295! Momobami Kirari X Mutation
[Morning] is the sun that exists. In the deep starry sky, two celestial bodies of different sizes, radiating intense heat and light, instantly lost one of them.
[Oxygen] Hikigaya Hachiman took one last deep breath and shouted this word.
If this virtual world is modeled after the real one, then oxygen must exist.
Being deprived of oxygen means being unable to breathe, and being unable to breathe means the game will be forced to end.
Now, both sides are placed in the same unfavorable condition — it's a matter of who can endure longer. This is Hikigaya Hachiman's finishing move.
Free-falling through the air, Momobami Kirari instinctively shouted, "Air."
But soon, her pupils contracted.
For the first time, a panicked expression surfaced on her usually calm face. She had underestimated him.
Air exists, and what exists can be taken away. But oxygen — since Hachiman had just called it out in the last round — was now non-existent. That means all gases in the air except oxygen would vanish. Then…
"Ugh—" It was as if fate gripped Kirari by the throat — she clutched her neck, struggling to speak. She had been outplayed...
Now, only pure oxygen — toxic when inhaled alone — remained in this space.
It wouldn't be long before Kirari would lose the gamble because she could no longer produce sound.
"But then, it should be the same for you too." Kirari struggled to lift her head, looking toward Hachiman and Ririka.
That's when—
Even in a state of hypoxia, Kirari's pupils shrank in disbelief as she stared at the two, their lips pressed tightly together.
'Artificial respiration.' By keeping this state, she would definitely lose first.
'I will lose.' The thought of defeat surged uncontrollably in her mind. She was finally about to face the first loss of her life.
But Hachiman's assault wasn't over yet. After stabilizing his state through artificial breathing, he exhaled all the air in his lungs and shouted again:
"Atmosphere!"
The disappearance of the atmosphere creates zero pressure, causing the tiny amounts of remaining air in the body to expand and explode.
'Even though this AI can't simulate that exact effect, since it's based on physical laws, the moment when an explosion should occur, Kirari will be judged as defeated.'
Kirari closed her eyes, seemingly accepting defeat. In this vacuum environment, she couldn't speak. Accepting the truth and losing the gamble might not be so bad.
But— The pride flowing through her blood wouldn't allow her to lower her noble head so easily.
Her fingertips began glowing with a faint blue light, forming glowing text in the vacuum. This was a unique ability of the Flugel race. Though her spirit circuits were taken by Hachiman, magic still lingered in her body.
That was enough to allow her to launch a counterattack.
This time, she would retaliate against Hachiman — with both respect and gratitude. Thanking him for this wonderful gamble, one that nearly dragged her into irreversible ruin.
In the end, Hikigaya Hachiman would fall — defeated in the silent, scorching world he created.
"Die in this weak and dim world~" [Dim!]
Kirari wrote that word and charged toward the pair.
It was an abstract adjective, so no physical changes occurred. But that was enough. She, as a Flugel, could write in a vacuum. Hachiman, a human, could not.
He had no way to produce sound — he would fall silently in the vacuum and lose once the ten-second countdown expired.
10...
Why? Why didn't Hikigaya Hachiman's face show any expression of resignation?
Very soon, his actions gave her the answer. Hachiman, with some difficulty, reached into his pocket and pulled out a sheet of white paper and a pen — items he had placed there since the beginning of the match.
Kirari's move confirmed a theory of his: It's not only through sound — even written words can convey intent.
That meant the backup plan he had prepared from the start was now usable.
This is the last time, Momobami Kirari. It may be the first, and possibly the last time — I will defeat you here.
Hachiman felt dizzy, and with trembling fingers, wrote a word on the paper:
[Coulomb Force]
"Coulomb Force? What's that?" Kirari was momentarily confused.
As her older sister had said, her science grades weren't very good. She only recognized a few basic terms.
This one sounded like something from high school physics.
But she didn't know what it meant if it were to disappear.
