Ep. 10: Rei prepares for his match against Manabu Yasui while reflecting on a past Christmas with the Kouda family.
Aired on December 17, 2016
In December, Kyouko visits Rei to retrieve a forgotten item and informs him about his upcoming opponent, Manabu Yasui, scheduled for the 24th. She reveals that Yasui becomes violently drunk upon losing and is divorcing his wife after Christmas. The narrative questions whether Yasui will reunite with his family regardless of the match outcome. Meanwhile, Rei focuses on his preparation for the fight against Yasui. During this process, he recalls a specific Christmas day from his childhood spent with the Kouda family, contrasting his current professional challenges with memories of his past.
Episodes
- Ep. 6 · Rei struggles with stagnation after failing to advance as a middle school shogi player
- Ep. 7 · Hinata panics meeting her crush Takahashi while Rei discusses shogi and baseball ambitions.
- Ep. 8 · Chapters 15 to 17 cover shogi lessons, a cat-themed book, and Nikaidou's TV commentary
- Ep. 9 · Rei faces veteran Shouichi Matsunaga in the second and third parts of the Distant Thunder arc.
- Ep. 10 · Rei prepares for his match against Manabu Yasui while reflecting on a past Christmas with the Kouda family.
- Ep. 11 · Akari, Hinata, and Momo visit bedridden Rei on New Year’s Eve
- Ep. 12 · Rei recovers at home and faces Takeshi Tsujii in the Lion King Tournament
- Ep. 13 · Smith prepares for Gotou while Rei faces pressure against Kai Shimada in the Lion King Tournament.
- Ep. 14 · Rei struggles against Shimada's superior skill while receiving subtle guidance from his opponent.