271 Betting Ten Thousand Hours of Your Life!
"No."
Yobami Miri sighed and covered her hand of cards. "I lost this round."
"Yoshi~ End of the second round. The loser: Yobami Miri."
"Yobami-san, you have to pay 100 cips to each player. Since the antidote was used as a betting chip, you owe each of them one dose~"
She'd been set up.
Yobami Miri looked displeased, but rules were rules.
With no choice, she took out three antidotes and placed them on the table.
Including the ones in Inbami's possession, that meant the sisters still held two doses of serum.
"There's still one more thing to do. You haven't forgotten, have you?"
Wearing a grim expression, Yobami Miri raised her hand expressionlessly and let the cold, gleaming silver needle prick her fingertip.
A drop of crimson blood emerged.
"Miyo, give me the antidote." The moment the bleeding began, Miri immediately called out.
No one understood the power of the poison better than the sisters who had developed it.
If they didn't quickly administer the antidote, they would fall into a deep sleep like Hikigaya Hachiman, trapped in an inescapable nightmare.
Yobami Miri reached for the antidote—but was blocked by a long, straight, shapely leg belonging to Juraku Sachiko.
"What do you think you're doing?"
"Move! I need the antidote!"
"The antidote is a vital chip in the game. How can we let you use it prematurely~?"
Sachiko's eyes flashed with a terrifying red light.
For the first time, she bared her fangs in front of these despicable outsiders.
As someone ranked just below the top in the Hyakkaou Academy and above 3,000 others, how could she stay silent after being humiliated as a weakling?
Now, it was time for revenge.
"You…" Yobami Miri recoiled, nervously seeking help from her older sister.
Inbami Miyo's face darkened. "Hikigaya Hachiman's condition is even worse than this. Don't you want to use the antidote on him now?"
"No." Yumeko still wore her serene smile, but it was cold and devoid of warmth. "If it was Hikigaya-kun here, he would eliminate every enemy first before considering using the antidote."
"You're insane—both of you are insane!"
With her sister's life at stake, Inbami Miyo also began to panic.
"Sachiko-chan is right~ As a betting chip, the antidote cannot be used before all three rounds are complete. So, even if poisoned, you must hold on until the end!"
At that moment, the three women stood united on the same front.
Their shadows loomed large behind them, the range of darkness they cast threatening to swallow the In-Yobami sisters whole.
"Hmph, then let's just hurry up and get started!" Yobami Miri sat back down, though her voice no longer held the same cool detachment as before.
Faced with her own mortality, she was finally afraid.
Whether she won or lost, she just wanted to use the antidote as soon as possible.
Thus, the third round officially began.
As soon as she received her cards, Juraku Sachiko revealed them without hesitation.
[1-2-2-0] – compared to the previous round, these were much better.
"Start betting, beginning with Sachiko-chan~"
"300 cips."
"Call."
"Call. One antidote and 200 cips."
Soon, it was Yumeko's turn.
Raising a single finger, her crimson-tinged eyes flickered. "10,000 cips."
The air fell deathly silent.
"Hah?" Yomozuki Runa burst out laughing. "Ten thousand cips? That's ten thousand 24-hour work shifts. Which means—"
She began calculating on her fingers with precision: "27 years. That's working for the student council for 27 straight years! Nine full terms. Given that you're all around 17 now, if you follow and lose, you'll be working until you're in your 40s—old and wrinkly~"
Miri and Miyo looked at each other seriously.
"Tch. Yumeko's intention is obvious. She's trying to make us fold. Even if she wants the antidote, there's no need to pick a fight like this."
There was only one possibility—she was bluffing.
"Yeah, if her hand were really strong, she'd bet more practically. She probably doesn't have a single 0 card."
"Are we calling?"
"Call!"
"The 10,000 cips bet is accepted! The loser will work for the student council until they're in their 40s. Even if I graduate, I'll supervise your labor."
"The third round officially begins!"
As soon as the bet was accepted, Inbami Miyo instinctively glanced at Yumeko's face.
That calm, mad smile—what was with it?
Shouldn't Yumeko be trembling under the pressure of their overwhelming force?
"Sachiko-oneechan, play 2."
"3."
"2."
Soon, it was Yobami Miri's turn to play her fourth card. The current total was 7.
Their sisters were puzzled.
Even if Yumeko had an excellent hand like [2-0-0-0], Sachiko's revealed card wasn't that strong. Only one 0. If she used it now, not knowing the sisters' hands, losing was highly probable.
This round, the sisters had identical hands: [0-1-3-3].
'Miyo!' Miri signaled with her eyes.
'Ever since Sachiko played 2, things have gone south. If the total is 7 now, I can only play 1. Then if Sachiko plays 2 again, Miyo's total becomes 9.'
'If I had a 2, it would've been a perfect moment to use it.'
Inbami Miyo's remaining hand was [3-1-0]. Both sisters had 0s—decent hands. Given their synergy, they should have had the upper hand.
Why, then, were they at a disadvantage?
Why was every hand getting stuck?
Unless... it was the dealer's fault!
Miyo suddenly turned to glare at Yomozuki Runa.
