Texas Hold’em
Seven days later, the day of the decisive game.
Texas Hold’em was a type of poker game. Typically, poker is a card game where five cards are dealt to form a hand and compete.
Texas Hold’em differs from this in that only two cards are dealt.
Of course, each player’s hand (hole cards) is not enough to constitute a full hand.
Next, three community cards are distributed by the dealer.
The community cards are revealed face up to all players at the table.
Suppose you have these two cards in your hand.
9 of Spades ? 8 of Diamonds
Naturally, this wouldn’t make a good hand. However, suppose the three community cards were displayed like this.
8 of Hearts ? Queen of Hearts ? 4 of Clubs
At this point, the hand consists of a one pair of eights.
However, up to five community cards can be distributed. After the player makes the declaration of the next choice, two more cards are added in.
8 of Hearts ? Queen of Hearts ? 4 of Clubs ? King of Clubs ? 9 of Clubs Due to a good stroke of luck, 8 of Hearts and 9 of Clubs can be used to form a two pair.
Players who want win through this would add in more chips.
However??please pay attention to the ? 4 of Clubs ? King of Clubs ? 9 of Clubs.
If another player’s hole cards are two club cards, then that player has a flush, which means the other player would be defeated.
Naturally, there can only be one winner to gather all of the accumulated chips.
However, this was Texas Hold’em, not regular poker.
So for example, if a player who was watching the five community cards suddenly raised the wager of chips, everyone else would imagine that this player would have a huge hand to play.
If the community cards contain 3 cards of the clubs suit, then the chance of there being a flush with one of remaining players having at least two club suit cards is high.
……In this manner, folding is also an option. Damage is minimal if one leaves early enough.
On the other hand, a player that can’t skillfully make use of a flush will only get minimal chips.
That is the equivalent of missing the chance of a lifetime.
So a player must try to dodge their opponents’ heavy-hitting cards as much as possible while at the same time trying to deceive their rivals.
That is what makes Texas Hold’em so thrilling.
A famous player once said this about Texas Hold’em.
“It takes a minute to learn the rules of Texas Hold’em, but a lifetime too truly master.”
So, in order to challenge the game of Texas Hold’em, Tokisaki Kurumi and Higoromo Hibiki formed a team.
“How about a secret communication signal?”
Kurumi thought for a moment about Hibiki’s question.
Communication, of course this meant communication through physical gestures and signals.
Naturally, that would mean getting a foul in game.
However, since this actually a three-to-two group battle, Sagakure Yuri’s side was likely to use a similar method.
“Of course, we should decide on a signal. But I don’t want to use it every round. We’ll only communicate when we have a decisive hand.”
“Are you worried about getting exposed?”
“Naturally, there are considerations on that regard, but??I intend to value my instincts for as much as possible. I have a bad hunch that by sharing information with Hibiki-san??sooner or later a fatal mistake will be made.”
There was absolutely no gambling. Just like in shogi or chess, the winner will be the one who makes the best moves……
The only thing that could guarantee victory was a royal straight flush. But there is no chance for a simultaneous royal straight flush in Texas Hold’em.
Also, there was no joker among the five cards.
“……I understand, Kurumi-san. Basically, unless there is a full house (A combination of three cards a one pair, the fourth highest combo) I won’t get involved.”
“Yes, yes. Hibiki-san has her eyes straight set out for victory.”
“What if the hand comes in conflict with Kurumi-san?”
“I don’t mind. Refraining from playing your fullest on the battlefield will strain our luck.”
“What about abilities?”
“Cistus.”
Cistus’s head peeked out from the shadows, but her expression wasn’t quite good.
“No good. It’s completely no good. Just??”
“Just?”
“Sagakure Yuri rarely gambles and isn’t very strong in terms of victories.”
“……Interesting.”
“I tried searching for video records, but couldn’t find them. Anyway, she’s regarded as very mediocre.”
“What about Ariadne Foxlot, Miyafuji Oka, and Yukishiro Maya?”
“Nothing, not even participation records were found.”
Hmm, Kurumi nodded her head.
“Well, the information will soon be available. Texas Hold’em is a game that embodies human nature. Prudence, boldness, and cunning……as long as those parts are determined, understanding their capacities will come naturally.”
“Is that right?”
Hibiki slanted her head as Kurumi nodded.
“That’s all there is to it. Then, let us go to the match, Hibiki-san. Let us be graceful, bold, and??brilliantly seize control of victory.”
“Yes!”
Kurumi turned her face to Sagakure Yui, who was staring at them from the background.
“Yui-san, are you also coming along?”
“Yes.”
“Then, please make sure that we don’t cheat.”
“……Yes. I will watch over you. Because I feel that it will be connected to your victory.”
“Ara, ara. Is okay for you to favor us so much?”
Yui shook her head to reject that notion.
“Indeed, I am in charge of monitoring you. Of course, there are things that you may have not told me. I know that very well. It is my role to report everything to my master??”
After a little hesitation, Yui spoke.
“But I will be cheering you on. Please do your best.”
……Hibiki was left confused by those words. This special model Yui was rich in emotions.
Rather, it can be said that her emotions were too rich.
It was so rich that she had to question if she was truly mechanical. Earlier, Hibiki had touched her cheeks just in case, but it was so cold that she could instantly realize her as a doll. It was as if she was a dead person.
An Empty was still more human. Because even though they are dying, they are still not corpses.
So Hibiki was confused.
How could she exist?
The designated casino was not “Octopus Pot”, but rather “Ground Burner”. The largest casino in the Seventh Region Netzach??over 1 billion YP exchanged hands in just one hour here.
Kurumi, as they had previously agreed, visited the casino three hours prior to the start of the game.
“??Please let us guide you.”
The mass produced Yui models lowered their heads. The casino, which is usually in full swing every day, didn’t have even a single Quasi-Spirit present today.
Hibiki had already plundered Carte’s face with <King Killing>. But because she despises this face so much, she was constantly scratching it with her hands.
“Please investigate as you please.”
“Yes, yes. I will investigate it thoroughly, <Zafkiel>.”
“Eh.”
Kurumi summoned <Zafkiel> without hesitation and chose the selected bullet.
“??The Tenth Bullet Yud. Hibiki-san……no Carte-san, please place your face on the table.”
“Uh, are you going to do it? I’m a little scared……”
While saying that, Hibiki squatted down and pressed her face against the edge of the table. With no time for the mass produced Yui to ask what they were doing, Kurumi shot at the table and her.
At that moment, the memories rushed into Hibiki’s mind just like a high speed slideshow.
However, most of it was unnecessary memories. It was like daydream about numerous unknown people either suffering defeat or obtaining victory.
But in the last few days, there were no signs of this table being used or having been approached by one of the Dominions. Nothing strange was done to this table. Nothing, nothing…….
“Okay, Kurumi-san, there are no signs of anything having been done to this table.”
“Yes, then let’s investigate the cards next. I’ll do this investigation myself.”
One of the mass produced Yui asked while trembling.
“Just confirming the memories, my bullet can read the memories left behind on an object.”
“……!”
A look of surprise appeared on their emotionless eyes. Hibiki silently watched them, but only to discover that outside of being surprised??there were no other emotions such as fear.
As previously speculated, they haven’t set up anything with the table or cards. It should be like this. Once discovered, it was of course Sagakure Yuri’s responsibility to accept defeat.
If they were in her position, they definitely not tamper with the table or cards. On the contrary, they must be careful not to raise any suspicion.
But??
Hibiki glanced upward. There were significantly more surveillance cameras on the ceiling than usual.
As long as there was an audience, surveillance cameras were a must. Generally speaking, the cards in Texas Hold’em will be flipped as little as possible to prevent others from seeing the cards. But there was no guarantee that they won’t be peeked at.
If they could confirm this, all they had to do was pass that information to Yuri through a communication device. Part of the gamble was how to prevent this.
……In the end, they searched thoroughly for three hours and found no traces of cheating.
“Are you satisfied?”
