Hikigaya Challenges Kakegurui

237 Hikigaya: It's my domain again.

The student council officer nervously handed over the chips and checks to the three participants. Even though she was a council officer, being caught between these three made her feel as if she were about to be torn apart. Wiping the cold sweat from her forehead, she continued speaking: "There are also a few additional rules."

[When a King, Knight, and Commoner appear simultaneously, it is considered a draw. The pieces used cannot be reused, and the game proceeds to the next round.] [If two or three Kings appear at once, the rules change.] [At that point, the lid of the pieces must be opened, and the dice hidden inside are used to determine the winner.] [The dice are six-sided, with 4 sides marked "King" and 2 sides marked "None."] [If "None" appears, that player loses. If all involved show "King," then the round is void and no funds change hands. The game proceeds to the next round immediately.]

"Then, let the gambling officially begin!"

The three sat around the round table, forming a standoff of three forces. Judging by their followers alone, Hikigaya Hachiman was undoubtedly the king.

Shishiba Yua had Gouto Mikoto behind her, Juraku Sachiko had Sado Mikura, and behind Hikigaya were… Yumeko, Miharutaki, Naoko, Haoko, Saotome, and Aiura Kokoro—a total of six girls.

Among them, only Hikigaya was the sole male in Juraku Sachiko's expansive private space.

Fragrance filled the air, luring one into temptation. However, Hikigaya had no spare attention to savor such earthly pleasures—he closed his eyes and poured all his mental power into calculation.

This gamble caught him completely off guard, as he had received no prior intel.

He needed to calculate everything in real-time. The feudal game gamble could intuitively be described as asymmetric rock-paper-scissors—i.e., the win probabilities of the three options are not equal.

The King piece seems strongest, but it carries the most risk, because there are three Commoners. But the Knight isn't easy to play either—there's only one. If the first round ends in a draw, then there are no Knights left for the following rounds. Only when all three roles—King, Knight, and Commoner—appear at once does the round void; otherwise, it turns into a tug-of-war… Losing the Knight in the first round is not a rational choice.

Logically, one should choose the Commoner first to preserve resources. But... Juraku-senpai and Shishiba Yua aren't normal people.

You can't predict them with common sense.

'If I were them…?'

The King is too weak—outnumbered 3 to 5 by Commoners, and also risks triggering the dice roll. So… don't pick it!

If I'm sure they won't play King, then to counter a possible Knight from them, I should also play Knight.

If that's the case… the situation becomes clear.

The suspicion chain forms again.

But from Hikigaya's experience, against someone like Juraku-senpai—who calculates every move—it's best not to play the suspicion game.

You never know what level she's thinking on. So the best strategy… is not to guess, and just stand firm on the most basic first level.

The sure-win strategy is: If there's a high chance they'll both choose Knight, then I'll play King!

"3, 2, 1, time's up—reveal!"

Bang.

"2 Knights, 1 King. Winner of this round: Hikigaya Hachiman!" The council officer bowed and swept all three chips to Hikigaya's side.

Huh?! He actually played King?!

Gouto Mikoto, behind Shishiba Yua, was a bit shocked.

Everyone at the table had strong gambling skills, and it was obvious that playing King in the first round was the riskiest move. Just like playing rock on the first turn of rock-paper-scissors—it's a common choice, but choosing scissors is risky.

Still, Hikigaya chose it, and he was the only one who won.

"Just how many layers ahead is he thinking?"

Yua, we can't fall into the trap again next round!!

"How interesting~" Juraku Sachiko's vertical pupils glimmered with allure as she glanced at Hikigaya Hachiman.

Her original plan had been to observe for two rounds, then switch strategies in the third.

She hadn't expected Hikigaya to make such a bold move from the very beginning.

"Then, the second round begins!"

"3, 2, 1, play!"

"2 Knights, 1 King. Winner of this round: Hikigaya Hachiman!"

"What?! Again?!" Aiura Kokoro couldn't help but cry out in her heart. She hadn't expected this outcome at all.

Logically, after losing one round, why would they repeat the exact same move in the next? Are they… idiots?!

"No." Saotome Mary seemed to catch Aiura's confusion, her eyes flickering: "On the contrary, it's because Juraku-senpai and Shishiba Yua are too smart that they fell into Hikigaya's trap." "Their every thought has already been fully calculated."

"That guy!" Shishiba Yua gritted her teeth, her expression turning dark. She'd been played.