She must've done something to skew the odds against them.
"Heh, finally figured it out?" Sachiko smirked. "A bit late, don't you think?"
"Let me remind you—it's the Gilbreath shuffle."
"In simple terms, it ensures each four-card hand includes 1-3, covering all three digits. Across four players, each digit appears four times—distributed evenly."
"You think Yumeko asked me to reveal my hand so she could win solo?"
"At first, I also wondered what method Yumeko would use to control the game. The moment she asked me to reveal my hand, I understood."
Sachiko explained: "Yumeko only needed to know my hand and hers. That gave her knowledge of 8 of the 16 cards in play."
"Thanks to the Gilbreath shuffle, the remaining 8 cards in your hands could also be calculated."
"In the beginning, you felt confident knowing my cards. You thought you controlled two-thirds of the game. But—"
"Yumeko controlled all 16 cards!"
"From the start, your defeat was inevitable. The moment the cards were dealt, our victory was already assured."
As she spoke, Sachiko stood and leaned close behind Yumeko, their bodies almost touching.
Yumeko's cheeks flushed, and she covered her face in embarrassment.
Keep in mind: Hikigaya Hachiman was lying unconscious on the sofa behind them.
Sachiko's intimacy gave her a twisted thrill.
To distract herself, she played along with the act.
"Because Sachiko-oneechan's hand had two 2s, all the 2s were with us. From the beginning, we knew you had none."
"But thanks to Sachiko-oneechan's trust, we were able to pull this off."
"Now, no matter how you struggle, Yobami— You're the real weaklings!"
Bang—
Inbami Miyo's beautiful face twisted with rage.
"This is ridiculous! The dealer using a special shuffle method is unfair! Neutrality is a joke!"
"Watch your tone, brat!" Runa suddenly spoke with a maturity that didn't match her appearance, silencing Miyo.
"Violation of neutrality?"
"Please, I did it all right under your noses. You were the ones who relied on violence to win and ignored the essence of gambling—reading the game."
"Hikigaya Hachiman figured out my shuffle method at the end of round one."
"But you—hoping to win without effort by betting antidotes? What a joke. It's infuriating!"
"Haa—"
Yobami Miri panted heavily. The poison had spread throughout her body. She was becoming dangerously weak.
"Oh dear~ Looking pale. Is the poison kicking in?" Sachiko teased playfully, lifting Miri's chin with a finger. "So cute~"
"Let me remind you—you're all-in. If you lose, you won't even have a single antidote left~"
Yobami Miri mustered her strength and slapped Sachiko's hand away.
She shakily played a 1.
"Total: 8."
"0."
"0."
"1."
"Total: 9!"
No—no! If I play 0 now, Miyo will...
If she played 0, Miyo would be the last one to break the total limit—and suffer the poisoned needle.
Both sisters would fall here.
"Enough, Miri! Play [3]!"
272: Defeat – Sisterly Mercy and Filial Piety
"If we're going to lose anyway, this kind of burden should fall on you." "Because I'm more capable than you." "The fall of one of Yobami is better than both the Inbami and Yobami losing. You understand that, right?" "Hurry up and throw out the [3]. You're the one who should take the loss! Lose, then get your finger pricked again—let's end this farce quickly!"
"If you lose, although you'll pay the price of having 40 years of your life taken away, you'll still get the antidote, won't you?"
This sisterly affection, though deeply moving, didn't elicit any sympathy from Yumeko.
She stood by, speaking coldly: "Miri, if you play a 0, I'll give you one shot of the antidote. Also… if 40 years of your life are taken, your clan leader surely won't tolerate such a humiliating defeat, right?" "Are you really willing to be stripped of your surname just to sacrifice yourself for the Inbami?"
"You're pushing it, Jabami Yumeko!" Inbami Miyo finally snapped, slamming her hands on the table in frustration.
To people like them, losing their surname meant losing everything.
In this high-stakes gamble over succession, the clan leaders had placed their hopes on them.
If they lost, the punishment would be severe. For the Yobami, having a promising young successor lose 40 years of her life was a disgrace beyond measure—they would absolutely strip her of her surname!
Yobami Miri knew this in her heart.
She pressed her hands tightly on her knees, forcing herself not to cry.
The unfairness of this gamble lay in the fact that while everyone placed bets and matched stakes, only one person would pay the price in the end—bearing it all alone, and dying in front of everyone.
Getting poisoned twice in a row was extremely dangerous.
But no matter what, the most important thing was letting her sister live.
Whatever you say, sis, I'll do it.
There's no need to threaten me.
Even without being told, I'd still...
Grievance and sorrow flooded Miri's heart, but she never once considered Yumeko's suggestion.
Even when facing the loss of 40 years of her life, a second poisoning, and the danger of losing her surname… the bond between sisters couldn't be broken by Jabami Yumeko's words or a single defeat.
Miri suddenly lifted her head, her face twisted with grim determination.
She drew the [3] from her hand and slammed it on the table.
Before anyone could react, she reached toward the poisoned needle without hesitation.
Just as the needle was about to pierce her tender skin again, Yumeko grabbed her wrist.
