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The Fox Which Fears Death

There was once a great Go player named Sai, who went undefeated worldwide. The Go world went crazy when Sai was unmasked as a young Japanese man who won against world-class amateur players to win an amateur title, although Sai had, beforehand, won against the player titled 'the closest to the Hand of God'. Despite this, it was the disappearance of Sai and the resulting hell raised by what was revealed to be his disciple that brought droves of Sai challengers to Shades of Grey in the hopes of catching the elusive Go master there.

"I've already said so, he's in Kyoto, no, I'm not supposed to reveal where exactly, no, you can't trick it out of me," the one once known as Honinbo Jowa, now Kusama Nowaki, sighed at the hyperactive Go pro. "Coke?"

As Hikaru refused, the other known as Honinbo Dosaku, now Kamijou Hiroki, said, "I'll tell you...if you can beat me."

The word thus spread like wildfire and before they knew it, they were being challenged by numerous players for games using terms that were eerily similar to those Dosaku used on Hikaru. It resulted in a boom of business at Shades of Grey, an increase in crowds, and several witnesses of games a day. Amongst the crowd were several young pros alerted to the fact that there was this method of finding Sai's whereabouts short of hacking into the telephone company's mainframe to search for Sai via GPS. This was seriously considered until Akira pointed out that Sai's phone's particular model didn't come with a GPS.

Of course, this resulted in some disappointment, as Ogata found out later and refused to admit what had happened in a private game with Dosaku which had resulted in his getting totally wasted in a twelve-pack of beer (where had he gotten that?) after said game. Hikaru, undaunted, continued to play loss after loss with Dosaku.

The two ghosts, sighing, prayed that Touya Koyo hurry up with the game and come back...

So you think you can escape the inevitable?

Numbly, Sai regarded the look of despair cast upon him by the lone caretaker, Touya Koyo solemn and silent. "Where–?" he began.

"Gone," the temple-carer sighed, voice like the wind. "A few hundred years and already he wastes away. You are the newest of them, then?"

"So, that man–?"

Sai's words were interrupted as the other broke out in sharp, bitter laughter. "Tell me, what would you play for? Even if we are here now, we face the inevitable. Go will not chase away death. Love for the game will not stop Izanami no Mikoto from extracting her promise. Do not run from the soon to come. Embrace it and face the Sanzai river."

"But–" Sai was interrupted once more as the elder Touya laid a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"And? What about you, sensei?" Touya Koyo asked.

The caretaker laughed. "Already I have one foot into Yomi, and soon I too will pass." sharp eyes danced from the impassive Go expert to Sai's crestfallen expression. "And so will you... Shuusaku."

Clack. Every black stone fell weaker and weaker as the older-looking of the two placed his move, his younger-looking opponent responding equally quickly with the white stone. Clack. Clack.

Clack...

"The inevitable end..." the older-looking yet younger by so much of the two regarded the other. "Is it painful?"

The younger-looking yet so much older sighed regretfully. "Not quite... you see nothing."

"I can feel myself dying as the game plays on," the player of Black abruptly stated. "Shall we?"

White took a while to answer. "After you."

And so the two played their hand, mapping out the path to the undiscovered.

Article:

Renowned Go player Touya Koyo, aged 68, died in his sleep three days ago in his home in Tokyo.

Strangely, in his hand was a kifu detailing a game in which Touya Sensei wrote down his name as Black. White was left blank, but analysis by unnamed sources reveal that White was undoubtedly the work of Sai, a mysterious Go player who took the Internet Go world by storm three years ago...

"So you're just going away like that?" Shindo Hikaru's voice broke through the humdrum of the airport.

His sensei regarded him, affronted. "Don't be silly, Hikaru. I'm just going across the Sea of Japan! It's not like I'm not coming back!"

"Well, after Touya Sensei–" Hikaru had the grace to shut up.

Sai lowered himself to look his student in the eye. "Hikaru, we are mortal. We can die. Sooner or later, we will. So, before this lifetime ends, play as much as you can, okay?" the spark which had dimmed brightened and flared to life again in dark eyes. "We'll meet across the goban, then we'll play. And, maybe, just maybe, we'll finally find the Divine Move. Right?"

Hikaru stuck his tongue out. "Fine already! Go freak!"

"Hikaru!"

Touya Sensei, I will not forget your will. Even if I fade... I will play. Someday, if the fates allow, we will meet again, and we will compete.

Somewhere, a fox sighed, hidden in the eaves of a temple long dedicated to its kind. "So the child seeks to escape its fetters. Well," golden eyes glimmered. "Mortals will do what they must."

With this, the god of foxes disappeared, the temple once again shrouded in shadows and the heavy weight of a thousand years.

Conclusione della storia