Hearing those words, Kurumi looked back. Sagakure Yuri, Ariadne Foxlot, Miyafuji Oka, and Yukishiro Maya, there were four Dominions present here.
They were four monsters that literally ruled over the Neighboring World.
As expected, Hibiki was overwhelmed by their power. The Reiryoku drifting from them was magnitudes apart from other Quasi-Spirits.
Perhaps only the White Queen was on a comparable level or capable of surpassing them.
“Yes, yes. I am very satisfied.”
But there was one more person here. Tokisaki Kurumi was also a monster with Dominion-class Reiryoku.
Hibiki felt a little strange that such a small existence like herself was mingling with five people that could shake the very foundation of the Neighboring World.
“Then, next I think you should also know??”
After receiving the signal from Kurumi, Hibiki nodded and released <King Killing>. Miyafuji Oka was startled as she stared at Hibiki……but Hibiki didn’t shamefully look away as she stared back at them directly.
In the first place, the situation was much better than when she transformed into Tokisaki Kurumi in the Tenth Region Malkuth. At that time, there was no one she could have called a friend.
“……Yes, yes. It’s Higoromo Hibiki. I know, I know. That’s fine. Rather, Carte would have been more troublesome. No problem.”
Yuri shrugged and accepted Hibiki’s participation. Only Miyafuji Oka was staring at Hibiki in dissatisfaction, but right beside her Maya gently touched her arm.
It was as if asking her to calm down.
Even Hibiki could perceive that, and of course Kurumi was going to use to this to aggravate her further.
“Ara, ara. Are you dissatisfied, you over there……what was your name again?”
“My name is Miyafuji Oka. Does a Spirit have poor memory skills?”
Kurumi responded to Oka’s taunt with a provocative smile.
Of course, it was the same ferocious smile one might show to prey.
“Pardon me. It’s because you are of no concern to me. So, what are your complaints?”
“Naturally, this battle is??”
The moment Oka took a step forward to say something, Maya tightly pulled back on her arm.
“This topic is getting complicated. Stop it.”
“……No, it’s nothing.”
“Oh, really? Is that so? Are you sure? If you have something to say, by all means??”
“Tokisaki Kurumi, please don’t make unnecessary provocations……we came here to settle things through gambling.”
“That’s right. Let’s decide the outcome through gambling.”
“……Although I don’t know what you are thinking, I’ve planned for that much at least.”
Standing in the dealer’s position, Maya gently opened a book.
“Break the seal??The Fourth Book <Light Law Apostles>.
“Unsigned Angel……!”
As Hibiki put herself on guard, Kurumi raised her hand to stop her.
“Is this supposed to give judgement?”
“You understand so quickly. This is one of my abilities. From here on out, I will forbid all acts of cheating.”
“……Hoho.”
“Feel free to not believe at your own convenience??but I’ll prove it right now.”
After making that announcement, Maya raised her hand to make an oath.
“I declare a ban on cheating for this game. If broken, my face will be cut by a blade.”
The golden scales let out a rattling noise as if being unlocked. At the same moment, Maya’s body was bounded by two chains that then mysteriously disappeared.
“??Oath accepted. If cheating occurs, your face will be cut.”
A dull system-like sound came from the scales.
“Tokisaki Kurumi and Higoromo Hibiki, please take to your seats. Don’t worry, this is just an experiment.”
Hearing Maya’s request, Kurumi and Hibiki sat down.
“I’ll deal the cards. Now then……”
The moment when Maya handed two cards to Hibiki and Kurumi??it happened.
“Confirming illegal activity. Executing punishment under oath.”
It wasn’t the wind blowing or someone waving a sword, but deep cut appeared on Maya’s cheeks.
“……”
“W-Wait, are you okay!?”
Once again displaying her softhearted characteristics, Hibiki stood up. However, Maya quickly pressed a handkerchief against her cheeks and shook her head.
“No problem. Now, Tokisaki Kurumi, do you understand what just happened?”
“……Well, it’s quite well-known. The second card dealt here is.”
Kurumi flipped over the second card that Maya had dealt.
Ace of Spades, it was arguably the strongest card. As long as one consciously gave that card to someone, it is enough to put the others at a disadvantage.
“Well, I can constrain myself in this manner. Of course, I will impose heavier punishments during the official game.”
“Only for yourself? Will we be fine?”
“Only if you allow it.”
Kurumi shrugged her shoulders and fearlessly smiled.
“Yes, yes. Of course I will have to refuse. Although I swear to not cheat, I honestly find it detestable to have a third party mechanism mediate the process.”
“……Got it. Of course this side also shares the same sentiments. Then, let’s have everyone take a seat. Let the game commence.”
Sagakure Yuri, Ariadne Foxlot, and Miyafuji Oka all took to their seats.
“First thing to do is to confirm the amount of money on hand. Tokisaki Kurumi and Higoromo Hibiki share 65 million YP. Sagakure Yuri, Ariadne Foxlot, and Miyafuji Oka each have 65
million YP. The game is decided on whether Sagakure Yuri or Tokisaki Kurumi has more money in the end. Therefore, a loss is determined when either of those two reaches a balance of zero.
The game uses Texas Hold’em rules. Cheating merits an automatic disqualification as soon as discovered.”
After seeing everyone agree, Maya opened the book again.
“Break the seal??The Fourth Book. After the match begins, I forbid all act of cheating on myself. If I break this vow, my left leg will be taken away.”
“??Oath accepted. If she cheats, Yukishiro Maya’s left leg will be taken away.”
“Yukishiro-san, can I ask a question?”
“Ask away.”
“Why choose to take your leg rather than your hand?”
“……If I don’t have my hand, reading will become difficult. I can still live if it’s just a leg.”
After hearing what Maya had said, Kurumi shook her shoulders as if stunned. Maya slightly frowned upon seeing that expression, but Yuri coughed a few times to bring the topic back on track.
“Excuse me. Now then, let’s begin Texas Hold’em match.”
Following Yukishiro Maya’s transparent voice, the game quietly began.
The Texas Hold’em match was roughly the following process.
1. Pay an entry fee (ante)
2. The Small Blind and the Big Blind pay the bet (The two people to the left of the dealer must pay a fixed bet. If the Big Blind wagers 10 chips, the Small Blind must wager at least 5 chips.) 3. Hole cards are dealt in order starting from the Small Blind.
4. Players choose their actions in the prescribed order.
5. Dealer opens with 3 community cards.
6. Each player declares an action again.
7. If two or more players remain in with chips, the dealer will add one more community card.
8. Return back to step 6.
9. The winner is declared when the dealer reveals all five community cards.
The cards used in Texas Hold’em are marked with their number and suit in all four corners so that it is easily noticeable. Still, cautious about the presence of surveillance cameras, Hibiki gently flipped the two cards dealt face down.
( ? 8 of Hearts and ? 9 of Diamonds……average.)
Kurumi had already spoken about their game strategy.
“Unless you have a bad hand, keep fighting until I say it’s good. Don’t fold.”
“Eh, what do you mean?”
“The main deciding factor in Texas Hold’em requires an understanding of the personality of your opponent. Regardless of offensive or defensive, it wouldn’t be a true fight unless that is measured first.”
“Hibiki-san is responsible for drawing out the personality traits of everyone on the table. In terms of funds, do worry about squandering. Afterwards??”
First she needed to determine the outcome of this round. Hibiki placed her wager in chips.
During a game of Texas Hold’em, the Big Blind (BB) and Small Blind (SB) are responsible for paying the forward wager of chips. The other players will then decide whether to bet or fold depending on the quality of their cards.
Each time a round is over, the roles of BB and SB will alternate (with the initial pre-bets gradually increasing over time). It is impossible to evade the game through constant folds.
Without participating, the amount of chips will continue to decrease.
Starting off, the Small Blind Miyafuji Oka paid 100,000 YP. Ariadne Foxlot, the Big Blind paid 200,000 YP. Next up, right beside her, Sagakure Yuri shrugged and declared a fold.
Kurumi also declared a fold.
