川本(かわもと)ひなた）そんな… かっこ悪いことかな
What is this feeling?
（零）何だろう この気持ち
Illustration: Mori Kouji
（三角）３月のライオン
Strawberry will be just as cute in the next episode of "March comes in like a lion"! I can't wait!
次回もいちごちゃんが かわいーぜ 楽しみだなー！
I don't think she'll be in the next one.
（零）次回 出番ないと思います
（三角）えっ？ こんなにかわいいのに？ 何で！
What?! But she's so cute! Why not?!