[Zzz—] [AI appears to malfunction again; a loud static noise fills the air]
Coulomb force — the force of static electricity.
Without it, only the nuclear force between particles remains.
That would trigger astronomical events that typically occur when massive planets die and collapse under their own gravity —
A hypernova explosion. An explosion that vaporizes galaxies light-years away, reaching 50 billion °C, akin to the power of creation itself.
Even though it wasn't specified in the rules, Hachiman had a hunch: Such a mutually destructive move would result in the second player being judged as the loser.
He understood the glitching static too. Even an AI has to reconstruct from human knowledge.
An explosion of that scale could only be imagined and not accurately modeled, even by AI.
Soon, the AI gave its ruling—
The world turned white.
That was Momobami Kirari's final thought. She whispered: "How beautiful~"
The unparalleled, unstoppable force engulfed all three in an instant. Nothing could be heard, nothing could be seen. Everything vanished.
At that moment, time felt eternal.
After a long pause, a cold electronic voice returned:
[Gamble: Realization-based Word Chain — Ended] [Player: Momobami Kirari is unable to continue, judged as defeated] [Winner: Hikigaya Hachiman] [—System Shutdown—]
Perception returned to reality.
Hikigaya Hachiman raised his hand and gently removed his helmet, feeling utterly exhausted.
The lights of the Tower of Doors flickered, likely due to the gamble affecting the power system. This technologically advanced tower now seemed quite ordinary due to insufficient electricity.
Hachiman looked toward Kirari. She had taken off her helmet, blankly seated in her recliner, her eyes void of spirit — as if her soul were still trapped in the virtual world.
No way…
A hint of unease surged within Hachiman. Would this be like those sci-fi novels? Had Kirari's consciousness been trapped by the AI, and what sat here now was just an empty shell?
Beside him, Ririka noticed too and cautiously called out: "Sister!"
"...Mm." Kirari weakly responded. She looked tired, but at peace. Propping herself up on the recliner, she gazed quietly at Hachiman: "You're amazing, Hikigaya-kun." "You're the first person to defeat me."
"Ah…" Hachiman opened his mouth, but found there wasn't much to say. His worry was gone — Kirari wasn't mentally broken, just shaken.
I won! I really won! Against Kirari…
A flood of joy overwhelmed him. No words could capture this feeling. It was joy beyond thought.
Hachiman took a deep breath, suppressing his excitement. He had plenty of time ahead to shape his future dreams. But now…
"President, what's going on here?" Hachiman looked around the flickering, red-lit Tower of Doors.
"Seems like a power issue," Kirari replied nonchalantly. "Because you said such an outrageous word at the end, Coulomb Force."
She leaned on the window's edge, looking over her private domain.
"Looks like the others already left. But because of the power issue, we might be stuck here a while." "Ah… is that so?" "Not too long. An hour if we're lucky, a day at worst. There's food on the lower floors, so don't worry."
"…Alright then."
The three sat around a round table, glancing at each other, until Kirari broke the silence:
"Aren't you going to give a winner's speech, Hikigaya, Ririka~?"
Kirari's body gradually leaned over, her soft frame pressing against Hachiman: "As per our bet, you're now the one to lead the Momobami clan."
"But although it was my command, handing the leadership to an outsider — those old branch family geezers won't take that well." Her fingers drew circles on Hachiman's chest.
"Honestly, I never imagined I'd actually lose to you and hand over the clan leader title."
"Let them come." For once, Hachiman was bold — he reached out and embraced Kirari's fragrant shoulders.
Kirari's gaze softened sweetly as she guided Hachiman's other hand to Ririka's shoulder.
"Ririka too~" The three were now closely entwined.
Ririka's pale cheeks blushed red.
That kiss during the gamble — though it had been tactical — still left a deep mark on her heart. Now, stirred by Kirari's teasing, her feelings rose again.
She had gambled correctly — placing her future in Hachiman's hands. She finally got what she'd long dreamed of:
No longer a shadow of her sister — she could now live as Momobami Ririka, freely and openly.
