--The coin spins through the air and rises while rotating vertically.
The copper coins have a dragon symbol on the back, indicating that they were made in Lugnica, and the year they were minted is engraved on the front, but their appearance is not very different from the coins of the original world.
The only difference is whether the technology used to do this is mechanical or magical.
The rotating coin reaches its peak, and for just an instant it stops moving, as if sewn into place in mid-air.
In that instant, Subaru held his breath, and, watching the coin begin its falling trajectory, began to move both his hands with incredible speed.
Subaru punched the empty air repeatedly, creating a whirlwind that covered the coin on its falling trajectory. Instead of instantly catching it as it came down directly in front of him, he bent down and bent his knees to match the coin's fall, buying himself time to fall, and just before it hit the ground, Subaru crossed his arms as if to scoop it up――
"--Now! Right! Left! Or the mouth!?"
"No need for bluffing. To the right."
"Oh my god!!"
He opens his trembling right fist and presents the coin in his palm in front of the triumphant girl.
Seeing the girl's smile deepen, Subaru's shoulders shook in humiliation and all he could do was hang his head. The bag containing the lingas was transferred to her hands, and from it two lingas were placed right in front of Subaru's eyes.
"Well, there are only two left. There aren't enough coins to cover the heads and tails of the coins, and the recipient can't even reach them. What trick will you use to compete with me next?"
The girl seemed to have no doubt that she would win, and was only interested in what kind of bet Subaru would bring up. No matter what he brought up, she had an unwavering determination that she would win.
Meanwhile, Subaru had lost his confident bet on the coin catch, and with his ten chips now reduced to just two, he was in a state of complete defeat.
In terms of their mental condition, they were already at a disadvantage.
"That's ridiculous… I read manga and practiced my coin spinning technique, but how could that possibly be? I'm the one who was known as 'Subaru the Illusionist'…"
"Let me tell you, there's no point in trying to trick me. In the first place, I didn't even notice that coin spinning thing you were doing. There's no need for me to look at it."
Sitting on a discarded wooden box against the wall, the girl hugs one knee and tilts her head seductively.
The smile on his lips remained the same, but a sadistic tinge of enjoyment in tormenting the weak was beginning to take hold.
When he thinks of her as an arrogant person, his manly heart burns with the desire to somehow put a stop to her arrogance, but he can't think of even a single way to do so.
"In the first place, I thought I would win when I tried spinning the coin, and this is what happens... and it's been treated as meaningless! At this point, I've left everything up to fate--"
"Have you decided on a method? Alternatively, you can simply present me with two lingams."
"Hey, hey, in my hometown, deserting before the enemy would mean being forced to commit seppuku without any shido. Don't underestimate the strict discipline of the demon vice-captain. And don't think I'll just end up being a loser."
The girl's attitude was the embodiment of the word arrogant. However, her posture was so perfect that it was intimidating enough to make you bow down before her.
However, Subaru shook his head in defiance, pointed his finger at her and put up a bluff.
「The game will be... the traditional final battle method from my hometown, 'Rock, Paper, Scissors'!」
"Rock, paper, scissors?"
"Oh, oh, you don't know about Janken? You don't know? Hey, hey, just how naive of a sandbox baby do you have to be to end up like that, huh?"
"What a pointless provocation. It lacks class. I won't deny that I am naive as you say, but I won't fall for even such a low-level invitation."
He tries to disrupt the girl's composure by teasing her and joking around, but it doesn't work on the girl, who can see through his intentions with just a breath.
To begin with, such provocations would not work unless the other party was in a position to "face" Subaru. If her self-awareness was firmly established, and she saw Subaru as no different from a stone by the roadside, then the stone's abusive remarks would not have even the slightest effect on the girl's heart.
「Bebebe, I'm not plotting anything or anything. Just because I've been losing so much doesn't mean I'm going to try and pick up some wins in a nasty way or anything. Don't underestimate me!」
"This is a waste of time. Come on, just explain this rock-paper-scissors thing to me. That'll be the end of it."
Subaru waved his hand perfunctorily, unable to hide his shock at being outwitted, as the girl sneered at him. Subaru bit his lip in frustration, but put his hand forward,
"Janken is a duel in which players shout out a command and put their hands out in a set shape, and the winner is decided based on the quality of the hand shape. There are three hand shapes: "Rock," "Paper," and "Scissors." Rock is strong against paper, which is strong against rock. Do you understand?"
