Chapter 3 The Little Devil’s Tactics

♯

“Haah…”

A deep sigh echoed through the mansion late on Sunday night.

At the same time, I slumped face-down onto the table, utterly exhausted. Sitting across from me was a girl with a exasperated expression, lazily propping her cheek on her hand.

“…Seriously, what happened now?”

Saionji Sarasa—the so-called “lady” (fake) who had rushed over in response to my SOS. A few hours ago, when we parted ways, she had been in her pristine blonde-haired, golden-eyed disguise, but it seemed she had dropped that facade after returning home. Now, she was back to her familiar look, simply hiding her identity with a hoodie and hood.

From beneath the hood, her sharp, judgmental eyes glared at me as she let out a sigh and continued.

“I was just about to take a bath, you know… and now, thanks to you, my whole schedule’s thrown into chaos.”

“Uh, yeah, sorry about that… But for someone who says that, you sure came running pretty quickly.”

“Well, yeah. I mean, we’re sort of comrades—er, no! Wait, wait… Right, it’s for Yuki’s sake. I heard ‘Yuki disappeared,’ and that’s why I came out of worry. It’s not like I came for your sake or anything.”

“Uh, well, either way’s fine with me…”

With no energy left to argue against Saionji’s usual tsundere attitude, I just shook my head slightly. …Earlier, I had tried to psyche myself up, but the situation was still dire. And with Himeji, who was always by my side, now gone, my mental state was wearing thin.

“Hmm…”

Saionji, sitting across from me, seemed annoyed by my half-hearted response and puffed out her cheeks slightly. But after a faint sigh, she suddenly said something unexpected.

“Honestly, seeing you like this throws me off… Fine. I’ll listen to everything, so for now, can you tell me what happened? I can’t do anything if I don’t know the details.”

“Huh… Are you sure that’s okay?”

“Whether it’s okay or not, the moment you called me, it meant you were asking for ‘help.’ Or what? Were you expecting me to comfort you or sulk together with you or something?”

“! N-No… That’s not it. …Thanks, Saionji.”

Her slightly irritated question jolted me back to my senses, and I quietly lifted my face to express my gratitude. In response, she muttered, “I-It’s not like that or anything…” in a slightly embarrassed tone. …Most likely, she had said that on purpose to motivate me from the start. Despite her usual prickly demeanor, she was surprisingly considerate in moments like this.

“—Ahem.”

To respond to her encouragement, I cleared my throat and decided to start explaining.

“I already told you over the phone that ‘Himeji disappeared,’ right? So, first, let me explain what that means exactly… To put it simply, she was kidnapped by Akizuki.”

“…Huh?”

“Yeah, Akizuki Noa—the little devil of Meiō. Himeji’s with her right now. And on top of that, she said she can’t afford to lose to me in tomorrow’s <Drill>—the one she was supposed to withdraw from in the first place.”

“Wha—W-Wait, that’s a huge problem, isn’t it?!”

Thud! Saionji slammed both hands on the table and leaned forward, her face suddenly inches from mine. A faint, sweet fragrance tickled my nose.

“How did things spiral out of control like this…?”

“Well… It’s a long story.”

Seeing Saionji’s eyes widen in confusion, I decided to give her a quick rundown of the situation so far. …That said, I’d already shared with her details like the headmaster’s request and Akizuki’s suspiciously odd behavior. So, what I needed to explain now was the recent attack and the phone call I’d just received.

“…I see.”

After listening to everything, Saionji brought a hand to her mouth and nodded once.

“So, as expected, that little devil’s the mastermind, huh?”

“Ninety percent sure. …But the thing is, we don’t have any solid proof yet. We’re in the middle of the <District Selection Tournament>, so it’s not exactly strange for someone to target me. Plenty of people besides Akizuki would do that. But without concrete evidence that she’s ‘colluding with an outside party and cheating,’ we can’t say for sure… and she’s ridiculously good at covering her tracks. She always keeps the conversation on her terms and never lets you see her ‘true side.’”

“…Well, she is a Six-Star. She’s probably used to this kind of maneuvering.”

Saionji sighed as she said this. As someone who often faced strong opponents as the <Empress>, she probably understood that feeling all too well.

Lifting her hood slightly, she fixed her ruby-red eyes on me and continued.

“But—well, to sum it up, this is both a crisis and an opportunity. It’s a do-or-die situation, but if you can survive this, there’s a chance you could turn things around in one fell swoop.”

“Yeah, no doubt about that. …But, Saionji, there’s one big problem when it comes to winning the <Duel> with Himeji.”

“A problem? What do you mean?”

“It’s pretty obvious, but… this time, I can’t rely on Himeji’s power.”

“…Ah.”

Saionji let out a faint reaction, a beat late, to my statement.

Right—obvious as it was, since the <Drill> was against Himeji herself, she naturally wouldn’t be on my side. She wouldn’t be using her ultimate power, cheating, to help me.

And beyond that, contacting other members of <Company> besides Himeji would be risky. After all, their leader, Himeji, was now in Akizuki’s hands. Considering the possibility that Akizuki could intercept communications through Himeji’s device, relying on <Company>’s power in this situation was out of the question.

Saionji seemed to realize this too, as she leaned forward with a panicked look.

“W-What are we going to do about that…?! I came all this way, so I’ll stick with you till the end, but I’m no expert in cheating, okay?!”

“Yeah, I know…”

Unlike me, who relied on lies and cheating to fake being the strongest, Saionji was a genuine genius who had earned her Seven-Star status through sheer skill. Of course, her intellect was incredibly reliable, but <Duels> on Academy Island weren’t something you could win with brains alone. Even if you figured out a winning strategy, it was common to be held back by having abilities that were too low-level to use effectively.

That’s exactly why cheating was absolutely necessary to make my lies believable.

“…”

Both Saionji and I fell silent. After thinking for a while, no decent alternatives came to mind, so I shook my head slightly and made a suggestion.

“…Hey, Saionji. I know I’m the one who brought it up, but how about we table that for now? Maybe I can figure something out on my own, and for now, we can wait until we see the details of the <Drill>—”

“I’m hooome~”

“—!?”

At that moment, the living room door clicked open, and both Saionji and I jumped in surprise. A cheerful voice followed. I saw Saionji hurriedly pull her hood lower as I cautiously turned to look behind me—

“…Kagaya-san?”

Standing there was none other than Kagaya-san, the laid-back, unfortunate beauty of an older sister type. She was unusually dressed in normal clothes (something like a casual suit), but she’d probably been drinking somewhere. The top of her blouse was boldly unbuttoned, and her eyes were glassy and dazed, exuding a mature, intoxicating aura.

“Yep, it’s Kagaya-san… probably, maybe, definitely…”

Stumbling with unsteady steps, she made her way toward me, dropped her bag on the floor with a thud, and collapsed onto the couch as if she couldn’t stand anymore.

“Fwaah, well then, good night… Huh? Wait, why’s Hiro-kun here? Night crawling, maybe??”

“No, that’s not it. …Are you drunk?”

“Totally~! I mean, Hiro-kun was flaunting a long, lovey-dovey date with some mysterious beauty for hours! I was just waiting in the background, but I got so jealous, so jealous… Right? You’d have to drink to cope with this, wouldn’t you?”

“Urk… Sorry about that.”

Averting my eyes slightly as she kicked off her stockings in discomfort, I offered a half-hearted apology. …With Kagaya-san’s level of beauty, you’d think she could easily find a boyfriend or two if she wanted, but her wardrobe choices were… questionable, and her lack of life skills, combined with her <Company> work—

“Wait a minute. …Kagaya-san, did someone send you here? Like, were you threatened by that twintailed girl or something?”

“Twintails? …Hmm? No way, no way. I was just drinking… drinking… Huh? Wait, did I come to the wrong house?”

Seeming to regain a bit of clarity, Kagaya-san blinked rapidly and mumbled that. Apparently, she’d ended up here instead of her own place because she was too drunk—Kagaya-san, the <Company> electronics specialist.

“…Nice timing.”

“Huh?”

My muttered comment made Kagaya-san, lying on her side, tilt her head lazily.

“Sh-Sh-Shirayuki-chan disappeared!?!”

…About twenty minutes later.

After trying every sobering method we could think of—cold water, ice, sports drinks, fruit, massages—we explained the situation to Kagaya-san. Her previously dazed eyes snapped wide open in an instant.

I nodded slightly and continued.

“Yes, that’s right. I thought Kagaya-san would already know about Akizuki’s attack—”

“What?! Did you force yourself on her?! I know Shirayuki-chan’s cute and has a sexy figure, but at least take it slow, step by step! That’s just wrong, okay?!”

“—No, I didn’t do anything violent, and she didn’t run away because of that!”

As Kagaya-san grabbed my collar and shook me while delivering her overly rude lecture, I reluctantly explained the situation in that position. She muttered, “Oh no…” and weakly sank into a nearby chair—and that’s when she finally seemed to notice there was someone else in the room. Staring at the hooded, parka-wearing girl across from her, she tilted her head and said:

“…Uh, suspicious person-chan?”

“I’m not!!”

As expected, Kagaya-san’s first words were as offbeat as ever. …But in this case, her reaction wasn’t entirely wrong. With the parka zipped up to her mouth and the hood pulled down so far it nearly covered her nose, if this wasn’t “suspicious,” then what was? I remember having a similar impression when I first saw her.

Anyway, Saionji (Suspicious Ver.) shook her head slowly and said in an exasperated tone:

“Seriously… I’m just a poor student from another district who got dragged out here in the middle of the night to help Shinohara. I’d prefer if you didn’t pry into anything else about me.”

“You were called here by Hiro-kun? Hmm… I see, so you’re one of us, Parka-chan?”

