All the Heroines are my Ex-girlfriends

Chapter 64: This is little loli? Nuh-uh, This is EXP pack!

The dumplings were dropped into the pot.

Normally, it's best to use a special soup base to cook them, for the best flavor.

But Yukima Azuma had still been at Sawamura house last night.

He really didn't have time to prepare.

This time, he could only make do.

But even though it was rushed,

When each dumpling, plump and glossy, was laid out in front of the two of them, neither could help but have their mouths water.

"Please give it a try, this is my masterpiece~."

Yukima Azuma looked very proud.

Kasumigaoka Utaha glanced at him.

Then she scooped up a dumpling with a spoon.

Her small mouth blew on it a few times.

Then she bit into it.

It was still a little hot, so Kasumigaoka Utaha kept blowing on it.

The soup inside the dumpling burst out, landing on her tongue, and the fresh, sweet flavor made her senses explode.

At first, she thought this "masterpiece" was just a way to flatter her.

But now, looking back,

Perhaps this really was his masterpiece.

Kasumigaoka Utaha even thought: if I ate like this every morning, I might never get tired of it.

And then she wondered, what if I can't eat it anymore in the future?

However, compared to those thoughts,

Kasumigaoka Utaha squinted slightly, savoring the wonderful taste before her and the joy that the person who created this dish brought her.

"Have you ever made this for someone else?"

"Never."

Yukima Azuma wasn't lying.

His cooking skills had only started to develop in the past year.

Dumplings were his favorite dish, so in the process of honing his skills, he had practiced most with this dish.

It was just a shame that, during this time, no girl had come to his house in the mornings.

So, this was really the first time Yukima Azuma had cooked dumplings for someone else.

Upon hearing Yukima Azuma's clear and decisive answer,

Kasumigaoka Utaha squinted again, then took another bite of the dumpling.

It tasted even better.

However, most things aren't as perfect as we hope.

"This is amazing! So delicious! This is the best thing I've ever eaten!"

"Sensei, you're so talented! Sensei! I want to learn how to make this too!"

Hinatsuru Ai, after swallowing a dumpling, started speaking non-stop with her small mouth.

Her admiring gaze was almost brighter than the morning sunlight outside the window.

The tiny ahoge on her head was quickly wiggling.

Kasumigaoka Utaha sighed.

She should have kicked this girl out from the start.

Should have waited until breakfast was finished before letting her in.

....

After breakfast,

Yukima Azuma led Hinatsuru Ai to the room where the shogi board was kept.

The little loli sat easily on the cushion.

Her sitting posture was very proper.

Yukima Azuma brought over a shogi box.

Inside was the shogi set gifted by President Tsukimitsu.

Compared to regular sets, this one was made from rare green wood.

The characters carved on it were also done by skilled artisans by hand.

This set, according to rumors, was quite valuable.

Moreover, it had collectible value.

It was a limited edition shogi set from the Japan Shogi Association.

Hinatsuru Ai took the set in her hands and immediately felt the difference.

She picked up a rook piece and began fiddling with it non-stop.

Kasumigaoka Utaha also came closer, standing by to observe.

Even though she didn't understand shogi,

She understood Yukima Azuma.

Just by looking at his reactions,

Kasumigaoka Utaha could guess what kind of person this little loli actually was.

(t/n: ahhhhh, is shogi time, I'm not even sure which part is right or wrong to correct, so… don't overthink it)

Yukima Azuma sat down and set up the pieces.

However, the pieces were not fully arranged yet.

When the skill levels between the two players are vastly different, they apply a handicap to balance the game.

The simplest method is to give a handicap at the start.

Then, give up the left rook.

Next, give up the bishop.

Typically, this is also a common method in training matches.

Starting with a handicap plus giving up two pieces.

If the difference is still too large,

Then the handicap will extend to giving up: the promoted rook, bishop, two rooks, two knights, two silver generals, and two gold generals.

Of course, usually, four pieces is the limit.

Anything beyond that is simply an adult playing with a child who doesn't understand.