Subaru explained as he shook his hands in various directions, and the girl replied, "I see," with her chin tilted back,
"I see, I get it. It's quite an interesting idea. What about the chants?"
"The way to play is to put your hand out on the 'pon' part of 'janken, pon.' If two players get the same hand, you immediately start over by shouting 'aiko, sho.'"
"Is that all? Very well, I understand. In that case, I give you a par."
"Sudden bargaining?!"
Subaru was horrified at his opponent's level of understanding and application, using the advanced technique of rock-paper-scissors, ``Declaration.''
Immediately after the rules of Janken were explained to him, he understood them and immediately chose the standard tactic that would give him a psychological advantage. The best move to win, something that had never been seen in games of pure luck up until now - his skill in choosing it was apparent there.
"You think that if you teach them the rules and then immediately bring it up to rock-paper-scissors, and then while your opponent is surprised, your plan to let the match go unresolved will be foiled…!?"
"Let's get started. Here you go, rock, paper, scissors."
"Oh, wait a second, I haven't decided what I'm going to do yet..."
Subaru was flustered that his underhanded plan had been seen through and that he had been used instead. However, once the shouting had begun, it was impossible to stop it, and when he saw the girl raise her hand, Subaru raised his hand in unison,
"Pop!"
The girl shouted and put out her hand in a "paper" as she had declared. Subaru then said,
"Even though I went to the trouble of giving him flowers… it seems that even though he uses every excuse he can to make, he is dying to present me with the linga."
「No! Statistically speaking, when humans are suddenly forced into a game of rock-paper-scissors, they instinctively clench their fists and go, "No way, it's going to happen." In other words, it's an act of force majeure!」
In front of the girl waving her open palm, Subaru raised his firmly clenched fist and muttered a sore loser quip.
Subaru brilliantly played Dozaemon, a schemer who drowns in his own schemes.
"Now then."
Letting out a sigh, the girl's pale fingertips picked up one of the lingas placed before Subaru's eyes and carried it off into a bag nearby.
With this, Subaru had just one chip left.
"And then I will take even that away from you, you ignorant person, and teach you a lesson. That I am the one at the top, and that you are suited to crawling around at the bottom."
"Hey, isn't it a bit extreme to lose a gamble and then be treated as the very bottom of the human power pyramid? Even though he had no chance of winning, he gambled it all, nearly lost everything, and yet his pride got in the way and he couldn't back out, so he's on the verge of a spectacular downfall... Ah, he's at the very bottom!"
"Don't worry. Below me, everyone is at the bottom. There is only me and those below me in this world."
"It's refreshing to see a pyramid that only has two levels and nowhere to sleep!"
The part that touches the ground is very wide, but there is only one apex. The angle to the apex is so steep that it looks like it will become a pyramid.
As Subaru struggles to find a place to sleep inside the imaginary pyramid, the girl claps her hands and says, "Come on," bringing Subaru back to reality. And then,
"Let's bet our last piece and have a fight."
"...Maybe you'll take pity on me and let me have that last one."
"All of the lingas you possess will belong to me. -- I have already spoken of that decision. All that remains is for you to take the necessary steps and prepare the way for the lingas to be presented to me. It's quite an entertaining sight to watch, but... that seems a bit redundant."
Though her tone hadn't changed, it was also a death sentence, and she had no intention of letting Subaru go unpunished. For her, who believed in her own path and showed no signs of doubt, obtaining the Ringa was already a done deal - and if that was the case, there was no other way for Subaru.
"How about we play rock-paper-scissors for the final game?"
"--Hmm, so you're going to bet on a fight where you're already at a disadvantage? That's a decision too, but either way it's pointless."
"No more excuses from either of us. Without any of the introductions from earlier, let's get to this challenge."
Thrusting out his fist, Subaru first blocked the girl's verbal inducement. She raised her eyebrows in surprise at his attitude, but then shook her head, concluding that it wasn't something that would affect the outcome of the match.
"Very well. Let's get started quickly and finish quickly."