“Well, partially, I suppose. …By the way, is ‘Parka-chan’ supposed to be my nickname? It’s better than ‘suspicious person,’ but couldn’t you come up with something else…?”

“Ehh, but there’s no other info besides the parka, right? If you don’t like it, I could just take it off.”

“Ugh… F-Fine, that’s okay then.”

Saionji raised her hands slightly, clearly reluctant.

Satisfied, Kagaya-san nodded and turned back to me. …Honestly, her showing up here was a huge boost. Kagaya-san, the <Company> electronics specialist, was a perfect match for Saionji Sarasa, the genius strategist who could devise any scheme. With these two, we might just stand a chance against Akizuki’s malice.

So—I looked back at both of them and slowly began.

“Then… let’s start the strategy meeting to get Himeji back.”

♯

“—Okay, let’s start with a rundown of the rules! Woo!”

A few minutes later.

After some brief setup and rearranging of seats, we dove straight into the “strategy meeting.”

For the record, we were still in the living room, not the theater room. Saionji (in her parka) sat right next to me, while Kagaya-san, across from us, had her laptop screen facing our way. Of course, we could check the rules on a device, but sharing them as a group would be faster.

Cough. With a theatrical clear of her throat, Kagaya-san began.

“The game Shirayuki-chan applied for is called <Uneven Triangle Relationship>—basically, it’s a kind of card game. Each player starts with ten cards in hand and plays one card at a time simultaneously. Each card has a ‘compatibility’ rating, so based on that, cards are either taken or lost. You keep doing this until you run out of cards, and the player with the most cards at the end wins! Simple, right?”

“Hmm, yeah… That part sounds easy enough.”

“Right? All you need to do is ‘take more cards than your opponent.’ Each player starts with ten cards times two, plus one bonus card already on the table. Those are all the cards in this <Drill>, so basically, whoever takes the majority—eleven cards—wins. …Well, it’s not that simple in practice because you have to factor in abilities, but you get the idea.”

Speaking in a casual tone, Kagaya-san started displaying the information on her laptop screen—not just text, but smooth, animated videos too. …She made it look so effortless I almost wanted to whistle, but she’d only checked the rules of <Uneven Triangle Relationship> a few minutes ago. This video was being made in real-time—there was a tablet on the other side, so she was probably working on it there. Incredible.

“….”

I decided not to mention how high-spec Kagaya-san actually was, since it was kind of annoying.

“Uh… So? What about the cards and their compatibilities? How do they work?”

“Heh heh heh…! Good question, Hiro-kun! I just finished putting together a slide about that—here it is!”

Grinning triumphantly at my question, Kagaya-san hit the enter key with flair. The laptop display switched, and a large chart appeared in the center of the screen.

It read:

The cards used in this game total six types. Their names are [King], [Prince], [Queen], [Knight], [Assassin], and [Commoner].

For simplicity in rule explanations, [King], [Prince], and [Queen] may collectively be referred to as [Royalty].

Compatibility Rule 1: [Royalty] beats [Knight], [Knight] beats [Assassin], and [Assassin] beats [Royalty].

Compatibility Rule 2: Both [Royalty] and [Knight] beat [Commoner]. There is no compatibility difference between [Assassin] and [Commoner]. Likewise, there is no compatibility difference between cards of the same name, such as between two [Knights] or two [Commoners].

Compatibility Rule 3: Within [Royalty], [King] beats [Prince], [Prince] beats [Queen], and [Queen] beats [King].

“Hmm…”

Staring at the compatibility chart Kagaya-san had prepared, I fell into thought. …I see. For a moment, I wondered why it was called a “triangle relationship” when there were six card types, but it made sense now. There were two sets of three-way rock-paper-scissors dynamics. One was between [Royalty], [Knight], and [Assassin]. The other was within [Royalty] itself, among [King], [Prince], and [Queen]. Roughly speaking, it was like a slightly complex game of rock-paper-scissors.

And then there was one more thing that caught my attention: the [Commoner]. According to the chart, unlike [Royalty], [Knight], and [Assassin], the [Commoner] didn’t beat a single other card.

Could it be considered a “useless card”…?

“…Isn’t [Commoner] a bit too weak, though? It’s practically worthless—more like a liability than anything.”

“Hmm, well, yeah, you’re right. But actually, [Commoner] has a unique effect that sets it apart from the other cards. That’s why it’s designed to be weaker. …But let’s go over the other rules first, okay? The secret of [Commoner] can be our little surprise for later!”

With an energetic tone, Kagaya-san operated her laptop again, pulling up a new screen for us. It showed illustrations of various cards, like [King] and [Knight], arranged in two rows of ten, evenly spaced.

The breakdown was as follows:

Set A—King, Queen, Prince, Knight x2, Assassin x2, Commoner x3

Set B—King, Queen, Prince, Knight x1, Assassin x1, Commoner x5

That was all the information displayed, but I could already guess what it meant.

“Hmm… So, are these the starting hands for each player?”

“Exactly! Good job, Hiro-kun! Just as you said, these two card sets are the initial hands for the two players. Which one you get is random, though.”

“Hmm… There’s a pretty big difference in strength between Set A and Set B, huh.”

“Yeah. Since [Knight] and [Assassin] are replaced with [Commoner]—which doesn’t even have a special effect and is basically a total weakling—Set A is overwhelmingly stronger. If you get Set B, you’re starting with a serious handicap.”

“…I see.”

Gazing at the twenty cards on the screen, I quietly organized my thoughts.

“So, regardless of which hand you get, A or B, you start the <Drill> with that, and from there, you predict what your opponent will play and choose your own card. …By the way, how does each matchup work? You mentioned ‘taking or losing based on compatibility,’ but for example, if I play [Queen] and Himeji plays [Knight], since [Queen] beats [Knight], do I take her [Knight]?”

“Hmm, not quite. In that case, it’s all or nothing!”

“…All or nothing?”

“Yep! To explain properly, in this <Drill>—<Uneven Triangle Relationship>—there are two main outcomes when two players play their cards. One is a ‘draw.’ That’s simple: both cards stay on the table.”

“Right.”

“And the other is ‘everything else’—meaning there’s a compatibility difference between the two cards. In that case, the winning player takes all the cards currently on the table. Not just the opponent’s card, but your own card too, and any cards that accumulated from previous draws. You sweep them all into your ‘won cards’ pile!”

“Ah… I see, so that’s how it works.”

Nodding in understanding, I realized it was like a jackpot carryover system. Cards that ended in a draw piled up on the table, and when a winner was decided next, all those cards would go to them. In other words, a single matchup could shift four, eight, or even more cards at once.

“Exactly, that’s the idea.”

Seeing that I’d grasped it, Kagaya-san nodded in satisfaction.

“As for the other rules… Oh, let me mention this one thing. As I said earlier, <Uneven Triangle Relationship> ends immediately when one player runs out of cards. If the other player still has cards left, those can be added to their won cards. In other words, any cards you have left at the end count as ‘won.’ …Of course, if you’re just playing fairly and trading cards evenly, the number of cards shouldn’t differ much, so this is more relevant when abilities come into play.”

“That’s about it,” Kagaya-san mumbled, finishing her explanation. I reread the rule text from the top to confirm, and it seemed there were no gaps.

“Now that we’ve sorted out the rules, let’s move on to figuring out the strategy, including the effect of [Commoner]—Huh?”

Just as I was about to shift the discussion, the device on the table vibrated slightly. I considered ignoring it, but a bad feeling nagged at me, so I reached for it.

And then—

“Tch… What’s this?”

“…What’s wrong, Shinohara?”

“No…”

Shaking my head slightly at Saionji’s cautious tone, I projected the message so both of them could see. It contained a short text and the names of two ominous abilities—<Probability Shift Lv. 4> and <Forced Control>.

Frowning in confusion and disbelief, I muttered slowly.

“It’s from Himeji—or rather, from Himeji’s device. It says, ‘Here’s the list of abilities I’ll use in <Uneven Triangle Relationship>.’”

“Huh… So Yuki’s revealing her hand? …Why?”

“I don’t know. It’s hard to believe she sent this without Akizuki noticing… but this isn’t typed out—it’s a record of ability registrations. It shouldn’t be fake.”

“Well, neither Yuki nor that little devil would pull something that sloppy. We can trust this message. …But the motive’s a bit unclear. If we think logically, it could be a sign of confidence. Maybe she knows she’s in an overwhelmingly superior position, so she sent this to taunt you…”

“Hmm… Yeah, that sounds like something Akizuki would do.”

It might be that, or it might not. There could be another intention entirely. …But either way, these two abilities were definitely what Himeji would bring to the <Drill>. That much was certain.

“…Hmm.”

Arms crossed over her parka, Saionji, sitting beside me, nodded slightly.

“Either way, this makes our strategy a lot easier to plan. First, <Probability Shift>—think of it as an upgraded version of <Luck>. It’s an ability that can manipulate any ‘probability’ in the <Drill>. At Lv. 4, it could probably turn a 50% chance into 100%. So, most likely, Yuki plans to fix the initial hand selection—randomly deciding between Set A and Set B—so she gets Set A for sure. In other words, Shinohara, you’re definitely getting the weaker hand.”

“Ugh… Yeah, that makes sense. …So? What about the other one, <Forced Control>? The name alone sounds super ominous.”

“Right, and your hunch is correct. <Forced Control> lives up to its name—it’s a high-rank ability that forces the opponent’s actions. …Of course, it only works in games where actions can be command-specified, and its duration is pretty short, but even so, it’s a really troublesome ability.”

“Forcing actions…”

I was at a loss for words. …It was far more vicious than I’d imagined. If that happened, even the most carefully laid plan could be easily crushed.