Due to the effects of the poison, Miri lacked the strength to resist, and Yumeko easily stopped her.
That small act took Miri's final strength.
She looked at Yumeko with confusion, then slowly closed her eyes.
Her body slumped powerlessly onto the table.
"Oh my~ the one who's supposed to atone to me just passed out. How am I supposed to enforce her punishment now?"
Juraku Sachiko sat with her legs crossed, swinging her shoe playfully, looking with amusement at the still-conscious Inbami Miyo.
In front of her, she reached out a finger and shamelessly caressed Miri's soft, youthful face. Finally, her thumb brushed over Miri's red lips, as if she intended to go even further.
"Why… why did you stop Miri at the last moment!" Miyo glared coldly at Yumeko.
"Was it really necessary to go that far, Miyo-san?" Yumeko sighed softly. Having won the gamble, she seemed to forget the prior hostilities.
Ignoring the sisters, she picked up a dose of antidote and injected it into Hikigaya Hachiman's hand.
"You said such cruel words because you knew Miri would sacrifice herself. You just wanted her to feel less guilt, right? Even though you were struggling inside too."
"I don't need your pity, Jabami Yumeko! Losing is losing. This is the survival rule of the Hundred Devouring clans!"
"But your life is fine as it is, isn't it? Why chase after the clan leader position so desperately?"
"You wouldn't understand!"
Not wanting to argue further and feel guilty, Miyo grabbed Miri's hand again and tried to reach for the poisoned needle—to fulfill the loser's punishment in front of everyone.
This time, it was Sachiko who intervened.
Her slender, pale hands blocked Miyo's path with unwavering determination.
"What are you doing?!" Miyo shouted in shock and fury.
She didn't want to give these two an excuse to later claim "we pitied you and let you go" — that would drive her mad.
"According to the wager, Yobami Miri is now my personal livestock. And as my personal property, only I have the right to dispose of her."
"I won't allow my new toy to suffer any irreversible harm."
"Personal livestock?! What are you talking about?!"
"Did you forget, Inbami Miyo? The loser must atone to me~" Sachiko's voice was full of wicked glee. "And the only way to atone… is to become my personal plaything. For 40 years. That's what we agreed."
"You've got to be kidding! It was supposed to be working for the student council for 40 years! Who said the only way to atone was to become personal livestock?! Committee Chair, aren't you going to do something?!"
Miyo completely lost her composure, forgetting even to make her sister fulfill the loser's punishment. Becoming some outsider's personal plaything would rob Miri of all dignity!
As the heir to the Yobami family, becoming another woman's dog? Absolutely not!
"Sorry," said Yomozuki Runa with a helpless shrug. "If Sachiko-chan's the one being atoned to, then yes—this is the only way. It's an accepted rule at Hundred Devouring Academy. If you're not satisfied, you can appeal to the former President Momobami."
"You… all of you...!"
Miyo's face twisted in rage.
She pointed a trembling finger at Yumeko and Sachiko, speechless.
In the end, she didn't even have the right to protect her sister's dignity.
Helplessness, despair, and fury swirled inside her.
At last, she let go.
Miri's limp body collapsed onto the table.
Miyo turned and left.
Before disappearing, she spoke with her back to them:
"Fine. You only have three antidotes anyway. If you want Miri as your plaything, then use your own methods to detox her!"
"There are five people poisoned. I'm curious how you'll handle that!"
Her figure disappeared from the room.
The previously dosed Hikigaya Hachiman's condition was improving.
His breathing steadied, though he remained unconscious.
Sachiko reached out, stroking the face of her new toy.
Her eyes held an undisguised hunger, as if she wanted to devour her.
"Little Yumeko, are all the Bami clan people like this?" Yomozuki Runa came over, sounding slightly exasperated. "I do want to cure Yuriko-chan quickly, but we don't have enough antidotes. There's nothing we can do."
"What a terrible woman. To just throw her own sister away like that."
"No," Yumeko shook her head, offering another perspective. "Miyo-san… she's too proud. She thinks violence can get her anything, and it's made her unwilling to bow to anyone."
Yumeko pointed at the unconscious Miri.
"But she left behind the solution. Use the antidote on Miri first.
Once she wakes up, she can return to her clan and bring back more antidote.
That's the only way to cure everyone."
"Huh? What if she refuses?" Yomozuki Runa asked, smacking her lips on her lollipop.
"She's Sachiko's private livestock now. If she wanted to refuse, it's too late."
"But we have to act quickly. The news of Yobami's defeat won't stay hidden for long." Yumeko warned. "Miyo will try to hide this from the other Hundred Devouring clans, but if word spreads and reaches their family, Miri's status will be revoked.
If that happens… we won't get even a single dose of antidote."
At that moment, Yomozuki Runa offered a different approach:
"Why not use Miri as leverage to force Miyo to hand over more antidote?"
"Because… Miyo would never bow her head like that…" Yumeko sighed softly. "I know her. Plus, the Inbami are in charge of poison-making, and the Yobami handle the antidote.
The roles are strictly divided.
They won't interfere in each other's duties. If we want the antidote, only Miri can get it."