Maki Zenin froze.
The others were no better. They stared at Kinji Hakari, who had gone down after taking a single hit, and for a moment, nobody knew what to say.
*He talked so big, but he's this weak?*
Something was wrong.
Maki knew how much force she had put into that strike, but she also knew what kind of opponent she had been facing. Kinji Hakari's footwork, movements, and Cursed Energy control were all at a high level. Even his defensive posture had been correct.
That was precisely why she had attacked with all her strength.
Someone with those skills should never have gone down so easily.
"Hey, second-year! Get up already. Stop playing dead!"
Kinji Hakari remained on the ground.
"He's not pretending," Satoru Gojo finally spoke.
Seeing everyone turn toward him, he explained with a smile, "That's Kinji's Cursed Technique. It's related to gambling. When his luck is good, even I find him troublesome to deal with. But when his luck is bad, well, you just saw what happens."
Gojo raised one finger.
"Think of it like rolling a die and getting a one."
"Two ones," Kinji Hakari corrected him.
He slowly climbed to his feet, rubbing the arm that had taken Maki's attack. His expression looked terrible.
"Seriously, what rotten luck. I skipped breakfast because I wanted to finish this quickly. Who would've thought I'd be the one getting knocked out in one hit?"
He clicked his tongue and shook his head.
"With luck like this, maybe Makoto shouldn't go to Kyoto after all."
"Don't say that."
Satoru Gojo casually handed him a paper bag filled with snacks.
"Luck goes up and down. Just because you rolled two ones doesn't mean you'll keep rolling them. Besides, with your strength, anything above a three should be enough to beat Kyoto. No problem."
Kinji Hakari considered his words.
"Then let's try it."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a die.
Under everyone's gaze, he casually tossed it into the air.
The die struck the ground, bounced several times, and finally stopped.
Four.
"Oh?"
Kinji Hakari's expression immediately improved.
"Not bad. Looks like my luck's coming back. Maybe I should try winning it back."
Everyone fell silent.
Well, there was no mistaking it now.
This guy was a gambler through and through. Even his Cursed Technique was tied to gambling.
Akira suddenly remembered the student file his mother had brought home.
According to the records, Kinji Hakari's physical abilities and Cursed Technique evaluations were excellent. His practical combat scores were also high.
As for his theoretical grades...
They were a complete disaster.
Calling him a scumbag student and academic deadweight would not be much of an exaggeration.
Akira could not help suspecting that this guy had become a Jujutsu Sorcerer simply because he could not stand studying.
"What?"
Kinji Hakari noticed his expression.
"You got a problem with me?"
He glared at Akira, apparently having forgotten all about the pain in his arm.
Before Akira could answer, Maki Zenin slammed her staff against the ground.
"So what if he does?"
She stepped forward and pointed at Akira.
"Let me tell you something, second-year. This guy is the boss of our first-years, Ming-ge! If you provoke him, don't think you'll get away with just one hit!"
Akira nearly stumbled.
*Wait a second.*
*Ming-ge?*
*Where the hell did that come from?*
He opened his mouth to protest, but Maki was already turning around.
She flicked her ponytail and shouted, "Ming-ge, hello!"
"Ming-ge, hello!"
"Salmon!"
Panda and Toge Inumaki immediately followed her lead.
Even Yuta Okkotsu joined in, greeting him with the serious expression of someone launching a warship.
Akira stared at them.
*Yuta!*
*Even you?*
*When did you learn these bad habits? Weren't we supposed to be on the same side?*
Unfortunately, none of his classmates showed the slightest intention of helping him.
"Ming-ge, huh?"
Kinji Hakari rubbed his chin.
"Fine. I'll remember that name."
He looked at Akira again.
"So, Ming-ge, what did you want to say?"
"..."
Akira gave up.
Fine.
If they wanted to call him Ming-ge, then Ming-ge it was.
At worst, he could borrow Satoru Gojo's sunglasses later and come up with some impressive title to put in front of it.
That should make the whole thing sound a little more respectable.
Shaking his head, Akira returned his attention to Kinji Hakari.
"Actually, I just wanted to ask you something."
"What?"
"Can your Cursed Technique cheat?"
"Huh?"
Kinji Hakari blinked.
Akira continued as if he had asked the most natural question in the world.
"Think about it. Gambling and fighting aren't that different. What matters is winning, right? If you can control the result or change the odds in your favor, why leave everything to luck?"
