The Stand User Of The Daily World

Chapter 156: Yumeko Jabami Bets Her Life

Yumeko's words made Yuriko Nishinotouin's expression darken. However, seeing Yumeko's carefree demeanor, she didn't dare to take the bet. Left with no other choice, she remained silent, trapped in a dilemma with no way forward or back.

The cheating method in this game wasn't designed for a guaranteed win but simply to slightly increase the odds in her favor.

Specifically, the dealer had a small iron stud, no larger than a mole, embedded in their right hand. Among the ten swords, only one contained a magnet, allowing it to be subtly maneuvered to the desired position by the dealer's hand.

Since the dealer's hand remained close to the throwing pot and their shaking motions were identical each time, the designated position was always the outermost right side—slot 24.

Even so, this method of cheating wasn't foolproof. The dealer could only control one sword, while the remaining nine were left to chance. No matter how practiced the dealer was, interference from the other swords made failure a real possibility.

Even if the controlled sword successfully landed in slot 24 as a "life" result, the other swords could land on different numbers. With the additional factor of the "life" or "death" outcome, even with consistent cheating, the success rate would only increase by a little over 10%.

A 50:50 probability could be shifted to 60:40 or perhaps 65:35. While this gave an advantage in a single gamble, it wasn't overwhelming. However, when extended over fifty or a hundred rounds, Yuriko Nishinotouin, as the house, would inevitably rake in immense profits. She could easily bring the entire Traditional Culture Research Society under her control.

That is, as long as the number of rounds was sufficient.

The reason the Traditional Culture Research Society attracted so many students to participate in high-stakes gambling was that someone would occasionally win big. This kept suspicion of cheating at bay. Even if someone had their doubts, spotting the pattern was incredibly difficult—just like Mary Saotome.

This type of gamble, relying purely on capital and mathematical probability, was particularly effective against gamblers like Mary, who thrived in adversity. It made it nearly impossible for them to detect cheating. In Mary's all-in round, Yuriko Nishinotouin had not, in fact, cheated at all.

She lost simply because luck wasn't on her side that day. But for someone like Mary, that was a bitter pill to swallow. However, in gambling, luck was a crucial part of skill—if you couldn't accept that, you shouldn't be playing.

Yet when Yuriko Nishinotouin tried to use the same cheating method against Yumeko Jabami, who openly mocked her family name, she was utterly crushed. If not for Kirari Momobami's outside interference, she would have likely been expelled from the Student Council altogether.

However, if rumors spread that the Traditional Culture Research Society's gambling matches were rigged—even without concrete proof—the number of participants would surely dwindle.

This would be disastrous for an organization that relied on high-volume betting to ensure its success.

And if Yumeko actually had solid evidence, the society would be finished. This put Yuriko Nishinotouin in a difficult position—she was never someone known for quick thinking under pressure.

"By the way, Shunsuke, have you figured out how Nishinotouin-senpai is gambling?" Yumeko suddenly turned her head and asked.

Shunsuke nodded. "Yeah, more or less. It's a rather grandiose gambling method, fitting for Nishinotouin-senpai."

At that moment, Yuriko Nishinotouin stopped struggling. If it were just Yumeko, she might still have had some room to maneuver. But now that even Shunsuke had said this... she knew her own limits well.

Yuriko knew better than anyone how terrifying Runa was. As someone from the same year, she had witnessed firsthand how unfathomable Runa's abilities were.

In this school, aside from the ever-dominant President, the most frightening person in her eyes was none other than Runa—perhaps even more so than the enigmatic Vice President.

And yet, that same Runa had been utterly crushed, to the point where she was bedridden and couldn't even come to school… God, this man is terrifying!

Yumeko, however, showed no doubt, her expression bright with delight. "As expected, Shunsuke, you're amazing! That makes me so happy. In that case, would you be interested in gambling against Nishinotouin-senpai? I can wait a little longer if needed."

"I didn't expect you to be so considerate today, Yumeko." Shunsuke stroked his chin before glancing at Yuriko Nishinotouin, whose expression had dramatically changed. After a brief hesitation, he shook his head. "Nishinotouin-senpai is certainly... a beauty? But unfortunately, she's not my type. Even if I were to gamble, there's no stake here that interests me."

—What do you mean by phrasing that as a question?!

Yuriko Nishinotouin seethed internally, but outwardly, she maintained a composed smile. Perhaps the only thing that truly reflected her emotions was the oni mask looming behind her.

"Oh, what a shame. I was really looking forward to seeing you put your life on the line in a gamble up close, Shunsuke."

"Well, if you're that eager, why not just gamble against me directly?"

"Really?!" Yumeko's eyes lit up with excitement as she grabbed Shunsuke's hand. "I was just wondering how I could convince you to accept such a gamble, but I never expected you'd agree so easily—subarashii!"

"My wager can be my life. But can your wager be placing me above gambling?"

"Not a chance." Yumeko smiled and immediately rejected the idea. "If it's my body, well, even though I'm still shoujo right now, you can do whatever you want with it, Shunsuke. But when it comes to my mind, I have no control over that. Putting you above gambling? Just imagining it is impossible."

"What a pity. Then I suppose we'll both bet our lives."

As if expecting that answer, Shunsuke showed no disappointment.

"As for the type of gamble…" Shunsuke paused, thinking. He wasn't particularly well-versed in gambling and couldn't come up with anything elaborate. His gaze eventually landed on Yuriko Nishinotouin.

"Nishinotouin-senpai, could you step aside for a moment?"

"Huh? Oh… sure, please go ahead."

Yuriko Nishinotouin moved aside and sat down, only realizing what had happened when she saw Shunsuke and Yumeko discussing their stakes. Wait… wasn't I the host of this game? How did I suddenly become an outsider?

Watching as these two monsters effortlessly overshadowed her, Yuriko felt nothing but relief in her heart. Thank goodness I didn't end up gambling against them.

"Our stakes will be our lives," Shunsuke stated, dividing a hundred chips for each of them. "Each player starts with a hundred chips, and we'll follow Nishinotouin-senpai's original rules. No objections?"

"Mm, very fair indeed."

Yumeko nodded enthusiastically, her face flushed with excitement. She was even panting slightly, making her look dangerously enticing.

"President…"

The dealer hesitated, looking toward Yuriko for guidance. Yuriko gave a slight nod. "Just follow the usual rules."

Receiving her silent signal, the dealer decided to simply play the role of a neutral third party.

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