Seeing that the girl agreed, Subaru widened his stance and drew his fist back. He placed his left hand over his pulled right fist, crouched and twisted his waist, tensing his whole body as if in an iaido movement - his fighting spirit rising to the surface.
"--Ahhhhhhhh!"
He puts so much energy into it that a roar comes out of his mouth.
Meaningless movements, meaningless gestures, meaningless mindsets, meaningless enthusiasm.
No matter how much strength he puts into his body, victory or defeat is not affected by that. Even knowing this, Subaru puts all his energy into his right fist, the one that will decide the outcome.
The atmosphere in the alley changed, and even the girl's expression hardened at Subaru's determination to win. And just as their fighting spirit reached its peak, the two of them made their move.
"Rock, paper, scissors -- pop!!"
A shout. A fist was shot out as if it was being deflected, and for an instant the sound disappeared.
The air was torn apart by the advance of the fist, and the illusion of a flashing light exploded in the space it was torn apart―― Subaru saw the girl's crimson eyes turn red as she saw the outstretched fist.
The girl's fist was clenched into a fist. And the opposing hand of Subaru was――
"Th-this is..."
"Hear in amazement, see in amazement. This is the lethal weapon of rock-paper-scissors, handed down since ancient times."
Subaru's right hand muttered, and a shape was formed that was beyond the girl's understanding.
--An irregular hand, with the thumb, index finger, and middle finger raised.
People have called it the ultimate forbidden move and have dreaded it!!
"Yes, this is the ultimate fighting game - Rock-Paper-Scissors!"
"What is that?! I have never heard of such a plan!"
"Shut up, damn it! I didn't tell you, but it's my fault for not listening! This part is rock, this part is scissors, and this area is paper. In other words, my hand is better than your rock."
"If that opinion prevails, then some people have already lost..."
"Ahhh ahh ahh! I can't hear you!!"
Covering his ears and shouting loudly, Subaru tapped his feet on the spot to retrieve the lingams. He carefully held onto the last lingam that hadn't been taken.
"I won! I won! No excuses! It's because you didn't try hard enough and didn't realise that there was a hidden side to the rules, unlike a simple coin toss! In other words, my determination to win won out over your good luck! No objections! I'm positive!"
Subaru's ugly argument, which seemed to be a culmination of sour grapes, underhandedness and cowardice, made the girl groan in frustration.
It was the first time in that short time that the girl, who had always maintained a fearless personality, had shown a negative expression.
"--Then, this will be the final match."
"Huh? What are you saying, Rabbit? This game with the last piece on the line has ended with my victory. I have no reason to fight any more!"
"I bet the one linga you possess and all the lingas I have won."
As Subaru tried to run away with the victory and end this situation, the girl declared with sparkling eyes.
Subaru stopped moving at her words and stared back at her. The girl's expression reflected in his black eyes had already regained its fearlessness, and even more so, he could see her determination.
"The game will be played again as rock-paper-scissors. However, each player can only drop the 'rock-paper-scissors' hand once."
"Are you out of your mind? I'm telling you, ten lingas are yours now..."
"I said to give you everything. If you don't give me everything, it's the same as nothing."
A refreshingly self-righteous reason.
The girl tilted her head and asked, "What's your response?", questioning Subaru's resolve. In response to her words, Subaru declared in his mind, "This girl is a total idiot."
It would be foolish to get so heated up in a battle like this that he lost track of when to stop. The obsession with winning was undoubtedly something that Subaru, who had little experience with such things, found difficult to understand.
Above all, I don't understand the greed required to devote so much of one's soul to taking something that belongs to someone else.
Therefore, now that he had secured a single Ringa, and now that he had truly humiliated her, even if only once, there was no reason for Subaru to join in the challenge.
But there wasn't――
"The old man's scarred face pushes me forward. Take back the Fruit of Bonds. And break the pride of that arrogant woman, and do something nasty!!"
"I have accepted that."
The girl confirmed in a low voice, and Subaru nodded his chin in agreement.
Then they raised their fists and began the final deciding sequence.
--The world moves in just a few seconds as your hand moves, and your thoughts accelerate.
The prerequisite is that you play Rock-Paper-Scissors once. And since this is a surefire way to win, it's the first card you play as a matter of course. If this is a tie, then the game moves on to a pure game of rock-paper-scissors.