“By the way… how long does it last in this <Drill>?”

“Exactly three turns. Probably, she’ll activate it right at the start for maximum effect, stripping your strong cards from your hand and building a huge lead in won cards… and then the game will officially begin.”

“Yeah, that’s a nightmare for sure…”

“Right. …Yeah. Yuki’s seriously out for blood.”

Staring at the projected screen on the device, Saionji muttered gravely.

And then—Kagaya-san, who had been inputting Himeji’s ability info into the tablet nearby, turned to us with a smug smile.

“Yup, yup, Shirayuki-chan’s really fired up. No holding back or mercy… But that doesn’t mean it’s ‘impossible’ to deal with.”

“What do you mean?”

“Heh heh, don’t underestimate the secret organization <Company>, Hiro-kun! If we can’t win fair and square, we’ll cheat or do whatever it takes—that’s our justice! First, the electronics-loving lady Kagaya will hack into the <Drill> system from outside, and then, with the flawless leader Shirayuki-chan disabling security from the inside—”

“….”

“—Wait, Shirayuki-chan’s not here, is she?!”

Mid-sentence, Kagaya-san faceplanted onto the table with the same momentum. …Apparently, for all her technical prowess, she was the type who couldn’t function without a leader. Well, that was par for the course with her.

“It’s over… <Company> is doomed…”

“Don’t just declare it’s over on your own…”

“But really, without Shirayuki-chan, things get really tough, you know? I always rely on her, and without a leader, who’s even capable of planning a strategy—”

“…There is someone. Right here.”

Cutting off Kagaya-san’s despair with a short, decisive statement—a declaration of candidacy.

The parka-wearing girl—Saionji Sarasa—still deeply hooded, leaned back in her chair with a composed air, arms crossed.

“I’ll do it. …Yuki might have way more charisma and experience than me, but when it comes to strategy, I’m not about to lose.”

“R-Really? Hmm… Hey, Hiro-kun, can we trust this?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, it’s fine. Her outfit’s a bit weird, but there’s no lie in what she just said.”

Far from a lie, there probably wasn’t anyone more qualified than her.

Nodding quietly as I thought that, I saw Kagaya-san finally lift her face, seemingly resolved. She muttered:

“…Then, can I leave it to you, Parka-chan?”

“Of course. But in return, I expect you to pull your weight too. …So, for now, can you show us the effect of [Commoner] that we put on hold earlier?”

“Oh, right, right. Got it, just a sec.”

Following Saionji’s instructions, Kagaya-san tapped her tablet. In an instant, the laptop screen changed, displaying a list of text.

It read:

– [Simple Extraction]: Select one card from the opponent’s hand and remove it from the game.

– [Undefeated Hero]: Special. Can defeat any card (ignores all compatibility differences).

– [All Reset]: Return all of the opponent’s won cards to the table.

– [Explosive Growth]: Increase your won cards by X (where X is the number of turns when used).

– [Great Revolution]: From this point onward, reverse all card compatibility differences.

– [Trojan Horse]: Special. Activates if you lose to a [Royalty] or [Knight] card. Take half (rounded up) of the opponent player’s won cards and add them to your own.

“—Well, that’s about the gist of it.”

Around the time Shinohara and Saionji had finished reading through the list of effects, Kagaya-san spoke in a flat tone.

“The activation conditions for each effect basically require the card to remain on the table. In other words, if a matchup ends in a draw, the ability listed here will activate. You’ll need to be careful with [Commoner (Undefeated Hero)] and [Commoner (Trojan Horse)], though, since their conditions are a bit different.”

“I see… So, it’s like, these are all pretty explosive effects, huh.”

“Hmm, well, yeah, but there’s a hefty restriction: they only activate if there’s a draw. Unless you can match your opponent’s [Commoner] or [Assassin], they’re just useless cards. And besides—”

“—Besides, in this case, either way, they’ll get crushed anyway, right?”

“Exactly. That’s the situation.”

“….”

I grimaced slightly at the exchange between Kagaya-san and Saionji. …Yeah, she was right. No matter how powerful the effects were, Himeji had <Forced Control>. Any card with the potential for a comeback would likely be eliminated first.

And then… Saionji, who had turned slightly toward me, pointed her index finger upward.

“Now that we have all the information, let’s take a moment to organize it. First, this <Drill>—<Uneven Triangle Relationship>—has surprisingly strong [Commoner] effects. Of course, on their own, cards like [Royalty], [Knight], and [Assassin] are far stronger, but when a [Commoner] does get through, the payoff is enormous. It could easily turn a small lead on its head.”

“Yeah, that’s true. So, in this <Drill>, the key point becomes ‘how to get your own [Commoner] through’—or ‘how much you can suppress your opponent’s [Commoner].’”

“Right. And you’ll have to base your strategy for playing other cards around [Commoner] too. For example, [Assassin] results in a draw against [Commoner], so you’d want to deal with it early if possible. Once [Assassin] is out of the picture early on, the value of [Knight] drops relatively, but then that creates another issue… and so on. You keep stacking assumptions to figure out the best play.”

“That’s how it works normally. …But unfortunately, that’s not the case this time.”

“…Right, exactly.”

Saionji nodded, pulling her hood down slightly.

“Since Yuki’s using <Forced Control>, the first three turns will go exactly as she wants. It’ll be the best possible scenario for her—and the worst for us. …But that’s precisely why we can predict it. We can almost determine how the game will unfold up to the third turn.”

“Hmm, hmm, hmm… So? What happens specifically?”

“Well, I was just thinking about that… First, there are two types of cards in your hand, Shinohara, that she’ll definitely want to seal. [Commoner (Explosive Growth)], which can increase your won cards by up to ten, and [Commoner (Trojan Horse)], which could turn the tables from any disadvantage. …Of course, [Commoner (Great Revolution)] also has a huge impact on the game, but in terms of directly affecting the outcome, those first two are far more dangerous. No matter what, they absolutely can’t be left in play.”

“Yeah, that makes sense. …But wait, <Forced Control> lasts for three turns, right? So couldn’t she eliminate one more card? Wouldn’t [Commoner (Great Revolution)] get taken out too?”

“Hmm, that’s not impossible… but Yuki has [Commoner (Simple Extraction)] in her hand. That’s the [Commoner] skill that can remove one card from your hand entirely—so, with <Forced Control>’s three turns, she can eliminate a total of four cards. If two of those are [Commoner (Explosive Growth)] and [Commoner (Trojan Horse)], then the other two are pretty much set, don’t you think?”

“Set…? Well, logically, that’d be [Commoner (Great Revolution)] and one of the [Royalty] cards, but—no, wait. Could it be [Knight] and [Assassin]?”

“Spot on. …Yeah, at least, that’s what I’d do.”

At my answer, Saionji gave a faint smile from beneath her hood.

[Knight] and [Assassin]—that choice was almost inevitable. After all, the Set B hand I’d be dealt only had one [Knight] and one [Assassin] to begin with. If those two were sealed, all I’d have left in hand would be [Royalty] and [Commoner]. That’s an imbalance you wouldn’t expect in a game based on a rock-paper-scissors dynamic. After <Forced Control> ends, turning things around would be extremely difficult.

“So… in other words, it’s like this.”

To organize everything so far, I spoke up again.

“Himeji’s <Forced Control> lasts for three turns from the start. During that time, she’ll first use [Commoner (Simple Extraction)] against my [Assassin] to force a ‘draw,’ activating the skill to remove [Commoner (Trojan Horse)] from my hand. Then, she’ll use [Knight] to take out my [Commoner (Explosive Growth)], and with one of her [Royalty] cards, she’ll eliminate my [Knight] too… The order might vary, but that’s the general flow.”

“Right, exactly. If she plays it that way, by the end of the third turn, the gap between Yuki and you will be hopeless. Not just in terms of hand quality, but also because all the cards played in those first three turns will go to her. Including the bonus card, that means you’ll start the <Drill> down by a total of seven cards.”

“A seven-card difference, huh…”

I knew it already, but the sheer size of that number made me wince. …Seven cards. In <Uneven Triangle Relationship>, the “majority” is eleven cards. If Himeji gains just four more cards after that, her victory would be sealed right there.

“Damn… It’s impossible. Even if I could predict every move Himeji makes, there’s no way to turn this around. Without [Knight] or [Assassin], it’s physically impossible to win or draw almost every turn from the fourth onward.”

“Right. Honestly, your hand is just too weak to mount a comeback from here. …But.”

“Huh…?”

“But—that also means that if you can overcome that initial seven-card deficit, the game becomes winnable, doesn’t it?”

Suddenly, Saionji, sitting to my right, raised the corner of her mouth slightly as she said this. Her voice was brimming with confidence. With her eyes hidden, she looked even more daring than usual.

Leaning in to meet my gaze, she continued.

“Listen? You probably don’t know this, but there’s a limited ability for Six-Stars and above called <Enchant>. Simply put, it’s a support ability that ‘adds extra effects.’ If we bring that into this <Drill>, we can attach any skill to the ‘effect-less [Commoner] cards’ in Set B—though there are limits to what we can set, something like ‘swap both players’ won cards’ should be well within the range.”

“Swap both players’ won cards…”

At Saionji’s suggestion, I slowly brought my right hand to my mouth. …I see, if we could do that, the despair would drop significantly. The quality of my hand would still be vastly inferior, but it would put me in the position of needing just four more cards to win, instead of Himeji. Even with a hand of only [Royalty] and [Commoner], I’d be back in striking distance.

The problem, however, was that it was a Six-Star ability…

“—Can you do it? Kagaya-san.”

“Huh?”