At this point, Yukima Azuma chose to give up three pieces.

The left rook, the bishop, and especially the promoted rook.

Upon seeing Yukima Azuma's arrangement, Hinatsuru Ai's gaze darkened slightly.

She wanted to play a fair game of shogi with Yukima Azuma.

But giving up three pieces really made her feel disrespected.

"Ai! When playing shogi, you must focus, not be distracted! You must completely ignore everything outside the board!"

Yukima Azuma's stern voice made Hinatsuru Ai shudder.

She immediately started to calm herself down.

No longer thinking about anything else.

She focused entirely on the board.

With the movement of the bishop,

The game began.

Hinatsuru Ai used the bishop's vertical opening.

Well, to be more precise, that was the only opening she knew.

She hadn't had formal lessons.

She had only taught herself by reading books.

She admired Yukima Azuma's style of play, which is why she wanted to learn shogi.

So, what she knew was simply the vertical bishop opening that Yukima Azuma used in his game against Yamato Kajin.

Yukima Azuma also moved his bishop.

In this game, he would not hold back at all.

The three-piece handicap was truly to test Hinatsuru Ai's skills.

Yukima Azuma's shogi skill level 8 swept across the board like a gust of wind.

By the 30th move, Yukima Azuma had nearly equalized the position despite the handicap.

By the 40th move, Hinatsuru Ai found herself at a disadvantage.

By the 60th move, the game quickly entered its final phase.

Hinatsuru Ai's eyes were filled with tears.

She stared intently at the board.

Trying to find a glimmer of hope to turn the tide.

She didn't know when it happened,

But the light in her ocean-blue eyes had turned a faint shade of purple.

"This... this... this... this is it!"

Hinatsuru Ai moved a silver piece into a key position.

This move could almost reverse the entire game.

Without this move, the game would end in the next ten moves.

And after this move...

"I lost."

Hinatsuru Ai cried as she conceded the game.

Finally, the game had stretched to the 111th move.

If it had been someone just starting out or at level 1 or 2, they probably wouldn't have been able to last this long.

Yukima Azuma looked toward Kasumigaoka Utaha.

Kasumigaoka Utaha, of course, understood his meaning.

At this point, she couldn't deny Hinatsuru Ai's talent.

She could tell that Yukima Azuma hadn't held back at all.

A grade school child.

To resist this much against Yukima Azuma, there could be no other reason besides talent.

However,

"There are plenty of talented kids out there, do you plan on taking them all as disciples?"

Kasumigaoka Utaha snorted, speaking.

Upon hearing this, Yukima Azuma only sighed.

"Ai, how about we play another game? Is that okay?"

"Umu! I'm fine!"

Hinatsuru Ai wiped the tears from her eyes and said seriously.

"This time, it might hurt a bit, can you handle it?"

"It's fine, sensei, you don't need to worry about me!"

Yukima Azuma reached out and patted the little loli's head.

"Let's fight."

The board was reset.

Hinatsuru Ai once again held the bishop piece in her hand.

However, before she could make a move, she shuddered.

From the other side of the board, an overwhelming pressure surged toward her.

The pressure felt as if it could materialize, stabbing into her fragile heart.

Her breath became rapid.

Hinatsuru Ai couldn't even bring herself to lift her head to look at the opponent across from the board.

It was terrifying—was this the presence of sensei? It felt... like she could barely breathe.

Hinatsuru Ai clenched her fists, gritted her teeth, and then placed the piece down.

The game began.

Unlike before,

This time, every time she placed a piece,

Immediately, from across the board, a "clink!" rang out, and her opponent's piece would fall to the table.

Though there was no clock set by the side,

Under this pressure, Hinatsuru Ai had no choice but to think faster.

Each move, though carefully considered, was immediately countered in the blink of an eye.

The sense of despair was incomparable to before.

Her breath became increasingly difficult.

This was a tactic rarely used in professional matches.

Because if one can anticipate the opponent's moves, just making the right move at the right moment can create psychological pressure on them.

