Chapter 73 Tenkouin Reika and Samidare Satsuki ④
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Tenkouin Reika’s opponent had lost everything.
The King had bled the populace dry with crushing taxes, casting them into a living hell while he wallowed in mindless luxury. The man had tried to reason with his sovereign time and again, but his pleas fell on deaf ears. Instead, the King imposed a “Hero Tax”¹—the final, nonsensical absurdity of a dying regime.
The man knew the country was doomed. Gathering a band of like-minded souls, he plotted a coup to save what remained. But a certain “Hero”—who knows where they dug up the secret—leaked the plan to the throne. The rebellion was crushed before it could even begin. Most of the conspirators were hunted down, and their entire families were put to the sword.
The man barely escaped with his wife and sons, fleeing toward the borders of Greedia. But as they attempted to scale the treacherous Dragon Peaks, bandits fell upon them. The man survived by the skin of his teeth, but his sons were butchered before his eyes, and his wife and daughter were dragged away into the dark.
’Where did I go wrong?’ he wondered. ‘Was it a mistake to even try to speak truth to power?’
He eventually reached Greedia, though he had nothing left—not even his family’s heirloom dagger. Living hand-to-mouth in a foreign land was a brutal, soul-crushing existence. Then, a stroke of luck: a Monster Hunter found his stolen dagger and returned it. It was a miracle, yet it came with a bitter price. The hunter had seen no sign of the man’s wife or daughter.
Desperate and broken, the man wandered the streets until one day, he saw him. The Hero. The informant. The architect of his ruin. The man watched as the Hero entered a booming new casino. Gripping his reclaimed dagger, he followed him into the den of vice.
He would kill the one responsible for stealing his life.
* * *
Tenkouin Reika and I took our seats at the table. To our sides, identical towers of gold coins stood as silent sentinels of the stakes. These were large, glittering pieces, each worth ten of the standard silver slot coins. We each started with 5,000.
Behind me stood my circle: Lil, Leki, Marguerite, my attendant Jessica, and Honoka. Tenkouin Reika was flanked by her “hangers-on,” Torimaki and Nigotori, along with Samidare Satsuki. A crowd of onlookers began to swell around us, drawn by the scent of a high-stakes duel. A blonde dealer in sunglasses stepped forward.
”I shall serve as your dealer for this match,” the woman said.
”Hold on a moment,” Tenkouin Reika interrupted, her voice dripping with artificial refinement. “Is it not a conflict of interest to have a dealer from a casino owned by the Sieben-lord? There is no guarantee you won’t ‘accidentally’ deal the house a winning hand.”
”I see your point,” I replied. “So, what do you propose? Surely you aren’t suggesting you shuffle the deck yourself?”
”Heavens, no ~desuwa,” she smirked. “But I will require a contract. A guarantee that no tricks will be played.”
”Fine by me. Jessica, the parchment.”
Jessica pulled the supplies from her bag with practiced ease.
”My, you’re quite the prepared one, aren’t you?” Tenkouin Reika remarked.
”I find it’s best to keep a contract on hand for… delicate situations. Is this to your liking?” I asked, handing her the document. It was a magically-binding agreement: any attempt at cheating would result in immediate disqualification and total loss. I signed it with a flourish.
”Your turn, Ms. Tenkouin,” I said.
”Of course,” she replied, adding her signature. Now the cage was locked. Neither of us could cheat. Well, I certainly wasn’t going to.
”And use a fresh deck, if you please,” Tenkouin Reika added, handing the dealer an unopened pack of cards she’d brought from who-knows-where. “The rules are Wild Poker². Jokers are in play.”
The first 100-coin bets hit the pot. The dealer’s hands were a blur as she shuffled and dealt. I looked at my hand: the 3 of Hearts and Clubs, a 5 and Queen of Diamonds, and the 8 of Spades.
”I’ll take three cards,” I said.
The draw gave me the 3 of Diamonds, the 7 of Hearts, and the Jack of Spades. Three of a kind. Not bad, but not a powerhouse.
”I’ll raise. Two hundred.”
”Then I shall raise you another two hundred ~desuwa,” Tenkouin Reika countered instantly. She looked smug. She had something.
”…Call,” I muttered.
We flipped our cards. Showdown. I showed my three 3s. Tenkouin Reika revealed a Straight.
”Oh, do forgive me,” she giggled, raking in the 500-coin pot. She was practically glowing with triumph. It was fine. The night was young, and this was only the first deal.
* * *
”Flush,” I said.