She thought Juraku Sachiko would learn from the first loss and switch to Commoner, and that Hikigaya would then counter with Commoner too, through reverse thinking.

But both she and Sachiko thought alike—and Hikigaya benefited.

Not good… Only 300 million yen in chips left. Can't fall for it again! Shishiba Yua, calm down—think carefully about what Juraku and Hikigaya will do next!!

Meanwhile, outside the constraints of the feudal game, Jabami Yumeko pressed her hands against her lower belly, her snake-like red pupils glowing like those of a divine being. She had fully seen through the intent of Momobami Kirari, the creator of this feudal game.

"What a… boring gamble~"

"If everyone takes the most rational path, the game will stagnate forever. The one who dares to change first must bear the greatest risk… It's an absurd game, designed as a mirror of this dull world."

"But precisely because of such a mechanism—because this world is so absurd—someone like Hikigaya Hachiman, a true variable, can swim freely and ascend the divine stairway…"

"Momobami Kirari, this is what you were thinking, isn't it?"

As the master of this domain, Juraku Sachiko raised her head, a mask of madness seeming to cover her face. She raised her delicate hand and pressed it against her mask.

The white hair behind her seemed to float in the air, and the corners of her mouth curved into a terrifying smile:

"Omoshiroi~ (How interesting~)"

Because I...

"Hikigaya Hachiman, since you want to play like this, I'll accompany you."

A loud bang echoed from the table. Juraku Sachiko pressed her hand down firmly, gripping the Knight piece tightly between her thumb and forefinger, slamming it onto the table.

"This round, I choose Knight." "I don't care if you two keep making your choices." "It doesn't matter." "Let them keep choosing."

238 Do you believe in Fate? This is a trial.

"Eh? Juraku-sama, please wait for my signal before revealing your piece."

"I've already decided to play the Knight. No matter what they choose next."

"Mm... well, alright then. Since you're choosing the disadvantageous option of your own will, there's no issue. Then, Hikigaya-sama and Shishiba-sama, please decide on your pieces as soon as possible."

Disadvantageous option?

No. In fact, what Juraku-senpai is doing might actually be the most advantageous move.

Even in a one-on-one rock-paper-scissors game, there's a tactic where you tell your opponent your move beforehand.

For example, saying, "I will definitely play Scissors, no matter what you choose."

And once a normal person hears something like that, it's very hard to mentally break free from that suggestion.

From there, the game branches into several possible developments. Believing the opponent and picking the optimal counter... The safest play is to also choose "Scissors." Or, to go the opposite way and play "Rock." Like this, rock-paper-scissors escapes the simplicity of probability and becomes a battle of how deeply you understand your opponent.

Right now, since Juraku Sachiko has publicly declared her piece, just acting logically and playing King should ensure victory.

However... if Shishiba Yue and I are thinking the same, and both play King, the situation devolves into a dice roll to determine the winner—a risky reliance on luck.

Play Commoner.

Although this will result in the combination [King・Knight・Commoner], leading to a draw, which may seem meaningless at first glance, in terms of future rounds, the player who chose Commoner will have an advantage in terms of available piece types.

Juraku: [1 King, 3 Commoners] Shishiba (if she plays King): [1 Knight, 3 Commoners] Hikigaya (if he plays Commoner): [1 King, 1 Knight, 2 Commoners]

For smart players, compared to an uncertain victory through a possible draw, having more variety in your remaining pieces clearly provides a better chance to win.

"They're probably thinking just like this. Very calculating of you, Juraku-senpai..."

Hikigaya Hachiman cast a veiled glance at Juraku.

The danger in publicly declaring your move lies in the fact that this is a three-way game. If the other two each pick the best counter—Commoner—then ironically, the person who should've been at a disadvantage (Juraku) ends up winning.

Juraku has already seen through Shishiba Yue, certain that she would pick the optimal choice.

Hikigaya withdrew his gaze, having made his decision.

"3, 2, 1—reveal your pieces!"

"2 Commoners, 1 Knight. Winner: Sachiko Juraku! All three chips on the table go to her!"

Shishiba Yue's expression darkened. She hadn't expected Hikigaya Hachiman to be thinking exactly like her and also choose the best possible response.

She had now lost three rounds in a row.

'If I lose two more rounds... I'll be the first to get eliminated! I can't let that happen! No way I'm going to lose like this!'

'I'm supposed to win against Momobami Kirari and become the ruler of the School. How can I fall here... lose to these two?!' Shishiba Yue growled under her breath.

