The Flowers of Hard Blood

Shion no Ou follows Yasuoka Shion, a 13-year-old Shougi player with a tragic past. When Shion was 5 years old, her parents were brutally murdered in front of her. The murderer sat down with her and challenged her to a game of Shougi, after telling her that if she wanted to stay alive, she should forget how to speak and forget what happened that night. Now Shion has entered the world of female pro Kishi, mute but strong. As her play draws more and more attention, so do the questions about her past and the brutal murder she witnessed. Shion's memories slowly return, and the mystery begins to unravel, thread by thread.