The woman's luck is so precise that it can be called threatening.
He can tell the difference between heads and tails after tossing a coin seven times in a row, and recognize the position of the coin in each hand by spinning it. If he was told he could predict the future, it would be hard to believe.
But there's no way he could predict the future. To know how things would play out and then act to change that would be too much of a cheat. Such a stupid ability would be――
"Oh, that's exactly what I did!"
"Let's go, rock-paper-scissors..."
Taking advantage of the moment her concentration was broken, the girl swung her hand down. Seeing this, Subaru quickly followed suit and thrust his fist out.
and--,
"Of course, rock-paper-scissors came up. But you're being naive."
Seeing the rock-paper-scissors hand thrust out in front of him, Subaru's cheeks twisted into a grin.
Seeing Subaru's calm demeanor, the girl blinked again in confusion,
"What's that move?"
As Subaru gave a thumbs up, a somewhat cold voice called out to him.
However, without noticing the tone of her voice, Subaru snorted and said, "Hmmm."
"This is a secret technique that goes even further than the forbidden move: the 'bomb'. It's the ultimate special move that can even blow away rock-paper-scissors. Blast, bang, and the opponent is dead sweets."
"What is that?! Anything goes?!"
"This is truly my last hidden trick! I confirmed how to use Rock-Paper-Scissors, but I wasn't asked about the other moves, so I didn't answer. I will deal direct damage to you with the effect of the bomb! Crushed! Suicide attack! I will give you a huge cheer!"
Subaru clapped his hands vigorously, drawing the mood of the room towards him, and loudly proclaimed his victory. The girl bit her lip in frustration, and pointed a trembling finger at Subaru,
"A-Are you saying it's okay as long as you win? Don't you have any pride as a man?!"
"It's okay to win, just win! Don't get the wrong idea! I don't like fighting! I like winning!"
Subaru boldly made a statement that was a direct line to becoming a villainous little guy, and stomped his foot. Then he placed his palm over the finger of the girl who was pointing at him,
"By having this match, you have indirectly acknowledged my victory in the game of rock-paper-scissors just now! In other words, you have created a situation where you have no choice but to acknowledge my victory just now! Haha, rock-paper-scissors really is hell!"
"Grrr..."
The girl growled in frustration at Subaru's triumphant response. However, she quickly shrugged and said, "Well, it can't be helped," and put her hands on her hips, puffed out her chest,
"As you say, since I've already let it through, I can't back out now. Therefore, I can say that you have won the bet. Now, do as you wish."
"Come on," the girl said as she stepped forward. Her posture accentuated her ample breasts, and her breasts, wrapped in a dress, swayed lightly as if there was nothing to support them.
Looking at them again with his own eyes, he realized that they were something beyond his imagination. Subaru had never encountered anyone with what he would call large breasts in his life. Emilia's beautiful breasts topped the breast rankings at Roswaal Mansion, and the twins below her could hardly be called large. Beatrice was not even on the list of candidates.
Therefore, Subaru swallowed as the girl's body was thrust forward as if it were an official reward,
"Oh, hey hey hey, that's so noble. Can't you just act a little more like, 'No idiot, I can't do something so embarrassing'? If you do that, Natsuki Subaru the man will be reluctant to show any mercy..."
"Once defeat has been decided, making excuses is not permitted. The same goes for sour grapes. As you say, it is my fault for resting on my laurels and forgetting my attachment to victory. --Although, for me, who has never been defeated before, this can also be considered a valuable experience. Therefore, there is no need to be stingy. Take it."
Now, the girl stepped forward even further. Intimidated by her momentum, Subaru stepped back in proportion to the girl's advance. Seeing her attitude, she frowned,
"You... did you get scared when it came time to touch my breasts?"
"Huh?! I have no idea what you're talking about! Who's scared?! Where's that information from?! What time and minute and how many times has the Earth rotated?!"
"...He's a really out of sorts man. And the fact that he scares me is adorable, if anything."
Placing her palm to her forehead in exasperation, the girl gazed at Subaru with seductive eyes. Her gaze sent chills down his spine, and Subaru instinctively embraced her like a woman,
"Whatever it is, just let me go. I just want to take Linga back with me. I've gotten separated from my super cute friend… but I think this is probably a complete timeout."
