Silver Thread
Lion King Touji Souya versus Kai Shimada 8th-Dan
20th Lion King Tournament
Th-This is the right place, isn't it?
Hesitant 17-year-old
It's a huge hotel.
Hey! Kiriyama!
Nikaidou.
Brother’s being interviewed by reporters in the waiting room.
This is the 20th anniversary, so on the eve tonight, there's also a fan gathering.
It must be hard on Brother and the others, with the matches starting tomorrow.
The fan gathering is from three.
Once it starts, sit as close as you can to Brother in the Hall.
Hey, are you sure about this?
We have nothing to do with this, so to sit by him...
Nothing to do with it?
We're in the same workshop! Plus I'm his "little brother" disciple!
When he's surrounded by all of these unfamiliar people
and steeling himself, I want to support him so he's not worn out before the first match.
It's a relief to see a familiar face, right?
And, Brother is usually very considerate towards others.
What is it?
Oh, it's nothing.
I get it.
Hadn't thought it through that far
Nikaidou, are you... actually more mature than me?
Besides,
it's good to experience this atmosphere and get used to it.
That way, when the time comes, I won't get too excited and lose my focus.
When what time comes?
When it's my turn to play in the title match, of course.
Blunt
You said that matter-of-factly!
Like it's a matter of course! Right now, we're still C-1 and C-2!
I'll be in it.
Lion King Tournament First Match Tournament Eve
I'll have my shot at the title.
I made up my mind.
If I didn't think that, how could I go on?
Nikaidou.
I saw Nikaidou's face as he said that
and was shaken considerably.
Hey, Rei.
Well, see you back at the Hall around three.
R-Right.
While I was running in circles getting lost,
my peer has already hardened his resolve.
I thought I should tell you if I ran into you.
Your tournament prize money and match earnings.
Aside from living expenses, you've been depositing it in my bank account.
Knowing you, maybe you think of it as payment for taking care of you all these years,
but there's no need to think like that.
But... I can't just...
It's fine, Kouda!
You hang on to the kid's money.
If a kid had a small fortune at his disposal, he'll just blow it on unsavory things.
Chairman, Rei isn't that kind of boy.
I see. So more than not being the type, a boy his age can't blow money on those things.
Sake
Cigarettes
Questionable Pubs
Gambling
NOPE
Poor kid.
He's got all this money, but nothing to spend it on.
How about a woman?
You could support a selfish girlfriend at least?
How about that angle?
Kiriyama-wama! Little guy!
That hurts!
Chairman, please go away.
Well, like the chairman said, I'll hold on to your money until you come of age,
but if you ever need it, just tell me.
Oh, that's right.
How is Kyouko doing?
Apparently she often stays over with you, but is she giving you any trouble?
What is he talking about?
So she hasn't been going to your place.
I thought so.
I have no idea what she's thinking anymore.
Dad. Sis is...
Kouda 8th-Dan! Kiriyama 5th-Dan!
Excuse me, do you mind if I get a few pictures?
What should I do? Should I tell him?
But if my adoptive father finds out, he'll...
And what will happen to my adoptive sister?
Is there anything that I can do right now?
What an incredible garden.
I can't believe a hotel in the city has a place like this.
It's a pond.
Why do they always pass each other by?
Even though neither one of them wants to sever the relationship...
Sun shower...
Souya!
Hey! Hey, Souya!
There you are!
Hey, Souya! You numbskull!
Hey, man of the hour, I was wondering where you...
Look at you! You're soaked!
U-Um...
Hey, Kiriyama!
If you were with him, you should've brought him in.
Come on, let's go. You too!
Okay. Sorry.
Jeez, with the event starting, this is not where the main draw is supposed to be!
That took my breath away.
Because...
I didn't sense him there at all.
The moment I laid eyes on him,
all the sound in the world vanished.
His appearance hasn't changed at all. It's almost like time stopped.
"He isn't human"
Somebody whispered in the depths of my memory.
The moment he left...
the sky broke open and heavy rain began pouring down.
He's going up against that person...
Silver Thread
Mr. Shimada...
Water's Surface
It was a strange sight.
