Hikigaya Challenges Kakegurui

27. Hikigaya Hachiman's Sure-Win Strategy

"Sado-san's move was very well hidden—even I didn't directly catch her cheating in action. But the droop of the sleeves on either side of her uniform wasn't symmetrical. If my guess is correct, they were stuffed full of cards marked with all sorts of combinations, just to tip the scales of victory to whichever side she chose."

"Of course, even with that, she couldn't ensure a 100% win—at best, she could increase the chances of victory to 70%. And in a gamble where everything is on the line, having an extra 20% chance of winning…"

"Juraku-senpai, you really are as greedy as ever."

Juraku Sachiko shrugged without objection, tacitly acknowledging Hikigaya Hachiman's remark.

"Leaving a 30% margin is my way of showing respect to the concept of luck."

"So then, Hikigaya Hachiman, what would you do in this situation?"

"I wouldn't have a way to win—in which case, I wouldn't gamble with you, Juraku-senpai."

Hikigaya replied with total honesty. In a setup like this, unless you had solid evidence that the dealer was cheating, there was no way to turn the game into one based on pure strategy or psychology.

And a gamble like that—where both parties aren't cheating—becomes a psychological battle. However, even someone as adept at mind games as Hikigaya would be rendered useless. It all turns into a tangled web of second-guessing.

He'd have to guess what kind of cards the opponent would play, guess whether they had guessed what he would guess about their cards... and so on, an endless nesting of thoughts within thoughts. In the end, it all comes down to playing the odds—70% versus 30%.

But to Hikigaya, that was no different from losing.

Even with only a 1% chance of failure, the cautious Hikigaya Hachiman would never step into the abyss of reckless gambling.

What he wanted was certainty.

This time, it was Juraku Sachiko's turn to show a trace of surprise:

"Even you admit you have no way to win, yet you're so sure that Saotome Mary will? You say you dislike gambling, yet you're entrusting the outcome to someone less capable than yourself?"

"I can't do it—but she definitely can."

"This is her sure-win method."

"Then let's wait and see."

Juraku Sachiko agreed to Saotome Mary's request without hesitation. Her vertical pupils narrowed slightly. From Saotome's body language and determination, she could clearly see the shadow of Hikigaya Hachiman.

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'Tch… Juraku-sama is too soft-hearted, giving Saotome Mary another chance.'

'But don't think you can become Juraku-sama's dog. All I have to do is make you win—and then you'll lose everything.'

Sado Mikura was harboring dark thoughts. Her loyalty to Juraku-sama was certainly important, but more important than anything was this: Juraku-sama could only have her, Sado Mikura, as her one and only pet.

What she failed to consider, however, was a master's ability to read the hearts of their pets.

"Sado, do what you're supposed to do."

Juraku Sachiko saw through her intent instantly. With one light sentence, she cast Sado Mikura into a mental hell. Her little scheme had been exposed. A disloyal pet would surely be discarded...

Sado turned toward Saotome Mary with loathing. This was all her fault. If she just made Saotome lose per Juraku-sama's orders, everything would go back to normal.

She took a deep breath and solemnly declared the start of the match:

"Final round of the Triple Dice Match begins. Both players, submit your prediction combinations!"

This time, neither side hesitated. Both quickly wrote down their predicted outcomes.

One of them knew the dealer would assist her.

And the other...

Sado Mikura glanced at the prediction Saotome Mary had written—and her heart nearly burst with joy. It was [UUU]—a completely hopeless combination. From the looks of it, Saotome had placed all her hopes entirely on luck.

"This dumb-looking woman… don't tell me she actually believes luck will favor her?"

"What a pity. Everything about this gamble is under my control. You don't have the slightest chance of winning."

Just like the previous round, Sado Mikura skillfully palmed the prediction card in her hand, and in the moment she placed it down, a pre-prepared card slid from her sleeve.

For this round, she had prepared a combination of [DUU]—which had a 70% win rate against [UUU]—for Togakushi Yukimi.

A 70% win rate… essentially a guaranteed win.

'Already without a chance, yet still praying for victory... Juraku-sama, I'll prove I'm your smartest pet!'

Sado Mikura couldn't help but start fantasizing about Saotome Mary's impending defeat.

In her mind, Juraku-sama was smiling at her gently, pulling on the chain of the collar around her neck, slipping off her high heels and extending her foot toward her. That foot, filled with Juraku-sama's love, would be lovingly cradled in Sado Mikura's hands as she planted the most loyal of kisses on it.

She fantasized… and fantasized… the steps to victory felt closer than ever.

What you long for will eventually answer you.

And just as she expected, the dice landed perfectly.

D, D, U...

[DU] appeared! Sado Mikura couldn't contain the joy in her heart, her mouth curled into a near-maniacal grin. So clean, so perfect—this was done flawlessly. Juraku-sama would surely reward her.

Come on, final U, land and deal the fatal blow to Saotome Mary!

"Alright then, the fourth die..."

Clatter~

Splash—

A sharp sound shattered Sado's daydream.

She reflexively looked down—amber-colored tea was spilling from Saotome Mary's thermos, soaking not only the prediction cards on the table but also the floor.

"Wait, the cards are soaked!" Sado Mikura quickly grabbed the wet card in a panic, afraid that Saotome was trying to destroy the evidence.

"Oh? No need to roll the rest. The game's already over." Saotome Mary bent down and picked up her thermos, regretfully pouring the little remaining tea into her mouth.

"Because DDU has already appeared."

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

Sado scoffed and glared at Saotome Mary, thinking she was bluffing.

"Come on, Sado-san, could you at least pay proper attention? I wrote DDU."

"Drop the act, Saotome Mary. You clearly wrote UUU!"

Sado Mikura sneered and forcefully snatched the soaked card. Without hesitation, she flipped it open in front of everyone.

But as she laid eyes on the combination written on the card again, her pupils shrank, and her face twisted in horror, pain, and utter disbelief.

She stared at the scene in front of her in shock:

"D… D… U!"

"Wh-why?! You definitely wrote UUU!" Sado Mikura screamed in a frenzy.

"Hmph. If you want to beat someone who reveals their card slowly… then you have to reveal yours even slower."

Saotome Mary slowly pulled a small, essential item from her pocket—nail polish remover.

"Thanks for the win~ If our chances had been even, I would've been too scared to bet~"

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"To be precise," Hachiman explained, "it was acetone-based nail polish remover used during the removal process."

"Acetone is colorless and transparent, but when mixed with water, it appears darker."

Looking at Saotome Mary's smug, triumphant face, Hachiman couldn't help but chuckle and shake his head.

"If I were Saotome, I would hand over something like UUU, the easiest combination to manipulate, to Sado-san. In order to secure victory, Sado-san would definitely replace Togakushi-san's prediction accordingly. From that point on, the outcome would be completely in Saotome's hands—she could manipulate her own prediction at any time using water."

"Saotome's gyaru style naturally means she always carries nail polish remover with her. To suppress the fear of losing, she used a thermos to carry water. When people are nervous, they instinctively drink water to calm themselves. All of this is perfectly reasonable."

"This may seem like a series of coincidences, but it's precisely these coincidences that make up a guaranteed winning strategy unique to her."

"This game—I was the one who won it, Juraku-senpai."