This strategy can break the mentality of a player.

It felt like someone was choking her.

And with the added pressure Yukima Azuma was emitting,

It felt like he was pushing Hinatsuru Ai to the brink of collapse.

Tears, she didn't even know when they started, began to fall, one by one.

Hinatsuru Ai's small body felt like it was on a tiny boat in the middle of a storm.

She tightened her shirt in front of her chest, gripping it so hard it twisted.

Such a tragic scene.

Even Kasumigaoka Utaha, who stood beside, could no longer watch.

When she was about to step forward, wanting to say something to Yukima Azuma,

Yukima Azuma raised his hand under the table, signaling for her not to approach.

Kasumigaoka Utaha paused for a moment, then shifted her gaze back to the small figure, observing more closely.

Under this pressure, even though Hinatsuru Ai was clearly suffering to the extreme,

Her ocean-blue eyes, tinged with a faint shade of purple, remained fixed on the board.

In those eyes, there was pain, but no sign of surrender or defeat.

This time, Hinatsuru Ai persisted until the 130th move.

At the moment of conceding the game,

Yukima Azuma immediately withdrew his overwhelming presence.

He stepped across the board and caught Hinatsuru Ai, who was about to fall.

"Are you okay?"

"I... I'm fine. I can still... keep playing."

Hinatsuru Ai was like a resilient bamboo, not bending even when the storm rages.

"Let's call it a day for now. You should rest first, and we can talk about the disciple thing later."

"Sensei, did I... pass the test?"

"Mm, you passed."

Yukima Azuma picked up Hinatsuru Ai and laid her down on the couch in the living room to rest.

...

After leaving the room,

Yukima Azuma looked toward Kasumigaoka Utaha.

His gaze seemed to say: "That's how it is, after all."

Kasumigaoka Utaha sighed.

What else could she say?

The child, not only did she possess exceptional talent, but also the courage and perseverance to keep walking down this path.

A heart as resilient as her, almost like a unique magic, helped her overcome every obstacle without fear.

"Do as you wish, just teach her properly if you're going to."

After saying that, Kasumigaoka Utaha left.

Yukima Azuma watched her figure, shaking his head and chuckling softly.

So, even senpai is a little tsundere, huh?

It made sense though—if she weren't, she wouldn't have become friends with Eriri.

He walked out of the kitchen, grabbed a few ice cubes from the fridge,

And brought a glass of ice water into Hinatsuru Ai's room.

As for taking her as a disciple,

Yukima Azuma had his own thoughts on the matter.

This, in truth, did hold certain benefits for him.

Aside from Hinatsuru Ai's background,

If we focus just on her,

The two games that Yukima Azuma had played with Hinatsuru Ai had actually boosted his shogi skill progress slightly.

Although compared to the long, drawn-out progress bar, this increase was insignificant,

It was still far more than any self-training Yukima Azuma had done.

He had realized long ago

That skill development needed practice.

Learning from masters of high caliber or competing against prodigies with superior talent,

Both could significantly accelerate skill growth beyond what normal practice could achieve.

And as for shogi,

In terms of learning, it was clear that there wasn't much left for him to learn.

Even Meijin himself no longer had the qualifications to teach Yukima Azuma.

As for prodigies,

Those who stand out in the shogi world are naturally prodigies themselves.

But when it came to innate talent, Hinatsuru Ai, just in terms of raw ability, was already more outstanding than even many professional players.

So, in terms of improving his shogi skills,

Looking at the big picture, taking Hinatsuru Ai as a disciple and frequently playing games with her might very well be the best option.

So, is this a little loli?

Nuh-uh, this is an experience package!

However... even though Yukima Azuma agreed and Hinatsuru Ai agreed,

That still wasn't enough.

After all, she was the pampered young lady of a prestigious family.

.....

Two hours later, Hinatsuru Ai had recovered.

Although during the game, Yukima Azuma had only used a small fraction of his aura

Perhaps just a tiny fraction compared to what he had used to scare the gyaru girls before, it was still somewhat harsh for an elementary school child.