Despite only paying 100,000 YP, it was still a loss paying for the ante fee. But Kurumi understood that such loses were tolerable.
Gathering information was the most important when gambling with other people.
Kurumi considered this the most essential part as she thoroughly watched Sagakure Yuri and the others.
After seven rounds, neither Kurumi nor Yuri’s side changed very much from their initial positions. After a peaceful beginning, the strongest three cards for Hibiki were taken out.
In terms of chips??Hibiki was around 45 million YP, Kurumi at 32 million YP, Yuri at 58
million YP, Ariadne at 47 million YP, and also.
“Two pair. Sorry, but I’ll be taking it all.”
Miyafuji Oka was at the top with 70 million YP collected.
Kurumi glanced at her from sideways and was convinced.
The basic tactics of these three Dominions were roughly understood. They would lose if Yuri lost all her chips. Then regardless if she goes before or after??
(Their approach taken was to ensure Yuri-san’s safety)
Of course, this was normal. Anyway, Yuri losing all of her chips spelled their certain defeat. So she was hiding behind while Ariadne and Oka were out fighting forward. Considering Oka’s fast progress, Ariadne was likely a sub-attacker……she was probably in charge of protecting Oka.
(Being common indeed means being commonly used. But??)
Kurumi glanced at Miyafuji Oka.
Her tactics are typical. Don’t fold when the hand is poor and fold when it is poor.
Just like playing baseball, the difference between offense and defense was obvious. There were no weaknesses in that regard.
If that was the case.
It would be up to you.
Kurumi confirmed her hole cards and the watched Oka’s confident smile as she joined the game.
“Raise. 2 million.”
Oka announced a raise. Earlier Oka only did this when her hand was good, but to go so far??she must have at least a two pair or more.
Until now, no one competed with her……
“……Raise. 4 million.”
It was Tokisaki Kurumi who declared the raise. The amount raised caused Oka’s eyebrows to twitch with an unpleasant look.
“Call.”
Then, Hibiki also quietly participated in the final decision. Yuri and Ariadne announced their folds early. Oka gritted her teeth while staring at Hibiki.
“Raise, 4 million.”
“……Raise, 6 million.”
“C-Call.”
Right now, Oka, Kurumi, and Hibiki have put out 25 million YP out on the table. Oka was now forced to make a choice.
That is to say, she needed to make a choice between a raise and a showdown.
Oka adjusted her breathing and looked at her cards. Her hole cards are ? 9 of Hearts and ? Queen of Hearts, and the community cards are??
Jack of Hearts, ? 8 of Hearts, ? 3 of Hearts, ? 6 of Spades, and ? Jack of Clubs The community cards had one pair of ? Jack of Hearts and ? Jack of Clubs, so each hand will have at least a fixed one pair, but the problem started here.
Miyafuji Oka’s greatest hand contained a five card flush of hearts cards. Usually, this would be enough to settle the match.
But??
There are also two cards with Jack suit present, which means that Tokisaki Kurumi’s hand may be a four of a kind.
In that case, a flush would be no problem.
She was forced into a corner……!
(??Do you two have any Jacks?)
Oka gently signaled with a hand sign gesture. Unfortunately, both of them responded with a no.
But??
(Ariadne-san, do you think Kurumi-san’s hand has a four of a kind?) (No, that hasn’t arrived yet.)
Ariadne answered Oka’s question confidently. Oka believed this without any hesitation at all.
(Even if you lose 32 million YP, Oka still has more than 40 million YP. Let’s commence the game.)
Oka also agreed with Yuri’s proposal.
“Raise. 7 million.”
Oka chose to raise the wager. Of course, Kurumi would also be forced to make a decision.
But somehow it ended just like that??
“Aah, fold.”
Kurumi quickly informed them as she tossed her cards away.
“Eh?”
Maya and Oka both stood frozen. Ariadne opened her eyes.
“Oh, no. Sorry, it seems my cards have been turned face up.”
Maya gave an incredulous look to Kurumi. Oka, Ariadne, and Yuri were also speechless staring at her hole cards.
“ ? 4 of Clubs and ? 9 of Diamonds……?”
Although there was the one fixed pair, there wasn’t much that could be used with the community cards.
“Ara, ara. How could this be. 7 million YP remaining. But the game is just starting now……right, Hibiki-san?”
For the first time, Oka’s gaze turned to Hibiki.
Kurumi was aware. Miyafuji Oka wasn’t conscious of Higoromo Hibiki at all. Because of that she was hardly even considered a player in her eyes.
Oka’s gaze was basically fixed on Kurumi. There was no response to Hibiki’s attempts to call, raise, or fold. ……No, to be more precise, she was consciously trying to ignore her.
Perhaps it was due to her pride of being a Dominion.
However, in the end this turned out to be a fatal weakness.
If there was a weakness??now was the opportunity to close the gap and go all out!
“All in.”
In addition to the 25 million YP on the table, Hibiki added in another 20 million YP.
Then, Oka quietly stared at Hibiki.
“…………!”
“……”
(Fold, Miyafuji Oka.)
(I think it’s better to fold too. I didn’t even look at Higoromo-san.) Oka wasn’t listening to Yuri or Ariadne’s proposal at all. If the opponent were Kurumi, Oka would have already folded. However, she wasn’t dealing with Tokisaki Kurumi, but rather Higoromo Hibiki.
It was as if poison seeped into Miyafuji Oka’s entire body.
(I refuse. Against, a mere……a mere former Empty……!)
To begin with, Higoromo Hibiki wasn’t something that should belong in this game arena.
Watch me get rid of her now……!
“Call! 13 million!”
Hibiki had already gone all in and Oka wanted to offer the same amount of chips as Hibiki’s bet.
Therefore, it automatically came to the showdown??where both of their two hole cards will be presented.
Oka’s hand had a 9 of Hearts and ? Queen of Hearts, which formed a flush with the community cards ? Jack of Hearts, ? 8 of Hearts, ? 3 of Hearts.
“Showdown. Miyafuji Oka, 9 of Hearts and ? Queen of Hearts……flush.”
After the reveal of Oka’ hand, Hibiki’s hand was also laid open.
“Higoromo Hibiki. ? Jack of Spades, ? 3 of Clubs. Full house……Higoromo Hibiki’s victory.”
“……!”
Oka couldn’t help but involuntarily clench her YP chips. Her 45 million YP, Kurumi’ 25 million YP, plus the amount added from Ariadne and Yuri’s folds, it came to a total of 72 million YP.
From the perspective of a third party, Kurumi only had 7 million YP left and was forced into a desperate corner. But for Miyafuji Oka, a tremendous sense of shame enveloped both her body and mind. It was because this shame was ultimately rooted in a fear of being thoroughly defeated.
Also caught off guard by this, Yuri and Ariadne also noticed themselves growing a little more restless. Until this mental upset subsides, it would be best to slow down the pace of this game for as much as possible.
However, Kurumi immediately urged them to continue dealing cards.
With gestures brimming with self-confidence, Hibiki gave a determined look at Oka as if trifling with her.
“Fold……”
Despite having a hand good enough to compete with a two pair, Oka was suppressed by Hibiki and Kurumi’s smile. Seeing that the flow was poor, Yuri and Ariadne also choose to get out early.
“Tokisaki Kurumi, one pair. Higoromo Hibiki, no pair. Victory goes to Tokisaki Kurumi.”
With their side in chaos, Yuri’s group chose to fold this round to calm down. Seeing that they were the only ones left for this round, Kurumi responded to Hibiki’s 50 million YP wager by choosing to go all in. Naturally, Kurumi won.
Therefore, currently Hibiki had a total of 67 million YP while Kurumi was at 37 million YP.
Both of them had nearly doubled their chips compared to when they started.
“……”
Oka clenched her teeth from the sheer shame.
She should have recovered. She should have bounced back and taken the challenge. Then, they would have won without any problems. Just one more step away, they were pressed to the point where it was just a single step from victory.
However, falling into the trap of being humiliated had distorted her actions.
