273 "I see you really don't understand at all ❤~"
The familiar scent of face wash.
Hachiman Hikigaya slowly opened his eyes, greeted by a sea of creamy white.
That familiar scent quickly made him realize—it was Yumeko's.
He felt like steel needles were being stirred violently in his brain—his mind was in chaos and pain.
Even the muscular body that once gave him a sense of security now felt utterly drained, like it had been milked dry a dozen times by Yumeko in a single breath.
Even so, Hachiman still forced out a wry smile: "Mm... With you here, Yumeko... what an unsurprising win."
At least when it came to gambling, Yumeko was always a reassuring presence.
"Ehh~ Hachiman, you're awake!" Yumeko's excited voice rang in his ears.
"What's the situation?" Hachiman sat up and moved his sore body a bit: "What about the two women who poisoned us?"
Hearing his question, Yumeko stammered and hesitantly recounted what had happened. Then she looked at Hachiman with pitiful eyes: "Hachiman, you're not mad at me, right~?"
"That punishment was still too light for those two," Hachiman sighed.
Even though it was Inbami's despicable poisoning, in the end, they still had to do their best to save her sister to atone for her sins.
He didn't blame Yumeko.
It was the only option they had.
Three doses of antidote were enough to restore the Ogatou sisters, but the first one poisoned—Nishinotoin Yuriko —wasn't going to make it.
Though he initially had some friction with her, their positions had shifted now.
As a member of the student council faction and a loyal supporter of Momobami Kirari, Hachiman couldn't just leave her to die.
That person had to be saved.
"You did well, Yumeko."
"As for what comes next, we'll need to take some proper revenge~" Hachiman narrowed his eyes, calculating how to punish the wicked Inbami Miyo. He glanced at Yobami Miri, whose
face was gradually regaining color: "Hey, if you're awake, no need to keep pretending."
It had been a probing remark, but surprisingly, the girl lying on the sofa—Yobami Miri—slowly opened her eyes.
Her trembling eyelashes had already betrayed her.
She knew her reaction had been fully exposed to everyone.
She was the future heir of the Yobami house. Her body already had some resistance to poison.
Since she didn't get hit with a second dose and had the antidote, she regained consciousness just as quickly as Hachiman.
Three different gazes full of their own intentions turned toward Yobami Miri.
Right now, she looked like a timid girl being bullied by delinquent girls, curled up in the corner of the sofa, not daring to move.
Her gaze was cast down—she looked ready to take any beating or scolding.
Juraku Sachiko's lacquered high heel clattered to the floor, and her fair feet, wrapped in black stockings, lifted and swayed near Yobami Miri with clear malice.
Her eyes were full of greed—like a predator at the top of the food chain spotting its prey.
Clearly, Miri's petite body and youthful face had stirred something primal in Juraku.
"Not planning to say anything, Yobami?"
"There's nothing to say. I lost, and that's that." Yobami Miri turned her head away.
Even as she was being harassed by Juraku, she showed a defiant expression.
But what she didn't know was—that kind of firm, disgusted face only excited Juraku's sadistic desires more.
"Fine. Then make a call now. Have your Yobami family send over two more doses of the antidote," Hachiman's voice was hoarse, betraying his weakness.
But this wasn't the time to rest—he had to clear up the current mess before he could sleep in peace.
"Why should I help you?" Yobami Miri's eyes were dark and lifeless, devoid of the vibrancy a girl her age should have.
"You... Is there no normal person in the Momobami clan?" Hachiman held his aching head but couldn't stop himself from complaining: "Mushibami Erimi's like that, and now you Yobami and Inbami sisters too."
"All of you have gone mad trying to win Kirari's seat."
"Torture, poison—using the violent methods your branches specialize in to climb to that position... Compared to that, Momobami Kirari, who holds absolute power, looks like an angel."
Hachiman couldn't even imagine what things would be like if the Mushibami or Inbami were in charge.
They'd abolish the gambling system, eliminate any chance of merit-based rise, and instead maintain their power through violence, torture, and deadly poison...
After witnessing the behavior of these ambitious Momobami clans, Hachiman's resolve to protect the student council only grew stronger.
He could not let these people win.
