The Lion's Paw (closed)

[Kaiu Aiichiro]

"Are you a full rikugunshokan?" He exclaimed with awe. Not open, loud awe. But hidden under a calm tone and a neutral face, samurai kind of awe. It was probably a metaphor, but worth asking about. "If the board is a problem to you, sensei, I can look for one with bigger pieces."

[Vutall]

"I was indeed. I may be a bit too old now to be on a battlefield however. It's almost time to retire for me I think."

He waves a hand in a dismissive gesture.

"No, this will work fine."

He watches patiently as Aiichiro sets up the board, asking a few questions here and there about what each piece is and how it moves, as well as general uses for them.

[Kaiu Aiichiro]

Aiichirō thought he stop fighting to become only a sensek. Crab didn't exactly retire to monasteries.
He set up the board, answering the questions asked. Shogi was probably his least favourite game, but he knew how to play it. And besides, he was now playing with a rikugunshokan! A Lion one!
When the board was set and the questions answered, he looked at it nervously.

[Vutall]

"Often, the flow of battle can be determined from the very first move one makes."

The general moves one of his pieces forward.

"Now, how do you react any why?"

[Kaiu Aiichiro]

Aiichiro tries to read his intent behind the move and fails — it seemed like a movement made at random to him.
"I move this fuhyō, so I can in the next move I can bring forward my angle mover." He says

[Vutall]

The general thinks for a few moments, before making another move.

"You have many options ahead of you, even the best laid plans do not survive first contact with the enemy. Now, seeing my second move, and having not attempting to capture any of your pieces, is your plan still the same?"

[Kaiu Aiichiro]

He looked to the move. Even if anyone could do the same moves, the fact that it was a well experienced general made him triple think every alternative. Then he perceived that, regardless, the... He looked at the mon again, getting quite distracted trying to identify which famlily it was from... Ah yes, going back to the game, the *Lion* probably would win regardless. So it was a time to take the game with ease. There was no pressure to win.
"This move of yours open it so you can move those two... three... four pieces, even if it would be uncommon to try to deslocate them this early on the game. But if they were to be moved, I can threaten half of them with this horse here." He said, grabbing the piece and moving forward.

[Vutall]

The man nods and thinks for a long moment, once again moving a piece without taking Aiichiro's, but leaving some openings for the Kaiu to attack.

"And what do you think happens now?"

[Kaiu Aiichiro]

He was used to go defensive stances against defensive stances in the wall. Eiko opening his defenses like this... Was weird for him. He moved the bishop where it could further gain mobility instead of striking. Aiichiro was building a defensive stance, like he always used to when playing shoji, instead of exploiting the opportunities.
"Did you try to make an ambush?"

[Vutall]

"It could have been interpreted that way, or it could be interpreted that I am maneuvering for better position. The battle begins long before either force clashes sword and spear."

The Akodo looks again at the board and then finally makes a move that takes one of Aiichiro's pieces.

[Kaiu Aiichiro]

He takes the stealer piece, that was just promoted, with the angle mover. The setup was pretty closed in a way that if you hurt Aiichiro's board you probably would get bitten back, but Aiichiro could not avance himself.
"Why would you open so much when maneuvering?"

[Vutall]

"Unfortunate as it may be, there are times when a small sacrifice is needed to cause the enemy general to faulter, or to open weaknesses in their defense you could not maneuver around"

Suddenly the Akodo makes a move taking another of Aiichiro's pieces, leaving the game able to be won in only a handful more moves, regardless what the Kaiu does.

[Kaiu Aiichiro]

He looks at the board for some time, realizing it was a difficult scenario. Perhaps it was a test to see if he could find the one essential breach on the sensei's board whilst being hard pressured, but he thought and thought and found none. Aiichiro practically considered the game over on his mind, but he continued to play until all his pieces were cleared instead of giving up.

[Vutall]

"It is valiant to continue to fight, but something else all aspiring commanders must realize is to know when they are beaten, and when further waste of life is more of a shame to them. It is a fine line, to admit defeat too early brings shame, but to fight on after you are truly beaten is also a shame."

[Kaiu Aiichiro]

He thought on the words of the sensei, hands poused on his lap whilst rubbing his fingers. He always thought that it was better to die trying, but it all made sense. Wasting good troops keeping them in the same place to die is heroic, but going back and seeing them to live for other day is strategical. "Is losing shameful on itself?"

[Vutall]

"We say it is, but truth? If every lost battle was considered shameful for the commander, there would be no commanders left as we would all have been ordered to commit seppuku, or been made ronin."

[Kaiu Aiichiro]

"I see." He looked directly to Eiko's eyes. "When I stop to think about, when I go past hohei, I will not only be responsible for myself but to other ten soldiers as Nikutai, and perhaps if I go further the number will keep increasing. It is, honestly, quite dreadful to think about it. How many could be sacrificed for a misstep."

[Vutall]

"The burden of leadership is never easy, young Kaiu."

The sensei makes the last move, winning the game.

[Kaiu Aiichiro]

He guarded the pieces in the box again, organizedly, as if they had their own spot.
"Will it never be?"

[Vutall]

"The burden never leaves. It is what keeps us humble."