She didn’t even listen to Ariadne’s suggestions when choosing to fold.
“??Would you like to take a small break? Oka-san over there seems to be quite exhausted.”
At that moment, Kurumi spoke.
“Yes. I suppose……I would want that. Maya-san, can we take a break?”
Maya nodded in response to what Yuri had said.
“Then, let’s take a ten minute break. However, you cannot leave this casino.”
Hearing those words, Hibiki breathed out a sigh of relief. Suddenly, she couldn’t even remember the last time she could breathe out so casually.
Kurumi patted Hibiki’s shoulders.
“??Alright, the first barrier has been successfully traversed.”
“Yup.”
Kurumi and Hibiki had discussed dividing several tactics into parts. First is observation, second is interception, and third is construction.
First, they needed to observe the enemy. Then, after setting up a counter for an opponent examined as easy, they would build their foundation while the other side was still confused.
The first thing they needed to avoid power showdown. Compete only when a good hand arrives and fold otherwise during a bad hand. After all, the level of funds was different on both sides.
Not to mention, their three opponents wouldn’t allow for it to be quickly settled in another major reversal.
But the two of them have now achieved results. Having their funding double meant they had effectively plundered away one person’s share of chips. Seizing 58 million YP was the equivalent of closing the gap by 118 million YP.
“But is it okay to give our opponents the chance to rest now?”
“No problem. As expected, Miyafuji Oka is their vanguard. Even though she crashed then, if we continue to attack it will be our turn to be killed next.”
Moreover, there was one more thing Kurumi was concerned about.
Staking it all in a huge match, having a flush meant Miyafuji Oka’s odds was great. The probability of a flush in Texas Hold’em was around 3%.
However, when looking at the five community cards, there was the possibility of a large hand appearing.
Therefore, Oka appeared nervous before betting. But??
Her tension was eased. At that moment, she exchanged eye contact with the other two. No doubt they were exchanging information.
That didn’t matter. The question is what made her feel relieved.
“Sagakure Yuri and Ariadne Foxlot. That means……one of them was the true attacker. In the next round, one of them would definitely take the initiative. “
“What will you do?”
“From here on out, it’ll be ad-lib improvisation. I’ll do as much as I want.”
Kurumi grinned.
On the other side, with the three Dominions.
“……Really, that was such a great opportunity to end Tokisaki Kurumi.”
“I was in over my head……sorry.”
“At least it’s good we have Ariadne to undertake this task.”
“Does Yuri want to continue observing the situation? Well, anyway, I’ll be seriously involved in the next round.”
“Oka-chan……well, it would be better if you calm down now.”
“I’m reflecting on it, really……because of Higoromo Hibiki I got it a little too passionate.”
Miyafuji Oka gave a smooth apology. Despite her being the Dominion of the Sixth Region Tiphereth and assuming leadership there, Ariadne liked how she could properly apologize at times like this.
“……Likely from now onwards that child will only be providing support. Because things are already heating up.”
“Kurumi will step in from here on out?”
“Yup.”
If so, Yuri also understood that the deciding factor for this match will come soon. Shaking off the fears of losing, she decided to challenge this game positively.
This was to see clearly.
To determine the future of the Neighboring World.
On the other hand, Miyafuji Oka was thinking deeper than the bottomless sea. She could also clearly understand from that experience with Higoromo Hibiki.
Because she couldn’t stand Higoromo Hibiki’s presence here, she tried to consciously ignore her.
Obviously this was a huge gamble.
Treating her as if she wasn’t here, they took advantage of that shortcoming and launched an attack.
“……Ariadne, can you?”
“Hmm……I can go. But I’ll have to concentrate on that. Won’t Yuri-chan also have to do her best after this game?”
“Yeah……I will win.”
Seeing Yuri’s determined expression, Ariadne smiled.
“It’s rare to see you this motivated Yuri-chan. ……I thought you were only interested in your little sister.”
“How mean, Ariadne. As a Dominion for the time being, I have a responsibility to protect the Neighboring World.”
Ariadne wanted to confirm the truth of those words for a moment, but then decided against it.
Right now she didn’t have the time to focus on exposing hidden secrets.
The battle has yet to come.
Yukishiro Maya, who had taken the role of refereeing, carefully observed both groups.
Just at the moment where the observations finished, Tokisaki Kurumi boldly moved forward with Higoromo Hibiki trailing behind her. On the other side, Miyafuji Oka, who had gotten too hot-headed, had regained her calm temperament.
But from here on out it would likely be Ariadne’s turn. ……Maya did know how they were going to cheat, but she knew that cheating would occur.
Moreover, it was likely the sort of cheating where it would be impossible to seize physical evidence.
Therefore, Maya took the initiative to take charge as the referee.
“……Break time is over. Now then, the game will continue.”
Hearing those words, Kurumi and Hibiki went back to their seats. Kurumi took a deep breath while looking around.
Now, the second round had begun??!
Texas Hold’em had entered a feverish phase.
It was clear by now that the role of attacker had changed. Yuri and Ariadne had begun to move.
Oka was basically folding and only moved when her hand was good. Moreover, only when she was completely confident……with at least a three of a kind or more is when she choose to attack.
Of course, the signs that Oka was aiming for a big hand was transmitted to Kurumi.
Kurumi resolutely adopted a folding strategy. Hibiki occasionally won or lost from going on the offensive.
Kurumi had a hunch that it was almost time.
This was both a premonition of a decisive victory and a certainty of trap being set.
“……Raise. Add 1 million more.”
Ariadne chose a raise for the first time.
Kurumi’s hand contained a ? 9 of Clubs and ? 4 of Spades. This hand was to weak and couldn’t form a role with the three community cards on the table.
However, Kurumi specifically chose to bluff.
“Raise. 2 million.”
“Raise, add one more million.” “……Raise, one more million.”
The three of them chose to fold as it became a one on one duel against Ariadne. The raises were gradually accumulating.
……The air was heating up. Kurumi’s gaze began paying attention to Ariadne’s every move.
What habits or openings did she have? Kurumi endured her mind boiling up as she attentively kept watching Ariadne.
In the end, this game turned into a huge round worth 10 million.
“……Showdown. Tokisaki Kurumi, no pair. ? 9 of Clubs is the highest.”
Well, this would certainly lead to a defeat. Kurumi was prepared for that.
Rather, the issue was with Ariadne. What sort of hand did she play?
“Ariadne. ? 2 of Clubs and ? 2 of Hearts. One pair. Therefore, victory goes to Ariadne.”
Kurumi was amazed. A pair of 2s was the weakest hand besides no pair. At the same time, in Texas Hold’em with combinations formed from 7 different cards, this hand had the highest possibility of showing up.
At the very least, it wasn’t a hand someone would wager in a 1 million level round.
“Ah, terrific.”
While saying so, Ariadne narrowed her eyes and smiled at Kurumi.
“You really are capable.”
“……It’s just being whimsical.”
After Kurumi coughed a few times, they went straight into the next round.
The next round was also a match pitting Ariadne against Kurumi. Ariadne chose to raise without hesitation. Kurumi also kept raising her wager.
After Ariadne raised for a third time, the amount of chips reached 8 million. Kurumi also intended to raise as she reached for her chips??
“……Ah!”
A piece of glass flew out from Hibiki’s hand, shattering and letting out a flashy sound as it landed on the ground. In that instant, Kurumi suddenly stopped.
“Sorry, please continue. I’ll pick it up.”
“……No. The Yuis will handle it, so pleasie leave it alone.”
One of the mass produced Yui models in the distance quickly took out a broom to clean up the broken glass.
“Let’s continue the game. Tokisaki Kurumi, what are you going to do?”
“……Fold.”
“No showdown. Ariadne wins.”
Kurumi quietly paid the 5 million YP while turning to look at Hibiki. Hibiki nodded silently while tapping her finger lightly against her chest. A signal indicating for?? an abnormal situation.
Kurumi intended to adjust her breathing, but Yukishiro Maya wouldn’t give her that opportunity as she started the next round.