”Full house, I’m afraid ~desuwa,” Tenkouin Reika chimed.
I’d been saying it was fine, but I was bleeding out. Luck had turned its back on me. I hadn’t won a single hand, and my stack had withered to less than 500 coins.
”My… you really are quite strong,” I conceded.
”Naturally,” she laughed, her head tilted back in a classic display of arrogance. “I have never lost a wager in my entire life ~desuwa.”
She was insufferable. Even if I was losing on purpose, her haughty laugh was starting to grate on my nerves.
”Next hand, then,” she commanded.
We put our opening bets in. I looked at my cards and felt a grimace tighten behind my mask. Total junk. If I hadn’t been wearing the mask, the look on my face would have ended the game right there. I glanced at Tenkouin Reika; she was the picture of confidence, basking in the attention of the growing gallery.
Then, I noticed a movement. A shadow in the crowd. A man I recognized from somewhere…
The moment Tenkouin Reika went to exchange her cards, the world slowed down.
A man had slipped directly behind her, a naked dagger held low, aimed straight for her throat. Her guards, Nigotori and Samidare Satsuki, were boxed in by the crowd, oblivious. Tenkouin Reika herself was too busy gloating to notice the steel. There was no time to shout.
But the blade never found its mark. A drunk onlooker stumbled, shoving the assassin’s shoulder. The man lost his footing, lunging forward and slamming into Tenkouin Reika. Instead of her throat, the dagger buried itself deep into the mahogany of the card table.
”Kyah! What do you—!?” Tenkouin Reika shrieked, staring at the vibrating blade inches from her face.
”Lil! Get him!” I barked.
Lil didn’t hesitate. She cleared the table in a single bound, pinning the man to the floor.
”Dammit! Let me go!” the man spat, his eyes burning with a manic hatred. “I was so close! I almost had my revenge!”
He clearly had a history with her. But God, was she lucky. If that bystander hadn’t moved, she’d be a corpse right now.
”Are you alright, Ms. Tenkouin?” I asked.
”I… Yes… Honestly! What is the security in this place doing!?”
”My sincerest apologies. I’ll see to it that this never happens again. Please, forgive the oversight.”
”Hmph! Nigotori, what were you doing!? Your one job is to protect me!”
”I-I’m sorry,” Nigotori stammered, looking down. “The crowd was too thick…”
”Excuses are unsightly, Nigotori,” Tenkouin Reika snapped.
Nigotori bowed her head, but I caught the flash of resentment in her eyes. It seemed her loyalty wasn’t as ironclad as her mistress thought.
In the chaos, Tenkouin Reika’s hand had been knocked face-up onto the table. The Black Aces and the 8s³.
The Dead Man’s Hand.
The irony was perfect. She’d spent so much time in Vegas, yet she didn’t recognize the omen of her own hand.
”I am truly sorry for the disturbance,” I addressed the room as the enforcers dragged the assassin away. “The culprit is in custody. Please, continue to enjoy your evening.”
I turned back to the table and bowed. “Ms. Tenkouin, as a gesture of apology for this incident, I will fold this hand. Please, accept the pot.”
”Well… since you’re being so sincere, I suppose I can overlook it,” she said, regaining her composure. “Beside, it’s not like it’s your fault. I saw plenty of this madness in Vegas.”
”I appreciate your grace. So, what now? Surely you aren’t going to walk away while you’re this far ahead?”
”Heavens, no ~desuwa. It is my creed to see a duel through to the bitter end.”
Perfect. If she’d quit now, my plan would have been ruined. But her ego wouldn’t let her walk away.
”In that case… I’m nearly out of chips. Let’s make this the final deal.”
I pushed my remaining coins into the center. The dealer sent the cards flying.
”Oh, dear. No matter how you struggle, you can’t possibly win back what you’ve lost,” Tenkouin Reika mocked. She swapped two cards, and her face lit up. She’d hit her draw. “I’ll raise… five thousand coins. Oh, wait—you don’t have that much, do you? I guess that’s your loss.”
”True,” I said, reaching into my coat. “I don’t have the coins. But I have this.”
I laid a heavy document on the table.
”What is that?” she asked.
”The deed to this casino. I’m raising with the house itself. And if that’s not enough, I’ll bet myself. Hell, I’ll throw in Lil and Honoka, too.”
”Are you insane!?” Tenkouin Reika gasped.
”Master!? What are you saying!?” Honoka shrieked.