"..."
This time, Kinji Hakari was genuinely speechless.
He stared at the harmless-looking boy in front of him.
For the first time, he understood why the other first-years treated Akira as their boss.
*What the hell?*
*Is this guy even a gambler?*
*He's already thinking about cheating before he sits down at the table!*
And the worst part was that he had a point.
Kinji Hakari's expression slowly changed. A sharp smile appeared on his face as his interest grew.
*Seriously, what's wrong with these first-years?*
*Are they all monsters?*
***
Japan was a country where theme culture could be found almost everywhere.
There were theme parks, themed trains, themed ships, and all kinds of strange attractions built around a particular idea.
Some themes were perfectly normal, usually based on popular anime, manga, or games.
Others were a little harder to explain.
There was even the legendary "X Han Train," which belonged firmly in the second category.
And today, aboard a certain Shinkansen traveling from Tokyo to Kyoto, another unusual theme had appeared.
Gambling.
More precisely, one particular car had practically turned into a mobile gambling den.
The atmosphere was lively, the voices were loud, and the people involved showed no intention of behaving like ordinary passengers.
"Full house! Full house! Hahaha! Looks like my luck's finally turning around!"
Kinji Hakari slapped his cards onto the table with a grin.
Unfortunately, his happiness lasted only a moment.
"Too sweet, Makoto. Kinji Hakari, Shijo Street A. I'm the final winner!"
"Don't celebrate so early. Straight flush!"
A new set of cards appeared on the table.
Kinji Hakari's smile stiffened.
"What the hell? You can even draw a hand like that? Are you trying to shorten your lifespan?"
"No choice. Sometimes the golden beginner hand is just that ridiculous."
"Speaking of which, I've heard that rumor before."
Someone immediately joined the conversation.
"People who've never gambled before supposedly have incredible luck when they first start. And if they wait until becoming a Third Magus before they begin, that beginner's luck might last a very long time."
"Until it finally runs out, anyway."
"Wait, how do you know so much about this stuff? Aren't you supposed to stay away from gambling?"
"We don't gamble at actual tables."
"That's right. We only play online games."
"And mobile games."
The moment those last two words came out, the atmosphere became strangely heavy.
There was clear resentment in those voices.
Anyone familiar with probability-based games would understand that feeling.
After all, whether it was drawing cards or pulling characters from a gacha, both relied on the same terrible thing.
Luck.
And in the eyes of certain people, games that depended entirely on probability were simply bad civilization.
"I refuse to believe this!"
Kinji Hakari slammed his hand onto the table.
"Again!"
The gambling continued.
This time, they switched to dice.
"Six sixes!"
Kinji Hakari proudly displayed his result.
"Let's see how you beat that!"
"Too small."
"Huh?"
"Your thinking is too narrow."
One of his opponents shook his head in disappointment.
"If we're competing for the smallest number, we can just break the dice and reduce the points. But if we're competing for the largest number, then watch carefully."
A handful of dice rolled across the table.
"Six sixes, plus six ones."
"Thirty-six plus six."
"Forty-two!"
Kinji Hakari's eyes nearly popped out.
"W-What?!"
"Not bad."
Satoru Gojo nodded approvingly.
"Ari and I were thinking the same thing. But when it comes to technical tricks, you really can't beat the two of us."
Another set of dice was presented.
"Look carefully. One through six on all faces, a complete set."
Akira smiled.
"I don't even feel like counting the points anymore. This is already the limit. I win."
He looked at Kinji Hakari.
"Remember, you're paying for lunch."
"Damn it!"
Kinji Hakari gritted his teeth.
"Again! One more round!"
Nobody objected.
After all, the entertainment had only just begun.
Soon, the game changed again.
"All Simples!"
"Perfect timing. All the terminals you don't need are right here. Thirteen Orphans!"
"What?!"
"Don't look so surprised. That's how gambling works."
"I don't have such flashy titles, so I'll just stack a few more patterns."
Another hand was revealed.
"Full Flush, Three Concealed Triplets, Four Kans. In some manga, they call this the Baltic Fleet."
"Oh? So Makoto can pull that off too."
Kinji Hakari stared at the table.
He looked at the tiles, then at the two people sitting across from him.
His expression became darker with every passing second.
Finally, he could no longer hold it in.
"You bastards!"