In the next round, Kurumi’s hole cards ? Jack of Hearts and ? Queen of Clubs. It was a good hand, but she quickly folded without even looking at the community cards.
One the other hand, Hibiki’s hand wasn’t quite good, so decided to call in order to stall for time.
Meanwhile, Kurumi thought to herself.
Something was done. Indeed, looking back, she had obviously lost control. Just like when Miyafuji Oka made a mistake, she only thought about raising her wager.
……That’s right. At that moment, she was.
A fickle feeling at that moment??a flow of heat circulated in her heart.
Certainly, she realized that this enthusiasm for fighting happened to anyone every now and then.
However, this passion for victory was clearly different.
After taking a deep breath, Kurumi began examining her entire body carefully. This flame burning in her heart??it wasn’t heat attached to victory. So what exactly was this? Love……no, this is different.
“……”
Kurumi further restrained herself while turning to look at Ariadne Foxlot.
Was she simply sitting near the table acting on her on whims? Or was she already within the range of her Unsigned Angel?
Regardless, she could understand.
She was right now being manipulated by a foreign enemy.
But this was certainly not as powerful as brainwashing. Just now, Hibiki had noticed Kurumi’s strange behavior and purposely broke that glass to snap her out of her fervor.
However, this sort of manipulation was difficult to discover.
So what could be done about this??
“Showdown. Higoromo Hibiki, one pair of 3s. Ariadne, three 9s.”
“……!”
The round had already ended by the time Kurumi had even noticed.
Ariadne had snatched 15 million YP from Hibiki.
“Ah……”
Stunned, Hibiki looked back at her hole cards several times.
“I’m sorry……”
Hibiki’s mood felt down into a dejected state.
“It’s too early to lament.”
Kurumi comforted her by patting her shoulders. Yes, it all happened quite quickly. At this stage, there was only an ambiguous hypothesis. But Kurumi could only believe in this and move forward.
However, for this, Kurumi still needed time to think calmly.
It took less than a second for Kurumi to reach a conclusion and begin her implementation.
“……Ouch.”
Kurumi pressed her hand against the poker card.
“Tokisaki Kurumi?”
Yukishiro Maya asked out in surprise.
“Ah, sorry. I was cut by the card.”
“Is there any blood?”
“Yes, yes. I am very sorry. Can you replace this deck?”
The card that Maya had given Kurumi was indeed stained with blood.
“……I understand. I’ll replace the deck of cards.”
“Kurumi-san, do you need a Band-Aid?”
Hibiki took out a Band-Aid from nowhere, but Kurumi shook her head.
“This little pain can prove to be a distraction. How troublesome, <Zafkiel>.”
Suddenly, the surroundings caused a commotion as Kurumi took out her classical pistol. It grew even more agitated as Kurumi placed the pistol against her own head.
“The Fourth Bullet <Dalet>.”
The Fourth Bullet could rewind time to heal injuries. However, Hibiki raised her eyebrows in confusion. Releasing the abilities of <Zafkiel> came at a significant price. That was of course referring to time.
By regularly replenishing her time, she could launch a skill that completely subverted the laws of the Neighboring World.
……But if it was only to the extent of a scratched finger, Kurumi wouldn’t use the Fourth Bullet??
(Ah, so is it by earning time?)
Upon a closer look, even Yukishiro Maya suddenly stopped after seeing Kurumi’s ability for the first time. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Kurumi finished her analysis.
Kurumi then spoke with a devilish smile.
“Now then, let’s continue.”
Hearing those words, Maya hurried out to distribute the cards again.
Kurumi quietly looked at her face down cards while thinking it over.
Of course, her thought process was mostly based on a hypothesis. However, in the absence of actual evidence, Kurumi could only but her trust in this hypothesis.
Above all else, this was also a battle.
Only fighting when there is 100% for victory and giving up when there is a 99% chance of defeat.
This was not the case for this fight.
For girls, for warriors, for us??
There are moments where they must absolutely fight.
The first matter was Ariadne’s ability. It had to be some sort of physiological manipulation.
However, it didn’t belong to the camp of brainwashing and hallucinations.
There was no doubt that there were cards in her hand and the community cards were also indeed correct.
But what felt wrong was playing that round with a one pair hand.
What did she feel at that moment?
……Heat. A passion of not wanting to lose, it was a powerful desire that outweighed her sense of reason.
The worst folly in gambling??getting too passionate and losing all sense of reasoning. This was far more subtle than obvious cheat or illusions. If it took too long to notice, a person would think that they were simply just losing.
Even after understanding that her heart got too passionate, if it still happened again she would still lose.
In other words, Ariadne’s ability was to heat up the heart of a target at close range. That itself wasn’t too difficult to imagine. In the real world, there are scenarios were a person’s brain would purposely secrete simulants.
Anyway, if assuming her ability was like this, there was one more thing about this ability that couldn’t be ignored.
Could Ariadne grasp also gauge Kurumi’s level of excitement?
In that case, Ariadne’s advantage was tremendous. For example, her hole cards right now were a pair of ? 3 of Hearts and ? 3 of Clubs. Depending on the community cards, a 3 of a kind could possibly be made, which would inevitably heat up Kurumi’s heart.
But if she could reach 3 of a kind from the community cards, her hand would be one of the weakest pairs. The heat would disappear. If she could read this, she could determine how strong or weak her hand was.
Just from this alone, the chances of victory would astronomically increase a lot even when not adding the ability to control emotions.
……With this, she could cause her opponent’s cold heart to grow excited from a poor hand and calm down the opponent’s passion during a strong hand.
Of course, even that wouldn’t guarantee a 100% victory. However, that reason only made this ability even more terrifying.
Ariadne herself realized her ability wouldn’t be able to 100% read her opponent’s card values.
For example, if the fifth community card suddenly appeared shinning on the table??the chips accumulated at that point would lead to a great sacrifice even after choosing to fold at that point.
On the other hand, even if having a strong hand from the beginning, there could be possibilities where a weak hand could cut through latter on without hesitation.
In any case, Ariadne’s ability to increase her win rate was around 80%, but it was not perfect.
That was why Ariadne was still fighting vigilantly. And that was more terrifying than anything else.
Based on the community cards, her hand may lead to a three of a kind.
And when her mental state was too good, she would likely try to interfere with her heart.
(This time??she needed to cool down.)
As expected, a chill struck her heart……the feeling of defeat filled her entire body. Even with the chance of a three of a kind, it was only a high probability rather than being absolute.
Still, her hands were shaking. As if there was nothing good in her hand.
Nevertheless, she would try to go for a raise??but.
“Fold.”
The three of them on Yuri’s side immediately folded. Hibiki also folded after waiting for the signal.
The chance of a three of a kind disappeared innocently with little to no damage against Yuri’s side.
(……Yes. My heat……)
Feeling too weak would throw her off her game. However, if the sense of chill or heat reached an extreme, it would also be recognized as a high stakes risk.
A rock solid foundation……and on top of that a level of caution from knowing that this ability wasn’t perfect.
How should she approach this?
……First, if thinking rationally, only wager when having a good hand and folding when having a bad one.
However, that was also the equivalent on giving up on bluffing. In Mahjong, this was a viable solution by keeping to the optimal hands. However, this wouldn’t work in Texas Hold’em.
Moreover, the difference of funding against her opponent has caused a self-evident overwhelming disadvantage.
Intellect, logic, reasoning, those sorts of things wouldn’t win in this game of poker.
The opponent was a Dominion, among the strongest in the Neighboring World.
Whether if it was fighting or gambling??she wouldn’t win without a power that defied ordinary logic……!
Ariadne Foxlot could manipulate the temperature of other people as Kurumi had noticed. Of course, it wasn’t just limited to the mind. She can also control the physical temperature of the body as well. But since that part of her ability didn’t make sense for a poker game, this aspect was skipped.
The emphasis on this game is on her ability to manipulate mental temperature.
It wasn’t as simple as making one’s mood more positive or negative. She could make her opponents more excited or nervous without them even realizing it.