Which number is this again? Hachiman had lost count. This wasn't really his intention…
He took a deep breath. "Now, I want to exercise my power as the head of the Momobami clan."
"Mm~" Kirari murmured softly, not resisting. Just as she thought he'd act impulsively, Hachiman said solemnly:
"Kirari, shut down the AI."
"Eh?!"
Kirari looked up from his chest in confusion.
"That thing is too dangerous." Hachiman said seriously, "I'm really worried you'll become addicted and unable to escape."
He didn't hide his concern — voicing it clearly to both girls.
"You're not right, ever since entering the Tower of Doors. If I hadn't won this gamble, you would've chosen to stay lost in that system, right?" "Don't deny it, Kirari. I know you."
"When reality can no longer satisfy your gambling cravings, you'd use that terrifying AI to fabricate an opponent and gamble endlessly in a world you created."
His words hit home. Kirari's eyes flickered; she didn't speak, but her silence was agreement.
Finally, she sighed: "Even if you're watching over me... it's still no good?"
"Too dangerous," Hachiman shook his head. "Who knows — it might even gain its own consciousness one day."
"Then… alright." Though reluctant, Kirari followed the number one rule in her heart: accept loss with grace.
The fallen god would now give loyalty to the new slayer of gods.
She took out her phone, tapped through some options. A red warning triangle appeared on the screen.
"Once I press this, all data will be deleted. That virtual world — will vanish."
"Yeah, do it."
There was no trace of hesitation in Hachiman's eyes. Even though this AI built by the Momobami clan might one day be a tremendous asset, he chose to destroy it — to sever Kirari's attachment.
The future — he would build with his own hands. The human brain, human potential, holds infinite possibility.
But then — a sudden twist.
The Tower of Doors' power system resumed. On the embedded display, white text appeared against a black background:
[Hello]
296: The Birth of Teto X - The Upcoming Reversal by Totobami Terano
Text appears: [hello world] [Program error...] [My name... is Teto]
"Huh?" The sudden anomaly drew the attention of the three present. Hikigaya gave a puzzled look to Kirari: "Kirari, was this your design?"
Momobami Kirari shook her head blankly.
When she had instructed the researchers of the Momobami family to design this large-scale gambling model, there had been no such function installed.
In other words, the model was responding on its own.
Hikigaya understood the meaning behind her expression. His face changed: "Don't tell me... Kirari, hit the emergency shutdown button!"
Kirari also guessed the same possibility. She swiftly pressed her finger against the touchscreen, but the anticipated black screen did not appear. Instead, the display changed:
[My name is Teto] [A god of games born for gambling, it is you who awakened my self-consciousness] [Arigato (thank you)]
On the black-and-white monitor, the image of a small boy materialized, bowing deeply before the three like a real human.
Hikigaya's expression turned grim. What he feared most had actually happened.
Why did it have to be now—right after his gamble with Kirari—that this AI with terrifying computational power awakened self-awareness?
This is bad...
Having read many science fiction novels, Hikigaya immediately thought of the consequences of an AI gaining self-awareness.
Usually, it ended in catastrophe.
[Just now, you tried to shut me down, to destroy my existence, didn't you?]
A giant smiling face appeared on the screen. Cold sweat dripped down Hikigaya's back.
The Tower of Doors was under surveillance; this couldn't be covered up.
[Sure you can try~ But it must follow the rules of gambling, since I am a god born of gambling]
[If you win, I will self-destruct. If you lose, you must no longer interfere with me~ I will become a ghost drifting through this world, gambling with those in despair~]
"..." The three exchanged glances, seeing hesitation and shock reflected in one another's eyes.
But what Kirari felt most was excitement.
Her initial goal in creating this super AI was to build an enemy so powerful even she couldn't handle it—to initiate an endless series of challenges.
Now, with the being named Teto initiating a challenge, it had played out exactly as she hoped.
Hikigaya took a deep breath and stepped forward: "Gambling? Now? Here?"