When he entered the Hall,
the room went silent.
The crowd parted for him.
Sorry, everyone. Thank you for your patience.
Turns out he was in the garden, just gazing at the carp, all care-free!
Unbelievable, right?
Well, shall we get started? Come on, Souya, to the stage.
He became a professional at 15, while still in middle school.
At 21, he became the youngest shogi master in history.
After that, he overthrew one record after another in the shogi world,
and in the first time in history, he won all seven major titles.
Then ten-odd years passed.
He continued to reign on the throne,
and his appearance still unchanging.
Never fading, never tiring, never becoming corrupted.
With overwhelming power,
he quietly continues to reside at the top.
Hey. It's been a while.
He could be compared to a god, however,
someone once said,
"I bet
the devil has the same kind of face."
Then let's continue with Shimada 8th-Dan, if you would.
Good evening, everyone.
I would like to thank all the fans for coming here, despite it being a weeknight.
About three weeks have passed since I became the challenger,
but the days have just flown by...
At the end of the night before the first match, Mr. Shimada said,
I need two.
I have to beat that monster twice and get two white stars.
Otherwise, I'll never get there.
20th Lion King Tournament Schedule
The sixth match...
Sixth Match April 9-10 Tendou (Yamagata Prefecture)
is my hometown.
Kai Shimada, 8th dan.
The Lion King Tournament, a seven-match showdown.
After 114 moves, he conceded the first match.
Rei.
What do you want?
You snitched on me to Dad, didn't you?
My answer is the same from my email. I didn't tell him anything.
He put a stop on my credit card, and he's bombarding me with questions.
What am I supposed to do? This is all your fault!
I told you, I didn't say anything!
In fact, you brought it all on yourself, Sis!
I brought it on myself? What's that?
Are you looking down at me?
Who do you think you are?
All you do is whine pitifully and play messy shogi!
That has nothing to do with this!
Shiver Shiver Shake Shake
Momo?
Shiver Shiver
Rei, who are they?
Akari, u-um...
U-Um...
Pardon us. Please, as you were.
A-A fight? Rei...
Come on, let's be on our way.
Will he get bullied?
It'll be fine, I think.
It's too bad, but he was evidently in the middle of something.
A witch? Is she a witch?
It can't be helped. Let's go home and eat the inari sushi.
But...
Still, it seems Rei sure is dealing with a strong-willed girl.
Who are those people?
From the neighborhood...
They've done a lot for me.
So that's the next home, huh?
You put on the "woe-is-me" act again, and won them over?
Are you going in to another house and messing up another family?
You're a nasty piece of work.
What is it?
I'm so irritated that my heart's beating fast.
Rei's expression was white like a stone.
We've never seen him look like that before.
And also...
he didn't even look...
...in our direction!
Rei, eat these!
Sis and I made them.
There's plenty of egg and sesame seeds in them
and they're sweet and really delicious!
Eating them will cheer you up, so you better eat them!
Grrrr...
Middle School Student
Thank you.
Let's go, Sis!
What was with her? I'm so pissed!
That woman is definitely bad news!
Come on now, Hina. Hina.
Don't say things like "pissed" okay?
Is the witch gone?
And Rei, too!
Why does he just take it and not say anything back?
But...
...I do agree with you. A little.
Right?
A little. Just a little.
Water's Surface
Base of the Blue Night
What is this? So sweet!
The fried wrapping is too sweet! It's not candy!
But this one has minced pickled wasabi in it.
Ugh! When the flavors change, I can't stop eating them!
If I get fat, somebody will be in trouble.
Even if you say that...
You follow me home, eat my food, and then complain?
Is that so.
And vegetables in the second layer...
Simmered chicken and vegetables? Old hags!
Man, that's a hard sell.
Like, "See how domestic I am?"
Like, "This is just what a boy living on his own hankers for, isn't it?"
So there's okra and broccoli...
Boiled with sesame oil and salt... Korean-style seasonings, huh?
Crunch Crunch
Munch Munch
Lick
Sis, you'd better be getting home. Mom probably has dinner...
I can't move.
My skirt is too tight!
I-It hurts.
Now that I'm full, I feel sleepy.