"You, an outsider—what do you know about how terrifying Kirari really is?!" Yobami Miri hugged her arms, shivering in the corner of the sofa: "If she stays head of the family, the rest of us will never know peace!"
"She's the limiter on your entire clan. I don't even want to imagine what your family would become without her." Hachiman interrupted her sharply: "I'll ask one last time—will you cooperate and call for the antidote or not?"
"Hmph."
Yobami Miri was tough—she turned her head away, silent.
"The gamble is over, and you're the only one left behind. I guess... you've become a private pet, huh?" Hachiman showed a sinister smile fit for a villain, then exchanged a look with Juraku Sachiko: "I'll leave her to you, Juraku-senpai."
"Heh, leave it to me."
With Yumeko's support, Hachiman walked to the activity room's door, leaving Juraku and Yobami behind.
From behind them came the sound of a skirt hitting the floor and Yobami Miri's panicked scream: "Y-You! What are you doing?!"
"You're still shy at your age? I see now—you really don't understand~"
"U-Understand what?"
"You want to understand? I'll help you understand very soon~ If you're a private pet, you need to have the awareness of one, Yobami Miri."
"No! Don't come near me! I was wrong—I swear I was wrong! I'll call and have the antidote sent right away!!"
"Ugghhh—hahaha—"
.
.
.
"Upset stomach?" Sitting in her wheelchair, Totobami Terano narrowed her eyes, staring sharply at Inbami Miyo.
Then her tone shifted:
"You sisters volunteered to eliminate Hikigaya and Jabami. When are you going to act?"
"Well, about that..." Inbami's expression flickered, unsure if Totobami Terano had caught on to something: "Soon—I'll act soon."
Having just lost a match, Inbami Miyo couldn't think of any new method to deal with Hikigaya and Yumeko.
Poison wasn't foolproof.
Like fighting a Saint Seiya warrior—what didn't work the first time definitely wouldn't work the second.
She doubted the same trick would catch those two again.
Poison was like assassination.
If one strike failed, it was better to run far away.
Staying in Hyakkaou Academy now was the worst decision.
Totobami Terano rolled her wheelchair slowly toward the center of the opulent activity room, where Inbami stood.
Without hesitation, and in front of everyone, she slapped Inbami hard across the face.
SMACK!
The sharp, piercing sound of palm hitting flesh echoed through the room.
"You think I can't tell?"
"You're lying, aren't you, Inbami Miyo?"
"You didn't not act. You did act—with Yobami Miri. And you both lost... I don't know what the bet was, but seeing you come back alone, I understand."
"Yobami Miri is now in Jabami's hands."
"How could you return alone?"
Her cheek burning with pain, Inbami clenched her fists, but didn't dare lash out.
Even among the branch families, there was a hierarchy.
Though there was no formal subordination, Totobami Terano's faction had more power than the Inbami and Yobami combined.
They controlled the medical sector—a key resource.
A single policy shift could shake the entire balance of power.
The Totobami clan held influence over members of Parliament and Cabinet ministers.
They were a terrifying force.
Among the Momobami branches, only the main Momobami house could ignore them.
No other branch could match the Totobami clan in terms of political influence.
Even the information-controlling Honobami and the assassin-capable Mushibami had to be careful, lest a Totobami whisper change the laws governing underground violence.
Setting aside the clan's power—Inbami had no right to be angry after losing.
"You should've died there. Been swallowed whole with Yobami by Jabami."
"Now that Yobami is gone, you've lost the right to compete in this battle."
Inbami and Yobami, heart and mind as one.
The Yobami and Inbami sisters were known throughout the Momobami clan as synchronized souls.
In gambling requiring deep rapport, they were unbeatable. But losing one of them rendered that talent completely useless.
Now, they had no hope of winning future gambles.
Because first, poison lost its edge once expected. And second, their actual gambling skills weren't all that great—strong among average students, but vulnerable against true pros.
In other words, Inbami was now their faction's weakest link.
"Go back to your clan and atone." Totobami Terano spoke coldly. "Hand over all your votes and chips—you're disqualified from the fight."
"Wow~ So ruthless."
"Well, our opponent is Kirari. Anyone who loses is meaningless now."
Facing Totobami Terano's punishment, the other branches idly played with their chips.
Not a single one stood up for Inbami.
"Hehehehe—"
"So eager to come after me, huh?"
