293 No Gambling, No Life
"So amazing." Hikigaya Hachiman swayed his body with curiosity. Even though his real body was just lying in a chair, his senses were completely blocked off, yet he could move freely in this body here.
He hadn't expected that perhaps the most important gamble of his life would take place under these circumstances.
On the other side, Momobami Ririka looked much calmer.
As Kirari's shadow, it wasn't surprising for her that their family possessed such advanced technological creations.
Hikigaya placed his hand on the round table in front of him.
The tactile sensation was quite realistic, but if he focused, he could still clearly sense a faint, subtle difference.
Real, but not fully real.
Still, there would be plenty of chances to play with this kind of high-tech toy in the future. For now, the priority was understanding the rules.
"The game manual is on the table. The ten-minute countdown starts now~" Momobami Kirari's voice echoed throughout the small study room, flooding in from all directions.
Following her instructions, Hikigaya Hachiman opened the first page of the manual.
"Human race, Beastmen race, Winged race..." "Elf circuits, flight, Kyuuen's fourth blessing..."
Hikigaya carefully memorized every setting of the game until the final page.
"No Gambling, No Life?" "A life of gambling?" "Now this is really..."
As if answering Hikigaya's confusion, Kirari's voice sounded again: "Gambling in the real world is ultimately bound by physical limitations. No matter what kind of gamble it is, there's always some similar game that someone has already created."
"But in this AI-created world, the constraints of physics are broken. A fantasy world has been perfectly constructed. Gambling here lets you enjoy infinite pleasure!!"
Kirari's voice trembled as if trying to suppress the demon inside her: "This place... is the most perfect world~"
Suddenly, the scenery around them changed.
The old-fashioned, heavy study room vanished. The space beneath Hikigaya and Ririka transformed into the sky itself.
Below their feet floated clouds, around them coiled massive dragons, and the land beneath was a sea of splendid flowers, majestic mountains, and an endless ocean.
"Is this world beautiful?"
Hikigaya Hachiman was silent for a moment. "Beautiful."
But he already sensed something was wrong.
Kirari's state was off. It was as if she could no longer feel any joy in the real world, slowly shifting the center of her mind into this virtual reality.
Whether it was the Tower of Doors filled with escapist ideology, or this world called "No Gambling, No Life"... absurd.
All of it was absurd.
Hikigaya found it novel, yes, but not thrilling. Only a surreal sense of emptiness rippled in his heart.
And judging by her words, Kirari truly wanted to immerse herself in this space forever.
No. Momobami Kirari must be restrained.
In that brief flash of thought, Hikigaya made his decision.
Yes, this place was beautiful, but it was like a slow-acting poison.
Judging from Kirari's current state, if this continued… she would completely sever her ties to the real world, and sleep forever inside this virtual realm.
"If AI has enough computing power to create this, it could certainly be trained specifically for gambling. Then, Kirari's gambling opponent will shift from mere humans to challenging unsolvable AI."
Can humans win against AI?
The answer was clear: no way.
Limited by the brain's capacity and computational ability, the calculation load and psychological games required for gambling were on completely different levels.
A normal person—after trying it once or twice—might lose interest and give up. But… Kirari was different. If it were her, she would delight in it to the point of madness.
But she wasn't completely to blame. After all, in this real world, there was no one left who could satisfy her thrill.
"You know, Hikigaya, just recently, I received two very interesting applications."
"Eh?" Hikigaya's ahoge floated lightly in the wind as he asked instinctively, "What?"
"One was a teacher's resume. The other, a transfer request."
"Both of them… people you know~"
Hikigaya's face showed rare shock. "You mean... Yukinoshita Yukino, and… Hiratsuka Shizuka?"
"Exactly. These two want to enter my paradise. So—should I refuse, or accept?"
"Reject them!" Hikigaya said without hesitation.
Hyakkaou Private Academy was an arena of fame and profit.
It wasn't suitable for a model student like Yukinoshita Yukino, nor for an idealistic teacher like Hiratsuka Shizuka.
