3-gatsu no Lion

Chapter 1 Rei Kiriyama / Chapter 2 The Town Along the River

Rei Kiriyama, a high school student and pro shougi player, lives alone in Rokugatsu-cho, an old town in Tokyo. After a game with Kouda, his pro shougi player foster father, Rei heads for the Kawamoto house in Sangatsu-cho. He receives a lively welcome and dinner from the Kawamoto sisters: Akari, the eldest; Hinata, the middle sister; and Momo, the youngest. But all is not well with Rei… (Source: Official site)

Chapter 3 Akari / Chapter 4 Beyond the Bridge

Professional shougi player Harunobu Nikaido is waiting for Rei when he gets home. Nikaido has thought of himself as Rei’s rival ever since they were kids and he looks forward to their next match. Days later, after a match with an older player named Issa Matsumoto, Rei, Issa, and another shougi player, Tatsuyuki Misumi, go to a hostess bar. They are greeted warmly by the eldest Kawamoto sister, Akari, who happens to work there. (Source: Official site)

Chapter 5 Harunobu / Chapter 6 Beyond the Night Sky

It’s the day of Rei’s first game with Nikaido since becoming a pro. As he heads for Shougi Hall, he reminisces about one of the times he faced off against Nikaido as a child. Nikaido is full of fighting spirit as they clash once more. Just like when they were younger, the two opponents have the same overriding thought: “I don’t want to lose…” (Source: Official site)

Chapter 7 Hina / Chapter 8 V.S.

In preparation for the middle school baseball game the following day, Hina makes lunch for ace Yuusuke Takahashi, whom she has a crush on. She’s very excited about making an extravagant and cute lunch, but quarrels with Akari, who argues that a normal bento would be best. The next morning sees Hinata frantically finishing her lunch and deciding what to wear. How will this major event in the young lady’s life turn out?! (Source: Official site)

Chapter 9 Agreement / Chapter 10 Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Rei does Akari a favor by picking Momo up at day-care, but on the way home, Momo falls, sustaining a few scratches. While Rei tends to her wounds, he recalls the day he lost his family, when he was a young child. A sudden accident had robbed Rei of his warm family, parents, and his little sister, too. At the funeral, Rei is standing alone when Masachika Kouda, his father’s friend and pro shougi player, starts talking to him. “Do you like shougi?” (Source: Official site)

Chapter 11 Child of God (Part One) / Chapter 12 Child of God (Part Two)

“I want to go somewhere…” In order to be independent and make ends meet on his own, Rei desperately clung to the game board and became a professional shougi player while still in middle school. However, in this, his second year, he missed the chance to advance to the next level. After much struggling, Rei has gotten to where he is now, but he can’t find a reason to move on from there. Rei is at a loss over his own tendency to “stop halfway.” (Source: Official site)

Chapter 13 Child of God (Part Three) / Chapter 14 Important Things. Important Matters / Chapter 15 Teach Me How to Play Shogi

Soon after going to a fast food shop, Hinata and Rei bump into Hinata’s crush, Takahashi! Hinata is so nervous that she panics, while Rei is baffled over what to talk about with the sportsman. However, Takahashi realizes that Rei is a pro shogi player and talks about his own desire to become a pro baseball player in the future. But then he asks Rei why he chose to go back to high school a year after becoming a pro. How does Rei answer after seeing Takahashi’s serious expression? (Source: Official site)

Chapter 15 Teach Me How to Play Shogi / Chapter 16 Image / Chapter 17 Distant Thunder

Rei and Nikaidou continue to teach Hinata and Momo how to play shogi. Momo and her sister are delighted by Nikaidou’s cute homemade shougi picture book that is chock full of cats. This visual aid makes learning the basics of shougi fun for them. Between suddenly intruding on Rei’s privacy and delivering passionate messages while doing shougi commentary on TV, Nikaidou directly expresses his feelings of friendship for Rei and his enthusiasm for shougi. But will that enthusiasm rub off on Rei? (Source: Official site)

Chapter 18 Distant Thunder (Part 2) / Chapter 19 Distant Thunder (Part 3)

It’s the day of Rei’s match against Shouichi Matsunaga, a 65-year-old who’s been a professional shougi player for 40 years. Rei braces himself to battle a man who’s been playing for more than twice the years he’s been alive. However, once the game begins, it seems like Matsunaga is making random moves, which makes Rei’s job even tougher. After the match is over, though, Rei gets sucked into having dinner with Matsunaga…? (Source: Official site)

Chapter 20 Something Given (Part 1) / Chapter 21 Something Given (Part 2)

December. When Kyouko comes over to pick up a forgotten item, she tells Rei about Manabu Yasui, his opponent for a match on the 24th. She says that when Yasui loses, he becomes violently drunk and that he’s getting a divorce after Christmas. Will he come home and spend Christmas with his family after winning or losing? As Rei prepares for the match against Yasui, he reminisces about a Christmas day he spent with the Kouda family when he was still a child. (Source: Official site)

Chapter 22 The Old Year / Chapter 23 The New Year

Akari, Hinata, and Momo pay Rei a visit on New Year’s Eve when he’s left bedridden from a cold he’s had since Christmas. The Kawamoto sisters forcibly take him to the doctor and then back to their home. Rei gets much better from the porridge and tender loving care, but feels guilty for causing his foster father, Kouda, and the sisters to worry. Rei takes on the New Year with the warmth of the Kawamoto family. (Source: Official site)