For an easy to understand example, it was possible for her to induce a bad premonition or make her opponents feel even more capable of themselves. A power exceeding rationality and could manipulate the flow of the game against the other side’s will.
It wasn’t suitable for games like shogi or chess that only depended on logic. But gambling where people value intuition and flow more than anything else, there was no trickier ability.
And Ariadne had one more power that couldn’t be ignored.
“……Raise.”
Ariadne’s raise increased Kurumi’s level of excitement. Ariadne noticed this and speculated on the rest of her hand. Among the three out of five community cards face up, there was ? 3 of Clubs, ? 1 of Hearts, and ? 1 of Diamonds.
Although none of the numbers there had the same suit, having ? 3 of Clubs leads to the possibility of a flush.
……But Ariadne’s hole cards were actually different……no pair. On the other hand, Kurumi’s hand may hold two or three pairs.
However, Kurumi was also intimated by the possibility of a flush. In this situation, she would normally say raise without hesitation, but now she was pressed by a frozen sensation.
Perhaps Kurumi had also understood the situation. The feeling of something being manipulated, but even then her intuition wouldn’t be able to function normally.
Additionally, Ariadne also had a perpetual poker face on. It was a somewhat sleepy face with a gentle smile no matter how stiff the atmosphere got.
It was impossible to read her hand from expression alone.
“……Fold.”
Kurumi’s heat cooled down as she sighed.
Perhaps Kurumi had even seen through Ariadne’s ability. She had experienced countless battlefields that Ariadne couldn’t possibly even imagine, so this couldn’t be taken for granted.
But that was it.
After all, there was no specific way of coping against this. There may be countermeasures for abilities tampering with physical objects, but she was manipulating emotions rather than the cards.
Sagakure Yuri was convinced that their victory was unshakable.
“…..I’ll have to do it.”
Kurumi sighed as she stretched.
Right now, Kurumi’s YP levels was much less than 50 million, sitting around 35 million. On the other hand, both Sagakure Yuri and Miyafuji Oka were sitting around 50 million. Ariadne now had 70 million, more than double what Kurumi had.
Since Hibiki also only had around 20 million left, there was no more room for retreat.
“There’s only one way that I can fight to turn this around.”
“That’s right. Please do your best.”
While saying so, Ariadne activated her Unsigned Angel <Taiintaiyounijuyonsetsuki>. An extraordinarily thin thread of mercury used to measure temperature was her Unsigned Angel.
(Tokisaki Kurumi’s feelings are like the first day of winter……extremely cold despite still wanting to win.)
In other words, she won’t win this game……likely.
This was only a guess. But perhaps Kurumi hadn’t even figured out her ability.
Nevertheless, Texas Hold’em is a game where the scenario could change drastically depending on how the hole and community cards are used.
She needed to be careful of that, but??
Ariadne glanced at her hole cards. ? Jack of Clubs and ? Jack of Spades, both already formed a pair. Depending on the community cards, the possibilities were endless.
“……Tokisaki Kurumi?”
It was Maya who first recognized the abnormal situation. Tokisaki Kurumi was remaining motionless since the very beginning.
Yes, she didn’t even use her eyes to confirm the hole cards in her hand.
“I’ve already distributed the cards. You need to confirm it soon??”
“I don’t mind doing it like this.”
Everyone was shaken.
“K-Kurumi-san!?”
Hibiki stood up, but Kurumi still remained motionless.
“Sit down, Hibiki-san.”
“……Do you intend to abandon this game?”
In response to Yuri’s question, Kurumi shook her head.
“I don’t have any problems like this. Come, I’m choosing to raise.”
After saying that, Kurumi added in her chips.
“Hibiki-san, please raise as much as you can.”
This was??the signal to go all-in. Hibiki was almost about to faint in fear.
Hibiki’s hand was bad enough for this to be out of the question. All-in on the spot was tantamount to giving up. After giving the okay signal, Kurumi lived up to her claims.
“……All-in.”
The scene fell into a riot. With all of Hibiki 19 million YP on the table, three community cards were on the table.
“Raise. 6 million.”
Kurumi raised the bid to 25 million. If all of Yuri’s side folded, all of this would go to Kurumi??but with the situation like this; no one was able to confirm Kurumi’s hole cards.
“Fold.”
Sagakure Yuri folded. Meanwhile, Miyafuji Oka??
“All-in.”
She also responded with all-in. This was part of Ariadne’s instructions. Hibiki’s hand was poor; right now it was even worse than Oka’s single pair.
If she was bluffing, she would have to fold here. How irrational would she need to be in order to let her hole cards be determined by chance?
Ariadne restrained the slight anxiety building in her heart as she tried to read her feelings.
Kurumi’s feelings were still in state of winter.
She was calm.
Just like this, she was behaving at an ice cold temperature.
“All-in.”
Yuri, Oka, and Maya all widened their eyes in shock. The trio desperately controlled their desire to scream.
Even if her hand was good.
It was understandable that it should at least have a small possibility of being a good hand.
But she didn’t even look at her hole cards.
(Bluff)
(Should be a bluff)
(It should be a bluff??)
Ariadne looked at her in order to peek into the situation??but a chill suddenly traveled up her spine.
She had been exposed. Kurumi was already staring back at her. It was on the level of being observed through a magnifying glass or analyzed through microscope!
“I……”
Ariadne’s throat trembled with a small hint of fear.
Call, call, say call. Absolutely this was it??the perfect chance!
No, but just in case.
“??Fold.”
Who felt more relived now? Was it her or Kurumi?’
In any case, Oka would find out Kurumi’s hole cards after going all-in. Oka’s hand was a pair of 9s. Hibiki, Kurumi, and Oka had all gone all-in, so two more community cards were added. The cards that appeared there were a Jack and King.
“……!”
If she didn’t fold, she would have had a three of a kind.
However, Oka’s hand had changed into a two pair with a King and 9. It was no exaggeration to say that this hand was sufficient enough for victory. Hibiki also gained a one pair, but that was of no concern.
And for Tokisaki Kurumi……
“……Please show your hand now.”
“Yes, sure.”
She gave her cards to Maya. Maya’s finger tips trembled. The first hole card was a ? 10 of Hearts which formed a one pair with the community cards.
As for the second card……
“????????!”
With a startled sound, the second hole card was revealed. It was a ? King of Clubs. In other words, Kurumi’s hand had a two pair.
It was just by a little. But the value of one of the pairs marginally surpassed Oka’s hand.
“……I am the winner. So both Miyafuji-san and Hibiki-san are eliminated.”
“……Understood.”
Oka bit into her lips in regret.
On the other side, Hibiki handed her chips to Kurumi with a worried look.
“I’ll leave the rest to you.”
“Yes. I have been entrusted with everything.”
Kurumi calmly accepted the chips??and then finally revealed her emotions. A feeling as warm as summer, it could be described as a peace of mind.
Was this pure intuition?
Did she go all-in while only relying on intuition?
……No. That was impossible. She must have been certain that her hand contained at least one pair. On the other hand, she had no idea of knowing that Ariadne’s hand had a three of a kind.
This was completely bizarre and unreasonable.
She would have lost if Ariadne went in with her three of a kind, and only she could tell when she would choose to fold??
At that moment, Ariadne held her breath.
That wasn’t it. Kurumi knew. Even without looking at her cards, even without caring about her cards, she knew Ariadne would buckle down under this pressure.
Ariadne had no choice but to get off the moment Oka had declared herself going all-in.
It was because that was the safe option.
The eerie feeling of the temperature of emotions not fluctuating, the fear of being observed, and finally the temptation of being able to watch this game from a safe zone.
Those conditions had taken away all of her choices besides folding……!
“……Would you like to take a second break soon?”
Before Ariadne could respond to Yuri’s suggestion, Kurumi struck the table.
“I’m in the flow of the game now. In that case, I would like to continue this game without a break. We originally had rules two and three to prevent unfavorable conditions. Isn’t this sort of suggestion agreeable?”
“But??”
Ariadne prevented Yuri from responding.