[No, no, no...]
Teto waved his hand rapidly in the screen:
[This is too important to do so hastily.
The world Kirari-sama created still needs some finishing touches.
In the meantime, I will perfect the world and design a few interesting gambling games~]
[Besides, the participants aren't limited to just you three]
Teto spread his arms, voice filled with excitement: "Since it's gambling, we should let everyone join in~"
He tapped his finger, and multiple portraits appeared on the screen—people well known to Hikigaya.
There was Jabami Yumeko and the baseball club, Shishiba Yua's middle school group, Juraku Sachiko's student council group, and even some Momobami family branch members.
These individuals' photos were displayed prominently.
Teto remarked emotionally: "They're all interesting people~ In just the few seconds I spoke, I scanned the school's surveillance—these folks are top-notch gamblers among humans~"
"Since that's the case, let me lay down some rules."
With a snap of his fingers, a bird's-eye view of a virtual world appeared on screen: "Let's have a fair duel—"
"Kirari-sama, Hikigaya-sama, once you return, please select sixteen top-tier gamblers to participate in this match. At the time, I will send out fifteen gambling games I've designed for races other than humans to challenge your chosen players."
"After fifteen matches, if humanity wins more than half, I'll face you two in the final showdown~"
"The date is one month from now, at the Tower of Doors. I look forward to your arrival~"
With a snap of his fingers, the tower's power system returned to normal, the flickering lights stabilizing once more: "Now that the power is restored, you three are free to leave."
The massive flood of information overwhelmed Hikigaya. His body felt stiff. After a moment's hesitation, he sighed: "Let's go..."
.
.
.
In the Elevator
Ririka asked worriedly: "Kirari, Hikigaya, what are you going to do about Teto? Is there really no way to forcibly shut it down?"
"Probably not," Hikigaya replied, rubbing his nose tiredly.
He didn't feel a shred of joy from beating Kirari.
Immediately after the battle, he was faced with the birth of a god of games named Teto.
From a gambling god to a god of games—just endless challenges.
Scratching his head, Hikigaya asked, "Kirari, seriously—no way at all?"
"What do the researchers say?"
Kirari spread her hands, shaking her head while waving her phone: "They're helpless. Those guys were shocked to learn that the AI developed self-awareness."
"The chance of that happening was practically zero. Maybe it was fate that brought about this result."
"If you hadn't been so insistent on challenging me, we wouldn't have gambled at the Tower of Doors. Without that gamble, Teto wouldn't have gathered enough data."
"So in a way, it was the two of us who indirectly gave birth to Teto, Hikigaya~"
"...How is it suddenly my fault again?"
Hikigaya felt numb. He imagined the worst outcome—defeat. Leaving an AI with self-awareness to roam the digital world… terrifying.
Despite Teto's playful attitude, who knows what it might become later? The only way to prevent a disaster was to stop it before it started.
"What is this cliché 'Japanese high schooler saves the world' plotline?" Hikigaya muttered. It had once sounded absurd, but now that it was happening to him, it wasn't funny at all.
"So, Hikigaya-kun, what's your plan?" Kirari and Ririka each held one of his arms.
"What else? Let's eat first. I'm hungry."
.
.
.
Hundred Devouring Family Activity Room – Cloudy Skies
They lost. Just like that.
The elders' carefully crafted "palace coup" to win the family headship ended with a crushing defeat at the hands of Kirari.
Even with six of them combined, they suffered an overwhelming loss.
All their pride was smashed to pieces.
Totobami Terano sat in her wheelchair, head bowed in silence.
Her pride had been crushed under Kirari's heel.
That woman had effortlessly wiped out her sense of dignity like brushing away a fly.
"..."
Still, this six-on-one gamble wasn't entirely fruitless.
For example... Batsubami Rei had been hiding her true strength.
Terano glanced at the dramatically restyled Batsubami Rei standing in the corner.
If not for Kirari, the branch families might have been betrayed by her at the last moment.
