Ch.61 Arriving In Kyoto

Japan is a country where "theme culture" thrives.

Themed parks, themed trains, themed ships—there's a wide variety.

The themes themselves are quite diverse. Some are based on popular anime or games, while others are more dubious, like the infamous "X-rated trains."

Today, on the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Kyoto, a new theme was born in one of the cars: gambling.

"Full House, three of a kind and a pair. Looks like my luck is finally turning around."

"Too naive, Kinji. Four Aces. I'm the ultimate winner."

"Don't be so sure. Royal Flush!"

"You've got to be kidding me! How do you even get such a cursed hand?"

"No choice. Sometimes the 'golden virgin hand' just works like that."

"I've heard rumors like that. Apparently, if someone has never been to a gambling table before, their first time playing, they always have incredible luck. And if they ascend to 'grand wizard' status after that, their good fortune lasts until they finally experience a bad hand."

"How do you know all this? I thought you didn't gamble?"

"Not at the casino, but we play online games!"

"And mobile games!"

The two words were spoken with a tone of pure disdain, as if all games based on probability were a form of corrupt civilization.

"I refuse to believe I can't win!"

"Six sixes! Let's see how you top that!"

"Your thinking is too small. Reducing your dice rolls? Sure, I can beat you. Six sixes plus six ones! Forty-two points."

"Nani??"

"Akira and I had the same thought. But when it comes to this kind of skillful strategy, you guys don't stand a chance. Six ones, twos, threes, fours, fives, and sixes—every side of the dice. I'm not even going to bother counting. This is the maximum score—my win. Kinji, you're paying for lunch today."

"Curse it! Again, again!"

"All Triplets!"

"How convenient—you don't need those triplets because I have all of them—Thirteen Orphans!"

"I don't have any flashy names like that, so I'll just mix things up a bit—All One Suit, Three Concealed Triplets, Four Kong. In one manga, they call this the 'Baltic Fleet.' So it really is possible to get this hand, huh?"

"You jerks! You must be cheating!"

"Who cares? We were just trying to see if your luck would turn around. Isn't it good that you've been able to play this well?"

"Exactly. We're not making a living off gambling, so who cares?"

"If I play with you two again, I'm an idiot!" Kinji Hakari grumbled, his teeth grinding at the two black-hearted scoundrels.

Satoru Gojo and Akira exchanged a smile, but the dark aura surrounding them was enough to send chills down anyone's spine.

On the other side of the car, four other passengers were doing their own thing in line with the gambling theme, though their gameplay was much simpler, and the atmosphere much calmer—just passing the time.

"Your turn, Yuta." Panda drew a card and discarded it in one fluid motion.

That's right, they were playing the most basic of games: Old Maid.

Yuta Okkotsu drew a card from the hand of the person next to him: "Is that okay over there? They're so blatantly gambling. Gojo-sensei is one thing, but neither Kinji-senpai nor Akira are of age yet."

"No problem," Panda explained as it was Maki's turn. "Whether or not it's illegal depends on the stakes. A meal as the wager? That's considered entertainment."

"But I still don't get why that idiot chose to sit with them. One of them has 'Six Eyes,' and the other is definitely using a Pokémon to cheat."

"Garde~!" Gardevoir voiced her protest at being accused of cheating.

"I wasn't talking about you, so don't be mad." Maki was always ready to argue, but she could never be too tough with Hayami or Gardevoir.

"Garde~ Garde~"

Gardevoir puffed her cheeks, then drew a card, her mood lifting as she discarded her last one, winning the game.

Rika, following suit, also discarded her final card with a matching smile, finishing right after Gardevoir.

Seeing this, Panda commented: "Beginner's luck isn't entirely baseless, huh?"

"Doesn't matter," Megumi Fushiguro, who was next in line, added in agreement with his foster father's words.

Although not a Jujutsu High student, and thus unable to participate in the exchange event, Megumi had registered as a spectator since the event was open to sorcerers within the Jujutsu Alliance. Thanks to his agreement with Satoru Gojo, he had signed up early and tagged along.

"More than that, I'm curious about the Kyoto participants."

"I've done some research on that," Panda said. "Over the past few years, Kyoto has had the upper hand, which is why we're heading there this time."

One of the rules of the exchange event was that the winning school from the previous year would host the next.

"That's just because they have more people," Maki dismissed.

"Numbers are part of it, but their skill is nothing to scoff at either," Panda explained. "Last year, they dominated the individual matches, and this year they have two participants worth noting.

"Aoi Todo, a personal disciple of Yuki Tsukumo, the Special Grade sorcerer who ranked higher than Gojo. He's on the verge of becoming a Grade 1 sorcerer himself, just waiting for final approval. It's said that he rarely uses his Cursed Technique in battle, so there's little information on it."

"Interesting," Maki's eyes lit up with excitement. "So, not all of Kyoto's people are pushovers. The second person you're talking about must be the Kamo family heir."

"Correct. Like Megumi, he inherited one of the core techniques of the Three Great Families. He's a Grade 2 sorcerer, just like Inumaki."

"'Blood Manipulation,' a technique that allows for full-scale combat by controlling blood. It's very well-rounded."

"If you get the chance, why not challenge him? Practicing against the future head of the Three Great Families before you reach your own goals sounds like a good idea."

"We'll see about that."

Panda was surprised Maki hadn't immediately agreed. For someone so battle-hungry, this was unusual.

"What's going on? Did you get a stomachache?"

"Salmon?" Inumaki asked, checking if she was alright.

"No, you idiots!"

Maki shot a disdainful look at Panda, then glanced back at Akira.

Being from one of the Three Great Families herself and having received plenty of care from Hayami, she could sense that the mother-son duo had a similar "air" about them.

They were likely tied to the Kamo family.

If that were the case, Akira would need to settle this matter himself—this was Maki Zenin's way of doing things.

"Alright, idiots, I'm out of cards, but you're still losing."

"Huh?" Maki's casual demeanor was abruptly interrupted.

Even as they were talking, the game of Old Maid had continued without pause. After Gardevoir and Rika had won, Inumaki and Fushiguro quickly followed, leaving Panda and Maki as the last two—locked in a classic 2v1 scenario.

In the end, Panda drew the card he needed, bringing the game to a close.

"Your expressions are too easy to read. You should work on that for battle—lunch is on you today."

Maki's temper flared as she slammed the last Joker card onto the table, furious at losing.

But the worst was yet to come. Just as she was relieved to step off the train and escape the unlucky atmosphere of the carriage, she heard a familiar, snide voice from behind:

"Oh my, isn't this the runaway loser?"

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