"Heh... you two sure have great teamwork," Juraku commented.

"Maybe... it's not teamwork?" Hikigaya replied casually.

Even after just suffering a loss, Hikigaya Hachiman sat calmly in his seat, even accepting the hot tea passed to him by Yumeko and taking a sip.

Assuming Shishiba Yue would play Commoner and Juraku would play Knight, what would benefit him the most?

Would it be playing Knight?

But if all Knights were gone, both remaining players would just keep playing Commoners until they ran out, leading them to eventually play King.

With two Kings on the board, there'd be a 2/3 chance of a draw.

And a draw would mean no chip movement.

That wouldn't do. Not losing means nothing changes.

"At the very least, someone needs to be kicked out first."

Since Hikigaya had already won two rounds, sacrificing one round wasn't a problem. It was because he chose to self-sabotage that Shishiba Yue was now backed into a corner.

"Not teamwork?!"

Shishiba's pupils contracted. Realization dawned on her like a lightning bolt—Hikigaya's true intentions were laid bare.

She suddenly turned her head, fury and shock flooding her gaze.

"You... Hikigaya Hachiman... I won't let you get away with this."

"Save that talk for after you win," Hikigaya replied, calmly returning the teacup to Yumeko.

Right now, the ones sitting comfortably like fishermen on the shore were he and Juraku Sachiko.

If there was any teamwork at all, it was between him and Juraku.

Their silent coordination had already pushed Shishiba Yue to the brink of collapse.

"Damn it—!" Shishiba bit her lip hard, forcing herself to remain calm.

She now understood she had walked right into their trap.

For the two in front of her, it probably didn't matter who ended up dominant—what mattered was eliminating her first.

With that as the base assumption, she had to deduce their next move.

To pull that off, they would have had to pre-agree on their piece choices... But under her watchful eye, they hadn't exchanged any signals.

In that case, their only option was to choose something that would most likely prevent her from winning while ensuring a high chance of a draw.

From earlier analysis, playing Knight was the best path to secure a win.

They would predict that.

If I were them, I would both play King to suppress me.

But after these past three rounds, I've seen through them.

They're counting on me picking the optimal move again.

Because of that, I predict they'll both choose King, which will make me choose Commoner, but actually—their final choice will be Knight.

Yes. That must be it!

She slammed the King piece tightly clenched in her hand onto the table. She almost didn't dare raise her head to look at the other two's choices, masking her inner tension with heavy breathing.

"1 King, 2 Commoners. Shishiba-sama is eliminated! Hikigaya and Juraku-sama proceed to the next round!"

No... way... Shishiba Yue felt as if she had fallen into an ice-cold abyss.

She abruptly looked up, staring blankly at the pieces in front of her.

"Why did you both play Commoner?! The Commoner is clearly the piece most likely to lose! How could you possibly think that?! You cheated, didn't you?! You must have cheated!!"

She roared in frustration, all pretense stripped away. That friendly, soft smile she usually wore had completely vanished. Even her close friend, Gouto Mikoto, looked a little frightened by her outburst, but she still dutifully placed her hands on Shishiba's shoulders.

"Calm down, Yue. I was watching them closely the whole time—they didn't cheat. It was pure coincidence."

"Shut up! You don't understand anything! These two bastards were dead set on kicking me out first! 'Fair three-way gambling'? Bullshit! They just lured me in!!"

Shishiba shouted.

"You're a bit too self-absorbed," Hikigaya glanced at her expressionlessly and added with a sharp tongue: "Even if I really did collude with Juraku-senpai to set you up, what could you possibly do about it?" "The game's already started. Unless you catch us red-handed cheating, it can't be stopped."

"Besides, you know better than anyone that we didn't cheat. Only someone with a guilty conscience would instinctively assume their opponents are cheating."

"Both of us playing Commoner only proves one thing... Shishiba Yue, your thoughts are far too predictable."

"But since you think Juraku-senpai and I are plotting something..." "Then I'll make a show of it for you."

This annoying little brat needs to be punished properly.

After repeated provocations, even Hikigaya Hachiman was starting to feel irritated.

Initially, he had intended to compete fairly with Juraku Sachiko for victory—but at this point, it didn't really matter.

After all, their relationship was already deeply tied… Even if he lost to her in the end, he still had Momobami Kirari behind him.