”I’m perfectly sane. I’m dead serious. Now, what about you? This deed is worth far more than your current pile. The bets aren’t balanced.”
Tenkouin Reika hesitated for a heartbeat, then her eyes turned predatory. “Fine. I will bet my entire fortune… and myself ~desuwa.”
”Still not enough,” I prodded. “I’ve put my companions on the line.”
”……Understood. I will bet Torimaki, Nigotori, and Samidare Satsuki as well.”
”Wait, you can’t just—!” Torimaki started.
”Why us!?” Nigotori growled.
”Quiet! Just win!” Tenkouin Reika snapped. She looked at me, her eyes dark with a cruel, sadistic heat. “Oh, I’m going to enjoy breaking you. I can’t wait to see what I’ll make you do first ~desuwa.”
”By the way,” she noted, “you haven’t even looked at your cards or exchanged any.”
”I don’t need to. I’m staying with what I was dealt.”
”I see… How bold. It seems you’re just begging to be my slave ~desuwa!”
Tenkouin Reika slammed her cards down. “Four of a Kind! Aces!” Her fifth card was a 9 of Spades.
The crowd erupted. It was an unbeatable hand in almost any circumstance.
”Well? Open them!” she demanded.
I flipped the first card. The 10 of Spades.
”Fufu… You’ve already lost. There’s no way out for you now.”
”We’ll see.”
The Jack of Spades. The Queen of Spades. The King of Spades.
”That’s just a high Straight,” she sneered. “My Aces still crush you.”
”In standard poker, sure. But did you forget the rules? We’re playing Wild Poker.”
I flipped the final card. The Joker.
”Royal Straight Flush. I win.”
”No… That’s… I lost?”
As the roar of the crowd shook the rafters, Tenkouin Reika’s face went white. Her strength left her, and she slid off her chair, collapsing in a heap on the floor.
—
Summary:
The protagonist engages Tenkouin Reika in a high-stakes poker match, purposefully losing until an assassination attempt provides a distraction. Seizing the moment, the protagonist lures Reika into an ‘all-in’ bet involving their lives and assets. Using a hidden Joker in a Wild Poker variant, the protagonist secures a Royal Straight Flush, completely breaking Reika’s spirit.
—
Trivia:
- The prologue man with the dagger is the same person who attempts to assassinate Reika later.
- Reika explicitly mentions her experience in Las Vegas, which makes her ignorance of the ‘Dead Man’s Hand’ omen significant.
- Nigotori’s resentment toward Reika is a subtle plot thread that suggests future betrayal.
- The bet included not just money and the casino, but the protagonist, Lil, Honoka, and Reika’s entire entourage
—
Character Insight:
The protagonist shows extreme calculated risk-taking, using psychology and house rules to manipulate Reika’s arrogance into total ruin. Reika’s motive is shown to be purely sadistic, as she relishes the thought of enslaving the protagonist.
—
Behind the Scenes:
The author explicitly breaks the fourth wall at the end, begging for popularity poll votes and promising erotic content for the winner.
—
TL Notes:
Notes:
• Reika – Wealthy half-foreign heiress with drill blonde hair and blue eyes, flat-chested. Leader of the bullying group.
• Marguerite – Young girl with long, pale blue hair in a catatonic state. Possesses ‘slight’ buds for breasts. Daughter of the Master of Merchant Guild Foxia.
• Jessica – A girl with a refined speech style and an intense, obsessive devotion to her sister. She has pink-blonde hair styled into vertical ringlets, green eyes, and short stature. AA chest.
• Satsuki – Large chest (noted as ‘milk woman’ or ‘cow’ by Reika), indoor type, former bullying victim turned perpetrator.
• Honoka – A member of the relief team with healing magic. Despite her cute, short, ‘transistor glamour’ appearance, she is cold-hearted and mocks Sasaki, now a bound slave to him.
• Leki – Lil’s daughter. Height: 140 cm, B-W-H: 70, 54, 69. She looks more like a Siberian Husky puppy than a wolf. Honestly, she just looks like a stuffed toy, recently transformed into a human form. Now use great axe as weapon.
• Lil – One of the heroines. Height 166 cm, B-W-H: 90-56-90. She is a top-tier beauty with long indigo hair down to her waist, a large scar on her abdomen and sharp golden eyes. She has wolf ears and a tail.
• Sieben – Young man with black hair and a mask covering his eyes. He purchased Honoka and Ria.
• Luck – Shin’s partner and a wind magic user. Hunter from Rubia. Deceased.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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