“I want you to replicate an effect similar to <Enchant> through cheating. Specifically, first hack into the <Uneven Triangle Relationship> system and swap my and Himeji’s ‘won cards.’ Then interfere with the device screen to make it look like my [Commoner] had that effect all along—that way, Akizuki might think I used <Enchant> to claw my way out of a disadvantage.”

“Uh, oh, right… Hmm, normally I’d say no problem, but…”

“…Yeah, that’s the issue. As I mentioned earlier, there’s a chance Akizuki’s intercepting communications, so we can’t contact any other <Company> members right now. You’re literally the only one we can rely on, Kagaya-san.”

“Ugh… Hiro-kun, that’s not fair…”

Kagaya-san across from me groaned for a while, but after a few seconds, she seemed to steel herself. Meeting my gaze, she nodded slightly.

“—Got it. It’s a bit nerve-wracking, but I am <Company>’s electronics specialist. I’ll prepare the best cheat possible for you, Hiro-kun!”

“…Thank you, Kagaya-san.”

“Yup! You can repay this favor by ensuring Shirayuki-chan comes back safely!”

Winking at my words, Kagaya-san sprang to her feet energetically. “I’ll check the server room in the back!” she declared, then stormed out of the living room like a whirlwind.

“Hmm…”

Watching her leave, Saionji lifted her hood slightly and murmured.

“Well, that settles our plan for now. …I hope she makes it in time.”

“Don’t worry. She’s a genius, for all her quirks… and more importantly, she’s part of the team the Meiō headmaster handpicked.”

“Hearing that makes it sound even more dangerous… Well, whatever. Anyway, make sure you install your abilities properly too. You’ll need ones that can predict Yuki’s moves and definitely turn the situation in your favor—the standard choice is <Aftermath>. You could even fill all your slots with that.”

“All of them…?”

“Yes. <Aftermath> is powerful, but at a Two-Star level, it only lasts two or three turns at most. Even if <Company>’s cheating can turn things around, considering the hand disparity, you’re still at a huge disadvantage.”

“Ah… I see.”

Nodding slightly at Saionji’s words, I realized that stacking up as much <Aftermath> as possible was the safest bet. After all, Himeji’s hand still had every type of card, from [Royalty] to [Assassin], and there was even a skill like [Commoner (All Reset)] that could return all my won cards to the table. To counter that, I’d constantly need prediction-based abilities.

“….”

There were still some minor concerns, but overall, this seemed solid. What had initially seemed like an impossible game, <Uneven Triangle Relationship>, now looked conquerable thanks to Saionji and Kagaya-san’s cooperation. As long as no more unexpected twists arose, we could probably win. We could thwart Akizuki’s scheme.

—But.

“Is that… really okay?”

“…Huh?”

At the unintentional words that slipped out, Saionji’s face twitched upward.

“Okay, you mean… What are you talking about? You can’t afford to lose, right?”

“Yeah, but… Himeji told me not to ‘aim for victory.’ I still don’t understand what that means, but is it really fine to ignore it completely? …Well, you’re right that I can’t afford to lose either way.”

“….”

Aware that I was being vague, I still voiced my concerns haltingly. Don’t aim for victory—that could just be a scripted line forced on her by Akizuki. Or was there some other meaning?

I didn’t know. I didn’t know, but…

♯

In the end, Kagaya-san decided to stay over and work on building the cheat program.

It was past 1:30 a.m. when the strategy meeting ended, and apparently, going back home was too much trouble. Plus, this dorm had all the necessary equipment, making it a better environment for work than her place.

I offered to help, but she shooed me away with the perfectly reasonable excuse that it might affect my performance at school tomorrow or during the <Drill> itself, so I retreated dejectedly. I’d already showered, changed, and was now lying on my bed, fully intending to sleep.

And that was fine, up to that point.

“…S-Sorry to keep you waiting. Shinohara.”

“….”

A soft knock echoed through the room.

Right after, the door was slowly pushed open, accompanied by a slightly embarrassed voice. It was Saionji, who had just come out of the bath—naturally, she wasn’t in just a bath towel or anything, but she had shed her parka used for hiding her identity and changed into a lightweight pair of pajamas pulled from the guest closet. Her long hair wasn’t wet, as she had clearly taken care to dry it thoroughly, but the faint steam rising from her body made it obvious at a glance that she had just finished bathing. Whether it was shampoo or body wash, I couldn’t tell, but the intoxicatingly pleasant scent was strong enough to make my head spin.

“…D-Don’t stare so much… Idiot.”

As I found myself frozen, captivated by her the moment she entered the room, Saionji shyly muttered this and turned her face away with a huff. Then, in a surprisingly girlish gesture, she knelt down and wriggled her way into the futon that had been prepared earlier.

—Right.

The reason Saionji, now in pajamas, had come to my room was, of course, because she apparently intended to stay over at this house. The official reason was so she could quickly assist Kagaya-san in case of an emergency, but it seemed there were other circumstances as well.

For reference, here’s what she had said about thirty minutes ago:

“—Listen? The Saionji family has a curfew. Eight o’clock at night. Normally, I follow it to maintain my lady-like image, but… well, today you dragged me out late at night, didn’t you? So, I sneaked out, dodging the servants’ eyes.”

“I left a note, so it shouldn’t cause too much trouble, but if I go back home now, I’ll definitely get scolded. No, not just scolded—there’s a chance they might put me under surveillance. What would we do if that prevented me from helping you? At the very least, I can’t risk that until Yuki is safely back.”

“So, if it’s okay with you, I’ll stay here tonight—Wait!?!”

“!? !?!?! …………!?!”

“W-W-Wait, stay over!? Me!? In your room!? In your bed, with you hugging me close while we sleep together!?!”

“B-B-But we’ve only known each other for less than a month, we haven’t filed any paperwork at the ward office, we haven’t greeted each other’s parents, we haven’t even—!”

“We’ve only held hands a little bit… Ahh.”

…Thinking back, it was quite a self-destructive moment, but in the end, Saionji couldn’t retract the proposal she herself had made and ended up staying over by default.

Well… fine, I could concede to her staying over. This mansion had plenty of spare rooms, and there were even guest bedrooms fully prepared—but Saionji wouldn’t accept that.

“Geez…”

Aware of the slight flush on my cheeks, I cursed under my breath while staring at the ceiling.

“If you’re that embarrassed, you could’ve used another room.”

“I-I said no. Being alone in such a big room is way too lonely.”

“…So, how do you usually sleep, Ojou-sama?”

“Of course, once the servants leave my room, I sleep with a big stuffed ani—ahem. I-I’m tough. It’s just that today, my MP’s a bit low.”

Muttering what sounded like an excuse, Saionji turned over with a small rustle, showing me her back. …That’s when I noticed something: when she sleeps, she ties her hair into a single ponytail. That revealed the glossy nape of her neck, which was usually hidden, and if I lowered my gaze a bit more, her oversized pajamas exposed her shoulders and back in a vulnerably defenseless way—I instinctively operated my device to turn off all the lights in the room.

(That was close…!)

…Though, to be honest, I wasn’t even sure what I was avoiding.

Anyway—in the darkness, only the ticking of the clock, our soft breathing, and the occasional rustle of fabric from shifting positions stood out loudly.

After about ten minutes or so, a whisper broke the silence.

“Hey… Shinohara, are you still awake?”

Suddenly, a hushed voice emerged. Judging by the slightly closer sound and presence, it seemed Saionji had turned toward me in the futon.

My heart pounding for some reason, I replied.

“…Yeah, I’m awake.”

“Really? Hehe, good. I was worried you might’ve fallen asleep first. I’m pretty nocturnal, so at this hour, I’m not really sleepy yet.”

“Seriously? It’s almost three a.m.”

“My sleep schedule is basically three hours, from four to seven. But on days off, I sometimes sleep all day.”

“That’s insane…”

She must be what they call a short sleeper. If she wasn’t forcing herself, it was enviable how efficiently she used her time. …Also, this had nothing to do with the conversation, but since the lights were off, both Saionji and I were speaking in hushed, secretive tones. As a result, her words were interspersed with soft breaths, and even her laughter sounded more mature than usual, which was oddly ticklish.

“Hehe. So, Shinohara—”

From there, we talked about all sorts of things in our drowsy state. Acting, lies, complaints about school life, and even the real Ojou-sama she occasionally chatted with on S○ipe—and then,

“—I’m counting on you, okay? About Yuki.”

“…Mm…”

“If it’s you, you can definitely do it. If it’s you, who beat Kugasaki, who’s the best at cheating out of anyone, who’s my ‘accomplice’… you won’t lose to Akizuki Noa, I’m sure.”

The encouragement I heard just before my consciousness faded carried a strangely gentle tone.

♯

Day five of the <District Selection Tournament>, Monday morning.

After seeing off Saionji, who had the completed device function installed by Kagaya-san and then headed directly to school—incidentally, she borrowed a Sakura Academy uniform that <Company> kept for disguises—I made my way alone to Meiō Academy.

“….”

Of course, as usual since yesterday, the moment I stepped onto school grounds, I could apply for a <Drill>. …But it seemed the news of my “combat state” from yesterday’s commotion had spread enough that no one chased after me like they normally would. I could feel the attention that came with being a Seven-Star, but no one was bold enough to challenge me to a <Drill>.

And Himeji was also at school, as expected.

Just a while ago, I ran into her as we entered the classroom, and our eyes met—her clear blue gaze nearly stopped my breath for a moment. But we didn’t exchange any particular words. She made a slightly apologetic gesture, letting her silver hair sway lightly, bowed to me, and then entered the room.

(I was prepared for this, but not even letting me hear her voice… That’s tough.)

I couldn’t show it on my face in front of classmates, but inwardly, I took a silent hit. I sank weakly into my seat, my unfocused gaze drifting forward.

