Not a detective

Page 167

"It will only be triggered when both sides play the same card in the same round."

"Oh, right."

Asakawa Riku then noticed that Mo Yue had drawn "J of Spades,J of Diamonds,J of Hearts,J of Clubs,A of Hearts", while Hoshino had drawn "10 of Hearts,J of Hearts,Q of Hearts,K of Hearts,A of Hearts".

In other words, they used the repeated "J" and "A" of hearts.

At first, he only thought that since neither side used any previously discarded cards, he naturally assumed that these two card combinations would work, but he forgot that the two people had used duplicate cards.

"How do we decide that? A draw, or a tie?"

"No, she still won, I lost, because my hand was indeed weak."

Suezuki handed the paper to Asakawa Riku, then calmly revealed the shocking truth: "The punishment rule is that the winner takes all, and each additional point earns her one point, so she currently has 3 points."

Asakawa Riku was taken aback.

There's really such a severe punishment?

"When both players play the same card in the same round, the winner gets an extra point. That's the penalty rule."

"The score is now 3-1, what are you going to do, miss?"

Xingyu revealed a smug expression, lifting her skirt with both hands. Although she wasn't wearing a maid's dress, her expression was extremely provocative.

Asakawa Riku suddenly felt immense pressure.

...Was the last month really just a simple mistake? Or was it just bad luck?

Shouldn't.

The player in the final month may have anticipated the "Royal Flush" and used the Jack of Hearts and the Ace of Hearts to block it.

Her prediction sent chills down one's spine...

If she had gotten that number a round earlier, discarding those key cards would have rendered Xingyu's "47" ace useless.

Asakawa Riku realized once again that this was truly a battle between two monsters. What seemed like an easy struggle was actually a clash of ideas on a completely different level.

Unfortunately, Mo Yue was a step too slow this time, allowing Xing Yu to use her trump card first. As a result, she not only suffered a crushing defeat but also triggered the worst possible punishment.

She knew about the [punishment rules], yet she still gambled on this game... She's a crazy gambler, which is very much in line with her personality.

However, losing the bet in the last month is now a completely unfavorable situation!

"3:1... Only two rounds left. Even if we win all the remaining rounds in the final month, it will still be a draw."

Asakawa Riku frowned and said, "Can we declare the game over now, that there's no chance of a comeback?"

"No, that's not right." Mo Yue said with a firm look in her eyes, "We can still turn things around."

"How could that be... You mean!"

Asakawa Riku was about to retort when he suddenly realized something and exclaimed in surprise, "You... are trying to deliberately exploit the punishment rules!"

Although the standard BO3 rules are a best-of-five format, there is a penalty rule here, which means there is a possibility of "+2 points per round".

If Hoshino also falls into the penalty trap in the remaining two rounds, it will allow Suegetsu to take two points and tie the game.

Then, if we win just one more point in the final game, we can achieve an impossible comeback.

But... just how low is that probability?

In this game, constantly calculating card combinations and decks to create a stronger hand than the opponent's is already extremely difficult.

On top of that, you also have to accurately guess the opponent's chosen suit and number, and deliberately repeat it... This... this is truly unimaginable.

Moreover, it also depends on the numbers you get. If you're unlucky and the numbers don't allow it, no matter how precise the calculation, it's like a skilled cook trying to make a meal without rice.

How do you do that? Just rely on luck? Are you betting that you'll be able to pull out that crucial winning tile from the wall?

"Haha, Miss, you're as good at exaggerating as ever."

Xingyu seemed amused as well, covering her mouth: "If you can do it, then go ahead and try. I don't believe in miracles. Let's begin, next round?"

"Okay."

As the timer started, the two of them walked down the stairs one after the other again.

...

[Round 4]

...

Asakawa Riku returned to the deck of cards he had arranged.

32 cards, remove 10 more, then you have 22 cards...

No, that's not right.

When Asakawa Riku was drawing his cards, he suddenly realized that the two of them had used two duplicate cards in the previous round: the Jack of Hearts and the Ace of Hearts.

Therefore, after abolishing 8 cards, there should be 24 cards left, which is correct.

He couldn't help but think that even when facing physical cards, one can easily make a mistake if one doesn't look carefully. How should one think when facing nothing but air?

How can I avoid making any mistakes?

The further they went, the more computational and memory-intensive the task became. I really admire their brains.

Asakawa Riku looked at the remaining 24 playing cards and fell into thought.

To win in the final month, you must trigger the [penalty mechanism], which means intentionally playing the same card twice.

There are only 24 cards left, and 10 cards need to be played at a time. In theory, the chance of duplicate cards should be quite high, but in reality, it's not that simple. There's another condition for successfully matching cards...

He frowned, pondering all the possibilities...

About 8 minutes later, Moyue and Xingyu returned to the rooftop.

"It took a long time this time."

"Same for you."

Indeed, the deadline of ten minutes is fast approaching, and it seems they are being pushed to their limits.