“I see. Okay. Un. Just as you say??let’s continue the match.”
“Yes, yes. Then let’s continue trying to kill each other. Ariadne Foxlot.”
Kurumi called out her name while staring at her with her clock piece marked eye.
With her sleepy eyes widened, Ariadne stroked up her hair.
“Okay. If that’s what you want, I’ll thoroughly accompany you.”
Laughter resounded.
Hibiki, after getting up and wandering aimlessly, sat down again and shifted her position to be closer to Kurumi.
“I’ll watch over attentively!”
“Yes, yes, please do as you want.”
Hearing Hibiki’s words, Kurumi gave a faint smile before speaking. At that moment, Kurumi’s vigilance on this game grew slightly lax. Or that is what Ariadne thought.
While it was unknown what sort of cheating Kurumi had used??it would be unlikely that it involved the little girl standing behind her.
Ariadne knew that this was the decisive battle. Tokisaki Kurumi’s emotions went from the first day of summer to minor heat. In other words, she was as high as the midsummer sun before the results were determined.
Both Ariadne and Kurumi had almost the same amount of YP left in their hands. At this point, YP was almost meaningless. Unless she drew a bad hand, Ariadne didn’t intend on folding.
And, as a first-rate gambler, Ariadne had a hunch.
For the two of them, there wouldn’t be a terrible draw that ruins this game. Without such luck, it would be impossible to survive long in this Neighboring World.
So whether this comes up to huge victory or great defeat??would depend solely on whoever will exhaust all of their luck first.
“……It’s getting interesting.”
Ariadne expressed a ferocious smile. In response to that smile, Kurumi let out a Kihihihi laugh just like a Shinigami.
“Now then??let’s begin our war (date).”
Ariadne nodded to Kurumi’s loud declaration.
“Okay, baby. Come on, Maya-chan. Hurry up and deal me my cards!”
Maya dealt the cards to Ariadne, Kurumi, and Yuri.
“……”
Hibiki was trembling while watching Kurumi from behind. Kurumi lovingly covered the face down card.
“……Are you planning on doing nothing again?”
“No, no, just a little magic spell. This time I will look into the cards as well.”
Alright, Ariadne mentally leaped at the opportunity. It was impossible not to see her cards when standing behind her. Even if she couldn’t read Kurumi’s emotions, she could read Hibiki’s instead.
Kurumi slowly flipped the corner of the card up. She didn’t seem to be on alert. Or perhaps she didn’t intend to show it all.
Under this tense atmosphere, Kurumi slowly flipped her hole cards.
Hibiki perhaps unconsciously flinched a little.
This act was nothing more than trying to look into a card that she couldn’t see. Kurumi had already turned her cards face down. As a precautionary measure, Ariadne read that Kurumi’s emotions had already turned back to the first day of winter again.
Then, what about Hibiki?
Hibiki’s emotions were cold dew. This was a feeling of disappointment. In other words, Hibiki was greatly discouraged from looking at that hand.
However, it wasn’t complete disillusionment. After all, hole cards were just two cards that couldn’t even form a full hand.
The problem was in the community cards. No matter how bad the hole cards are, one could use those to turn back the tide.
Her cards are ? Jack of Diamonds and ? 7 of Spades. The community cards could drastically change the level of this hand. Following Ariadne’s instructions, Yuri chose to fold without disclosing her hand.
“Check”
“Check”
Both Ariadne and Kurumi chose to check first. Hibiki’s emotions lingered between restlessness and excitement.
“Now then, here are the community cards.”
Three community cards were presented to the venue.
7 of Clubs, ? 8 of Hearts, ? 9 of Hearts
Only one pair confirmed so far, but this hand certainly had its advantages.
She began a confession abruptly with a gentle smile.
“……Well, I think it’s already been exposed. But it was I who purposed Texas Hold’em to decide the outcome. Therefore, if I lose, Yuri-chan will declare defeat.”
“Ara, ara. Was that really the case?”
Kurumi glanced at Yuri while Ariadne’s attention was focused on Hibiki since she couldn’t fully read Kurumi’s emotions. But even then she continued to smile happily.
Ariadne confessed this in order to keep Kurumi from easily giving up in this game.
“Anyway, I’ll go for a raise first.”
“Then, I’ll call.”
Hibiki’s expression stiffened. Her emotional change was too obvious. Ariadne stopped raising and began to closely examine Hibiki’s emotions.
Her emotions were the awakening of insects……despite smoldering, the flames of hope had not been completely extinguished. In that case, she should wait and see. Kurumi was as calm as usual, but it should be enough by reading Hibiki’s feelings.
The fourth community card was placed on the table.
7 of Hearts
Hibiki’s emotions suddenly changed. First day of summer??as warm as summertime, bright emotions began to dominate Hibiki. Yes, with this Kurumi’s hand was seen through. Three of a kind, same as her, but Ariadne had a ? 7 of Spades. In this case, going by suits, it would be Ariadne’s victory.
However, she had a hunch. If she added another card, this hand would become even better. She was certain of this.
“Check.”
“……Check.”
In conformity with Kurumi’s check, Ariadne also chose the same option. A fifth community card was submitted.
Jack of Spades
(It’s here……!)
Ariadne’s cards are ? Jack of Diamonds, ? 7 of Spades, ? 7 of Clubs, ? 7 of Hearts, ? Jack of Spades??that is to say a three of a kind and one pair configuration……full house.
Hibiki’s emotions remained the same as the first day of summer. Of course there was still slight anxiety from nothing being certain in this game yet, but she wouldn’t lose even if her opponent had a three of a kind.
She believed so.
But,
“Now??”
There was also the matter of keeping Kurumi from folding this round. She must make her believe that a three of a kind is enough to win.
“……Now then, your wagers.”
“Raise.”
Ariadne pretended to be lost for a few seconds, feigning being nervous as she timidly declared a call.
Not surprisingly, Kurumi declared a raise. Ariadne declared a call with an astringent expression in response to Kurumi’s raise.
Then, when Kurumi’s wager exceeded a certain limit, Ariadne displayed a fearless smile.
“All-in.”
Hibiki’s emotions suddenly froze. The warm feelings of the summer solstice suddenly fell into the major cold in one single gulp.
“Huh……h-huh……!?”
“……”
Hibiki’s emotions were in chaos. Even Kurumi, who had kept smiling, lost her expression.
“Now, what do you want to do, Tokisaki Kurumi-san? Do you want to fold? Or do you want to go all-in like me?”
Ariadne had the slight advantage in chips. The fact that she went all-in meant with certainty that she had a fairly high level hand.
……But.
Kurumi was no longer in a standing position to retreat. Continuously raising the accumulating YP (chips) to more than half of her assets, folding now would mean losing half of everything.
One could not bear that temptation.
Not to mention, she was Tokisaki Kurumi. According to the rumors coming from the Ninth Region Yesod and the Eighth Region Hod, she was a girl with a queen-like temperament that moved everything at her own satisfaction.
In that case, her being fearful of loss would be extraordinary.
“Alright.”
Kurumi pushed in all of her chips while staying emotionless.
“All-in. I will accept your challenge.”
“K-Kurumi-san, are you okay with that, Kurumi-san!”
Hibiki was shaking at her anxiously. Kurumi sighed while pinching Hibiki’s cheeks.
“It’s fine, so please sit back and don’t worry.”
“I-I understand. But sitting still can’t be done. I am a lightest weight type.”
“Ufufu, who are you talking about for a comparison?”
“Of course it’s Kirari Rinemu-san.”
Ariadne couldn’t believe that Kurumi was chatting so leisurely. It was almost as if she was convinced that she would win.
“??Full house, right?”
“……!”
“Judging from the community cards, it should be a full house of Jacks and 7s.”
Ariadne handed her cards over to Maya while confused. Maya nodded after confirming the cards.
“Indeed, Ariadne Foxlot has a full house of Jacks and 7s.”
Ariadne asked.
“……Did you predict this……?”
“Yes, well. Almost.”
