Afterward, Maki Zenin froze. Everyone else did too. All talk, but this weak?
It made no sense. Kinji Hakari's footwork, movements, and Cursed Energy control were all high level, and his guard was correct. That was why Maki Zenin had hit so hard. Someone like that should not fall so easily.
"Second-year, get up. Stop playing dead."
"He's not pretending," Satoru Gojo said, finally explaining. "That's Kinji's Cursed Technique. It's tied to gambling. When his luck is good, even I find him tricky. When it's bad, you see the result. This time was like rolling dice and getting a one."
"Two ones," Kinji Hakari said as he rubbed his arm and got up. "Awful. I skipped breakfast and wanted a quick win. Instead, I was the one instantly taken out. With my luck right now, maybe Makoto shouldn't go to Kyoto."
"Don't say that," Satoru Gojo replied, handing over a paper bag of snacks. "Luck goes up and down. Rolling two ones won't keep happening. With your strength, roll a three or higher and you beat Kyoto. No problem."
"Then let's try."
Kinji Hakari pulled a die from his pocket and tossed it. It bounced a few times and landed on four.
"Not bad. Maybe I should try to win it back."
That settled it. He was a gambling man, and his Cursed Technique was tied to gambling too.
Akira recalled the student file his mother had brought home. Kinji Hakari scored high in physical ability and Cursed Technique, but his theory grades were a disaster. Calling him scum and deadweight was not wrong.
It was hard not to suspect he became a Jujutsu Sorcerer because he could not handle studying.
"What, you got a problem?" Kinji Hakari noticed the look and glared, already forgetting the pain.
"So what if I do?" Maki Zenin slammed her staff to the ground. "I'll tell you straight. This is our first-year boss, Ming-ge. If you provoke him, one hit won't settle it."
Akira jolted. Ming-ge, what was that supposed to be?
Before he could deny it, Maki Zenin flicked her ponytail and shouted, "Ming-ge, hello!"
"Ming-ge, hello."
"Salmon."
Panda and Toge Inumaki answered just as loudly, and even Yuta Okkotsu joined in with the air of launching a warship. Yuta, you learned bad habits too. Weren't we supposed to be on the same side?
"Ming-ge, huh. I'll remember that," Kinji Hakari said, accepting it without hesitation. "What do you want to say?"
Fine, Ming-ge it was. He could always borrow Satoru Gojo's Sunglasses later and add a fancy title in front. Akira gave up and shook his head.
"I just want to ask one thing," he said. "Can your Cursed Technique cheat? Gambling is like fighting. As long as you win, that's enough."
Kinji Hakari fell silent. At last, he understood why this harmless-looking Boy was the first-year boss. This was not a gambler. This was a cheat far worse than one.
His friendly smile gained a sharp edge. Were all these first-years monsters?
Japan is a country where theme culture is everywhere. There are theme parks, Theme Train, theme ships, and all kinds of strange variations. Some themes are proper, like popular anime or games, while others are not so proper, such as the legendary "X Han Train."
Today, on a certain car of the Shinkansen traveling from Tokyo to Kyoto, a brand-new theme appeared. The theme was gambling. It was loud, obvious, and impossible to ignore.
"Full House (Full House, Full House). Looks like my luck is finally turning."
"That's too sweet, Makoto. Kinji Hakari, Shijo Street A. I'm the final winner."
"Don't be so sure. Straight Flush!"
"You're kidding me. You can even draw a hand that shortens your lifespan?"
"No choice. The golden beginner hand is sometimes just like that."
"I heard that rumor too. People who have never been at the table always get great luck the first time. If they only start gambling after becoming a Third Magus, the luck can last a long time, until it finally runs dry."
"How do you know so much? Aren't you supposed to stay away from gambling?"
"We don't sit at real tables, but we play online games."
"And mobile games."
The way those two words were spoken carried clear resentment. In their eyes, all probability-based games were bad civilization.
"I refuse to believe I can't win!"
"Six sixes. Let's see how you beat that."
"Too small. Narrow thinking. If we compare small numbers, we can break the dice to reduce points. If we compare big numbers, watch carefully. Six sixes plus six ones. Forty-two."
"W-what???"
"Ari and I thought the same, but when it comes to technical tricks, you can't beat us. One through six on all faces, a complete set. I don't even feel like counting the points. This is the cap. I win. Kinji Hakari, you're paying for lunch."
"Damn it, again. Again!"
"All Simples!"
"Perfect timing. All the terminals you don't need are right here. Thirteen Orphans!"
"I don't have such flashy titles, so I'll just stack more patterns. Full Flush, Three Concealed Triplets, Four Kans. In some manga they call this Baltic Fleet. Oh, so Makoto can pull it off too."
"Bastards. You must be cheating!"
"That kind of thing doesn't matter. We were just helping you test if your luck could turn. Getting this far is pretty good, right?"
"Exactly. We don't make a living by gambling anyway."
"If I ever play this with you again, I'm an idiot!" Kinji Hakari ground his teeth at the two black-hearted jerks.
Satoru Gojo and Akira exchanged a smile. The pressure around them was dark enough to make people uneasy.
On the other side of the car, four other passengers were also doing something that matched the theme. Their game was much simpler, and the mood was calmer, just a way to pass time. It lacked the flashy noise of the group in the center.
"Your turn, Yuta." Panda drew a card and discarded one in a smooth motion.
They were playing the most basic game of Old Maid.
Yuta Okkotsu also drew a card from the hand next to him. "Is that really fine over there? Gambling so openly. Satoru Gojo is one thing, but Hakari-senpai and Akira aren't even adults."
"It's fine. Whether it's illegal depends on the stakes. Betting a meal just counts as entertainment." It was Maki Zenin's turn. "Still, I want to say this. That loser really chose the wrong table. One has Six Eyes, and the other is definitely using Pokemon to cheat."
"Sha." The card-drawing target, Gardevoir, protested.
"I didn't mean you. Don't get mad." Maki Zenin could argue with anyone else, but she could not stay tough in front of Akira and Gardevoir.
"Sha, sha."
Gardevoir puffed her cheeks and drew a card. Her face lit up, and she threw it down together with her last card. She was out.
Beside her, her other half Rika Orimoto copied her movements. The result was exactly the same, and she also made it out safely.
Seeing this, Panda said, "Beginner's luck isn't completely baseless."
"That kind of thing doesn't matter."