Anyway, it was good that she had recovered.

Once she had regained her composure

The first thing Hinatsuru Ai did was sit up straight in front of Yukima Azuma, her face waiting for judgment.

Yukima Azuma reached out to pat her head, gently brushing her cute ahoge.

"You don't need to be so tense. Did I scare you earlier? Sorry about that."

Enjoying the feeling of being patted on the head, Hinatsuru Ai quickly shook her head after hearing Yukima Azuma words.

"It's fine, sensei! You don't need to apologize! I'm completely okay!"

Since Hinatsuru Ai said so, Yukima Azuma didn't continue discussing it.

"Well then, let's get down to business."

Yukima Azuma sat down across from Hinatsuru Ai.

Hinatsuru Ai sat up straight, looking serious.

Goku Gokuri (*JP Glup*.)

"You have a lot of potential, and you have a resilient heart. Your talent is more than enough."

When she heard Yukima Azuma's evaluation, Hinatsuru Ai immediately became so happy she almost jumped up.

"But!"

Yukima Azuma suddenly shifted his tone, pulling her back from her excitement.

"When you came to me today, did you discuss it with your parents first?"

Hearing Yukima Azuma's question, Hinatsuru Ai glanced to the side, a little embarrassed.

"Because... mom didn't agree... so... so..."

"Ah, so you sneaked out, right?"

Yukima Azuma continued, causing Hinatsuru Ai's ahoge to droop. She nodded as if admitting her fault.

"Well, even though your ability is sufficient, I can't accept you as a disciple right away."

Hearing Yukima Azuma say this, Hinatsuru Ai immediately lifted her head, ready to defend herself.

However, Yukima Azuma raised his hand to signal her to calm down.

"Regardless, your family's opinion is important. Family ties must be respected."

"Therefore, I'll take you home first, and then you need to sincerely apologize to your parents."

"As for becoming my disciple, if you can get permission from them, I'll definitely accept you."

Yukima Azuma promised.

Hinatsuru Ai's ahoge, which had been drooping, immediately perked up when she heard Yukima Azuma's promise.

Now it started spinning like a Hopter from Doraemon. (t/n: Takekoputa) (t/n: is that the named, right?)

"I'll talk to your parents, but if we go now, they will probably refuse."

"Therefore, let's leave it for after I win the Ryuou title. I will definitely achieve that title."

"After I get the Ryuou title, I'll have your parents reconsider, and then I'll definitely be able to convince them."

"At that point, I'll officially accept you as my disciple. Is that okay?"

Yukima Azuma asked with a smile.

Hinatsuru Ai, at that moment, continuously nodded rapidly, so much so that her "Doraemon Hopter" seemed to be pulling her up into the air.

"Then it's settled!"

"Okay! Sensei, we have to pinky swear!"

"Sure, pinky swear."

"So, sensei, what will we do next?"

"Of course, we're going to take you home. What do you think?"

"Umu!"

...

So, Yukima Azuma, holding Hinatsuru Ai's large bunny bag with one hand and her hand with the other, was ready to head to Ishikawa Prefecture.

However, before that, Yukima Azuma took Hinatsuru Ai to a shogi club in Chiba, where his master lived. It was an opportunity for her to get familiar with the place.

While she wasn't officially his disciple yet, she could come to the shogi club to learn in the meantime.

As for Yukima Azuma, aside from using this place to gain experience... I mean, to guide Hinatsuru Ai, he could also learn from his own master.

Although Yukima Azuma was very strong, he still had certain shortcomings when it came to teaching disciples.

Nonetheless, Yukima Azuma success in shogi was largely due to his innate talent and the help of the system.

Hinatsuru Ai visiting the dojo in Chiba, where Yukima Azuma master, Kiyotaki Kousuke, lived, would also help her in her training. This would be very beneficial to her development.

(T/N: Ayo, 2900 words, and when I finished translating the chapter, I remembered Ai should call the MC Shishou, she do it in anime... i think...so, i'll do that in the next chapter.)

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