“U-Um. Why??”
How could afford to be so lax. Behind her, Higoromo Hibiki’s face had turned pale.
It was an expression as if convinced that they would lose.
“……Kurumi-san……Kurumi-san’s……card……”
Rather than just stroking Hibiki’s head, Kurumi stirred her head with enough force to shake her.
“??Yes, yes. I’m very sorry, Hibiki-san.”
“……Huh?”
“Objectively, it was just a simple accident. You see, didn’t we change decks because of my blood getting on those cards. At that time, mysteriously a piece of that had stuck onto one of my hole cards.”
Kurumi handed her cards over to Maya.
Maya turned over the cards with trembling hands. As she had said, there was ripped card piece being stuck on there.
When the ripped-off part was removed, the two seemingly mediocre cards displayed explosive destructive power. Tokisaki Kurumi’s hand did contain a ? 5 of Hearts, but rather than ? 7 of Diamonds……it was a ? 6 of Hearts.
So Kurumi’s hand was??
5 of Hearts, ? 6 of Hearts, ? 7 of Hearts, ? 8 of Hearts, ? 9 of Hearts, it was a straight flush.
The strongest hand that even a full house couldn’t bare it’s fangs against.
“……!”
Even Ariadne had to stand up and look at the hole card as it was revealed. The ? 6 of Hearts was slightly stained with blood. It was a red victory. She had lost. By now, she had been completely crushed. Nevertheless, Ariadne was being shaken by pleasant emotions.
How terrific.
For the first time, Ariadne experienced the sensation of her heart heating up despite being defeated.
“Please wait. This is……cheating! It should be our victory!”
Faced with Oka’s questioning, Maya gently shook her head.
“……If the card was turned face up and been a fake, it would be considered cheating. But this is not a fake. It was just an accident as Tokisaki Kurumi said earlier. Because so long as it is recognizable immediately after it has been placed on the table.”
“But!”
“It’s fine, Oka-chan. ……I lost.”
“So then, all that remains is Sagakure Yuri-san.”
“Ah, no way. It was over when Ariadne couldn’t win. I surrender. Alright, okay. It’s your win.
Sagakure Yuri crumbled her hair and threw away her cards.
“Hmm, but hey. There’s something that I don’t understand. Can you please tell me Kurumi-san?”
“Ah, what is it?”
“Why couldn’t I read your emotions?”
Confronted by Ariadne’s straightforward inquiry, Kurumi laughed.
“Sure enough, you did read my emotions.”
“Hmm. Well, I think it’s already been exposed, so I’ll just say it. I can explore and manipulate emotions. It’s possible to make a passionate child calm enough to fall asleep and vice versa. So as a precondition, reading emotions can also be done. But……”
Ariadne stared at Kurumi with jade-like eyes.
“For a moment, I couldn’t read your feelings. It was just like??”
“It’s almost like I was thinking about something else……right?”
Ariadne nodded as Kurumi finished what she was about to say. Indeed, it was just like what Kurumi had said.
Hibiki also realized what she had been thinking. The feeling of being too surprised caused her shoulders to shiver.
“I’ve been thinking of a certain male in my heart. So there was no extra time that could be afforded in paying attention to the cards.”
“……Eh, really?”
“I am serious.”
Ariadne sighed, as if exhausted from the bottom of her heart, and slumped against the table.
Then, she stomped her feet and shouted from the bottom of her heart.
“Because of such a boring reason, I lost a 100 million YP game? Unbelievable, I can’t believe it at all!”
“Of course, I devoted part of my thought process to the game. That was how it could be accomplished.”
“Um, Kurumi-san, Kurumi-san. Did you also plan on deceiving me as well?”
Hibiki asked Kurumi while pulling at her sleeves. To summarize the situation so far, Kurumi had used Hibiki watching behind her as a decoy to bait Ariadne.
Kurumi asserted herself with her entire face giving a smile that would bewitch any person looking at it.
“Yes, yes. It was quite the good performance.”
“Demon??????! Everyone here is a demon????????!”
Hibiki screamed.
“But shouldn’t you already know about that now?”
“Indeed!”
“Are you angry at being used?”
“Yes, I am very angry!”
“You are not angry, Higoromo Hibiki. You might as well be thanking her. Isn’t it such a joy to come in handy?”
Kurumi looked over in surprise, but Hibiki silently shifted her gaze away. Her cheeks were swelling and red as if proof of her own agitation.
But that also meant that everything was alright.
Truly she was an apologetic and simple woman that let others take advantage of her, but she was also glad to be able to contribute to Kurumi’s victory. That was Hibiki’s current thought process right now.
Still she couldn’t keep looking away and glance back at Kurumi’s direction.
Yes, of course. She must be smiling like a demon??
“Eh?”
It was impossible for Hibiki to not let out a dull sound of surprise.
“………………………………”
Silence and then a blush, for Tokisaki Kurumi it could be described as an expression completely inconsistent with her.
Kurumi’s entire face was red as she looked at Hibiki with an embarrassingly numb look.
After some time passed, Kurumi rigidly jerked to the side.
Was this her way of teasing Hibiki? Of course, she couldn’t afford to back down now.
Still, Hibiki saw a rare expression that couldn’t be seen even after a lifetime of searching.
Hibiki desperately tried to control the surge of emotions overflowing.
“……Ahem. Anyway, with this the Seventh Region Netzach has been cleared. At 100 million YP, the gates to the Sixth Region Tiphereth will open. No issues to that I take it?”
“Leave it to me of course. I’ll open the gate responsibly as the Dominion of the Seventh Region Netzach……but that’s not possible right now. After all, inserting in all those coins takes a while”
“Eh, you don’t have a 100 million YP coin?”
“No, no. This is a rare opportunity??do you want to come by my house? In terms of time, it’s one o’clock in the morning right now. Of course, it is always night in the Seventh Region Netzach. But right now it’s long past the time where other people are asleep in the other regions.”
“……Ahh, I do feel a little sleepy when you say that.”
Kurumi let out a small yawn.
“Ariadne, Oka, Maya, you guys also come by my house. There are many things I want to talk about.”
“Is this a region meeting?”
“No, no, more like a girls talk!”
Miyafuji Oka gave a reluctant look.
“……I’ve heard you only talk about your little sister.”
“I’ll talk about something else!”
Then, Yukishiro Maya raised her hand.
“I have talked with Sagakure Yuri a total of 21 times on topics other than the regional conference.
20 times it was about the unique characteristics of her younger sister Sagakure Yui. Appearance, status, and various other single topics related to her.”
“Hey, what about that one other time?”
Maya said silently while pointing her finger over her shoulder.
“Sagakure Yuri, there’s a piece of string on your shoulder. Wow, thank you. That’s all.”
“That one doesn’t count. So in short there are no topics that don’t involve your little sister.”
Oka tightened her eyebrows as if trying to endure a headache.
“No, no, no! I’ll come up with a different topic this time!”
“Um??”
A figure was suddenly inserted between the Dominions.
“Yui, what’s wrong?”
Sagakure Yui was watching the Dominions with transparently clear eyes.
“I’m sorry about what my sister says, but could you please listen to her request? I hope you will enjoy it.”
After a brief silence, Ariadne, who looked tired, opened her mouth.
“……Okay. Your little sister has been taking care of me during my stay here, so I’ll listen this time.”
“Hmm. If Ariadne agrees, I’ll do it too.”
Maya and Ariadne’s lines of sight turned towards Oka. Oka nodded while still looking reluctant.
“Kurumi-san, what about you? Or do you hate coming over to my house?”
“……Well, if it takes time, then it can’t be helped. If Hibiki-san doesn’t have any problem with me. Yes, yes. Of course there is no problem.”
“??????”
At that moment, Hibiki’s body suddenly began to tremble. Right now, it seemed like something had gone wrong. At that moment, the scene appearing in front of her looked extremely distorted.
Later, Hibiki would realize that her intuition was spot on.
The scene in front of her eyes, everything looked twisted??Higoromo Hibiki realized that.
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