"Then let this gamble decide it~ If Hikigaya-kun loses, I'll accept their transfer applications. If you win~ the position of head of the Momobami clan is yours~"
"Judging from the current votes, the final winner will be one of us two anyway."
"Yeah." Hikigaya nodded, having already made up his mind.
As long as he could defeat Kirari here, she probably wouldn't need any prompting to shut down the AI.
After all, if real life could offer enough enjoyment, who would willingly drown in the virtual?
Kirari... needed an anchor in the real world.
The scenery shifted again.
Hikigaya returned to the old-fashioned study.
Ririka's voice came with an apologetic tone: "Sorry, Hikigaya-kun, for pushing the battle onto you."
"It's fine. I was always going to gamble against the president sooner or later."
Hikigaya's expression was unusually focused—so much so that Ririka didn't dare interrupt.
Blue veins around his eyes bulged, his face turned slightly red, and his body temperature gradually rose.
He had entered an unfamiliar state, as if his brain was being pushed to its absolute limit, and he had entered a phase of mad calculation.
In his mind, he constantly simulated the possible scenarios.
At this point, neither he nor Kirari had their races determined yet. Each race had different innate talents, and in this game of "Embodied Word Chain," those would lead to completely different developments.
Hikigaya had to take everything into account.
He muttered: "The weakest one is undoubtedly the Human race. Its only trait is 'wisdom'—which means, if nothing goes wrong, it has no extra abilities."
"In gambling terms, it means having no sleight-of-hand."
With that thought, Hikigaya came back to his senses. He quietly walked to the nearby bookshelf, tore out a blank page, then took a fountain pen from the table and put them in his pocket.
If "Embodied Word Chain" really operated by the rules...
Suddenly, he asked aloud: "Ririka, how's your sister at physics?"
"My sister?" Ririka thought for a moment and quickly answered: "My sister... is only good at liberal arts."
294: The Key to Victory
Momobami Kirari was only good at liberal arts subjects.
Hikigaya Hachiman closed his eyes in contemplation—this was valuable intel.
Of course, as the God of Gambling, Kirari must have already mastered the basic scientific knowledge that could be related to gambling.
"With this, everything that could be done by human effort has already been done. The rest is up to fate," Hachiman said as he sat cross-legged, eyes closed, quietly awaiting the end of the ten-minute countdown.
Momobami Ririka stood beside him, not daring to interrupt.
Finally—
"Time's up~"
With that voice, Kirari's body appeared in the old-fashioned study, as if 3D-printed, materializing amidst a scan of brilliant light.
"Are you ready, Hikigaya Hachiman?"
Excitement surged from Kirari's eyes, nearly overflowing.
She pressed one hand to her chest, her thighs tightly pressed together.
This kind of unprecedented, unimaginable experience—even for her—it was a first.
Her first time would be dedicated to Hikigaya Hachiman.
"More or less," he replied.
"Then let's draw your race~"
With a snap of Kirari's fingers, sixteen identity cards representing different races floated around them. Such an anti-gravity display could only exist in this virtual world.
"To be honest, I've always opposed cheating in gambling."
"Gambling should be about the purest kind of confrontation—calculating everything, betting everything—not relying on external methods like cheating."
"The content behind the cards is entirely random. Go ahead, choose your race..."
"Seriously..." Hachiman scratched his head. "So, last time with the tarot, the president used some kind of cheating trick I couldn't understand, huh."
Hachiman casually flipped over a card. It showed a human figure.
[Player: Hikigaya Hachiman, drawn race: Human]
A cold electronic voice rang out.
"You drew human, Hachiman-kun~" Kirari said, shaking her head slightly in disappointment.
The AI controlled by the Hundred Devouring Clan had not yet developed to the point where it could forcibly enhance the computational power of a human brain.
In other words, the human racial trait, Intelligence, had no added bonus.
The only thing the player could rely on was their own intellect.
"Later on, the AI will provide prompts to indirectly grant players buffs. But since this is the first time, there's no data to judge the right level."
"If you're not satisfied, Hachiman-kun, you can redraw once."
As she spoke, the cards floated again around Hachiman.