It's unclear whether Asakawa Riku's hiding place was well concealed or the card game was too mentally taxing.

"let's start."

Asakawa Riku volunteered to take on the role of referee, but this time, his expression was much more serious.

After the two finished writing, they displayed the slips of paper as before.

Mo Yue: "63 - King of Spades, King of Diamonds, King of Clubs, Queen of Diamonds, Queen of Spades, King of Full House."

星羽：“26——黑桃6方块6红心6红心4黑桃4，6葫芦。”

"If the K-hand is greater than the 6-hand, the team wins in the last month, and the score becomes 3:2."

Asakawa Riku announced the results.

Moyue won, but she didn't actually win, because this time, neither of them played the same card, so there was no penalty; she only got a point.

Adding just one point is not enough to turn the tide and win; Xingyu still holds an absolute advantage.

The miracle of "winning 12 tiles on a winning hand" did not happen.

Zashiki-warashi no Aki: Chapter 44 The Decisive Strike 7

"Oh dear, looks like I'm having bad luck."

Mo Yue pouted and complained, then shook her head.

Yes, what Asakawa Riku had been worried about has happened. It seems that the probability of having the same card among 24 cards is not low, but this must meet a certain condition.

That is [digital permission].

The numbers they received were not chosen by themselves, but were random numbers written down in advance by Asakawa Riku. However, if the two numbers were too different, it would be difficult for them to match.

For example, the number 63 that Moyue got this time had to be pieced together using large numbers like K and Q.

For example, Xingyu got 26 this time, so she can use small numbers like 6 and 4 to make up the difference.

If you insist on trying to beat her 6 and 4 in the final month, that's fine, but then you won't be able to form a "full house" hand; you'll only be able to barely manage a bad hand.

If you lose a hand, the punishment is to punish yourself, and the gap will widen further, so it's impossible to do that.

So, Mo Yue was really unlucky this time, or rather, Xing Yu was too lucky. Their numbers were just far apart, so they couldn't possibly bump into each other easily.

Even if the last month of the lunar calendar could truly predict the future, there would be nothing that could be done about this situation.

Therefore, she could only temporarily secure a point with a K-full, placing all her hopes on the final game...

But the miracle didn't happen in this game. Could it happen in the last game?

Asakawa Riku found it hard to believe.

"What a pity, Miss. It seems the gods are on my side. Fate has decreed that you two must be separated."

On the contrary, Xingyu was now smug, even his provocative gaze had turned into pity:

"I'm sorry, a miracle won't happen in the next round either. I can already tell you in advance—"

"The next round will definitely be my victory."

...

[Round 5]

...

Why is Hoshino so confident in declaring his victory?

While Asakawa Riku was still wondering about this, he suddenly noticed that Hoshino, who had just gone downstairs, was coming back up the stairs.

"What's wrong? Can't find it? I can't tell you where it's hiding."

He asked a question, and less than a minute had passed, yet there was still no sign of Moyue returning.

Xingyu, however, waved the note in her hand with a show of pride:

Isn't this it?

“…So soon?”

Asakawa Riku was stunned for a moment. He thought the time to find the note would increase linearly, but he didn't expect that in the last round, Hoshino's speed was unusually fast.

Could it be that I was spied on while hiding the note? But this isn't Chizuko-senpai, and I can't instruct a yokai or ghost to peek.

Even if she is a half-demon of mixed race, her ability to control water should not be useful for finding playing cards.

"Because Asakawa-kun and I are of one mind, of course I know where you are hiding."

Hoshino's frank answer made him a little embarrassed.

He could only cough twice, feigning seriousness, and continue to be an emotionless referee:

"Ahem... Let's wait for the other player to return before we open the cards to determine the winner. This is the last round."

"Are you going to wait for Miss? She won't be back for a while, I can guarantee that."

"why would you say so?"

Asakawa Riku frowned upon hearing Hoshino's words.

He could imagine that Mo Yue would search for the note for a long time, but it shouldn't take more than ten minutes, since he hadn't hidden it very carefully.

Even if it takes a little time to arrange the cards, it shouldn't be too difficult for that detective.

Aside from being able to take care of herself, Shinonome Suetsuki is incredibly intelligent, especially after experiencing the first four trials; it's hard to imagine her being defeated.

Xingyu smiled enchantingly:

"Because she doesn't have the same spiritual connection with Asakawa-kun as I do."

"Are you on some kind of high today? You seem to have completely ruined your image."

Asakawa Riku wasn't shy anymore, just a little helpless.

Has this guy entered his rebellious adolescence? Why is he being so aggressive today?

Normally, the master and servant pair are quite harmonious. Even if Mo Yue occasionally says something to him, it's all bark and no bite. But today, it's the other way around, with Xing Yu almost launching a one-sided attack.

I really don't know if she accidentally ate that bottle of "forgetfulness medicine" and actually took the wrong medicine.