274 You will die here, entrusting your meaning to the next life.
Inbami Miyo was filled with a mixture of shock, anger, and frustration.
Although she had known from the start that there was no real camaraderie among this group of cannibalistic clanspeople—where the defeated were to be utterly devoured by the victorious—it was still difficult to accept being targeted the moment she lost.
Even though she was once one of them, this ravenous behavior was still repulsive to Inbami Miyo.
"What are you saying?" Facing Inbami Miyo's questioning, Totobami Terano no remained composed:
"A defeated one like you, one who fell in battle against Jabami, can only be mourned by us, the living!"
"You and Yobami will die here, entrusting your meaning to the next survivor, the next member of the Hundred Devouring branch!"
"This is the only way to confront Momobami!"
"You…"
Her lofty, righteous words pressed down on Inbami Miyo, forcing her to retreat step by step.
Totobami's calm and absolutely righteous-sounding speech made it hard for Miyo to breathe.
It even gave her the illusion that if she didn't comply—if she didn't hand over all her vote chips—she would be sinful.
Perhaps this was the original sin of being born into the Hundred Devouring family: born with privileges, born under a natural spotlight, and cursed that the defeated would be stripped of everything.
To gain everything, one must be prepared to lose everything.
But even so, thinking about how she and Miri had risked their lives in battle only to be defeated and now even face losing their vote chips, and how Miri had been reduced to someone's personal pet—Inbami Miyo felt her rationality consumed by rage.
Her fear of Totobami was burned away by that fire.
A forced smile appeared on her face as she wiped the cold sweat trickling from her forehead to her chin.
"Heh, worthy of being a politician's daughter. Want the vote chips in my hand? Fine. Want me to withdraw from this conflict? Also fine."
"I will entrust my treasure to Jabami. As long as you can defeat Jabami and Hikigaya, I will give you all the vote chips I obtain afterwards."
"If you can't do it, it just proves you're no different from me—a loser, a dead one!"
"Put it this way, Totobami—you understand, right?"
"Pointless struggle," Totobami said coldly. "I gave you a chance for liberation, and you refused. Then continue fighting for the Hundred Devouring family."
"Don't stop—go seize the vote chips from the regular students. As for Jabami and Hikigaya…"
Totobami Terano no looked around at the eager Hundred Devouring:
"Who wants to go?"
Her tone was extremely flat, as if discussing something utterly trivial, as if she had never once taken the low-tier Hundred Devouring like Jabami or the commoner-born Hikigaya seriously.
That arrogance belonged solely to Totobami.
"Hehe, I'll do it." From the back of the crowd, where he'd been quietly brewing tea, Obami Rin raised his hand.
Hearing that voice, Inbami Miyo turned in alarm.
Obami Rin—direct heir of the Obami family.
A once-in-a-century genius of the Obami clan, widely considered the most likely candidate for future head of the Hundred Devouring.
Unlike the other families, the Obami's family business was fraud.
When it came to gambling—the very thing Momobami Kirari loved most—this was a perfect match.
Fraud wasn't limited to gambling.
Even "mediumship," "divination," "fortune telling" services tailor-made for powerful elites around the world were part of their business.
Since the Obami clan began their fraud enterprise, they had accumulated unknown amounts of connections and wealth.
This remained a mystery even within the Hundred Devouring.
The Inbami family's business was medicine—a pharmaceutical conglomerate in Japan.
While they developed viruses, they also saved lives.
Even in hell, their sins and virtues could arguably cancel out.
But the Obami? Fraud was a pure, cost-free business.
They had casinos spread across every major nation.
These super-large casinos spawned countless subsidiaries… truly flesh-eating without spitting out the bones.
To manipulate elites, they used religious-like "divination" and "fortune telling." To exploit ignorant nouveau riche, they used gambling that stimulated dopamine release.
Momobami Kirari stood at the pinnacle of power and loved gambling.
Obami Rin wanted to reach the pinnacle of power, and his family's entire business was fraud.
Inbami Miyo looked at his always-smiling, seemingly harmless face like he was a formidable enemy.
Despite his ordinary looks—someone who would never stand out in a crowd—he made people unconsciously drop their guard.
He was born for fraud!