"No, it's fine." Hachiman toyed with the card in his hand. "Human is good. I'll play as a human."
"If you're sure, then I won't say more."
It was precisely this unusual insistence that made Kirari always find Hachiman so interesting.
"If... I could stay in this space with Hachiman forever..."
Kirari closed her eyes and reached forward, drawing her own race card.
[Player: Momobami Kirari, drawn race: Flügel (Winged Race)]
Flügel...
Hachiman immediately recalled the related intel in his mind: their bodies contain spirit circuits, and they possess the ability to fly, along with divine blessings like the Fourth Blessing of Kuon and other magical abilities.
That kind of fantasy species that only existed in Japanese and European high-fantasy works—what could it accomplish in this world?
From the very beginning, the information available to both sides was unequal.
The intel Hachiman had access to consisted of hollow text descriptions, with no demonstrations.
Whether Kirari did this intentionally or not was unknown.
"Ara~ seems like I got lucky."
[Game Start—]
The cold electronic voice rang out again. A screen of light emerged, pulling the three of them inside.
"Ririka, if you want to take off that mask, then join this gamble. But, you're not allowed to speak. You'll just witness Hikigaya Hachiman's gamble. Is that alright~?"
"No problem!"
[First Move: Hikigaya Hachiman]
"Ahem."
Hikigaya Hachiman wore a contemplative expression.
He wanted to test the limits of this materialized word-chain game.
"Hydrogen Bomb!"
As Hachiman spoke, the space around them distorted.
The environment instantly changed—from a sunny sky to deep blackness.
A missile, dark gray and exuding destructive energy, slowly emerged from the void. Its tail spewed a bluish flame, pushing its massive body toward the three of them.
Watching the approaching hydrogen bomb, Hachiman felt the hairs on his body stand up. Even though he knew it was virtual, he felt an overwhelming sense of danger—as if his life was truly at risk.
All his senses screamed at him to run, a primal instinct in the face of death.
This virtual reality was terrifyingly realistic.
[Player: Momobami Kirari]
"Geez... starting with such a high-level attack?"
Kirari remained calm and murmured, "Fourth Blessing of Kuon."
Visible rings of light appeared around them, directly clashing with the hydrogen bomb.
The impact wave was immense, blinding them, flooding the space with pure white light.
"You said 'ku' at the start—Fourth Blessing of Kuon, the highest-level defensive magic. Hachiman-kun must've noticed it while reading the manual earlier."
"Since it exists, now my defensive magic will be stripped. Such careful planning."
"Same to you."
Hachiman waved it off. "Strategy comes second. Now I finally understand what materialized word-chain is. Unbelievable—I never imagined technology could reach this level."
"Hmph. If not for my mercy in protecting you, this gamble might have ended already.
Even a Flügel would die under a hydrogen bomb.
But as a human, you would've ended the game even faster."
"Don't frame it as mercy. If it's you, Kirari..."
"You'd never accept ending the game in just one move—how boring and unsatisfying that would be."
"I see. Looks like you know me well, Hachiman-kun."
"Next is: Spirit Circuit—"
Hachiman raised his hand. At that moment, radiant patterns lit up on Kirari's body.
Due to the rule "Existing abilities will be stripped once manifested", Kirari's spirit circuits vanished.
Now that the rules had been confirmed, Hachiman's strategy was to strip Kirari's racial abilities, bringing her down to his level.
"Another sneak attack, huh~"
Kirari raised her hand and mimed gripping the air.
"You planned to start stripping my abilities from the hydrogen bomb, didn't you~"
"How's that? Feeling off-balance?"
"No, without the spirit circuit, I can't fly. You might be able to use that weakness to finish me off, Hachiman-kun~"
"Seems like this virtual world isn't quite real enough."
"What do you mean?"
Hachiman pondered. This kind of skill-based gambling was essentially a forcibly imposed alternate gambling style: "If spirit circuits are a vital part of the Flügel body, stripping them should cause a debuff—like weakness."
"As racial skills, they should be double-edged. Gaining something should mean losing something too—that would be fair. But judging from your condition, Kirari, you seem completely unaffected."