Chapter 24 What Lies on the Opposite Shore / Chapter 25 Black River (Part 1)

Rei returns to his apartment after recovering for three days at the Kawamoto home. Although his health is restored, he feels the pangs of loneliness after going from the lively New Year’s mood at their house to his empty place. Rei tries to get over this by focusing on the Lion King Tournament. It’s a hard struggle for Rei against his first opponent, Takeshi Tsujii, a player with a strong offensive game and a penchant for bad puns. (Source: Official site)

Chapter 26 Black River (Part 2) / Chapter 27 Beyond the Door

Smith comes up with a strategy for his match against Gotou, and then sets out for the Lion King Tournament. Gotou’s favorite plays are Static Rook and Bear in the Hole, so Smith plans to counter with Windmill. During the match, Smith does employ the tactics he’s best at, but is that enough? Meanwhile, Rei has a match in the same tournament against Kai Shimada, 8 dan. Feeling an extreme pressure to win, Rei goes into battle... (Source: Official site)

Chapter 28 Blinding Darkness / Chapter 29 Just a Little Water

Rei realizes, too late, that he underestimated Shimada’s skills. He is stuck in the middle of a match that is going badly, and can’t make a comeback. Overcome with embarrassment and confusion, a shaken Rei manages to play to the end thanks to Shimada’s subtle messages. After the match is over, Rei flees in shame from the shougi hall. Shimada watches him go and, recalling the words of his young disciple, Nikaidou, thinks about inviting Rei to join his shougi workshop. (Source: Official site)

Chapter 30 Moonlight / Chapter 31 Lump of Ego

The curtain opens on the first of three matches between Gotou and Shimada to decide who will become the challenger for the Lion King title. Rei is deeply impressed by the battle between two players who have faith in themselves. At the end of the match, Gotou treats a waiting Kyouko coldly in front of the shougi hall. Looking on, Rei recalls the events leading up to his departure from the Kouda home. Meanwhile, at Crescent, Akari and Hinata are worried about Rei. (Source: Official site)

Chapter 32 Running Through the Night / Chapter 33 Middle of the Slope

Hayashida takes Rei to the After School Burners Club so he can write a chemistry lab report, which he’d missed before because of an absence. Hayashida is pleased to see Rei having a lively conversation with Noguchi and his other peers. After the experiment, Rei heads to the final match between Gotou and Shimada, the winner of which will move on to challenge the champion of the Lion King Tournament. Afterwards, Rei says something to Shimada that could change his life… (Source: Official site)

Chatper 34 Silver Thread / Chapter 35 Water's Surface / Chapter 36 Base of the Blue Night

At the Lion King Tournament, Rei and Nikaidou participate in the festivities the day before the first match between Shimada and Master Souya. Rei is shaken when he witnesses Nikaidou’s determination to be in a “title fight” someday. In the garden outside the hall, Rei suddenly notices someone standing next to him. This unobtrusive, lingering person is none other than Touji Souya, who made shougi history by becoming the youngest master ever and winning all seven major titles. (Source: Official site)

Chapter 37 Torrent / Chapter 38 Passing Time

Shimada prepares for the third match of the Lion King Tournament. Nikaidou and Shigeta butt heads over differing strategies for a board set-up at the workshop held at Shimada’s house. But Rei tells the small gathering that the board itself is “disturbing” to him. Shimada tells Rei to come back alone the following day. Rei is overpowered in a match against the A-class player, but desperately tries to offer what he can. (Source: Official site)

Chapter 39: Passing the Night / Chapter 40: Kyoto (Part 1)

Shimada was raised in a snow-suffering village in Yamagata. Elderly locals taught him how to play shougi and when he became a middle school student, Kai started going to the Association in Tokyo twice a month while working part-time to pay for related expenses. He continued playing shougi even when he seemed to be getting nowhere and despite stress-related stomach pain. He would look on as the same-aged Souya ran in and out of the Association, racking up one title championship after another. Shimada could see that he wasn't closing any distance between himself and Souya, but couldn't afford to slack off. In the present, Rei accompanies Shimada to Kyoto, site of the fourth match of the Lion King Tournament. (Source: Official site)

Chapter 41: Kyoto (Part 2) / Chapter 42: Kyoto (Part 3)

It's the second day of the fourth match at the Lion King Tournament. If Shimada loses this one to Souya, it will make four losses in a row, meaning he won't have the chance to play a match in his hometown. Rei is suddenly promoted to board commentator, a position he shares with "Shougi Dragon" Raidou Fujimoto, and together they get a closer look as the game unfolds. Meanwhile, Shimada endures constant gastric pain as he goes all out to attack his opponent. But will those efforts be enough against a grandmaster? (Source: Official site)

Chapter 43: When the Cherry Blossoms Bloom / Chapter 44: Small Murmur

Chapter 45: New School Term / Spin-off: Fighter

Rei is now a second-year high school student, but Hayashida is no longer his homeroom teacher. No new friends and being uncomfortable in the new class without the one teacher who somehow cared about him, Rei questions his purpose of returning to high school. He wonders if going back to school is the way to stop “running away.” Then, Hayashida proposes forming a new, combined club of Noguchi’s After School Burners Club and the shougi club. Rei had never before found his place in high school, but this new club may be the place to provide him with a sense of belonging. (Source: Official site)