Obami Rin slowly stood up, brushed dust off himself, and asked with a puzzled face:
"Why are you all looking at me like that? It's just gambling, right? Strange?"
"N-no…" Obami Ibara swallowed hard, voicing everyone's confusion:
"It's just… unexpected that you'd make a move so soon. Since arriving at the academy, Rin, I don't think you've participated in even a single gamble, right?"
"You only have one vote chip, don't you?"
"Yeah, I only have one vote chip." Obami Rin stretched lazily. "But according to the rules, you can use advance substitute chips, right? That's enough."
"Isn't that too risky? Shouldn't we start by grabbing votes from regular students?"
"Relax, Ibara."
Obami Rin comforted the delinquent-looking Obami Ibara.
"That'd be too much trouble~ If the goal is the Student Council President, we'll run into them eventually. If you're determined to stand at the top, don't be afraid of challenges~ Use substitute chips and defeat them in one go—that's the fastest way."
"Or… do you think I'll lose?"
Obami Rin placed both hands on his waist, smiling innocently.
"N-no, that's not what I meant. Just… staying tied up with the student council is a huge risk—it's best to delay a bit longer."
"I have plenty of vote chips. I'll win more from regular students, and then lose them all to you at once. That way, you don't have to take such a big risk."
Obami Ibara was absolutely loyal to Obami Rin.
Though qualified to compete himself, he had no interest, dedicating himself wholly to Rin's ascension.
This was a rare arrangement in the fraud-driven Obami family.
They always spoke the truth, guiding others to lie.
Even if doubtful, they bore the risk—this was their method as con artists.
But in Ibara's eyes was a deep shadow.
He had once lost to Momobami Kirari.
That left an indelible scar in his heart.
He wanted to defeat Kirari in this election—to conquer her, conquer his past, and himself.
For that, all enemies before him were targets to eliminate.
He did not look down on Jabami or Hikigaya.
He had studied their records.
But compared to his will to defeat his inner demons… they were insignificant.
What he didn't know was—shortly before the Hundred Devouring branches arrived at Hyakkaou Academy, Hikigaya and Jabami had fought Kirari to a draw, working together.
If he knew, perhaps his mindset would subtly shift.
Obami Rin smiled and asked:
"Anyone want to join me?"
"The election committee will decide the gambling game. It might require more participants. When the time comes, we'll need help from our Hundred Devouring companions~"
He deliberately emphasized the word "companions," sending a wave of unknown malice through everyone's heart.
Totobami had already set the precedent.
The losing Hundred Devouring would be devoured by other branches—in the clan, and in the gambling of Hyakkaou Academy.
He didn't mind swallowing a branch during the gamble and knocking them out early.
"No one? That's really unfortu—"
"I'll go." The girl leaning against the wall, Honebami Miroslava, stood up.
Her delicate body gave a sudden jolt.
"I'm very interested in gambling with those two."
She wanted revenge.
Back at the maid café, she had been sneak-attacked and humiliated by Yumeko—a shame she could never forget.
This time, she would repay it in full through gambling.
"Eh? Honebami? I didn't expect you to join. I thought your faction would stay neutral and not participate until the election ended."
Obami Rin looked surprised.
Honebami was undoubtedly part of the head-supporting, neutral faction. No one expected her to seek to devour another branch.
"I heard… Honebami, you're quite close with Jabami and Hikigaya. Is that not a problem?" Totobami asked with suspicion.
Miroslava crossed her arms. "I have a reason I must win this gamble. Don't worry—I won't hold back."
Though the Honebami family's business was "removing impurities," and their gambling ability slightly weaker, that was only compared to the top gamblers.
In high-level gambling like this, the difference between top-tier and first-class wasn't absolute.
Sometimes, a small rule change could flip everything.
Everyone had strengths and preferences in gambling.
No one was perfect—
except for Momobami Kirari.
Obami Rin nodded:
"In that case... good. Honebami, you'll join me."
"We'll begin when Obami Ibara collects enough vote chips."
Leaving the activity room, Ibara couldn't wait.
He casually grabbed a passing student with a smile:
"Hey, classmate, got a question."
"Y-you better not mess around! This is Hyakkaou Academy!"
"Of course I know that!"
"I just want to ask—Hyakkaou Academy… are there any non-student council organizations? Or perhaps, powerful gambling clubs?"