“Phew…”

“Man, I feel for you, Hiro-kun! In that case, how about I, Kagaya-nee, still hungover and pulling an all-nighter, secretly practice my Shirayuki-chan voice imitation?”

“No, that’s fine. Just go to sleep already.”

Shaking my head and dismissing the unnecessarily chipper voice from my earphones in a low voice.

Soon after, during homeroom, Nana-chan-sensei mentioned that, as of last night, the number of survivors in the <District Selection Tournament> had fallen below two thousand. Since the event started with nearly nine thousand participants, that meant over seven thousand had already dropped out. Even in this top second-year class, 2-A, only four of us, including me, remained. At this rate, the tournament could conclude by tomorrow, she said.

“….”

I calmly brushed off the expectant gazes directed at me in response to her statement.

Well, above all—my priority now was to safely get through the <Drill> with Himeji.

…The day, which felt unusually long, finally ended, and it was after school.

Even though I hadn’t spent the breaks running around the school, it felt “long” because of mental exhaustion, no doubt. Despite sitting right next to each other, I hadn’t spoken to Himeji even once today. We even spent lunch alone. Just that alone, the absence of Himeji in her usual spot, made it feel like I’d been thrown into a different timeline.

(…Alright, time to go.)

After Tatara, the others who usually talked to me, and most of the class had left the room, and the place had mostly cleared out, I grabbed my bag and stood up. I walked quietly and flung open the door at the back of the classroom.

“—I’ve been waiting for you, Master.”

And there, on the other side of the door, stood Himeji, who had just left the classroom earlier. In her school uniform after a few days. Her voice, which I heard for the first time today, sounded a bit stiff, perhaps from tension.

“Yeah. Long time no see—or not.”

“…Yes. It’s only been a day since yesterday’s phone call, hasn’t it?”

“Right… yeah.”

“Indeed. …But I was thinking the same thing as you, Master.”

Saying that in a small voice, Himeji turned her back to me. It was likely a gesture meaning “don’t press further.” Of course, Akizuki probably forbade her from explaining details, and there was even a chance we were being watched. It was better not to probe too deeply.

Walking slowly with hesitant steps, Himeji spoke quietly.

“As for the location of the <Drill>… Today, the fourth floor of the special building F seems to be unused, so I’d like to hold it there. It’s harder to do with too many people around.”

“Yeah, got it. That works.”

I gave a short agreement to her perfectly reasonable suggestion. With both of us already drawing attention, adding a high-profile “Master vs. Servant <Drill>” on top of that could cause a huge commotion, potentially even drawing out <Library>. It was simply troublesome, and even without that, since we were using cheating, fewer spectators were better.

With that in mind, I got directions to a less crowded route from Kagaya-san, who had just woken up from a nap, and successfully reached the entrance of special building F—only to find:

“Oh… Oh my? Ehehe, we meet again. What a coincidence, Hiroto-kun♪”

At that moment, a girl suddenly peeked out from inside the school building.

The upperclassman with chestnut twintails, the Six-Star little devil who never showed her true self—Akizuki Noa. The mastermind who had orchestrated this situation using Himeji stood there, wearing a sly smile.

“….”

Given everything up to now, I wasn’t surprised anymore, but I still narrowed my eyes slightly. However, Akizuki seemed intent on maintaining the pretense of “running into each other by chance,” tilting her head cutely and leaning forward slightly to address me.

“Running into each other this often must be fate, right? Ehehe, Noa’s totally fine with you, Hiroto-kun♡”

“…How shameless. If you’re serious about that, you’ve got a serious memory problem.”

“Eww, so mean~! You just missed your chance to make Noa-chan yours.”

Brushing off my half-serious, half-sarcastic remark, Akizuki puffed out her cheeks and said that. Then—suddenly, she flashed a different kind of smile and closed the distance between us with bouncy steps. Pressing the sweet citrus scent of her perfume toward me, she looked up at me with a coy glance.

“—Hey, Hiroto-kun. You’re about to have a <Drill> with Maid-chan, right? Noa wants to watch from the sidelines♪”

“Watch…? Or is it ‘interfere’ you mean?”

“No way~ I wouldn’t do that. Noa just wants to see your cool side. So I’ll cheer, ‘Do your best♡ Do your best♡’ in a cute voice♪”

Saying this in a coquettish tone and with matching gestures, Akizuki… Honestly, I didn’t want to say yes to her request, but <Drills> were all public by default. If she wanted to watch, I couldn’t refuse, and there wasn’t much benefit to refusing anyway. Letting Akizuki act freely was better if she stayed in plain sight.

So—

“Hah… Do whatever you want, Akizuki. I was just worrying about having too few spectators.”

I said this in a challenging tone to the mysterious “mastermind” smiling innocently.

♯

Each player starts the game with ten cards in hand.

The cards total six types: [King], [Prince], [Queen], [Knight], [Assassin], and [Commoner].

Each player selects one card from their hand and plays it simultaneously onto the table. This action constitutes one matchup, and the result is processed according to the following card compatibilities:

Compatibility Rule 1: [King], [Prince], and [Queen] beat [Knight], [Knight] beats [Assassin], and [Assassin] beats [King], [Prince], and [Queen].

Compatibility Rule 2: Both [King], [Prince], [Queen], and [Knight] beat [Commoner]. There is no compatibility difference between [Commoner] and [Assassin], nor between cards of the same name.

Compatibility Rule 3: [King] beats [Prince], [Prince] beats [Queen], and [Queen] beats [King].

If the two cards played in a matchup have no compatibility difference, both cards remain on the table. If there is a compatibility difference, the player who played the stronger card takes all cards currently on the table. Additionally, at the start of the game, one bonus card is already on the table.

This process repeats until one player runs out of cards, at which point the player with the most cards wins the game.

—In a deserted classroom at the west end of the fourth floor of special building F, half-used as a storage room.

“Alright… That should do it.”

Himeji and I had split the task of setting up for the <Drill>. …Well, “setting up” was simple enough. We moved the cardboard boxes and files that were on the desks to the back of the room and cleared some space near the teacher’s podium. We arranged a few desks facing each other, creating an impromptu field.

“Thanks, Himeji.”

“No, it’s only natural. …I’m sorry for troubling you.”

Bowing apologetically, Himeji whispered, “Go ahead,” and pulled out one of the chairs. I sat down, and she bowed again before turning gracefully and walking with dainty steps to the seat across from me.

“Wow~… Ehehe, so cool. A real maid♪”

As for Akizuki, she was peeking over the teacher’s podium, still using that sly tone. I hadn’t specifically explained the rules of <Uneven Triangle Relationship> to her, but there was no way she didn’t know them. There was no need to go out of my way to accommodate her.

So, I shifted my gaze away from Akizuki and turned back to Himeji across from me.

“And that’s that—preparations are complete, Himeji. Start whenever you’re ready.”

“! …Yes.”

At my words, Himeji’s shoulders twitched slightly, but she quickly nodded once, shedding her hesitation. A moment later, her head, which had been slightly bowed, slowly lifted. Through the gaps in her silky silver hair, her clear blue eyes met mine.

Then—she glanced briefly at Akizuki beside her before continuing in a calm voice.

“Then, Master… Thank you so much for indulging my selfishness this time. I’m fully aware that my place should not be across from you, but beside you—slightly behind, even. Yet here I am, in this sorry state… As your maid, I’m a failure.”

“….”

“As I told you yesterday, I cannot afford to lose in this <Drill>. Even if—no, especially because—you’re my opponent, I absolutely cannot lose.”

“…Is that so.”

“Yes. So—I’ll give it my all.”

The moment Himeji declared this with a challenging tone, the device on the table in front of her emitted a faint white light. That was likely the key to starting the <Drill>. In an instant, countless projection screens surrounded Himeji and me, and almost simultaneously, ten cards appeared floating in front of her.

“—I’ve used the support ability <Probability Shift Lv. 4>. Normally, the starting hands would be randomly assigned, but I’ve ensured I get Set A.”

“…Y-Yeah.”

For a moment, I was almost overwhelmed by the scene before me, but I managed to reply a beat late. It’s fine, it’s fine. I prepared for this. If I stay calm, I can win.

“Phew…”

Unlike Himeji, I picked up my device normally, and immediately after, a similar scene appeared before me. Ten cards were displayed—my hand consisted of one each of [King], [Prince], [Queen], [Knight], [Assassin], and five [Commoner]. As expected, it matched the “Set B” hand we’d identified during the rule explanation.

(So, while probing Himeji’s intentions and strategy, I need to figure out what’s the best card to play from here. That’s the proper way to play <Uneven Triangle Relationship>… But)

I instantly dismissed my own thought and looked up slightly. In response, Himeji nodded as if acknowledging me, then said quietly:

“Yes, Master. I’m sorry, but my actions aren’t over yet—Four-Star ability <Forced Control> activated. I’ll be specifying your card choices for the next three turns.”

“Wow~!”

Akizuki let out an excited cheer at Himeji’s firm declaration.

“<Forced Control>! Maid-chan, full throttle from the start♡ Ehehe… Come on, Hiroto-kun, if you let your guard down, you’ll really lose, you know? You might even fall from Seven-Star~?”

“….”

Ignoring Akizuki’s taunts, I inwardly took a deep breath. …Here it comes, as expected.

(<Forced Control>—an ability that lets you manipulate your opponent’s actions at will. It ignores all uncertainties and creates the best possible scenario for you. If the strategy meeting’s predictions were right, by the end of three turns, my [Knight], [Assassin], and any [Commoner] with game-changing skills should all be eliminated.)