Rei, let me borrow your clothes. Do you have any sweatshirts?
I'm going to bed.
Didn't Dad just get mad at you? Go home!
Shut up already. Jeez.
I'll just call them later, all right?
Don't go digging around opening stuff!
Toss Toss
Swish
For crying out loud!
I finally feel better.
Hey, which girl?
What?
The middle-schooler?
Or don't tell me...
Not the housewife, right?
Excuse me?
What are you talking about?
The housewife...
Maybe you're referring to Akari?
So her name's Akari.
Not that I care.
She was carrying her little sister.
W-Witch?
What?
Those three are sisters.
These Three
What?
Incidentally, I don't think Akari is that much older than you, Sis.
What?
No way!
Then, which one?
The middle-schooler or the old wo... the oldest sister?
Which? Why would you think it'd be like that?
It's neither of them. Did you call her an "old wo..."?
Then, don't tell me it's the kindergartener.
You pervert!
Look, just go home already!
I'm telling you,
I'm at Rei's place!
You don't have a problem if I'm really at Rei's place, right?
Even if you say that, the last train is long gone!
Rei.
Jeez, what the hell? Why can't he trust his own daughter?
Grr Grrrr
I don't understand Kyouko anymore!
Yes, me neither. We sure agree on that sense, Dad.
Sis, what are you going to do?
Dad's worried about you.
I don't really care.
Dad's always out of sync about something.
He said, "If you have a boyfriend who's taking care of you,
then bring him to the house so I can meet him."
The man's 20 years older than me, married...
and on top of that, he was Dad's former disciple.
There's no way I can bring him home.
Why did you choose a guy like that?
I don't know. I want to ask myself the same question.
That munchkin called me a "witch."
If I really were a witch, I wouldn't have such pathetic hardships.
Tell me, Rei. What should I do?
I'm...
...scared.
In the darkness of that night,
the glow from her phone's
small LCD screen faintly lit up her silhouette
over and over and over again.
I watched it quietly.
The room was dyed blue,
as if we were at the bottom of the sea.
It felt like all we did was sink that night.
When she said, "Well, see you around,"
I started to say "Yeah," but then clammed up.
Even though I felt torn that day when I left that house,
for my older sister...
...and me,
nothing has changed.
And without being able to change,
we also haven't been able to become siblings nor remain strangers.
I'm sorry for being late!
Oh, don't worry about it.
What? Did you run here?
I'm sorry. I was on cleaning duty and it ran long...
"Cleaning duty." Huh. I haven't heard that word in a while.
That phrase brings back memories.
I see. You really are still a student.
Get inside already.
Nikaidou has been waiting impatiently for your arrival.
There you are, Kiriyama!
I won the final match!
So I'll be Rank C-1 next term, the same level as you!
Your voice it too loud. And that attitude, too. It annoys the hell out of me.
Mr. Shigeta, congratulations on retaining your rank.
My heart was throbbing!
I thought I was close to being in the same rank as you!
What's that? What were you watching?
Which shogi world did you get that information from?
I was confident this season, so you got any complaints?
Well, it's good that no one got any bad news this time around.
I managed to hold on to my Rank A this season, too.
Although, how can I put it? I squeaked by.
I was on the borderline and made it by a hair.
Made it by a hair.
When Brother says that, it has weight.
I sincerely congratulate you!
What's wrong? Why are you guys covering your eyes?
I finally caught up to you, Kiriyama.
I'll be waiting for the day when we have a match together.
Right, rival?
Yeah...
When Nikaidou said that to me, his face shone so bright that I had to squint,
and in my eyelids, I saw that morning's river surface.
I'll turn 18 next month.
And I'll become a 2nd year high school student, one year behind.
Without being able to change anything...
And again...
...a new spring will come.
Base of the Blue Night
Next Episode Preview
Episode 18
Hey, are you free tomorrow?
Then do you want to go? To Mouseland?
Just us two guys!
Um, how can I put this?
It would feel creepy or like...
Watch the next episode of "March Comes in Like a Lion", please!
Kiriyama, my passionate battle with you is just beginning!
Here I come, my rival!