He slammed both hands onto the table.
"You're cheating! You have to be cheating!"
"Hey, hey, don't get so worked up."
Satoru Gojo waved his hand dismissively.
"Whether we're cheating or not doesn't matter. Weren't we just helping you test whether your luck could turn around?"
"Exactly."
Akira nodded in agreement.
"And look how far you've gotten. That's pretty good already, isn't it?"
"Besides, we don't make a living through gambling."
"Right, right. It's just entertainment."
The two spoke with completely straight faces.
Kinji Hakari's mouth twitched.
*Entertainment?*
*You're calling this entertainment?*
He had spent the entire trip trying to win back his losses, only to discover that every time he thought his luck had improved, something even more ridiculous would happen.
First it was poker.
Then dice.
Then mahjong.
No matter what they played, these two always found some outrageous way to beat him.
And now they were sitting there acting as if they had done him a favor.
"I swear!"
Kinji Hakari ground his teeth.
"If I ever gamble with you two again, I'm a complete idiot!"
"Is that so?"
"Well, that's a shame."
Satoru Gojo and Akira exchanged a glance.
Then both of them smiled.
Their smiles were perfectly friendly.
For some reason, however, the atmosphere around them seemed to grow several shades darker.
Anyone watching the two would have the same thought.
*These guys are black-hearted.*
And Kinji Hakari, who had voluntarily sat down at their table, was the unfortunate victim.
***
Meanwhile, on the other side of the train car, another group was also enjoying the gambling theme.
Their game was much simpler.
There were no ridiculous winning combinations, no arguments about cheating, and no desperate gambler trying to recover his losses.
Compared to the noisy group at the center of the car, this table was practically peaceful.
"Your turn, Yuta."
Panda casually drew a card from the person beside him, checked his hand, and discarded a matching pair.
They were playing Old Maid.
It was one of the simplest card games around, and the perfect choice for passing time during a train ride.
"Okay."
Yuta Okkotsu reached toward the next player's cards and carefully selected one.
After checking his new hand, he glanced toward the other table.
"Um, is that really okay?"
"What is?"
"The gambling over there."
Yuta lowered his voice slightly.
"I mean, they're doing it so openly. Gojo-sensei is one thing, but Hakari-senpai and Akira aren't even adults yet."
Maki Zenin looked up from her cards.
"It's fine."
She drew a card and continued, "Whether gambling is illegal depends on the stakes and the circumstances. They're only betting on who pays for lunch, so it's basically entertainment."
"I see..."
Yuta nodded, although he still looked a little uncertain.
"But seriously."
Maki glanced toward Kinji Hakari, who was once again making a fuss at the other table.
"That loser really picked the wrong opponents."
Panda chuckled.
"Well, he was pretty confident at first."
"That's because he didn't know what he was getting into."
Maki shook her head.
"One of his opponents has the Six Eyes. The other one is definitely using Pokémon to cheat. What did he expect?"
"Sha!"
A dissatisfied voice immediately interrupted her.
Maki turned her head.
Gardevoir was staring at her with puffed cheeks.
Apparently, she was not pleased to hear Pokémon being accused of cheating.
"Wait, wait!"
Maki quickly raised her hands.
"I wasn't talking about you! Don't get mad!"
"Sha!"
"Seriously, I didn't mean you!"
Maki Zenin was perfectly capable of arguing with almost anyone.
She could talk back to teachers, challenge upperclassmen, and pick fights without hesitation.
But when faced with Akira and Gardevoir, she always found it strangely difficult to maintain that same tough attitude.
"Sha, sha."
Gardevoir gave another little huff.
Then she reached out and drew a card.
She looked at it.
Her eyes immediately brightened.
"Sha!"
With a happy cry, she placed the new card together with the last card in her hand.
A matching pair.
She had successfully discarded all her cards.
Gardevoir was out.
"Oh, you won already?"
Panda looked at the empty space in front of her.
Before he could say anything else, Rika Orimoto, who was sitting beside Gardevoir like her other half, copied her movements.
She drew a card.
Checked her hand.
Then placed her final pair onto the table.
Just like that, Rika was out too.
"..."
Panda looked from Gardevoir to Rika.
Both had managed to finish the game almost one after the other.
After a short silence, he nodded thoughtfully.
"Looks like beginner's luck isn't completely baseless after all."
"That kind of thing doesn't matter."