“Game-changing” specifically meant [Commoner (Trojan Horse)] and [Commoner (Explosive Growth)]. The former, with its insane effect of stealing half (rounded up) of the opponent’s won cards, and the latter, which could add won cards equal to the number of turns, were both overwhelmingly dangerous. They’d be prioritized for elimination above all else.

(If that happens, no amount of <Aftermath> abilities I brought to this <Drill> will be enough to turn things around. It’d be impossible no matter what. So, the moment <Forced Control> ends, I’ll start the cheating—)

“…Then, I’ll decide your action for the first turn.”

As I finished reviewing the plan, Himeji faced me directly and quietly raised her right hand. She gently touched one of the cards lined up before her.

Normally, this would be the phase where I’d choose a card too, but under <Forced Control>, I had no say. Without even moving my fingers or eyes, one of my cards was enveloped in white light on its own.

“First—this will be the first matchup.”

The moment Himeji announced this in a clear voice, the two selected cards flipped over. Once the animation settled, I checked the results: Himeji had played [Knight], and I had [Commoner]—specifically, the one with the [Great Revolution] skill.

In terms of compatibility, [Knight] beat [Commoner], so naturally, Himeji won the matchup. As a result, [Commoner (Great Revolution)]’s effect didn’t activate, and all three cards—the two played and the bonus card that had been on the table from the start (likely an adjustment to make the total number of cards odd)—moved to Himeji’s won pile. It was a devastating start, as expected, but—

(Huh… [Great Revolution]?)

I felt a slight sense of unease and furrowed my brow discreetly.

[Commoner (Great Revolution)] was one of the [Commoner] cards in Set B. Once activated, it would reverse all card compatibilities for the duration of the <Drill>. Given the hand quality, it was indeed more advantageous for me than Himeji, but it didn’t seem like something she’d need to seal using <Forced Control>…

“—Next, like this.”

However, before I could fully process that unease, Himeji had already moved on to the next card selection. The second and third turns of <Forced Control>. There was no way to stop it, so all I could do was watch in silence.

To summarize the progression in brief:

– Second Turn: Himeji [Commoner (Simple Extraction)] – Me [Commoner (No Effect)]

—No compatibility difference, so both cards remained on the table. [Commoner (Simple Extraction)]’s effect removed my [Commoner (Explosive Growth)] from my hand.

– Third Turn: Himeji [Commoner (Undefeated Hero)] – Me [King]

—Due to [Commoner (Undefeated Hero)]’s special effect, my [King] was defeated. All cards on the table from the second turn’s draw, including the two [Commoner] cards, moved to Himeji’s won pile.

“….”

“Ehehe… So ruthless, Maid-chan♪”

Watching the one-sided <Drill> from atop the podium, Akizuki commented in a delighted tone.

“In just three turns, you crushed two of Hiroto-kun’s [Commoner] skills and built such a huge lead in won cards… Has Maid-chan completely betrayed him? Like, she doesn’t care about Hiroto-kun at all?”

“…Shut up.”

“Eww. You should just admit it honestly… Or rather—”

With light steps, Akizuki hopped off the podium, hands clasped behind her back, and approached Himeji with a smile. Leaning in close to Himeji’s ear, she whispered:

“—Maid-chan, is it okay to talk to Noa like that?”

“! …Sorry.”

As Himeji’s face paled slightly, Akizuki nodded in satisfaction and skipped back to the podium. Watching their exchange in silence, I was secretly thinking about something else.

(Something’s off.)

Yes, that’s right.

The first three turns of <Uneven Triangle Relationship>… Himeji’s actions under <Forced Control> were, no matter how many times I thought about it, strange. They deviated too much from the predictions Saionji had made. I wasn’t saying those predictions were the only correct answer, but even if they were off, the general approach should have been similar. After all, she was ignoring my choices and picking the best moves for herself, so at least the logic should align.

Yet—the results in front of me were meaningless and incomprehensible.

(First of all, leaving [Commoner (Trojan Horse)], which has the highest potential for a comeback, untouched is already weird. Since [Knight] and [Assassin] weren’t eliminated, the game remains competitive from the fourth turn onward, and on top of that, the strongest single card, [Commoner (Undefeated Hero)], which can defeat any card, was used and discarded so carelessly… What? What’s going on here?)

Lost in thought as I organized the situation, I considered the possibility. Could Himeji have made a mistake? No, that seemed unlikely. She wouldn’t mess up, especially with over half a day of preparation. It wasn’t like she was improvising.

And speaking of what’s off—Akizuki was strange too.

“Ehehe… You look troubled, Hiroto-kun. Are you okay? At this rate, you’ll lose to Maid-chan, you know? Noa wants to see your cool side…♡”

“….”

Leaning over the podium and throwing coquettish words and expressions my way, she continued.

Sure, based solely on the current situation, I was overwhelmingly at a disadvantage, but there was something off about Akizuki’s confident remarks. After all, we were far from a “checkmate” situation. There was still a chance for a comeback. For someone who had set up such a perfect trap to crush me, her execution felt a bit sloppy.

But—it would be unwise to assume this was Akizuki’s carelessness or overconfidence. A Six-Star ranker surpassing even Kugasaki, the little devil of Meiō who never showed her true self. As even Saionji had acknowledged, Akizuki Noa was undoubtedly a formidable opponent.

(If that’s the case… then the most likely explanation is manipulation.)

Finally realizing this possibility, I slowly brought my right hand to my mouth.

Manipulation—in other words, Akizuki was setting up an absolutely advantageous position for this <Drill> between Himeji and me while also intending for me to win. If that were true, this situation would make sense. Likely, if I beat Himeji, something unfavorable for me would happen. That’s why, while taunting me with that sly smile, Akizuki was deliberately leaving a path for me to win.

That was her real goal—the <Drill> itself was a trap.

(Damn… I realized it a bit too late.)

Cursing inwardly, I gritted my teeth slightly. …It was fortunate I noticed at this point, but honestly, it felt like there was nothing I could do now. If I beat Himeji, everything would go according to Akizuki’s plan; if I lost, I’d drop out of the <District Selection Tournament>. No, since Akizuki and the “external interveners” were clearly targeting me, it wouldn’t end there. Either way, it was a path to ruin. It was no wonder she was called a little devil—this was a flawless scheme.

But at the same time—

(No… but would Himeji honestly go along with that?)

—That doubt crossed my mind.

The leader of <Company>. The all-purpose, extreme cheating maid who’d stop at nothing to win a <Duel>. …Himeji Shirayuki was indeed my servant, but she wasn’t just a obedient pawn. If Akizuki had ordered, “Challenge Shinohara Hiroto to a <Drill> and lose on purpose,” and Himeji had fully accepted it, she wouldn’t have gone to the trouble of setting up this stage—she’d have chosen to “self-destruct” on the spot. Because that would be the most efficient option.

The fact she didn’t do that meant… there was something. Himeji wasn’t blindly following Akizuki. There was something I hadn’t noticed yet—she was surely planning something.

(Remember… Remember. There must have been a sign somewhere. Even if Akizuki was listening, she tried to secretly tell me something.)

Lowering my head as if in thought, I dug deep into my memories. The only possible moment was the phone call last night.

Back then—what had Himeji said on the other end of the device? She couldn’t explain the details, but she couldn’t stay by my side anymore. She couldn’t afford to lose to me in our <Drill>. So, she was breaking our promise to let me win on purpose and would aim for victory no matter what—wait, no?

(She didn’t say that… She only told me not to “aim for victory.”)

The moment I realized that, I widened my eyes while still looking down.

Right—that’s it. Himeji was indeed unable to lose to me in this <Drill> because of Akizuki, and she demanded I not “aim to win.” But thinking it over, that was all. She never once said she had to win.

Revisiting the game so far with that in mind, a lot started to click. First, she left [Commoner (Trojan Horse)], my lifeline, untouched to avoid an easy checkmate. She kept [Knight] and [Assassin] in play so the rock-paper-scissors dynamic would hold from the fourth turn onward. And she casually used up [Commoner (Undefeated Hero)], which could become troublesome if left until the end.

And above all—

([Commoner (Simple Extraction)]… That skill can unilaterally remove a powerful card from the opponent’s hand, which is convenient, but it’s more than that. It removes one card from the entire <Drill>, reducing the total from twenty-one to twenty. …Making it even.)

—That must be it.

From the start of the <Drill>, there was one bonus card on the table. Because of that, the total number of cards in <Uneven Triangle Relationship> should have been twenty-one—an odd number, originally intended as a “spare card” to avoid draws. But [Commoner (Simple Extraction)] negated that advantage by removing one card. The odd number became even, and if it’s even, draws become possible.

…A draw.

The only secret to safely ending this game, where neither winning nor losing was allowed.

Of course, I had no concrete proof that this was Himeji’s intention. But the fact that she left [Commoner (Trojan Horse)] intact while meticulously removing [Commoner (Explosive Growth)] could serve as circumstantial evidence. After all, this card, which adds won cards equal to the number of turns, was the only one besides [Commoner (Simple Extraction)] that could potentially “change the overall parity” of the game.

“….”

Having reached that conclusion, I slowly lifted my face. Himeji was staring at me with almost the same expression as before. Her transparent gaze. But now, it seemed like she was desperately praying, “Notice it.”

So.

(…Alright.)

Nodding inwardly, I lightly tapped my earphones to signal Kagaya-san to “cancel the cheat.” I heard a surprised “Huh?!” over the comms, but I had no time to respond properly.

“…?”

Akizuki, beside me, narrowed her eyes slightly at my suspicious movement, but pressing the issue would be troublesome, and there was no need to acknowledge it. So, I cleared my throat once and flashed a defiant grin at Himeji across from me.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Himeji. —Let’s get right to the fourth matchup.”