Emilia must be desperately searching for the missing Subaru right now. Her plan of returning before she left the station and insisting that she had been waiting there properly was no longer working. Subaru, who was lost in the allure of the woman in front of him and completely wasted his time, had no right to make excuses.
"On top of that, once I got the right, I was a wimp and hesitated to exercise it. No, it's just the pure heart inside me that's telling me that in this other world, the first boob-touch has to be with the girl I like."
"It's a moldy set of values… but even I don't like that."
The situation begins to reverse between the two of them as they decide whether to touch or not.
Subaru shows his virginity and gives in at the last moment, while the girl, on the other hand, seems too proud to allow him to take advantage of the opportunity to offer herself up.
As they found themselves in a confusing situation of back and forth, change came not from within them but from outside.
"--Hmm, this looks like it's going to be troublesome."
Suddenly, the girl looked away from Subaru and turned her head towards the entrance to the alley. Subaru was drawn in and turned his head in that direction as well,
"Oh, it seems like there are a lot of shady looking people here?"
"And the one in front is some rubbish I've seen before. Oh dear, you boring idiots."
The girl shook her head, an expression that did not hide her exasperation and contempt. Subaru hurriedly stood up next to her and glared at the alleyway in the opposite direction from which the group was coming. He could sense no sign of a group approaching from that direction, but he had no proof that it wasn't a dead end either――
"Either way, if they get caught it smells like it's heading straight for a bad ending! What were those guys thinking, coming back after hearing Reinhard's name!?"
"I guess they found out I was bluffing too much, saying I was acquainted with a knight among knights. They have their pride too. They gathered their numbers and challenged with no chance of losing. It's that obsession with victory you've been talking about."
"What a loser spirit! I can forgive myself for having no pride, but I'm the type who can't forgive others for behaving without pride!"
Subaru and the girl were saying some pretty selfish things. Their presence was noticed by Tonchinkan, who was walking at the front of the group. The men with tough faces shouted something, signaling the group behind them to start running. Seeing this, Subaru,
"Damn it, today is seriously a bad day!"
It started with the attempted fall off the dragon carriage, then getting separated from Emilia, and now this - if things go badly, he could end up getting injured by a sword. He really hasn't had a good time.
Subaru forcefully grabbed the hand of the girl standing beside him, stuffed the ringa into a bag, and sprinted backwards - into the darkness, his destination unknown.
"Hey, what are you doing? Don't touch me so casually."
"What time is this! If you don't want to get caught, you should run too! Look at the lecherous sides of those guys! If you get caught, it'll be a development worthy of a young men's magazine and eroticism will explode!"
Pulling the girl, who had little will to run, Subaru stepped forward powerfully, punctuating each syllable with, "There!"
「Right now, I own your boobs! Therefore, letting those guys touch them is absolutely unacceptable! If you understand, then dash! B-dash!」
Pulling her arm, Subaru ran through the rough road and headed deeper into the alley with the girl in tow.
Feeling the chain of men's shouts and footsteps chasing him from behind, his heartbeat already beginning to race and his lungs beginning to ache - Subaru consciously ignored these things as he ran deeper and deeper into the narrow alleyway.
※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※
It was twenty minutes after leaving Subaru behind that Emilia was released from the guard post and able to return to the street.
The original objective was to connect with Reinhard - despite spending a long time on this, the conclusion could be said to be that it ended in failure.
When I mentioned Reinhard to Julius, who was showing me around,
"Reinhard? He's been busy lately and doesn't seem to have much time… No, if that's what you want, I'll tell him myself."
Emilia had planned to somehow refuse Julius who had offered to help her, and return to the streets, having been thwarted in her goal so quickly.
"Julius took up more of my time than I expected."
"He didn't mean any harm, and I knew what he was thinking, so I didn't feel any discomfort. And besides, I don't dislike his colorful and refreshing mana."
Finally released and stepping out onto the street, Emilia heard Puck's words. Emilia nodded in response.
"I know you're not a bad person. I think our conversation was meaningful, and I have no complaints about that, but…"
"Well, you do talk a little too much about yourself. …Is it because you can't read the mood when Subaru is around?"
Emilia sighed as Puck laughed heartily, then looked out over the street. Twenty minutes was more than enough time to become tired of waiting.