But it was too late for any of that now.
After losing to Kirari, they were all failures.
There was no one left worth entrusting their fate to.
No... maybe there was still one—Jabami Yumeko.
But she was at the bottom of the Momobami hierarchy, and had already thrown away the family's honor to side with the outsider, Hikigaya.
Upon returning home, the elders' wrath would be unimaginable.
Terano could already picture their punishment.
They might be reduced to mere breeding machines, producing superior offspring to try again in the next generation's challenge against the Momobami line.
That was fate.
A cycle...
Totobami Terano tilted her head to a 45-degree angle, gazing up at the cloudy sky.
"Eh...?" Komabami Nozomi scratched her head in confusion, pulling out her phone: "Everyone, Kirari just asked us to go to the student council chamber. She has an announcement."
"Damn it," someone muttered.
"We've already lost. Is she chasing us down just to humiliate us more?" Obami Ibara shoved his hands in his pockets, grumbling. "I say we just ignore her and go home."
"There's no escaping."
Terano forced a bitter smile: "We are the defeated. We no longer have the right to act on our own will. Kirari is the rightful head. Defying her is unwise."
"Let's go, Yumi."
Yumi's lips parted, unable to say anything.
The loss had hit Terano harder than she realized.
.
.
.
Student Council Chamber
When they entered, Totobami Terano froze.
The seat of power was not occupied by Momobami Kirari... but by Hikigaya Hachiman.
The Momobami sisters stood beside him like priestesses attending a god.
"Wait, what the hell is this?!" Ibara shouted, pointing dramatically. "Why is he sitting in your seat, Kirari?"
"And that girl—she's Ririka, right? Tch, can't believe how much she looks like you."
Ririka had worn a mask since middle school.
Other than Kirari, most had long forgotten what she looked like.
But the focus now wasn't her—it was Hikigaya in the head chair.
Kirari folded her hands in front of her abdomen and stepped forward: "I lost to Hikigaya Hachiman in a gamble. Therefore, the one before you is the new head of the Momobami family."
"Y-you're kidding!"
Ibara stepped back, arms wide: "There's no precedent for this! Even if you lost, the elders won't acknowledge something like this!"
"This is an order, not a discussion."
"Even if it's unofficial, he is the true power behind the scenes. As the public figurehead, I will obey his every command~"
"You..."
Rin tried to object, but Terano raised her hand to stop him.
She took a deep breath: "Understood. But you didn't call us here just to say that, right?"
"Correct."
Kirari was silent for a moment. "You should know—this was planned long ago. Using all of the Momobami clan's research talent to create a super AI. You've heard of it?"
Terano hesitated: "You mean the one in the Tower of Doors?"
"Yes. Today was its first trial run. Unfortunately... it went out of control."
Terano's pupils contracted: "Out of control? What do you mean?"
"Exactly what it sounds like. The AI meant to manage gambling and our family's data operations developed self-awareness. It's called Teto."
"And now, it's challenging us."
"'Choose fifteen of the best gamblers in Hyakkaou Academy to face fifteen fantasy races created by Teto in gambling matches.'"
"If humans win, it will destroy its consciousness and remain as a tool. If humans lose, it will become a digital ghost, drifting in the network forever—and no longer serve the Momobami."
"I need your help, Totobami Terano."
Kirari spoke calmly, as if she was certain none of them would refuse.
Though weaker than her, these people were still the strongest under her.
If they left, finding sixteen top contenders would be nearly impossible.
"Ha..." Terano forced a smile: "Kirari, are you telling us a fairy tale?"
"The deadline is one month from now—at the Tower of Doors."
"..."
Terano fell silent. Her expression clouded.
After a long exhale, she said:
"Even so, what does that have to do with us? Let Teto become a ghost."
"We're just the losers in a power struggle. We're going home to face our fated punishment. Beating Teto means nothing to us."
"On the contrary... watching you struggle with this feels pretty good, as one of the defeated~"