“…Yes, Master.”

Nodding at my words, Himeji quickly finished her card selection. Of course, the card was face-down, but since I’d already activated my <Aftermath> ability, I could see what she chose. A second [Knight]—as expected, it wasn’t a normal play no matter how you looked at it.

“Then, I’ll play… this one.”

Saying this in a calm tone, I selected [Assassin] from my still-abundant hand. According to <Uneven Triangle Relationship>’s compatibility chart, [Assassin] beats [Royalty] but loses to [Knight]. By deliberately choosing a card with a disadvantageous matchup, both cards naturally moved to Himeji’s won pile.

“Huh…”

The one who let out a slightly surprised sound wasn’t Himeji, but Akizuki. It was an involuntary reaction. Glancing at her, I saw her flailing her hands in a panic, mumbling an excuse.

“Oh, uh… Sorry, Hiroto-kun. Noa was just a little surprised.”

“Surprised? Oh, you mean you’re shocked because things aren’t going as planned?”

“! …Mmph? What’s that supposed to mean? Noa has no idea what you’re talking about~. It’s not about plans; Noa’s just getting nervous because you’re falling behind more than expected, that’s all♡”

“Huh, is that so. …Then you might be nervous for a long time to come.”

Throwing a light jab at Akizuki, whose expression hardened slightly, I refocused on the <Drill>.

Next, I played [Queen]. This was defeated by Himeji’s [Assassin], bringing her won pile to eleven cards—the majority needed to win. Eleven cards meant she met the victory condition, but since neither of our hands was empty, the game wasn’t over. I countered her [King] with [Prince], her [Prince] with [Knight], steadily increasing her held cards.

Of course, this included [Commoner (All Reset)], which had the effect of “returning all of the opponent’s won cards to the table,” but since I hadn’t won a single card yet, it was harmless to me. I paired it with an effect-less [Commoner], wasting the skill.

“! …Hey, why? What are you doing, Hiroto-kun? Take this more seriously—”

“Just shut up and watch from there.”

As Akizuki gripped the podium tightly and asked in a strained voice, I dismissed her with a curt reply.

And so, by the time the eighth matchup ended.

At this point, Himeji had two cards left in hand. Due to the effect of [Commoner (Simple Extraction)], which reduced my total, I had only one card remaining.

“—This will be the last one, won’t it, Master.”

Himeji across from me murmured this in a quiet tone.

“Currently, I have fifteen cards in my won pile. There are only two cards on the table, so basically, I’ve won. However, your last card is [Commoner (Trojan Horse)]… the most dangerous [Commoner] card right now, with the effect of stealing half (rounded up) of the opponent’s won pile. But this skill only activates ‘when defeated by an opponent,’ so unless I choose a [Royalty] or [Knight] card, it won’t trigger.”

“Yeah, that’s right. Based on the cards we’ve played so far, your hand is [Queen] and [Assassin]—so if you choose [Assassin], you win without issue.”

“That’s correct. …Though, I’ve already chosen my card.”

Along with Himeji’s words, a card glowed white and was pushed toward me, still face-down. …If this was [Assassin], this <Drill> would be a complete defeat for me. Despite Saionji and Kagaya-san lending their strength, I would have sealed their efforts, been easily tricked, and ultimately dropped out of the <District Selection Tournament> in the worst possible scenario.

If that happened, the reputation I’d built as a Seven-Star would plummet overnight. After acting so high and mighty as the “strongest,” only to lose to my own servant—no doubt I’d face significant criticism and ridicule. Naturally, Meiō would fall into Akizuki Noa’s hands.

But even so—I fully trusted Himeji.

I understood that this <Uneven Triangle Relationship> wasn’t just a futile struggle between Himeji and me, but the perfect stage for the two of us to outwit Akizuki.

“….”

Looking into Himeji’s blue eyes once more, she stared back at me for a few seconds, then quietly lowered her gaze before meeting my eyes again. Akizuki, watching from the side, tilted her head slightly, clearly not understanding the gesture, but I got the message. After all, this was one of the countless signals we’d established before the <District Selection Tournament> began, back when Himeji transferred—specifically, “That’s correct, Master.”

“Hah…”

So, without even turning to face Akizuki, I grinned defiantly and continued.

“The effect of my <Aftermath> ability ran out last turn, so I can’t see what card you chose. …But I don’t even need an ability for this. It’s [Queen], Himeji.”

“[Queen]… Are you really sure?”

“Absolutely. If I’m wrong, I’ll spill a dozen of my embarrassing secrets.”

“…Hehe. I see… That’s a shame.”

After a brief pause, Himeji said this with a hint of relish. Her blue eyes, gentle as they gazed at me, softened into a smile.

“—I really wanted to hear your embarrassing secrets, Master.”

The revealed card was… [Queen].

“…!?”

Even though she probably anticipated this turn of events, Akizuki’s expression twisted in frustration, a stark contrast to her usual coy demeanor. Her slender shoulders trembled slightly, and her hands, slammed down on the podium, were clenched so tightly it looked painful.

Leaving her behind, the processing continued smoothly. Since there was a compatibility difference between [Queen] and [Commoner], the final matchup resulted in [Queen]’s victory. As a result, all cards remaining on the table went to Himeji… but at that moment, the “Trojan Horse” effect triggered, fulfilling its condition. The effect stole half (rounded up) of the opponent’s won pile—in this case, ten out of the nineteen cards Himeji had accumulated moved to my won pile.

And since my hand was now empty, the match ended before the tenth turn, per the basic rules. Any cards Himeji had left in hand were added to her won pile, leaving her with exactly ten cards.

In other words, ten cards to ten cards—<Uneven Triangle Relationship> thus concluded in a draw.

♯

“…”

For a while after the <Drill> between Himeji and me ended, no one spoke.

The main reason was, of course, Akizuki. Her unusual silence, a stark departure from her typically annoying and overly sweet behavior, naturally cast a heavy silence over the room.

But then—the next moment, she forced herself to lift her face. Stumbling down from the podium, she approached us with her hands clasped behind her back, struggling to twist her lips into a smile.

“E, hehe… A draw, a draw, huh. So, how does that get handled?”

“It doesn’t get handled in any special way, Akizuki-sama. A draw is just a draw. The <Drill> was indeed conducted, so the combat state is lifted, but since neither of us lost, both Master and I remain in the <District Selection Tournament>.”

“Hmm… I see, I see. As expected of Hiroto-kun, always thinking of Maid-chan. …Or rather, sorry? Noa’s feeling a bit tired. Since I got to see Hiroto-kun’s <Drill> through to the end safely, I think I’ll head home—”

“—Wait, Akizuki.”

The moment Akizuki, clearly acting strange, turned to leave, I quietly stood up and grabbed her wrist. She flinched, her shoulders jerking for a split second, and her feet, which had been heading for the hallway, stopped dead.

“! …Uh, what is it, Hiroto-kun? I get that Noa’s angelically cute and you can’t help but want to hold onto her, but forceful physical contact isn’t going to win you any favors, okay?”

“I’m not talking about that. And… come on, it’s getting pretty hard to keep pretending, don’t you think? How about you just come clean already?”

“Wha… What are you talking about?”

“Don’t play dumb. …You were trying to use Himeji to take me down, weren’t you? And not just in the sense of dropping me from the <District Selection Tournament>. From the very start—even before the event began—you’ve been moving to drag me down from being Academy Island’s strongest.”

“!”

At my accusation, Akizuki’s expression stiffened for just a moment. …But that reaction lasted only an instant before she plastered on a forced smile and retorted.

“Eww, what’s that? Noa has no idea what you mean. I mean, Noa just happened to—”

“…No, that’s impossible.”

The one who denied Akizuki’s usual excuse was Himeji, who stood gracefully from her seat across from me. After checking her device for a moment and nodding in relief, she met Akizuki’s gaze with her clear blue eyes and continued in a cool tone, revealing the full “circumstances.”

“It was last night. On my way to the convenience store, I was stopped by Akizuki-sama, and at that time, my device was forcibly infiltrated. The setup was a single program—a illegal ability called <Spy>. It can extract all data exchanged through the compromised device and, by turning the device itself into a transmitter, enables surveillance and eavesdropping… To put it bluntly, it’s a highly unpleasant and vicious effect.”

“Ah… I see, so that’s why you said you ‘couldn’t return to the dorm.’ And why our communications were cut off.”

“Yes, exactly. We’re cleaner than Fujisan mineral water, but even so, there’s plenty of information we don’t want made public. …Anyway, Akizuki-sama’s demand, after sealing my resistance, was this: ‘Until evening tomorrow, don’t withdraw from the <District Selection Tournament>, abandon or self-destruct in any <Drill>. If you do, <Spy> will automatically be deactivated.’”

“No withdrawing from the event or forfeiting <Drills>… In other words, ‘fight Shinohara Hiroto without running away,’ right? So, was that <Drill> just now a requirement from Akizuki?”

“That’s correct. In fact, I wasn’t told to win or lose. …However, if I won, Master would drop out of the <District Selection Tournament>. Naturally, that was an outcome I absolutely had to avoid. But if Master won, that would lead to an equally disastrous scenario.”

“Hmm, I kind of expected that… But specifically?”

“<Spy>. —Actually, this ability has a special condition: if the holder loses a game, it automatically transfers to the opponent’s device. So, if I had lost to Master, the eavesdropping, surveillance, and data extraction effects I mentioned earlier would all have been applied to you.”

“….”

Hearing Himeji’s explanation, I fell silent. …Yeah, that was way too dangerous. It was a bomb so vicious it could instantly unravel all my lies. If Himeji hadn’t cleverly left room for a “draw” in this <Drill>, if Saionji and Kagaya-san hadn’t helped with the strategy, if I hadn’t noticed Himeji’s signal—just one missing piece, and we would have faced the worst outcome. It sent a chill down my spine just thinking about it.

