"I should find an opportunity to talk to him..."
Ging stroked his chin slightly as this thought emerged in his mind.
Of course, it was just an idea.
As a person with a huge amount of resources, Ging had already made full preparations for the Dark Continent.
Even if there was no chance to meet with Knov to discuss, it didn't matter to Ging.
It would be better to add icing to the cake; otherwise, it would not cause any harm or impact.
And the most important thing at the moment is to observe the current movements of the Ant King.
As the battle in Gungi progressed, the situation developed in a way none of them had anticipated.
At that moment, Meruem and the blind girl were fully immersed in the world of Gungi.
Up until now, the Ant King had yet to win a single match.
He racked his brain, using every ounce of his skill and ability.
It could be said that no matter the opponent he had faced before, he had never taken a game as seriously as he did now.
"I've completed my move."
Meruem stared intently at the board before him, analyzing the situation in his mind.
"This girl's initial setup is just as I expected."
"Although it's somewhat close to my general, she's still maintaining a crane wing formation."
Once both sides had set up their pieces, the match resumed.
"I will disrupt her rhythm!"
At this moment, Meruem had already regarded the blind girl in front of him as his greatest adversary.
He gave her his full attention.
Yet, across from him, the girl who still had a runny nose but kept her eyes open remained calm and composed as she played.
Until…
"From here, I'll start my attack!!"
After carefully analyzing the game since the beginning, Meruem finally found a clever opening for an attack and decisively placed his piece on the board.
Silently observing from the side, Shaiapouf suddenly noticed something surprising.
The girl, who had never hesitated before and always played at her own rhythm, had for the first time paused her hand.
Her reaction made Meruem feel a strange sense of satisfaction.
"Let me hear... Your disrupted rhythm!"
However, what followed was not a shaky move but a more refined and precise counterattack.
"9-2-1, middle general."
In an instant, Meruem's pupils contracted sharply.
As soon as the blind girl made her move, countless possible variations and future game states flooded his mind.
Yet, no matter how he played it out, there was only one outcome.
"Checkmate."
Meruem remained silent for a moment, then let a handful of black pieces fall onto the board.
Across from him, the blind girl slowly closed her eyes for a rare moment of rest.
"You knew from the start that my last move led to a dead end, didn't you?"
"Yes."
"Then why did you pause to think?"
Meruem lifted his head to stare directly at her.
"You should have played that move without hesitation!"
The atmosphere grew tense; even Shaiapouf, who was pretending to read a book nearby, could sense the weight of the moment.
If this blind girl's answer displeased the king, she would undoubtedly lose her life.
Meruem was indeed frustrated, but he also couldn't understand something.
The move he had just thought of was one he believed to be a stroke of genius; why had she countered it so effortlessly?
And her answer was…
"This move is called 'fox tail fortress,' a technique I created ten years ago."
With her eyes closed once again, Komugi spoke softly.
"Placing the middle general at the center to counter a three-lance formation is a strategy I devised long ago."
"This move sparked heated discussions when I first created it."
"It was meant to test one's ability to observe and predict."
"I never thought... Even someone as dull-witted as me could come up with such a powerful move."
She scratched her head shyly, but then her expression darkened slightly.
"But... I was also the one who discovered its weakness."
"A year after I created 'fox tail fortress,' I encountered an opponent who used it against me in a national championship."
"At that moment, I figured out how to counter it."
"I won that match, but after that, this technique disappeared from official competitions and military chess books."
"The fact that you, my king, have thought of the exact same strategy as I did... It is an honor beyond words."
As she spoke, her hands, resting on her knees, tightened into fists.
"It feels as if a child who had once died... Has come back to life. That's how I feel inside, and because of that, I couldn't bear—"
"I couldn't bear to destroy that child again."
"That's why I hesitated for just a moment."
Softly, she explained her thoughts and emotions in full.
Meruem listened in silence.
Even after she had finished speaking, he did not respond immediately.
Until…
"How dull."
As the golden sunset cast its light into the palace, he finally stood up.
"You've ruined my enjoyment."
After saying this, he began walking out.
"Let's take a break for now."
Komugi's expression visibly darkened, and her nose started running again.
However, just as she was about to be led away by the stern-faced Shaiapouf, she heard.
"In the next match, there will be no breaks. Prepare yourself mentally."
"Y-yes!!"
With her face still flushed, she followed Shaiapouf out of the room.
As Meruem sat on his throne, deep in thought, even Shaiapouf found himself perplexed.
He had never seen the king listen to someone for so long.
Meanwhile, Meruem pondered: "Every time, it's me who gets my breathing rhythm."
"How infuriating. In the past, I would have found this utterly disgraceful."
"But now... I find myself enjoying it. Why?"
He couldn't figure it out, so he stopped trying.
After a brief rest, he returned once again to the special room built solely for Gungi.
If he couldn't think of the answer…
Then, he would find it through experience.
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