The arcade was chaos at this point.
Machines flashing.
Coins clattering.
Two Hakaris screaming at the same time over completely different jackpots.
Kinji Hakari
Takeru stood at a row of gambling machines.
Completely calm.
Not even watching the screen properly.
Yet—
every machine he touched started spitting out jackpots.
Lights flashing.
Coins overflowing.
Alarm sounds going off like the building was malfunctioning.
Yuji stared.
"…He's not even looking."
Megumi muttered.
"…That's worse."
Hakari leaned over.
"…I feel personally challenged."
Takeru, still not looking, casually spoke while pressing buttons randomly.
"So…"
A pause.
"…Young Sukuna, young Kashimo, young Ryu, young Uraume, young Uro, young Angel, and young Yorozu…"
The mentioned people all turned slightly.
"…Technically we went from one timeline to another."
He pressed another button.
Another jackpot.
"…There are olds and youngs."
Another machine exploded into coins.
"…And now there are Heian Era youngs and olds."
Yuji whispered:
"…Why is he narrating while gambling?"
Megumi replied:
"…Don't interrupt him."
Takeru continued, still casually destroying every machine balance system.
"…Nothing new."
He shrugged slightly.
"…But I'm the overpowered guy who changed a Black Flash into a golden sparked one using math that isn't right math…"
He pressed a button.
JACKPOT.
"…And somehow it's a phenomenon."
Another machine.
JACKPOT.
"…And yeah."
He finally looked up slightly.
"…Pretty much it."
Silence.
Yuji blinked.
"…That was the most casual world-ending explanation I've ever heard."
Megumi nodded.
"…Unfortunately accurate."
Hakari was shaking slightly.
"…I need his luck studied."
Then—
Takeru's eyes shifted.
Across the arcade.
Someone familiar.
Naoya.
Naoya Zenin
He was talking.
Not loudly.
Not aggressively.
Just… talking.
To a group.
And among them—
were girls.
Laughing.
Engaged.
Not afraid.
Not uncomfortable.
Takeru paused.
Then—
he smiled slightly.
Yuji noticed.
"…Wait."
Megumi also noticed.
"…That's new."
Takeru spoke quietly.
"…So he actually learned."
Hakari blinked.
"…You're proud of Naoya?"
Takeru shrugged.
"…He put the misogynist away."
A pause.
"…That's good enough."
From the distance, Naoya looked up briefly.
Not angry.
Just aware.
And for once—
didn't react badly.
Yuji leaned toward Megumi.
"…This is the weirdest character development arc I've ever seen."
Megumi replied:
"…I don't think we're supposed to analyze it."
Fred slowly raised a sign from behind a prize counter:
"Arcade arc: emotional growth included."
Takeru turned back to the machines.
"…Alright."
A pause.
"…More jackpots."