"I see. Got it." Kirari nodded thoughtfully.
She was undoubtedly a master in gambling. But in designing game-like virtual worlds—she was a complete amateur.
That made Hachiman's value increase again.
"Let's make it a bit simpler."
The scene changed to a grassy field. A majestic horse grazed nearby.
"But simpler is boring, Kirari."
[Bzzt... Logical presence detected. Cannot simulate. Judgment passed. Skipping to next round]
A cold system voice, interlaced with static, interrupted.
R18 content couldn't be added or removed.
Essentially, elements involving human anatomy or body parts couldn't be stripped.
Hachiman made a mental note—he was beginning to understand how the AI operated.
"Let's go to the beach, the sand~"
"Nipple!"
Hachiman spoke nonchalantly, as if the intel he'd just confirmed didn't exist.
Again, the AI responded.
[Bzzt... Logical presence detected. Cannot simulate. Skipping to next round]
"Hachiman-kun, you're really thinking about pervy stuff~ If you really like it, I can train the AI in that direction for you~ Then all your ideas can be realized."
"As for now~ all adult content will be blocked."
"Bikini—"
Poof~
With a manga-like sound effect, a cloud of white mist appeared.
The sisters' clothing transformed into beach-exclusive bikinis.
Large patches of fair skin were suddenly exposed to Hachiman's gaze.
He found himself unable to look away.
"Kyaa—" Ririka yelped, covering herself reflexively, only to find a layer of white light obscured all key parts.
Annoyed, she said, "Honestly! Ririka, Hachiman, you two need to behave! Even if it's a gamble, let's try to keep things normal!"
"Okay, okay, I get it," Hachiman raised his hand in surrender.
"Light."
After several rounds, the three arrived at an ancient altar.
Kirari propped her head on one hand.
At her soft command, torches lit up one after another.
"Hachiman-kun, haven't figured out how to beat me yet?"
"If this keeps up, I'll use my finishing move~"
Hachiman's expression grew serious. His earlier attacks had all been subtly defused by Kirari.
From beginning to end, his thoughts were all within her expectations.
Let's look at the rules: [Repeat a word already said], [Fail to respond within ten seconds], [Cannot continue].
The first rule was unfeasible—Hachiman didn't know Kirari's exact literary mastery, but when it came to gambling, her vocabulary could be considered infinite.
The second rule—failure to respond—depended on inability to speak. For example, if he used a word like vocal cords or vacuum, rendering speech impossible, Kirari, as the next player, would naturally lose.
But Hachiman wasn't sure if writing the word instead of saying it would count. Testing this might reveal his intentions and make things worse. Even though Kirari was always alert, exposing his plan would make it powerless.
Too direct a strategy loses its edge—it must be a trump card.
Now the third rule—cannot continue.
Hachiman interpreted this as exceeding the AI's computational limit or achieving elimination of the opponent—in this case, eliminating the Flügel Kirari.
That meant he didn't need to hide his intention.
They both understood: to win, each had to eliminate the other.
"Finishing move?"
"Then let me try mine first, Kirari." Hachiman grabbed Ririka's hand and dashed up the stairs, leaping.
Before the ten seconds expired, he shouted with all his might: "Lithosphere—"
[Bzzt——]
The world changed instantly. The earth they relied on, the sky they were used to—gone.
Lithosphere.
A term from junior high geography.
Essential for human survival.
The surface of an entire planet.
Without it, nothing exists.
What happens when the planet's surface disappears?
Terrifying free fall.
The familiar ground beneath their feet was gone, replaced by a sun-like planet core.
"Core temperature: 6000°C. Surface: 3000°C. No contact needed—just proximity ends the gamble."
Kirari instinctively tried to fly, but her spirit circuits had been stripped long ago by Hachiman.
She let out a wry smile. "As expected of you, Hikigaya Hachiman. From the start, stripping my flight ability—you already planned this far ahead?"
"But... if you think this is enough to defeat me, you're still far from it."
"Then how about this—Morning!"