NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 79: [79] "Fairness and Justice? If You Can't Handle It, Don't Play the Game"
Chapter 79: "Fairness and Justice? If You Can't Handle It, Don't Play the Game"
In the third round, Runa's techniques became even more intricate—she even managed to roll a triple 3.
Rolling five dice into a perfect triple—what kind of miracle was this?
Faced with a delinquent student who clearly prioritized honing gambling techniques over actual studying, Shunsuke could only sigh.
Students like this need to be properly... educated!
With this noble sentiment in mind, Shunsuke threw all his chips on the triple threes.
Around him, the sound of collective gasps echoed, and suddenly, the April air felt significantly warmer.
Only a madman, or someone with absolute strength and confidence, would dare to go all-in on a triple in the third round.
—The result will definitely be a triple of threes.
This was the belief shared by all the onlookers.
And, as expected, when Ryota revealed the dice cup, it was indeed a perfect triple of fives.
Runa clapped her hands enthusiastically. "Amazing! Shun-kun, you're incredible!"
"Just luck," Shunsuke replied, trying to maintain a casual air, imitating the confident smile of a certain iconic "gel-haired" character.
But whether others believe it or not, I absolutely believe it.
In the fourth round, Runa didn't resort to cheating either.
Instead, she pulled off an even more challenging trick: one die stacked perfectly on top of another.
According to the rules of Hyakkaou Academy, the points of a fully covered die didn't count, leaving only the remaining four dice for scoring.
The visible dice showed 3, 3, 3, and 1, with the covered die also being a 3, and the 1-point die pressed on top of it.
Shunsuke gave Runa a deep, scrutinizing look.
Normally, in this situation, the logical bet would be on "Small," but who's to say the 1-point die wouldn't mysteriously roll off and turn the result into yet another triple of threes after his bet?
When it came to Runa's abilities, Shunsuke had no doubts.
Even if she wasn't the one revealing the dice, she could absolutely manipulate the outcome.
This sneaky little cheat was capable of anything!
So, at a time like this, it was only fitting to fight fire with fire—now it was his turn to cheat first.
Shunsuke subtly activated Star Platinum, gently nudging the 1-point die to a precarious angle.
Once time resumed, it would fall and flip into a 3-point die, creating another perfect triple of threes.
As time began to flow again, Shunsuke tapped the table lightly and confidently pushed all his chips onto the triple threes bet.
Simultaneously, the die fell and landed perfectly, transforming into a 3-point result.
Through Star Platinum, he caught a fleeting moment where Runa's expression faltered—an instant of genuine surprise.
Did she make a mistake?
That was probably what she was thinking right now, undoubtedly panicking inside.
Shunsuke watched with great interest.
He never got tired of seeing this kind of expression.
In fact, he paused time again using Star Platinum, capturing and meticulously recreating her unsettled face in a perfectly detailed sketch.
"Ryota-san, please reveal the cup," Shunsuke said.
"Oh, sure!"
—Wait, how does he know my name?
The question flashed through Ryota's mind, but he quickly dismissed it.
Taking a deep breath, he lifted the cup.
As expected, it was another perfect triple of threes.
"Wow, another triple of threes? Shun-kun, your luck is incredible!" Runa tried her best to maintain a composed and carefree demeanor.
FShunsuke didn't call her bluff. "Yes, it seems my luck really is great. But, of course, I must thank you, Yomozuki-senpai, for so graciously accommodating my abilities. I'm sure Momobami-senpai wouldn't have any objections, right?"
The sound of grinding teeth filled the air as Runa bit down hard, crushing her freshly unwrapped lollipop into shards.
Shunsuke couldn't help but worry—would she break a tooth? Given her love for sweets, cavities wouldn't be surprising either.
If she did chip a tooth, it might make her expressions less enjoyable to observe during their future games. That would be a real shame.
"Don't worry, Senpai. I won't tell Momobami-senpai about this," Shunsuke said reassuringly.
After all, compared to that look on her face, what's a little dental damage?
Shunsuke leaned back, fully satisfied.
In the fifth round, Shunsuke was on high alert, using time stop three times in total.
However, to his surprise, Runa didn't resort to any tricks this time. Although she showed off her skills again, there was no cheating involved.
—Could she really be adhering to the principles of fairness, justice, and absolute neutrality…? Yeah, right.
Shunsuke wouldn't overestimate the integrity or morals of this crowd.
After all, he himself was cheating, so he understood the agony of being unable to cheat when you needed it most.
With great power comes a desire to use it.
Anyone with the ability to cheat will absolutely do so in times of desperation.
I've proven that myself!
—Looks like she's planning to pull her tricks in the final round. She's probably aiming to take my pinky finger, that vile little demoness!
Shunsuke's sharp gaze sent an involuntary shiver down Runa's spine—perhaps her survival instincts were warning her of the danger.
But a demoness is still a demoness; if warnings worked, there wouldn't be so many of those "thin books" featuring them.
Ignoring her instincts, Runa provocatively challenged him.
"The Life Plan document—you're in charge of that, right, Yomozuki-senpai?" Shunsuke suddenly brought up an unrelated topic.
"W-what about it?" A sense of foreboding crept into Runa's mind.
"How about we add a little more to the stakes for the final round? Let's bet on your life, Yomozuki-senpai!."
The moment those words left his mouth, the entire room erupted in chaos.
Meanwhile, on the second floor, Student Council Treasurer Kaede Manyuda adjusted his glasses and cast a sidelong glance at Kirari Momobami, his thoughts racing.
---The masked girl, Ririka Momobami, and Runa Yomozuki—these are Kirari Momobami's loyal supporters.
---Ririka isn't a real threat, but if Runa is taken out, I'll finally have my chance!
Time to let the imagination run wild!
Kaede Manyuda's fantasies had always been rather grandiose.
"Nyehahahaha!" Runa doubled over with laughter, clutching her stomach.
When she raised her head, her expression turned menacing. "You broke loser! Do you even know how much my life is worth? Selling yourself and everything your family owns wouldn't even cover one percent of it!"
Shunsuke clicked his tongue in annoyance. How utterly vulgar. His interest in Runa dropped by half instantly.
So this is all there is to her?
I thought she'd be more impressive, but in the end, she's just… this?
Of course, these thoughts were the kind of smug notions held by those safely standing on the sidelines, watching someone else already half-submerged in danger.
It was easy to talk big when you weren't the one in the water—once it was your turn, your performance might not be any better.
"Well then, Yomozuki-senpai, please continue."
Irritated by Shunsuke's condescending attitude, Runa's expression twisted into an exaggerated caricature of rage as she shook the dice cup with renewed ferocity, as if her energy had suddenly tripled.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
As Runa furiously rattled the dice cup, an abrupt and jarring sound assaulted Shunsuke's ears, making him frown in annoyance.
He turned to see two ordinary-looking female students standing beside him, each holding their phones.
They had turned the volume up to maximum and were now placing their phones near both of his ears.
"Hey, what are you doing?" Shunsuke swatted their hands away.
"What's your problem? I'm just from the music club, listening to some instrumental sounds. Why are you hitting me? I didn't even touch you."
"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Someone pushed me just now, and I accidentally—really sorry about that!"
One of the girls snapped at him rudely, while the other bowed repeatedly, apologizing profusely.
Despite their vastly different attitudes, both continued to create distractions, refusing to leave Shunsuke alone.
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