If it came to that, the Student Council President could just force Juraku-senpai to gamble using herself as a wager, then after transferring ownership, he could challenge the President again. Flawless plan!

As for now—first, they had to sweep this annoying little girl out of the game.

Hikigaya picked up the King piece, placed it on the table, and raised his hand slowly.

"This round, I'll play the King. Whether Senpai plays Commoner for a direct win, or King to gamble on luck, I'm fine either way."

"But my suggestion is to go with Commoner. That way there's no chance for Shishiba to sneak in a draw."

His words stabbed straight into Shishiba Yue's chest like knives.

"They're colluding! They're clearly colluding! Aren't you going to stop this, Committee Member?!"

"Uh… well, according to the rules, unless it benefits them personally, I don't have grounds to intervene…" The committee member scratched her head with an awkward smile.

This kind of openly self-destructive play style—maybe even the President Momobami Kirari hadn't foreseen it.

Juraku Sachiko raised her snowy neck gracefully, her face adorned with a seductive smile.

"Shishiba Yue, didn't you say you wanted to challenge President Momobami?"

"Here's a bit of insider info: I was present at that gambling match.

What you're facing now is the exact same situation Momobami faced back then—outwardly a fair three-way gamble, but in reality? Momobami Kirari crushed both the President and Vice President of that time."

"You? Compared to that woman, you're miles away."

With a teasing gaze, Juraku lightly pushed the Commoner piece onto the table with her fingertip.

"Since Hikigaya played King, then I'll just go ahead and play Commoner."

"Committee Member, we're ready for the next round."

"Eh? Uh… ah, alright!"

"Round 4 winner: Juraku Sachiko-sama!"

The committee member wiped the sweat from her forehead—this completely unexpected scenario had shaken her deeply. This blatant setup, and the fact that the rules didn't prohibit it… was it really okay to so openly toy with a gamble designed by Momobami Kirari?

Shishiba Yue's expression had gone completely gray. Her eyes were filled with fear at having lost the match.

Now it was clear—she had been completely read by the opponents. Not only that, even tactics like declaring your play in advance couldn't help her anymore.

Because Hikigaya Hachiman and Juraku Sachiko—these two—were moving as one. They didn't seem to care about who won or lost, had no distrust between them. The "Declare Early, Win Late" tactic only worked when opponents suspected each other.

"I lost?"

"Not even a single small victory… and I lost like this?"

The floor beneath her feet felt like it had turned into a black hole named Compulsive Gambling, unleashing a suction force that pulled her into its depths. No matter how she screamed or struggled, it was all in vain.

She listlessly tossed the King piece in her hand. Resigned, she said:

"Next round, I'll play King. Whatever. Do what you want."

Huh?

Hikigaya and Juraku were both surprised—this little brat broke down so quickly?

All their previous opponents, no matter how cornered, had fought like caged beasts, or at the very least, shown a desperate rage.

But Shishiba Yue? She just surrendered, threw in the towel.

Hikigaya Hachiman instinctively looked up and exchanged glances with Juraku Sachiko. They read the same thought in each other's eyes: OK.

Juraku stood up, her silky white hair flowing behind her, and together with Hikigaya, placed the King piece on the table.

"Bullying a child like this is starting to feel boring," she said.

"Shishiba Yue, we'll give you one last chance."

"Roll a die. If you roll 'Nothing', then it's the pull of Fate."

Fate?

Shishiba Yue looked at Juraku Sachiko in confusion.

"Do you believe that there's Fate between people? Do you believe in? You exist here because of it…"

"To be here, to lose to me, to become my dog."

Shishiba Yue fell silent. She had already accepted her defeat, but... Fate?

Was she really born just to lose here to Juraku Sachiko, destined to become her dog?

Shishiba Yue's eyes showed confusion—she couldn't tell anymore.

But to this, Hikigaya Hachiman offered a different interpretation.

Maybe because he had a kind heart… Even if she was the enemy, under the condition that she was only a 14-year-old middle school girl, he couldn't stand watching her mind be toyed with and crushed like this.

"This isn't Fate. This is a 'trial.' A trial that lets people overcome their past. If you accept it, only then can you grow beyond your immature self."

"Whether you win or lose today, it's all part of the trial."

"A trial…?" Shishiba Yue murmured.

Is it Fate, or is it a trial? Is she here because of Fate's pull, trapped in this desperate situation? Or is it a test designed to help her say goodbye to her past?

She couldn't tell. She really couldn't tell.