She honestly felt sorry for making him waste so much time. But what made Emilia even more anxious was,
"I mean, it seems pretty predictable."
"...I didn't think you were the kind of girl who could wait still for twenty minutes."
Emilia's fears had come true and she ran her hand through her silver hair and looked down.
Subaru, who I had told him to wait for, was nowhere to be seen on the street in front of the noble district. I thought he might be waiting for me in the shadows somewhere, but after wasting a few minutes in front of the office and still not seeing him,
"It looks like he's not on this street anymore... Puck, can you find him?"
"I'll try somehow. Right now, Subaru's mana is pretty low overall, so don't get mad if I fail."
Subaru: "That way of speaking is starting to sound like you. ――Anyway, please."
"Yes," Puck replied softly, pushing his silver hair aside and coming out. He stepped out from under his hood and sat on Emilia's shoulder, sniffing his pink nose, trying to smell Subaru's scent - in this case, the remnants of mana that filled his body.
Puck's nose is quite reliable when it comes to the mana of someone he's familiar with. The problem is how long it's been since Subaru disappeared. And the problem of his lack of mana due to his current physical condition. Both of these make him a little uneasy about reuniting with them.
While Puck was using his nose, Emilia also looked around, trying to get a sense of where Subaru was heading.
The street served as the entrance to the noble district, and most importantly, was in front of the barracks, so there were very few people passing by. Entrance to the noble district was strictly controlled, and those who had no business in the noble district would not want to wander around in front of the barracks. Therefore, aside from Emilia, the number of people on the street could be counted on one hand.
"...I wonder what that person is doing."
That was why the strange behavior of a person she happened to see across the street caught her eye so much.
The location was several dozen meters away from the guardhouse, on the path leading to the commoner's quarter in the opposite direction from the entrance to the noble quarter. On the way there, he leaned over a wooden garbage collection box set up on the side of the road and stuck his head and arms inside to search inside.
"Maybe he's looking for something he lost."
Emilia thought to herself, placing a finger over her lips. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Puck with his eyes closed, sniffling with all his might, still chasing the remnants of the poison.
She still hadn't found the trigger to make a move. Having confirmed that, Emilia muttered a small "All right" to herself, and took a step towards the suspicious person.
If Subaru had been there, or if there had been anyone else, he would have stopped her. The act of heading towards someone rummaging through the trash with such fervor was accompanied by a feeling of aversion. However, there was no one there to stop Emilia, who was alone, and even Puck, who might have been the only one to give her some advice, didn't notice her actions at the moment.
Therefore, her actions reached the person's back without being thwarted.
"Oh, she's not here either, Princess. This is really annoying. What should I do?"
When I got close behind him, I could hear the person muttering something like that reaching my eardrums.
It was obvious from his back that it was a man's voice. The man had his upper body pressed against a wooden box, and he was wearing light, slightly dirty clothing. However, the wide sword attached horizontally to his waist made a very strong statement.
When viewed from behind, the structure of his body from his back to his lower body is also robust, leaving no doubt that he is a man of considerable fighting ability.
Judging from the rough tone of his speech, he was the kind of person you would normally want to avoid.
However, the person there was a bit outside of normal concepts: a good-natured half-elf.
"that"
"--Hmm?"
When I called out to him without hesitation, the man cried out in surprise and pulled his head away,
"Ngaaah!"
Just before pulling his upper body out, he hit the back of his head on the opening of the box. He bent down on the spot, and with the force of the blow, his chin slammed into the outside of the box. He was hit repeatedly on the top and bottom of his head, and he crouched down.
"Ohhh, that hurts...! What is this, what am I doing at my age..."
"A-Are you okay?"
As the man reflects on himself in a strangely sad voice, Emilia touches his shoulder, feeling guilty for having spoken to him.
"Kyaa!"
The man stood up briskly and touched Emilia's shoulder, surprising her.
Then the man turned around on the spot, facing Emilia directly, who was standing behind him.
Because the man was taller, Emilia's gaze angled slightly upwards. And the moment her face came face to face with the man, her amethyst eyes widened in shock.
And then, pointing his finger at Emilia, whose throat was covered in shock, the man spoke.
"Hey, don't touch me so casually, girl. If you touch me, you'll get burned."