“…This is the truth as I know it.”

Pausing there, Himeji stopped speaking. She clasped her hands in front of her and glanced at Akizuki before continuing in a quiet tone.

“Of course, until just now, I was gagged and couldn’t speak, but now that the condition is met and <Spy> is deactivated, I have no reason to obey. So, what do you say? Will you admit it, Akizuki-sama?”

“…Ahaha. I told you, I don’t know anything about that. What’s this? Are you two ganging up to bully Noa? Even kind-hearted Noa-chan is starting to get angry—”

“You can keep playing dumb, but we’ve securely saved last night’s access logs. Right now, they’re a mess of bugged displays, but if Meiō’s vixen—I mean, Principal Ichinose—analyzes them, it’ll be clear the hacking came from your device, won’t it?”

“!”

Faced with Himeji’s calm follow-up, Akizuki finally looked down. Biting her lower lip hard as if enduring something, her clenched fists trembled slightly.

And then, a few seconds later—she slowly lifted her face and glared at me with all her might.

“…Why…?”

“…Hm?”

“Why—why you!?!”

In an instant, a anguished scream echoed through the classroom. It was a far cry from her usual sweet, soft demeanor, filled with raw anger and hatred. As if releasing all the emotions she’d bottled up, Akizuki slammed her right hand down on the nearest desk with a THUD!! and exploded.

“Why… Why, why! It doesn’t make sense! Noa worked so hard, prepared so much, so why do you get to win!? Why does Noa have to lose!? This is wrong… It’s wrong, this is!! Hiroto-kun, you definitely cheated, just climbed up using cowardly tricks… For someone as bad as you to be ‘above’ Noa, who’s cute and nice, that’s absolutely impossible!!”

“…Cheating? What are you talking about?”

“Ehe… Obviously, everything. I mean, it’s impossible for someone who just transferred to suddenly become a Seven-Star. It’s impossible to reach the top of Academy Island without any effort. So, it has to be cheating. Noa-chan’s cute and good, so she hates cheaters. …And, you know. Didn’t I tell you before? In the <District Selection Tournament> ranking prediction survey, almost everyone put Hiroto-kun at number one.”

“…? Oh, I heard about that.”

“Right? Last year, at the final closing ceremony, they did a similar survey. ‘Who do you think will be the top student?’ And—well, back then, Noa was number one. Everyone said Noa would definitely win, that she’d absolutely make it to the end. Noa thought so too. But then… but then, the moment Hiroto-kun transferred, everyone flipped and flocked to you!”

“….”

“It doesn’t make sense… This is an accident. A disaster. Everything Noa worked so hard for, year after year, building up bit by bit, was snatched away in an instant by Hiroto-kun, who just showed up later.”

With a sharp glint in her eyes, Akizuki took a step closer to me. …She was insisting I cheated, but it didn’t seem like she had concrete evidence; it was more that she found it suspicious that someone who transferred could immediately claim the title of Academy Island’s strongest.

That alone wasn’t uncommon—just petty jealousy—but given her circumstances, it wasn’t something I could dismiss so easily. The former number one in the <District Selection Tournament> rankings. A girl who might have stood at the top of Meiō Academy as the valedictorian. For Akizuki, my arrival must have been nothing but an obstacle. I had stolen all the expectations, praise, trust, and envy that should have been directed at her.

“So—that’s why I decided to get revenge.”

Twisting her lips into a mocking smile, Akizuki continued in a light tone.

“The <District Selection Tournament>. The perfect opportunity where Meiō students could clash without raising suspicion. …That’s when Noa targeted Maid-chan. I knew from the previous <Duel> that Maid-chan was Hiroto-kun’s ally, and after probing a few times, I confirmed her relationship with you. Ehe… A collaborator, right? Maid-chan. And a really important one, too. Noa thought that if Maid-chan was gone, Hiroto-kun probably wouldn’t be able to fight properly—so I created this ‘situation where Hiroto-kun and Maid-chan have to be enemies.’ I pitted high-rankers who might interfere against each other, and I ‘cleaned up’ the boring people trying to survive with cheating early on. …Well, as you can see, it ultimately failed.”

“Hmm…? So, does that mean the abnormally fast rate at which participants were dropping out—”

“Ehehe, that’s right♪ Because no one but Hiroto-kun matters to Noa♡”

With an adorable smile, Akizuki said something incredibly ominous. She kept that twisted smile for a while, but eventually, her shoulders slumped in dejection.

“But… Ugh, why did it fail after all that preparation? Even after making a deal with that devil—”

“…Devil?”

“! …It’s nothing. Just a figure of speech, a figure of speech.”

For a brief moment, she stumbled over her words in panic before shaking her head to cover it up. While paying attention to her expression and gestures, I secretly mulled it over.

(A “devil”—that’s probably referring to the mastermind behind her. The external intervenor the headmaster mentioned… She made a “contract” with them, which is how Akizuki was able to pull this off. Basically, it’s cheating. Messing with the application times for the <District Selection Tournament>, using <Spy>—an obviously illegal ability. I can’t imagine Akizuki could have prepared all this on her own.)

If that’s the case, Akizuki Noa must be deeply involved in the headmaster’s request. And that, conveniently, works in my favor.

Letting out a small breath, I lifted my face calmly.

“Anyway. Since your plan fell apart, you’re going to spill everything, Akizuki. Not just about revenge, but there’s a lot more I want to ask you—”

“…Ehehe. Hey, what are you talking about, Hiroto-kun?”

At that moment, my words were cut off by Akizuki’s suddenly low voice. She followed it with a dry laugh, twisting her lips as if amused.

“It’s not over yet. …It’s not over. Noa can’t lose here.”

“…Not over? What are you talking about?”

“Aha, obviously—that. Listen, Hiroto-kun. Noa’s cute and smart, so she prepared another ‘strategy’ for times like this.”

Smiling gleefully, she pointed her index finger upward. As I felt a slight tremor of unease inside, she continued in a resolute tone.

“There’s the <Spy> ability I set on Maid-chan, right? Actually, there’s a special effect I didn’t tell her about. It’s called a ‘dual ability.’ When the surface effect—<Spy>—is deactivated, it automatically switches to the ‘hidden effect.’”

“…Hidden effect?”

“Yeah. Its name is none other than <Destructive Impulse>—a super-vicious ability that shatters all data in the compromised device to pieces. All Noa has to do is press the activation button, and Maid-chan’s device becomes nothing more than a fancy decoration.”

“Wha—!?”

“And it’s not just about ‘losing data and being inconvenienced.’ As you both know, on Academy Island, everything—personal information, electronic money—is managed through devices. In other words, if all the data on a device is completely wiped, that person’s entire identity ceases to exist. No student record, and of course, their rank drops to zero. …Then Maid-chan won’t be able to stay on this island anymore♡”

“! …This isn’t just a matter of illegality.”

Her voice trembling ever so slightly, Himeji nonetheless spoke calmly.

“Are you sure about this? If it becomes public that you used such an ability, Akizuki-sama, you’ll make enemies of the entire Academy Island.”

“I know that. But… Noa can’t back down now!!”

Revealing her intense emotions in response to Himeji’s admonishment, Akizuki suddenly rushed toward me. She circled behind Himeji, restraining her hands from behind while forming her right hand into the shape of a gun and pressing it against Himeji’s head—like a bank robber’s pose.

And with a faint smile tugging at the corner of her mouth, she said:

“—Hey, Hiroto-kun, how about a <Duel> with Noa right now? Not some boring event <Drill>, but a real one, where we bet our stars.”

“….”

“But it won’t be a fair and square fight, okay? Noa’s already given up on that. She sold her soul to the devil, so there’s no going back. So—Hiroto-kun, if you want Maid-chan back, lose to Noa? Hand over your stars to Noa right now, say ‘You’re the one truly worthy of Seven-Star,’ and bow down in front of everyone to atone for your sins. …Right? That’s not too much to ask. After all, it was all a lie anyway.”

Gazing at me with piercing, knowing eyes, Akizuki spoke in a taunting tone.

(Urgh…!)

On the surface, I faced her calmly, but inwardly, I was nearly overwhelmed by intense turmoil. …You’ve got to be kidding, was my honest reaction. I thought this plan—using the combat state to turn Himeji and me against each other—was Akizuki’s main move, and in a way, I was right. But she had gone a step further—anticipating that I would overcome this <Drill> and preparing the perfect counter.

(This is crazy… Something’s seriously wrong here.)

She knew my actions too well—.

It was something I’d been suspecting throughout the <District Selection Tournament>, but by now, it was practically a certainty. …The colored star. The “Emerald” star stolen from Meiō Academy. A special star of the “perception” type, whose performance varies greatly depending on its holder. Most likely, Akizuki was using its effect almost to its fullest to read my thoughts. That’s why she always knew my location and could make the most effective moves.

“….”

To that end, she—the former strongest student at Meiō—was thoroughly intent on crushing me. It was surely born of resentment for losing her place and a dark outpouring of rage. I still knew almost nothing about the other mastermind, but for now, surviving this <Duel> with Akizuki was critical. Since I took something from her first, now it was my turn to be taken.

“Ehehe… This time, Noa won’t let it end in a draw.”

Whispering in a syrupy sweet voice, Akizuki pulled out her device from her pocket and, with her usual smile, said:

“A final battle with a predetermined outcome—a rigged ‘treasure hunt’ game from the start.

Well, shall we get started♪?”

Liar Liar Volume 2 Chapter 3

Chapter 3 The Little Devil’s Tactics

Liar Liar

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