yasuoka shion

Shion is the central character of the narrative. At the tender age of five, she witnessed the brutal murder of her parents within their home; however, the identity of the killer remains a mystery. This traumatic event left Shion mute, unable to speak since that fateful day. To convey her thoughts and needs, she resorts to writing notes. Among the chaos of the crime scene, Shion discovered a king piece from the game shogi, leading her to speculate that the murderer might be an aficionado of this traditional board game.

As the story unfolds, Shion is eleven years old (in the manga version) and attending junior-high school. She has a sweet tooth, with chocolate being her ultimate indulgence. Under the guidance of her foster father, Shion delves into the world of shogi, hoping that mastering the game will provide her with clues about her parents' untimely demise. Through this journey, she seeks not only to uncover the truth but also to find solace in the intricate patterns and strategies of shogi.

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Characters
  • Saori Nikaidou (二階堂 沙織)

    Nikaidou Saori

    Main

    Saori is a female shogi player and apprentice to Makoto. She is eighteen years old, and a fan of Shion. As befitting the daughter of a high-class family, her type of shougi is usually dignified. She deeply seeks recognition from Makoto, who she looks up t...

  • Ayumi Saitou (斉藤 歩)

    Saitou Ayumi

    Main

    Ayumi is a sixteen-year-old androgynous male shogi player. Due to his sickly mother, he had to leave high school to take care of her. When playing shogi, he pretends to be a girl in order to earn money for competing due to the male league taking two years...

  • Shion Yasuoka (安岡 紫音)

    Yasuoka Shion

    Main

    Shion is the main protagonist of the story. When she was five years old, Shion's parents were slaughtered in their own home, though the murderer was never found. Shion, being a young girl at the time, was traumatized by bearing witness to the aftermath an...

  • Makoto Hani (羽仁 真)

    Hani Makoto

    Supporting

    Makoto is a professional shogi player and is referred to by many as Meijin (名人), the highest and most prestigious professional shogi rank in Japan (similar to a chess Grandmaster)....

  • Satoru Hani (羽仁 悟)

    Hani Satoru

    Supporting

    Satoru is Makoto's younger brother and works as a businessman. Satorou is also a professional shogi player himself, but he abandoned playing shogi after his mother died. He took up shogi again after seeing Shion play. His dream is to one day able to defea...

  • Shinji Yasuoka (安岡 信次)

    Yasuoka Shinji

    Supporting

    Shinji is Shion's foster father and is a professional shogi player. His rank is 8 dan....